I kind of briefly relived the experiences and anguish of an unmarried girl as i watched "Arranged". Totally identified with Rochel, an orthodox Jewish girl and Nasira, a syrian born Muslim who meet as first year teachers at a public school in Brooklyn. They are beautiful, religious, devoted to their families, educated, bright but not so modern as in the real world - neither in their thoughts as in enjoying parties, dressing stylishly or living a "cool" life. They both are a little "serious", if you know what i mean :)
They are of marriageable age and their families begin to put pressure on them to choose from the grooms they pre-select. Obviously, they meet a couple of "characters" whom they dislike and make their displeasure known to their parents. Rochel's aunt, mother and Miriam, the match-maker have meetings to discuss how most girls would be happy with the prospective grooms and maybe Rochel is dreaming of some perfect guy who might not exist. "Who is the perfect guy? You know someone we all wanted : Caring, a good listener, someone who can provide, a good father." I particularly liked all the expressions Rochel makes when she is with a very talkative guy on one of her "arranged dates". Later when Rochel is fed up with all this and says she needs a break, her mother scares her by saying "Your father's blood pressure is elevated because of you. This is not good for your father's health. Your sister pays the price, and has her chances ruined because she has to wait until you feel ready. Two spinsters in this house, absolutely not. You are not considering the big picture." Meanwhile, Nasira's family arranges a groom and things begin to look up for her and she is happy. The groom makes her heart skip beats.
Nasira takes along Rochel to meet her brother at the university library because Rochel wants to get out of the house, the pressure is too much. And there Nasira catches her brother's friend and Rochel briefly looking at each other. Later Rochel tells her that even if he is perfect, she can never take him home, unless passed through the family match maker. Nasira quietly notes the match-makers name, takes a photo of her brother's friend, talks to him saying she has to interview people of different religious faiths, takes his details and hands it to Miriam the match maker, who shows it in the next meeting to Rochel's family mentioning how in a strange way, she got this particular boy's details. By the way, forgot to mention that by fluke, this guy is an Orthodox Jew, what luck!!!
Another scene that i really liked is when Nasira's boy comes home to finalize the marriage. I like the way, her father and mother, holding hands, smiling - simply let her know that she and Jamil has their blessings, that they are delighted. She is ecstatic and replies modestly - "Shukran Baba".
Meanwhile, the ladies are surprised when Rochel says "yes" to the photo and details of "Gideon", the one she saw from afar at the university library with Nasira - nice face, a kind face right? They meet on a date and both don't feel awkward or nervous. Match fixed there too.
There is a brief shot of the two girls getting ready as brides. And the last scene, the girls sitting on a bench in a park, just chatting like happily married wives, tending to their first borns :) A Happy Ending!
Another detail, i forgot to metion is that it was heart warming to see both the set of parents of Rochel and Nasira, very loving and devoted, though their's was also arranged marriages.
Any marriage - arranged or love, when it happens because two people truly like each other and because they cannot live a life without the other is a blessing, however hard troubles or obstacles come along. Does it really matter, how they met? :))
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Been feeling Blue
Whispers of sorrow
Here today, back tomorrow
Can not be explained
-- Unknown.
The last few days, i did not wish to write, did not wish to check mails, did not wish to go online and chat with friends, did not wish to do anything - i just existed. I can't specifically pinpoint on something, because life never, in the first place promised to be a bed of roses. I just found myself in a cloud of gloom.
The greatest blessing is the one and only 'R' - who gave me his smiles, each time he found me without one. I don't know what good i have done, to deserve a caring, loving, understanding friend and companion. He is truly a miracle in my life. Thanks a ton, 'R' for the wonderful movies you select for me. I can never ever thank you enough for all the things you do everyday.
The positive way of looking at dolor, i found in Ecclesiastes, 7:3. "Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness the countenance of the heart is made better."
Watched a couple of great movies with the exception of one - The Fur, stopped it halfway through, would never recommend it. The good ones are
"Nights in Rodante" - sentimental romantic love story;
"He's Just Not That Into You" - funny, comical - the one scene that brought me tears and joy - when Ben Affleck proposes to Jennifer Aniston; Memorable weekend flic.
"The Shawshank Redemption" - amazing movie, i have to dedicate a blog on it.
"The Saint" - loved it. Truly brilliant.
"The Green Mile" - watching it and loving every bit - can't wait to see how this one goes forward.
Felt too bad for "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Saint" - who lost it to "The Titanic" and "Forrest Gump". All the four are the greatest movies, without a doubt, the ones that make to the Top 100 best movies ever... but i only wish the first two were released at different times, because they did deserve tons of accolades too.
On a more sombre note, attended a funeral - a spiritually humbling exercise. It is mysterious.
And all along the path to the cemetery the round dark heads of men crowded silently, and black-scarved faces of women folk, wistfully watch at the banner of death, and the mystery.
- D. H. Lawrence
My time was come! My days were spent! I was called away-and away I went! (Unknown)- "Appen" seemed to say from nowhere. But he did have a blessed long devout life, and left behind a larger family of children and grand children.
That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet. - Emily Dickinson
Here today, back tomorrow
Can not be explained
-- Unknown.
The last few days, i did not wish to write, did not wish to check mails, did not wish to go online and chat with friends, did not wish to do anything - i just existed. I can't specifically pinpoint on something, because life never, in the first place promised to be a bed of roses. I just found myself in a cloud of gloom.
The greatest blessing is the one and only 'R' - who gave me his smiles, each time he found me without one. I don't know what good i have done, to deserve a caring, loving, understanding friend and companion. He is truly a miracle in my life. Thanks a ton, 'R' for the wonderful movies you select for me. I can never ever thank you enough for all the things you do everyday.
The positive way of looking at dolor, i found in Ecclesiastes, 7:3. "Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness the countenance of the heart is made better."
Watched a couple of great movies with the exception of one - The Fur, stopped it halfway through, would never recommend it. The good ones are
"Nights in Rodante" - sentimental romantic love story;
"He's Just Not That Into You" - funny, comical - the one scene that brought me tears and joy - when Ben Affleck proposes to Jennifer Aniston; Memorable weekend flic.
"The Shawshank Redemption" - amazing movie, i have to dedicate a blog on it.
"The Saint" - loved it. Truly brilliant.
"The Green Mile" - watching it and loving every bit - can't wait to see how this one goes forward.
Felt too bad for "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Saint" - who lost it to "The Titanic" and "Forrest Gump". All the four are the greatest movies, without a doubt, the ones that make to the Top 100 best movies ever... but i only wish the first two were released at different times, because they did deserve tons of accolades too.
On a more sombre note, attended a funeral - a spiritually humbling exercise. It is mysterious.
And all along the path to the cemetery the round dark heads of men crowded silently, and black-scarved faces of women folk, wistfully watch at the banner of death, and the mystery.
- D. H. Lawrence
My time was come! My days were spent! I was called away-and away I went! (Unknown)- "Appen" seemed to say from nowhere. But he did have a blessed long devout life, and left behind a larger family of children and grand children.
That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet. - Emily Dickinson
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
The Scapegoat
According to lore, everyone has a double somewhere in the world. Daphne du Maurier, who was born in London and educated in Paris weaves this story with plenty of suspense and surprises in store.
By chance, two men - one English, the other French - meet in a provincial railway station. Their resemblance is uncanny and they spend the next few hours talking and drinking - until John, the Englishman, falls into a drunken stupour. It's to be his last carefree moment, for when he wakes, his French companion has stolen his identity. So John steps into the Frenchman's shoes and becomes the owner of a chateau, the director of a failing business and the head of a large family. Indeed, the problems concerning the family are seemingly insurmountable, and at first the protagonist stumbles through one mistake after another; nevertheless no-one suspects he is not Jean, the Frenchman other than the dog. The double then attempts to put everyone's life to some order. Just when John is finally succeeding, Jean returns to claim his life back.
Why did John even think of going to Jean's chateau? But what other options did a man in his situation have, when he was robbed of his identity and nobody would beleive that this was true... they would only think Jean was faking it or has lost his mind.
Did you know that the word - "scapegoat" has its origins in the Bible? A goat over the head of which the high priest of the ancient Jews confessed the sins of the people on the Day of Atonement, after which it was allowed to escape: Lev. 16:7-26. The scapegoat was released, in a ceremony, into the wilderness to carry away the sins of Israel away from the camp... A scapegoat is a person, group, or thing upon whom the blame for the mistakes or crimes of others is thrust.
My favourite lines from the novel :
"One had no right to play about with people's lives. One should not interfere with their emotions. A word, a look, a smile, a frown, did something to another human being waking response or aversion and a web was woven which had no beginning and no end, spreading outward and inward too, merging, entangling, so that the struggle of one depended upon the struggle of the other."
"A business is like a home : it must have a head, a core and depending upon that centre, it either thrives or falls to pieces."
"There is no end to the evil in ourselves, just as there is no end to the good. It's a matter of choice. We struggle to climb or we struggle to fall. The thing is to discover which way we are going."
"If life is no good to you now, its because you went for what was exciting, what was amusing, what was new - never for what was lasting, what endured."
"Fate has made a beautiful mistake and we are together when we might have been apart. "
Reading the scapegoat stirred a pleothora of emotions in my own heart. I found it hard to turn every page and find the next disaster waiting to happen. I was constantly asking 'R' what happens next, but found myself narrating where i left the story. I am glad, i have finished reading it. Definitely, worth reading. This was my first Daphne du Maurier novel. Last year, i had watched the movie - Rebecca, published in 1938, her most famous novel made into a movie.
By chance, two men - one English, the other French - meet in a provincial railway station. Their resemblance is uncanny and they spend the next few hours talking and drinking - until John, the Englishman, falls into a drunken stupour. It's to be his last carefree moment, for when he wakes, his French companion has stolen his identity. So John steps into the Frenchman's shoes and becomes the owner of a chateau, the director of a failing business and the head of a large family. Indeed, the problems concerning the family are seemingly insurmountable, and at first the protagonist stumbles through one mistake after another; nevertheless no-one suspects he is not Jean, the Frenchman other than the dog. The double then attempts to put everyone's life to some order. Just when John is finally succeeding, Jean returns to claim his life back.
Why did John even think of going to Jean's chateau? But what other options did a man in his situation have, when he was robbed of his identity and nobody would beleive that this was true... they would only think Jean was faking it or has lost his mind.
Did you know that the word - "scapegoat" has its origins in the Bible? A goat over the head of which the high priest of the ancient Jews confessed the sins of the people on the Day of Atonement, after which it was allowed to escape: Lev. 16:7-26. The scapegoat was released, in a ceremony, into the wilderness to carry away the sins of Israel away from the camp... A scapegoat is a person, group, or thing upon whom the blame for the mistakes or crimes of others is thrust.
My favourite lines from the novel :
"One had no right to play about with people's lives. One should not interfere with their emotions. A word, a look, a smile, a frown, did something to another human being waking response or aversion and a web was woven which had no beginning and no end, spreading outward and inward too, merging, entangling, so that the struggle of one depended upon the struggle of the other."
"A business is like a home : it must have a head, a core and depending upon that centre, it either thrives or falls to pieces."
"There is no end to the evil in ourselves, just as there is no end to the good. It's a matter of choice. We struggle to climb or we struggle to fall. The thing is to discover which way we are going."
"If life is no good to you now, its because you went for what was exciting, what was amusing, what was new - never for what was lasting, what endured."
"Fate has made a beautiful mistake and we are together when we might have been apart. "
Reading the scapegoat stirred a pleothora of emotions in my own heart. I found it hard to turn every page and find the next disaster waiting to happen. I was constantly asking 'R' what happens next, but found myself narrating where i left the story. I am glad, i have finished reading it. Definitely, worth reading. This was my first Daphne du Maurier novel. Last year, i had watched the movie - Rebecca, published in 1938, her most famous novel made into a movie.
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