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Its going to be a bumpy ride!!!

Four years back, this transport was my least preferred mode of transport. But now, everything is bus. Not to forget, I travel in bus to college (which is 40 km away from Chennai). Lets talk about this college buses later. First, the PTC buses!!! The most important issue in bus traveling is time. If you don’t have time, then bus should be your final option. The time for buses can be classified into two – the waiting time and travel time. Sometimes (atleast to me), waiting time has been greater than the travel time. This waiting time had made me to miss parts of a movie and also had made me to watch a movie.

If you come to my bus stop, where bus frequency is low, you wouldn’t consider going in a bus again. Not just because of the waiting time, but the huge crowd in the bus that could very well make you smashed potatoes. After reckless traveling and stamping at other people’s feet, you would finally reach your destination fully drenched.

Sometimes I have seen conductors shouting at the passengers. If you think that what he is doing is wrong, then think again! In that bus, you can observe perfect discipline although you might loathe the conductor. No one would stand in the foot-board, no one would peek out of the window.

Now Govt has released a large number of deluxe buses (Thanks to them). These buses are good and also provide more comfort than the normal buses at just an extra cost of money. But there is one problem with this bus. It wouldn’t stop at all the stops. Today morning, at the bus stop, I bid goodbye to a bus just because I saw a deluxe bus coming right after it and this deluxe bus bid goodbye to me and sped off.
If you too think that buses in Chennai are worse, then think again! Buses in Chennai are very good compared to other states.

College Buses:
Now coming to my college buses, there is nothing much better than my morning bus ride to college. A very smooth ride in a bus driven by a driver who forgot where the accelerator is and a pleasant place near the window is all you could dream. I wish these buses would change one day (atleast for the driver who thinks he is driving a bullock cart). Anyway, our buses are supposed to change to hi-tech buses. We were shown a sample piece of hi-tech buses (with semi-sleeper) and even with TV and whoosh! All was taken away within a week.

The evening ride from my college to home is just opposite to my morning journey. I travel in a different bus and this bus driver (who forgot where his brake is) makes sure we are undergoing a roller coaster ride. Atleast, the roller coaster wouldn’t throw you off your seats. But our bus driver makes it possible. Everytime I get into the bus, I dream like this: the bus cleaner coming to us and saying (just like the head creature of the Knight Bus in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie), “Its going to be a bumpy ride!”

300 – A review

Last sunday, I went to this movie called 300. Months ago, I watched the trailer. It was excellent. Hence I agreed to the movie at once I heard that its 300 we are gonna watch. I was sure that I made no mistake. What a movie! It was great watching it.

Spoiler begins here

Plot:
The movie started with a dramatic intro about the Secret Spartan Army – how the Spartan people are trained into soldiers once they reach teenage and how they grow up in the wild, thrashed like a slave, hunted by wolves and beasts. In the end, the fittest survives. Leonidas is one among the brave and who survives after many obstacles he faces and also earns himself the title of Spartan king after killing the deadly wolf in the cold hills.
The Persian king Xerxes, who claims himself as the King of Kings and also as the God of Gods, sends a messenger to King Leonidas to offer him a chance to surrender to him. Leonidas is not a coward to surrender. He has gone through many obstacles in the past and if its death that he wanted to face for the country, he will proudly accept it fighting for his country than seeing his countrymen being slaved and tortured. He kills the messengers at the spot and thus initiates the war.
Leonidas is not a king who believes in myth. He believes in planning. He believes in strategy. He lives as a warrior. But the customary principles of Spartans was they should go and consult the Gods before going to war. The priests (who were bribed by Xerxes) insists that Leonidas is doing a wrong thing and also interprets Oracle message to him that they should not go to war. Meanwhile the council minister Theron was also bribed and he is also against the war.
Despite all this, Leonidas heads for war with 300 of his best men, claiming that he is going for a walk with 300 bodyguards. The remaining part of the story depicts the actual war that took place in the Battle of Thermopylae and how the 300 survived for three whole days against the million Persian army.

Spoiler ends here

Characterisation:
King Leonidas:
Leonidas is a brave warrior and a mighty king. He heads the 300 soldiers against the million Persian army. He was not born a king. He was born a warrior. He doesn’t succumb to emotions for emotions can make a warrior bleed in his heart thus weakening him emotionally. Gerard Butler plays as King Leonidas. He has worked hard and has played the character.

Queen Gorgo:
Gorgo is the wife of Leonidas. She is a loving wife and a brave Spartan woman. Sparta is a land where women hold equal rights and Gorgo holds the place as the adminstrator of Sparta when the King is at war. Lena Headey plays as Queen Gorgo in the movie and has portrayed the character very well.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Who should definitely watch the movie?
1. If you have watched Troy and liked that movie.
2. If you have a true passion over Greek mythology and Greek history.
3. If you love movies on war.
4. If you liked Lord of the Rings movies.
5. If you are a fan of Age of Empires game.

The movie has a lot of violence and even then, you won’t feel it. Blood will be portrayed like red paint and you will see nothing but art. But not just for violence, but also for partial nudity, the movie is A certified. The movie could’ve been watchable by audiences of all ages if some of those scenes were missing.

But altogether, the movie was damn good and worth watching ten times. Go and watch it!

Quotes from the movie (modified):

Persian Messenger: What is it that makes a woman to speak?
Queen Gorgo: Because only the Spartan women gives birth to real men.

Messenger: No one threatens a messenger! This is madness!
King Leonidas: Madness???… This is Spartans!

Theron: The news has come that Gods do not wish this war to happen.
Leonidas: Yes I am not going to war. I am just going for a walk. These are my 300 bodyguards.

Leonidas: Hey you? What is your profession?
Achilean Solider 1: Blacksmith sir
Leonidas: You?
Achilean Soldier 2: Sculptor sir
Leonidas: Spartans! what is your profession?
Soldiers: Warriors!

Persian soldier: Spartans! Drop your weapons!
Leonidas: Persians! Come and get them!

Leonidas: In the end, even the Gods will bleed!

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