London/Paris trip update! Film reviews, Pakistani elections...
So,another week spent in England. I'm getting used to this transcontinental toing and froing.
Spent a weekend in Paris--where I walked all over Central Paris--it was great!--before taking the Eurostar to England. Went to Blenheim Palace Park--in Oxfordshire--(Woodstock, a lovely little village 20 mins by bus from Oxford city centre) --the birthplace of one Winston Churchill and a sometime residence of HMERII! Beautiful and an oasis of peace...see pics...
Also went to London to meet up with Moinul, my friend from UCL--I still remember the day I first met him. Cn't believe its been 15 years already!!
We went to Bosphorus Kebab in South Kensington for dinner where we had a nice catching-up chat!
Then I headed off to Trocadero in Picadilly Circus to watch the eagerly anticipated Bollywood historical epic Jodhaa Akbar about the Mughal Emperor Akbar and his Rajput wife Jodhabai. Visually it was the most stunning Indian film ever --as beautifully shot as Lawrence of Arabia--and the battlescenes as good as anything anywhere but it was let down by 2 things: historical implausibility (can anyone really believe that, in the 16th century, Akbar the Great was so hen-pecked?) and the ludicrous length of 4 hours! I didn't finish till midnight so I couldn't meet Zubaer in the end. (Sorry!) Verdict: very good indeed. Could have been great but... 4/5.
Finished The File by Tim Garton Ash. Excellent. Also watched another Bollywood film on DVD called Raincoat (excellent) as well as Namastey London (with the gorgeous Katrina Kaif) and the daring Nishabd with Amitab Bachchan telling the tale of his 60 year old photographer's love affair with the 18 year old best friend of his daughter. Suddenly, someone has switched the Bollywood switch to "High Quality" and the world of cinema is better for it...
Also saw Lady Chatterley (French take on Lawrence's novel: critically acclaimed but I didn't like it)...
It was also great to be back with Family.
and lastly...the best ever elections in Pakistan! Mushy's party has been routed! The people have spoken. Isn't democracy great? Let's hope it is allowed to develop this time...expect him to be impeached in the coming months...
Spent a weekend in Paris--where I walked all over Central Paris--it was great!--before taking the Eurostar to England. Went to Blenheim Palace Park--in Oxfordshire--(Woodstock, a lovely little village 20 mins by bus from Oxford city centre) --the birthplace of one Winston Churchill and a sometime residence of HMERII! Beautiful and an oasis of peace...see pics...
Also went to London to meet up with Moinul, my friend from UCL--I still remember the day I first met him. Cn't believe its been 15 years already!!
We went to Bosphorus Kebab in South Kensington for dinner where we had a nice catching-up chat!
Then I headed off to Trocadero in Picadilly Circus to watch the eagerly anticipated Bollywood historical epic Jodhaa Akbar about the Mughal Emperor Akbar and his Rajput wife Jodhabai. Visually it was the most stunning Indian film ever --as beautifully shot as Lawrence of Arabia--and the battlescenes as good as anything anywhere but it was let down by 2 things: historical implausibility (can anyone really believe that, in the 16th century, Akbar the Great was so hen-pecked?) and the ludicrous length of 4 hours! I didn't finish till midnight so I couldn't meet Zubaer in the end. (Sorry!) Verdict: very good indeed. Could have been great but... 4/5.
Finished The File by Tim Garton Ash. Excellent. Also watched another Bollywood film on DVD called Raincoat (excellent) as well as Namastey London (with the gorgeous Katrina Kaif) and the daring Nishabd with Amitab Bachchan telling the tale of his 60 year old photographer's love affair with the 18 year old best friend of his daughter. Suddenly, someone has switched the Bollywood switch to "High Quality" and the world of cinema is better for it...
Also saw Lady Chatterley (French take on Lawrence's novel: critically acclaimed but I didn't like it)...
It was also great to be back with Family.
and lastly...the best ever elections in Pakistan! Mushy's party has been routed! The people have spoken. Isn't democracy great? Let's hope it is allowed to develop this time...expect him to be impeached in the coming months...