A driver’s job is taking you to your destination and back. I am surprise some of my colleagues feel sorry for the driver doing their job. The traffic is insane in Bangalore, so we have drivers to drive us around the town. The driver will come to pick us up in the morning, take us to the office. After work, the driver will take us to the restaurant, then take us back to the guest house after dinner. When we finish our meal, we will call the driver’s cell phone and get him ready to pick us up. Some of my colleagues feel sorry for the drivers that they have to wait outside with the car while we eat. I really don’t understand why they feel sorry for the drivers. How tough can it be waiting relaxingly in the parking lot. While they are waiting, they can take a nap, read newspaper or chat with other waiting drivers. Sometimes they even get free meal from restaurant. Why would you will feel sorry for the driver for simply doing his job? Being a driver is not a bad job in Indian after all. I rather feel sorry for those of us who got sent over here to suffer.
Yearly Archives: 2008
Dinner plan
I am the unofficial Bangalore food guide. Whenever I am in town, I will take care of dinner arrangement for everyone staying in the guest house. It does not take much time, but the return is great. I only have to spent 5 minutes every day to pick the restaurant, make the reservation, print direction and sent out an email invite people to join me for dinner. People are glad that some one is take care of the dinner arrangement, they can hop into the car and guarantee a nice meal. I always pick the expensive restaurants, so that it can never go wrong. It’s a fun to have some colleagues to chat and chill out with a few drinks. It is far better than the alternative. If no one organize dinner, we may end up eating at Indian restaurants around the guest house every night.
Somehow, some colleagues choose to cook for themselves in the guest house instead of joining us. I don’t quite understand why don’t they come with us. Granted, the restaurants are far away, it takes time to stuck in traffic. However, buying glocery, washing and cooking also takes time. Having a nice dinner doesn’t take much time than cooking. Money is not a concern, the food bill is paid by the companies anyways. There is no reason to go cheap on food by making your own dinner. I just can’t imagine someone can have sausage and egg every day instead of fine dinner. One theory why they stay home for dinner is they feel guilt spending company’s money. I tried to enlighten them with the correct value of money. The company outsource to India to cut cost, so we are just helping the company utilize some of saving by having nice dinner in India.
Swing Vote 關鍵投票
今年是美國總統選舉﹐《關鍵投票》這套電影可說十分應景。美國的選舉制度煩複﹐不是直接的大多數票當選﹐而是採用按州分配的選舉人票。雖然現實中極不可能發生﹐但 理論上有可能出現電影中的古怪情況﹐一張選票出錯需要補投﹐由一個人決定整個國家的命運。這個可以投下神聖一票的人﹐竟然是個不學無術﹐毫不關心政治的鄉下佬。因為女兒陰陽差錯﹐令他一夜間成為全國的焦點。
主角鄉下佬一夜成名﹐受到各方的追捧﹐兩黨想盡辨法贏取他那張選票。豈料鄉下佬全無 政治常識﹐接受新聞訪問隨口一句無心說話﹐經兩黨的心戰室胡亂解讀﹐害得候選人立場大兜亂。共和黨搞環保支持同性戀﹐民主黨反墮胎反移民﹐還拍些超低能勁 搞笑的競選廣告﹐舉宣傳機器全力開動﹐只求博取一個人的歡心。唯一把電影低能胡鬧邊沿拯救出來的元素﹐是主角那個可愛醒目懂事的女兒。年紀輕輕卻十分老積 ﹐講公民義務擔心國家大事﹐成為這場選舉鬧劇的指路明燈。這兩父女的角色設計﹐不禁讓人聯想起The Simpsons中的Homer和Lisa﹐角色簡直就像是倒模出來一樣。美國的確有很多白痴鄉下佬﹐相信電影如實反映美國的國情﹐可是美國那這麼多天材少女。
這套電影是合家歡喜劇﹐內容沒有猛烈辛辣的政治批評。諷刺美國兩黨政治生態也是點到即止﹐拿民主共和兩黨在議題上標準立場開無傷大 雅的玩笑。兩個總統候選人都是好人﹐不擇手段想贏只是他們身旁的幕僚。任何涉及政治的電影﹐總少不免有既定政治立場。這電影其實對兩黨各大五十大板﹐亦道 出了政客為求選票不擇手段﹐在競選時許下很多承諾﹐當選後就變成空頭支票。不論選那個黨上台也差不多﹐去投票不過是形式上的民主﹐怪不得選民缺乏投票意欲 了。其實電影結尾時﹐主角為了不女兒失望﹐痛下苦功惡補政治﹐在總統辯論發表的演講﹐已經道出選舉制度的問題。大部份的選民才不理會那些同性戀墮胎的文化 爭論﹐也不大關心國家安全和環保問題。他們最怕害經濟不景失去工作﹐生病負擔不起昂貴的醫療費用。他們沒有偉大的政治理想﹐只是很卑微地關心自己的生活。 當選舉和政治變成意識形態之爭﹐而不是選出可靠而有效率的政府﹐這個民主制度就已經偏離了為人民謀取幸福的本意﹐淪為壓力團體騎劫人民意願的平台。
故事結局最後沒有透露主角投票給誰﹐其實他投給誰也不重要﹐反正兩個候選人也只是大配角。正如現實的政治一樣﹐人民只求三餐溫飽生活舒適。那些示威舉牌的壓力團體雖然佔據頭條﹐但選民根本不關心他們那些不切實際的議題。通過也好否決也好﹐也不會對人民的生活造成直接影響。
Hancock 街頭超人
動作喜劇是我最愛看的片種﹐雖然明知沒有什麼養份﹐但總是看得很開心過癮。《街頭超人》今年暑假的重頭戲﹐角色彷彿為黑人男星Will Smith度身訂造﹐環顧荷里活的一線男演員﹐也想不出有什麼人比他更適合演這個爛仔超人。這套電影完全顛覆超級英雄的定義﹐從著紅底褲的原祖超人﹐到蛛 蜘俠和蝙蝠俠﹐每個超級英雄總是很在意自己的英雄形像。這個流岷超人則完全相反﹐爛身爛世活像個流浪漢﹐大白天還拿著酒喝個叮銘大醉。他每次出動救人﹐不 是打爛高路便是撞毀大廈﹐總是帶來巨大破壞﹐市民真是多得他不少。
故事開場到中段很搞笑有趣﹐話說街頭超人有次救了個當形像顧問的公關。 公關為了報恩決定要改變世人對街頭超人的壞印象﹐將超人塑造成一個人見人愛的超級英雄。當世界唾棄街頭超人的時候﹐只有公關看出超人那顆渴望別人關注的 心。街頭超人自願入獄參加更新療程﹐從一個不顧他人的野蠻人﹐漸漸學習做一個值得景仰的英雄﹐是罐很典型溫暖感人的荷里活雞湯。電影反轉我們對超級英雄的 認知﹐引發不少輕鬆幽默的笑料。中段街頭超人洗心革面出獄﹐打倒打劫銀行的恐怖份子﹐贏得群眾和警隊的獎聲是全戲的高潮。可惜後半段的戲本完全脫力﹐忽然 間公關的老婆變成女超人﹐街頭超人又突然間失去超能力﹐碰巧仇家又懂在這個時候找上門報仇。編劇本想把電影結尾推上高潮﹐但完全沒有令觀眾期待的效果﹐好 像街頭超人想飛﹐但飛不起拍一聲跌在地上。最後在醫院不知所謂的混戰﹐公關大發神威變狂劈壞人﹐男女超人原本要死又齊吐便當﹐令到結局很牽強凌亂﹐白白浪 費初段構建搭好的劇情。
每個超級英雄也需要壞人的襯托﹐旗鼓相當的壞人是超級英雄一半魅力的所在。街頭超人就是欠缺了這個重要的配菜﹐看 起來總是覺得少了點什麼。若夾硬要說電影前半段的壞人﹐是流岷超人自己的壞習情﹐不顧他人感受﹐酗酒﹐沒有責任感等等。其實這也是一般人也要克服的困難﹐ 看著街頭超人努力地改過自身﹐雖然沒有刺激的動作打鬥﹐但至少可以引起觀眾的共鳴。很半部對付街頭超人的壞人也太不成氣候﹐不過是三個給街頭超人玩耍捉拿 的賊仔﹐除了普通武器外毫無危險性。最後還要給沒有超能力的公關﹐兩三下手腳砍死擺平﹐這個反高潮式結局不禁令人失望。至於公關老婆忽然變成女超人﹐更是 對劇情完全沒有關係。她與街頭超人的千年之戀原意應是感動人﹐但婆婆媽媽講得不清不楚﹐倒不如砍掉重鍊﹐想過另外一個橋段讓流岷超人失去超能力。或許這套 電影在中段完結﹐讓街頭超人贏大家的掌聲作結局﹐比夾硬拖長加入新劇情的結局更好。
Back to India
I am back in India for two weeks. I am not very excited, but work is work. This time I am taking dragon air and make the transfer in Hong Kong. The new 777 from Air Canada is pretty comfortable, the seat is wider and it has power sockets. I can keep my laptop charged and use it for the whole trip. The wait for transfer is 4 hours, so my dad came to the airport and I went outside of the restrict area to have dinner with him. On my flight from Hong Kong to Banagalore, I think I am the only Chinese on the plane, except the air hostress. I can’t believe a flight flying out of HK, running by a HK airline has no Chinese passenagers.
I touch down on the new Bangalore airport. It is much better than the old airport. From afar, it is pretty up to world wide standard. Although things still a bit shady when you look closer. Like the roof is not properly sealed, the door is kinda flimsy. There are no hawker trying carry your luggage and charge you a ridiculous fee. The custom has more counters, compare to only 2 counters in the old airport. No more tuck-tuck waiting outside trying to fish passengers Any how, it is still quite impressive. The new airport is far away from the city, so there a nice highway going into town. The highway is lit and has line on the ground. Other than occasional speed bump in the middle of no where and stop signs that everyone ignores, it is on par with newly developed countries like Taiwan or Korea. As I was praising the construction and though Indian has finally start getting better, the highway just ends. Yes, the highway ends abruptly and become a grave road right before entering the city. The airport highway is not connecting to any major road in the city, it just ends on the outer skirt of the city that goes no where. Ok, India is still India. It’s still not quite there yet.