The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon

I am passing through a curious phase in life. I can’t seem to finish any book I start to read. I seem to only have enough attentiveness to finish a short article. I can’t seem to enjoy most programmes on television. I seem to watch only reality shows (hmmph and enjoy them too) and the **Aastha channel. I can’t seem to like eating regular food anymore, such as rice for lunch and chapattis for dinner. I seem to want anything but rice and chapattis for lunch!! I also seem to have developed a hunger for films over which I devour many packets of my favorite onion-flavored potato chips from Lays. I can’t seem to enjoy my weekends at home anymore. I seem to have a compelling need to go out and explore. As though time is running out. Now, what kind of life crisis is this?!

Hmmm, today’s post is to record and remind myself that there are exceptions too. For instance, I actually finished one book I had started, in three consecutive days flat, with nap-gaps in between, of course. The book that kept me glued to it is the “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” written by Mark Haddon. No, it is not a doggy tale, it is a mystery tale, rather. There is a dog but it gets killed in the very first page of the book. I don’t like fiction and films where dogs get killed which is why I did not pick up “Marley And Me” during my last trip to the bookstore and left watching the film based on it, mid-way. But, in this book I did not mind too much that the dog gets killed because it happens in the first page before I have formed attachment with the dog.

I would recommend The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time to anyone who adores mysteries and thrillers. The story is about Christopher, an autistic boy gifted with a brand of intelligence quite different from the ordinary understanding of what “intelligence” comprises of. Christopher, inspired by Sherlock Holmes, his idol, gets involved in solving a mystery in unique style and while at it, discovers secrets about his own family that jar him in a peculiar way. This is where the mystery lies which you can find out if you read the book. The story is told in first person and this brings Christopher very close in the imagination of the reader besides speaking volumes about the brilliance of casting and composition of the author, Mark Haddon.

I think I hung on to the book – one, because of the mystery in it, two, because of the fantastic insights of an autistic person – about his own behavior and his observations about the behavior of “normal” people. And three, because of the skilled integration of mystery with insights into the mind of an autistic adolescent by the writer. Sample some parts of the book by clicking the images below for a larger view.


I hope you can read the book sometime.

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**Speaking of the Aastha channel, I enjoy hearing some discourses telecast through the channel such as those of Brahmakumari Shivani and Baba Ramdev. I heard Baba Ramdev say something very interesting the other day. He was expounding upon how the Indian way of life has been envisioned to be fee from violence and as an example he spoke of the mechanism of the broomstick. Brooms as we know have gaps between each of its sticks. According to Baba Ramdev, gaps have been deliberately conceived so that small insects - including ants caught in them can scamper to safety. Quite profound!

Post at the time of pandemonium

I am writing this post as an outcome of Munchmany’s comment on my last post. “Please do write more...” she implored! Munchmany – a good colleague and regular visitor to my blog.

Since the end of last week, I have not been able to visit blogs – neither mine nor anyone else’s. It is the usual – I have been totally consumed with office work! I do not fancy such times but they come when their time is due (sadly). The surge of work creates nothing less than pandemonium in my peaceful existence. I start to perceive everything as really BIG and really STRANGE than how I would see them under normal circumstances. The pandemonium starts at the workplace and consumes all my waking hours, not to mention my sleeping hours too.

Last night I had a nightmare of having lost our family dog, Budi Boo to a strange curse that seemed straight out of a science fiction! I woke up only to realize that I was having a nightmare! Strange, but Thank God!

I am a one-member team in a project with two parallel running courses. No one thinks that there should be another team member because I am performing the task of three people. Because I don’t ask, I don’t get. Deliveries are talking place smoothly but I am being asked to “contribute” more. Because I contribute more than asked, I am asked to “contribute” even more! Strange! Strange! Strange!

Over the weekend when I opened my bag to pull out my ATM card, I got one big shock of my life! There it was within its cover but vertically split into two pieces. I ran over the events in my mind to locate what could have brought about the extraordinary state my card is in. The only event I remembered was my falling over a few glass steps at a showroom and falling on my bag. Why do I have this puzzling connection with glass!? Strange!

I was meeting up with a friend on Valentines Day who announced that she is getting married very soon. I thought she is tying the knot with her last boyfriend who I had come to know of through her unending stories. She laughed me away and announced that this is an arranged match she is getting into because “he” cooks well and has promised to cook all throughout their married life. Times have changed! Strange!

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, the hullabaloo created over it by the goondas (aka the moral policing brigade) in the society seemed to fall flat. I went out into the city that day and it looked like any other normal day. At least on Diwali day the entire city is decked up. I am sure it is a very small percentage of people in this country who have any notion about Valentine’s Day! What is this talk of Valentine’s Day invading our culture, if at all it does! Awfully strange!

During this period I watched a documentary titled, “White Light, Black Rain,” a poignant compilation of the voices of the Japanese people affected by the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the fag end of World War-II. Most of these people are old now but they carry scars of the devastation on their bodies and minds. The documentary is a powerful caution about what can happen as a consequence of a nuclear war. In the documentary, young men and women from Hiroshima are interviewed and asked what they think about dropping the bombs on their land. All of them looked at each other and drew a blank; they said they cannot recall having heard about the bombs being dropped in their country. That was simply strange!

One of these days, I heard that the domestic help at my parent’s has been caught red handed slipping out money from my father’s purse. The reason for worry was that they did not dismiss her! Amid media reports about the various risks senior citizens living alone face, a domestic help indulging in theft was indeed a cause for worry. Soon, more information about the help started pouring in from the neighborhood – she is known to have hidden valuables inside dustbins conveniently seizing them when she went out of the house to empty the bin. Considering that she is quite a well-to-do person with no apparent un-met economic needs, I wonder if she is a kleptomaniac. I wonder whether there is a cure. Strange obsession.

Last but not the least, that I could write a post at the time of pandemonium is plainly strange. Thank you Munchmany.

Password + Confirm + Delete

LAST MONTH, I said farewell to a 3-year long alliance. It was difficult to let go but I was able to do it. Time made it considerably easy. When I look back, in these three years, the first two were like a party. However, the last one year was marked by suspicions, doubts, apprehensions, fear, anxiety, fickleness, boredom, refusal to comply, etc., etc., etc. One fine day last month, it took one trigger to end it all.

Now that all is over, and considering that it took a while to decide to split, I don’t feel any bitterness. In fact, I have rid myself of many guilt traps. The time is not right, the time is past "right", I have told myself.

I have rid myself of the guilt of not answering text messages, of not returning phone calls, of not trying hard enough, and of having “grown up”. I accept that there are many other people, including my own friends who are having a ball of a time. Long live their unions and re-unions. For me it is a no turning back!

It was good while it lasted. It brought some important people back into my life. Needless to say I put in a lot of efforts to find them and I am happy that I found them—people I have shared my tiffin with 18 years ago, people I have created sweet memories with before disappearing for an intermittent period....... what more can I ask for.......

Well if you have not guessed it already, here comes the clincher...... LAST MONTH, I deleted my Orkut. It wasn’t too difficult. Password + Confirm + Delete!!

Counting My Blessings

I have lots to be thankful and grateful for. I try to live in an attitude of gratitude. But, sometimes, when something does not go my way, I am quite capable of cribbing. I do it as a matter of right. A few days back I had a mail from a penpal. One sentence stood out, it read, “Please try to remember to be grateful for the things you have”. Obviously, I had complained. What I got as a response is profoundly true. Therefore, I have decided to dedicate this post to counting my blessings. I want to make a mention of all the things that have made my four-month long stay at Chennai joyful. I don’t want to look beyond the four months because then I will have too many blessings to count and you will not believe me when I crib!!

Here goes.... these are a few of my b-l-e-s-s-i-n-g-s.... Daisy, Blue Cross, pups, doggie world, Sri Kumaran Stores, Pondy Bazzar, Globus, idlis@Anandas, chillie parantha@Sangeethas, Ratna Stores@Pondy Bazzar, basundi, set dosa, and fresh orange juice@Geetha Cafe, Gandhiji chips@T. Nagar, the luncheon gang@LB, weekend gateaways to Bangaluru, Life Research Academy, Bharmarishi Patriji, Pondicherry, the drive along ECR road, tender coconut, cheap transport, the cool sea breeze in the evenings, heavenly coconut polis@Sree Annalaxmi Sweets, Landmark@Spenser’s Plaza, the time to read, the time to relax, the time to shop.... (I might come back to add more).

I will make separate posts on some of the above. As for now I am content with listing them. I am all set to enjoy the Labor Day off tomorrow. How I only wish that 1st May had been a Friday and not a Thursday.... had it been a Friday, I would have got an extended weekend.... and now that it is a Thursday, I hate to think I will have to come to office on Friday....

PS: My roomie has been sent to her hometown, she has malaria.

Gurgaon say Chennai tak

I am writing on this space after more than a year. At various points of time during this period, friends tried their best to get me to write. But, the writer’s block had totally consumed me. I am especially touched to find the link to Ambrosia blog still in theirs, despite the fact that I had removed my blog from public space. I am grateful for the patience and the faith.

When I started my blog, I never wanted it to be on something specifically. My life is an assortment of various things, events, and people. With no central theme. My blog couldn’t be any different! So I continue with the same thought I started it with.

I am in a different city now. Chennai. I will soon complete four months of stay here. Most of my friends came to know about my shift after I shifted here. I am getting more into the habit of taking decisions and making the announcements later.

Most asked, “Why Chennai!?!”

Valid question. I got a hint of disbelief mixed with amusement even in the text messages. At first I maintained that I came for the ocean. Only to increase the amusement component in the tones. I think I managed to convince them that I took the decision in a sound mental state. Cut.

January 2008. Chennai. I am greeted by humid air as I step out of the plane. I quickly remove my coat. It was freezing only three hours ago. I wait for the evening. I am excited to sit by the ocean. When I reach Marina beach, I don’t notice the ocean. I notice the filth instead. I am in high spirits. I discount all of that. I join my new office. I am not exactly excited. I know it will be the same. I quickly check the number of leaves I am entitled to. I will not get more than three till June. This gives me a shock. Why did'nt the company mention this in the terms and conditions! Still, I am all set to enjoy a new city. Chennai. Mid January I am all worked up. I need to find a place to stay in. I cannot stay at the company guest house beyond a month. Ideally, I want a single room set. I travel with the blazing sun following me, looking for a place to stay. Soon I find out that the set-up of my dreams is out of question. I will need to pay a year’s rent in advance. I am not prepared for that kind of commitment. I settle for a hostel. But I terminate my search soon enough. The hostel rooms are as filthy as the beach. They are slums from inside. Last week of January. It is a Sunday. I am very tensed. I am sitting under a big banyan tree by the road side after several unsuccessful attempts that morning.

I have one of those regular angry conversations with God, “What do you want from me!!”, I ask.

I buy a copy of Freeads. I search out an ad. I call. A pleasant voice answers my call. She says she is in Kerala right now. I can come and see her place the following day.

“How many will share the room?”, I ask.

She says two.

“Will there be space to move around with two beds in the room?”, I ask.

She is amused, “Yes, you come and see”, she says.

In the last few days, during my accommodation hunting, I have seen bunk beds made of iron stuffed in small rooms. They remind me of the dingy war-time barracks. I cannot expect anything better. I can imagine only the worst.

The following day I see the place. It is a two room flat. One room shared by the girl, her two and a half year old son, and her grandma. The other is where I am to stay, with another girl, of course. There is plenty of room between the two beds. I pay the advance.

February 2008. I shift in to the PG. My roommate is a young woman from a small town in Tamil Nadu. She is a software developer, one of the many in this profitable industry. She is at least 10 years younger to me.

On the first day she declares, “I sleep at 10 pm, I want the lights off by then.”

I wonder if I heard right. Yes I did. I don’t say anything to her. I stop talking to her from that day on. I am hurt. I finish all the work I can do in the room before 10 pm. After that, I sit in the living room and read. This is my schedule every evening. The girl and her grandma are very nice. The little boy is funny. He loves to call me by my name. A M Y-R I T A, he prattles. My roommate comes to the living room. She puts on the television. The audio is blaring. I wonder if she has a hearing defect. She talks very loudly on the phone as well. And she talks all her waking hours. In Tamil. She has a booming voice, with no voice modulation. I have an angry conversation with God.

March 2008. Things happen at the workplace. I don’t remember much. It is as if I don’t take conscious notice of that aspect of my life. Life goes on amidst inane conversations with colleagues. At times, I find a connection with some. Those are fleeting moments. Guess everyone is too busy. It has got very, very hot.

April 2008. My roommate has got into a strange habit of talking loudly on phone, at midnight. I can’t take it any more.

I tell her, “Can you please go out and talk!” I speak to her for the first time I started living with her.

She is taken aback, “Ok-ok”, she mumbles and goes out.

She has also got into the habit of switching on the lights at odd hours when I am in deep sleep. It wakes me up. I wonder if she is frenzied or suffers from weak eyesight? She behaves like she is the only person in the room. She never cleans the room or the bathroom. Her side of the room is like a slum. Mincing no words.

Something interesting happened. Yesterday, I find her bleary eyed, literally dragging herself about in the room. I am shocked, I ask her what the matter is. She says she has viral fever. I ask her if she is taking medications. She says she is going to the hospital to get injections. So I tell her to take care. I am not surprised I spoke to her. As she is about to step out I ask her how she will go to the hospital.

“My friend has come to take me”, she says and smiles a sick person’s smile. I would have offered to accompany her. She had the choice to refuse.

Today in the morning, I am in the bath. There is no electricity. After a few minutes, I hear the fan in my room. A few seconds later the bath light is also on. This is a rare show of sensitivity on her part. It brings a smile to my face. Cut.

This is one side of my nearly four-month long chronicle in Chennai. There is another side to it. Probably the side that has helped me to bear this side of the story. Next post. Next time. I am glad to be back!! :)

WOW, tagged!!

Ambrosia has been tagged by Sigma! This was the first news that greeted me on Sunday morning. I said – what’s new, Sigma tagged Ambrosia months ago. Little did I realise that I was about to learn the precise meaning of “being tagged” in blog culture. I had vaguely known until today that tagging was about linking another blog with your own on your right hand side panel………… ha ha!! Anyone in the same boat as me?! Let’s find out. I can’t describe what tagging is, but the process below will make it clear I am sure!

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Rules of this tag:

1. Name the person who tagged you.

2. 8 things about you.

3. Tag 6 people.

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Action Item 1: Name the person who tagged you

I have been tagged by Sigma. I know her through her blogs Idle Thougts and Travel Memoirs. Of course I have never met her in person but my intuition tells me that she is a warm and generous person. I thank her for the unique manner in which she has got me to write on my blog after more than two months of inactivity. Merci.

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Action Item 2: 8 things about you

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This is interesting, ok here let me try :-)

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1) I love giving surprises. Adore it when I get one myself too. Giving and receiving both have a remarkable impact on me, I get charged up creatively and emotionally. Sigma’s tag was a complete surprise! Can I thank you once more……

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2) I love visitors, I love being the host. I dream of a house in which the kitchen is the largest room, filled forever with many nice fragrances (I love the smell of baking cake and the aroma of tea) and many, many nice people adding to the energies there. I love to be around with people with open hearts.

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3) I love to be in “circulation” and like to communicate with people. I do it in my own way, my own quiet way. I am fundamentally a “shy” person by nature, I am not “loud” enough :-)

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4) I like minimal talk and maximum action. I am a compulsive dreamer and I like to test out my dreams in the physical realm.

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5) Most people I know feel that I am a difficult, unpredictable being; they are of the opinion that they don’t understand me. Perhaps I can elaborate on that here. There are certain things that leave me cold – they leave a strange impression on my emotions, psyche and senses – crudeness (I try to find aesthetics even in an abuse), meanness (I get an instant impulse to pack up wherever I detect it!), manipulation (I don’t like getting tricked). I am essentially large-hearted but recoil when I feel that I am being taken for a ride. At the same time, I too do manipulate sometimes, but I like to state my intentions.

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6) There was a time when I used to spend many neurotic moments worrying and bothering about what people might think about me. Since sometime I feel a markedly stable and a strong energy from within that has made me completely believe that, one, I am a teeny weenie part of a very large scheme of things – that there is much, much more to what we “think” there is; and two, that I would get affected by the standards set by any particular society to the extent I myself believe that they are some kind of “standards”. I don’t care for judgments anymore; it is such a big relief!

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7) Following this, I must state that this energy has taught me to not expect anything from anyone in return for any benefit I might have caused them. Because, the acknowledgement may come from elsewhere, and in time – not necessarily from the same person.

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8) I have figured out that I have two major callings in life: establish a wellness centre for the upkeep of the emotional/mental health of people and to travel extensively on earth and write about it. For both, I need partner/s in crime. Preferably lifelong.

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Action Item 3: Tag 6 people

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Oh, my pleasure –

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1) Meera – She wrote me a comment within minutes of opening my blog early this year. So she has a very special place in my blogger heart. Also I am in awe of the way she conjures up stories from ordinary day to day life experiences. She too has not written on her blog for over two months now. I wonder about her, I hope she can come back soon. Meera, have you returned from Karachi?

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2) Cool Cat – I just went to Cool Cat’s blog to tag her and found that she has also not written for over two months! I love reading her exceedingly well-crafted posts. The last I remember, she had promised a piece on her lovely pet cats. Hmm, coming?

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3) Queen B – A few months back, she gave me a pleasant surprise by dropping by at my blog. It is my pleasure to tag her blog, Taraville. This blog is dedicated to her new born daughter, Tara. It has cute pictures and very well written notes about Tara’s explorations and experiences and the joys of motherhood. I hope Queen B can “bottle” more of it in cyberspace :-)

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4) Living Tree – She has lots of interesting things to write about, and I am sure if she blogged full time, she would produce a well thought out body of reference material.

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5) Pragya – I know her in person and I enjoy reading poetry; so I like reading her poems.

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6) Thinking Thinker – Very recently, I discovered that he had put a link to my blog through his. I thank him for this sweet gesture by tagging him.

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How nice, I am done! By the end of it all, I learnt one more thing about tagging – that the subject of Action Item 2 varies – in this case it is writing eight things about yourself, in another it may be something else. One can actually trace the origin of this particular tag. It seems that one may also choose to start one’s own thread. Btw, all of you who have been tagged here, please feel free to give it a miss, in case you do not feel upto the mark to pass on the tag and if you do, it, of course, would be great fun :-)

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Chao!

Some Odds and Ends

Blogs are opening here now by the normal route. Phew!!


Today I want to record certain things that have been coming to my consciousness and lingering there in the form of questions, observations made, reflections etc. I am not even trying to slot them, hope it does not sound too odd. And what if it does..... I am going to number them -

1) It is nice to re-connect with people we haven’t had any interactions with over a period of time. I am led to believe that these re-connections happen ONLY when the two persons concerned are ready – when they are convinced that a re-connection would be a progression over their last meeting. Re-connections always somehow happen when both persons are in a state to drop any unpleasantness associated with their past association, and at a stage when the fond memories created together are consolidated and most importantly acknowledged.

2) However, it is not possible to re-connect with everyone we have parted ways with at sometime in the past. We may have parted in bitterness with some people in our lives and over time we may forgive them too, BUT may not like to re-connect with them. In such a situation I wonder how would they ever know that you have forgiven them? Question.

3) I reiterate, re-connections cannot happen with everyone you have parted ways with.

4) Have you ever noticed how if you respond only to the positive characteristics in a person, their negative traits (and we all have them) stop to surface?! Have you ever noticed how people you encourage and appreciate are always happy to meet you..... Have you ever noticed how we too look forward to meeting people who appreciate and encourage us.....

5) I watched a film lately that immersed me after a long time. It is called “Before Sunrise”. It is made in two parts but I think it should have ended at Part I. I do not want to see Part II. I am in love with the idea of timelessness that is portrayed in the film. Two people make an instant connection. They have just a few hours to themselves. They make the best of it. It is time to part. They are heavy hearted to let each other go but they decide to not exchange their whereabouts. BUT they decide to..... well that is the suspense. They should have ended at Part I.

6) I also saw the film Dosar (translated The Companion), directed by Rituporno Ghosh with Konkona SenSharma in the lead. She was there at the screening too. Looking very cute. The film is well made. Lots of humor in the seemingly serious topic of the film: extra-marital relationships. I have not been able to, if I may say holistically understand this. Something tells me there is more to this hyped subject. Ok. One day the spouse meets with an accident in which the woman he is involved with - outside his marriage dies and he suffers serious injuries. This becomes public and his lawfully wedded wife grapples with feelings of hurt, dejection, self-pity, at the same time feelings of rejection for her husband. The film did not convince me (tho it is well-made). If not for the humor and Konkona and direction, it wouldn’t have been watch-able.

7) Have you noticed that the more you give, the more you get back. I mean everything – knowledge, know-how, something material, love. Also have you noticed how the more you give them away, the more you know about those things.

8) Have you realized how you carry a part of each person you meet in your lifetime. “We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.” (Tim Mc Graw). I have been using colored pens to write since the past three years, I picked up the habit from a friend of that time, I am no longer in touch but each time I hold one of my pink/green/orange/violet pens to write I am reminded of that person. Except that these days you don’t have much to do with pens, your fingers do it for you, on the keyboard.


Have you realized what a heart-to-heart talk in which you are in a position to share your deepest thoughts of that time with the other can do to you..... I have just done it..... on my blog.

A warm hello

Hello! I feel good writing on my blog again. It’s been such a long time. Thank you all for your comments and I am sorry I could not write back immediately. The last few weeks were characterized by a flurry of activity. Both inside my mind and external as well. I enjoyed every moment I lived. It has been one of those times where you feel a whole lot but you don’t process your feelings because you don’t feel the need to. You don’t even see what lies ahead of you. Not that you don’t want to, but simply because there is no need. You just allow each moment to unfold itself. The revelations are insightful and that makes you happy. At the back of your mind you know that you have a destiny to fulfill and you just add to the present moment without a thought as to what your actions would fetch you. Quite a blissful state to be in.

This has been a time when I made wonderful new connections, shared joyous moments of re-connecting with old friends, traveled a bit and drew a lot of strength from it, worked a bit, as in for a living :-), read about Osho and Sufism (for the very first time), and now I am reading Life After Life which is Dr. Raymond Moody’s work on the subject (life after life) supported by his research study on NDEs (near death experiences). I am also reading Heinrich Harrer’s, Seven Years in Tibet. I hope to be able to write about each after I am done.

I am also looking forward to reading your blogs, I realize I have missed so much! I have been blog hopping mainly. What has changed you may ask, what has made me come back. Nothing I guess, the feeling of grandeur continues except I guess I am a bit grounded to hold my pen to paper. See you on your blogs soon too!

Staying Connected

Staying Connected

It is interesting to note how so many people are unsatisfied and unhappy in their lives despite having taken the “right” steps and “right” decisions in the “right” directions. “Interesting” is probably not the right word to use, but honestly it does inspire an interest in me.

“Something is missing”, a friend informed me the other day. The friend is a “successful” professional and has made considerable material gains in life. Besides, I get calls from time to time – “something is missing”, they all say, 9 out of 10 are “doing well”.

I feel sorry and sad that so many people are caught in a rigmarole and take a lot of stress trying to live upto role expectations. The tendency is always to conform to some dominant principle. Who made these hideously inadequate principles of social, personal and professional conduct? Are not the parameters for being “successful” and “doing well” killing our spirits and making us similar to programmed gadgets? Are we even enjoying the limitless bounties that the Universe has to offer to us? Often, at corporate trainings I have heard managers speaking on motivation modules inspiring the workers to “think out of the box”. I think it is a wonderful way to operate, how about applying the principle to life in general?

There is a definite clash between the heart and the intellect. In an ideal situation, they must complement each other. But the problem arises when the intellect denies the heart and either contradicts or refuses to listen to its rhythm. I am convinced that all of us have the answers within ourselves. We use so little of our power as human beings!

I have decided that I need to go for a recharge.... think it is time to seek some inspiration.

Repetitions Galore

Recently I was at a seminar and one of the speakers there was this young guy speaking on the practice of witch hunting in one of the states in India. No, my post is not about witch hunting today :). Wait a bit! The young researcher was presenting his paper which was well written and researched and all of that but while he spoke, he uttered the word “basically” much too often, say one at the beginning, two in the middle and one more at the end of every sentence...

Well, that is what my post all about. Honestly, I was hunting for his “basically”s more than being able to pursue the content of his presentation. Now, I know that a lot of us repeat certain words and phrases when we speak but I express my grudges here only against those who indulge in public-speaking.

And the only reason that I do it is, that often I find myself having to put in hours and hours of concentration into listening to public speakers. The cells of my brain shriek in revolt but the good girl that I am, I smile and keep a brave face. But now having discovered the power of the blog, I do not hesitate – Repetitions galore! Repetitions (by the speaker), I find can be of two types: one, as I have mentioned above and the second type is repeating ideas, thoughts, viewpoints and factual information that the speaker wants to convey. Such speakers leave you with enough time to doze off and come back in time to catch the next line of thought.

Why must one be under a compulsive habit to repeat when on stage? In the former case I suspect, it is basically (smile) a lack of organization (in deciding the flow and content of the presentation) which manifests into such kinds of compulsive utterances. On the exterior it is interpreted as a lack of sensitivity towards the audience. Among the second type of speakers – the conscientious ones want to make sure that you have not missed the point while the vagrant among them simply love hearing their own voices. For example, one speaker at the same seminar spent at least half an hour explaining to a distinguished veteran group in the audience as to how important the work that they do is. An indisputable fact was harped upon which vexed many, no end.

Also what I find alarming is that most do not take the time limit seriously and where they appear to have any regards for it, be warned, they are only paying lip service. Our young friend mentioned at the beginning of the post, even usurped the role of the chairperson of the session and allotted himself extra minutes with due permission from the audience of course! Wow! Everyone in the audience was like me – good girls! Further, there are some who can be a combo of both types. In that jumble of words doing somersaults in your brain and your face holding back your emotions – you can easily qualify to be one of the most wretched creatures on earth.

Is there anything called the rights of the captive audience... just wondering, if there is, I would like to plead my case under it. Do I qualify as a “captive audience”?


PS: I always like to ensure my place nearest to the door.

Addendum
This long over due post (nonetheless important to get out from my system) I make, with due regards to all public speakers of this world.

Random Thoughts

Another storey got added to the multi storey building in front of my house today. Little by little the sun is getting hidden behind it and I wonder if my balcony would be as glorious a place to spend the day time in by the next winter season. I saw the huge banyan tree in front of my house get converted to timber to make place for the multi storey. It was an extremely painful thing to see. For a few days I could not look at the tree straight because I was ashamed that I could do nothing to stop the destruction. I see the labors work day and night with cement, mortar, bricks and iron. They live in a slum across the street and in another just besides my house. As I type, I can hear their muffled voices in the field behind – they want to finish answering nature’s calls in the darkness – the flat owners around are annoyed to see them in the daytime. They are all migrant labors – either their land has dried up back home in their villages or they are landless or the market pulls them to this urban squalor.

Not one, there are 20 multi storey apartment blocks being built within a radius of a kilometer. I am concerned – how much of the airplanes will I be able to see in a few months from now...

As you drive up from Delhi to Gurgaon, the landscape is dotted with a large number of clusters of tall buildings. In the night one can tell that the occupancy of these apartment buildings is not much. I was inquisitive, so I asked and I was told that they “do” belong to someone but then that person already has some five apartments in various other places, and when he gets good rent this one would be let out... “Hmm interesting”, I said. Except in reality, I did not find the situation as interesting, it was revolting.

The much touted malls make quite a spectacle with the caked glitter. I mean why do these newspaper supplements go on week after week taking interviews of Gurgaon(ites) about how much the malls mean to them... like they would ask on mother’s day (whenever that is), how much does your mother mean to you... these days they pick young college goers to answer their questions and some lucky ones even get their photos profiled along with their responses. Hmmmmmph, nobody asked me, I have been to the malls thrice (these are "random" thoughts, remember... do not expect symmetry...). All said and done, the supplements don’t interest me anymore :(

Further along, there are these modern buildings scattered here and there, I was helped into understanding that they are “call centers”. Oh now I know I thought to myself where all those daintily clad young women who hop into tata sumos at the dead of the night every(night) finally land up in. Someone who I had met in the passing had told me how she had to learn to speak with an American accent. I had wondered, so it has come to this! She also told me how many young girls and boys have gone part time in college to earn the extra cash. I wonder if they would ever have time to read “To Kill a Mocking Bird” in their lives. I wonder.

Maple Street, Rosewood Towne, Mayfield Garden, Wembley Estate, Beverly Park, Oakwood Estate, Georgian Residency, Olive Apartments...... oh well! These are just a few names of the countless new constructions that have been built in the span of the last 10 years or are in the process of being built. Notice the similarity – everything “Hinglish” and now “Amrican” sells! This takes the cake – the lane behind my house is called Oxford Street... I went to supervise... (I have never been to Oxford by the way)... it was nothing spectacular.

I am not going to do any intellectual theorizing – I am simply not good at it but I know that similar things are happening to many cities in India and elsewhere. And I know it does not make my heart soar. I know that the globalization of this century is slowly burying our souls. I know it is programming our minds with its unique codes, and it has begun by silencing our inner voices...

Anyhow, not entirely. It will never be able to cause a permanent damage. That I have faith in. There is a group I have come across who without making any ado simply believe in the fact that hunger and poverty is not necessary in the world and they follow up their belief by feeding people who have no roof over their heads. They also do it as a means of protest against the unequal distribution of food. They call themselves, “Food not Bombs”. They have a website, so I won’t write anymore.

Beginning from today we celebrate the regional New Years in India. Pongal is celebrated in the South and South-West India, Baisakhi in the States of Punjab and Haryana and Poila Boishak in Bengal (East). I wish an auspicious beginning to the New Year and much cheer and happiness the entire year through to all my visitors and to my Bong friends – here’s to delicious pulis and pithaes :) :) :)

Yellow... 1,2,3

Today no writing, only pictures :). I am most inspired by Meera and her gorgeous yellow flower… I am also inspired by the remembrances of spring that just went by… I am inspired by the color yellow, it is the color that symbolizes “awakening”. My talented friend L keeps me on a feed of lovely photos each time I complain that I am bored. Yesterday was her birthday, I am going to dig into my archives and... here are two of her lovely flowery pics. And this page I dedicate to L. And thank you Meera for the inspiration!

"Yellow Tree"

"Yellow Beauty"