Swipe for lunch

From tomorrow, we have something different to look forward to, at the office. MEAL CARDS.

So, it used to be like this. We paid 15 rupees for lunch and the organization paid the same. Now that's not there anymore.

We got this new thing called a meal card. One more extra card. Amidst so many credit cards, debit cards, fuel cards, MTV card, dhaba express discount card, oh yeah, access card; now we have this card to used at the cafeteria.

Company will not pay that 15 rupees. They have brought this new scheme called Flexible Benefit Plan. I seriously don't know how flexible this is. If I end up paying more tax by July next year compared to this financial year, then I'll know about the inflexibility of this flexible plan. Company will top up a fixed amount every month on this card and then you can swipe this card for lunch.

Previously you just paid 15 rupees and it was the hassle for the accountants in the finance department and the guys from the access card department to figure out how many ate or how many swiped twice, whatever that maybe. Now all accounting headache has been shifted to the employee. Every time you swipe, you have to ensure that the person at the counter enters the right amount and if you need to track the account, then you need to keep the bills and later claim if you need to reconcile. There is also an online account tracker.

But you know what? Having been here for about a year, I am sure my company will tell me to scan the receipt and send it via email to a given email address and raise a query in a new system.

By the way, this card can be used in other retail outlets within the city as well. Other than the big names, I really don't know where else you can use the card.

One of the names I saw on the list of outlets in Chennai said "PADMA STORES" and that's it. That was effin crazy!!! I guess there are enough surprises like this.

Subramaniyapuram

A step back into the past - about 28 years. The year 1980. Think about what was in store then.

I went back to the old photo albums lying in the house to understand everything. The eighties. Wavy or curly hairdo, a rough look on the face sporting a thick beard or a nicely shaped mustache, bell bottom pants, colorful and kaleidoscopic designer shirts with an insanely long collar, wide belts with large buckles - thats the men. Now for the women - plaited hair (it was always black), jasmine flowers, half saris, eyeliner.

Subramaniyapuram (S.Puram) - set in the year 1980 was nothing different. Everything that you would possibly expect from a situation in the 80s was provided with utmost attention to detail. Even the motor vehicles - take the auto-rickshaws and the trucks - the registration number plate also reflected the 80s.

S.Puram is about the life of a few unemployed men who spend their lifetime living in a small town, working for a local wannabe politician, and how they end up becoming outlaws. S.Puram is also a story about living a life for today. Characters in the movie do not have great ambitions. They are very down-to-earth.

What I liked about the movie was the simplicity in the script. There was very clear emphasis on how friendship binds people, and the innocence among people that allows them to go to any extent to do what they want.

Swathi - the girl with the coy glances. She was just amazing. Without any glamor or style, in most of the romantic sequences, it was her big round eyes that did all the talking. Credit goes to the director for having delved into that direction of romance.

Love in the 80s wasn't any close to what we see in the movies nowadays. It was like running water on lotus petals, very much on the surface, brimming with emotions. No violent kisses or vulgarity. It brought in a divine feeling.

Jai - the bowler from the Rockers team in movie Chennai 28; has done an amazing job as Azhagar. Equal credit goes to his friend in the movie who plays this character called Parama. Imagine the angry young man of the 80s. Thats Parama for you. Azhagar is also on similar lines but partly enamored by Tulasi.

The movie lacked a forewarning of violence. There should have been a clear communication to the cinema halls telling them not to allow children for this movie. The second half of this movie deals only with blood filled violence and its quite shocking to see all that. Its comparable to the final scene in Paruthiveeran. If you;d scene that movie, then I am sure you wouldn't recommend watching that with your children or school going cousins. This is quite similar.

Overall: Great movie for a small budget.

If you knew or

BOY meets GIRL in college. They spend over 5 years together or whatever - don't remember the exact number of years. For convenience lets keep it 5. Start off as friends. Surrounded by a gang of common friends they together hang in cafes, cinema halls and parties.. and lots in that line.

One thing I don't understand is why BOY doesn't feel more than being just friends with the GIRL. This is absolutely unbelievable stuff. I mean, in the last 5 years that BOY had known GIRL, he should have had enough feelings for her. He should have felt more for her than being just a friend and let me tell you straight - at least once in that 5 yrs he would definitely fall in love with her.

BOY and GIRL can't remain JUST friends and keep doing the following - talking to each other everyday for hours, spending time with each other more than required, dinners, dance parties, dates blah blah blah.. all of that will lead just to one thing. LOVE.



Well, that's what Jaane Tu comes to tell you. And according to me, you don't really need another pretty girl and smart boy between BOY and GIRL to help them understand what they feel for each other. But you know what - the director is actually right. Most of the times, BOY or GIRL doesn't realize that they are actually in LOVE and they just keep denying it. And you always need that external catalyst to start off that new reaction. In that context, I would agree with Abbas Tyrewala.

Old wine in new case. Thats the only description about Jaane Tu. BOY is Jai and GIRL is Aditi.

Rahman's youthful music just makes you love the film. "Pappu can't dance" - a dig on Salman Khan totally. Even if Aamir Khan says NO in public, I wouldn't agree because everything about that song is a punch on Salman's face. Especially stuff like muscular, playing the guitar etc etc. "Kabhi Kabhi" - the song thats been around everyone's minds for a few months now, is another highlight. In the middle the background score and some other song reminded me of "Michael learns to rock". Anyway, musicians are influenced by some style or the other.

Coming to the narration part. Rotlu, Jiggy, Bombs and Shaleen (all friends) decide to tell Mala about Jai and Aditi's story. This way of narration is an exact copy of the Tamil movie Azhagiya Theeyae

Another theme in the whole story is about fulfilling the pre-requisites of being a Rathore family member. Naseerudin Shah as the photo dad keeps talking to Jai's mom and troubles her with his witty dialogs every now and then. Arbaaz and Sohail Khan do a cameo in the movie. They are fun to watch.



Genelia is as usual - the same in Tamil and Hindi. No change at all. I don't understand how every director gets her the same kind of role. Always bubbly and immature.

Imran - the new kid on the block. Looks very smart on screen and does his role quite well. I think Aamir has provided a good opening for his nephew.

If you find someone enjoying this movie in the cinema hall, then you can be rest assured that these are the college going kids because this movie is so damn predictable that someone who is a little more matured will never want to sit through this for more than an hour or so.

Overall: Colorful

21: The Movie

Hmm, I usually don't do a review for an English movie, but what the hell, a good friend of mine recommended this movie and asked me to write a post. So, here we go.

21 is a movie based on Ben Mezrich's 2003 bestseller Bringing Down the House - a tale of how brilliant MIT students supposedly took the Vegas casinos for millions of dollars at blackjack, using devilishly clever card-counting techniques, but somehow lost it all again.



Ben Campbell, a science genius needs about 300 grand USD to fund his education at the Harvard Medical School. He applies for a scholarship and the dean asks him for a challenging story that would help him get the scholarship. Ben doesn't have one and there starts his quest for a great story.

21 is an exciting movie packed with the right elements that would expect in movies that revolve around the life of 21yr olds.

Kevin Spacey (Micky) plays the professor who runs a team of card counting specialists. They fly to Vegas every weekend and literally plunder a casino.

Kate Bosworth is the college babe that everyone wants to hang around with. For 25, she looks sexy cool and pairs up really well with Sturgess who is just 21.

The movie is more about how observant you are whilst the game is in progress and what clues you pick up. So, there are keywords that you need to know and watch out for, signals, gestures and formulas for the cards that are being laid down. Another important part is the effect of emotion over your decision making power. Once you overcome the emotion, stay calm and composed, then you have a mathematical formula that takes you right close to the answer and you don't have to think twice about making that decision.



21 also shows how young and geeky college students yearn to date pretty women in the same college but never manage to get there easily. Very typical. And when the guy almost gets the girl, they try to act smart in front of their friends.

21 also emphasizes a lot on how to control your mind and thoughts as a person, how not to be greedy and not go overboard, loyalty, betrayal, camaraderie, team work, most importantly NEGOTIATION. The last part where Ben asks Micky to play one last game is a classic example of how he manages to turn the tables to his favor.

Overall: awesome movie for a night show. you'll definitely not sleep.

Kadhalikka Neramillai

Found this song on the internet




Listen carefully and you'll realize that the tune has references to so many Tamil film Songs.

Oops, for the people who don't understand tamil. The post title means - No time for love. Actually, this is the title for a soap that runs in VIJAY TV or STAR VIJAY.

Announcement

- More than 5000 profile hits in the Tamil matrimony website and a hole in my pocket because of the registration charges.

- Advertisements in the official Palghat Iyers matrimony publication for consecutive months.

- A ream of JK White copier paper wasted in printing out horoscopes of prospects and letters to parents across the country.

- Visits to the family astrologer's house every now and then to see which ones match. Discussions to find why it matches on the girl's side and not on ours.

- Seeking opinions from a third party astrologer - just to cross check. What if our own astrologer skipped a chapter while learning the theory behind the whole matching technique.

- Travel Expenses to meet the person for the first time, then meet again. And then repeating this again for more sample sets.

- Visits to new new temples every month. Applications to a new god every now and then. 40 rounds at one place. 17 at the other. Special ritual at the third. New prayer to be told 137 times every morning for 39 days.

- Trying to make implausible explanations to my parents and relatives about my expectations and being totally unsuccessful at it.

- Being in a completely fuddled state of mind about what i want in my life.

- Listening to questions ("when are you going to get married", "what is wrong with her" - i think i have heard these a zillion times) and opinions from anybody under the sun.

- Troubling parents beyond the point of resistance and control; leading to emotional drama and blackmail.

- Fights with folks at home about maintaining a good profile picture on the matrimony website.

- Answering weird questions from parents who call regarding an alliance

- Participating with friends in discussion forums about male-female ratios in the Palghat community.

Oh what a year it was!



Brothers, Sisters, Friends and everyone else,

I am done with all this now. I am off the singles list, preparing to start a memorable journey.

The dates have not been finalized. The wedding is planned around Q1 next year. Anyway, I'll let you know.