Before Subtitles

footnote to bollywood everywhere

how did the Ethiopians understand the language? especially the ones that go "Kuttay, Kameene Main tera khoon pee jaaonga.."?

seems they have it very easy these days, the movies come with subtitles (which could be really interesting)

But in the old days, they had a person who stood at the back of the hall, and shouted out rough translations.

would have loved to see him(or her) translate the songs (maybe padosan? "ek chatur naar....")

Out of the Box

When you think "out of the box", it is beyond the ordinary, but when you buy something "out of the box" it is ?

Bollywood everywhere…

Have been discovering the worldwide following Bollywood has in bits and pieces, here n there – like a full time French TV station broadcasting just Hindi songs…like the old time Bachan fans (big b) from Japan, and Russia…like the YouTube video spoofs of Hindi songs done by college kids here…

What makes it so popular? Well, here was one reason I did not think of…in Ethiopia, they have movie halls that show Hollywood movies, and then there are some that show everything else, including Bollywood. And its way cheaper to watch a Bollywood movie than the Hollywood ones. The result? An “aam aadmi” there knows and follows everybody from the Bachans to the Rajnikant's and Vijay’s of Kollywood !! To say the least, the wife (my secret agent for all news Bollywood) got the shock of her life while talking to somebody more educated than her on the latest gossip !!

Bottom Half again !!

Dont know how many years more i will keep seeing this, but then, it is all about tradition, the strict dress code, the green grass.....it is that time of the year again....ESPN2 is broadcasting the "Gentlemen's Bottom Half" all day.....

Beeer?!

Up in victoria island, asked for what's on tap at a pub, and got this - race rocks, rockcreek, big rock XO, dead frog nut !!

Overheard: New Plates

Overheard at a Kitchenware store:

Boy: MOM, why do we keep buying new plates?
Mom: Because we keep dropping them Johnny!

Yen n Yang n Dollars n Francs

Talk about catch 22s.....I get less rupees for my dollar each going month....of course, the indian equities i buy with those rupees have not been doing any good either...and of course, i do not have enough dollars to invest in the US of A...

The Europeans are having a field day here...travel through NYC airports on any weekend and you see hordes of them going back with their weekend shopping - yes..shopping in New York is cheaper than shopping in UK or swiss, (flight and hotel charges included)....and NYC hotels now offer "shopping packages".

The other day, my colleague met a couple at an NY Outlet Mall. They were lost in their shopping and missed the last transport back to their hotel and were looking for a lift. So here are the numbers he got: they bought stuff for $3000, which would have cost them $8000 back in their place...flight and hotel is just a 1000 - they still save 4000 (or make more if they sell it back there?)

same goes for many south american countries - we were visiting an airline in brazil, and were asking some guys there whats a good place to go shop in the evening, and most of them said "New York" !!!

What about US shoppers in Europe? really at the wrong end of the stick :) found this the hard way last week, when some "constants" like a McD burger cost $10 and a bottle of water cost $8 (to a guy used to buying 12 bottles for $3)

like the wife says "paapi chellunnidam paathaalam" or "wherever the sinner goes, its always hell"