An American in Paris

I have been a sucker for classics throughout and when it comes to musicals, I guess I lead the fanatics who believe that movies have never been the same since they stopped producing them.
"An American in Paris" is one of my all-time favs and I have been spending this weekend watching it again to the detriment of my dad who wanted to catch something else (I think it was some sci-fi movie).
Gene Kelly's movies are characterised by extravagant sets, dance numbers that set any philistine's legs tapping and music that you can swing to and this one is no exception. Leslie Caron (of Gigi and a countless other classics) was introduced to the silver screen through this movie, and though the chemistry between Kelly and Caron is not really enough to cause any sizzle, the movie is carried through by the sheer brilliance of Kelly alone.
The story deals with a struggling artist in Paris who falls in love with a girl engaged to a leading singer, and the story that falls is a dazzling piece of music and romance that makes a cynic sit up and smile in appreciation.
The songs are on my list of must listen to atleast once a week and include "It's Wonderful", "Oom Pa Pa", "This time its really love", "I got rythm" and "My love is here to stay".
While many people believe that "Singing in the rain" was better than this movie, for me, this has a special charm, it almost makes me believe in love at first sight.
A movie that allows me to forget reality for sometime, it will be in my collection to be handed down to the little ones later as must-sees.

"You were asking for it"

"You were asking for it", is perhaps the most offensive thing a person can tell a woman who complains about the way some men stare at them, the reason being of course that she was not wearing acceptable clothes (read as loose flowing clothes that are shapeless), but had the temerity to wear a shirt that actually was a good fit...and when the person who says this is a good friend, you know you just want to lift that bike of his and throw it onto him and jump up and down on him with your high heels!!!
Forget the fact that any woman who is halfway decently dressed is ogled and jeered by the Chennai crowd, you now have all-knowing condescending b******* who decide that the only decent way for a woman to dress is to wear a burkha!
And they thought talibanism is absent in India...

Macbeth and the three witches

This blog is courtesy Sai.
When I mentioned that I was having dinner with two other friends, he gave me an SMS asking why we were not waiting for Macbeth.
It took me all of two seconds to realise he was referring to us as the three witches!!! You know, those ugly old crones who meet Macbeth and make the inital predictions which lead to him killing the king and Banquo, and the final predictions warning him to be careful of Macduff, having the woods "marching" to face him in war and finally the prediction "none of woman born shall harm Macbeth".
This led me to thinking of what Macbeth portrays to the audience, the play is among the four great tragedies penned by the Bard (with Othello, King Lear and Hamlet being the other three) and is by far, the shortest of them all.
Yet, it deals with choices made by a man by hearing what he thought was the future being predicted. Would he have behaved differently if he was not met by the witches or if they did not dole out what they saw in the times ahead?
Perhaps.
Which is why maybe it is better that we not know what is in store for us through astrologers etc, but just be ready for anything.
Nothing I have written in this post makes sense when I read it, all I wanted to write was " Sai, why witches? Three people usually remind others of the Three Musketeers (I would have settled for three little pigs too, by the way!!)", but I got sidetracked into thinking about choices and acting on too little information provided in the wrong format (maybe Shakespeare should just have sent those witches to communication classes where they are taught the art of effective communication.....)

A train journey

I have not been inside a railway station since May 2005 (when I first landed in Mumbai)... and finally I get to take a train from Chennai to Katpadi tomorrow afternoon.
I am going to be spending the weekend at Sonia's place and while I am sure we are going to be chattering away to the dozen, I have also picked up a few DVDs that I have been wanting to watch for sometime now.
When I think about the travelling I have done for the past two years, just airports come to mind, those clinical places each of which look the same, somehow they are not as alive as railway stations are (esp early mornings, I sort of missed the Chai Chai part).
Now my parents are convinced that I have no idea how to travel by trains, so my dad decided to try and get me prepared:
Dad: " You booked a second class ticket?"
Me: "Yes, nothing else was available".
Mum: "But how will you manage?"
Me: "Its second class, not unreserved.."
Dad: "There will be all kinds of people"
Me: "I know, I used to travel by trains before, remember?"
Dad: "Do you know you have to find the platform before boarding your train, its not like the airport, where you find your boarding gate so easily.."
Mum: "The kingfisher people will not be there to take your luggage and help you through even if you are late. You cannot be late for the train.."
And so on and on...
Now I am slightly flustered, I have started writing down notes that I can refer to once I enter the station -
a) Check my tickets are safe
b) Check which platform the train starts from
c) Check where my coach is
d) Double check with the passenger list stuck on the coach
e) Call Sonia, mum at her office, dad at home, call my colleagues who are laughing their heads off betting that I would lose my way...
f) Remember not to drink the water they serve on the train
g) Remember not to take anything offered by other passengers (courtesy lecture provided by my colleagues)
h) If after all this, I can settle down and enjoy my journey, then try and do that

Really, sometimes people seem to think that just because a person seems to be er.. a "spoilt brat" (which I am not!!), she would not be able to find her way through a railway station
And I have two glorious nights that I get to spend at Vellore, poor Sumit, he must be planning to stay at the hospital instead (that is if Sonia has really really warned him about our tendencies to yak away non-stop!!!)
And its still the train journey that excites me the most....

Update

Unless specifically stated as my experience, all the poetry/short stories is not a reflection of what is happening in my life, so all those wonderful people who needed to use about three to four tissues thinking my life is a wreck can relax now,
what I write is influenced by my mood, what I have read/heard/seen.
Maybe I should write a statutory warning about anything people find familiar being mere coincidence...
Come to think of it, I haven't found the time to write much of late, work being a bit tough right now, but I have a dare for anyone courageous (or stupid) enough to try this - Have two wines (I meant glasses, not bottles), a tequila shot, five large whiskeys (neat, do not add even ice) and five large vodkas and then give me a call and tell me you are completely steady.
It took the poor fool who tried this last twenty-four hours to feel half-human, what's your limit??

Statutory warning: Consumption of alcohol is injurious to your mental, physical and financial health, things are closer than they seem to be when you are drunk, conversely they could be farther too; any debates that you try to engage in when you are drunk only proves you are a fool but a good entertainer!!!

Cheers!!