On the Road Again

I haven't made a post in awhile. I am trying to limit the time I spend on the computer - I er..um popped a capillary in my eye. I blame bloggers with a fondess for point size 7 .

As the red splodge slowly clears, am contemplating starting a new blog - a more desi Rough Guide mostly because we are planning another road trip - a bit more relaxing than our 'Amazing Race' Delhi-Vizag jaunt. Sure, in the past year we haven't done much but that doesn't mean we won't do more...

2005
Goa (train/rent a kinetic)
During the Monsoons - 5 Days
Rating: Smashing: skipped the beaches but totally worth it
Travelled to the villages - The interiors of Goa are absolutely gorgeous during the rains. Discovered Cafe Fernando nr Ponda Village - the most amazing restaurant you would have ever seen - I promise ya that.

Delhi-Vizag 'ferrying the New Marina home' Drive
During/Post Monsoons - 3 Days Flat :: Dist : 2500 kms
Rating: A pain in the bum literally, but great fun..(too rushed tho)
Across Rajasthan, MP, Chattisgarh, Orissa, AP - MP, Chattisgarh, Orissa - the ghats are stunning, roads are pretty decent 'cept in Rajasthan where we had an awful time and in MP where a bridge gave way.

2006 : Planning Ahead
Vizag-Hyd-Mysore-Coorg-Conoor-Madras-Vizag
During: 22nd Feb-5th March:: Dist : 2900 kms
Rating: DUNNO YET
The bait is an authentic Coorgi wedding in Mysore, but that is just the excuse. Have been wanting to go to Coorg for more than 8 years now, a friend and I did the Bangalore-Mysore-Conoor trip ages ago but had to turn back just as we reached Madecari mostly coz our parents had the police on our tail. (We were too broke to call back home and they thought they had lost us to the hills).

Coorg is astonishingly expensive - we are taking a tent and will pitch it in someone's estate if the situation gets out of hand. A detailed review to follow when I get back. The nice part is we have a decent digital camera so at least I will have the pics to back up our travels/travails. Until March then.
On the cartoon furor, my sis Anusha sent me a link to professional cartoonist Dary Cage's Blog -it has the latest updates not to mention the 'fatwas' issued against the cartoonist. His cartoons about the Muhammad Cartoons are a riot - pun not intended. Caught a neat movie over the weekend 51ST STATE - has ANYBODY heard of it coz I sure hadn't and was pleasantly surprised. Sorta a Pulp Fiction meets bad ass Kill Bill chick movie. Thanks for that Korula

Cartoons Published in Egypt?!!

A friend of mine came across a very interesting link regarding the cartoons that has the entire Islamic community in a spin. This is posted by a Cairo based Blogger -

"They were actually printed in the Egyptian Newspaper Al Fagr back in October 2005. I repeat, October 2005, during Ramadan, for all the egyptian muslim population to see, and not a single squeak of outrage . Al Fagr isn't a small newspaper either: it has respectable circulation in Egypt, since it's helmed by known Journalist Adel Hamoudah. Looking around in my house I found the copy of the newspaper, so I decided to scan it and present to all of you to see."

Cheers Sandmonkey, I hope this is the real thing - and thanks Nick!

President Fleet Review

The First Ever Presidential Fleet Review on the East Coast - in VIZAG!

Had the massive good fortune of bagging a pass for the final rehearsal of the President's Fleet Review here in Vizag. D-Day (12th Feb) is off-limits as only VVVIPS embark on the actual PFR though I could go to RK beach to see some half assed demos, illumination and fireworks. Nah...too touristy.

THIS was the real Mc.Coy Sailed on the Presidential yacht (INS Sukanya) - and crossed all the ships at anchorage as the entire ship's company stood at attention and doffed their peak caps to the Presidential ship. Bloody impressive.

BELOW :: INS VIRAAT India's only aircraft carrier, the white splodges are the almost 1000 crew of sailors and officers saluting the Prez.

ABOVE: Also saw the super gorgeous INS TARANGINI - India's only sailing-training boat. Unfortunately the sails were replaced by the ship's signal flags (decoration for the Prez).

FOOTNOTE: Abdul Kalaam is gonna be the first Indian president to step aboard (not to mention DIVE) in a submarine. George Fernandes was the first (and only) Indian defence minister do dive on a sub. While Kalaam's 'dive' on the submarine SINDHURAKSHAK is being catered to with hors d'oeuvre and bone china, Fernandes got no such frills coz the Commanding Officer of the sub wanted him to realise what the average submariner goes thru. The CO was pulled up - hmm...so much for a reality check.

Comedy in the Muslim World

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World - What makes muslims laugh? I dunno but it certainly isn't satire. If a series of cartoons in a Danish (or was it Norwegian) newspaper could raise such a furor, it makes you wonder - how many of those protestors have actually SEEN the cartoons? But then hey, how many read the Satanic Verses before baying for Rushdie's blood?

The Ed of the newspaper refuses to apologise, the office workers have been issued death threats, there have been bomb scares and muslims worldwide are turning their collective noses up at Danish cheese. Many venerable institutions including the Washington Post and The New York Times have depicted Jesus, not always in the best of light.

I believe in a free press, though lately even that has taken some beating. Sure, there is no such thing as free press but surely the editorial is entitled to its opinions. But then again, I could be wrong. It's a no-win situation.

So what is the big deal about these cartoons? I scoured the net and this is the best I could get -"The cartoons include portrayal of the prophet wearing a time bomb shaped turban and show him as a wild-eyed, knife-wielding Bedouin flanked by two women shrouded in black."

Traditionally Islam bans the depiction of the prophet as it could lead to idolatry. But apparently this is not what has our fellow Muslims pissed off. Meanwhile 'Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World' will take a lot of looking..

The Boston Globe Editorial is worth a read. Check it out

Rangeen Basanti

Bhagat Singh got a trial, Karan, DJ, Suki and Aslam didn't. Was the irony intentional?

One of the finest movies I have seen in recent years 'Rang De' struck a chord somwhere. Perhaps it has something to do with having studied in the North Campus and hanging out with friends at unlikely places. Or then again DJ was the epitome of so many guys I knew at DU and JNU - a guy who is terrified to quit the campus where he is well known and face the world where he is a nonentity.

I could identify with a lot of things and stomach only so much - IHC a college (WHOA!) not to mention Pataudi's Palace a ghar. To be honest I didn't see the twists coming and that by itself is a big plus. Add to that the lack of melodrama and the fact that Aamir did not hog the camera. Now if this had have been a Sharukh Khan or a Kamal Hassan movie, Sukhi and the rest would have been relegated to the wings as the slavering sidekicks. Aamir is a fine actor - so is nearly everyone in this movie.

"Take No Survivors"
Apparently such an order is illegal even in the Defence Forces let along the Rapid Action Force. Code Red be damned a junior officer can refuse to follow such a command and yes, he won't be court-martialled. Also the bit about political prisoners having to be provided with newspapers still holds true.

For a more detailed review check out JAM Ed's take Here

VISAG or VIZAG

A vigalente (Hyderabad based) blogger pointed out that I spell Visag wrong. Ah, don't I know that, but it never struck me anybody would notice. Especially considering most people I left behind in Mumbai haven't the faintest clue where i disappeared to. Years of editing appalling articles has its repercussions, the abhorrence to the Americani's'ation of English has its pitfalls. But yup - henceforth I shall stick with VIZAG - in the dim hope of mellowdrama being thrown up by a search engine (on page 88). I googled it, how sad am I?

God bless online radio, dunno what i would do without it. Tune in to Virgin Classic Rock or play it on Windows Media Player. Reading 48 Rules of Power (Robert Greene) - the first 'self help' book I have ever actually read - the usual gyan but interspered with historical references - pretty neat. I surprise myself.