Caffeine and Lithium – A Short story

I walked into my haven, a classic under rated coffee shop just a block away from my home it was my second home in a way. Whatever the day had to offer, I made sure I ended my day in this little Coffee Shop. It was a fitting place to spend the “me time”, relaxing my time off. In fact when I paid the $1.65 for my medium coffee, I not only bought me a cup of freshly brewed coffee, but also some time for myself. That’s one of the reasons I visit this place so often, and then the ever smiling Adriana. She worked there, she was pretty, intelligent, buzzing with energy. Her immaculate smile made my day, technically it made my Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. She worked there part-time.

Friday, it was pretty demanding Friday, arranging, organizing, and completing the left over tasks of the week. I walked up to place my order, she was there smiling, amused that she could serve me. I placed my order, a medium coffee. “How would you like it?” she asked.

“2 creams and 1 sugar” I replied.

She quickly pulled out a paper cup to make my coffee, “In a mug, please” I muttered.

I was furious it was probably the zillionth time that I had requested her to make my coffee in a mug. The lasting thing I want on a tiresome day is my coffee in a paper cup. She had a grin on her face every time, she did that knowingly.  I always thought it was her lame attempt to strike a conversation with me. If so, she never succeeded.

I took my coffee to the table. It was a bad day for me. It’s been exactly one year since Cathy left me. I put my head down, isolating myself in a noisy coffee shop. Forgetting her was the bane of my life. The time I spent with Cathy was probably the most exciting thing that happened to me. She made me cry with laughter, she made me look stupid but also reminded me I was intelligent. She made me stronger but helped me realise my weaknesses. All that had ended, she was here no more. She was with me I cannot recall from when. She walked with spent time with and started percolating in me, and so brewed into a fine relationship. Every step I took it was firmer, ever thought purer, every dream larger, every sleep sounder, everyday like no other. The only short coming, I drowned into that moment never willing to move ahead. I had an unknown fear, fear more than love, more than lust, more than happiness. Now   I feel lonely without her, it was as if I had to face all the ordeals myself.

What lead to this? It was just 30minutes.

Someone patted on my shoulder, it was Adriana. “Is everything alright?” she asked. I was already too carried away to respond to her. “We are closing” she said. I looked at my watch knowing that it has been dead for almost a year now I don’t know why I glanced at my dead watch. I looked at my coffee it was cold. I looked at her she smiled and indicated

“Your watch is dead!”

“Oh..”  I pretended that I didn’t know.

“Your watch has been dead for months now, probably from the very first day when I remember seeing you”.

She pulled a chair opposite to me “What’s wrong?” she enquired.

I kept looking at my watch it almost made me burst into tears. She looked me in the eye and said “it is okay” as if she knew what I was going through. She placed her comforting hand on my hands.

“Your coffee is getting cold!” she said. I looked at the coffee, took a sip its bitterness showed on my face. She smiled.

“Why don’t you change the batteries on your watch?”

“It’s been exactly a year” I replied. My girlfriend gave it to me. She set it 30 minutes fast, because every time she invited me somewhere I was 30 minutes late.

Adriana was curious “What happened?”

I honestly don’t have an answer, why was I late to meet her?  Was I busy with work?  I don’t know. I just feel, it was my fault.

“Did you love her?” she asked.

“Yes!”

If there was one thing that I could change in my life it would be that I wanted to be 30 minutes early every time I met her.

“What is that got to do with replacing batteries?” “Then why don’t you replace the batteries?”

I looked down, “it’s complicated”.

She came back “I am quite sure it is not as complicated as knowing you”

I quickly drank my cold coffee, it was horrible. And then I bid goodbye to her. As I walked back home I realised, It was comforting indeed to share my feelings with Adriana. She at least knew what most people don’t.   I realised that she has always trying to be helpful, but it was me who was negligent.

Wednesday, I walked into the coffee shop placed my order, she was there more excited than usual, and she made my coffee this time in a mug, without any request.  She had a notorious grin on her face thorough out. I just picked up my coffee and left. I placed my coffee in the table with the help of the overhead lamp I saw a small shiny object on my saucer. It was a lithium battery for my watch. I looked at her. She gave me assuring smile. As if she had solved all my problems. She came over, “replace it!” she whispered in my ear and walked away. May be it was time that I did that. She was very watchful, I somehow found a way to open the bottom of my watch, and I carefully replaced the batteries on my watch. It instantly sprang into action, it was perfect! It somehow felt better, may be it was just a placebo effect. My eyes went searching for Adriana, I wanted to thank her. Someone patted on my shoulder, it was her. She whispered “move on” and walked away. I started thinking back may be she was right I must move on, get a life for myself. After all it was so simple; it was only my head in the way. I looked at her, she smiled. I was happy, uplifted, something has changed in me. I was lost in time my coffee was still in my table cold, again.

I looked at watch it was already 11.00 pm. Time to close the shop. She walked up to me and said “We are Clo…” I lifted my wrist proudly and showed the watch.

She smiled, “At last” she said.

“Thank you” I said. She looked at me she came over sat next to me this time.

“Alright?” she asked, I smiled. And now I realised we were alone. The others had left. She was holding my hand and we started talking. She came closer to me, her breath breezed on my face, and it felt strangely familiar and familiarly strange. Holding her hand amidst her breath she looked me in the eye. Suddenly it struck me I had to be early in the office tomorrow. I excused myself I reluctantly had to bid her goodbye to her. She was disappointed and so was I.

“Goodbye” she said softly. We parted.

Friday, I had to wait a whole day to meet her. I could possibly never take her out of my mind the whole time.  I was more than excited to meet her today. May be she was the solution. I felt so much better after the other night I felt I was dead, buried and resurrected. After work today, I walked straight to the coffee shop, briskly walked up to place my order. It was a bald man in his mid 30’s there. I was perplexed. “How may I help you?” He asked.

“Adriana?”

“Who?”

“the gi- girl who used to work here” I stuttered.

“The girl, she left the job and has moved over to London, I’m her replacement” He answered. I was devastated. I quietly place my order. All my hopes came crumbling down. I took my coffee placed it on the table. I was sitting there unaware of my existence. I looked at my watch, it was working fine. I sat there unable to digest my disappointment, time seem to have evaporated. I rested my head on the table. Now I was trying to connect the dots, it was her last day, it was her last goodbye. What if I had noticed her before? What if I had spoken to her earlier?  What if I had expressed my desire that night, would she be here? There were streams of questions in my mind.

Someone patted on my shoulder, it was the bald guy, “we are closing” he said and walked away. I looked my working watch it was 11.00 pm, I looked beside at my coffee mug, and again my coffee got cold. I sipped my cold coffee its bitterness stung my tongue. Just then I realised the bitter truth.

“I have never had my coffee hot”

THE END

Snapshot of Life!

Photography for me is something more than the scientific process of creating images.  It is more profound in the perception rather than the creation. Photography has largely been ridiculed to capturing scenic landscapes or framing a mighty skyscrapers, just the mere physical imagery of a location, however  photography transcends rightly framed colourful images. Photography is often not creating beautiful images but it’s a unique way to capture genuine reality.

Often photography transcends rightly framed colourful images

“If a photographer cares about the people before the lens and is compassionate, much is given. It is the photographer, not the camera that is the instrument.” – Eve Arnold

Photography is often not creating beautiful images but it’s a unique way to capture genuine reality.

 

That’s why I wander around street trying to capture moments. The thing about street photography is that it is quite unique, unpredictable and most of all cannot be recreated or staged. Everyday life is very exciting consisting of millions of wonderful moments. However these moments are forgone by our impatience to get on with life. Street Photography creates a suspended moment which intervenes and interrogates those moments.

Street photography is when photographer can have a conversation with a viewer, a different conversation each time, with the same image. When I carry my camera around through the streets trying to find the moment to capture, the mere process sharpens my mind makes me understand people and life in general. The street is intimate, vibrant and full of stories.  I get to laugh at the comical moment that only I have seen or empathize for someone on the street or feel the intimacy of a passionate couple on the subway, all only because I just paused every moment in my view finder.  I treasure each experience, a 2 hour blockbuster movie, years in production with eye smacking visuals cannot emulate the experience I get from wandering the streets with the camera around my neck.

Love every moment of it!

Frozen Lake

Lake Scugog, Port Perry, Ontario.

Taken during my short trip to Port Perry, a small pretty town.

Vishwaroopam: The Good and the bad

 

The Good

• Intriguing screenplay, keeps you on the edge of the seats. There are also many interesting questions which I hope will be answered in Viswaroopam 2.
• As always, great casting and amazing performance by Kamalhassan. Rahul Bose and Pooja Kumar do justice to their roles.
• A well-researched impartial take on extremism, its roots and life. The film also depicts the lives of extremists, sometimes you might also empathize with them.
• Witty and well written dialogues.
• Midas touch: There are scenes in the Vishwaroopam which screams Kamalhassan. The maker’s political and religious views come across boldly in the film.   (nothing malicious though)
• Well-choreographed stunt sequences.  
• The authenticity of various languages and cultures involved in the plot are detailed and well made. Informative, Kamal’s direction stands out.

 

The Bad

• When most of the action sequence were jaw dropping, some of the CG sequences were absurd. As an end product, all the hard work is ruined.
• The screenplay has a lot of loose ends though it paves way for sequel it does not quite give a closure for the first film.
• The BGM of the Vishwaroopam could have been done better. I honestly don’t know how many more films will rip Hans Zimmer’s Dark Knight Soundtrack. It may easily deceive a lay man, but not someone who listen to it every day. Disappointing from the trio.

 

Verdict: Must watch.  A Class act!

Behold our King – AR Rahman :Kadal Music Review

Chitirai Nila

The album starts with a musically and lyrically inspirational “Chitirai Nila” rendered soulfully by Vijay Yesudas. It’s the genesis, a great start to the album. The song is irrefutably positive, thanks to the enlightening lyrics by Vairamuthu.

Adiye

Wow, we have another Aaromalesque song from Rahman. The tone of “Adiye” is almost preposterous, in a good way, obviously. The song is one of the most alluring songs of the album, personally. The song is crooned faithfully by Sid Sriram, an amazing talent. Proof, as soon as the album released Sid Sriram was trending on twitter, enough said. Two thumps up!!

Moongil Thottam

A heart-warming tune almost an instant classic, you might presume that it’s another simple melody, wait, listen again. The instrumentation is nominal yet magical. Vocals by Abhay Jodhpukar and Harini are serene, to foster into a soulful melody. In classic Rahman style, the song culminates with an impulsive duet.

Nenjukkule

You will only like the song more!

PS: AR Rahman’s voice is only a scrumptious icing on the cake.

Elay Keechan

A light hearted country song, it immediately gets you on the feat. Rahman’s rendition is reminiscent of the “Mustafa”, “Urvasi” days. The tune is explicitly carefree and so is the befitting lyric by Karky. Elay Keechan, a joyous song, which is sure to rock.

Anbin Vasale

The grandeur of this religious song is inimitable. The chorus is instantaneously mesmerising, I found myself humming the chorus after the first listen. I wish all songs sung in the church were as good. Rahman effortlessly pulls off a grand chorus piece. Anbin Vasale, another elevated tune from Rahman.

Magudi Magudi

Magudi Magudi, I never liked the idea. I mean a song like this in Kadal seemed implausible. However, I see myself liking it involuntarily. A foot tapping number like ‘Dol Dol’ from “Ayutha Ezhuthu” electrifying and galloping beats dominates this song. Looking forward to the clubs rocking with M-A-G-U-D-I!

Verdict: In Hollywood style, Rahman undoubtedly delivers “the” album of the year at the eleven hour.

LYTRO Camera – Can it remain in focus?

A Lytro camera basically is a Light Field Camera (LFC) which is quite different from conventional cameras in a way. Let’s leave aside the technical stuff, primarily a Lytro camera allows us to capture first and focus later. The technology that it uses is futuristic and also available to the consumers. (Lytro 8GB Light Field Camera – Graphite -$ 399 CAD)

Specs

• 11 ‘Megaray’* sensor
• 8x 43-340mm equivalent, constant F2 lens (limited to 43-150mm range in Everyday mode)
• 8GB or 16GB internal memory (depending on model)
• 1.46″ (33mm) touch-screen ( I don’t see the point here)
• Instant power-on.

So with a Lytro camera you can capture a moment without worrying about the focus. So does it guarantee a good picture regardless of how I take the picture? Yes and no.  Of course camera does try to eliminate the problem with blurry pictures. However, you also have to get the ISO and shutter speed right (of course the frame as well). To an extent the Lytro camera does what it promises. It lets the focusing part to the end user, quite impressive.  The demo below is kind of ironic and fascinating! Check it out for yourself. (Click on the picture to focus)

My thoughts on the Lytro Camera

• Today in the world of digital cameras with auto focus features, advanced face recognition technologies, the causes for bad pictures are mostly the ISO and the shutter speed. Focus is very rarely the problem.
• Lytro is not focused at photography enthusiasts (If it was, the price tag would be above $699. Trust me). So it is mainly for people who want to take photographs with less effort from their side. (An equivalent of making a 2 minute noodles, when you can prepare a 7 course meal. Of course it depends on their appetite)   
•  It’s a fad in every sense; I tried browsing through the Lytro gallery. First I was very fascinated by it, as clicked the next arrow and then the next, I found myself bored. The law of diminishing utility definitely works for the Lytro pictures. Check out for yourself? https://pictures.lytro.com/
• Here is the big ONE! As of now, you cannot share the Lytro pictures on Facebook. The Lytro camera does not capture images in conventional formats like jpeg, PNG .etc. it’s mainly due to its interactive functionality. However, I could see that they may come up with a way to accommodate it into Facebook. ( These pictures can definitely can spark a new level of interactivity with Facebook )
• It’s Cylindrical! I don’t see Lytro cameras making a fashion statement in anyway, not in the present and not in the immediate future.

As an amateur photographer, I believe the Lytro camera cannot cater to my appetite for photography. However, I would definitely love playing around with photos which are interactive. It definitely provides a distinctive perspective.

Dial M for Murder 3D – TIFF

Dial M for Murder 3D

Wondering who would ever come to watch a Hitchcock classic re-released after 1954, I mean considering movies like Looper and Argo premiering on the same day. We (Myself & Karthik) walked confidently towards the screening; surprisingly we were ushered away saying that the theater was house-full for Dial M for Murder. I didn’t understand the logic, apparently there were more people wanting to watch the Hitchcock Classic among the glitz and glamour of the other films. We just felt unlucky; however we laughed off and walked away.

One month later, finally got to catch up with the movie. I really wanted to experience the movie in 3d not because I’m a fan of 3d ( In fact I hate 3d) , I just wanted to experience a Hitchcock film in 3d. Well I finally got a chance (believe me, it was not easy to get tickets even now)

We all know Dial M for Murder a classic, a film which is so memorable. Dial M for murder is arguably one of Hitchcock’s best films. It Holds You Spellbound with Suspense!  Did Hitchcock make it in 3d? Yes. Reluctantly Hitchcock made Dial M for Murder in 3d. Hitchcock disliked the idea of 3d but the studio convinced him to make it in 3d, and understandably 3d did not catch up well with theaters .Ended with people watching it in 2d.

How did Hitchcock handle 3d?

First of all unlike most contemporary directors, Hitchcock did not get carried away by the technology. He did not create a scene because it would look good in 3d. It wouldn’t be unfair to say that he made the best use of 3d. A 3d movie was and is considered by many as visual spectacles, What Hitchcock tried to do is fascinating! Hitchcock succeeded in using 3d to add more depth in to the scene. Each and every frame of the movie had depth, that is, in a scene you could literally measure the placement of objects in the foreground, subject and the background. After watching it in 3d I could geometrically say where Grace Kelly picked up the phone in the room, the exact location (3d).  The depth 3d brings to a plot like Dial M for Murder is immense. I don’t think anyone would dare to make a drama in 3d; well unfortunately it works well that way (At least for me). Yes, it was pain-full for me to sit through Avatar, Tin-Tin .etc. Not that I didn’t like them If I’m being honest these movies were too much of a strain to my eye, I often left the theater with a headache (I’m not making that up). To my disbelief, I relished every moment of Dial M for Murder in and I almost forgot I was wearing a 3d glass. In my opinion Hitchcock reluctantly made the best use of 3d for storytelling. It has never been done before by any film maker. It’s a subtle use of a not-so-subtle technology from the master of suspense.

So, there are no “eye-popping” sequences?

Well there are. One of the crucial scenes in the movie. Some of the scenes have some eye popping sequences, which clearly show us that Hitchcock was clear about what he wanted. The words that I came up to my mind after watching the movie were, Classic, Perfect, flawless, absolute, subtle. That pretty much sums it all.

Dial M for Murder 3d – Stitched to Perfection!

Experience a must!

FILM INFORMATION

Dial M for Murder

Director:	Alfred Hitchcock
Country:	USA
Year:	1954
Language:	English
Runtime:	105 minutes
Rating:	PG
Cast:	Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings

A penny for your thoughts

As I arrived in Canada, there were a lot of new things I noticed. One of them was the “pennies”, pennies lying around in gas stations, subways .etc. People even used it to balance an uneven table. Being new to the system I felt guilty doing that myself. If I dropped a penny I would pick it up, somehow it did not feel right to me. Since then I have been thinking about the impact of penny and its role in the economy. Is it really worth anything at all? And imagined what if all the pennies that were stacked up in our homes, were brought out. So I started reading about it and found some interesting things.

People have been using pennies for anything other than making payments. I found a long list of things to with your pennies- 83 things you can do with your pennies. I personally don’t use pennies mostly. If I had to make a payment 1. 11 cents, I would rather pay it as a dollar and a quarter. Later I came to know that the federal Government has officially stopped minting cents and has declared pennies as worthless. Officially the penny will be mostly removed from the Canadian economy. However, the transactions involving pennies will soon be rounded off to nearest 5 cent.

Why?

•  It cost 1.6 cents to make a penny. (Now that doesn’t make sense)
• It cost Royal Canadian Mint $ 11 million a year
• Considering the wages in Canada, people could earn a penny every 2 seconds. (So fiddling for a penny while at the cash counter makes no sense, you would probably be earning more in that time period)
• Pennies are not accepted at any vending machines. (I can’t grab a coke with pennies, now this makes pennies nonexistent)

According to a study, “Canadians could be hoarding several billion pennies”.

So what do you do with them? The options are

• Free them by donating to charity
• Continue to treat them like always
• Payback what you owe as pennies to the person you hate (this happened with my roommates)
• Be man enough to do something like this -A Man used 62000 pennies to make his final mortgage payment

 

(The information above is just my opinion, I am not an expert)

People Like Us – Soundtrack Review

Rahman has done a few Hollywood films, but to me this is one of his best. Not because the music was varied or path breaking but because it did what it has to do. A film like People like us deserved a warm soothing soundtrack that does not distract the audience from the feel of the movie. Rahman just delivers that. It is probably the first true Hollywood soundtrack for Rahman. (Slumdog Millionaire was based in India, 127 Hours was pretty much non existent)

The soundtrack makes you feel rather than listen. Its like  the score was tailor made as a typically American drama, However Rahman makes sure that his touch was felt. Especially in the whistling and trampoline sounds. Probably Rahman has done a cue to cue soundtrack it is evident in the crab cracking scene.

The theme and the song Dotted Line by Liz Phair is the tune that will be lingering with you for a long time. The music is melacholic and ensures that you have a lump in the throat as you listen to the end credits aka Dotted Line by Liz Phair. Prorbaly thats what the Alex, Rahman and Liz Phair meant to do. It works big time.

People Like Us – A.R. Rahman
New York To L.A. – A.R. Rahman
Dad’s Studio – A.R. Rahman
Dad’s Shaving Kit – A.R. Rahman
Following Frankie – A.R. Rahman
Frankie’s Burning Desire – A.R. Rahman
Beat The Living – A.R. Rahman
Welcome To People – A.R. Rahman
Mom – A.R. Rahman
Tacos – A.R. Rahman
Discount Prom Dress – A.R. Rahman
Airport Adventures – Michael ‘Nomad’ Ripoll
Six Rules – A.R. Rahman
Breakfast for Mom / Just Be People – A.R. Rahman
Crab Drumming / Finding Sam – A.R. Rahman
I Am Your Brother – A.R. Rahman
Family Pictures – A.R. Rahman
Dotted Line – Liz Phair

Download

My first symphony

I had the chance of attending the TSO (Toronto Symphony Orchestra) Late night concert featuring Shostakovich:  Symphony No. 11, “The Year 1905”. I  always wanted to experience a live symphony orchestra and have  always found it fascinating. When I expressed my desire to my friends I often find a (what’s so great about it) look. So when it came to talking about this kind of music I did not have many people to share.

However, I have always been tracking the events conducted at by the TSO. With Luminato 6, there were a lot of events conducted at special prices and some great events for free! . And the late night performance featuring Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11, “The Year 1905” was a part of it.

The performance took place at Roy Thompson Hall. When I booked my tickets there were two options to choose from,’select your seats’ or ‘Choose best available seat’ I usually won’t do that , but I chose ‘Choose best available seat’. And guess what I really got the best seat in the main floor right in the center of the hall close enough to the stage.

After a brief wait, the performance started right away without any talk. The initial movement was frankly quite below my expectations, then the second and the third movement was melancholic and gradually building up to the finale.  The Finale was something that I never expected it reached unimaginable highs. The victorious sounds thundered the hall and then it all faded slowly to the end. The music was able to kindle a variety of imagery. The music maintained a note-to-note tension that never dipped, preventing any sense of being draggy. Subtitled “The Year 1905,” the symphony depicts the massacre of protesters by the czarist forces, an event that contributed to the revolution that later swept Russia. This piece was so powerful and bombastic that it portrayed the horror that happened and  that which is was about to happen. However to be frank I was quite skeptical about the start, but cannot help stop expressing my appreciation for the finale.

So I came across this quote once. And now it all made sense.

 “Each human life is like a new symphony heard for the first time. It can’t be understood or fully appreciated until after the final cadence.”

Another interesting thing I saw was one person from the stage would sit there all along and would seldom walk up  to clash the cymbals. The clash of cymbals  reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much. The clash of the cymbals was so loud then realized how it was used in the plot of the movie.  Only Hitchcock has a talent to make a beautiful orchestra feel haunted. According to me, it one of the best examples of the power of cinema. Below is the video of the climax sequence featuring the London Philharmonic Society at Albert Hall featuring in The Man who knew too much. The sequences are breathtaking!

(Notes: Info on Shostakovich:Symphony No. 11, “The Year 1905”; Below is the YouTube video link of live performance of the same piece of music to get a feel of it.)