Auto...

Two days ago I had to suffer the ignominy of getting continuously rejected by auto-rickshaw drivers. I walked all the way home soaking in the highly polluted air, after the hundredth auto driver that I flagged refused a ride. Adding insult to the injury was the way they reacted. The ones that were waiting simply went back to doing whatever they were doing be it chatting or staring at the roof without a slightest indication they actually heard what I said. The ones that slowed down simply sped past.

I have noticed this indolent, uncivil posture and look that I often get from various people whenever there is no immediate reprimand or reward involved. Is courtesy an emotion of luxury?

Kerala

I went to Thiruvananthapuram for a long weekend a few days ago. As the plane circled above the lush green carpet, I exclaimed with the sudden realization - "coconut trees, fully covered with coconut trees". It was clear mother nature was very good to our neighbors. The quaint small airport reminded me of Kauai. We went to a back-water resort with a floating cottage. The patio chair I was reclining in swayed gently, and I watched the backwaters and the coconut trees, the changing clouds and the waves crashing a little farther away for hours together. I was deprived of a glorious sunset by the clouds but for someone who thinks rain is romantic, it was divine to go on a boat while it rained. The resort had great food and I managed to find a book I could curl up with. It was interesting to see so many white faces - lot of tourists from germany I heard. Apparently ayurveda sells. Kerala had done a great job marketing their assets.

I visited the art gallery in the museum there to see Ravi Varma paintings. Apart from the usual ones I like, there were two which I had not seen before. One was shakunthala looking back to see dushyanth with the pretext of removing a thorn in her feet. The way she turns, the covert looks she gives was amazing. Then there was the painting of Ravana slaying Jadayu. The tall Ravana has just cut-off the bird's feather and is bringing down his sword one more time holding seetha in his other hand. The way Seetha is rendered in this painting was stunning. She has turned her face, but her petite frame, oh so gentle is crouched in a way that screams to the viewer - how pained and horrified she is. I could almost hear her cries of anguish and could feel her shudder.

Later, I was stopped in the gates of the temple, due to dress code violation. The north Indian woman, seeing that I was in the same plight as she was, complained to me - "salwar suit is such a decent dress, why aren't they allowing". I just smiled at her, deciding to spare her the lecture of how what's decent and what's not is dependent on the situation. I didn't really have a problem with the dress code. If you could have a dress code for the pub why not for the temple. And I think they have the full right to deem what one could wear and what one couldn't. Ofcourse there is the involvement of commerce in the form of the dhotis rental affiliated to the temple that was doing a brisk business. No wonder they were strict.

I traveled down to Kanyakumari - what a wasted tourist opportunity - and drove my way up to tamil heartland. Rain followed, the huge windmills flanking the roads stood majestically. I munched loads of nongu, palm fruits in palm leaf baskets, and watched the scenery pass by idly. It was very heartening to see green on the same black land I had crossed a couple of months ago.

View

My friend said I'd kill for the view he has. Of the bejeweled Sanfrancisco bay opening into the ocean, flanked by the two bridges and the other high raise buildings. I was thinking about that today, while driving back from lunch. How beautiful it must be. Then I noticed that it was raining. One of those afternoons when the sun is still shining and sparkling raindrops suddenly appear. I smiled to myself about how we miss whats right next in pursuit of something exotic. I agree sounds awfully corny, but is also true.

Mob

Mobile phones rule. I used to listen to the traffic reports on the FM stations in the Bay Area - we'll typically go over to Dan or Sal or someone on a chopper surveying all the freeways and announcing the status of various accidents, where, when it will get cleared up etc. Flash forward to 2004 Bangalore. Morning FM. Commuters with mobile phones waiting for the traffic to clear up - christened jambusters - call up the FM station and give an update. Various parts of the city - how long they have been waiting, whats going on, which roads to avoid, all the details. If needed, the anchor person calls the police department and gives an update. Net result - same. Like I said mobile phones rule.

Troy

Saw two movies this weekend. Troy and Around the world in eighty days. When is a movie "an adaptation" from the book? And when does it go from being "loosely based on" to "inspired by"? 80 days I'd call it loosely based. The characterization was all very different , route is different, motives are different... but yet was surprisingly most enjoyable. Chan as Passpertout with a french father who didnt talk and a chinese mother who didnt stop talking was as usual fantastic. Philease Fogg grew on me and became likeable by the end of the movie. And then all kinds of cameos - the wright brothers, queen victoria, van gogh... Nicely done.

Then there was Troy. I am not sure if it will even qualify as an inspired by. Forgetting the different fates the movie bestows upon its characters and the very different events, I still thought it was mediocre. Achilles, between charging into battlefield and sleeping around was spouting strong and somewhat suspiciously modern views about Gods at the drop of a hat, but his motives arent clear at all. The premise for his general malcontent is not at all set. Doleful Eric Bana as Hector also seemed to have more modern views. Ofcourse I cannot claim for sure ancient Greeks and Trojans didnt have enlightened views about war and peace, but somehow I found the movie very pretentious. Apparently many thought Helen of Troy was a let-down. I was waiting more for Sean Bean, the dashing 006 of Golden eye as Odyssues. Somehow the screenplay screwed him up. On the whole, Troy seem well set to win six or seven oscars.