What an achievement!

Glorious moments it was for the Indians and the "Slumdog Millionaire" family, as they would like to call themselves :) Indian actors Anil Kapoor and others made such a powerful and confident presence at the Oscars and it was simply awesome to see the way it was celebrated on stage with the kids from the slums who played a vital role in the movie's success.

A.R.Rahman, what ever I say about this human would be an understatement. In fact I already made one calling him a “human"! He is the face of humility and modestly with matchless talent, who credits his accolades to none but God and his mother :) Many felt that this was not his best of works but I feel that the Oscars are just a beginning for this maestros' international presence and he is all set to mesmerize the world with his new identity!

I watched the movie almost instantly after it was released. To be frank I was enraged with the title. Somehow the word "Slumdog" hit me hard and could not believe a foreign film maker dared to call Indians that. Even after the seeing the movie I was not convinced that was for real. It was only after the movie picked up media interest and more real life stories surfaced that it became so obvious that we have totally forgotten this part of India which still exists and is calling for help. Even though the movie and its breaking success puts India on the map in a poor way, it will at least draw a lot of attention internationally and also is an eye opener for Indians and Indian government. Funny part though, is that the Indian Congress party claims a share in the Oscar story instead of taking this movie as a heads up to solve some of the burning problems like poverty, illiteracy, child abuse and providing aid to families in distress.

I just hope that this movie serves its true purpose of bringing more help to people living in such horrifying conditions and not become a mere media hype to be lost one day as a story long told. I really wish that the kids, who stole the show, would have their fates changed and would receive proper education and support; and be as privileged as any of us are today.

Beautiful Mind

Have you ever wondered why you thought in a particular way or how you came up with some of the amazing answers you did not even know you knew? That is right! Your mind, the most complex creation yet to be demystified to completion. Mind has the amazing power to influence what you feel, what you emote and what you think you are. That is what makes you 'YOU'. What we are perceived by others is a lot dependent on what our mind thinks and wants to portray. It is a never ending feedback loop between the conscious surrounding and our thought process that keeps on fine tuning what we think we are. It makes you feel good, bad, egoistic, cheerful, dull, ignorant, aggressive, self conscious, daring, supportive, innocent, jealous, vulnerable and the list continues. Even our day to day life is lived twice...once in the head and then once for real. Every minute our mind process the data at hand and tells us how to react to the next minute. Even as we speak we would have spoken those words already once to ourselves before it is finally uttered and an impact is made. That is reason behind saying you control your destiny. Your life is as good or as bad as you make it. The uncertainties are mere extraneous elements that come and go. So buddies, go tell yourself you are the best in the world, the invincible, the elite and you can solve the toughest of problems and a whole new world of endless possibilities will open and lay in front of you tread upon the way to success.

Tour de India

What a time it was! Awesome India...our people, our land and our culture. Fantastic cuisines...MTR masala dosa to the road side churmuri and masala puri, nothing to match its complex concoctions! With almost a months' shopping spree and preparation, we boarded BA flight to Bangalore via Hethrow, London on the eve of Thanks Giving. A full flight it was. Lots of families with kids going on vacation, so you know what to expect on board...lots of tantrums! We landed safely and on time at bangalore to be received warmly by our parents and relatives. Our trip had just began, and the ride to our home gave a good flavor of what Bangalore has become...a dusty, polluted and bustling city with erratic traffic where drivers and pedestrians have lost what was some time called traffic rules/sense. We decided to ignore this part of our city for the rest of our trip to avoid all the irritation due to it. At home we were welcomed with a fresh aroma of hot breakfast just waiting for us to pounce upon! We had our heart's fill and spoke of all the current events and family news....it just felt like old times. But the jet lag crept in and sleep was tugging our eyes. Next few days we spent at my  home at Mysore. It just felt so right..my home, my parents, my room..the garden in the front of our home ...each and every detail seemed so pronounced, now that I was noticinging the smallest of things that I missed for so long. We went around Mysore city which was decorated like a bride for the Dasara festival, the Chamundi Hill, Srirangapatna, KRS and the temple that was submerged under the water of the KRS dam that is now relocated on the banks of cauvery...what a sight it was! All our loved ones got together at my house in Mysore and it was one of the best days of our trip to India. I cannot thank and appreciate them more for coming from such distances just to be there that day....wow that is the greatness of strong relations I guess :) We had a fun time with my cousins' little kid taking the centre stage and keeping us all laughing most of the time with all his cute actions and babbling:)

Back in Bangalore we spent a day going around places in the out skirts. Visited Shivgange which is a temple situated on the hill top near Tumkur. The treck itself was not tiring but for the notorious monkeys which attacked us and even pulled my hand bag. On the way back we gave a visit to the Siddaganga Mutt to take the blessings of the Swamiji. The rest of our India trip passed pretty quickly in visiting various relatives houses that we had missed out last time and also shopping around. After it was almost time for us to leave, the packing was one the greatest challenges we faced. Trying to fit all that we had shopped was a big deal. Finally after prioritising what goes with us and what stays back, we winded up and were all set to leave. But the sense of leaving brought so much sadness that we wished we had not come as the excitement of coming was much better to bear. Finally with tearful adieu to our parents we left India and back to US right in time to be welcomed by the new year.