Cafe Bean Garu musings

I have lived in Mumbai all my life. I have seen the rise and fall of malls, restaurants and hotspots all over the city. The beauty of the city lies in the joy of always discovering something around the corner, because no road, corner or nook in the city looks the same after a month. With blogs like this, Twitter, Facebook and what not, that joy of discovering has changed over time, where a small RT makes you discover a new band, hear about this new pub and you and your friends have a flash mob show up soon after.
But I miss the days, when I would go to eat Vadapav after school and discover a new fruit juice stand on the way, or go shopping on Linking Road and see “60% off” in a gully shop like a secret sale made just for me. Discovering a new place today in a non wired manner made my visit to Bombay after a long time totally wonderful. Because unless you work/live in deep Suburbs (Never Never Land for the southern Western Line Girl in me), you have probably missed Café Bean Garu.

The best shit this year! Part 2

Now moving on to the movies (Read Part 1 about the best  music of 2011 here), something everyone likes and enjoys. If you are like me, you distinguish between the years of your life, as to when a certain movie came out. Everything about that year, what you talk, what you think, how you dress is connected by that movie. So this list is special as 2011 was special. These may not be the highest grossing movies of 2011 but are definitely the best ones made. Catch them before the Oscars.

The best shit this year! Part 1

So as a glorious 2011 comes to end, we contemplate the best things that happened to the world other than the lively conversations, political turmoil throughout the world has inspired. I am not going to write about the worries in the world, but instead shine a spotlight on the finer things in life that have made 2011 a great year. Cutting to the chase, this year has been fabulous for all the great not-easy-to-be-forgotten album releases, by artists who record once in 3 years as well as much to my delight it has been a year that belonged to more than the Gagas of popular music. We saw amazing performances at concerts all over the world (maybe not Gurgaon), as well as had a truly amazing new sound develop with brilliant collaborations (Coldplay and Rihanna).

This year will be remembered also as the year Hugo was released and Ryan Gosling took Hollywood by storm. This year’s movies featured brilliant plots, excellent performances, were truly beautiful cinematic experiences. This article will feature the best of movies and music in 2011 as we think is.

It seems like Old Times

Ahh the beautiful breathtaking city montages to the melodies of Gershwin and you can almost hear Elliot’s Pufrock in your mind, the city sprawling on the screen and your heart skips a beat mesmerized in the magic of cinema. The next scene cuts to a questioning pitiful little man, wondering about the purpose of life, death, beauty and happiness almost finding it, almost losing it. But the story is not about this man, it is about the viewer who finds himself in the unlikeliest of heroes: the man on the screen. Why do I love Woody Allen movies? Because you can watch every movie a hundred times and still find a new allusion, a new line that rings a bell, a new time that you can feel a part of however old the movie becomes.

Big Hard Sun

“When I was around 15 or 16… I felt all alone… I was all alone—except for music.”

-Eddie Vedder

Life is an amalgam of beauty, wanderlust and longing. Dreamers are not allowed a whole lot of hope. But when we stumble upon the genius and a glorious life that goes by the name Eddie Vedder, the hope is found and dreams reignited. He has had a long journey from the early Seattle Grunge Scene where Pearl Jam found their voice in Riot Act to the pensive lonesome wandering fire of Into the Wild and now the mellow hopeful Ukulele Songs. In the truly “I am mine” spirit, Eddie Vedder celebrated 20 years of music in his hometown of Chicago this week with nothing short of atleast 4 kinds of string instruments including acoustic and electric guitars, cellos and the tiny but the mightiest of all, the ‘Ukulele’.