For those of you who don't know, Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker have been filming a movie ('Smart People') entirely on the CMU campus and in Pitt. Quaid's character is a professor who has a very boring life and Parker plays his ex-student who falls in love with him (or vice-versa...)

Anyway, they decided to do some filming in my building over the last 2 days and I didn't think too much about it (except for the huge parking inconvenience which bugged me). So on Thursday night I returned home after part 2 of Tristan's 21st birthday celebration and was fast asleep by 1 a.m. At 2 a.m. I heard this incessant knocking which I initially assumed was either in my head or some weird noise from my fridge. When it didn't cease, I realized someone was at my door... at 2 a.m.! Talk about a night call. I walk to the door and see 3 men wearing flak jackets. Weird. I try to listen in on their conversations and it soon strikes me that they are part of the filming crew. I open the door and they inform me that they really need to install spotlights in my room near the balcony. Since they had already woken me up, I decided to let them in (that and my curiosity).

Over the course of the next half hour I learn that Sarah Jessica Parker's character lives in my building! They used a vacant room on the 3rd floor to shoot the indoor scenes. They now needed to shoot a scene where Quaid is standing outside my building and looks to Sarah's apartment, sees the light on and realizes she is still awake. Turns out the director decided that my apartment's balcony was the only one suitable for the shoot. :-)

So here are some of my musings from this amusing incident:

1) They actually chose my building and a room identical to mine for Sarah to live in. I think that says a lot about my choice of residence ;-)

2) The fact that it took me 15 minutes to open the door probably cost them thousands of dollars -- especially since they were 2 hours past scheduled wrap time. Who says you can't put a price on sleep ;-)

3) Apparently you can find the glamor of Hollywood, if you're able to look past the boring time spent re-shooting a scene over and over again.

So when the movie does come out and if the scene doesn't get cut, you'll see Quaid looking up at Sarah Jessica Parker's apartment window and you can say "My friend lives there" ;-)

Lol. To start off with, I apologize for the Borat quote in the subject line, but I can't help it! :-) If you've seen the movie you know what I mean ;-)

Anyway, I FINALLY got a chance to see the Broadway production of Mamma Mia! It was at this beautiful theatre called the Benedum in downtown Pitt. (see pic below) I've been looking forward to this for a very long time, especially after attending the Abba sing-along at the Alamo in Austin :-)

The musical began with a warning that parts of the play involved people wearing spandex. How funny is that? :-) And at the end, after taking a bow, the cast returned to the stage to perform 3 songs again for the whole audience to stand up, sing along and even dance to! What a way to say good bye!

So how was it? Simply AMAZING! I obviously loved singing-along to all the songs, but much more importantly, the play had a proper story line. I had heard complaints that there was no real plot and the creators just tried to squeeze in the songs anywhere they could. But that was hardly the case. The characters were pretty well developed, the songs were appropriately used, there was a lot of humor, romance and in some instances a tinge of sadness. This is definitely a play every fan of ABBA will love. And if you're ambivalent, I have a pretty good feeling that you'll like it too. :-)

Everytime I get on an airplane, I wonder who I'll be sitting next to. On my way to ATX I had 2 seats to myself which was supercool since I was flying early in the morn and this gave me a lot of room to take a nap :-) But on my way back to Pitt, I sat next to 2 very interesting people.

On my ATX-Memphis flight, I sat next to a Kendal from Ole Miss who is a senior studying Pol Sci. Both her parents are involved in the construction crane business which obviously got us to talking about Dubai (since 20% of the world's cranes are in use there). Turns out she spent a semester abroad in Argentina and her thesis topic is all about the relation between civilian and military governments in S. America -- a fascinating subject. We spent the whole flight talking about everything from the Argentine economy to Pinochet's trial that never seems to start. We also talked about Ole Miss. Turns out that guys wear suits and girls wear cocktail dresses to football games! How weird is that? Apparently the motto is "we may not win every football game, but we never lose a party" ;-) And like so many other people I know, she has plans of going to Europe this summer. She also subs at a high school during the hols which got us to talking about the American education system and whether it was easier to teach high school kids or middle school kids. Overall, I had one of the most intellectually simulating plane conversations ever! Thank you Kendal!

And then on my flight from Memphis to Pitt, I sat next to this nice lady who's lived in Pitt for the last 10 yrs. She helped get me mentally prepared for the cold winter ahead ;-) Apparently it took her 8 years to get adjusted to it. LOL. And, I also learned that tomorrow (monday) is a holiday for schools (not universities) in PA. Why? Cos it's the first day of the hunting season! LOL.

Anway, I'm now back in Pitt after a wonderful T'giving break, thanks to all my friends and family! 2 more weeks of school and then I'm done! Yay!

Borat: As a spur of the moment decision, my friends and I decided to go and watch Borat. How was it? Let's just say it was so offensive/bad/naughty/(any similar word you can think of) that it was very funny! There were a few scenes when I couldn't bear to watch what was happening. The fact that apart from Pamela Anderson, no one else was in on the joke makes it that much funnier. :-)
[Rating: B+]

After getting done with my exams mid last week, I finally got a chance to relax and get excited about my trip to Austin. What's a good way to relax? Watch movies of course! Here's a new installment of my movie reviews:

• Casino Royale: Bond is back! I strongly doubted that this movie could live up to all the hype. Not only did it do that, I came out feeling I had watched one of the best Bond movies ever! Instead of cheesy technology-driven plots, this time the focus is on the man. The female characters in the movie are no longer there just for their looks. In fact, the main female actor stands up to Bond the whole movie and doesn't mind talking smack. Loved it! This is definitely a must-see!!! [Rating: A]

• The Departed: Another movie I had heard a lot about. With a cast featuring names like Di Caprio, Damon, Nicholson and Wahlberg, I was curious to see how they would act together. The movie was action-packed, had a complicated plot that was well explained and overall lived up to my expectations. The only problem I had with it was the ending. Waaay too much happens in the last 15 minutes and I walked out dazed. Still, it doesn't take anything away from the rest of the movie. [Rating: A-]

• MI:3: I didn't catch this movie when it came out in theatres, partly due to my dislike of Tom Cruise. But after waiting several months for it to come out on DVD, I decided it was time to give Cruise the actor a chance and watch it, especially since I had seen part 1 and 2 and liked both of them. MI:3 is a pretty good movie. There's action, romance, some cool technology (not to mention a beautiful Lamborghini) and a few twists and turns along the way. A fun movie! [Rating: B+]

Apart from all the movie watching, Pittsburgh had it's annual Light-Up Night -- the official start of the holiday season. We're talking live music, carol singing, christmas trees, fireworks, the works! That was a lot of fun and while I'm running the risk of getting holiday-season weary soon, I'm glad I went for it :-)

And finally, I'm just 1 day away from my trip to Austin!!! I'll be leaving behind light snow flurries for 70s. Not such a bad deal ;-) I can't wait to see my friends again, walk around campus and go for the UT-A&M football game. I've been so caught up with work that I've forgotten how much I love Austin and all that I've left behind. It's definitely going to be hard to leave on Sunday to come back to Pitt, but that just gives me more reason to enjoy those 6 days :-)

Happy Thanksgiving and be safe!

Let me start off by saying there's nothing to worry about. I'm fine. It was more of me being a good Samaritan.

I was on my way back to class after coming home to take a nap. I was crossing the street right across from my home when I noticed a car at the intersection with the fender completely ripped off and 2 middle aged ladies sitting inside and talking. I wasn't sure what was going on as no one else seemed to be paying too much attention so I just stared at the car as I crossed the road. The second I was level with the car, the lady inside yelled "Someone call 911". Turns out her car had just been sideswiped seconds before I crossed the street. The whole call was surreal and thankfully neither of the 2 ladies were injured seriously. They were more shaken than anything and had minor cuts. Also, there was a fire truck parked just down the street (the firemen were doing some grocery shopping :-) ). They noticed the car and came to have a look and also called for backup. And just when I hung up talking to the responder, a lady walked up and identified her as the driver of the other car that had hit this one. So what seemed to be a hit and run wasn't that bad.

And in the middle of all of this (I was pretty much standing in the middle of the street the whole time) a girl walks up and says she was an eyewitness to the whole thing and then, out of all the things she could have said, she asked me if I went to UT. That caught me off guard even though I knew I was wearing a TX Astronomy t-shirt. Turns out she is a recent TX Ex too. Unfortunately, that wasn't the time or place for any socializing and I had to make way for the cops and medics.

Anyway, that was my interesting experience for the day. But I have noticed that I have been finding TX Exes all over the place. In fact, the night of the Red-river shootout, I was shopping at the local grocery store when a middle aged couple asked me if went to TX (I was wearing a burnt orange t-shirt, of course) and turns out they were TX Exes too... from 1960 or so! They hadn't watched the end of the game and wanted to know the final score. I was obviously happy to tell them UT had kicked OU's ass and gave them the website and contact info for the PA TX Exes so that they could come to our game watching parties.

And still on the note of the TX Exes, I've just been asked to take over as webmaster for the Western PA TX Exes network (soon to become a full fledged chapter)!!! Who would have known that UT would follow me everywhere! I am seriously considering becoming a lifetime TX Ex and think I'll sign up for it when I go to Austin in Nov.

Well that's it for now. I have to go back to studying for my 2 tests this week, one of which is a re-test for an exam I took last week (it's a long story but basically the class did so horribly that the prof felt compelled to give us another test). I am eagerly awaiting our midsem break which is a long weekend from the 20th-22nd of this month. :-) I'm thinking of going on one of the Fall foliage drives to see the leaves change color and maybe visit some vineyards and the like... Will make a post once I come to a decision :-)

So I know it's been a while since my last post and I apologize. :-) What can I say? Classes suddenly picked up steam and I've been pretty busy trying to stay up to date. It's really weird how you can take just 3 classes and yet be as busy as if you were taking 6! I mean I've taken 18 hrs before but 9 somehow seems as much work. I guess it's the homework. My average homework is 15-20 pages long. And that's just physics. No words... just equations and math. And if it were just writing out that stuff, it wouldn't be too bad. The catch is that it takes several hours of reading the text, your notes and then having discussions with friends to even get started. *sigh* Guess I've been formally introduced to grad school :-) The good thing is that I have finally realized that this is how things are gonna be for the next year or two and that I better enjoy it all the same. So I've begun to make time to do things fun - work out, watch TV or movies, have a fancy dinner once in a while, hang out with friends,... whatever it takes to clear my mind and take a break from the usual drudgery.

And speaking of movies, I've actually watched quite a few the last few weeks. I just came back from watching United 93. Wow! What a powerful and gripping movie. Instead of having A list actors (like the WTC movie) this one stars the common person - someone just like you and me. In fact, that's what gives the movie it's power - the fact that you can associate with each and every character in the movie and could even picture yourself in their position. It was a very moving film and it's kinda hard to believe that 9/11 happened 5 years ago. If you ever want to see a movie about true heroes and emotions, watch this movie. It's not a feel good movie, but it does remind you how uncertain life can be and how you should take nothing for granted.

Some of the other movies I watched:
* The Illusionist: I wanted to watch a movie in the theatres (instead of at home or in the student center) and eat some buttery popcorn. So I chose this movie with no expectations. But boy was I pleasantly surprised. This is a very nice movie set in the 18th-19th century in Europe and is all about magic, politics and love. Jessica Biel is soooo beautiful and the movie even has a surprise twist at the end. What more can you ask for???

* Ice Age: I was told this was another fun and cute animated movie. But I felt disappointed after watching it. I guess Pixar is to blame for raising the bar so high. I felt like I was watching Shrek with different characters. Is 2 better? I hope so. Not sure if I'll get myself to seeing it soon tho....

That's it for now. I have 2 exams next week so I should go to bed so that I can study for it tomorrow. Will be very interesting to see how hard grad school exams are. Hopefully, not very :-) Wish me luck!!!

Wow. Orientation at the grad school level is serious business. I just finished a whole week of general grad and Intl. grad orientation. Now it's time for a week of departmental orientation. Whee! Lol. But seriously speaking, it's actually a lot of fun and I've learnt a lot of valuable stuff about CMU and Pitt.

So about CMU. I actually like the place. A lot of the natural beauty (and the fact that whole foods is a block away) reminds me of Austin, and the campus itself is kinda similar to UT. The people here are very friendly and Pitt has evolved from a Steel town to a dead town to a university town. Very interesting and you can see signs of all 3 stages everywhere.

I've met some really nice people and been able to hang out with them and have some fun. Yesterday, I met the 8 other people who along with me constitute the first year Physics grad class. :-) 3 Americans + 2 Indians + 2 Taiwanese + 1 French + 1 Malaysian = A very interesting mix of people who I will probably be spending a lot of time with.

I have mandatory placement exams later today which I've been told aren't that bad and while you want to do well, if you have taken the class before you won't be forced to take remedial undergrad classes. While I don't want to place out of intro grad classes, taking undergrad classes again would really suck!

That's it for now. Once I'm done with this test I will be much more relaxed and hopefully will spend some time to unpack. I also need to take my car for a check up (2500 miles in 6 days is quite a bit for Methuselah). But there will always be work and I plan to have some fun in the meantime as well ;-)

• SAW II: I went into this movie having liked Saw I (it was a good thriller) and also having heard that this was a movie that took any excuse to show more gore. While it did have a lot of violence, it did have a good story for a sequel. Up until the very end, I had no idea what was coming and I must say I did like the ending. I went in for a movie that would make me cringe and jump in my seat and Saw II delivered. If you couldn't make it past Saw I, STAY AWAY!
  [Sidd's Rating: (B)]

• Walk the Line: I loved this movie - especially Reese Witherspoon's peformance. While Joaquin was good, Reese was mind-blowing. From her accent to her mannerisms, she was very convincing as June Carter. If you don't like Cash's songs, you may not appreciate the movie as much. I, personally, was shocked how messed up Cash's life was. His life was a literal rollercoaster and June was his source of sanity.
  [Sidd's Rating: (A)]

• Capote: This has to be one of the best movies I've seen - ever! Philip Seymour Huffman gives a wonderful (and Oscar winning) performance as Truman Capote - the most famous American author of all time. The movie revolves around the the gruesome murder of the Clutter family in Halcomb, Kansas. Capote initially goes to the town to write an article for the New Yorker, but as he spends more time with the people, he decides to write a  book (In Cold Blood, which becomes his greatest work). He develops a soft spot for Perry Smith - one of the accused whose life story shares some striking similarities with his own. The movie is all about human conflict. Is Truman really looking out for Perry? Or does he just want to finish his book? Is Perry really guilty? I loved this movie and walked out dazed.
  [Sidd's Rating: (A+)]

• Bread and Tulips (in Italian): My first foreign language film in a long time, this movie was billed as a 'fun romantic comedy' by IMDB and it did live up to it. It tells the story of a large Italian family that's touring the country. Rosalba is left behind by the group and decides to find her own way home. She ends up in Venice and is out of money. She takes a job in a florist shop and decides to extend her 'vacation' away from her family and children. Her husband sends a 'detective' to convince her to return. Does she want this vacation to end? Or has she fallen in love with the people and the city of Venice?
  [Sidd's Rating: (B+)]

• Central Station (In Portuguese): The story of a lady who acts a scribe, writing letters for people at the Central Station in Rio de Janeiro and a boy who has just lost his mother (who was a client of the scribe). Neither likes each other, but the two go on a trip to find the boy's father (who was a drunkard and had abused the mother). This was highly rated (nominated for 2 Oscars) but didn't live up to its hype.
  [Sidd's Rating: (B)]

• The Notebook: I went into this movie knowing two things: It was highly rated and a lot of the reviewers were female. What did I think? I simply loved it. I have to admit that I was teary-eyed for the last hour of the movie and the ending was really sad yet beautiful. Definitely a must see.
  [Sidd's Rating: (A)]

• Good Night and Good Luck: Clooney is a genius. The movie was very well directed and Clooney toned down his character to avoid drawing any attention away from David Strathairn's character (the epitome of a true journalist). I came out of the movie having learned a lot about the red scare and also what a tremendous impact a great journalist can have on society. In fact, you begin to wonder if the media today has lost sight of the true meaning of journalism and has given into commercialism.
  [Sidd's Rating: (A)]