The Indian TV reality arena

Take a look at this. Originality - where art thou?

Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao - I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here!
Rakhi Ka Svayamvar - Who wants to marry a millionaire
Sach ka saamna - Moment of truth
Dance India Dance - So you think you can dance
Indian Idol - Pop Idol/American Idol
Bigg boss - Big Brother
Biggest Loser Jeetega - The Biggest Loser
Jhalak Dikhlaja - Dancing with the stars
India's got talent - America's got talent
Kaun Banega Crorepati - Who wants to be a Millionaire?
Bakra - Candid Camera, Punk’d
Khulja Sim Sim - Let's make a deal
Kismey Kitnaa Hain Dum - Night fever
Fear Factor
Kya Aap Paancchvi Pass Se Tez Hain - Are you smarter than a 5th grader?
Kam Ya Zyaada - More or Less
Naya Roop Nayi Zindagi - Extreme Makeover
Poker Face - Poker Face
Deal Ya No Deal - Deal or No Deal.
Mastermind India - Mastermind

Don't get me started on the Sa Re Ga Ma, Roadies, Nach Baliye, Laughter challenge wannabes (I loved these three, btw). At one point there were as many as 3 variations each of the Nach Baliye and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge formats airing. I have already posted about the Doordarshan days, so will not get into that.
Is it just me, or there is nothing fresh and Indian on the reality scene? I know it is easier to bank on the tried and tested show formats from other parts of the world, but seriously, is there a paucity of new ideas or all the ideas exhausted (ya, right. that would be the end of the world).
I would rather watch Survivor, Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, Project Runway and Top Chef - and sometimes even Beauty and the Geek - than any of the current crop of Indian ones. I think only the most offensive, controversial and voyeuristic ones have been copied/remade. Oh, and lets not get into the discussion of IF reality is entertaining - it most certainly is. In all kinds of way: fun, sleazy, voyeuristic etc. That is not my point.
Wouldn't you like to see a desi version of The Amazing Race or While You Were Out or Guide to Style? But going by the trend, I guess we should expect something more on the lines of Temptation Island.
What do you guys say? Any super, original (I hate this overused, over-abused word in this context) ideas for a fun new show?

Btw, did I miss any (or get any wrong) in the list above?

Tea Centre, Churchgate

Three awesome weekends in a row.. How often does that happen?

Me and S discovered the Tea Centre near Churchgate recently. We used to walk past it when it was undergoing renovations and the tea-lover that I am, I used to sigh and say that once it opens, I am going to be spending a lot of time there. The reviews on burrp! were all positive too as were Gaurav, Lulu and the knife. Woke up a couple of weekend ago and decided that the weather was too beautiful, and me too lazy, to make breakfast and off we went to Tea Centre.
The incredible variety of teas on offer made choosing what to get, time-consuming - so decided to get the three we really wanted to taste. S stuck to Indian for breakfast and had the poha and upma, which were both good. My masala omlet, however, done more in Spanish style than Indian, lacked masala(!). The teas were superior though. The Banana Caramel and Hot Buttered Apple ones are liquid desserts - novel and lovely!!


Do try the scones - served with cream and jam - they are dry, crumbly and surprisingly filling. The best part about this place is that everything is freshly made (except the bread of course). So, the scones take anything around 15 minutes to turn up.
The service is slow, the ambiance has a old-club feel and the bells to summon the waiters are quaint.
I liked the place, and have fallen in love with the teas on offer here.

Gratitude and Nobel prize...

...to the person who comes up with the technology to convert human
brain waves into sound. Huge sales profits to the mobile company who
brings this first to the market. Put me down for 20 right now. One for
the lady with the office crisis on the phone in the local train - next
to me - 30 straight minutes. I admire the guy on the other end.

Sent from my iPhone

Yearning for the heavy downpour-y weekend....

for no social obligations.
for no grocery shopping (as the better half would have done it anyway)

to catch up on my sleep
to spend a lazy afternoon with a cup of steaming hot chai and a book

for catching a silly movie on DVD
for finishing the next level of the current game on the playstation

to do absolutely nothing but laze
to catch up with my ever-growing todo list - happily.

for a razai and an afternoon nap
for the wind to bring in the cool wet-earth fragrance.

to watch the green trees dance with the wind
to hear the rain make its own music.



[Pic source: Unknown. Actually, Google.]

A movie, a movie. My precious couple of hours for a movie...

All right, multiplex owners, IPL is over, done, kaput. You can drop your pretense of having a tussle with the producers and whosoever. Had you not had that rigmarole, you would have had poor ticket sales this IPL entertainment season; but your strategy paid off and now people will flock to see movies. So now start screening movies, will ya? And please, please, good ones?

A twisted sense of humor...

Long, gangly body, refusing to stop growing. Short, frizzy hair refusing to grow. Why, oh why, she cries. Why can't I have long, silky, straight tresses?!
Years pass. A quarter of a century old, with graying hair. Sigh.
But wait!! Growth spurt! Her hair! Yea! She colors. Straightens. Smiles at her straight-as-rain, long, silky hair. For two months.
Two months! And inch long gray roots. Six months. Hair long enough to obliterate the straightened hair.
Nature/fate/life has a twisted sense of humor...

Dear neighbour,

You don't know me pretty well - I live in the building next to yours, on the same floor as yours. The pink curtained windows of a living room? Yep, that's me! You know, I can see your entire home: all your rooms. I like your place - it seems so happily and messily lived-in. Umm.. not that I keep a watch or anything: I don't even know who live at your place... Not that I am looking! Oh well, this is getting worse. Let me start over....

When I first came here, I didn't know of the Mumbai rule of no socialising with your neighbours. Even if my window does look out into all their rooms. Like a good Mumbai neighbour, I stuck to the rule and didn't knock on your door three nights ago when I first heard the racket. Nor the day before. Or yesterday. But tonight, well, I just might. Yes, I just might break the rule. Why? Because..... I am very, very, very anxious to know what it is that requires nine whistles of your ancient pressure cooker to cook!! I am going to die of inquisitiveness otherwise.

Your curious-as-a-cat neighbour,
P

P.S. I wonder if, while writing down the recipe for me, you will lament about (and hopefully, apologise and promise no repeat performance of) your cruel job/fate that forces you to cook at 1 in the morning?!!

On my telly

Other than IPL, of course. Hubby and I have a deal - he watches all IPL matches he wants unless they clash with my must-watch programs. Simple, right? Yep, it is, and fair as I watch a total of 5 programs in the week - and two of them are programs we both watch, so that makes it 3, right? ;) Anyway...
Tim Gunn is back this Thursday on AXN! Right after the first part of the Top Chef finale. And Project Runway has started on DTL! The Rachel Zoe Project is off (I really didn't get how it was soooo huge in the US). Survivor Tocantins is getting really interesting and Heroes airs on Star World to make my TV watching list complete. Sweet!
So, what are you watching on TV today? Umm, aside from IPL, of course ;)