Tuesday, September 23, 2008

My Latest Resolution

Before I write what my latest resolution is, I think there is a need to shed some light on why to make resolutions (and publicize them).

Its just that some things are so so undoable that no matter what amount of motivation you dig up from within, you cannot do them (that must be the case with everybody – or you are just not human). But the point is, you desperately want to improve and do that very thing and you come to loath yourself for avoiding it and for continuously finding excuses to keep away from it – things like not wasting food or oiling your hair or controlling your anger and so on. That’s when resolutions come to your rescue – of course you can forget about them – that’s when your blog can help you out. And again you can conveniently shut your eyes to the blog entry as well and sleep soundly, but this is one thing I am yet to discover. Hope this explains the purpose of this absurd piece of crap I am writing now.

Given my love of books, it seldom happens that I have to force myself into reading something – but when it does happen I normally buy the book – that’s reason enough to make me read it. Not that I am an overly stingy scroogy person – but I do have a value for money – if you are spending your hard-earned-meticulously-saved (!!! – that’s an average software engineer’s expression on the statement) funds somewhere – you gotta make good use of it. But this time nothing’s working. So this is my last refuge. Now one might ask what’s so important in a book that you want to force yourself to read it. Well, it’s a classic, and it’s a must read, and when you have decided it’s a must read, it’s a must read – ANY WHICH WAY – if you can’t, you are a coward, and an escapist.

Enough digress. Here goes the resolution –

I hereby solemnly swear to God and all that is holy, by my life and the love of it, that I shall read DON QUIXOTE and will not touch any other book before it is finished. (er…wait a minute God….before you jot it down in your goodness book, a little clarification here – just in case you consider it a sin – by touch I mean touch literally, online books are exempt from this self imposed conjecture).

And I promise the next book review I am gonna write would be of Don Quixote.


Friday, September 19, 2008

The Pianist - Book Review

Now thats survival. Jako rakhe saayian mar sake na koi. Read it to believe it.

The Pianist is a memoir by Wladyslaw Szpilman - a Jew musician belonging to Poland - spanning three years, 1942-45. Its a true survival story of a man who lost his everything to German anti-Semitism and World War II, very modestly written intriguing tale of what the people really went through in all those years. i would have discarded it as an exaggerated tell-tale had it been fiction - or even if the events werent confirmed by a German officer's (Wilm Hosenfeld - whose compassion saved Szpilman's life) contemporaneous diary entries.

In these three years of his extraordinary life, Szpilman contemplated suicide, changed hiding places, escaped German soldiers narrowly, starved and froze - all this and more, countless number of times - in other words, scraped death every now and then. He lost all his loved ones - his only worldly possessions that remained were a fountain pen and a watch. How he lived through this ordeal and kept himself sound and sane is a typical example of the amazing human survival instinct.

Mark Twain has rightly said, "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities, truth isnt". No wonder the 2002 Hollywood film based on this book grabbed three Oscars - actor Adrien Brody, director Roman Polanski and screenplay writer Ronald Harwood. The film has recieved many other international awards as well.

Monday, September 15, 2008

City buses in Indore

Got a chance to ride in the city bus last week (at long last - they had started operating in 2005 or 6). What an experience! i never knew an international standard service was being run right here in my own city. From outside the buses looked pretty cool, but it never crossed my mind that the service could be any cooler. The condition of the bus was impeccable - good comfortable seats, enough space to stand (and breathe), even the windows were intact (now thats a real luxury). It halted for just a few seconds on each bus stop (which was fixed and not random!) and didnt wait for more passengers to come. Wow.


i was standing in the bus marvelling the seating arrangement inside and the efficiency of the driver when the conductor came to hand me my ticket...i nearly had a stroke..he had a fully computerized hi-tech ticket system with him and gave me a printed ticket!! i vow to check out the bus system in US the next time i visit...i am sure it wouldnt be better than this. They even have their website detailing the buses' route, fares, schedules and other information. What more, they have stamped their presence on wikipedia as well.

If only our traffic and road conditions complemented these buses....<sigh>....God knows how they manage to drive the monsters through the small, jam-packed, zig-zag, rule-free (in absence of a traffoc cop) connections of cemented-uncemented paths called roads in this city - its beyond me. Advice-advice: If you are driving a vehicle and see a city bus coming along, its best to get out of their way...not only to keep safe, but also to show respect - they really deserve it!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

The Mahalakshmi festival


Its a three day Maharashtrian festival (or ritual would be a better description maybe) - actually its a kind of legacy, as in only a few set of families practice it and it gets inherited down generations.


The first day, statue type structures of deities (representing two married women - sister-in-laws to be precise - and a child) are put up, are adorned with jewellery and the place is decorated. On the second day, special food (fixed menu - consisting of majorly pooran poli and laddus) is prepared. Third and final day, the statues are dismantled.

The best thing about this ritual is that very little pooja-related-stuff is involved, and most of that too is fun. Then we also get to exercise (and sharpen) our creative talents - there is no restriction on the amount or kind of decoration to be done. Also its a time when the entire family gets the chance to get together and enjoy - and not to forget - the food - its awesome.