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Riya's Photos....

2007-06-19T11:06:00.000-04:00

9 year old kid

2006-12-31T09:25:00.000-05:00

Long time since I last posted something. This makes it the fourth posting :-)

A Friend had come home yesterday with her son. He is 9 year old.

It is not my habit to talk to kids about politics, but may be he found an equal in me :-)

He was very clear in one things:

Saddam's execution was wrong and Bush will have to pay for it.

I was impressed!

The Matador and the transformation of Pierce Brosnan!

2006-02-07T21:15:00.000-05:00

Mm.. I read the review in imdb.com before going to the movie! It said killer comedy! After watching the movie, I am undecided. Is it a comedy movie or serious movie?

Couple of things I liked about the movie is the chemistry between Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear. Then there is the free spiritedness about the characters, especially the wife. Also who could have imagined "Bond" to do such a character! This is a remarkable character for him!

Overall a good movie to watch though I am not sure about the 7.4/10 rating imdb has given it!

What price, the news?

2006-02-01T22:57:00.000-05:00

I started reading books once again after a long time, Thanks to Ottawa Public Library!

Free membership, unlimited checkouts, renewal and booking through internet, quality books, videos and DVD's... This library was more than I ever hoped for. Anyway there is nothing to do in Ottawa in this time of year, ie if you don't know skiing , skating or snowboarding etc..

The only problem I had in library was to decide on what to read. Lots of books, some of familiar authors, but mostly unknown authors and titles . So I took a Mario Puzzo novel, The Sicilian, and was looking for something new when I saw "Freetown Ambush" on a table.

Ian Stewart was the Associated Press Journalist in Africa, where he covers the various civil wars. Before Africa, he was in India, Pakistan, and Vietnam etc. During the civil war in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the car he was traveling comes under rebel fire and Ian Stewart gets shot with a bullet on head. (His colleague Myles Tierney died in the attack)

The book talks about his time in Asia and Africa, the shooting and his treatment. Book tries to showcase the misery of Africa though gruesome incidents and tales, but I thought the stories lacked the "feeling". May be because he is a journalist!

But what happens after the shooting , "when Ian becomes the story", is really gripping. The slow recovery unfolds, with help of good treatment , through moments of despair, anger, quilt and self doubt. He says "Were we too cavalier about the dangers? Should we have been there in the first place" .

In the end the book offers insight in to the life in war torn Africa and life of war journalists. A good read.

PS: "What price, the news" was the title of an article by Ian Stewart on the same incident.

The First

2006-01-29T19:54:00.000-05:00

Hopefully not the last!
I will write about books read, places and movies seen etc.....