5 sparkling movies to lighten up any dull weekend!

Movies are the next best thing to dreaming.
Nope, that’s not a famous quote by some one consequential. Well, it could turn out to be one soon enough when my charm reaches its much deserved peak of fame.
Till then, I guess we’ll just live with quoting these words of acquired wisdom in the trusted anonymity of conversations on these pages.
And speaking of more ‘wisdom under the pretext of an indulgent one sided monologue’, how ever bad the latest spate of blockbusters must be doing at the box office, One never needs to pay up huge monies for one’s taste of fantasy. Simply cozy up with cushions, dim the lights a bit, get yourself a warm cup of coffee with something to nibble and catch one of these movies to spend the most amazing weekend, home alone!

Priceless(2006)

This is one Priceless movie watching experience!

Aptly, name this gem is a French film and whoever said French movies are all about deep reflection and layered meanings, too tedious and too dry, well watch this!
Irene meets Jean; they fall in love and live happily ever after. Not quite, I must say.
The pretty lady in question is actually a manipulative escort, who lives off at the expense of rich older men and uses mercilessly the poor head over heels in love bartender to get what she wants. Only of course to eventually realize, that what she wants is to be loved and that’s when they drive off into the horizon on a scooterette! Shot at exotic locale (which refreshed memories of Monaco and Monte Carlo) this movie is as delightful as a French puff pastry – a truly priceless 2 hours of heartfelt smiles and sighs!
Watch the effervescent Audrey Tautou, trample over hearts and teach the tricks of the trade to the shy Gad Elmaleh only to run to him when she’s just about to lose it all & catch the most amazing on screen adventure of a kiss (I am told won the best kiss award that year at a lot of international fests – catch it here).
Tip of the day: A regular on World Movies!

Before Sunrise( 1995)

Soulmates for a night - Before Sunrise

One of those very rare movies , which keep you wondering what happened after the titles began to role? Jesse and Celine meet up on the Euro-rail. He is an american tourist dealing with a recent heart break travelling to Vienna on his last day in Europe , and is flying out the next morning.She is a young student , on her way to Paris where she studies. They hit it off and on an impulse he persuades her to get off at Vienna for a night that turns out to be the most romantic journey of their lives. They talk and explore the city and connect in a way that they never did with any one before . Fighting the urge to not commit to a long distance relationship that both of them feel would kill what they shared and an attraction that they just cant deny , they eventually part ways with a promise to meet exactly 6 months from the day they met , this time at Paris.
Watch this and you’ll know what it means when you ‘really connect’ with a person. You talk with out inhibitions , share ideas and dreams and open up in the most endearing ways. No mush , no melodrama , pure conversations – This is definitely my idea of romance.
Tip : Watch Before Sunset (2005) that was made exactly 9 yrs after the first movie that captures their meeting again. nope , they dont meet after 6 months(aww…) but they do meet .. after 9 yrs. Heart wrenching , isnt it? Catch my favourite scene when they have a ‘fake phone conversation with friends’ here

Clueless(1995)

When you have everything , what really are you looking for?

Who says classics are boring? You can take an Emma and spin it on its head and here you have the most contemporary adaptation placed right here in your high school. Cher , is rich , pretty and popular. There’s nothing really she can’t talk herself out of . Other than staying at the top of the social ‘high-school’ who’s who list , her immediate worries in life are playing matchmaker , indulging in the retail therapy and rescuing the down-trodden in terms of trends!
Josh , her step brother calls her selfish & superficial. She tries to prove otherwise by evangelising the social life of Tai , the new kid on the block in a purely unselfish act. But soon all hell breaks loose , she flunks her driving test , is losing out on popularity charts to her latest ‘project’ and is confused about her feeling for her Mr Right , Josh! All ends well , when she gains back her popularity , friends and love and giving us the cutest poor little rich girl of the screen ever. Lots of fizz and attitude , this movie’s like soda pop – lifts up your spirit and leaves a sweet after taste. Watch it for Alicia Silverstone , and you ‘ll know where the movie gets its sparkle from.

Amelie (2001)

Meet your neighbourhood Robin Hood - Amelie !

If you feel romantic movies are sweet, this one’s a French Patisserie. Amelie’s been a lonely girl since childhood and as a young woman she’s shy and introvert. After a sudden realisation one fine day that she’s perhaps wasting her life , she takes upon herself the task of bringing joy and happiness to everyone around her. As she goes about on her secret mission of fulfilling dreams of her father , neighbours , co-workers at the cafe where she works and this lonesome stranger she comes across – she makes the biggest mistake which blows off her cover- She falls in love. Watch this fairytale that give every spy movie a run for its money as you watch the impossibly pretty Audrey Tautou plan the most amazing set ups playing match maker ,wish fulfiller and revenge seeker for all those around her. As reality meets fantasy , you cant help thinking to your self , if only we could come across some one like her . Sigh!

Vicky Cristina Barcelona(2008)

Alrite , this one’s quite a twisted affair. But what makes this movie , so damn neat is its non adherence to norms. Vicky and Cristina are as different as chalk and cheese. Vicky is practical and traditionalist , knows what she wants and has planned her entire life around . Christina , on the other hand is free spirited and bohemian , and perhaps knows what she doesnt want , and is okay with trying to finding the answer to this question all her life.
On their trip to Barcelona , they chance upon Juan a painter with quite an eccentric view of love. What starts off as a casual meeting becomes a complex tale of unfulfilled love & deep passion that both of them share with not only Juan but also his ex wife Maria Elena with whom he has an off and on relationship. At the end of it all , both the women , end up where they started . Each more assured than ever of their belief in life – their view of love and the way they wish to live.
Tip : Watch this one , for the most amazing views of barcelona , rediscover the beauty of the spanish language and a fresh take on love , if you’ve ever been confused , this one makes you feel – its all right!

When you lose , never lose the lesson!

Yup to begin  on that profound  , to the point of depressive note isnt a suggested thing to do .. but when one’s suggesting what to ‘not do’ when you are planning a job change .. one does get a little philosophically -introspective.

Sometimes , the simplest of questions – What to look for , when you are at the verge of a job change.. have more complicated replies than ‘ the salary package’!!

9. The Basics  – Cafeteria ?Coffee Machine? Weekly/Monthly – Birthday Parties? any parties? yes or no questions . need to have all affirmative answers.Very Very important.

8. The office temperature – and am not just referring to the Air conditioning! well yes , that’s imp too , but more importantly, how revved up , high-spirited , buzz in the air – kind of place it is. Hot or cold?

7. Parking- For those poor souls , who need to wade through the morning and evening traffic- this one can be the clincher. obviously once you ve worked out the match involved in the decision of change being a function of the distance one would need to travel from home and for work.that done ,  if you are worried about the parking guy going for a joy ride while you are at work .. or maybe helping himself with most of your fuel while you battle the petrol price hike AND with ALL that need to shell out big bucks for the ‘premium’ parking too .. then .. ahem ahem.. the hike in all imp P (‘pay’) doesnt matter .. right?

5. (un)Flexi – timings – One might boast of a splendid track record when it comes to ‘in’ time . There is always this one day once in a while , when one needs to step out before the dreaded 6 o’clock strikes. So check from whoever you can – if working till 2 in the night entitles you an hour extra in the morning without suffering a pay cut , or moving out early sometimes has got nothing to do with a formal ‘leave filing process’ – in short is your office clock in time etched in stone.

4. People- The second most important P of your career related decision influencers (first ofcourse and by a huge margin is PAY). Walk in to an office and simply look around . Soak in the faces , the conversations . walk into the elevator and make 5 rounds up and down (Tip : get off on various floors and get in so that the security guy doesnt wonder what you are up to ) If the terms that spring your mind are any or all of these – Dull/Rude/Drab/Bored looking /Boring. Stay away. If the ‘catch the expressions’ rule is hard to crack for you  – simply observe the actions – Are they all glued into their seats staring at their lappys like they are hypnotised , refuse any eye contact with each other and a stranger lurking around , if there is a quiet that would beat a 2 AM scenario at most civilised homes on any given night . What should you do ? right.. stay away!

3. The Rules . To get up and sit down. To come in and move out. To work and to not work . To speak , breathe , eat . If there is a rule , and the rule books are what you stay away from . Then.. its as simple as A B C..

2. Show me the money. self explanatory. :D

1. The Big B. The good ones and bad ones , the rude ones and the meddlesome ones . The over-bearing and the dictator kinds . The ones who’ll invite you to their kids 1st bday party & the one’s who wouldnt care if its your own bday today. We have all had our share of each and every one. The only thing that stays a constant at any given workplace – is how unperdictable the ‘next Big B ‘ is gonna be. Its said , one can choose one’s spouse , but one can never choose ones boss. But one can always make an informed decision . so go ahead – take a survey , hire a detective , get it in your contract , spend a day in invisible mode in the office before you join in. do what ever you can but yes … get to know which one are you gonna face up next .

Have you ever ….?

I think I ve been on a self proclaimed exile from people in general. Sure , they are so many of them around all the time – keen on living it up in public gaze , but some how more than , people – its thoughts that have always been more worthy of any investments as far as my time and energy is concerned.

perhaps , its all a sign of growing up .. like there was actually any scope of being any more ‘grown’ up than some one with an emotional age of 80!

but , some things i’ve been observing in people lately.  And been thinking about some things in pure fascniation of how they demonstrate simple facts like “how – people – work” almost magically . or  driving me nuts in pure irrationality of it all .

Have you ever attended the ladies Loo sessions ?

Have you ever been to a ladies loo and seen a group of girls plonked on the wash basin area discussing anything and everything under the sun. Who ever wondered where these crazy office rumours starts off , well take a sneak peek at one of these ‘guppa sessions’ and you ll know. everything that’s supposed to be ‘confidential’ goes ‘off the record’ in the safe confines of the ladies loo!

Have you ever walked in and out of a loo as you walk when you talk ? 

Worse , and now that am married i can safely comment about this being a habit with not just women but men as well . Obviously we are so so hardpressed for time and be it a chat with some one we ve been planning to catch up with for a while now , or generally a discussion about the latest meeting we hopped out of . Phone stuck to our ear , blabbering away to glory – we walk in and out of loos , using our time well as we relieve ourselves!EeW!

I am suprised how no one ever cuts off the chat in the middle of the narrative  of kareena’s latest getaway with saif – hey what was that flushing sound all about!!I sincerely hope , i dont have to accompany some one right into the loo . I can wait till you get out of it . However earth shattering the matter be! really !

Have you ever expressed yourself on Facebook?

And thank goodness for Face book. Now we can tell the whole world exactly what we think , eat , plan , do and  not do all the time. I think the most entertaining way to start your day now is to simple glance through the FB status messages of friends and friends of friends. yeah right.. I am that ‘workless’ but then who isnt?  There are people who would land from the plane and update the world , wade through the traffic and inform the whole tribe of net – friends , who would miss some one and let every one know , would be up till 3 AM and change their status message at wee hours of the morning to document the fact.  One of my friends is celebrating his birthday today . His friends surprised him at 12 in night with a cake. Sweet. His status at 3 AM in the night thanked all these spl people , plus his album was updated with their happy snaps capturing the general glee. ahh.. heart – warming indeed.

Have you ever hogged the entire changing room and felt quite ‘at home’ ?

This one ‘s absolutely my fav. Mummy , aunty , sis , chachi .. the whole tribe of generations and generations of females – with atleast half the clothes from XS to XXL , off the the hangers of the entire floor – taking the phrase ‘trial room’ to the next level. Have you ever been through this ever? Waited , As the mute spectator , waiting in line for one of the rooms to get free before you turn too old and too fat to wear the cocktail dress in your hand watching helplessly .  Or heard , as you struggled into the – oh -so – pretty top that should rather be on display than on you , how what’s too tight or too lose , or too long or too short or should rather be in sunshine yellow or tomato red . suggestions being exchanged all over the place , thrown from one changing room to another .

Have you ever seen any of this , or much better ? :D

Unreasonable

Told you.. lifes full of weird conversations.. maybe i have a knack of inspiring people to be at the ‘weirdest best’ when they talk to me!!

Am chatting with an old friend. we have a habit. we keep fighting over the silliest of things. And then just stop talking. unless one of us buzzes the another after months to say “whats up” and we are back to normal.

Got back in touch with VS sometime back so yesterday was another one of those days when he buzzed me just when i was at my crankiest best.

He says  : Hey whats up

She says : Nothing Am bored. So either tell me something interesting or we arent talking. choose . Quick.

He says : If we have to have conditions when we talk , then lets not do that. Bye.

She says : Huh? Ok Bye.

Today , he buzzed again and heres how it went.

He says : So In Chd or Del?

She says : Chd today , Del tommo

He says : but i thought you were to go to del for an extended weekend

She says : Weekend starts from friday in my part of the world

He says : why are you being so sarcastic

She says : but i am not , isnt my humour like that always?

He says : no , yesterday also you were talking weird . .. what C*** were you saying.

She says : well , I generally say what comes to my mind when i talk to you , if I have to censor my thoughts then i might as well not talk at all.

He says : AGAIN YOU ARE BEING UNREASONABLE

she says : okay if thats what you think , again you are misunderstanding & i have no intentions to explain myself.

He says : And if you think its better not to talk than explain , then so be it.

and I log off.

I mean can i get more insane than that?

I dont suppose we ll be speaking for another 6 months now.. hmm… maybe when i ll send him an invite for my wedding.. i guess that ll happen before his birthday that s in August.

Drama . Drama. Drama.

Protected: Encounters of the Matrimony Kind – Chapter 3

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