Hmmm :)

I don't make too many plans in life. But I hate it when the few plans I make don't work out. I had exactly 3.5 plans for this year and nothing even took off till September!

Last few months (to be precise 7 months) have been the craziest, weirdest and at times even hopelessly depressing phase of my recent adulthood memory. At the beginning of September I was actually hoping that I would wake up the next morning and it would be 2009. (I know that wouldn't make the problems go away but at least it would be a brand new year.)

And then I had this epiphany that I was trying too hard at everything. It is always a problem when one tries too hard. But the problem is I cannot sometimes (err not being honest I know but what the heck it is my version of the story) let go till I am all twisted and exhausted. And then the breeze from the far away Bodhi Tree hits me and there is enlightenment---tadaaa like that!

Anyways, I gave up trying too hard (for now anyway) And life was looking up a little bit. And then something happened that might just make this year very special. It was one of the many things that was driving me up the wall and down the drain depending on the time of the day. From a year that was to be the worst in my recent memory to a year to be remembered for ever, I'd say I don't mind that at all :)

Aside: I am trying very hard to complete the book "You are here" by Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan. And I cannot help wonder why I can't write a book and may be win a Pulitzer if not a Nobel. Sure I don't have a cat and I am not 25. But I am past 30 and know enough about cats, dogs and even some wild animals for a good measure. Not to forget the men I've known (In what way well you just have to wait for my book.) I will do review of this book the day I finish reading the darn book. I do want to finish reading it by 25 October because there is no way I am gonna pay fine for this book! Bad enough I have to pay 19 bucks for borrowing it.

My new blog

I started another blog pustakada badanekaayi (or prosepaens for those who prefer an English name :)

In there I write about the books I have read / reading (like it or not is a different matter)

Do feel free to drop in, comment, agree and disagree :)

Staying on the subject of new blogs, V has started a blog too. This time he has promised to keep it alive :) So here's premiering VarmaTalkies

Mission accomplished

I bought it in November 2002. And attempted at least half a dozen times to start on it but never went beyond the first 30 pages. No its not a bad book nor does it have a boring beginning. It was my sheer laziness and the daunting size of the book (700+ pages) that kept me from going right ahead and finishing it.

It has been on my to read list for 4 years and this year it was upgraded to the resolutions list of "must do" in 2007. And I am very proud to announce that I have finished reading Leo Tolstoy's the LOVELY "Anna Karenina"



Its a beautiful book written so amazingly well. I loved every bit of it. The man had such a fantastic understanding of human thought process that its startling.

Now that I have actually finished one of the resolutions for this year (and that too in first quarter itself) I have some hopes for the rest of the year.

Humour me :-)

"My apologies are offered for any factual inaccuracies discovered subsequent to publication, but all details have been thoroughly researched by spending five minutes on the internet and then giving up."

I read these lines and I knew I will love the boook. This is the beginning of Author's note from the book 'global illage idiot' by John O' Farrell. It is a collection of his columns that appeared in "The Guardian" between 1999 and 2001. He is very very very entertaining with his satirical view of political events in Britain during that period.

So far the best piece has been "fifty-seven channels and nothing is on." He takes a dig at the technological advances in the world of communication. He says "New technology is a wonderful thing, but just because we can do something it doesn't mean we should do." A point, I totally agree with. In the piece he also talks about the madness of "round the clock news."

He says if you want to know what's happening with parliamentary elections in Scotland at 4am you will find some channel that'll bring you the latest developments since 3am :-) "Scottish secretary will be sitting in his pyjamas being grilled by someone not as good as Jeremy Paxman."

Further, the anchor will ask questions like "what will the government's strategy at this point time to the fact that scottish electorate has gone to bed?"

Just change Scotland to Bangladesh and the channel to one of our many enterprising 24-hour channels, it gets awfully close to home. He is just too good :-) You should read the book.

Ah just one more point, any guesses as to who is the global village idiot? No no its not me or you. It is someone we all love to hate...but have loved him for his entertainment value to the world.