Soccer fans - Rejoice

In a country obsessed with cricket, it is not very often that you see sites dedicated to other sports.
However, trust Google and Nike to come up with something different.
They have created an online community, called Joga, for soccer-fans worldwide. Besides accessing games, creating clubs, exchanging tips with like-minded people, you can also glimpse video clips and photos.
I absolutely love their tag-line, “Joga Bonito” – “play beautiful’ (Portuguese).
Become a member of Joga here.

Eve-Power

The oldest Ivy League college, Harvard, has added another feather to its illustrious feather, by naming Drew G.Faust, as its 28th President.

Faust, a renowned academician and historian, and founding dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, will become the President, effective July 2007.

This will be the first time that a woman will be taking over the reins of the 450+ year-old University.

Way to go!:-)

New Seven Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the World are going to be assessed afresh.

A Swiss organization, New Open World Corporation(NOWC), has come up with a poll, with 21 finalists.

The best part - you and I can vote:-)

The results will be declared 142 days later, on 07.07.07.
Go ahead, cast your vote here.

P.S. - While all countries are all geared up for the voting, Egypt seems to have taken a major offence to this fresh analysis.

An overdose of red and pink - Valentine's Day

It all started with a soft beep last night.

My cell had just received a message.

Nothing extraordinary about it – I receive close to a hundred messages everyday.

Except that this one came from a person who I had not been in touch with for ages.

A saccharine-sweet message unfolded right in front f my eyes, much to my surprise.

Oooooh, it all dawned upon me: the clock had just chimed twelve (I knew thanks to the nearby temple that devotedly reminded one of the hours that went by).

And it was Valentine’s Day. GROAN.

I was just wondering the other day why this day whips up so many otherwise sane people in a frenzy. Sample the following:

For some people, preparations start right in earnest as long back as a fortnight or even a month before the actual day.

All the more a field month for card and gift makers, flower-sellers, jewelry manufacturers, watch makers (one enterprising watch company this year even came out with matching ‘couple” watches. Cho chweet. No?!) etc, who go grinning like Cheshire cats, all the way to the banks!

Shades of red (and pink) which I had never known existed, seem to be shouting off the rooftops in the form of abundant soft, furry toys that make me

a) Grimace
b) Break out in a cold sweat
c) Both the above

An up market coffee place has even come out with “innovative” Valentine shakes, complete with one straw (how exceedingly orally-hygienic. Ahem.) for the oh-so-much-in-love couples and guaranteed pink / red interiors.

Promises to be quite a mentally-progressive sight.

Then comes the D-Day. Complete with all the fanfare you can imagine.

Couples, dressed all in their finery (read more shades of crimson), walk all lovey-dovey, hand-in-hand, casting deep looks of adoration at each other.

Oblivious to those around them, they proceed to their chosen venue – a restaurant, a hotel, a tapri, a McDonald’s (depending on how deep their pockets are).

Ohhh, and can I forget, they are armed with bouquets – blushing flowers (again of the red-hued variety), carrying them like war-trophies.

(The flowers have been purchased at triple their actual costs, making many flower-sellers break out into merry jigs).

With looks that speak a thousand words, the couples then start the customary gift-giving (procured from grinning merchants). Ooooohs and aaahs follow in quick succession. Furtive pecks, kisses, caresses, you name it - do the rounds.

Some guys down spirits; some "adventurous" women, after circumspect looks, demurely take a sip or two.

Is that really what Valentine’s Day has come to?

Sad but true for quite a few folks.

Though the next morning many of these selfsame couples may go back to their quibbling selves, for one 'glorious" day, love is definitely in the air.

And how!

Of insensitive people and surly strangers

The other day, while I was waiting in my office cab at a traffic signal, I heard a wailing siren. What I was imagining to be a Delhi PCR van turned out to be an ambulance with a red beacon, most probably carrying some emergency patient to a hospice. My cab driver (who I’m guessing isn’t all that educated) swerved to his left to allow the green-and-white ambulance to pass, as did the car driver in front of me.

Ironically, a hefty man (who looked as if he had gone to one of those pompous elite schools), refused to budge, much to my annoyance, and subsequent horror.

Meanwhile the shrieking ambulance honked plaintively behind the monstrosity that that particular man was driving.

My pulling down the cab-window, and yelling at him to pull over and let the ambulance pass, only resulted in him shaking my fist at me and asking me to mind my own business.

Just as I turned a bright shade of crimson in ire, and was about to alight from my cab and tell him a thing or two, an elderly gentleman emerged from his car, and calmly told the menacing stranger to pull over and let the ambulance pass.

When the rude man saw that everyone meant business, he grudgingly made way for the ambulance, which zoomed off.

Before we could say anything else to the surly chap, he had stepped into his SUV, and also went whizzing past us, disregarding the red traffic light.

Rolling our eyes, the senior gentleman and I made our way respectively to our cars, and were on our way.

But not without thinking, what had our world come to, where some people were so inured to others’ pain, that they wouldn’t even be bothered to abide by basic humanity, leave alone courtesy.

A pitiful lot, such people make me think, would they forgive others who would respond the same way if their own loved ones were in need of urgent medical assistance?

I bet they wouldn’t.

Movie Review: The Holiday

Withstanding the nippy air and steady droplets of rain yesterday, we bravely reached a theater to watch Nancy Meyer’s light romance, “The Holiday.”

I wouldn’t call it earth shatteringly great, in fact to be honest, it is a tad slow to watch in places, but overall, I wouldn’t call it a bad chick flick.

The movie unfolds with Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet), a reporter with the Daily Telegraph, Surrey. Perpetually reaching out for tissues, Iris is in an unrequited love relationship. The object of her affection is her fellow-colleague, Jasper Bloom (Rufus Sewell), a schmuck who conveniently walks all over her, remembers her only when it comes to getting his papers edited, has an affair with another colleague, and gets engaged to her.

On the other hand is glam Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz), a movie trailer producer in L.A., who despite all her efforts, finds herself incapable of shedding even a single tear. Revolted by her cheating boyfriend, Ethan (Edward Burns), she packs a punch on his face, and throws him out of her luxurious apartment.

On an impulsive whim, the two disillusioned, workaholic women decide to go in for a home exchange, and land up in each other’s homes. Does Amanda find love in the sinfully-sexy Graham (Jude Law), a widower with two adorable daughters, and who happens to be Iris’s elder brother, and with whom she hits the sack in their first encounter?

And does Iris succeed in getting Amanda’s neighbor, ageing Hollywood script-writer Arthur Abbott (Eli Wallach) grace the Writer’s Guild Festival, sans his crutches? Meanwhile, much against her will, she finds herself liking Miles (Jack Black0, Amanda’s assistant.

What’s the hitch, you may ask? He’s already heads over heels in love with Maggie, an aspiring actress.

The movie does have its moments of light-heartedness, notably the phone call in which Iris puts both Iris and Graham simultaneously on hold., and goofs up tremendously.

Watch it if you have nothing better to do on a lazy Sunday morning / afternoon.

Keep the popcorn and soda handy though.

You’ll be needing them.

The week that was

Back after a four-day hiatus.
With work hitting the roof, a whopping number of bills(as a result of a hectic shopping spree on Saturday), a completely forgettable flick on Sunday afternoon, and returning to office to a truckload of work, life sure seems bleak.
So much so that yours truly hasn't even been able to carry out her first passion - writing.
Hope the remainder of this week is nothing like what last week was.
If ever there was optimism, this is it in its rawest form.

No music for our ears

Why is it that the city I am in (which by the way, happens to be the capital of the country) always gets step-motherly treatment from any band that intends to play in the country?

Most bands (and I am talking rock here), usually give Delhi a miss.

What with Pink Floyd’s former member, Roger Waters scheduled to perform this month on the 18th in Mumbai, and Iron Maiden to perform in Bangalore next month, Delhi finds itlsef sidelined once again.

Now it’s not that the capital doesn’t have its fair share of rock aficionados; it’s not even that there aren’t any watering holes that cater exclusively to this genre(guys guys, think TC and Café Morrison) – why then does Delhi miss out on all the action?

Not fair.

Hmphhhhh.