Trials and Tribulations by Fire

A brilliant portrayal of a free man's journey to being a slave, for 12 long years.  When I watched the movie the first time, I thought it was a bit of a drag. Felt guilty about the thought almost immediately.  A man, Solomon Northup, a gifted fiddle player from New York, gets kidnapped and sold to slavery.  With a new name, Platt, and beaten to accept his  forced identity, Solomon continues to fight for his real name and freedom. Nobody believes when he screams that he is a free man.  Sold several times over to rich plantation owners in New Orleans, Solomon spends his time tending to his wounds and thinking up ways to escape the hell.  He impresses and befriends his first plantation 'owner' Ford and immerses himself in building a network of friends.  Then there is Patsey, another slave who is sexually abused and tortured many times over by the owner.  When a Canadian laborer named Bass (Brad Pitt) comes to the plantation t...

The Hunt for Kohinoor is a thriller. The deadline is 96 hours. The protagonist has to find an elusive set of documents nicknamed, the Kohinoor. The AfPak terrain, one of the most trickiest and dangerous holds the secret to averting a national disaster.   Mehrunisa Khosa, Mehr, is called to Srinagar by the RAW head Jag Mishra to find the Kohinoor: a set of documents that can change the way India and Pakistan view the Kashmir issue. Jag Mishra dangles a carrot; Mehr can be reunited with her long lost father Harry, if she finds the Kohinoor.  Harry, a legendary spy, nicknamed the Snow Leopard, is injured and is recuperating. Harry's latest assignment, to ensure the peace talk between the Indian and Pakistani premiers goes smoothly, is disrupted by a suicide bomber. The Pakistani General is killed, Harry and the Pakistani aide Aziz Mirza are injured. After the attack, Aziz goes underground and Harry ends in a hospital. The Kohinoor has to be found and the peace talk resum...

This is for the lady who is the core of my existence: Amma.  I have written about men, relationships, but have never dedicated a post for her.  Today is a special day for Amma. I was born. Am I being too self obsessed to think this way? Maybe I am. But, certainly Amma has kept me as a center of her universe, always. I keep thinking what kind of good deeds I would have done to get a mother like her. I can give up anything in my life but never give her up.  Ma, thank you for this day. When I came into your life was also the day when I understood unconditional love.                 

Being employed, that too usefully (I mean get a salary on time and complete some sane work) is such a hard task. For some it means getting out of bed and going over the same mundane chores as always and reach the seat, where they sit like idiots in front of the computer and stare away into eternity. Some I know use the office network effectively and get some entertainment: download movies, songs, watch reruns of serials, catch latest movies on youtube, and so much more fun than being tied to a boring excel sheet. Then there are some who use this time and free resources to get some extra cash into their kitty. These people are generally termed Freelancers. What they technically do is take on extra assignments and work their ass off to meet the demands of the inflationary economy. They can buy that extra dress, can eat out more often, and do a lot more. Now, all this ain't easy. Freelancing also means having to deal with total assholes, dimwits, and mean penny pinchers. ...

As far as I can remember, I seemed to have back pain. I always ended up spending money and energy to get healed. Well, I wasn't even anywhere close to getting healed. I know that I had to exercise and eat healthy food. Knowledge is there, available, but I tend to ignore the wisdom. And suffer. Each time. This time, I am smarter. I have decided to follow a motto. 'If you don't mind, it won't matter.' I keep repeating this to myself. Each time the twitch, the burning pain, the stiffness appears, I repeat this. I keep reminding myself, this will pass. I have abused my body, I am getting punished. This time, I am sure, I will resurface, stronger than ever. If I have to move on to better stuff in life, I need to have a stronger body, a healthy body. I cannot fight my battles with a fractured soul and a battered spine.  Today, I decided to return to my original state of living on raw vegetables and fruits. Returning to the natural way of living. This is the most...

Just got a tall glass of juice. Carrots, apples, and ginger. Many people do not relish the taste of ginger, but I love it.  It is supposed to be a cleanser. It certainly seems like. As I took my first sip, the ginger hit my tongue, then the sweetness of apples, then the carrots. This certainly is my latest love.  

I take a deep breath and believe, life will go on Life does go on... A few bruises here and there, a few tears I shed Life still goes on... There are moments when I wonder what makes me take the pain, what  makes me the weakling I have metamorphosed into what would turn me back into a flesh and blood human being But, I get no answers, nature remains silent, Life goes on... The words flow no longer, the blog remains un-updated The novels sit and wait for the typing to resume Publishers vye for my attention, in my dreams Dreams have dried up too, long back, I know not when But, despite all this, life goes on... My toe hurts badly after last  night's attack The bandage draws attention and out pour the questions Reluctant,  hesitant, and untrue answers bubble forth Honor, they say is to be guarded But, in the midst of it all, life goes on... I know not when the last time it was when I sailed free like a bird, up above, high, with not a thing to bo...

Man is a social animal. Such a pain in the ass it is, to smile and act nice. Phew! Finally the day ended. And with it ended the pressure to be nice, smile at the 'big-heads' (translate to Tamizh) and generally act pleasant. Today began late for me. Got up late, 'coz of the pain in the back, literally. Had no mood to dress up and strut to either the wedding or the get together. I knew meeting oldies at the wedding would be pleasant than being present at the get together. I was so right. I should probably follow my instincts. It always saves me from getting bored to death. I got a few messages from my dear friend who was going to do a Bharatnatyam performance. I was emotionally bound to go attend her performance. Well, I started from the wedding, which in all respects was more interesting, and reached the get together venue, the office. I knew I was overdressed for the event. Women had turned out in denims and 'oh check out my wardrobe' dresses. Men who n...

Recently, I was sent to Thanjavur, on an official trip. I was supposed to learn the ropes of the trade and understand it quickly. I had companions, let me call them VK and DJ. We had some fun times, travelling to and from our cozy, comfortable hotel and the branch in a remote corner of a sparsely populated village. I treated it as an excursion. An adventure. Away from the house, the job of running a household. I was free and I was loving it. Every moment felt so exhilarating. I was supposed to spend a week there. Then return to the HQ, learn some more tricks and return to Thanjavur. Well, the 2nd leg of the supposed travel has not happened yet. Let us see, when I am sent again. Anyway, this post is not about my planned travel. It is about my last trip. When DJ and I ended up undertaking an impromptu adventure to a famous temple in Thirukarukavur. Thirukarukavur is a village in Thanjavur district. Read about the famous Garbharakshambigai temple here . So, one fine day, DJ...

Each time I step out, I do so in trepidation. 'Coz stepping out ain't a simple task. Presumably, I need to keep in mind hundred and one people who can feel bad about me stepping out. The need to take permission and ensure the permission lasts for a long time is so very sapping. With the memory loss kicking in big time, I wonder if I can just switch off and on and simply delete these not-so-sweet events. It is important to remember that whatever you do, you will always be the villain. Because, the womb that gave you birth was not the great one. A normal womb demands a normal or less than normal life. If you think you can lead a royal life and get a normal treatment, you are in for some rough tumbles. Remember always that people will want you to become a robot just because you are not 'supposed' to have a mind. Take the case of Ramu. Ramu, our protagonist. Now, Ramu, is what one can call a jerk. Doesn't have balls to stand up for anyone, least of all himself. So,...