chronicblabber

[chronicblabber]

There And Back Again

“Hail, Hail to Old Purdue!” the letters gleamed under the lights of a distant, yellow moon. The air was warm and balmy, thick and scented. Crickets chirped on the grass, while frogs croaked from the bushes. The cacophony was almost deafening, but in some strange, mysterious way, it was pleasant, soothing even. A comforting white-noise permeating the stillness of the night sky. In front of me stood the tall clock tower, decked up in a brilliant white light, shining with much splendor and exuberance, joining forces with that celestial body to cast elaborate puzzles of light and shadow all around. There was no human soul to be seen anywhere. It was the start of the semester and the academic area was understandably quiet - too soon for assignments to be due and events to be held.

Having travelled more than 2000 miles from the chaos of San Francisco, I found myself back at the peace, quiet and safety of Purdue. There were no rivulets of urine on the floor. There was no intoxicating stench of marijuana. There were no shady homeless people delirious on drugs. There were no honking cars and angry people. There was no one ambling towards me with an intent to rob me of my possessions. As the 11 long sounds of tower’s bell resonated, I felt completely at ease. I could drop my guard here. I could close my eyes and sit down in the middle of the lawn and not give a damn about anyone or anything. I would always be safe here, nestled in this bubble of innovation and learning, hidden somewhere in the midst of the Middle-American corn lands.

I was gripped by an exhilarating sense of calm - a relaxed mind, ready to burst into a bout of manic creativity. Standing there at the foot of the clock tower, it seemed like there were no limits to what I could achieve, no shackles that could prevent me from solving the hardest of problems. For a moment, I was gripped with an insatiable desire to stay here indefinitely - work on building a space probe that would take humans to Mars, or find a cure for cancer, or build an algorithm that can predict when the next Earthquake would strike. Universities have that magical thing about them. They compel you to think, to dream and to wonder. The outside world seemed so far away that it didn’t even seem to matter any more.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and walked under the tower, stepping over the time capsule that’s supposed to be opened in 2095 AD and on to the other side. In my two years of grad school at Purdue, I would never walk under that tower. Legend has it that if a student walked from underneath it, their graduation would be doomed. My college days were behind me now. I had earned the right to walk that path. 

[chronicblabber]

On turning 26

I turn 26 today. 26 years of living on this bright, blue, special planet, riding the roller-coaster called life. And it's been one heck of a ride so far. As I sit in a contemplative mood, sipping my morning coffee, I can only but wonder how lucky I have been to have such amazing and special people in my life who've made my life worth living and made every second of it truly magical. I may or may not have said this to you all in person, but Thank You. Thank You for bringing joy and happiness into the life of this sucker. Thank You for bringing me up, thank you for nurturing me, thank you for encouraging me when I felt down and out, thank you for giving me the stick when I was being stupid, thank you for being awesome!

Did that sound good? Cool, I'm gonna use that for my best original screenplay oscar speech. Okay, don't roll your eyes like that. Am I not allowed to make a crazy wish on my birthday?

But seriously though, my worst nightmare is actually being stuck in a place with none of you awesome folks around to talk to. I don't want no Zombiepocalypse, no thank you!

Since I've used the word "thank" like 8 times now, it's probably a cue for me to change the subject a little bit.

"Is there anything special about turning 26?" I asked my older friends. "Is there anything I can look forward to?" "Well, son," they replied in unison, "you can look forward to slower metabolism, more stress and more responsibilities in life. Besides, you already gained the power of being able to get a rental car without paying the young renter's fee last year, so there's nothing really to look forward to." Well, that sucks. But on the bright side, the older you get and the wiser you become, you gain the power to scare younglings about the morbidity of their futures. That sounds like fun. 

Feeling dissatisfied with that answer, I began scouring the internet to prove to myself that turning 26 was an important feat in one's life. And so, I stumbled upon this website (http://www.museumofconceptualart.com/accomplished/) that tells you accomplishments of famous people when they turned 26 :

- Albert Einstein published five major research papers

- Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel into space

- Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple

- Jane Goodall began studying the life of Chimps on Lake Tanganyika

- Ken Casey wrote One Flow Over the Cuckoo's Nest

- Napolean Bonaparte conquered Italy

Alright, I had to stop there because the list was too depressing. (No wonder the same website also points to this other link -http://www.museumofconceptualart.com/essays/stuff_learned.html) 

That said, I have some accomplishments at 26 too :

- I published one technical paper

- I took a selfie with the space shuttle Endeavor at the California Science Center in LA

- I did meet Woz in person but could not take a selfie with him

- I saw Planet of the Apes (both the old TV series and the new movies)

- I have not tried Acid 

- I'm exactly as tall as Napolean Bonaparte. 

That's right b*tches!

Here's to all the awesome people who are 26, will turn 26, or have turned 26 at some point of time in their lives. Cheers!

[chronicblabber]

From the Merlion's Mouth :  Tales from Singapore

In December 2014, I traveled to Singapore with my parents. It was my first time visiting this fascinating tropical island nation. Steeped in natural and cultural richness and variety, Singapore has a lot to offer, both to the casual tourist and to the hardcore traveler. After spending 4 days there, I came back home with tales, experiences and a lasting impression. Here's a collection of my stories, straight from the Merlion's Mouth :

Chapter 1 - Impressions of Utopia

What makes for an ideal society? Perhaps, a society that can guarantee ahigh standard of living for all its denizens - good infrastructure inthe form of roads, houses, electricity, sanitation, water etc. Alongwith that, you need good governance, a trustworthy judicial systemand equal access to opportunities. Perhaps, a society can be calledan ideal society if all its residents are happy. Perhaps an ideal society is a futuristic society that embraces technology and sustainability. From Plato's Republic to Sir Thomas More's Utopia, there are probably hundreds of existing political theories that attempt to define the unattainable concept of idealism in society. In fact the very word, Utopia means both, "a good place" and "no place" depending on which of the homophonic versions of the word you use. I totally get that.  But based on my experiences, limited and biased as they may be, I can't help but paint this broad stroke of generalization that the society in Singapore is the closest humanity can ever get to achieving this idealism. Okay okay, don't scoff at me like that. I'm sure the country has its own set of problems. I'm sure I can find Singaporeans who complain about their government, are annoyed by its policies and can throw out a long list of pain points. But from the perspective of an ignorant tourist, the country does give off a striking image of perfection.

Take for instance, the Changi International Airport. Architecturally, the airport looks something out of a science fiction novel – big glass facades, high ceilings, walls adorned with plants – real, living plants and interesting post-modern sculptures. There is evident freshness in the air, an oxygenated paradise within what looks like a contained life-bubble in some far off planet in the galaxy. 

There are feedback consoles everywhere - little touch screen tablets that ask travelers passing by to rate their experience. How clean was this restroom? How smooth was your baggage claim? How easy was the customs and immigration process? A cursory glance at the Yelp reviews for Changi Airport will tell you that I'm not the only one impressed by their awesomeness. 

Okay, so the airport is pretty awesome. But what about the rest of the country? Well, let me give you an example : Singapore has a non-profit organization called the Restroom Association, whose goal is to create a "gracious society embracing excellence in restroom culture". And from using public restrooms throughout the city, I can say that they are embracing excellence pretty well. They also have this 90s looking website that allows people to upvote and downvote toilets (the next million dollar Silicon Valley app idea?)

I think it's safe to say that toilets can be happy only if people are happy. You cannot have restroom associations until you've solved problems of hunger, shelter and roads. Indeed, Singapore has one of the highest happiness indices anywhere in the world. The country boasts of one of the lowest corruption indices of any government in the world (coinidence? I don't think so) .  One could argue that Singapore's advancement is largely due to its small governable size, favorable weather and a strategic location on the international shipping route. But such favorable conditions alone aren't sufficient to create a developed society. You need good people and strong policies. It almost feels like a group of strong-willed individuals sailed into this island with the goal of creating utopia. I wonder if a country forged by immigrants from different cultural backgrounds is more likely to be successful than an ancient country with just one large homogenous population...

There is a strong sense of order in Singapore. The country has very strict laws – consuming or peddling drugs is an offense, having narcotics in your bloodstream even when you are transiting is an offense, littering is an offense, heck...selling chewing gum is an offense. With such strict laws, one would imagine a heavy imposing presence of the police, like cops on every street corner scrutinizing your every moment, ready to issue a ticket on the slightest of infringements. That was far from what I saw though. In fact, I hardly saw any police throughout my entire stay in Singapore. Is the society intrinsically disciplined? Why does Singapore have one of the lowest crime rates of any place in the world? Is that a natural consequence of its citizens being happy?

Some areas in Singapore are alive 24x7. Restaurants are perennially open. Shopping centers are perennially open. Even strip clubs look pleasant and friendly from the outside. Taxis strictly follow the meter. Tipping is non-existant. Fares are rounded down. If you owe S$15.4 you only really owe S$15. Wandering in the streets of Singapore at 2 in the morning felt like a pleasant mid-day walk. There are no beggars in Singapore. There are no homeless people in Singapore. To the myopic tourist's eye, it's almost like the country has all the advantages of a traditional developed country like the US minus all its problems. 

How long will this sustainable development last? Will the country be left behind by more radically thinking innovators elsewhere? Will its immigration and societal laws stand the test of time? These are some questions that flitted through my mind, before I chose to ignore them and bask in the warm, balmy, humid winter air of the island.

[chronicblabber]

Oscar Predictions

Hollywood's biggest night is upon us and so, the time has come for lesser mortals like me to put forth their expert predictions on who's going to win and who isn't. My good friend, Udit, also volunteered in this tomfoolery and we figured we'd have a little prediction battle here to see who's the better soothsayer :)

Let's start with Oscars' most hardest predictions first (ie hardest for the untrained person) :

1. Sound Editing

Udit's prediction - Birdman

My prediction - American Sniper

This one's really hard to guess. Sound Editing (in my understanding) basically involves finding, sourcing, creating or curating different sounds required for the movie. While Birdman has an interesting blend of sounds, American Sniper's sounds of gunshots (of various kinds), tanks and vehicles etc might've been harder to source. Tough race though.

2. Sound Mixing

Udit's prediction - Whiplash

My prediction - Whiplash

Sound Mixing (again, in my understanding) involves putting all the sounds in the movie together - including dialogues, background score and whatever the sound editing team provides. Whiplash was a treat for the ears, in the way the different instruments of the drum kit blend with other sounds in the movie. Blissful! That said, the race is tight between Whiplash, American Sniper (good war themed movies naturally need to have good sound mixing) and Birdman (with all those quirky drum sounds, dialogues, random things breaking and falling blended together)

Let's move on to the next set of technical categories which are again harder to assess for common folks like me :

3. Production Design

Udit's prediction - The Grand Budapest Hotel

My prediction - The Grand Budapest Hotel

With it's gorgeous sets, rich colors and a characteristic "image" being rendered to the whole movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel should clinch this one.

4. Costume Design

Udit's prediction - The Grand Budapest Hotel

My prediction - The Grand Budapest Hotel

Neither of us have seen the other movies nominated for this category and we felt that the costumes in The Grand Budapest Hotel were pretty darn good (going well with the overall set design). That said, a fairytale with extravagant costumes could clinch it as well (Maleficent and/or Into the Woods)

5. Makeup and Hairstyling

Udit's prediction - The Grand Budapest Hotel

My prediction - Guardians of the Galaxy

This one's a pretty tough race too. On one corner you have the immaculate hairstyles and birthmarks of the cast in The Grand Budapest Hotel. On the other you have Steve Carrell's nose job. And on the third, you have transformed skin colors of Bautista and Zoe Saldana. I think the colors will win.

Next, let's look at the visual related awards :

6. Visual Effects 

Udit's prediction - Interstellar

My prediction - Interstellar

They simulated black holes and wormholes using real physics rendering. 'Nuff said.

7. Cinematography

Udit's prediction - Birdman

My prediction - Birdman

Clear winner again. Amazing camerawork. Second Oscar in consecutive years to Emmanuel Lubezki (of Gravity fame)

8. Film Editing

Udit's prediction - Boyhood

My prediction - Boyhood

It takes real skill to put together bits and pieces shot over a gargantuan span of 12 years into a consistent, freely flowing movie. 

Next, let's look at the music categories :

9. Original Song

My prediction - Selma (Glory)

Glory is an amazing song (though Everything is Awesome was pretty good too!)

10. Original Score

Udit's prediction - Interstellar

My prediction - Theory of Everything

This could a very tight race. All the nominees have fantastic background scores. While my heart lies towards Hans Zimmer's track in Interstellar, the more realistic contenders are Alexandre Desplat (Grand Budapest Hotel? Imitation Game?) and Johan Johannson (Theory of Everything). Though Desplat has a better statistical chance of winning, Johannson might edge through.

Now, let's move on to the section that's near and dear to my heart - Writing :)

11. Original Screenplay

Udit's prediction -  Boyhood

My prediction - Birdman

This one is pretty hard to pick too. The 3Bs (Birdman, Boyhood and Budapest) have an equal chance of winning. Purely from a creative writing perspective, I feel that Budapest has a more literary aspect to it, while Birdman and Boyhood seem less "written" and more "performed". That said, going by the logic that Hollywood loves stories about movies, I figure Birdman might edge through.

12. Adapted Screenplay

Udit's prediction - The Imitation Game

My prediction - The Imitation Game

This one's fairly hard to pick too, but I feel Alan Turing's story is told really really well. 

Now, on to the acting honors!

13. Actress in a supporting role

Udit's prediction - Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

My prediction - Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Borrowing a quote I read somewhere, "Patricia Arquette was so good in Boyhood that the movie might as well have been called Momhood."

14. Actor in a supporting role

Udit's prediction - JK Simmons, Whiplash

My prediction - JK Simmons, Whiplash

Given his prominence in the movie, JK Simmons might have as well been considered for Actor in a leading role. What a performance! 

15. Actress in a leading role

Udit's prediction - Julianne Moore, Still Alice

My prediction - Julianne Moore, Still Alice

I haven't seen the movie, but everyone tells me that this is pretty much sold.

16. Actor in a leading role

Udit's prediction - Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

My prediction - Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Before I saw The Theory of Everything, I was pretty certain this was Michael Keaton's year. But when someone does such an amazing portrayal of Stephen Hawking, it's hard not give them the top honors.

And finally, the top movie honors,

17. Director

Udit's prediction - Richard Linklater, Boyhood

My prediction - Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Both the Best Director and Best Picture honors are probably going to be one of tightest races in Oscar history. My gut instinct tells me that the awards are going to be split. Since, the Academy likes movies about movies (eg. Argo, Artist etc), I have a feeling Birdman will win the best picture. And since Birdman will win the best picture, Linklater will take the best director award.

18. Picture

Udit's prediction - Boyhood

My prediction - Birdman

Going by the logic I described above... :P

[chronicblabber]

Top 21 Movies of 2014 - The Top 7

Pre-requisite reading :

Introduction - http://chronicblabber.tumblr.com/post/111113625423/top-21-movies-of-2014

Bottom 7 - http://chronicblabber.tumblr.com/post/111225864553/top-21-movies-of-2014-the-bottom-7

Middle 7 - http://chronicblabber.tumblr.com/post/111454714398/top-21-movies-of-2014-the-middle-7

Conveniently timing my post with the Oscar weekend, here I am, finally presenting before you my top 7 movies of the year. While some of these movies appear in the Best Picture Nominees list, others may come as a surprise. As I said before, this is a completely personal list ranked purely on the basis of how much I "felt" about these movies, rather than on the basis of their technical cinematic achievement. Also, despite of having watched close to 50 movies last year, I didn't quite see them all. As a result, you will notice my exclusion of some really good movies (based on what I've read about them).

#7 - Lego Movie

IMDB : 7.8

Rotten Tomatoes : 96% Critics, 87% Audience

Everything is awesome! Everything is cool when you're part of a team. A team comprising of Batman, Gandalf, an Astronaut and a Common Man to name a few, fighting against the forces of evil. What may appear as a kid's movie at first glance (well, it is child's play...pun intended for those who've watched the movie) is actually a very intelligent and witty satire on pop culture. From superhero movies to Starbucks, the Lego movie ridicules your daily life and yet makes you laugh in an innocent way. If there was movie that I could call pure, 100% unadulterated fun, it would be this one. Too bad the best animated movie of the year is not going to win the Oscar.

#6 - Nightcrawler

IMDB : 8.0

Rotten Tomatoes : 95% Critics, 87% Audience

In what is perhaps the most underrated and not-widely-watched movie of the year, Nightcrawler has all the potential to be a cult classic that people will talk about in years to come. Or maybe they won't, because the movie peers into our souls and exposes one of the basest instincts of human beings - the desire to watch violence. How many of us haven't clicked on that link to watch a video of a grisly car crash, or one of a man being gored by a bull. How many of us haven't ooh-ed and aah-ed in excited fear at the local news channel's story about that sensational homicide happening in our neighborhood. Over the years, news channels have come to exploit these base instincts of their viewers. And Jake Gyllenhaal, in an out of the world performance (for which he should've at least gotten an Oscar nomination), exploits the base instincts of those news channels. In such a disturbing landscape of LA after sunset, he goes about nonchalantly with psychopathic hilarity, in a quest to fulfill his American Dream.

#5 - Birdman

IMDB : 8.1

Rotten Tomatoes : 93% Critics, 83% Audience

Birdman is a cinematic masterpiece. For starters, it is made to look as if the entire movie was taken in a single shot, which holds you breathless for a good part of 2 hours. Next, it puts a bunch of talented actors on a pedestal and asks them to give the best performances of their lives (which they do). Then, it portrays the whole art vs popularity debate, a mental battle raging inside the head of an actor (Michael Keaton) in the most creative and zaniest of ways. And finally, the movie has many, many layers. It is the story of an actor's story, which when you think about it more, is also the real story of the actor portraying the actor in the story. While Birdman didn't make me "feel" a lot of emotions (though I did laugh a lot), which is what this rating is really based on, I have to admit that from a technical point of view, this has to be the best picture of the year - a kind of movie that will have movie clubs and discussion groups dissecting its meaning.

#4 - Imitation Game

IMDB : 8.2

Rotten Tomatoes : 89% Critics, 93% Audience

It's hard not to draw a direct comparison of this movie with A Beautiful Mind. Both movies portray the tumultuous life of geniuses, who have to overcome adversity (personal, in case of John Nash and societal, in case of Alan Turing) to realize their life's dreams. Both movies have their lead characters, possibly playing the best roles of their lives. And both movies got nominated for almost the same categories of academy awards - Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actress, Actor, Film Editing and Original Score. 

Being a computer engineer by profession (when you think about it, I wouldn't be having a job today if it were not for Alan Turing), I couldn't help feeling a sense of connection, a feeling of immense joy and sadness as I watched this movie unfold. While the storyline may have its fair share of historical inaccuracies or exaggerations, I'm glad that Morten Tydlum, Benedict Cumberbatch and co. brought the story of this genius to the masses.

#3 - Boyhood

IMDB : 8.2

Rotten Tomatoes : 98% Critics, 84% Audience

The very idea of embarking on a project as ambitious as this onewould've ruffled some feathers in the big league. Skeptics probablydismissed the idea as an exercise in futility. But 12 years since Richard Linklater first started shooting his epic saga about growing up, he has managed to produce something so masterful that it has left those skeptics dumbfounded. Deeply soulful, thought-provoking and drenching you in a flood of nostalgia, Boyhood holds you in a 2 hour 45 minute trance. How the actors managed to stay motivated throughout this entire project and how Linklater managed to convince them to stay put on his audacious plot is a mystery to me. But it's not just the technical challenges of space and time that make this movie special, but also the simplicity, humility and honesty in its plot - portraying an enduring image of growing up in America.

#2 - Whiplash

IMDB : 8.6

Rotten Tomatoes : 95% Critics, 96% Audience

I've been doing a fairly decent job at writing out these small blurbs for movies so far. But when it comes to Whiplash, I'm finding myself at an utter loss for words. You just have to see it experience it. It's the story of two people - a college kid (Miles Teller) who aspires to be the greatest Jazz drummer of his time and his relentless, unforgiving mentor (JK Simmons). Exhilarating and adrenaline pumping from start to finish, Whiplash explores the limits of motivation, passion, dedication and mentoring. Inspirational and adrenaline pumping throughout, Whiplash's ending has to be one of the most memorable movie endings of all time. Where were Miles Teller and JK Simmons hiding all this while? Mr. Simmons, an Oscar awaits you for sure.

#1 - Interstellar

IMDB : 8.8

Rotten Tomatoes : 72% Critics, 86% Audience

Critics of Interstellar talk about its abuse of physics, that it is not physically possible to travel into a black hole and survive to tell the tale. Well, here's what I have to tell you - it's a movie - a tale of pure imagination and not a documentary. In fact, honestly though, nobody really knows what happens when you near a black hole (much of the physics surrounding this is still under active research). You say there were plot holes? [SPOILER ALERT] You mean how McConaughey survived in the end is too good to be true? Well, only one of the ends is too good to be true and that's the ending Nolan opted for (Note that the premise of the movie could be grounded on the Multiverse Theory). In a stunning display of visual effects, a goosebumps inducing background score, application of real physics, a non-linear storyline that wraps fantastically in the end, Chris Nolan and his crew definitely created the most memorable cinematic renditions of relativistic conundrums of Time Dilation, Twin & Grandfather Paradoxes, Wormholes, Blackholes, Time as a dimension, Gravity as a force and a heart-warming relationship between a father and his daughter. Nolan has made space science cool for the masses again. At the same time he's made us think about the future of the human race. 

And that was my list for 2014! Would love to get your thoughts and comments.

See ya'all next year!

[chronicblabber]

Top 21 Movies of 2014 - The Middle 7

Pre-requisite reading :

Introduction : http://chronicblabber.tumblr.com/post/111113625423/top-21-movies-of-2014

The Bottom 7 : http://chronicblabber.tumblr.com/post/111225864553/top-21-movies-of-2014-the-bottom-7

Given any other year, these movies could've very well been the best. But considering this year's stellar releases, they unfortunately, just managed to miss the cut and ended up being in the 8th-14th category rather than in the top 7. The margin of distinction is so thin that if you were to ask me to redo the list, I'm sure the order would not remain the same. When I rated and shortlisted them, I actually ended up giving all the 1-10 movies the same score. But given the nature of this countdown, I've had to make some tough choices...

#14 - Edge of Tomorrow

IMDB : 8.0

Rotten Tomatoes : 90% Critics, 90% Audience

Over the past few years, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of dystopian science fiction movies, each with a progressively weaker storyline than the one before (Oblivion, Elysium, Transcendence, <insert-name-of-predictable-sci-fi-movie-here>). In such a world of formulaic dull-witted plots, Edge of Tomorrow swoops in as a breath of fresh air. Who would've thought that at an "action" movie starring Tom Cruise would be anything more than what we in Bollywood call a "Masala" flick - cheap thrills and zero intelligence. But in this case, the thrills were solid and the intelligence was in abundance. A clever plot, ingenious storytelling and good acting performances make this movie a must-watch. Why do you think both critics and audience alike rated this movie so highly! Go watch it :)

#13 - X-Men: Days of Future Past

IMDB : 8.1

Rotten Tomatoes: 91% Critics, 92% Audience

This was one of the two movies I was really looking forward to last year (what the other movie was, is anybody's guess). While the storyline might not have been as strong as the one in X-Men: First Class, the fantastic star-cast, dialogues and background score keep you riveted from start to finish. (Trivia time: This movie's cast boasts of at least 2 Oscar nominees and 2 Oscar winners. Can you guess who they are?). In the world of superhero franchises, the whole X-Men series of movies for me comes second only to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. 

The scene that I took the above picture from has to be one of the most memorable action/comedy sequences of the year!

#12 - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

IMDB : 7.7

Rotten Tomatoes : 90% Critics, 89% Audience

I was sold by just the powerful imagery of the theatrical poster. The image of this dominant ape with a rifle clutched in his arms, raised high in rebellion, in front of a crumbling, burning Bay Bridge (San Francisco's "other" bridge) just struck me at a deeper level. This alternate reality of the city that I live in was disturbingly believable (doing due diligence in fictionalizing this beautiful city, unlike Godzilla, whose portrayal of San Francisco was very very lame). With a wonderfully woven emotional storyline and stunning visual effects, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes strikes me as the best movie of 2014 for the thinking family, cementing its place in the what I call the Independence Day genre of movies.

#11 - American Sniper

IMDB : 7.5

Rotten Tomatoes : 73% Critics, 87% Audience

If there was one word to describe this movie, it would be "intense". While American Sniper may not be the best war movie I've ever seen, it might very well be the best character-portrayal in a war themed movie. Bradley Cooper owns the movie from start to finish, taking the audience on a riveting trip down the tragic memory lane of a celebrated American war hero. Understandably, owing to its quality and theme, American Sniper ended up grossing more than all the Best Picture Oscar nominees put together. 

#10 - Theory of Everything

IMDB : 7.8

Rotten Tomatoes : 79% Critics, 85% Audience

There are four things that make this biopic about the acclaimed scientist, Dr. Stephen Hawking a beautiful masterpiece - 1. Jóhann Jóhannsson's soundtrack, likely to win the Oscar for background score (it's been on infinite loop on my speakers ever since I saw the movie), 2. Felicity Jones' breakthrough performance (and of course, her infinite cuteness), 3. The "Cambridge in 60s" setting and, 4. Eddie Redmayne's out of the world rendition of Stephen Hawking (If that man doesn't win an Oscar, I'll eat my hat). It's a movie made for the Oscars, or should I say, made for BAFTA 'coz of the all-Brit crew. If only they made all romantic movies as soulful and intellectually satisfying as this one, the world would be a better place to live in.

#9 - Gone Girl

IMDB : 8.2

Rotten Tomatoes: 88% Critics, 88% Audience

That picture really sums up the movie - Ben Affleck's nervous smile and Rosamund Pike's enigmatic grin. Who is the culprit? Who is the victim? For almost the entire length of the movie, you are kept at the edge of your seats as Gillian Flynn's masterpiece of a plot thickens in the true sense of the term, until the jaw-dropping, bone-clenching climax that leaves you drenched in cold sweat. You wouldn't expect less from a director of David Fincher's caliber, who has previously made cult favorites like Fight Club, Seven, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the Social Network. 

Gone Girl has to be the best thriller of 2014. 

#8 - The Grand Budapest Hotel

IMDB : 8.1

Rotten Tomatoes : 92% Critics, 86% Audience

As rich in its setting as a graphic novel, as crafty and whimsical in its plot as a PG Wodehouse classic and as creative and powerful in acting as a broadway chartbuster, the Grand Budapest Hotel is a celebration of cinema, a medium that puts no bounds on the power of imagination. It's a testament to the fact that artistically stylized movies can be equally hilarious, engaging and heart-warming as any mainstream blockbuster.

[chronicblabber]

Top 21 Movies of 2014 - The Bottom 7

Pre-requisite reading (:P) : http://chronicblabber.tumblr.com/post/111113625423/top-21-movies-of-2014

From movies that made me roll on the floor laughing my ass off to ones that sucked the living happiness out of my soul, the 15-21 list features a diverse set.

#21 - Hector and the Search for Happiness

IMDB : 6.9

Rotten Tomatoes : 35% Critics, 60% Audience

What does happiness mean? How do you measure it? How does one obtain it? A rich but unhappy and frustrated shrink, played by the delightful Simon Pegg, goes in a pursuit to find answers to those very questions. What results is a heart-warming story about friendship, love, camaraderie, happiness and a little bit of Nat Geo style travel adventure too. Hector is the Walter Mitty of 2014 with Simon Pegg being as chummy and relatable as Ben Stiller in that movie. Though the movie is by no means a cinematic spectacle, it's lovable tale brings a smile to your face and bittersweet tears to your eyes. If you liked the Secret Life of Walter Mitty, you would enjoy watching this movie too.

#20 - 22 Jump Street

IMDB : 7.2

Rotten Tomatoes : 84% Critics, 78% Audience

There aren't a lot of movies out there that have managed to make me laugh so hard that I end up rolling on the floor clutching my stomach in delightful agony (There were moments when I almost did that at the cinema theater, much to the dismay of the folks in front of me). 22 Jump Street was one of them. In this edition, our two undercover cops go to college to bust a drug gang. What happens next is anybody's guess.

Could this be the best comedic movie franchise of this decade? Most likely. 22 Jump Street was just as silly, stupid, slapstick funny as its predecessor. Move over, Seth Rogen and James Franco, Channing and Jonah are in the house. (Okay, I admit that The Interview was funny, but 22 JS was funnier)

#19 - The Hobbit : The Battle of the Five Armies

IMDB : 7.7

Rotten Tomatoes : 60% Critics, 76% Audience

It finally ends! The epic saga that began two decades ago with the Lord of the Rings series, culminates with the Battle of the Five Armies. Spoiler Alert : In a cute, coming to a full-circle kind of way, this movie ends with Gandalf knocking on Bilbo's door for his 111th birthday, which is essentially the start of the Fellowship of the Ring. Needless to mention that the visual effects of this movie were spectacular and the dialogues and battle scenes were epic. Peter Jackson expertly applies the same formula, the same sprites and possibly the same CGI every single time (How many times has Legolas slid down an Oliphaunt's trunk and fired that fatal arrow?) Yet the Middle-Earth sucker that I am, I will continue to enjoy these movies. 

Mr. Jackson, is a trilogy for Silmarillion up on the cards? An aptly named rumor website seems to be already up and running : http://www.thesilmarillionmovie.com/

#18 - Big Hero 6

IMDB : 8.0

Rotten Tomatoes : 90% Critics, 92% Audience

There is no way I would not like a movie that is set in a fictional city called San Fransokyo, a rich, imaginative world that blends Tokyo and San Francisco together to create this relatable high tech city populated by genius kids, giant inflatable robots and heinous villains. While the story is fairly formulaic, the characters and the setting are what stand out - lovable, adorable and make you go 'awww' more times than you'd admit. Watch it with your kids, watch it with your families, watch it when you are in the mood for feeling gooey inside.

#17 - Foxcatcher

IMDB : 7.3

Rotten Tomatoes : 88% Critics, 72% Audience

I know what you're thinking right now. Yes, that is Steve Carell in the center. Yes, he did get a nose job of some sort. Yes, he did play a frikkin psychopath who rarely smiles in the movie. And when he does, he doesn't make you laugh but he fills your soul with dread. To add to the gloom, Bennett Miller (of Moneyball fame) shoots the entire movie in a cloudy, foreboding landscape. He manages to create an aura that leaves you squirming in the middle of your seat. What leaves you even more shocked is that this dark tale of two wrestlers and their manager, is based on a true story. If you want to experience the shock and awe of this movie, do yourself a favor and don't read the wikipedia entry for John du Pont. 

Unquestionably, Foxcatcher is a technically brilliant movie with phenomenal acting performances by all three of those men in the pic. But will I watch the movie again? Nope, not unless I purposely want to put myself under depression.

#16 - How to Train your Dragon 2

IMDB : 8.0

Rotten Tomatoes : 92% Critics, 90% Audience

Stunning graphics, rich colors, an emotional roller-coaster of a storyline and dragons (obviously) make this my favorite animated franchise after Toy Story. Excuse me while I go ahead and add this miniature Toothless action figure to my shopping cart : http://www.amazon.com/DreamWorks-Dragons-Dragon-Toothless-Extreme/dp/B00GR1QI8E/

#15 - Wild

IMDB : 7.3

Rotten Tomatoes : 90% Critics, 80% Audience

Adapted from a New York Times bestselling memoir, Wild is the story of Cheryl Strayed (played by Reese Witherspoon) who goes off into the wild to hike 1100 miles of the harsh, rugged Pacific Crest Trail in attempt to conquer her demons and find a sense of purpose in her life. Think of Wild as a female version of Into The Wild, if you may, but thankfully in this case, Cheryl comes out alive and lives to the tell a motivating and inspiring tale rather than one of contemplation and sorrow. In what is essentially a one-woman show (apart from wonderful interludes from Laura Dern), Reese Witherspoon carries the storyline with finesse.

[chronicblabber]

Top 21 Movies of 2014

2014 was a great year for movies. While I do love movies a lot (and there aren't many movies out there that I truly hate), I don't say this for every year. Looking back at my Top 21 lists for the last few years, they don't stand a chance against the quality and sheer awesomeness of the movies this year. This doesn't mean that 2014's movies were technically superior to the movies released the last few years (they probably weren't...). The real reason why I thought 2014 was awesome was that the themes of the movies that Hollywood brought out last year were very near and dear to my heart. They managed to strike that sentimental chord somewhere deep inside my brain.

If I were to summarize my favorite Hollywood movies of 2014, they roughly fall into the following categories :

1. Wonderfully narrated biopics with great background scores and phenomenal acting performances  (Theory of Everything, Imitation Game et al)

2. Humanitarian Sci-Fi - Great tales of science fiction that make you think, ponder, feel and imagine (Interstellar, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes et al)

3. Hardcore Satire - Making a mockery out of the idiosyncrasies of popular culture (Birdman, Lego Movie et al)

4. Stories of Self-Discovery and Bildungsroman (Boyhood, Whiplash et al)

Unlike previous years where I've pretended to portray an objective view of the best Hollywood movies of the year,  this year, I plan to do something more sensible. A purely subjective list. A personal favorite list as you may call it. Because, truth be told, how much you like a motion picture (like any other work of art) is completely up to you. While I, or the crowdsourced ratings of Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB may tell you that movie X is more likely to be better than movie Y, you alone are the judge of what you liked and what you didn't. 

The way I look at movies is from an emotional, sentimental level. My criterion is simple - how much did this movie affect me after I watched it. Did it leave me with a shock and awe effect? Did I exit the cinema theater with a wide grin of my face or a tear trickling down from my eyes? Did I go back home and research the hell out of the movie? Did I rave about it to every living soul who came in contact with me? And so, with such a visceral, subjective rating system, it is but natural that many movies that I know to be technically superior appear lower on my list and many movies that I know to have quite a few plot holes appear higher on my list. 

Through this list, my goal is to profess my love for cinema and tell you about my top 21 movies of the year, which I hope you would appreciate to read, debate and contemplate.

And so it begins...

[chronicblabber]

Paradise, 3 Hours Away

The crystal clear waters of this pristine blue lake caress my feet. I'm almost tempted to take off my snow boots and embrace this token of welcome. The water is so clear that I can see the grains of sand at the bottom of the lake floor glitter like untarnished diamonds. 

This is the alpine country, a jewel at the heart of the Sierras. There is not a single human in my vicinity. It's just me and nature. Snow-capped peaks, a family of ducks, an abandoned pier and a ghostly cabin are what I have for company. This isolation is calming and invigorating at the same time. I take a deep breath and let the fresh air fill my lungs...

Paradise - that's what the first pioneers who crossed the treacherous passes of the Sierras would've thought about this place. A gentle, soulful creature in the midst of a cold, bleak winter; a creature that reassured many a weary traveler that fertile plains awaited them west of the frigid waters of the lake.

I wonder how this place, just a 3 hour drive from one of the most developed metropolitan areas in the country, continues to remain unblemished by the acts of man. 

My mind wanders to Mark Twain's words, 

"...at last the Lake burst upon us—a noble sheet of blue water lifted six thousand three hundred feet above the level of the sea, and walled in by a rim of snow-clad mountain peaks that towered aloft full three thousand feet higher still! It was a vast oval, and one would have to use up eighty or a hundred good miles in traveling around it. As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords..."

[chronicblabber]

The Mother Road #Route66

[chronicblabber]

There is enough to be feared and loathed in Las Vegas, but there are a few things whose grandeur and exuberance makes you want to visit again. #Vegas

[chronicblabber]

After driving for 4 hours from Vegas on what looks like a great desert plain, you suddenly encounter a massive rift in the earth's surface, a landscape carved by a divine architect and painted by a divine artist. #GrandCanyon

[chronicblabber]

Gone Girl

Don't worry, there are no plot details/spoilers here.

If you’ve been following Hollywood gossip on the social media off-late, you’d know that Gone Girl has been the hottest trending topic. Rated highly by critics and viewers alike (87% on RT and 8.6 on IMDB), Gillian Flynn’s novel turned movie just blew my mind. When I walked out of the theater today after having seen the movie, I was in a daze for a long time, the kind of daze that hasn’t happened since I watched the Hugh Jackman starrer Prisoners, last year…the kind of daze you get when you realize how f*cked up people can get.

Gone Girl starts off with a typical setting of your standard paperback mystery plot - Set in the American Mid-West, a marriage that looks too good to be true, a missing wife, a poker-faced hubby, etc etc. But as the story progresses, there a gazillion twists and turns in the plot that jump out unpredictably and shockingly from mundane events, making you switch your allegiances at several points in the story. Do I root for the mysterious hubby or do I root for the missing wifey? If you think you’ve gotten it all figured out at some point in the movie, think again. The best part about it all, is that it makes total sense. I have to admit that I’m creeped out, like seriously creeped out, because it’s not hard to imagine that this could happen to me too. There are a few gross scenes in the movie, but it’s not the grossness of the scene that creeps you, it’s the grossness of the concept.

Here’s another great thing about the movie - It’s not only about marriages, relationships and f*cked up people, it’s also a clever parody on media and our current era of sensational journalism.

I’m not qualified to comment on the technical greatness of the movie, but all I can say is that David Fincher delivers again, adding Gone Girl to his impressive repertoire of movies - one that includes blockbusters like The Fight Club, Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. You can tell that the movie is tight when you are hooked on to the edge of your seat for entire length of the movie - a whopping two and a half hours. Apart from directing, much of it is owed to impressive acting performances, especially from Rosamund Pike and a creepy soundtrack from Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails fame.

To sum it up, Gone Girl’s not for the faint-hearted. And remember that not all stories have fairytale endings.

[chronicblabber]

The Book Bucket (wtf?) Challenge (wtf?)

Social media seems to have caught a terrible bug, ever since the onset of the Ice Bucket Challenge. There are all sorts of "Bucket Challenges" going on these days, with most of them having nothing to do with either buckets or challenges. Though pretty terribly named, there was one that caught my eye - The Book Bucket Challenge. I'm very partial to books and if there's anything that involves books, I clap my hands gleefully like a kid in front of a candy store. The "challenge" involves you to list the top 10 books that influenced you. I decided that I didn't want to be left out, so I came up with my own list as well - the top 10 books in the chronological order that I read them in, focussing on the books that influenced me as I grew up over the years.

1. Circus of Adventure, Enid Blyton 

Enid Blyton was my favorite author when I was in my pre-teens and her books have left an indelible mark on me. Amongst all her books I've read, Circus of Adventure stands out, for the book contained everything that fascinated me - mystical foreign lands, a government in turmoil, a runaway monarch-to-be and of course, a talking parrot.

2. The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot, Robert Arthur Jr. 

Coming into my early young adult phase, I had this fascination of becoming a detective, a crime fighter, solving mysteries that adults couldn't. The Three Investigators series (of which this book is a part of) was perfect! And this specific book itself was so clever and ingenious that I remember the "puzzles" and how the protagonists cracked them until today. By the way, did I tell you that the protagonists were three young men, each having their own eccentricities and idiosyncracies (come to think of it, Jupiter Jones, Bob Andrews and Pete Crenshaw do share some similarities with Phil, Siv and Arty :-))

3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling 

Like most folks in my generation, I grew up with Harry Potter. Harry and friends were 11 when I was 11, they were 14 when I was 14, they were 17 when I was 17. I'm glad I was part of that generation. Needless to say, GoF was my favorite book in the series, and the series itself is my most favorite series of all time. Remember that chill you got when you realized the true identity of Mad Eye Moody? Epic!

4. Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton

I was introduced to Crichton's genius in my late teens. This man had a gift of weaving realistic, cutting-edge technology into fantastic tales that would thrill and excite you. Take Jurassic Park for instance - an ingenious plot, a sound scientific base and a heart-stopping thriller. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Crichton played in an influential role in helping me choose my career.

5. Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown 

I read the Da Vinci Code when the book was in its peak of its popularity and controversy. One might argue the validity of certain factual claims made by Mr. Brown, but what one can’t argue is that he re-invented this absolutely fantastic recipe for storytelling. He brought back action and adrenaline rushing thrills into the world of novels, backed up with mysterious and intriguing story lines. I might’ve liked Angels and Demons better, but I read the Da Vinci Code first, and its style just blew me away.

6. Lord of the Flies, Sir William Golding 

I was made aware of the general storyline of Lord of the Flies in my middle school years, thanks to an “interactive” chapter about it in our English textbook. But what I didn’t know was that this masterpiece is much more than an adventure story of some boys getting stranded on a deserted island, until I actually read the book a few years ago. To put it simply, it’s a perfect blend of literary masterclass and popular storytelling.

7. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald 

I read the Great Gatsby when I was 23. I couldn’t have chosen a better time. While no one doubts the literary strength of this book, how much you like the book depends on when you read it. If you read it when you’re too young, you won’t relate to the characters and hence won’t appreciate it. If you read it when you’re too old, you’ll probably pity Jay Gatsby and just put the book down. But if you read it in your early-mid twenties (and especially if you’re a romantic fool like me), you will realize that Jay Gatsby is just you in exaggerated form, and Nick Carraway is just you in understated form. And when you make that connection, the impact on you can be profound.

8. Into The Wild, Jon Krakauer 

I’ve always been a silent rebel all my life. And often times, that rebel inside me has told me to run away, leave worldly pleasures and live an ascetic life in the wilderness. But then I read Into The Wild, and my perspectives on life took an absolute U-Turn. Through a heart-wrenching true story that made me weep at many points , Jon Krakauer and Christopher McCandless taught me an important lesson that I will never ever forget - “Happiness only real when shared.”

9. Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card 

I read Ender’s Game when I was 24. Had I read it when I was 14, I would’ve turned out as a different human being. Every young adult who’s interested in Science Fiction should read Ender’s Game, for the book teaches you about leadership, handwork, sincerity, compassion and most importantly about being sensitive and being aware of the repercussions of your actions. Simply unputdownable, Ender’s Game was one of the few books that I’ve read in a single sitting (~8 hours straight)

10. Life of Pi, Yann Martel 

Could someone craft a more beautiful and poignant story than Life of Pi? Highly unlikely. The book is a true testament to the power of storytelling - how a completely fictitious story can change your fundamental beliefs surrounding hope and faith.

[chronicblabber]

Bay to Breakers - Part 2

(continued from http://chronicblabber.tumblr.com/post/86753704598/bay-to-breakers-part-1)

Sunday brunches...Rivers of alcohol...Portable potties

I turn right on 9th, walk across the perpetually busy Market St that cuts through the heart of the city like a clean brutal slash from a gigantic Katana blade. As always, I see the regular soiree of drug crazed people on the road. The delectable aroma of urine and weed wafts through to my nostrils, as always.

I turn left on to Hayes St and come face to face with a massive mural that can be mistakenly dismissed for yet another cool painting on the wall, but when paused and observed for more than a fleeting moment, evokes a great sense of tragedy and loss. It’s a mural dedicated to Andrew “Bart” Simpson, a champion sailor who tragically lost his life as his America’s Cup catamaran nose-dived into the frigid waters of the Bay. Amen.

    As I walk further on Hayes St, the seediness begins to fade away. The smell of urine is replaced by one of warm toasted bread. There are still people on the street though idling away their Sunday morning on the sidewalk. But this time, they are not homeless junkies accompanied by their faithful canine buddies. Instead, I see groups of suavely dressed young men and women, their eyes hidden underneath dark sunglasses, their silverware cluttering against the porcelain of their plates as they attack their Sunday brunch of eggs and bacon. Their dogs sit by their side, their leashes tied to chairs, parking meters and electric poles, blissfully unaware of their owners’ lifestyles and eating habits.

  Until now, San Francisco just looks like how it does every other day. But the moment I cross Octavia Boulevard, I see the shit show emerging in front of my eyes. Rivulets of alcohol flow through on both sides of the road, emptying themselves into storm drains at each intersection. Given that the state of California is under a severe drought, I wouldn’t be surprised if the storm sewers contained more alcohol than water at this point.

    As the shit show heads westward along Hayes, a group of individuals donning the fluorescent green overalls of the San Francisco municipality begin their long, arduous job of cleaning up after us. Their faces are expressionless - no anger, no resentment, no excitement. It’s a just a regular day for the city’s hardworking employees who are, if you think about it, indirectly responsible for San Francisco being a crazy, liberal, yet clean and beautiful city that it is.

The SFPD is out there too, poised on their majestic motorcycles, waiting to spring into action should this Bacchanalian party transcend into riotous vandalism. A random thought crosses my mind...What would Mr. Monk think of all this?

      With great alcohol comes great urine. And thankfully, a truckload of portable toilets rushes past me in an effort to mitigate the number of trees being visited and front-yard bushes being relieved upon.

    Hayes Hill...Boorish Indian brogrammers..A family of penguins at Alamo Square

  Bay to Breakers is considered an easy race for the seasoned runner. For starters, the route is just about 12k long (significantly shorter than a half marathon). Moreover, the course is fairly flat with a long gradually sloping downward run all through Golden Gate Park. The only real challenging part of the whole course is the Hayes Hill, a stretch of about 8 blocks that rises at a sharp angle until it peaks at Alamo Square on Hayes and Pierce. No wonder the organizers of B2B have a special award for the fastest time clocked on this small uphill stretch.

I make my way up the hill, catching my breath ever so often and high-five-ing random people on the street. I’m sweating profusely now and this jacket of mine hangs like an albatross across my neck. Perhaps I should strip down to the bare minimum like this Adam and Eve who walk past me with nothing on except leaves covering their private parts.

The crowd gets thicker and people start to congregate on the front stairs of buildings on both sides along the road. A bunch of cops engage in an interesting discussion, perhaps arguing over how to handle the drunken shenanigans that are soon to follow.

    As crowds come in, entrepreneurs follow. What better way to make a quick profit than setting up an impromptu food cart selling greasy hot dogs to hungry people heavy on beer.

  Though the San Francisco Bay Area has an alarmingly high population of folks like me from the Indian subcontinent, there are surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) very few Indians in the city proper. (Though if you ask someone who lives in Sunnyvale or Fremont where they’re from, they’re more likely than not to say San Francisco. At this point, I must tell you that SF is as different from Sunnyvale than Delhi is from Vladivostok). Just then, I bump into a trio of boorish Indian dudes speaking in a terrible impersonation of an American accent, trying desperately to fit into this exclusive cohort spawned by the rich kids of the tech age. I had never really understood this term before, but when I looked at these guys, I knew what the word “brogrammer” stood for.  (Actually, I have a new term for this sub-cohort - "desi brogrammers".) As I walk past them, one of them shouts to the other, “Hey Shubham (name changed), look at that Indian guy without a costume!” I turn around to see his fat finger pointed at me. His ugly smirk makes my pupils constrict in revulsion. Shubham (name changed) wobbles in a drunken stupor and replies, “Fuck him man”. I smile, turn around and continue walking. Trust Indians to abuse other Indians.

At the crest of this Hayes Hill lies one of the most beautiful spots in the city. Known as Alamo Sqaure (or the-park-that-features-in-the-opening-credits-of-Full-House), it’s a small park with meadow like grasses and tall redwood trees that overlooks like the gorgeous Victorian houses (called Painted Ladies), the distinctive pyramid facade of the Transamerica Pyramid and the rest of downtown San Francisco. I take a break, catch my breath and marvel the surroundings.

  Meanwhile, a family of penguins gets ready for a photoshoot.

    (to be continued...)

[chronicblabber]

Bay to Breakers - Part 1

Disclaimer: The following is a pseudo-real/pseudo-fictional piece that contains strong language and references to things that people under 18 shouldn't read about. Reader discretion advised.

Loud music...High pitched voices...Early morning drunkenness

The sounds of Coldplay’s Paradise flow through my open windows, caressing my ear drums and pulling me out of my slumber. I can hear a lot of background chatter - bottles of champagne being popped, beer cans being snapped open, the clatter of glasses, the excited screams of women and the tenorous shouts of men. I put on my glasses, still feeling groggy, and squint at the display on my phone. It screams 8am. What the fuck is happening at bloody 8 in the morning?

I walk up to my window and look below to see a motley crew of people gathered at my neighbor’s balcony. Among many other weird sights, I see a man dressed as a Taco (yes, you read that right), another one dressed as a Roman soldier, a girl in a pink tutu and another one dressed as the Statue of Liberty. In front of them is a table lined up with Mimosas and Bloody Marys.

The drinking starts. Alcohol gets emptied at an alarming rate. The music gets louder. It’s 8am on a fucking Sunday morning, but the party has already begun.

Though this city loves its booze, I have seldom seen parties start this early in the morning. And then I suddenly realize that today is a special day, a day of celebration, festivity and drunken revelry. The day of “Bay to Breakers”.

Seven miles...African runners...Inebriated people in costumes

As an SF Chronicle article eloquently put it, the “Bay to Breakers” is a celebration of life between the San Francisco Bay and the waves of the Pacific. It’s an annual race that starts at the Embarcadero, runs all the way through the city, East to West, until it hits the Pacific coast at Ocean Beach. The route measures about seven and a half miles and cuts through the heart and soul of this eternal city. The really amazing thing about this race is that it’s been conducted without fail for every single year since 1912. That means, when the Luftwaffe was bombing the crap out of Warsaw and Rotterdam, the folks in San Francisco were still running this race. In fact, in 1986, 110,000 people apparently ran the race, setting the Guiness World Record for largest foot-race in the world.

It comes as no surprise that the African runners have been dominating this race over the past few years. This time around, a Kenyan and a Burundian win the men’s and women’s race respectively finishing the 12 km course in 35 and 40 minutes each. To put things in perspective, that’s the amount of time it takes me to bike to work, which is about 5km from my apartment.

By the time I brush my teeth, the serious racers have already finished the race, grabbed their bounties and have gone back home. But wait, that’s not what Bay to Breakers is all about. For most San Franciscans, it’s about walking, running, crawling, slithering, leap-frogging through the entire race course, dressed in the most ridiculous of costumes (or no clothes at all), amid music, dance and drunken revelry in true Bacchanalian tradition.

Financial opulence...Technological brashness...Homeless people

Someone once told me that you cannot really call yourself a true San Franciscan unless you run the Bay to Breakers at least once. Well, given how much I love this city’s idiosyncracies, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise when I made that sudden decision to run the Bay to Breakers, taking extreme liberties on the definition of the verb “run”, of course.

I reach the starting point of the race on Howard and Main St at 10.30am. Well, surprise, surprise, there is not a soul to be seen anywhere. Did the race really happen here? Where are all the crazy costumed drunk people everyone told me about? What kind of a joke is this? I look at my watch and realize that I’m so fucking late...that they’ve even torn down the scaffolding and taken off the posters. The only remaining evidence that the race ever started here is a line of chalk on the road that says “B to B start”.  I take a picture to prove that I “started” the race, and begin walking along the race route.

The South of Market neighborhood (or SOMA, going by its hip name) thrives with activity during the weekdays as young technocrats buzz around with their $5 coffees and $10 sandwiches, banking their financial future on the possibility of making big bucks when their startups go public. But during weekends, this place is a fucking wasteland, a desolate ghost-town in the grip of a post-apocalyptic epidemic that’s wiped out most of the human race. The restaurants are closed, the glass monoliths lie lifeless, shutters are pulled down on the once warehouses, now the HQs of some random mobile app companies.

I walk past the Moscone Center and encounter a familiar sight. This reminds me of a game I play whenever I’m about to cross this ginormous convention center. The game’s called - Guess-the-conference-contest, where I try to guess the tech company that’s taken over the exhibition venue. Lo behold, this time it was a company whose very name has the essence of San Francisco in it. The next game I play after that is Guess-the-band-who-is-paid-a-lot-of-money-to-perform-during-these-conferences contest. Will it be Red Hot Chilli Peppers or Metallica or Green Day or <insert-rebellious-punk-rock-metal-band-name>? Such a fucking irony.

While a few miles away, a horde of San Franciscans are getting sloshed and smoked up and doing other crazy things that San Franciscans do, here I come across another horde of SF Bay Area-ians...the sober ones in clothes, lugging machines on their backs and with name tags dangling across their necks. Tomorrow starts here...

If I were to believe that, then tomorrow is a very sad place to live in. The moment I cross Moscone Center, I bump into 6th Street, an enigmatic seedy street that lies in peaceful co-existence with all the opulence around. As I wait for the lights to turn green, I see a homeless man peeing on the wall, a drug crazed junkie with a signboard asking very earnestly, for more money to buy weed and an old woman on a wheelchair screaming and hurling abuses at no one in particular. When you think about it, the net-worth differential between 5th & Mission and 6th & Mission is quite staggering.

As the ideologies of Adam Smith and Karl Marx engage in a fierce battle in my brain, I come across the reassuring sight of good ol’ Arnie…We may be rich or poor, young or old, but when those darn machines come back from the future, we will need to set aside our differences and unite for the sake of humanity :

(to be continued...)

[chronicblabber]

The largest political event of all time

Yes, I'm talking about the Indian Elections, a ridiculously massive political event where close to a billion people cast their votes to elect 543 members into the lower house (Lok Sabha) of the parliament. In other words, it's that time when the world's largest democracy chooses its leader, the Prime Minister of India. The results are out, and there is much to discuss, debate and ponder over. Did we as a nation do the right thing by bringing BJP into power with an overwhelming majority? Did we lose the chance of voting into power, a group of honest, educated, hard-working folks from the AAP? Does the lack of a sizable opposition bide well for passing laws and legislation quickly, or is it susceptible to introduce hegemonistic domination?

At this point, I thought I'd just take a step back from the nitty gritties of socio-politic-economic debates and look at the bigger picture. As cliched as it may sound, the biggest winner of this term's general elections has been Democracy. Living 10,000 miles away from my home country, my window to what's been happening there has mainly been through social media. And I must say that the excitement and frenzy on Facebook and Twitter has been extremely overwhelming, the kinda craziness that I've only seen before with Cricket and Bollywood. Arvind Kejriwal vs Narendra Modi just replaced Shah Rukh Khan vs Aamir Khan and India vs Pakistan. Take a deep breath and let this thought sink in...For once, it seemed like we gave politics as much importance as we did to Cricket. The moment Rahul Gandhi memes replaced Ravindra Jajeda memes, you know that politics has won the popularity game. 

Five years ago, when most of my friends and I turned into legal voters, a handful of us ended up casting our votes. To be honest, no one really cared about politics. There was a collective sentiment that voting was a waste of time, and we were better off without exercising our democratic privilege. Fast-forward 5 years and I can't think of anyone in my friends' circle, who's currently in India and has not voted.

People have passionately debated, made foolish claims, indulged in mud-slinging...friends became enemies, enemies became friends. At one point it did seem like the entire Indian social web was divided into two camps - one that supported the BJP (hashtag NaMo!) and the other that supported Arvind Kejriwal's band of democratic heroes (hashtag AAP!). There is only one thing in the world worse than a bad opinion, and that's having no opinion. And this time, people had an opinion and they stood by it, and they voted for it.

When I went to India this December and hung out with my buddies, invariably all our discussions ended up getting back to politics. One could argue that we were older and wiser now, but this came as a surprise for someone like me, who had absolutely no interest in politics before. How and why this "political enlightenment" came about...I'm not sure. Maybe years of political scams and incompetence set people's blood to boil or maybe it was the Jan Lokpal Movement and the Aam Aadmi Party's revolution. Either way, I get a feeling that the youth (or at least the urban youth) of this country is politically more empowered now. And that means the cohort that'll have a political influence for the longest duration of time, will exercise that political influence. I might be in premature dreamland, but honestly, it does feel like real democracy has overthrown dynastic pseudo-democracy.

It remains to be seen whether the Modi Sarkaar will live up to its hype or not. But one thing's certain, if they don't do well, there is a distinct possibility that they could be overthrown in favor of a new government that promises to do better things. I hope that this is just a start to a never-ending democratic wave of optimism.