Friday, June 29, 2007

Metrosexualism

I came across this article (very inspiring, by the way) - http://no-url-left.blogspot.com/2007/03/straight-talk.html and it got me thinking about how I've evolved into the metrosexual that I am from what I was about 3 years ago.

I am not going to take any credit away from that article, I think it's a very funny read!

On her recent visit here when my mom asked "Are you dressing up?" (Like I am cross dressing as Barbie), I took the time to tell her what 'dress' and 'clothes' were.

When I walk out to my car she comes out and shouts "Did you take your purse?" I turned back to her and said "Mom it's a wallet, men carry wallets, women carry purses".

Similarly how often back in India, have we folks sat in a crowded bus surrounded by men pressed against each other? (Should I say 'Ewwww' to be all Americanized now?). Or when we hung out as buddies we'd walk with hands on each others shoulders.

Well now when some dude comes up too close I get 'uncomfortable'. I start defining my space, my circle and talk about privacy and its violation there of.

But on a side note one thing I've learned to do is take care of myself. I spend about 45 minutes in the morning (excluding shower time) to groom myself. Patrick Bateman inspired shall we say? I use alcohol free products because alcohol causes skin dryness. I use oil free shower gel only. I use moisturizers, skin scrubs and After Shave Alcohol free Balm. I use herbal masque once in awhile. I do not find it one bit funny or weird. I have my choice of clothes that I like to wear. To "feel good" is the best feeling one can have!

Anyhow I got to get dressed up...err put my clothes on for work now!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

I go sit in my car I smell meat roasting and realize my butt is on fire! It's frakkin 100 F outside

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Sunday, June 24, 2007

Sivaji....a big let down!

There are people who've probably hired assassins to eliminate me already for saying this.
I walked into the theatre hoping to see Rajni out-do Baasha. Baasha to me was the greatest Rajni movie and perhaps ranking as my top 5 of all Tamil movies. His entry (Baasha entry was great!!) was good if not great. I was bracing myself to hear Rajni say he was a US returned student (which would have put him in the 23 - 26 age bracket), but he mentions the (Rs. 200 crore (?)) project is a culmination of a 20 year dream, so I think he is probably around 39-40 in the movie.

Lets go with the following categories:
The movie as a whole: I just had to tell myself 'forget the logic, just enjoy the movie'. Its one thing watching Vijaykanth complete a heart surgery using lights from cellphones, buts its entirely another thing watch Rajni loose 200 crores overnight, then get 100 crores the next morning. The fights dragged on and on...I would have prefered if Rajni had avoided fighting and stuck to striking the baddies with his brains...but then I tell myself 'forget the logic' and the superstar bashing up about 50 guys carrying sickles seemed possible!

Rajni: His entry as MGR will remain etched in my mind forever. Sivaji turning to MGR is innovative! His walk isn't the same...when he walked in Baasha, it was 'the walk'. Here he struggles to walk (He's probably 60 now). It is evident that all the fight stunts, the running and the jumps are performed by a stunt double (yep!). Kind of like how Tobey Maguire feels about Spiderman!. His punch-lines like 'Adhiridhille!' or his chewing gum throwing style are all alright, they'll just fade away in time. The one line I did like though was 'Singam singleaa thaan varum'. That was a good one! His comedy wasn't even as good as Chandaramukhi (his scene with Vadivelu in the bedroom where they hear a ghost is one for the gods!). But I found myself laughing at his blonde wig or everytime he uttered an english line 'Rich are getting richer, poor or getting poorer' or the funniest of them all 'It's a coincidence damnit!'.

Raghuvaran: I talk about this guy above all others because he is a great actor, totally underrated, he should be a hero, dont know why he has been cast aside playing small roles. If there is a believable role in this movie, it would be Raghuvaran's

Shriya: One word 'SMOKIN'. In some of the songs it looks like she was made out of sandalwood. She looks hot!


Vivek:
If I gave Vivek in Vaalee a 10/10 and Vivek in Minnale a 9/10 and Vivek playing a spoof of A.R. Rehman (dont remember the movie) a 8.5/10, then Vivek in Sivaji is only 6. Now a lot of people say he has done a great job in the movie, I am not denying it, but where are his 'simple' one liners. His jokes sound too complicated and I am having to think in order to laugh. I think he is excellent when he says 'ammai kunji avichi vechirukanga'...but there are moments when his jokes are forced or are plain complicated to understand.

Suman: Now this dude is the surprise package of the movie. I agree with every critic in saying that his acting is subtle and powerful. Anyone else in his role would have just shouted and shouted and shaken his hand and when he died the audience would have said 'Yeah he needs to shut it up!'. When he walks, you feel like you are watching a believable character (a rick crook), when he talks you feel he didn't get there overnight and that he had a dark past (Kasimedu Adhi). When Suman dies you feel for him...Think they should make a prequel to this movie called Kasimedu Adhi and focus on this character :)

I'd say this movie is good in bits though, like finding cashew nuts in the middle of 'halwa'.

Overall I'd watch this movie once...and I just did!

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Friday, June 22, 2007

This information is after talking to a lot of people over a period of time:

The question asked was "If you could be young again, what would you wish your age be?:

A 23 year old girl: I would like to be 18 again.

A 30 year old who works at my client site: I'd like to be 22 or 23

A 40 year old guy who plays rac ball with me: I'd like to be 30 again man!

A 50 year old cab driver: I want to be 18 again (Yeah whatever!!)

A 60 year old bus driver I met just a few minutes back: I want to be your age!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Nothing...I mean NOTHING is more embarrassing than getting beaten in racquetball
1) In Singles, by a girl who is a foot shorter than you, who moves slower and hits the ball slower than you
2) In doubles, your team age combined is 57 and you get beaten by a team whose combined age is a little over 120

People on a plane

I travel frequently and I come across all kinds of people. Here I will try to classify them and give you tips and tricks on how to make your flight an enjoyable one (From worst to best)
1) The over-sized wind blower: Yep, you can consider yourself unlucky if you get stuck with one of these. When they aren't farting they are snoring, breathing heavily or sweating.
Tip: None really
2) The talkative granny: Ahhh, sit on your seat, watch all the passengers walk in, see this stunning blonde who looks at you smiles at you. You pray that she sits next to you. She walks right past you goes and sits with this dork in the seat behind you, and walking right behind her is a 80 yr old granny who comes and sits right next to you. 3 hours of 'How are you sonny', 'How old are you?', 'My...my I reached puberty before you were born'
Tip: When you see one of these just put on your ipod and dont ever remove them off your ears. There are cases when she will tap your hand and still want to talk to you. Well just pretend to fall asleep. If all else fails just endure it through the rest of the flight.
3) The religious/ business guy: They usually will begin talking to you with a smile and are confident and go 'Hi my name is Tom, your cologne smells great by the way'. And after a few lines of talk they get right into the middle of the talk whether it be the lord that is here to save us, or the great opportunity that I should not miss.
Tip: I've tried everything believe me...nothing works, just ask to be re-seated :D
4) The sleeper: Not as annoying when they are awake, these guys spread their legs out far wide so that it touches your leg and they fall side to side and keep hitting your shoulders only to reload and fire again.
Tip: Get to the seat first and relax your leg out first, that way the person will keep his legs within his seat. The arm rest is crucial, take it and you win! :)

Monday, June 11, 2007

My evil twin

At my Monday meeting today (16 of us) the guy who sets up our Outlook and clarity (time sheet software) says "Sugu, we have two of you in the system....", and he added "which one of you is the evil one?"

I immediately recited a (true) incident that happened earlier today "Thats funny Don, coz I was about board when the agent at the gate scanned my boarding pass and said 'You are already boarded, how can you be here?'. I just told her 'Well I'll just go inside and say Hi to me'"

Well whereever you are my twin, you're about 2 minutes ahead of whereever I am ;)

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Friday, June 01, 2007

Improving on Racquetball

Have been playing rac ball for 3 hours per day non-stop the past two weeks now. I realized my technique is very ordinary, so I focus on the following:
1) Anticipation of where the opponent will hit the ball
2) My speed - Accelerate to the ball, especially when the opponent plays the drop shots
3) Corner the opponent
4) My backhand - being left handed, most right hand players serve to my back hand and that usually spells doom for me
5) Mixing up my serves - Serve the fast one to the corner and lob the slower one to corner the opponent
6) The racquet - I got an Ektelon racquet (can't remember the model). I think I will get the E-force Lethal 170, it's lighter and should give me a better control of my shot and direction

Update: Since I could not get the Lethal 170, I am going for the Bedlam 150. It is lighter and all its effort is focused at it's head giving me the ability to go for the kill shots at will (hopefully!)