The Da Vinci Code

S is away to Hyderabad and Bangalore and will be back tomorrow evening.
Yesterday, Soven and I went to a nice outing at Gurgaon’s Metropolitan Mall. We saw The Da Vinci Code in the afternoon at PVR’s Europa Lounge, which I thought is really plush and comfortable. (The kind of place I would love to go to see films). Our lunch was nachos and salsa, coke, corn and veg burger. I found the film pretty engaging, though the plot appears a little contrived and the novel is more complex. Perhaps it was a difficult work to film. However, the cinematography is excellent, and Audrey Tautou as Sophie Nevue is really good. This is what Ebert says about the film: “The movie works; it's involving, intriguing and constantly seems on the edge of startling revelations. After it's over and we're back on the street, we wonder why this crucial secret needed to be protected by the equivalent of a brain-twister puzzle crossed with a scavenger hunt. The trail that Robert and Sophie follow is so difficult and convoluted that it seems impossible that anyone, including them, could ever follow it. The secret needs to be protected up to a point; beyond that it is absolutely lost, and the whole point of protecting it is beside the point. Here's another question: Considering where the trail begins, isn't it sort of curious where it leads? Still, as T.S. Eliot wrote, "In my beginning is my end." Maybe he was on to something.”
After the film, we spent some time at the Om bookshop on the ground floor and bought some books including The Undercover Economist. Then it was a Triple Sundae, and we were home, much in time to do some mandatory :) surfing and watch the WC on the idiot box. Germany was unstoppable against Sweden, and I am so relieved Argentina managed to beat Mexico. It was a tough match. WC fever is catching up and it’s good fun to watch some top-notch football.
Today we saw Taxi No. 9211 (vcd at home) which I thought had a harebrained plot and was a sheer waste of time. Can’t wait to see England vs. Ecuador in the next 20 minutes.
Take care…

Post Moscow Musings

Today is S’s birthday and it’s a nice feeling that I have somebody like her to share my life with. Thank you, God.
I was in Moscow from 3-9 June and it was really an enriching experience. I spoke confidently (there’s still a small town boy in me!) in my presentation on BB and was touched by the praise I received afterwards. It was one of those gratifying moments. I found Moscow one of the most underrated cities but you gotta be there to see how advanced the infrastructure is. One can see more than the trappings of an erstwhile superpower and I can now understand how Russia is turning the corner. The kind of natural wealth that it has, it is only a matter of time that it will emerge as a superpower again. It needs to have a stable and forward looking political leadership and it will be back. With more than the proverbial bang!

The house at SC-I is progressing well and we are looking forward to it. Soven left for an iDiscovery camp at Tirthan in Himachal and am happy that she is enjoying herself. She will be back on the 20th. She is shaping into a lovely young lady. Work at office is fine. I can now ‘refocus’ on the emerging BB space.
Ghana played like a dream in their WC match against Czechs (2-0) last evening and it looks like it could be one of my favourite teams, besides, of course, the perennial favourites, Brazil and Argentina.
There is so much to write, so much to share, but since this is an open forum, there are some things that I must keep to myself. One has to come to terms with life. It has sadness; it also has resilience and beauty and we must develop the ability to see beauty in everything. And keep faith.
Our friend, Zhenya, who teaches English at the University in Moscow, was a great help and spend time showing me Moscow and its amazing museums and Metro. I am touched by the spirit of people everywhere. Deep down everybody is the same. People want to reach out, be touched. Human kinship is all encompassing.
Stock market is in a tailspin but I continue to bet on the India story. I pray we mustn’t screw up this time.
I know I am rambling and that’s why need to stop here.
Take care and God bless you!