The Bridge.

Alan had seen this view before. He'd loved this view every time he did. The view from the Helix bridge summed up his entire love life.

To the right near the Esplanade theatres is where he had first met his wife. They both enjoyed the concert performance that evening with their friends. Alan and she stayed back for a few drinks. Their conversations revealed that both were orphans who had worked hard to succeed in life. There was a mutual admiration which turned into affection.

The Promontory to the far left was where they had enjoyed the fireworks in the Bay Area on one of their earlier dates. He remembered that the place was packed with people and that gave all the more reason for her to stay really close to him. They walked back home that night and were walking around through the next morning. That was when he realised how much he loved her.

Towards the left behind him was the giant carrousel, the Singapore Flyer, where he had popped the question to her. The setup was planned by him with close friends present while he went down on one knee and asked her to spend her entire life with him. Her answer had been a resounding Yes! Her tears had been those of absolute joy that evening.

To the right behind the theatres he saw the plush Mandarin Oriental where they had their wedding reception. With only their friends in attendance they had a small intimate affair. He remembered the crazy photos they had taken that evening. Even when she was making funny faces, his wife looked gorgeous.

Their favourite Italian restaurant was at the centre of this view. The last time they were there was to celebrate their wedding anniversary. He remembered they had shared a sinful dessert at the end of their meal, compliments of the restaurant. She looked radiant that evening!

Yes, his life with his wife was almost summed up entirely with the view that lay before his eyes as he stood on the Helix bridge.

But that life was now only a memory. His wife had passed away last week. He lost her in a car accident. Alan had been devastated since then. But now he was calm as he stood their admiring the view. He had walked down from his office to the bridge after a day's work and was still in his business suit.

Alan stood their motionless as he saw his life with her flash before his eyes. After what seemed an eternity to casual observers, Alan moved to take support of the railing of the bridge as he lifted himself up.

It is then that people around Alan noticed a handcuff around his left hand chaining him to the briefcase he was carrying. They realised what he was about to do. But before anyone could react, Alan had already taken the plunge into the Singapore river below and was propelled all the way to the floor due to the weight of the stuffed briefcase. An hour later when his body was recovered, his life was long gone.

Earlier that day Alan had decided to end his life. But wanted to have one last glimpse of all the places where he had enjoyed a happy life with his now late wife. He left a simple note on his work desk which read -

"Headed to The Bridge, one last time."

Shingeki no Kyojin

Thought I'd post a random update on what's got me excited recently. Last week I got hooked onto a pretty popular anime called Attack on Titan. For those of you familiar with Reddit, 9gag and the Internet in general have probably seen references to this anime for a while now.

Well last weekend I began binge watching season 1 of the anime and I have to admit I am now a fan of the series eagerly awaiting season 2. So impatient was I that I ended up reading the original manga on which the series is based to see how the story progresses!

The story is set in a post apocalyptic world where humans are living within the confines of fifty feet walls protected from the menace of mindless humanoid giants, called titans. After a century of peace suddenly one day a titan taller than the walls suddenly appears and kicks a hole into the outermost wall allowing the other titans to breach into the human city. What follows is humanity's battle for survival against the renewed threat of the titans along with many other internal struggles.

Although there are certain central characters to the story, there are a lot of secondary characters that are introduced in subsequent episodes of the anime who begin to gain significant importance in terms of the overall story arc.

Like most manga/anime the series isn't necessarily targeted at young minds as there is plenty of gore and violence to make a grown adult flinch. If you're not comfortable with grotesque images of disproportionate giants who eat humans and some really freaky monstrous ones, this anime/manga isn't for you! 

The original manga, on which which the anime show is based, is still being written in chapters. So there are a LOT of plots and subplots that are still waiting resolution. And of course there is the big mystery urrounding the origin of the titans themselves, although there have been some pretty substantial theories stated within the manga. 

And now thanks to this one particuar anime/manga I have been turned on to the entire genre. Downloaded a tablet app to read the COLOSSAL  collection of manga available and also started adding Anime series to my Netflix queue. If you like complex story lines and are especially partial to the animated/ comic book medium, manga and anime may just be your thing!

Oh and if you're wondering about the title of this post, that's the original Japanese title of the manga and the anime

Aperture Closed. Now What?

The inevitable finally happened. Apple's in-house pro photography software, Aperture, is being phased out and will be replaced by their new Photos app come Fall 2014. As a photog enthusiast who has relied on Apple's solution for image editing and cataloguing on my Mac, this news obviously made me a little sad. Although as I mentioned I wasn't completely surprised since there had been no significant updates to the software in a while now.

Logically the next step for me would be to explore other software solutions (ones that won't be phased out anytime soon!) and begin expiring my photos to said alternative. Folks tuned into the image editing realm would know that the direct competitor to Apple's Aperture is S/W behemoth Adobe's Lightroom. So i've been spending the better part of this Saturday morning exploring the various pricing options on this puppy.

Now ever since Adobe introduced their Subscription based service, i.e. Adobe Creative Cloud (CC for short), stand-alone software licences are becoming a thing of the past. In a way it's not entirely a bad deal considering that the subscription gives you a lot more compared to the stand-alone software licence.

However at the end of the day you are going to pay much more for the software in the long run. In Singapore the stand alone software cost is 193 SGD whereas the monthly subscription to Creative Cloud is 13 SGD. Although the latter appears cheaper at first glance, you begin to realise that the stand-alone price is a not time deal which you can consider recovered within a year and a half when compared to the cost of the CC subscription (which requires a yearly commitment or a one time annual fee)

Making matters a tad more monopolistic is the fact that a few key features are not available when the software is bought with a stand-alone licence. The biggest one (at least for me) integration of the desktop software with it's iPad/iPhone counterpart. This was one of the main reasons I was initially attracted to Lightroom (way back in March) as an alternative to Aperture.

So here's my dilemma. Should I spend the big bucks now and get the stand-alone licence for Lightroom or should I bow to Adobe's "Creative" push and go the subscription route. Looking at the current limelight that Adobe has been giving their Creative Cloud solution, I wouldn't be surprised when eventually the stand-alone licence purchase model may cease to exist altogether.  So really I believe it's only a matter of time that my decision would be made for me!

Last Night

She woke up with a smile. And why not? Last night was phenomenal! HE was phenomenal! There was a spark that she hadn't seen in a while.

He had just taken her as she lay there,without any warning or any hesitation. She found it brutal and sensual at the same time. That had excited her.

The foreplay. The caressing. The kiss. The lovemaking. All of it felt sublime. Almost surreal but in a fantastic way! She didn't even have time to turn on the lights. And after they were done she just fell off to sleep.

This morning she awoke before he did. He was facing the other way and seemed in deep sleep. She decided to surprise him with some breakfast in bed.

She tiptoed out of bed and into the shower. The shower helped her feel a tad fresh and relaxed. She stepped out of the shower and noticed that he was still asleep. She made her way to the kitchen.

As she stepped towards the kitchen she saw the main door swing open. Startled at first, then completely astonished, she screamed!

The man who walked through the open door was her husband, the man who supposedly was making love to her last night.

What Motivates You?

Its been five months since I made my new year's resolutions for this year. A lengthy list of 52 items that I want to complete before this year ends. And although I may be making decent progress on a few of those, I am nowhere close to my required goals at this point of the challenge! Mainly the ones involving a healthy lifestyle and a fitter body.

It's no surprise that one of the main reasons for this is the lack of motivation. Goals seem to only mean something when there's something enticing you to achieve them. But the enticement needs to also help you overcome you resounding sense of procrastination.

There's always a sense of excitement and adventure before you embark on any journey. However over time that excitement and dazzle seems to wear off and the spark that had you all gung-ho at the start just extinguishes.

Is it just me who has this issue? I wouldn't think so considering that there's another 7 billion people on this planet and am pretty sure there's someone out there who has faced this before and perhaps overcome this to achieve his/her goals.

So here's my question... how does one get that spark to light up again?

Starting New

Happy New Year All! 2014 is upon us. The first day of a new year is a chance to start afresh. Most of us resolve to make changes in the new year. Some vow to hit the gym more often, others decide they're gonna learn a new skill, and then there are those who choose to get more serious and focus on financial or professional stability.

Well, this year I have a few resolutions as well. Sounds kinda corny but maybe a list of goals to achieve might be in order to ensure that I have a plan in place to reach said goals. With a little determination and dedication I hope I can see these to fruition. So what are these resolutions you ask? Well here's the list - 

Read More!
I am a slow reader. It takes me around a month (sometimes six!) to complete a book. Also I'm kinda easily distracted by the telly. As a result the number of books I consume in a year is abysmal. This year I want to change all that and read loads more. I haven't set a goal yet but I definitely want to aim for more than one book per month.

Get Fit!
I'll be honest, I'm pretty overweight, to the point that my excess weight has caused much concern as my cholesterol levels are through the roof. I sincerely hope my attempts at curbing my binge sessions as well as increased exercise and fitness routines help battle the bulge way before the year comes to a draw.

Learn Something!
They say learning never stops. So here it is, this year I want to learn a new skill. Am unsure what's this new skill. Could be a new language, a new trait or maybe even a new dance style. But something new needs to be added to my (rather small) list of abilities and talents

Snap Away!
I developed a passion for photography in early 2010 and was quite regular in my photo-walks. Unfortunately that momentum slowed in the last 2 years. This year I am hoping to kick start the passion and possibly even make it much more.

Blog Often!
And of course I need to buck up and blog more often. Not only to keep my readers engaged but also to have a creative outlet for my thoughts and opinions. Keeping that in mind I guess I need to start writing more from the heart and not cater to someone else's standards or expectations. So here goes the first of many such personal blog posts.

So that's my small list of resolutions for this new year. Granted they're not too grand but then again all big things start off small. Who knows, if I'm able to stick to these resolutions this year, next year may see me making some bigger, bolder commitments!

Here's hoping that I keep my resolutions intact and also that my blog post inspires you to make some of your own solid resolutions for this new year as well. 

The Lucky One.

Raj was a having a terrible day, the worst in a line of truly bad ones. All day he'd been the victim of a cosmic conspiracy which was out to ruin his aspirations, goals and everything in between.

Or so he thought all day. 

He missed his usual train to work and ended up reaching an hour late to the office. That would've been alright had this not been the day of the big meeting with all the associates. His tardiness caught the bosses' eyes and cost him that coveted promotion he was eyeing all year. 

Or so he thought all morning.

Afternoon did not bring any respite with Raj having to skip lunch to work on an absolutely critical presentation. It didn't help that his co-workers were out on a fabulous team lunch at a newly opened fine dining restaurant. He knew they ditched him on purpose.
Or so he thought all afternoon.

As if things weren't bad enough already, Simran, his date for the evening, called up and cancelled on him. He was absolutely certain she was cheating on him and seeing that weasel Prem from management.
Or so he thought all evening.

As the work-day came to an end, Raj felt he was possibly the unluckiest person in the world. He decided to simply call it quits and head to the pub across the street for a stiff drink to drown his sorrows.

As he made his way across the street he noticed a small crowd gathered. Walking closer to the crowd he saw they were witnessing a performance by what appeared to be school kids, no older than 10. Although he wasn't in the mood to appreciate performances, the energetic movements of the dancing children were hard to ignore.

The dances continued for another ten minutes and Raj found himself glued to the ground as he felt overwhelmed with awe of the spirits of these little angelic children. As their performance drew to an end, the children all huddled around one of the performers, the youngest and the most energetic of the lot, and held up a banner with an arrow seemingly pointing to the child who was the centre of attention. Raj began reading the wordings of the banner. What he read made him wince -

"This is Ajay. He is 8 years old. He is HIV+ Please help support him with a small contribution"

Raj stepped back. Suddenly all the sorrows, the troubles, the hinderances he had faced all day seemed inconsequential. Here was a child, who for no fault of his own, was suffering from a disease with no cure and for whom the future held nothing but bleakness. Yet he was smiling, dancing and living his life.

And so Raj thought, for the rest of his life, he was the lucky one.

The Couple - A Short Story

It had been a long day at work for Divya. Her week long work conference had left her completely exhausted. Fortunately she was able to leave a day earlier. All she wanted to do was reach home and have a glass of wine with Arun. In her haste to catch the next flight out, she missed informing her husband of the change in her schedule and then later decided to surprise Arun.

Once she reached the apartment, she removed her keys to open the door. She was a tad concerned that the door wasn't locked. She figured that Arun must've left in a hurry that morning and missed locking the apartment door. Once she entered the apartment, a few other things caught her eye that raised her suspicions about something not being right. There was loose clothing lying around the living room leading a trail to the bedroom. She began tip-toeing and followed the trail of clothes, all the while trying to keep her imagination from running astray.

Once she reached the bedroom door, what she saw completely surprised her; her husband in bed with Mrs. Kamini Mehta. The adulterous couple froze as soon as they caught a glimpse of Divya. Divya's husband stumbled to get words out of his mouth, anything that could help him with the rather awkward situation he was in. Unfortunately all that he could manage was "What are you doing here?"

Before any other words were exchanged, Divya stormed out of the bedroom and left the apartment. As she entered the elevator, she removed her handphone and dialled a number. The telephone ring at the other end was abruptly cut short as a friendly male voice answered - "Hey!".

Divya replied gleefully - "It's me! Guess who I caught cheating with YOUR wife? Yep, MY husband! Looks like we won't have to worry about the divorcing our spouses after all, Arun."

Wanderlust - Bangkok: A Photo Essay

The Royal Palace Complex

We (the wife and I) had the opportunity to visit Bangkok over the New Year Eve weekend. Although the trip was about ringing in the New Year in style, we ended up walking around the metropolis exploring the myriad sights and sounds. Here's a compilation of some of the snapshots

Let's Talk

I'm a software engineer by education. Well technically I'm an Information Technology graduate. But well, becoming a software engineer is the most obvious career choice. In my line of work, developing or customising applications is a major portion of the job description. Major, but not the only one. Documentation is an equally crucial and required aspect of application development, maintenance and modification. From simple comments explaining changes within the application code itself to drafting technical specifications detailing the approach and changes.

From time to time you also need to liaise with folks who aren't all that tech savvy and need to be briefed about the application. Naturally apart from written matter, oral communication forms an integral part of this interaction. And like most businesses across the globe, communication in our line of work also takes place in the Queen's English.

Trouble is that most folks in the IT industry aren't all that concerned about their communication skills. And no, I'm not being judgmental. This is based purely on personal observation and experience. And I'm not talking about violations to Wren & Martin's English, I'm referring to the utter lack of elementary knowledge or understanding of basic communication in the English language.

Trivial things such as pronunciation of certain words, forming simple sentences or even the correct usage of words and phrases seem akin to uphill tasks for these folks. And the worst part is that almost none of them are aware of the faux pas they commit on a daily (in some cases hourly!) basis. It's truly frustrating for someone who has been brought up to subscribe to the notion that communication should stem from use of proper diction, grammar and enunciation. I've come across examples of simple email communications gone awry due to the use of absolutely incorrect language. There have been phone calls where I've bit my lip from laughing at the funny pronunciations of commonly used words and truly creative rendition of standard phrases. And I cannot count the number of times I've had to mentally correct the other party when involved in face to face conversations.

So what's the problem here? Are the folks in the industry not interested in speaking and/or writing correct English? Or is it something beyond that? In my opinion this phenomenon can be attributed to a couple of factors.

Let's start from the start (Duh!) English as a first language isn't common beyond certain private schools in most countries globally. As a result education is imparted in another language and English becomes a second (or even third) language for many school children. Think about how proficient you are in a language you learned as an additional one way back in school! Not that good at conversing in high school French or Spanish are you?

As students progress through their high schools and later their colleges and universities, this starts getting to be a slightly larger issue. Students need to focus their attention to their subject majors which are usually related to coding. Little known fact about programming, most of the syntax and semantics aren't bound by the laws of regular english grammar! Oh yea, there maybe a subject which is meant to educate the kids on the importance of Communication and proper English. But let's face it, when you're studying to major in Advanced Database Management, conversing in English isn't on your top ten list!

Even the hiring process for fresh graduates is no different. A major portion of the evaluation process focusses solely on your technical abilities and puts quite a minimal amount of focus on your conversational or communication abilities. After all, the employer is paying you for your knowledge of writing that complex piece of code, not for your flair to use the right words when describing your Curriculum Vitae. Are they wrong in doing so? Not entirely. After all they ARE looking for technical experts, not Shakespearean orators. Any other skill, decent communication or otherwise, is simply an added bonus, not an essential qualification.

The industry too is not very critical of your lack of grammatical knowledge. Of course no one wants to spend (read waste!) their time attempting to correct the other person's communication. Partially because they don't wanna snub the other fellow, but mostly because they just want to get the real job done, the technical one. You'd be surprised at how many times I've heard Project Managers putting up with truly ungifted conversationalists simply because they didn't want to lose out on his technical prowess by correcting his (or her) god awful grammar.

And please remember that communication goes beyond just the proper use of grammar. Etiquette is an important aspect of communication as well. Something as common as clicking the "Reply" instead of the "Reply All" button when responding to emails or avoiding the use of brightly coloured or image heavy content when sending memos across to multiple recipients. Or even the tone and pitch that need to be adopted when speaking to someone over the phone or in person are lost causes.

So, the question is, does it matter that the IT folk can't hold up a decent conversation in English without succumbing to making grammatical faux pas? Well, that's something I'll let you, the reader, decide.

*Disclaimer - Although this post talks about the lack of grammatical knowledge among the IT folk, there is a very good probability that the author of the post himself may have committed numerous grammatical mistakes as well. Go easy on him alright. Do not feel obligated to post comments!

Wanderlust: Singapore OR A Noob's Guide To Visiting The Lion City

So this post is pretty much impromptu and totally random in every sense. This one's actually a mail to a friend who was enquiring about tourist hot spots in Singapore for her family (specifically her mom and sister). Although this is by no means a comprehensive guide to the Lion City, it's still a pretty nice primer for folks visiting the little red dot, especially during the holiday season. 

Most of the city is pretty much oriented towards shoppers, so there are ginormous malls in most areas. Although shopping isn't on their agenda, your sister and mom may enjoy just walking around these retail meccas for a while. Most notable ones are Takashiyama (Orchard road), Ion Orchard (Orchard Road), Raffles City (City Hall), Plaza Singapura (Dhoby Ghaut), VivoCity (Harbourfront) and Suntec City Mall (City Hall). And with the holiday season looming around the corner, these malls and shopping districts will be lit up like the 4th of July and will be absolutely picturesque!

If they enjoy taking walks around the city then I'd recommend taking the hop-on hop-off city tours. They offer the flexibility to explore pockets of the city such as Little India, CBD, Matina Bay Sands Hotel & Casino (the casino doesn't compare to the big Vegas ones, but is quite good), Singapore Flyer (similar to the London Eye), Botanical Gardens and Orchard Road. The most prominent (and I think the only one) player is Duck & Hippo. They offer great packages to combine multiple touring options.

The Singapore Zoo and Bird Park are also great destinations for a day trip and offer some great souvenirs to take back. For a unique experience they could possibly  try the Night Safari which is supposed to be quite good.

If they enjoy outdoor activities and wanna enjoy a nice bicycle ride (or skates!) along the shore, then they should check out East Coast Park (or ECP as its called by the locals). They can rent a cycle here and ride along the almost 7.5 km stretch of beach and park along the south eastern portion of the island.

If they can spare an entire day, they can also head to Pulau Ubin, a small island to the north east of Singapore and just a 30 min ferry ride away. Its a relatively under-developed fishing village but has some great cheap seafood options and an amazing bicycle trail that runs along the entire island.

If they'd like a short trek, there are a few options for that as well. Bukit Timah, Mc Rithcie Resevoir and Mt Faber are local trek hotspots. Although don't expect the rustic trekking trails of Maharashtra since all of these are pretty much man-made and have paved roads running through them. In fact, Mt. Faber also has 3-4 hill side fine dining restaurants.

There aren't too many great beaches (well not the kind you find in other SE Asian countries at least!) but a famous touristy beach is the Siloso beach on Sentosa, which another island to the south of mainland Singapore. Apart from the beach, there are also a rotating observation tower, Tiger Tower (so called because it's sponsored by Tiger Beer), The gigantic version of the original Merlion Statue and quite a few other activities and sights. Sentosa has a lot to offer and is a good day's outing. Sentosa is where they will also find Universal Studios which makes a good all-day outing.

I'm not sure if the information I've provided is what you were looking for exactly, but do let me know if you need any specifics and/or some other details or options.

Here are some useful links that may help paint a better picture about all that you've just read

Duck & Hippo Tours - http://www.ducktours.com.sg/ 

Resorts World Sentosa - http://www.rwsentosa.com/

Takashiyama - http://www.takashimaya-sin.com/

Pulau Ubin - http://www.pulauubin.com.sg/

Singapore Zoo - http://www.zoo.com.sg/

Bird Park - http://www.birdpark.com.sg/

NIght Safari - http://www.nightsafari.com.sg/

Singapore Flyer - http://www.singaporeflyer.com/

Christmas at Orchard Road - http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaragorn1984/sets/72157625628528094/show/

And here's a link to my flickr set which has pics from the city - http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaragorn1984/sets/72157626694561885/

The pics may give you a better sense of what to expect at the various spots.

Like I said, this isn't an article for the Lonely Planet or Frommer's Travel material, but IMHO it's a pretty decent writeup about what tourists can expect when visiting Singapore.

Wanderlust Malacca: Part 1

Alright folks, here's yet another blog post in the Wanderlust series. This time, I'm gonna recount the travel experience as it happened. Which basically means, what you're gonna read is pretty much the itinerary of my trip, which should make it a considerably long post. Fret not. To avoid severe boredom to you, the reader, I'm gonna divide the post into parts. This also let's me ruminate and churn out the second post at a later date, so, it's a win-win!

Malacca Cityscape

My most recent trip was to the Malaysian heritage city of Malacca (or Melaka). My wife and I were super excited about the trip for two reasons; one we REALLY needed a holiday and two, we were celebrating our one year wedding anniversary.

Malacca was on my wish-list for quite some time. Being a UNESCO recognized heritage city meant that there were unique sights and sounds to experience. I had of course read up on the city plenty and was quite intrigued with the rich history. The milieu of colonial influences coupled with its almost bohemian culture sounded like the perfect holiday spot for a newly married couple like us!

There are a couple of ways you can reach Malacca, but the most direct and hassle-free one (from Singapore of course) is a bus ride which lasts around 4-5 hours and is usually directly to your hotel in Malacca. 

We departed early Friday morning (8:30 AM) from the Golden Mile Tower (check this correctly since there is also a Golden Mile Complex, although they're pretty close to one another). The journey was quite smooth, including the two immigration stops (one for each end of the border). Although the one at the Singapore end is slightly speedier (and neater!) The border is essentially the Singapore strait which separates the two nations. The connecting bridge (one of two) looks pretty sweet. It'd be a good idea to visit the washrooms while at the immigration stops since some bus services do not have any pit stops until the destination.

Our hotel (Holiday Inn) was at the edge of town (along the Straits). So our bus meandered through the heritage portion of the city, to reach our destination. This gave us an early, albeit brief, glimpse of the beautiful architecture and colors of Malacca. Although I was a little confused by the choice of roads that were taken by the bus driver to reach the destination since the GPS had a more straightforward route to the hotel. Ah well, we weren't in any rush and the road time in different parts of the city was quite cool too.

Menara Taming Sari

Our first stop for the evening was the Menara Taming Sari which offers a 360 Degree Panoramic View of the Historic City. The total duration of the ride is around 7 minutes (2 of which are spent in the ascent and descent). The view offered from this altitude is quite breathtaking. Rest assured you will get some really stunning aerial shots of the city (like the one at the beginning of this post!). Around here you'll also find a number of other touristy activities for the entire family, ranging from mechanical pony rides for the little tykes to back, foot and shoulder massages for the weary ones. 

Maritime Museum

Our next stop was the Maritime museum which is housed in the replica of a portuguese ship (At least I think it's Portuguese!). Another nice place for getting photos clicked of yourself as the captain of the vessel! Although for an entry fee of 3 Ringitts, it's worth the expense even if you simply wanna stroll around the ship and read up on the history. 

By this time, the sun had already set and the evening skies were turning dark. And the city also starts turning a little dim, since there aren't many street-lights (Well not all over at least!) This coupled with the numerous colorfully lit up riverside cafes and hotels on either side of the water body made the Malacca river appear even more picturesque. Walking with your significant other in such an atmosphere was simply delightful! If you're planning to grab a bite and want this view, head to Dutch Harbor Cafe or Harper's Restaurant And Lounge. Both have seating that faces the river in addition to quite delectable menus.

But we skipped the romantic dinner (Don't worry we covered up with a LOTTA other activities!) and headed to the infamous Jonker Walk. But that's gonna be featured in another blog post. 

The Malacca river is quite scenic so if you do get the time, take a river cruise to appreciate the beauty. But we found strolling along the riverside far more romantic and rewarding. So you know, to each his own.The Malacca river divides the heritage city into distinct sections with contrasting architectural styles. While most of the heritage portion lies to the west of the river, the east is dominated by  rows and rows of houses, many with Chinese influences on their styling. 

Dinner was at a cafe close to the hotel in a newly opened late night hot-spot called The Jetty. The place looks deserted during the day, but trust me, once the sun sets, the place is anything but quiet. With a number of restaurants, bars karaoke lounges and even a dessert hut, The Jetty is probably your best bet for some fun in Malacca post dinner time.

So that was pretty much what we did on our first day (well half a day to be fair!) The next post will give a little more about the many sights Malacca has to offer to the shutterbug and the tourist in you and of course the stupendously spectacular shopping experience at Jonker Walk!

Why I wanna wait another few years for the next Avengers Movie!

To say that The Avengers movie was a success would be a gross understatement. The ensemble cast super-hero extravaganza proved to be one of the biggest success stories for the comic-book to silver screen adaptation genre. To the extent that other studios have begun working full steam to replicate the success with their comic book properties

Studio heads at Disney obviously intend to milk this cash cow to the fullest, especially since there is so much more material in the Marvel Universe to fuel another movie. Official news of the sequel has already been confirmed and has fans of the movie and the comic books on an excitement high. But as an avid fan of the Marvel Universe (I have read tonnes of the comics and watched a LOT of the animated series), I am willing to wait for another 3-4 years for the sequel to hit the screens. Here's why...

It's no secret that the first Avengers movie was a carefully planned super-project by the studio heads. Inkling of the movie began with the post credit scene in the first Iron Man movie way back in 2008. This trend of giving away hints continued with each new Marvel Superhero motion picture in the following months; The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Captain America and most recently Thor. Apart from building up the (absolutely justified) hype, these post credit-scenes and the movies themselves served the important purpose of getting movie audiences familiar with the vast and myriad Marvel universe. Imagine watching (or reading) the final installment in the Harry Potter saga without ANY knowledge of the back-stories of the various characters. You'd walk out of the movie hall with an unmistakable feeling of "What The Eff!". Simply put we need some more super hero movies from the Marvel Universe (backed by Disney of course) to establish some more back-story and get a better insight into the Marvel universe.

If you stuck around (of course you did!) for the post credits scene of The Avengers, you definitely caught a glimpse of the sinister being grinning as the screen switched to black. The being in question is the celestial villain (not always) Thanos who is touted to be the villain in the sequel. Marvel fans will tell you that the most memorable and popular comic book story arc associated with Thanos is The Infinity Gauntlet, which is an epic story on its own. However TIG is one in a series of six story arcs in the Infinity Saga that spans across multiple realities and involves almost every single Marvel Superhero and Villain (and there are a LOT!). And the entire saga takes place AFTER Thanos has been resurrected from his death. There are other story arcs prior to his demise. So you see, movie audiences would need some sort of back story to get a feel of the true nature of the (supposedly) new baddie for the upcoming sequel. 

A rushed sequel would most likely also suffer from the usual shortcomings. Almost always sequels have very little fresh appeal for the audiences and seem almost formulaic in their plot and story. The adage "If it ain't broke why fix it" tends to get used a lot when scripting sequels resulting in half-baked clones of the first movie. The writers for the next Avengers movie should patiently skim through the various story arcs, pertaining to their characters, available in the Marvel universe. This may also require stand-alone movies with hints scattered throughout the flick or a simple post-credits scene. Introducing new characters, minor or major, is always a good move, but they'd need to pick the right mix to ensure they don't affect the familiarity established with the audiences by the first movie and the preceding movie tie-ins.

Also, if the head honchos at Disney are smart, they'll realize the benefit of spacing out their comic book blockbusters. Apart from piquing the audience interest and building a stronger fan-following, the gaps would keep the franchise fresh. Striking the iron while it's hot may not be the best option. The Avengers has garnered very high praise and has cemented its place in the hearts of movie audiences globally ensuring a firm fan-base for a sequel no matter how long the wait.

Having said that, I have to admit I am highly anxious to see how this franchise moves forward on the silver screen as well as how other comic-verses are brought to the big-screen. For now, I'll keep a keen watch for the upcoming sequels and new movies for other superheros in the coming months.

The King Of All Meals!

Breakfast is undeniably the most important meal of the day. The name says it all! "Break-Fast", cause you're breaking the all-night fast (induced by the night long sleeping activity dummy!). The stomach and body are starved for some fuel to get recharged and get set for the new day.

Science says that breakfast should never be skipped for this very reason. Depriving your body of vital nourishment after a long break is nothing short of folly! Eating a nutrient packed and filling breakfast is the key to a good day ahead.

The debate then arises how rich should this king of all meals be? You're probably wondering, Eh? Well being a Bombay boy (a SoBo one at that) breakfast for me (and most of my pals) has ranged from a simple glass of milk (flavored with Bournvita) and toast to Kellogg's cereals to eggs made to order. Sufficient no? Well apparently not! Most of my friends and relatives from different parts of India beg to differ.

My relatives (well most of them) live in the state of Gujarat, viz. in Vadodara and Ahemdabad. I remember watching my uncles wolf down an entire meal for breakfast. When I say meal, I'm talking about chappati, dal, vegetables, farsaan et al. Mind you, this is the exact same thing I'd probably eat for lunch, so I was kinda surprised when I saw them eat this for breakfast. In their defence, this was probably their crude attempt at brunch since most of them would avoid heavy lunches and opt for a light snack at aorun 1-2 pm.

Up north, breakfast is incomplete without some piping hot paranthas laden with real makkhan (cause the packaged kind just doesn't cut it for them!). And this is usually accompanied with either chole or a similar item. What you have to understand in that the parantha is question is so darn heavy, that one is enough to set you back by around a few hundred calories. Again, in their defence, the weather possibly mandates a breakfast of this clorific stature.

Most people tend to have a different opinion deciding the richness of breakfast. Personally, a heavy breakfast, like those savored by my relatives and friends up north doesn't suit my system. After a heavy meal like that, early in the morning,  I'd probably feel laethargic or worse, nauseous! For brunch, most deifnitley, but for breakfast, ummmm, I'll pass.

In conclusion, breakfast is indeed the king of all meals. However the extent of it's royalty is very much a personal choice. 

Wanderlust - Amritsar

Recently I had the opportunity to visit the city of Amrtisar. Having only read about it in text books in a historical context (read the Jallinawallah Baug Massacre) and otherwise in movies, I was quite excited about the trip to this town-city. And sure enough I was not disappointed with my short trip. Although I was there to attend a wedding (of two of my dearest friends), I did manage to experience the major sights and sounds of the city. Here's my account of the said trip.

With no direct flight out of the domestic airport, the best way to get to this city by flight is to take a connecting one from the nation's capital. Flights out of Delhi to Amritsar are quite frequent and take only around 50 minutes of flying time.

Once you land at the airport, a taxi ride to the main city takes less than thirty minutes. The city itself isn't very huge, so getting from one end to the other would ideally not take a lot of time. But then, traffic is an element you need to factor into your travel plans in any city with a bustling automobile traffic, especially one with loads of two and three wheelers.

Since I was on a tight schedule (set forth by the groom and bride *wink*), the number of sights I could visit were limited. But the wedding couple were kind enough to arrange visits to the following prominent ones - 

The Golden Temple

Perhaps the most fabled and famous landmark in the city of Amritsar is the Golden Temple. Suffice to say, that a trip to this spot was on my checklist. Apart from the spiritual significance that the temple holds, the opportunity to capture the brilliance of this structure through my DSLR and brand new HTC One X was hard to pass up on.

The temple compound is colosal and houses multiple facilities apart from the main temple. These include free filtered drinking water, a library of Sikh religious texts and a free kitchen for all devotees. The main tempe building  I have to admit for someone who isn't too easily impressed with temples, the Golden temple did offer something unique. 

A Panoramic view of the temple complex

The Wagah Border

The other major tourist attraction that tops the charts is the India-Pakistan Wagah Border. More specifically, the border ceremony that takes place every evening at 5:30 pm. The entire objective of the ceremony, in my view, was to one up the Pakistanis with louder and more vehement patriotic chants. I'll admit, i quite enjoyed the whole mexican wavesque manner in which we kept chanting and raising our hands in pride to shout out Bharat Mata Ki Jai (Praise the motherland).

One of the most memorable aspects of the ceremony is the manner in which the leader of the squad (pardon my lack of knowledge of official army terms in these matters) shouted out the orders to his troops. Its a testament to the lung power that these men posses.
Here's a sample -  

But all the cacophony and histrionics and patriotic chants take a backseat when the ceremony comes to a close with the ceremonial flag de-hoisting. It is a sombre moment where both nations  show a sense of camaraderie with a simple salute. 

The flags of the two bordering nations - India and Pakistan as seen from the Indian side of the Wagah Border.

The Food Joints

Of course no trip to the heartland of Punjab can be complete without a visit to one of the many famous dhabas. 

The first stop was at a place aptly called Kulcha Land. The location is very unassuming and so is the ambience. But don't let the simplicity of this place fool you. The food was absolutely delish! I am not joking when I say that there was more butter on the kulcha than there was chole next to it! The Punjabis sure do LOVE their food. But I must admit, the extra fat gives the food that delicious flavor.

Our second (and most delicious) stop was at the famous Kesar Da Dhaba renowned for preparing its food in pure desi ghee (clarified butter). Although our stomachs weren't trained for the pure richness and heaviness of the food, the authentic taste and tantalizing flavors ensured that we gorged on the food till our belts needed unbuckling! I am quite sure we gained a good five pounds after the meal.

The city of Amritsar is an absolutely delightful place to visit and should be on every shutterbug's list of places to visit (Not to mention on every foodie's list as well!) Apart from the various photog opportunities, the small town charm of the city will leave you with a very warm feeling that you will cherish for years to come. 

You can check out these other shots I was able to capture during my short stay in the city  of Amritsar,

Picasa Album

Flickr stream

3:10 to CST

A warning! This post was meant to be posted almost 3 years ago! I dug it out of my list of incomplete drafts. I really don't know how come I missed this one. Anyways, here's to being better late than never. Happy Reading.


The other day at the railway station at Vashi (Navi Mumbai/New Bombay), I witnessed a rather bizarre incident. An argument was taking place between two prospective local train commuters (I say this because they were both standing near the ticket window meant for local trains). The argument itself was not a novel scene; let's face it, you are bound to find at least one tiff, argument, name-calling, fist-fight or at least a "Tere Maa Ki!" look at any major local train station in Mumbai (and even Navi Mumbai). What was in fact interesting was the topic of the heated word-fest. It seems one of the contestants in this fight-night (I presume the one with a laptop messenger bag flung around his shoulder), was purchasing a First Class Ticket, and the other commuter was waiting in queue to claim his Second Class ticket.


Now it seems the second fellow was irate since the techie had very coolly stepped up to the ticketing window and procured the FC ticket, while our Second Class friend had been waiting in queue for almost quarter of an hour (Oh did I not mention that this was around peak time and the queues were phenomenally long!). Obviously the SC commuter considered this callous on part of the techie commuter and demanded that he get back in queue and wait for his turn like everyone else.


Our techie, obviously not new to the local train commute scene, argued back stating that FC passengers have a separate queue and that he was not cutting in, merely following the rules and paying extra for the comfort of not standing in queues. To this the SC commuter replied with full rage and started claiming that such a rule was a farce and inane when so many people were waiting in queue for their tickets.


Obviously, the argument was not going to be settled any time soon, so the other prospective commuters in the queue, beginning to get agitated themselves, demanded that the two settle their score elsewhere and so the railway police were called in to act as referees.


I don't know what happened next or how the argument was settled, but the debate got me thinking; Is the rule for First Class passengers, purchasing tickets at the ticketing counter, to essentially cut-in ahead of the rest a valid one? Think about it, if you have been waiting in an agonizingly long queue for several minutes and you see someone just waltz in ahead of you simply because he has the money to do so, wouldn't you be pissed?


But hey, isn't that the way the world works? After all Money Talks! Restaurants, movie halls, airlines, hotels, cars, cabs and almost anywhere else more money gets you a better product and/or service! So why should the ticketing window at your local train station be any different? 


The bottom line is that if you can cough up the dough, you can walk away with the cookies! Don't get me wrong, I am not stating that being rich means you can get away with murder (although some people do manage to that as well!), but being financially well endowed has its benefits.

"Have Money, Will Spend!"

PS: In case you're wondering about the strange title, it's kinda inspired by the Russell Crowe, Christian Bale starrer -3:10 to Yuma. A fine movie with a rather tragic end.

Wasted

Ever wondered if you are utilizing your fullest potential? If you were putting to use all your talents and abilities to their maximum levels? I for one know, I am not. Why? Simple, I'm lazy, I procrastinate and I am apathetic to the outcome of any task I undertake, well almost any task I undertake. I maybe jeopardizing my future (and possibly current) job prospects by putting this sentiment out there on the interweb,  but the fact is that I truly am a lazy-ass good for nothing dolt!

Now before you start preparing your judgmental remarks, ask yourself the same question. Are you doing the best that you can? And be honest. If you think about it, most of us are not as industrious as we'd think. Sure, we do a great job at work, get that coveted promotion or annual incentive. We may be earning enough to support a stylish and comfortable lifestyle. But is that all we can do? Use our talents and abilities to earn some extra moolah and a fancy title.

We seldom use our gifts, abilities, potential (call it what you will!) to better lives apart from our own. Its cute to put up a facebook status update supporting a worthy cause. Sure it gets you lotsa 'Likes' and comments, but is that all we can do? I am sure if we push our abilities and resources to their fullest potential, we could truly bring about real change in the issues that plague our society and in turn, plague us.

So, ask yourself once again, how productive and useful are your abilities in the real world? Answer that question with details that describe achievements other than your own well being, and you've done justice to yourself.

While you ponder away on that tiny tid-bit, I'm calling it a day and logging off. Ciao.

Wanderlust - Manila

My recent visit to the capital city of The Philippines was a very short one as the primary purpose of the trip was to attend a wedding. Still, I did manage to experience the city to a considerable extent (Thanks to my wonderful friends!).  Here's a small account of the sights and senses, I had the privilege of experiencing first hand during my stay.

As I made our way out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and drove into the city of Manila (Metro Manila as some call it), there was a sense of familiarity. Even in the darkness of the morning twilight, what my eyes saw was nothing radically different from what they had seen in countless cities over the years back home in India. The sights, the sounds, the smells, all of which reminded me of my very own hometown of Bombay, were a welcome change from the overly sanitized, organized and structured ones of Singapore.

Having said that, one cannot help but notice a rather strong influence of the Americans (read USA) over the infrastructure. Right from the 24 hr diners and fast food chains to freeways to drive-ins and even the huge malls. The influence extends beyond tangible aspects and even permeates into the populace itself. The language diction and enunciation of most educated Filipinos (Pinoy in the local tongue) is unmistakably Americanized.


Upon reading the history of The Philippines, the reason for the strong Spanish and American influences are explained. The Spanish influence obviously predated that of the American, and is therefore deeply rooted in the language, religion and culture. The American one, relatively more recent, dominates their current lifestyle.

Although my journey within the city were confined in a rather spacious and climate controlled private vehicle, I was fortunate to observe the ways of the local public transport in the city. They have the standard options; the MRT (Mass Rapid Transport - the metro), the buses and the cabs. But in a cute reference to its own past, they also have the Jeepney, a cross between bus and a cab. These quirky looking four-wheeled public transportation options run on fixed routes and can be hailed anywhere along said routes. The fares are obviously competitive to other modes of transport, since most of the populace rides them.

Despite the presence of major US fast food chains (McDonalds, KFC, BUrger King, etc) the locals still swear by the indigenous fast food giant, Jollibee. With a menu that comprises a mashup of McDonalds and KFC with strong local flavors, it is little wonder, this fast food chain comes highly recommended by all my Filipino friends. P.S. The Spicy Chicken Joy is worth a try.


Another unique indigenous addition to their American dominance, is the complete absence of fries in most fast food menus. Yes! They do NOT serve fries with their shakes, or burgers, or fried chicken. Instead, you will find rice as a standard side at all fast food joints. It may seem odd for those of you have grown up on those long pieces of salted deep fried julienne potatoes, but trust me, the rice does go well with most dishes. But then again, that could just be the "Indian" in me, saying that!

What impressed me most about the city, was the vibrant nightlife. The hotspots seemed more lively and not all that expensive. With a variety of themed bars and lounges, you'll be spoiled for choice. Of course, my evening outing was at the same place till 4 AM! But then, it was with great company, so absolutely no regrets.

As I said, this trip to Manila was very short for me to pen adequate details about the city beyond the culinary experiences! Rest assured, what little I have experienced of the city has titillated my senses and I am eager to experience more of the city and rest of the wonderful country of Philippines.

My Flick Picks from 2010

The year has almost come to an end and what a year it has been for movie going audiences! I certainly had a ball watching the wide array of movies that the big (and small) studios threw in our direction. But not every one of them measured up to my expectations. Some were great in bits and pieces, others were sore disappointments, while some shined like gems.

So here's the low-down on the movies that "I" feel were outstanding in the respective divisions -

Best Action Flick - The A Team

The re-imagined cult action series from the 80’s makes its debut on the big screen with a bang. With Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper, the new A-Team does a whole lotta justice to their small screen avatars. The sheer madness and insanity involved in the action sequences make this my favorite action flick of the year. And yes, "I love it when a plan comes together."

Best Visual Effects Flick - Tron Legacy


The long awaited sequel to the cult classic “TRON”, may not have the same appeal as its predecessor, but the flick scores pretty high in the visual effects and imagery department.
The updated Game Grid and its inhabitants make for some uber cool looking neo-mancers. The highlight as in the first film, is of course the light-cycle races and the Disc Battles. The flick also has some truly orgasmic background score by the techno duo Daft Punk.

Best Drama Flick - The Social Network


I have to admit, I was skeptical about the success of this one. Making a biographical flick of someone who is merely 24 didn’t really sound that interesting. Especially if that person happens to be a Geek. But David Fancier did a fantastic job narrating the story behind the youngest billionaire in the world. The background score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross elevates the brilliance of the movie exponentially.

Best Animated Flick - How To Train Your Dragon


Although I caught this gem on the small screen, the visuals of the animation were still awesome. Not to mention the characters and the overall Story were an absolute treat! The other contenders (Toy Story 3, Despicable Me and Shrek Forever After) for this category were also great, but this one stands apart for its great one-liners and numerous heartfelt moments.

Best Comedy Flick - Date Night


Featuring two of the best TV comedians, this flick may have failed to generate box office buzz, but was my favorite comedy flick of the year, beating even Due Date and Get Him To The Greek.
Both Tina Fey and Steve Carrel have had substantial background in comedy and have successful TV shows of their own. So to watch them together was to hard to pass up. The comic chemistry between Carrel and Fey is simply amazing. I would pay to watch them in another movie any time!

Best flick of the year - Inception

Original and briliant intellectual plot – Bhwaaarrm! Fantastic direction and cinematography - Bhwaaarrm! Top-notch  performances by the stellar cast - Bhwaaarrm! Stupendously Haunting background score Bhwaaarrm! Bhwaaarrm! Bhwaaarrm!

Without a doubt, this has to be the best movie of the year. The intricate plot, the plot within a plot, the back stories, the concept, it all just made this flick an absolute treat to watch. Nolan draws on his experience of working on big-budget flicks (The Prestige, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) and weaves it ever-so skillfully with his master story telling ability (Memento, Insomnia) and brings to audiences a movie that is destined to be one of the best movies of this decade (maybe even this century).


Special Mentions
Although not covered in the categories above, there were a few other movies that do deserve a mention of their own.

Iron Man 2  
The sequel to John Favreau's rendition of Marvel's Superhero gives RDJ plenty of room to ooze his charm and wit. Not to mention a sultry Scarlett Johansson and the evil maniacal Mickey Rourke.

Due Date
Another RDJ starrer, this one was essentially a Road Trip gone wrong thanks to the shenanigans of Zach Galifianakis. Although not as hilarious as some comedies, it did tickle the funny bone now and then.

Alice In Wonderland
Tim Burton's interpretation of Lewis Carroll's classic has his signature style all over the flick, which is a GOOD thing. Add to that Johnny Depp as the mad-hatter and you have a quirky and twisted movie that makes for interesting viewing

Despicable Me
Another Steve Carrel starrer, this animated flick is rib-tickling as hell. And with a plot that would work only in the animated world, the laughs just keep on coming.

The Karate Kid
Another reboot, this one a far-cry from the original, brings my beloved Chinese action hero, Jackie Chan to the role of the mentor with the new kid on the block, Jaden Smith as the protagonist. With some awesome Kung-Fu sequences and great comic timing between the two leads, this one is definitely  worth a watch.


So there you have it, the Best of the Best from 2010 as I saw it. Feel free to leave your comment and your personal recommendations for the categories.