The Grand Tour - An Exquisite and Lavish Vroooommmmmmmm - Part 1

"Sugar. Spice and Everything Nice. These were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girls. But, Professor Utonium accidentally adds an extra ingredient to the concoction - Chemical X. Thus, the Powerpuff Girls were born. Using the ultra superpowers, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup have dedicated their lives to fighting crimes and the forces of evil".

If my memory hasn't decayed like an Radioactive Isotope, this is the introduction for The Powerpuff Girls that was aired on Cartoon Network in the late 90s.

What does the 3 action heros, okay heroines!, has got to do with the famous and popular trio from the much vaunted and immortalized The Top Gear (TTG)? Let's speed ahead along the Eboladrome, Okay the blog!, sans the timing and publishing the results on the lap board!

Amazon's staggering deep pockets has ensured that Clarkson, May and Hammond returns in their new avatars as none other than Clarkson, May and Hammond - Yeah! Basically themselves! - but captured rather brilliantly in the Ultra HD format unlike their quondam selves when they were a part of the BBC's acclaimed show. The Grand Tour kicks off, Okay geared into motion!, from what seems like their former employee's address and accelerates at breakneck speed into the desert along with a sea of carcade that would have definitely left the producers of Mad Max:Fury Road to be mad and furious with themselves for not giving the gobsmacked spectacle that Amazon literally wowed the audience on the small screen.

You need to watch the intro to FEEL the Magnificence in its full Splendor

BBC brought in together the Three Musketeers in the early 2000's much the same way as Prof. Utonium who decided to create his own little girls with his special ingredients and vault-safe formula. Largely thanks to the chemistry of the three men in front of the camera and behind the wheels, the show shot to instant fame dom which was sustained to close than a decade to such magnitudes that success was wheeling behind the series than otherwise.

But, a certain "Chemical X" during their engagement with the BBC had resulted in their unfortunate departure from the original recipe into a much renewed, immensely visual rich and more fun than a barrel of a monkeys experience in every episode that their new Mototainment show - The Grand Tour (GT) - is like TTG fully on Nitro Booster!

For starters who are totally new to GT like a small child to alphabets, the show revolves around  the triumvirate giving their expert verdicts by testing and riding the relatively upmarket to-be-on-road to on-road beauties-on-wheels that will definitely be the object of envy of every fashion contestant! On top of that, you have segments like Conversation Street and Celebrity Brain Crash which is more of a upgraded and entertaining rehash from their earlier rendezvous with BBC.

And as ever, you have the most exotic locales, crazy themes to complete like the eco-friendly car episode and the ever verbal friendly tug of war between Tom, Jerry and Spike (TJS) that had splendidly set the tone right from the first episode to its triumphing fruition with just one episode left in the bag, I mean the studio tent! And of course - I referred TJS to Hammond, Clarkson and May but who is what - That I leave it to you!

Like Bubbles, May is sweet, soft-spoken, la las at will like a masterly musician and the go-to man when it comes to being risk-free that he would stand first for the safest person badge of honor award! It was indeed a pleasant surprise when, in the previous episode, his Bentley screeched like a squealing mouse under a tyre! Akin to Buttercup, Hammond is a truckload of flamboyance with abundance of wry humor under his hood. How Blossom manoeuvres her troops to save the city, Clarkson marshals his car soldiers to uncharted territories on the orders of the mayor (Read:The Producer).

If you have watched The Powerpuff Girls, you will know why I mentioned the mayor reference. So, the threesome, No! NOT THAT!!, perfectly compliments each other with their strengths and lifts the show high above the ground like a Jack! Don't ask where Rose is! Abysmally Pathetic Joke!!

This should probably be your reaction right now after reading that PJ!

Jokes apart. What is actually missing in the razor sharp to and fro banter amongst the hosts is the presence of a sultry and sensual blonde wearing a red dress with a bright carmine lipstick who would have provided an ideal partner to Hammond's audacious ideas and energetic rhythmic honks during his drive through the road tunnels.

Since such a woman is not present in the show, 'on that terrible disappointment', stay tune for the final and concluding part.

                                                               
                                                            X---To be concluded---X

   

Westworld - Truly Occidental

Michael Crichton (MC) has been one of the prolific story-tellers when it comes to dealing with sci-fi themes by presenting facts and fiction weaved and inter-weaved in such a gossamer-ish cobweb that it is sure shot to confuse even an expert spider and get them entangled in their own web, pun intended! His novels have always carried the trope of willing suspension of disbelief which forms an intricate and integral core in all his books. 

Let's take Jurassic Park as a prime example as I am sure almost everyone would have watched the blockbuster countless number of times, if not read his book, by revelling in the mesmerizing world created by the ace director Steven Spielberg. Scientists have fire extinguished MC's seemingly probable and realistic theory that the Dinosaurs can be resurrected from mosquitoes preserved in amber. However, the way he had put forth the possible idea that the DNA could be retrieved to create these magnificent beasts was something remarkable that you can only get it when you read his work or watch it on the silver screen.

So, it was no surprise that when HBO announced Westworld was to be premiered and helmed by Jonathan Nolan, remember Memento, The Prestige?, I was as super-thrilled as the electrons in an atom when they are in excited state. The chief reason also being that Westworld was a movie in the 1970s by Michael Crichton who, I think, might have woken up on one fine, sunny morning and decided to directly direct a film instead of writing a book first and then adapting it! 

It was extremely evident from the first episode that the androids uprising was imminent much in the same way as in The Matrix where the human beings, led by Neo, rebel against the machines to live and lead a consciously free life.  By the fag end of the last episode in Westworld, Dolores and Maeve ensured that the putsch was on when the hosts shoot an incredulously amazed, awed and bring-it-on expression given by the Man-in-Black that it was like a student hiding their pleasant and uncontrollable happiness when a teacher says that a class test is called off.

It was indeed like a bolt of greased lightning striking the ground when the beans was spilled out that everything was actually the work of Ford who decided to carry on the legacy of Arthur's work to instill consciousness in the hosts which made me to beg the question "Was Ford the real Ford when he was shot dead by Dolores?" in the Season's finale. 

In the earlier episodes when Bernard kills Theresa in the basement on the watchful eyes of Ford, we are shown that there is some kind of activity happening in the background which made me to ponder and wonder whether the Ford who was murdered by Dolores - a robot or the Anthony Hopkins in flesh and bone. As we are on the talk on Anthony Hopkins, the old man is as good as gold being a ruthless, scheming and always having an ace up his sleeve by holding all the cards close to his chest knowing that Charlotte and Co. were at all times on the lookout to bring him down. 

Likewise, Bernard and Maeve simply sizzles on the screen when they project their internal struggles and conflicts to come in terms with their lives. All the machinations for the power struggle that's prevalent in a typical organization is also a part of the grand design as envisioned by Nolan through the various characters - on and off the theme park.

Just like the Westworld's maze which was the subject and object of curiosity to everyone, the entire script of this western Sci-fi drama was also an elaborately complex maze that challenged your thinking powers to decode the innumerable sub-plots and plots like Sherlock Holmes as to who are the real people and who are not in this visually brilliant and stunningly created sets of the themepark. The shot where Maeve ascends the elevator on her short tour in the corporate headquarters was as mind-blowing as the library scene with Sam in the last episode of  Game of Thrones.

                           From 0:36 to 0:42...Impressive is a bit of an understatement 

Likewise, the background score was as fresh as daisy and colourful as tulips when they hit the right chord for each and every scene matching and capturing the mood with consummate ease. Ramin Djawadi continued his brilliant work from Westeros into creating the westerly mechanical and artificial lilts that makes you actually feel for the droids especially Dolores.

As her name, Dolores is always shown with melancholia and sombre expressions in her Disney princess blue costume which made me to think and relate to Rachel's bubble gum pink dress in Friends:

                                              Phoebe's Laughterrrr...Priceless.. :)

                                                    1:19 to 1:21..Nailed it..!

However, Dolores was smoking hot when she transformed herself into a cowgirl shedding away her Alice in Wonderland attire. But, the way she turned and went into a mean, bullet firing spree at the end showcased how her corked up feelings were vented off like erupting steam in a geyser. No wonder George R Martin wanted to be the writing captain of this fast-lived and hedonistic amusement park which was right up his alley to bring in the experiences to the fore as a result of Game of Thrones.

Like a kid dashing out of the gates as soon as the final school bell rung, Westworld's initial and early episodes created the sense that it is going to be extremely unique and different coming from the brainy cells of Jon Nolan. The plot seemed like losing the plot, pun intended, in between when the bots were eternally shown to be in caught up in a perpetual web of die-repair-reactivated loop and it was close to pushing the audience (Read: Me) to the borders of boredom if not for the eye candy visual and nirvanic aural treats.

However, the train picked up its lost speed and gained momentum when the season was on its last legs (final 3 episodes) with their plentiful secrets were out in the open like an enormous oil spill from a tanker ship especially the big reveal of the Samurai coats in the finale's cliffhanger moments. That particular scene made me to breathe a heavy sigh of relief that Jon Nolan was also on the lines of MC when the latter created his version of the adult and sybaritic 3 theme parks - Westworld, Medieval World and Roman World.

With the hosts being given the ostensible power of free will, God only knows, okay! Jon Nolan does!!, what actually is going to happen in the so-called Samurai World as well when WW makes its return in 2018. 

                                                                

                                             The wait is worth it.

  

Travel Diaries - Dashing & Dizzying Dubai - Part 2

It started. The car purred like a mighty lion, whirred like a roaring helicopter and snarled like an angry tiger. The driver was seated behind the wheels with lots of confidence to such a degree that he could have easily cracked the toughest question in Google Interviews! He was a cheerful person who said he had specialized in the art of driving through the sand dunes on a regular basis. And he really was an expert. The way he handled the speed of the car and manoevered it on the widely undulating terrain of the desert with so much ease and finesse was something remarkable that it made my heart skip for a moment or two on certain stretches when the car was descending downhill a colossal sand dune. The turns, twists, ups and downs was like a thrilling roller coaster ride that is sure to make you thank the driver for such an unforgettable and indelible drive in the sand of time, pun intended.  

To top it, I was seated right beside the driver which gave me, other than the driver,  the unedited and unfiltered full view of what was coming and what was going to come on that dry patch of smoking hot land. To make matters worse or interesting, the other drivers were competing with each other to overtake, heedless and mindless of the risk, that even one small slip or slide can send the car along with the passengers toppling and tumbling down like a boulder on a sloped mountain. Luckily, no cars had to face the brunt and brutality of that eventuality as they were all seasoned drivers who had a pre-determined route to reach the dining place where we had the ravishing dancer performing her steamy, seductive, sensual belly moves that would have left Shakira open mouthed, the light ablaze Tanura dance and the scintillating fire eaters in the chilly evening of my first ever desert night which ended with a decent dinner and drop to the hotel again.

I had the slight apprehension that the menu would be only non-veg and that I had to go on an empty tummy to sleep. Luckily, they had vegetarian options, however only handful, it was like a blessing from the Angels in the sky and I sunk my teeth into whatever that was available. The situation was not as bad as it was in Hong Kong where either the veg food was extremely expensive or it had some kind of fish or prawns in it or they had no veg item at all - at least in the vicinity where my hotel was. That was the moment I felt being a veg was a curse on occasions if you don't eat anything apart from fruits and vegetables. I had to request the order taker and make him understand that I did not want any fish or prawns or squids in the soupy noodles but just plain noodles. Till date, I have no idea whether what I told him repeatedly for more than half an hour helped me to get a pure veg meal but it certainly created a lasting effect that whenever there is a normal buffet that I ask it's veg or non-veg when the placards aren't placed. In fact, I was left with no other option but to sustain myself on chips, coke, chocolate and water during my entire stay at Hong Kong. This is one biggest advantage in Singapore where I had the luxury of plentiful restaurants to choose from to satiate my vegetarian hunger. Singapore was a home away from home in every spirit of the letter of the word - Maybe the location of my hotel was such that - Still from whatever I had heard from my friends there, Singapore has no paucity for veg food throughout their country.

Coming back to Dubai now, the following morning was spent in a day tour which included Dubai's incredible achievements in the museum, beach-whose-name-I-forgot, photo stops at important landmarks like the Palace and a final drop at one of the I-forgot-name places where Indian restaurants were aplenty in Bur Dubai. Not wanting to waste money unnecessarily on a hired cab, I took an abra - Dubai's wooden boat - and travelled across the Dubai Creek from where it was walking distance to my hotel. If the morning was good, the evening was even better as we had a leisurely relaxed, pleasantly calm, peaceful atmosphere to go hand in hand with the soothing winds and enchanting music played in the Dhow Cruise and its delicious sit down buffet. After what seemed like more than an hour, the Cruise cruised to dock leaving me with a good, restful sleep and munchy dreams.

The next day was something which I was awaiting with eager anticipation like our Board exam results. We had to traverse through Abu Dhabi to reach the Yes Mall where Formula Rossa - the world's fastest roller coaster - was sleeping silently until awakened abruptly from her slumber. It was unbelievable. The initial thrust to get the momentum, the wild rush of wind through you when the ride is in progress, the free fall of all the potential energy converted to kinetic energy at that mind-blowing speed - It was a dream come true. You are also given specially designed eyewear to protect your eyes from the flying insects during the whooshing course of the exhilarating spin. However, the calculated scientist in me wanted to test the waters as to why the boards said 'Don't keep your arms open' by defying it and instantly I understood why the boards read the danger sign. The pressure applied on my hands by the speed of the coaster was such that it was next to impossible to even raise the hands. It was like you try to stand up but an invisible force forcefully knocks you on the head and makes you sit down! The rest of the mall had real F1 Ferrari cars and its engines, Ferrari on-road cars like Enzo and some rides that were good but not as cracking as Formula Rossa. The driver cum guide made his pitstop at the hotel again after a very long and tiring day where we covered Abu Dhabi with its palaces, one white mosque, picture stops at hotels and Yes Mall.

And the big day, pun intended, arrived. A stunning view was awaiting from the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa with their one of a kind Augmented Reality Telescope where you can compare yesteryear's Dubai with the present one. More to the gorgeous views and telescope was the holographic projections of how the towering engineering marvel was constructed along with the timelines that is surely make your head spin like a top. Also, they claimed that their elevator will make its trip to the 124th floor in one minute and the claim was actually true when I captured the duration of the descent and saw it for myself.

The rest of the day was to spend the day at the Dubai Mall. It was so big that I felt like walking endlessly on escalators, stairs and floors. Having just glimpsed one section of the mall and the famous Dubai Rink without actually involving in the sport, it was high time for me to bid adieu to the never-ending house of all the world-famous brands under one roof so that I could get sufficient time to immerse myself in Miracle Garden - the world's largest flower garden.

From many shapes, sizes, colors, architectures and designs, all the flowers were exquisitely and intricately arranged that it was an extremely beautiful delight to feast upon the multifarious hues and contrasts in the vast mass of concrete and sand that occupied the majority of the place. After a thoroughly mesmerizing outing with the flowers, the sun was slowly dying down and I was told by the guide, who dropped me @ Burj Khalifa, that Global Village is another place which shouldn't be missed out.

Hiring a cab on my own again and making a good half an hour journey distance by wading through the traffic, the Global Village presented itself with a dazzling display of lights, rides, foods, stalls. acrobats, and country themes that is sure to wanting to leave you for more when this extravaganza keeps carrying into the night. Bidding a relatively early tearful farewell, there was one more thing which was on the to-do list before I left Dubai the next day  - to catch up with a movie. I heard from the receptionist in the hotel that the Mall of Emirates is yet another place that shouldn't be missed out. So, I decided to watch a movie in the Mall of Emirates by hiring another can from the Global Village.

Sipping into the whacking great Haagen Dazs Vanilla Shake with a tub of Caramel Popcorn to keep me company, Concussion was not that great a film but the ambience provided by the theatre was freaking fantastic that it wanted me to watch Alvin and Chipmunks in 4D. Unfortunately, as I converted the ticket price to rupees, it was staggering that I decided to hit the bed after hiring another taxi.   

After a dead tired day and having slept well, I woke up on the last day to do a neat packing for the return journey back home. Still left with time for the departure, I proceeded towards the Jumeriah Beach by the train as I had the hard experience from the previous night that the cabs were not that cheap when converted into rupees. Lazing in the beach for some time, it was a mad rush towards the hotel by the return train as the time was fast approaching to say goodbye to Dubai and its wonderful memories though there were other escapades which was missed out in this trip which I will definitely give a try if I get an opportunity to visit once more permitting time and money:

a) Sky Diving
b) Recently opened Bollywood Theme Park
c) Go around the complete Dubai Mall including their Aquarium and Rink
d) See the entire city under lights from atop the 148th observatory deck
e)  Any other place of worthy attraction that comes up in future in this fascinating place for tourists

To conclude, Dubai is a MUST visit place for everyone at least once to see for themselves how a nothing place has radically transformed itself into a buzz of activity with a wealth of Black Gold and an oasis of labour at their disposal thus providing safety, security and growth to everyone.
                                                               
                                                                 X---Concluded---X

PS:
If you don't want to believe me how beautiful Dubai is, kindly watch Jacobinte Swargarajyam... :) 

Bairavaa - Ada Aandavaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! (Oh Gawddddddddddd!)

                                           

Vijay has always been the go-to actor when it comes to big releases which screens on festive occasions to rake in the extra moolah offered generously by his hardcore fans, fervent haters (Read: mostly Ajith devotees) and neutral audiences. His bankability is such that even HDFC, ICICI banks etc. need to take a leaf out of his revenue generating prowess! 

After Theri, Vijay had set his eyes on Pongal for his 'Bairavaa'. Teaming up with director Bharatan on yet another venture, (Remember the cataclysmic disaster 'Azhagiya Tamizh Magan'?), the trailer showed us the glimpses that 'Bairavaa' is going to revolve around a social-centric theme which was very evident from the court scene where the lawyer says 'How is this relevant to the case'

                                                                         The Trailer

So, once you have seen the trailer, you know for sure that 'Bairavaa' may be 'Kathi' or 'Thupakki' parcelled in a different yet formulaic Vijay format to cater to the needs of the audience especially his devouts. Did it really live up to the expectations?

Everything in this world has pros and cons. But, if the cons outnumber, outweigh and eclipse the pros, that's when the house of cards fall apart without even the iota of evidence to show that the house existed in the first place.

'Bairavaa' has a solid, core story like the strong foundation of a building. It reflects the stark reality of the Medical Mafia that is rife in our society. Even an Adult actor/actress couldn't have bared their nakedness as plain as that is projected in Bairavaa of all those extorting and predating upon the helpless and hapless students aspiring and and dreaming to become successful doctors in their lives. 'Hey..That's a good story to discuss publicly in an open medium. What is to complain about it?' I can hear your mind voice. That's why I had already acknowledged that Bairavaa has a deeply relatable and au courant storyline like the farmers' issue or the sleepers cell matter. However, the latter movies kept you engaged till the end. 'So, you mean to say that Bairavaa failed to keep the audience at the edge of their seats'? I can once again read your mind voice crystal-clearly. Read on to find out.

It started with the Intro song. It was as if the intro song would cover the entire movie's duration and go on forever! Luckily the song came to an end after what seemed like ages. Vijay has had all kinds of  possible 'mass-setting' intro scenes with the only exception of a Sky-Diving or jumping from a rocket! Here, the director thinks that he is giving a twist by showing us Sathish in the first scene wrapped from head to toe in blanket and then revealing it is not Vijay! 

Speaking of Sathish, his jokes sporadically evoke laughter every now and then like the "IT..Nightie dialogue" or "Idhellam unaku edhuku" whenever Vijay monkeys around with his expressions. Just when you feel that the director has forgotten all about Sathish in the second half, he makes a reappearance like the Halley's Comet! in the fag end of the movie and plays an inconsequentially crucial part to bring down the main villain. Why I said "inconsequential", you will know when you watch the movie when Vijay plays a supposedly friendly hand with Daniel Balaji who is on the verge of turning into a new leaf but predictably what should happen happens!

Everyone knows that Vijay is going to bash up the goons and come up triumphs. But, movies like Thuppakki or Kathi kept you engaged with its narration of the story keeping in mind of Vijay's image. In Bairavaa, however, the good story is let down by an abysmal and dismal screenplay. On top of that, the breadcrumbs laid out by the director are so very evident that it will make you to predict like a seasoned Astrologer what the subsequent scenes would be just like Daniel Balaji's fate when the movie is actually in progress.

Nothing to talk much about Keerthi Suresh. The scene where she tells her life story to Vijay prior to the interval was more like a school kid reciting a poem to the teacher when questioned! Likewise, a good actor as Thambi Ramaiah was simply being trifled away like the withering of a leaf. If the director felt that the Rajender comedy sequence would make the audience go into raptures, it certainly ruptured the rapture to such clinical perfection that even the most boring history teacher would have found it as dull as dust!

Speaking of dust, Santhosh Narayanan's music was next to being worthless. His BGM was the only saving grace in this otherwise lacklustre outing. Also, if you have a keen ear, you can certainly spot that he had lifted and infused Interstellar's theme music in the film.

                                                                  From 0:50 to 1:52...

Maybe, if you watch it once more, you may find other film's themes to be copied very discreetly. I am not going to take that chance to view it the second time. Once was more than enough.

And Vijay. The film largely depends on him but the director has spectacularly and miserably failed to extract the full potential from him. In Bairavaa, he is performing the similar-to-same expressions that he had donned in Kathi, Thuppaki and Theri that you are left wondering whether you are watching any of those movies once again. Take for instance. In Theri, you have his child calling him 'Baby'. Here, it is 'Darling'. Maybe in the next movie, it will be 'Honey' or 'Bujju Kutti'!

Also, the scenes where he plays the coin between the fingers is a direct lift off from Pirates of Carribean.

                                                       Kindly check out 1:48 to 1:54

In all these copied, borrowed, yawn-inducing scenes or the intermittent humor, one stand out moment in the movie was the Cricket choreographed stunt sequence which comes very early in the movie. I am sure in his upcoming films it will be replaced with Football or Basketball!

Even for an ardent 'Thalapathy' fanatic, Bairavaa had nothing new or great to offer except the above-mentioned cricket fight. This movie has again the standard run-of-the-mill interval block, same-to-similar staccato laugh, dance and the usual one song sung by Vijay himself. In fact, 'Kabali' had 'Magizhchi'. Here, it is 'Sirappu..Miga Sirappu'. It was really a good thing that no Thala fan said 'Serappu' whenever that dialogue was delivered!

But, one thing was made clear - With all the socio-centered themes incorporated in his films, Vijay is clearly forming a well-defined image to be an aspiring politician in real life. The important question is 'How soon?'. 

To sum it up, Bairavaa had all the elements and substances to be something extremely big with a huge larger-than image actor as Vijay. But, the execution of the movie was such that to put things into perspective, you have the best ingredients to make a delicious and mouth-watering Biryani but the cooking and presentation is so awful that it doesn't make sense for such cherry-picked constituents to be used to prepare the Biryani in the first place courtesy the chef!

By the movie's end, all I could say was "Pogalam pogalam va pogalam va Bye-Ravaa" !

Travel Diaries - Dashing & Dizzying Dubai - Part 1

Ever since Burj Khalifa was inaugurated in 2010, I was waiting for the right opportunity to get a direct glimpse of the towering beauty in reality than merely reading about her in books or watching the images and imagining it. My interest heightened to a stunning 828m when Tom Cruise performed an unimaginable daredevilry in BK during one of the stunts in MI - Ghost Protocol. Likewise, the presence of the fastest roller coaster in the world and the colorful Miracle Garden had always wanted me to visit Dubai and enjoy its magnificence at an opportune moment. Little did I knew then that I would be seeing the wonders of this dazzling place not in happy circumstances but under a sad and bad situation.

So, when I decided to travel to lighten the heaviness in my mind and heart, there was no inkling of a doubt that the first place would be Dubai. As I was reeling under the burden and gravity of my sorrows, I left the complete itinerary to Makemytrip.com. I was helped by a sweet, soft-spoken, friendly and expeditious representative - Neha Nair - from the Makemytrip office in Nungambakkam. All I had to do was to choose the right package according to my mode of preference. Apart from Miracle Garden, there was everything which I had wanted to see in their set package. Neha took care of all the Visa and other formalities with swift action. All was set and done and prior to collecting my travel documents, I was informed that a representative would be waiting in the airport to receive and drop me in the hotel.

The D-day arrived. I was ready to begin my adventure-spiritual journey - without parents, relatives or friends to watch me over for the first time in my life - at the first stop in Dubai. Since I desired to see this wondrous destination, it was the only planned place in my "The Emotional Catharsis Trip". That was the name I had given to the entire backpack roving as it reflected my then mood and emotions in to which I was being sucked into like a water going down the sink.

After arriving at the Dubai airport and clearing the immigration formalities, I got my first brain freeze. The representative who was supposed to pick me up wasn't there. It was then I realized that I should have got a Dubai Sim before setting foot on the Dubai soil, okay concrete! I tagged a marker in my brain to remind myself to get a Sim firstup to communicate with the guides in case of any emergency such as the one I was facing then. Luckily, the instructions in the schedule were as crystallized and refined as sugar that I followed them to the t and ended up in the right place - Limo counter - where I was to board a BMW and alight at my destined, pre-booked hotel - St. George.

After filling in the required forms in the hotel, I was asked to wait for some time due to the discrepancies of the checking in time. Not wanting to waste time by simply idling, I asked the concierge to point me to the nearest Sim dealer after my initial hiccup at the airport. They were courteous enough to offer me a ride in their own cab to the close-by City Centre Mall. 

Enquiring as to how the Burj Khalifa wasn't to be seen anywhere, it was then I knew that Dubai was divided into Bur Dubai and Deira Dubai separated by the Dubai Creek and that BK was in the industrial hub - Bur Dubai. Also, the world-famous Gold Souk was just behind my hotel. I was told by the driver with his manageable English that if I had some spare time I should definitely pay a visit to the place even if I don't buy anything to simply witness the hustle and bustle of the market.  

Politely nodding my head, I was awe-struck by the way that the people of Dubai had completely transformed a barren and arid desert by nothing but Black Gold in their reserves to pave the way for accelerated development in less than 4 decades. But, after travelling to Singapore, I realized that SG was better than Dubai for the fact that Singapore did not possess any valuable natural resource like oil but still were able to show the world that is possible to have growth and prosperity by sheer discipline, hard work and sincerity.

Having dropped me at the mall, I zeroed in on the dirt cheapest Etisalat connection as I just wanted a namesake local sim to speak with the guides. By the end of the trip, I was cursing myself for not trusting the arrangements of Makemytrip as everything, besides the initial problem, was arranged so pucca by them that I felt I shouldn't have wasted my money on the sim but rather should have had the creamy, different-flavored and the many multi-colored ice-creams that was near the 'At the Top' centre in the Dubai Mall.

Hiking a cab after activating the sim, I was asked to wait for sometime before a room was allotted as it wasn't still the time for check-in. Seated comfy and reading the papers, I experienced my second brain freeze. I heard one of the couple saying that they were scared of the IS related happenings all over the world and that the USA should take strong steps to prevent such horrible attacks. It was after they said it that I had a bout of overwhelming realization that I was actually close to those terror people and I started to feel shit scared that someone would stab a knife in my brain. In the meantime, I was shown to my room. I freshened up quickly to be ready in time for my pick up to the first activity.

I voiced my apprehensive concern to my guide during the Desert Safari drive and he patiently reassured me saying that Dubai was an extremely safe place for everybody as even their numero uno used to drive alone in his car and their own women can walk in the night without any fear. Such was their level of law and security that has ensured Dubai to be a much-sought after place for tourists.

Hearing his comforting, realistic and assuasive words, I heaved a sigh of big relief as I was already drowning under my own emotional duress and the last thing which wanted me to bother like a noisy mosquito was the cloud of an IS attack. I was mentally relieved and fully geared up ,pun intended, myself to experience the ballet with the golden shiny sands of the desert courtesy the guide and Makemytrip.com. 

More on the action-packed tryst with the weather beaten grains on the hot desert mounds, the engineering marvel of BK, the multifarious hues of Miracle Garden and adrenaline-pumping Formula Rossa will be covered and completed in Part 2.

Star Wars: Rogue One - It's not Nastily Nasty!

There was a time in history when I used to be super excited whenever December arrived. Initially, during my school days, it was due to the Half-Yearly Holidays that used to co-incide with the New Year and gave me the much needed respite from the continual bombardment of assignments, tests and exams. After then, the month of Christmas had an extremely valuable present to offer me which even the Santa Claus cannot even imagine to deliver with his faithful elves and reindeers!

The one main reason why I used to smack my lips lusciously during the last month of every year was because of The Hobbit Trilogy. Peter Jackson was my Santa Claus for those memorable years when The Hobbit 1,2 and 3 were released following the LoTR trilogy which ended way back in 2003. So, it was indeed a heart wrenching and intensely saddening moment when the Battle of the 5 Armies came to a grinding halt. I felt all was lost when like a LightSaber the Star Wars was renewed again in 2015 - December again!

Instead of waiting for an excruciating 2 long years, the producers had decided to pitch in a spin-off in 2016 - December -  so that the tormenting hiatus is reduced to a year. Now, you know as to why I mentioned the December references earlier.

Star Wars: Rogue One - I went in with great anticipation, obviously and naturally, as it is STAR WARS. It did not turn out into a damp squib but at the same time SW:RO was not that great either.

Take for instance - Cassian falling off from the tower and apparently dies when Jyn and he try strenuously to retrieve and transmit the Death Star codes to the command ship. No one has to take Ayahuasca or any other entheogens to figure out that Cassian hadn't died but would make a dramatic entry in the climax. If the director and the script writer felt that it would be an out of the blue twist, they really need to put on their thinking hats and helmets! It was so obvious that Cassian hadn't died as:

a) Seen many such instances in Tamil movies where the hero play all the histrionics to create the illusion that he had died but eventually catches up and bashes up the goons in the last scenes.
b) Cassian and Jyn - the lead pair hadn't kissed yet! when he was attacked by Krennic.

The first half was like the spaceships jumping through the Hyperspace - fast, quick and instantaneous. But, the second half was dragging so slowly that it was like a child digging into their heels when we want  them to do something which they don't want to. It was extremely good to see the Darth Vader in his most ominous and menacing form striking terror into the hearts of the Rebels and the appearances of R2D2 & C3PO was the icing on the cake. Unfortunately, the problem with post-interval was that the action sequences seemed to go on forever like the creation and destruction that is continuously happening in our ever-expanding Universe! Likewise, there was a shallow emotional connect with any of the characters on screen. You should actually feel for Cassie and Jyn when they were been blown apart by the Death Star after all their heroics, exploits and travails. Sadly, it was like a non-HP fan watching Severus Snape being killed by Nagini and saying 'Big Deal!'.

Donnie Yen who had reprised the famous role of Ip Map was giving his swashbuckling kicks and stunts. He did justice to the monk's character. Still, something was amiss. Might be his screen share. or the director's lack of knack to extract his full potential. SW:RO wanted to be kickass and badass simultaneously but ended up short of being kicked in the ass!