It was a pleasant surprise this morning when I logged into Facebook to find chat turned on. This feature has been in the works for sometime, and released slowly to a limited set of users. I can already hear groans from tons of IM users ” Not another one”, but this feature is here to stay and perhaps even dominate!

The chat bar sits at the bottom of your profile page and displays your online friends, current chat conversations, notifications and settings where you can change your online status. Like Gtalk, Facebook allows you to pop your conversation into a separate window and you can even see your online friends list while you continue chatting. Overall I think the chat experience is smooth and slick, powered by Ajax. It will be interesting to observe whether users will shed the comfort of their legacy IMs, especially Gtalk, in coming days, but what Facebook has working in it’s advantage is the existence of a vibrant social network around which they hope to promote their chat application.

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I love history, I love period films and I love to have my imagination run wild when I watch a movie from such a genre. There remains no doubt in my mind that history has been and will be one of my great teachers. Period films historically have never been very successful in our country’s cinematic history, with the exception of Mughal-e-Azaam. It’s quite surprising - almost paradoxical - considering we are a nation steeped in 5000-plus years of history and we love to brandish it like a honor badge wherever we go. Most directors avoid such a genre completely, yet Gowariker finds the courage and the skills within himself to create a magnum opus that leaves you enthralled, informed and exposed to one of those rare cinematic experiences.

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We watched with jealousy as all the big cities (and some small ones) had the street view option in Google Maps, but the google blog surprised me with a post that the Triangle region now has this facility. Not only is this an useful utility in google maps, it also gives me a chance to do some ’sightseeing’ of a different kind - new addition to my hobby list after scrobbling.

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2007 has been a year of great learning and introspection. Helped me discover who and what I want to be in years to come. Also, I was able to realize my dream of visiting new places, exploring previously unknown horizons within myself and making new friends. Finally, after a hiatus in blogging mid-year, I returned back to the Blogging scene with a new perspective and a resolution for the next year to actively blog throughout the year.

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My flight to Boston had a three hour layover in Cincinnati and tired of just sitting in airports during previous layovers, I decided to scout the city. Note that Cincinnati is not the best city to do this, since the airport is a good 20 minutes from the city, but I still decided to take that chance.

Cincinnati was always on my mind since my trip to Kentucky in May ‘07 (I was in conversation with an old couple about our road trip and talk went on to railroads and railroad museums) when I was recommended the Underground railroad museum in Cincinnati. I checked on this later and found out that it really was a museum of a different kind. The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes that helped slaves to escape Southern secessionist states , and Cincinnati has an entire museum dedicated to this piece of American history. Fascinating!

I knew I wouldn’t get time to make it to the museum on this trip, but instead I thought it might be nice to take a sojourn around the city. So I hopped onto a TANK (Transport Authority of Northern Kentucky) bus (the main airport is actually in the state of Kentucky) to take me downtown. I took a quick walking tour and caught glimpses of the innovatively designed Scripps center and the Carew Tower, which is a good example of French Art Deco. Fountain Square, which is often regarded as the center of downtown, was small, yet enjoyable. There was an ice skating arena with kids and parents alike enjoying the festive spirit.

A few minutes later, and I was at Government Square to catch the local commuter bus. I thought it would be a new way to see the city, if not the best way. As the bus ambled through the traffic, I caught glimpses of the city - tall buildings giving way to natty houses along Main Street which gave rise to more modest apartments. Dingy by-lanes gave a stark reminder of the days when crime was a big problem in the city. I reached my destination - University of Cincinnati - and knowing I had exactly 20 minutes for the return bus, I quickly roamed around the deserted campus. At some point when I was obsessed with university landscapes, I read this bit about the architectural experiments that had been revitalizing the university area. I took in some of the sights, though admittedly a deserted campus and twilight did not favour university tourism.

As it neared 6PM, I decided it was time to head back to downtown and then to the airport. I knew I wouldn’t get a chance to see the brilliant Cincinnati skyline(here, here and here), but I consoled myself by having a glimpse on the ride back to the airport. In between I even had time to try out Graeter’s, perhaps the best icecream in the world. They use a French Pot process and hand-make the icecream and the quality is evident the moment you dig into your treat. Greater’s is available only in select locations in Ohio and Kentucky, but you can order some to your home from their website. Sweet memories to top of what has been a short, but sweet stopover in Cinncinnati - The Queen City.

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As engineers we are always taught to reason our way through problems and investigate theories on why and how something works. That’s one of the most important and interesting facets of engineering for me - getting down to the why’s and how’s. As kids, at some point I believed in that bearded, overweight, old chap who would deliver presents to good kids all over the world. I even remember keeping a red sock for Santa when I was 8.

Times have changed then and theories about Santa’s existence are all but well known - even to some kids of age 10! Kids are really smart nowadays and to my surprise I recently had a little kid tell me in Crabtree mall recently:

There is no Santa Claus. Santa is really your dad.

And of course your mom is the tooth-fairy…I’ve heard that one before. To hear that from a kid of that age is another thing all together. Today many parents in America contemplate telling their kids early on that there is no real Santa, before some smart-alec kid in school points out a few inconsistencies about Santa. Either way, you’re gonna break the kid’s heart and all on the basis of a few rumours.

Santa’s wonder journey on Christmas eve may not be inexplicable after all. If you don’t believe me, read this explanation by Prof. Silverberg at NC State, which clearly explains how Santa uses advanced technology to know what a kid wants and how good he/she has been and then deliver the presents on time. As the professor says:

Children shouldn’t put too much credence in the opinions of those who say it’s not possible to deliver presents all over the world in one night. It is possible, and it’s based on plausible science.

So the next time you tell a kid Santa does not exist, remember that you many not have considered that technology can make impossible things happen!

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While the Indian Cricket League continues to make news for the right as well as the wrong reasons, the promos for the league have been quietly aired on television. The promo for the Chennai Superstars is hilarious and tastefully done - completely captures the spirit and zeal of Chennaites!

See the League’s cricket channel for the other videos

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There are some films that come written with ‘Box-office success’ all over them. Even Sachin cannot dream of being so consistent with his strokeplay as the people who make typical ‘Candy-floss’ Bollywood movies. Om Shanti Om is a film from the same genre, but definitely one that comes across a far superior product. With liberal usage of Bollywood song-and-dance sequences and the emotional melodrama that we potray as authentic Indian culture, Farah Khan, the director, uses all her experience in Bollywood to make a film that appeals to each and every age-group.

The story is known to one and all owing to the extremely pervasive media publicty (I agree with Maqbool when he says “Just tell them the address of the place, they will reach faster than you can imagine to promote the film”). SRK plays a junior-artiste Om who is madly in love with the superstar of the day Shanti played by newcomer Deepika Padukone. Om tries to woo Shanti through the first minutes of the film, but Shanti is already in love with her producer Mukesh played by Arjun Rampal. Mukesh pretends love to Shanti, which she believes readily. She however is simply a pawn in his game to become the biggest producer in the industry, and he plots to kill her by burning her alive in his mansion. Om tries to rescue his beloved but fails, and both die pre-interval. Om is reborn again as (who else) Om Kapoor (OK), but this time as the son of a filmstar couple. Arrogant, Proud and Spoilt, OK is the apple of his fans and the nightmare of his production crew. However, the film take a decisive turn during a shoot at the same mansion where Shanti was burnt alive. OK’s memory comes rushing back and he recalls flashes of his past existence. He then meets Mukesh at a party, who now is a big producer in Hollywood. The final card is played when a Shanti look-alike appears for an audtion and OK plans to extract revenge on Mukesh - all this in the backdrop of producing a movie aptly titled Om shanti Om.

What looks like a sound script fails because of its lack of originality and innovativeness. There is nothing in the story that exudes the freshness the promos so promised. The fact that this entire story is spelt out in one single song (Dastaan e-om shanti om) is proof enough that Farah did not expect to impress with a great storyline or intelligent dialogues. Instead the film’s strong points are (and due credit must be given here) in its presentation, art direction and editing. The cinematography is good, veering towards moments of sheer brilliance in some scenes. The opening scene for example, where Rishi Kapoor dance to the Om Shanti Om song from Karz only to be replaced by SRK in the next scene, is not just great camerawork, but also a wonderful example of a good transition (credit there to Farah and Shirish, the editor). Transitions are used with great effect in some of the other songs as well.

Scriptwriting and story-telling were never Farah’s forte, and perhaps will never be, but Farah has been in the industry long enough to play to her strengths. She knows the kind of cinema she is good at making and gives her 100% in that effort, and the result is there for all to see - this is one Bollywood flick that is going to rake in moolah at the cash registers for weeks to come but down the years it will be remembered as a movie that typifies Bollywood fully. SRK revels in a role that he has made his own in Bollywood. There aren’t many in Bollywood with his balance of acting skills, zeal and style. Deepika’s acting is limited to a few scenes, for she is largely there to add a glamour quotient to this film. Shreyas is good in the role of Om’s childhood friend and companion, using just the right balance of entusiasm and emotion in his dialogues. Arjun Rampal does what he does best in Bollywood - carry along small roles that doesn’t tax his acting skills. Kirron Kher as Om’s mother is a tad melodramatic as the molly-coddlying, beta hamesha sahi hain mother. Indeed at times the scenes between ma and beta make you impatient.

What makes the film click ultimately is its humour and its satirical references to erstwhile and modern Bollywood figures. The scene where Sooraj Barjatya gets a famous Maine Pyaar Kiya dialogue from an Om-Shanti conversation is a masterstroke, and there is classic satire when the director takes a poke at SLB with the deaf-dumb-blind movie which is ‘only meant to garner awards’, and at Tamil films wherein wild imagination often coalesces with drama. It might seem trivial but SRK even does not hesitate to poke fun at himself when he says “overacting tho mere khandaan main hi hai” or with coming late on the sets. It’s not the easiest thing when you have to taunt yourself with the whole world watching. The awards ceremony scene was nicely done, and Akshay’s reaction on not winning the award was a riot. The face-covered-by-hand Manoj Kumar scenes were frolicsome. Indeed it’s all these little nicely done scenes, woven seamlessly into a rather morbid storyline, that are the film’s selling points.

I have heard everyone say that this is a film you will enjoy if you leave your brain at home and go only for the entertainment quotient. I disagree: I don’t see a whole lot of entertainment quotient in a tried-and-tested storyline, or in a rather lame dance sequence involving 31 Bollywood superstars. At the same time I saw a lot of care put into making some scenes. You really need to take your head with you to understand the nuances in these.

Farah, you are the one of the best choreographer’s in the industry, yet that did not ooze out on-screen. You took a weak story and script and by excellent use of the camera and sets churned out a watchable film for which you must be given credit. Finally, you gave due recognition to a lot of the behind-the-scenes staff, for which the whole of Bollywood will admire you. However, publicity frenzy and a media over-hype cannot make an average film exceptional. Why does it work? Well Farah has the answer to that the movie’s most repeated dialogue - Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko agar dil se chaho to saari kayanath tumhe usse milane ki koshish me lag jaati hai. (when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true)

CAFFEINE QUOTIENT:

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A couple of months from now I will be moving to DC, when I start work in my new job. Change always comes with its share of apprehensions and trepidation. The Germantown/DC/College Park area is almost like a second home to me after Raleigh - been there so many times and know the place well. I always tell my friends back at State that Raleigh will be just a stone’s throw away from me when I move there.

In the midst of these thoughts and while bowling, Remya asked me Friday night if I would like to go to DC for the weekend. It was as though she had been reading my mind, for I said yes immediately. My happiness rubbed on my bowling as well, for the next two frames were strikes.

Later that night I pondered over my apparent inner joy - why was I so happy to go to DC? Why there of all places? Why not Baltimore or Richmond, say? Something in me hit me that night - I want to move on in life and therein lies my urge to see the place I am moving on to.

Life in Raleigh and NCSU was good, and it will always be. I have friends here, places I am used to and I know I will always be at home here, but let’s face it - I am getting ‘comfortable’ here. Comfortable because almost everything has gone right for me so far. Comfortable because I can live tommorrow indulging in today’s nostalgia. Perhaps I have become to satisfied with what I have that I don’t realise that I can do much more. Highly philosophical, but true and also practical. Joel Osteen talks about this at length in his book Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Everyday, which makes a decent read when you are bored.

Dreams abound in our minds - they always do - but to achieve them we must wake up and go to work. I am guessing the characters in the bootless summer flick The Invasion will agree on the last part :P, but on a more serious note that adage makes more sense to me now than ever before.

Getting pensive also puts me to sleep, and I sleep I did. The next morning was a rush, for we had to go the airport at 5 AM in the morning, rent a car and then drive the 5 hours to DC. The whole day was spent in roaming around downtown and finally a visit to the temple. At the end of the day I met up with Neha, which was my other reason for coming to DC. The devil in me even had time to make an impromptu plan to surprise Neil - again! The attempt worked well and this time it was captured on video too….

Next day morning, after breakfast and a bit of shopping at IKEA (man I love that place!), we returned home - each of us satisfied with the gains in life we had made that day.

Ridiculous movie dialogue of the day: You can easily go a week without sleep - Daniel Craig in ‘The Invasion’

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When the first few drops of liquid touch your tongue, the fatigue disappears instantly. Suave molecules of Mocha stir up your blood, without causing excess heat; the organ of thought receives from it a feeling of sympathy; work becomes easier and you will sit down without distress to your principal repast which will restore your body and afford you an unusual serenity.

Coffee falls into your stomach, and straightway there is a general commotion. Ideas begin to move like the battalions of an army, and the battle takes place. Things remembered arrive at full gallop, ensuing to the wind. The light cavalry of comparisons deliver a magnificent deploying charge, the artillery of logic hurry up with their train and ammunition, the shafts of with start up like sharpshooters. Similes arise, the paper is covered with ink; for the struggle commences and is concluded with torrents of black water, just as a battle with powder.

This is something I read a year back at a local coffee shop. Such is the power of coffee, and this blog is my attempt to put to paper (in this case the keyboard) some of the thoughts and ideas that come to me as I mull over that cup of coffee - sometimes with friends and sometimes in solitude. My previous blog was akin to me learning to speak. I hope this one evolves to a stage where I can tell a story - a story about you and me, about my country and the world…in short everything under the sun!

Thanks TF for inspiring me to start blogging again after an absence of over 6 months.

Currently Sipping: Cup a Joe’s amazing Caffe Voltaire

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