Friday, December 23, 2011

Corny, eh?

Chick flicks. What do you make of them? The ones that have loud, noisy, giggly girls but still make the girl watching the flick reach for the tissues? I’ve never been a fan of such movies. Rom-coms, at that. No way. That being said, I recently watched the movie The Holiday. A mixture of romance/comedy/drama genres. Just your regular chick flick. It basically is a movie where two girls, who have obviously had failed past relationships, swap houses and spend a fortnight away from home. And yes, they both fall in love with a local guy. The movie stars Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law. I liked the movie. A lot. The only chick flick that I have actually liked. Heh. Probably because of Jude Law. Still.
It is one of the corniest movies ever. The lines are clichéd. The plot is so predictable. The actors have definitely not given that good a performance, not that the roles needed any. The movie also has a fairytale-ish ending. One thing that struck me while watching the movie was when Jude Law says to Cameron Diaz that he’s in love with her. Not that he loves her, mind. That he’s in love with her. There is a difference, yes. Saying “I love you.” and “I’m in love with you.” are two totally different things. You may love someone, but are you IN love with them? No, it is not an infatuation. That is something else all together.
I have a host of excellent movies that I’d love to recommend. For now, The Holiday should do. Nice movie. Go watch it.

Friday, December 2, 2011

The sea and Pondicherry

There are very few things that feel ethereal for me. Being agnostic in nature, that’s saying something. There is only one thing that even remotely makes me feel there’s something ‘godly’ of sorts - the vast ocean. The one place that I find this feeling to be most is at Pondicherry. I first visited the place when I was nine or ten of age. I fell in love with the place. I felt something that I’d never felt before. I was literally in awe of the sea. I’d been to various beaches before, yes. But there was something about this small town with French elements scattered here and there that grabbed the attention of my ever wandering mind.


The charm of the place lies in its plainness. The French part of the town is much different from the other parts. The roads here are narrow, short and tiled. The houses are structured differently. The smell of the sea in the air can’t be missed. The humidity, the sun, the wind - all of it just right. The seashore is barricaded by large, black boulders. Sitting on one of those and staring out at the sea all day is what I went for the last time. I took time off from work, from my family, from everything. The waves hitting the lower rocks, the white frothy water receding just as the next wave comes in... The best part is the sound of the sea. The morning blue-green waters to the dark ones during the night, the sound of the waves as they come crashing on the rocks, the wind bellowing, everything is just enthralling. No other place with the sea brings out such a feeling in me. There's something about Pondicherry...


To travel by oneself is something that everyone must do. It is a truly amazing and fulfilling experience. You are at peace with yourself. For me, Pondicherry is the getaway place.

Visit the place. For what it is.