Centaur

Jan 2010 - Book 7 - The Piano Man

2010-02-09T06:54:00.001+09:00

The Piano Man, by Marcia Preston

A 16 year old teenage killed in a car accident - that freak unexplainable accident of nature, and leaves his mom bereaving and hapless..he was her life and he is gone..she cannot forget him, keeps having imaginary but lovely conversations with him..spending nights in his room..she is unable to move on..

She comes to know of this person who got her son's heart and goes in search of him..to seek if her son's heart is being treated appropriately..she finds Mason, a gifted violinist though going thru his own personal hell - stillborn son, depressed wife and a congenital heart disease..his wife is in a 'facility' and he is playing piano in a seedy bar..they meet, clash , get together and manage to mend each others lives..

The side stories are interesting too - Claire's husband who lives her very early on in life, Nathan's girlfriend, the truck driver..very flowing and quick read..

Rating - 6/10

"People do not change, they are merely revealed" — Anne Enright

Jan 2010 - Book 6 - Scarpetta factor

2010-01-30T04:49:00.001+09:00

Scarpetta Factor , by P atricia Cornwell

A tumbled mass of a book - I do not for my life recall why I ever picked this book..I am not a suspense/mystery reader in general..except for few Dennis Lehane thrillers and Mary Higgins Clarks in my previous life I do not remember being attracted to that genre all that much !

This is my first Scarpetta read in the series and I dont think anything can induce me to go back..

In short, a forensic scientist lady and her dysfunctional milieu cast , all extremely comptent professionals but messed up in their personal lives..flawed human beings ..set around a perfunctionary case of a jogger murdered in park linked to a disturbed heiress somehow linked to a 2nd rate actor in Hollywood and his so-called aunt ..throw in lot of technical mumbo-jumbo..forensic terminologies and you get about 500 pages of spaghetti lines..not very appetising

Rating - 4/10

"People do not change, they are merely revealed" — Anne Enright

Jan 2010 - Book 5 - Nantucket nights

2010-01-26T01:19:00.001+09:00

Nantucket Nights , by Elin Hilderbrand

Kayla is the protagonist of this story of 3 friends who meet when they were all very young and maintain the tenuous bond with a celebratory swim on labor day weekend with a brand of truth sharing only for the 3 of them. She is an insecure housewife with a successful and handsome husband whom she always suspects..

Val is the tough lawyer with a successful practice but un-successful marriage..

Antionett is the most mysterious one with a troubled past and equally troubling present , where she is having affair with Kayla's 18 year old son..who falls for her very hard..and she takes an extreme path of disappearing before this comes to light..

Entangled friendships, jealousy, relationships, perception, deceit , healing - overall fast read

Rating - 7/10

"People do not change, they are merely revealed" — Anne Enright

Jan 2010 - Book 4 - What was lost

2010-01-22T07:11:00.001+09:00

What was lost , by Catherine O'Flyn

Start:

Kate - 10 year old orphan, precocious, lonely, wants to be a detective in the mall, shy, blends in background , one day she just disappeared.

Adrian - 22 years old guy, Kate's friend, works in fathers shop, doesent knows what to do with life, last person seen with Kate before she disappeared.

20 years later:

Lisa - Adrian's sister , works in record store in the mall, aimless life, affected by her brothers leaving after Kate disappeared.

Kurt - Security guard in the mall, about the same age of Kate, sees Kate's ghost image on security camera, mightve seen her the day she disappeared

Mall culture, loneliness, make-believe world, crime, surveillance, intrigue, haunting though-I-have-no-idea-why..

Rating - 8/10

"People do not change, they are merely revealed" — Anne Enright

Jan 2010 - Book 3 - The Gathering

2010-01-14T06:25:00.001+09:00

The Gathering , by Anne Enright

Bleak, grim , dysfunctional family saga , with doses of love, hate, loss, alcoholism, imagination, abuse, dissonance..

Veronica - the protagonist narrator delves into past and imagination of past to understand why her near-twin brother Liam committed suicide , why he had a drifters life as opposed to her almost respectable life ..

did the suspected abuse when they were living with their grandmother which pushed him into the 'box' .. did it happen to her too ? Who is to blame ? Her constantly pregnant and vague mother or her randomly respectable father or her grandmother who does not believes in the past..and all this has affected the whole clan - about 9 siblings all with their share of eccentricity or traits , blamed if they are normal and doomed if they are not..

The prose is vague and sparse and facts are revealed unexpectedly and in unexpected ways .. you could miss something if you didn't pay attention...and it is a bit difficult to pay attention..the flitting from present to past to imagination is relentless .. but still there is something gripping about the story which keeps you hooked..

Rating - 6 .5 /10

"People do not change, they are merely revealed" — Anne Enright

Jan 2010 - Book 2 - Someone at a distance

2010-01-08T01:00:00.001+09:00

Someone at a distance , by Dorothy Whipple

Last year , a dear friend of mine sent me 2 persephone books from UK and I started on both sporadically but kept them back for a more leisurly state of mind.

I picked 'Someone at a distance' again this weekend and could not put it back. As mentioned here and here , no one knows why but you cannot put the book down.. Its not a thriller or anything like that..rather a very ordinary story , extra-ordinarily written..

Ellen is a post-war housewife of a puplisher husband and is very happy managing her house, children , husband and garden. Avery loves his family, his daughter the most and his job too. Ellen would rather be mucking in the garden , than making herself pretty for her husband and in her naive trustfulness she doesnt realises how her husband is being snared by the French au pair - Louise, her mother in law hired to keep her company. It doesnt even happens right away, Avery is first affronted, then irritated and then taken in by her , all the time thinking that he has control of the affair. When it comes to forth though , he runs away with her instead of facing his family and putting things to right , even when he wants to but his pride stops him from eating the humble pie for rest of his life.

Ellen meanwhile has to take care of her innocent and heart-broken daughter and she refuses alimony (very un-characteristic of a 20th century housewife who hasnt earned a penny of her own in her lifetime) . Her feelings are not elaborated more after this or maybe she is just so busy taking care of everything else..

Louise's story also is an interesting look into a small-town girl with un-defined ambitions, who is thwarted in love by the rich kid from the village and how that translates into the disruption of Ellen and Avery's solid married life..

Rating - 7.5 /10

" Wear the old coat and buy the new book " — Austin Phelps

Jan 2010 - Book 1 - Ours, a Russian family album

2010-01-06T02:05:00.001+09:00

Ours , a Russian family album , by Sergei Dovlatov

My first book in 2010 is this book of short stories by Russian emigre Sergei Dovlatov. I first heard one of the stories - 'Colonel says I Love you' on the New Yorker podcast and loved it..I am not a big short story reader and however much I may claim to dislike audio books I have come to know some great short story writers through these podcasts..I dont think the story wouldve touched me as much as when I read it..but listening to it gave it lot of depth and nuance and I didnt feel its brevity .. which I think is my main problem with short stories - they are short.

Neway, so I checked out this work from library and found it a quick and interesting read. Here, Sergei takes different family members and forms a story around each and its told in a very engaging narrative and one by one his life is un-raveled to us , not sequentially but in a way we can connect all the dots.. I still found his above story the best and his grandfather's the next best..

Overall a good fun read ..

Rating - 6/10

" Wear the old coat and buy the new book " — Austin Phelps

Women Unbound Challenge

2010-01-05T01:05:00.001+09:00

For the start of the new year , I want to post this list of books that I want to read for the Women Unbound Challenge ..

Im thinking of going all the way i.e the Suffragette level which means reading 8 feminist/women oriented books, 3 of which should be non-fiction :

My fiction projected list , which might change as needed:

Maggie, a girl of the streets , by Stephen Crane
The hundreth woman , by Kate Green
The help, by Kathryn Sockett
Trudy's promise, by Marcia Preston
The darkest child, by Delores Phillips
Push , by Sapphire
Portrait in Sepia, by Isabel Allende

Non-fiction:

When everything changed , by Gail Collins (womens history)
Indira, Katherine Frank (bio)
The story of a soul, by St Therese of Lisieux (auto-bio)

Will be updating the blog as I progress through it, the deadline is November 2010 - so 1 book a month should be a good target ..

Happy Reading!

Dec 2009 - Book 7 - Salt and Saffron

2010-01-01T01:04:00.001+09:00

Salt and Saffron , by Kamila Shamsie

Another story based in pakistan, another young pakistani lady - though coming back instead of going to US..and she is very interested in her family story..and what a family..the 'Dard-e-dil' (which sounds very filmy) khandaan has its roots in royalty and all the intrigue , treachery, loyalty attached to it..She expounds on many relationships , some in detail - some fleetingly..sometimes too much..

But she is very much enamored with the theory of not-quite-twins and the curse they bring upon the family..or so it's believed..and one day she learns that she is also a not-quite-twin to Mariam Apa - one whose going has left a big hole in her heart and her life..with whom she had some sort of mystic connection and who by going away made her understand so much more about herself..examine her thoughts, prejudices, social stigma..but she wont let her be obscured from the family history..and maybe she will follow the same path..understanding that that is all that matters in the end..

Rating - 6 /10

" No one who can read, ever look at a book, even unopened on shelf, like one who cannot " — Charles Dickens

Dec 2009 - Book 6 - An American Brat

2009-12-29T06:34:00.001+09:00

An American Brat , by Bapsi Sidhwa

Story of Feroza, a pakistani teen who is being unduly influenced by the political tension in the country..or so her mother thinks..and she is sent off to America to her 'Uncle' , who is actually only about 6 years older - as it goes in Indian/pakistani families.. so she comes to America for 3 months and stays back encouraged by her uncle..gets into school and experiences the student life with all its ups and downs..

Whereas her Uncle goes back home and marries a girl from Parsi community as expected, Feroza falls in love with a 'non' which brings her mom and all her melodrama to America...

Its a good, somewhat formulaic and dramatised but realistic account of Parsi pakistani family ..

Rating - 5/10

" No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance " — Confucius

Dec 2009 - Book 5 - Daddyji

2009-12-22T01:14:00.001+09:00

Daddyji , by Ved Mehta

Ved Mehta writes about his father and by extension, biography of his family thru older generations..how the family starting from a very humble beginning go on to achieve great success ..how filial duty is respected and withheld..

It started very interestingly but fizzled out later because it just became account of events and people..there is no in-depth character building even of Daddyji, the protagonist of the book..his activities are provided in detail..but not his thoughts..I was intrigued by his expectations of his wife and the non-realization but that is not given the space it should've..

I am interested in Ved Mehta's writing because of his interesting personal story..as excerpted from this article ..

By any standard, Ved Mehta is a literary phenomenon of our times. He lost his vision when he was four years old. He did his schooling in institutions for the blind. He had as full a life as anyone of his age. He was an active member of the RSS during his years in Lahore. He went on to Oxford, then to Harvard and finally on the staff of the New Yorker for 33 years. He is the author of 24 books. Among the many awards he won is the Guggenheims and the MacArthur Fellowship.

Rating - 5/10

"Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness." — Hellen Keller

Dec 2009 - Book 4 - The White Queen

2009-12-17T01:16:00.001+09:00

The White Queen, by Phillippa Gregory

Philipa Gregory writes about Elizabeth Woodville and her rise and fall from the throne of England..Royalty is where we think grace is, honor is..but the picture presented here is anything but that..Elizabeth gets married to the King Edward in secret ceremony but manages to hold on to the promise and ascends to the Queendom of the kingdom...Narrated by Elizabeth herself this is a very coarse language and lot of suspicion, battles, fights and murders everyday which I sortof skipped over..she conveniently ignores all her husbands wrong-doings against her and people in general and keeps on working on advancing her family members and friends..the highest form of favoritism works here..some intriguing angle is added by the mysticism/witchi-cism inherited from the water goddess Melusina (Little mermaid reference) .. Overall a fast paced but inelegant read..

I caught up on the history after her time and its interesting..start of the Tudor kingdom and end of Yorkists..

Rating - 5/10

"The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can't." — Mark Twain

Dec 2009 - Book 3 - The Bride

2009-12-12T07:04:00.001+09:00

The Bride, by Bapsi Sidhwa

Bapsi Sidhwa writes about a city girl given to marriage into a tribe with their tribal ways and rituals , pride and honor .. she runs away from them and is hunted by the tribe to be punished/killed for her transgression..there are several bylines in the story and the partition of India is mentioned along with the displacement of people and the resulting dissonance of belonging and not belonging to a place..

There is another byline about this american "nobody" who marries a pakistani rich guy and her experience assimilating with him and his family and the society in Pakistan..

Rating - 6/10

"The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can't." — Mark Twain

Dec 2009 - Book 2 - The parasites

2009-12-12T06:52:00.001+09:00

The parasites , by Daphne Du Maurier

The Delaneys - people whom no-one would like to be stranded with..Maria , Celia , Niall - children of charismatic dancer and singer duo . They live an enchanted life, following their parents all over the world , before a tragedy shakes them apart...some bonds remain as strong as ever..Maria and Niall , Celia and her father ..Maria and Niall have this deep relationship bordering on incest but never explicit..Celia uses the pretext to take care of her father to not really think what she wants out of her life..Maria marries someone just to be 'Mrs Wyndaham' but of course she has none of the wifely demeanor to play that role and neither does she knows to raise her children..Celia does..and thus they have all these inter-mingled and parasitic lives where they live off each other..but Charles breaks off and asks for a divorce..which leads them to think back on what went wrong..and when ..and why..

The narrative is in 2nd person but we never know who actually is narrating it and I think its different in each chapter..it adds to the intrigue ..

Rating - 7.5/10

"Wear the old coat and buy the new book." — Austin Phelps

Dec 2009 - Book 1 - The Girls

2009-12-12T04:13:00.001+09:00

The Girls, by Frederick Busch

A couple dealing with loss of their child...Franny trying to understand what happened and why and growing distance with her husband , Jack who loves his wife very much and hurting for the baby too...tries to find some validation by becoming involved in a teenage murder investigation..

I liked the character of the pyshiatrist who tries to help them , almost like a guardian angel or a watchful mother..

Prose style is very sparse but all characters are etched out very deeply

Rating - 7/10

"I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library." — Jorge Luis Borges

A woman's life, by Guy De Maupassant

2009-11-13T11:33:00.005+09:00

A woman's life , by Guy De Maupassant -

It is the story of Jeanne, an exuberant and imaginative girl of noble birth ,who has all the dreams and aspiration of youth - finding love and living the dream life.

She is the only child of her parents and never seen any of her wishes thwarted, cosseted and protected that she is from all the harsh realities of life.

She falls in love quickly and gets married thereafter thinking all the joy will follow as is expected. Slowly the fog lifts, she becomes aware of the person her husband is

In her heart she felt resentful towards Julien for not understanding as much, for lacking this finer sense of modesty, this instinctive delicacy of feeling; and she felt as though there was a veil between them, a barrier, and realized for the first time that two people are never completely one in their heart of hearts, in their deepest thoughts, that they walk side by side, entwined sometimes but never completely united, and that in our moral being we each of us remain forever alone throughout our lives.

Her husband gradually takes over the estate and all its doings and her parents placid acceptance of his misdoings turn her into a passive and apathetic being. She stops caring about the open dalliances of her husband and turns to her child and religion for emotional support.The church, in its rigidity demands a too steep price from her and the child ,in his immature ways ultimately betrays her too.

She turns totally inward and looks upon life as something which has treated her un-fair..

The journey of her life from an optimistic wide-eyed girl to a fatalistic and wounded grandmother is so vivid that you have a feeling of having lived a lifetime in the span of the book...and a sad life that is..with no hope of redemption or any hint of happy ending..what is the point of that story it seems..

So, I thought I would try to find out something more about the writer and the writing style :

Guy De Maupassant seems to be the greatest French short story writer of 19th century, influenced by Gustav Flaubert .

This novel is written in the naturalist style i.e portraying things as they are which might be harsh and stark sometimes i.e poverty, indifference, sexuality, prostitution etc .

Naturalism goes beyond realism in the attribution of human behavior to their social environment and heredity .. something akin to the evolution theory that a human being's character is shaped by its surrounding and circumstances and determinism i.e. belief in a will, but not a free will, rather an enslaved will on account of various factors.

Coincidentally, I saw a marathi movie yesterday - 'Shevri' whose protagonist Vidya is a similar charater..being swayed by the wind of life..by what happens to her...and not something that she makes happen...It is a very sad but also a frustrating story because you expect the character to take charge of their life somehow, sometime..but they never do............

Note to self:

Check out the classic American Naturalist work - Maggie: A Girl Of The Streets , Stephen Crane

Serena , not so Serene..

2009-08-12T21:50:00.001+09:00

Its a saying somewhere that 'A woman is behind every battle and every war' ... Take Ramayana , Mahabharata ... they've all proven that

'Heaven hath no rage like a love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned' ..

and then meet Serena Pemberton , the heroine of the book with same name , by Ron Rash..

She is ambitious - dreaming of logging in the un-chartered jungles of Brazil,

fearless - she tamed an eagle and it kills snakes @ her bidding ,

equal to any man - back in 1920s she is wearing trousers, riding horse astride and greeting each man with a strong handshake, also

power-thirsty - anyone who comes in her way is 'taken care of' and not with much discretion since she is the overlord,

overbearing - though her husband is a huge man and has done a lot before she came into his life, he is diminished when she is around ,

evil - she sends her 'stub' to track down and kill her husband's illegitimate son because she cannot have her own ,

autocrat - she has her own sense of right and wrong, moral and otherwise and infinite power to exercise

She is the heroine of this expansive and intriguing story , a contemporary portrayal of Macbeth and the levels to which hunger for power can take you..

READ it !

Library loot

2009-06-24T06:10:00.000+09:00

Todays library loot includes :

The English patient , Michael Ondaatje - I have been meaning to read this since long and I finally ordered it from the lib...Ive read Ondaatje's Divisidaro and though a very unstructured novel, I quite liked the feel of it..and 'The English patient' is his most famous one I think...hope I enjoy it..
Fear and Trembling , Amelie Nothomb - I dont remember where I picked this reference from..maybe one of the blogs I wander about or some book news site..Its described as "Alternately disturbing and hilarious, unbelievable and shatteringly convincing" - looks like a good riveting read !
Purple Hibiscus , Chimamanda Ngozi - I have a distinct feeling Ive read this one already but Im unsure...does that happens to anyone else ?? Sometimes I read reviews, excerpts too many times and start believing that I have read the book too ...In any case, I liked her 'Half of a yellow sun' and thought I will check this one out..If it turns Ive read it, out it goes...
Evening is the whole day, Preeta Samarasan - I cannot resist a Desi(being an Indian ex-pat) novel..some chick-lits are intelligently written and some not...lets see what this turns out to be..

Happy Reading !!

Friday Movie watch - Gran Torino (*****)

2009-06-13T11:50:00.005+09:00

Yes...thats 5 stars...out of 5 and I would happily dole out more !!

Clint Eastwood is a great great director , he has created an endearing movie with endearing characters - Walt, Wally , Mr Kowalski whatever you call him...and Sue and Toad and Yum Yum :)

This man is pure genius I think ! He is 79 years old and he still surprises us with the strength of his performance..just awesome..and Im so surprised he didn't notch the oscars...all awards are a lot of hooey !!!

Im sure all those adjectives are not going to give any idea on what that movie is about (if you dont already know) , but everyone should just go and watch it...bossy...ain't I ;)

What Im going to do here though is list out all the Clint Eastwood movies, mark the ones that I've seen and rush off to get those which I havn't , so here goes (Boy, there are a lot many, but Im gonna try...and update as I do ) :

Actor credits :

Gran Torino (2008)
Walt Kowalski
Pierre Rissient: Man of Cinema (2008)
Trying to Get Good: The Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon (2008)
Himself
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Frankie Dunn
Words In Progress (2004)
Himself
A Decade Under the Influence (2003)
Blood Work (2002)
Terry McCaleb
Kurosawa (2001)
Himself
Space Cowboys (2000)
Frank Corvin
Forever Hollywood (1999)
Himself
True Crime (1999)
Steve Ev Everett
Absolute Power (1997)
Luther Whitney
Wild Bill, Hollywood Maverick: The Life and Times of William A. Wellman (1996)
Himself
A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1996)
Himself
The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
Robert Kinkaid
Don't Pave Main Street: Carmel's Heritage (1994)
Shooting 'In the Line of Fire' (1994)
Himself
In the Line of Fire (1993)
Frank Horrigan
A Perfect World (1993)
Red Garnett
Unforgiven (1992)
Bill Munny
White Hunter, Black Heart (1990)
John Wilson
The Rookie (1990)
Nick Pulovski
Pink Cadillac (1989)
Tommy Noak
The Dead Pool (1988)
Inspector Harry Callahan
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
Sergeant Thomas Highway
Pale Rider (1985)
Preacher
City Heat (1984)
Lieutenant Speer
Tightrope (1984)
Wes Block
Sudden Impact (1983)
Inspector Harry Callahan
Firefox (1982)
Mitchell Gant
Honkytonk Man (1982)
Red Stovall
Any Which Way You Can (1980)
Philo Beddoe
Bronco Billy (1980)
Bronco Billy McCoy
Escape From Alcatraz (1979)
Frank Morris
Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
Philo Beddoe
The Gauntlet (1977)
Ben Shockley
The Enforcer (1976)
Inspector Harry Callahan
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
Josey Wales
The Eiger Sanction (1975)
Jonathan Hemlock
Thunderbolt And Lightfoot (1974)
Thunderbolt
High Plains Drifter (1973)
Stranger
Magnum Force (1973)
Inspector Harry Callahan
Joe Kidd (1972)
Joe Kidd
Dirty Harry (1971)
Inspector Harry Callahan
Play Misty for Me (1971)
Dave
The Beguiled (1971)
John McBurney
Kelly's Heroes (1970)
Kelly
Two Mules For Sister Sara (1970)
Hogan
Paint Your Wagon (1969)
Pardner
The Witches (1969)
Husband
Coogan's Bluff (1968)
Deputy Sheriff Walt Coogan
Hang 'Em High (1968)
Jed Cooper
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Lieutenant Morris Schaffer
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1968)
Blondie
For a Few Dollars More (1967)
Man With No Name
A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
Man With No Name
Ambush at Cimarron Pass (1958)
Keith Williams
Hell Bent For Glory (1958)
George Moseley
Escapade in Japan (1957)
Never Say Goodbye (1956)
Will
Star in the Dust (1956)
The First Traveling Saleslady (1956)
Jack Rice
Francis in the Navy (1955)
Lady Godiva (1955)
1st Saxon
Revenge of the Creature (1955)
Lab Technician
Tarantula (1955)
1st Pilot

Director Credits

The Invictus (2009)
Director
Changeling (2008)
Director
Gran Torino (2008)
Director
Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
Director
Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
Director
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Director
Piano Blues (2004)
Director
Mystic River (2003)
Director
Blood Work (2002)
Director
Space Cowboys (2000)
Director
True Crime (1999)
Director
Absolute Power (1997)
Director
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
Director
The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
Director
A Perfect World (1993)
Director
Unforgiven (1992)
Director
White Hunter, Black Heart (1990)
Director
The Rookie (1990)
Director
Bird (1988)
Director
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
Director
Pale Rider (1985)
Director
Sudden Impact (1983)
Director
Firefox (1982)
Director
Honkytonk Man (1982)
Director
Bronco Billy (1980)
Director
The Gauntlet (1977)
Director
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
Director
The Eiger Sanction (1975)
Director
Breezy (1973)
Director
High Plains Drifter (1973)
Director
Play Misty for Me (1971)
Director

Revolutionary Road (****)

2009-06-06T10:32:00.005+09:00

Its a story of a couple living on 115, Revolutionary road in an American town in mid 1950s ..a picture perfect couple..2 kids...a picture perfect family..everyone says so too..

But we know nothing is picture perfect...April is a failed artist with an unknown yearning in her heart..Frank is someone who made her laugh once...a regular guy who is aware of his responsibilities and is fulfilling them through a mundane job..he once had some vague dreams and smart mouth...but not anymore..its all lost in the boring job and if there is some dissatisfaction with life, a casual lay here or there takes care of it..

April's yearning keeps getting stronger ..she doesnt knows what she is looking for..but this is not what she wanted in her life...afterall they are unique, they are here to fulfill a destiny..

One day she remembers Frank saying that he had never felt more alive than when he was in Paris...maybe thats the answer...moving to Paris...realise Franks dreams...find a purpose in life !

Frank is made amenable of the idea and things start moving...tickets are purchased...house put on sale...smiles appear on faces and happiness creeps up the eyes...you can feel the energy and joy of new beginings...

You know though - ironically , Frank is 'discovered' by the Big boss and offered a more creative role and better money..he gets tempted...April finds out she is pregnant...putting a damper on their plans...Frank takes it easily, a bit relieved that he doesnt has to find out what he wants to do in his life....

It seems like end of a dream...end of life for April...Frank cannot understand what April wants...why is she not content 'playing house' ...he doesnt realises the depth of her despair and the ending is something that we can predict now, but maybe not in those times...

After the movie , I felt thankful to be living in 20th century where I will not be labeled 'insane' if I want a personality apart from what my family defines me..I wont be called abnormal if I want to develop my interests, pursue my dreams...

We should remind ourselves time and again that all the things in life that we take for granted were all fought for by countless men & women before us...all of them...we have come a long way ahead....and there is longer to go..........

Book ToDos

2009-06-05T05:15:00.000+09:00

Since ages Ive been trying to find like-minded readers, some one to share and talk about the books that I read , love , dislike and it was not happening..

Last month things started falling in place and I found a bookclub which meets every month..very near to my house too..

I also found some online reading groups which are inviting commentary, discussions all openly..

Suddenly , I find myself trying to keep track of books to read, comment upon,review upon - which is all very good but I think I might slip or not really be able to contribute..I think I need to pick 2 of them , track them and contribute to them and then maybe expand.. So Im tracking it here :

I shall be reading 'Motherless Brooklyn' for my book club meeting on June 16th - I have it in my hand already and I think I have next weekend to read and take some notes (which Ive never done before)
I want to contribute couple of reviews at The Orange Prize Project , I have asked for and recieved the membership already. First one I have in mind is 'We need to talk about Kevin' , which inspite of reading before almost 2 years still lingers on in my memory , not concretely but as a vague dream.. I might reread one of the books or pick one from the list ..Im still deciding on that..

How does everyone deals with all those different reading and review deadlines and keeps track ??

Booklist

2009-06-02T04:35:00.001+09:00

With Orange Prize for fiction being announced shortly, I cannot very well put this off longer..This is the list floating around on literary blogs, list of all Guardian longlist books from 1996 - 2009...I have striked out the books that Ive read and it seems very few , i.e 29 (lot of books to add to TBR pile.. yay !).. Some of them I distinctly remember as having loved - Bel Canto , Half a Yellow Sun , We need to talk about Kevin ; some left me cold - Ice road, Gilead (which I didnt complete..life is short !) ; some forgotten , with some obscure memory - When we were bad etc ; some left me questioning - why should a tribute(copy) win an award ?? ..neway...enough books to add to my TBR pile too...

Neway here is my list : (I found this great blog of readers group for these books ...looks interesting..I shall explore more..)

A L Kennedy Everything You Need
A L Kennedy So I am Glad
Ajay Close Official and Doubtful
Ali Smith Hotel World - shortlist
Ali Smith the Accidental - shortlist
Alice Greenaway White Ghost Girls
Alice McDermott Charming Billy
Alice Sebold The Lovely Bones
Allegra Goodman Intuition
Amy Tan The Bonesetter's Daughter
Amy Tan The Hundred Secret Senses - shortlist
Andrea Barrett The Voyage of the Narwhal
Andrea Levy Never Far from Nowhere
Andrea Levy Small Island - winner
~~Anita Desai Fasting, Feasting~~
Anita Desai The Zigzag Way
~~Anita Rau Badami The Hero's Walk~~
Anita Shreve The Weight of Water - shortlist
Ann Patchett Bel Canto - winner
~~Ann Patchett The Magician's Assistant - shortlist~~
Ann Weisgarber's The Personal History of Rachel DuPree
Ann-Marie MacDonald Fall on your Knees
Anna Burns No Bones - shortlist
Anna Quindlen Black and Blue
Anne Donovan Buddha Da - shortlist
Anne Michaels Fugitive Pieces - winner
Anne Enright The Gathering
~~Anne Tyler Digging to America~~
Anne Tyler Ladder of Years - shortlist
~~Anne Tyler The Amateur Marriage~~
~~Audrey Niffenegger The Time Traveler's Wife~~
Barbara Ewing A Dangerous Vine
Barbara Kingsolver The Poisonwood Bible - shortlist
Barbara Neil A History of Silence
Bella Bathurst Special
Bernadine Evaristo Blonde Roots

Beryl Bainbridge Every Man for Himself
Beryl Bainbridge Master Georgie
Carol Shields Larry's Party - winner
Carol Shields Unless- shortlist
Carrie Tiffany Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living- shortlist
Catherine Chidgey In a Fishbone Church
Catherine O'Flynn What Was Lost
Célestine Hitiura Vaite Frangipani
~~Charlotte Mendelson When We Were Bad~~
~~Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Half of a Yellow Sun - winner~~
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Purple Hibiscus - shortlist
~~Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni The Mistress of Spices~~
Chloe Hooper A Child's Book of True Crime - shortlist
Christina Koning Undiscovered Country
Christine Dwyer Hickey Tatty
Christine Pountney Last Chance Texaco
Clare Allan Poppy Shakespeare
Clare Clark The Great Stink
Cristina Garcia The Aguero Sisters
Crystal Wilkinson Water Street
Curtis Sittenfeld American Wife
Curtis Sittenfeld Prep
Danzy Senna From Caucasia, with Love
Deborah Robertson Careless
Debra Adelaide The Household Guide to Dying
Deirdre Madden One by One in the Darkness - shortlist
Deirdre Purcell Love Like Hate Adore - shortlist
Dinah Lee Küng A Visit from Voltaire
Donna Tartt The Little Friend- shortlist
Drusilla Modjeska The Orchard
E Annie Proulx Accordion Crimes - shortlist
Edna O'Brien In the Forest
Eilis Ni Dhuibhne The Dancers Dancing - shortlist
Elizabeth Knox The Vintner's Luck
Elizabeth McCracken Niagara Falls All Over Again
Elizabeth Strout Amy and Isabelle shortlist
Ellen Feldman Scottsboro
Elspeth Sandys River Lines
Emma Richler Sister Crazy
Esther Freud Summer at Gaglow
Esther Freud The Wild
Gail Jones Dreams of Speaking
~~Gillian Slovo Ice Road - shortlist~~
Gina B Nahai Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith
Gina Ochsner The Russian Dreambook of Colour and Flight
Haven Kimmel The Solace of Leaving Early
Heather O'Neill Lullabies for Little Criminals
Helen DeWitt The Last Samurai
Helen Dunmore A Spell of Winter - winner
Helen Dunmore House of Orphans
Helen Dunmore The Siege - shortlist
Hilary Mantel Beyond Black- shortlist
Hilary Mantel The Giant O'Brien
Ingrid Hill Ursula, Under
Isla Dewar Keeping Up with Magda
Jackie Kay Trumpet
Jacquelyn Mitchard The Most Wanted
Jamaica Kincaid The Autobiography of My Mother
Jane Gardam Old Filth - shortlist
Jane Hamilton The Short History of a Prince - shortlist
Jane Harris The Observations - shortlist
Jane Mendelsohn I Was Amelia Earhart - shortlist
Jane Rogers Island
Jane Rogers Promised Lands
Jane Smiley Horse Heaven - shortlist
Jane Smiley Ten Days in the Hills
Jane Urquhart The Underpainter
Janet Davey English Correspondence
Jayne Ann Phillips Motherkind
Jeanette Winterson Gut Symmetries
Jeanette Winterson The PowerBook
Jennifer Clement A True Story Based on Lies
~~Jhumpa Lahiri The Namesake~~
Jill Dawson Fred & Edie - shortlist
Jill Dawson Watch Me Disappear
Jo-Ann Goodwin Danny Boy
Joan Brady Death Comes for Peter Pan
Joan Didion The Last Thing He Wanted
Joan London Gilgamesh
Joanne Harris Five Quarters of the Orange
Joolz Denby Billie Morgan - shortlist
Josephine Humphreys Nowhere Else on Earth
Joyce Carol Oates Middle Age
Joyce Carol Oates Rape A Love Story
Joyce Carol Oates The Falls
Judy Budnitz If I Told You Once - shortlist
Julia Blackburn The Book of Colour - shortlist
Julia Blackburn The Leper's Companions - shortlist
Julia Darling Crocodile Soup
Julia Leigh The Hunter
Julie Otsuka When the Emperor was Divine
Karla Kuban Marchlands
Kate Atkinson Case Histories
Kate Grenville The Idea of Perfection - winner
Kathryn Heyman The Breaking
Kathy Page The Story of My Face
Kira Cochrane Escape Routes for Beginners
~~Kiran Desai The Inheritance of~~ Loss - shortlist
Kirsten Bakis Lives of the Monster Dogs - shortlist
Kitty Aldridge Pop
Laura Fish Strange Music
Laura Hird Born Free
Laurie Graham Dog Days, Glenn Miller Nights
Laurie R King With Child
Leila Aboulela Minaret
Leila Aboulela The Translator
Leone Ross All the Blood is Red
Lesley Glaister Now You See Me
Lesley Glaister The Private Parts of Women
Leslie Forbes Fish, Blood & Bone
Lily Prior La Cucina
Linda Grant The Cast Iron Shore
Linda Grant The Clothes on Their Backs
Linda Grant When I Lived in Modern Times - winner
Lindsey Collen The Rape of Sita
~~Lionel Shriver We Need to Talk About~~ Kevin - winner
Lisa Moore Alligator
Lissa Evans Their Finest Hour and a Half
Liz Jensen Ark Baby
Liz Jensen Egg Dancing
Liz Jensen War Crimes for the Home
Lori Lansens The Girls
Lorraine Adams Harbor
Louise Welsh The Cutting Room
Louise Young Baby Love
Lucy Ellmann Dot in the Universe
Lucy Ellmann Man or Mango?
M J Hyland Carry Me Down
Maggie Gee The Flood
Maggie Gee The White Family - shortlist
Maile Meloy Liars & Saints - shortlist
Manda Scott Hen's Teeth - shortlist
Margaret Atwood Alias Grace- shortlist
Margaret Atwood Oryx and Crake - shortlist
Margaret Atwood The Blind Assassin - shortlist
Margaret Forster Over
Marianne Wiggins Eveless Eden shortlist
Marilyn Bowering Visible Worlds - shortlist
~~Marilynne Robinson Gilead~~
~~Marina Lewycka A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian~~- shortlist
Marly Swick Evening News
Mary Kay Zuravleff The Frequency of Souls
Mary Morrissy Mother of Pearl
Maureen Duffy Restitution
Meaghan Delahunt In the Blue House
~~Meera Syal Anita and Me~~
Meg Wolitzer The Position
Melanie Finn Away From You
Melanie Wallace The Housekeeper
Michele Roberts Impossible Saints
Michelle de Kretser The Lost Dog
Michelle Huneven Round Rock
Michelle Lovric The Remedy
Miranda Hearn Nelson's Daughter
Miriam Toews The Flying Troutmans
Monica Ali Brick Lane
Nadine Gordimer The House Gun
Nancy Huston Fault Lines
Nani Power Crawling at Night
Naomi Alderman Disobedience
Nell Freudenberger The Dissident
Nell Leyshon Black Dirt
Nicole Krauss The History of Love - shortlist
Nora Okja Keller Comfort Woman
Nora Okja Keller Fox Girl
Oonya Kempadoo Buxton Spice
Pagan Kennedy Spinsters - shortlist
Pat Barker The Ghost Road
Patricia Ferguson It So Happens
Patricia Ferguson Peripheral Vision
Patricia Wood Lottery
Paulina Simons Red Leaves
Pauline Melville The Ventriloquist's Tale - shortlist
~~Penelope Fitzgerald The Blue Flower~~
Philippa Gregory The Constant Princess
Preeta Samarasan Evening is the Whole Day
Rachel Cusk Arlington Park - shortlist
Rachel Seiffert Afterwards
Rachel Seiffert The Dark Room
Rebecca Gowers When to Walk
Rose Tremain The Colour - shortlist
Rose Tremain The Road Home
Rosina Lippi Homestead - shortlist
~~Rupa Bajwa The Sari Shop~~
Sadie Jones The Outcast
Samantha Harvey The Wilderness
Samantha Hunt The Invention of Everything Else
Sandra Benitez Bitter Grounds
Sandra Cisneros Caramelo
Sarah Hall The Electric Michelangelo
Sarah May The Internationals
Sarah Waters Fingersmith shortlist
~~Sarah Waters The Night Watch~~ - shortlist
Sena Jeter Naslund Ahab's Wife
Shauna Singh Baldwin What the Body Remembers
Shena Mackay Heligoland - shortlist
Sheri Holman The Mammoth Cheese - shortlist
Shirley Hazzard The Great Fire - shortlist
Siri Hustvedt The Enchantment of Lily Dahl
Siri Hustvedt What I Loved
Sonya Hartnett What the Birds See
Stef Penney The Tenderness of Wolves
Stella Duffy State of Happiness
Stephanie Grant The Passion of Alice
Stevie Davies Kith & Kin
Stevie Davies The Element of Water
Sue Gee The Mysteries of Glass
Sue Miller Lost in the Forest
Sue Monk Kidd The Secret Life of Bees
Sunetra Gupta A Sin of Colour
Suzanne Berne A Crime in the Neighbourhood - winner
~~Toni Morrison Love~~
~~Toni Morrison Paradise~~ - shortlist
Tracy Chevalier Girl with a Pearl Earring
Trezza Azzopardi The Hiding Place
Tricia Wastvedt The River
Valerie Martin Property - winner
VV Ganeshananthan Love Marriage
Xiaolu Guo A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers - shortlist
~~Zadie Smith On Beauty~~ - winner
Zadie Smith The Autograph Man - shortlist
Zadie Smith White Teeth - shortlist
Zoë Heller Notes on a Scandal

Library Loot

2009-05-29T06:02:00.002+09:00

After a long time I went to the Main Library here..I love going to that place ..the pillar columns at the entrance itself tell you all what is valued..there are all those book quotes which I cant resist to stop and read..every time..

Inside, its a cool and big space with chairs to sprawl on with your individual book piles ..there are discreetly placed 'recommendations' , some 'specials' .. its like heaven for me..for any book reader..

Anyway, I usually order and call on my books to be delivered to a nearby library , which is smaller but quite convenient..So with unexpected time on hands I walked to the library today,and though I didnt mean to - I picked up 4 books and couldnt even wait/risk putting them in the online queue..I had to lug them back so far away..right now :) .. My precious loot :

The Robber Bride, by Margaret Atwood - I must confess I am not an Atwood fan, I somehow havnt 'got' her ..Ive read couple of her books..but this jacket description was too powerful ..

The Almond Picker , by Simonetta Hornby - Interesting name and book jacket description

I,The Divine , by Rabih Alameddine - Who can resist a book all in First chapters ! and Ive read and loved his narrative style in 'The Hakawati' ..this should be good..

Getting married, by Theresa Alan - My guilty pleasure - a cleverly written(hopefully) chick-lit

Slumdog millionaire..my perspective..

2008-12-18T04:50:00.000+09:00

Times magazine calls it a dervish delight - http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/top10/article/0,30583,1855948_1863826_1863833,00.html

WSJ calls it first globalized masterpiece - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122661670370126131.html

GoldenGlobe gave it a nod - http://www.goldenglobes.org/news/id/104

What happens after this ? Expections..high expections...and what happens to high expectations ? The same as to a big wave...it comes crashing down..now Im exaggerating a bit here...my expectations were not crashed as such...but yes...they were un-realised..the movie was not upto what I expected it to be...and I dont really know what I expected..but isnt that usually the case ?

Let me tell you..I am as big a fan of the under-dog getting his redemption at the end-of-the-movie as anyone else...a big fan of Mumbai - where the movie is set...and it is depicted wonderfully..though a bit more block-coloured than I guess it is..I wonder how they paint the slums as colourful when they are struggling for their daily lives...but this is one of the jarring notes...

The lead-actors being another...To give a little back story , this is about 3 kids and their coming-of-age in the grits of the underbelly of mumbai , the slums ! Each of the 3 protagonist are showed in 3 stages of their age , and whereas the youngest characters are so real and believable and heart-rending, as they grow older they do not remain so...maybe thats true with us too..Im sure we arent as cute at 17 as we were at 6 or even at 12...

The issues that are seen are all very humane...very real...very touching..horrifying at times - the beggers gang in which they get meshed for a while..the toughness and survival skills that you see in those kids, even when they are scamming tourists...the red-light area...I mean each and every of them...and no melodrama...just matter-of-fact life..the way it is actually out there...

So one would wonder why Im complaining..its because I think I see all this and I dont see any fantasy element in it..no stretch of imagination...I know it all happens..day in and day out ..along with all the other varied things happening in India..and I think that the audience here love it more because all that they see is not something they have seen or experienced or known to happen...so a sense of wonder is felt more when you see something that you havnt seen before ?? Maybe thats why I liked 'Wall-E' more...

Slumdog is good no doubt..but bollywood has produced many such movies..I mean not nearly as good..but touching one or many of the issues seen here..as well as mumbai...and slums...it just didnt strike me as unique a fare as it did to the audience here... so yeah...a thumbs up to Slumdog..but let those Wall-Es keep coming too...<can anyone tell I didnt know how to end this really ??>

5 starred

2008-11-19T05:53:00.001+09:00

Out of the 60+ odd books Ive read so far in the year and logged in Shelfari, apparently only 3 of them deserve 5 stars ..

What does that says about me ..that Im highly discerning or maybe highly stingy in giving out those stars .. ??

Anyways , the great books which deserved the 5 stars according to my self-proclaimed exalted opinion are :

Kiss of the spider woman , by Manuel Puig - I dont remember where I got the reference for this one, but I did..and I checked it out from my library and read it..

Its a very different and unique narrative style for an unlikely friendship (I think its based on real characters and events) developed between two prisoners sharing a cell, but from vastly different background and ideology and interests..the premise is interesting but made fascinating by the dialogue between the two central characters..its just great..I will try to read more by the author though I think this is his best and most well-known work..

Floating in my mother's palm , by Ursula Hegi - Hanna malter tells her life story in short snippets and each of them make you crave for more...I did read some other works by the author after this one...and though I do not remember the specifics I remember being very enamored by the book when I read it.. (does this happens to everyone or is it just me ?)

Shane , by Jack Schaefer - Recommended by some list on great Western novels and it did not disappoint. 'He rode into our valley in the summer of '89' - I am not likely to forget this opening line anytime soon..and though its a very thin book, its very powerful - giving an exact picture of the great historic western mindset..Im not sure if these are just stories or is there some reality behind it..but as a piece of fiction its a keeper..

What a night - last night !

2008-11-06T01:56:00.000+09:00

As I took the journey yesterday with millions of Americans, actually millions more across the globe, though safe and alone in my living room , I could still feel it happening...

I was part of History making event yesterday - watching the poll results come in one by one for the Presidential election , an half hour of panic around early results...which brought me back from the mundane tasks to sitting tightly in front of the tele with laptop on...

Pennsylvania called for Obama !

Ohio now..

Every pundit is saying that they dont see how Mccain can add up the numbers after this and no Republican has gone to White house without Ohio..but they are still cautious..not calling it in for Obama..

Virginia , North Caroline, Indiana too close to call..

Nail-biting wait for rest of country polls to come in..

And its 11PM EST, west coast polls close...and all the screens - CNN, FOX, MSNBC sweepingly declare Barack Obama as the 44th President Elect of United States of America !!!!

What a sight...what a moment...overwhelming !! All the tele coverage is on the Grant Park Chicago event and there are no words needed...the crowd is jubiliant..laughing ...crying...jumping...

John Mccain gives an extra-ordinarily gracious conceding speech...packs off Palin back to where she came from <grin> ..hope we never see her again !

Grant park again...and the First family arrives on the stage...I cannot even begin to imagine what must be going through their minds right now...its huge, HUGE moment for each of them..

President Barack Obama is sombre and solemn..he knows the weight of the responsibilty on his shoulders and 'though we have come this far, we have to go a lot more ahead'. ..

A quick grin flashed as he leaves the stage and my heart is full of over-flowing emotions...I know that this is not the end of the problems..

but that I have participated in this historical event..tracked it day per day..poll per poll..hoped and despaired..and seen it to its rightful culmination !! GO BARACK !!

My literary podcasts

2008-09-17T03:11:00.000+09:00

Being the bookworm that I am , I have a range of literary podcasts that I listen to usually when I workout :

Here they are :

B&N Meet the Writers :

This twice a week podcast features some interesting authors and chat with them..

Panel with Simon Mayo :

From across the ocean, Simon Mayo and a book review panel discuss and dissect 2 books per week .Its funny to hear 'Sarah Palin' mentioned in conjunction with 'Breaking dawn' hearoine (Stephanie Meyer's book) ..It just shows how notorious she has become in such a short time..was it only the labor day weekend before which no one even knew who Sara Palin was ??

New York Times book Review :

Every week Book review editor Sam Tanenhaus talks about books, authors, current best-sellers and other sundries happening in book world. Fast paced overview of the book world.

KCRW's bookworm :

Michael Silverblat, the show's host and guiding spirit talks to established , new or emerging authors every week with particular insight on the their works..the host has his own thoughtful and philosophical style that I found a bit slow at start but really started to admire henceforth..

New Yorker Fiction :

This podcast show introduced me to Mavis Gallant and I shall remain eternally greatful for that..

Every week , New yorker invites one of its current authors to pick and read a short story of their own liking..Both the author reading and being read reveal a lot about their works and thoughts..

New Yorker out loud :

A weekly conversation about whats new in the New Yorker . Touches on various current issues with the New Yorker contributing authors.

NPR Book Tour :

In the inimitable style of Neda Ulaby , this weekly podcast invites authors to read from and discuss their works.

I particularly liked the Bastard of Istanbul, Enchantress of Florence , An age of American self loathing and so on..

World Book Club (BBC) :

The host and studio audience hear and talk to world famous authors once a month.

Isabel Allende's interview was such a beautiful dialogue that I could just go on listening to it ...

Do your bit

2008-09-10T06:43:00.000+09:00

You think about contributing in some ways and the doors open one by one...

I found 'Bloggers Launch TrainforHumanity.org Humanitarian Initiative' today ..do take time to read, think , assimilate and do your bit :

Over the past five years, 200,000 civilians have died due to violence, malnutrition, and disease in Darfur and an additional 2.2 million people have been displaced. We want to do something about it.

Fed up with watching humanitarian crises on the evening news and not doing anything to help, a group of bloggers (most notably, Leo Babauta of Zen Habits) have created and founded the non-profit Train for Humanity, which is an online humanitarian awareness and fundraising organization.

Over 150,000 new blogs are added to the internet everday. Train for Humanity’s mission is to utilize the web, social media, and blogging, in tandem with athletes in training, to support organizations that help prevent suffering and alleviate the pain of children, orphans, and refugees who have been displaced due to genocide or internal strife and war within their country.

Quite simply, they believe - getting fit + social media + blogging = social good

The three pilot project athlete-bloggers, Mark Hayward, Dan Clements, and Leo Babauta are hoping to raise awareness for the current crisis in Darfur and funds for the organization Darfur Peace and Development. All three are training for endurance events of varying distances ranging from a triathlon to a marathon.

They hope to show people that with a little creativity and innovation, anyone can assist and make a difference in the world. If you would like to learn more, have a look at the Train for Humanity website and please consider sponsoring one of them or spreading the word.

My stomach is churning

2008-09-10T01:23:00.001+09:00

since yesterday when I read about the polls favoring Mccain-Palin..I feel physically sick ...my husband's birthday was just a dull day...I feel doomed..and I hope I am wrong...

and let me tell you - I am a non-american person working here in USA, I cannot vote , I cannot claim to be an expert in politics but I do understand that Mccain - Palin to repeat a cliche, will be more of a same or worse since Palin will be one step away from presidency..what will she do if such a situatin arises ? Ban abortion ? Ban books ? Are we moving ahead in the 21st century or backwards ? Since when did war became a word from God ??

I am not so naive to assume that Obama is an answer to everything and all the problems in the country will go away if he is elected..but atleast he does not seem to a bible-thumping, self -righteous prig to me..and the party, the democrats stand for liberal values which do resonate with me...

I cannot express or expound on all the thoughts going on in my head right now..but it is with a disbelief that I am looking at this situation right now, as I did 4 years back when Bush was re-elected..

I dont know if I should distance myself from this political process..shut my eyes and ears and my brain..how else will I survive the next 8 weeks ?? I cannot change anything anyway...

Im not sure I can do that though...I cannot be aloof from what is going on around me..even as an observer..

I am perversely attracted to every political tid-bit on the internet and I am a zombie from trawling all those news sites...so guess I am doomed till November and I shall be keeping my fingers crossed and praying with my eyes tightly shut (its more effective that way ) that American people make the right decision and take this country back to the right path of being the great nation that it was....

My International Literacy day participation

2008-09-09T23:16:00.000+09:00

Today , listening to the book podcast on KCRW bookworm, I thought I should contribute to this effort, which brings me so many author's voices and such thoughtful and gentle voice from the host - Michael Silverblatt.

So , thats one of the things..I will go home and donate to this literary endeavor ..<since all the KCRW sites are blocked from my office :( >

Two, is getting a kindle (as a gift) counted as a literacy pursuit..I guess I could..since it allows me to read more :-)

Thirdly, I thought I would read some good book yesterday , but I was not in a mood..was a bit low ...cause of which is thought for another post...

Lastly , the Booker shortlist is announced and it has one of the books that Ive been dying to read - Amitav Ghosh's 'Sea of Poppies' .. I shall renew my efforts to get hold of it ...The full list is :

The Clothes on Their Backs by Linda Grant
A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Happy International Literacy day !

2008-09-09T00:06:00.001+09:00

Today is International Literacy Day and this year's slogan is "Literacy is the best remedy" .. linking good health to literacy !

I was inspired to celebrate and found this on the internet <courtesy http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/literacy_day/ild_local.html>

Take a field trip to a local literary landmark.
Learn about and support local literacy projects.
Join a book discussion group.
Develop a home library.
Sponsor a child in a reading program.
Give a book as a gift.
Volunteer to read to patients in a hospital or nursing home.
Get a library card and use it.
Share your enthusiasm for a book with a child.
Read books aloud to family and friends.
Reread a favorite book.
Ask your friends to tell you about the books that shaped their lives.
Help a child write and illustrate a book.
Attend readings at your local library or bookstore.
Recommend a favorite book to a friend.
Use television to encourage reading.
Teach someone to read.

I am going to think about it and see how I can contribute or celebrate my literacy :-)

I have been thinking

2008-08-30T03:37:00.000+09:00

Where does inspiration comes from ?

Watching Olympics last week, one thought came again and again to my mind - how does it happens that one day , somewhere in a distant country someone wakes up with dream of going and winning in olympics ?

Someone who is not connected to Olympics in any way...who had no idea about what it is..still finds some inspiration..some motivation ...to dream...

Where does it comes from ? What drives people to spend years of their lives training for an obscure skill or sport...

Similarly, we keep reading...hearing about the freedom fighters who fought for Indian independence..there were some who were totally unaware of having any personal life or ambitions..who gave up wealth , love and comfort for a cause which so burned them...that they could NOT not do anything about it ..

What drives a person to rise above the mundane, the humdrum , to dream of something even they dont know exists ... what drove them to walk to their deaths with open eyes and arms extended...

I search in the dictionary and find Inspiration defined as Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity.

Passion is defined as any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.

Is this what is the driving force of the athlete from an unknown country or Shahid Bhagatsingh who marched to the gallows with 'Inquilab Zindabad' on his lips ?

Is what Im describing called Inspiration or Passion or does this phenomenon has any other name ?

Mania

2008-08-29T00:30:00.000+09:00

I dont know when it started...was it the olympics..or was it much before that..click click click...searching for news on the web...on anything interesting that is going on..

Olympics made it quite obvious to me I think...never before in my 8-olympics past life have I been so fascinated with it...and media fueled it...I keep looking for more information ..dont know what exactly..but keep looking...never satiated...

After Olympics I was lost for a day or 2 and on I started again with DNC - it is quite fascinating to watch a man's unprecedented rise to power...but I think im getting a bit obsessed here...I am looking for all the obvious news coverage...and as if that was not enough I want to go into the specific searches...and the history...and opinions..

Why do I care so much about what others think of something...Do I even know what I think about all these things ??

I like the change..

2008-08-25T23:16:00.000+09:00

There were days...when our weekend..or rather Sunday would start with me waking up late...lying in the bed some more to read a book...and then R and I heading for a niice breakfast...brunch maybe ..come home satiated...watch a movie...langorous days..come to think of it not so bad...

but now...we want to wake up early..so as to miss the weekend crowd on our biking trail ! pack off our bikes and off to a 6-10 mile of biking workout..and it makes us sing ..makes us want to do better...again...gives us a great sense of accomplishment in the day...what could be better than that ?? I like it !

Skipping...

2008-07-19T00:03:00.000+09:00

So I skipped rope today...and it was great ..cant even remember how long ago I had done that last...! I remembered my cousin who skipped her way to weight-loss...and did she loose it...

Im not really looking at weight loss as a goal..rather being healthy...eating good..staying fit...Im getting more and more invested in that..

I used to be so anti-gym...they are pretentious ..boring..cooped in ..blah blah..

On the other hand I do not have enough self-discipline or patience to do what needs to be done at home..Im just thankful I realised that about myself and my need for some sort of physical activity just got too big to ignore and I joined the gum ! and Im discovering new stuff everyday...today was jumping rope !!

Internet is such a blessing...it has every kind of info...you just need to know what to look for....I am finding out all kind of things about workouts and diets and trying to apply it all..

Im quite proud of myself for taking this step..

Im also happy for quitting on coffee...It had become addictive ...even though it was just a cup a day..but still I didnt like the dependency and I quit !

I thought it would be tough..but it wasnt ..except for weekend ..when we go out a lot ..then I just have a coffee..I dont want to be too obsessive about having/not having it...

I just had to jot somewhere about the positive things in my life right now...

Health tips

2008-07-15T01:48:00.001+09:00

Courtery http://www.dumblittleman.com/

White is Not Right: Having a love affair with white bread, white potatoes and white rice? Kiss them goodbye. Although you were taught otherwise, breads and cereals made from white flour are not good for you. White flour simply breaks down into sugar. Not only is too much sugar bad for you, you ultimately crash as quickly as you peak and therefore you are hungry again in no time! Guess what. You eat more and more until you fall asleep. In the morning, you wake up and have a muffin and start the process all over again.

Go Nutty for Nuts: Stop worrying about nuts being fattening; forget calories. Scientific evidence suggests (but does not prove) that eating a handful of nuts daily will give you less probability of heart disease. Nuts are rich in fiber, and antioxidants and high in Omega 3 (the good fats shown to lower LDL cholesterol). Personally, I have a handful of walnuts, almonds, pecans and 2 Brazil nuts each morning, with my coffee. (Yes, I do drink coffee).

Avocado is your Best Friend: You are probably thinking right now, this whole list is full of fat (!!). It is - but it's GOOD FAT. And, if eaten in proportion, it won't make you fat; that's a promise. I eat half an avocado every day. Avocado is considered the world's healthiest fruit, because of its nutrient contents such as vitamin K, dietary fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C and copper. Health benefits include lowered chance of heart disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer's disease; keeping you young, fit and fabulous.

Reverse your Meals: Most people don't eat breakfast, have a sandwich for lunch and gorge on a big dinner. This my friends is waistline suicide. Its been said a million times before, but eating a big breakfast, a smaller lunch and a tiny dinner will do WONDERS for your jean size. Also, try not to eat after 9pm. Can you possibly imagine the joy of going to bed on a stomach that is not bloated or having to concentrate on digesting that rack of lamb you just ate? For one, you will sleep better and secondly, you'll wake up with a healthy appetite.

The 80/20 Rule: Eat healthy 80 percent of the time - the other 20 percent - eat whatever the hell you like (but not after 9pm). The whole point of eating well for the long term (your whole life) is knowing that you can also have whatever you want sometimes and that yes, a little bit of what you fancy really does do you good.

Leo

2008-06-10T01:39:00.000+09:00

Following the Obama news trail it suddenly struck me that maybe Obama is a Leo (sun sign) , that would attribute to his phenomenal rise..and indeed I found it to be true...as seen in the wiki entry :

"Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. (born August 4, 1961) is an American junior United States Senator from Illinois and the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2008 presidential election. He is the first African American to be the presumptive presidential nominee of any major American political party."

and ofcourse I am not the only one thinking about this, as you will see if you do a simple google search with 'Obama Leo' ..

I have a few Leos in my life and have a healthy respect for their effortless personality and conviction of belief in themselves..or ego as you might call it...but in this case warranted ..

Im just glad my hunch proved to be right :-)

I think the world is sinking

2008-05-23T23:04:00.001+09:00

Yesterday a friend mentioned that he checked out a book from library 'The world is flat' and I quipped ..no..its sinking !

But then I realised its true...given the situation in China, Burma, Afraica .. the soaring fuel prices , the food prices , it does seem

to me that the world is sinking...and unless we take a consious step ...live more consiously this will just go on...

Do you feel the same way ? Are you doing something about it ?

Going to try this today .. thanks Allrecipes !

2008-05-16T03:57:00.000+09:00

Easy Pesto

Submitted by: Rebecca Jane Thompson
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 71 members

Prep Time: 2 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ready In: 12 Minutes
Yields: 6 servings

"This is the easiest pesto recipe, using easy to find ingredients. It can be prepared in 2 minutes after you toast the almonds."

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup almonds

3 cloves garlic

1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

1 pinch ground nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place almonds on a cookie sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
2.	In a food processor, combine toasted almonds, garlic, basil, olive oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Process until a coarse paste is formed.

Printed from Allrecipes.com 5/15/2008

Happy thoughts...far and loose

2008-04-16T23:16:00.001+09:00

but here it is..another one...I was reading the FingerSmith by Sarah Waters yesterday and was deliciously surprised by the end of Chapter I !

I liked how it took me unawares...wanting for more..this is what reading brings gives you...unexplained intimacy into some strange time and period and people .. :-)

Peace

2008-04-14T11:05:00.002+09:00

equates happiness..isnt it...atleast for me..so I try to keep my mind at peace...banish petty thoughts....be clean...white..calm...

On other happier notes...yay...I finally bought and installed a bird feeder and added 4 flowering plants to my small garden :-)

Tough one...

2008-04-11T11:45:00.002+09:00

Its a difficult day to note any happy thoughts...quite a depressing thing happened at work today ...and though Im just an observer...it saddens me much...I cant say much more than this...

6th April happy thoughts

2008-04-08T03:40:00.000+09:00

Some holy time in the temple , a new recipe tried, a cute lunch bag brought and opened my birthday gift..15 days in advance :-)))

Recently

2008-04-06T11:37:00.002+09:00

5th April -
A nice relaxing day, a classic movie (Godfather), biking in drizzling tranquil park , a beautiful dinner (Fiamma's) and good talk with my dear hubby....there is nothing else this gal would want...

Happy happening of the day

2008-04-03T22:47:00.001+09:00

Spending time with my dear cousin and his sweet wife...good food...and some good laughs...

Loving loving loving these

2008-04-02T10:37:00.002+09:00

Happy Thoughts

2008-04-02T10:19:00.002+09:00

This being my birthday month , I have decided to start blogging again and also note down what makes me happy each day (atleast this month), in a way be thankful for what I have...

Today - 1st April -
As learnt from Gretchen from http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/ , money used in the right way can indeed make me happy - I got my house cleaned today first time by an external entity and that made me really happy...Im going to do this more often...it was just letting myself realise that I cant do it, and I was really hating not being able to do it and having the house untidy too...
The feeling of coming to a clean , lighted , warm house is amazing...hope I remember that..

A hint , rather actually knowing my bday present makes me very very happy !! :-))

Something I learnt today -
You cannot be in control of everything, even if its yours , and when you know you are not in control you have to let go, trust and be positive !

The 100 most influential books by women - and how many Ive read

2007-12-22T08:01:00.001+09:00

Which is not too many, maybe I will take some up in 2008..

1. Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind
2. Anne Rice, Interview With the Vampire
3. Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse
4. Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway
5. Virginia Woolf, The Waves
6. Virginia Woolf, Orlando
7. Djuna Barnes, Nightwood
8. Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth
9. Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence
10. Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome
11. Radclyffe Hall, The Well of Loneliness
12. Nadine Gordimer, Burger's Daughter
13. Harriette Simpson Arnow, The Dollmaker
14. Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale
15. Willa Cather, My Ántonia
16. Erica Jong, Fear of Flying
17. Erica Jong, Fanny
18. Joy Kogawa, Obasan
19. Doris Lessing, The Golden Notebook
20. Doris Lessing, The Fifth Child
21. Doris Lessing, The Grass Is Singing
22. Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
23. Marge Piercy, Woman on the Edge of Time
24. Jane Smiley, A Thousand Acres
25. Lore Segal, Her First American
26. Alice Walker, The Color Purple
27. Alice Walker, The Third Life of Grange Copeland
28. Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon
29. Muriel Spark, Memento Mori
30. Muriel Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
31. Dorothy Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina
32. Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea
33. Susan Fromberg Shaeffer, Anya
34. Cynthia Ozick, Trust
35. Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club
36. Amy Tan, The Kitchen God's Wife
37. Ann Beattie, Chilly Scenes of Winter
38. Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God
39. Joan Didion, A Book of Common Prayer
40. Joan Didion, Play It as It Lays
41. Mary McCarthy, The Group
42. Mary McCarthy, The Company She Keeps
43. Grace Paley, The Little Disturbances of Man
44. Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
45. Carson McCullers, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
46. Elizabeth Bowen, The Death of the Heart
47. Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood
48. Mona Simpson, Anywhere But Here
49. Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
50. Toni Morrison, Beloved
51. Stella Gibbons, Cold Comfort Farm
52. Sylvia Townsend Warner, Mr. Fortune's Maggot
53. Katherine Anne Porter, Ship of Fools
54. Laura Riding, Progress of Stories
55. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust
56. Penelope Fitzgerald, The Blue Flower
57. Isabel Allende, The House of the Spirits
58. A.S. Byatt, Possession
59. Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
60. Rita Mae Brown, Rubyfruit Jungle
61. Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
62. Angela Carter, Nights at the Circus
63. Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca
64. Katherine Dunn, Geek Love
65. Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle
66. Barbara Pym, Excellent Women
67. Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony
68. Anne Tyler, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant
69. Anne Tyler, The Accidental Tourist
70. Nancy Willard, Things Invisible to See
71. Jeanette Winterson, Sexing the Cherry
72. Lynne Sharon Schwartz, Disturbances in the Field
73. Rosellen Brown, Civil Wars
74. Harriet Doerr, Stones for Ibarra
75. Harriet Doerr, The Mountain Lion
76. Stevie Smith. Novel on Yellow Paper
77. E. Annie Proulx, The Shipping News
78. Rebecca Goldstein, The Mind-Body Problem
79. P.D. James, The Children of Men
80. Ursula Hegi, Stones From the River
81. Fay Weldon, The Life and Loves of a She-Devil
82. Katherine Mansfield, Collected Stories
83. Rebecca Harding Davis, Life in the Iron Mills
84. Louise Erdrich, The Beet Queen
85. Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness
86. Edna O'Brien, The Country Girls Trilogy
87. Margaret Drabble, The Realms of Gold
88. Margaret Drabble, The Waterfall
89. Dawn Powell, The Locusts Have No King
90. Marilyn French, The Women's Room
91. Eudora Welty, The Optimist's Daughter
92. Carol Shields, The Stone Diaries
93. Jamaica Kincaid, Annie John
94. Tillie Olsen, Tell Me a Riddle
95. Gertrude Stein, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas
96. Iris Murdoch, A Severed Head
97. Anita Desai, Clear Light of Day
98. Alice Hoffman, The Drowning Season
99. Sue Townsend, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
100. Penelope Mortimer, The Pumpkin Eater

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Coincidence ..

2007-08-25T05:54:00.001+09:00

I just saw this news blurb http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6962606.stm and just yesterday I started reading this http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Boy-Novel-Last-Tsar/dp/0142003816/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0786880-9280109?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187988825&sr=8-1

Spoooky !

Harry Potter marathon

2007-08-20T21:58:00.001+09:00

Starting at 4:00 PM on saturday , in flight from Boston to Baltimore , from Baltimore to Charlotte.. continued through dinner and till 1 am in the morning..

Start back on page 512 at 9 AM sunday.....skip breakfast .....and at 11:34 AM we have a winner , who crossed the 'HP and Deathly Hallows ' in record 10.5 hours !!! 3 cheeers !!!!

As for my thoughts on it... its a paceful story, but seemed a bit juvenile to me... but ofcourse as every other reader of the HP series I 'had' to read it.. so there...

Toto and Alfredo !!

2007-07-17T02:55:00.001+09:00

what a delightful relationship...in a delightful movie.. 'Cinema Paradiso' - saw it over the weekend and just looooved it...particularly the young Toto.. brings a smile to my face even now :-) .. A Classic !!

Interesting fact of the day

2007-07-13T21:00:00.000+09:00

Saffron comes from the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus. Each purple flower has three threadlike orangish-red stigmas, which form part of the plant’s reproductive apparatus. When these are removed by hand and then dried, they become saffron. The stigmas are very, very small, and it takes several hundred to make up a gram of saffron. Depending on their size, it can take as many as 200,000 flowers to make a pound of saffron. Only about 30 tons are produced per year worldwide.

After dark

2007-06-24T22:28:00.000+09:00

"But why should you be interested in me?"
"Good question. i can't explain it myself right this second. But maybe--just maybe--if we start getting together and talking, after a while something like Francis Lai' soundtrack music will start playing in the back-ground, and a whole slew of concrete reasons why I'm interested in you will line up out of nowhere. With luck, it might even snow for us."

--Haruki Murakami

Why !!!

2007-06-22T21:22:00.001+09:00

Why do White Shirts attract disaster ???

For no reason at all , I splashed coffee on my white shirt.........urrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhh

Excited about

2007-06-20T21:12:00.001+09:00

this one..http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419887/ .. I loved the book..hope the movie lives up to it..

Speaking of which http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433416/ is one movie which has gone beyond the book...seriously !

Also enjoyed http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0976026/ recently..

Nigerian author Chinua Achebe

2007-06-13T22:06:00.001+09:00

has won the Man Booker International Prize in honour of his literary career.

His first work, Things Fall Apart, is regarded as a classic of world literature and has been translated into 40 languages.(which I read recently)

Achebe, was once described by Nelson Mandela as "the writer in whose presence prison walls fell down,"

OTHER SHORTLISTED AUTHORS FOR THE AWARD :

Chinua Achebe

Margaret Atwood

John Banville

Michael Tournier

Peter Carey

Carlos Fuentes

Ian McEwan

Harry Mulisch

Doris Lessing

Alice Munro

Michael Ondaatje

Amos Oz

Philip Roth

Salman Rushdie

Don DeLillo

Who wouldve thunk

2007-06-13T05:41:00.001+09:00

that orange + coffee aka Iced Orange Mocha would be such a delightful combination !

Come to think of it..Ive always loved orange...next step Orange Icecream !!

Being Right

2007-06-09T03:16:00.001+09:00

There is no more destructive force in human affairs -- not greed, not hatred -- than the desire to have been right. Non-attachment to possessions is trivial when compared with non-attachment to opinions.
- Mark Kleiman

The Sopranos

2007-06-08T22:08:00.001+09:00

is coming to an end this Sunday, and as much as it pains me to admit it , I will surely miss it.

I started watching it on my hubby's insistence as he is big mob-story-lover, but slowly and surely I got sucked in..

and now here I am scouring the net for all the Sopranos obituaries , savoring each last tidbit of the Soprano diet..

Salut !

Einstein on Freedom of Will

2007-06-08T05:07:00.001+09:00

I do not believe in freedom of will. Schopenhauer's words, “Man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills,” have accompanied me throughout my life and console me in my dealings with others, even those which are truly painful to me. This recognition of the lack of freedom of will helps me avoid taking myself and my fellow men—both as actors and as individuals casting judgment—too seriously, just as it protects me from losing a sense of humor.

—Albert Einstein

Half a yellow sun

2007-06-07T21:35:00.001+09:00

wins the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction , a well deserved award for a well written book .

Congratulations to Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who says "I suppose I was born with the story-telling gene." ..

Wish that could be found in me ..

Added to reading request pile

2007-06-06T21:56:00.001+09:00

East of Eden
The Grapes of Wrath (Pulitzer winning)

- John Steinbeck , One of the best American writers of 20th century

Winner of Nobel Prize of Literature in 1962

Literary Quote of the day

2007-06-06T21:48:00.001+09:00

"Lord,how the day passes ! Its like a life, so quickly when we don't watch it, and so slowly if we do "

- John Steinbeck (American Novelist)

Beauty and the Beast in Epcot , Orlando..

2007-06-06T10:26:00.001+09:00

Fall Colours

2006-10-25T04:45:00.000+09:00

at Grandfathers Mountain ..

Love thursday..

2006-10-06T00:15:00.000+09:00

brings on my love of flowers...I love flowers and to take pictures...
heres some of them..

Free people read freely..

2006-09-27T01:35:00.000+09:00

'Maurice' by E M Forester is my pick for the 'Banned book Week' ..
Check here

Which is yours ??

Dor...Kacchhi dor

2006-09-22T23:28:00.000+09:00

First thing in the morning , as usual , I woke up.. checked my mails and then got on to rediff .. checking the news back home .. and since its Friday also expecting some good movie reviews.. and la and behold...find a new movie by Nagesh Kukonoor...one of the film makers I truly appreciate.. he puts so much efforts in his movies.. and his characterizations...I really admire it...take 'Teen Deewarein' , 'Iqbal' ..all great movies according to me..

and this new one...'Dor' ..the story looks good to me...and the review is all praises...I am overjoyed...thinking where and how soon can I watch this...I pass on the good review to a good friend...who happens to be a mallu... and no harm intended but whenever I talk about a good movie with a mallu (my husband for instance) , it seems that its already been a mallu movie !!

But Im not ready to believe this of a NK movie... so I accuse her and then have to eat my words... here it is .. the mallu version and the hindi version here .. how could NK do this .. Im very disappointed...

Onashamsagal...

2006-09-05T22:49:00.000+09:00

Forgiveness

2006-08-29T00:29:00.000+09:00

I Grant Forgiveness to all Living Beings,
I Solicit Forgiveness from all Living Beings,
I am Friends with all Living Beings,
I do not have any Animosity towards any Living Beings.

MICCHHAMI DUKKADDAM !

Love thursday..

2006-08-25T01:20:00.000+09:00

Sibling love...expressed by a thread...Raksha bandhan

Contribution to Love Thursday

Crime victim # 42972397

2006-07-28T02:51:00.000+09:00

It so happened one day...it was a sunday...and as is customary..we wanted a fun day..
and we went for breakfast...and had donuts..to make a good start to the fun day..
(I cant rhyme forever...wish I could though .. )

neways...so we had a nice breakfast...and then again as is customary went for grocery shopping..back we came...and it still was too early...since hubby dear is wake-up-at-ass-crack-of-dawn whether its a sunday or a monday...our days always start early..

yeah...so there was still time for us to go check some cars (which is what weve been doing for past 2 weekends...and I thought I had gained lot of car-knowledge ... but...aaahhh...its slipping away.......) so we thought we'll go home and browse around a bit and gain more knowledge about the cars..

So we reached home...and immediately the hubby remembers the newspaper lying in the
car which he needs *NOW* ...and I went back to the car...and see one guy fiddling with its locks....!! Almost ....but not really....

I grabbed the paper..and had a feeling that I should take the bag along..which I had left in the car..but we are going back again ! and its our parking deck ! its USA ! its safe !
and I left it there..

and what do you see when we went back to the car ..my bag was missing...the car
was broken into..my bag was missing !!!

and this is the way I became a crime victim ......and my bubble burst !

Good Night & Good Luck

2006-06-27T01:36:00.000+09:00

Integrity...freedom of speech..human decency..and where the world would be..if there were no one to defend it ..

If we confuse dissent with disloyalty — if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox — if we deny the essence of racial equality then hundreds of millions in Asia and Africa who are shopping about for a new allegiance will conclude that we are concerned to defend a myth and our present privileged status. Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought.

We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.

No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices. If none of us ever read a book that was "dangerous", had a friend who was "different", or joined an organization that advocated "change", we would all be just the kind of people Joe McCarthy wants

Gotta admire Ed Murrow .. and George Clooney for making an intelligent movie..

Childhood memories...

2006-06-07T22:36:00.000+09:00

aaah.....the 80's..
those free summer vacations...
hanging around in the trees...
inventing games...
reading non-stop..
movies non-stop....on the rented VCRs...
- Shammi starrers
- Amar Akbar Anthony
- Arth, Ardh-satya, Mirch-masala ..
doordarshan...
Ek Do Teen Chaaaaar.........
Ramayan...Mahabharat...
blissful ignorance of the surroundings.....
growing up...
'Kashish'
'Banegi Apni baat' ...
studies..

Wonderful memories !
I just keep wondering if todays children will look back so fondly on their childhood ... everyone should be able to ...

Memorial day weekend

2006-05-30T23:41:00.000+09:00

Battleship Carolina ...
Carolina Beach...
Wilmington.. North Carolina

Thailand day five ..

2006-03-27T23:32:00.000+09:00

Chiang Mai...small nice uncluttered place..with innumerable wats...left and right..and left..and right..tired !

Thailand day four ..

2006-03-25T12:51:00.000+09:00

Damneon Saduak Floating market, quaint little market ..not sure though if it was worth the 2+ hours drive..
also .. Wat arun and Wat Trimit....

Thailand day three..

2006-03-23T01:35:00.000+09:00

Beautiful ruinous Ayuthaya..
and a very european-landscaped Bang-Pa In Palace..
good day !

Thailand day two..

2006-03-12T19:31:00.000+09:00

drive back to Bangkok...check into Holiday Inn hotel..which is an ok-only hotel ..though the location is good..
quick refresh and on to sightseeing...Grand Palace .. Temple of Emerald Buddha..Wat Pho..
great massage at the 'School of massage ' at Wat Pho ..

Thailand day one..

2006-03-11T21:45:00.000+09:00

Visa on arrival is easy but possibly lengthy process..

Took a car...a map ...and drove down to Pattaya....
Hotel (Royal Orchid) - surprisingly nice...
the beach - disappointing..
Noong Nooch - overpriced cliched consumerised place..
Ali Baba restaurent - dont really know what they are doing..
Hubby - likes the concept of an indian thali :)

In the evening , checked out the Tiffany Show...quite elaborate...worth watching once atleast...

Hindi movies..or

2006-01-25T23:31:00.000+09:00

names of the novels Ive read recently... such long names :

>> Chronicles of a death foretold , by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Im not so impressed..
>> Song of the Cuckoo Bird , by Amulya Malladi
Good one time read..read in one go..and it 'is' a big book..but nothing too great..
>> We need to talk about Kevin , by Lionel Shriver
Amazing !! What a way of expressing..and the end is such a shocker...and since its all in past..I thought I knew all..and just enjoying the literary fest..but..its simply a beautiful read !
>> An Artist of the Floating World , by Kazuo Ishiguro
Nice again !
>> The Inner Courtyard , by Indian Women
Okay read...

Read, every day, something no one else is reading

2006-01-13T13:51:00.000+09:00

Read, every day, something no one else is reading
Think, every day, something no one else is thinking.
Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do.
It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity.

- Christopher Morley
an author of delightful books, books about love of books...its fun to read !
check out some online books at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ebooks/ , search for 'The Haunted Bookshop' , 'Parnassus on Wheels'

Short Note

2006-01-09T02:16:00.000+09:00

saw preview of 'Rang De Basanti' ..I was very curious by the promos but was getting no sense of what it might be about...
the preview looks like it might be about students...dreams..alien land..struggle..determination... looking forward to it !

also read 'The blue bedspread' by Raj Kamal Jha.. good prose...style...also the refernces to all the blue, being my favorite colour and all that..though a bit overdone as it goes..
and also disoriented at the end of it ...confused... will need to re-read...

15 Park Avenue

2006-01-09T00:49:00.000+09:00

is a beautiful movie...as expected I would say..

Waheeda Rahman...Shabana..Konkana..Rahul Bose..Shefali Chaya...how could it not be .....
at one point in movie I remembered Rani in 'Black' and it seemed so contrived...
in 15 Park Avenue , everyone seems so apt..so natural..Konkana is amazing...
except for Kanwaljeet...he should stick to his soaps..

and the end..how do you take the end..is it all Shabana's imagination .. ? that would be so M Night Shyamalam ...
maybe its a test for the audience psychosis...
I was all ok..life goes on ..nothing cut and dried..
my SIL wanted konkana to die..and solve all the problems..
my mom when narrated wanted her to be cured..

and its not that its all very sad and gloomy and introspective..there are quite a few moments that make you laugh involuntarily..with tears in eyes..

I guess its...as Joydeep says 'It would be very funny, if it werent so sad ' ! ...

Shahnaz

2006-01-05T13:52:00.000+09:00

a novel, by Hiro Boga..
An unexpectedly poignant read..
aka Profoundly moving .. Piercing; incisive...Astute and pertinent ..so on and so forth..
(http://www.bartleby.com/61/99/P0399900.html)

Happy New Year 2006 !!

2006-01-03T17:37:00.000+09:00

So many blogs are giving 'year in past' for the books theyve read, I am tempted too...albeit very short one..
The right side of the blog gives me a count of 42 since May.. and Im sure I mustve read atleast 10 till then though I do not remember ..so yes...a book a week..I like that :)

Completed 2 more before the year end :

Never Let me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro .. my darling hubby sent it all the way across oceans.. I still dont know how I feel about the book.. dreadful... mind-numbing desperation .. cant define !

Book Seller in Kabul - My library owner is hard put to provide books which I read , he says I read books which his other audience doesnt.. so whenever he find some crazy book no one else touches...he hands it to me.. does that makes me crazy !

Began new year with :

A pale view of hills - Kazuo Ishiguro again.. In the end I strongly felt that the narrator and Sachiko are the same.. but I havnt found anything backing that on the google..Im left wondering..

Crash - saw this movie , really impressive portrayal about racism , stereotyping , humanity...nice.. ! I remember one dialog where a South African guy asks his friend (dawg actually) if he knows why the buses have such big windows over there.. its to humiliate the people who have to use the public transport...they can be seen by everyone.. who wouldve thunk that !

New Year trivia :
Remember the 'sorrry' by the bimbo in Salaam Namaste.. its copied from a hollywood movie 'Noises Off' .. when will this stop !

Next on reading list :
> We need to talk about Kevin , Lionel Shriver
> Lolita , Nabokov

Coincidence ?

2005-12-10T02:02:00.000+09:00

or maybe not..

Recently I saw the James Ivory acclaimed movie 'Howards End'...decent movie..Emma Thompson is good...nothing much for Anthony Hopkins to do though..
I havent read the book , so I dont know how the movie compares to the book...but seems that it must be lacking characterisation, which are specialities of such books I believe...

And..recently I took up reading the latest Zadie Smith - 'On Beauty' ..
Pages and pages on , I realised that its very similar to 'Howards End' !
Now..the funny thing is that Ive seen the movie 'Howards End' , while now Im reading a book which is based on the book on which the movie is made..

So , since I dont have the narrative style for reference...this book seems such a copy ! Why would anyone do that ?? I mean the plot is the same..you are just telling it in a different way..and then what do you get so much appreciated for ? for the style ? well..this might as well could be a disassertion on the original book..how can you call it a new novel ?

or is it acceptable ? seems very strange to me ...

Nach Baliye

2005-12-02T02:06:00.000+09:00

on Star One..Im really really enjoying this show..and its with relief that I see Delnaaz and Rajiv chucked out..a 4-5 rounds too late I would say..

and I do get irritated by the hosts so...they should be chucked out too..

I have a feeling that Sachin and Supriya might win this.. they are not bad..but Rajeshwari and Varun are better...more experimenting.. and Ive always liked them both...individually too.. Rajeshwari in her song 'Mukhda piya ka' ... and Varun in tele..

definitely not gonna miss the next two shows !!!

Un-scheduled update

2005-11-12T20:30:00.000+09:00

Books :

The Sea , John Banville.. picked bcos of booker .. and since its a small book..yet abandoned midway...just didnt get it...will pick it later..or not..

Mistress , Anita nair.. despite not-so-good reviews..I liked it..maybe because its set in Kerala..with which I have a special connection .. :-)

American Pastoral , Philip Roth... great book..Im slowly understanding what the phenomenon called Philip Roth is..though did not complete it...as my very picky-abt-books-wont-read-unless-very-interesting husband took it along ..

That Long Silence .. a typical Shashi Deshpande ..which Im liking a lot these days..

Brides kimono , Sujata Massey - disappointing after her earlier books that Ive read..or maybe Ive moved on ?

Currently savouring Arthur and George .. its a book :D

Movies :

Garam Masala - mindless timepass...good for some time..but irritating by the time it ends...

Mei , Meri patni aur Woh - good one time watch

Thats it ! Outta here !

The Joys of Diwali that was...

2005-11-09T00:19:00.000+09:00

Its here !!

2005-10-20T22:40:00.000+09:00

the smell...
the feeling in air...
the longing for
..freshly sprinkled grounds...
..the chilly pure mornings...
..freshly scrubbed houses...
..freshly painted houses...
..delicacies..
..savories..
..diyas..
..rangolis..
..sparkles...
..happiness..

joy..oh joy...the smell...the ..oh so sweet ..
so haunting smell of D i w a l i is here !

Queen of Dreams...

2005-10-12T21:03:00.000+09:00

Picked up Chitra Divakaruni's latest..'Queen of dreams'...and surprisingly Im liking it...I say surprisingly because I had a feeling I wont like it...When I started with her books, I liked her work...somewhere down the line maybe it became repititive
..maybe the way it happened with Danielle Steele..

During my college days , I started reading DS.. in my hometown there are no english novels to be found...except for the library ...and that was too insufficient for my voracious reading appetite...every bombay/pune trip I used to visit the churchgate book sellers/book lane..and get all books possible withing my spending budget...

neways....so somewhere along that time I grew out of DS...moved on...
but...Divakaruni still can capture my attention.. Im really savouring this one..

One more reason of my apprehensions might be the fact that , when I heard of Aishwarya rai being casted as the main character , I was very disappointed...How could Divakaruni let this happen...Dimple...or Dipti naval would have been perfect for such a role, I think !

How one thought twines in another...casts a shadow...clouds judgements...

Book update

2005-09-29T19:05:00.000+09:00

This month I read 2 books I really liked :

>> The binding Vine , by Shashi Deshpande
Its a very simple and small book... which starts from the middle and ends in the same way..there is no start..no end.. to all that is narrated...simply put..its beutiful..
and
>> The kite runner , by Khaled Hosseini
I can just imagine this one being made into a great character movie... it would be a very poignant one...I wish for it to be made !

Also..I watched a very good movie
>>Iqbal
Such a great story..such superb acting...I have increased faith in Nagesh Kukoonoor...and I hope Iqbal..and his sister keep on getting such good exposure..

These are the books..movies...that linger on in your mind...which make it difficult to read/watch another...lest the sweet aftertaste is lost..

Situations...

2005-09-28T21:35:00.000+09:00

How do we decide how we should react to situations...
Im very transperant that way...My face..my voice tells it all...is it honest...or rude ..I cant decide..
I know its tough...to mask your thoughts...opinions...though Im sure wiser..what is the point expressing negativity when there is nothing you can do about it...
I need to learn..

Long overdue Goa pic

2005-09-15T02:26:00.000+09:00

and somehow apt for the oncoming Onam too ...

PuneMonsoon

2005-09-15T02:16:00.000+09:00

Despite the horrible roads...drudging traffic...not being able to wear my new trousers cos they are light coloured and the mud will puddle it..this is what makes monsoon worth in and around Pune...

Mangal mangal..

2005-08-13T16:00:00.000+09:00

Mangal mangal...mangal mangal ho......

The movie started at 1145 pm instead of 1045 pm.. long past my deep-into-dreams time... the endless reruns of Lagaan and Swades songs..the unruly crowd which I feared wouldnt let me enjoy the movie..the long waitttttt.......
It was worth it !

Rather Aamir is worth it.. his entry scene...where he walks towards the gallows and his face is panned in the noose...thats awesome ! Never before have Aamir's eyes been so powerful.. so spell-binding..
and I loved that singing group on the beautifully decorated elephant...
Amisha , Rani, Kiron Kher, Toby Stephens are good too..
the 1857 era imagery is quite endearing and realistic..

Inspite of all this the movie isnt so great...somehow its not so gripping..or maybe there is not much story to tell.. a coherent thread is lacking..
And Rahmans music is alright...didnt seem to fit the period ..except for 'Mangal mangal' ..which kept on humming in my head when I went to bed at 3 am finally...

But Aamir is great ! and thats all that matters !

and...lo and behold..tis my last day in my workplace .. and I have a weeks break before I join at the intended place...and in which Im going home...my parents place...and fully intend on gorging myself on all delicious home cooked food and lazing away to glory !

Halla bol !!!

Attention Pune-ites

2005-08-11T13:30:00.000+09:00

There is a book in wild..in Pune..
For more details check out http://www.bookcrossing.com/home ..
Im so excited to see where it goes.. !

p.s : I got a cutie-cute dress for my niece today..hope it fits her .. did I say its super cute ...it is !

Weekend in a glance

2005-08-08T10:30:00.000+09:00

>> Boo(k)ty list

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell
Kite Runner
Morality for Beautiful girls
Historian

(There is no other way to define happiness !)

>> Movie watch - Sehar - Nice !

>> Some formal attire shopping in anticipation of the new job !

>> Coming Friday tickets for 'The Rising' ..

When will you stop asking questions...

2005-08-05T14:59:00.000+09:00

I dont like to lie.. or hedge around...or give vague answers ..
Why do people persist in asking questions after questions..
Answering 1 or 2 questions isnt enough ???

How do I deflect..
>> 'No more questions please'
>> 'I think thats all that I can discuss'
>> 'Why do you ask' (the classic one, but not one of my favourites..since I know no one will reply saying 'bcos I am curious George(aka nosy) ! ' )
>> 'Stop It!'

None of the above satisfies me... I want one look of mine to stop them from asking any more questions...politely .