Monday Mania

With exams finishing on Saturday, going back to classes on Monday was a pain. However, we needn't have worried because the professors were not expecting us to be back. Only one of them took a half an hour class of gup-shup. Another one, who has incidentally written the book we are studying for the paper, could not teach becuase he wasn't carrying his notes!! I am sure that the use of notes can be essential even for someone who has been teaching the paper for years but I am also quite sure he could have managed a class for the people who had made the effort to come all the way to college. Lazy bum.

Free at 11, we had to have fun after the end of the exams even though nobody quite knew what to do. Decided to convert the holiday into a holy-day and went to "check out" Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and Sacred Heart's Cathedral. My first visit to a Gurdwara and hence, the whole fascination with people from well-off families manning the shoes counter, the constant cleaning, the head covering cloths, the huge fish in the water body, etc. Cornered one of the staff members to hear the story of how the Guru had come to cure the people by giving them the magical water. Dutifully drank some of it to make sure we "complete the experience" as another visitor put it to us. Saw the museum which had paintings showing different historic moments in Sikhism. The practicality and absence of ritualism was obvious but the excess of violence and blood was a turn off. In the Gurdwara, I did not feel peaceful or spiritual. No clue why. The church was exactly the opposite. Minus all noise and show, it was very peaceful and if the noise in your mind quietens, it would be a great place to think and pray.

Back home, decided to go for Pride and Prejudice with mom. As did plenty of other mother-daughter duos. Got seats for the second row from the screen and got to hear loads of cribbing from mom :D(Apparently the "grains split" when you sit so near and we were missing out on "where the camera focussed in the dance sequences"). The crowd outside the hall comprised primarily of women of all ages, shapes, sizes and nationalities. Darcy n Lizzy indeed manage to attract a hall-full of women (and a few men) on a weekday afternoon!
The movie was enjoyable even though you felt like you were running through the whole book. Moments you enjoyed in the book but were missing in the movie kept coming back. I am no good at reviewing movies but am jotting down some things that came in my head. Bingley's character was given an additional dose of stupidity which added some laughs to the movie. Collins was just right, he played an irritating character without irritating the audience. Mister and Mrs. Bennet were given an almost equal importance, which was a nice touch. Lizzy was shown as more beautiful than what one gathers from the description in the book. She was, however, as perky as one would like her to be. Darcy was haughty and hot. Basically a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

In conclusion:

• Go watch the movie.
  
• In case of book based movies, you enjoy the movie more when you haven't read the book and you might actually enjoy the book more too because your mind isn't occupied with wondering what happens next!
• Americans are obsessed with the physical. They almost made Darcy and Lizzy kiss during the first proposal scene, the one where she turns his offer down!