Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts

Monday, October 08, 2007

Words of Wisdom

Yesterday was one of those days where i was not myself. And just when i started feeling that everything within me was faling apart, a friend handed me a book "Way of Youth" by a Buddhist philosopher, Daisaku Ikeda. The approach of book is so very simple (and yet head on) in addressing the turbulences of a young mind, the concerns and questions that constantly poses. This book brings about a self directed transformation, making a powerful impact on the person reading it. For a young mind, looking for answers amidst lifes' strangest ways, this book strikes that chord of realisation of your truest self within you, that you have been looking for... what we really are, what we should really be to keep and maintain that unruffled peace and calm within. It brings about a change in your thoughts to regain your lost strength, and the lost "YOU". I would recommend this book for all the youngsters, go on, get a copy of it from your nearest book store.

"What kind of future do I envision for myself? What kind of self am I trying to develop? What do I want to accomplish in my life?" The thing is to paint this vision of your life in your heart as specifically as possible. That "painting" itself becomes the design of your future. The power of the heart enables us to actually create with our lives a wonderful masterpiece in accordance with that design." - Daisaku Ikeda

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Little Women

Its becoming a habit now… to stay awake late night watching tv. thanks to all the Saas-Bahu soaps, I get to touch the remote only after 11pm. Anyway, over the last few days there hav been quite good movies.. (real classic ones) on Hallmark and SonyPix. Only yesterday I saw one of “7 movies i want to watch again”. “Little Women” , a classic novel written by Louisa May Alcott(November 29, 1832 – March 6, 1888), an American Novelist and Transcendentalist. This literary work has been made into a full length movie by several movie makers in 1933, 1949, 1978, and 1994, but the most impressive one has been by Gillian Amrstrong in 1994 which has been nominated for several awards including Oscars. And this particular version of the movie was aired on SonyPix yesterday night (Nov 8th, 2006) as a part of the the “Perfect 10” movie lists.



Little Women is a story which Louisa May Alcott wrote while living in Orchard House, located in Concord, Massachusetts, United States in 1868. It is based on Alcott's own experiences as a child and the lives and loves of the four sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy) of the March family growing up during the American Civil War. As these young girls mature as women, they learn the ways of life in dealing with the hardships that come with poverty in a closely knitted circle of family and frends. Alcott, as one of the girls (Jo or Josephine March, who is the main character of the movie/novel) accounts the journey, the sisters and the March family take, making friends, loves and acquaintances. For me, after reading the novel and seeing the movie again (first time i watched this was almost an year and half back when I was in Norway, this was before i read the novel).. its like being a part of the entire story all over again. Each character has its own uniqueness and so very neatly etched by Alcott. Every delicate little thing that novel says about each of the character.. the movie has tried to capture all of it so beautifully.. in its own subtle ways. The spirit n the nature of each character is put on screen so elegantly that this tops my all time favorite movies to watch. In any novel u get a chance to get introduced to the character by a brief intro about him/her at the beginning or wherever in between.. n Gillian Amrstrong directing the movie has so beautifully got the sequences in place, so that the character exhibits his/her true nature/quality… and one learns more about that character as the movie progresses. Meg’s greed, Jo's anger, Beth's shyness, Amy's selfishness, Laurie’s love for Jo, the playful times of the family even amidst all the harsh times (due to poverty and illness),… the times during the American Civil War… the Christmas celebrations,…. all of it is so gracefully portrayed. For the person watching the movie.. reading these minute details on-screen.., n watching them in the character' s eyes n expressions is a classic experience, truly magical!! Wish I cud record the entire movie :) … mayb I wil try n get the movie on the net or something. As I said this movie was shown as a part “Perfect 10” movie list… I certainly, for surely give it a 10 out of 10. I woudnt wish to tell you the plot or the story of these lovely Little Women, you must see and experience it for yourself. Don’t miss this movie if you get a chance to watch. I wud say, watch the movie… then read the novel and then watch it again. Believe me u wil cherish it forever. You will feel n enjoy the movie a lot more than u had during the fist time. You will never miss all those tiny little things which will keep you craving for more.

Friday, March 31, 2006

Get 7 X 7 about me

7 things I wish to do before I die

1. Get back home soon (im in chennai for a 2-week project assignment)
2. Do scuba diving atleast once
3. To start a 24X7 book-cum-coffee lounge for all the book lovers. no!! books wont be sold or rented out.. wil be available only for reference, for any amount of time.
4. Do something to ease the traffic chaos in "namma bengalooru" (i see upwards for ideas)
5. Bada naam (i wanna prove the first couple of lines frm the song "papa kehte hain... ")
6. See Europe, i feel the whole of europe is HOE - Heaven On Earth
7. visit Himalayas (im impressed after watching Lakshya)

7 things I do not enjoy doing:

1. wait
2. to sit at one place for long... atleast a walk every 2-3 hrs shud be fine.
3. go out in rain
4. listening to bhangra mix n rap
5. eating idlis
6. watching a game i don understand
7. doing things later

7 things that Attracted Me to Blogging:

1. blogs (some interesting ones like this, this, this and this :).. n many more, see right pane!!)
2. photoblogs, like this one by deepak
3. wonderful place to express whatever u feel, whenevr u feel, however u feel
4. gives insights to a person's thoughts
5. make frnds
6. Great time pass
7. good fun

7 things I say most often:

1. Oh shit!!
2. seriously
3. oh ok
4. yeah yeah
5. certainly
6. ultimate!!!
7. matte!!? (so wat else?!!)

7 Books I like:

1. Calvin and Hobbes - Comic series
2. Illusions
3. Conversations with God
4. Tell me your dreams - Sheldon
5. Any book on planets, stars, moon, meteors,..
6. Archies
7. autobiographies (hvnt read many but they attract a lot.. like the ones by Richard Branson and Agatha Christie)

7 Movies I want to watch again:

1. Little Women
2. Face Off
3. Hungama
4. Teesri Manzil
5. Police Story - all Series (Jackie Chan)
6. Scary Movie - all Series
7. Shrek, Antz, Ice Age ... most of the animation series
(there is one more movie which i watchd on Hallmark.. an english summer classic.. great drama.. hv forgotten the name.. certainly wud luv to watch it again)

7 pieces of Music I enjoy

1. Kannada classics (like Kavi Ratna Kalidasa, Gandhada Gudi, Benkiya Bale...)
2. "Here i am" by Bryan Adams
3. "You Sang to me" by Marc Anthony
4. "Young and Proud" by Ace of Base (album - Happy Nation)
5. "Frozen" by Madonna
6. Sonu nigam hits
7. Kishore hits