Monday, November 28

And Some More Reviews

Hey dears.

Been doing a few things, going a few places, reading a few books and watching some movies. Thought I'd share my evaluation with you, since my FB mates have mentioned time and again that they'd like to know my perspective on all that I've recently experienced...

Let's start with books! Always my first :-)

Just finished The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad (LoLP) by Mrs. Funnybones Twinkle Khanna. The woman is marvelous. I did not know she had so much spunk in her. All I knew was that she is (was) a pathetic actress, and fortunately she quit coz she was well aware and vocal about it! I've read some of her columns where she is a guest writer, and I read her first book as well, which was nothing more than her columns put together in a paperback format. Her humor and observations are witty, and her language impressive and hard hitting. Loved the fact that I get to read about her equation with her family, especially her husband (whom she addresses as man of the house). 


She is what I aspire to be - Writing, enjoying life and the myriad tales it brings forth, being a celebrity and an intelligent one at that. Also totally enchanted by her appearance on TV in Koffee with Karan Season 5 along with hubs Akshay Kumar. Such a delightful chemistry and friendship, such openness and tolerance. Man, that guy is a jewel. Lucky she could find him! 

LoLP is a set of short stories, 4 to be precise, primarily on women issues like their treatment and condition in the country, man and his empathetic innovativeness, finding love and belonging, and forced expectations and rituals. The last story stretched too long for my liking, and brought down my better rating to 3.5/5 for the entire book. It's a quick read otherwise, and brings you many emotions in surprisingly simple packages. Not a bad read at all.     

I'm still midway through Vish Dhamija's Nothing Stays Forever, which was laid to rest a few days when I was neck deep in LoLP and bungling around the house with the bub and domestic chores. It's reached a twist at the moment, and I'm quite enjoying reading VD yet again, though this one isn't as alluring as Deja Karma. Hope to see it through by the end of this week.

Since the bub was at his grandmom's for a night, I decided to make the most of it by going pub hopping. There were a list of places I was dying to visit, and Bar Bar and Texas Bar & Grill finally were graced by my Highness. Since my company was amazing, the night was memorable too, and I enjoyed chugging Kingfisher Ultra Max for the first time ever. Bar Bar served some tasty Shrimp starters and I enjoyed the American fare at Texas. The view at the latter is beyond par and the music was fine as well. The service at Bar Bar is better though, and I realised how much I miss my old nights of drinking, fun and conversation with sensible people.   

Must mention this: Was actually hanging out at Phoenix Crossword to meet Jef Arch, my fav author in the world. But when they said I had to buy a book and wait in queue for several hours to meet the already exhausted writer, I decided to take a rain check and headed downstairs for some beers. Have ordered his book though "This was a Man", the ultimate one in the Clifton Chronicles.  

While I've been incredibly busy delivering Fierce for my workforce, I've learnt a tremendous lot about facilitating virtual sessions and Adobe. So thankful for the opportunity and experience. Our Annual day is also round the corner, so there are many sport and cultural events and sports events going on right now. I'm organising the Friday events (treasure hunt, online quiz, showcase your house/team, dress theme) and the level of engagement and competition is at an altogether different level! Fully in sync with the jungle theme of the year! 

Unfortunately (or fortunately), this does not leave me much time to catch up on Bigg Boss 10 though I keep catching snippets on the news and Twitter. Some wild cards coming in this week I think, while a few Indiawale are out. I'm fond of Manveer and Gaurav, and I do hope one of them wins. Baba Om and Bani are a pain on all senses, so I hope they get kicked out. I've, however, been very meticulous about watching Koffee with Karan, the latest one with Ranveer and Ranbir was a smashing hit just like the last with Arjun Kapoor and Varun Dhawan. 

Alia and SRK's episode, I enjoyed more than I did their movie - Dear Zindagi. I somehow expected more insights and laughs in the half baked film that stopped short of hitting the spot. The good part is that the movie encourages people to come out of the closet with their problems, emotional or otherwise, and not hesitate in reaching out for therapy. The bad part was that there were multiple deja vu's in the film, like Alia's Highway outburst during the climax and SRK's typical paternal style in the last few films. Kapoor and Sons was infinitely better, and the movie moves at a slow pace, and the song lyrics make sitting even more difficult. Go with low expectations and you won't regret it. For me, I'm considering giving up on Bollywood for a bit; film makers are more motivated to churn out multiple films than make one meaningful and satisfying production. Dangal is coming soon, but with so many women-oriented movies in the last few years, I don't expect to be blown off my feet.

Heard Dr. Strange is better, though. Go take a look, if you keen. 

And back I go to my rush life...

Take care!

Cheers

Anuja

Shadow

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