HEROES

Who does not want to be a HERO ? I remember the song by the Wallflowers - "We can be HEROES - just for one day !"

I recently completed viewing the entire Season 1 of the highly acclaimed hit tv series - HEROES.

I must say that it really touched and moved me.

It is a story where many individuals genetically have super powers.

These individuals are all connected to one destiny - they need to save the world !

The Brilliant story telling and superb visual extravaganza does not hide the underlying message - Be true to your self - and all will work out !

I also took away one huge message for myself - We don't need super powers to achieve anything in life - just a super will - and that itself can move mountains !

Thank you HEROES !

This ain't no Tom & Jerry !

Art Spiegelman has created MAGIC !! He has taken a Horrific story - a story of a Holocaust survivor - a survivor of the Auschwitz concetration camp - his own father, and given it a whole new DIMENSION.

Firstly, he made the story into a comic book. Then he has portrayed the Jews as MICE and the Germans as mean CATS. You relate to this story at a totally different level because of all this !

It is , not a Sob story though it is full of the horrors suffered by the Jews at the hands of the Nazi Germans during World War II. It is a story of Heroism - in its most relatable way - not heroism of all the spectacular War Movie type ! It is a story of Determination - the Determination to Survive which drives Art's father Vladek Spiegelman throughout the toughest of situations. It is a story of Love. This was one of the biggest motivations that pushed Vladek to survive - his love for his wife, Anja.

Another dimension which makes the story so special is the depiction of the strained relationship between Art and his father. Art just cannot relate to all that his father suffered and gone through. And he could not accept what his father had become as a result. Art even shows us how he goes to a shrink to deal with his GUILT of not habing gone through what his father when through !

In all, a masterpiece - a winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1992, this is a classic you MUST MUST experience !!!

Way to go - Chak de India !

After a long I watched a Hindi movie that really touched me !! And not in the conventional way ! It was a FEEL GOOD movie - from an INNER MOTIVATION point of view.

It is set in the context of Indian Hockey cleverly juxtaposed over the over hyped and extremely commercial game of Cricket. Hockey is definitely the underdog game in India - though it is supposed to be the national game !

It also pushes the underdog needle on the meter by showing WOMEN's hockey !

Other than that it is a story of Human Drive, Determination, Defeat, Bitterness, Ego, Redemption and the ultimate cure for a pot boiler of Egos - true team spirit !

Victory can be sweet but Defeat can be oh so bitter - and it shows a perspective of the emotions behind the scenes. Of the players of what they go through when subjected to extreme crowd expectations - from cheering for victory to jeering for defeat and going even further to maligning and ostracizing !

But ultimately clear intent and determination pays off - and redemption is found in the journey towards victory !

This reminded me of another movie ( 1999) - ANY GIVEN SUNDAY with a similar story construct. Al Pacino is a loser football player who becomes a coach of a loser team and pushes them to ignore their "inadequacies" and start focusing on their possibilities !

I have posted a clip of the very stirring locker room speech already on this blog ( please do have a look at it - its a classic !)

Shah Rukh Khan performs a similar one - just before the main game - and I felt it was equally stirring and quite original !

This brings me back to the most MAGICAL quality of Human spirit - Believe in it and belief becomes Reality ! Whether it is Nike's classic - JUST DO IT or the recent Addidas' Impossible is Nothing , Chak De India stirs the most basic of human emotions - and I just loved it !!!

Hope it does the same for you ! Chak de !!

Back to Basics - COMICS - and their new Avataar !

Comics are BACK !

Richie Rich, Archies, Tin Tin, Asterix suddenly don't seem a part of a memory left behind long back anymore !!

The last couple of years have seen a resurgence of the COMIC BOOK - especially now for ADULTS !!!

I picked this up a few years ago when I was watching SETH COHEN ( from the uber-hip TV series THE O C) wax eloquent about Comic Books ! It appealed to me inside - but something made it stay inside !

Dilbert did it many years ago. So did the Simpsons - change the way adults were consuming entertainment. It touched movies - I lOOVED the movie SIN CITY and suddenly discovered a huge new dark world of Frank Miller ! And who can forget the inflluence of Calvin & Hobbes ?!

Probably that kept me away - I found the comic books or GRAPHIC NOVELS to be DARK !

That changed when a couple of weeks I took the step and bought my first Graphic Novel !

People recommended I try out Joe Sacco's PALESTINE and I am so glad I did !

What a refreshing story teller ! And the best part was the story he told was al TRUE - a story told through the eyes of a COMIC BOOK story teller !

And the story was no less dark / serious - it was the story of the Palestine struggle - which Sacco picks up after visiting the land first hand.

And, the best thing I loved about his style was the way he got into the gory details but still managed not to get emotionally get sucked into it !

This prompted me to buy his second famous novel - GORAZDE - the story of the BOSNIAN war !

Wow ! Thank you Joe for your gift ! I love the way you portray yourself in the comics ! ( that's him on the left !)

So, Comic books are back - and with a BANG and a whole new DIMENSION ! I am so glad - I believe that we are VISUAL beings ( rather than Text driven !). The Playstation generation kids of today can suddenly connect with characters of yesteryear in a format that they relate to ! I saw Agatha Christie novels in graphic novels form the other day ! Made me suddenly want to read them - something which I have honestly ever done !

Lets dig out those Amar Chitra Kathas - and while we are at it - can we see some Graphic novels of Shakespeare as well ?!

Good Old days !!

I remember when I got PULLED into Advertising, ads were simple, emotional and memorable. They just tugged at your heart !!

An example was the famous ASIAN PAINTS Pongal ad. God knows what it meant - but it just flet GOOD watching and HEARING it ! :-)

Boy band FUN !!!

A couple of years ago I would have written a LOT about Boy bands !

But when I saw this parody video by Wierd Al Yankovic, sweet memories of those talentless years cam rushing back !!!

Thanks Al !!!

Enjoy the VIDEO !!

The Next Frontier for me

Rock Climbing party, originally uploaded by Steven Pam.

What is my next BLOCK ? My next FEAR ? I suddenly realised today in the morning at the Gym that it is ROCK CLIMBING !!! I have started a bit of Trekking early this year for the first time in my life - but the truth is there is HUGE difference between walking up and down steep paths and actual CLIMBING !!!

So, I suddenly realised that the Gym has an INDOORS ROCK CLIMBING WALL - and I saw the instructor for the first time !

I nervously approached him and importantly for me, TRIED it out !
It wasn't a HOME RUN but I got the FEEL of it.

The Feel of getting harnessed and IMPORTANTLY LETTING Go of the Wall and using the ROPE in Panic !!!

I realised that I need to strengthen ( and sum up all the COURAGE) myself to truly do MY FIRST ROCK CLIMB !!!

Next Saturday, I will scale NEW HEIGHTS !!!!

Stirring up a Group !!

I find the ability to STIR up a group, MOTIVATE them, help them connect with themselves the most AMAZING skill !!

Parodies are another way to connect with LIFE !!

Yet another of my Influences in life - the KING of PARODIES himself - Wierd Al Yankovic !!!! Check out his take of Michael Jackson's FAT !!!

Think Different - get an APPLE !!!

This one always gets me !!! Just check out the words !!

Apple's "Here's to the Crazy Ones" Commercial Script




Here's to the crazy ones.

The misfits.

The rebels.

The troublemakers.

The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.

They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo.

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.

Because they change things.

They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

It is the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Goodbye 1984 !!!! Hello APPLE !!!

This is the famous SUPERBOWL tv commercial which ran announcing the launch of the APPLE Macintosh signalling the end of CONFORMITY and the BIRTH of CREATIVITY !!! Hooooorahhh !!!!

Adventure on a plate !!! The WASABI way !!

wasabi no likey, originally uploaded by cior.

Do you like SUSHI ? I looooooooooooooove it !!! After having given up meat, I now enjoy VEGETARIAN SUSHI !!!

But, the SUSHI experience is really heightened by the innocuous looking green paste of WASABI or Japanese Horseradish sauce.

Dab your SUSHI with a little bit of Wasabi, and its fine. But, Dab a little more than intended and you are on a TRIP !!!!!

The senses ring ALARM BELLS !!!! The nasal passages become hyperactive. Then.... suddenly its all over and ... you are ready for the next dose !!!!!

What happens when you add HEART to Science ?

Miracles !!! If you haven't seen Patch Adams played by Robin Williams, you must !!!

Lessons from PATCH ADAMS !

Another POWERFUL movie played by Robin Williams ! This is a true story about Patch Adams, who was an UNCONVENTIONAL Doctor who believed that the biggest healing for patients was through the HEART and not just through medicine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_%22Patch%22_Adams

Robin Williams plays the role of Patch beautifully and most amazingly from the heart ! Patch is a medical student who doesn't believe that Patients should be treated as Patients ( but as people) and that Doctors should not get attached to the individuals.

At the end of the movie, the villain of the movie moves the medical commission to debar Patch from practicing medicine because of his unorthodox methods. Needless to say, Patch wins.

Here is an excerpt from that scene !! Enjoy !!

Medical Commission : Did you consider the ramifications of your actions?

What if one of your patients had died?

Patch : What's wrong with death, sir?

What are we so mortally afraid of?

Why can't we treat death with a certain amount of humanity and dignity and decency...and, God forbid, maybe even humor?

Death is not the enemy, gentlemen.

If we're gonna fight a disease, let's fight one of the most terrible diseases of all-- indifference.

Now, I've sat in your schools and heard people lecture on transference... and professional distance. Transference is inevitable, sir.

Every human being has an impact on another.Why don't we want that in a patient/doctor relationship?

That's why I've listened to your teachings, and I believe they're wrong.

A doctor's mission should be not just to prevent death...but also to improve the quality of life.

That's why you treat a disease, you win, you lose.

You treat a person, I guarantee you, you win, no matter what the outcome !!!

Lessons from DEAD POETS SOCIETY

One of my GREAT Influences in life ( wow ! how many influences do I seem to have ?!!) is the movie Dead Poets Society in which a Poetry Professor Mr. Keating, played by the affable Robin Williams connects with the hearts of the students.

English Poetry was at the bottom of the list for these students for both interest and career prospect reasons.

Keating however, captures their imaginations using Poetry to Excite and Energise the students into making them believe in themselves as INDIVIDUALS.

This of course goes agains the GRAIN of "formal education practices" but it ignites PASSION and ENERGY amongst the students.

After watching this move, the questions that came to my mind were :

"Why couldn't any of my teachers adopt this INSPIRING way to make the boring subjects at school come alive ?" I may not have given up on Science subjects and moved on to Commerce had that been the case !

"Why not follow the Dead Poets Society approach in everything I do in life from now on and EXCITE people about anything and not take their INTEREST for granted ?!

I have started following the above and can confidently say that it has made a HUGE difference in my life and I would like to believe that I am making one in others lives as well !

Three cheers to the movie and Professor Keating ! ( Robin Williams !)

Why do we need to get TECHNICAL about Life ??

Here we go round the mulberry bush
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush
Here we go round the mulberry bush
So early in the morning

This is the way we wash our clothes
Wash our clothes, wash our clothes
This is the way we wash our clothes
So early Monday morning

This is the way we iron our clothes
Iron our clothes, iron our clothes
This is the way we iron our clothes
So early Tuesday morning

This is the way we mend our clothes
Mend our clothes, mend our clothes
This is the way we mend our clothes
So early Wednesday morning

This is the way we sweep the floor
Sweep the floor, sweep the floor
This is the way we sweep the floor
So early Thursday morning

This is the way we scrub the floor
Scrub the floor, scrub the floor
This is the way we scrub the floor
So early Friday morning

This is the way we bake our bread
Bake our bread, bake our bread
This is the way we bake our bread
So early Saturday morning

This is the way we go to church
Go to church, go to church
This is the way we go to church
So early Sunday morning

So this is THE WAY WE LIVE OUR LIFE ????

Can we FOCUS on THIS IS THE WAY ( various WAYS !!!) we ENJOY OUR LIFE ??

Just like Professor Keating in the movie DEAD POET'S SOCIETY professed about Learning Poetry ?

History made FUN ! The Mel Brooks way !!

Back to one of MY ULTIMATE Inspirations in life - Mel Brooks with his MAGNUM OPUS creation - History of the World. Check out this awesome clip of the introduction of the TEN COMMANDMENTS ! ( or was it FIFTEEN ? !)

Why do we need to be SERIOUS ???

I have always loved people who are SERIOUS about FUN and spreading it. I have written about Mel Brooks earlier on my BLOG.

This is another series of movies - AIRPLANE ( and AIRPLANE 2) which I feel just CHALLENGES the Imagination of the mind and more importantly, makes one relaxed and ENJOY !!!!!!!!!

How can we SPREAD this message in this world ? How can INJECT this world with a SENSE of HUMOUR so that it forgets its Powerplay, EGO rifts, War, Sadness, Misery, etc. ???

Enjoy the clip !!!!

Who is in CONTROL ?

I smoked for 15 years of my life. I never admitted to myself that it wasn't me in CONTROL. It was my dependance; my addiction that was in control. One fine day I just asked myself this question - "Do I want to be in control at all ?" I never smoked after that.

Many people might exclaim - "Oh its not as easy as that" ! Whatever be your reason to quit and get back your FREEDOM, it is definitely WORTH it !!! Its been a 5 year long SMOKE FREE life for me ! And I don't miss it one bit !!!! Here's to exercising CHOICE in life !!!!!!

Would you want this kind of a TRANSFORMATION ?

Its sad to see one of this century's greatest talents become this way. And not just his looks - but the way the world has transformed from ADORING him to SPITING him ! I remember idolising him in the THRILLER days. That was 24 years ago !! MJ has contributed a lot to this world. Perhaps, the world has just not umderstood him. Here's wishing this legend realises and remembers his invaluable contribution and gets his PEACE soon !

Jazz - Take Five ! A True Classic !!!

GROAN !!!! Not Take Five !!! These are the normal protests uttered by the "Jazz afficianados" ! But, the ubiquity of this track actually reveals the GIANT nature of its influence ! It is a CLASSIC and well deserved. It crossed over to mainstream music from Jazz and is one of those compositions which made Jazz famous !!! Catch this amazing 1961 video with Dave Brubeck's leadership, the genius of Paul Desmond on the sax and the awesome drum solo by Joe Morello ! ENJOY !!!

A thrill like no other !!!

Shotover Jet, originally uploaded by dominic_tristram.

Yes, to add to the LIST OF THRILLS, that I have been amassing in life, here is another MEMORABLE one !!! This is a JETBOAT RIDE in new Zealand on the Shotover River.

A fact many may not know is that Jetboats were first designed in New Zealand by Sir William Hamilton to navigate the shallow rivers there. These jet boats do not have propellers under the boat. They eject the water through a jet proulsion system. Check the wikipedia link for info ! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jetboat

See the video to experience the thrill. Note the HAMILTON turn viz. the 360 degree turn by the boat !!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YASqQq9gJco

This is a THRILL not to be missed in life !!!

OSHO: LOVE and HATE are ONE

Sex God. Outrageous.Anti-Society. Anti-Religion. Some of these are true. Some not. What is TRUE is that OHSO was one of the VERY FEW people in the world who had the GUTS to say it STRAIGHT and hit it where it HURTS ! His Controversial aura has not allowed thousands to extract the ESSENCE of OSHO which when understood can cut the CRAP in your life and focus on the BEAUTY !!! Here's to TRUE LIVING !!!!

Darth Vader hates cell phones !

Please Mr.Vader, can you use the FORCE to do the same here in Mumbai to our tech savvy mobile users in the cinema multiplexes ????

My MEIN KAMPF, BIBLE, RIG VEDA

Ok !!!! Here's my second BIG BIG BIG SECRET !!!! My guide to How to NAVIGATE LIFE in the twentieth century !!! This one came out in 1983 !!! Yes, almost 25 years ago !!! Its called DELIRIOUS !

And those of you have enjoyed Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop ( which I did !) FORGET about it !!! All those roles are not a PATCH on what he does here !!! Of course, this is a stand up Comedy act on stage and therefore totally different ! But wow !! what a difference !

And mind you, this is not for the FAINT HEARTED !!! He swears and is VULGAR !!!! But in all this I believe he captures the ESSENCE of LIFE oh so beautifully !!!

The way he parodies and mimics various icons of the time - Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, etc. is just incomparable !!!

And in all that he steals a march away from the Cosmopolitans of the world with valuable RELATIONSHIP & SEX advice !!!

He had a follow up to this effort with the show RAW in 1987 - but I feel this one is the BEST !!! I have seen RICHARD PRYOR do similar shows, but for me it will always be Murphy who is the guru !!!

A tried and tested medical recommendation for STRESS !!!

Ok here it is !!! My secret in my life to all the HUMOUR !!! All the twisting words ! All the puns !!! This is one of my GREATEST INSPIRATION which graced my life more than 20 years ago !!!

Mel Brooks !!! Yes, the king of satire and comedy ! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Brooks

And this one was to my mind his MAGNUM OPUS !!! He takes on the entire History of the World right from Cavemen times to the French revolution ! And he MASSACRES it with FUN, WIT and WIT !!!

I must have watched this movie 234 times !!! And, a word of advice, DON"T ever watch it with me !!! I know every word, every ooh ,every grunt and I will preempt them while watching the movie and will therefore make your experience MISERABLE !!!

But , watch it you MUST !!!!! Live life with this outlook and I can guarantee its GOOD BYE STRESS & WORRY for the rest of your life !!!

The best part of the movie is no matter how many times you watch it, you will always grasp new nuances of humour in the movie that you didn't get earlier !!!! That's the mastery of Mr. Brooks !

A year full of adventure !!!

One more guide to ADVENTURE in Your life !! This fabulous book from none other than Lonely Planet lists out various adventurous activities and destinations in the world and tells you when is the best time in the year to do it !!! Makes planning a lot more simpler !!!

Its also nice to see a book like this and make a mental check list that you HAVE DONE some already !!!

So here's to PUSHING THE LIMIT and maximising the sweet nectar of LIFE !!!!

My FIRST TREK !

Taranaki Falls Walk, The National Park, New Zealand, originally uploaded by abhijit_dan.

Yes ! I am back !!! After neglecting my beloved blog for months , I am back ( and with a bang !!!). I guess I needed some fuel ! And now I have plenty !!!

I was never an Outdoors person in my life - in fact City life was life for me ! The song "You belong to the City" by Glenn Frey reflected my ideology in life !!!

All that changed when I first went to New Zealand in 2005. I fell in love with nature ! I connected with it and for the first time felt the connection with my self so strongly !!!

On my second trip to NZ ( this time with my wife), I ensured that the Opportunity to Connect was phenomenally high !

I discovered that NZ was one of the best havens for Trekkers in this world ! In fact they call it TRAMPING ! http://www.tramper.co.nz/

It has superb facilities ! Well marked and made out tracks all over the country - well managed by the Department of Conservation ( DOC).

NZ has many GREAT WALKS. http://www.newzealandnz.co.nz/great-walks/

These take many days and there are huts which allow one to spend the nights. This allows people to travel light as they do not have to carry tents.

Our FIRST walk was a baby step. It was just a 2 hour looping track. But the terrain was slipperry and it started raining - so all in all it was great training !

This walk was in what is called the National Park area in the Northern Island, NZ. Also called the Tomgariro park. The Tongariro crossing is one of the GREAT walks of NZ. We didn't do that. We were not ready and neither was the weather !

However small our baby step, it was awesome ! And today we are a few treks old !!! One great step to connecting with NATURE !

My FIRST ZORB !!!

ZORBing in New Zealand, originally uploaded by abhijit_dan.

Hey !!! I found another MY FIRST !!!! And this time - a very unconventional one !!! A Zorb is a GIANT Hi tech Transparent Rubber / Plastic ball. You get INTO this ball and ROLL down a hill ! Like in the photo. By the way I am INSIDE that ZORB in this pic !!

It is great fun !!! Lots of thrills happen on the way down. They also put some water inside to make it even thrilling !!! Thats what I did ! Plus I chose the ZIG ZAG route rather than the conventional Straight way down !

Net net - might seem scary to try first - but BOY is it FUN !!!!

My first SCUBA DIVE !!! Feb 2002

Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Australia, originally uploaded by abhijit_dan.

This is sounding like a series of MY FIRST .... But since I have blogged about My first Sky dive, My first Bungy Jump, I felt it was appropriate to talk about MY FIRST SCUBA DIVE in life !!!

It was in the FAMED Great Barrier Reef, Australia off the coast of Cairns, that I tool this step !

We were on a small cruise ship ( called Ocean Spirit) which took us on a journey across the Reef.

It was BEAUTIFUL ! I remember Sarita not taking it too well though ( she got sea sick !). Thats when they offered people to go for an INTRODUCTORY DIVE - and I got excited and went for it !!

It opened a whole new world for me ! To get underwater with Scuba diving gear, navigating the PEACEFUL world of the deep blue ocean, silently communicating with the millions of living species that inhabit that world - AWESOME !!!

I decided then that one day I would become a PADI certified diver !!! And I did ! But that's another BLOG story !!! What's next in MY FIRST .. series ? Looks like MY FIRST TREK/ Hike seems appropriate !

Taking that FIRST STEP !!! / My First BUNGY Jump !

I had been waiting for this moment in life !! I had taken difficult short cuts - like Scuba Diving and Sky diving ! But I had not come to terms with doing a BUNGY Jump ! Lot of people pacified me by saying that if I have done SKY DIVING then Bungy is nothing ! Some how I didn't agree !!!

I knew there was FEAR between me and that first jump !

That moment came ! Fast ! Queenstown, Kuwarau bridge. The first commercial bungy jump site in the world - set up by A J Hackett in 1988. It was a 43 metres jump !

The best part when I decided and went up to the bridge, I realised one critical thing !

There was NO FEAR !!! Just anticipation and excitement !!!

Wow !!! And I just jumped !!!

Hope you enjoy it !