Avatar

(It has been six full days since I saw this movie and you have no idea how impatiently I have been waiting to gush about it to you all. Here goes...)

Watching the movie is like being swept by a mighty river of creative genius to a mind-boggling ocean - the breath-takingly beautiful world of the Pandora.

From what starts out as a usual sci-fi movie visual, the journey progresses to a surreal animated world. And from there, within minutes, you forget that you are watching animated characters. The land of the Pandora comes out (literally, thanks to 3D technology) at you in all it's multihued wonders. The meticulously crafted alien flora and fauna, replete with delicious colours, are complete with not just their well-defined body structures, but a carefully scripted language and a fully thought-through 'culture' and life-style. My personal favourite were the touch-me-not plants.

The exquisite graphics is further enhanced by the 3d technology (Here, I must implore you all to please see the 3D version before you choose to collect a 2D DVD for your personal collection). The exhilarating heights of the hanging mountains, the jumping off the cliff edges and heady flights of the Ikrans, walking amidst the branches of the beautifully illuminated Tree of Souls and the hovering around of the spine-tingling silky white-threaded flying objects – the list is endless – each take your breath away!

Only a James Cameron, who my brother and I figured, does not know how to fail, could create a make-believe world that one can very easily believe in. The narration seamlessly flows from the human camp to the alien wonderland and the earthlings and Na’vis interact with minimal effort. I got so lost in this world that, towards the end of the movie, I actually double-checked with my brother if these were animated creatures we were looking at.

The only glitch, that I found (this may well be limited to my limited comprehension level) was the initial passage of Jake Sully to his Na’vi avatar seemed left much to the imagination of the audience. It took two to three to and fro journeys to clarify how exactly the humans are moving in and out of their avatars. Yet the first time Jake visits Pandora left a yet-unanswered question of how did his Na’vi body reach Pandora from the lab of the human settlement. Clarification from any of you would be welcome.

Finally, as my brother aptly quipped “Avatar is not a movie - it's an experience ! ". Don't miss it!

attention deficiency syndrome

Years ago, when I was a blissful (read “with very little or no responsibilities at home”) spinster, with the making an occasional cuppa tea being the most thought-provoking household chore, I had read one of those funny emails that do the rounds. This one was about Attention Deficiency Syndrome (that mail had a longer nomenclature, which I don’t remember anymore).

Now, as a full-fledged home-maker I can actually see myself in the cloud of the syndrome, something I had only tried to visualise back then. The common factor between then and now is laughter; back then, I laughed at the mail and now, I laugh at myself.

My day is full of small and smaller tasks; all of them easy but the sheer number and the simultaneous manner in which they clamour for attention, confounds the confusion in my brain as to the most efficient sequence in which I need to tackle them.

I start with making the morning tea. Let me also get Naina’s milk ready while she’s still asleep.

I get her milk out from the refrigerator. Has did the milkman already delivered today’s quota? Let me go get it.

Walking to the main door i wade through a plethora of toys and hey! Isn’t that my lost-since-two-days cupboard key on the arm of that doll? Let me put that in a safe place first. Jeez! That tea almost boiled over.

While the tea brews, a to-do list brews in my head. What do I make for breakfast? For lunch? I need a couple of vegetables for the pulao. That reminds me – need to go to the ATM. Let me call the bank to check my current balance .I strain the tea out. The door bell rings; the maid has arrived. Uh oh!! The clothes have not been soaked as yet! Let me do it right away....Naina’s T-shirt has her cereal all over it 

Oops! I need to make some more of that cereal; I have just enough for today. Honk! Honk!! Is that the garbage collection van? Rush out with the trash! It was the neighbour’s car. Huh!! See the neighbour:”Good morning! Had your tea? Me? No no, mine is still in the cup. Hehehe.. Ok, see you later”

Aah! I need this tea break! What’s the cupboard key doing on the stove? And where are the milk packets? Forget it! Enjoy the tea first.... One sip of tea and my mom-in-law calls out –“Naina has woken up, beta, and I think she needs a quick diaper change”. Sigh!! When will I ever get down to writing that blog I’ve been planning for so long?

baby blues

After hours and days of contemplating and waiting for that drop of inspiration, I am beginning my - what-do-i-call-it - venting mechanism? diary? Hopefully, I'll have pleasant and funny things to write about too; but for today, it's all about my upset and disturbed soul.

Life poses choices which sometimes have heart-wrenching disadvantages along with very supportive advantages. It becomes extremely difficult to tide over the pain to look at the silver lining and smile.

My situation - I need that little bit of extra time and space to prepare for my career once my child is 2-3 years old and more independent in all respects. No problem here - my mother-in-law is more than happy to spend time with Naina and play almost endlessly with her, sing to her, put her to sleep, etc., etc (household chores and cooking is the fee I have to pay her for this help. Huh!). That is the supportive advantage.

Yesterday, I was rudely jolted out of my complacent confidence in the 'flow of life', when my toddler, down with viral fever, refused to come to me. It wasn't just refusal - she actually cried when I tried to take her from my MIL; cried as if a stranger was trying to take her away! My heart just smashed into a hundred bits and it has taken more than 24 hours to cry away this grief. Even as I write this, I'm smarting from the tight wake-up-slap life gave me. Even now, Naina cries when her Daadi leaves the room; it doesnt matter that I am there trying hard to distract her attention and make her play.

My over-analysing-corporate-tuned brain gave me the RCA amidst the emotional upheavals. My face-time with my child, low as it is, is causing this problem. I end up spending too much time away finishing up with cooking and other chores and then with the German homework. Now, it's apparent that I simply have to work around my household chores and studying, in order to prioritse time with Naina, else I'll have a bigger problem on my hands.

My hitherto perception of the simple 'flow of life' that ensures that children are 'automatically' and 'naturally' drawn towards their mothers when in pain, was shattered. Everything in life, I gather, needs working towards.