Godyears - Dog years

Ruby... wonder dog. 

(2006) Dogyears  - Why dogs are better than humans

(2006) Take a 'Bow'  - Guest post by the dog himself!

(2007) The trial of Ruby  - How does your dog behave when caught doing something wrong?

(2009) Dog wars  - How does Ruby react when we mess with her? You don't want to know!

(2009) RIP Leo & (2010) Bruno 

(2010) Old dogs and Wild hogs - Even though we grow old, a part of that youthful spark remains.

(2011) Two of my favourite things  - What could they be?

(2012) It's a dogs world  - The difference between Ruby and the doberman, Victor!

(2013) RIP Ruby 1999 - 2013 - A time to part

Snoopy... celebrity dog. 

(2013) A faithful hint of citrus and coffee  - The transition from Ruby to Snoopy

(2013) When your dog is embarrassed by you - When you do so badly, even the dog doesn't want to see you.

(2013) The dog, the bone and the tree - Some dogs cannot even make out the difference between a bone and a tree, apparently.

(2014) A dogyear later - One eventful year of the new kid.

(2014) The Athens Agenda - A Snoopikus mystery - A prize winning entry on Snoopy's first international spy adventure.
(2014) The Couch dog - The one where Snoopy proves you can't teach an old dog new tricks

CarConnect : Indian Car lovers, rejoice!

Impressive.

Very impressive.

That’s the thought that comes to mind after reviewing CarConnect, the new site for car aficionados. Like many others, I too ventured into the site not knowing what it was about as it was my first time there. That lack of pre-conceived notions worked well to my advantage as I pressed each of the main buttons though, reading post after post & following articles and opinions.

Car Connect looks to bring together car lovers from across the entire country under a single platform and have them speak out about their experiences, opinions and journeys. Here, you are the speaker - talking about your passion to an audience who understands the value of words like ABS, horse power and long drives.

The layout of the drive deserves credit – it’s fairly self-explanatory and easy to use even for a first-timer.

The SHARE EXPERIENCE button leads you to a page where you can choose to either write about your experience with a particular car or conversely, describe a journey you undertook with your car. Options are also available to add pictures and even videos to help showcase your four wheeled beauty to others who drop by.

The Share Experience Page... straightforward and easy to use

So how would a newcomer know where to look for all this? Again, the creators of the site have made it ‘easy-peesy’ : the HOME PAGE directly shows you two options of cloud widgets filled with 

a) the name of the car and 

b) the destination of the journey. 

Click on any of the names visible and you can go directly to all entries for that particular car or place. Conversely, you can also find more places by clicking the LONG DRIVE button.

The role model I never saw

We all look up to our parents and learn from them so it is inevitable that they play a big role in our lives. They will be someone we care for, respect and are proud of, throughout the rocky roads of life. But sometimes, there are certain individuals who cross our path fleetingly and yet leave such an impact on us with their deeds that we remember them even decades later.
I have been blessed to come across one such individual. The irony? I never got to lay eyes on the man.

This incident happened when I was probably in 3rd or 4th standard. 

It was a more serene age back then in Dubai with no Burj Al Arabs or man-made islands around - nothing like the carnival it's become over the last decade. A dirham got you 3 chapatis and 10 dirhams got you an audio cassette. Yet, even then, at those times, there were obviously families struggling to make ends meet. As kids who shared the same bus, played, studied, compared He-man comics and struggled to put on our ties, we were blissfully oblivious to the financial demands we put on our parents with our school fees.

The first time it struck the guys in my class of this problem was when the class teacher called a friend of ours and talked to him in private. The second time this scene repeated itself a few days later, curiosity got the better of us all and we asked him what was going on. His voice cracked a little as he informed us that he'd been unable to pay the fees this term ( there were three terms in a year, if I recall correctly ) and so had been asked to inform his parents that he could not attend school unless he had the cash the next day. 

I remember feeling sad for him that evening after class... I wondered if he's have to leave school and where he'd go or what he'd do next. I was too young then to wonder how much it would break his parents' hearts or how they would feel.

Father of My Son - Reviews

These are the reviews of my story "Father of my Son" published in Urban Shots : Bright Lights ( Grey Oaks Publications ).

Palak Mathur : "I am crazy about Wodehouse and the craziness of his character. Similar, craziness is evident in the story named Father of my Son by Roshan Radhakrishnan. I think comparison with Wodehouse stands testimony to the wonderful story-telling capabilities that he possesses. I will like to keep a note of him and will fondly be following his career as a writer." 

Priyanka : "'Father Of My Son' By Roshan Radhakrishnan is a rib tickling comedy by a good friend and wonderful writer. Having known and read him even before he got published, I can vouch that this man with his crazy sense of humour and comic timing is someone who can get you cracking up in seconds...and his story 'Father Of My Son' stands testimony to that." 

Saumya Kulshreshtha : "Generally, I hold a proclivity for intense and emotional stories, but this time, I was bowled over by a light and humorous story by the name of Father Of My Son by Roshan Radhakrishnan- a finely narrated tale of the innocence of childhood, the role and relationships of parents, the balance which needs to be found while performing multiple roles and justifying multiple relations in a family and eventually, the love which defines, binds and sustains a home. I have read and reread this story and it still makes me smile."

Hollywood Movies to watch out for ( April 2014 )

Last month, I recommended 6 movies of which 4 hit the mark with RottenTomatoes collected reviews score:

• 300: Rise of an Empire        42 %
• The Grand Budapest Hotel   91 %
• Need for Speed                    23 %
• Muppets : Most Wanted       78 %
• The Raid 2                            74 %
• Noah                                     76 %

That's a pretty good month for Hollywood movies, considering it was not even peak season yet. So what does April have in store for us?

Captain America
Release Date: April 4, 2014

Genre:  Action/ Political Thriller
Synopsis: Now settled into his role as an agent of the government, the super powered Captain America finds his moral stance at odds with his leaders decisions and begins to suspect the very people he works for. It doesn't help matters when a new terrorist arrives - one who had he considered his best friend... and saw fall to his death decades ago.
Bartender’s view: It's easy to recommend this one. Early reviews place it as being more darker and bolder than previous movies from the Marvel stable. Characters we have watched in previous movies take surprising story arcs and choices and the action is also less CGI and more hands-on.

Hollywood Movies to watch out for (March 2014)

Ah yes.
The big flicks of the year are almost upon us. Can you feel it?
All you movie buffs already know that there are a mouth-watering bunch of movies lined up this year for Hollywood fans, ranging from block-buster movies, CGI laden extravaganzas, awaited sequels and potentially good mysteries, dramas and comedies too .
But before the mega summer begins (come May), let’s take a look at some movies that hold a lot of promise releasing in March 2014, shall we?

300- Rise of an Empire
Release Date: March 7, 2014
Genre:  Action
Synopsis: Remember that visual marvel that was ‘300’ based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel? Well, it’s taken a while but the Greeks are back and this time as they once more take on the mighty forces of the Persians led by their ‘God’ Xerxes.
Bartender’s view: Expect more of the same gorgeous visuals which look less like a movie and more like divine paintings. The battle moves on to the sea this time from the trailers and while I’m a tad sceptical because Zack Synder is no longer directing, I still believe this will be a 'must-watch' on the big screen with your 3D glasses on.
View the trailer here.