Whats cool about NUS

Whats cool about NUS

When I upload photos from my university, my friends question "Is it a resort, nice!". Well apart from the history and reputation which many of its Indian counterparts have. The university is well funded. You have a stadium within the campus for track events. Football fields. Multiple Tennis, basketball and volleyball courts. Indoor stadium for badminton, Squash. Swimming pools.

Everyday I walk through the huge football field from dover bus stop to university hall bus stop within the campus. To my right I see athletes bustling around, stretching their thighs. The track is a synthetic hybrid track for better grip. To my left there are two nets for cricket practice and also 2 football fields. Generally people practice frisbee or baseball throws. There are several handball courts. This is where football enthusiasts practice their game, owing to the team count. Not to forget the swimming pool: clean, neat and a potential venue for regional swimming games. I guess you could also play water polo. The indoor stadiums are always noisy and buzzing.

OK, so I cross over to university hall bus stop from here I have to take an internal bus to go to my department. The university is so freaky huge and this shuttle service is free of cost for NUS students, of course. As I cross over, we have a university health service. It is an obligation of the university to provide health care to the students and apart from having NUH (National University hospital) within campus, they have this primary care facility. We have a Singapore post office next to the student's service center. The block also holds office for student's union NUSSU (NUS - Student's Union) which decides about events and privileges for the students. The same block hosts a few food stalls. I love the banana cakes and freshly brewed coffee at this stall.

The university has plush greenery and terrain. You have beautiful flowers decorating your passages, which you get to see only in movies which are artificially arranged for song sequences.

The library is fantastic. You can search for the books online, reserve them online, extend your reading period online. The location of books are cataloged well. Though almost all the academic books are reserved well in advance by stiff competitive students. If you want to return the books, well just drop them in the library book collection center. The campus WIFI facility is awesome, the fact that they have it linked up to individual sessions for each students talks about good communication framework and accountability.

As far as the classrooms go, they are called lecture theaters at least the ones for post graduation. Each lecture theater is equipped with LCD project, mike and speakers arrangement, WiFi repeater, PC, white board for writing, etc. The carpeted floor makes you feel as if you are in a business meeting at a hotel. The lecturers speak very good English - just that you'd definitely find the regional flavor heavily - sometimes in their accent or in their vocabulary.

Here in SG, it seems the girls spend twice as much what our girls do back home. They spend a lot on make-up, costumes and you know what. So, what do we get. We could just sit up and take notice. micro-shorts are something girls are comfortable with here and many float around with hot stockings. I am into long legs and I just love it. Public display of affection is something you witness everyday. You have to ignore and stay in your frame, something like what Russel Crowe does towards the end in -Beautiful mind.

The fact-a-doodle is that you won't feel out of your country. You could go up to Indian food stalls in any chain of restaurants within the campus and speak in Tamil to get your food. Not that you don't have many options, but I tend to stick with what I know which is sambar saadham and parottas. Queuing-up is in Singaporean culture but not a very soft society as in London. You get genuine warm smiles which make your day, everyday.

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya

VTV

Another love story is all I thought before I did watch VTV. I bunked my classes to entertain my UG classmate - Jagadish and ofcourse watch the movie for myself as well. Along this review I may present my perspectives on love and how it differs between the genders which is again my perspective.

Simbu is Karthick, he could rather change his name to Karthick for a better second innings in his movie industry, I personally thought Sidharth was a better choice and someone else preferred Madhavan. Simbu has been ripped off from his theatrics. It was a major, major worry that how he would play a subtle love story, but have to say he handled it well. All was well but for the boxer part and that he is a light foot. He hardly moves around, just does a few jigs and relies on hooks. In reality one good hook will break your jaw so I can understand the fight choreography.

Simbu meets Trisha, or Karthick meets Jessi - The girl next door (literally  - a floor up). Daughter of a malayali christian self-doubted but confident, bold but craves for attention. Jessi looks at Karthick as she walks over the stairs to her floor - its a very blank look nothing to decipher from, while Karthick gets center shocked and falls not flat on the floor but bamm on a gate grill.

Jaw-dropping, show-stopping, time-freezing time capsules like that happens to almost everyone. After all, we all are Homo Sapiens aren't we? Characterization, very key here. In all his prior movies proposing is straight, fast and makes you go "WHAAT!" like Kamal's proposal to Kamalini in Vettayadu Vilayaadu or Kaakha Kaakha - Jyothika (Maya).

Here, we have a hero saying the right words, but can't look straight into her love's eyes. In reality your love's eyes are so penetrating that you are either looking down or away gathering words from heart rather than mind. You feel a big idiot, after making the proposal and try to rethink  what exact sense if made, nevertheless the vibe is passed on.

SCENE 2: Jessie is shaken, agitated and it also so happens that she takes those emotions to her favorite place with some cherished loneliness. The way in which she underlines her stay back @ her second home in Kerela is blissful for her - gives a hint. She is a person who seems to be searching for some space in her busy life. We are left to wonder whether the stone dropped in this clear pond raises many ripples or she is just a confused soul naturally. When Karthick finds Jessie in her most favorite and untangled state, she is just open towards her senses to do a plain talk with him. Natural question of "the proposed", "why do you like me?", Karthick gives a predictable answer of him being shaken-up like never before. Jessie is impressed but again gives a realistic answer of she doesn't want to walk the COMMITTED route. She is just worried about passing on from her zone of security and solemn to the unknown. She goes on saying quoting real life examples of what her sister went through for having loved another faith person, and how her dad got hold of her, etc.{He goes into the details of what is so special about Jessie and what defines her in the climax which blows her away but as of now, he can't explain what struck him that bad. It seems time answered all that for him.}

I am not sure but she does propose a casual relationship in the name of friendship rather than a commitment as in love in our society. All that are set to change for her in the first kiss and moment of tender with Karthick. You are tempted to say "Ponnunga vendaam naa venum nu artham!".

I heard many stories of craves "Unna enakku ippa vae paakanum, pola irukku!", if you so happen to stay near her place - rush sooner enough to at least stand at the potti kada opposite to her house. These are the things that will stand forever rather than spending an entire day walking with her. They live and die by small things, phew!. Generally and even Girls who earn,  have a good career and are totally independent in our society think more about their family, their security after their marriage{material stuff}and they tend to eat their emotions, drink water and sleep soaking their bed with tears. Very strange and the many who make easy commitments are you know, won't last forever or just don't honor commitments. The perspective is that arriving at a firm decision over heart and mind, body and soul,society and family towards a partner seems to be tough, that is the struggle that the character Jessie goes through. Okies I have had enough points of provocation already, lets move on.

From here on, it is a very intricate story and is more of life struggle and balance of emotions between these two. It is definitely a good movie to watch, and it either clicks or breaks. You either appreciate it or get confused. Anyways fall in love, such a wonderful passage of emotions to go through.