Sense of Independence

Yes, we are humans
We have the power of senses
Let’s add to it some sense
Sensibility, I mean
For once, make sense.

We have the sense of being heard
Let’s add to it the sense of sound
Whispers of help, I mean
For once, hear.

We have the sense of touch
Let’s add to it the feel of ignorance
Touch the untouched, I mean
For once, be touched.

We have the sense of smell
Let’s add to it the fragrance of dirt
The human dirt, I mean
For once, trash it.

We have the sense of taste
Let’s add to it the taste of life
Reality, I mean
For once, face it.

We have the sense of look
Let’s add to it some vision
Vision of independence, I mean
We have it already
For once, not misuse it
For once, use it.

Hear, touch, feel, taste
Visions create
Oh thy human
Please initiate!

Festive Season

The idea for this post came to me around a week or two back when I was sitting around reading a news paper and happened to come across an article. The article was about the high festive moods prevailing in the city for some time now and how they’re going to be around till the end of the year with many more occasions lined up.

The thoughts that passed by my mind at that moment were that, with all the diversities and castisim around, you can never differentiate a Hindu from a Muslim or a Christian at times of festivals. Every caste, every religion, every individual breaks his mental barriers and participates in celebrations no matter it be Gokul Ashtami, Eid or Ganesh Chaturthi or any other Indian Festival. India being a land of multiple cultures, it would be safe to say that we have some or the other festival almost every week of the year.

I happened to read a tweet by a famous personality regarding the same. He said and I quote, “It’s only in India that Eid is immediately followed by Ganesh Chaturthi (or Diwali) and everyone is seen participating alike in them.” It gave me a really good feeling about our country that even after being divided so much by some extremists, we aren’t divided. We are still all Indians!

But what I actually wrote this post for was to bring to your notice or rather discuss the not so good side of this topic. I know you must all have raised eyebrows at this point, thinking that I have gone crazy. But no, I’m not hinting at our unity being bad but what I’m hinting at is a much more serious and social issue. It is often seen that people celebrating festivals are always in high spirits (some rather literally). And those some are often seen losing their minds and performing acts that put each one of us to shame.

I don’t have any substantial records but I would not be wrong in saying that the amount of eve teasers and law violators increase considerably in such times. I have often seen people acting like actual desperate hooligans on the streets. Driving rash, passing lewd comments, taking advantage by forcefully feeling a female, throwing colors and water balloons at normal people, etc are just some of the acts I actually witnessed.  There could be so many more such cases and incidents. I personally know of people who are scared of going out doors at such times fearing that they might fall prey to such evil. Very recently I read another article where an 18 year old guy, part of a visarjan rally, raped a 3 year old girl, who came out to see the passing Ganesh Idols, near the Goregaon Bridge. If that wasn’t enough, he also ended up killing the girl just because she retaliated by crying. I was completely disgusted when I read this.

I am not denying that these incidents occur even without a festival around. We have all heard of love killings, eve teasers, rapes and stuff but neither can you deny that on such festive occasions, these monsters get out of their wardrobes and onto the streets endangering our safety. I really fail to understand why people behave this way! Do they have no moral values? Have they not been taught civic sense of living in a society? Worst come worst how do we even identify such people without an incident committed by them! Even if we rule out these extremists, I always see people staring away shamelessly at a passing by woman. Even if the woman is uncomfortable about it, what does she do? In the attempt of stopping one, ten others will stare back. How do we protect our mothers and sisters in such situations?

I titled this post as ‘Festive Season’, because such occasions are more of a festival for such monsters than our own. If you all feel the same too, then let’s think of a way to try and curb this together. Let’s try and make a difference that makes us feel safer in our own society. I hope to receive a lot of reviews and comments on this post and wish that this post in turn reaches a lot of eyeballs.

Despair

Dark is the hour
when happiness tends to flee.
Leaving behind a gaping hole,
absorbing all the glee.

Dark clouds on horizon,
threatening thunder and gale.
Where does one gaze,
searching hope should prayers fail.

The fading light mocks you,
taunting with cynical smile.
Nightmares come to haunt you,
bewitching with their guile.

Dreams torn asunder,
your descent's painful, slow.
The gaping abyss beckons,
to deal the fatal blow.

It's claws grabbing at you,
rending you beyond repair.
Always warring blissful happiness,
is the omnipresent despair.

On a rainy day...

Rains - to most of us - are harbingers of joy. When the heavens open to let through a downpour of relief, they inevitably herald visions of lush, sparkling greenery, rich white, flowing water, and monsoon trips.

Living in a city however, means muddy roads, potholes, dirty sidewalks, and of course increased density of traffic. This short piece was a result of being caught in traffic during heavy rains.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pouring down in sheets,
splattering against the road.
Caring not for the earth beneath,
the heavens opened and roared.

Confined in the three-wheeler,
a haze covered the sight.
Like a phoenix rising from ashes,
imagination took a flight.

To the lush green farmlands,
savoring the touch of life.

Dancing in the sweet nectar,
filled with heavenly delight.

To the high and mighty mountains,
dressed in lush green coat.
The canopy of wispy clouds
caressing as they float.

To the tall steep falls,
nestled in mountain's womb.
Water daring the heights,
yet not meeting its doom.

To the angry roaring river,
shackles broken, set free.
Sweeping away one and all,
who dared not to flee.

To the rambunctious childhood,
danced away in first rains.
Feet splashing in the puddles,
not bothered by the stains.

Blaring horns and pungent smells,
clear the mist that led astray.
Leaving behind a smile on lips,
on a dank and muddy rainy day.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

My views on the movie - Fast 5

I saw Fast 5 AKA Fast & Furious 5 last night. Yes, I went to the paid preview of the movie and it was totally worth it J I simply loved the movie! ;)

Fine, the movie has gaps; Fine, it's predictable; Fine, I couldn't place it between the first or the fourth movie of the series and couldn't even place it after the fourth. I spoke to a couple of people and the movie fits best in the sequence: 1 - 2 - 4 - 5 - 3 (I wonder how that happened but this is how it is)

But the movie was fun, exciting. It kept me on my toes and even after being awake for over 24 hours, I didn't feel sleepy while watching the movie. That's got to mean something right.

It's a must must must must watch.

P.S: A smile doesn't suit Vin Diesel. He looks like a dufus when he smiles

Also, if you are going to watch the movie, do watch the end credits because it is followed by a Post-credit scene ;) (which is very very interesting) I am already waiting for the next sequel.

Enjoy the movie guys!!!!

Gone is the real Tiger of Ranthambhore

A world-renowned man with an equally famous moustache and the hunter’s hat, who “was” known more as the Tiger Man of India, passed away on March 1st after a battle with cancer. The first thing that comes to the mind of a person who knew Fateh Singh Rathod is, the person who brought a revolutionary change in the history of Tigers is no more amongst us. But it takes more than just knowing him to actually feel the loss of the Tiger Man. You need to meet him at least once to feel the exuberance, zeal, energy, and compassion he had towards life. Owing to which, I guess, he was so sensitive towards the plight of Tigers in India and beyond that, the ecosystem as a whole.

I had one such chance to experience Fath-ji’s (as people at his Maa farm lovingly addressed him) compassion and knowledge about the biodiversity and ecosystem in the April of 2008. As a part of a Wildlife Conservation Camp organized jointly by Sprouts and Tiger Watch, I travelled to Ranthambhore, all the way dreaming about interacting with Fath-ji, whom I guess, we all watched on Discovery or Nat Geo at least once in our lives. The moment I reached Maa Farm; Fath-ji’s home and Tiger Watch’s office, I was greeted by peacocks, which roam and flit around the farm and the house without any fear. If you took a close look around, you could spot a monitor lizard, paradise flycatchers, and sometimes, even a jackal. This tells us, how comfortable and safe the wild felt being around him.

I had to wait for 2 days to finally meet him one evening, just when he was about to take a few people for a safari in the park. The twinkle in his eyes even at his age and with his medical background was remarkable. He was a person who would invite anyone who came to his farm, for dinner and stay at his place. Such was his nature, down-to-earth even after being so famous and sought-after by the likes of the Queen of Britain. He greeted me but said nothing much, which disappointed me a bit, but before driving away, he turned around and promised meeting again to have a chat. Yippie, I felt so lucky!

The camp came to an end and on the last day, Fath-ji invited all of us to his home. It was while looking around his place that I realized, he had a thing for hunter hats. His collection included hats in all sizes and material, be it fake leather, wood, clay, or wrought iron miniatures. Although he was known as a hunter to many, he never hunted! In fact, he was the first to identify the man-tiger conflict and provide solutions to avoid it. It was he who recognized what apart from hunting was a cause for the dwindling number of Tigers in India. And not just did he provide solutions, he implemented those against all the odds, which came in the form of politicians, babus, local Moga tribals, and even the international racket for tiger skin and parts smuggling. So much so was the opposition, that to save him from being killed, as many say, Fath-ji was released from the duty as the Director of the park. But he led the battle despite all the hurdles with help from like-minded people, such as Madhu Bhatnagar, a Delhi school teacher; Dr, Dharmendra Khandal, a botanist and Conservationist, and Jay Majumdar, a writer, documentary film-maker, and journalist from Kolkata.

After a group talk and pleasantries, all of my other camp-mates left for home at night itself, leaving me alone at the camp. I was sitting at Tiger Watch’s office flipping through the numerous albums and newspaper clippings when Dr. Dharmendra Khandal, the heart and soul of Tiger Watch, asked me whether I would like to stay at the farm with the volunteers who worked for Tiger Conservation. I grabbed this opportunity and was least bothered about how the remaining hours would pass when Dr. Khandal suggested a night-safari, of course not inside the park, on permission from Fath-ji. It was he who suggested that if the girl dared to stay back just to interact with me and get a firsthand experience about the wildlife, take her for a night safari, when the wild actually awaken and do their things without any interruption from humans. It was a once in a lifetime experience as Fath-ji promised, with the howls of jackals, hyenas, and distant calls of a river-owl.

Fath-ji always had a broader perspective about conservation, which included relocating hamlets from inside the park to other locations; provide the villagers with a source of income and their children with state-of-art educational facilities. He believed that only then would the man-tiger conflict reduce, which in turn would help reduce the number of tigers being poisoned or killed. Before I left for Mumbai, Fath-ji asked me very casually, “Humare school me bachhon ko computer sikhane koi nahi hai. Tum sikhaogi?” (We don’t have anybody to teach computers at our school. Will you teach?). And he gave off a booming laughter when he saw the look on my face. Such was the man, so casual, who threw opportunities to work with him when least expected. He said, “Tum khoob padho, apni life banao aur jab bhi chaho, jaise bhi chaho, yaha aana apna yogdaan karne” (Study well, make your life better and do come here to contribute your share whenever you feel like). Just before leaving, he asked me, “Since you are a maharashtrian, what is your native place?” His expressions when I told him I was from Konkan left me puzzled. As if an answer to the puzzle, he said, “Send me Devgad hapoos this season!”, which I did send. From then, he named me Aam-wali, asking me for mangoes every season. And I was more than glad to send him those! For the Tiger Man of India, that was one thing he loved most after the Tigers and wildlife. It is very sad to know that the man who inspired the likes of poachers, tribals, kids, school teachers, journalists, and so on, to spread awareness about nature and its importance for the survival of mankind, is no more. Adios to Fateh Singh Rathod, the Tiger Man of India.

-Shrutika Kalgutkar

Stubby: The only Dog I am not scared of.

I hate dogs. No, they have never done anything to me, I am just too scared of them. They bark, growl, pounce, fight, poop and they are just everywhere no matter where you go. But lately I have changed, someone, something changed my attitude towards them, or rather to be more specific, I changed my mind only towards him. He's my friends 4 year old Black Labrador. The first time I met him, he just kept barking. I was petrified and locked myself in my friend’s car for half an hour (as if he was going to open the door and jump on me). When I met him the second time he was just wagging his tail with a toy in his mouth (the usual) and entertaining all the guests at the party. I was glued to my chair and didn’t move an inch. The third time I met him, I got used to him, a bit. Since then there was no turning back. Every time I go there I discover something new, a new habit of his, a new trick. I miss him when he doesn’t welcome me, I talk about him to my friends, I think about the way he lights up my day whenever he’s around me, dancing and playing with me. You take his name and there he is, wagging his tail at its best. How he eagerly awaits and doesn’t go to sleep till everyone is home. He can even put Shakira to shame with his vigorous hip-shakes. His energy is contagious and makes me forget all my worries. But why? Why do I love him so much, or why everyone loves him so much? He's just a dog after all. I think I know the reason. He's the most selfless being I have ever seen or met. He doesn’t see you for what you are but will shower you with his love nonetheless. You give him love and all you get is love that is pure and unconditional. The world is filled with people who are always ready to pull you down, tell you how incapable or bad you are and make you feel worthless. But he has that knack of making anyone feel extraordinary. He welcomes me with the same energy when I put on some weight or when I am dressed at my worst, or when my cheeks get chubbier. In time, we forget who we really are; the child within us is lost. Maybe, because of the mundane lives we live every day, but he knows the exact way to bring out that child in each one of us. I like to be that child again with him, and for once just be MYSELF.

BETRAYAL

'Pon the cliff he stood so proud,

bethinking glories in the days gone past.

Victories won with blades flashing hard,

smiting all who dared to waylay his path.

Riding with the valorous, more brothers than comrades,

honoring the mortals immortalised by their deeds.

Fair he was, to foes, broken and defeated,

winning over hearts with kindness unseen.

His foes vanquished and kingdoms conquered,

he dreamt of ballads sung to honor their deeds.

Thus stood he, lost in glories achieved,

looking over his lands stretched beyond mortal sight.

The hand laid on his shoulder, to a brother belonged.

Alas! T'was too late, to know the purpose of the hand.

One hand fastening on his shoulder,

the other driving in the blade.

Grief overwhelmed him, driving away the pain,

As the blade pierced his heart ringing his death knell,

his eyes seeking answer, met with the betrayer's.

Regret he saw first, overcome by jealousy.

'O my brother!' said the King, 'may you be blessed and live a life long!

Remember though that jealousy is unworthy of a king to be.

I beseech to thee to leave it be, for a mighty heart befits a king.'

And then he fell down the cliff, plummeting down helplessly,

till he was but a speck of sand, lost in the dunes of eternity.

HEIGHTS OF FRENZY!!

It has been really long since I have posted anything here let alone access our own blog (embarrassed smiley!) I found this to be the apt moment to write one when one cricket match has captured the imagination of people around the world and not just the participanting nations in the match!

The bitter sweet Cricketing rivalry of India and Pakistan in can cause an instant rise in the population of butterflies in our tummies :) And that is even before the match actually being played out! The anticipation causes such furore that today in the morning, it took me extra effort to handle all the hyper-energetic pushing and pulling in the local train :D People have been so vocal about their views for the last few days (compare that to the nervousness which led to excessive talking during the appraisal :D).

On the point of being vocal about views, we have come across amazing chatter from all forms of social media communication leading up to this match. Most of the chatter has been in good humor (read: downright abusive! :D). I am recounting some of the most entertaining (and clean) parts here:

• MTVIndia on FB: 1lakh for a 10k ticket, 17lakhs for a 10 second TV commercial, 22k for a one- way flight to Chandigarh, productivity down to 75% in the fastest developing nation in the world, that too on the final day of the financial year!!


• Afridi: We won't let Sachin make a century in this match! We will be 93 all out!!


• Teams qualified from Group A: Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka. Teams qualified from Group B: India. Moral of the story: Lions walk alone!


• 1:7 bet between Dr. Manmohan Singh and Asif Ali Zardari - If India wins, Pakistan hands over Dawood Ibrahim. If Pakistan wins, India hands over Mayawati, Raja, Jayalalita, Kalmadi, Mamta, Mulayam and Lalu!!


• FB status from Pakistan: Beware of the green TSUNAMI!! - Comment: Tsunamis are BLUE you idiot!!

ENJOY THE MATCH EVERYONE!! :)

Graffiti called ‘Memory’

Pop a little bubble, spread a cute smile
The stupid mind draws a graffiti called memory
Whether good or bad
Don’t dare wipe it off, just let it flow around
As you see a buttlerfly, merge the colours of isle
See the dolphin dance, vanish your worries in a glance
Hug the warm breeze and smell the sweet flower
Let the nature spring in galore
As the vibgyor shines over you
Remember this wherever you are
Look above and stare at the twinkling star
Oh my dearie
That’s what you are!

Under the weather

I was diagnosed with "early Bronchitis" a while back. I had always hated taking pills and tablets and was hoping that the doctor had prescribed small tablets. But no, I had to take a 650 mg antibiotic twice a day! Worse, no sympathy from anyone at home! I showed the tablet to my mom and said, "What in history makes you think that I would be able to swallow this?" She gave me a look that only moms can give. My cousin looked at the elongated pentagon-shaped tablet and remarked, "Oh, this is not that big!" “But look how thick it is?” He then broke the tablet into two and said, "There! You can't swallow one big tablet, but you sure can swallow two small ones!" Yeah, right!

When you are on antibiotics, you experience the weakness-coupled-with-sleeplessness state. You can't sleep, you can't lie in bed all day, and you can't do anything else either - except for watching the idiot box. So, that's what I did. And wonder of wonders, a sparrow flew into my house from the balcony, took a left, and went straight for my room. I yelled, "No, not there! The windows are closed!" The bird continued flying only to hit the window and fall on my bed. My mom rushed out from the kitchen hearing me yell and went in to pick up the bird (I don’t know if it’s a he or a she!) and held it in her palm. Luckily, the bird didn't suffer any injuries.

I took a few snaps of the bird with my mobile phone. (I need to buy a good digicam. Any suggestions?) I didn't touch the bird fearing it would get infected. See, this is what antibiotics do to you. You begin to worry that a bird will catch your "early Bronchitis." Anyways, the little bird had a few grains of rice and was good to go in a few minutes. Mom and I stood in the balcony and watched the bird fly away.

So, altogether, being under the weather is not a bad thing after all. You are taken good care of, you get to laze all you want (blame the medicines!), and if you are lucky, you get to hold a bird in your palm!

Wuhoo! Road trip!

Tarun, Mansha, and I set out on a Monday afternoon to collect our smart cards from Microsoft office in Kalina. Tarun commented, "Let’s drive down there; it shouldn't be difficult to find the office.” Having been lost quite a few times on drives with her husband Abhinav, Mansha thought it prudent to have at least some sense of direction. So, she called up Abhinav to ask for directions. We buckled up, and Mansha cried, "Wuhoo! Road trip!” And then began the quest for good songs to listen to on the different FM channels. Predictably, we couldn’t agree on one channel to listen to. If Tarun stopped punching the stereo’s buttons, Mansha would cry, “Change!” which was my cue to punch the buttons.

Clearly, Tarun hated traffic and traffic signals and expressed his displeasure with frequent “tsk tsk.” We were on the lookout for a CST road, and after enquiries with a few rickshaw-waalas, we finally arrived there only to find auto garages on either side of the road! Nevertheless, we bravely forged ahead and spotted the office soon enough. Tarun’s “tsk tsk” had been increasing at a steady pace, and Mansha and I were getting worried about this. After all, our lives were in his hands! We entered Microsoft’s office and were seated at the reception while the security got our smart cards. Tarun was punching his mobile phone buttons angrily. Mansha and I exchanged very worried looks then. We got our cards, and walked toward the car. Mansha told, “I am not sitting next to him!”

We were on the expressway when I caught Tarun yawning. I panicked and said, “Please don’t fall asleep; I will keep talking to you for the rest of the drive.” He laughed! He was showing signs of normalcy, finally. We reached Spectra and found a parking spot near Axis bank. A Honda City was blocking the spot, though. When Tarun honked, the driver of the Honda City coolly parked his car in that spot! That was so mean! Tarun started, “What the…” and stepped on the accelerator with a vengeance. He was so red! Thankfully, we found a spot near Aromas and parked the car. Never have I been glad to step out of a car!

Wisdom gained from this road trip:

1.      Tarun learned that I speak a lot via the OCS and not in person.

2.      I learned the delicate task of punching the stereo buttons without disturbing the guy-behind-the-wheel changing gears.

3.      Mansha and I agreed that we would never drive along with Tarun.

4.      I learned that Mansha loves drives even if they are interspersed with traffic jams.

5.      My belief that all men feel good when they are behind the wheel proved to be wrong. 

Random Musings

A lonely Drop in the vast ocean,

Tossed and turned and by the wind blown.

Journeying seven lands, over mountains and stones,

never in control, I wonder does it ever moan?

A Beam of sunlight bringing hope to all,

clearing the shadows wherever it falls.

Warming all hearts, gladdening all spirits,

who gives her the joy that she rightly merits?

The delicate Lotus standing tall amidst the filth,

Praised by all, it floats unnoticed, adrift.

Beauty it radiates, shining pearls on its leaves,

Surrounded by squalor, does it rejoice or grieve?

Standing proud and majestic, towering above all,

Unyielding to nature, come summer, spring, or fall.

Thus stands the mighty Oak, sheltering the lost wayfarer.

Neither tales nor songs speak of the behemoth’s valor.

Random thoughts drift ‘cross the mind,

Queries aplenty, no answers to find.

The many hues conflict, in the cauldron they strife.

Is this why they say it’s a wonderful life?

Somethings In Life...

Somethings in life never change
Somethings in life are weird and strange
The path to success and fame is never the same
Each moment of life is an unwritten game
Everyone though unique has a similar aim
i.e: To achieve success, respect and an unforgettable name
Some loose, some gain
Its not about success or failure
Its all about successing a failure
Its not about what the world thinks about you
Its all about what you think about yourself
Its not about crying on spilt milk
Its all about laughing on your own stupidity
Anger, cry, laughter sway
Being positive is the best way
Love, friendships, relations is what one always prays
Be it your best dream or your worst nightmare
Its upto you how you portray
As a downfall and be sad
or a hidden oppurtunity to be gay
As I always say
Somethings in life never change
Somethings in life are weird and strange!

Boring, no?

"So both of you were alone for Christmas?" has been an invariable question directed at us during all conversations in the holiday season. I curb the technical writer in me that points out that "both" and "alone" are contradictory in a sentence, but instead nod my head in agreement, and arrange the face to look suitably wistful. The husband looks surprised, but as usual chooses to be quiet about it.

By default, this is followed by another question: " Boring, no?"

"No!" I want to say and fling the conversation onto a tangent - but instead I nod politely again, too lazy to explain the ramblings of my mind...that this is just another phase of life that I'm thoroughly enjoying...just as I did with the other phases in life.

When I do a mental rewind, every stage of life comes up with its share of happy memories - of a pampered young girl, a happy-go-lucky student, a shy young bride, a proud mother of two, a budding professional...the roles are countless and the memories are endless. Does the mind have an uncanny knack of selectively remembering just the joyous and colorful moments...or is it that life has been bountiful? Guess it is both...ours is to just let it be.

So here we are, enjoying this phase of not having to deal with red-lined report cards, missed calls and lost phones, stay-overs and wake-up calls, Hardrock Cafes and Mood Indigos, AIEEEs and CETs, night-outs and hip-hops, Arsenals and IPLs...

Boring, no? Nooo!!!

...of 'I, ME, MYSELF AS WELL' and LIFE!!

Before you all read this post (please read - blush blush!!), let me be frank here and say this out loud - I don't think I am a selfish or a narcissistic person and I don't want to be that person ever in my life. Not that there has been a complaint like that against me (atleast not at my face :p), but it was necessary to clear this point in the beginning. Too much blabber? Coming to the point - At an early age, I taught myself a lesson - I want to think about myself AS WELL and do things that make me happy AS WELL (focus on AS WELL here is most important!! Hence proved I am not selfish :p).

Isn't it amazing that our actions can make or break situations ever-so-easily with people that we want happy all the time? Not a single day goes by without us doing something to make someone happy. Be it our superiors at work, our dear ones, or people who look upto us. The 'taller' they perceive us to be, the 'higher' they look. While we are busy making sure that everyone is happy and contented, many of us forget about the happines of one important individual - the handsome/beautiful staring back at us in the mirror (5seconds time please - am admiring myself in the mirror! :p).

What is the first thing that pops into our minds when term like 'Sacrifice' is thrown around? For me, it means making people happy but, at the same time, making myself miserable. Is there a limit or a level of misery that is acceptable to me? (Ummmm....NO!) Are we going to find pride in being miserable? (Ummm...aaaaah...NO!) Is there an astrological time of the day when we can accept misery? (Ummm...ooooh tough one....scratching head...scratching head...the answer is...STILL NO!!) Watching Tees Maar Khan was a 'Sacrifice' I made for my friends!! (glad I got that weight off my chest!! I can breathe easy now :p) But, there wasn't a single moment where I felt miserable even though I knew that the movie was a DUD!! Why? Coz the movie did not matter for me, what mattered was that I was having fun with my friends. I ended up doing something made me happy AS WELL (hence the importance of AS WELL above) The reason why I did what I did just went against the definition of 'Sacrifice' as mentioned above i.e. there was no misery involved.

There is a new product in the market for all of us in the year 2011! You don't have to be a part of the old and boring 'Sacrifice' when you can enjoy the new 'Sacrifice++' , and that too for FREE!! FREE!! FREE!! 'Sacrifice++' includes an updated feature of selflessness combined with contentment and delight all packaged in one!! (WOW!!!! I impressed myself there :D) The next time you feel like doing THAT selfless deed, find THAT small string of happiness. The deed will be more enjoyable than you can ever imagine!! TRUST YOURSELF ON THAT...

Book Review: 'J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography' by Humphrey Carpenter

Normally, biographies do not rank too high on my reading list. There must be barely a handful of biographies that I must have read – mostly at someone else’s urging – and I must confess that it was not a very enjoyable experience. Forgive me if I appear too snobby, but reading about other people’s life kind of bums me out. However, when I came across J.R.R Tolkien’s biography, it was hard to pass up the opportunity of reading it. For those uninitiated, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is the author of the epic fantasy novel ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and the creator of that mythical place called the Middle Earth. It must be known to many Tolkien fans that he was not a great advocate of biographies. This was partly because he was an extremely private person and also because his point of view was that a biography should talk about the person’s work rather than the other aspects of his private life.

However, Humphrey Carpenter hit the jackpot when he managed to convince Tolkien to allow him to document his life. What’s more, Tolkien actually lent Carpenter his personal notes and a few letters that he had written. To his credit, Carpenter has done a splendid job to record the annals of Tolkien’s life in a riveting manner that traces Tolkien’s work while intertwining it with his life and how his life influenced his work.

Carpenter tells Tolkien’s story right from his birth in South Africa and follows it to the end in England. While some may debate that such a detailed account was irrelevant and not quite in deference to Tolkien’s idea of a biography, it must be said that one needs to know about the events mentioned in the book to understand how Tolkien came about to writing such masterpieces as The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, LOTR, and so on. The author has done a great job to trace the origins of various characters, significant or otherwise, events, places, and, most importantly, the Middle Earth right back to people, events, and places in Tolkien’s own life. Another refreshing quality of the book is Humphrey Carpenter’s taut writing. At no point does one feel too bored or feel the need to skip a few pages. Infact, there are instances in the book where you can’t help but get a few goose bumps.

That Tolkien was meticulous is quite apparent after reading his books – especially the lengthy appendices that he’s written for LOTR – but just how far he could go with his meticulousness has been captured quite succinctly in the book. One contrast that jumps out quite often – atleast to me – is that for a man who wrote such great epics, Tolkien led a remarkably simple life. This is especially astonishing considering the almost celebrity like status that a lot of authors enjoy today despite having written something that is not half as good as his work. One thing that you can make out quite easily from the book is that he considered himself a philologist above everything else. Indeed, but for his love for languages, we might have not had one of the greatest mythologies ever told.

Another important facet of his life that has been captured in the book is the literary clubs that he was part of. The many hours that he spent in the company of fellow members of the ‘Tea Club and Barrovian Society’ (T.C.B.S in short) initially and the ‘The Inklings’ eventually, undoubtedly acted as a stimulant to his terrific imagination. Tolkien’s friendship with C.S Lewis, the author of the Narnia series, is well known. Carpenter explores how their friendship affected their writings and the views that they held about each other’s works.

I can assure you that once you are finished with this book, it will be hard to resist picking up your LOTR copy and reading it again. This one is a must read both for Tolkien fans and for those who are yet to experience the magnificent realm of Middle Earth. 

Four days in Ahmedabad - Day 4

I didn't do much my last day in Ahmedabad. Mum was busy cleaning, washing, and cooking (the woman loves these verbs - and doing the acts too!) I sat down in a corner to write down my random observations in Ahmedabad. Here's the list:

1. Motorists honk a lot - I mean, a lot!
2. Among the Pulsars and Activas, there are many Chetaks (Bajaj Chetaks, the two-wheelers with foot brakes, remember?)
3. Counted a total of 13 tractors in my four-day stay here.
4. Not many skyscrapers in Ahmedabad or at least, in Navrangpura and the places that I visited. Mostly individual houses with a garden and a swing in the front or back yard.
5. Admired a beautiful house in Navrangpura. A plaque on the compound wall says "Madhuram 1954." Wonder what kind of stories must have transpired among the generations that inhabit this house?
6. The shop Induben Khakrawaala was the inspiration for Krishnaben Kharkrawaala on Colours.
7. Noticed hawkers dyeing kite strings; the dye was either shocking pink or mellow yellow.

On flight from Ahmedabad to Mumbai

Mom and I boarded the 6 30 pm flight from Ahmedabad to Mumbai on Tuesday. We buckled in and got ready for take off after a 10 minute delay. As the flight began its ascent, the city spread below us like a dark mass of land lit up by bright orange and white lights. As we gained altitude, the roads lit up by orange lamps looked like a gorgeous golden river flowing through the city. And the dark mass became more pronounced with the lights diminishing into mere specks. Then, all of a sudden, the golden river also disappeared from sight, and all I could see were dark mountains of clouds shifting in the sky in a smooth but random manner. The sun had set, leaving its last remnants, a faint streak of red-orange in the sky.

There was nothing much to do or see in the hour-long flight, and I was getting bored when I got the first glimpse of Mumbai through a veil of dark clouds. The cityscape looks no lesser than an alien spaceship with all its twinkling blue and white lights! It truly was a sight to behold! From up above, Ahmedabad and Mumbai look similar; the only difference is that Mumbai is lit up with far more lights, and there are many bright orange rivers zig zagging through the land mass. As we began the descent to the airport, the city's concrete giants - the skyscrapers - greeted us. I could make out the name of one of those buildings, "Swastik." Then, the individual elements  - the headlights of the automobiles - that make up the orange river came into view, and as I smiled at the traffic on the roads, we touched down. 

Four days in Ahmedabad - Day 3

I woke up at 8 (it’s a great feeling to wake up at 8 on a Monday!) and came out of my room only to cry, “There’s a peacock in the yard!” (Thank you Seema, for assuring me that it was indeed a peacock J) I quickly took a few snaps of the peacock with my mum’s mobile phone. The peacock walked around, and dad threw some grains of rice for him to eat. He noticed it and royally dismissed it. Instead, he flew and sat atop the swing making it convenient for me to take a few more clear snaps of him. Soon, we no longer amused him, and he flew away with a bored look. 

Dad was off to work, and there was nothing to keep me amused in the house. No TV, no Internet, and no one from office was free to talk to me! I waited very patiently till evening for my dad to return from office. He then took us out for shopping at the National Handloom House. This is a three-storeyed building and stocks all kinds of items - footwear, artificial jewellery, mobile phones, gift articles on the ground floor; first floor is for kids clothes, second floor for women’s wear, and the third floor for men; the lower ground has bed linen and cushion covers.

I got some pairs of footwear for regular use, and a bandini dress material. Then, we had an early dinner and on the way back home, stopped at Induben Khakrawaala (mum strongly recommended this shop) to buy pedhas and khakras for Mumbai. We walked home and went off to sleep.