A friend sent me this hilarious article on Simbly South about migration, emigration and transmigration.

Tired of endless swapping on my machine, I fired off a search for R. D. Burman on eBay and was pleasantly surprised to find some useful results. Someone had put up a combo CD of YAADON KI BAARAAT/HUM KISISE KUM NAHEEN for bids. The link to the item will go stale once the auction ends. Here's the description of the item, which is what really caught my attention.

Indian soundtrack two-fer CD - YAADON KI BAARAAT & HUM KISISE KUM NAHEEN. Composed by the GOD of Indian soundtracks - Mr. Rahul Dev Burman. Do you like moogs, overdriven organ sounds, congo drums, funky beats, surf guitar, wah wah guitar, sexy Indian chick vocals? If you like any of that stuff, you'll more than likely dig this CD. You DJ's/producers really need to buy this thing, cuz there's just SO MUCH to sample from here. And your friends will think you're cool cuz you like this weird music. You've bought all the David Axelrod records. It's now time to get into something new. Believe me, if Vanilla Ice was sampling this stuff, he'd have a major comeback.

The Ramayan is one of the two major epic poems in India that describe the journey of virtue to annihilate vice. The poem is composed in a complex metre called Anustup (which incidentally happens to be the name of a famous quizzer in the Indian circuit). To read more about shloks and metres, start off with this article. The article mentions the ITRANS transliteration scheme from the Devnaagri script to English. Read more about it here.

We make an impromptu drive to Taj Mahal Imports on Woodcliff Drive and I now have some more old Hindi VHS to watch: KHOTTEY SIKKEY and MANORANJAN. The other selections we make include KABULIWALA and SAHIB, BIWI AUR GHULAM. Dinner is a buffet at Mirch Masala. This is the first time I have eaten there. Although rather limited the buffet included some redeeming kadhi and kheer. The layout was appealing. I almost expected Mithun or Jumping Jack Jeetendra to pop out near the cashier's counter and break into a dinner disco tune. The place also emphasizes chatter against faint strains of oldies instead of a muzak-enhanced background.

Movie for the night: MANORANJAN
Shammi Kapoor's directorial debut is a bold desi remake of Billy Wilder's adaptation of IRMA LA DOUCE with Sanjeev Kumar, Zeenat Aman and Shammi Kapoor relishing his role as Dhoop "Dhoopu" Chaaon, the proprieter of Dhoop Chaaon hotel, switching between witty one-liners and moments of pure ham. Great soundtrack (but this is really biased opinion) from R. D. Burman with the experimental excursion into rhythms called Aaya hoon main tujhko le jaaoonga, the lovely Asha solo Chori chori solah shringaar karoongi and Goyake chunaanche, which has Manna Dey voicing for Shammi Kapoor. The film met with mediocre success when it was released in 1974. A very off-beat choice to make a debut with, and a very commendable effort that falls apart in the rather hastily wrapped up and poorly acted out climax.

Daily Readings for Lent
Ezekiel 18:21-28
Matthew 5:20-26