Wonka - A movie of hope and imagination

This is the best movie to see on the 1st of the year. With my four letter word for 20 24 being HOPE what better movie to start the year with. The girls were any swooning because of Timothy Chalamet and it was a holiday spirits with chocolates from Germany in our fridge. So the mood was set for a perfect morning on a bright & warm winter sunny day. The below description by a TOI reviewer is what I would have written. 

Wonka feels like a delectable cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter morning or a warm hug on a gloomy day. It is as relaxing as the crackling sound of a fireplace. The classic holiday feel-good drama on love, passion, friendship, building and rebuilding life by having faith in your dreams, leaves you with a gleeful smile and teary eyes. The spiritual prequel or origin story of Roald Dahl's famous chocolate factory owner immerses you in its world of adventure, compassion, and persistence.

I have been on MUBI for a month or more where the movies are more real, gritty, yes they also have cute old movies but the last few I saw was hard hitting. This came as a refreshing change but it tool some time for me to adjust the change in mood. 

The best part of the movie which I liked is the production - at times it felt too much and over the top like the zoo scene or the Gallerie Gourmet but after some time you get used to it. Because the movie is all about imagination. We saw it in IMAX and the effect was overwhelming. The cast is stellar especially Timothy as Wonka & Callah Lane as his buddy Noodle and of course Hugh Grant after a long time.

We all loved the music & the dance by Hugh Grant - Oompa Loompa dance, in fact we tried to imitate the same when we came back home. 

Go to the theater and enjoy with your family & friends.

Welcome 20 24 - First post of the year

Jaisalmer, Dec 23

It has been incredibly sunny last few days in Bangalore and for me sun gives you that strong sense of hope for the day and life in general. 

As I run in the park 

• I see young kids playing and making noises, generally shouting at each other chasing each other, falling getting up and running again. 

• A young couple walking cautiously as the wife is expecting and holding her stomach so she does not hurt the unborn baby.

• The young man throws a ball in the air and the dog rushes to get it. 

• An old man walk vigorously with a big smile in their face or they have a phone playing some kind of bhajan or devotional songs, Very often he stops and to wish another passerby, exchanges a few words and continues walking.

• Runners are busy doing their laps or exercises after the run and exchanging their achievements.

I am filled with so much hope and energy that I know we will survive as a tribe. 

Despite the Russian invasion, Gaza strip violence, floods in Chennai & Himachal where 1000’s of people lost their life and property we continue to move ahead. Yes it’s not happened to me so it’s a bit hypocritical to give these examples but our life got upside down when my father in law got detected with cancer, we fought, debated, cried, argued but moved on. We are not happy but we are content and at peace that we are trying our best.

After nursing a knee injury for last 45 days, I decided to run on 31st and did a 8K which was my welcome run for 20 24. I was looking at my 23 goals and one of the thing I wanted to do in 20 23 was to do 25 K and my dare was 55 on my birthday. But all that went to dust as the year passed, I think the highest I did was 10k quite a few times on Sunday’s. There were few other goals,I hadn’t met any of them but I had a very satisfied year which set me thinking if there is a real need to quantify goals. For this year can the only goal be Sleep well or Be healthy or Be compassionate. So, here goes.

Principles for 20 24

• Compassionate towards human, animals, objects & earth

• Do what I want when I want

• Stay Calm and lead a slow life

• 100% fit body and mind 

• Hold the family together

Defining words for 20 24 is 

• Hope & Resilience 

• Love & Compassion 

• Family and Friends

There is only 1 goal - Do the Annapurna Base Camp in September.

Happy 20 24. Let's Fly :)

December Books - Japanese double bill

The sound of Waves - By Yukio Mishima

I had never heard of the author but picked the book because of it’s aged look. The paper was was almost brown but the book was in one piece. Also the fascinating bio of author. He was one of the famous writer of Japan who made an impact in the western world. Many of his books are made into movies but most controversial fact is that he committed seppuku (ritual suicide) when he was only 45 years old. This book was written in 19 54, 15 years before I was born. 

It’s a simple story of love between 2 young adults. The story is based in an idyllic Japanese fishing village in an island somewhere in Japan. It brings out the simple lifestyle and hardships which people in that time were going through. Men did fishing and women dived to get sea weeds / corals. Life was very very simple - very few actually went to the city. Shinji’s (the man in the story) brother goes to Tokyo for the first time and sees a movie. It’s like life was in that age in many villages of India especially tribals. The book paints a very nice visual image of Japan in 50’s - their focus on praying to sea god that they come back safe and sharing their catch with the priest of shrine or the lighthouse keeper who are doing service for the society. The myth of the shrine which was built on top of the mountain 1000’s of year before and people climbing 100’s of stairs to pray. Then the duty.  of the family member in getting water or washing etc. After a long time I read a simple book - more than book the experience and the kind of feeling it evoked was that of peace, love, the power of values and principles, respect. 

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop - Satoshi Yagisawa

This was written in 2010 but got translated in 20 23. Again a very simple book about transformation and making choices. The environment has become modern because of connectivity physical and mobile/internet. The cultural milieu is similar to the other book although they are written 60 years later. Takako’s uncle is trying to run a book shop which sells 2nd hand books that too of a specific category. Being a book lover I found the whole concept of a district / market which has many shops selling only old books very interesting. What is more interesting is that every store specializes in a particular type / category of book. In a way the story revolves around books, it’s transformation capability or how a book can make 2 people friends or maybe fall in love. A warm book to read on a winter night. I read it during my travel in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan which was very cold and was a perfect book to give me company.

I read The sound of waves then Normal People and then Morisaki Bookshop. The day I finished Normal People I was quite agitated, nothing specific but just that the book was so intense that it like a storm or hurricane has hit you and it created a sense of anger in me for labeling people treating treating them in a bad way. When I finished both the Japanese books it was like a beautiful sunset which you want to touch, you want to believe in love, joy and all that is beautiful in life. And looking back it clearly shows the impact a book can have in a reader.