The Neapolitan Novels

I read and enjoyed and also got (un)necessarily involved in really good fiction, thanks to the Neapolitan Novels series by Elena Ferrante. For beginners its a 4 book series, traverses the friendship and story of 2 girls growing up in Naples Italy from 1960s to early 2000s. (I had decided to do a 1/2 yearly books-I-read review post on the blog, but who am I if not a slave to breaking my own resolutions).

Things that went through my head as I read and progressed and finally finished this series.

1. For some reason I failed to remember the instances when Lenu or Lila cried in the books. Actual crying.

2. I read a book series after a really long time. Last time I read something like this was A song of ice and fire (you know what happened there) and The kingkiller chronicles (3rd book is supposed to be out by this year end or next year, I think). So a part of me could not come to terms that I would *actually* get to read this series to the end in the same year!

3. Normally books based in a particular city/country evoke a longing in me to visit the place. I felt nothing like that as I finished these books. I also read up some more on Naples as I progressed and the books don't diverge from what the real Naples is. It's presented as is. Full of violence, crime, contradictions and poverty.

4. The writing reflects honesty. Specially of emotions. Elena Greco (one of the protagonists) is doing the narration throughout the series, as (not a spoiler) she is the published writer in the fictional world. Although, Elena's honesty about her own life is at times annoying, verging on self victimizing, her honesty for all other characters reflects that she really loved them.

5. Rafaella aka Lila and Elena aka Lenu's friendship can become the lore of modern times. I would have preferred some of the drama that surrounds their life to be not there. Someone may be Netflix should convert this into a series. 

6. I LOVED the 3rd (and the 4th comes closest) book in the series the most. Maybe, since it has themes of leaving home to carve an identity, growing up, life changing decisions etc, something I am still grappling with and coming to terms with. 

7. Nino Sarratore is a jerk. We all meet one such person in our lives. I think. There are hate tumblrs for Nino Sarratore. LOL.

8. I was so disturbed by some of the events, incidents in book 3 that I proclaimed to T, that I am never going to start reading the 4th book and finish the series. I was so done with it. But my OCD prevailed. Also, I wanted to know. So I read like any good person does.

9. This is a pretty vague point, but I'll try to articulate nonetheless. Few writers, authors can delve really deep into the nuances of what we feel on a daily basis. Doing so requires a lot of hard work. Translating that onto paper honestly even more so. No wonder each book in this series is 400+ pages long (I read hard copies, shared the carbon footprint with T by bartering). Even reading such stuff is at times very involving and taxing, as you get sucked into it. Maybe Ferrante was coming from a very personal place, maybe these people are real, what happened to them is real. I am glad someone wrote about their lives. Even if under a pseudonym.

10. I am not much into choosing favorite characters. But, I want separate stories and books to be written on Michele Solara and Enzo Scanno. Theme being 'Devotion to Lila'

11. Also, I think the name of book 4 is not really literal allusion to things happening to characters. Its deeper, its about the lost child within each of them? (or maybe I am overthinking or maybe I am not).

12. I cried at the end of book 4. I could not believe that the narration of these intense, complicated, intertwined lives was coming to an end. Not much is revealed about a lot of 'whys' in the books, I am going to have a tough time making peace with that fact.

13. The history of the world changing around the girls is captured in the books. From earthquakes to political upheavals to technology's penetration in daily lives. That made the text richer.

Book Love 2016

Book Love 2015 here!
 
Starting to pen down this year's 'read' book list well in advance. Because I'll be in the mountains on new year's (mild show off) and don't want to fall behind on my yearly ritual. A slight change this year, is I am also going to put down the list of books I really want to get my hands on and start reading in 2017. In case you know me, you know what book gifts I would really appreciate! (needy much?)

So tah-dah!! Here are the books which made me go all aww, inspired me, made me contemplate, gave me hope, made me hopeless. I am only elaborating the great ones (according to me) i.e. the ones I felt connected with. The complete list with goodreads link at the end of the post. Let me know your personal favorites, I am always on the look out to expand my reading horizons. Without further ado:

1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - I had been wanting to read Ray Bradbury for quite some time. Judge me all you want, but I decided to wait 20+ years to get one Bradbury book in my hands. Earlier in August, I gifted F.451 to Pushkar (he is an avid reader and reads many interesting books). I promptly asked him to lend his copy once he was done reading. I also started reading this book on my birthday last month. Boy, was I delighted! The book is often dark and depressing, even devastating. But the hope in the last 15-20 pages is unmatched to fools and romantics alike. Also, to pack so much in mere 150-160 pages! Writing miracle.

2. On Writing by Stephen King - A memoir of the craft by Stephen King - Essential reading, if you write. Even those painfully tedious work emails (at times) or long facebook posts or tweets or letters or for fun. As much as it is personal, some of the most basic writing advice from a stern teacher like Mr. King leaves lasting impact. Also, he knows what he is talking about, because he has succeeded at this i.e. Writing. I still check, re-check, edit everything I write after having read the book. I also use some handy online tools, to make sure I avoid typos, common grammar mistakes (you are never too old or learned to make those).

3. The hard thing about hard things by Ben Horrowitz - My non-fiction reading list used to be abysmal until 2016. This year I pro-actively picked up books that seemed like 'not my forte'. This book was pretty easy-going and written in a matter of fact way. To top it off, my current work profile and the book's theme aligned. I not only understood a lot of scenarios he talked about, but could relate to some situations. Handy rule-book if you are in technology business.

4. Zen Garden by Milind Bokil - Only Marathi book I read this year. It was a compilation of short stories. Some of the short stories stayed with me for a long time. Simple, uncluttered and contemporary writing despite being thought-provoking.

5. Kafka on the shore by Haruki Murakami -I love Haruki Murakami's characters and writing. They are such a bundle of conflicts and melancholy. They are weird is such an under-statement. There are random music, literature references throughout this book. A library and a librarian of treasured works is at the center of the story. What more does a girl want!

6. My brilliant friend by Elena Farrante - OMG! Reading good original fiction which you can relate to feels so fulfilling. Elena Farrante's protagonists Lila and Elena are us. They are growing up in Naples, Italy. The trials and tribulations of their younger years and their friendship is the focus of this book, first in a 4 part series. If you dig good fiction then I highly recommend you read Farrante. Even though I read the translation and had a tough time remembering all the other characters' Italian names, I really liked the book. Her deep grasp on nuances of emotions moved me.

Moving on to the complete list of books I read!
Here's a picture from goodreads.

#WhatIReadIn2016

I already know what I am reading through January 2017.
Margaret Atwood's Bluebird's egg and other stories
Siddhartha Mukherjee's The Gene
Elena Farrante's The story of a new name (2nd in the series)

What about you ?

Thoughts - filtered through the sieve

Getting that itch to write a philosophical post. Maybe also because birthday was around the corner and I cannot help but make a list. Of thoughts, things and my musings.

Travel - I increasingly feel that I live in a silo. I read only particular books (despite the efforts to include writers from different ethnicity, backgrounds, countries, languages, genres in my reading list). I watch only a section of movies that are released each year, which are mostly filtered down to me through big time film enthusiasts I follow on twitter. I consume 0 news or related media. Whatever 1-2% I consume is mostly again a filtered stream and aggregation of people I follow on social media. On a regular basis I 'hang' with people from a particular strata. Even my closest friends are from similar societal, financial backgrounds. Of course we speak different languages and grew up in different parts of the world. But you know what I mean, right ?

better things lie beyond open doors?

The only exception to this is when I am traveling, despite my propensity to hate it. It flattens the world and exposes me to people, weather, cultures I would have otherwise imagined while reading a book or never given a thought to. Whether its meeting a 60 year old dancer on the train to Salzburg and noting down her recommendations for the city. Or, listening to a middle aged Marathi kaku (aunty) who manages her home, farm and a resort while serving and taking care of her guests. Travel has made me connect with people at a very different level. This has not had an impact on me as a person. I think. Yet. But it has been educational. 2016 has been exceptionally good  to me in terms of travel. I hope the trend continues. With respect to finding time to travel and the means to make it happen in the material world, where money is required. Which brings me to the next thing on my mind.

Time and wait - All through my 20s I struggled with being patient for something and then not being patient for the same thing. At times I chose to be patient for the wrong reasons and things never worked out. At times it worked out really well. But what I have learned over the years is, waiting is hardly a good strategy. Few things for eg. progressing in a career, becoming fit enough for running a marathon in under 5 hours or even finding the right person to spend your life with take time. But the preparation for them usually starts in the now. Earlier this year, I ran a marathon. I was not there physically when I registered for the race. Mentally I just felt like I could be there. Post 4 months of grueling and dedicated training, I arrived at the same conclusion. I was mentally there. Physically being there was going to be a long journey. One would rather argue that why go through all the pain if I knew this already. But that's not the point. My point is if I had not started I would not have known what it takes and whether I am willing to do it. Knowing by trying something out rather than waiting has felt rewarding to me. Taking that leap and traveling to places without worrying much about planning and money has made me really good with my expenses and account keeping. I have faltered at times, but mostly I have learned. I have become more thoughtful. Which brings me to the next thing on my mind.

Being Conscious - Over the last few years I have questioned a lot of choices I make, whether it comes to the food I eat, clothes I wear, luxuries I seek etc. etc. and the decisions I make. It has made me conscious of the impact my decisions end up having, not only on me, but people close to me, my surroundings, my environment, my home etc etc. I am still learning to not do a lot of things on auto pilot. Rather think through even the smallest of decisions. It is a lot of work at times. But I am glad I have chosen this path. It has led me to declutter my life, and my physical spaces. I still am guilty of hoarding a few material possessions, but largely I am moving toward a lifestyle of less. And the less I need or feel the need for the more I feel the following.

Gratitude - I have wondered about this state of being grateful for a long time. I have even tried to write about it. On some days I have absolutely nothing. But lately, on most days, I find myself fascinated, curious and largely amazed by what the world has to offer. Even on hopeless days, when things feel like they are falling apart. It still is not an organic reaction or a part of me. But I am increasingly grateful. It has gone beyond just the people, work, choices in my life. It is more than that. Coming from a place I still cannot describe or put a finger on. But I am grateful.

May be what you seek, really, is seeking you?

Listicle

• 6 months being a vegetarian! yay! This was my long term life goal. And I am glad I could embrace it in my early thirties. Slightly inspired by Scott Jurek's lifestyle change and a lot more about trying to have minimal impact on nature and my surroundings. I know this sounds totally absurd, at least in my head, but believe me the more I think about it, the more I know I made the right choice. I have 0 cravings for chicken or any meat items. Initially I used to consciously tell myself to not gravitate towards the shrimps or the fish or the chicken. This was mere habit and did not take me long to change it. Another disclaimer : I am still eating eggs once in a while. Its because its easier to prepare eggs during travels and also easiest source of protein. Slowly I'll get there i.e. being a complete vegetarian. Next step in this journey : Growing my own veggies and food.

• My past few years' reading pattern suggests that I read non fiction just to add variety to my book lists. My personal grudge with non fiction is its boring most of the time. And I pick up a book only if its been recommended by someone I trust highly or getting rave reviews. This year I am trying to change that consciously. I have read 4 non fiction books till now (yay!) and none of them put me to sleep. I enjoyed each one of them. Needless to say they were really informative and at places inspiring. In fact the next 2 books in line are non fiction as well. I have put off some novels I wanted to read on the back burner since April. Talk about change.

• Recently I visited Las Vegas for a conference. I was least excited about being in the city. As expected I did not enjoy it one bit and was glad that I was there for work. This also saved me the trouble of writing a travel post. Although the only touristy advice I have is, do try the unlimited brunch/breakfast options at one of the casinos. We tried the one at Ceasar's palace and loved the variety of food.

• 6 months into this year and I have not registered for any running race. I am doing pretty good on the 'don't be so hard on yourself' pact I made with myself. My routine includes pretty much easy runs. And its unbelievable that I trained and ran 42 kms 5 months ago. Hence I like running. Its so humbling. Do the same thing over and over again. The moment you feel like you have arrived, you are back to being a novice.

The extra day

One of those rare occasions when I am home on 29th February. I am jet lagged from a recent trans-atlantic flight and needed a day off from office to regain my senses. I spent the morning watching the Oscars. I was not rooting for anyone particular but it warmed my heart to see spotlight, mad max fury road and Brie Larson and Leonardo Di Caprio win. Then a friend reminded be of this being an extra day in 4 years and I knew what I wanted to do.

I have been trying to write and gather my thoughts about a lot of things. For a while. But I have usual suspects of work and more work and travel and more travel keeping me off track. So I'll try to streamline my thoughts on this extra day, offered to calendar following humans every 4 years.

I'll start with spotlight. Movies based on journalism are always tricky. Not just from subject matter perspective but how journalism is viewed in society in its current form. We are in an era when reporting concepts and mediums have changed. So to be presented with a piece of investigative journalism done right, feels almost surreal. The journalists in the team do a very drudge job, of actually going through records and records of information, line by line; interviewing individuals one at a time; collecting and arranging all the facts and joining the dots; and making a legal, legitimate case aimed at attacking the institution while protecting the individuals. I think this is how un-glamorous most real jobs are. Nothing but individuals working hard and slogging. I found that very relevant and powerful in our times of sensationalism.

'To kill a mocking bird' is one of my most favorite books. It still shapes a lot of my world view. I love Atticus. I was so saddened by Harper Lee's death few weeks ago. I have a list of people (people I know but who don't know me) I would like to thank and she was on my list for creating the book. I cannot imagine I would not get to do this. So here I am trying to say thank you.
My favorite Atticus quote :

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."

I have not run a single mile since the marathon last month. I am trying to take a break and rest and recover. Until now I have succeeded. May be I can even write a separate post about how to take and enjoy down time. I have not woken up at ungodly hours just to complete a run. I am eating whatever I want, whenever I want i.e. without worrying about the run next day. I am also staying up late whenever I feel like especially if I want to get some reading done or watch a late night movie. Still, I miss waking up early and not having a routine. Alas. And I am glad for that because from tomorrow new running year kick starts! Yay!

I met my grad school roommate last week after 5 years. At first I was excited but as the lunch progressed I started to feel uncomfortable. I dint know what I had anticipated, but as it happens with me on most social interactions I ended up feeling confused. I mean it was great to catch up and all, but I realized we dint have much to talk about. We did end up talking about women in engineering though and lamenting on the fact that at most meetings, trainings and conferences, we are the 'only' or 'among the only few' women. Of course we both agreed this did not impact how we were treated. But we agreed there is also a large age gap and how at times it becomes very difficult to let go of the gender i.e. 'I am the only woman here, are they taking me seriously' doubt. Uh well, not all social interactions are weird. I'll end with saying that I am glad for this part of the conversation that we met.

For posterity's sake I am going to document this. I had a close shave with a tornado last week. We were driving from Richmond to Lynchburg in Virginia for a work meeting, when the weather app on my colleague's iPhone gave an alert of a tornado half an hour away. He checked the weather map and as a precaution we decided to wait in a parking lot in a town called Farmville. Yes, I am not making this up. So after 20 minutes of waiting we started driving again. On our way we witnessed snapped trees, shattered and broken roofs of houses. Thanking the weather app and the smart phone we made it to the hotel. The next day we got to know that the tornado had a 8 mile radius, disrupted electricity in the nearby area and had taken 4 lives. Wow! I am only thankful I did not decide to drive on my own that day, because I am pretty sure I would have driven into the tornado, without any weather app on my phone to warn me, in time.

Book Love 2015

I wanted to start my new year (you know when the clock strikes 12) with some writing. But I spent most of the last few hours of 2015 huddled in a chair reading and finishing the book Misery by Stephen King. So I let it be and pushed the writing part to the new day.

I love doing this ritual on my blog for myself. I feel huge gratitude that I live in a world where magic (also) dwells in the form of the written word and books. I also feel thankful that because of some strange wiring in my brain I 'love' reading books. I spent a lot of 2015 traveling. Mostly it was work related so my reading became punctuated by how much work related reading I ended up doing. If numbers were important then I read an abysmal 15 books this year. As I was going through the goodreads list, I realized I touched upon different genres, and writers from different countries and backgrounds this year. So that is a little ray of hope there! I like how I am stumbling across these writers and books. Serendipity or not.

I'll write about some of my favorite reads of this year.
Letters to a young poet by Rainer Maria Rilke - As a letter lover this book was a treat. Some of the most timeless advice for anyone who wants to write. Heck live a meaningful life. Rilke rules!
 
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - KT had recommended this book long time back. That email remained in my mailbox and the book never made it to my reading list. After I came back from a work trip and was itching to read a book which wouldn't be a 1000 page long will power test, but instead would be breeze. I picked this book and put it down only after I was finished reading it. What a book! Marjane's humor and no-nonsense objective look at life while growing up surrounded by a conflict was an eye opener. Her journey is not only interesting and fun, its strewn with personal loss, coming of age insights and what it means to be a liberated woman in this world. I loved the book.

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda ngozi adichie - Adichie's single story TED talk drove me to her books. I picked purple hibiscus on a random whim. My biggest revelation while reading the book was as an Indian I could relate with the social structures in Nigeria. I liked Adichie's writing because it felt personal, had good observations about human nature and had pretty good characters. Of course I wanted to know more about what happened to Kambili.

The year of magical thinking by Joan Didion - I had never read Joan Didion before. I read this book because of a random brainpickings article I read. Her tale of personal loss was so honest and immediate that it felt refreshing in an odd way. Without any layers or drama, she lays out the facts. It puts you in an extremely vulnerable frame if not brutal and makes one wonder about how losing someone you love must feel like.

Eat and Run by Scott Jurek - Disclaimer- It may not be the most well written book out there about running or someone's running journey. But Scott Jurek is awesome and any book associated with him I'll read without judging for the inspiration quotient it brings. I have learnt so much about running and eating and life from this book. Thank you P for this amazing birthday gift!

Misery by Stephen King - Pushkar sometimes suggests the most scary books. A voracious reader himself I was prodding him for some holiday reading suggestions and he suggested I should check this one out. It was more of a thriller than horror, he had assured. The reason for my aversion to Mr. King was I had tried reading IT and had failed. I knew he was one hell of a writer, but he didn't deserve a sissy reader like me. Anyway I took Pushkar's word and marched on. I was hooked to the book despite the horrifying things it had in store for me. I finished it in 2 days. Unputdownable. Word of caution though - Dont read it during night. Creepiness quotient doubles.

I am planning to start 2016 with some non fiction with a hope to read many more genres, writers and books.

The end of the tour

When I told a friend few years ago, that I was in love with David Foster Wallace, he chuckled and was amused by my choice of literary heroes, given Wallace's personal struggle. I had to convince him then, that I didn't do this choosing consciously, its something that happens. Organic is the correct word to the process, if there ever was one. It holds true for most things in my life. At least that's what I would like to believe. Like running happened to me naturally, without any external or internal imbalance. In a, 'it was meant to be' kind of way. Most of my friendships have been that way. The ones which were not, did not last long. (I used to be sad about it, because these were perfectly nice people to have friendship with. But I had to make peace with myself).

Anyway, I digressed! The moral of the story is, I am attracted to flawed and imperfect and broken people like Dave Wallace, naturally. And if you do too, then you should watch this new movie called 'the end of the tour'. The movie is nothing but conversations between DFW and the rolling stone journalist. But deep inside it reveals so much about what it means to be a certain kind of human being, through the words, eyes, experiences of one of the most brilliant writers.
As an afterthought, I would like to believe that the last scene kind of depicted Wallace to be free of his self-consciousness and finally out of his own head.

And if you are not familiar with DFW then do listen to this.

Book Love 2014

I read 23 books this year. 2 more than last year. Yay!

Though I had planned to read many more books, as I always do, I could not because of other stuff happening in life. Altogether I am happy from a completely analytical perspective, because 23 > 21 and the genres I touched during this year were much varied than last year's! Despite that I did not have any absolute favorites like previous years.

goodreads link here : https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4760161-yamini?page=1&shelf=what-i-read-in-2014&view=covers

Special mentions for The ocean at the end of the lane, Principles of uncertainty, On the road, Anna Karenina and Burmese Days.

What did you read last year that you loved ? Share ?

thankyou

I always recount to friends proud stories of how I got saved by books at various points in my life. Till now. How sherlock holmes made tedious summers full of mystery and made me anticipate adventure. How Calvin and hobbes and harry potter made me strike new friendships. How the book thief came into my life at a point when I was really struggling. Numerous stories. Humongous debt. 

The stories actually do go back to an origin. Introduction to libraries and books at a young age. One library where I spent my entire summer reading the entire collection. Another where it all started. That too with comics. 

Brother and I shared a comics books library membership in the good old 1990s. Of course brother and his cool bunch of friends would race to the library early morning to collect their share of comics which included super commando dhruv and nagraj and other assorted desi bunch. A nag that I was, brother had to take me along. And kind that he was, he allowed me to choose one comics of my choice every other time. When the boys were competing which latest comics of their superheros to lay hands on, I would lamely (for them) pick a chacha chaudhary one. Those were the only ones I really REALLY liked and enjoyed. Brother would be furious for some time but who can remain angry for long when you have chacha chaudhary and one of his mysteries to solve and tons of fun to have! I can't remember having laughed and enjoyed any other comic book so much during those years. Only Chacha Chaudhary's antics were able to get my attention and laughter. 

That is how I really started reading. With the comics Chacha Chaudhary. Chacha Chaudhary were my first shared books (yes comics are very much books!). They and Calvin and Hobbes are the only comics, I have read in their entirety and never gotten bored of. And for that they are special to me. (Irony is I do not remember much of any of them)

RIP Pran uncle. I will always think of these fond memories of books and reading when thinking of Chacha Chaudhary.

such cool things in life..

I read/watch/experience stuff which evokes different feelings and turn to the blog to share them and somehow the day never arrives when I get a sense of having accomplished writing down my own thoughts. Today probably is that day.

Anyway, I remember writing about rescuing oneself and agreeing to give up on the 'steadfastness' once the right person is found to let them rescue you. Luckily while I was trying myself I found the right bunch of people who did help 'save me'. Funny how you always get what you need :)

On a totally unrelated note I am happy for Kangana Ranaut. I really am. I know she would not care. I loved her movie Queen. And if you have not watched it already, you need to go NOW.

Pune has the most unexpected surprises if you love nature. Like this sunset I get to witness everyday as my cab passes over a flyover. I look forward to this time of the day just to take it all in.

love my drive back from work!

This is the second month in succession where I have not read anything apart from study books. Out of desperation of having accomplished some kind of reading, I feel pretty lame to admit that yeah I read up few books on algorithms. Not usual spellbinding stuff but fun nonetheless.

Dancing is fun. Zumba or not. Paglet is so passionate with it, that she can make even sticks like me dance.

Whatchu up to? Whatchu doing?

Book Love - 2013

Continuing with the tradition of chronicling my reading journey on this blog (2011, 2012) here's my list of books I read/fell in love with this year. As a occupational hazard, I cannot really shy away from jotting down some reading statistics and analysis here.

I read 21 books this year. (goodreads list here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4760161?shelf=what-i-read-in-2013) much much much less than the previous years. But this year I also had to indulge my time in many exhaustive and time consuming, dedication testing activities. So I was not able to accommodate as much reading as I would have liked. Many books which I wanted to read were just pushed away because of their size and sometimes lack of attention. Anywho, I am happy I read some gems this year which just made up for the lack of volume.

My top picks being:
1. Contact by Carl Sagan - Science fiction woven with the vagaries of being a human. This book presents most bold ideas of world peace, progress in such a humble and visionary manner that one cannot help but love it. FANGIRL forever. Oh! Carl Sagan you make my heart giddy with your vision and ideas.

2. Mother of 1084 by Mahasweta Devi. - A truly multifaceted story in just 130 pages! Only a gifted artist can tell a tale with such courage and honesty and silently make you think about the hypocrisy of our society and the prevailing double standards, intermixing the political and the apolitical in a fine manner.

3. Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri - With this I have read the entire repertoire of JL. I loved it because the story sucked me in, made me care about the characters, even irritated me at times because no one seemed to find any solace despite the subtle drama unfolding in their lives.

4. Atonement by Ian McEwan - What a book! what a book! I was torn apart by the love story. I was also humbled by its humanness.

5. Born to run by Christopher McDougall - I ran a half marathon this year. And I got inspired by this book A LOT. That is a testimonial itself.

6. Kingkiller Chronicle (1 and 2) by Patrick Rothfuss - I was bored by the book in the beginning but the world of alars and magic charmed me like any fantasy fiction can! Kvothe I await your adventures in the final installment of the saga.

7. The last mughal by William Dalrymple - If one likes to read history I highly recommend Will Dalrymple to you because, he weaves stories out of simple incidences and takes you to a Delhi that was and probably still is. Fell in love with Delhi post this read.

As every year, I have grand plans for 2014 too! The idea is always to read a little bit of every genre.
Recommendations and suggestions and your favorite reads are welcome!

happy reading!

travel musings

* From happy, reflective cab drivers from Afghanistan/Kenya/Punjab to majnoo (reckless and fearless), flirt drivers in Mumbai, travel feels incomplete without their personal stories.

* Feels like home when you return back to a rain-less day when you can get most of your laundry sorted out and taken care of. Yes, after reaching home really early, I spent an hour emptying my bags and taking care of various batches of laundry to be done. You can see I cannot wait to get into routine all over again!

* Incheon airport, Seoul has the most interesting cultural center. During my layovers there, I have made a greeting card and a hanji crafted paper doll. Have also bought the best ever fridge magnets. I vote for such centers at our airports as well!

* Sometimes you have to travel over 13000 kilometers to experience kindness. I family of 4 were holding each others hands and standing in the waters at one of the south lake tahoe beaches. Initially I thought it was all about family love and bonding. Only to realize later that the mother was suffering from some kind of motor disease and everyone was physically supporting her to soak in the sun and the water. I was moved by the scene.

* Over the past 6 months, I had lost interest in cooking. But some culinary experiments during the past one month and I am motivated to cook and try new dishes in my kitchen. Sometimes its good to wait for motivation is what I have realized. Because in the past 2-3 months I had literally forced myself to cook on occasions and things had not turned out that well.

* After finishing reading born to run last month, I am inspired to become a vegetarian. The book does not advocate it. Some stories in it are so amazing though that I felt like following a healthy green diet. Of course seafood keeps appearing in my life, and looks like this decision is going to be a tough one!

happy boxes

My work addled weekend found this -> http://www.purisubzi.in/post/50163457409/happybox

I stopped working after that. I started thinking about happy boxes.

An image came to my mind. Grandfather (nanaji/aajoba) giving me a book and an afternoon spent reading that or numerous other comic books/sherlock holmes books in his backyard. 

image courtesy - Pascal Campion

There is magic in going back to spaces you most loved during growing up. There is magic in re creating these all over again while growing up. Isn't that why one grows up ?

As the post linked above, I also have a physical box (a metal one in my case) and it stores all the trinkets of stuff too precious to be given away to forgetting. Do you have happy boxes ? What do you keep in them ?

Contact

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It's hard to imagine the golden record being made now. I wish Carl Sagan were here to say, 'You know what ? A thousand billion years is a really long time. Nobody can know what will happen ? Why not try ? Why not reach for something amazing ? There is no way to forestall what can't be fathomed, no way to guess what hurts we're trying to protect ourselves from. We have to know in order to love, we have to risk everything, we have to open ourselves up to contact - even with the possibility of disaster.'

"

-- Penny Lane 'The Voyagers'

Cannot believe it took me a gap of 14 years to read the book after having watched the movie. Amazed. Wonder. Isn't life exciting with a bit of serendipity though ?

Weekend in pictures! - II

Now that the ankle is fine I finally hit the road and ran a 5k loop, only to feel exhaustion and drugged slumber. Atonement the book (highly recommend) was completed with teary eyed thoughts about writing. Amorres perros (first in the bable triage) was seen and liked. Though the animal cruelty shown is disturbing. Dog lovers should avoid.
So here it is in pictures!!
* all images from google

Weekend in pictures!