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This is where I express my feelings, thoughts and views on various matters. |
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I agree with the idea that the way one expresses one's self through speech, gestures, likes and dislikes among many other things depict his/her personality. I got further evidence of this as I skimmed through the portfolios of many of my fellow members here. Just looking at the type of pieces they create and the titles they assign, we can guess a lot about the writer. Of course, the style of writing and narration gives many hints too. Thus, this makes our writing a part of who we are. This is just a passing thought I had just now. 
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| March Memory Lane Challenge: Movies and TV Edition PROMPT #8: What property (book, comic, toy, etc.) would you love to see adapted for the screen? Movie or TV, and why? This is a brain wracking question. Most of the books I like have already been converted into films... Well, lets see... Okay, when I was 15, in high school, my best friend and I wrote a fantasy novel, called Defenders from the Dark. It consisted of seven youngsters in a monarchical setting. The characters of four of the seven were based on ourselves and our two other friends. The protagonists had an elemental power each and they used it to fight evil. We had a fun time writing the novel. We used to carry the diary to school and write whenever we get a free period or whenever there was a gap between two classes. I even drew each character, modelling them on anime style. Our classmates must have thought us crazy because when everyone was discussing about studies (That year we had Board exams), the two of us discussed about what next to write in the story. We always wrote the novel from the view of seeing it as a movie. Don't know why, we got that feeling immediately after we started writing. We knew it was a far-fetched idea, as we didn't have immediate plans of publishing it. But still, no harm in fantasizing, right? Two years after we wrote the novel, I got the chance to go through it again. I realised how immature our minds were back then. Our style of writing reflected that like a mirror. However, I still am proud of the theme we chose and the way we progressed with it. Only minor changes in our writing style and the novel can be fit for publication, we felt. I would like to see this baby on screen as a movie. |
| March Memory Lane Challenge: Movies and TV Edition PROMPT #7: Write about a television show that, love it or hate it, went (or is currently going) on for way too long. The best candidate for this prompt will be the popular series of How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM). First, I had thought of writing about a Hindi soap, the initial mother-in-law and daughter-in-law (melo)drama, which was a trendsetter of its kind for a long time, even now. It dragged on like an overly-stretched elastic (on its last threads) for eight years, with over 600 episodes. But, I did not write about that as HIMYM seemed more interesting to write. Anyway, let me start with the link... I'm sure this show is pretty famous. (I've just pasted the link of Season 1) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460649/?ref_=nv_sr_1 This show had a unique appeal. A guy forcibly telling his children the story of how he met their mother may seem nothing great when you read this, but the way it was shown made the whole show not only interesting, but addictive. Together with witty dialogues and Barney's famous one liners; the actors stellar performances combined with a twisted plot, which caught us unawares most of the time, and simply a novel way of thinking differently about daily life events, this show made a huge impact on audiences all over the world. It became a rage. People (including me) waited impatiently for the next season, hoping and hoping that the identity of the mysterious 'mother' would be revealed. But that did not happen. I remember my cousin saying, "I hope that atleast before the 2012 end of the world, we will come to know her identity!" That too was not to be. Apparently, the producers didn't believe in the 2012 end of the world prediction, just like us  I watched religiously till Season 5, then I couldn't get the next Season for a long time. Then, once we got access to Star World on the TV, Season 7 was running. I began to watch it. But, to my disappointment, they still hung on to the same kind of jokes and tricks of the plot. I could easily predict what may happen next, and I found myself saying many times, "Oh, so typical of HIMYM!" Ted was still telling the story to his fed up kids. I would have seriously disappeared from there, had I been in their shoes! I stopped watching after a few episodes. By that time, a new show took over, 'Two and a Half Men', which proved to be more of an adult comedy than what HIMYM was. People shifted towards the new show on the block. But still, HIMYM, has not backed down. Hopefully, Ted will meet his soul mate in this Season.  Finally! Give the audience a break! |
| March Memory Lane Challenge: Movies and TV Edition PROMPT #6: Tell us about an unexpected gem; something you've seen and love that you doubt many other people know about. When I read this prompt, the first thing that came into my mind was art movies or small budget films. These films carry important messages for the society, but they are not hyped like movies meant just for entertainment. This is why, many people do not know about many such films. I'm going to tell about a Hindi film, Dor (2006) which I had seen long back... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824316/ The link is not very helpful. But let me tell you something about the movie. This is a story of friendship between two women from completely different backgrounds, whose meeting is a twist of fate. One woman is Zeenat, a Muslim of Himachal Pradesh, North India. She is a married woman and fiercely independent by nature. Her husband goes to work in Saudi Arabia, where he is accused of murdering his Indian roommate (Actually, the man had died in a freak accident caused by Zeenat's hubby). The law of that nation is unrelenting and the only way to release him is to seek an official pardon for her husband from the widow of the victim. The widow is a young woman by the name Meera, in Rajasthan. Following her husband's death, she is shunned from the society and is forbidden from going outside her house. Her only outing is to the nearby temple to offer the daily prayers. Now, Zeenat travels to Rajasthan alone in search of Meera. She goes to her house and talks to her in-laws about her wish to speak to Meera. They become angry and drive her away, banning her from meeting Meera. However, Zeenat does not give up. She watches Meera's movements from a safe distance and meets her at the temple, unbeknownst to Meera's folks. At first, Meera is not very responsive, but as days pass, she opens up to Zeenat's friendliness. They become fast friends and Meera keeps this fact a secret from her family. The movie is about how Zeenat conveys the real reason for seeking out Meera and Meera's final decision. What I liked about this movie is that they have portrayed each woman's character and the influence of their society on their respective characters, very beautifully. They have also highlighted the injustice meted onto widows. Meera, before she lost her husband, was a very cheerful and bubbly girl. But once her husband dies, she's looked down upon and is labelled as the bringer of bad-luck to the family. She is forcibly pushed in the dark, beside her husband's grandmother, who is suffering from the same plight since ages. In Indian culture, widows are treated atrociously for no fault of theirs. They are completely cut off from the society, even from the family, and are banned from visiting others and attending functions for the fear of bringing bad luck. They are swathed in a white sari, stripped of all jewellery and their heads are shaved off. Imagine, such an otracised young woman, meeting an independent woman seeking pardon for her husband who is allegedly the cause of her widowhood. Why I feel people should see this is because of the message it conveys - widows have a right to lead their own life. All the actors have acted very well too. |
| March Memory Lane Challenge: Movies and TV Edition Prompt #5: What was the last movie you saw in a theater? Well, I guess, it is Chennai Express again. I watched it with my family when I had come home for the fall holidays. After that, I could not go to watch any movie. I think I've written about this movie already in my previous post, and received some likes and comments on it. I don't wish to write it again as I'm having a time crunch So I'll redirect you to that blog entry. "Invalid Entry"  Do vote for me in the Newbies Spotlight ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| March Memory Lane Challenge: Movies and TV Edition PROMPT #4: Write about an extremely popular movie or television show that you just can't get into. Why is it a miss for you? Well, it is The Twilight Saga for me. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1099212/?ref_=nv_sr_2 I first heard about it in 2009 from my best friend, who praised that movie a lot. The two of us share similar interests so I thought of checking it out. She was all gaga over Robert Pattinson, who, according to her, was the ultimate handsome hunk. So, the next time I got a chance to watch a movie, I rented a DVD of Twilight and sat down to watch it. As I watched it, I didn't find it so engrossing as I had expected. Nor did I find the hero that good looking. His face seemed unnaturally pale and artificial. Seriously, there are many other better looking actors in Hollywood I kept rolling my eyes at almost all circumstances which brought Edward and Bella together. I somehow (shifting in my seat, restlessly) managed to watch it till the end, just for the sake of my friend. By the end of the film, I didn't understand what made this film so great that my friend was waxing eloquent on it... After that, I didn't get any interest in watching its sequels or reading its books. Twilight set a new era in fantasy and supernatural genre, but I did not ever get the curiosity or the enthusiasm to follow it. Maybe my expectations were too high: maybe at that time I was not much into romantic genre; or maybe it was because, when I was watching it, my dad too was watching with me or maybe the concept of vampires didn't appeal to me so much. Even now, when I come across a story centering on vampires, I skip reading it. However, my friend is just the opposite. She's a casual writer like me too, and she thinks up themes a lot on the lines of vampires.  Note: For all Twilight and Pattinson fans out there: No offense! |
| March Memory Lane Challenge: Movies and TV Edition Prompt #3: Which past TV show was canceled or otherwise ended WAY too soon? I don't watch many TV shows nowadays. I used to watch cartoons, both anime and others ten years ago, along with a few kids' serials. Though I don't remember any which was ended way to soon, there's one TV show which was cancelled suddenly, as I recall. It was Avatar, The Last Airbender (the original animated edition, not the movie). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417299/?ref_=nv_sr_3 I was a great Anime and fantasy buff at that time. I usually watched only Animax then. By chance I discovered this show on Nickelodeon, and obviously, I immediately got hooked. The story is about a young boy named Aang, who has power over air. He is born to maintain peace between the four nations of the world viz. Fire Nation, Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom and Air Nomads. Each nation consists of people who specialise in controlling that respective element after which their nation is named. I was truly fascinated by this show. It seemed simple (I mean, power over the elements is a very common theme in fantasy genre), yet it was somewhat different. I found the concept handled in a unique manner. It had hilarious situations and dialogues along with action and fantasy. The animation was yet another plus point. I could enjoy this show for ten episodes (approximately), then all of a sudden it disappeared. It was still in the middle of Season 2. I don't know why they stopped telecasting it. I was so disappointed  . I then checked the TV guide and found that it started coming at 2:00 or 3:00 AM! Aww, I couldn't, at any cost, watch it at that unearthly hour! So I just had to let it go...  I tried to search its episodes online, but no avail. Instead I googled the show and gathered all info about it, including pictures. I also started to write its fanfiction (I could not complete it, though). Later, I got to know that even the telecast at the unearthly hours had stopped... Gradually, I reduced my longing for watching it. But I did keep it as a memory, for broadening my imagination and inspiring me to write better fiction. Recently last year, I got my own laptop with internet connection. While searching for something, I remembered this show. I also remembered my fruitless search for it five or six years ago. However, this time, it was my own laptop and internet, also I was more well versed with browsing for stuff online. I decided to give it a try. After searching for a while, I found my long lost TV show!  After that, I didn't stop watching every episode till I reached the end, with my old enthusiasm, but with more mature appreciation It still is one of my favourite TV show.  Hats off to all those people who made this show possible! |
| March Memory Lane Challenge: Movies and TV Edition Prompt #2: In honor of the Oscars tonight, talk about your favorite movie from last year (2013). My favourite movie of 2013... Well, I have not watched many English movies except Iron Man 3. But it is not my favourite. Among Hindi movies, I've watched Yeh Jawani hai Deewani (roughly translated as This Youth is Crazy) and Chennai Express. Though it is a difficult choice between these, I choose Chennai Express. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2112124/?ref_=nv_sr_1 The title of this movie brings to mind either a train or a newspaper. Well, the story starts on a train, called Chennai Express, which commutes from Mumbai to Chennai. The plot of the story is nothing great. The usual Bollywood movie gist. Girl and boy are thrown together by chance; the girl is forced to marry someone else against her will, so she tells the father that the boy (the hero), she had just ran into, is her lover. Together they get entangled in confusions and challenges, and finally fall in love with each other. The boy then vows to give his life for protecting her and all that... But what makes this my favourite film are the originality of the dialogues and the excellent performances of both the leads. The dialogues are quick and witty. I got a stitch in my sides, laughing at every other dialogue and action. The funniest part is when the hero and heroine converse in tunes of famous Hindi film songs, so as to not capture the attention of her captors. The heroine's typical Tamil accent and her resourcefulness take the cake. Shah Rukh Khan's performance as the hero is outstanding as ever. However, the climax is predictable and very gory. Their love triumphs after the hero emerges victorious from a fight with the hefty fiance of the girl. Once again Bollywood has not let down its viewers, with the ever popular combination of romance, action and comedy. So, I'd love to watch this movie again and again whenever I feel I need some carefree entertainment. But, of course, I won't see the climax again. |
| March Memory Lane Challenge: Movies and TV Edition: Prompt#1: Write about a movie or television series that terrified you as a kid and still gives you the creeps today. Well, I'm not a horror movie buff. This arises from the fact that I don't see the logic behind gaining fun out of watching something scary. My reasoning is simple here; If you find something which is bone-chilling scary, what is the fun in that  You're either scared or having fun, one of the two. *sigh* The human mind is as complex as a rubik's cube (I find a rubik's cube complex. If you don't then just substitute it with something else that you find complex) Anyway, I've glimpsed a few scenes of a horror movie in my childhood to know how it feels like. But I just don't remember it enough to give me the creeps now... However, folks, I won't let you down. By force, I had seen the movie, Paranormal Activity, during a sleep-over in my first year of Under Graduation and I've not regretted it. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179904/?ref_=nv_sr_4 This movie is shown as an unedited replay of the events caught on Micah's (the hero) video camera. The main attraction of this movie is that it is shown realistically. I don't think they have used many props. With least effort, they have managed to keep the viewers hooked and anticipating a chill up their spines.The producers of the show have largely relied upon and trusted the learned apprehension that is common among horror movie viewers to deliver a unique film in this genre. It always seemed as if the ghost can appear anytime; that it is somewhere round the corner, by the noises it makes, the ouija board flaring up and so on. So many times, I've caught my breath and braced myself for a scare, as I watched the movie progress. But never has the ghost been revealed. But we are not let down by this anticlimax, something new starts brewing up to overshadow it. There are several instances where the heroine, Katie, wakes up in the middle of the night and sits on her bed, rocking to and fro, as though she is possessed. Once, Micah finds her bed empty and goes in search of her. He finds her sitting and rocking herself on a swing in the balcony. She is still possessed. I expected her to lash out at him, when he helps her get up. But no, she simply complies. That's a bit of a bore, though. There's also another instance, which I cannot forget - the psychic who is invited to their home to exorcise the spirit. The minute the man enters the house, he declares that the spirit has become restless by his presence and that its too strong to handle; his best advice was not to tamper with it. But Micah, courageously and relentlessly tapes everything in his camera. I admire his bravery. Finally, in the climax, the possessed Katie runs out of the bedroom one morning and Micah follows her. We are not shown the on-goings, but can only interpret from the screams and shouts that she or rather the spirit kills Micah. A few days later, next in the line to be killed is her friend. After each murder, she comes back into the bedroom and rocks herself furiously, sitting on the floor. After some more days, the police arrive and overpower Katie, who's still possessed. The fact that this movie seemed so real, I thought I would get nightmares that night (About hearing unnatural sounds). But the spoiler in the end which said that the events shown in this movie are not real (or something like that) put my mind at ease. |
| Today is February 28th. Had this year been a leap year, we would have had another day for this month. There would have been a 29th of February. I remember, when I grasped the concept of months in a calendar year, I had been told that a leap year comes once in every four years. So my immediate doubt was, what does one do if his or her birthday falls on the 29th of February? Does he/she turn a year older only once in four years?! I'm sure this is a very common doubt among children. Then my mother had assured me that such people celebrate their birthdays according to the Lunar calendar, where their date of birth does exist. The little me was relieved. But, why is it called a Leap Year? Of course, because it does a 4-Year Leap like a Long Jump athlete. But besides that, any creative answers? I'd love to know!  |
| How true is the fact that dance is a good form of expression? I discovered this when I danced uninhibited for the first time. I was given the opportunity to dance (along with others, of course) with my eyes closed. That did wonders to me, the reserved, inhibited soul. With no care of others' eyes on me or their judgements, I gave vent to all those emotions hidden unexpressed within me by gyrating to the rocking numbers. After the dance was over, I felt so much bolder and free, and not to forget, light too. I got another proof of this recently. My friends and I were going on a trip in our college bus. The music was on full blast and most of my friends were dancing in that restricted place of the aisle, balancing themselves through the twists and turns of the bus. I gave in to the encouragement or rather to their compelling and let myself go with the music. Within minutes, I had thrown away all my hesitations and was dancing as though it I was naturally good at it  . It was exhilarating and very liberating.No wonder why dance is also a form of therapy. A person's reservations all melt away once he or she is comfortable with himself or herself enough to dance. |
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