Tranquillity

I think "tranquillity" is such a beautiful word -- it's got this soothing, whispering sound to it -- the word itself makes you want to believe that such a thing as 'tranquillity' actually exists.

We were in Pune last week & while gazing at this countryside-in-monsoon view from atop a hill, I realised what a beautiful word 'tranquillity' is!

A year in La-La-Land

It's going to be a year in Singapore this July; and although we still feel like new-comers, it is home now. Sure, we still miss Dubai; but we've stopped comparing the two cities. Its like comparing ice-cream & Brad Pitt -- both are great, but in different ways.

My favourite things Singaporean?
1. The very cool people we met & friends we made in Singapore
2. The greenary & natural (??) beauty of the island
3. The quality & variety of Asian food
4. The fact that there are four national languages & a melange of inter-race customs, cuisines & festivals.
5. The quirky taxi-drivers (It takes time, but you do eventually find them entertaining & amusing!)

Life Ahead

Years of half angst, half eagerness;
Anticipating my life ahead;
And now here I am, approaching the destination called "Life Ahead";
Wondering if this is where I dreamt of being then?

Singapore Flyer

We did some "touristy" things in Singapore when my folks were here; one of them was going aboard the Flyer (the Singaporean equivalent of the "London Eye"). Well, the Singaporean skyline is not half as magnificient as the London one; but the view wasn't bad either.

On one side was the busy bustling city & then on the other side was the peaceful sea & golf course. Quite a contrast, eh?

Charlie Wilson's War

Watched Charlie Wilson's War last week... what can I say, I'm watching a lot of movies these days :)... Its an enjoyable political satire (funny, witty).

The movie makes a case (a bit simplistically) that the US action of arming the Mujahideens in the 80s may have been well-intentioned. But it also seems to suggest that because they meant well, they were right in doing them or that they were necessary (Wilson even refers to them as the "glorious" days that ended the cold war). Thats where it didn't convince me.

What I did agree with though, was the political reality of how it all ended -- the Congress was generous in doling out money for arming the anti-soviet --it made them look heroic & patriotic-- but didn't want to spend anything on re-habilitation of this war-zone once the Soviets were defeated --there was no political advantage in that.

PS: Philip-Seymour Hoffman is fantastic in the movie as an out-spoken CIA agent.