Harry Potter fans can let their hearts churn inside them, all over again. Doesn't Emma Watson (our very own Hermione Granger) look really cute in these pics?
Image source: Google
Second from right, down.
All images belong to Emma and now to Google
My official Harry Potter page: https://www.facebook.com/harrypotterflows
For
all the Harry Potter and JK Rowling fans out there, the latest scoop is that
Michael Gambon (the actor who portrayed Albus Dumbledore, movie 3 onwards) has
been roped in to play parish council leader Howard Mollison in BBC/HBO
adaptation of JKR’s The Casual Vacancy.
Gambon,
no doubt, is a prolific actor and his presence in the adaptation is quite just.
Besides, he has no dearth of his own army of fans (remember Dumbledore’s Army).
So, quite naturally, many people who were not intending to watch this
miniseries may now feel compelled to give it a try.
Not
that The Casual Vacancy is a bad
book. It has caressed the line of bestsellers and has received its share of
positive reviews too (though some readers and critics have also left behind
scathing remarks). But frankly speaking, TCV is just another book out of the
thousands which hit the shelf each year. That hallow of infallibility that
encased Harry Potter series is just not there.
So,
this brings us to the question- “Are Dumbledore’s shoes too big to be filled by
a parish leader in a series which is not even a shadow of the
adrenaline-pumping Harry Potter?”
In
a way, Gambon’s position is pretty much like Rowling herself. The writer from
Edinburgh touched the peak right with her debut book. It’s only going to be a
downhill journey from here.
Image source: Google images
I
don’t see JKR repeating the vociferous success she achieved with her Hogwarts
series of books. And it can safely be surmised that Gambon’s onscreen roles
shall never touch the same altitude of meteoric recognition he attained while
playing the Hogwarts professor…… unless, of course, Rowling pens her 8th.
But then that’s wishful thinking by the wistful heart of a casual writer who also happens to be incurably in love with Harry Potter books.
There is this new social platform prancing
around in our browsers these days. State.com is thy name. On the face of it, it
is just another platform where there is a free interchange of ideas, opinions,
statements and desultory talks. But hold your pants, it is a tad different.
So, when BlogAdda entrusted me with this
seriously difficult job of exploring ‘State’ for a period of 5 persistent days
(no relent there), I was skeptical, even jittery. But five days later, I am
more at ease, having earned myself with the knowledge of the site’s strengths
and shortcomings.
An initial brush with the site State.com discloses
the following pluses and minuses-
Pluses (Pros):
-Collective global opinion: A near
surreal way to figure out what the world thinks of a movie star or of a
wrestler or a classic film is to flip through the individual’s profile and
check out the adjectives the world has allotted them. For instance, if you try
looking up at the global opinions on Miley Cyrus, you are quite likely to stumble
on to words like ‘meh’, ‘desperate’ and ‘attention-seeking’ or an occasional ‘talented’
and ‘hot’.
-Networking: An individual user can
network with like-minded people; something which is the strongest
characteristic of State.com. So, when I searched for DH Lawrence or for Kate
Winslet (two people I really admire), I was instantly directed by the automated
spider to pose my questions and queries before an audience which despite my
unfamiliarity seemed appropriate for these personalities. In short, State.com
lets you connect with people (from around the world) who share your passions,
aspirations, fondness, apathy and even loathing for something or someone.
-Every opinion matters: In case you have
a negligible network of ‘friends’ or ‘followers’ in those other popular social
profiles (recall the f-word and the t-word), even your most eloquent statuses
and tweets are likely to suffer neglect due to dearth of visibility. But even
the most insignificant of your opinions matters at State.com where your
one-word description for anything or anyone contributes to the thing or the
person’s overall image. In short, your opinion MATTERS!
-Content search: Finding new content is a
child’s play because of the tailor-made search bar. So, when I searched for my
favorite actress Ileana D’Cruz, the spider sensed my thoughts (ahem..) and
offered the correct suggestion the moment I typed ‘Ilea
-Ease of accessibility: Laptops are going
the same way where desktops went. So, even if you belong to that category of
homo sapiens which likes to flick out their tablets and phones instead of
huffing and puffing with giant monitors, State.com will be a few taps (or
clicks, the way you want) away. In short, easy to access!
-Sharing is Sexy: As they say, sharing is
sexy (but not of course if it’s an Agatha Christie novel). At State, you not
just state but also share it across to other platforms. So, if you are really
pumped up to give that long-due harangue to your most detestable pop singer,
you can let your battalion of friends read what you wrote. Also, it brings you
more friends (from around the world) coz I feel that ‘best friendships are
formed when two people find in each other a common loathing for a common man’.
-Sentiment range: This is something which
is really helpful in gauging out the eclectic range of sentiments in favor of
or against something or someone. So, if you find Dolly Parton ‘emotional’,
State lets you see what percent of people share this same sentiment and what
percent share other multifarious sentiments. However, at times, there can be
confusion as words like ‘emotional’, ‘sad’ and ‘blissful’ may overlap with each
other and truncate each other’s percentage despite meaning almost the same
thing.
This YouTube video spills all info about 'State.com' in a manner more bearable than my lengthy discourse :)
Minuses (Cons):
-May not get BIG in India: On the
flipside, State.com may fail to adapt to the Indian conditions. Not everything
that works in America works in India (Digg.com and MySpace.com vouch for that).
In this country, the job-doers are more at ease at those social sites (recollect
the f-word and the t-word again) where they can blab and chatter with people
whom they know in ‘real’. Indian women, for instance, give precedence to people
who share the same geography than to people who share the same hobbies.
State.com can work but only if it brings your neighbors, your office-employees
and all your ex-college crushes and possibly even your apartment’s janitor
together under one single STATEly roof.
-Needs patience: Being fed with social
platforms which give instant entertainment and connectivity, some people may
find State’s module a tad sluggish. It can take time to build a network and so
those fellows who lack what we call ‘patience’ may not be too rejoiced at the
idea of setting up a State profile.
But having said that, State lets you log in
using your f-profiles and t-profiles. So, you don’t necessarily have to fill up
those tedious forms and register using your mail. It also gives you the
opportunity to invite all your friends, enemies, crushes and ex-crushes from
those f-and-t profile of yours.
Some features which are good without being
great:
a.User Interface- It’s okay, it’s
acceptable but not as captivating or hooking as one would have desired.
b.Tuning in: You can tune in to someone
and get tuned by others. Another feature which is a tad overrated.
c.Top words groups: This is a sort of
micro dictionary that enables you to choose the most appropriate word for a
person or a thing out of a group of words. At times, you may fail to find the
precise word and even though you are free to add your own, it is unfortunate
that people today lack patience and vocabulary to do the needful.
Overall, State may never reach the status
of a cult social site, but it has the capability of becoming the favorite
networking platform of its ardent users. But then, if cards fall into places,
it can triumph over others and become a marquee venue for sharing opinions,
receiving knowledge and saying your ‘say’.
And yes, there’s lots of Harry Potter and
vampire stuff going on there (almost a constant amongst trending topics). So, you too can dig your wands and fangs in.
The bad news is that you have already read all
the seven Harry Potter books and there’s little possibility of that unborn 8th.
Of course, Harry Potter is the kind of book one can re-read tirelessly but that’s
not entirely the same, although it does come pretty close to being the same.
The good news peeps is that there are 3 more
films to look forward to. In what could be called a money-spinning
super-strategy, the filmmakers and JK Rowling have dived into a new deal where
the fans shall be ambushed by a trilogy based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
While this three-film deal will definitely keep
the author and the directors working their broom off, let’s find out what our
fav screen stars are up to.
Daniel Radcliffe, despite all the fame and love
which came his way with the Potter franchise, had to gulp the bitter pills of
criticism for being a mediocre talent. While critics were still aiming their
darts at the poor young boy, our hero sprung to the stage and showed his talent
(and err….much more) the harder way through live performances in Equus. A horror film and a couple of
Broadways later, the boy-wizard seems to be making those same critics eat out
of his hand. Clearly, he’s the Boy Who
Lived
His partner-in-crime (and in everything else)
Ron Weasley aka Rupert Grint has rather been maintaining a low profile. Though
the British actor has appeared in a string of movies, none of them have made a
stellar mark on the global circuit. But we know well that Ron is the kind of
guy who always comes up with his heroics only when the chips are all down. So,
when he does vroom into your nearest theatre some day, you dare not make him
say, Huh, Always the tone of surprise ;)
Of the trio, it is Emma Watson (alias Hermione
Granger) who is sunning in limelight. While her post-Potter flicks The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Noah have been getting A-list releases,
the now-turned-glam girl has also nailed her presence in male hearts (her nip
slip video has made her a global wallflower, tee hee).
Ginny Weasley’s Bonnie Wright seems to have
submerged herself entirely in Indie projects (she has been dabbling in
production line) which may well be a good thing for her but isn’t helping her
PR ratings. But a lot of guys, including me, find the long-legged red-lipped damsel
lethally pretty and that’s reason enough to keep her on our Google priority
list ;)
Tom Felton (who essayed Draco Malfoy) seems to
have lost a bit of his girlie fans and a lot of his golden manes. Tidbit roles
in films like Rise of the Planet of the
Apes have kept him in the news but we expect better for him in the future.
Also, the Apple of our eye has a
passion (and talent) for music and has been toying with a career in music for
some time, though success still eludes him. We say, Accio Apple, oops…. Accio
Success :D
When I am in a theatre and Aamir is on
screen, I get goosebumps. One of my legs trembles.
Today, I was in a theatre. I got goosebumps.
Both my legs trembled.
Kareena Kapoor had once said that “Aamir is
God”.
I can see why she said that. But I would
like to tell her that please do not compare Aamir with God. I mean he is really
great, awesome and amazing. But he is just not Aamir.
The bizarre thing about we Indians is that
sometimes we stay glued to even those soaps which we know are bland and stupid,
and to even those reality shows which everybody knows are bland and stupid.
One of the worst shows to come out in
recent times was Ekta Kapoor's take on Mahabharata a couple of years back.
Despite a starry lineup, it fizzed out soon and went off air midway.
Shahrukh Khan's game show in which he
anchored a sports feature (i don’t even remember the name of that show and I am
sure SRK himself wouldn't even remember the name or anything of that show) is
another worst and hyped thing to surface and evaporate on the Indian telly.
So dear readers, any TV show you would like
to point out in this regard?
I have fond black-n-white memories of my
high school days when a chaste romance was the biggest draw at the bolly box
office, when 90 minute quick films were still unheard of, when the glitzy malls
were still unborn, when t20 cricket was undiscovered, when SRK's 3-hour romance
sagas would be watched and re-watched amidst tons of popcorns and extra packets
of chips by a whole big bunch of family that included everybody from the pishis
to the maasis to the pot-bellied septuagenarian to the bawling baby to the
howling maid. Those were the days...
It was Lake Town's Jaya Cinema for us, our
favourite movie haunt for all those big blockbusters of the year including 'Dil
to pagal hai' which I watched with my mom, housemaid, masi and cousins after
hours of anticipation, planning and mayhem. I tried hard to emulate that
whistle tune which Rahul would break out into during those epiphanic moments of
Madhuri. I also gaped at Karisma's red hot attires which made my teenage
hormones work overtime. The puffed-up, ready-to-chew lips of Madhuri also
inspired thousands of men across the country to look for their own heaven-made
match. Really, those were the days....
Films like the time-warped 'Ishkq in Paris' or Sajid Khan's
'Himmatwala' were expected to be duds. They shouldn't be exactly dubbed as
failures since they lived up to their promise fabulously. Same is true for
'Grand Masti' that staggered into cinema halls somehow, riding on the backs of
the now-defunct actors Vivek and Aftaab. On a personal note, it's mournful that
my namesake, who has had a pretty decent run in the industry, was a part of
that salacious so-called film.
Films like 'Besharam' and 'Ghanchakkar' were the real
disappointments since they were spearheaded by the Kapoors and Balans, and
audience has some 'real' expectations from them. But the biggest dud (the epic
fail) was 'Chennai Express'. Sure, it chugged its way past '3 Idiots'. But the
way it was marketed, people would think that SRK was offering free pizza with
cocktail. Sadly, the marketing buzz was a chimera, and he threw poop at us in
the name of an entertainer. O or maybe, even a poop would taste better.
PS- Hoping that SRK-obsessed readers don't tear me to pieces. I do
like him, but the quality of films he is churning these days make me cringe.
~Ritesh Agarwal
PPS- So guys, what is your take on Bolly’s worst
this year?
Last evening, on a rain-disturbed Navami day in Kolkata, I headed for this Hollywood science fiction. I had read some positive reviews about the film in newspapers but I wasn't prepared for the impossibly great spectacle which was in store for me.
'Gravity' 3D is an astronomical film, an unearthly one in both literal and figurative ways. It is a movie of a lifetime. No wait, is this a movie? For the entire duration of the film, you feel like you have been placed in space where you float with Bullock and banter with Clooney.
Ever since I stepped out of the hall, I am troubling myself with the question that how the hell did they make this film? I mean seriously, there is no scene of the Earth, except for 2 mins in the climax.
Perhaps, only one man on the planet could have made this possible. Alfonso Cuaron-the Mexican guy who made 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' which, in my opinion, is the most well-made instalment in the 8-film franchise. The entry scene of the dementors in the train compartment is iconic in itself. The dribble of icy beads over the misty panes of the window and the cold silence of the dementor's breath- it was a sheer visual spectacle.
'Gravity' has now increased my respect for Alfonso to stratospheric levels (even Jupiter's gravity wont be able to pull it down, mind it).
When you are watching this film, you are actually engaging in an experience which you will never be able to discover elsewhere, unless you intend to become an astronaut and rocket off into space.
It is also a film that truly deserves the 3D technology which has appeared quite inane in some of the recent and vacuous flicks. It is a film that will give you a scare as well as adrenaline.
During the interval, my friend Jagrut googled for the movie's review and told me that Fox News has hailed it by citing that no such movie has been made before. I second that. And I am sure, you will third that once you watch this movie.
Just in case, you end up not watching it, you will be very unfortunate.....really really unfortunate....
PS- If you do watch it, based on my recommendation, kindly leave your comments below. I will like you to pile up praises on me.
[This post won the Starmark's 'Roald Dahl Day' contest]
Much like Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl is
someone who should not be deprived from a child. If you haven't grown up
reading Dahl, then you have had a flawed childhood, and if you never smelt the
delicious pages of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', then you had an
incomplete and largely insipid one.
The world not just lost a literary gem when
he bid adieu from his mortal abode on a mournful day in 1990, but it lost a man
who has been the foster parents to children all over the world and sprawling
across many generations.
It is hard to describe the magic that Dahl
could conjure and the legacy which he left behind in immeasurable amount. His
characters were real, so brutally real that readers often feel that he is using
their lives and peeping inside their hearts. His villains were so incorrigibly
villainous that they create as much of an impact on the readers’ minds as do
the protagonist heroes.
Over the course of his illustrious literary
career, Dahl penned 19 children's books. One book which has had a deep
influence in the hearts of many of his young female readers is 'Matilda'. It is
the tale of a young girl who refuses to act as the subservient woman to this
chauvinistic society. A true rebel, she protests against the established norms
in her own way and with panache. This book gives a cathartic experience; it has
a healing touch and offers liberty to the soul. ‘Matilda’ was also turned into
a film and the celluloid version did full justice to Dahl's masterpiece, going
on to notch 12 nominations for Tony Awards.
Here is a trivia for you fans. Roald Dahl
always wrote on yellow paper and always with a pencil. Yellow was his favorite
color.
And for his die-hard fans, here is his picture
with his daughter. J
This post has been written for Harry Potter Festival, initiated by the wonderful Richa Singh, who also happens to be my digital mom :P
Evening. It's 8:55 pm and I just woke up
from sleep. No, my head hasn't stopped throbbing. But after this forced evening
siesta, I am feeling so full of words that I thought that this would the most
opportune moment to carry out the promise I made to my mom Richa Singh (she
forced me into signing an ‘unbreakable vow’ actually).
So, here I am doing a write-up for this
Harry Potter festival thingy. So you need to bear with me for the next few
minutes unless you know how to perform the Aveda Kedavra curse (on yourself,
that is) :P
Well, there is a small lingering thought
that has been stalking me for quite a few days. I was struck by this moment of
epiphany that day when it dawned on me that some of the things in the HP series
are so similar to the stuffs we have read or watched in Indian mythologies or
lores. So much so that I wonder if JK Rowling stumbled on to them while doing
research work for her novel.
My mind is a strange little thing. It makes
some rare discoveries at times and then troubles my conscience and robs me of
my peace of mind until I share them with every man or woman (or dog) I meet on
the streets. I would need to vomit out the whole thing or else my head would
keep throbbing the way it's doing now (and no, I didn't dream of long dark
windowless corridors).
Lord Krishna, remember? Think of his early
days! His parents were tormented by a wicked king Kans who later went after
their son. Kans heard a divine prophecy which warned him that the 8th son of
Devki would be the one to slay him. Disturbed by the prophecy, Kans went after
the son the moment he was born in his obsession to kill the little life before
it could even fully blossom. But Krishna escaped.
Krishna spent his childhood under the
guardianship of foster parents and Kans did everything possible to hunt him
down and get him killed. Later on, Krishna grew up and in the final confrontation,
he put Kans' life to an end. In the process, he also freed the people from his
barbarous regime.
Now, that sounded similar, ain't it?
May be, our queen JKR had read stories of
Krishna during her own growing-up years or maybe something similar passed her
eye and lay embedded in her inner conscience for years, only to be plucked out
later when she sat down to pen the greatest tale of sorcery ever written. After
all, our mind works in an incredulous way. You may have seen or heard something
trivial back when you were a pre-teen kid. You may have got no recollection of
the same, but your mind knows and will throw them out to you at the right time,
without you getting any aware of it.
In the same light, the concept of Horcrux
has existed in various lores and tales. There was this Indian film ('Jadoogar'
if I am not wrong) in which the evil sorcerer (Amrish Puri, if I am not wrong)
had his life concealed in a parrot. So, our hero (Amitabh Bachchan, if I am not
wrong) had to strangle the parrot in the climax to kill the man.
This again goes on to show that humans are
complex organisms. If they are doomed to extinction, that's because of lack of
simplicity. Rowling must have drilled her head into so many anecdotes, myths,
legends and what-not to finally extort a plausible plot for her 7-part series.
Anyway, now that I have finally written
something for this Harry Potter Festival, I am feeling a lot lighter in my
mind. O, and after spilling down so many words over this piece, my head too is
feeling a lot lighter.
Btw, I will live. That unbreakable vow
thingy binds me no more.
Bad news is, you are likely to hear from me
again, which is not at all a happy thought unless your Mirror of Erised is made
in China.
[This is a guest post by Spencer Blohm, a freelance entertainment and pop culture blogger]
Our favorite Harry Potter star just recently turned 24, and while he has repeatedly stated that he would not return to the role of the boy wizard, he has also hinted that he’s not opposed to the prospect of playing Harry Potter’s father, James. There’s no doubt Daniel would be more than up to the task -in previous films he’s already briefly played Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) and of course each of the “seven Potters,” during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. The scene, during which Daniel performed near perfect imitations of Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Fleur Delacour and Mundungus Fletcher, took 96 takes to shoot. After that ambitious task, emulating James Potter should be effortless for Daniel.
Daniel, who has been mentioning the potential of a “James appearance” for years, may not have realized how quickly that opportunity might arise. At the London premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I, J.K. Rowling told a reporter that she would likely never write another book with Harry as the central character, however, a prequel following the trials and tribulations of Lord Voldemort (Tom Riddle) may be in the works. And we’re all aware that Voldemort and James Potter do meet, quite violently, in their later years.
But what will the beloved real life Potter do in the meantime? He has been spending a lot of time on stage, first with Equus (2007) and then How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2011). Currently he’s performing in The Cripple of Inishmaan. Oddly enough, in The Cripple Daniel plays an orphaned boy, desperate to escape poverty. Sounds familiar, except that as a young wizard Daniel was supernaturally gifted, and in The Cripple of Inishmaan, Daniel is the opposite -physically disabled.
He’s also appeared in increasingly serious and controversial film roles, such as his current role in Kill Your Darlings, arriving in theaters soon, in which he plays the gay poet Allen Ginsberg. Daniel is also expected to reclaim his role in the second season of A Young Doctor’s Notebook as the conflicted, often tormented doctor working in Russia during the 1917 Revolution. Daniel has chosen his scripts with remarkable instinct, Kill Your Darlings was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and A Young Doctor’s Notebook quickly became Sky Arts channel’s most watched television show with 800,000 viewers in the UK.
With numerous critically acclaimed, mature roles piling up, it makes sense that Daniel would shy away from returning to Hogwarts. He told Time Out London, “I’ve done so much work to establish myself as something outside that series I’d be really hesitant to go back. Even if they were set later in time. I’m 23, which is too old to be running round in a schoolboy’s cape... No, I can’t get away with that any more, I’d just look foolish.”
He has a point, it would be more detrimental to the image of Harry Potter if audiences were to see an adult Daniel attempting to recreate the magic of the first eight films; it would be better to let the young Harry remain unblemished (and without a five o’clock shadow) in our minds. But still, we can never fully let go of the possibility of Daniel’s reemergence, if only for a few moments. And it seems neither can Daniel: “I’d never totally close the door for the reason that Jo’s a great writer. But no more school boy stuff. A cameo as Harry’s dad? That would be perfect!”
[Author Bio: Spencer Blohm is a freelance entertainment and pop culture blogger for GetDirectTV. In his free time he attempts to train his pet owl to carry messages, and then return home. This venture is not going as well as expected.]
WeChat is one of the hottest topics of
discussion amongst the gadget geeks and the mobile freaks of today. This
chatting application, which can be downloaded for free (using this link),
offers users the congenial speed and convenience to talk to anyone and
everyone!
Often, we lose ourselves in life and forget
to socialize.
Remember these words of a great man:
“Don’t
let a person walk so far away that he walks too far away. Talk everyday”
~Ritesh Agarwal
Coming to me, if I could add only 5 people
in my WeChat group, then these are the ones I would have added:
i.Albus Dumbledore: Albus
Dumbledore, one of the central characters of Harry Potter series of books, is
an incredibly sharp person of farsightedness, wisdom, knowledge and a knack for
wit. Even though, Dumbledore is a fictional character, I am under awe of him.
Question I would like to ask him: “Sir, you on WeChat?? Is it real, or is it just happening inside
my head?” :O
ii.Albert Einstein: During my
childhood, I always rooted for Isaac Newton (coz I was in love with his frothy hair
style). But after flipping through Einstein’s biography and having learnt of
his philanthropic nature, I have given the crown of “my favorite scientist” to
this eccentric man with that toothbrush moustache. Again, he is one of those
men whom you can talk for hours and days and years, without getting bored. It
would be great to talk to him through WeChat.
Question I would like to ask him: “Sir, will you please teach me how to play the violin?”
iii.Edgar Allan Poe: If there was
no Edgar Allan Poe, then there would have been no Arthur Conan Doyle (since
Doyle was inspired by Poe) and if there was no Doyle, then there would have
been no Agatha Christie (since Christie was inspired from Doyle). So, one can
say that Poe was indirectly the originator of Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple and
Hercule Poirot. Besides, Poe is easily the best writer of horror stories I have
ever come across. I would like to have him on my WeChat group.
Question I would like to ask him: “Edgar Sir, can you please go through my horror stories (published
on this blog) and tell me if they are good enough? Your feedback and
suggestions would be very valuable.”
iv.My parents: It may seem ironic,
even unfortunate, but we often communicate the least with those who are the
closest to us, in terms of geography. I often do not speak to my parents
throughout the day, despite being present around them. Maybe, WeChat would
bridge this distance. One can hope, one can pray!
Question I would like to ask them: “How are you ma, how are you pa”
v.Myself: I often ruminate about
my present prosaic life and wonder if I spend enough time with myself. In this
grueling life, one has little time for himself. But reflection and introspection
are extremely important. So, it would be nice to communicate with self, even if
it is through some tech app like WeChat.
Questions I would like to ask myself: “Are you happy dear? When are you going to get a dog, you promised
me a long time back? And you still haven’t got published. Will you ever take
your story-writing seriously?”
So, this goes out to all the readers. Please download
WeChat app from here and start socializing. You can learn more about it by
checking out its catchy YouTube trailer, here.
[This post has been written for the “WeChat with Anyone, Anywhere”
contest in association with WeChat and IndiBlogger.]
As a child, you must have fancied a few things
which you could never do either owing to legal restrictions or because of moral
prohibitions. But once you turn adult, you can greet your new life with some
fun & exciting things. Once you start savoring the joys of these things,
you won’t miss your childhood all that much.
Here is a quick list of some of those
must-do things:
i.Vote: When, as a child, you
were not allowed to cast a vote, then you must have really aspired to do so. There
is that element of excitement in it, and also a sense of responsibility which
you only feel once you enter the polling station. So, once you get the legal
qualification to make your choice count, then do make the most of this
democratic opportunity.
ii.Kiss: Most people these days
get their share of liplocks well before reaching adulthood. And some even go a
step ahead while still into their mid-teens. But just in case, you stayed away
from physical romance all these years, then it’s time that you find out what
human anatomy is all about!
iii.Watch videos you always wanted
to watch: After you turn 18, you get the legal license to watch those videos
which you always wanted to watch (and which you already watched even before
turning 18). The difference is that now you can watch them without any guilt,
since your 18-year old eyes have got legally entitled to feast on them.
iv.Donate blood: It’s always a joy
to donate blood, since you realize that what you’re doing may just save a
person’s life. It’s a noble feeling and a great philanthropic work as well.
v.Drink: There are different set
of laws for different countries when it comes to drinking. But this is another
joy you can derive only in your adult life. You can start off with beer, but
you must graduate over to Scotch. Black Dog Scotch whisky should be your
ultimate destination.
Black Dog is a true Scottish brand with a legacy of over 130 years. If you have acquired legal age for drinking in your country, then you must visit this intoxicating BD page here, or drink yourself to its Twitter handle here, or seduce yourself to its aroma-filled delights here.
Life is made of simple, little things which
give more pleasure than any plush million-dollar thing can. So, if you are not
a millionaire, don’t curse God! Just be thankful that you can still lead a
happy life. Remember these words- “a rich man is not necessarily happy, and a
poor man is not necessarily sad.” [a quote by me J]
Life is what you make of it.
Here are 10
small, little things of life that give us maximum pleasure:
i.Walking on the grass with bare
feet: Not many people care about it, and not many ever do it! But if you wish
to feel that waft of natural happiness flowing up your veins, do give it a try!
ii.Reading a novel: Whether you
love horror or romance, mystery or fantasy, you can always bank on a book to
see you through the pensive moments and the depressing times. Pick up an
Agatha, Poe, Tolstoy or Rowling and see how they transport you to a faraway
world!
iii.Dancing/kissing in the rain: A
rain dance can appear a childish thing to do, but it has the power to make you feel
emancipated. And one fine evening when you’re walking down the alley with your
love and it starts raining, then do make sure to seal your lips. It can’t get
more romantic than that!
iv.Building a sandcastle: Another
thing which you may have done as a child! Never mind whether you’re 20 or 30 or
60, you can always beckon that child from within.
v.Sky-gazing at night: For lovers
it’s romantic, for friends it’s fun, for adventurists it’s thrill, and for the
lonely it’s reflection! Sky-gazing at night is akin to letting your imagination
travel millions of miles away amongst the mysteries of stars, moons and the
black holes. It’s no wonder why people all over the world get so excited when a
meteor shower is round the corner!
vi.Watching a romantic old movie:
Whether it’s ‘Gone with the Wind’ or whether it’s ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ or
everyone’s favorite ‘Titanic’, you can always watch and rewatch and re-rewatch
these romantic films over and over again!
vii.Swaying in the swing: As you
swing in the swing with the breeze blowing softly against your face and ruffling
the streaks of hair- can there by anything more pleasurable?
viii.Watching Tom & Jerry:
Watching the 10-minute feature of ‘Tom & Jerry’ is rejuvenating and evokes
nostalgia. There is an element of innocence and chastity in this cartoon which
is so joyful that you would always find it endearing, even if you are 60.
ix.Getting a hug: Every hug sends
out different emotions- a mother’s hug is different from a child’s hug which is
different from a lover’s hug and which is again different from a stranger’s
hug. But what is common to them all is that they give you extreme happiness. And
they are free!
x.Sipping on Scotch: Have you
ever tried Scotch? Have you ever tried Black Dog? In happiness and in sorrow,
in health and in sickness, in desolation and in togetherness, it can give you
pleasure! Maximum pleasure!
So dear readers, which one of the above
gives you the maximum pleasure? Can you add to the list?
[This post has been written in association with Black Dog Scotch whisky.]
Scotland is the ultimate destination where
you are greeted by the gargantuan museums, becharmed by the fantasy castles and
exhilarated by the lush blue hills. Quiet yet busy, serene yet screaming,
modern yet quaint, Scotland is a world away from the world!
Here are 5 things you must do during your
Scotland tour:
i.Visiting the Loch Ness: The
lake of Loch Ness may be tranquil, unearthly and extremely scenic. But the
limelight has always been grabbed by the apocryphal monster which is believed
by many to be slithering under its surface. Even though science continues to
stay baffled and history keeps throwing intriguing pictures, travelers are torn
between believing & not believing! For once, fiction seems stranger than
the truth!
ii.Gaping at the Edinburgh Castle:
Edinburgh Castle is not just a magnetic piece of history. It is the finest
living specimen of old-world architecture. But its biggest USP is its ambience.
Just standing before this magnificent castle and breathing the same air that
wafts through its ageing windows, you would know that heaven couldn’t be any
better!
iii.Skiing: Skiing is a popular
outdoor sport in these romantic hills. The mountains of Cairngorms offer a
perfect getaway to skiers and sports junkies. Even the first-timers &
amateurs can extract copious amounts of thrill and see their adrenaline reaching saturation point.
iv.Taking a trip to Isle of Skye:
Isle of Skye is an amalgamation of hills, lakes, castles and waterfalls. It is
nothing more than a natural site. But its charm is so profound that you would
never want to return back from that place.
v.Sipping the Scotch: Now, you
cannot escape the delights of Scotch when you are in this country. After the
elusive Loch Ness monster, if there is one thing which has grabbed the
attention of the planet, then it is the Scotland-made whisky, more popularly
known as Scotch. And to savor the best experience, you must try the famous
Black Dog.
[Black Dog Scotch whisky- the real taste of Scotland, and every backpacker's preferred choice.]
For more information about this label, ski over to its Twitter handle, or enjoy evening drinks at its Facebook page or go sightseeing at live-in-style.
