10 reasons why I LOVED Highway (the movie)

Photo Source

I recently watched the newly released Bollywood movie - Highway. And was simply blown away. The fact that I could not get this movie out of my head (still can't) should be sufficient proof of how incredible it was. So here is my compilation of the top ten reasons why I absolutely loved! this movie. (Spoiler Alert - In case you haven't watched it and don't want any scenes revealed, don't read this. But do go watch this movie. Pronto.)

 

#10 The fact that this movie made me wanna give up all my worldly possessions and become one with nature. Or something of that sort ;)

 

#9 The fact that I did not check my cellphone even once while watching this film.

 

#8 Alia Bhatt - I like this one. I think she has real potential and was incredible in this movie.

 

#7 The change from the typical Hindi movie love angle. No boy meets girl and somehow they fall crazily in love run-of-the-mill routine. The romantic nuances depicted here were simply remarkable.

 

#6 The completely believable plotline - no loopholes, no gaps (at least as far as I could tell).

 

#5 The incredible scenery of the terrains of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir etc. that were depicted in this film. Reminds you that India is just so beautiful, if only folks were more aware of this fact.

 

#4 The incredible folk music tunes within the movie. Indian folk music is so underrated that when something like this comes up, it is so worth mentioning.

 

#3 The incredible scene where Veera (Alia Bhatt) runs across the open wide space with stars above while trying to escape and is simply overwhelmed.

 

#2  Randeep Hooda. Need I say more?

 

#1 The scene towards the end where Veera (Alia Bhatt) screams her lungs out at her uncle until he walks away. I got goose bumps, I kid you not.

 

All in all, I think a movie like this comes once in a while. Now I have an intense desire to watch it again. I think I might. I just might.

 

The Curious Case of the Chicago winter

Photo Source



Okay, so first things first. In case you're wondering what that gothic image at the top is - its the infamous Chicago lighthouse on Lake Michigan frozen during the polar vortex of Jan 6, 2014. This should give an indication of how cold this winter has been!

 

I will not go into the technical details or stats of this winter - after all that is all over the news for everyone to read. So instead, I think I'll just recount my experience of what has undoubtedly been one of the coldest winter's I've encountered. Correction - am encountering :p

 

Location, location - I went to school in Buffalo, New York. Buffalo is famous for two things - 1. the snow 2. the winter. But inspite of that, I gotta say that this winter in Chicago has surpassed anything that dear old Buffalo put forth.

 

Wind, much? - Chicago is called the Windy City. That's cute and adorable. But not so much when the wind we're talking about is a 30 below zero.

 

Zero is the new terrible - The subzero temperatures that folks warn about are not exaggerated. Those days, it is indeed unbearably cold. Unimaginably cold. The ideally-should-not-be-out-for-longer-than-five-minutes cold.

 

White land - I have never ever ever seen this much snow in downtown Chicago. Period. Thank God the city's snow budget has still held up and thank God for the wonderful snow plowing folks out there doing an incredible job. They are truly the true heroes.

 

Dig a little deeper - Okay, so this may not be from personal experience but this is for all you folks in the suburbs. Keeping the pathways clean is mandatory, so I've heard stories of endless snow shoveling, no place to put the shoveled snow, and the best of the lot - a colleague building a snow mountain in his backyard for his kids to slide down on. Yes, you can insert your unbelievable expression here.

 

Polar Vortex - Let me stop right here.

 

Greater Appreciation - I now have a new appreciation for the wonderful citizens here going about their daily tasks & regular routines with a shrug of their shoulders and a poof of their hands indicating 'oh well whatcha gonna do'.

 

I would like to stop here and end by saying - Hang in there everyone! One glorious day, this will all be a wonderful horror story to recount over a warm fireplace. A horror story of white evil, of caked ice on the Chicago river, of boiling water turning into snow, of being in a place colder than Alaska. And a story of surviving it all. Well worth it, me thinks. :p

Top 5 Movies & TV Shows with the best Fashion!

How many of us have watched a movie that has completely blown us away with its couture? Or left a lasting impression on us with its style depiction? Or really, both of the above?

So for all you fashionistas out there, here’s a listing of my top 5 movies/shows depicting the best of the fashion world – and why!

#5 Suits

The 2011 law firm TV show, Suits, is famous for its witty dialogues and slick movie-style direction, but in my opinion the show also features some incredible styles for the corporate world. Almost every attire worn by Gina Torres and Meghan Markle is to die for. Here are some glimpses –

Antonio Berardi dress

All Saints coat

 

Donna Karan dress



                                                        Beaumelle Jacket, Cassis Skirt

 #4 Gossip Girl

Ever wonder what the fashion conscious of Manhattan’s Upper East Side dress like? Wonder no more. Be it the pearls or the tweeds, this show has it all.

#3 Breakfast at Tiffany’s

 

This movie truly ushered in a new era of fashion consciousness and almost started a fashion revolution of sorts. Thanks to the incredible style icon that is Audrey Hepburn –

#2 Sex and the City (The show & the movies)

 

Is it really possible to talk about fashion on television and not mention this show & it's movies? Can anyone really forget Carrie’s iconic necklace? –

 Or the epic newspaper print Dior dress –

 

Or the amazing J'adore Dior t-shirt attire–

 

Or the picture perfect Polka dot Balenciaga dress in the Paris episode – 

And let’s not forget the incredible Vera Wang wedding dress –

 

#1 The Devil wears Prada

This has got to be my most favorite movie in terms of the fashion depiction. A famous line from the movie is ‘A million girls would kill for that job’. Me thinks this should be ‘A million girls would kill for that wardrobe’. Because who can forget the incredible thigh-high Chanel boots (third image from the left), or the Cotton Voile Jersey Dress (last image on the right), or for that matter almost every other couture depicted in this film –
 

So that's it - my list of personal favorites! Gotta love style! So until next time, stay fabulous!

The Spirit of Mumbai

Photo Source



Mumbai - the city that never sleeps! Mumbai - my hometown, the place that I've been away from for a decade. But each time I return, I realize that my city has changed. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. But one thing that never changes is the vibrant, undying spirit of this city.

Keeping that in mind, here are some of the observations from my most recent visit home -

#1 Everyone is vibrant - The energy of everyone around you is seriously contagious. Be it the hordes of folks shopping in malls or eating in restaurants or walking on the streets, there is a vibrancy to it that is really unlike any other city in the world.

#2 Everyone makes money - No matter the heavy traffic to go to work, no matter the bureaucracy at work, no matter the politics at play, everyone makes money. The amount may vary but the fact still remains that Mumbai truly remains a land of opportunities.

#3 Buy that house? - While real estate prices plummet elsewhere, the property market in Mumbai is always at an all-time high. Buying a house in Mumbai is not for the faint hearted with real estate prices ranging more than New York even.

#4 No one cares about your petty concerns - You can honk all you want at that jay walker, you can scream and shout at something that's amiss, no one truly has time to even react to your concerns. Everyone has someplace to go to and something important to do. The age-old adage of Time is Money has never been truer than in here.

#5 The city never sleeps - This is so true. This is truly a city where much of everything will be open all day all night long. Craving your favorite fast food in the middle of the night? - you will inevitably find someplace that's open that serves it.

#6 Traffic, much? - Want to go to a fancy place in Juhu on a Saturday night? Boy, aren't you ambitious! ;) But jokes apart, one has to make sure to factor in the travel time. That is truly the most important part.

#7 New Year's eve? - What's a paltry Rs. 50,000 (that's around $800) for a New Year's Bash package? After all, it's all about having fun - money no bar, eh?!

#8 Miss that American food? - Not really but if you do, there are tons of really nice places that serve the same food that we get in good old Amreeka.

#9 Let's go to Goa! - You or someone you've heard of is almost inevitably holidaying in Goa.

#10 Miss those brands? - Not anymore. Mumbai has everything from Louis Vuitton to Burberry and folks with the clout to buy it too.

Ahh my Mumbai - so different yet still the same. Needless to say I miss you already. So until we meet again, my old friend, do stay amazing.

Cheesy Express

Photo Source


 

I recently watched Chennai Express. A few things happened after I watched this movie - first and foremost, I was unsure whom to blame - SRK because the man CANNOT stop hamming even for a second, Rohit Shetty for agreeing to be a part of this nuisance (dude you should've stuck to Ajay Devgan), or myself for helping contribute to the super ROI of this film by buying tickets to the same! Man, some mistakes in life you cannot undo :p 

 

Secondly, I realized who the real winners of this movie are! Any guesses?! Well it's the Nokia Brand Management people, of course! Those who have watched this know exactly what I'm talking about. Want the mighty SRK to promote your doesn't-matter-what-product? These people show us how!

 

So anywho, after being subjected to this disaster, I decided to compile a list of the top ten things that I would have rather done than watch this "mega-hit" -

 

#10 Find misspellings in the Oxford dictionary

 

#9 Spot the difference between Will Smith & Jaden Smith

 

#8 Rearrange my closet based on the texture of my clothes

 

#7 Hear all of Himesh Reshammiya's songs - again and again

 

#6 Recite the English alphabets - in reverse order

 

#5 Travel the Bombay locals during rush hour

 

#4 Watch all seasons of the Real Housewives of Orange County, New York City, Atlanta, New Jersey, Beverly Hills, Miami, and Vancouver

 

#3 Try to refill toothpaste in an empty tube

 

#2 Argue with Arnab Goswami

 

#1 Get my tooth extracted

 

And I would've enjoyed any of the above - far and much more! Enuff said :D

Pinterest...and why I love it!

Photo Source

 

So I am writing after a hiatus of sorts, but here goes. Today, I wanted to talk a little bit about the wonder that is Pinterest!

 

I recently crossed a 1000 followers on Pinterest - a feat that was certainly not preplanned by me ;) So I think I owe it to Pinterest to mention a few words on why I love it and where is it useful (the question most users wonder about).

 

What is Pinterest?

 

For those of you who have not yet heard about this little marvel, Pinterest is a free social tool that lets you browse thousands of pictures (either pre-existing or you can upload your own too) and 'pin' (hence the clever little term 'Pinterest') any pictures that you like on your Pinterest page. You can essentially create something called as 'Boards' on your Pinterest page with categories that interest you (think Architecture, Fashion, Cars et cetra) and then 'pin' any pictures that you come across on your relevant 'boards'. There is no limit to the number of boards and no limit to the number of pins on each board.

 

Your followers (the individuals following one or many of your boards) essentially get an update of the pins that you have pinned so that they can then repin the pins onto their own boards if relevant. This is how a pin propagates in Pinterest. Finally, you can also follow boards from others that you find interesting so that you too can get an update when they pin something on their boards.

 

Another interesting concept is that of 'Community Boards'. If another Pinterest user finds one of your boards super interesting, he/she may invite you to start pinning onto their board as well. That is the basic premise behind Community Boards.

 

Why I Love it?

 

So now that we have an idea what Pinterest is, here are the top reasons why I love it -

 

1. Places! Oh the beautiful places that I come across while browsing photos! Places in France and other remote locations! Places that I haven't heard of and that make me realize what an artist God is :)

 

2. The picture is worth a thousand words adage has not been truer than in this case! Pinterest gives me a way to enhance my other passion - that of baking! Ever so often I come across food images that are just so scrumptious that they beg to be tried out ;) And the best part is that not only can I repin these images but can also click on the image to go to its source - be it a blog or a site. I can then get further details about the recipes or other information from there.

 

3. Unique categories - You could have unique and interesting categories such as 'Street Art' (this is also one of my favorites). Street Art, for instance, never fails to amaze me with the sort of art that nameless street artists around the world come up with. There is truly so much talent in the world! Alongside is my favorite street art portrait from Pinterest -

 

A Note of Caution & Other Comments

 

Pinterest is highly addictive. When I first started pinning stuff, I did not realize that I would slowly yet surely get addicted to it. But then again, this is kudos to the makers of the tool for coming up with something so innovative and refreshing that users (last time I checked they had 25 million users) find time out of their busy schedules to actually enthusiastically use this tool.

 

Another interesting point to note is that the Pinterest App is actually much much better than the web version of this. Maybe another reason why I love this ;)

 

No Spamming - It is highly recommended to not use Pinterest to promote your own blog or such by let's say, providing a link to your blog as a comment on each of your pins :p. Pinterest will suspend Spammer accounts when they come across it.

 

And that's it my friends. If any of you are interested in checking out my pins - here is the link - http://pinterest.com/shrutasatam/. Happy Pinning!

Work-Life Balance?

Photo Source

I was suddenly inspired today to write a little bit about my thoughts on one of the things I have started to strongly believe in. So bear with me as I pen (type? ;) down my thoughts about this.

 

What I am referring to is the proverbial Work-Life balance. Now I'm sure this is a topic close to most people's hearts as almost all of us are busy juggling our life and our work. But which one of these takes a backseat? And more importantly, which should?

 

Work-Life Balance

 

I first came across the term Work-Life balance at my place of work - Deloitte. Now this is something that Deloitte strongly believes in and painstakingly promotes. What they want to ensure is that an individual tries to achieve a Work-Life fit. A seemingly good balance of your home and office life, so that one can enjoy and reap the benefits of both these so very important aspects of life. This is what first got me to think about this concept. And I mean, really think!

 

At this point of time, right off the bat, people are going to argue that promoting is one thing but implementing is a whole different ball game. For instance, even though a company may endorse the Work-Life fit, an employee may still be inundated with a heavy workload, client deliverables, deadlines, and the list goes on. So isn't that counterproductive? Well, it is, but not if you can do something about it. Which brings me to my next point of how (in my opinion) this is achievable...

 

So, what gives?

 

Two words here - Time Management. You can stop reading this right now and understand everything that I want to say with these two little words. It's all about making time. Everyone is busy - that goes without saying. But what makes the difference between making your busy schedule work for you in both work and life is this - time management. Bucket your time, manage your priorities (without compromising them), and then the most important part - stick to it.

 

Does it work?

 

I have a high stress job - numerous meetings every day, things to manage, things constantly coming out of left field during a given day and the list goes on. Every day at work is a brand new day, filled with the excitement of being unaware of what may come and so constantly having to reprioritize tasks. But amidst all the chaos, one thing I do not change (or try my level best not to) is sticking to my schedule! And no matter how chaotic your day, it is possible to do this with a little practice, with a little discipline and will power combined with a solid determination of wanting to make this work. And the result - My office life is as good as ever and so is my personal life. Win-win?

 

What's important?

 

I truly believe that at the end of the day, it is a good fit of both that makes an individual truly happy. I love my work but I love my personal life too. I love the excitement of deadlines, and meetings, and managing people but at the same time I love the excitement of social events, the fun in experimental cooking, and meeting friends. Keeping time for the things that I love doing and more importantly keeping time for the people that I love. :-)

 

So to sum it up - Work or Life? Should one take a backseat? I don't see why! Is it possible to have your cake and eat it too? I think yes. And oh, how very delicious that is!