Posted in Entertainment, Pop Culture, tagged Avatar, Avatar the Movie, Glyder Glu Mobile, James Cameron on December 30, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Like many others, this weekend I watched the blockbuster movie Avatar with family. I had high expectations going in as relatives and friends who had already seen the movie had rave reviews, a must see. Here’s what I thought about the movie overall, what I liked and didn’t like. (more…)
Posted in Book Review, Entertainment, India, tagged Aravind Adiga, Comparison Shantaram and The White Tiger, Gregory David Roberts, Shantaram, The White Tiger on September 26, 2009| 5 Comments »
Two recent fiction books set in and depicting life in India that have become internationally acclaimed are Shantaram and The White Tiger. Shantaram, written by Gregory David Roberts, is a semi-autobiographical fiction book based upon some of Roberts’ real life experiences as a fugitive from an Australian prison who flees to Bombay in the 80’s and has a wide range of experiences there including living in a Bombay slum and a small rural village, joining the Indian mafia, fighting in Afghanistan against the Russians, and acting in Bollywood movies. The White Tiger was written by journalist, Aravind Adiga, and tells a fictional story of a driver in modern day India who serves an upper class businessman and ultimately becomes a successful entrepreneur in Bangalore after escaping what he calls life in the Darkness through, what most would say, the worst way possible. (more…)
Posted in Entertainment, India, tagged Gandhi, Gandhi in South Africa, The Making of the Mahatma on August 30, 2009| 3 Comments »
Tonight, I watched the movie, The Making of the Mahatma. While the movie was released in 1996, thirteen years later I’ve finally gotten the chance to watch it. This movie is completely focused on Gandhi’s 21 year stay in South Africa from 1893-1914, from ages 23 to 45. It is here where he begun his methodology of satyagraha (devotion to the truth), or non-violent protest. Jointly produced by South Africa and India, it isn’t as widely known as Richard Attenborough’s legendary 1982 movie Gandhi, but it is pitched as a more intimate portrayal of the beginning of Gandhi’s transformation into a force of social change. (more…)
Posted in China, Entertainment, Travel, tagged Amazing Face Changing, China, Face Changing, Lao Tse teahouse Beijing, Mask Changing, Sichuan Opera on August 23, 2009| 2 Comments »
I just came back from a week long business trip to Beijing, China. One of the most memorable events of the trip was a variety show at a Beijing teahouse called Lao Tse teahouse climaxing with an exceptional face changing routine typical of the Sichuan Opera. With remarkable slight of hand, the performer will change masks seven to ten times during an approximate 3 minute performance; often right in front of you. Some may consider it as an illusionist or magic trick, but more rightfully, it’s an art form developed in southern China that takes years and years to perfect. While not the actual Sichuan opera performance I watched, here’s an example clip of Sichuan opera. (more…)
Posted in Entertainment, India, tagged Desi Girl, Moonwalk, Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan on August 23, 2009| Leave a Comment »
On Saturday evening August 8, I attended a concert called Explosion 2009 in Oakland, California which featured popular Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam. Also included in the show were rising female singer Sunidhi Chauhan, rap group Hard Kaur, and a bhangra competition featuring California bhangra teams (primarily teenagers and twenty-somethings). I thoroughly enjoyed the show—some of my highlights and lowlights were: (more…)
Posted in Book Review, Entertainment, tagged Daniel Silva, Gabriel Allon, Moscow Rules, The Defector on August 12, 2009| 1 Comment »
I just finished reading the recently released book The Defector, by Daniel Silva. Silva is the best selling author of thriller and espionage books, having written 12 thriller novels, many of which have reached the New York Times best selling list. A fan of the thriller genre, I’ve read and enjoyed Silva’s previous 11 books and as usual, quickly purchased The Defector when it was released in July. The Defector continues the Gabriel Allon series, the Israeli intelligence hero that Silva has used in his last 8 books. Here are a couple of initial thoughts, without giving away the entire story. (more…)
Posted in Entertainment, India, tagged Sivamani, Tabla on August 11, 2009| Leave a Comment »
I recently attended a local Indian dance program and really enjoyed the live music, mostly from musicians who had flown to California from India. Along with the violinst, I particularly enjoyed the tabla player. Being a very amateur (and I mean amateur) photographer, I took some video of the performance. Here is some brief video I call Hands of a Tabla Player. (more…)
