Chef (2014)

Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) is a gifted cook but his culinary talents feel restrained at the Gauloise in California, where he is head chef. The food that he is being forced to cook and serve at the restaurant for about 10 years now has turned boring and predictable. The repeated classics have caused food critic, Ramsey Michel (Oliver Platt) to publicly criticize Carl's work and after a heated altercation with Ramsey and Riva (Dustin Hoffman) his boss and restaurant owner, Carl quits his job. Carl who is divorced feels he has failed as a father, he is old with no money and now no job! Down and out of his luck a fortuitous visit to Miami, rekindles of his love for Cuban food. And hence the birth of food truck, El Jefe. With some help from his ex-wife, Inez (Sofia Vergara) and her ex-husband Marvin (Robert Downey Jr.) Carl is soon selling good, wholesome Cuban food. He is travelling across the country with  his good friend and cook Martin (John Leguizamo) and his son Percy (Emjay Anthony). El Jefe is soon a household name and what started out as a seeming disaster is his window of opportunity. A successful restaurant, a great relationship with his son and the probability of finding love again!!!  How good can it get!
Funny and playful, Jon Favreau as both director and actor has served a gastronomic masterpiece and has nailed it!  

The Intern (2015)

Ben Wittaker (Robert DeNiro) continues to live his retired life with a military precision, honoring a time bound schedule. He should be enjoying his retired life but sadly that is not the case! Boredom threatens to smother him until he happens upon an advertisement at the local grocers. A fashion start-up, "About the Fit" is looking for senior interns for an outreach program. Ben doesn't need any goading and he is soon waiting to be interviewed. Upon selection, Ben is informed that he will be mentored by the seemingly formidable Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway), the CEO. But at the very onset, Jules finds Ben unsettling although Ben's perceptiveness soon makes him popular among his colleagues. His doggedness though win her over, and Ben is promoted to personal assistant. But an insightful Ben soon notices fissures in Jules seemingly uber-successful life. The company's charts do not scream the huge profits that were predicted and Jules is torn with the fact that they may have to hire a new CEO. Her seemingly happy family seems to be tottering on the verge of collapse leaving Jules grappling with time constraints. Unable to spend quality time with her adorable daughter, Paige and her husband, Matt (Anders Holm) Ben is soon privy to the fact that Matt, a stay-at-home dad who gave up a successful career in marketing, is having an affair.
Jules and Ben form a bond like no other, helping the other grow! So the big question is -  who is mentoring whom?

A warm film that gives you a deep insight into human relationships, proving that we all need one another and we cannot stand alone.  

Word for the day :-

bacchanalia - drunken celebrations

Gandhi (1982)

I could never do justice to a review on the movie that aptly portrays the life and times of the great man, Mahatma Gandhi! Over my lifetime I have watched Gandhi on numerous occasions and there have been too many to count. That being said, I can hear my family groan if I tune in to the movie telecast on television. But that does not deter me in the least.

The year is 1893. A life-changing and soon to become a defining moment in world history took place. A young Mohandas Gandhi, an Indian barrister, all of 23 years and educated in London was travelling in a train. Holding a first class ticket, and looking forward to his new work assignment in this different land - South Africa, he was comfortable in his first-class compartment. Despite having a first class ticket he was asked to vacate the first class owing to the color of his skin or be thrown off the train. By his refusal to give up his rightful seat, he chose the latter. He was deeply disturbed by this episode and decided to fight against racial discrimination that was prevalent in the South Africa of the day. He was able to draw attention to his work and the support of the local prosperous but suppressed Indian community

Gandhi subsequently returns to India and embarks on a path of self realization and satyagraha (a policy of passive political resistance - as defined by Oxford Dictionary) and the non-cooperation movement fought towards India's independence. His simplicity and struggles earned him the name, Bapu - Father of the Nation. As they say, the rest is history! The movie though long, is riveting.
Gandhi was nominated for the Academy Awards in 1982, in 11 categories. It won in 8 categories, including the Best Actor award by Ben Kingsley.

 

Just as summer and the heat were to set in we paid a visit to Aga Khan Palace, Pune.
This was a place that played a pivotal role in the life of Bapu. This was where he, his wife - Kasturba Gandhi  and his secretary were under house arrest , during the Indian Freedom movement. The palace is a memorial (Samadhi) to the ashes of Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai (Gandhi's Secretary).

Reflection Song: Whatsoever You Do

My maternal grandparents were staunch supporters for an assortment of causes. They were there to lend a hand to their church and community, financially supporting institutions like the blind school, hard up students studying in seminaries, the school for the deaf ... all these were the few I knew of. I was grandpa's self-appointed "mailman", only too happy to mail his letters, pick up stamps when he would run out and I didn't mind ferrying the mail to him as soon as it would arrive. There seemed to be so much in the mail and at times I would wonder what a retired man was doing to receive all this correspondence. When my grandpa passed and news spread to all those far-and-wide, we were inundated with mail. These letters were from the strangest places all of them passing on to the grieving family their condolences. We were taken aback when we realized the numerous causes he was involved with. By nature he was stoic and self-effacing! Characteristics I've tried to imbibe. In my own little way, I strived to do my best. If I could only go back in time for just a moment, I would love to see him bent at his desk nursing his glass of Wincarnis deeply buried in a book ..

A man at a Desk - Leopold von Kalckreuth,

The National Museum in Warsaw

My tooth-fairy was pretty generous, let me tell you. I had accumulated quite the packet by the time my last milk tooth bid farewell. Our school would take us to an orphanage annually where we would spend the day and I would return home grateful and humbled by the experience. Without any qualms whatsoever I was convinced this was where I wanted to deploy my kitty. As little as that was, I hoped I made a difference.
We are all angels and are unaware of the impact we make in this world, in our own way - a smile, a kind word, a helping hand ... ! To all the blessed people reading this, continue to make a difference and stay blessed!

Here is one of my favorite hymns -

“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” - Mother Teresa

On 4th September, 2016 Mother Teresa was canonized a saint at the Vatican. What a blessed, happy and proud moment that was! Ironically, I am a parishioner at Mother Teresa Parish and we had a joyous and grand celebration to commemorate the saintly life of a wonderful person. The homily delivered at mass reminded us that you do not need great qualifications to achieve the greatest and Mother Teresa was a testament to that truth. We, as a nation were blessed that an Albanian born Roman Catholic nun chose to call India her home and dedicated her life to helping the poor, especially the down-trodden of society. She was a beacon of hope in a sea of poverty, loneliness and rejection - seeing God in all human suffering. She radiated warmth, love and compassion - having touched numerous lives all over the globe with her simplicity and devoutness, even 19 years after her passing.
Our generation is lucky to have witnessed a saintly life in our midst..

I took a moment to look up one of my favorite poems that I thought was apt. -

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN  by Robert Frost                                      

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,                                              
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,          

And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.                            

Abduction - Robin Cook

I have read most of Robin Cook's medical thrillers and was skeptical about this book; "Abduction", a story that has taken a foray into the Parallel Universe, a topic that is far removed from Dr. Cook's medical expertise.
A team of researchers have taken a dive into the Atlantic in their submersible and they find themselves trapped in an underwater volcano. This is their gateway to a world unknown to man as he knows it - a world technologically far advanced and a place that is home to genetically engineered  and physically near perfect humans. This is the land of "milk and honey"! These "first-generation humans", from millions of years ago, had to find a place to live before Earth was wiped clean in a meteoric crash. Ever since they have lived peaceful and fulfilled lives, removed from the plague of violence. Their lives are a secret from the earthlings and the constant monitoring of life on Earth is to ensure their safety in anonymity. The abductions of these "secondary humans" is to prove just that! Will the abductees be able to call this heaven home?

I have heard how time and space exists, and its is only our perception that moves through time and space. A concept that is difficult to get my mind around. You've got to read this book to find out more. It's insanely good and the master of suspense has given the usual unpredictable and nail-biting finish. I was done with the book in a few days, to prove that.

Huh!! What the .... ???

Following is a link to help you understand the concept a bit better. The theory may be too elaborate for a lay person, like me, but I hope this helps a little!
how stuff works - warp speed

In A New York Minute - The Eagles

We are all constantly chasing after something and as time skips merrily along, a little too fast at times, the years roll on by in the blink of an eye and it could be over before we know it.

Occasionally we need to settle down, even if only for a minute - to watch the sunrise, feel the breeze, smell the coffee, listen to the birds .... whatever your heart fancies - 

and essentially give ear to nature as it gives it's speech to us in a million ways.

We are surrounded with so much beauty, it's right here and we forget we don't need big bucks to appreciate them.
Go on have a smashing day!