Ugadi get-together party
It was really a pleasure to attend Havyaka Ugadi get-together yesterday at a friend's place. Ugadi marks the beginning of Indian new year. Havyaka is the community that I was born in. Very unique sub-culture of greater Kannada speaking culture. More information at www.havyak.com.

Met havyak folks who live in New Engalnd area. Unfortunately, many families could not attend for whatever reasons. But, it was very nice to socialize with those who attended.

Good food from the pot-luck.

Highlight was viewing a CD sent by the Swamiji of Ramachandrapur Math. He is the official spiritual head of havyaka community. His message was simple and very uplifting. His plans for social service are really noteworthy. I am glad that my family back home is extending their support to his many initiative. Hope we get many more such progressive spiritual leaders. Refreshing to see spiritual leaders adapting to changing world. Swamiji had sent a video recording of his message and blessings thru one of his desciples who toured US recently.

Overall a very nice gathering.....

Cheers!

Ray Charles
Who composed the state song for the state of Georgia?

Ans: Ray Charles....his 1979 hit my sweet Georgia was adopted by Georgia as it's state song....

For trivia junkies....

Bad Company
Topic: Movies
Bad Company starring Anthony Hopkins, comedian Chris Rock etc....average movie....with some funny dialogs...too much action.....

CIA - crack in ass....a pearl of a dialog from this movie...what less to expect from something where Chris Rock is there......:)

Cheers!

Virumaandi
Virumaandi....tamil movie....starring Kamal Hasan..

Kamal is one of my favorites....thus chose to watch this movie....but this movie simply disappoints...there is no Kamal's magical touch here....total waste....total rural violence crap...may be people who understand Tamil well can pick up something good in it...but for someone who simply likes to watch good movies of Kamal irrespective of language...this is a total waste movie....vyanda...vyanda...vyaare movie...next....

Looking forward to Kamal's latest movie Mumbai Express....hope that's better....

Cheers!

West is West
Topic: Movies
Average movie....guy comes to US....his struggles....a gori to rescue....what else...

If you want to see 'actor' Gowitrikar who has now made a name as a director....watch this...so so......

Description from Netflix is as below:

West Is West (1989)

Indian immigrant Vikram's (Ashotosh Gowariker) excitement about his trip to California is cut short when U.S. customs officials approve a stay of just one month, instead of the six he planned. He's further dejected when the address where he was to live turns out to be an empty building and his request to study at a university is denied. But things begin to look up when he meets rocker chick Sue (Heidi Carpenter), who instantly steals his heart.
Starring: Ashutosh Gowariker, Heidi Carpenter, More
Director: David Rathod

Zehar......the poison
Topic: Movies
Zehere the poison - Mukesh Bhatt movie....starring IRfan Hasmi, Shamita shetty etc.....

Based on English movie....where a cop gets entagles in a murder....his wife who is also a cop investigates....I think Denzel Washington starrer English version was much much better....Udita Goswami sheds enough clothes.....good for front benchers.....

2 stars......

Long lost friend....
I am so happy to find a long lost friend. When I was in Tanzania from Oct 95 - Oct 96, Suhas Sawant was also an other expat working for the same company that I worked for. He and I became really good friends. Till Sawant's family joined him, he too was a bachelor and gave us good company. We had a lot of fun. Sawant was kind a of friend, philosopher and guide to all of us a bunch of bachelor which included expats like me and many local gujju bhais who have made East Africa their home for several decades. It was the time of my life. Laid back life style, good mix of Indian and African cultures, sense of total out of the world (literally), beautiful beaches of Indian Ocean, nightlong club hopping over the week end, sleeping all Saturday etc. Maaan....what a life it was......it was little too soon to settle down there, so I moved out and came to USA to pursue my career but if I ever want to retire Africa will be the place to retire. Tanzania may not be the best but I would like to check out some islands such as Mauritius/Seychelles.....

Btw, Sawant has been lucky to be able to continue working in Africa. After working in Tanzania for 5 years till 2000, now he is in Nigeria. Good for him. He founds me thru my website and sent me an e-mail....how happy that made me.....looking forward to speaking to Sawanti.......that's how kallus in Tanzania used to make his last name and we used to tease him Mr.Sawanti........

Cheers!

Zakhm....injury
Topic: Movies
Zakhm.....movie directed by Mahesh Bhatt....age old hindu muslim clash with masala added....nothing much abt this movie....

2 stars

Hotel Rwanda
Topic: Movies
Hotel Rwanda - what a great movie.....I have been waiting for its release on DVD and could not wait to watch.....

Movie is about the infamous genocide of close to 800,000 million people in a tiny country Rwanda in Africa. Rwanda is also famous for last surviving destination for mountain gorillas.

A former Belgian and other Euro colony has always been plagued by civil unrest. in 1994, it hit the new high with Hutus and Tutsi, two major tribes with hatred for each other. What followed is a genocide of unimaginable scale. What makes it more macbre is the cruelty with which it was carried out.

Hotel Rwanda is a story of a hotel manager in the capital Kigali who is the epitome of humanity and saves several hundred people by sheltering them in his hotel. His ingenuity, presence of mind and putting his limited resources to best possible use for the good humanity became legendary and are well captured in the movie.

This is one movie that will reinfoce that "he is blessed who lives for the rest".......

Superb screen play, excellent cast, and great acting....

Cheers!

Chocolat
Topic: Movies
One of the nicest movies abt West Africa from colonial era. French with Eng sub title.....very well directed....

description from Netflix

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Chocolat (1988)

Based on director Claire Denis's childhood memories, Chocolat examines the devastating effect of French colonialism through the eyes of a young girl coming of age in 1950s West Africa. When a plane makes an emergency landing in the isolated colonial post where 8-year-old France (Cecile Ducasse) lives, a diverse group of whites and Africans is stranded and must stay with France's family, forcing sexual, social and class tensions to arise.
Starring: Emmanuelle Chaulet, Francois Cluzet, More
Director: Claire Denis

City Hall
Topic: Movies
City Hall - starring Al Paccino etc. What a nice movie?
Centered around political maneavoring in NY City. Plot is lil convoluted but direction is very good.

3 stars!

Patriot v/s terrorist
Patriot - I am willing to DIE for my country
Terrorist - I am willing to KILL for my country

Ash look-alike
Appears like Ash look-alike Sneha Ullal is making waves in the Bollywood...

For more coverage....visit....http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2005/apr/07sneha1.htm

Happy Ugadi
Greetings on Indian New Year....Ugadi....

Important tradition of Ugadi is to symbolically consume jaggery(sweet) and bitter neem(bitter)....to reinforce that life is a good mix of happiness and sadness....there is always a day break however long the night may be.....

Cheers !!! and wishing everyone a very happy new year !

Black, Bewafa
Topic: Movies
Black - Big B and Rani Mukherjee starrer. Relationship between a blind girl and her teacher....good screen play but gets boring at times.....

Bewafa - Anil Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar etc...routine family melodrama....Elder sister dies while giving birth to twins...younger sister marries brother in law....old flame....and what not....so so....

Zurm
Topic: Movies
Zurm - Hindi movie starring Bobby Deol, Lara Dutta (I think), Milind Soman....

Good movie...good direction and good acting especially by Deol and Soman. I think this is probably Soman's best movie. He comes to age as a good actor in his anit-hero/villain role.

Good conspiracy when Soman and Lara pull a fast one on him and leave him for dead. This was their plan all along to swindle him of his property. Deol survives miraculously and pays them back with the same coin.

3 stars.....

Karam
Topic: Movies
Karam - starring John Abrahm, PRiyanka Chopra etc.

Hmmmm.....average movie. Decent music. Nothin new. Action keeps the movie going......

2 stars......

CBI grills Manikchand
Topic: Underworld
Manikchand Guthka owner Rasiklal Manikchand Dhariwal grilled by CBI regarding his alleged links with mob boss Dawood Ibrahim.

No wonder, his guthka goes by new name RMD. But, the reason for that is different as some other company called 'Malikchnad' went to court after the brand 'Manikchand' got so much bad rap after mafia connection etc. The company claims that people confused 'Malikchand' with 'Manikchand' and their brand suffered. Somehow court asked 'Manikchand' to change..

Strange...

Andaz Apna Apna
Topic: Movies
Good comedy movie....3 stars

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Andaz Apna Apna (1994)
Suggest to a friend
Two young men -- Prem (Salman Khan) and Amar (Aamir Khan) -- are broke and have no real plans for the future when they discover that a stunning heiress (Raveena Tandon) lives nearby. Both Prem and Amar make it their mission to charm the young lady into marriage -- but they're not the only ones vying for her wealth. Rajkumar Santoshi directed this lighthearted blend of comedy, romance, and action.
Starring: Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, More
Director: Raj Kumar Santoshi

Nagma ki band bajegi?
Topic: Underworld
CBI to quiz Nagma over alleged underworld links
17.15 IST 02nd Apr 2005

By Agencies

The CBI will question Bollywood actress Nagma in connection with her alleged nexus with the underworld, even as the agency claimed that it had evidence of involvement of Dawood Ibrahim in the Gutkha case allegedly involving gutkha baron Rasiklal Manikchand Dhariwal.

"The name of Nagma figured in the confessional statement of one of the accused arrested by Mumbai police in smuggling of gutkha machines to Pakistan. This is for her benefit only that she should come out clean and cooperate with the CBI," CBI Director U.S. Misra told reporters in New Delhi today.

He said all the people named by Jumbo, the accused arrested by Mumbai police, will be questioned by the CBI.

Referring to the ongoing investigation in the gutkha case, the CBI Director claimed that Dhariwal, Goa gutkha owner J.M. Joshi, underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his brother Anees Ibrahim "were in touch with each other".

"We are probing all angles in this case," Misra said.