My new year Resolutions

I usually dont make resolutions because i m sure i will forget them within a week... But this time i would like to keep my resolutions simple and practical..

> Maintain a good relationship with all my friends so that they will want to stay in touch with me even after we graduate.

> Be a responsible brother and a caring son to my parents.

> Be a good employee to my employer. (Yeah thats after i get my joining date)

> Be less over-confident.

I guess only these are fully practical.. The other resolutions include:

> Start reading novels

> Reduce my tummy curvature (I bet it ll increase)

> Spend less money on useless things.

> Reduce messaging and the time spent on facebook (I am sure my friends will bet any amount that i wont)

> Less movies/seasons and more priority to useful things like project and studies...

That would be enough i guess.. Hoping for the best to keep up with these resolutions.....

I wish to see a more united, peaceful n healthy INDIA.. Leave all the bad memories of '09 behind and lets start fresh in '10.. Happy New Year... :)

The last Sunday of the year 2009....

1230am: I was not feeling sleepy.. So i started reading the "Two States" by Chetan Bhagath... Basically novels put me to sleep... :P There i was reading the book and dint know how time passed by.. It was 4am and wasnt feeling sleepy.. But still slept off...

Luckily got up early enough to get hot water to bath.. It s last sunday of the month so all our community people in blore gather at Kashimatt in Malleshwaram for a monthly Satyanarayan Pooja.. There were around 1000ppl with full chit chat... Had missed that.. Seriously we Konkani's have a big mouth, once we start speaking nothing can stop us (No offence meant).... I had missed the breakfast and was hungry.. The pooja got over at 2 and then there was a "Pravachana" by our Swamiji... Finally lunch was served at 330pm.. Felt like i was in heaven.. You need taste the pure Konkani Brahmin food... Then went over to my cousins place and spent some quality time with her..

Slept off in the bus (my stomach was that full)... Then came back to hostel and completed the novel... Dont know why but got lost in some dreams after reading the novel (no comments plz).. :P Finally to conclude the day, my frds and me went to try the new PES Food Court thats opened up near the hostel.. Food is pretty good.. That pretty sums up "Last Sunday of the Year 2009"... Now need to get back to the books... Exam on tuesday... :(

I miss my Friend.....

June 2004: I was joining my PU college.. Had a very few friends from school... I needed a friend who would share a similar taste as me.. One of my best friends from school, who was my partner for IT quizzes for 4years had joined another college.. I needed a quiz partner.. Then i met this guy who was so cool and loved technology just as i did.. An excellent artist and his hidden talent was mimcry.. Our team got the complimentry prize at the RURAL IT Quiz 2004.. That was the first time our PU college got recognized for a technical activity.. We became very good friends.. In 2yrs
we became best friends.. The memories of 2yrs in PU is still fresh.. 26th December was his birthday..
You may be wondering why did i use the term 'was', well he passed away 2yrs ago.. He was suffering from brain tumour.. He knew about this in 2nd PU itself but dint let any of us know about his condition.. Always smiling and very energitic.. How can a person be so strong and that too at the age of 17.. I got to know about his condition only when i was in 1st semester, when he dropped out of college, just months after joining.. He called me up one day and told me that he had his final treatment and is perfectly alright.. He stayed in Mandya so he asked me to come over for a day.. I was busy with my internals so told him i ll be there in the holidays.. That was the last time i spoke to him.. I still regret that i could not fulfil his wish of me meeting him.. We all friends went there a day after his funeral and came to know how much he had suffered in the past few months.. That was the biggest loss in my life.. To this day i get very afraid when i hear that any of my friends is sick.. The pain of loosing a friend is something that no one must experience..
Tommorow would have been his birthday... Remembering him a lot...
"KIRAN ALSE"  I will always miss you... May your soul rest in peace....

Movies with a difference..........

Mentions: Avatar, Paa, Law abiding citizens, Insider, The blind side
I watch quite a lot of movies, and most of them during my exams..... I must agree that I usually fast-forward the movies if I don’t like them.. Here are a few movies that I watched during my SEM exams (i.e. in past one week) and which I really liked...
Avatar:
Well I don’t think I need to tell anything about this movie... Everyone knows it... But people don’t go with very high expectations... Just go and watch the movie... You all appreciate the creativity and effects... The background score adds to the essence of the movie... I felt that the main theme
of the movie was the love towards the nature and the selfish human attitude.. The movie portrays how all the creatures in a particular planet can leave together in peace and harmony.. We can very well call it a Hollywood movie in a bollywood way.. Just watch the movie in 3D and you ll surely want to leave Earth and get settled in PANDORA.... I am sure the people who watched it will agree with me..
PAA:
Cast: Amitabh Bachan, Abhishek Bachan, Vidya Balan
A movie in which Amitabh was at his best.. The portrayal of an innocent boy and how he handles himself.. The desire of a son to be with his dad..  The mother who knows that her child is very sick but still tries to keep him happy.. Abhishek fits in the role of a politician very well and has tried to give us a picture of the current media.. Vidya Balan should give up glamour and be simple... The role of a mother suited her really well..  Not to mention the songs and background music.. Slow and smooth... Overall the movie is really good...
Law Abiding Citizen:
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler
A frustrated man decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family's killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the district attorney and others involved in the deal....  It gives a total coverage of the loopholes when it comes to giving justice... The story has unexpected twists and turns... A movie that makes u think what is going to happen next...
Insider:
Cast: Al Pacino, Russell Crowe
There are lots of confidential information when it comes to an organization... What happens when someone leaks it to the media.. Al Pachino is a producer to a famous news channel who gets hold of some data about a tobacco company.. He contacts a source, Russel Crowe to decode it for him.. It turns out that the people are being cheated by the tobacco company.. Crove is bound by a confidentiality agreement.. But Al Pachino convinces him to open up on an exclusive TV interview.. Question is, does that show ever get aired... Things to look for: The problems faced by the insider and his family, Effect of corporate money minded organization on the media..
The Blind Side:
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron
The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player with the help of a caring woman and her family. The main storyline is the bonding between families.. Micheal becomes a part of a rich family.. The family never make him feel that he is an outsider.. Look out for some punching dialogues, bit of comedy and mainly the way relationships are respected...
Do try to watch these movies....
PS: "Opinions are like wrist watches, everyone has one... And everyone believes that the time in their watch is right.."

Did the exams get over..????

This was what i felt after finishing my exams today... At 1345 when i was going to the exam hall i could see the tensed faces, red eyes, shivering arms... This was converted into big smile and a sigh of relief... Everyone was like "Yipee its finally over"... The joy could be seen in hostel as well... There was a movie hunt going on.. I settled in with PAA whereas a few friends watched Qurbaan and RocketSingh... Well guys... I agree that the 2 toughest papers are done but we still dont know what VTU has in store for us...  Maybe these papers were just trailers.. But who cares we take things in positive sense... So bring it on VTU... We are prepared.... Afterall we have sufferd you for 6 semesters..:)

And as for the exams getting completed my friend Apurva came up with this Quote:

"Journey is more imp than the destination". So enjoy the journey through the exams and dont worry about the results.. All the best....

Bollywood ---> Blunderwood

I just came across a link posted by one of my friends in facebook. It was actually an article in outlook.It presented the actual picture of what bollywood means and the actual story behind the terms that are used during the distribution of the film.

A few extracts from the article:

"Most of us always want to know if a film is a hit or a flop.  When you eat at a restaurant, would you want to know if the owner has made a profit or loss? Or would you be more concerned about whether the food is good or bad?"

"The simple truth is most actors can’t read beyond an SMS, leave alone a 100-page script."

"when a print ad claims that a film has grossed Rs 60 crore in two weeks, all it means is that the distributor has earned 20 crore"

"Always remember: when an actor’s look and the film’s style or sets are being talked about, it almost always means that there is no story."

"The southern film industry generated about Rs 1,700 crore last year; Bollywood did less than Rs 600 crore"



Read the original article: Starry Starry Blight

Udupi-Mangalore : A coastal delight

This was the article that me and my friends Nithin and Manish had prepared for a magzine but it did not get published. Thought would post it here.

 COASTAL DELIGHT

Popularly known as “KUDLA”, Mangalooru, named after the goddess Mangaladevi, is a cultural and historic port town. To get a royal entry we suggest you to chug your way through the Western Ghats into the Gateway to Karnataka.
 
Culture:
Bhuta Kola, Aati kalenja, Karangolu,Nagaradhane and Huli vesha are some of the cultural traditions of Tulunadu. The folk arts Yakshagana and Talamaddale are the ones which you should never miss. Also the Theru(Chariot festival) at the various temples and the Udupi Paryaya’s are worth watching. These events symbolize the beliefs and traditions of various places. Several sports are unique over here. Kambala (buffalo race), contested in water filled paddy fields and Korikatta (Cockfight) are popular. You ought to watch these at least once in your lifetime.

Cradle of Education:
Mangalore and Udupi are proudly known as Cradle of Education in Karnataka with 15 Engineering, 5 Medical, 14 Dental, 12 MBA,11 Physiotherapy, 8 Hotel Management, 58 Graduation colleges. St Aloysius is one of the oldest and well known institutions in India with a history of 128 years. The world famous Manipal University is spread across Mangalore and Udupi. Also we have NITK, Suratkal which is one of the most prestigious and top ranked institutions in India and one of the few universities in the world to own a private beach also.

Yummy…
Tulunadu cuisine is famous for its sea food. You cant say no for the fishes like bangude, boothai, anjal. Prawns and crabs are the sea foods which make your mouth watery. Kori rotti and kori saaru combination is the one which anyone would relish to have. And for the veggies there are lot more varieties. To name a few: Pundi gasi, Pathrode, Neeru dose, Mangalore buns, Golibajje, biscuit roti, Kadabu, Dalithoy, Banana Halva etc. And not to forget the prasadam and the feast at the temples. Never miss an opportunity to gulp down these mouth-watering foods.

People:
The people are eveready to help. It’s a peaceful place to leave in. There are more joint families and the festivals are celebrated together with huge fan fare.

Climate:
The climate is hot and humid in summers and pretty good in winter. To chill out the hot weather during summer a visit to Ideal’s ice cream  parlor in mangalore is a must. The varieties available are amazing.  The taste speaks for itself.

Places to visit:

Famous for its temples, Mangalore attracts a huge number of pilgrims from all over the country. The most famous ones are:

• St Aloysius Chapel is very famous for its paintings.
• Udupi, the temple town houses the famous 'Udupi Sri Krishna Temple' and the ‘Asta-mathas’.
• Dharmasthala - Sri Manjunathaswamy Temple is one of the most famous temples.
• Kukke Subramanya Temple is  for the worshipers of the snake God.
• Not far is the big Gomteshwara statue which is a holy place for Jains.
• Kamala Shile is a temple in a remote village in Udupi District famous for its cave temple.
• The Sri Mookambika Devi Temple of Kollur is pilgrimage for the Keralites.
• The Kudroli Temple is famous for its Navaratri celebrations.
• The Venkataramana temples of Manglalore and Mulki are the main temples for Konkani’s.

Beaches are a paradise for people living in cities. Some of the most famous beaches are:

• Malpe Beach and St. Mary's Island - Go on the boat to the Island and hang out with friends and family.
• Maravanthe Beach - Situated 105 km from Mangalore after Kundapur, The National Highway - 17 separates the river from the Arabian Sea offering a wonderful sight to travellers on the highway.
• Kaup Beach and Lighthouse - around 50 km from Mangalore is one of the cleanest beaches. If you are interested in collecting shells then you must visit this place.
• Kasargod -check out the Bekal fort which is not far from Mangalore.
• Apart from beaches you can also find various falls in the district, Seetha and Hanuman Gundi falls are the most famous ones.

Nature lovers and Archeologists  need to check out the following

• Sultan Bathery is the fort of Tippu in Mangalore.
• Pilikula Nisarga Dhama is known for its Boating and Animals.
• Manipal - don't forget to check out the ever-so-delightful eye-candy 'End Point'. And also the world-famous Anatomy Museum (Hasthna Shilpa) in the KMC campus.
• Moodbidri houses the Thousand Pillars Basadi.
• The small village of Barkur has many temples and is an architectural delight recognized by the Archeological Survey of India, situated near Brahmavar .

Transport:
There are numerous private bus companies which run bus services within the city of Mangalore and its suburbs. Even though the buses are operated by different private companies, the system is unified and quite useful. The frequency of buses and comfort level are a lot better than BMTC. Never miss the opportunity of the roller coaster rides in these buses.


So the next time you are planning for a vacation make sure to give this a top priority.  A land of Temples, beaches, culture and tradition and not to mention the delicious food. Experience it to Believe.