The Theory Of Everything (2014), The Movie Which Touched My Heart!

The Theory of Everything

 'It is clear that we are just an advanced breed of primates as a minor planet, orbiting around a very average star in the outer suburb of one among 100 billion galaxies.  But ever since the dawn of civilization, people have craved for an understanding of the underlying order of the world.  There ought to be something very special abut the boundary conditions of the Universe.  And what can be more special than that, there is no boundary.  And there should be no boundary to human endeavour.  We are all different.  However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.  While there is life, there is Hope.'

The above words were shown at the end of the movie, which brought tears in my eyes.  Very sensible words.  

I noticed this movie being nominated in many sections in the Academy Award ceremony.  The main character, Stephen Hawking was played by Eddie Redmayne and he won the Best Actor award, which he deserves.  I saw the clippings and wanted to watch this movie.  But was a bit nervous knowing that they might show how Hawking suffered because of his illness.  But the movie was picturized so well that Stephen Hawking's intelligence, sense of humour etc. still remains in my mind even after a day!

All of you must be knowing that Stephen Hawking, a Physicist and Cosmologist,  is 73 years old now, still living with all the drawbacks in his health, had written many famous books and is world famous.  This movie is based on his story. No, it isn't remotely like a documentary movie, but is full of life! It is not depressive because this man has got great sense of humour which is shown in many frames. I know I am repeating this aspect of the movie! I seem to talk about the movie to everyone who comes across, for the past two days. 

The movie starts with Stephen as a 21 year old student, studying in Cambridge University.  He meets Jane, a literature student and they become good friends.  Stephen submits a thesis on 'Black hole' which he thought  might have been part of the creation of the universe.  His professors appreciate this very much and the thesis gets accepted.  Jane and Stephen celebrate this and from that day onwards, they show him losing control of his muscles, slowly, step by step.  But he immerses himself in his research and one day he falls down with a thud  inside the campus.  He was taken to a hospital and is diagnosed that he has Motor Neuron disease.  He will not be able to talk, swallow or move most of his body and has around 2 years to live. He starts using wheelchair for moving around.  Jane still loves him and tells his father that she wanted to marry him.  They get married and have a son.

Stephen continues with his research in spite of his deteriorating health.  Jane takes care of the children, home and Stephen apart from being a research student.  They have another son too. Stephen asks her to relax and take some time for herself.  She joins a church choir group and starts singing, where she meets Jonathan, a widower who comes home to teach piano lessons to Stephen's son and helps the whole family. Well...I think I should stop writing the whole story here! You have to watch the movie and enjoy Stephen's naughtiness and sense of humour.  He is like that in real life, I read.

I think I have to explain about him some more! Later on, he loses his speech completely because of tracheotomy which was done after the pneumonia attack. They show Jane showing him a board with letters and words and pointing at them, asks him to blink his eye if 'yes', blink twice if it was a 'no' to express himself.  (This scene came in 'The diving bell and Butterfly movie, which is a biography of Jean Deminique Bauby, a famous writer. He wrote famous books using this method later!).  But a nurse,  coming home to take care of him introduces him to a computer with a built-in voice synthesiser.  This voice speaks with an American accent, which he comments later with a twinkle in his eye, yes, I could notice it! He starts attending seminars etc. with this gadget and becomes more famous because of his knowledge.  Gets more awards.  Writes a book called 'A Brief History of Time' which becomes world famous.  He is offered knighthood by the Queen but he refuses.  Life goes on...his words touched me:

However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.  While there is life, there is Hope.




Eddie Redmayne's acting as Stephen was superb.  I was reminded of the movie 'My left Foot' at some places. The main character, Christy Brown, on whom the movie was made, also was born with cerebral palsy.  He wrote books with his left foot and painted too! It too, was a touching movie. 

Well, again the above highlighted lines apply here! Great inspiring people.  

The real Stephen Hawking! A great, inspiring man! (Thanks, Wiki) Hawking taking a zero-gravity flight in a "Vomit Comet"

P.S.: I have to add this information which I got from this link, but is not in the movie about Stephen Hawking. 

Stephen Hawking (b. 1942) is an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity. His 1980 book A Brief History of Time was a break-out hit when first published, and has sold over 10 million copies, having been translated into over 30 languages. His other books include The Universe in a Nutshell (2001), The Grand Design (2010), and three children's books co-authored with his daughter Lucy Hawking, George's Secret Key to the Universe (2007), George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt (2009), and George and the Big Bang (2011). His life was also documented in a book by his first wife Jane Wilde Hawking, Travelling to Infinity – My Life with Stephen in 2008, which was adapted to film in 2014 as The Theory of Everything.

Hawking has appeared as himself, and lent his recognizable computer voice, in a number of TV series including Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Big Bang Theory and episodes of The Simpsons and Futurama. He has been portrayed on film by Benedict Cumberbatch, and Eddie Redmayne (Les Misérables), and has been the subject of, and appeared in, several documentaries including Errol Morris' A Brief History of Time (scored by Philip Glass), God, the Universe and Everything Else (with Arthur C. Clarke and Carl Sagan), and 2013's Hawking (featuring interviews with Cumberbatch, Buzz Aldrin, and Jim Carrey). Other appearances include being interviewed for the 2013 TV special Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and appearing in sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien (via satellite) and Monty Python Live (Mostly) in 2014.

EDITED TO ADD ON 15TH MAY, '15: His daughter speaks here after the movie's hero got his Oscar for his role as Hawking. (click on the link pl.)

Another link:  "I think the film has shown Stephen things he probably didn’t know about my struggles, and how I really did try my best to support him over such a long period," she (Jane Hawking) said.

A 2001article in the 'Outlook' magazine:

I can feel this:  And then he looked up, and gave me a disarmingly boyish smile.

Feel really sorry to say that he is no more...He left this world on Wednesday, the 14th March, '18 at the age of 76

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Wordless Wednesday!

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My Chirping Babies!

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This family of sparrows visited my balcony and I had the privilege to record their activity! This is my first proper video recording! I was sitting on the dining table chair and recording it! I had noticed a sparrow couple when we shifted to this flat.  They were always in the front side of the complex.  I used to place rice and bajra in my balcony to lure them.  But they never came.  I was telling my husband that their family is not growing, I still see only one couple of sparrows! Last week, the whole family visited me to show that their family is growing!
I feel so happy!

If you can't see the video in the embedded window, here is the  'you tube' link.

A home for them is ready, in our balcony.  Hope they feel at home here.

I had written about my earlier bird babies here!

Salman Khan Came In My Dream:(

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First let me tell you, Salman Khan is not my favourite Khan, but Aamir Khan is! And people say that whatever you see in the early morning dreams, comes true! Let me wait and see if it happens...! I remembered about the dream, after waking up and was analyzing why he came in my dream in the morning Yoga class too! The dream has affected me, in some way, I think...(tongue in cheek!).

The result of the analyzation is: I was reading last week's edition of 'Outlook' magazine last night before sleeping! The article was about the 3 Bollywood Khans who are in their 50's! I didn't even read the whole article, just saw the photographs and read the captions and some highlighted points.  But why only Salman came in my dream?!!!  I met him at Pakistan (in my dream!), of all the places and I remember it clearly! Why Pakistan came in my dream! We were discussing about Pakistan, the previous day, how even my muslim friends felt sorry for their relatives who are in Pakistan now! Hmmm...got the connection!

In the dream, as far as I remember, both of us were sitting on a bench (!), I and Salman, in an old garden-like place.  I don't remember what we talked about...I like only 2 of his movies, 'Maine Pyar Kiya' and 'Hum dil de chuke sanam'
I don't remember talking about these movies...we were watching some locals in an old room, eating from a huge single plate, sitting around it (this scene is from a Dubai hotel, which we had visited a couple of months back and remember seeing this scene there!). I remember commenting something about this to my husband. Next scene I remember was, Salman had left and I was alone. Then I noticed that my handbag was missing! I think I was worried.  Next scene (as in a movie?!) was, a man from the room talking to me...he resembled the Kashmiri man with whom I went out in a boat, alone at night in Dhal lake! No weird stories please! I and my sis in law's family were staying in a houseboat at Dhal Lake (many years back, during our Amarnath Yatra).  We had gone out for shopping in a boat.  The shop was also in a boat.  We bought some sarees.  We had to swipe my credit card and for that we had to go to another boat, which had that facility.  Without thinking, I offered to do it.  Came out with the boatman and the boat started moving away from the lights from the shopping boats.  I became a bit nervous seeing nothing but dark water and the sound of the boat wading through it! Well, you can read more in my Amarnath yatra post here! I admired the boatman, I remember.  He said that he and his fellowmen went on life like us, normal people who lived in normal cities.   Children went to school, like ours, weddings took place...they were used to the terrorist attacks! He was very casual! See, where the connection comes!

I don't remember much after that! And I don't want to 'make' a story out of this! Would like to ask you this, 'Do you remember any of your dreams' and if you do, do you know why you had that dream?

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A Memorable Experience!

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Baby Olive Ridley sea Turtle collection!

This is a long post, oh, as usual.  You can just see the pictures and read the captions to save time!!!

A group of people from our residential complex went on a Turtle walk on 7th March, '15 (last Saturday), conducted by the Tree Foundation, Chennai.

Short description of the Foundation:  Trust for Environment Education (TREE), Conservation and Community Development and Roots & Shoots India- A Dr. Jane Goodall Institute Program. This was founded in 2002.  More details are in the highlighted link pl.  It is interesting.

This Olive Ridley turtle is one of the endangered species now. The Foundation link says, '22nd February 2014 A Black day for All Conservationists and Animal Lovers! This day, last year we had 824 dead turtles in one night at Penna Estuary!'

I had been reading about this Turtle walk for the past couple of years now.  This year we could join the group and it was really a memorable experience.

The programme started from 7.30 pm with a documentary film show on Olive ridley turtles at their office in Neelangarai.  A volunteer, a young girl,  showed us the turtles which are under treatment/observation etc. She was very passionate about this project, I could see. They have named them as Oliver, Pallavi, Karuna etc.! One Green ridley also was there. Its shell looked as if it was painted by an artist.  It got caught in the fishing net and now is under treatment.  These turtles, when are in the sea, come up once in 45 mts. to breathe fresh air.  Some fishermen spread their net in the sea and wait in their boats for 2-3 days and then haul them out and come to the shore.  Sometimes these turtles get caught in these nets and stay under the water with other fish.  They get dehydrated and some die. They are brought to this Foundation by their volunteers for treatment. Dr. Dharini is taking care of this centre, we were told.

Some turtles get caught in the launchers (motorised fishing boats) and their blades cut the flippers of the turtles which are in the sea.  If the centre gets information about them via the fishermen, many of whom are volunteers here, they are treated here, if possible and then sent back to the sea.  Out of 4, even turtles with 3 flippers can manage in the water, we were told. 

The turtles mostly look for beaches with warm temperature which are suitable for hatching their eggs.  They come to these places (details are in the wiki link) at midnight  from January to March to dig pot shaped holes to lay 100 to 120 eggs at a time (Many people, children from school, colleges, Tech people etc.are volunteers here and they need more, it seems, during these 3 months at least.). The Foundation has got a van describing about the turtles and about their work.  This van goes to schools and the volunteers educate the children about the turtles.

The Tree Foundation's rehabilitation centre is where they take care of the injured turtles. We saw a number of tubs with full grown turtles. One dehydrated turtle even had an IV bottle for a drip. A volunteer said that they have got full-time work here and they need more volunteers.

After the film show, we were taken to the beach to a hatchery (see picture) and the baby turtles were taken out from the holes and kept in a basket.  We were watching their work from the gaps of the hatchery.  I think it is better this way.  Unless we have got experience, we might harm the tiny babies when we handle them.  These baskets were taken to an area near the water.   2 parallel lines (2m. gap), were drawn on the sand and we were asked to stand and watch outside the lines.  No flash bulbs please, we were told.  2 volunteers stood near the water and showed the flash lights in the direction of the baskets.  A volunteer took out the babies one by one and left them on the sand.  The babies started marching towards the light and to the water.  The hatching period is 48 to 52 days, it seems.

Earlier, before the foundation started taking care of the eggs, after the hatching period, the babies started coming out of the hole (pot shaped hole of 2 to 2 1/2 ft. deep) and started walking towards the water on their own.  The sea current/waves' lights used to attract them.  They reached the sea safely. But now, the beaches are full of flood lights (upon the request of organisations like this one, they have stopped switching on these lamps now).  But many bungalows have come up very close to the beach now and they keep the lights on.  We saw these lights even at 12 am.  Don't know how the govt. has allowed to build these buildings close to the sea since after the tsunami, they were banned.  These artificial lights made the baby turtles to scatter on the sand and unless they reached the water within 45 mts. after hatching, they would die, it seems.  Crows and dogs caught them. Now, thousands of babie turtles are saved every year by Foundations like these. One more Foundation is doing this service.

The moonlight helps the mother turtles who come to the shore to nest during mid nights.  They need lot of time to dig holes, lay so many eggs, cover them back smoothly, yes, smoothly and go back to the water.  Their tracks help the volunteers, mostly fishermen, to look for the nests.  The volunteers come there and collect the eggs in a basket along with some sand from the pit and take them to the hatchery where holes are kept ready and mark them.  The eggs come with some gooey substance from the mother and sand sticks on them which acts as food for the eggs, it seems! I got some video links while googling and they are at the end of this post, which show the turtles digging holes, laying eggs, etc. The turtles come back to the same beach they are born every alternate years to lay eggs after they mature! Very interesting!

This link says: The last three years we have been checking the temperature within the hatchery with an external thermometer and maintaining the temperature within 32 degree centigrade. The sex of the hatch ling is determined based on the temperature in the nest during incubation period.

I think more information should be read from the links now! After the babies were released, our group walked on the shore from Neelangarai upto Prarthana theatre and back.  It took 3 hours.  If we had stayed for some more time, if luck was there, we could have spotted the mother turtles who came to lay eggs too! But it was late.  We had taken some sandwiches and water with us.  And then walked! The volunteers (one person was with Amazon) were with us throughout.

We saw many crabs running here and there in the beach near the water while walking back.  They were very fast.  I think they ran to the water as soon as they saw the lights from the volunteers' torches...(they might have thought 'killers are coming'!). They looked beautiful.  The friends who came with us were good and we chatted all the way and it was not boring at all! Watching the bright moon and sea water was peaceful! I always love the sounds of the waves, esp. at night.  
Now, to the picture story!

A young volunteer is explaining about Olive Ridley Turtle! Click on the pictures to view clearly!

I was allowed to scratch this turtle's belly...I thought he would enjoy my touch like my dogs and cats did!

We are walking past the bamboo hatchery where the eggs are kept in sand holes for hatching. It takes 48 to 52 days for the eggs to hatch, it seems. Every detail was catalogued by the volunteers.

Eggs are inside the hole under the basket. Temperature is maintained inside the holes with thermometers, left inside the hole (32 degrees is the ideal temperature, we were told).  If the temperature raises, they cover the roof to give them shade.

The volunteers are taking out the baby turtles from the holes and place in a basket.  They mark the squares where the  holes are dug by them earlier to place the eggs.  They remember not to stamp on the holes and walk on the empty spaces/squares.  They keep tags like no. 2, no. 3 hole etc.  They remember/keep notes on the no. of days the eggs are inside to check later.

The Yolk sack (the centre part) of the turtle where food is stored.  We should not touch this part, since it is very fragile.  We have to hold it on the sides always. Their main food after they grow up is jelly fish and other sea creatures.

Babies are 'running' towards the sea!
The babies are released on the sand.  The volunteers flash lights, standing near the water so that the babies can walk towards the water.  The smell of the sea and the smooth surface near the water helps them walk faster! We were asked not to take photos since the flash might distract them and turn towards our light.  2 lines were drawn and we were made to stand outside the lines and watch.  The babies were walking between the lines! The scent of the sea also helps them to reach the water, the volunteer said. They were very fast, running with their tiny feet/flippers.  Some children were with us who were shouting when they came near the lines! Children really enjoyed this trip!
Click on the picture to see clearly.

Close up shot of the baby turtles rushing towards the sea.! We could see their tiny foot marks which are not visible here.  They were beautiful!

                     I got this picture from the net. The mother turtles are nesting in the beach in Mexico.                             Picture courtesy: claudio giovenzana www.longwalk.it (Wiki)

Their main predators are humans in the sea and land.  Crows and dogs are other predators on land. Got this picture from 'The Hindu'. 

We saw hordes of crabs running towards the sea as soon as they saw the flash light of our guide! It was fun watching them.  They were cream in colour with long legs! My friend was holding a crab boldly!

Now, to the interesting 'you tube' links:

Olive Ridley Turtle 'digging' its nest.

Olive Ridley Turtles 'laying' eggs

Olive Ridley Turtles 'running' towards the water!

I think I might go back again soon.  The Turtle walk is there till March end! I and my son enjoyed our trip! I can still remember, even after 3 days, how I felt walking under the moon at midnight, when the waves were coming to touch me in the beach! Awesome!

They charge Rs.150 per head and we can donate more for the organisation if we feel.  They need lots of help. The Turtle walk is there every Friday and Saturday till the end of March.

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Latest news about these turtles: Around 69,772 Olive turtles arrive in Odisha to lay eggs