GODYEARS

The Top Disney songs over the last 3 decades

This year's #Barathon (Blog Marathon) by Blog-A-Rhythm is themed around 'Seven' so I figured I would make lists of seven (or multiples of it) for the challenges. For today's list, I chose to go with the Best Disney Songs of All Time.

With 80 years and nearly 60 animated films, Walt Disney has a legacy that simply cannot be matched in any era when it comes to animated movies and cinematic studios. The sheer variety and scope of these movies have made us smile and given us hope in so many different forms, as we found love and life lessons in everything they gave us, be it a mermaid, a mouse, a Princess or even a lion cub.
The music and songs in these movies have included some which were not just Oscar winners but have stood the test of time across generations as well.

It is tough to sheer a list comprising hundreds of songs down to 7 (or in this case, even 14) so I am cutting the duration down to the last 3 decades of songs (1987 - 2017).

A Whole New World - Aladdin

* Also check out the peppy Prince Ali and Friend Like Me.

Can You Feel the Love Tonight - The Lion King.

Circle of Life - The Lion King

Honestly, The Lion King as an album is pure magic. So many hits that deserve to be in this list including the iconic Hakuna Matata and I just can't wait to be King

Go the Distance - Hercules

You'll be in my Heart - Tarzan

Son of Man - Tarzan

If there is competition for Elton John and 'The Lion King' for best Disney music album, it is undoubtedly from Phil Collins and the soundtrack of 'Tarzan'. Check out the amazing Two Worlds and Strangers Like Me.

You've got a Friend in Me - Toy Story

Beauty and the Beast - Beauty and the Beast

Almost There - The Princess and the Frog

Colours of the Wind - Pocahontas

Kiss the Girl - The Little Mermaid

Let it go - Frozen

Try Everything - Zootopia

How Far I'll Go - Moana

Hope you had fun and found some new gems today. Which are your all-time favourite Disney songs?

You can find posts by other bloggers for Day 4 here.

My posts in this challenge have been:
1. Thanos & the Infinity Stones (Marvel Movie Trivia)
2. 14 Movies Better than the Book
3. 14 Dishes of Malabar Cuisine
4. Top Disney Songs Over the Last Three Decades

June 23, 2017
36 Comments

14 dishes of Malabar Cuisine

Foodgasm

Malabar cuisine is a blend of Arabia, Zamorin and Chirakkal styles of preparing food, unique to the region spanning from Kasargod to Malappuram in Kerala. In my opinion, it is heaven for a food lover, offering some of the tastiest dishes that Kerala has to offer. Using the commonly available ingredients (fish, prawns & crustaceans aplenty from the sea and rice, plantains and coconut from the land), you see a wide variety of dishes ranging from options for breakfast to tea time snacks.

So what are the dishes you should try out when visiting the Malabar region of Kerala?

Breakfast:

Appam with Egg Curry

These lacy soft hoppers are one of Kerala's most famous breakfast (and dinner) options

You could also opt for Appam with Coconut Milk (and maybe some sugar drizzled on top?)

Puttu and Kadala curry

A very popular Kerala breakfast option made with rice flour and coconut. Other options include puttu with bananas.

Main Course:

Thalassery Biryani

Every time someone says that that damn potato-filled Kolkata biryani is better than the beautifully flavoured Thalassery fish / chicken / ~~beef~~ horned chicken with hooves / mutton biryani, a Kerala jungle crow screams out "Blasphemy"!

Nool puttu/ Idiyappam (String Hoppers) with Prawn fry with Egg Curry

Do I really need to describe this?

Kozhi Porichathu

Chicken Dry Fry Malabar style is a classic blend of spices and mouth-watering flavour!

Kerala style Fish fry

Blessed with the abundance of variety, from sardines to hamour (groupers), the Malabar style of fish fry offers a well-seasoned fried version

Crab Roast

Sinfully sweet meat that is also surprisingly healthy (you can get the details and recipe here)

Sulaimani Tea

After your heavy meal of a biryani and fish fry, calm that tummy with a tea popular in Malabar with roots going all the way across to Arabia. (You can read about the amazingly kind Operation Sulaimani initiative here and get the recipe too)

Tea-time / Roadside Snacks:

Sugeen

Fried dish filled with green gram, hints of jaggery, coconut and cardamom

Arikadukka / Fried Stuffed Mussels

Quintessential Malabar roadside seafood snack - the rice dough is placed in the opened mussel shells and then steamed so that the mussels and rice stick together. The shells are then removed and the dish coated in masala paste and deep fried.

Thattu Dosa

The thicker, smaller dosas are a common sight at thathu kadas (roadside mobile stalls) and ironically, even in 5 star hotels today.

Sweets:

Kalathappam

Jaggery based rice cake with very unique 'incomplete striated columns' within, having a relatively crunchy exterior and a soft interior

Chatti Pathiri

A layered pastry that can be made in both sweet and savory form.

Image Source: Nitks (You can get the recipe here)

Unnakai

Distinctively shaped dish made of plantain (which forms the outer coating) and filled with sugar, beaten egg, coconut and nuts.

Have you been to the Malabar side (Kasargod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wynad, Palakkad) of Kerala? Did you get a chance to try out the above dishes? What were your favourites?

Author's disclaimer:

No cows were harmed during the making of this post.
No peacocks cried either.

You can find other posts of Day 3 of the #Barathon here. The theme is 'Seven' but I'm going with multiples of seven at times.

My posts in this challenge have been:
1. Thanos & the Infinity Stones (Marvel Movie Trivia)
2. 14 Movies Better than the Book
3. 14 Dishes of Malabar Cuisine
4. Top Disney Songs Over the Last Three Decades

June 21, 2017
28 Comments

14 movies that were better than their books (and 14 that were just as good) #Barathon

Fun Lists

Since I am going with the theme of 'Sevens' for this #Barathon (blog marathon by Blog-A-Rhythm), I will go with multiples here to make up for what is a pretty extensive list. So you have here 14 movies that did justice to the original book and then 14 movies that I feel were better than the original book.

14 Well written books/stories and equally excellent movies.

Omen
Bladerunner
A Time to Kill
A Walk to Remember
Atonement
One flew over the Cuckoo's nest
Mystic River
Catch Me if you Can
Fight Club
Runaway Jury
To kill a Mockingbird
Gone with the Wind
L.A. Confidential
The Exorcist

Now that we've seen the runner-ups, let's head onto the main event :

14 movies that were better than the book.

14. Princess Diaries
While the book is a light read, Anne Hatheway (in a star making role), Julie Andrews and the Disney touch ensured this is a wonderfully done feel-good movie.

13. Children of Men
Alfonso Cuaron's movie is very different from the original P.D. James book which is more of a theological discussion as opposed to the thriller feel given to the movie. And it does benefit from that.

12. The Godfather
By retaining some aspects of the main story and leaving others for The Godfather 2, the movie becomes more focused, I feel.

11. Jaws
Yes, the book is good. But you just know the movie is better and a true cult classic at all levels.

10. Stand by Me
One of the best 'coming of age' movies, the Rob Reiner movie based on a Stephen King novella captured that feeling of childhood nostalgia perfectly.

9. Jurassic Park
I think its the visualization that ensures this makes the list. Actually being able to see very realistic dinosaurs in action as opposed to reading of them was an amazing experience 25 years ago!

8. A Beautiful Mind

Credit goes to : Ron Howard ( director ) and Akiva Goldsman ( screenplay )

Frankly, the book is annoying and unengaging. It is depressing, it is harrowing and it delves too deep into jargon that isn't frankly relevant. The movie starring Russell Crowe atleast attempts to put on a hint of mystery, intrigue and more importantly hope to the real life story of delusional schizophrenic John Nash, who would eventually beat the odds and get a Nobel Laureate.

7. Prestige

Credit goes to : director Christopher Nolan

The book about two magicians whose rivalries define not just their career but their lives is no doubt a good read. But the movie is so much more - the direction is spell-binding ( no pun intended ), more emphasis is given to the three stages of an illusion and it's relevance in real-life and the acting is par excellence. For women - well, you have Wolverine vs Batman. What more can you ask for ?

6. Forrest Gump

Credit goes to : Director Robert Zemeckis.

This was, and in my opinion still remains, one of the best example of how simplicity can move your heart. Tom Hanks' role as the perennial do-gooder helping people ( including Elvis ! ) selflessly, while yearning for love is a masterpiece of story-telling and human nature at it's best. So sweet. So innocent. So natural...oh wait. Maybe not. Were you aware that in the Winston Groom novel, he also goes into space and meets an alien monkey ! And a short while later, gets captured by cannibals too ?

Yeah. That's why the movie's better. Because they knew what to leave out.

5. & 4. Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile

Credit goes to : Stephen King ( novelist ) and Frank Darabont ( director )
No author in history perhaps has as many movie adaptations of his novels as horror writer Stephen King. And yet, it is the tale of friendship between two unlikely people in a prison that till date, adorns so many people's list of "Favourite Movie". There is no violence. No CGI. No women. And yet, this story is so profound and heartwarming that even grown men cry. Stephen King himself was man enough to admit that the movie was better than his book.

For those of you thinking it was a fluke, the two would collaborate 2 more times to further critical acclaim - The Green Mile ( another great human tale of an unusual prisoner awaiting death row... RIP Michael Clarke Duncan ) and The Mist ( a supernatural tale with a very human element to it, which I warn you in advance, has one of the most gut wrenching endings I have ever seen. )

3. Die Hard

Credit goes to : It's the original Die Hard. Just stand up and applaud already.

New York cop John McClane taking on German terrorists at the Nakatomi Corporation. 'Nuff said.

Fun Fact : here's what you didn't know. The author of the novel on which the movie was based ( Nothing Lasts Forever ) had a prequel way back in the 60s. That too was made into a movie called The Detective starring none other than Frank Sinatra ! ( In the books, the characters name is Joe Leland though. ) So technically, Bruce Willis isn't the original Die Hard man.

2. The Lord of the Rings series.

Credit goes to : Peter Jackson, the director.
Have you read the novel ? If you have got through the whole thing with it's elves, dwarves, sorcerers and made up languages and then seen the movie(s), then you know that it couldn't possibly have been taken any more beautifully. Peter Jackson, I salute you.

1. The Silence of The Lambs.

Credit goes to : Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.
Frankly, there are better pyschopath based novels, if you care to search ( think John Conolly, Jeffrey Deaver etc ), but what made the movie iconic was not just Hopkins' chilling portrayal as Dr Hannibal Lecter but the interaction between him and Jodie Foster as she tries to hunt down a killer at large.

Fun fact : The moths used in the movie were celebrities : They were flown in first class, had their own rooms ( a temperature thing ) and even had special costumes for themselves (the design on their back is based on artist Salvador Dali's photograph 'in voluptate mors' symbolising seven nude women ).

So what did you think of the list - Agree ? Disagree ? Got another movie in mind ? Some movie from the first list that deserved to make the final 7 instead? Do comment with your opinions.

I'm all ears.

Authors note:

June 19, 2017
41 Comments

Thanos, the Infinity Stones & the Gauntlet

Movies Music Books Cars & TV

This year's Blog Marathon by Blog-A-Rhythm - #Barathon - is themed around 'Seven' so I figured I would make lists of seven for the next seven posts.

And for the first post, I decided to go back to what I do best: geek trivia.
Today's class? The Six Infinity Stones and the Gauntlet that will be extremely important next year when you go to watch the culmination (yes, culmination!) of a decade of Marvel movies.

Since 2008, whether you wanted to or not, you have been sucked into the world of Marvel Cinema with its buffet of heroes, beginning a decade ago with a very cocky billionaire Tony Stark being held hostage in a cave by terrorists and presently going far across the galaxy alongside a talking raccoon and a walking tree.

Yes, we've seen it all, haven't we?

And yet, even now, if I ask you about Thanos and the Infinity Stones, some of you may scratch your head and go, "huh?"

It is not your fault. Marvel has been sly in their ways, slowly dispersing bits and pieces of the puzzle starting from way back in Captain America as the Red Skull searched for the Tesseract to the present day where Dr Strange used the Eye of Agamoto (no relation to the Ajinimoto of the roadside momo) to really screw around with the villain in his movie. We have even seen that big purple guy Thanos in the background of many movies now (Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers 2) as he tries to collect these 6 stones.

Why does he want them?

Well, here is where the 'comic book creativity' comes in. Thanos is fascinated with nihilism and death and falls in love with the physical version, Mistress Death. In the comics, Thanos gets all 6 stones and places them in that big glove we saw him retrieve at the end of Avengers 2. It is called the Infinity Gauntlet and with the power of all the stones combined, he becomes strong enough to wipe away half the population of the universe, all just to impress Mistress Death, hoping she will fall for him.

Ah, young love.

What is the big deal about those stones?

Well, each stone has a specific power. And whether you realized it or not, they have actually been shown to you over the course of these movies.

The Tesseract - The Space Stone (Captain America: The First Avenger & The Avengers) - Opened portals across different points in space, allowing the Chitauri army to attack in the Avengers movie.
The Aether - The Reality Stone (Thor: The Dark World) - gives the wielder the ability to control dark matter and manipulate reality.
The Orb - The Power Stone (Guardians of the Galaxy) - Could decimate an entire planet just with a touch.
The Scepter - The Mind Stone (Avengers, Age of Ultron) - Used by Loki to control the minds of Hawkeye and Dr Selvig. The gem presently rests on the head of the android, Vision.
The Eye of Agamoto - The Time Stone (Doctor Strange) - Used by Doctor Strange to manipulate time.
The Soul Stone (Not shown yet) - Most likely to now feature in Thor: Ragnarok later this year.

Weirdly enough, the letters to the objects that hold the stones spell out 'Thanos'

That is some subtle creativity there by the screenplay writers.

Why is this relevant?

The next Avengers movie releases in 2018 and is titled Avengers: Infinity Wars. The general arc is likely to be around Thanos this time as he gets the stones and fulfills his comic book destiny.

This movie (and the immediate sequel in 2019) supposedly ends Phase Three, completing the huge story line that began in 2008 with 'Iron Man' and starting a new story arc after that.
So this could be the last time we get to see Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), Captain America (the Chris Evans version at least), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and a few others of the first batch of Avengers on the big screen!

Sigh. I am gonna miss them. Damn these big ~~orange~~ purple-headed leaders and their destructive antics, eh?

You can find other posts of Day 1 of the #Barathon here.

June 17, 2017
21 Comments

Diffuse the ticking time-bomb called obesity

medical

With the exception of smoking, obesity remains the largest cause of premature preventable deaths in the world. And I do mean the world. There is no escaping this truth.

In 2016, the Lancet published one of the largest meta-analysis ever, carried out by more than 500 researchers spanning 300 institutions in 32 countries. They sifted through 239 studies worldwide and narrowed down their research to just under 4 million patients from these studies, excluding smokers and people with chronic ailments.

Body Mass Index is the standard formula for identifying the degree of obesity.

Their findings? People with a Body-Mass-Index (BMI) between 20-25 had the lowest chance of death. For obese people, every additional 5 BMI points was linked to an additional 39% increase in mortality risk.

The key diseases related to obesity that contribute to morbidity and early mortality are:

Diabetes: Aggravates heart diseases, blood pressure, kidney failure, nerve disorders, blindness, strokes and even loss of limbs.
Hypertension: Often seen with heart disease, congestive heart failure, strokes and kidney diseases.
Heart Diseases: Obesity is invariably linked with heart disorders, failure, irregular heart rhythms and attacks.
Respiratory Diseases: Reduced lung capacity can literally take your breath away. Obstructive sleep apnea is linked to high blood pressure and heart failure.
Depression and suicidal tendencies.
Liver disorders: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is often associated with obesity resulting ultimately in liver failure.
Bone and joint disorders: Common disorders include gout and osteoarthritis.
Diseases like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) in women and hypothyroidism are also often associated with weight gain.
Cancer deaths: I bet you did not know this. Obesity increases your risk of getting more than a dozen significant cancers, ranging from your esophagus and thyroid to your kidneys, cervix and ovaries.

Do you see how big a killer those extra kilos are? How almost every organ can be affected by obesity?

Do not fret if you worry that there are just too many kilos to lose and it is too hard a mountain to climb. Aim to lose weight gradually and in a healthy way and you will see the benefits as time goes by.

More importantly, do you know the benefits of weight loss?

We all know losing weight is no easy task. We have all been there and lost the odd battle of the bulge, some more than others. This is something you need to know to be inspired. Losing 10% of your body weight as an obese person drastically reduces the likelihood of you ever developing chronic killers like diabetes and hypertension. It reduces your risk of heart diseases and stroke as well as respiratory ailments.

So aim to be healthy, not just thin. Believe me, that makes a huge difference at the end of the day. Do not fret if you worry that there are just too many kilos to lose and it is too hard a mountain to climb. Aim to lose weight gradually and in a healthy way and you will see the benefits as time goes by.

Brand leaders VLCC have been trend-setters in weight reduction for decades in India and presently under their 'Get Well Soon' initiative, offer customized programs to each individual focusing on weight management linked to four disease categories that we discussed earlier:

Diabetes
Hypertension and Heart Health
PCOS
Hypothyroid.

Their aid and motivation combined with your self-belief and desire to diffuse this ticking time-bomb called obesity will not just rejuvenate you both physically and mentally but more importantly, be the best gift you give your future self - a healthy life.

June 12, 2017
2 Comments

Tea Culture of the World

Foodgasm

Sometimes you don't need words. A single picture will suffice. Like the one above. Imagine having that many varieties of tea at your disposal when you get home from work?

But I am getting ahead of myself. While I do enjoy my filter kaapi, my hot beverage of choice betrays my South Indian roots. Yes, it is the tea in its many varieties - from the amazing Rs 2 masala tea we used to get as students in Pune from the roadside vendor to the regal 'Earl Grey, hot' that my Star Trek Captain, Jean Luc Picard drinks to the traditional Darjeeling tea and yes, even the flavoured varieties.

So, when Tea Culture of the World sent over an intricately carved wooden box laden with myriad varieties of tea for me to try, it was pure nirvana for me.

Seated comfortably within in neat rows and columns were sachets of eight exclusive varieties of tea that hailed from as far away as England, South Africa, Japan and China.

What I liked about Tea Culture of the World

1. They take their tea very seriously.

I tested 8 varieties of their tea. Can you guess how many varieties they have?
Believe it or not, they actually have 80 herbal and flavoured teas at the store (you can check the entire list out here!)

2. Attention to detail.

Based on the variety of tea (80 of them, remember?), each sachet is individualized to tell you:

the highlight and notes of that tea.
the health benefits of that tea.
how much quantity (if bought as tea leaves) is required for a hot tea and an iced tea.
the temperature at which to boil it.
the exact time duration to brew for that particular tea.

3. The Doctor of Teas

The emphasis on making healthy varieties of teas comes from the CEO, Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar, a doctor and fitness freak who took her passion for tea to the next level, even living in a tea estate in China briefly to understand the methods of brewing and blending there.

4. Whole Leaf Tea

This is not the crushed remains within the tea bag. This is the actual whole leaves themselves in a distinctive tea bag, not losing any of the original flavour.

5. The Whimsical Packaging

Seriously, look at all those lovely bright colours for each variety? How can you not feel happy reaching out for them?

Coming to the teas I received

Well, I did test each one of them individually over the course of a week, brewing them as instructed in the sachets. The result? Eight unique teas with varying shades, aromas and flavours.

Clockwise from Top Left:

Darjeeling, Sencha, Imperial White, Chamomile,

Earl Grey, Rooibos, Kashmiri Kahwa and Oolong

Roobios

Exclusive to South Africa
My opinion: A maroon red tea that feels rich and full-bodied.
Health: Aids in blood circulation and relieves stomach complaints.

Kashmiri Kahwa

Green tea, cardamom, cinnamom, cloves
My opinion: The spices are lighter than I anticipated and do not overpower.
Health: Aids in weight loss, maintaining cholesterol levels and regulating blood pressure.

Oolong (Available in 7 flavoured varieties at the store.)

China-based tea
My opinion: Rich flavour with notes of spices.
Health: The Ming dynasty emperors venerated Oolong for its 'curative powers' - anti-aging, fighting tooth decay, improving kidney and spleen functions.

Darjeeling

India's very own rejuvenation potion.
My opinion: That very familiar and distinctive muscatel spiciness of Darjeeling tea that we have all had at least once in our lives.
Health: Weight loss, boosts immune system.

Earl Grey (arguably, the world's most popular black tea)

Assam black tea with bergamot orange flavour.
My opinion: Smooth, perfect to kick-start the day.
Health: fights oral infections, aids in weight loss

Chamomile (Available in 5 flavoured varieties at the store.)

Green tea and delicate chamomile flowers in your tea-bag.
My opinion: Chamomile is fragrant and calming, ideal before going to sleep.
Health: relieves stress and anxiety, aids in weight loss and regulates blood pressure.

Sencha

Japanese based whole leaf green tea.
My opinion: The sachet says 'a hint of seaweed' which made me hesitant but honestly, I did not make out any such note. It is light, sweet and mild-flavoured.
Health: reduces signs of aging, aids in weight loss, regulates blood pressure.

Imperial White

White tea with scented jasmine flowers.
My opinion: Delicate but definitely floral (more than chamomile), soothening.
Health: Stress-reliever, reduces blood pressure and rich in calcium.

Final thoughts

Tea Culture of the World has so many more varieties to offer and each so amazingly distinctive - Lemongrass Ginger, Mango Mania, Lemon Mojito, Moroccan Mint, Wildberry Tales, Spicy Mandarin, Apple Cinnamom Duet...
You can find the entire list here.

My advice? Take your time, click the ones that catch your fancy and read the detailed descriptions. Then choose for yourself.

If you are confused because of too much choice or want to find a good gifting option for a tea-lover, you can opt for the Tea-gifts. A collection of selected teas in exclusive gift packs - you have options like the Wellness collection, the Starter kit, Japanese and Chinese packs or the World tea pack (11 teas from 11 countries).

The varieties are honestly more than I have ever seen in my life from any tea-brand and the effort made to keep the tea healthy yet tasty and distinctive is visible here.

Tea Culture of the World is heaven for the tea connoisseur and a perfect way for the occasional tea drinker to upgrade not just his knowledge but his palate and health too.