Bed and Board - Movie Review

I did not know that this movie was part Francois Truffaut's five film series on the life of Antoine Doniel (ordinary man, no one famous) until I started reading about it (not that it would have made a difference - just that someone made a five film series!). Young Antoine is married to the pretty Christine. He makes a living by doing some chemical process on flowers to change their colors while she teaches piano lessons.

Antoine discovers he is not very good at changing colours of flowers and finds a new job - of  remotely moving toy ships in a simulated port. His wife is pregnant and soon a son follows. An affair for Antoine also follows - with a Japanese girl. Domestic strife, then a small patch up and ends in separation.Poignant lines by Antoine in the end to his wife -'You've always been my mother, my sister etc'. 'But never your wife' she says speaking of the affection they share. The characters around the couple, at home and at work, make it so delightful to watch. Also the 1970s feel. Ah, how I love the 1970s. It was a period when the eye saw only what it wanted to see.

Enjoyed it.

A Single Man - Movie Review

I don't know what I expected from this sensitive love story but it was a shade too slow and a shade too intense. The intense Colin Firth plays the role of a gay Prof waking up to memories of his now-dead lover. Colin is obviously not taking the death of his gay lover too well - he has plans - to commit suicide. The pistol is loaded.

His friend, Julianne Moore, who, apart from giving him moral support, also wants a relationship with him, makes a futile attempt to interest Colin Firth. Colin, sensibly, finds the eyes of a male student more interesting. Sparks fly. The two share a drink, go skinny dipping and go home. The young kid discovers proof of the old lover in the form of a picture in the drawer, the loaded pistol and puts one and one together (picture and pistol). He hides the pistol under the blanket and both go to sleep in separate rooms. Colin wakes up first, sees this act of kindness, and his desire to live comes alive. He seems to have made peace with the death of his lover, when he suffers a fatal heart attack and dies.

Moral of the story. If the gun does not kill you, relief will. Verdict: It's a bit slow. 

Anjali - But It's My Cartoon

Yesterday Anjali drew a cartoon, complete with illustrations and dialogue, inspired by the popular Suppandi jokes in the Tinkle Digest. It was well illustrated, had a clear story structure and looked as good a professional job as any, more so for a seven year old. Frankly I am not sure if I could have done something as good at first try.

Cartoon - courtesy Anjali

My first reaction was praise for her effort. Suppandi looked perfect, the joke sticks. And then the adult in me took over. 'You know, between these two slides you could have inserted one more and had that guy say this and this guy say that and it could have been funnier etc etc.

She looked at me, slightly disappointed. 'It's my cartoon. I'll do it that way only.'

That must be for me

Clearly she has visioned it a particular way and executed it - and very well too. Instead of viewing it as it was, I had to add my two bits and take all the fun out of it. Whatever she did, was hers. It is a source of pride for her. Fine there could be scope for improvement but can we wait until asked? Why this instant need to correct that and feel good about it? Why take away the credit for her good work?

In many ways this episode highlights how we demotivate people. Dealing with children gives us an great insight into how to motivate people. Appreciate the progress they make. Look for what is right in it and focus on that. When we pay attention to that, it will grow. Don't look at what is not there because then we will grow what is not there.

Those critical words of ours are killers really. They kill the spirit. Thankfully children are resilient and they bounce back. But after years and years of putting them down and killing their spirit they just might give up on themselves. In our quest to create perfection in other's lives (and not ours, we are perfect already you see) we take our criticism to work places, families etc and demotivate them further.

When someone does work, appreciate the progress they have made instead of looking for perfection so they do more of that. Do this until they develop some belief in themselves. Don't mess up their energy by making them feel that they did not do a good job. It's work in progress. Nobody's perfect all the time. Step back. Chill.

If you can, appreciate it. Some effort has gone into it. Else shut up.

Telangana Formation Day - Hyderabad All Decked Up

I saw some activity on the roads yesterday. The city was being decked up with lights and stuff for the first anniversary of the Telangana State Formation Day. It looked promising. So I decided to take a trip round the city. Never saw the city look so colorful.

Trees lit up in blue - Road No 2

Near the CM's camp office.

Not the best pic - it actually looks like a golden cascade

Charminar

Near Charminar - 1030 and its still crowded

Charminar all lit up

Secretariat

Near Secretariat

Turning into the Secretariat road

Towards Prasad's

Ethereal 

A smiling tree

And a dancing road

Carnivalish 

Rajbhavan Road - Lit lawns, gold dust

Rajbhavan Road

Some heavenly stuff

It winds on and on

Whizzing past

Flyover at Punjagutta

The lights seem to come at you

More star dust

Going around the KBR park

Down the slope near TRS Bhavan

The ride was long but was well worth it. Am sure it might be better tomorrow. Saw many chaps working - some poor fellows painting the dividers in the evening traffic near the Paradise flyover, many others putting up more of the lights, policemen all around.

All government buildings seemed to be well lit. The garden opposite the Public Gardens and even the one opposite Nizam's College looked spectacular. Could not get decent snaps of those.

Happy Telangana Formation Day!

Thought for the Day - When Are We Ready (For What We Want)?

The day we are ready for what we want is the day we stop talking about it.

It is the day we dress up for the occasion and are waiting in readiness for the action to begin, for the call to come. When all preparation is done and we can handle it as it comes. It is the day we make our speeches ready, see our future unfold and prepare accordingly.

Then, and only then, are we ready.

Fine. But when do we know when our preparation is enough?

When we stop talking about it. When we tell ourselves that we can step off this moment and say, let's go. I am ready.

That's when you are ready.

The Paradoxes of Our Lives - What We Resist, Persists

I love this paradox. What we resist, persists.

To get away from it, accept it. 

Thought for the Day - This Life Now, Or An Alternate Life

It is our choice to live this life now. Or to reject it and choose to live alternate realities.

To live our life as it is now, needs awareness. Needs us to be present and live each moment totally. To accept, receive life as it plays out.

When we reject what is, we create alternate lives, the future and the past. We disengage with the now. We spread ourselves thin across other planes.

When we choose not to address this reality, our resources to engage with it deplete. It grows bigger - in all its good or bad.

If we do not wish this reality, the only way is to go deeper into it. The escape plan is there.

Our reality plays out based on our intensity of engagement (or awareness, or totality of concentration) with what is. To find answers, the path, be aware and be still in what is.