There is a reason...

...why the windshield is so big and the rear view mirror so small.

આજની ફિલસૂફી

આવી પડેલ પરિસ્થિતિની અસ્વીકૃતિ એ જ દુ:ખનું કારણ.
-વામનકાકા

પ્ર: માણસ અસત્ય ક્યારે બોલે છે?
જ: જ્યારે તેને સત્ય પર ભરોસો નથી હોતો.
-પાપુ

Fall Foliage Viewing in Plumas County

Visit to Plumas County during the fall season is truly a memorable experience. It made me realize that Mother Nature is the best artist there ever is and nothing else can compare to it. You've got to see it to believe it.

Thanks to AAA's Via magazine article and then Plumas County website for all the information since before summer that I was able to plan my visit this season. I wanted to go around third week of October but my schedule was not very flexible so I decided to make my trip a week earlier. I was sort of feeling disappointed about it but all the things I got to see during my visit compensated for that. It'd have been better to visit the place next weekend but that'd be for next season, I say. I'm happy for I got to visit at least once this season. :) It is the kind of place you want to visit at least a couple of times every fall season to truly enjoy the colors.

As suggested in their Fall Color Guide, we started out by entering the Plumas County area from Hwy 32 and Hwy 36 into Chester/Lake Almanor area. The drive on both of these highways is beautiful. On Hwy 32, the red-colored dogwoods are picturesque. If you get a chance to stop by at the spots where you can see the Deer Creek from, you'll get to see so many of the red-green-colored Indian Rhubarbs near the creek beds. If you get to access the creek, even better. Then you'll get to take closeups of these colorful plants.

We drove around Lake Almanor and Chester on Hwy 89, and Main Street. There are some most beautiful red/yellow colored trees on Main street. Drive slowly and pull over for photos, and fall foliage viewing. If you're visiting this area, the must-see places other than Main street include Lake Almanor West area on Hwy 89. Drive into Lake Almanor West Drive and all the way to Kokanee Trail. It is a loop so you can start from one end and complete at the other. There are some gorgeous trees in this residential area.

Next day, we drove to Quincy via Hwy 89. For this, we took County Route A13 and then 147 (Eastern side of the lake) as we started from Chester. This is a beautiful drive as you get to see the lake much upclose from this route. Btw, I should add that the view of Lake Almanor from Main Street (at the Northern end of the lake) at sunset time is gorgeous.

Right off of A13, there is the Foxwood properties area that comes between Clifford Drive and Peninsula Drive. This is a gated community area but the entrance before the gates has got some of the most colorful trees. Pull over and stop by at this place too. Drive to Quincy was quite nice also but not as colorful as Hwy 32. I think that's because fall season is a bit late this year. Driving around Quincy was quite nice also, more so because of the rains. But that made is difficult to get out of the car to take a closeup photographs of the trees and leaves. Thanks to the leaf peeper reports on Plumas county website, I got to check out all the hotspots for fall color viewing.

Drive to Bucks Lake was winding, pretty and chilly. As soon as you get on the Bucks lake road, you pass by some of the ranches. Stop by if you want to see the animals there. The temperature at Bucks lake was in 40s even during the afternoon. The red-colored dogwoods and yellow big leaf maples looked lovely on the way. We pulled over on the side of the road when we saw the lake on our right-hand side. The address there was something like 15000 Bucks Lake Rd, Quincy, CA 95971 and the Doyles live there. This is where they have the big painted sign on rocks that reads PLEASE! KEEP OFF.

The must-visit streets in Quincy include, but not limited to, intersection of High St. & Lee Way, Lawrence St & Leonard Ave, Main St. & Quincy Junction Road. On here, the trees across from Safeway & Rite-Aid in front of the Quincy Jr. High are beautiful and by now they'd be looking even more colorful. If you're driving on Hwy 70 towards West, stop by at address 39124 Hwy 70. There are rows of gorgeous yellow colored trees here. I think they're aspen.

We drove back from Hwy 70, which is also known as Chandler road and Feather river canyon. This is one very beautiful drive (not much fall colors here as of last weekend), but Feather river flowing right along the highway makes it very pretty. The dams and brand-new looking bridges on the river, train tracks that run parallel to the highway and little tunnels that are made in rocks for train to pass make it an exciting drive. Twice, we were driving with a train right across the river and that was so much fun.

I wish on my next trip I get to visit the rest of the suggested places such as Graeagle, Portola, Indian Valley, Beckwourth, La Porte and Frenchman Lake.

Plumas County Info could be found here: http://www.plumascounty.org/

More photos of Plumas County here.

What my friends are saying about Superstar Rajni:

Endhiran: The Robot is out and here's what my friends are saying about The Storm called Rajnikant!

After watching ROBOT I believe that only Rajnikanth can do this: gmail@rajnikanth.com

Rajnikanth got his drivers license at the age of 16 Seconds.

"The iconic Superstar contributes a certain magic that is hard to explain. It’s more like a mother’s touch to home cooking that simply makes you want more." - The Hindu

The day after watching the movie, a friend: why does life feel so empty today..

The day after watching the movie, another friend: was feeling a bit down, like after olympics is done the athletes feel a void. I was feeling a bit BEREFT after ENDHIRAN. but decided to pick myself up to enjoy the after festivities.

Love love loved endhiran!!!! Perfect role(s) for Rajni! :-)

In the beginning there was nothing…then Rajnikant kicked that nothing in the face and said “Get a job”. That is the story of the universe.

Once Rajnikant wrote a cheque and... the bank bounced!

Now in India only Rajnikant will vote. There will be many elections for that.

Rajnikant is so fast he always comes yesterday.

Intel's new processor with remarkable caption.............."RAJNI INSIDE..!":-D

Breaking news: We are all safe....World is not going to end in 2012.....because, yesterday, Rajnikanth bought a laptop with 3 years of warranty!!!

Rajni's high school homework is now known as.... Wikipedia !!!

When Rajnikanth enters a room he doesn't turn the lights on, he turns the darkness off.

Happy Rajnikant and wish you very happy new Rajnikant... From - Diwali & New Year ;-)

An e-mail was sent from Pune to Mumbai...
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Rajnikanth stopped it in Lonavala.

Rajnikant gets Madam Tussuad's wax statue at his home....

(More to come as you can never say enough about Rajni, I guess...)

PS. I am yet to watch the movie (can't believe it).

2010-10-11: Btw, for the non-Tamil speaking folks, did you know the meaning of Enthiran? It is the same as yantra aka yenthra aka enthiran. ;) Thanks to a friend that took time to shed some light.

In this life:

...do what Lord Raam did in His life.

...do what Lord Krishna said in His life.

Small unnoticed gestures

Some people take up very little space. Space in our hearts that is. We would not have all the comforts we have if it weren’t for them. When I look at these people, it makes me think and appreciate them.

The guy that sits at the reception desk doesn’t have too challenging of a job at a first glance. All he does is smiles at me, greets me when I say good morning or good night, and that's pretty much all of our interaction. Day after day, week after week, month after month, it doesn’t change. Once in a while when I'm in mood, I ask him how he is doing and he responds back with a smile. He's mostly listening to the instrumental music on a random radio station and watching people drive by on the road outside the big glass walls when he is not ensuring the visitors sign in/sign out. A couple of months back, when I went away for more than one week from work, he actually noticed it. I was quite surprised because when I was back, he greeted me as usual and mentioned that he hadn’t see me since a few days. Smiling, I told him that I was on vacation but I was also happy to be back. He smiled back as usual.

The janitor that cleans the floors is mostly seen working away. No matter what time of the day it is. He is seen either sweeping the tiled floor, vacuuming the carpets or moving the big garbage can around to collect trash from one floor after the other in the entire building. Sometimes, when he mops the floor, he has the yellow cone thing with a sign "wet floor" set on the floor. I passed by him last week apologizing for stepping on the wet floor that he had just cleaned. He smiled back and said it was okay and mopped the floor again after me. In my mind, his expression lingered for a long while… till now. I was reminded of the scene from Munnabhai. I thanked him and walked away thinking about him.

The office lady at work does extra work in the kitchen also. Like loading the dishwasher with the plates still in the sink, turning it on afterwards, unloading the clean dishes and stacking them back in the cabinets, etc. Her task list is never empty. Even though she has put a sign on the sink saying please rinse food off from the dishes and place them in dishwasher, there are employees that overlook it and leave their dishes/utensils behind in the sink. She volunteers to load those in the dishwasher also. These are the employees who don’t believe in cleaning up after themselves. She also has other duties like cleaning the fridge and cabinets, fills up things that are running out (teabags, coffee, sugar, milk, etc.). If she gets upset about people leaving their messy plates behind, she has no place to go and rant about. Every time I run into her in the hallway or kitchen, I make it a point to thank her. Sometimes I wish those people were more considerate.

The cashier guys at the café/restaurant where I get my lunch are really nice. I make it a point to read their names from their badge and say it every time they help me. It makes both of us smile. I didn't go to this one for a few weeks and he wondered where I had been. I was truly surprised that he'd actually remember one person among hundreds of customers he helps on daily basis. He doesn't do much but knows I am a vegetarian and knows my name too so I don’t have to say it when I order my food. Many times, that's what makes me want to go and eat at his café than other places. Wish all the cafes had people like them.

I'm happy to say that I've known the names of all of the regular janitors who come by to collect my garbage at work. This one mostly comes around the end of the day and collects the garbage from one cubicle after the other, without talking to anyone. For some reason, I can't let them go by without acknowledging them. I say hi to them, make a little conversation, thank them and by then it's time for them to move on to the next cube. Along with my immediate colleagues, I also make it a point to give them sweets every holiday season. I feel I can't thank them enough.

The reason I thought of making this post was I realized how my life would be without these people. Last week, the garbage truck that collects the trash in our residential areas didn't come by at all. They were on some sort of strike. At work, everything has to happen in timely manner, no matter what. If the janitor can not come in to work, they get backup. Someone is always there getting things done. At home, it was different. The garbage sat there for more than two days without being moved. That really made me think of what these people do to make our lives, my life simpler and easier. I really want to thank those people for doing their job, week after week, day after day, on time. To keep our lives, my life in sync, clean and worry-free.

Last week, I also lost my key at work as the little clip broke off. I didn't realize it for more than two hours and by the time I realized it, practically everyone had gone for the day. The janitor was going around so I let him know. He was really supportive and said he'd leave it at my desk in case he found it. The reception guy let me in the building without having the access card. After frantically searching for it for about 45 mins, I found my key sitting at other reception desk where the receptionist gal had saved it thinking the owner might show up the next day (the card key has no photos or any sort of identifier). I was united with my key the same day without having to go through the trouble of reporting it lost and going through additional troubles that would have been caused by the domino effect of losing one key. In the end, it all ended well thanks to these special people who do their job without getting much noticed.

As I interacted with these same people yet again today, it made me pay more attention to them, noticing their behaviors and expressions in my mind. It made me feel so nice to have them in my life, even when they take up just a tiny bit of space in my heart. I wouldn’t be so comfy if it weren’t for you, Anthony, Frank, Audrey, Mike, Aaron, Juljo, Joanne, Hilary and many more people whom I probably don't even know to make my life so much easier. Thank YOU!

Happiness & Clapping

I have a feeling they're related.

Why else would we clap when we applaud?

Why else would we clap when we sing happy birthday?

Why else would we clap when we sing bhajans or do garba?

Why else would we clap when we encourage someone to do good/better?


Question is: does clapping make us happy or we clap because we are happy? Is that like chicken and egg?

Independence Day Fireworks - July 4th, 2010

The best part about 4th of July this year was the fireworks! That was mostly because I was going to get an opportunity to experiment more with my D5000 and take some crazy fireworks photos. And indeed, they turned out to be some of the most beautiful fireworks pictures I've ever taken. Here are the instructions I followed and some of the photos I took. :)


















It took a while to get used to the fact that in these settings, the camera actually takes quite a while to record all the information and generate the preview of photograph. I got annoyed at one point because it seemed like the battery was low because nothing would happen. But the camera was in fact working on capturing the most amazing (and continuous) images of the fireworks. I am glad I realized sooner, that it was actually just fine and I needed to be more patient. That helped quite a lot.

More fireworks photos on flickr.

When Bollywood's Men become Women...

...the sight is, how do I say it: A must see!

You've seen them before many times in so many films. Male actors in drag, in women's clothing, just trying to pass as actresses or trying to woo them or just for mockery. They look hideous, ridiculous, outrageous, and anything but gorgeous. But they still do it and we enjoy them.

Here I give you the first 10 songs where we get to indulge in this goodness. ;) I know there's more out there that I'm missing so if you remember it on top of your head, please do share.

In a random order:

• Shashi Kapoor in suno suno kanyaao ka, Haseena Maan Jaayegi
  Here we get to see the Westernized females of Upkar at the poolside, then a weeping, shikara-riding, Kashmiri gal Nanda or you have a hard time deciding whether he looks more like Asha Parekh? I can't decide. Later we get to see her.. err him as orange-clad, ektara-playing jogan and kathak-dancing mujra girl/tawaif. You got to watch her thumkas and nakhras and jumps by the end! Sorry the video quality isn't the best but you will have just the same laugh, I guarantee it.
  
  
  
  
  
• Amitabh Bachchan in mere angane mein, Lawaris (1981)
  Women with hair on chest and tummy! No more remarks.
  
  
  
  
  
• Mehmood in nathaniya haale to badaa mazaa hoye, Johar Mehmood In Hong Kong (1971)
  If this is how men need to be wooed, it's no wonder women don't want to do it. [Partial song starts at 2:40 min]
  
  
  
  
  
• Mehmood in dhadakne lagta hai mera dil, Dil Tera Deewana
  Tall and healthy women are beautiful but not here.
  
  
  
  
  
• Shammi Kapoor in subhaan allah haaye haseen chehra, Kashmir Ki Kali
  You'd wish (s)he kept wearing that burkha, didn't you!?
  
  
  
  
  
• Aamir Khan in dole dole dil dole, Baazi (1995)
  He makes one real pretty woman, I must say. And my my what dance can she do.. no wonder those men are going ga-ga over her. I don't blame them.
  
  
  
  
  
• Kamal Hassan in chupdi chupdi chaachi, Chachi 420
  Checkout chachi's hip-swaying walks and the style in which she climbs the bus. ;) She takes my breath away! [Song starts at 4:57 mins]
  
  
  
  
  
• Kishore Kumar in aa ke seedhi lagi dil pe, Half Ticket (1962)
  A classical dance, that's all I got to say. Pure entertainment! I do wonder about where her waist is though, don't you?
  
  
  
  
  
• Shammi Kapoor in chali chali kaisi hawaa yeh, Bluffmaster
  The ultimate qawwali song where everything opposite is happening.. like "bhanwre pe marne lagi hai kali". My what lachak-filled thumkas can Shammi Kapoor maar and the way he moves his gardan is classic! New dancers can go take classes with him. This one has a bonus: I forget his name but it's the guy sitting next to Shammi Kapoor. Yes, indeed, it is a male actor.
  
  
  
  
  
• Rishi Kapoor in dil dena buri balaa hai, Rafoo Chakkar (1975)
  You get a very cute looking Paintal as a bonus with a very feminine looking Rishi Kapoor. Too many buri balaa in this one? [You can watch more of it here]
  
  
  

Krishna Bhajans

One of the best albums that I have ever discovered! I am not a huge fan of Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh, but I really love this collection of songs and the music. I think there might be more tracks in this but these are the ones I am aware of.

Each and every single one is so divine and makes me feel happy and excited and gives me goose pimples!!!

• Hey Govind Hey Gopaal
  
  
  
• Jai Maadhav Madan Muraari
  
  
  
• Sab Se Unchi Prem Sagaai
  
  
  
• Hare Krishna
  
  
  
• Yashomati Nandan Brijvar Naagar
  
  
  
• Jai Raadhaa Maadhav
  
  
  
• Krishna Jinkaa Naam Hai
  
  
  
• Bhajahu Re Man Shri Nand Nandan
  
  
  
• Hare Krishna
  
  

Artists: Jagjit Singh & Chitra Singh

Heaven Ya Haiwan?

Hindi geeton ki haalat din-ba-din bigadti hi jaa rahi hai. Dil ko jeet le, man ko chhu jaaye aise shabd likhne waale log nahin rahe ab.

Yeh log heaven (swarg) dikha rahe hai ya haiwaan? Pataa nahin hansna chahiye ya rona...

Pesh hai isi ka nazaaraa:


Chullu-bhar paani mein...

Aur haan, jaise yeh kaafi nahin hai... is hafte yeh geet teesre number pe hai top ten mein. *sigh*

Ziggy: Journey

(c) Tom Wilson

Rafi in Ten Moods - Part II

tum mujhe yoon bhoola na paaoge
jab kabhi bhi sunoge geet mere
sang sang tum bhi gungunaaoge...

He sang to us. And what an apt song! Rafi sahab, we truly can't ever forget you.

When a fire was ignited in the hearts of Rafi fans all over the blog-world by the creation of Rafi in Ten Moods at dustedoff, everyone was left wanting more of it. And who wouldn't?! I couldn't wait to come up with my top ten. It took a couple of days for me to narrow down the choices. As you can imagine, it was very very very difficult, and I removed and added so many songs back and forth to my list. Still it continually kept changing but I finally decided to finalize it and it's here. Phew!

My top ten favorites in no particular order:

Philosophical: aaj puraani raahon se, Aadmi (1968)
Music Director: Naushad Ali
Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

It might be considered a sad song too, but I find it more philosphical, the kind when the search-light turns inwards and self-discovery begins: "jeevan badla duniya badli man ko anokha gyaan milaa... aaj mujhe apne hi dil mein ek nayaa insaan milaa...". My absolute favorite are Rafi sahab's voice that echoes... oh wow!

Gloomy/Sad: aye mere dost aye mere humdum, Meherbaan (1967)
Music Director: Ravi
Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan

You can feel it in his voice, the pain, the hurt in his heart. It's about the best relationship in this world - friendship. It is one of those songs that makes me feel extremely emotional listening to it. Three Rs (Rafi & Ravi & Rajinder) give us this heart-wrenching number. I have a feeling these people were angels who just stopped by on this planet for us, to help us appreciate life. Listen to the ending part of the song "aye mere dost aye mere humdum" to see what Rafi has an ability to do.

Devotional: insaaf ka mandir hai, Amar (1954)
Music Director: Naushad Ali
Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

There have been quite a few in this category to pick from and I had a hard time deciding on one, but I loved the lyrics and their meaning and raag of this one. It sounds just like a prayer, and I think it is. It tells us, there are no rules, no barriers when you want to pray and it tells about all the other truths about life. "yeh soch le har baat ki daata ko khabar hai... himmat hai to aaja yeh bhalaayi ki dagar hai...". I love both versions of it equally. Wish they were part of the same track.

Lovesick: aanchal mein sajaa lena kaliyaan, Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963)
Music Director: O. P. Nayyar
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

When the singer sings, there isn't supposed to be any major music in the background and then when he stops singing, that's when the music picks up. That is how a song is supposed to be. This is the definition of song. Check it out... Mohd. Rafi sahab at his best romantic self and some awesome tabla playing in the background that don't compromise the beauty of the song just complement it. Sigh!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PhcG40FvRg

Classical: madhuban mein radhika naache re, Kohinoor (1960) [Raag Hameer]
Music Director: Naushad Ali
Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

The best classical song I've ever heard. Did you actually listen to the aalap and the taan and all other crazy hi-tech stuff he sings in this one? Even if a dancer attempted to dance to this one, it would be so unbelievably difficult. Naushad and Mr. Badayuni along with Rafi sahab are crazy people with crazy amounts of talent. That's all I got to say. I am speechless.

Heroic/Royal: hoshiyaar! jaanewaale zara hoshiyaar, Raj Kumar (1964)
Music Director: Shankar Jaikishen
Lyrics: Shailendra

Wow! what a song... when Rafi sahab says "hoshiyaar!" it wakes up every single particle of your body and makes it dance with excitement. This one makes me happy when I'm sad and cheers me up and makes me want to "sang sang gungunaa" like he said to us earlier. It leaves me feeling proud of myself, for many or no reasons. That's the jaadu of Mohd. Rafi.

Praise/Taareef: salaam aap ki meethi, Boyfriend (1961)
Music Director: Shankar Jaikishen
Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri

The ultimate taareef song! And of course why not, it's for Madhubala. :) You've got to listen to the words for that though, because if you watch her on screen, you'd probably be rendered speechless. Only Harsat Jaipuri can write words like these and only Rafi sahab can woo his love by singing such a song. Rafi sahab, salaam aap ki meethi aawaaz ko salaam. Some of my most favorite songs are the ones picturized on Shammi Kapoor. Initially, I came up with songs in all these categories that were only Shammi Kapoor songs but I figured I was doing an injustice to Rafi sahab by including duets in there and so gave up on that idea and only concentrated on his solo numbers.

Adoring: yeh teri saadgi yeh tera baankpan, Shabnam (1964)
Music Director: Usha Khanna
Lyrics: Javed Anwar

Pay attention to the accordian playing and singing. They don't overlap eachother, they're separated and what a fabulous effect that creates... and the speed of music also slows down with the singer slowing down his singing. What beautiful lyrics and it is such a fun number to watch. I love Mehmood and love the fact that Rafi sahab's voice matches him so perfectly. In fact, he would be one singer who has given voice for practically the widest range of actors without actually changing his singing. And he was one of the few singers who insisted on knowing who he was singing for before he sang. This is what has made each and every song custom designed for the singer he has sung any songs for.

Patriotic: jahaan daal daal par, Sikander-E-Azam (1965)
Music Director: Hansraj Behl
Lyrics: Rajendar Krishan

Overflowing with love and respect for Bhaarat, that's what this song is! It's almost like a prayer. I simply love the Sanskrit shlok in the beginning "gururbrahmna gururvishnu...". It makes each and every single hair on my body stand up. Even the chorus sounds and chanting so fascinating and out of this world. And makes me feel so blessed to be able to appreciate being a Bhaaratiya. A song that tells us all about Bhaarat desh.

Romantic: door reh kar na karo baat, Amaanat (1977)
Music Director: Ravi
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhiyanvi

If you really want to enjoy this song, don't watch it. Best listen to it and if you can leave your window down/open while listening... and if it's raining out, even better. It transports you to a completely different world... what voice!! OMG, it's mindblowing! I agree, it wouldn't have been possible to do this, if it wasn't for the music or the lyrics. My most favorite line is "zindagi bhar ka hai ab saath, kareeb aa jaao...".

Video of song from film (missing last stanza):


Full audio song:



I feel like singing for Rafi sahab: O door ke musaafir, hum ko bhi saath le le re, hum reh gaye akele... hum reh gaye akele...

To this, he'd probably sing: so ke bhi jaagte hi rehte hai jaanbaaz suno... meri aawaaz suno pyaar ka raaz suno...

I could never have just 10 favorite Rafi songs. Here are some more of my favorites of Mohd. Rafi sahab.

Long live, Rafi sahab! May God bless you, whevever you are.

Choosing my first DSLR...

...was surprisingly enough, not the toughest decision I had to make. Thanks to many family and friends who are professional and almost-professional photographers.

I had been contemplating over this one for years now. Finally, when Ykaka suggested I should graduate to a DSLR already, I said to myself, this was it! After being a proud owner of a regular SLR camera with film, it was about time to makeup my mind about digital SLR and just go for it. To be honest, I didn't do too much research on any particular area about cameras because I wanted to buy something that I could use for everything - portraits, macros, scenes, and everything else. So for me, it was more of a decision to pick out the best entry level camera there was. My budget was sort of flexible, but I didn't want to go overboard with it.

Some thoughts to share if you're in the same place where I was before yesterday: If you can't make up your mind at any given point, the thing to do is, wait... the best part about that is, you'll probably get a better camera for the same money you'll spend. The bad thing about it is, you'll lose out on taking pictures during that time. And the worst is, the wait never ends if you keep doing that. So I finally decided to decide.

Here are some of the reasons why I chose Nikon D5000 over Canon T1i.

A few months back, I spent a lot of time on cnet reviews reading about DSLR basics. It is a wonderful site for some excellent info and confused me quite a lot. So this time, the keyword for me was "entry level" so I started out with the timelines for different cameras from both of these brands. I searched on google and wikipedia mostly to find which cameras fell under these category. I narrowed down on 3 models of Nikon and 3 models of Canon. Then it was time to compare them all amongst each other and within their same manufacturer. This helped narrow down even further to 2 models from each brand. Then I went on to quite a few websites to compare the features and check the prices of these four models. The feature comparison helped narrow down even further to two models that I mentioned above.

These are some of the sites I spend hours on to compare prices and packages:
BestBuy
Ritz Camera
Costco
B&H Photo Video
Fry's electronics is also another option along with Amazon.com. I didn't check either of these as it was creating information overload in my head.

I should add that one of the main reasons to choose a Nikon was that I already own a Nikon N65, which has already made a unique place in my heart so I was a bit partial to begin with. Then came the following points:
PROS:

1. Automatic mode - Nikon offers an automatic mode that Canon does not have. This makes the camera shoot like a normal point and shoot one. I liked this option a lot for the simplicity of use. Until I get into the details about the DSLR shooting and utilizing all the features, this would be like a default that I can use.
   
2. Image sensor - Nikon has slightly bigger one. The difference is in less than a millimeter.
   
3. Burst mode - Nikon has it and Canon doesn't. To be honest, I don't know a thing about burst mode, but that wasn't my deciding factor.
   
4. Weight - Nikon weighs almost the double at 28.8 oz where as Canon is at 16.9 oz. I talked to a few photographers and they said this was because the insides of a Nikon used magnesium alloy or similar metal for the core of camera where as Canon used plastic. I liked the fact that Nikon was heavier. That would make it heavy for usage but a sturdier camera too.
   
5. Price wise, Nikon was about $50 less than Canon.
   

CONS:

1. The LCD/live view screen size is 2.7 in in Nikon, Canon has 3 in.
   
2. Megapixel - Canon had 15+ Nikon has 12+ but I was told that resolution of more than 10 didn't make too much of a difference unless you were printing huge posters.
   
3. HD video - I am guessing the Nikon had 720p HD video where as Canon had 1000+p HD video. I'm not entirely sure though.
   
4. Nikon's weight is more making it a bit bulkier camera than Canon.
   

Everything else was practicaly the same. They both have video mode, live view, and support JPG, RAW and JPG+RAW (this means it generates both of these files for each photo) formats for photograph files. So after evaluating all these, I realized that I can live with the cons of Nikon better than the cons of the Canon.

Some really good suggestions that helped me make this decision were:

1. Do not think too much. Spending months or weeks deciding about cameras are not reasonable and don't help you make a better decision.
   
2. Once you decide on a camera, don't doubt your choice. Just go with it and enjoy yourself.
   
3. Get an upgradable camera and don't be afraid to spend a bit more to get a better longer lasting camera. You are not going to buy another one for at least five years, or atleast you want to think like that. ;)
   
4. Like everyone else using a DSLR tells you, and Sandeep said it here too, lenses are very important so get a camera that works with wide range of lenses with interchangeable mount. Doesn't have to be wide range of manufacturers.
   
5. When you purchase lenses, and if they are Nikon, be sure that they have VR (vibration reduction) and DX (Digital extra format - sensor type, majority of Nikon lenses use this).
   
6. Definitely get at least the haze filter or UV filter to protect the lens.
   
7. Do not buy a DSLR without the carrying bag/case. That helps protect your prized possession.
   
8. Don't do something because someone else wants you to do it. Do it because YOU want to do it.
   
9. Go with your gut feeling.
   

I added the last two points in there. :) Now comes the most challenging part: learning how to use it. For a starter, I watched the video of Bob Krist, the photographer for National Geographic. It was very helpful. Now I'm reading the instruction manual and keep taking photos in between to test what I just just learned. Still getting more comfortable with holding such a big camera and learning about a gazillion settings on it. The photos are not coming out as what I'd expect them to be. They're not bad, just completely different. The details in the photos are excellent. My Sony digital point-and-shoot has 14 MP and that one doesn't have nearly as much detail as this 12.3 MP camera. It's very interesting to note that. Am also learning what filters do and learning what is meant by different terminologies such as f stops, aperture, shutter speed, wide angle, etc. Gotta be patient with self and the learning process.

Here's a glimpse to some of my newest creations:


Bay Bridge - shaken not stirred ;)



Ghirardelli



Port of San Francisco



White flowers

El Bimbo... by Paul Mauriat in Hindi Film

This isn't really a Khanna-o-rama post, but thought I'd post this on here in case other fans are searching for the same.

What movie, or should I say Vinod Khanna movie plays this music of El Bimbo? Anyone knows? Answer tomorrow.




Here comes the answer:

The film is none other than "James Bond Ka Baap" Hera Pheri (1976) starring Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna and Saira Banu.

The el bimbo music starts at 1:08 and hunkalicious Vinod Khanna comes in at 4:18 in this clip:

Quotes from the Mirror of Erised, HP

"The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is." - Albus Dumbledore

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that." - Albus Dumbledore

Yahoo: 19 Things You Should Never Say to a Single Person

Read something hilarious on Yahoo! this morning and couldn't help sharing!

Since we could all use a good laugh, I asked some friends and Twitter followers to send in their most hated adages. I know you've heard them all before, but I just couldn't believe how many there were! Here's a tiny compilation. Enjoy -- today, they're not directed at you!

It happens when you're not looking. "This is just bull. Some people find people when they're looking; some don't. You're not doing anything wrong by going out and meeting people." -Beth

There are plenty of fish in the sea. "I dated a guy whose last name was Fish. People just had a BLAST with that one." -Kelly

So, why are you single? "I generally dislike this question. I mean honestly, if I knew why, I don't think I would be single right now, now would I?!" -Erica

You're too picky. "This may be true, but it feels like I'm getting criticized for my taste, vision, and close-mindedness -- when I'm already down." -Sarah

You'll find the right person for you. -Kelly

He's out there. -Kelly

It was just bad timing. "Like it's so easy to dismiss a guy on such an emotionless and objective reason." -Taryn

Just have fun with it! "Um, don't tell me how to date in my thirties when you got married at 24." -Maya

Have you tried online dating? "Duh!" -Elisa

He just wasn't the right guy for you. "I know! That's what I'm complaining about!" - Elisa

Well, when Steve and I first got together... "Wait, I still want to talk about me." -Elisa

When the time is right, you will meet someone. -Betsy

Wow, I wish I were single and in your shoes! "Really?! I'm pretty sure you CAN be single if you actually want to be. That there is an attainable dream, so if you aren't messing with me right now out of pity (which I suspect you are), please go for it!" -Kim

Your turn next [at weddings]. -Natlondon, via Twitter

It will happen when you least expect it. -dlegas05, via Twitter

Some guy is going to come along and ruin your career/life plans. "I am 32 and no one has ruined the last 10 years of plans." -frolicblog, via Twitter

But you're so pretty! Why don't you have a boyfriend? "There's just no graceful way to answer that." -earnesteats, via Twitter

It just wasn't meant to be. "Any of these platitudes are exponentially more annoying when coming from the mouths of smug marrieds." -Reberoodle, via Twitter

Sure, Steve rescues kids from abusive homes, donated my sister a kidney, and picks up fresh flowers for me daily on his way home from work, but will he QUIT IT with the sports on TV already? "Single people just hate to be complained to about petty relationship stuff. If you do this, I'm not going to want to hang out with you. (In fact, maybe I'll call Steve and ask him if he wants to watch the Yankees game?)" -Kim

Bottom line, if you're in a relationship or married and you don't have any specific, original advice or wisdom for your single friend -- and you must use an established saying -- we would prefer to hear neutral ones like, "This too shall pass" or "Take it one day at a time." They are so much more helpful and comforting -- you have no idea!

Source: click here

My Best Birthday

In the recent years, it has become sort of a tradition in the family to give surprise cake-cutting parties at midnight before birthday for all the family members regardless of their age. So as usual, we were coming back home tired from some shopping trip on the day before my birthday, which also happened to be a Saturday. It was later in the afternoon and everyone just wanted to get home and chill, relax. As we were getting closer to home, some of the people changed their minds and mentioned they had to pick up some random items from the shopping center close to home. I, being smarter than myself sometimes, figured it out and declared that I wasn't interested in eating ice-cream cake (ColdStone makes some awesome cakes with ice-creams and since we all love the place, it usually ends up being the default choice) tonight! You should've seen the victory smile on my face. Everyone laughed out loud at this statement... it was truly a "jab main chhotaa bacchaa tha badi sharaarat kartaa thaa, jab meri chori pakdi jaati.." kind of moment for them.

Now since I had already managed to figure out the surprise, I also announced that I would rather go to Ghirardelli Square before midnight for ice-creams and begin the celebrations there. And everyone just loved the idea. The best thing about having your birthday on Sunday is that you can have all the fun and the way YOU want it and spend the weekend doing ALL that you want without worrying about waking up early next morning!

Once we got home, we watched one of those funny movies that the family enjoys watching together. Quite frankly, I don't even remember now which one it was, probably Hulchul or Hungama, but I do remember that it being just great! Had simple Gujarati food for dinner and then we headed out to Ghirardelli around 10:30 PM. We probably got there around 11:15 or so and ordered our ice-cream sundaes and enjoyed them until after midnight. Everyone wished me happy birthday and got many hugs & kisses and it was the most wonderul start of a birthday I have ever had!


Hot fudge sundaes, chocolate chip ice cream & quake shake


Since this was right after Xmas, Ghirardelli folks had their world famous peppermint bark squares, which they usually only have it for holidays and very limited time. So I figured this was a good idea to pick these up as well while I was there to add it to my personal chocolate stash. While I was browsing around their chocolate store next to the cafe, I also found a nice looking tote bag with peppermint colors, that looked sort of like this. Filled with exciment and happiness after devouring all that fudge, chocolate and ice-cream, I was ready to buy a big bag of peppermint bark squares and the peppermint tote bag, I headed for the cashier with these two in my hand, waiting for the cashier to arrive at the register. And he did pretty soon. I placed the two items on the counter and was about to open my purse to pay for these items, and then everything went *blank* for a fraction of a second.


Hot fudge sundae with bananas



All done! :D


Next thing I realize, the cashier is coming out from behind the counter running towards me saying something like "Oh! I'm so sorry" repeatedly. For a few moments, I didn't even realize what had happened. Then I see that the the large chocolate bag, the tote bag are soaked with soapy water along with OH MY GOD! my pants AND my sweater AND my jacket! I was just standing there laughing away looking at the expression on his face and then laughing even more looking at my pants. It happens so that he had just knocked off a bucket full of soapy water from behind the cash register that another cashier had placed there a few moments ago as he was cleaning the area. The bucket happened to be on the side the customers stand and it fell off as the cashier touched the register spilling all of its contents on the counter, the floor and me! The cashier helping me just happened to be a manager or something and got super upset with the other cashier for leaving the big soap water bucket on counter. He asked another cashier who was passing by to take me to the nearest sink to get cleaned up and dried and went off to get another chocolate bag and tote bag for me. And all along, I am just standing there laughing out loud feeling so funny and amused about the whole thing. Some of the family members started getting upset and I had to cool them down.. they joined me in laughing too! :) I handed over my purse to them and went to the nearest special ice-cream sink to wash my hands and get some paper napkins. A couple of cashiers actually asked me whether it was raining this hard outside. That made me laugh out loud even more! I couldn't control it... and the look on the manager/cashier was so full of guilt I decided that it wasn't a good idea to share with him it was my birthday. ;) He apologized so many times I had to smile at him and tell him that it was completely alright. I think that made him feel more uncomfortable, but I truly enjoyed the whole experience. I was excused from paying any money for the chocolates and bag and he also asked me if I wanted to buy anything more. I said no and smiled and we wished eachother good night before I headed back to the car with family with drippy pants. Thank goodness there was a warm shawl to help me on my drive back to home. It was the funniest ride and we laughed all the way back!

The day was even more fun... it was a gorgeous winter day with lots of sunshine and I spent it enjoying time with my family!

Now would you have believed me if I told you that my best birthday ever was the one where the cashier spills a bucket full of soapy water on me? But it truly was! :D

Garfield

(c) Jim Davis

The Story of Shishupaal

Today, I got to watch the Shishupaalvadh story in Shri Krishna.

Right at the beginning of Raajsooya yagya that King Yudhishthir is performing with his brothers and family and relatives, they are doing pooja of Shri Krishna and that's when Shishupaal starts insulting Shri Krishna. Shri Krishna had vowed to forgive 100 sins of Shishupaal to his aunt (Shishupaal's mother, sister of Vasudev) and after that he will kill him. So when the number of sins exceeds this count, Shishupaal is killed with Shri Krishna Bhagwaan's chakra. But even then, at the end Shishupaal claims moksha and Goddess Laxmi sends a "divya vimaan" (divine airplane) for Shishupaal.

Apparently, three births earlier, Shishupaal was Jay - a paarshad (gatekeepers) of Vaikunth (abode of Lord Vishnu) along with another paarshad Vijay. Whan sanatkumaar (sons of Lord Brahma) arrive at the entrance of Vaikunth, Jay-Vijay restrict them from entering Vaikunth. This is when they are cursed by the sanatkumaars to take birth as humans on earth.

Their first birth was as Hiranyaaksh and Hiranyakashipu and they were freed from that life by Lord Vishnu being born as Nrusinh bhagwaan. Then their second birth was as Raavan and Kumbhkarna and they achieved liberation with the help of Lord Raam. Then in their third birth, they came as Shishupaal and Dantavakra respectively. Shishupaal gets mukti by help from Lord Krishna. And Dantavakra is freed in the war he has with Lord Krishna when he attacks Dwarika.

At the time of Shishupaal-vadh, Bhishma pitamaha chants the following shlok:

mukam karoti vaachaalam pangum langhayate girim
yatkripaa tamaham vande parmaanandmaadhavam

Translation: With your blessings, a mute (speechless) gains speech (vaachaa) and a crippled is able to climb a mountain. O supreme blissful, Lord Maadhav, I salute You.

Shri Krishna even helps His enemies, His haters because they are making that effort to think of Him even in that form.

Shrimad Bhaagwat Notes

Often times when I read Bhaagwat katha, I feel like revisiting some of the stories because they are so interesting. This one is the same.

Also, there are so many relationships that come up and since there are so many, just thought of keeping some notes for myself.

Relations:

Born from Lord Brahma's halfbody was Swaayambhoov Manu.

Shatroopa and Swaayambhoov Manu had two sons - Priyavrat and Uttaanpaad.

King Uttaanpaad had two queens - Suruchi and Suniti. Suniti had a son named Dhruv. Suruchi was the king's favorite and had a son named Uttam.


પવિત્ર કીર્તિવાળા અને શ્રીહરિના અંશરૂપ બ્રહ્માના અર્ધશરીરથી જન્મેલા સ્વાયમ્ભૂવ મનુ. મનુએ શતરૂપા ન સ્વામી અને તેમને પ્રિયવ્રત અને ઉત્તાનપાદ નામે બે પુત્રો હતા. રાજા ઉત્તાનપાદને બે રાણીઓ હતી - સુરુચિ અને સુનીતિ. સુનીતિનો પુત્ર ધ્રુવ હતો. સુરુચિ રાજાની માનીતિ રાણી હતી અને તેનો પુત્ર ઉત્તમ હતો.

~~~~~*~~~~~

Excerpt from this same chapter:

નારદ બોલ્યા: મનુષ્યને દૈવયોગે સુખદુઃખ જ્યારે પ્રાપ્ત થાય ત્યારે સુખ થતા પુણ્યનો ક્ષય થાય છે અને દુઃખ આવતાં પાપ નાશ પામે છે. એમ માની સુખમાં કે દુઃખમાં પણ આત્મા ને સંતુષ્ટ રાખનારો અજ્ઞાનરૂપ અંધકારનો પાર (મોક્ષ) મેળવે છે. પોતાના કરતા અધિક ગુણવાનને જોઈ મનુષ્યે આનંદ પામવો (અદેખાઈ ન કરવી), પોતાના કરતાં ઓછા ગુણવાનને જોઈ તેના પર દયા લાવવી (તિરસ્કાર ન કરવો) અને પોતાની સમાનને જોઈ તેની જ સાથે મિત્રતા કરવી (સ્પર્ધા ન કરવી). આમ કરનારો સંતાપથી દુઃખી થતો નથી.


શ્રીમદ્દ ભાગવત - ચતુર્થ સ્કંધ - અધ્યાય ૮ મો - "ધ્રુવ ચરિત્ર - સાવકી માતાનાં કઠોર વચનો થી ધ્રુવનું વનગમન, તપશ્ચર્યા અને ભગવાનની પ્રસન્નતા"

Translation:
Naarad said: When a humanbeing experiences happiness or sadness, they should consider happiness as usage of their good-deeds (punya) and hardships as the result of their bad-deeds (paap). The one who remains satisfied and indifferent towards both of these is the one who truly achieves liberation. When one sees someone with higher accomplishments (virtuous) than themselves, be happy for them (don't be jealous), on seeing someone with lesser number of accomplishments than themselves, be generous towards them (don't show dislike or hatred) and on seeing someone with similar accomplishments befriend them (don't compete with them). If one does this, they are not pained with anguish.

Source: Shrimad Bhaagwat, Section 4, Chapter 8 - Dhruva Charitra.

Meeting "old" people

More like time-wise, than age-wise.

This past week was very exciting but that was only inside me. Outside it was just a normal week, nothing extraordinary. But inside me, I was smiling, laughing, jumping with joy, and feeling so excited I couldn't contain it.

I got in touch with some long lost classmates. Mind you, they aren't my best friends or anything but still, we shared a connection, we shared memories, we shared childhood, we shared the crazy teenage years. We went to school together (5th standard through 10th) and then college. Well, not really college but for us 11th-12th were sort of like college because we changed schools then. I got in touch with some of the brightest girls from my batch and some very sweet, others were just my classmates that I rarely interacted with, but that didn't matter. What made it so much fun was to be in touch with them 15 years later. Most of them are now happily married and settled, some doctors, some engineers, some pharmacists, and others I'm still finding out. It was like we were virtually in one room together and chatting away, sharing who was in touch with whom, who got married, who isn't, who has how many kids and what they do for living, where they live... too many OMG! OMG! moments.

I also got in touch with someone who helped save my life once. It was blessing to get in touch with him after 18 years. It just made me feel so grateful once again, for this life and reminded me of the fact that in life, what people remember are things like your attitude, your behavior more than anything else. It is how your actions leave a mark behind for someone to change their lives forever. This person has touched the lives of my family members and I such a way that can not be described. I can never be more grateful to him than I am today and will always be for the rest of my life. I was so happy to talk to him and find out how he was doing, how happily settled he is with his family. God, please bless him and his family always.

Why am I writing this? I had been thinking... you know how young kids are, remembering silly things and holding grudges and not letting go… oh wait, it's not just kids, practically anyone and everyone does that, but I used to be like that once and there were times when I didn't get along with a few of those classmates. When I got excited to meet them, I was reminded of those certain old times. It got me thinking, do I care to remember about how and what we argued about back then? Or do I just be happy to make new friends out of them? I think I choose the latter. :) I am so happy today to be back in touch with those people and wish I get to meet more childhood friends.

Oh yeah, and I also got to reconnect with some old neighbors!! :D

Why do we get married?

This topic has come up so often in recent years, more because of the age I guess, but M and I discuss this on weekly basis these days.

Question is why do we get married? Or why should we get married? Can't we be single and continue to live life like we do when we are single?

I sit and ponder often and then observe people around, couples around. One thing I've realized is that life is always more fun and exciting when shared with others. With people around us. Then again, you think, well don't you actually share your life with your parents, siblings?

It is to have someone in life with whom we belong. Someone who is our age. Someone who is different from us in how we were raised in the past, yet similar in how we will be raised in future. Someone we can tell everything to and not be afraid of what they will think. Someone who trusts us and whom we trust, with all our heart, without a single doubt. Someone we like despite of how many bad qualities or shortcomings they have because the good in them is more than enough for us to like them, love them, tolerate them, accept them. Someone we can go ask questions to when we are confused. Someone who is like a parent when we need them and someone who can become like our child when they need to be. Someone who recognizes our shortcomings and helps us overcome them or at least does not let them not bog us down. Someone who stands by us when no one else does or wants to. Someone who tells us stories. Someone who lifts our spirits when we are down. Someone that gets our good qualities out and makes us a better person. Someone who respects and cares like no one else does. Someone who makes our lives worthwhile to live. Someone to hold our hand and walk with us the journey of life. Someone who makes us experience life like we have never experienced it before... btw, this list does continue.

Someone who doesn't boss you around or control you. Someone who doesn't just think of you as a bank account. Someone who doesn't consider you their property or worse, a thing they own. Someone who doesn't treat you like a slave. Someone who respects you and earns and deserves your respect...

Well, imagine all of these people getting bundled up in one. Because they can, depending upon the arising need, they will be able to take up one of the above roles for you. And because parents, siblings, grandparents, children can not do the same thing, they come to our lives.

Now I know why we get married, rather why we should get married.

Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple

I was fortune to visit this beautiful temple recently. It is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the bay area.



Ganpati Bappa



Entrance stairs



Shri Hanumaanji



Temple from the stairs



Flying Hanumaanji



More Hanumaanji statues



Hanumaanji statue


More temple photos here.

Information about the temple could be found here.

Jai Hanumaan Ji!

70s Week: My Favorite Romantic Duets

My favorite romantic duet from each year...

~~~~~*~~~~~

haaaye re haaye neend nahin aaye, Humjoli (1970)
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar & Mohd. Rafi
Music Director: Laxmikant Pyarelal
Picturized on: Jeetendra, Leena Chandavarkar

Outrageous dance in rain, you just can't imagine that. For that, you've got to watch this song. :D Makes me miss the Indian rains.




~~~~~*~~~~~

achha to hum chalte hai, Aan Milo Sajna (1971)
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar & Kishor Kumar
Music Director: Laxmikant Pyarelal
Picturized on: Asha Parekh, Rajesh Khanna

Bright colorful & glittery dresses, secret romance and gorgeous sunsets and two people that can't live apart!




~~~~~*~~~~~

jaan-e-jaan dhoondhta phir rahaa, Jawaani Deewani (1972)
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle
Music Director: R. D. Burman
Picturized on: Jaya Bhaduri, Randhir Kapoor

Haunting melody full of romance that makes you wanna hum this one all day. It's all because of this fantastic singer duo. I love how they have sung this one where their voices overlap. Isn't it interesting the parents worked in this one and decades later the kids also get to work together - Abhishek & Kareena that is!



~~~~~*~~~~~

hawaa ke saath saath, Seeta Aur Geeta (1973)
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle
Music Director: R. D. Burman
Picturized on: Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar

Masti-bhara gaana... that's what it is. That's what you get when you have Asha Bhosle and Kishore Kumar sing for you. Watching both the actors skate just makes me realize how much you've to know/learn how to do if you act. Sanjeev Kumar looks so handsome! :) I'm happy to see him in this fun mood, as I've mostly seen him in serious roles only.




~~~~~*~~~~~

waada kar le saajna, Haath Ki Safaai (1974)
Singers: Mohd. Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar
Music Director: Kalyanji Anandji
Picturized on: Vinod Khanna, Simi Garewal

This one I picked over "chura liya hai" for I find it a lot more romantic and the lyrics are so much more meaningful. It's truly a beautiful melody...




~~~~~*~~~~~

jaan-e-man jaan-e-man tere do nayan, Chhoti Si Baat (1975)
Singers: Asha Bhosle, K. J. Yesudas
Music Director: Salil Chowdhary
Picturized on: Amol Palekar, Vidhya Sinha, Dharmendra, Hema Malini

Playful romantic melody... the feelings can't be contained in this heart. Butterflies in tummy... it's that exciting!! A very young and possessive Amol Palekar with the gorgeous and trendy Vidhya Sinha. Love the bus-stops, bus rides! Close-necked blouse looks so cute and classy.




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tu jo mere sur mein sur mila de, Chitchor (1976)
Singers: Hemlata, K. J. Yesudas
Music Director: Ravindra Jain
Picturized on: Amol Palekar, Zareena Wahab

I picked this just for the music and lyrics. Wow! what a fantastic song... gives me goosebumps. Ravindra Jain truly rocks! He's a blessed soul. Quality cinema, quality music and fabulous acting, this one has. They don't make them like this any more.





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do deewaane shaher mein, Gharonda (1977)
Singers: Bhupinder Singh, Runa Laila
Music Director: Jaidev
Picturized on: Amol Palekar, Zareena Wahab

When you earn the "deewana" status, you don't care about a thing in the world. That's when you start seeing stars walking on the earth. :) Simple and romantic, this one is.




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aap ki aankhon mein kuchh, Ghar (1978)
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar
Music Director: R. D. Burman
Picturized on: Rekha, Vinod Mehra


My all time favorite song and what playful lyrics and heart-rendering music...waah waah! Even the picturization is so beautiful (minus the smoking, of course), you can see the love in their eyes.




~~~~~*~~~~~

suniye kahiye kahiye suniye, Baaton Baaton Mein (1979)
Singers: Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar
Music Director: Rajesh Roshan
Picturized on: Amol Palekar, Tina Munim, Ranjit Chowdhary, David, Pearl Padamsee

Kishore Kumar's voice! That's the only reason I love this one. Aah, this one reminded me of the fun train rides of Mumbai. :)
70s costumes are awesome!!!




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EnjoY!

70s Week: Golmaal (1979) in Pictures

First of all, the delay has been caused by the amount of work that goes on in creating screenshots. To all those Bollywood film lovers Beth, Greta, Bollyviewer, Filmi Girl, Bollywood Food Club, and everyone else who's mentioned on here, hats off to you! For mere love of Hindi Films and the amount of hard work you put in this hobby. It is amazing and inspiring and best of all, so entertaining! I have no words.

This post is to all of you.

Golmaal has been my most favorite film ever since I watched it for the first time. I can't write enough about it. This is the film I've watched maximum number of times and sadly enough, never in theater. It is a dream that might never come true. But that's not a problem at all. My love for Ramprasad and Golmaal, in general, is not dependent on that.

The best comedy film ever made, and the best music and my most favorite film song ever make this film. Here I give you a pictorial review of Golmaal. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

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Golmaal (1979) is the story of Ramprasad Sharma.




Song: golmaal hai bhai sab golmaal hai...


Ramprasad is seedha-saada, bhola-bhaala naujawaan...


Who loves to sing and dance and...


...can't get enough of sports like all the crazy people his age do. He wakes up at odd hours just to listen to match commentary. He loves hockey, and cricket specially and soon there's going to be a hockey test match!!! Ramprasad has already started to day-dream about it.


He's also a fresh graduate which means he's jobless and is looking for some work. His Mama (uncle who grew up with his mom) has suggestions. Btw, the point to note is, his Mama is 65 and still single. ;)


Mama has a langotiya-dost Bhavani Shankar, who now owns a company and is hiring. Tada! Ramprasad is to apply there. For this, Mama makes some outrageous suggestions for the interview and what to wear. Ramprasad is outraged but still accepts it as it will earn him a living.


Ramprasad also loves to play tricks on everyone around him. On the day his college results are being declared, he makes a joke that he's failed.


Well, the day arrives when he's to go for the interview and he has to do all those crazy things that Mama suggested. Wear kurta-pyjama, put on hair oil, wear a confused look like he has no clue about anything else in the world other than his own field - accountancy.


He has never owned a kurta-pyjama so borrows it from his film artist friend - Deven. Deven is also his pal who introduces him to some of his film-star frields. Ramprasad is so fascinated!


Ramprasad arrives for the interview and he has no idea what he's getting himself into.


On meeting Bhavani Shankar, he makes up phony stories about his dad and his beliefs, ideals, and worst of all mustache (moochh)!!!


He also pretends that he doesn't know a thing about the outside world. The hiring manager is impressed and he gets hired.


He also had to bluff about why he wears short kurtas. This ends up costing him as he has to order more of those ugly looking, short kurtas that he doesn't like.


Mama also gets impressed with Ramprasad landing himself such a high-paying job and suggests that his boss has a pretty looking spinster daughter.


While all of this is going on, Ramprasad dreams about becoming Amitabh Bachchan and because if him, Amitabh turns jobless (see previous post).



Song: ek din sapne mein dekha sapna... (here's where you get a glimpse of the screenshots in my previous post too)


There's also a hockey test match coming up. His friends have gotten him tickets. They plan out how he's sneak out of work and go.


But he'd only go if he can change his work clothes before the match, else India will surely lose! :D You can see why.


After sneaking out to the match with making a false statement about his mother being sick, India actually wins the match. But everything has a price...


...Ramprasad gets caught without actually being aware of it. Bhavani Shankar was also at the match, only to find Ramprasad there too with his friends.


Ramprasad sees his future doomed with boss losing trust in him and makes up some more stories to save his job.


He lies and says that the one who was at the match was his moochh-munda (clean-shaven) twin brother, Lakshmanprasad.


Things get worse. The boss offers Lakshman a job too! A job to teach his daughter music.


Deven's help is taken yet again to resolve this issue. He makes arrangement to get a fake mustache for real Ramprasad and becomes Lakshmanprasad. Double roles - Deven plays them in films, Ramprasad in real life!


Ramprasad's evil twin Lakshmanprasad gets introduced to us.


He's cool, hip and dashing!


So goodlooking, the daughter of the boss, Urmila, falls for him.



Song: aanewala pal jaanewala hai (Ramprasad sing's Urmi's favorite song of him)


In all of this, Bhavani Shankar decides to come and meet Ramprasad's mother (who's actually been dead for years). Deven yet again helps make arragements to find a fake mother.


Bhavani Shankar asks his mother, how she differentiated between her twin boys when they were young. They make up that story also. Mother says "moochho se" (she differentiated with mustache then too) ;)


The romance blooms between two young hearts and Urmila has started to dream about Lakshmanprasad too.



Song: ek baat kahoon gar maano tum...


Then one day while Ramprasad and Urmila are out having a ball, Bhavani Shankar catches them red-handed and decides to make a trip to see Ramprasad's mother once again.


Ramprasad has a marriage proposal from his boss for his daughter Urmila!! YIKES!


He's between a rock and a hard place yet again. The boss loves Ramprasad, his daughter loves Lakshmanprasad.


The best thing about Ramprasad's life is, there's always atleast one way out. (Do you know how many times he says this dialog in the film?)


Lakshman's chapter will have to end.


Ramprasad is busy having a discussion about mustaches and beards with Bhavani Shankar.


That's when the worst happens! The mustache gives way and Bhavani Shankar gets hold of Ramprasad's fake mooch. :O


Police gets called and Ramprasad is held at gunpoint by Bhavani Shankar.


He manages to escape and hide in Urmila's room.


Urmila and Ramprasad escape in car and Bhavani Shankar chases them in another car. This one ends like this:


Ramprasad & Urmila escape from the police too and Bhavani Shankar gets to see the inside of a jail. At the end of it all, even the police officer wants a mustache, like everyone else. :P


All in all, things work out just fine for Ramprasad. He secretly gets married to Urmila and shows up at Bhavani Shankar's doorstep with everyone's support.


Bhavani Shankar gives it a thought and realizes his craziness.


And decides to let go of his own moochh too!!


Still don't believe me? Look at the closeup.


The wedding photo! :)


If you still haven't watched this film, then it means you haven't watched the best comedy film of the decade. Please go watch it ASAP! You will not regret it.

Please do share your thoughts on the film.

ps. doesn't the background of titles photo look like someone's rear? :P I just couldn't help notice.