Ruskin Bond Magic again !

What happens when my absolute favorite writer Ruskin Bond and Vishal Bhardwaj come together once again- Magic I am sure!
Am sooo looking forward to this !
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/i-am-not-a-bad-writer/543722/0
Earlier Vishal Bhardwaj had made The Blue Umbrella - a delightful story written by Ruskin Bond into a childrens film.It was a lovely movie but in the original story the plot is much more simple and uncomplicated. In the movie many new subplots and characters have been introduced. But I guess this is a liberty every director takes while turning a short story into a full fledged movie. I had thoroughly enjoyed the story and had already formed an image of Binya and the other characters in my mind.The Movie was entirely different from what I had expected but it was different in an interesting captivating sort of way.
This time Vishal Bhardwaj has decided to turn another short story of Ruskin Bond -Susanna’s Seven Husbands into a movie.Ruskin Bond usually sticks to stories about mountains and the simple folks that live there but Susanna’s Seven Husbands is a rather morbid tale about how a young woman disposes of her seven husbands!
Now what needs to be seen is how Vishal Bhardwaj deals with this plot !

55 Fiction - Winter Frost

The door slammed and she heard him leave.Loneliness and despair clutched at her heart like cold hands. She shivered, opened the door and stepped out. The first rose was peeping its way out of the almost- gone winter frost. The sun warmed her skin but her heart remained covered with a layer of ice.

My Favorite Home - A poem

In continuation of My Favorite Places, Here's a poem written by my 9 yr old niece Shaivalini immediately after she went back home to Auckland after visiting us in India. I think it speaks really poignantly about how much she misses us.

(Click to enlarge)

I love you Shaivalini and I miss you very very much !

So whats your favorite Place !

I was watching an old Friends episode the other day. The one where Monika has just broken up with Richard and is so stressed out that she cannot sleep. Phoebe tells her to think of her favorite place in order to relax.
That got me thinking.Each one of us has a favorite place. A safe and peaceful haven where we are always the happiest, where we’d rather be than anywhere else.
Here are my favourite places in no particular order:

Bank of the Ganges – Ganeshpur
Ganeshpur is a small hamlet above Uttarkashi. We discovered this place quite by chance and fell instantly in love with it. The Ganges there is sparkling clean, unblemished by the pollution it faces in the bigger towns like Haridwar. At Ganeshpur it’s very fast flowing and turbulent and going inside the river is impossible. But the bank has many comfortable boulders to sit on; you can see the snow clad mountains in the distance and the river meandering down from them. The nearest village is miles away and the only sound is that of the river. Whenever my mind is in turmoil, all I have to do is close my eyes think of this place. Instantly my mind becomes calm.

My Apartment in Kobe

I lived in Kobe for a little more than a year. My apartment there was rather small, barely big enough for me. But I never wanted to change it because of the spectacular view it offered. It was a corner apt, on the 11th floor and the balcony ran on three sides. From two of the balconies one could clearly see the hills – lush green in summer and monsoons, a medley of colors in autumn– rust, orange, red, yellow. In winter the branches of the trees would be laden with snow and the sun glittering of them would make a wonderful sight. The view was breath taking in all seasons. From the third balcony I could see the sea, shimmering away in the distance. I could see the view outside from my desk, from the kitchen and even from my bed. That was the best part. Wherever I was in that small apartment, I just had to lift my head to see the sea or the hills! Unfortunately I will never go back to that apartment again but I still count it among my favorite places !

Our house in Chandigarh

It’s spacious and has huge floor to almost ceiling windows that make the house sunny and warm in winter and let the cool breeze in during summers. Bright sunshiny rooms, Soft billowing curtains, sofas with cushions in pastel shades, paintings made by my aunt on the walls, flowers and potted plants everywhere; this house is a haven I must turn to at least once a month.

Starbucks Cafe in kobe
Kobe memories again ! If ever there was a fan of Starbucks coffee its me!. Tucked in a corner away from the hustle bustle of the main street, this particular starbucks was one of my favorite haunts. I would go there with my laptop or a book, sink into their soft cushiony sofas, tuck my legs under me, think, read, write or simply observe life passing by as I sipped on the delicious brew. It was large enough so that I could always find a peaceful corner at any time of the day. The staff was always courteous and never bothered me even when I spent hours there. I have been to so many starbucks since but I so miss that one!

So whats your favorite place :-)

Writer's Block !

Why is it that an idea for a blog post always strikes me when I have no access to a laptop or paper. Like when I am driving or travelling. I half form the blog post in my mind; witty catchy sentences and phrases swirl around in my head and I am dying to jot them down. But Once I am in front of my laptop – nothing ! My mind goes blank and I am really at a loss on how to put down my thoughts. The words don’t come and the sentences that sounded witty and brilliant in my head look drab and boring on my computer screen. Now what kind of Writer's Block is that !

Ever happened to any of you?