Month: March 2008

wine – A new taste and a new way of life

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

Life is all about discovering newfound tastes and love. For me in 2007, I got introduced with a newfound taste. The taste of “WINE”.

It all came by way of a present my friend Suja gave for my marriage. The bottle of wine she presented was something I had never fancied as a gift and I rightly placed it along with other ardent drinks. Rightly so, it stayed still for many months.

Later in one of our get-together, that bottle was opened and I got the taste of real Wine. Till then, the wine I had tasted bordered around grape juice and dash of spirits. It is a normal practice to give wine and Cake at marriages in Trivandrum, Kerala and those were mostly prepared just a week before it is used!

It’s 2008 and I’m experimenting new labels and new types of wine. Red, White, Rose ….and I Many of the weekends I take pride to share a cup with my partner.

The new taste I have gotten is something that is being seen around India. The sale and consumption of wine has gone drastically up. Newspaper society pages and T.V programs increasingly feature the clink of red red wine. Lapping with the new taste, Indian liquor brands like Kingfisher have bought to its kitty, a French wine company, Bouvet-Ladubay and other acquisition plans are in the foray.

So, what it all takes to. Are we lapping up more Westernized values and this is just a part of the whole saga of change. Well, may be, for we are in a global village where no one owns anything and every thing is for sale.

Cheers…

Confessions of an obsessive compulsive blogger

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

Who is an Obsessive compulsive blogger: oh, these days I got into a surge about blogging. It has gone to such proposition that it has started taking toll on my work- frequent peek at my blog, and more obsessed with my blog than other relations around me… What do you call this behavior ? “Narcissist”.

When I started, I felt it was a durgery to write and to put it all up but all at once it all seems to come over me…. Is it common to all the newbie bloggers who gets elated to see their blogs go over the fold.

When I look at my other acts in life, I feel the heat of this too will cool down. This temporary infatuation will go down and will be replace for yet another facet.

Or it could be that I’m still to achieve the level of maturity in the blogosphere? Well, certain about of narcissism can be acceptable but over the top it could be highly dysfunctional.

I hope, I’m not alone to live through such bouts. Can anyone share some lights to it..

Yes, all life is an experiment…

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the the better.

Which lead me to this thought for today…

Bottle rockets are a heady source of delight for many youngsters, for the same reason they’re the source of angst for many parents – they’re unpredictable. As a creator and experience designer, there is no telling whether your site, widget or media launch will soar, implode or simply fizzle. Scary, considering that ….

http://joannapenabickley.typepad.com/on/2007/12/index.html

and yes it this takes me to the rockets I’ve fired from bottles… wooosh…. u never know how it goes, where it goes …. life is just kind of bottle rocket…. after all it’s just a puff of smoke in the bottle..

take on that link… worth having a look.

Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes…

~ bjcharles ~ 1 Comment

“You see, Watson, but you do not observe.” Sherlock Holmes.

Jeremy Brett, what a class actor. The role he played as Sherlock Holmes had captivated me. His facial expression with his pointed sharp nose, queer outburst, smoking spree, abrupt speech and action and more had a queer charm.

I remember that it used to be played during the heydays of Doordarshan. Was it on Sunday’s? It’s been too long ago and now I often comes in other channels. Doordarshan years though a one man show, has often given viewer some real good programs. This was one, then U.S.S enterprise, U.F.O stories, Malgudi days, Yatra the serial, Classic movies, the xxx movies!! … well, there are many in such league..

Watching it from a telecast is not possible, but now I yearn to have the entire collection to add to my video library. But how can I go about getting those CD’s? Does anyone have his cd’s collection? Can I have a copy, suggestions would be welcome…

One more to my wish list!!

Taking rest & rust…

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment


One of the earlier pics of my thunderbird taken near E-city. This place is just 2 km ride from my previous work place at E-city. It’s been more than a year since I have visited this open ground- it’s a sort of used to an eerie ghost infested place, and from what I hear, this place has lost that desolate look and feel thanks to land developers in Bangalore. Sad but true , all the matchbox house construction are taking up the little breathing space.

Well, progress has its price…..

Ode to BoneyM

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Much publicized BoneyM show was held on 8th March 11, 2008 at Palace grounds Bangalore. Show organized by IIPM students brought out very good response from public most eager to a trip down the memory lane.

I reached the venue by around 8:00 just about the time for the show. As a free pass holder, I had to be content with my place way beyond and had to strain my eyes to see the Lady Marcia opening up the music with noble intentions “ Global Warming “. The band opened with the song, “ Take the heat of me” and from that she took on other oldie number “ Brown girl in the ring”, “ Daddy Cool”, “Brown Girl in the ring” and more.

As the song went one by one, most of the young crowd was on their feet. The backdrop of the stage was a filled with a blanket of LED lights and from that glare I could only just make a silhouette of the lady in skirt.

Though I stood way behind, I could see how poor she had picked on the team. In looks, race and voice they trailed to reach anywhere near to the old BoneyM team. During many songs, esp Daddy Cool, the voices failed to rally in one unison . The freaky dance of Bobby Farel has been replaced by a cheap substitute, which again was nothing short of a disaster.

In spite of these apparent deficiencies, my friend and me got a bit elated with the Old Monk rum that ran inside me and partly on hearing the familiar old tunes.

Now that the show got over, I can now safely hang my childhood fancy to see a memorable performance from this band and to catch on those old glory days. Maybe, my expectations was far too outstreached for a band that has lost and splintered out with the passage of time.

BoneyM comes to Bangalore

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Boney M one of the old time disco groups of seventies is coming to Bangalore on the 9th of March. I collected free tickets from the IIPM office at Koramangala. This live action features only one lead singer, Marcia Barrett from the original band..

My trust with English music started with the hits of BoneyM. “Brown Girl in the ring’, “Daddy Cool”. Listening to these still takes me back to those adolescent years. I started listening from a 3 in 1 tape player and BoneyM and ABBA was played music on that system.

Recently, I played the video of “Daddy cool”. Daddy is not around anymore to listen to it and so, its just takes on trip to those golden years of my life.

The charm of “DaddyCool” comes with the freaking dance by Bobby Farrell and the odd voices ladies make in chorus. : )

BoneyM kicked up its popularity among Keralites during the late 70’s and early 80’s. Just when the time when Gulf exodus started to sink in our land. It was almost common to see the Gulf returnees coming back with a 2 in 1 stereo and couple of English cassettes.

It was a sight most depicted in many movies. Happy faces from Dubai visiting Kerala for holidays , walking walking down from the airport tarmack swinging a 2 in 1 in hand.

Swinging 80’s has long faded into oblivion and it’s replaced with street market folks coming with laptops, digi players, digital cameras and all popular cell phones.

So, now I’m just waiting for the BoneyM and hoping the live action will come close to the memories I cherish.

Sledging all the way

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So, who has the last laugh! This tri-series was constantly in the news for the wrong reason. All the provoked and un-provoked aggressive behavior put on by both the stalwarts has given new meaning to this series.

Andrew Symonds and our dear spinner Singh has all been in the pages esp more when India was in the loosing side.

Finally, now the under dogs has gotten with the Cup. I should thank the Aussies for all that bad talk and making these sober folks to ignite the inert passion to win….

Finally, what matters these days is only “WINNING”. Indian Cricket will continue to see more slanders and sledging and we mute spectators too will come in terms with the new ground realties. OUT!