To go to bed feeling completely satisfied with one’s day is very rare… I experienced that rare feeling last night. The reason: I had spent the previous morning participating in a plastic awareness campaign conducted by a non-governmental organization called “Save the Globe” organized by a group of youngsters. I have always been very passionate about avoiding, or at least reducing the amount of plastic covers used by people. But all I had been doing about it was shouting myself hoarse to the people who disagreed with me. And boy, they were many! But yesterday morning I actually got the chance to participate in a campaign that involved some action!
We split ourselves into teams and explained to the general public, the harmfulness of using plastic covers (especially the dyed ones, whose thickness is below 20 microns). We told them it would take around 1000 years or more for it to decay, by which time it would have hindered the growth of many trees by getting tangled in the roots. We also asked them to sign a declaration form which said that they would avoid or at least reduce the amount of covers used by them every day. True, some of them were skeptic; they said that we have reached a point where it was impossible to live without plastic covers. Maybe it is true, but we can at least RE-USE, if not reduce. Use the same covers again and again; don’t bring new covers into use! Always carry a cloth bag with you in your handbag or vehicle whenever you go out so that you need not ask for a carry bag.
Some people signed the forms with enthusiasm while others seemed reluctant. Whether they felt either, we could at least show them that we youngsters were ready to DO SOMETHING instead of just talking about it. We were serious enough to give the people cloth bags and saplings for free. I just hope that some of our seriousness had rubbed off on them!!!
A note to the people reading this: Let’s not hinder, if not help make the Earth a better place to live in! In other words, “Udhavi pannalenaalum, ubadhruvam pannama irupom!” Please take into account the alternate methods given above. Our ancestors gave us a nice, pure environment. Is it not our responsibility to give to our grandchildren, at least half of what we are enjoying today?
Take a resolution right now… Promise yourself that you will at least reduce the amount of plastic covers used every day. Go immediately and keep a cloth bag in your vehicle or hand bag this instant. Use that whenever you go out. Don’t think of it as an obligation. Just as we try to keep our homes clean always, we should try to keep our Earth clean too. After all, that is our real home, don’t you think?
Monday, June 20, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Ko - Superman armed with a Camera
Movie: Ko
Genre: Action, Political drama
Director: KV Anand
Music director: Harris Jayaraj
Cast: Jiiva, Ajmal, Karthika Nair, Piaa Bajpaai
Storyline: A photojournalist who turns out to be in the right places at the right time encourages the growth of a political party consisting of youngsters. After the party comes into the limelight, the story turns interesting with unexpected twists and turns.
Bottomline: The Indian version of Superman armed with a Camera.
Once again, there I was, in a cinema theater with my cousins to watch “Ko”. We were pretty excited as it was the second day. The film began. The credits in the beginning were very creative. I liked it. Jiiva looked almost handsome as the photojournalist Ashwin. As usual, we saw the inhuman stunts which always find their place in Tamil cinema in the first scene itself. Let me tell you why I refer to those stunts as inhuman.
1. The hero was standing on his bike with his hands off the handle bars.
2. The hero was standing on his bike with his hands off the handle bars and taking pictures.
3. The hero was standing on his bike with his hands off the handle bars and taking pictures of a bank robbery happening on the other side of the road.
4. The hero was standing on his bike with his hands off the handle bars and taking pictures of a bank robbery happening on the other side of the road while the bike was running in full speed.
It was preposterous. But of course, we are not supposed to question it. Because he is our hero! The Indian version of Superman; only this time, armed with a camera. Anyways, he achieves overnight fame as the robbers are nabbed with the help of his pictures. Soon, he always finds himself at the right places at the right times to click pictures of politicians in their worst forms - One, getting married to a 13 year-old and another, throwing sandals at the media. These pictures serve to defame these politicians, gradually narrowing the interest of the public down to a new and different party consisting of youngsters – Siragugal. Siragugal earns the confidence of the voting public slowly but surely. The party crosses many huge obstacles and finally stands in the limelight with their leader Vasanthan’s (Ajmal) supposedly great leadership. What comes after this, is the most interesting and quirky part of the film…
All sarcasm and cynicism apart, the film is actually good. After watching cliché commercial films, this is definitely a welcome change because all the commercialism and heroic stunts is backed by a solid story; a story that perks the interests of all. The twists were definitely unexpected. The second half is when you actually get into the movie. Ajmal has done a great job and Jiiva was not too bad either. Piaa was cute as Saraswathi. “Yennamo edho” is a very pleasant melody that you would enjoy listening to any number of times. The film is quite fast paced. The story is interesting and the background music is racy. The cinematography was fantastic. It ensured that even people like me, who have no interest whatsoever in watching stunt scenes, were glued to the screen. I loved it. These are the reasons I can think of, to watch the movie.
You want me to give you reasons not to watch the movie?
Karthika Nair, Karthika Nair, Karthika Nair, Karthika Nair and Karthika Nair. She sports the most ridiculous eyebrows I have ever seen. If she had shaped it some more, it would have gone all the way up to her hair. Her acting skills are pretty average, but definitely better than her looks. Her costumes in the songs were pathetic. Especially in the song “Amili thumili”. (First of all, what does that mean? Both the tune and words seem to have been copied right from “Hasili fisili” from Aadhavan). Her costumes were a total disaster in that song. I have no idea what she was wearing or where it started or where it ended. It still remains a mystery :P. But enough of her.
I also couldn’t understand why all the supposed illegal acts in the movie were committed by Naxals. Where did Naxals suddenly come from?!? Also, the placement of the songs was distracting. They slowed the pace of the movie. Most of the songs were unnecessary or placed in the wrong scenes. The usual “Harris Jayaraj touch” was not present this time.
The film surely had quite a few flaws. But then again, is there such a thing called a logical or flawless Tamil movie? I don’t think so. And in that case, you can definitely ‘Go’ for ‘Ko’! :P :D
Genre: Action, Political drama
Director: KV Anand
Music director: Harris Jayaraj
Cast: Jiiva, Ajmal, Karthika Nair, Piaa Bajpaai
Storyline: A photojournalist who turns out to be in the right places at the right time encourages the growth of a political party consisting of youngsters. After the party comes into the limelight, the story turns interesting with unexpected twists and turns.
Bottomline: The Indian version of Superman armed with a Camera.
Once again, there I was, in a cinema theater with my cousins to watch “Ko”. We were pretty excited as it was the second day. The film began. The credits in the beginning were very creative. I liked it. Jiiva looked almost handsome as the photojournalist Ashwin. As usual, we saw the inhuman stunts which always find their place in Tamil cinema in the first scene itself. Let me tell you why I refer to those stunts as inhuman.
1. The hero was standing on his bike with his hands off the handle bars.
2. The hero was standing on his bike with his hands off the handle bars and taking pictures.
3. The hero was standing on his bike with his hands off the handle bars and taking pictures of a bank robbery happening on the other side of the road.
4. The hero was standing on his bike with his hands off the handle bars and taking pictures of a bank robbery happening on the other side of the road while the bike was running in full speed.
It was preposterous. But of course, we are not supposed to question it. Because he is our hero! The Indian version of Superman; only this time, armed with a camera. Anyways, he achieves overnight fame as the robbers are nabbed with the help of his pictures. Soon, he always finds himself at the right places at the right times to click pictures of politicians in their worst forms - One, getting married to a 13 year-old and another, throwing sandals at the media. These pictures serve to defame these politicians, gradually narrowing the interest of the public down to a new and different party consisting of youngsters – Siragugal. Siragugal earns the confidence of the voting public slowly but surely. The party crosses many huge obstacles and finally stands in the limelight with their leader Vasanthan’s (Ajmal) supposedly great leadership. What comes after this, is the most interesting and quirky part of the film…
All sarcasm and cynicism apart, the film is actually good. After watching cliché commercial films, this is definitely a welcome change because all the commercialism and heroic stunts is backed by a solid story; a story that perks the interests of all. The twists were definitely unexpected. The second half is when you actually get into the movie. Ajmal has done a great job and Jiiva was not too bad either. Piaa was cute as Saraswathi. “Yennamo edho” is a very pleasant melody that you would enjoy listening to any number of times. The film is quite fast paced. The story is interesting and the background music is racy. The cinematography was fantastic. It ensured that even people like me, who have no interest whatsoever in watching stunt scenes, were glued to the screen. I loved it. These are the reasons I can think of, to watch the movie.
You want me to give you reasons not to watch the movie?
Karthika Nair, Karthika Nair, Karthika Nair, Karthika Nair and Karthika Nair. She sports the most ridiculous eyebrows I have ever seen. If she had shaped it some more, it would have gone all the way up to her hair. Her acting skills are pretty average, but definitely better than her looks. Her costumes in the songs were pathetic. Especially in the song “Amili thumili”. (First of all, what does that mean? Both the tune and words seem to have been copied right from “Hasili fisili” from Aadhavan). Her costumes were a total disaster in that song. I have no idea what she was wearing or where it started or where it ended. It still remains a mystery :P. But enough of her.
I also couldn’t understand why all the supposed illegal acts in the movie were committed by Naxals. Where did Naxals suddenly come from?!? Also, the placement of the songs was distracting. They slowed the pace of the movie. Most of the songs were unnecessary or placed in the wrong scenes. The usual “Harris Jayaraj touch” was not present this time.
The film surely had quite a few flaws. But then again, is there such a thing called a logical or flawless Tamil movie? I don’t think so. And in that case, you can definitely ‘Go’ for ‘Ko’! :P :D
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
My Experience at the Post Office
About two weeks ago, I had gone to the Post Office to send a money order. There was quite a long queue in the office. I decided to wait for my turn. When my turn finally came, I gave the address to the official concerned and waited for her to feed the details in the computer. It was then that the reason for the long queue hit me. The lady sitting behind the computer was typing the address but the pace was so slow that I felt like grabbing the keyboard from her hands and typing the address by myself. It was excruciating, waiting for her to complete such a simple process. A simple task that should have taken any person barely 2 minutes to complete, took her nearly 10 minutes. I realized the pathetic plight of government offices then. I just don’t get why these offices don’t give at least basic training like typing to their staff! No wonder there was such a long queue in the office. As I left the place I turned to look at the last person in the queue. Boy, he was in for a looong wait!
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