For one last time - Idli Vada Dosa Macha, Zone 5 sexy macha!

Day before night we returned to Mysore. It must have been three or four in the morning, or as I would prefer to say, night, because we didn't sleep a wink. Along with my room mates, I dragged along my suitcase through the empty streets back home.

We had returned from the zonal convention back in Hubbali, a fest sort of, for architecture schools from the states of Karnataka, Goa, Andhra and Telangana, all participating against each other in formal design events, workshops, games, sports, band, dance, photography, fashion and much much more. 
All these serious participation were a small portion of the day. The main highlights being parts of the day where you had no event, seminar or workshop assigned to you, resulting in dance offs, impromptu magic shows, late night ragging sessions (seniors included), DJ nights, this band performance with their meaningful and heartfelt lyrics, whom you should totally check out,

'The Local Train'

and if none of the above, then bring some drums and dance along!

Rain was omnipresent; an extreme nuisance if you have to get through four days with two sets of jeans. Because of it, parade was conducted at one in the morning, with drenched clothes, aching heels and a strong desire to hit the beds. Because of it, we jumped around in muddy ground, resulting in dirty jeans, shoes and socks. Because of it, we walked like astronauts walking on the moon, one step at a time, afraid to slip and fall. But don't worry, we shall laugh about it a year from now, bragging to our juniors as to how easy they had it, because that's life ain't it? It made of these bittersweet moments, that become only sweeter as time goes by. 

So say it with me for the one last time - Idli vada dosa macha, Zone 5 sexy macha!

Bullet Point Review: Doctors

• In one of the initial episodes of Doctors, Kim Rae Won's character, Ji Hong states that, "The feelings associated with like and dislike are produced by the amygdaloid nucelus in the cerebrum. The amygdaloid nucelus is also responsible for fight or flight response and aggressive behavior. Falling in love causes people to become more simultaneously more combative."; in other words, falling in love is the matter of the brain and not of the heart, and our doctors here are neurologists, physically tending to matter of the brain, and at the same time battling what their heart desires.
  
• The premise is strong, the characters are fun but something still felt amiss in Doctors. There is a lack of direction in the plot - Is it about Hye Jung getting her revenge?, Is it about Ji Hong helping Hye Jung's with her insecurities?, Or is it a love triangle between Ji Hong, Hye Jung, Yoon Do and Seo Woo? - there are bits and pieces of all this, but never one main focus that could steer the drama forward, and create some anticipation for the future episodes.
• Many medical cases come and go, but not many hold interest, and neither do they become an instrument through which the characters relationship grows or deteriorates or even become a reflection of the (similar) problems they seem to be facing. This causes an odd disconnect in the story, making us feel like the hospital and the doctors don't co-exist together.
• Park Shin Hye is the star here. She is rough, tough, bold, and can she kick some ass in those black leather pants. It was fresh to see a female character who is strong, independent and then worries about losing that independence when she gets close to Ji Hong. In a small scene, Ji Hong asks her if she will be willing to operate on her friend, to which she confesses that she is scared, and hence she won't. Such scenes don't make her a hero, but rather more human.
• Hye Jung's relationship with Ji Hong is what stands strong throughout the show. It is rare to see a relationship blossom beyond the acknowledgement of two people's feelings in a drama, yet here we see them fight, argue, talk about their problems and encourage and stand by each other. That being said, Ji Hong is one of the best K-dramas lead characters till date. It would be wrong to tell that he doesn't have any flaws, but that's the way the show treats him. He isn't possessive nor demanding, but gentle, smart kind and understanding. He is a loving son, always supports Hye Jung, and acts like her sounding board at times of distress, and tries to talk sense into her hatred driven goals.
• The same though can't be said for Lee Sung Kyung's Seo Woo and Yoon Gyun Sang's Yoon Do, whose character don't develop after a certain point. Lee Sung Kyung tries earnestly to make us sympathise with Seo Woo, but she is given so little that it is to no effect. Both characters were introduced to create some tension and drama between the lead couple, but get reduced to much smaller roles, only appearing when the plot finds it convenient. Even characters like In Joo seem to appear with a purpose, but fail to do anything concrete to the story line.
• Hye Jung's fight sequences, and Seo Woo's expectation to inherit her father's company - a small but significant change to female characters especially when such arcs are generally given to a male character. 

A Roman Holiday: Part Two, Pastel Facades

Here are a few photos of the beautiful apartment and other public building facades that I clicked while I was in Rome. Compared to the greys, whites, and greens of Budapest, Rome chose a much more cheerful colour from the palette, resulting in a city filled with warm hues of yellows, oranges and red along with the contrasting blue and green for its windows and doors. 

There were ornate columns, thick doors as tall as fifteen feet, crosses and emblems of Virgin Mary engraved on some, faces on pediments, and sometimes a (simple) flower pot on the balcony.

Scroll down and click on the pictures to view them in large!

A Roman holiday: Part One of Rome

Towards the end of July, my family and I visited Italy (mainly the cities of Rome, Pisa, & Florence). The time leading up to the visit weren't too great, so I am not going to dwell on them too much, but hovering over Rome, watching it approaching closer, bigger, and more in focus from the small plane window was more a sense of relief than of joy and excitement. 

To describe Rome in a few words, or even in a mere paragraph is hard, but I shall try.

The city is ancient, not in the sense of being old, but more as an working and breathing antique shop, filled with treasures, dusted, maintained, and occupying a large importance in this world filled with tall glass towers. 

To me it was European with its architecture, food, language, the laid back ease of life, and Asia with its large multicultural tourists, small Indian & Bangladeshi restaurants right outside the railway station, selling a poorer version of the Italian pizza, the homeless sleeping on the benches at a tram station, the rattling noises of the dusty dark green trams, the graffiti on walls, buses, trains, drug junkies asking for a cigarette from any passer by, and warnings from strangers and sign boards alike to be aware of pickpockets. It's similar to the clockwork cities of Budapest and Vienna, but still as interesting, unpredictable and fun as cities in India.

The nights are magical. The incandescent street lights give out a warm yellow light, and twinkle on the hard surface of the cobbled stone, while the pink, yellow and orange buildings nearby bask in them. 

On the day we arrived, we took a train directly from the airport to the city central. As our hotel was said to be close to the station, we dragged our suitcases and walked around looking for our hotel. Most Italians hotels are apartments converted into one, so it is easy to miss out it's name in the list of residences and offices listed on the building. So we walked around for half an hour or so, till Google found us a fifth floor apartment, which turned out to be a part our hotel but not the one we booked, which was evidently across the road. (I would really like to thank Europe for letting us master the art of getting lost and and getting found, as we walked around with maps unlike most of our travels, where there has always been a hired car with a driver to show us around.)

Also, here's a photo of the elevator in the apartment we stayed,

It can be assumed that these were a recent addition, built in between the stairs, hence they were extremely narrow and claustrophobic. 
Hence, I also chose not to use elevators throughout the duration of the trip.

We started sightseeing the evening itself, in those red double decker tour buses, which were very helpful in taking photos of the buildings at eye level, or a little closer to the tall ones, and watch the streets down below. Here are a few snaps,

There will be more photos from the Colosseum, the Vatican Museum, the Pantheon etc, but in the next post, as I felt they deserve a spotlight of their own. 

The weather fluctuated between warm and hot, and was bright, but thankfully not humid.

But we had a fix to the heat,

Gelatooo! Creamy, milky, no ice, as fulfilling as a meal and so.many.flavours! It was next best option after water to cool down in the heat.

Other things my brother and I devoured (keeping a checklist at hand) - spaghetti, fettuccine, ravioli, calzones, square pizzas bought by the weight, and triangular ones, sometimes with a healthy dose of aubergine, which I didn't know was allowed on a pizza.
My brother tried espresso too, while I preferred to stick to the sweet variety of croissants, and buns stuffed with chocolate or berries with cream. 

Part two coming soon!

Have a happy weekend!

G for Geeks, G for GoT

Sitara and I participated in a Game of thrones quiz this morning and lost.

The quiz was insanely hard, mainly asking of the names of characters in the show, but it felt good to be seated among people who obsess enjoy and appreciate the same things as you and heatedly discuss it with a feverish enthusiasm. Basically for once, it felt good to be a geek.

More of Budapest

I really miss Budapest.

I miss the bright, crisp weather, the cobbled walkways, the trams, the looooong hours of daylight - perfect for squeezing more things to see in a day, the rows and rows of tall buildings, the cyclists, the long slices of pizzas bursting with so.much.cheeeese, the basil leaves the Europeans use in their burgers, and of course these two,

   plus one who was busy in the office, while I was busy being a tourist in my own city.

While I was here, we climbed up the Citadel,

visited Margit Island, 

It's a beautiful island situated between Buda and Pest with its own small zoo, gardens, musical fountains, a water park, and statues and a chapel too!

It was refreshing to see families cycling together, friends playing together, and dogs chasing frisbees, with no sign of photos being taken, or anyone's face stuck up on their phone.

We paid Buda Castle another visit,

This time around, my brother and I visited the History museum, located in one section of the castle. Do me a favour, and go to the basement of the museum first. It's feels like

being inside a time travelling contraption, where all bits and pieces of history are concised into one. You enter into a large majestic room, filled with information about the construction evolution of the Castle and you can see huge stone columns, ornamentation displayed, which were recovered from the old structure, then walk downstairs, under thick brick arches, and enter the older part of the castle with a nip in the air, the grey stone walls and the dim lights.

Then re-enter into the newer refurbished part, with artefacts displayed from the Ottoman rule, WWI and WWII. I personally appreciated the war posters, and the small salt and pepper shakes filled with different smells from items sold in the market.

I also (finally) got a decent enough shot of both the Parliament and the Chain Bridge,

A wholesome month filled with good food, laughter, adventure and loads and loads of love.
Can someone send me back please?