One Post a Day Challenge!!

So, am going to start this – One Post a Day Challenge starting today. This is to… not miss my love for writing. :) It need not be a lengthy one, and can include a picture post too…considering that not all days are going to be easy. Yes, the posts would revolve around travel pics, food, book reviews, photography or lifestyle or it could be just random rant

So, since it’s a Monday, leaving it with just a quote;

“Laugh all you want and cry all you want and whistle at pretty men in the street and to hell with anybody who thinks you’re a damned fool!” – Armistead Maupin 

Happy Week Ahead and Stay Tuned!!!

The thing about reading books

I love the experience of reading books. It has always taken me to an entirely new world – towards the close vicinity of the characters in the book, and while reading I feel,  I am one among them, perhaps a silent spectator of all that’s going around. Quite an uncanny feeling, but I love it nevertheless. Book reading is also quite fascinating, as every one, after reading the book, interprets in his/her own way.

So, in last two weeks, I was able to finish two books; in whatever time I could steal - Chokher Bali,  By Rabindranath Tagore (Translated in English), and The Queen of Dreams, By Chitra Banerjee D. And I have already grabbed the next books i.e. Mitch Albom’ The Timekeeper ( book in my bag for commute time) and a classic titled, The Jewel in the Crown”(bed time reading).

So, very briefly let me write about the reading experience of the above two books;

Chokher Bali,  as expected, turned out to be  a very intense story woven around relationships. The relationship between a mother and his son, the relationship between the  son and his wife, between two very close friends and likewise. Of course, deep down it  deals with a very intricate issue of young widows in those early eras. Rabindranath Tagore, like I have said before, had a mysterious way of comprehending the deepest emotions going on a woman’s mind, how else could he have expressed them so naturally. The fiction crafted in this book is like a fluctuating graph, with its highs and lows, where  in the beginning, the characters are introduced on a happy note, and then like a tornado everything gets tossed and turned and eventually everything calms down. Each character has a key role, so I could not pin down someone as a protagonist but yes, mostly it revolves around the lives of Mahendra, Bonodini, Ashalata and Behari. What’s important and noteworthy here is – the moral of the story – a young widow’s desires does not burn down with her husband’s pyre, and that, she is a human too. But, ultimately in a socially endorsed world, all that matters is the sins and virtues of a person.

Now, the other book. Well, I have read Chitra Banerjee‘s couple of books before, i.e. The Palace of Illusions and Arranged Marriage. Both were very good, however this book, The Queen of Dreams, though deals with something very thrilling, i.e. about a dream-teller, disappointed me. The book turned out to be a mix of so many things that ultimately I had to sit and analyse the crux of it, you know, the essence we all conclude after finishing a book  - whether the focus was on the dream teller, or if it were a mother’s (the dream teller) relationship with her divorced daughter, or  between the daughter and her ex husband, or if it was the dreamteller’s daughter and her father’s relationship… or about the cliche`d national crisis and its impact. The story definitely seemed to have different characters which were interconnected but in that attempt I guess the whole essence was lost somewhere. Certain things were intriguing like the Eliana, the man who practiced Tai Chi, and the man who was followed by the dreamteller, which led to an accident had no appropriate closure. The metaphors, used often in the book by Chitra were very creatively churned out though, and some of the perspectives of life in general,  were good as well.

Palm Grove, Backwaters & Houseboat!

Reading a book, completely at ease and enjoying the serenity of the nature around… on a sailing houseboat has always been a dream…and the dream is soon going to be true! Yes, yet another quick vacation is lined up, and this time it’s the enchanting backwaters in God’s own country, Kerala!

Kerala, I had always read about it in the text books back in school, its high literacy rate, the boat race, kathakali dance, a land that produces rich spices, cashews, etc etc…but it’s the state’s lush greenery, backwaters, beaches, that has always kindled the interest to visit the place and feel its spellbinding beauty. Undoubtedly, I am going to capture a slice of it through my camera…Ah!! I simply can’t wait for it to happen. A new destination, a chance to explore and learn more about the place, its people, rich culture, sinful seafood and local culinary delicacies, and a life time experience awaits. Though, it’s a brief time off, but I am happy it’s MINUS work. I wish I could throw away my phone too, to pursue this journey in its entirety… without any disruption…without any burden – not even the slightest of it and am just going to swear by the local flavors. Do write in what is it that I should not miss…

Have a great weekend, all you beautiful people!!

Everyday Book Reading Habit

So, I have been busy lately. Or, so to say I am trying to keep myself busy. Precisely, to not let go off this mind to the world of worries. I remain preoccupied.

My typical day kick starts at 8:00 AM. Not earlier than that. I am not a morning person at all. After a few chores at home I go to work, come back and cook sometimes. I enjoy cooking, and if it’s a good meal…it easily takes a good deal of time. Chopping, frying, stirring… patiently to make sure it’s well cooked. Cooked to absolute perfection. After dinner, try and work a bit more on incomplete tasks, check personal mails, and then finally when it’s time to call it a day, I read. Yes, I am religiously getting into this habit of reading before I sleep. Everyday. Even if it’s a page or two, I have to read. My office is apparently quite close by and I hardly use the commute time to read, I sit and observe instead in the rick – the people, those countless vehicles, the traffic, the squirrels running down the Gulmohr trees, even the sky at times…

By the way, I finished two books and reading the third one i.e. Kaui Hart Hemming’ The Descendants. Yes, it’s the same George Clooney’s movie adapted from this novel. Honestly, it’s an OK read…(just that the way it’s written sounds so Hollywood-Movie types) I might like the movie though..but as of now can’t abandon because I hate to put down books mid-way.

What are you all reading now?

How was my day today?

Reasonably quiet and peaceful. Sundays, I do not like to go out. I prefer my nest instead – reading, writing, simply lazying around. However, I am glad I did manage to finish reading a book though, after a long time – but honestly it was because, the book was simply un-put-downable.

My friends had strongly recommended that I read Haruki Murakami sometime. This time I did. I picked up South of The Border, West of The Sun. There were other books too, written by him on the Crossword Shelf, but this one was the brief-est of all. I thought it would be quick to read and judge the work of a Japanese Author, the one I was trying for the first time. And, I must say I am happy, I made that choice. A different author’s book, of a different origin, excites me – leaves me hopeful of a different perception. Undoubtedly, Haruki’s sheer eloquence impressed me and got me hooked to this book.

Haruki Murakami’s South of The Border, West of The Sun

The story, not so unusual but crafted quite unusually – about love, life, loss and pain that it almost lingers on your mind for quite some time. It’s Hajime and Shimamoto’s journey of life, with other characters who lend strength to the ongoing tale. Some instances were so believable, and the way it’s penned down created a successful imagery of events while reading. Also, loved the way he described nature at several instances – absolutely poetry-injected.

As always, here’s an excerpt from the book – “Our world’s like living in a desert. Rain falls and the flowers bloom. No rain, they wither up. Bugs are eaten by lizards, lizards are eaten by birds. But, in the end every one of them does. They die and dry up. One generation dies, and the next one takes over. That’s how it goes. Lots of different ways to live, And lots of different ways to die. But in the end that doesn’t make a bit of difference. All that remains is a desert.”

Next Week Resolutions ;-)

I have decided to set up weekly resolutions for myself. They are easier to set and achieve, I suppose…than those yearly ones. So, here are a few for the next week;

• Start reading the new books I’ve got – Rabindranath Tagore‘s selected Poems, Tagore’s Chokher Bali(Translated by Sukhendu Ray) and The last poem (Translated by Anindita M.), The secret of Naga(a special gift)
• Lunch get together with a set of friends, who have been trying hard to meet me
• A movie plan with the other set of friends
• and… a good blog post. That’s it, until next week.

Have a great weekend friends

Much Love!