Sunday, December 27, 2009

Eyes wide open

Something has changed.

I've spent more time alone recently than I have in a few years. Practically living alone. Passing weekends without talking / meeting anyone. Not feeling like blogging. And when I try to write anything, the sentences are short, terse.

Hardly the flowing, ornate words I used to love spilling out. Suddenly I don't feel like I want to record or share the details about my life. Not because its private or anything, but more because I feel more and more self-conscious. Why would anyone care to read about what I did or saw or thought or am thinking?

Can't remember the last time I wrote a long email either. The rare ones I do write, seem like they've been written by someone else -- almost soulless and void of any sentiment. Strange, haggard.

Anyhow, but I do feel like writing a wee bit today.

Recently went to Bali -- nice weekend, nice beaches, and lots of sculpture on the streets and everywhere. Including penis shaped bottle openers in almost every 'touristy' shop. Pretty scandalous. I bought a bamboo xylophone, about 50 awesome DVDs and a dragon kite.

Today I was in a bookshop (Landmark is easily 20 times the size and collection of any Crossword) and I saw a book called Twitterature. About 50 or so of the world's classics told in 'twitter' style. I was slightly aghast, but what can I say. Penguin had published the book. I guess we're in the age where practically anyone can be a published author.

But what cheered me instantly was when I caught glimpse of a book, which I remember reading about on the authors blog. This blog called Waiter Rant (award-winning blog) is a collection of stories from this guy's experiences as a waiter in New York. I read his post about writing a book and then when it was published I remember thinking I would buy it someday, but I certainly didn't think I would see it staring out at me from a bookshelf in Hyderabad. Nice.

Happy New Year in advance. I doubt I'll post again before Jan, though I do intent to publish a new and with renewed determination -- New Year's Resolution list.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Reviews, and news

It's December? Wow.

Jim Morrison's Birthday today. Been listening to MJ though.

It was my day off today, I worked the weekend. So booked myself a ticket to a movie -- 1) coz it sounded interesting, and 2) coz I wanted to make sure I wouldn't stay at home all day and work from home. Was very surprised that the cinema was completely full. For a 2:30 afternoon show on a Tuesday afternoon at a Chinese-war-history movie!

Recently, watched a bunch of movies, well, as many as I can in Hyderabad, not a lot of movies come here. :(
1) Ninja Assassin -- very good.
2) Twilight -- much to the chagrin of the beloved, I saw it, liked it (have to admit its pretty cheesy, but what the hell, plenty of lame shit makes its way around).
3) Aajab prem ki galab kahani -- hadn't watched a Hindi movie in so long, and I really went with the intention of seeing a silly Hindi movie to have a good laugh. Unfortunately, it didn't even manage to live up to that very low expectation.
4) Red Cliff. Very very good. In the beginning I was a bit disappointed to hear the dubbed voices -- Indian voices on Chinese faces doesn't work. Would have certainly preferred subtitles. But whatever, excellent movie.
5) Oh, and before that-- This is It! Thoroughly enjoyed it and saw it 3 times, I think, in the cinema, was fun to be in a hallful of Jackson fans, cheering and screaming.

Also been reading and have purchased a stack of books -
1) After Dark -- Haruki Murakami. Nice. Quick. Surreal, as usual. But clean and so well written.
2) Cat's Cradle -- Kurt Vonnegut. Brilliant book. Comical, spiritual, totally weird.

On the pile --
1) The Graveyard Book -- Neil Gaiman. Award winning, new book. Supposed to be a children's story, but I love the guy.
2) Revolutionary Road -- Richard Yates. Had seen the movie, was fab, read a couple of pages and it seems like a must-read. Plus, someone wrote very highly about it a while back.
3) Twilight -- Let's see.
4) Witch Child -- Celia Rees. Just picked off the shelves. Story based in 1600s about the granddaughter of a witch.

Recent updates --
Fiance was in Hyderabad for 2 weeks. We went to Pune to meet the extended family and he had to deal with my grandmother trying to convert him to Zoroastrianism, and grumbling to him about how the price of onions was unbelievably high, and we did a mini-engagement ceremony again.

In other news --
It's cold. The whole city of Hyderabad seems to be wearing cheetah-printed fluffy ear muffs.
The fiance (back in California) says he can see snow on the mountains near the Googleplex office.

Unsaid --
I seem to see Isha in everything. All the movies and books, conversations, interactions, musings, and moments of nothingness.