Tagged :-8

Tagged is a game where you are tagged by another person who gets a tag from.. well, you get the point, don’t you? So Parth, wanting to make sure that my blog doesn’t stay idle like myself, tagged me in his blog. I thank him for doing so and giving me a chance to share my favourite somethings.

Of course, every one has their own preferences / views on every topic, so I’ve followed Gan’s N idea and started with my 8 favourite ‘stuff’

|| 8 Favourite Books ||

I mostly go for sci-fi, fantasy & humor. No wonder you’ll be seeing the best of these genres in this list:

Harry Potter – The perfect novel, imho. It has everything – Humor, Action, Drama, Romance, whatnot. Any other book pales in comparison with this masterpiece. Tops my list by a huge margin

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – If HP is the best, then Hitchhiker’s the funniest book of all time. Every single line is meant to make you roll down onto the floor, sprouting gales of laughter. And it’s still classified as science fiction. It’s a pity they couldn’t translate it into a proper movie.

Isaac Asimov’s Foundation – The Epitome of all science fiction. Every single sci-fi series you see has taken something from Asimov’s work. The defining characteristic of this series is that there is no direct action, only dialogue. All that’s happening in that world is updated just through the interactions between characters. Add to that the intricate plot twists (In the novels, double-double crossing is mentioned like some lame excuse for story telling), and you have a series that elevated science fiction to its current level

Life and Times of Thunderbolt Kid – Another truly LMAO book. The author reminisces the truly wicked things he'd done while he was a kid (he did a lot more than banging cars and fixing them up, mind you..;) While I was reading this book, my parents doubted whether I had gone slightly mental. It was that funny

Right Ho, Jeeves – Just like Asimov, Wodehouse’s books really kick started the Comedy genre and made it a sell-worthy propostion. While I’m yet to read through his ocean of books, this was the one that tickled me the most. Bertie Wooster, you rock!

Sujatha’s Science Fiction stories – I don’t know how many have heard of this book, but this is the best example of sci-fi in Tamil. Supreme creativity and tongue-in-cheek humor elevate this book to a new level

Timeline – Parth and Vatsan know why this is here

Ultimate History of BMW – A Behemoth of a book, 1ft x 1.5ft big, tons of info and a collection of massive pictures all covering my favourite brand, BMW. I really couldn’t ask for more.

|| 7 Favourite Fictional Characters ||

Calvin :

“If something is so complicated that you can't explain it in 10 seconds, then it's probably not worth knowing anyway.”

Now that’s what I call attitude..

Bertie Wooster – From the Jeeves series

Pakkada from the movie ‘Pasanga’ – Now he may not be anywhere close to the level of other ethereal characters. But Pakkada, like Swami (Malgudi Days), brings an element of childish innocence and naughtiness into the character that you cannot help but adore.

Bellatrix Lestrange (HP – movie only) – Bella from the book didn’t impress me much, but the way Helena Bonham Carter carried out the role with so much passion and verve, pulled me over to the dark side. All that voice modulation and expressions, now that’s what I call acting!

Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie) – The thing is like about Poirot is that unlike Sherlock Holmes, he is not perfect. Of course, Poirot’s humor does shine through, but the way he pulls the rabbit out of the hat, that’s what blows me away.

Marvin (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) – The best example of soberness.

He takes ‘புலம்பல் ’ to a whole new level. Marvin is a robot with a computati

onal power 50,000 times that of the average human, but broods over the fact that couldn't put it to any good use(!). Check this out for a sample:

"Yes, sir," the receptionist snapped, "can I help you?"

"I doubt it," said Marvin.

"Well in that case, if you'll just excuse me..."

"No one can help me," intoned Marvin.

"Yes, sir, well ..."

"Not that anyone tried of course."

Best characterisation for any robot. Period..:D

Mr. Bean

|| 6 Favourite Films ||

Forrest Gump – An uncomplicated story about an uncomplicated man. And some complicated visual effects. I love the way they treat some genuinely gloomy themes like Forrest’s illness and Vietnam war, and make us laugh in spite them. Perhaps this is what they call a charming movie.

Harry Potter (except HBP) – Every single movie of the HP world is an example of what Hollywood can accomplish. Brilliant actors, spectacular CG, meticulous recreations, and proof that they don’t always screw up a good plot. Except when it comes to the latest movie. I just didn’t feel the rush I got when reading the second half. It simply doesn’t translate very well on the screen. A pity, really..

Happy Days – The exact opposite of HP, a fine example of how 40 lakhs is enough to do a great movie. Though there was hardly a story as such, the unforgettable characters and sweet screenplay simply wafted you through the movie. Add to that some great music, and you have my favourite film down south

Rang De Basanti

Lord of the Rings

Chak De India – Sports + Patriotism come together like never before

|| 5 Favourite Random things ||

My Laptop – You couldn’t spend 15 hours a day with your laptop and not love it. Mine is a Dell Inspiron 1520 with a behemoth of a graphics card – the Nvidia 8600M GT. Neighbour’s envy, owner’s pride..:-)

My Phone – The slim and sleek Sony Ericsson W350. Sound quality arguably as good as an iPod

Digicams – Funny, this one. I don’t even have a half-decent digicam, but I really love them for what they are. A fun, cheap (as in the cost of shooting, not buying) way of giving vent to our creativity. Problem is, I couldn’t satisfy myself with these point-and-shoot thingys. A 12x zoom 10 MP Olympus is more like it..:D

Books – The only properly ‘useful’ item in this list..;)

Top Gear – British TV show that is quite possibly the best car-related telly on the planet. Jeremy Clarkson & co. really scorch the sets with their impossible stunts and typical British humor. Its so popular that the tickets for live recording viewers have been booked for 21 years!! Now that’s what you call a ‘sell-out’ audience..

|| 4 Favourite words ||

Eksi – This is my favourite ‘chat’ word, rather.. Gan introduced me to this one.. You know what it means.. ‘Enna Koduma Sir Idhu’(!) It seems relevant to a lot more scenarios than you might think..;)

Travel – Not these crowded traveling in the city. A 1000 km train journey is more like it. Sitting down by the windowside, reading your favourite book, listening to that great number in your walkman, man that is bliss!

Sleep – You can’t call yourself lazy if you don’t love this word! If I don’t sleep over 9 hours a day, I feel that something is missing from me..:D

Cars – No need to explain this one. My passion, hobby, profession, everything..

|| 3 Favourite Celebrity Crushes ||

Evanna Lynch – The girl who plays Luna Lovegood in HP. Damn, she doesn’t appear for more than 2 minutes in Half Blood Prince. Wish she had played Hermione..;)

Katrina Kaif

Avril Lavigne - Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?