The end of The End ... we will be found

Two weeks since that fateful air accident in Mangalore and the very last episode of Lost too and no, I'm not inclining towards any paranormal co-incidence between those two events. My involvement was naturally with Mangalore as a city for all the flying I've done through Bajpe airport and Lost, well ... you know fan-girl and all.


Every time in this past year, when I've mentioned to my fellow Indians that I was from Mangalore, they would jokingly ask me if I was one of the girls dragged out of the pub (thanks Muthalik and all those before him, you made Mangalore infamous) however these past few days, I seem to be have become the unwilling catalyst for aviation related conversations! If only IT professionals could design our runways ...


Back to 'Bad Robot' no more, every lostie would have their 'back-story', how and why they got hooked onto a show as complex as this.


My back-story is simple, the trailers for 'Lost' started airing in India sometime in 2005 and since it was going to be on Star Movies, we assumed it was a mini-series, rather than a show with many seasons, maybe a few hours long max and with an airplane and island storyline, it easily caught my attention. No matter what, come rain or come shine, power or no-power, the whole family would be gathered around the idiot box every saturday between 7 to 9 PM for the next 13-14 weeks. No other show, not since the days of Surabhi or the weekly Kannada/Hindi feature film on doordarshan (not that we had channel change option then) received the kind of dedication from all of us like this show did. Mother and Father were just as focussed as the rest of us.


Unfortunately the dedication was short-lived since one, realizing that it's not the end after 25 hrs of not batting our eyelashes is disappointing and two, the time in-between seasons is distracting and something that we're not used to. Anyway, that was around the time I first came to the US and well, guess what, they were already ahead of me by a few episodes, once I caught up there was no turning back. I had been christened into a lostie. The only thing I started missing was the conversations we had about the show, bouncing ideas with my folks, out of the original six of us, only my brother and me kept pace and after a while, he got bored too. Along the way, I've met a few co-workers (mostly non-Indians) who were very passionate about the show and I remember going out for coffee once just so that we could discuss Lost!


The finale was a commercial fest, a mammoth 2.5 hrs and that after a long day at the Soup Kitchen. There may be a few spoilers ahead.


What I've enjoyed most about the show was the persistent story telling, the flawed characters who were not judged for their past, everyone gets an equal opportunity to start afresh. It's like agreeing that redemption is for all if one desires it, the end to me almost seemed like a spiritual experience, heavy with emotions and fore-thought. I will agree that over the seasons, it did get slow and ever so confusing at times, but that was no reason to stop watching. There are whole episodes that made no sense at all when I watched on tv, but I would go back and watch again, online or go to the forums, the online fanaticism is quite amazing!


Sometimes being a person of faith and a person of science at the same time is not at all easy, I can relate so well to the conflict, yet it's not about gloating who trumped the other. I liked the explanation for the side-ways world (it was exactly how I'd thought it would play out, it was the way I perceived it although there are still many open questions). I believe it's all about finding the other person that we connected with even if we failed to figure that out here, our faith and trust in people will be rewarded, if not here on earth, then elsewhere? And if I can say 'I trust you', that's the greatest thing in the world for me.


So where does all this leave us, can we just drink of the fountain and protect the light and be whole again? It sounds very biblical and convoluted too at the same time, is there really a cork holding all the evil back in, what's the guarantee that we won't plunge into whatever it unleashes? The end itself was still only about letting go of the limbo we put ourselves in, no man is an island and it's really okay if I don't have all the answers. This has been a great ride, I'll watch the whole show again, maybe with someone who has never watched an episode.


My own side-ways and future story is in writing and everytime I ask 'WHY', I hope to see the light from the tunnel just like Locke did albiet metamorphically.

Good Morning USA

'The best part of life is when your family becomes your friends and your friends become your family' -

What struck me the most about this report? certainly not the fact that Diane Sawyer is quitting GMA but rather the above remark. Is that what we aspire for? probably not, not consciously for sure but inevitably it happens and the journey people make from friends to family and vice-versa is truly remarkable and one to be cherished.

The few moments before I get on to the daily drudgery of work these past few years, I've spent with GMA, the drone from the show's anchors, Sawyer included have kept me company while preparing that cup of chai, through grabbing a quick breakfast or skipping it, through checking email and on those rare ocassions of searching for the keys!

Of course, I like the drone, it is very info-entertaining and will continue to be the show I watch in the morning, (if the cable works!) the little tidbits, the music and the little break for the local station with the weather which helps me make that oh-so-important-decision of 'Do I need to carry my tall umbrella to work!'

CSI: Season premiere

[Spoiler warning if you have not yet watched the first episode of Season 9]

The season premiere of CSI was bound to be heart wrenching, what with Warrick getting shot and his exit from CSI confirmed. The episode more than a whodunit was a tribute to a guy who made CSI his own these past 8 years. Of course, the real life legal problems of Gary Dourdon, seemed to have been a cause for his untimely exit from the show.

CSI has always been about excellent writing and brilliant acting, and the cast truly rose to the occasion. The mood was somber with a blood soaked Grissom and ominous music playing in the background. Casting Warrick in a good light after his recent misdemeanors seemed to be the goal of the episode and they stuck to it. As is confirmed, Grissom is leaving the show too, two seasoned actors lost in a spate of weeks, only time will tell if the rest of the ensemble can live up to the high standards of this show on their own. Grissom's eulogy for Warrick at the end of the episode was simply marvelous. A must watch episode if you've followed CSI in any small way.

This season first watch to CSI on CBS(Thursday, 9PM) and whiny, flooded Seattle Grace, Grey's Anatomy will be relegated to abc.com (anytime after Friday, 10 PM)!.

It was nice to identify with the familiar sights of Vegas too for the first time!

Sunday evening blues

Well, who does not suffer from them! It's worse than the Monday morning woes... the reflection of the week gone by, the anticipation or should I say lack of anticipation of the week ahead. It has been an eventful week and no I am not talking about the debate or the bailout deal.

Have you ever been notified of an 8 AM meeting at 11 PM the previous night?, it can only happen in India, was an appropriate one-liner, but I'm not in India! Nothing against the early morning meeting, in fact I'm all for an early start. I remember a 6:30 AM meeting in Plano, during which I had to make a presentation to the client, of course it was well planned and hence the meeting schedule sent well in advance.

Fall TV is back, the only new show I've started watching is Fringe on Fox, only because the creator is JJ Abrams, the same guy who created 'Lost' and then there are all the same old shows, some launched with a renewed interest such as NCIS and some continuing their downward spiral including Grey's Anatomy and Heroes.

Y'all have a great week ahead while I continue to pork barrel my hours for various activities in the day and of course the reasons for the eventful past week were not covered in this post.

Waltzing Matilda

I am halfway through the JAG marathon, which started about three weeks ago and ‘waltzing matilda’ has stuck in my head!. I started from the finale episode of Season 1 for obvious Harm & Mac issues! Anyway it’s been a pretty awesome ride so far, refreshing my memory of this almost too good series of JAG lawyers. Which other TV show could I try a marathon for? Of my mind only two other shows seem worthy - X-Files and Lost.

While sprinting towards a long weekend which I know will be calm & relaxed, I’ve been catching up with my latest obsession! Blogging live on AC360, I could not contain my excitement when Anderson Cooper’s comment followed mine on a couple of occasions on a couple of weeknights. Talk about beginner’s luck… How often you have a comment to make or just feel like sharing your view when the newscaster reads out the news? Obviously gone are the days when the newscaster’s only job was to read out news!, but you know what I mean.

Live Blogging gives you just that, share your thoughts, your opinions all in real time and respond to fellow bloggees. The timing of the show is unfortunately kinda inconvenient to us West-Coasters… 7 PM is still kinda early in the day to be blogging...

Amazing news out of Colombia, with the rescue of hostages held by farc, truly a miracle. I can't even begin to fathom what it would be like to get back to life after 5+ years. It's no question that it is going to be a tough ride for all the rescued hostages and their loved ones.

Back to my matilda, the image that comes to mind on listening to Waltzing Matilda is one of Scottish men with kilt and bagpipes, I love singing this song at the top of my voice!.. but it sure would have sounded better with an aussie accent!

This one is a pretty neat version



The title of this post is a popular folk song considered as the un-official national anthem of Australia and is sung by the JAG officers in the Season 5 episode ‘Life or Death’

David vs David

little david vs big david, to say the least this American Idol finale line-up has been the most predictable ever, but predictable is good, does it signify that the audience who votes always gets it right can't be said, maybe this time around, they will.

All along I've been rooting for the little guy, his awesome singing can make it easy to forget that he's only seventeen. The number of times he used 'Gosh' last week!... but then he's only a teenager. I will be equally pleased if David Cook wins, he probably deserves it more, for his sheer charm and stage presence.

May the best man/boy win. One vote from my side for each of them.

that 80's shows

This post, caused to reminiscence.
and ever since I've been trying to remember, all those shows we used to watch as kids, this is the list for now, there are a few other shows, I struggle to remember...

In no particular order

Remington Steele

Street Hawk

Murder She Wrote

Knight Rider

Airwolf

MacGyver

Five mile Creek

Beverly hills

Punky Brewster

Charles in charge

What a country

Out of this world

The cosby show

Give us a clue

Small wonder

not to forget the innumerable re-reruns of the movie 'I dream of Jeanie', it was truly amazing to catch up with the actual show 'I dream of Jeanie'(Season 1-5, S1 is in black & white)only about a year ago.

and then some soaps and cartoons in Arabic, even though we could not understand a word of the language!

and some 'R' rated, definitely not meant for kids!

Knots Landing

B&B

It's no wonder then where my keen interest in TV shows comes from!

the coffee-pot is empty!

Have you found yourself refilling the coffee-pot in your office pantry more than three times per week? Well, I have and wonder why... it seems like 3 could be well above the average… considering the about ‘x’ number of people drinking out of the coffee-pot and it being refilled ‘y’ times a day, hmm... However I don’t seem to have factored in ‘z’, which is the number of times a given person decides to have a shot of caffeine....not that I mind the refill job, love it... infact, the fresh smell of roasted coffee beans and then the fresh coffee...

Today is the official first day of fall and it just doesn’t feel like it… and yeah the fall season is here, primetime tv at its best…!, kicked it off with Survivor, and they are in some woods of China!!!… never been a follower of such shows, but decided to give it a try this time and I think will continue on. Will definitely tune into CSI, Miami, NY, House, Ugly Betty, Smallville, Numb3rs, Grey’s Anatomy, DH, Brother’s n Sisters, ‘the’ talk shows! and then will probably check out a couple of new shows too… wow that’s a whole lot of TV and that too with conflicting times… no DVR or TiVO...

Probably the best new show of last season was Bro’s and Sis, totally enamored by Rachael Griffiths character Sarah, while hoping for life into the characters on GA for this season….Gotta wait until Feb of 2008 for the new season of LOST!

Despite rave reviews and comments on Prison Break in its third season and Heroes in its second, never seemed motivated enough to catch up with them.

blame it on the rain!

I thought I'd dwell on and find a reason for my recent lack of interest in blogging... well reasons i did find. I think it all started with the shifting plan, settled in my new apartment with cable TV and over 200 channels, if not for the hours of movies, x-files, alias, sabrina that are already lying recorded on my dvr, then Anderson Cooper seems to have me hooked onto CNN... and then there have been all those amazing F1 races, including today's, if only Kimi had managed to win as it had seemed, this weekend would have been great.

Houston public library, lets put that one on my list too... always have a armful of books whenever i get in and out of that place! Certification coming up in two days, work and calls, and then more calls - that about makes my list.

Its been a while since I made it for the Sunday morning service at St. John's Vianney, evening service is wonderful too. Fr. Jose from Kerala, has joined the parish as an assistant pastor, truly a small world and he seemed pleased to have met a few Indians, M'lore/Karnataka is after all a neighbor to his home state!

and how can i forget the rain, its been raining cats and dogs, off and on and the rain in Houston, is as unpredictable as the politics in India, its raining in Mangalore too, so much so that some areas were flooded, now that's a first since i always believed the drainage system in M'lore was excellent, the adverse effects of growth and development...so like Milli Vanili said, whatever you do don't put the blame on you, blame it on the rain!

So you think you can dance!

Can't believe I actually picked up the phone and voted for one of these guys, not once but twice!!!

Got hooked onto So you think when its new season premiered on fox, this show as cheesy as its name might sound is pretty decent and unlike all those other reality shows which so makes you want to turn/switch off after a couple of mundane episodes. Indian idol is one such example, a drama playing out on TV with all the cheap stunts for publicity! There was an Indian show Nacche Baliye, I guess ripped off from so you think, but the US version is so much better and the dance routines are refreshing and mesmerizing to watch, there's a pool of dancing talent out there.

While on the subject of reality television, haven't we had our fill?, right from the very controversial temptation island to the apprentices and idols of this world! The fall TV schedule is out and it does sound exciting and without reality. But I did the unthinkable this time, I called in, so there must be something to it after all!!!

My vote for the worst among the reality shows I've seen so far goes to Maury's show!....pathetic and a lousy excuse for reality TV.

Btw, voted for benji, will be crossing my fingers for him as the results are announced tomorrow