Oh no!

I am having the most horrible time booking tickets for Harry Potter, it's just not working. Whether I try online or call! Uff! This is such a huge downer!

I hope the lines will clear up soon so I can have my seat booked and go about doing other things in peace.

The time has come my little friends,

To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings.

I find myself chanting this poem from time to time. It's very catchy and so non-sensical. Coincidentally, DeviantArt has been going Alice In Wonderland crazy for some time now.

Aye-ya-yaii!

I have to get back to the basics of animation again. Today as I sat and tried making a simple walk from scratch, I realized I don't know jack. Even Jack doesn't know jack. Oh god! That's how bad it's become.

Going through sheets of reference material now. I hope to get back on track soon.

The Mafia Kalyanam

It was one of the best weekends I've had in the longest time. Aftermonths of living life through phone calls and internet chats, we all met each other. And for what better reason than a wedding. Our friend's wedding which turned out to be a lovely ceremony. The bride, like she should be, was the most beautiful person that day. Every time she smiled, she looked ten times more gorgeous. It made my heart swell up to five times it's original size when I saw her and her sweet groom stand side by side and look utterly wonderful together. A low-key ceremony made rich and happy by her loving family who welcomed all of us with open arms and hearts. We were never made to feel out of place at any time during the events. These are the original good people.
For me, any occasion can be marked as a complete pass or fail by the food it has. And boy! oh boy! did the food deliver. It was simple - the standard fare of idli, dosa and filter coffee for breakfast and lunch being a vegetarian sadhya. Let me tell you, I am a happy non-vegetarian. I love my meat and would preferably like it with every meal. But, I set all of that aside for this amazing meal which, to further send me into heaven, was served the traditional way - on a banana leaf. Joy! Food simply tastesbetter when eaten from a leaf.

To top it all off this weekend had the one thing that made it more memorable than others. My friends. It's the best feeling ever. To be able to hug your dearest friends and talk to them face to face. Games and dressing up and taking a million photos and realizing that even after 'growing up' a little we can still be, for lack of a better word, zany with each other. That's what makes friends more special than other people.

I love you all and it pained me to see us all go our separate ways. Let's meet up again. Weddings are too much fun!

Kerala Cafe

Now, malayalam cinema has been going through possibly it's worst phase with the movies that it has been churning out lately. But tonight I saw a movie that really changed my perception of the type of people that exist in this industry.

The film is called 'Kerala Cafe' and it has a format that has been used many, many times in other movies, but is a novelty in Kerala. It tells us ten stories in ten places showing ten ways of life made by, as you might have guessed, ten directors. What really caught my attention when the movie started was a short message by my all time favourite director, Sathyan Anthikkad. He talks about how a viewer might not initially understand this movie, but goes on to tell us to give it a chance.

I did.

As I watched each story I can safely say it is an honest effort by all those film makers to make a movie that is compelling in both story and technique. Mind you, I'm not saying that this is the all time greatest movie ever made in Mallu land, but it is one that deserves some recognition.
Stories are tied together by one place, a major character in the film. A place where it is completely believable that people of all types and backgrounds meet - a coffee shop at a railway station. It is here that we meet and say goodbye to the different characters whose stories we become a part of.
Stories about misfortune and luck. Stories about finding solace with strangers over the passing of loved ones. Stories about fear, both of the supernatural and of the demons inside of us. Stories that made me laugh and think about stuff and one that made me cry inside.

The transition from story to story is quite interesting and I give the directors extra points for even wanting to collaborate to make a movie like this.

All in all a good show!

Handicap

I haven't used my mouse for any sort of photoshop work in ages. And it such a difficult experience for me right now. My Wacom tablet has spoiled me. SIGH!

***

March 17th 2010, around 5 pm.
The time when I effectively lost my mind. I have decided to start afresh in a whole new direction. I just hope it turns out to be as awesome as I am hoping.

Thank you
Maya
Sruti
Sherry
Sunai

The way I am...

Recent events (as all recent events have a tendency to do so) compel me, well actually, inspire me to write a post which is mainly for the benefit of all the readers who stumble upon my blog expecting, I don't know what exactly, but here's breaking it down for you- the way I am.

I am the Ratfinkle.

I am an oddball. I was supposed to embrace life one way, but I went ahead, took a sharp-right turn and hurtled along a path that many will not understand. Or in fact want to understand.

I am an artist. I draw and paint and animate and draw some more. That is my life. Nothing can inspire me more more than that. For those who think I waste my time studying a hobby, all I have to say is that you are a sad bunch of people who never had the guts to do something like this yourself. People with talent like mine are hard to come by and I am proud of that!

My thoughts and ideals are not exactly normal. Or should say, not exactly Malayalee. Many of my Mallu christians who see the life I lead may think that I choose not to observe 'the correct' path or that I am setting myself up to think or act rashly because I think and act differently. And also because I have not seen enough of the world to decide what's good and bad. But actually, I have had the opportunity to see a side of this world that many never will, rich with it's people and colours that may blind others who are not open to it. And like my favorite line form 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'(yep, that's right) "believe me when I say there is more good in it than bad."
Although like always, I know that people may choose to ignore this line completely.

***

I am different. I always knew that. From the day I saw The Little Mermaid when I was 8-yrs old and decided that that is what I am going to do for the rest of my life. I knew I wasn't going to do things the normal way and I am glad for that.

I am open. With my heart and my mind. In the last 21 years of my life (and yes that is a considerable amount of time to observe and learn), I have to come to realize that even those things that should have been the most solid and stable happened to be things that fell apart just like everything and everybody else. I am open to chances. How will we learn if we never try?

I am not ashamed of the person I have become, the things I have learned and the people I choose to associate myself with. My life has been moulded because of all these factors.

I love life. I intend on living it and not pretending to do so.

I am the Ratfinkle. Accept me for who I am. I do not intend on changing.

A thought...

"To be effective designers for social impact, we have to be humble listeners and fearless leaders, all at the same time, which is no easy feat. But I think this next generation of designers has the potential to do both, and my sincere hope is that design education rises to meet their expectations" - excerpt from an interview on core77.

How true. It is even my sincere hope that design education rises to the task of not mass producing the next batch of tool operators, but strives to bring forth people who at least think before they ink.

I love how all mothers feel that anyone who comes to their house never eat enough food :)

sigh! home made food! i'm back in the hostel with all the sucky mess food and my heart aches! I want the good food again...

*GROWLS* part 1

Today, the 5th of December, 2009 was a day a lot happened. Pranav celebrated his birthday today and so did lil' Maria kutty. It was also the worst day of my life. I've not had a day like this in a long time.. so I guess I had this coming :|

So in an attempt to make myself feel better( and also to allow you, dear reader, to sympathize with me---sympathize.NOW!) I want to write down, in order, just how this day managed to go from passably ok to worse than that.
It started like all bad days do. I was supposed to go for a long walk(or wong lock, whichever you prefer) in the morning, in an attempt to rid myself of some of the guilt of not exercising lately. The plan was made, the alarm was set and I slept right through it. I woke up feeling even more guilty than before.

Then comes my work. I have crap loads of work to finish before my exams so I sit down and try to finish one of them...an illustration project with mucho! zeal and determination to get this done before the day is out! Turns out the one day I manage to get all my proportions wrong happened to be...TODAY! And then the electricity kept going and coming, and going. and coming...and going...and....coming. and then it goes for good! So I thought "aaah what the hoo!" I might as well go to sleep. I had put oil on my head and thought I'd wash it off before heading to my local guardian's place for her daughter's birthday party. The plan was made, the alarm was set.

ResQ gives me a call. There was trapped dog in Kalyani Nagar. (well, so much for the whole sleeping idea) Off I go, biscuits in hand, oil on my head, no money in my wallet and the drowsiest expression on my face! I pick up Sruti along the way and we reach the colony where the dog is 'trapped'. Here it turns out we didn't have to do anything. It was a dog that was randomly 'la-di-da'ing and walking around in that colony and ended up hiding underneath a car because it was too scared from all the attention it was getting from the anxious colony dwellers. Now, I know they mean well...but it's hard to justify their eagerness to bring goodness into world, by pulling out every cat in a tree or every dog they think is in need of help, right when I am in the middle of my bad day.

*GROWLS* part 2

Sigh! we now head back and I have to get ready for the party. I put a good deal of effort into doing so and walk out all set with my best smile in place. Then, waiting there like a cloud of gloom ready to rain on my happy parade, is the formidable...AUTO RICKSHAW wala!!

Jemma : bhaiyya, Kalyani Nagar jaana hain.
Auto guy: madam 40 rupees.
Jemma (in head) : screw you!

I keep walking hoping to get an auto from ahead.Walking..and walking. Finally,

Jemma: bhaiyya, Kalyani Nagar jaana hain.
Auto guy : Madam 40 rupees.
Jemma: :| grrr.. accha theek hain.

* Sanju if you are reading this I ask you to skip this para*
I sit in the auto thinking abut how unfair all this is and while on Nagar road, dust and other particles zoom straight into my eye. Pretty normal but yeah, I was wearing contact lenses and for 5 mins was flailing about in the auto! Things finally settled down after a while...and we were nearing Adlabs.
Just outside Lifestyle, the auto guy stops.

Jemma: bhaiyya, aage jaake adlabs ke saamne rok dena.
auto guy: arey madam, itna door nahin hain adlabs, aap yahaan se chalke jaa sakte ho.
Jemma: WTF!

I get off anyway and head to Archies to get Maria a gift. I need it wrapped so I go the security guard/gift wrapper to do so. Now there was a price tag on the present, so I asked him to take it off. He tried but it wouldn't come off. I then asked him then to stick something else, like a card on top of it. He then proceeds to do the strangest thing. He takes some scotch tape, puts the sticky part on the tag and then tries to wax the thing off! I stood there and mentally went, "HUH?!" He finally wrapped the thing, did such a shabby job of it and when he was done asks, " yeh theek hain nah madam?"

Jemma: WTF! WTF! WTF!

I leave for my lg's place and reach there to find out that the cake has already been cut and everybody was almost done with dinner. Thus resigning myself to what is now clearly my ill-fate I just give Maria her present, chat with my lg and then go to get food.
The first thought in my head at the sight of it..." You have got to be effing kidding me!" See, everyone was observing the Advent fast and so the spread included Idli, chutney, puffs and small chicken sandwiches. But, I have to admit, the idli's were wonderfull! It's just that my spirit died a little when i saw it :( I was hoping for a more, fancy non-vegetarian dinner.

Well, the party got over soon enough. hee hee ! I even got a return present :) I also managed to get a lift back to the hostel...I am now reaching the end of my rant. I think I will go to sleep as all this bad day-ness has made me sufficiently tired.

Peace out!

And the Cat designed the Rat :)

Notice the new header,colours and layout for my blog ? It's all done by my friend Maya Pillai (*note for future reference* she is a Graphic designer & Photographer)

It looks all cool!! Thank you Mayo!

<3

THAT one train ride

I've been on Bombay locals before, lots of times. And almost all my experiences have been good. Waiting, ready like an Olympic runner about to go for the Gold, managing to get to the door when your stop comes and getting off without leaving a limb or two behind, yep! I've had it easy for the past 3 years of 'Bombay Local Train Travel.'

But this time! It was the first time I actually went through what Sanjyot had always warned me about...'THE bombay local train travel.' :O I make it sound, well, scary I guess, but for someone like me it was one of the most harrowing experiences of me life!!!

So Maya and I are waiting there on the platform for said local to come which will take us to Dadar and even she points out, "Shit! there are a lot of people here!" to which I reply with a nod. I mean, how bad can it really get? Like really?!?!?

I soon found out.

Said local stopped, we both positioned ourselves somewhere near the front and the madness began! God only knows, or I'm pretty sure He was scratching His head at this point, who-pushed-who-shoved-where-squeezed-how all the women got onto the train! See, I was always surprised at the capacity of these tin cans, but it's usually a kind of bewilderment that you don't pay much attention to. But at that time...my eyes were thrown open in wonder and it actually hit me, "SHIT! How did we manage to do this!?" And most of these women do this on a daily basis!

So we had to stand there for some 20 mins before our station arrived and it was 20 mins of standing in the weirdest fashion possible, something I didn't think my body was capable of ( see figure.01)

fig.01

We finally (FINALLY!) reached Dadar and our next mission: catch the train to Pune. 10 mins were spent trying to find the platform and during that time the memory of people and sweat and being jam-packed in a moving train was replaying in my head. So, by the time we reached platform 6 my face looked something like figure.02.

fig.02

It was hot and I felt like throwing up. The remainder of the journey was alright. Except for the unhappy realization that my tonsils had acted up(again) and I'd most probably be sick for the rest of the week.

Aaackh well!

Love at first brush stroke

Oh! how we are meant for each other
You and I
we work so well with each other...
you just get me....it's almost as if you know what my next move is going to be.
sigh! how I wish we could be together forever.



Alas when sruti comes back I will have to give you back.
but believe me dear Wacom Intuos 4 pen tablet
we will be together one day..and nothing will come between us
and we will spend the rest of our lives making wonderful works of art!
and showing the world just how kick-ass we really are!

XOXO

diyas that will light up the night so pretty
mithai to make every one go mmmmmm with delight!
sajaavat put up with love and caring
and family...

the ones we have and the ones we have found
that make this celebration a whole lot more wonderful.

Top 5 reasons

To have a fight:

1. because half the time, even though we never admit it, we are bored.
2. because we have a cause worth fighting for.
3. because when it hurts all we feel like doing is yelling at someone.
4. because you are wrong and are acting like an utter fool!
5. because we need the closure, even though it may be ugly(ask me...i should know)

Boston

Think I need a sunrise

I'm tired of the sunset...

here it's nice in the summer

some snow would be nice.

Think I need a new town...

...to leave this all behind.

***

Sometimes in the midst of joy...comes a feeling of sudden lonliness, cold and unbidden. It envelopes you completely and you forget how to breathe. And you think, what if this is how it is supposed to be...with you standing alone and watching them go away. Happy.

shit! times like these I really wish you were here Cat.