Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Jetlag

Jet lag should be kicking in about now. But I feel fine. I cant remember feeling jetlagged during any of my trips. My body must be too stupid to have an internal clock. All that sunshine and it happily adjusts.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Sensors

Its a delight to walk here. It was a bit dark, but I finally got to walk a long distance. I had good company too - I was talking and she was listening, what more can I ask? Birds chirped, stream curved along the walking track.

I noticed the street light coming on in some strange pattern as I walked. Do they have sensors, I wondered. It had to be time sensitive, day light savings adjusted too in fact. Or maybe they do some other pattern of lighting. I walked a bit back and forth to check it. Nothing happened. I must have looked funny.

I love the houses here around the little pond. But they seem a bit sad to me. There are no children playing outside in the yards, no grandparents talking politics.. Not much signs of life except for an odd light in one of the rooms. Where does everyone hide?

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Flight trip

Took a cab to the airport. All those allegations about cabbies speeding, flouting traffic rules, generally driving rashly - all true!

People milled about - more men than women, more business travellers than families, an odd man wearing a shirt out of superman costume. There were flights every fifteen minutes. I could see the previous flight speeding up on the runway. My flight started to get on. And all of a sudden I saw another flight landing practically under the nose of this flight. I wondered if this was one of those near misses the TV journalists keep talking about. The rest of the flight was better. The steward was handsome and they gave buttermilk.

Chennai airport was much better. I finished my Georgette Hayer mystery - solved it before the detectives. Eyes nervously at a white guy who was swaying curiously in his seat. Later saw him eyeing a purdah clad lady equally nervously.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Iron Jawed Angels

Spent another night watching a movie. Iron jawed angels. The subject of women suffragettes fighting for their rights in the beginning of the century at the onset of the war is so powerful that it is inevitable that the movie is good. The backdrop of a war that a President was declaring to fight for democracy outside the country while ignoring the call for voting rights for women is indeed most ironic. It would have been ludicrous if it were not so sad. There is a splendid scene when Alice is asked by a psychiatrist [who is sent to find her insane] to explain her cause. Alice, played by Hillary Swank, starving on a hunger strike asks with genuine puzzle - "what's there to explain?"

The political machinations ["I never thought they'd picket a war time president"], political images ["We don't want the President to be spanked"], the condescension [the way President Wilson talks to Carrie Chapman Catt - one can hear the words 'little lady' hovering near his lips], the arrogance [the sailors beating up the women picketing peacefully] were all splendidly captured. I should see if there is a biography on Lucy Stone.

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Arlington Road

After a really long time, caught a movie on TV. I like Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins. K-Pax, Shawshank redemption are some of my all time favourites. So I decided to watch this movie. It had some interesting ideas and a very unexpected and clever ending which could have been played up a bit. Its a pre-9/11 movie and it shows. Its unlikely a movie such as this would be made now.

I must check if I can get 'Mirror has two faces' DVD. On the romantic comedies genre, its one of my favourites. It has that fantastic song - 'My favourite line was can I call you sometime!'