Life in Dec 17 - Jan 31

Sometimes it is better to forget. After what can be described a highly successful last year,  2013's first month was a lot below the expectations. Or perhaps i had punted the difficult decisions of 2012 on to 2013 and am now reeling under the weight of failed expectations. In any case, tomorrow is a new day, a new month and i am still alive.

Highlights of this time period in the life and times of the great, if not the greatest, the one and only me are -

Trip to Shillong: Bangalore-Ranchi-Kolkatta-Guwahati-Shillong-Bangalore. Shillong stay was awesome with typical touristy stuff, board games, playing cards and family fun. Pics are uploaded here

Shillong trip

Trip to Delhi: Bangalore-Nagpur-Delhi-Bangalore. Finished Nagpur work. Met relatives, old college friends at Delhi and attended Nikhil's sangeet and wedding ceremony.  Overall a good trip.

Books:
The Dune
Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Courses:
Game theory (half done)
Critical thinking in global challenges (yet to start)
Consumer Law is still going on. Need to decide thesis topic.

Movies -
Inkaar  (3/5). An extra half mark just because of the subject matter. Sudhir Mishra, it seems, begins with the right ideas, has the correct intentions, gets most things right but somewhere in the process gives in to the mundane pressures of film making and his end products instead of being bold and defining (as the subjects are)  movies of our times are reduced to yet another commercial movie. It is a sincere request to him to please take more risk, we are there to support him.
Les Miserables (4/5). A very good movie. Loved the  the direction, songs, lyrics, acting and almost everything. Perhaps one of the few hollywood musicals that i have enjoyed. Directed by Tom Hooper (of King's speech fame), Les Miserables is a treat to watch. It almost comes off as an opera.
Broken city (1/5): Trash movie.
The impossible (3/5) Decent movie.  Tsunami sequence is really well done.
Lots of movies at BIFFES
The Hobbit: An unexpected journey (3/5) Delighted to see Dr.Watson as the hobbit. Fills some nostalgia of LOTR but still not as good as them.

Attended Yamini - the overnight classical concert at IIMB ,Spicmacay. Came mid way as i got fever. But attended Malvika Sarrukai's awesome Bharanatyam performance followed by violin instrumental.

Went to National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) with Nandini.  Decent collection. Almost empty. Ample parking, lots of trees and a decent cafe. A place for future hangouts :)

Cricket with office colleagues. A different kind of chess and Cities and Knights expansion.

Lots of office work and more coming in the coming days.