The movie reminded me of Ooty - because of the mist. The mist at Ooty rolled across the valley, over the tree tops and made me feel happy and sad at the same time. The mist in the movie however, was sinister. It brought with it death and disaster. I am referring to the 2007 movie "The Mist".


The storyline is pretty simple. A small town is picking up the pieces after a storm topples over tree houses, plays havoc with the electricity and sends the trees flying through the windows. The residents driving to the grocery stores to stock up on provisions are puzzled to see the army trucks from the nearby scientific base leaving the town. And then they notice the mist- rolling towards the town.


As the residents are wondering about it while picking up bread and butter, a man storms into the supermarket - claiming that he saw one man being dragged by something huge that came out of the mist. And the battle begins - which ends with a twist in the tale.

A note to fellow Indians - since we have grown up on a diet of movies with a "And they lived happily together thereafter" kind of endings. You might not like the end that Stephen K has planned for this one!

When I think of that Air France aircraft that crashed into the Atlantic, I cannot help but think about the kids and the baby who were on board. :-( My religion teaches about Karma but sometimes I feel that its concept is woefully inadequate to explain as to why the kids who haven't seen much of this world should die young while the world is full of old people who are sick of living and would think of death as a welcome relief. :-(

I came across an intersting tidbit while browsing Jet's inflight magazine on my way back from Trivendrum. Raja Rammohan Roy (God! How many years has it been since I last read about this gentleman!) - who we women of India should be eternally grateful to - died in Bristol, UK and his statue is erected there. He had gone there to ensure that Lord Bentick's regulation banning the practice of Sati was not overturned. Tragically, he contracted Meningitis there and died of it. :-(

If there is one ad that is driving me up the wall these days - it is the Mirinda one. I hate it when that lady looks at anything in orange and starts screaming at the top of her lungs as if she is marooned on an island and hailing a passing ship. :-(

Oh, and what is that ad featuring Sumo wrestlers? Is it some drink? If yes, I don't think I am going to try it - even if given for free - because that ad gives me an impression that if I drink it, I will bloat like those Sumos but still be able to float in the air :-)

Auschwitz - Factories of Death

It was past midnight and as is my habit, I was making a last sweep of news channels. That done, I turned to NatGeo and Discovery. History channel was the last one I visited when I saw the words "Auschwitz - Factories of Death". It was a one-hour documentary about the Nazi camp and I think it was the first part.

It would be understatement of the year to say that it was horrifying. If the photos of the small children who were separated from their children weren't heartbreaking enough, the inhumane treatment meted out to the old was simply sickening. I watched with horror as one infirm old woman was humiliatingly prodded again and again in the face by one of the soldiers. After watching so many documentaries on that period, I still find it hard to accept that the world did nothing when Hitler and his men went on a bloody rampage. :-(

I believe in rebirth and so I wonder if it will be any use praying for the souls of those who went through hell such a long time ago - because according to my belief, they must have been reborn. But I hope and pray that none of us has to go through such a holocaust once again.