Calvin & Hobbes Bento!

Calvin & Hobbes Bento!, originally uploaded by kickintheheadcomic.

This is the coolest new thing that I've seen in a while on flickr :)

Fuses two of my favorite things - food and comics.

Love Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes strip and own most of the books.

While it is a common sight to see Watterson's images used (despite his protests) on T-shirts and Mugs, never thought I'd see it *in* a tiffin.
One lucky guy on the receiving end!

Bentos are a zany part of Japanese culture.More on this interesting art form here on the maker's blog (it would be unfair to just call it food)

http://annathered.wordpress.com/

More on Bentos in general here at the wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento

Brings a whole new meaning to having a Calvin and Hobbes lunchbox :)

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Light and Magic

Every once in a while you come across a very visible example of someone pushing the envelope in their field that changes your way of looking at the medium (I’m a management guy so I’m controlling my use of the word ‘paradigm’ :) ).

Happened to be at the inauguration of the 10th theatre utsav of the National School of Drama (the Mumbai Satellite festival) last week at Prabhadevi which was followed by a performance of 'Prologue' by Ratan Thiyam.

Was roped in by an enthusiastic friend who in turn had it highly recommended to her by her professor. Overcame my lazy Sunday state of mind long enough to go and check it out (being with an attractive friend helped).

This was a play in Manipuri so had my apprehensions about ‘getting’ the play and the relevance of the experience.

The play takes the viewer through the creation of the world and the rise and fall of a civilization-and outlines man’s failure to learn from his past.

Felt pretty strange watching to be something in a language I didn’t understand-but learnt that there is much more to theatre than a script, a plot and dialogue delivery and that the atmosphere created can transcend all other elements.

The play sticks to its roots and leverages the very basics of the medium-choral arrangements, body movement, visual elements, rhythm and the most effective use of lighting I’ve seen in a play to date. This is followed by some brilliant performances (there is a difference between acting like a monkey and becoming a monkey-going beyond just facial expression and conveying it by every muscle that moves in your body)

A definite treat for the senses, but you do get the nagging feeling that you’d be a lot clued in if you understood the language (something akin to watching world cinema without subtitles-have tried my hand at that too-my last attempt was something by Yasujiro Ozu).

Now only if they figured out a way to add those to live performances.

P.S> Just remembered this quote that Dr.Vijaya Mehta used during her inaugral speech - 'Theatre is a beautiful lie that takes us closer to the truth'.
Profound.

Sneaker Pimp

New year's resolution list draft V1.1
-Join the gym

Called Talwalkar's after being lured by the aggressive adverts preceding the branch rollout in my neighbourhood.

Was put through to a gentleman after listening to a caller hold tune of 'kal ho na ho' (how apt for a new gym that you're thinking of joining ;) ). Asked them what their annual charges were.
'9.1K for a Quarter and 19K for an annual membership.Hello...hello? (Click)'.

New year's resolution list draft V1.2
-Run.It's cheaper.As the ad says, the road comes free. At least cardio is taken care of.
Is uncomplicated.

Hmmm.Not necessarily after 3 hours of trying to find the right shoe.

Some observations:
-The same shoe size is different across brands. I have been blessed with Yeti size feet (size 11). Finding a consistent fit is a tad difficult.
-The cheap shoes look good but feel bad
-The expensive shoes feel like heaven, look drab , and cost the earth.
-I will spend 9.8K on a pair of nikes if i'm a professional athlete and the extra k's help me shave some time off my record. The shape i'm in, a few seconds here and there make no difference, so I'll pass.
-the 'converse' corollary: the lighter the shoe, the heavier it is on your pocket.
-you will have a strange urge to buy shoes that you were not planning to buy-I found a pair of CATs I liked. Very very much.And found trail running shoes that I wanted a year ago.
-Cool colours count for more than comfort. Was looking for the the three stripes in orange. Didn't get 'em.
-Discounts matter.Got the adizeros that I wanted at a 20% off :) Would have settled for cheaper ones otherwise (the ones with the orange stripes-sighh)


Parting thought-

Tell your mom how much the shoes cost. That will ensure that you get woken up in time to run each day for at least a month or two

:)

Wish you and your families a happy, productive, healthy and prosperous 2008 !

Nahin nigaah mein manzil

I listen to Ghazals on and off-love the 70's and 80's ones and generally complain that there's too much of Jagjit Singh flooding the music stores and airwaves.

Recently came across Abida Parveen's rendition of this gem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

Had heard 'Nahin Nigaah mein manzil' for the first time on Wordspace during Diwali (see '06 blogs), forgotten about it and then had the memory surface again when it played in a movie recently.

Listened to it off the net.Again.And again.

Original reproduced below with a translation by Siyaah that I Googled off the net (my Urdu translation would not have done Faiz justice)

Nahin nigaah mein manzil to justujoo hi sahi,
Nahin visaal mayassar to aarzoo hi sahi.

Na tan mein khoon faraaham na ashq aankhon mein,
Namaaz-e-shauq to waajib hai, be-wuzu hi sahi.

Kisi tarah to jame bazm maikade waalon,
Nahin jo baada-o-saaghar, to haa-o-huu hi sahi.

Gar intezaar kathin hai to jab talak ai dil,
Kisi ke waada-e-fardaa ki guftgoo hi sahi.

Dayaar-e-ghair mein mehram agar nahin koi,
To Faiz zikr-e-watan apne ru-ba-ru hi sahi.

Interpretive translation from the Urdu by Siyaah

Though the destination eludes sight- let the search be;
Though union defies attainment- let the longing be.

The body lacks blood, the eyes lack moisture
-Yet the prayer of desire is obligatory, without purity it may be. [2]

Let the gathering come alive somehow- O those of the tavern,
If not goblets of wine, let lightheartedness and laughter be.

If the wait is tough- then in the meantime, O heart,
On someone's promise of tomorrow - let conversation be. [4]

In this abode of strangers, if no confidant exists,
Faiz - let the invocation of homeland with yourself be. [5]

Translator's notes:

[2] Namaz: prayer - original word relates to ancient Persian form of worship. Be-wuzu: to not be in a state of ceremonial/physical preparedness for prayer. Wuzu literally refers to ablution preceding prayer.
[4] waada-e-fardaa: literally, promise of tommorrow. Fardaa also has implications of 'the day of the event', 'judgement day', 'day of resurrection'.
[5] Mehram: has many shades of meaning, including 'confidant', 'trustworthy friend', 'close relatives', 'spouse'. Zikr: has many shades of meaning, including 'mention', 'remember', and 'invoke' (often in a spiritual sense).

Original translation sourced from http://siyaah.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html

Strange Cravings

Things from the 80’s that I miss (in no particular order)-

• Chocolates in Gold Coin foil wrappers I used to have when I was a kid.


• ‘Harnik’ whistle-pops


• Jolly sweets that my school canteen sold with fake stamps inside for eager little schoolboys who wanted them badly for their collection


• The original inspired ‘Kentucky Fried Chicken’ that Merwans in Andheri used to sell when one of the shops was a restaurant


• Phantom cigarettes-sugared stick candies with a dot of red food colour at the tip to help us poor schoolboys tell which end was ‘lit’.


• Tibbs Frankie at Waikiki outside Sterling Cinema at Fort


• ‘Big Bite’-A Strange burger experiment that used to sell near Shopper’s Stop Andheri way back when it was called Amber Oscar and used to screen movies like ‘The Doberman Gang’. Ended prematurely when a Tarla Dalal restaurant sprang up at the same location.


• Buying art supplies with mom near the Jehangir Art Gallery at Kala Ghoda and at Bombay Stationery Mart at Fort.


• My Kodak Kroma 35mm Compact Camera that I got as a birthday gift while still in school. The damn thing still works!


• Trips to Rhythm House and Hiro Music House to buy audio cassettes.


• The rush to buy school supplies-textbooks, notebooks and uniforms.


• Walking with parents at Marine drive in the monsoon, with the spray from the waves and the rain in my face.


• Gumboots (no, not really-always ended up being flooded because of the ‘water finds its own level’ funda.


• Paper planes. Had once littered my entire building ground by using up two whole diaries (that’s 730 sheets or more) to launch paper planes from my window sitting with my cousin on a boring summer afternoon.


• Wood Pencils. Steadtler sharpeners. Used to wish that I could write with a pen then. Sorely miss them now.


• ‘Hero’ Fountain Pens that were made with cutting edge Chinese technology which enabled them to land on their nibs were they ever to roll off your desk. Have never had a hero pen survive a fall (an Indian ‘hero’ would never have died, except at the end of a judwaa bhai movie).And not stain my fingers or my pocket some time or the other for that matter.


• Supremo, Mandrake, Phantom, Tinkle and the occasional Champak. And Starblazer and War Digests.


• The school bell. Never know now when to leave office for home as a consequence.


• ‘Fusen’ gum. We’re probably the only place outside Japan where this thing sells in such huge quantities. Friends abroad have never heard of it. Made by Marukawa Confectionery Works (?!?).I spent most of my childhood chewing strange pale grape flavored gum lured by a water based tattoo at the back.


• Summer vacations. And how!


• ‘Sing’ at the canteen sold out of a glass jar behind a grill from the school canteen. Used to have pockets full of it in the school recess.


• Clip on black school ties with the yellow ‘house’ stripe that used to wear out amazingly fast.


• Juhu beach being a cleaner less crowded place-used to drive down there with parents at an unearthly hour on Sundays to go for a stroll. Hated them then, but miss them now.


• Amazingly sweet Variali sold fresh off the plant near Bhavan’s college.


• Going to the Bhavan’s nursery with mom to pick up plants.


• Walking back home from school soaking in the rain and wading through the suburban ‘flash floods’ that Andheri was famous for.


• Wandering all over the school grounds in search of ‘Badaams’-haven’t yet figured out if they were really connected to Almonds or called that simply because of their shape.


• TV Ads-From Nirmal washing powder “Suno suno O babuji, kahan chale? Kapde kyon hai maile dhule?” “Maile, par maine to Laundry mein dhulwaye the” to Laxman Sylvania to Britannia Delite-loved them all. Except for the Lalitaji ones.


• Painful school sports days at the Bhavan’s college grounds where I used to try my hand at everything from long jump to running and finally end up spending most of the day sitting on grass in the hot sun chatting with friends and waiting for the damn thing to end.


• Star trek communicators made from matchboxes and rubber bands.Beam me up, Scotty!


• Films Division Animated stuff-“Tree of Unity”, Toh kya taaron ko anek bhi kehte hai, didi?


• The school canteen-served the since unrivalled fabulous round sabudana wadas-best eaten piping hot with watery tamarind date chutney under the gulmohur tree near the canteen. Awesome in the rains.Inspired me to start a ‘sabudanawadafans’ e-group on yahoo for ex-wadia classmates. Used to take three coupons worth (7.50 rupees after adjusting for inflation) and stuff myself to the gills along with a certain friend of mine. To be fair-their other stuff like ragda pattice, bhel and poha was fairly decent (except for the milk based fruit salad), but pales in comparison to the sabudana Wada.
  ”Never has so little given so much joy”.


• My ancient 1989 Premier Padmini Deluxe. Had thought all the screeching sounds in films when cars skid on fast curves were special effects-turns out that they’re real in the Padmini-you scalp your tires doing corners over 65 kmph.


• Doordarshan.Ramayan.Giant Robot.Fraggle Rock. Star Trek. Fireball XL5. Need I say more?


• Cadbury’s ‘Double Decker’ chocolates. Sighh.


• Old school teachers with all their eccentricities- “I will throw you out of the balcony” “Quick fast. Page 34 kholiye.Paath ka naam hai ‘Mitrata’.Shamu aur Banshi dono mitr the”


• Loss of my Cuteness Quotient. Used to be a cute kid and then lost it completely when I grew up. Damn, just when you need something...


• School friends. Have been constantly in touch with some. Rediscovered some on neworking sites. And some are truly lost.

Pinprick

Sharp pain and then

A spot of red blooms on pale skin

Growing vivid and beautiful

On a dull day

I kid you not

Had stopped at my local kiranawallah (neighborhood grocer) on the way back from work to pick up a bar of good ole’ Bournville dark chocolate when I came across a toy product called-hold your breath- "Violently Tire" :)

Was a tire shaped top with a wind-up launcher a-la-Beyblade (for those who don’t have 7 year old neighbors who religiously watch cartoon network-A Beyblade is a glorified top with a launcher sold by creating a cartoon show solely to push the merchandise) .The tagline on the pack was "The strength comes suddenly and violently”. Walked out of the store trying to rein in the big grin on my face.

Needless to say, it was made in China.

With all the talk of China snapping on India’s heels in terms of churning out IT minions for big conglomerates, this quirk of language will probably not last long.Am pretty sure that there are vast factories bringing the cantonese up to speed on the finer aspects of the colonial language even as we speak and worn-out copies of Schaum guides to programming are strewn everywhere in Shenzhen where this thing was made. Will probably miss brilliant little products like these a few years down the line.

Not to say that Desi products are not (unintentionally) funny sometimes. Came across this sliced bread brand called "Bimbo" that’s available mostly in Santacruz and Andheri in Mumbai (no offense intended to residents-I used to stay in Andheri myself)-plain dumb or an extreme case of psychographic segmentation? :)

Have compiled a list of other such examples that came to mind

1) Came across this sticker on a click gel-pen I had "Warning-retract tip before replacing in pocket to avoid staining”. Funny but understandable going by the rate of frivolous litigation in the US.

2) “Wanton Chicken” on a Chinese restaurant menu in Pune. The Oxford Dictionary defines wanton as 1.Deliberate or unprovoked 2.sexually immoral.
I’m strongly hoping that it was the former.

:)

Have you come across a memorable product gaffe? Post a comment!

The Atheist

You find revelations in the strangest of places and at the weirdest of times.

Was at a traffic signal close to office in an auto absently staring at the pavement (or the lack of it) while talking on the phone. Tracked this piece of Styrofoam packing bobbing along in a gutter where the jagged road tiles ended at the edge of the street-watching it getting tangled in some muck only to surge ahead suddenly, caught up in a fresh rush of effluent from the adjoining Industrial compound.

Ended up with a strange thought when I put the phone down. Don’t exactly understand what led me down that particular branch of reasoning.

I’m not what they generally call a believer. Don’t put my money on an omnipresent omniscient being. Take pride in my incredulity-and take all faith with a pinch of salt.

But I do believe (quite logically) that this sewage will evaporate into vapour, abandoning its current toxic form to ultimately coalesce in a cloud somewhere and rain down as clean water that will sustain life before getting sullied again by all that it supports.

And yet I find the parallel idea of re-birth hard to digest. Had never thought of the issue in these terms.Always thought that it was some wild hope at the end of a rainbow, meant to distract us while we lived for the moment.

Strange. Surprising.

True?

You decide.

*pic courtesy tribune india