TV was here a few months ago and the DVD buying binge that he sparked off still continues.

Now, have to see what will run out first – shelf space, bank balance or my wife’s patience…

13, Going on 302001, A Space Odyssey40 Days & 40 Nights40 year – old Virgin8 MileAgainst the RopesAlong Came a Spider  – American BeautyAmerican GraffitiAngelaApocalypse NowAs it is in HeavenAviatorBabelBattle CryBattleship Potemkin – Bicycle Thieves – Big Red OneBlack Hawk DownBlazing SaddlesBlood DiamondBlow – upBoratBorn on the Fourth of JulyBraveheartBreak a LegBreakfast at Tiffany’sBridge Too FarBruce AlmightyButch Cassidy & the Sundance KidCasablancaCasualities of WarCatch Me if You CanChain ReactionCharlie & the Choclate FactoryCharlotte GrayChevaliers Du CielChicagoChinese BoxChitty Chitty Bang BangCitizen KaneCity of AngelsConstant GardenerConstantineCourage under FireCoyote UglyDangerous LiaisonsDark Blue WorldDas BootDay of the JackalDeer HunterDe – LovelyDepartedDevil’s AdvocateDien Bien PhuDown in the ValleyDr. ZhivagoDraughtman’s ContractDumb & DumberEdison ForceEmpire of the SunEnd of Wars – Enemy at the Gate – English PatientEnignaEternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindFargoFew Good MenFierce Creatures – Flags of our Fathers – Forrest GumpFour Weddings & a FuneralFrench KissFull Metal JacketFun with Dick & JaneGameGandhiGangs of New YorkGirl, InterruptedGods Must be CrazyGods Must be Crazy 2Good Morning, VietnamGraduateGreat EscapeHamburger HillHappy FeetHard BallHart’s WarHeroesHistory of the WorldHitchhiker’s Guide to the GalaxyHoneyHot ShotsHot Shots 2In the Heat of the NightInconvenient TruthIntolerable CrueltyJarheadJFKJohnny MnemonicKate & LeopoldKiss the GirlsLast DropLast Tango in ParisLast Temptation of ChristLawrence of ArabiaLeft BehindLiar, LiarLooking for Humour in the Muslim WorldMackenna’s GoldMan for All SeasonsMarch of the PenguinsMarineMarksmanMaskMatch PointMatrixMatrix ReloadedMatrix RevolutionsMe, Myself & IreneMicheal CollinsMidwayMillion Dollar BabyMy Best Friend’s WeddingMystic RiverNorth CountryOcean’s 11Ocean’s 12Oh Brother, Where Art ThouOliverOne Fine DayOne Last DanceOut of SightPassion of ChristPather PanchaliPeacemakerPearl HarbourPerfect StormPhantom of the OperaPianistPlatoonPossessionProducersProofProof of LifeProudRaising ArizonaRanRayReservoir DogsRomeo + JulietRumour Has ItSaving Private RyanSchindler’s ListSeasideSevenShakespeare in LoveShawshank RedemptionSky Captain & the World of TomorrowSleepless in SeattleSling BladeSound of MusicStar WarsStealthStraight into DarknessSummer of 42SylviaSyrianaTears of the SunTerms of EndearmentThin Red LineThree KingsTitanicTop GunTora, Tora, ToraTruman ShowU 571Underclass ManUnfinished LifeWalk the LineWe Were SoldiersWedding CrashersWedding PlannerWhat Lies BeneathWhen Harry Met SallyWidowmakerWild GeeseWindtalkersWitches of EastwickYou’ve Got Mail

By the away, the post title pays homage to my fav movie critic, Pauline Kael

Not to be confused with Pathrakkaran Sunny


A defining moment from mallu’s latest craze, Idea Star Singer, a talent hunt packged as a reality show, or is it the other way around?

And by the way, do you have any dope on Meera Nandakumar?

Now, the caption is very original, thank you.
It was 50 years ago today that John and Paul first met, thus setting off this big huge thing

I first read Garp when I was 17. By then I had run through most of – chronologically – James Hadley Chase, Arthur Hailey, Irving Wallace, Leon Uris, Wilbur Smith, must-reads like Godfather, Omen, Exorcist, Summer of ’42, Love Story, and sampled Harold Robbins, Robert Ludlum, Louis L’Amour…(I was blessed, I am blessed)

Garp was quite different from anything I had read till then – funny, sad, heartbreaking and uplifting. I so loved the characters that I remember slowing down as the book was nearing its end so that I could spend some more time in Garp’s world.

At the core of Garp is a horrible auto accident (I have always wanted to do a story on the recurring motifs in John Irving’s books – car crashes/accidents, Vienna, bears, kids, prostitutes, breasts, transvestites, deformities, writers, wrestlers, extra-marital affairs, death – oh, all the things that make life interesting).

Irving builds up the car crash scene so perfectly, positioning all players for maximum impact (ugh! no pun). I remember the rush when I first read the passage, when I – along with Garp – was rushing at full speed, up a slippery ramp, in the dark…

Cut to The World according to Garp, by John Irving
‘Garp hit the bottom of his driveway at about forty miles per hour he came of the downhill road in third gear and accelerated just as he exited; he glimpsed how the driveway was glazed with frozen slush, and worried momentarily that the Volvo might slip on the short uphill curve. He held the car in gear until he felt what grip he had of the road; it was good enough, and he popped the sharp stick shift into neutral – a second before he killed the engine and flicked out the headlights.

The car coasted up, into the black rain. It was like that moment when you feel an airplane lift off the runway; the children both cried out in excitement. Garp could feel the children at his elbow, crowding each other for the one favoured position in the gap between the bucket seats.

‘How can you see now?’ Duncan asked.

‘He doesn’t have to see,’ Walt said. There wad a high thrill in Walt’s voice, which suggested to Garp that Walt wished to reassure himself.

‘I know this by heart,’ Garp assured them.

‘It’s like being underwater!’ cried Duncan; he held his breath.

‘It’s like a dream!’ said Walt; he reached for his brother’s hand.’

Spoiler Warning!
Generally not required for Irving’s books; he gives away the end on page 1 itself.

At the top of the driveway, in a parked car, Garp’s wife is giving her student-boyfriend a farewell BJ. Garp’s car crashes into the, let us call it the BJ car, at full clip (Remember, night, raining, lights switched off). Garp survives, Walt dies, Garp’s wife survives, her boyfriend’s dick gets bitten off, Garp’s marriage survives.

So what if Garp didn’t make the TIME 100, it scores 100 outa 100 for the perfect set up.

For me this story is very special. And if I have shared this story with you, you are special…

dilbert20523730707031.jpg
Koranu kumbilil kanji thanne!


Sajeev asked for a post on Nandanam.
And threated to use the RTI Act if i didn’t comply.
So, here goes…

Heppy?

onth.jpg
Onth is Sangham-speak for girls who are not fair & lovely.

This onth was spotted in Manali last summer.

Santhosh George was our batchmate in REC. Achayan from Kuwait. Soft-spoken genius. Tall, dark, handsome (OK, he was dark).
We used to call him Appappan.

He had a fiery temper, but on a very long fuse. To my credit, i did manage to get his goat a coupla times…

In the third year, everybody except the Mechs pushed off for the senti tour. Appapps couldnt go because he was down with jaundice. I gave him company, till i too was jaundiced! We were in the E Hostel then. Later we became neighbours in D Hostel’s Non-Pol Avenue (big story alert, check back soon).

In those days we used to sustain ourselves on Kattngal stuff – Appapps voluntarily; i was chucked out of the mess. Rotis and bulls-eye were our fav dinner fare – tastewise nothing comes close to a dry roti dipped in egg yolk goo, but it is not a pretty sight. And Appapps had this skill to run through a stack of rotis without as much as scratching the yolk membrane.

The last time i saw him was some 12-13 years ago, at some valve, automation expo in Delhi. That night – a freezing winter night – i rode pillion on Appappan’s Bajaj all the way to Faridabad to meet his pondatti. A few months after that, i heard he moved to Singapore, and we lost contact.

Then yesterday, in Kochi i met Saju C. Sam along with Vinu G (Rajasthan). Saju informed me Santhosh George was some Senior Tech Director with Oracle in Hyderabad.

I Googled ‘Santhosh George + Oracle’, and found the name mentioned in Wikipedia’s REC page under notable alumni. I was a bit J (not ‘crazy jeaolus’, check out My Best Friend’s Wedding) but still called Oracle, cut through layers of bureaucracy and finally got Santhosh George on the line.

In my best Amitabh Bachchan voice, i intoned, ‘Babu Kuriakose’. Santhosh George was like, Who?

To cut a long story short – REC, Santhosh George, yes, but wrong batch. This was some kid!

The search continues…

The Chennai chapter of the REC Calicut Alumni Association is organising a World RECCAA Meet in Chennai from 28th to 30th December 2007. For more info: wrmchennai@yahoogroups.com

MC – Where we spent most of the four (or five) years…

REC Calicut
This place is a strange one. this is a college, where we spent 4 eventful years. A sort of hotel california; I know many people who have checked out but has never really left. Walk around this place and you can see them; can hear them. A place so filled up with memories, you take a turn and see someone just because all those four years you got so used to taking that turn and bumping into him. Once out here, your memories take over and it need not be reality that you always end up seeing.

(Image and text borrowed from a RECCian! Thank you.
Please check out http://motorbreathing.com/longback.html)

Categories

Blog Stats

  • 90,502 hits
January 2026
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  

ClustrMaps

WEB2RANK