Contemplations and Ruminations

So I visited Wayanad over the weekend and it was in a word blissful. Wayanad's rural charm combined with its breathtaking scenery is enough to warm the soul and make the city life we know so well disappear into a mist of oblivion. The whole area is overflowing with greenery and the distinctive rugged western ghats lend it a secluded old world charm. I like places like this, where there are hardly any people or tourists for that matter... and I prefer it to remain that way (times like this, I am glad my blog is not insanely popular, so people won't go flocking there.) Getting back to my trip, we started on a Friday evening, and caught the five pm train bound to Calicut. We were travelling with friends and snacking seemed the main activity that evening. For dinner we ate the chapatis I made for the entire gang while another friend prepared some tomato thokku and mushroom curry. After having a fulfilling dinner we settled in for the night, and reached Calicut station aroun...

So if somebody derides your religion and leaves you seething in righteous anger, there is no point in further trampling upon your own religion and lending it an abominable status. Don't you think it would be wiser to either prove the perpetrators wrong by taking the high road and maintaining a dignified stance or by totally ignoring their demeaning portrayal of your faith. If your faith is strong enough, no power on earth will be able to sway you. If you feel threatened in any way, then don't you think you should first approach God and talk it out with Him. He is real to you right, He has to be if some inconsequential film/cartoon strip/inflammatory speech can drive you insane with wrath and vengeance. If you wanna make a point regarding your faith, don't you think you should uphold it in a way that pleases your God or is your God happy to see you blowing up your life along with his other innocent children.  Don't you think it would speak volumes about your...

This french movie based on a true life story is one one of the best movies I've seen in the recent past. It depicts the story of an unlikely friendship between a wealthy paraplegic, Philippe and a 'down on his luck- wisecracking- happy go lucky- live for the moment' kinda black dude, Driss, who winds up as the rich guy's caretaker. And that's when the fun starts, this gorgeous black guy just goes about being himself and everybody falls in love with him... it's impossible not to. Driss livens up the household with his charm and wit, like the fresh mountain air. What's remarkable is his attitude towards the invalid Phillippe, Driss jokes about his condition and treats him as a regular guy. Sample this joke... Driss : Where can you find a paraplegic? Philippe : I don't know. Driss : The same place you left him... This is exactly the sense of normalcy that Philippe craves and Driss's presence in his life is invigorating to say the least....

Yeah, you can trust country music to come up with lyrics that make you stop in your tracks... since the first time I heard this song I have been completely floored by the music and especially the lyrics. It's about this guy who wants to have a beer with Jesus, I know at the outset it may seem flippant and disrespectful, but this the way guys unwind... sit together and talk about stuff over a beer. And that's what the singer really wants to do, just spend some time with Jesus in the only way he knows how. And what's beautiful is the way the singer goes about treating Jesus, like a best friend... happy to see him and longing to hear from him. The singer sings that he'll pick a place that's not too crowded and order a couple of tall ones, and he'll tell the waitress to put it on his tab. Thomas (the singer) would play something nice on the jukebox and he'd sip on his beer slowly while taking in all that Jesus was saying. Isn't that what a real friend wou...