It was three years ago when I saw a huge billboard of the famous "24" TV series with Keifer Sutherland in the foreground. The fact that the billboard was huge and placed right over the middle of the Anna Flyover in Chennai convinced me that it was a big series.
Today, I accidently saw the pre-recorded second episode of the 4th season at a friends place. It was 12:15 AM when it got over. But I came home at 4:30 AM in the morning after watching the remaining 4 episodes of the season broadcasted until now.
My reaction - Awesome, spell binding, edge of the seat action, I can't wait till the next episode comes out. The first three minutes into the 2nd episode and I knew I was a fan. You are not with me? Let me help you understand my emotions. When I was watching the series, the certain thoughts crept my mind. Sample this.
Which other show made me feel this way where I kept asking for more. If I were working in New York, what would I be doing to get to see this serial. I assumed that this would be aired sometime in the evening. so I was imagining myself packing my work home, driving my car fast (considering New York traffic) causing accidents, honking all the way, cancelling my appointments, just to make sure I was there before the TV 3 minutes before the show started, so that I could pull the drapes, grab my snacks, a pack of juice and the remote control and ease myself into the sofa. My thoughts were wandering like crazy.
Watching 24 made me feel good. I loved it. So much that I decided to pay tribute to all the shows I have watched till now. I'm 25 years old and I have been watching TV since I was 3 years old.
My love affair with TV serials began with M.A.S.H. I was in kindergarden then and Donald Sutherland starred in that. (Now I'm in love with a serial starring his son. What can I say. This family is great.)
From M.A.S.H to 24, the ride was good. Let me list down all the serials that I have watched and enjoyed doing so.
3rd Rock From The Sun
Agatha Christie
Alias
Ally Mcbeal
Andromeda Angel
Bay Watch
Beast Master
Boys Will Be Boys
Buffy, The Vampire Slayer
C.S.I.
Dharma & Greg
Due South
Earth Final Conflict
Everybody Loves Raymond
Farscape
First Wave
Friends
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Highlander
Highlander: The Raven
JAG
Knight rider
Lassie
Law & Order
M.A.S.H.
Mad About You
Martial Law
Minor Adjustments
NYPD Blue
Perfect Strangers
Power Rangers
Remington Steele
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Robocop
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Sex & The City
Sherlock Holmes
Small Wonder
Star Trek
Street hawk
That '70s Show
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Bill Cosby Show
The Brady Bunch
The Drew Carey Show
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Highlander
The Incredible Hulk
The Lost World
The Pretender
The Sopranos
The Street
The Wonder Years
Who's the Boss?
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
X-Files
Yes Minister
Yes, Prime Minister
There was one other show which I watched when I was a kid. The plot included a white family who had adopted two black sons and it was a situational comedy. Not able to remember the show, but I loved watching it.
Beware! I haven't included talk shows, magic shows and cartoons. And I have only included my favourite ENGLISH serials. Now I'm off to make the other lists.
But before I go - The ratings. Here are my most favourites.
Rank 1
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24
Rank 2
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X-Files
Friends
Due South
M.A.S.H.
Star Trek
(Can't decide which one is good. All of them are good)
Rank 3
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Ally Mcbeal
Street Hawk
Knight Rider
Farscape
Earth : Final conflict
(Can't decide which one is good. All of them are good)
The rankings however reflect only my taste and clearly shows that I'm more inclined to the sci-fi, action-thriller category. But I love comedy too.
Spent most of Sunday playing AOE II - "The Age of Kings" when I wished I were in the dark ages anda I could see it all through my very own eyes. Kings in vanity, valourous knights, horses and shiny metal swords. I mean, I don't intend to be a knight myself - ah ah, too chicken for that, but may be the guy who polishes their armours. Thats a swell job I would keep.
But seriously speaking, if you were in those ages, what would you like to be? I for one, given the chance, would like to be an ARCHER. Yeah! those magnificent guys with well strung bows, quiver full of arrows and the precision of their aim. You should watch the movie "Robinhood - Prince of Thieves" starring Kevin Costner, where they depict fine archery through amazing visuals and sound effects. Thanks to technology, but I guess you get the picture.
Of course, swordsmen and spearmen are all great. But with all due respect, what's the probability of a swordsman missing his mark. Its like squashing a dung beetle with a water melon. Ok, that was a bit exaggerated. But, all he has to do is swing and he's got his nemesis on his knees. Not for the archer. For him, its like pushing a thread through the eye of a needle and he gets only one chance at it. Can you imagine the amount of force that he generates when he lets go of the taut string. Picture this. He sees his enemy coming closer, picks his favourite arrow, sets it up, and "TWANG" it goes, "SZICK" it finds its mark and "THUD" comes down the villian.
And after watching FOTR, I knew I wanted to be Legolas, the noble Elven Prince, with a soft voice and deadly accuracy with his bow.
Well! Waiting for a miracle to transport me to my world of fantasies...
Was reading Emily Post's article on manners when I though why not blog it. Its been my favourite reference for the past few years and boy, have I learnt a lot.
I remember my FIRST night out with my FIRST girl friend. An exquisite restaurant, two people in a cosy corner, candle lights and good dinner served on the table. It all came crashing down, when she heard me massacre my Chinese noodles... "chomp", "chomp", "slurp (big and small ones interluded)".
"Excuse me! What are you doing?". "Ehem! (A blank stare and two seconds later) Chewing my food!". "Didn't somebody teach you how to do that elegantly?" "Well! Blow my brains off! They teach this kind of stuff in school?"
Thats were it all began. She took it a personal challenge to see me change my table manners and that was four years ago. Today, after many sessions of demonstrations, hand holding, threats, warfares and what not, I stand a mannered man.
Fork in the left hand, knife in the right, spine skywards and no slurping.... Though not with me today, she certainly is remembered everytime I slip that morsel of rice and chew it with my mouth tightly shut. Brings a smirk on my face.
Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to do something desparately but somehow restrained yourself because of circumstances, because you did not know how to do it, because you were worried that you might dishevel somebody's hair, because you cared about the nincompoops around you or simply because you did not have a good enough reason.
Well! Today was an eventful day. Day Zero of my senior's placements and I was at the helpdesk (since 7:00 in the morn). Its was around 2:30pm when the second round of interviews was starting and there were around 15-20 people at my desk with requests for printouts. Another 10-20 people at an adjoining desk. The atmosphere was K - OTIC.
My partner and I were handling multiple requests on a fast computer. But the printer was slow. Damn slow! So slow that I was getting frustrated by the second. Every page that came out of that contraption, made me feel like giving it a people's elbow. Noise all around me. I reached a point where I could not take it any longer. I just wanted to do something whacky. Something that would make me feel better. Something for the heck of it.
And I SCREAMED! The result? Pin drop silence for about a second, maybe two, only to be broken by a guy who says "That was good!". I concur. Boy! Did it feel good. Even better than nibbling chocolate chip cookies on a sunday afternoon.
Moral of the day - Don't stop yourself from having those awesome, pleasurable moments of your life because of stupid reasons. If you feel like doing it. Just do it.
Had bought jogging shoes on Christmas, in India's largest shoe store (that's what they claim on their IVS) which eventually won me a pedicure at their store. And today was the day.
Well! It started dot at 6:00pm and lasted an hour. And all through this time I went through a maze of treatment. Soaking, scrubbing, soaking, clipping, soaking, massaging, soaking again..... Boy! Did I feel pampered. And the best part was the customer service. The way the man who did it, looked into your eyes and kept asking after every episode, "How does it feel?" I would twitch a bit, sometimes I smiled, sometimes I let him know that I don't like it when people molest my big toe. But then, he was doing a damn good job and I must say, I felt like a king.
The time had come to leave and I gave him a 20 buck tip. The woman who just left gave away 50 bucks. Show off! He asked me if I would come again. "Yes! Yes! Certainly!", I lied. I'm a student and I can't afford a 200 buck pedicure every month. I might as well do it myself and spend 200 bucks on some good hyderabadi biriyani and chocolate chip cookies.
Run for cover. We are doomed. Say your last prayers. The ice age is coming....aahhhhhhhhhh!!!!
Well! Just kidding. But you wouldn't believe it when I say that it snowed in Dubai, a predominantly hot desert region. Check this link out - Snowfall in Dubai.
Well! Here I am again. The new year has just begun and let me take stock of my situation. Still a post grad student. Got 18 months more to go. Haven't figured how I am going to become a financial wizard. Although, I clocked 60K in Dec 2004 alone on a portfolio of 2 lacs, I still am not confident of facing the meany ol world of financial markets with meany ol traders, investors, bankers and God knows what lies out there. Am I going to disappoint my Ma n Pa, Uncle Buffet and some more people I look up to. Oooh! the future so uncertain.
And then, there is nothing like the satisfaction of finishing a book. "On The Road" by Jack Kerouac. My friend gave it to me and said it will change my life. Although, I'm not on the road, backpack, stick and all yet, it helped me connect with my fantasies of travelling far and wide, a free spirit, with only hunger to worry about. I liked Sal's last adventure in the book. The one to Mexico. My mind was swimming in a pool when I read that part. A pool in which water was being pumped from underneath, pushing you up, higher and higher and you expensed no effort at trying to stay afloat. Dig this man!
Speaking of travel. Well! My life had already changed the moment I saw the first episode of Star Wars somewhere around 1984-85. I still remember chastising my friends for their abominable ignorance - "What? Haven't you heard of the Millenium Falcon? You don't know Luke Skywalker? You can't speak like R2-D2? What a shame?". Followed by a long tirade on "The Force", "Jedi Knights", "Light Sabers and Lazers" and yes, this part I liked the most "blasting off into hyperspace leaving a dozen star ships behind you". "You may leave home without your shoes, but the force will always be with ya". Watched the movie again. What a way to start the new year :)
And before I sign off. The morning of new year, I reach the breakfast table only to find some Dudley-Do-Right ask me "So, What's your new year resolution?". My answer? To stick my pinky finger up your nose and so far up that I can reach your brains and wiggle it out of your head. Hell! You don't need a new year to make resolutions. You can make one when you chew popcorn aloud in the theatre and irritate the pants out of your neighbours. ;)
