Peek-a-boo: Good Morning Vietnam

"Goooooooooodddd Morrrrrnnnnninnnnggggg Vietnaaaaaaaammmmmmm!!!", he hollers to welcome listeners to his show. His shriek shatters the monotony of the drab tunes that act as "entertainment" to hordes of American GIs stationed in Vietnam. He makes them shake their leg, he makes them smile, he makes them laugh, and he makes them realize that they too have a life. For the average GI Joe, Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams) is more than just a voice.

'Good Morning Vietnam' was perhaps the first movie to look at Vietnam with a comin touch, through the world of a radio jockey. Williams, as Cronauer, not only enlivens the lives of the soldier, but also endears himself to the locals through his English Classes. In the process he also crosses paths with his superiors who are not really amused with his antics and method. And they, are out to get him busted.

GMV is all about Robin Williams. The role gives him full freedom to let loose his energy and bring in the elements that has made him a top stand-up comedian. His performance is addictive. There's not much scope in the role of Forest Whitaker, but he does a credible job in the limited screen time he has. The movie also has some brilliant moments - Cronauer's rebellious broadcast of the report of a bomb-blast in a pub in Saigon, the brilliantly pieced together music track. Lastly one cannot forget the immensely eloquent shots of mass bombing and destruction as the voice of Louis Armstrong floats through the radio singing "What a wonderful world". Shades of "Apocalypse Now" and "The Doors"?

Bees saal baad

It was more than 20 years since i had stood under the "Thekke Nada" (North Gate) of the massive Vadakkumnathan Temple in Thrissur...

The huge beasts towered over me. They stood about 20 meters away - 15 of them. Behind me stretched an ocean of people - about half a million heads. Far away, in the midst of this ocean of black heads, rose 15 more elephants. Decked and adorned, they were performing the visual spectacle of 'Kudamaattam' (the changing of umbrellas), literally a competition between two temples. For an hour and a half i stood there. The crowd swayed, as if in a trance induced by the spectacle. Those close to me were in a frenzy, kicked up by the 'melam' (the pipes and drums).

As night descends, the city doesn't go to sleep. People throng the streets, trying to find a seat on the footpath, for the big fireworks at 3:00 in the morning. Fortunately for us, we had a pass to get on to the terrace of one of the buildings that stand around the temple ground. At 3:30 a.m., the spectacle started. As it rose to its crescendo, I could scarcely keep my eyes open at the flashes produced by the explosions, as one hundred and forty four explosives burst forth at once. So loud was it that my hands automatically went to my ears to cover them. The heat wave generated was pushing against us, and the whole building shook in the impact. This was Thrissur Pooram at its best.

It is impossible to describe in words, the sights and sounds of this spectacle. Right from the morning, when elephants from the temples surrounding the city of Thrissur bring in their deities, to the arrival of the deities of the two main temples - Thiruvambady and Parammekaavu, their face-off culminating in the extravaganza of the fireworks, crowds throng the place unmindful of the terrible heat. Pooram is not only about elephants, but also about the sound of the 'Panchavadyam' and the 'melam', which drives the immense crowd into such a frenzy that they dance to its beats even as midnight draws near. How can one explain in words, the enchanting effect of those beats?

Perhaps its best left unsaid, and given the chance, i would head there again, next year.

On the road...

* We're late by an hour...it's 6 o'clock by the time we start off. Journey time is estimated to be 16 hours. Even at this early hour, there's no mercy on the roads of Bangalore.

* Stop for brakfast at Kamat. There's a new one open on this side of the road, further down. Nevertheless, we decide to have it at the usual joint. The showpiece of this stop is a bunch of monkeys.

* The monkeys are more intelligent that the family of 9. First, at the payment counter, the lady can't decide how many of them are there - seven, eight or nine. By the time they decide, the vadas are over.

* Due to my bad luck, i run into the father, mother and daughter from the group at the dosa counter. The lady can't wait. She starts chastising the cook for not being able to make 20 dosas in 20 seconds. By the time the dosas are brought out, the three of them want everything for themselves. The waiter does not oblige, and gives us, the lesser mortals, some helpings. Needless to say, the lady is livid.

* I run in to the girl again during coffee. As i am drawing my coffee, the girl comes in with a cup and tries to push mine away. I give some advice, and she runs off to her mother. The mother glares at me, and i glare back with more venom. Battle won!

* We stop for tea at a wayside stall in Gundlupet. Nobody else does. They all stop next door at the spanking Coffee Day. Needless to say, the tea is good, but the place would shock all you so-called social human beings .

* Bandipur: We spot a handful of deers. Other than them, the only animals visible are a  hundreds of malnourished cows.

* We pass the border into Tamil Nadu. "They'll ask for money" says RM. "You're going for festival, no? Give us some money, they'll say. If they see the camera, they'll ask for double." Surprisingly, nobody asks to money.

* 36-odd hairpins to Ooty. The little Marutis that showed such great hurry and overtook us, are seen struggling to make the turns

* There's a huge traffic jam leading into Charing Cross. But the vehicles are lined up obediently in a single file - except for a couple of cars with Bangalore licence plates who try to jump the line.

* Charing Cross is empty. There are hardly any shops that are open. We struggle to buy chocolates.

* Descent to Mettupalayam is worse...People simply can't wait to overtake. One guy almost bangs us from behind.

* I almost forget my camera after lunch in Mettupalayam. Lucky escape!

* Another traffic-jam half way to Coimbatore. On the way, we had spotted a huge arena for amma's election rally. I hope the jam's not due to some stupid politician. People are thankfully well behaved, except for the Indica fellow. He was crawling along the road at 10 km per hour, and now he cannot wait in a queue!

* We stop for bajji and tea at Palakkad. Oil seems to be cheap in Kerala now. The bajji is overflowing with it

* The buses on the Palakkad-Thrissur route are still driven by madmen.

* Arrival time in Ernakulam: 9:00 PM - one hour before the ETA