Pampanal Water Falls in Kottayam

From up the hills of Mattathippara in Kottayam, water streams down creating seven different water falls. This is virtually an unknown place except for the locals. Pampanal Falls is located in Manathoor, 14 km north of Pala in Kottayam district. You will have to walk up and down through a difficult terrain (dense rubber plantations) to see all the falls or you can walk through a mud road. But the latter route will take a long time. Posting some pictures and videos of this unexplored beauty. Visit only during the heavy monsoon period to see the falls in its full strength.

On the way

Penultimate (6th from top) and the largest one among the seven different falls

Mattathippara

There is no smoke without fire

Researchers from Imperial College London developed a technique to identify whether a tissue is cancerous or not using Rapid Evaporative Ionization Mass Spectrometry (REIMS) and that too intraoperatively. This could potentially revolutionize Oncosurgery.

The article was published in Science Translational Medicine recently. And they used nothing but the smoke coming from the electrosurgery! This smoke would be sent to a mass spectrometer which will do the chemical analysis of the smoke and compare it with a database containing mass spectrometric data of cancerous and non-cancerous tissues, the latter was done ex-vivo. They tested it on 81 patients and the results matched 100% with the post-operative histological diagnosis. Ofcourse, further studies are required for solid proof, but it looks like its only a matter of time.

The coupling of REIMS technology with the electrosurgery for tissue diagnostics is know as the intelligent knife (iKnife).

Read the whole research article for more details : DOI here

Man of Steel with a Dark Knight Hangover

The 3rd official trailer of the much awaited Zack Snyder's film 'Man of Steel' has gone viral in YouTubeSphere since its release on 16th April. Its an excellent trailer blessed by Russell Crowe's epic voice and an inspiring background score by the infallible Hans Zimmer. 

So everything looks good. Henry Cavill is absolutely stunning as the first Superman ever without the red briefs - Snyder believes this is the 21st century Superman. But does this 21st century Superman also has a Dark Knight hangover? We all know that Christopher Nolan is involved in the film. Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman was never known to be a man/superhero with emotional and mental dilemma. Clark Kent, as we all know, is clumsy, nerdy and is a well known stalker. Batman/Bruce Wayne was always an edgy character unlike Superman/Clark Kent. The Clark Kent in Man of Steel is also suffering from huge mental conflicts and is depicted as a nomad who has spent a lifetime covering his tracks with a rugged outlook. Or are we missing something in the trailer? Anyway, the odds are that Henry Cavill's Superman is not your firendly -neighbourhood Christopher Reeve/Brandon Routh's Superman.  Will it work for Superman remains to be seen. 

(From left to right) Clark Kent played by Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill 

Henry Cavill was probably the best choice to play Superman. He missed out the chance in 2006 to Brandon Routh and had reportedly lost to Daniel Craig too for replacing Pierce Brosnan in you-know-what. He is the first non-American to play Superman and all looks good for the Channel Islander to stamp his authority in Hollywood.

Man of Steel without the red briefs!

Another big fuss is about the villain. Its quite clear that General Zod played by Michael Shannon is the antagonist in Man of Steel as per all the trailers. But just look at this particular screenshot of the YouTube trailer of Man of Steel (The 3rd in the series) :

Is that what I think that is? 

Gopegarh Ecopark - A Quantum of Solace in West Midnapore

West Midnapore District in West Bengal is a dull place with diagonally opposite climate jumps and is also possessing one of the most humid atmosphere in the whole of Planet Earth. The summer there is literally unbearable even for the permanent residents of the place. Add to these some prosaic terrains, National and State Highways with gutters akin to lunar craters, the smoke, the soot, closed shops for many hours afternoon, Maoist forests, etc. If the Hangover guys get hungover there, even Alan Garner will not be cherishing those memories. The travel connoisseurs of IIT Kharagpur and Midnapore Medical College are in such bad luck. Sometimes I feel like I am literally being guillotined during freedays.

Of course the city that had been the country's capital for the most number of years is like only 2-3 hours away if you take a train. But it is entirely a different district altogether and the journey is an arduous one. Then there is Jhargram with its Jhargram Palace which is not open to visitors. Arabari Forest Range is another one, but Western Ghats lovers will find it incredibly boring. Considering all these, Gopegarh Ecopark in Midnapore is a boon to many.

The Gopegarh Ecopark is situated about 25 km North of Kharagpur and 5 km from Midnapore. The park was once a fort of a Gope King. The ruins of the ancient fort is still there. The entry fee is surprisingly only Rs. 2 and there is ample space for parking. The eastern side side of the parking is nothing special and all you can see there is some less densely populated tree plantations, mostly Sal trees and a lake with nothing but murky water. Boating service is offered, but it is best to assume that it is non-existent.

The situation is entirely different on the western side of the park. It is very well maintained, peaceful with lush green gardens, ruins of the ancient fort, two cottages which is available for rent, one canteen and a reasonably enjoyable amusement park. The tariff for cottages is Rs. 500 per head and are air conditioned. But the booking has to be done in Midnapore Forest Divisional Office (not exactly sure about the name of the office, but the workers over there said so). One troublesome fact is that barely any employees speak Hindi or English. Still, the park guarantees a lovely outing to many. 

Uploading some of the pictures that I took:

The Lake

The pleasing western side of the park

The cottages

The Return of Giorgio Chiellini

He is the world's best defender. He is the most important player for Juventus in their 3-5-2 system. And when he was down injured for 2 months, Juventus suffered. He was supposed to be out of action for 3 months - a return by March mid week - potentially missing the CL ties and crucial Serie A match against Napoli. However, he is back in action earlier than expected, comfortably playing 15 minutes in the game against Siena on Sunday. This will be a huge boost for the Bianconeri. 

Forza Giorgio!!

MVA85A, the much sought after TB vaccine, fails the trial

More than a dozen TB vaccines are now in clinical trials. But none of them seemed more sanguine than MVA85A. The vaccine was developed by researchers from University of Oxford and its safety and immunogenicity studies promised a very fruitful outcome since 2-3 years back. It passed its Phase 1 trial and Phase 2 trial was being conducted.

However, a recent article published in The Lancet, about the safety and efficacy of MVA85A, showed discouraging results. The study was a Phase 2b trial. This was the first efficacy trial of a new TB vaccine since Bacille Calmette-Guérin. Safety and immunogenicity were still proved to be very good but the efficacy was statistically insignificant. 

Dr Richard White, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Director of the TB Modelling and Analysis Consortium, said:

"This is a very disappointing result, but this was just the first of around 12 new tuberculosis vaccines currently being tested in humans and around 50 vaccine candidates currently being tested in the lab. It was a historic trial, the first of a new TB vaccine for nearly a century. It will lead to much valuable knowledge to help us design effective vaccines in the future. "

Hopefully......

   

Chennai - Trivandrum Super AC Express (Previously Chennai - Trivandrum Duronto Express)

UPDATE: The Duronto Express has been converted into a Super AC Express with stops at Ernakulam Junction (South), Aleppey and Kollam. The schedule remains the same- bi-weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays from Chennai Central. Arrival in Trivandrum Central at 05:45 instead of 05:15 earlier. 

Original article below:

Good news for those from Southern Kerala. Chennai to Trivandrum Duronto Express is fully functional and running bi-weekly. The service started on December 15th, 2012.

Since this is a non-stop train, no bookings can be made to and from any stations other than Chennai Central and Trivandrum Central, which makes it virtually useless for many North and upper central Keralites. However, there are 4 technical haltings (Katpadi, Erode, Palakkad Junction and Ernakulam South) during the journey.The total duration of the journey is 12 hours and 45 minutes, which is about 3 hours less than what the popular Chennai/Trivandrum mail takes. 

The Duronto Express runs through Alappuzha-Cherthala and not through Kottayam. The technical haltings in Palakkad Junction and Ernakulam Junction (Ernakulam South) are of 7 min and 15 min duration.

Halting at Ernakulam Junction (South) :

Time : 02:00 (Day 2) for 22207

Time : 00:13 (Day 2) for 22208

Recently, Trivandrum edition of Sunday Times reported that passengers recount harrowing experience in Duronto Express after they were encountered with crawling pests out of some coaches. It is also mentioned that there is a shortage of coaches and coaches from Garib Rath elsewhere were refurbished and brought to Chennai to run Duronto trains. 

Duronto Express Coach - Inside

I have travelled in a Duronto from Mumbai to Ernakulam in July 2011 and had a very good experience. Its absolutely easy to book a ticket and the food (included with the price) was very good too. Most importantly, the coaches were clean, opulent and spacious with the windows twice larger than the ones we usually find in other trains, thus enabling the passengers with a very good view of the outside. As my cousin pointed out, if maintained properly, 'The Duronto Idea' could hit the airline companies very hard.

Mumbai LTT - Ernakulam South Duronto Express

Duration : 20 hours 50 minutes

Technical Halts in Kerala : Kozhikkode Main for 5 minutes

Halting at Kozhikode Main :

Time : 14:00 for 12223
Time : 00:55 for 12224

അന്നയും റസൂലും : ഒരു ചെറിയ അവലോകനം

മുല്ലപ്പൂമ്പൊടി ഏറ്റുകിടക്കും കല്ലിനുമുണ്ടാവും സൗരഭ്യം എന്ന തോന്നല്‍ പ്രേക്ഷകരില്‍ ഉളവാക്കുന്ന വിധം വളരെ മനോഹരമായി രാജീവ്‌ രവി( പ്രശക്ത ബോളിവുഡ് സംവിധായകന്‍ അനുരാഗ് കശ്യപിന്‍റെ വിശ്വസ്തനായ ചായാഗ്രാഹന്‍ )സംവിധാനം നിര്‍വഹിച്ച അന്നയും റസൂലും മലയാളസിനിമ പ്രേക്ഷകര്‍ക്ക്‌ ഒരായിരം നല്ല പ്രതീക്ഷകളും ഓര്‍മകളും നല്‍കുന്ന ഒരു ചിത്രം ആണ്. 'New Generation' സിനിമ എന്ന buzz word വന്നതില്‍ പിന്നെ എന്ത് തോന്നിവാസവും കാണിച്ചു വച്ചാല്‍ പ്രേക്ഷകര്‍ സ്വീകരിക്കും എന്ന മട്ടില്‍ കഴിഞ്ഞ വര്‍ഷാവസാനം പുറത്തിറങ്ങിയ കുറെ അലമ്പ് ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍ കാരണം ഡയമണ്ട് നെക്ക്ലസ്, ഉസ്താദ് ഹോട്ടല്‍, തട്ടതിന്‍ മറയത്ത്, അരികെ എന്നീ നല്ല ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍  മലയാളസിനിമ പ്രേക്ഷകര്‍ക്ക്‌ സമ്മാനിച്ച ഒരു പുത്തന്‍ ഉണര്‍വ് ആകെപ്പാടെ ഇല്ലാതാക്കപ്പെട്ടായിരുന്നു. ശങ്കരന്‍ വീണ്ടും തെങ്ങേല്‍ തന്നെ എന്ന സത്യം ഉള്‍ക്കൊണ്ടു ജീവിതം തള്ളിനീക്കികൊണ്ട് പോവുക എന്നും കരുതി ഇരുന്നപ്പോ ആണ് അന്നയും റസൂലും കൂടി കണ്ടിട്ട് ഒടുങ്ങാം എന്ന് തോന്നിയത്.

സത്യം പറഞ്ഞാല്‍ ഇത്രയും നല്ല ഒരു സിനിമ മലയാളത്തില്‍ കഴിഞ്ഞ 5-8 വര്‍ഷങ്ങളായിട്ട്‌ ഇറങ്ങിയിട്ടില്ല എന്ന് തന്നെയാണ് എന്റെ ഒരു നിഗമനം. മലയാളസിനിമയെ അപേക്ഷിച്ച് അന്നയും റസൂലും തീര്‍ത്തും ഒരു വ്യത്യസ്ത ചിത്രം ആണ്. അന്ന എന്ന കഥാപാത്രം പ്രേക്ഷകരുടെ മനസ്സില്‍ നിന്ന് അത്ര പെട്ടന്നൊന്നും മാഞ്ഞുപോകില്ല എന്ന് ഉറപ്പുവരുത്തും വിധമാണ് കഥ പറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്നത്.  Andrea Jeremiah തന്‍റെ കഥാപാത്രത്തോട് നൂറുശതമാനം നീതി പുലര്‍ത്തുകയും ചെയ്തു. പ്രത്യേകിച്ചും രൂപത്തില്. ഫഹധ് വളരെ കഴിവുള്ള ഒരു നടനാണെന്ന് വീണ്ടും തെളിയിച്ചു. എന്‍റെ അഭിപ്രായത്തില്‍ ഫഹധിന്‍റെ ഏറ്റവും നല്ല പ്രകടനം ആണ് റസൂലിലൂടെ അദ്ദേഹം പ്രേക്ഷകര്‍ക്കു മുന്‍പില്‍ അവതരിപ്പിച്ചത്.

ക്രിസ്ത്യന്‍മുസ്‌ലിം പ്രണയ കഥ ആണ് കഥാതന്തു. ഇതിന്‍റെ കൂടെ ശക്തമായിത്തന്നെ അവരുടെ സുഹൃത്തുക്കളും ബന്ധുക്കളും ഉണ്ട്. Aashiq Abu വിന്‍റെ കഥാപാത്രം ആദ്യപകുതിയില്‍ ഒത്തിരി പ്രതീക്ഷകള്‍ നല്‍കിയെങ്കിലും അത് വെറുതെയാരുന്നു എന്ന് സിനിമ കഴിയുമ്പോ മനസിലാകും. മറ്റൊരു പോരായ്മ ആയിതോന്നിയത് ഈ സിനിമയുടെ ദൈര്‍ഘ്യം ആണ് - 2 മണിക്കൂറും 50 മിനിട്ടും! പല പ്രേക്ഷര്‍ക്കും അത്രയും ക്ഷമ ഉണ്ടാവണമെന്നില്ല, പ്രത്യേകിച്ചും ഈ കാലത്ത്. മറ്റൊരു പ്രശ്നം പല സംഭാഷണങ്ങളും വ്യക്തമാല്ലാരുന്നു എന്നതാണ്. പ്രത്യേകിച്ചും ഫഹധിന്‍റെ. ഇത് Sync Sound ഇന്‍റെ പോരായ്മ ആണ് എന്ന് തോന്നുന്നില്ല. 

Supporting Cast ആണ് ഈ സിനിമയുടെ എടുത്തു പറയണ്ട മറ്റൊരു ഘടകം. 
റസൂലിന്‍റെ മൂന്നു സുഹൃത്തുക്കളും ഉഗ്രന്‍ പ്രകടനം ആരുന്നു. 

ഷൈന്‍ ടോം ചാക്കോ

Sunny Wayne, Shine Tom Jacob, Srinda Ashab പ്രത്യേകിച്ചും പ്രശംസ അര്‍ഹിക്കുന്നു. 

അന്നയും റസൂലും എന്ന ഈ മനോഹരമായ സിനിമയ്ക്കെതിരെ യുക്തിക്ക് നിരക്കാത്ത വിധത്തില്‍ നിഷേധാമ്കമായ കുപ്രസിദ്ധി നല്‍കാന്‍ ചിലര്‍ കച്ച കെട്ടി ഇറങ്ങി തിരിചിരിക്കുന്നതായി തോന്നുന്നുണ്ട്. അതില്‍ സിനിമ തിയേറ്റര്‍ ജീവനക്കാരും ഉള്‍പ്പെടുന്നതായി കണ്ടപ്പോ  വിഷമവും നേരത്തെ സൂചിപ്പിച്ച ശങ്കരനെയും ഓര്‍മ വരുന്നു. അന്നയും റസൂലും ഒരു നല്ല വിജയം കൈവരിക്കട്ടെ എന്ന് ആഗ്രഹിക്കുകയും ആശംസിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.