Movies.
saw some interesting movies lately...mangal pandey: the rising is about the first spark in india's fight against england to tell those limeys to get the hell out...the movie was ok...does make you feel proud though...and the hindi spoken by the "goras" is pretty funny...they don't know what to emphasize....all in all worth watching...
next up is The 39 Steps...hitchcock's first movie to bring him some fame as a spy-thriller director...it was well done...good bit of suspense..humor...and hitchcock's classic way of bringing things full circle...enoyed it...
finally taxi driver...what a nutjob de niro can be...this makes watching meet the fockers a bit scarier...ha...a good comment on urban blight...jodie foster was tooooo young...wow...
thats all..back to studying evidence..sob.
Chicago. -21 degrees. Hilarity and Chillarity.
ok..perhaps chillarity is not a word that will catch on...but its my contribution to the world's lexicon...so leave me be...this past weekend i attended a conference for law students in chicago...i also happened to go at the COLDEST moment in chicago's winter this year...being a goh'gia boy...i did not have much to take with me warmth wise - not even gloves - this would later prove to be almost fatal....
we left on friday...we being rakesh and anita (hey anita! you are officially mentioned on the blog!)...anyway...we get to the airport on time...only to find out that our flight is a teeny weeny jet...so small that even our carry-on luggage is checked at the gate...so we get to chicago an hour late as expected...the icy air hits us like a sack of marbles ( i dunno who still carries around a sack of marbles...)...so we figure out where to take the train that goes to our hotel...in a race to escape the cold and catch the train...we make a mad dash...we almost lost anita to a turnstile as she valiantly fought its three arms of steel in attempting to transport her luggage and self through its vice-like grip...she made it...we finally made it to the hotel..
after some rest...we decide to venture out...there was a party planned at Club Funky Buddha (i'm not sure who picked that for a S. Asian Law Student Conference - definitely not tuned into the cartoon riots)...we get there a bit early and plan to walk a few blocks to a thai restaurant...as we begin walking...we realize that no on else is on the streets...we also realize that unless we keep moving our cheeks they would freeze over...snot bubbled out of our nose and then proceeded to freeze...it was straight out of a survival movie...apparently the wind chill that night was -21 degrees...realizing we were idiots...we turned back and found a cool little italian place for dinner...after some really good food...we went across the street to the club...only to find that we had missed free cover by 5 minutes and would have to pay 20 bux to get in...hell no...so the three of us found a coffee shop and had a great time on our own...
the next day was the conference...we got up on time...again froze our faces walking to the IIT-Kent Law School...but the conference was great...great discussions on civil rights...networking...profiling..and much more...they fed us and kept us happy...later that night...we went to a place for drinks and appetizers...then later that night we went to a club called mix...but turns out that we still had a watch on EST...so rakesh and i are dozing off and anita is yelling at us to get to the club because it almost 11pm...so we rush and get there at.....10:15PM!!! yea...we had the wrong time...so we end up sitting around for people to come...meanwhile anita has found an old high school friend who has come out of the closet since...rakesh and i like a couple of lame-os crash a booth and watch scarface to the backdrop of hip-hop music...its still a good movie...then the girls get in...anita and i decide to start it off with some dancing..a few people join us...just as the music gets good...rakesh complains his tummy is aching...so we call it a night around midnight...and head back...
later that night...i was awoken by a blue aura coming from the room...i get up to see that rakesh has his laptop perched on his stomach and appears to be surfing the net...so i go back to sleep...only to hear a loud crash! apparently rakesh was not asleep and the laptop fell...later that morning we would find out that the screen cracked...doh! we returned to the Law School for closing remarks...they were awesome...inspiring...then we headed back to the hotel...checked out and went to explore the theater district...after a good lunch and some shopping (while avoiding a huge fashion faux paus with anita picking out a granny dress)...we headed back to ATL...
we didn't think we would make our flight...only 30mins left to board...but in true delta fashion...our flight was again delayed an hour...oh joy...we finally got home around 9pm...to WARM 50 degrees in hotlanta...then we made a pit stop at anita's house for some really good southern cookin...i mean southern indian cookin'...her mom made a feast of all these cool things....we all tucked in till we had to open the belts a couple notches...then back to athens and in bed around midnight...
that's the trip...
Salaam Bombay!
if you haven't already...watch this movie - Salaam Bombay! Its by Mira Nair - the lady who directed Monsoon Wedding...it tracks the lives of some street kids in Bombay...one in particular (Krishna / Chaipau) who is trying to save up enough money to go home to his mother...these kids can't be more than 13-14...its inspiring...wrecking...and the music is haunting...(English Subtitles)...
the movie brought back something from the back of my mind - that i really want to do more selfless acts in my life...i was even thinking of working half / volunteering half...who knows if that idealistic view will make sense 10 years down the road...but that's my desire...
watch the movie. today. now.
The Upanishads.
just finished reading (part-skimming) The Upanishads by Eknath Easwaran...it was a really good book...just as an intro - the Upanishads are ancient writings that belong to the Indo-Aryan civilization that inhabited India thousands of years ago...they are in sanskrit...and are numerous...they generally are attached to the Vedas (another set of manuscripts that set the foundation for the vedic practice and rituals)...anyway - basic point is that the Upanishads are very important to understanding the thrust of the Hindu religion...so i thought i'd read a survey book to get an idea about it...what i found was pretty amazing...and i have a better understanding of what Hinduism stands for...i definitely recommend reading this book...
i just wanted to share a couple of translations / explanations by Easwaran that i felt were inspiring...this comes from the Mandukya Upanishad:
The word "AUM" - you hear a lot of people meditating use this word - is of great importance...it represents the supreme state of reality...the ultimate goal in life...so first let me explain the different sets of reality or consciousness recognized by the Upanishads...
First is Vaishvanara: this is everyday life we are used to...in which all the senses are turned outward - we see and realize only the external world as it affects us. Second is Taijasa: this is the state where we are dreaming in sleep...this is where our senses are turned inwards...and one enacts the impressions of past deeds and present desires...Third is Prajna: this is deep sleep...this is where you don't dream or desire...in fact you are in a state of consciousness where you don't even recognize your mind or body...there is no separateness...Fourth is Turiya: this is basically the Prajna state, but while being awake! this is the ultimate goal...and the way to reach this goal is through meditation (real meditation - not that hokey stuff in the strip malls)
So this state of Turiya is represented by AUM...though indivisible as a whole when you say it...it has three sounds that compose it...A stands for the Vaishvanara state..."Those who know this, Through mastery of their senses, obtain The fruit of their desires and attain greatness." U is for Taijasa. "Those who know this, By mastering even their dreams, become Established in wisdom. In their family Everyone leads the spiritual life." M corresponds to Prajna. "Those who knows this, By stilling the mind, find their true statureAnd inspire everyone around to grow." Together, they stand for the state of Turiya - the supreme state of consciousness.
Double Standard! The Mohamadden Pastry.
most of you have been following the Danish Cartoon incident with skepticism as the violence and protests get worse...embassies burned...riots...murders...its terrible...i doubt the shari'a can be read to engage in such behavior...
what is not surprising is the double standard some fanatics engage in...for example they have no problems bombing mosques...or killing innocent civilians who most likely never had anything against them (think 9/11)...in the most silliest of examples of this double standard - take a look at this news clip...apparently Iran has barred all Danish imports....not only that - it has renamed a Danish pastry as a Mohammaden pastry...perhaps taking a page out of US' book (think Freedom Fries)...but still...how is that not blasphemy? you're attaching the name of your prophet - the holiest representative of your religion to a fatty, gooey, jelly-drippin', artery-cloggin' pastry?!?!?!
these are the days when you think - where the hell is mankind off to now????
