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thoda this and thoda that

[kirankomail]

Go watch it

Movie: Sing Street (2016)

As an Indian audience when you watch this particular movie you will understand that movies ought to have more character than just mass appeal. We need movies that inspire and Sing Street does exactly that. There is more to music than just blaring drums and bass and senseless lyrics. Also, you will want you to ask if we are watching the right kind of Hollywood movies. This one for me hits above any other movie that released in 2016. Makes me wonder how it missed an Oscar. But not going by any award or poll, Sing Street is not an everybody movie. It’s like dark chocolate; only for refine taste buds. Given the fact that we are comfortable being served cheap entertainment, this movie is a pleasing punch.

Be he the Conor getting music lessons from his brother Brendan or Raphina’s Cosmo, you get to see how exactly a teenager in 1985 felt and thought. He voices disappointment. “This could scar me. Long-term!” he tells his mom Penny when she tells him about his school transfer, on account of the recession in Dublin and the family’s need to save money. At the Christian Brothers school, Synge Street, he is uncomfortable but manages to stay afloat.

At first Brendan – Conor’s elder brother – appears blunt and a bitter-sweet. His character makes a lot of sense as the movie advances. His character showcases the pain of living with a lost a chance of living one’s dreams. As powerful as Conor’s character sans courage Brendan is the forced ordinary man of the story. For Conor to be the way he is, we understand through various scenes that Brendan had to give up on a lot of things. But he believes in being happy and is always trying to make his little brother better – “You have to learn how to NOT play. That’s rock n roll. And that takes practice.” Brendan is the only person Conor seems to agree with. The love underlining these two characters is the power of the movie.  

Conor is audacious and has absolutely no worry for opinions. For instance, when his new schoolmate Darren tells him that Raphina – the endearingly innocent girl who claims to be a model – standing right opposite the school is “not interested in any of the boys in the school.” Conor asks Darren and, in a way, trying to answers his own mind asks “Oh yeah? Why’s she standing there then?” Spontaneous and timely thinking not just gets him the girl but also his dream. Raphina is the reason why Conor starts a band. But it goes on to allay his insecurities and tough break.

The Band, a bunch of spontaneous members is not too much and not too less either… can’t even call it perfect because these kids with all that they have come up with amazing music. Conor’s excitement is synonymous that of Eamon, the guitarist of the band who always takes one up whenever Conor asks him “Want to write a song?” …each song is a story in itself!

Raphina is painfully beautiful. She showcases a carefree spirit untouched by the bitterness of the world. “Your problem is that you’re not happy being sad. That’s what love is, Cosmo,” she says which highlights her predicament. She is subtle with her description of pain and does not want to land up being “just like mum.” But she’s a positive being, overcoming it all. Even when she is stranded by her so called boyfriend her honour doesn’t allow her to admit it. Beautifully portrayed is her mess.

Conor’s honesty makes Brother Baxter’s authoritarianism seem helpless. You feel a thud in your heart when brother Baxter washes the make -up off Conor’s face. But Conor! No care for rules he continues to wear his brown shoes – The song speaks for itself that when you reason even anger could be constructively used to create art. Be it forgiving Barry, the bully in public, to reducing Father Baxter to nothing in his song Conor displays grit and the courage to follow his dreams. The songs are warm and will keep you humming them for long. Be it “Drive it like you stole it” or “Find you,” you will have so much to associate with it. Each character has strong distinctive personalities and their coming together blends in like a symphony.

So doped by his dream to make it large is our protagonist that he decides to take a leap of faith and chooses to take Raphina with him. Brendan is a clear winner in this scene and you will understand why only when you watch the movie! The closing scene has my heart. There is strength in letting go and moving on. There is strength is seeing someone else win and being able to do what you failed… there is strength in seeing them live your dream. There is love and there is pain and then there is Freedom, the most beautiful feeling of it all. And as Raphina puts it “You can’t do things by half, Cosmo.”

The music is simple and sensible. Be it The Riddle of the Model, Up, Finding You or Brown Shoes each song is well worded and refine. Music is determined to take you back to the 80’s and so are the costumes and make-up.

 P.S. This one will leave a song inside your heart and it will never fade

[kirankomail]

Go watch it

Movie: Sing Street (2016)

As an Indian audience when you watch this particular movie you will understand that movies ought to have more character than just mass appeal. We need movies that inspire and Sing Street does exactly that. There is more to music than just blaring drums and bass and senseless lyrics. Also, you will want you to ask if we are watching the right kind of Hollywood movies. This one for me hits above any other movie that released in 2016. Makes me wonder how it missed an Oscar. But not going by any award or poll, Sing Street is not an everybody movie. It’s like dark chocolate; only for refine taste buds. Given the fact that we are comfortable being served cheap entertainment, this movie is a pleasing punch.

Be he the Conor getting music lessons from his brother Brendan or Raphina’s Cosmo, you get to see how exactly a teenager in 1985 felt and thought. He voices disappointment. “This could scar me. Long-term!” he tells his mom Penny when she tells him about his school transfer, on account of the recession in Dublin and the family’s need to save money. At the Christian Brothers school, Synge Street, he is uncomfortable but manages to stay afloat.

Conor is audacious and has absolutely no worry for opinions. For instance, when his new schoolmate Darren tells him that Raphina – the endearingly innocent girl who claims to be a model – standing right opposite the school is “not interested in any of the boys in the school.” Conor asks Darren and, in a way, trying to answers his own mind asks “Oh yeah? Why’s she standing there then?” Spontaneous and timely thinking not just gets him the girl but also his dream. Raphina is the reason why Conor starts a band. But it goes on to allay his insecurities and tough break.

At first Brendan – Conor’s elder brother – appears blunt and a bitter-sweet. His character makes a lot of sense as the movie advances. His character showcases the pain of living with a lost a chance of living one’s dreams. As powerful as Conor’s character sans courage Brendan is the forced ordinary man of the story. For Conor to be the way he is, we understand through various scenes that Brendan had to give up on a lot of things. But he believes in being happy and is always trying to make his little brother better – “You have to learn how to NOT play. That’s rock n roll. And that takes practice.” Brendan is the only person Conor seems to agree with. The love underlining these two characters is the power of the movie.  

The Band, a bunch of spontaneous members is not too much and not too less either… can’t even call it perfect because these kids with all that they have come up with amazing music. Conor’s excitement is synonymous that of Eamon, the guitarist of the band who always takes one up whenever Conor asks him “Want to write a song?” …each song is a story in itself!

Raphina is painfully beautiful. She showcases a carefree spirit untouched by the bitterness of the world. “Your problem is that you’re not happy being sad. That’s what love is, Cosmo,” she says which highlights her predicament. She is subtle with her description of pain and does not want to land up being “just like mum.” But she’s a positive being, overcoming it all. Even when she is stranded by her so called boyfriend her honour doesn’t allow her to admit it. Beautifully portrayed is her mess.

Conor’s honesty makes Brother Baxter’s authoritarianism seem helpless. You feel a thud in your heart when brother Baxter washes the make -up off Conor’s face. But Conor! No care for rules he continues to wear his brown shoes – The song speaks for itself that when you reason even anger could be constructively used to create art. Be it forgiving Barry, the bully in public, to reducing Father Baxter to nothing in his song Conor displays grit and the courage to follow his dreams. The songs are warm and will keep you humming them for long. Be it “Drive it like you stole it” or “Find you,” you will have so much to associate with it. Each character has strong distinctive personalities and their coming together blends in like a symphony.

The music is simple and sensible. Be it The Riddle of the Model, Up, Finding You or Brown Shoes each song is well worded and refine. Music is determined to take you back to the 80’s and so are the costumes and make-up.

So doped by his dream to make it large is our protagonist that he decides to take a leap of faith and chooses to take Raphina with him. Brendan is a clear winner in this scene and you will understand why only when you watch the movie! The closing scene has my heart. There is strength in letting go and moving on. There is strength is seeing someone else win and being able to do what you failed… there is strength in seeing them live your dream. There is love and there is pain and then there is Freedom, the most beautiful feeling of it all. And as Raphina puts it “You can’t do things by half, Cosmo.”

 P.S. This one will leave a song inside your heart and it will never fade.

[kirankomail]

Slow and steady the love of Besan and Haldi

Haldi and Besan - gold for the skin.

How we women long and wish we had relatives, especially sisters in the US or UAE and they could send us their love in the form of expensive skincare creams; luscious serums, eyecare salve, deep moisturizers, hydrating oil, lip balms, hair masks, body scrub, brightening lotions… the list is endless. Somewhere deep down inside our hearts it has been etched that expensive and imported skincare can miraculously give us the skin we desire and make us beautiful.

The jars in my imagination somewhat look like this.

Like for instance there is an image in my mind (this is possibly a waiting-to-be-made skincare ad) of a woman dressed in thin white cashmere-silk or lace nightwear, sitting over bright white sheets surrounded by wine-colored velvet cushions and puffy pillows, smearing on her cheek an (expensive – I wish I could spell the name of the brand here) cream from inside a glossy golden jar. Then softly landing herself on to one of the puffy pillows she looks at me and smiles like an angel. Oh! Her beautiful hair does not even get ruffled as she falls asleep. Then she wakes up pushing through clear white curtains revealing a face that is spotless, bright and glowing like a star.

Now, I want that golden jar so I could become as beautiful as her. Did you see a yearning problem there? Because of this image in my head (You may have a different image in your head), I begin to think and possibly you have thought this too:

“Is my skin fair enough?”

“Oh, no another black spot!”

“This pimple is never going to go!”

“Fine lines under my eye! Uh ugly!”

“I have to get that cream. Otherwise, I am going to look like some hideous thing.”

Because I hate my skin I ain't gonna show my face! LOL!

Most see skin as fair, spotless, wrinkle-free... Why cant w just see it as good, healthy and well-nourished skin? No, your advertisement wants you to believe otherwise. Touch 30 and the same ad will be so loud you almost won’t hear anything else. While I am blessed with healthy skin, it took me a lot of years to realise I can’t be (don’t want to be either) that girl who has dreamy skin.

Some ads though are ridiculous and beyond compare. One in specific is where a young girl aspiring to get a job is turned down because the color of her skin is brown. For god’s sake, will somebody tell those people skin can’t type or make an on the spot presentation and the least thing for your boss to worry about is the fairness cream you are using! The worst is not over… Heard about fairness creams for men? Now laugh out loud.

This was when I lived in Coonoor. Never used any cream or make-up.

Having lived in a small town near Ooty, and with almost no access to the so-called fairy godmothers of gorgeous, expensive “skincare” creams you can say I’ve used besan and haldi all my life. As per my Ammijaan ke nuskhe (Grandmother’s home remedies) haldi and besan, you cannot replace by any expensive cream in the world. “It’s holistic. The water you drink, the food you eat and the thoughts you think got to be clean for the haldi and besan to work on your skin,” she says. “Slow yet steady the besan and haldi will teach you the art of loving yourself.”  Both the colour of yellow she says are “gold for the skin. They make the skin rich.”

Going back to the old skincare regime.

After moving to the city, some of the skincare regime that I followed religiously was replaced by a 10-min peel off pack, fairness cream, and expensive makeup. For three years I did exactly what every working woman in the city does, did what was easy; bought the creams, went for a facial, bleach and an under-eye treatment and of all these the one I still regret the most is smoothening my hair and advising a good friend to take a chemical treatment for her acne (Don’t ask!). Not that they dint work but these expensive parlour facials never lasted. The benefits of it are overstated. Initially, it was just one facial a month then slowly that became twice a month and left my skin robbed of its originality and glow. If that wasn’t enough I felt as though my skin had aged.

The smoothen hair and makeup days.

Now I am not saying going all natural is a must nor think going makeup-free is brave, but the lust for dreamy skin can be pricey! Forget the price tags, in some cases, this wishful greed has left people faceless, skinless and in worst cases lifeless. The truth is you can’t fight age with a Botox or a surgery or an antiaging serum or anything that asks you to “fight” your skin for that matter. You have to gracefully accept it, love your skin and keep it healthy all along. That is why going back to haldi, besan felt like a good idea. After all, it’s all about loving yourself.

Your skin has a memory. In ten, twenty, thirty years from now, your skin will show the results of how it was treated today. So treat it kindly and with respect. -  Jana Elston

Eight months of natural skincare products and loving it totally <3

Here is where Girija – a wonderful curator of all things natural for the skin steps in. how I met her and her brand story will be up on my next blog. But for the moment you have to know my skin has dramatically changed over the last 8 months and her products are one of the reasons why. The in-detail product blog will feature Girija’s brand and a few other brands that have helped me remove the chemicals and toxin from my skincare basket. (No, we aren't trying to promote her brand or sell you anything. She already has a dedicated customer following and is extremely passionate about her work.)

So, if you love haldi, besan and organic skincare stay tuned.

PS You can’t completely shun away from your current skincare that includes chemicals. I haven’t given up on my red lipstick. It’s a slow process that works only if you research, learn what is good for your skin and find brands you can trust.

[kirankomail]

Of shells and fishes and not the sea

a Kiran Komail Places Blog.

Rubbernecking into the horizon. 

I always wanted to go on a boat ride in the sea. I also have a fisherman anna (brother in Tamil) Karuna, who has promised to take me into the sea. When he called this weekend that went by. My friend and I, gleaming with cheer rushed to his humble abode only to learn that “the sea was calm and smooth when I called you amma and even till a while ago. But now the tides are fierce and rough I can’t risk taking you on a ride now.”

La Mar and her moods, I sigh!

After a few minutes of waiting and rubbernecking into the horizon, my friend said: “Why not drive to Mahabs (Need I say Mahabalipuram?) and grabbed a bite at The Wharf?” After an awesome meal, we decided to go further ahead. Few minutes of driving and we reached an intriguing diversion on the second entrance of Mahabs. We asked Google what lies ahead - India Seashell Museum, blinked the screen… Now, I love shells remember!

The entrance of the Museum

At the counter of the museum, greeted by a giant nautilus shell and a lace murex (both made from clay). This looked like some big Kunstkabinett and I couldn’t wait to see what lay in it. A museum escort guided us and also introduced us to K Raja Mohamed, the man who owned the place. “He not only owns the place but also owns the 40,000 shells that are showcased here. Each shell has been handpicked by him,” said the escort. One would wonder how a simple man like that could own a museum and as many as 40,000 SHELLS! I had to know the story!

K Raja Mohamed with Abdul Kalam.

I asked Mohamed and so, began a tale that took us to Rameswaram in 1979, where he began collecting shells as a young boy. Bargaining with fishermen, strolling the beach for hours and dipping himself into the sea over and over again “just so I could own those beautiful shells,” he says.

We cover a span of 35 years in one-hour, diving through (in my imagination of course) the seabeds of Japan Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, America, Australia and many more countries where from Mohamed collected almost 2,000 species of seashells. The humongous collection is also “the world’s largest individual collection of seashells,” he adds.

The Birth Maria shell.

Having got a glimpse into the history of the museum from the man who picked each and every shell that hung in there our enthusiastic escort made sure we saw the main highlights of the museum. We stopped at the Birth Maria shell case which is “one among the four found in the world so far,” he said. Next, we were shown the Stone Collector shells that attracts other shells and stones to its own body: no, this one isn’t a parasite but attracts other particles to it as a defence mechanism. We also caught glimpses of the gastropod shells that were in ancient days used to measure or amount rice and pulses. Each shell has a story and imagine 2000 such tales. “Only Sir (Mohamed) will be able to tell you where and when he found it,” he says.

We also got to see the ‘God shells’ – that is what I would call them - one with the name of Allah engraved naturally and another in the perfect shape of Ganeshji. “No cross?” asked my friend. (To which we received an awkward yet polite smile. Perhaps the best way to deal with idiots. LOL). We were attracted to the heart shaped cockles (these are also shells. PS: Don’t read wrong 😉). There were different heart shells, different colors, and patterns but the one that stole my heart was a Fragum Onedo that had the hues of pink fading into a yellow stain.

An artist named Selvam, from Chennai, has crafted the Means of Transport – a car, a train, an airplane and a ship out of oyster shell. I could see many kids line up by the airplane trying to touch the glass cases they were stored in. The museum staff politely distracted the kids to look at the smallest shells in the museum. They were the size of ladybirds. May be even smaller.

Then there is also the Maya Bazaar, the shell market inside the premises. I picked up a few oyster shells, scallops, and solarium all different shapes and beautiful natural hues. The Museum also houses a 4D theatre room, a dinosaur’s park, a pearl museum and an aquarium that allows you to touch and feel a few sea creatures.

To my surprise, they had an electric eel that looked quite dangerous. They also had a mini version of the piranha fish and we got to see a deadly demo. “They can eat up an entire elephant in less than five minutes,” said the aquarium in charge. Then there is a sea fossil that sucks out the blood from other fishes’ bodies.

Right when I thought this was getting all to bloody we were shown a ‘Nimo’ fish. Tiny, cute and a real version. We were allowed to touch crabs, lobsters, and a starfish but of course under the supervision of the trained aquarium staff. And we spent 15 minutes enjoying the Nibbler Fish Pedicure. To top it all off, the kissing fish gouramis, kissed us goodbye.

Kissing fish Gouramis, kissed us goodbye.

We spent an amazing day. Sure, I couldn’t ride into the sea but I got all the shells I wanted.

As for that sea ride, we will be doing that soon!