WISE NONSENSE!

"If only children knew that grown ups were mostly pretending to be grown up, they'd not be in such a hurry to grow up!"

WAGYU-THE JAPANESE ANSWER TO CAVIAR

Caviar, the eggs of the beluga sturgeon fish from the Caspian sea, is considered as one of the most expensive food along with truffles. At around 1400$, or 56,000 rs, per kilogram it is a food that very few people can afford. Commanding such astronomical prices puts it in the category of novelty or luxury foods. The Japanese can also lay claim to having an entrant in this high price and high demand class of food. Their answer to the caviar- Wagyu or Kobe beef.

The Wagyu cattle were first reared in special farms in Japan but due to their popularity they are now reared in specific places all over the world. One might be led to think that if it's such an expensive meat why not rear it everywhere. However, matters are not so simple or clearcut. For one the wagyu cattle need a very large area to pasture on. Secondly the climate and weather conditions also affect the quality of the beef. Thirdly the process involved in raising the cattle is both grueling and intensive. Picture this- the cattle are fed with beer and sake and given a massage with sake or japanese beer every single day! Each one of those cattle gets a massage everyday, that's one too many than I get! :-) Makes a person feel quite devalued LOL.The methods that are used to breed these cattle are also knowledge intensive and accumulated through generations of experience, so needless to say it's not everyone's fare. Despite being reared all over the world the Japanese Kobe is most prized.

Now for the price! A single Wagyu cattle was sold for a record 250,000 $! That's around 1 crore rupees! enough to buy a Lamborghini Gallardo or build a nice home! And remember these are not meant for racing; they are simply food... Not every cattle is sold for so much though, but still the average price of a Wagyu cattle is around 10 to 20 thousand dollars which still works out to around 6 lac rupees. To give you a better idea they are selling burgers with Wagyu beef in the US that cost 40$ or 1600 rupees, enough to feed a person for a month in Asia!

Now even though I like my beef quite a bit, I can neither afford to buy Wagyu nor am I so inclined. I'd rather get myself a porsche 911 instead if I had the money to spend 250,000$ on an animal! However if I have a chance to try some I'll let you know how it went, but needless to say it must be quite the gastronomic experience!

SOLO DUET?!!

The title I chose for today's entry is self-contradictory to say the least. Musically, the word duet means a vocal presentation performed by two voices, while solo refers to one person's act. But no, I have not lost my grammatical bearings, neither am I in rebellion against music. I am referring to an amazing person named Nick Pitera, an aspiring singer. The dude can sing in two voices! And what's even more amazing is his ability to switch between voices effortlessly. This description alone is not enough to present his talent. Though there are a good number of his videos on Youtube, I suggest that you watch him singing ' A whole new world', from Diseny's Alladin, in a duet with himself! Just follow the link below.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=t9-CS2v8wcc

DESIGN- UNDERSTATED AND ELEGANT

Design has always played an important role in the world of buy-and-sell. Why we choose one product over another, despite apparent similarities, is very often decided by the design aspect of the products. Brand value is also closely associated with design. After a brand by virtue of it's designs acquires a good following among the customer base it can demand prices that reflect the success of it's appeal among people. Most of the high brands- think Louis Vuitton, Prada, Hermes, etc, because of their brand image can make customers shell out big money without batting an eyelash! Design really is king in todays commerce...

There is another aspect to design. The design of a period in time reflects the sensibilities of the society and more importantly the mind frame of the society it belongs to. The perspective of people is wont to change with the progress of time; even a day is sufficient to make and break trends and norms. Design thus is an indicator of sorts, of the world at that point in time.

The era of conspicuous consumption, going by current international trends is gradually giving way to understatement and subtleness. This in all probability reflects the wariness and realism of the world today. Because of various events, some very unfortunate, the world seems to be gloating less on it's success, and taking things with a pinch of salt. Of course this does not mean that loud, brash and showy is dead- on the contrary it is also growing but not in proportion to the advance of simple designs. Neither completely eliminates the other, instead one takes precedence over the other, revealing the popular wave of thought.

Brands like IKEA, the furniture company from Scandinavia, made simple lines and contours the defining aspect of their products, and made millions in the process. After a time of unprecedented success they seemed to go into decline, but now a resurgence is evident. The return of understatement is not limited to functional items like furnitures or home fixtures alone. Neither is it limited to products in the reasonably priced bracket. Big high fashion brands and mid market brands alike are taking to the new design motto of simplicity with a vengeance!

Take a look at the collection during this year's spring summer collection of Versace, a designer label that has been associated with the flaunting of wealth and brassiness. Unlike the earlier colections, say even something as relatively recent as the 2003 spring summer collection that were a riot of colors and layers, this year's collection is all clean cuts, prints and neutral colors! Now, if it was Abercombie and Fitch we were talking about that'd be a different thing, but Versace and simplicity?!!

Take even the shoe brands like Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Max Azaria BCBG, Marc Jacobs- each of them is incorporating understatement instead of gaudiness and decadence into their collections. Architecture and interior designing trends are also swinging towards this revolution of simplicity. The ideal rooms today, as one can see in any style magazine worth it's salt, is uncluttered and almost geometrical in it's presentation. The hues and lines have also gotten more forward and direct, excuse me but I just can't find any better words to describe them!

Looking at the global situation and future prospects, at least for the next few years, this trend is not going to change anytime soon. Clean cuts, neutral colors, single color prints and geometric prints... these will rule the design roost for a long time, unless I am totally mistaken. Consonant with all these is the big comeback of white and natural fabrics like cotton. I suggest that every man should have at least one pair of well cut white shirt in his wardrobe this summer and not linen- it's been too over done. Try good old cotton instead; plain white works as well as minimal print.

For the ladies I believe neutral colors like light brown, cyan, black, ruby blue, and gray, etc, will work very well. As regards cuts, try a short dress that comes down to just above your knees in a material with a little lycra. Remember frumpy and hanging clothes are never cool! Go for colours like light brown and be wary of too much prints. Pairing this with a simple pair of Roman sandals and simple accessories will make you look smart, chic and very trendy.

Silver jewelery is also going to be making a comeback. Silver with it's unique lustre is a metal that says cool! Elegant necklaces, veering towards the thin, with bright stone inlays, and bracelets will work very well with clothes of neutral colors.

I suggest that you keep things simple and elegant instead of aiming for showiness and decadence this summer. Whether it be your clothes, home, or any other area of your life remember that simple is beautiful! Ciao!

Cylcone Nargis in Burma lays the Junta's apathetic attitude bare...

On may 2, 2008, the devastating cyclone, code named Nargis, struck the tiny nation of Myanmar(Burma). In it's wake almost 40000 people were left dead with thousands more injured, and many others left unaccounted. Now, that much information is without doubt known to every concerned citizen of this place we call earth. In reaction, many people and nations pledged support to the unfortunate victims of the natural disaster. However, to the alarm of the international community the Junta that presently holds sway in the nation refused aid from many nations out of petty aggrandizement over trivial issues of politics. This action of the junta shocked people all over the world as it showed apparent disinterest in the welfare of it's devastated population, an entirely unjustifiable stand when the lives of innocents are being put on the line over things as basic as malarial tablets and basic food supplies.

Since then a breakthrough of sorts was supposedly made when the Junta finally agreed to allow foreign aid into the country: The United states dispatched it's first aid carrying air load yesterday. A little slack in the attitude of the inhuman Junta, some people began to say. But then rumors began to pour in about the diversion of aid meant for the affected people to the hands of the Junta...

The New York Times reported today that aid meant to help the victims is indeed being diverted to serve the selfish interests of the Junta. While the quality supplies and goods are being kept by the Junta rotten food items and sub-standard goods reach the affected people!

Like any other concerned citizen of a global brotherhood, I was outraged to say the least! Here we have thousands upon thousands of people dead, and still more being threatened with imminent death in the absence of proper care, and the Junta that is supposedly the care-taker has the audacity to hoard supplies meant for the victims! How in heavens name, can such a group claim to represent the good of a nation? This must wake the leaders of the world. If the most trivial reasons can be used to invade countries why can't more pressure be put upon this selfish regime to end it's brutalities? For political reasons the lives of the Burmese people have been allowed to become mere fodder for the greedy aims of the draconian Junta for far too long. Let us imagine the plight of these unfortunate brethren of ours, with no sympathetic government to turn to. Can we ignore the duty of every person in a better condition to speak out for others that are laden with pain and suffering? No! I say it's time to take action, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Let us support the Burmese not only with our prayers but through any other means available. Remember that tiny droplets of water can become an overwhelming ocean when brought together with purpose and direction.

Let us ACT instead of just shaking our heads in disagreement. For starters why don't you go to Awaaz.com and pledge your support to our unfortunate brothers and sisters in Burma. I want you to keep in mind the adage that says, there is no better time to act than 'NOW"!

THE GREAT DEBATERS

Now, movies have always been a great and productive way to spend my weekends, though some of my friends would beg to differ!LOL. So yesterday, at 2 in the morning, I got down to watch a movie called 'The Great debaters'. And I had a grand time, like one I've not had in a long time!

The movie is about a debate team from Wylie College in Texas from the mid 30s. A time when blacks were lynched for no greater crime than being black. A time also when they had separate institutions for educating the blacks and the white people. Wylie college is a black college, which means that it educates only black students because of the regulations in place at that time. In such harsh conditions a black professor, Melvin B Tolson, dares to dream of the impossible- equality and justice for everyone irrespective of color or creed.

The debate team is obviously at the center of the movie's scheme, and the cast assembled to play the various roles hit the nail spot on! Through the efforts of prof. Tolson a debate team is assembled and the movie takes off in ways that delight the human spirit. They undergo immense struggles of both self and society to finally achieve what was considered as virtually impossible. The fact that the movie is based not on fiction but on real life is all the more amazing and inspiring.

Even though it is about the debating team of a college, it manages to be so much more than just another running movie about the victory of the protagonist and the defeat of the baddies. More than anything else it shows the struggle not between colors of the skin, but between the norms and privileges associated with cultures and between established institutions. The struggle for equality is not shown as being one that draws it's source from the question of whether someone is my equal but from the more accusatory one of whether I want to let another take his position as my equal. The human yearning for equality and justice is placed at odds with the equally human desire to occupy a position that grants superiority, no matter how unfair or irrational.

Among the cast Denzel Washington is as masterful as ever. Seriously what can that man not do?!:-) He sits in the director's chair for this movie and his effort is both sincere and exquisite. Forrest Whittaker as the father of James, one of the debaters, is an overwhelming presence in the movie despite his short reel time. The quiet dignity he manages to infuse into his character is proof of his Oscar winning talents. Among the other cast I am partial to Samantha, the only girl on the debate team. But as a man I have my own weaknesses and lord, is she pretty!LOL. Besides, the drawl with which she pulls and slurs her words is sheer music that has to be heard to be believed.

An awesome film in every way, though maybe not as great as 'The Shawshank Redemption', about which I'll be writing another time. But still deserving of all the credit and rave reviews it gets. As the final credits roll in along with a cinematic epilogue about the characters, I could not help feeling elated and re- affirmed. Elated at having been witness to the victory of justice over segregation, and affirmation in the belief that there is nothing stronger than the human will to prevail- against all odds.

I absolutely recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for cinema that is both entertaining and uplifting! Till the next time I hit the couch here's wishing you all the best in life. Ciao'