The Champion : On the grass and off it

"Sorry Pete, I tried to hold him off", and he did. And he did it remarkably for 4 hours and 16 minutes. Andy Roddick was way above his usual game on Sunday, the 5th July 2009 giving us another consecutive intriguing, epic Wimbledon final. Roddick deserves a laudable appreciation for his game that day. At one point during the last set, I almost wondered, "Will it ever gonna end?"

But it did. There was no upset this time; no daze for the Champion, the greatest player that the game of tennis has ever witnessed. Roger Federer regained the top spot; and he did it in commendable style in an occasion that couldn't have been any better. He has become the first tennis player ever to have 15 majors under his belt. He has won it all - including the ever eluding Roland Garros (French open). Over the last years of his reign on tennis courts, I have been deucedly impressed by his sublime style and aeonian class. Always cool, always in control of his game and emotions - a true professional sportsman. He has excelled in all areas of this game; he has proved that he is the Master with the racket.

In Sunday's match, he did hit an incredible 50+ aces. Many may argue this may not be his best game considering he almost stepped on the brink of the defeat at least twice during the match. Nevertheless, to see this magician of tennis at his work on green grass itself is a treat for the eyes. His effective services, spinning back-hand, powerful fore-hand and those marvellous drop volleys - everything is so stylish, so composed. He has given tennis a new meaning, a new beauty and hundreds of thousands of fans across the globe like me.

Way to go Roger, keep running your dream run !!!

The Hangover : hang your worries over and just enjoy

I couldn't remember when was the last time I had so much fun in cinema. And considering the fact that I was having one of the most boring, lonely and ****ed-up (a common phrase used throughout the movie too) weekend; I could not be more thankful to this gem of a comedy. I had been waiting for this movie ever since I had seen its trailer. This one promises to be plain, simple, no-holds-barred comedy and this is exactly what it delivers. The jokes keep coming at such a pace that you can hardly have time to breathe. They just keep you rolling. At times, they are quite outrageous, coarse and gross; but that's what makes this movie so enjoyable.

Set in Las Vegas, "The Hangover", directed by Todd Philips, centres around three buddies who took their close friend to throw a bachelor party just two nights before his wedding and ended up losing him. As they say "What could possibly go wrong in a bachelor party in Vegas?" The answer, "Everything !!!". All of the three woke up next morning in a hotel suite with a chicken in the room, a (this part is amazing) tiger in the bathroom and a baby in the closet. And the weirdest thing is none of them could remember a single thing about what had happened the night before. They must trace back their friend and to do so, they must trace back the events of the night. Now you get it - a perfect setup for a hilarious comedy, isn't it? Watch it to enjoy what happens next.

Bradley Cooper (as Phil Wenneck), Ed Helms (as Stu Price) and Zach Galifianakis (as Alan Garner) are all incredible in their respective roles. Phil was the smartest and coolest of them all. Stu, a dentist by profession, is pretty impatient and being constantly nagged by his annoying girlfriend. But the character Alan is way different than the rest. When he delivers, he does it in such a manner that everybody in the audience just goes crazy. There are some other incredibly funny characters in the movie including a Chinese guy Mr. Chow among the bunch. And don't miss the wedding song towards the end of the movie, you may never hear anything like this one again.

At conclusion, I must say this movie may well be the best comedy in years. Go with a gang of your buddies and have the time of your life.

(Caution: The movie has been given "A" certificate [adults] in India and given the nature of the jokes and some scenes, rightly so)

The good life : In memory of my lost college days

Note: Most part of this post is written in Assamese, an Indian language and my native one. Your browser/OS needs to support Unicode for Assamese/Bengali fonts for displaying the text correctly. Please google for details as how to enable unicode support.

Those liquid nights, those sunny days. Chilling mornings and playful afternoons. They are lost, we moved on, we became professionals, carrying a feeling of solitude in throng ! Every phase of life has its own significance, charm, sadness. But I strongly feel wherever we be, however happy we claim ourselves to be, the college days, particularly the hostel days have an unforgettable fascination. Hostel exposed me to the real world, a more practical, a more diversified, more colorful world. Isn't it amazing as how you can co-exist with so many individuals each one of whom is completely different from the other in one premise for so many years (for me, it was 4 years of engineering) and still enjoy your life at its fullest? Yes we do study in college, but we study lives more than books. We experience, we learn, we argue, we fight, we play, we cry, we laugh and we resent.

I did my engineering from Jorhat Engineering College, a state-run engineering institute in Assam, India. From outside it may not look a starry, dashing and so-called "reputed" (a despising cliche often used for educational institutes with big names) one; but from inside it is warm, playful, smiling, robust, united. The hostel life is unexplainably fun and enjoyable. And the pleasant climate of upper Assam makes it more exciting and memorable. Gosh !! I miss my college, my hostel. I hope the memories will forever be as fresh and as pleasant as they are today.

For Assamese readers only, the following poem was written by me during my last year of engineering as a souvenir to my college.


অৱলোকন
---------

জুৰিৰ পানী আৰু পানীত হাঁহি |
প্রতিবিম্বিত প্রেম আৰু কিছু আলাপ |
সিহঁত আৰু সিহঁতৰ বিপৰীত |
হাঁহি খিকিন্দালি আৰু চিঞৰ বাখৰ |
ব্লেকবোর্ড আৰু ফুচফুচনি |
গালি গালাজ আৰু মাৰপিট |
কনিষ্ঠতা নাইবা জ্যেষ্ঠতা |
প্রথম দিনৰ চকুলো, শেষ দিনৰ চকুলো |
'অ'হীন অখাদ্য নাইবা দামী ৰেশ্টোৰাৰ সুস্বাদ |
খেল, খেলুৱৈ, দর্শক, সমর্থক |
উদ্দাম আৰু হতাশা |
সন্মান আৰু মৰম |
নিয়ন্ত্রণ আৰু উদণ্ডতা |
কলম অথবা কমপ্যাক্ট ডিস্ক |
কিতাপ অথবা পৰিকলন |
নতুন খেলৰ নতুন প্রস্তুতি, নাইবা
আদিম খেলৰ নতুন ৰূপ !
ধোঁৱা আৰু পানীৰ ৰাতি |
উচ্চাকাংক্ষী ভাষণ আৰু তাৰ প্রত্যুত্তৰ |
ইতিকিং আৰু সমালোচনা |
সুহুৰি আৰু মিচিকিয়া হাহিঁ |
আলোকিত মঞ্চ, প্রতিভাৰ নাচোন |
বহুৱাৰ বহুৱালি অথবা বান্দৰৰ বান্দৰামি |
শিক্ষাৰ ৰাজনীতি বা ৰাজনীতিৰ শিক্ষা |
ব্যৱস্থাৰ কেৰোণ আৰু ধর্মঘট |
আত্মকেন্দ্রিকতা আৰু অৱহেলা |
অস্তিত্ব, অনস্তিত্বৰ যুজঁ |
নীৰৱ দর্শক নাইবা সৰৱ পাগল |
--------------
তোমাৰ সকলো দোষ, তোমাৰ সকলো গুণ -
তোমাৰ বিচিত্রতাত বিমুদ্ধ মই |
কাৰণ মই যে তোমাৰেই অংশ |

© Srimay
Composed on: May 1st, 2004

Oh Wild West !!

Those cowboys and their classy old guns !! Fascinating, isn't it? Right from our schooldays, we have heard about them, seen people roving about wearing those famous "cowboy" hats, the dusty jacket and shooting anybody at sight with their fingers. And naturally, I was attracted to western genre in movies. And after watching Sergio Leone's classic tale "The good, the bad and the ugly", which, undoubtedly, one of the best movies ever made - I was terribly attracted to westerns. Recent in my list are "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968) and "Unforgiven"(1992). Both of them are astonishing in their own ways. Both will drag you to the world of wild west of those times and leave you with a soothing satisfaction of watching a good movie.

Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" primarily centers around a young extremely beautiful woman Mrs. McBain (played by gorgeous Claudia Cardinale) who moves from New Orleans to Western town Utah to be with her new husband and his children, only to find that the whole family is brutally murdered. There she met a mysterious man, referred to as Harmonica (Charles Bronson), who helps her in taking her revenge. But Harmonica has his own motive !!! Henry Fonda, in his role as infamous Frank, is remarkable. Shot in the landmark dusty little small town of then-American west frontier, the movie has it all that a dream western movie should have. It's raw, grimmy, stern, uncensored and most importantly, full of exiting "Cowboy" shooting. A must watch for those who appreciete a good and simple movie.

Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven", on the other hand, is more emotional and may be a more realistic depiction of old western days. Acted by some of the greatest actors of Hollywood - Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman - this film tries to zoom into lives of normal American people during that era. Story of a retired old gunman William Munny who took up a last job to support his family - this one is a study of life and its importance. But, in any sense, it doesn't lack the lovable elements of a western. Munny's famous dialogue "I've killed just about anything that walked or crawled at one time or another, and I'm here to kill you…" says it all. Regarded by many as the greatest western of all time, this is my strong recommendation to my readers.

Nothing blogging

It's really frustrating to open the blank "New Post" page of blogger and find nothing to type. Nothing, no subject, no topic? It has happened to me a number of times, humming my fingers across the keyboard to find the starting word and my mind blacks out, words cease to come out. And then.... forget it, close the tab, browse some same old regular entertainment sites and that's it. And after a few days, same story. What should I write about today? Movies? Nah, that will look cliche among so many movie posts already in the blog. Current affairs? Hey what's actually happening currently, the virtual world is keeping me away from any real-world affairs. I just hear about bomb-blasts here and there everyday, and people are already showing their overwhelming expert opinions discussing the consequences of violence and condemning the terrorists before going out for a night-out to the super cool pub with their super-hot mates. So what's left? I mean what's left about which I can also act as an expert on and write some fiery posts in a blog which none except myself is expected to read, and thus take a feeling of wah-wah writer for my heart. Oh come-on, think something, it has been more than two months since your last post. My admirers(?) are getting restless, they are asking for more. I can do it, just one topic, just one post. Think...What? The new hot babe song playing in MTV. The one we were discussing about that day? Yeah coming man, let me just hibernate my computer......

That life was so close to never happening

Some may say I am a bit biased towards some actors. I don't mind that as long as we are talking here about actors like Edward Norton. I consider Ed Norton as one of the finest actors of his generation. I am astounded often by his ease of expression and his powerful clear dialogue deliveries. I enjoyed all the movies that I had watched of him - be it American History X, Primal Fear, Illusionist or Fight Club. He was strong reason enough for me going for 25th Hour - a movie released in 2002 directed by Spike Lee. Did I like it? Hell yes. Rarely had I watched a movie that left me so emotional that I could not sleep thinking about it that night. Not exaggerated, not for me. This movie probably has the most disturbing ending of all that I had watched so far.

The movie depicts the last 24 hours of freedom of convicted drug dealer Monty Brogan (Ed Norton) before he begins his 7 year old imprisonment. The movie basically about the choices one make and their consequences. During the last night of freedom, Monty wants to enjoy a party with his two best friends - Frank Slattery (Barry Pepper), a NY stock broker and Jakob Elinsky (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an English teacher. The movie also illustrates the choices that these two of Monty's friends were presented by life and the ones they chose to accept. As for Monty "One wrong choice... one last night... 24 hours to live a lifetime". But little do the audiences know that they will be presented with such a shocking and disturbing ending to this otherwise looking simple movie.

Yes the movie does have some deregatory comments against some communities and individuals including one Indian community. But those were just indicative about the fact that no-one except him or herself is responsible for what one does to his or her life. For me, for a moment, I really wished Monty would live that life. I wish he would have made a right choice !!!

Cast a caste !!

Being from a traditional Indian Hindu family, I was often taught to be confined in the narrow perimeter of religion and caste. I think one of the most deadliest concept prevailing in Asian countries like India is the concept of caste that I strongly despise. You cannot label somebody saying that he/she is from "some blah-blah" caste and then control his/her life by that label just on the basis of the family he/she is born in. This is sheer ridiculous. We have already seen enough destructive, and bloody consequences of this system - the recent Gujjar incident in Rajasthan being the latest. This is often used by politicians as their game on dirty political playground - examples? I guess Indian readers can find out numerous themselves.

But what more concerns me is its dangerous effect on one's personal life. Having being stuck with a label of so-called high-class Brahmin family, I have seen such incidents in my family myself. Marriage, probably the biggest decision on one's life, is often controlled by caste rather than individual choice !!! You love somebody? Is he/she the one you have been looking for all the time? Oh great - then let's get married. Hey hold on, it's India I am talking about. These are quite secondary questions, the primary being "Is he/she from the same (bloody) caste?" No !!! sorry mate, you are in big trouble. Every second person, whom you might have never heard of before, who might have never bothered if you are alive and dead all these days, will suddenly turn out to be your well-wisher and start advising you that you must bury your "love" there and then. Now seriously how many of you think this is logical and sensible?

The fact that troubles me more is that this is happening now also, in the 21st century among the people of new, high-tech, cosmo generation. When I was a child, I thought this type of irrational, unjustified customs will go off once my generation, the young educated (??), vibrant generation will take the lead and stand against such evils. But I am disappointed and annoyed to see some of my friends and colleagues openly supporting the same or not uttering a single word of protest if they are forced to follow the same and make the ultimate sacrifice in their personal front. Come on !! open up. Break these barriers, the world is far more beautiful when it is open and vast. Let's give our next generations a more free, more justified country to live in where they can follow their heart.

Thrill to read : A Matter of Honour

Honestly, I am not a very good reader of English books, of any genre. Yes, I enjoy literature as much I enjoy movies. But till date, most of my readings have been in my native language Assamese. Sure I did enjoy some fantastic fictions published in English, like "Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown, "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini; but not too many. My most recent read has been "A Matter of Honour" by Jeffrey Archer. Thanks to my sweet friend, she not only recommended the book to me, but handed me over her own copy. And I have to agree what a fantastic fiction this one is. It takes its readers through a thrilling roller-costar ride and finally leave them longing for more. This basically is a suspense thriller set mainly in UK, Russia, France and Switzerland during the period 1960's-1970's . The book cover says "The greatest chase story of our time". I couldn't have agreed more. From the very outset, it'll grasp you and as you turn through the pages, the grasp will become tighter and tighter. Exaggerated? For me, no.

The story's main character is an ex-military man who accidentally inherits a sealed letter in his father's will. And the moment the letter is opened, the chase begins and with an incredible speed. Action, romance, politics, diplomacy, betrayal, power, greed, sex - all the elements of a perfect thriller is thoughtfully and artistically depicted in the story. This is my first Archer book and I must tell he is a master story-teller. I am in mood to reveal the story further and act as a spoiler agent here. But to my readers who is looking for a good read, try this out. Engrossing !!!

Movies that inspired : Forrest Gump

"Run Forrest run" and hi ran, taking all the emotions of his audiences. Tom Hanks was incredible in this awe-inspiring, astonishing 1994 movie directed by Robert Zemeckis. I am yet to meet a single person, no matter whether he is an action flick fanatic or singing romantic, who had watched this movie and didn't like it. The tagline of this movie says, "The world will never be the same once you've seen it through the eyes of Forrest Gump." How true !! Innocence is not dead yet. He achieved almost everything without ever longing for any, and always being indifferent to all. He wanted nothing except love. He was simple - too simple to be true. That's because he has an IQ lower than that of average human brain. And probably that is why he was so inspiring, so lovable. His was the purest heart you could ever imagine. That guy, with his simplicity and low IQ touched me and many who watched this movie, left me speechless. Only thing he had ever cared, ever endeavor for was his love, "the most beautiful thing he had ever seen", Jenny. But he was too perfect, too pure for her that really hurt me.

For my readers who are yet to watch this magical film, I'd just say, "Go for it guys. You will not be disappointed. Who knows, may be it can really change your world !"

Here are some of my favorite lines from the movie collected from IMDB.

Forrest Gump: My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

Forrest Gump: I'm not a smart man... but I know what love is.

Forrest Gump: Stupid is as stupid does.

Mrs. Gump: You have to do the best with what God gave you.

Forrest Gump: Mama always said, dying was a part of life.

Young Jenny Curran: Dear God, make me a bird. So I could fly far. Far far away from here.

Forrest Gump: Now you wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I could run like the wind blows. From that day on, if I was ever going somewhere, I was running!

Forrest Gump: Hello. My name's Forrest, Forrest Gump. You want a chocolate?

Forrest Gump: The best thing about visiting the President is the food! Now, since it was all free, and I wasn't hungry but thirsty, I must've drank me fifteen Dr. Peppers.

Forrest Gump: My Mama always said you've got to put the past behind you before you can move on.

Forrest Gump: I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floatin' around accidental-like on a breeze. But I, I think maybe it's both.

Coach Bryant: That kid may be the stupidest son of a bitch I've ever seen, but damn he can run!

Jenny Curran: Listen, you promise me something, OK? Just if you're ever in trouble, don't be brave. You just run, OK? Just run away.

Jenny Curran: Run, Forrest! Run!

An evening to remember : IPL inauguration

It was a thrilling experience, a perfect Friday evening after a comparatively relaxed day in office. 18th April, 2008 - the much talked, much hyped Indian Premiere League was inaugurated in Bangalore. This was an event we were not going to miss; we booked our tickets the moment they were released. Before that day, there was much debate whether IPL is going to be hit or flop. But as the day unveiled, the verdict was loud and clear - cricket cannot be flop in India, whatever format it may be in. And as it turned out now, it's a smashing hit with all the elements of a blockbuster. The greatest cricketers of today from across the world fighting with and for one another, passion, aggression, tension, joy, agony of cricket mixed with colorful atmosphere, packed stadiums, sexy cheerleaders - the IPL has it all. And we could not have asked more after the spectacular opening ceremony we had witnessed. Undoubtedly this was the most eye-catching, euphoric ceremony ever witnessed in India. Truly this was an evening to remember, an evening that paved way for a new era of cricket, for India and for the whole world !!!!

For more on IPL including snaps, please visit the official website: www.iplt20.com

Movies that inspired : The Shawshank Redemption

"Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free." - was the tagline of this extremely inspiring 1994 movie : The Shawshank Redemption. And this is what the movie is all about, this is what it teaches you - "Hope". As Andy Dufresne (character played by Tim Robbins) correctly said in the movie,"Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." The movie was so powerful, so moving - I was spellbound after watching it, and then I watched it again and again. IMDB ranks this movie 9.2/10 as I type and places it second in its prestigious list of top 250 movies of all time. The movie also features in almost all the trusted "Top Movies" list published. The theme was stupendous, the direction was perfect and the acting from almost everybody was the best in the business. The movie starts with a young banker Andy Dufresne being wrongly convicted and imprisoned for life for the murder of his wife. It centers around the life of Andy and his co-prisoner 'Red' Redding (played by incredible Morgan Freeman) in prison and his perfect redemption at the end. Any more revelation than this may be termed as "spoiler" for my friends who are yet to watch the movie. It is difficult (at least was for me) to just watch the movie and take away nothing. It makes the audience realize the power of hope - real hope, not simply accepting life as fate; but hope for something more, crave for it.

Here are some of my favorite quotes collected from the movie (courtesy : IMDB)

Red: [narrating] I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice. Still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend.

Warden Samuel Norton: Salvation lies within.

Andy Dufresne: I was in the path of the tornado... I just didn't expect the storm would last as long as it has.

Warden Samuel Norton: I believe in two things: discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both. Put your trust in the Lord; your ass belongs to me. Welcome to Shawshank.

Red: There's not a day goes by I don't feel regret. Not because I'm in here, or because you think I should. I look back on the way I was then: a young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I want to talk to him. I want to try and talk some sense to him, tell him the way things are. But I can't. That kid's long gone and this old man is all that's left. I got to live with that. Rehabilitated? It's just a bullshit word. So you go on and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time. Because to tell you the truth, I don't give a shit

Red: Geology is the study of pressure and time. Thats all it takes really... pressure, and time... that and a big goddamn poster.

Red: [narrating] I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don't want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can't be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.

Andy Dufresne: [in letter to Red] Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

Red: [narrating] I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.

Roll that spectacular reel

Lights, camera, action !!! And the magic begins. Fascination, illusion, drama, romance, tragedy, comedy - everything begin, impossible becomes possible, the future becomes the present, giants roared, soldiers martyr, nature destroys, emotions bursts. Cinema has always been captivating me, pulling me into a whole new astonishing world. I am not a film critic, but simply someone who enjoys watching the magic being cast in screen. There are a number of movies that have inspired and deeply affected me. Every time I watch one such movie, my head nods for those extraordinary filmmakers and their extraordinary vision towards the world and human race. In this and a few of the future posts, I would like to mention some of these movies - the list is long and there has been quite some time since I watched many of them. I shall only touch upon some of those that I can think of little more vividly at this moment compared to the rest. But first, in this post, let me recollect the names of some of these stupendous cinematic wonders; those that come to my mind right now are:

• The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
• Life is beautiful (Italian: La vita è bella) (1997)
• Dark Knight (2008)
• A beautiful mind (2001)
• Hotel Rwanda (2004)
• Schindler's List (1993)
• Forrest Gump (1994)
• The Pianist (2002)
• Dinabondhu (Assamese) (2005)
  
• Casablanca (1942)
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Italian: Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo) (1966)
• Memento (2000)
• Sholay (Hindi) (1975)
• The Matrix (1999)
• Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001)
• American History X (1998)
• Pulp Fiction (1994)
• Fight Club (1999)
• Psycho (1960)
• Léon (1994)
• The Departed (2006)
• L.A. Confidential (1997)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
• Saving Private Ryan (1998)
• The Green Mile (1999)
• Rebecca (1940)
• Braveheart (1995)
• The Sixth Sense (1999)
• Gladiator (2000)
• Ben-Hur (1959)
• Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
• 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
• American Gangster (2007)
• Blood Diamond (2006)
• Mystic River (2003)
• Finding Neverland (2004)
• Taare Zameen Par (Hindi) (2007)
• Dil Chahta Hain (Hindi) (2001)
• Gone with the Wind (1939)
• Jurassic Park (1993)

May be I have missed some of the movies in the above list and shall keep adding them as and when I watch or remember. But all of these films have influenced me deeply in some way or other and they gave me much more than a mode for just time pass !!

Photoblog : enthralling North East India

Some postcards collected to depict untouched picture-perfect serene beauty of North Eastern part of India and its colorful culture:

Beautiful Arunachal


Tea estate in Assam xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxBihu dance, Assam

Rongali Bihu, Assam xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxEnchanting Meghalaya

Loktak Lake, Manipur xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Colorful Nazo festival, Nagaland

Bamboo Dance, Mizoram xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxMawlai, Meghalaya

Scenic valley, Arunachal Pradesh xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxManipur

Kaziranga National Park, Assam xxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxManas Tiger Reserve, Assam

Ujjainti Palace, Tripura xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxzzzzzzzzzzxxTripura culture

For more on North-East tourism, please visit individual state tourism sites (or Google):

Assam: www.assamtourism.org/
Arunachal Pradesh: www.arunachaltourism.com/
Meghalaya: megtourism.gov.in/
Manipur: manipur.nic.in/tourism.htm
Mizoram: mizotourism.nic.in/
Nagaland: nagaland.nic.in/potential/tourism.htm
Tripura: tripura.nic.in/ttourism1.htm

It's all about money honey!!

Millions spent in one single day. Players sold, players bought. And in unbelievable prices - they are enormous figures, especially for a common man like me. It has altered the very own face of how Cricket is played, who controls the game and what drives the passion. Cricketers are celebrities now - literally in every sense. Glamor, money and fans - they have it all. With Indian Premiere League, Cricket sure has taken a turn - right or wrong, only time will tell. Here is a list collected from cricinfo.com demonstrating at how much some of the players were auctioned (!!) to play at the IPL for different teams. For more details on the bidding, please visit: http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ipl/content/current/story/338107.html

Top ten players at the auction (Figures in USD)

Player	Franchise	Base price	Winning bid
Mahendra Singh Dhoni	Chennai	400,000	1,500,000
Andrew Symonds	Hyderabad	250,000	1,350,000
Sanath Jayasuriya	Mumbai	250,000	975,000
Ishant Sharma	Kolkata	150,000	950,000
Irfan Pathan	Mohali	200,000	925,000
Jacques Kallis	Bangalore	225,000	900,000
Brett Lee	Mohali	300,000	900,000
RP Singh	Hyderabad	200,000	875,000
Harbhajan Singh	Mumbai	250,000	850,000
Robin Uthappa	Mumbai	200,000	800,000

Icon players

Player	Franchise	Price
Sachin Tendulkar	Mumbai	1,121,250
Sourav Ganguly	Kolkata	1,092,500
Yuvraj Singh	Mohali	1,063,750
Rahul Dravid	Bangalore	1,035,000
Virender Sehwag	Delhi	833,750

Look at the figures. Are you kidding me?

Le magnifique Paris

It was my first trip abroad and naturally I was excited. Thanks heaven, the excitement was all not for nothing. I was captivated by this awesome city of France. Personally, I do not possess a high longing for cities; for me they are all same, full of sky-high concretes, both inside and outside. But I need to agree Paris struck a few chords in my heart . I enjoyed those gloomy mornings, mild breezy afternoons - I enjoyed walking down the beautiful roads through pleasing drizzle by the quietly flowing Seine. And surprisingly, to rupture my notion about Western aloofness and reservations, I found the Parisians extremely open-hearted, helpful and friendly. My intension hear is not to write a travel diary of Paris, the one we can find easily in the Net. But, yes I need to agree I enjoyed the trip - I loved the view of Paris from top of Eiffel, I was spellbound by the marvels of "Musee de Louvre", I was awestruck by "Champs-Elysées", by "Notre-Dame", by "Montmartre" and what not.