Idiot Box: Part 1

Once in a while few shows come along that change the paradigm of television. Sharing my favorite TV shows in this and next few posts

1. Black Mirror

If technology is a drug - and it does feel like a drug – then what, precisely, are its side effects?  This area between delight and discomfort is where the drama series Black Mirror is set.

The only way I can describe the series is ‘it is television at its best!’
 


2.      Forbrydelsen: (Danish series)

The story revolves around Detective Inspector Sarah Lund and her team solving a murder case. It has the best plot twists that I have seen so far in any of the thrillers. Acting by Sofie Gråbøl is absolutely stunning. The mystery in the series reached to a point when I just couldn't wait to know who the culprit was. Believe it or not I took half day at work and finished watching it at home! I highly recommend season 1. Season 2 and 3 were a dud.

3.      Game of Thrones: 
It is complex, multi-layered, surreal, vibrant and imaginative. Scenery, sets, special effects, story, costumes - everything is just fabulous.

Some authors need to keep on living forever for example Richard Dawkins. I pray that the writer of this book series George Martin lives for a long long time and creates stunning work in future also I hope to live long enough to enjoy all seasons and know who wins in this dirty game of thrones!

Hard Boiled Wonderland And The End Of The World

Why do we need to experience a situation to feel its gravity or the pain associated with it? In this materialistic and mechanical life that we live today are we encountering decline of a beautiful emotion called empathy? (Empathy is the capacity to recognize emotions that are being experienced by another sentiment).

It is very easy to connect with empathetic people (and also easy to work in an environment where people are empathetic). Sharing any feeling with these sensitive minds guarantees complete understanding of the circumstances without having to give any lengthy justifications or being judged.

Reading fiction is rejuvenating, relaxing, entertaining, stimulates the right side of the brain and research shows that it helps increase empathy.

Haruki Murakami is considered to be a possible recipient of a Noble prize in Literature and is the author of this weird book 'Hard Boiled Wonderland And The End Of The World'. The writing is very simple though depicting a complex concept.

'Alice in wonderland' is one of the rare book which people interpret depending on the phase of life that they are in. Murakami's book gives a similar effect. It symbolizes various things our dreams, desires, choices, dilemmas and enigmatic correlation between subconscious and conscious mind.

I wonder why Hollywood film makers did not think of making a movie on this plot yet. I felt that the story got a little repetitive towards the end. Looking forward to read more books by Murakami. I give it 3.5/5.

Sita sings the blues

If you were born in the era of Mahabharata (I mean B.R. Chopra's TV series) then you might be able to remember that maximum TV sets were sold during this time.
On Sunday mornings the roads would be vacant and my entire family would be glued to TV.

Nobody knows if Mahabharata happened as it is told today. If it didn’t occur in real and just happens to be a novel by Vyasa then what an astounding piece of imagination…!

We Indians love everything about it, it's fascinating story, fights, captivating magic, anguish, vengeance, covetousness, the supernatural, philosophy, odium, splendor, bravery, heroism.
The characters are intriguing, convoluted, haughty, kind, egoist, greedy, vindictive, enigmatic and all have shades of grey. 

I fell in love with Mahabharat once again when I read 'Palace of Illusions' - a book by Chithra Banerjee. It is based on the life of Draupadi.

I never found Ramayana as intriguing as Mahabharata, definitely not until I watched the short animation film 'Sita sings the blues'. It is based on the life of Sita. The animation is absolutely delightful and the storytelling is astonishingly original. To conceive a film like this is a wonder!

It is available on youtube.

PS: In case you happen to watch it then as they always say - try to be liberal and take art for what it is.

Bollywood

Cricket and Bollywood are two big things that drive India. I have seen most of the Bollywood movies made right from 1950s to 2007. It didn’t matter to me if the movie was a flop or hit, I watched it either ways. The world of cinema has always mesmerized me. Introduction to Hollywood and world cinema made me realize the depth, flamboyance and beauty of this art form in true sense.

Born in a middle class family, brought up in small villages and towns, lack of understanding of English - I belonged to the majority of Indian population who do not know movies like Matrix, Children of Heaven, Schindler’s List or Elling are being made. Would I have liked or grasped if something like that was shown to me in Hindi? Of course yes!

Getting work in Bollywood if you have some association is a problem with the industry. It is shame to the Indian art and artists to see movies like ‘Desi Boyz’ getting produced just because of connection. The ugly inbreeding of talent leads to creative bankruptcy. Hopefully movies like ‘Vicky Donor’ are setting a good example.

‘Keep your brains at home and then watch the movie’, ‘this movie is made for the masses and not the classes’ are the taglines by many Bollywood film makers. I don’t understand how to do that. Are they implying they were able to keep their brains at home while making the movie?

Being part of an unknown world that someone has weaved with their vast imagination is fascinating. As a storyteller what is needed is the conviction with which they tell a story. They could be showing something completely illogical, unfathomable, unrealistic; it doesn’t matter as long as the audience is convinced by the concept so much so that for the duration of the film they find it the reality (e.g. ‘Magadheera’). As a viewer a lot of bollywood films leave me unconvinced, an example would be ‘My name is Khan’.

No strong story line is a problem with many films, a look at ‘Kahaani’ would be a good idea for the makers. As a woman I feel embarrassed to see the scarcity of clothes in movies and find the item numbers derogatory for the womankind. Subservient characters sketched out for ladies would be another topic of discussion altogether.

I fail to understand the impact of certain ‘stars’ on the junta. Do they really like them or they are not getting anything better? Why do they copy hollywood movies? Why not just dub the original and release the master pieces? New quandary that hit Bollywood is making remakes of old Hindi films. Why would someone want to remake the classic ‘Umrao Jaan’? What a blasphemy! Where are film makers like Shyam Benegal? Where is originality? I hope things improve and we get to watch great cinema in this lifetime.

I might watch movies in 100 other languages but the kind of instant cultural and emotional connection that I feel with Bollywood is unequaled. I long to see the colors, songs and beatific dances, it gives Bollywood a unique flavor. I complain about the senseless stories; Bollywood stars, their overacting all the time but ironically on a rainy, sick, lonely, depressing day a dose of ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ is what I yearn for the most, it cheers me up, makes me feel nostalgic. There is no denying, I am a Bolllywood child and hopefully it will be more nurturing :-)

The oath of Vayuputras

This is the third part of the Shiva trilogy. I found the first two books - Immortals of Meluha and Secret of Nagas ground breaking. They showed that Indian mythology is a woefully underutilized source of wit, wisdom, inspiration and philosophy. They had amazing characters and great drama. I loved the author's unbounded imagination.

I was anxious to read the last part. All is well that ends well and Shiva trilogy's end is disappointing and a complete letdown. Amish has dragged on a three liner story for 550 pages. As a reader I felt deprived of a stunning end to an artistry anecdote. This book is a dud but if you have read the first two parts then you will want to read it either ways. I give it 1/5.

Guilty Pleasures!

Computer and internet at our fingertips. We share everything on blogs, Facebook and Twitter statuses. The media is continuously in search of news, they survive on people's misfortune. This is the era when shows like 'Big Boss' get maximum TRPs.

We the consumers take pleasure in reading all sorts of information, looking at people getting insulted in reality shows. We take guilty pleasure in taking a look at the 'lives of others'.

I know more about the whereabouts of Bollywood stars than my neighbors, opinions and thoughts of lot of bloggers than the people I work with everyday. Now is the age when we log in on social networking sites to express the moments of deepest agony, despair or ecstasy.

A few months ago there was a gang rape in Delhi. I was saddened by the news as much as the nation was. Few days after that 'Before and After' pictures of the victim were all over the place. There is thin line between reporting news and sensationalizing it. How do we filter out the news that we don't want to know?

People have kids, great, Congratulations! Then they post daily updates of their progress. We post reviews, travelogues to every bit of personal information. How do we draw a line on what; how much and with how many we share?


We all are overloaded with information - from useful to unwanted, from inspiring to creepy.
I just wasn't able to keep up with all the information that I consciously chose to be overwhelmed with. At the end of the day it was all jumbled up, who is having what for dinner? Who is John Galt?

I stopped reading gossip news and on FB/Twitter subscribed to just those who post information of my liking. I also cut down big time on reading blogs. Which ones do I read now? Well, I would be sharing that "information" soon!!!

P.S. There is a mind boggling show called 'Black Mirror', I strongly recommend it. Television at its best...

The misunderstood species...

I can sit in front of a lake staring at the water for an eternity, take a walk alone for hours and be perfectly at peace, bike all day long just by myself and be wonderfully lost in an unknown world. Deprived of silence and some space for myself I feel choked. I feel awkward and stressed in lot of social scenarios (No, I am not anti-social or shy).

I know many more people who belong to this league, they are called introverts. I feel these people are always misunderstood and misinterpreted. 40% of the population in the world is introvert and still there is so less awareness about them.

Myths about introverts include - they don't like to talk, they are shy, rude, they don’t like people, they don’t like to go out in public, they are loners and the biggest myth being they can fix themselves and become extroverts.

Why is it considered better to be an extrovert?

Some people give a piece of mind and ask the introverts to 'cure' their behavior, some compare them to other extroverts in the family and ask them to belong to this lovely class. Some call them weird, selfish, crazy, arrogant and snobbish. Some smile understandingly and leave them to their own devices, knowing how an introvert's brain is wired.

I have always shrugged away the various adjectives and continued to live – with a fair degree of indifference.

Introverts escape from superficial relationships, trivial communications and the constant noise that pervade our world. Care for the introverts in your life because they treasure the close relationships they have stretched so much to make!

I am unique

You think you are beautiful, intelligent, someone with a perfect figure; family; values; principles; skills? Look closely there are thousand others just like you. You got promoted, came first in an exam, got masters, PHD, you think you are the youngest achiever, you traveled the whole world, you been to the moon? Come down my friend, we know many more like you. What do you say? You are special? I don't think so, nothing that you are or do is unparalleled.

Are you too fat, too thin, hurt, going through a divorce, cheated, rejected, failed in an exam, going through cancer? Look around you will find your clones. Why me? Its just me who has to go through all this pain and suffering while life is rosy for everyone else. You are not the only one who is feeling that way. Wake up! Your victim consciousness, shame, embarrassment, shyness, desires, dreams, expectations, aspirations, pain nothing is uncommon.

These females carry off the short skirts high heels so well. I am one of a kind. Huh! Get over with it already. Observe, take a walk on the street, you will find hundred others wearing glasses, jeans and sneakers. Oh yes, many more women prefer books to jewellery. Your opinions, perspective, habits, inferiority complex, your strive to be different than the others is nothing but common.

We all go through the same feelings sadness, happiness, jealousy, dejection, fear, love. There is no feeling that you alone have experienced. Is there anything in you or me that nobody else has? Not really, at any given point of time there are thousands just like us - on this planet and may be many other planets.

You are a drop of water in this big ocean, just like others. Everyone has to face death, none is immortal. I am not dreaming, I am unique as much as this thought is!!!

Spirituality, Organizations and the Gurus

Spirituality: 
The term spirituality or being spiritual is used quite frequently these days, but what exactly does it mean? Many people like to tell others they are a 'spiritual' person probably to let them know they are not materialistic or superficial and that they 'get it'. That's fine if we all understand and agree on what we are talking about. I consider spirituality to be a state in which we feel connected to God/Nature, each other, and the deepest part of ourselves.

One can experience 'that' connection through various things - listening to a beautiful piece of music, a stroll in the woods, painting, reading, playing a sport, helping others/social service, prayers, yoga, meditation and the list goes on.

Spiritual Organizations:

I learned meditation from one of the organizations in India. Meditative state is the best state that I have experienced so far. It helped me come out from one of the most difficult phase. I came out of it stronger and feeling more confident than ever.  

Is a person born spiritual or becomes spiritual after experiencing life or can he be taught to be spiritual?  There are organizations who aim and claim to teach spirituality. I feel these organizations are supermarkets of spirituality. Supermarkets provide easy availability to everything - from fruits to electronics. If you decide to buy an electronic item in a supermarket then you will find some people who are there to buy the same and others who are just taking a stroll in the same isle. There are salesmen who are trying to sell various products making their attempts at rising in the ladder and making the business profitable.

In a spiritual organization one gets easy availability (as they have branches everywhere) to beautiful things in life like learning yoga/meditation techniques. There are genuine seekers who are part of these organizations and there are others who are looking at it as a stress management tool. I wonder if most of the genuine seekers will eventually realize that the organizations are impediments in what they are seeking. One of the members I know (who happens to find his meditative state in money and alcohol) called a person X (who is very spiritual and the most beautiful being I have met). According to him X was going away from the path of spirituality as she was no longer a part of the organization. 

Is being part of an organization same as being on the spiritual journey?

Spiritual Gurus:

Of course you will find a Guru/the Master in the organization. In the scripture it is said that Guru is here to provide inner strength, he is here to connect to formless by taking a form. I have seen people using a Guru for various things - from using him as a ladder to climb and expand the consciousness or ask him mundane questions like which city I should live in/ whom should I marry and what should I name my baby? 

You must have experienced presence of a graceful being at least once. They may not consider themselves Gurus, but they appear to attract people to their calm; their inner peace permeate the air around them. For me a guru is this presence who is offering me the guidance and wisdom to understand my own mind and self. They may not look or dress like the typical Gurus (so you might not be able to brag or post your pictures with him/her on Facebook) but they could be equally spiritual as the famous, bearded and the saffron masters. 

This post is dedicated to all such graceful and reclusive presences in the world...

The ‘Meaty’ story

She was more than a friend to me, she was the elder sister I never had. I was immensely attached to her emotionally. When she was in pain I felt the pain too. I cared a lot for her. We talked about everything under the sky. I loved her talkative, bubbly nature. Admired the courage and strength with which she fought the misfortunes in her life. Adored her quality to smile and joke around even when in pain. We had a lot of common interests and one difference. I thought that my relationship with her has much more substance to it than the petty difference. But I was wrong.

She stopped inviting or mingling with me... reason? I am a vegetarian. 
What happened after that is a history but that made me think can the relationships we build in our lives be affected by food choice? Veg and non veg both have equal pros and cons. As long as we do not feel any sort of stigma, guilt or pressure in what we consume and also enjoy each bite thoroughly it shouldn’t really matter.

So tell me do you select friends, foes, colleagues, partners based on what they put in their own bodies?   

I think more than what people eat it has to do with the attitude that we have towards the other faculty. Why should one feel conscious to say they are vegetarian and why should anyone contrite for eating meat? In my observation both streams have an opinion of the other.

A non-vegetarian’s perspective - You are arid, traditional and bound by religious fetters. You are uncool and we are broad minded. You miss on this great thing in life while we get to explore the culinary gratification.

My take on it:  We can not have, learn or enjoy everything that the world has to offer. When we make a choice we are always missing on the other. A lot of vegetarians are grossed out by the idea of eating flesh of the other animal and are not conservative or non-interesting.


A vegetarian’s opinion - You are barbaric; cruel, we are humane and compassionate. Humans are not made to eat meat, it is not digested for days and rots in the stomach.

My take on it: There are lot of good nutrients in meat/fish which are absent in most of the vegetarian options. Not eating meat is neither Holier nor morally superior. Think about it... if everyone starts eating plants then can the planet Earth produce and feed us all? No!

They are just food choices and none of them is better than the other and it should definitely not be a factor in deciding who gets invited to your daughter’s birthday party!

The Missing Magicians

One of my cousin is an absolutely amazing painter. She does magic with colors. Her profession? - she works at a PR firm and hardly ever takes a brush in her hand. And then there are people like me who do ten paintings and then get one apple right.

A lot of people who have immense amount of talent for something lack the drive to do it and people like me lack any sort of talent but the only thing that keeps them going is the passion.





Very few people have the combination of innate skill and passion to do the same. Those become Sachin Tendulkars.


Do majority of the people that we see around us be it painters, actors or IT professionals are the ones who merely happen to have the interest in the field of their working whose drive kept them going? and the real expertise of painting/ acting/ programming are actually hidden somewhere and just does not have the thrill about the field (other reasons affect of course like financial aspects).



Should one satiate their aptitude or their curiosities?

Good will hunting happens to be one of my favorite films -  Story of a genius mathematician who lacks the stimulus to accept any job offers in that field (I won't mention the reason in case you haven't watched the movie).

How would the world be if everyone of us realized our actual gifts and had the inclination towards working in the same area?

Are we missing those magicians who would turn around the world of science/arts because they never realized the magical powers that they have or then had no liking for the spells that they know...?

Midnight's Children By Salman Rushdie

I was too curious to know why this book won booker prize and then Booker of booker awards twice. So I read it.
The book is part history and part fantasy. The language and flow of the book is complex. Every sentence has a metaphor and symbolism. I provide an example here, see for yourself if you happen to grasp what is going on:
From the chapter "At the Pioneer Café" --

No colours except green and black the walls are green the sky is black (there is no roof) the stars are green the Widow is green but her hair is black as black. The Widow sits on a high high chair the chair is green the seat is black the Widow's hair has a centre-parting it is green on the left and on the right black. High as the sky the chair is green the seat is black the Widow's arm is long as death its skin is green the fingernails are long and sharp and black. Between the walls the children green the walls are green the Widow's arm comes snaking down the snake is green the children scream the fingernails are black the scratch the Widow's arm is hunting see the children run and scream the Widow's hand curls round them green and black.

It took me a long time (3 days to be precise) to figure out the meaning. The widow in the paragraph is Indira Gandhi.

After failing miserably to understand the awarded beauty of the book I am still curious to know why this book won the booker of booker twice.....?

The Blind Watchmaker

There is such a wide variety of books available (English and Marathi) that I very rarely read the same book twice. The only books that I remember reading twice are ‘Fountainhead - Ayn Rand’, ‘Batatyachi Chaal - Pu la Deshpande’, ‘Vapurza - Va pu Kale’, ‘Cheaper by the dozen - Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr.’ and ‘Selfish Genes - Richard Dawkins’.

Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist and in the book 'The blind watchmaker' he explains the theory of evolution by means of natural selection. It needs skill to express the knowledge you have in a way even a layman understands. The beauty of his books is of course the content and the simple language/examples that he uses. The Blind Watchmaker is a great read (and for that matter Selfish Genes too), it is a reminder of the elegance and simplicity of evolution, the only rational explanation there is for the unimaginable diversity of life on Earth. Definitely something I would want to read one more time...

Friendship

I want you to write down the names of people you think you have a deep connection with. People who you feel comfortable to call in the middle of the night if you need them (Let's leave out family members for now). Did you write it down? How many names did you come up with? My list has less than 10 names.

I read in a book 'The power of habit' that a human brain is capable of handling 12 close relationships at any given point in time.
Considering the busy and stressful life that we have today how many people can you devote quality time to? Should one spend their time and energy on the people who made it to the list and deepen those relationships or variety adds spice to life?

What do you look for in a close friend? Is being close friends a mutual feeling or someone who you think is close to you may look at you as just another friend in town?
What are the ingredients of forming a close friendship?



Genuine interest in others life - they feel the need to share with you and the feeling is mutual
Acceptance - of the decisions one makes
Comparing - This does not work in friendships, 'Oh, I have a better/worse house, life, family than you do', 'You have less problems than I do'
Respect - As every other relationship in life respect is important in friendships too, belittling a person in public or private does not work. 'I struggled to be where I am today, you were simply lucky', no that doesn't work.
Grow as a person - Any relationship is successful when both people in it grow on various levels be it mental, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical... If you use a person as a crutch all the time without giving support it does not work
Reciprocation - Generally if all or most of the above things are satisfactorily established then there is reciprocation. That means if just one person cares to keep in touch, call, check on you, invite you, make you a part of their life events and basically take an initiative to meet and maintain the relationship then it may not work, it has to be two sided.
And most of all the experience on both sides need to be enjoyable.

So getting back to the list - let me ask you is it permanent or it changes with time and situations? If it changes then what happens to all the interest, respect and your emotional bond with the person?

I have seen lot of factors affecting friendships - common interests, habits, food/beverage/activity choices, change of a relationship status - single/ married/ with kids, job status - working/ non working and geographic location to name a few. Sometimes one just finds new friends who match the above points better and you are out of their circle. And last but not the least with age one's needs of discussions may change i.e. from sharing 'oh last night I was so wasted' to something thought provoking and profound.

If something goes wrong in the friendship specially with someone in your list it can hurt for months, the pain is similar to a heartbreak. Does it need 'quantum of solace' to get over it? Or you just forget about it pretending nothing happened?

If things go sour where does the love go? I think it stays, it stays in the core and its just that people move on.
I want to dedicate this post to all of those who were or are on my list. You or I might have chosen intentionally or unintentionally to part ways, my apologies, but I want to let all of you know that you are the part of very beautiful memories that I have today. Thank you for your friendship!

The Indian IT Work Culture

"You are leaving? it's just 5:30...", the most common question people asked at one of the companies I worked at. Why are they asking this I thought, I have been here since 9 and have done more work than what was planned. (oh and not to forget I spent 2 hours on commute each day in the traffic). Some of the team mates stayed late till 11pm. I wondered what do they work on for these long hours? I used to think they must be working hard because they were the ones who were noticed and promoted. One day I had to show my manager the report of work done by me vs them. I had done 5 times more work than what they had. He was shocked to see this as much as I was.


I have heard a lot of similar stories from people who have worked in India. Smoking chai lunch gossiping and chitchat - the day would fly by them. People who are in office for such long hours and have sedentary jobs, when do they exercise, spend time with family/ friends/ hobbies, basically when do they live their life? In the process of evolution nature certainly takes actions on the muscles which are not used. If people in the IT stop exercising then how would the future human generations look? Would 'Wall E' be a truth someday? Why "being available" is more of a 'in thing' than efficiency I thought...

Body is the only thing that we have from the time we are born till the time we die, we must take proper care of it. What they did with their bodies was not my problem but then I had a problem with the assumption that they were working more because they were not and also with the fact that people like me were looked down upon for simply leaving on time (and for having a life!). I thought why isn't this behavior discouraged by the upper management as it spoils the work culture.

There was this quiet thin girl who sat next to me. She worked straight from 9:30 to 5:30. Her work amazed me each day. She was meticulous and her work was detailed, neat and clean. She was organized and of course good with time management. But with her sort of demure personality will her work ever get noticed, will she get opportunities? I worried.
Is it better to deserve a thing than have it rather than having and not deserving it? Because she deserved it more than anyone else. I wouldn't know what happened to her because I left the company.


Should one give in to peer pressure, get exploited? Or stand by their principles?
We have to stand for something otherwise we fall for everything. Having a balanced lifestyle - work, exercise, hobbies and some time with my family and friends was more important to me than any damn opportunities.

I recently read a strong message from Narayan Murthy to Infosys employees on this same topic and felt really good that he noticed and raised his concern. What took him so long to see it? But better late than never. Will this work culture in India ever change? I hope it does!

(You can find the message from Narayan Murthy here - http://blog.vivekv.com/mail-sent-by-narayan-murthy-to-all-infosys-staff.html)

Women and their weight loss tamasha by Rujuta Diwekar

When I was little my father told me your stomach can digest only small quantity of food at a time (quantity as big as your fist). So eat less but frequently. I did exactly that. Now that I am in the US and cook my own food I understand the kind of hassle my mother went through to make those many snack items for me. I eat after every 2 to 3 hours and never follow any other dieting fads at all (like cabbage soup diet, not eating sugar or certain type of foods etc). When I look at other people getting thinner and so called fitter with these type of diets I get confused, am I eating too often? Am I silly to not follow something that I see is working for others?

Fresh home cooked food every day is always very high in my priority list. It takes a lot of planning and organization skills to do that. People who do that are 'undercover cooks' as this does not go anywhere on their performance reviews or seen as an achievement at the end of the year. This is the age of instant/ ready to cook/ fast food. I am muddled at times thinking why should I spend so much time on planning and cooking my meals and not opt for the ready made option? I must be stupid to do that....

I try to exercise everyday for 30 to 45 minutes never more than that. When I see people working out for 2 hours a day I feel how is my 45 minutes going to help me in losing weight?

For all my confusions the only answer is Rujuta Diwekar. Her books give me the confidence that I am on a track that can actually work. There is no point in eating sugar free ice creams if you end up eating 3 at a time. Eat the non sugar free ice cream, just turn off all the surrounding sounds while you eat and listen to your stomach because it might be screaming after the 10th byte that I am full. Her books motivate me, give me tips on improvement, reassure my faith in not having faith on the crash diet plans, encourage me to spend time in making meals and not going overboard with the exercise regime.

This book is specially meant for women and their weight issues at different phases of their lives. Teen/ single/ married/ pregnant/ post delivery/ with kids/ thyroid/ fibroids/ menopause - solution on weight gain in every phase and every problem is covered in the book. I am no exception to being a tamasha queen when it comes to the matters of weight and weight loss. So I could relate to the tamasha examples she writes about and found it super funny. I loved the book.

(Rujuta Diwekar is the dietician/ nutrition instructor of many film personalities)

Sea of poppies - Amitav Ghosh

Sea of poppies - Amitav Ghosh
Book Review

I read this book because Aamir Khan said it's a good book (on twitter). So I stopped reading 'Wings of Fire' and started with this book. I read/ watch whatever Aamir Khan recommends, not that I like all of it. Art/ beauty is subjective. A book which was nominated for the Booker prize award can be tedious and boring for some readers like me.

The premise of the book is awesome and unique. The story revolves around a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean shortly before the outbreak of the Opium Wars in China. I thought the book is very long and gives tedious (and non engrossing) details like how the room looked how was the lighting; furniture etc. Many dialogues are in a language that I didn't understand (Bhojpuri?).

This book had a lullaby effect on me. I would read 20 pages each night and then sleep like a baby.

But of course, give it a try, you might happen to like it.

A girl with a straight nose

Breathing right is so important  to sleep well at night, to feel productive and fresh during the day, to exercise and basically to live.

Ever since I remember I had a breathing problem. I started taking Ayurvedic/ Homepathic medicines. I tried various things over the years Neti, steam, herbal oils, vicks and breathe right strips. Afrin / Otrivin nose drops were my constant companion. My situation kept getting worse. Since last 2 years I wasn't able to breathe at all through my left nostril, right side was functioning may be 40%. I had severe sleep apnea and snored a lot. I had to take lot of breaks when hiking/ biking or doing any sort of cardio activity. I caught either rhinitis or sinusitis at least once a month which almost always ended up in an antibiotic treatment. A simple cold would leave me in tears as it would make me feel suffocated.

I remember my father calling me 'सरळ नाकाची मुलगी' all my life (a girl with straight nose). It is ironical that I had breathing problems even with a straight nose. That proves internal beauty (pun intended) is important :-). The condition I had is called deviated septum.

They say around 70 to 80% people have deviated septum which is a birth defect (or is caused by an accident). My case was severe. I had to get Septoplasty surgery done in order to fix the issue. I am absolutely satisfied with the surgery and regret why I didn't get it done earlier.

Here is some information on the surgery:

A. Appointment with ENT:

• You need to visit ENT specialist if you have symptoms like sleep apnea, recurring sinusitis, breathing problems. A small test would determine the severity of the deviation and what kind of surgery you need to get done (There are various types like septoplasty/ rhinoplasty/ turbine reduction etc.)
• I went through an allergy test too as just getting the surgery done might not fix the problem if you happen to have allergies. I didn't have any allergies.

B. Before the surgery:

• First of all you will need someone to drop you/ pick you up from the hospital and be with you on the day of the surgery for the first 24 to 48 hours.
• You will need to eat soft foods after the surgery preferably liquids.
•  You can not lift heavy objects, travel via plane or exercise for the first 3 weeks.  So plan accordingly.
• You will need around 7 days off from work if you have a job which requires physical presence.
• I took 3 days off and worked from home after that for around 7 days. Work kept me busy and made me forget the discomfort.
• Q-tips would be a great buy at this time as you will need to use at least 10 every day after the surgery.
• You can not eat or drink anything for 8 hours before the surgery.
• It is an outpatient surgery meaning you get to go home on the same day of the surgery. It is covered by insurance (do check it with your insurance before you make the surgery appointment)
• Total surgery time is 45 minutes. You will be given general anesthesia.
• If this is the first time you are getting general anesthesia then check with your immediate family members if they ever experienced any reactions with general anesthesia.
• Septoplasty does not result in any cosmetic alteration or external scars.
• You need to use mineral water in NetiMed Sinus rinse bottle so have one big mineral water can ready at home.
• Buy hydrogen peroxide bottle as you will need it along with Q-tips to clean the blood crusts formed after the surgery.

C. On the day of surgery:

• Reach the hospital 1 hour before the surgery time. Arrangement for giving you saline and anesthesia will be done.
• As I lied on the surgery table I was given anesthesia. Before I could feel anything I was knocked out. 
• People who have motion sickness always have a problem with coming out of anesthesia and so did I. It took me 3 hours to come out of it and I vomited a lot after that. Eating/ drinking made it worse.
• Opening the mouth can be painful on the first day of the surgery.
• The most difficult part of the surgery is that the nose will be stuffed with two big splints. That means you can not breathe at all through the nose until they are removed (the splints have 2 small holes for you to breathe but that hardly helps).
• One may get panic attacks (as I did) because the nose is completely blocked. Of course there is medication prescribed by the doctor to help you in this situation. I was given painkillers and anti anxiety medicines. Anti anxiety medicines make you a little numb to the situation, drowsy and also help you not go through panic attacks. 

 D. After the surgery

• I could sleep for the first 2 days after the surgery but then was awake for 48 hours straight because of the discomfort. I went through buyer's remorse and thought it was a mistake that I got it done. Those 4 days felt like hell. 
• On the second day of the surgery blood crusts will form only to make the situation more difficult. Showers with hot water, applying vicks, steam, cleaning the blood crust from the tip of the nose (without touching the stitches and splints inside) with Q-tips and hydrogen peroxide gave me a temporary relief.
• During these 4 days I called my ENT specialist everyday and requested her to take the splints off. But they can not do that as they want the stitches to heal a bit.
• Finally when the splints were taken out on the 4th day I could not believe my eyes. They were huge and I wondered how and where did they fit it in the nose. Of course I slept a lot after they were taken out and also didn't need the anti anxiety medicine after that.
• It took time for my body to get over with the effects of all the medicines and anesthesia. 
• I had a weekly nose cleaning appointment with my ENT. 
• I cleaned my nose everyday thrice a day with Q-tips and hydrogen peroxide. I also used NetiMed Sinus rinse bottle. I blew my nose very lightly after the rinse. Sticky blood clots would come out everyday for the first 2-3 weeks after the rinsing.
• I was on antibiotics for 10 days. There is inflammation in the nose and they don't want you to catch bacterial infection during this time. I started having severe side effects of the antibiotics so I had to stop taking them within 7 days (after checking with my ENT). 
• I caught a bacterial infection at the tip of my nose in the third week so an ointment was prescribed by my ENT.
• For the first 8 days I had no energy to do any sort of activity. Walking even 10 feet of distance made me feel tired. 
• I started getting severe headaches/ migraine starting second week of the surgery. Tylenol did not make me feel better. Ibuprofen relieved the pain immediately but do not take it until your ENT tells you if it is okay to take it. 
• I got migraines once a week for the first 2 months. It was intense pain between my eyebrows. The frequency and severity of the headaches went down after the first 6 weeks. Its been 3 months for my surgery and I haven't had any headaches in last 3 weeks.
• I still catch sinusitis once a month and have to get an antibiotic treatment for it but as they say it takes around 1 year to actually experience the benefits of the surgery.
• Even though I still catch sinusitis it is so much bearable as in spite of the sinus pressure I am able to breathe. Before surgery sinusitis made me feel miserable.
• I started taking walks after 4 weeks of the surgery and started with my regular cardio/ yoga/ pilates routine 8 weeks after the surgery.

Its been just 3 months for my surgery but still I can comfortably say that even if the first 2 two months after the surgery were very tough I am glad I got it done. It changed my life for better. It fixed all my sleep issues. I haven't used nasal drops like afrin at all after the surgery. I do not feel suffocated when I catch cold. I notice a lot of improvement in my stamina during exercising. I had to take frequent breaks to breathe while hiking/ biking before the surgery. Now I hike/ bike the same distance without taking breaks and faster than before. Two months of tough time was totally worth to spend the rest of the my life breathing better. If deviated septum had to happen again then would I go through this all over again?
Hell yeah!!!

Book Review: The Krishna Key - Ashwin Sanghi

Ashwin Sanghi writes thrillers based on Hindu mythology. He is called the Dan Brown of India. One of his book Chanakya's Chant won the most popular award 2010.

'The Krishna Key' has over-stretched explanations that drown you in religious jargon.

Ashwin goes on and on about the mystical Philosopher’s Stone. Is it here or may be there? leaving the reader feeling like a ball – bouncing around aimlessly. Drop it! Harry Potter found it already — it’s safe at Hogwarts! It is based on a vague and far fetched concept.

The book would have been much better if it was edited well.

I always felt like reading something Dan Brown style which is based on Hindu mythology. I must say I like Ashwin's style and I am going to read all his books!

English Vinglish Movie Review

I went to Europe trip alone at a time in my life when I couldn't speak even one sentence of English properly.

Later on I understood that not being able to speak in English was a bigger problem for me in India than anywhere in Europe. Be it Germany, Switzerland or France people take pride in speaking their native languages unlike in India.

I always suffered from inferiority complex in big cities like Pune/Mumbai where people are taking pride speaking in English than speaking their mother tongue. After my Europe trip I stayed in London for a month to explore. Even though I was in birth place of English I did not feel intimidated and I felt accepted in my every interaction.

Of course later on I learnt English (it took me more time to learn than like Sridevi in the movie ;-)). I would have missed on so many good things in life otherwise; I live in the US, get to live this lifestyle, experience the amazing work culture here, enjoy Hollywood and International cinema (as the subtitles are in English) and last but not the least reading English Books which I enjoy immensely!

Well the movie English Vinglish touches the fact that living in India one may feel intimidated if
they don’t speak English. But it is not just about learning a language there is a lot more to the movie. This movie is absolutely beautiful, I cried in a movie after a long time but at the same time it made me feel really good, may be because I could totally relate to it. Sridevi is a natural! I loved the story, direction and acting. I give it 4/5 stars.

The Secret Life of Bees

Lovable, Well written characters, Story full of mystery, easy read not too long.

Loved this book. There is a movie made based on this book too.

Name to a face - Robert Goddard

A landscape gardener is asked by one of his clients to go to Cornwall and bid for a family heirloom which is up for auction following the death of his (the client's) uncle. From that point, mystery, intrigue and deception unravel. The historical backdrop adds a lot of color to the story, which never approaches believable. Uncharacteristically, many of the twists and turns are either too predictable or just too far-fetched.

Feb 2012 - Book Reviews

Rediscovering Dharavi by Kalpana Sharma
I wanted to read about the biggest slum in Asia - Dharavi, This book answered all my questions like:
how it was formed
what existed here before the slum development
what do the people in this slum do
what is the state of Maharashtra doing about it
Good book (but it gets a little repetitive at the end)



The housekeeper and the professor - Yoko Ogawa

Very sweet book, probably I could relate to it instantly as my father has the same condition as the professor in the book who doesn't remember anything after a certain year in life; not even if he had lunch a few minutes ago.
The author has beautifully handled the relationship between the professor and his housekeeper. A person who doesn't remember a thing can he be able to form relationships? Are relationships based on memories? on past? or what happens at this moment and is any sort of beautiful bond between two people beyond memory?
Nice read.


Review of some Marathi books at -
http://rasikamarathiblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/blog-post.html

Forbrydelsen

Finished watching a Danish TV series of 20 episodes (season 1). It is just mind blowing. Acting, script, plot, direction everything is just amazing.

Monsoon

The thunderstorms, the heavy rains, thudding of the rainwater on the rooftops, those puddles on the roads; colorful raincoats; the aroma, the entire atmosphere!
Eating hot Bhajiya; drinking hot tea, driving to University or Chandani Chawk to grab a bite of Bhutta. Exultant birds, contented rivers, idyllic trees and the land seem to be on cloud nine. Missing the monsoons in India…

Book Reviews Jan 2012

Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom

What a disappointment this book was. There is very little substance in this book. Whatever lessons Morrie had to teach, could have been summed up in a short chapter. I feel like there was no book here. Mitch Albom reconnects with an old dying teacher while he is out of work and essentially capitalizes on his meetings with him to profit off of a book. There is no character development. The book is divided into small chapters on a specific "life" topic. In each chapter there is maybe one sentance of wisdom Morrie imparts, without real life experiences to support them.
Book is totally overrated, overpriced and undercooked!

Losing my Virginity - Richard Branson

Great life of a great guy... but somehow I didn't find any of it interesting from rock music cd business to his little stunts, from his space shuttle service to his views of war/ global warming. This book is an advertisement of Virgin products and the greatness of the author.


Immortals of Meluha - Amish Tripathi

This book is an exciting fictional take on Shiva and related mythological events and characters. Some parts of this book make you appreciate the richness and depth of the mythology one grows up with in India, but rarely ponders overs. Other parts challenge the conventional understanding of the myths and elements of ancient Indian culture.

I will caution that the quality of writing is not great. The writing style is shallow and lacks expression and illustrative power. The dialogue seems awkward, cliched and sometimes cheesy. However, what the author lacks in writing skills, he more than makes up with the breadth and ambition of the plot built around Shiva and his path to becoming a Mahadev.

Kudos to the author for what I hope will be a ground breaking book. A book that shows that Indian mythology is a woefully underutilized source of wit, wisdom, inspiration and philosophy. Of amazing characters and great drama. There isn't another culture that has been blessed with such riches. It is high time we took this heritage off the shelf; stopped blindly worshipping it and started exploring and understanding it.

The secret of Nagas - Amish Tripathi

Secret of the Nagas is as brilliantly written as the Immortals of Meluha. The reader would already be used to the language by now, so it ceases to be a hindrance in the enjoyment of the book and the story. The story is extremely fast paced and is a complete page turner.


आपुलकी - पु. ल. देशपांडे

मराठी भाषेच ज्ञान असलेल्यांनी पुल वाचल नसेल तर मराठी समजण्याच्या सर्वात मोठ्या फायद्यास ते मुकले आहेत.
पु. लंची ख्याती मी काय लिहावी. त्यांच्या प्रत्येक पुस्तकातून आणि प्रत्येक वाक्यातून ते पुन: पुन: प्रभावित करतात. हे पुस्तक त्यांच्या आयुष्यात आलेल्या निरनिराळ्या लोभस व्यक्तिमत्त्वांवर आहे. त्यातील एकाही व्यक्तीबद्दल मला अ का ब माहीत नसतांना त्या माझ्या मनात तरंग उठवून गेल्यात. आपुलकीने लिहिलेल हे पुस्तक त्यातील चरित्रांबद्दल आपुलकी निर्माण करुन जाते.

2011 - Book Review

Love Happens Like That - Ritwik Mallik

I was in India and wanted to read books by new Indian writers. I purchased a few which had 'National Bestseller' tag on it.
Love happens like that is a pathetic book and I wonder why it says national bestseller? Total waste of time...

I Had A Love Story Too - Ravinder Singh

I guess now there is a series of writers who are trying to copy Chetan Bhagat's writing style, Ravinder being one of them. Book is just okay...

Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

Now that is what I call good writing and a great book!
Life is an unending search for love, family, home, acceptance, a healthy society, and a promising future. You can go home again, even if "home" has evolved and been transformed. As home is transformed one adapts and maintains what one can of tradition. "One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls."

Its Not About The Bike - Lance Armstrong

This is the book in which Armstrong shares his journey through triumph, tragedy, transformation, and transcendence. It is the story of a world-famous cyclist and his fight against cancer.
Inspiring!

2 States - Chetan Bhagat

This is it! I swear not to read this one time wonder's books again...