In the U.K.

So I've landed in England tonight, which marks the start of my two week intensive period of lectures and such. They served blueberry pancakes on the plane and I was a bit startled. How do they know if I like blueberry pancakes? They didn't even ask me, nor did they inform me that there are blueberries in the pancakes. What if I was allergic? Oh Air Canada, looking for a law suit in the middle of a drizzling recession...  As it turns out, I'm not allergic to blueberries, so I enjoyed my meal quite a bit :)

I hate flying - that's no secret. I get motion-sickness, so I have to stack up on the meds. I tried to read, but that makes it worse. So at least in these new planes you have your own television screen. So I flipped on Australia. One word: WOW. Now it was quite a long film, mind you, but it's an epic.

The film stars, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman and is set in Australia - of course - during the war time period around 1939. There are a few plots carrying on but they all intertwine into one and produce a fantastic story. There were points where it actually moved me to tears and then I felt silly because here I was in a plane, sitting by myself watching a film on a tiny little screen - I probably looked like a right sap. Moreover, crying over a film adds to the nausea that I already had from the motion sickness.

The movie was advertised as being a good love story -- yet I found the real story to be about a woman and a child. Love is definitely the main theme here and it runs through every relationship and plot line and it moves you, it literally moves you to the point where you are just at a loss for words as to how you're supposed to talk about such a film. It's a true epic and really, films like this just aren't made anymore. So when you see this film, you remember those great classics like "Gone with the Wind" and "Casablanca". And what better stars to add to a classic, than Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

So -- this is the start to my trip! I'll try to keep you informed on the happenings over here. 

:)

Vampire found in Italy

Researches unearthed a skeleton in Venice, Italy of a female Vampire, from the 16th century. She was discovered with a brick stuck between her jaws, as an attempt to stop her from feeding on victims of the plague that hit Venice during that time.

Archeologists are having a field day. This is their first such discovery. Of course, they explain that this woman "was not" a vampire, but it proves that people did believe in them at the time and this was a common ritual performed.  As if a brick could really stop a vampire?

Researches state that it also proves how limited people's knowledge was at the time regarding body decomposition and all that jazz...

More on vampires another day - I have to go pack.

Religulous

I wasn't going to mention this movie at first - but I just saw it for a second time and well...if you haven't already - Watch it!

Bill Maher takes, what is really just a journey around the world to some of the major religous sites, such as the Vatican, Jerusalem and so forth and questions believers about their faiths. He is a staunch critic of religion - so if you're a believer, you may be offended.

Personally, I have faith in God, but I am a very open-minded person and I enjoy a good critique. Bill Maher delivers that. He asks some very direct and valid questions. His questions are not wishy-washy, he goes directly at these believers. Basically at the end of the day, if you are preaching your faith, then you should be able to define it. That doesn't mean that faith can always be described -- but even not being able to describe faith is a description in itself.

But maybe it's easier for me because I'm very personal about my belief -- maybe it's because I'm more spiritual than any belief in institutionalized religious doctrine. But as the major religions follow their "institutional" beliefs and have their "sources" to give them their information - (i.e. what is right and what isn't, who is blessed and who isn't...etc.) they are always ready to put up a fight. And these are the people that Bill Maher targets.

The spiritual ones, normally keep to themselves. 

I've grown up in the Sikh faith and I have studied Hinduism quite extensively -- I am happy to say that I've never been "forced" into one way of belief or another. Rather my family, parents mainly, have always taught us that spirituality, religion, God, these are things that represent personal journeys, things that we must discover on our own through the course of our life. Keep an open mind and take faith in what feels right. So far that's worked great for me. But everyone has their way of doing things.

Religulous -- Maher created this title by taking the words "religion" and "ridiculous" and meshing them together -- is a film that will/does offend many. But at the same time delivers some great laughs. 

Sometimes I had to change the channel (I was watching it on my satellite) when he really made some of the religious folks look stupid -- I really felt bad for them. It's just not their fault sometimes - some people just really don't know how to intelligently articulate their belief and that's a very common flaw for people who do have faith. Faith is a belief that millions, billions carry - - that doesn't automatically make them capable of being able to put that faith into words.

Okay enough of me talking -- just watch the documentary. At the end of the day, whatever our beliefs it is always effective for our modern society to be able to take a critical approach on issues. Maher's highly offensive attacks and humourous line of questioning may make you more firm in your own belief, or it may make you ask some serious questions. 

But -- don't watch it with kids! There are plenty of suggestive scenes and a couple of scenes of partial nudity.

Climate Change

It's worse than we thought...

Two thousand researchers are meeting in Copenhagen this week to discuss what has now become quite public -- we are nearing a drastic climate change faster than what researchers/scientists believed only two years ago.

Oceans are warming 50% faster than previously believed, coral reefs are disappearing faster than previously believed, and sea-levels are rising faster than previously believed.

One fact is quickly being accepted by scientists - we are nearing a drastic change in climate much faster. Perhaps even as fast as 20 years.

Start doing your part to help the environment - this isn't just for the movies anymore. It's fast becoming a reality...actually it is reality and it's fast becoming a nightmare that we'll all have to face.

Stop cracking jokes at the UN and support them and pressure your governments to listen and weigh in as the UN sets out to draft a new plan in December, to protect the environment and climate.

This is about us now.

Here's a good article if you want more info: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2009/2009-02-23-02.asp

Further - if you haven't already, watch An Inconvenient Truth, by Al Gore. It is by far one of the best documentaries ever made and the most riveting lecture to date. It's a few years old, so when seeing the data, just remember that things are worse now.

The best thing you can do for yourself, your family and your planet, is to inform yourself of what's happening and what's at stake. Educate yourself and educate those around you.

Recent UFO Sightings

Have I ever mentioned that I have a history of being "obsessed" with UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects)? Sadly, I am. 

Ever since my Grade 3 teacher, Mr. Solinski, taught a unit on UFOs and Extra-Terristrials, I have been hooked. As a child, it was worse. I was very paranoid and terrified out of my wits. I was always scanning the skies for unfamiliar lights, shadows, or "objects". That fear can be credited to my best buddies, 2 Indian guys that were my best friends during my elementary school days. One was named, Sandeep, and the other dude...his name began with a "M", I think -- it was a looong time ago people. Anyhow, right after we completed the unit on UFOs, which included reading many articles on sightings and so forth - these stupid boys sat on either side of me and started rambling and didn't stop until they had me convinced that I too could be abducted by aliens.

They convinced me that if you think about the Aliens, that they can "sense" that, and then they'll come flying my way and abduct me right out of my home, at school, walking down the street, anywhere I may happen to be. Do you have any idea how good of a prank these boys pulled? My mind went crazy! I was scared and I couldn't stop thinking about the aliens! And on top of that they had convinced me that by thinking about the aliens, I would get abducted!

But after a few months, I realized that even though I had constant thoughts about Aliens, none had appeared thus far. I hadn't been abducted. That's when I realized these stupid boys were full of SH*T. lol. But from that day onwards, my obsession began. I spent the better part of my childhood reading books and articles about aliens. I wanted to learn all that I could. I became an ardent fan of The X-files. I even put myself through the torture of watching Fire in the Sky, which was filmed based on a true story -- how's that for settling my fear? 

Eventually, the interest simmered down and I got on with life. Thank God! But once in a while, I still catch up on sightings and always love a good Alien movie. Not the ridiculous commerical films, but something that actually shows an intelligent account of life on other planets, or basically extra-terristrials.

The most vocal of recent sightings has of course been the one in the US last year in Stephenville, Texas where more than 30 residents saw the same thing. It hovered for quite some time and then it split into two and then there was a ball of fire and they disappeared. 

The "Pheonix Lights" incident is one of the most interesting sightings of 1997 and the same thing happened again in 2008. The object travelled through Arizona, Nevada and parts of Mexico. Many things have been said to explain the appearance of such an object, such as pranks, flares, etc., but eventually every excuse has been disproved, leaving everyone without any credible answers as to what exactly this object was.  

I'm quite suspicious of UFO Sightings, as we know that the US Army must be experimenting with new equipment. And we all know that they're not going to explain each and every flying machine that they've got. But some of these incidents have even left the US Army and Gov't dumbfounded. Normally, they can disprove such sightings.

Although Hollywood always focuses on American sightings -- Europe and the East experience many weird sightings themselves. Just have a look at the two pictures below:

This took place last month in Czech Republic. It took place on Feb. 14 at around 7:45pm. Witness' explained that not one but five flying objects were spotted around the city square. The objects made no noise. Hmmm...

The odd thing is that like the Pheonix Lights incident, where V-shaped UFOs were sighted, many more of that shape are being reported, but this time there's a shift. Experts claim that there is a significant increase in the amount of low-flying UFOs. Meaning, it's not distant objects anymore. They are closer to the ground, hence the increase in witnesses. Boston, MA just reported sightings on March 3rd, and again on March 4th, the same V-shaped UFOs were reported in Hollidaysburg, PA. 

Closer to home: Paul Hellyer, former Defence Minister, claims that UFOs are very much a reality - "proof is irrefutable". In 2008 Canada received 1004 reports of sightings. And a report from the Carnegie Institute in Washington states that there may be 10 billion trillion planets in space that are capable of creating life.

another hmmm...moment. Are we alone?

Ancient lore claims that some of our great monuments, like Pyramids are creations left behind by extra-terristrial beings. It is interesting to think just how the people made Pyramids, some that are identical around the world, with intricate drawings and structures, with such primitive technology. There's an author that has spent 30 years dedicated to this belief. I'll introduce you to him in a later post.

For now - sleep tight. And remember, don't think too hard about those aliens! My silly school-boy friends, may have been on to something ;)

Disturbing Conflicts

When conflicts continue for long periods of time, it is likely that most of the world will 'forget' or get side-tracked. What was once a major concern and topic of discussion, becomes something that now begins with "oh yeah, remember when..."

Normally, I don't have trouble speaking about things that affect me emotionally. It's one of the reasons why I even bother with this blog. When I was writing my novel, Under the Moonlit Sky, I had to conduct in-depth research into the pogroms against Sikhs in 1984 Delhi, since that conflict formed a part of the background to my novel. I have only discussed this with a select few people, but I'll say it now:

We can talk lightly about things that have passed and excitedly attempt to predict what may come. However, reading affidavits, reading actual accounts from survivors/witnesses is one of the most traumatic experiences anyone can come across. I'm not talking about summaries, or others' reports on the matter, I'm talking about explicit details, that are not sugar-coated.

Growing up I read a few books on the Holocaust - that also contained direct accounts. I remember one night not being able to sleep, because I couldn't get the images out of my mind, but I had to continue reading it because I had to do a report on it for school. This time again when I spent a year writing my novel, I had numerous sleepless nights because I could not get the images, the real-life accounts of the atrocities out of my mind. Writing my novel, I don't think I slept much at all. Last year was probably the most sleepless year of my life!

So why do I continue to pursue such topics? Because, it's not fair that I cringe and stop reading, when people actually had to experience those events. What I'm reading or seeing may be traumatic for me to hear, but think about the people who actually went through it? The men who felt the pain of the first cut, the woman that spent every hour of every day in fear of being raped and then imagine the fear she must have experienced as two men held her down, the sound of her clothes ripping, the terror in the eyes of her family members who were forced to watch before they were subsequently killed.

These are realities of our world, and sadly they still continue.

Darfur has been one such recent conflict that has continued for some time and has even reached the point where seldom do people speak about it. However, we must not forget that the issues are still there, the trauma is still very real.

I don't have any more words to say on this - for once, I'm being cut short for lack of words. If you want to know why, just read the article that I happened to read this morning on CNN.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/03/04/darfur.rape/index.html

I'm not sure how long this link will work - but you can always just read up on Darfur and see what's going on.

An advancement has occured. In what is being termed a "landmark decision" - the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for the arrest of the Sudanese President. 

Review: Jag Jeondeyan De Mele

After many decades, comes a film that helps to re-define Punjabi Cinema.

*Harbhajan Mann, Tulip Joshi

I just spent three hours in a packed theatre, where I was taken on an unforgettable journey through the lush, green fields of Punjab, to the beautiful and mountainous landscapes of British Columbia. But Jag Jeondeyan De Mele isn't about the fields or the mountains; the villages or the vast cities. Jag Jeondeyan De Mele is about undeniable, unforgettable, and undying love. 

 

This story is not about location, product placements (which were quite a few), or costumes (which were great by the way). Rather this story is about emotions, music, and all the things that bind us together as human beings. It's a story about people, resting on the shoulders of some very capable actors.

First and foremost, Tulip Joshi. Everyone take a minute to applaud her performance...okay take another minute, I know she deserves it... done? Need another minute...Go ahead.

One word for Tulip Joshi: Fascinating. 

Another word for Tulip Joshi: Immaculate. 

A third word for Tulip Joshi: Mesmerizing.

For those that have already seen the film, you would agree that this film is led by the female character. Every other character reacts to the female lead. She has the power to make a boy forget his bearings and fall unconditionally in love her; she has the power to become the first and last thought of a grown man who dreams of only one thing: to be with her; she has the power to ignite a fierce flame between two families; she has the power to leave a man heartbroken; and then the power to fulfil his wish once more. 

Had Tulip Joshi not been cast as the female lead, this film would not have been as powerful. This is a 'character' film. When watching the screen, you are oblivious to the surroundings, to the location - you only focus on the characters. The fact that the audience is swept away with each performance is because these characters grip us. And Joshi has done a phenomenal job in bringing her character(s) alive. She has risen as a true artist in this capacity. When she leaves the screen, you look forward to the moment when she will reappear. When you see her again, you realize that you missed her, and that is how you measure the depth of an actress.

But of course, in a film that strives to tell the tale of an epic love story, a female lead goes only as far as her co-star can take her, and with this I turn my attention to the male lead. He is someone who is not a stranger to the Punjabi/Indian community and someone I have had the pleasure of knowing for quite some time -- Mr. Harbhajan Mann.

Those of us, who have been following the 'rise of Punjabi Cinema' in the past few years are well aware of the unprecedented efforts of Harbhajan Mann. He has done what only few could dream of doing and what thousands wished would happen. He brought back a medium that will help to keep Punjabi culture alive and kicking. But this isn't the time to reminisce about past films. In Jag Jeondeyan De Mele, Mann takes on a role that he has not done previously. In one sense, I guess you could say he has taken an unchartered path as an actor - but one which we hope to see many times over in the future. 

His character is simply "cute". I'm not refering to looks here (even though he looks as handsome as ever), I'm talking about the way he approaches life, the way he deals with the cards that fate has dealt him and how he learns to believe again; learns to love; to appreciate; to be happy. At some points in the movie you just want to walk up to his character and place a reassuring hand on his shoulder and say "Everything will be okay". You laugh with him, you cry with him, you appreciate his sincerity, his innocence. You feel his happiness, you feel his grief, you feel his love. 

Mann has demonstrated that he is progressing at a warp speed in talent and passion for his career as an actor. Not only has he portrayed the main lead, but he also serves as Producer to this film. A job that has been well done.

The director, Baljit Singh Deo, has done a terrific job with his performers. Bringing great legends that we've grown up with and with comedians such as Ghuggi who never let you get sidetracked, not even for a second. The careful close-ups, the lighting, the hi-tech camera work have produced a punjabi film of a quality that has not been witnessed before. The best part is that there is a fresh ensemble cast that gives us hope that a Punjabi Film Fraternity does exist and can survive for future generations. The two children showed incredible talent. Newcomer, Gulzar Inder Singh Chahal shows great promise and is easy on the eyes. We'll definitely be looking forward to future projects from this one.

The Music is another feat that will inspire a whole new filmmaking experience for Punjabi Cinema. The lyrics of Babu Singh Mann are beyond words nor capable of accurate description. He is at his best here. From the title track, sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, to heart-wrenching numbers like "Tur Gaye Ne Jani", to songs like "Mele Mitran De" where Gursewak Mann has done tremendously well alongside Harbhajan Mann -- each and every song hits a nerve with the movie-goer. Harbhajan Mann's voice is one that touches the heart of every music lover. You hear his voice over any instrument. Emotion spills through his voice. Listening to it, is an experience in and of itself. What more can an avid music-lover ask for?

The background score is incredibly moving. From the thunderous sound of two large doors swinging open to reveal Tulip Joshi's character in a pivotal scene, to the sound of ripples being made in the water as the actress gently brushes her hand through it, each sound, each movement, each tune is celestial.

As with every film, few areas could have been "tweaked" to provide an even more profound experience. Maybe a few more seconds on the dejected face of Joshi's character as she is terrified about the impact of her "forbidden love". But these things can be said about almost any film. We have to remember that they are working hard to tell a tale in a very restricted time slot. I mean 3 hours is a long time. Even with the length, I looked around the packed theatre and realized I wasn't alone -- everyone wished the movie would continue. They all laughed, cried and fell in love with the characters.

Jag Jeondeyan De Mele comes out as historic and enjoyable, with touching moments that will inspire you to believe in love once again. 

And thank God that a Punjabi movie has set some standards for a true "Punjabi Love". Boys and Girls we have some hope yet ;)

-Review by: Nav Gill.