Swapnagandha's World

2012-02-12T22:35:00.001+05:30

अर्ज किया है.....

चलो अच्छां हुआ काम आ गयी दिवानगी अपनी
वरना हम दुनियाभरको समझाने कहा जाते
- कातिल सिफाही

मी रेवती देशपांडे

2012-02-12T22:32:00.000+05:30

कुठल्याही नाटकाचा रिव्ह्यू वाचल्याशिवाय मी नाटक पहायला जातच नाही. ह्याबद्दल माझा एका नाटकवेड्या मैत्रिणीशी नेहमी वाद होतो. 'रिव्ह्यू वाचून गेलं तर नाटकाच्या गोष्टीबद्दलं काय उत्सुकता राहणार' हा तिचा सवाल तर 'रिव्ह्यू न बघता गेलं आणि नाटक आवडलं नाही तर पैसे फुकट नाही का जाणार' हा माझा युक्तिवाद. शेवटी दोघी आपापल्या मतांवर ठाम राहतो.

तर 'मी रेवती देशपांडे' चा रिव्ह्यू वाचला तेव्हा नाटकात काय ट्विस्ट असणार ह्याची साधारण कल्पना आली होती. पण तरीही ते पहावंसं वाटलं कारण असा विषय रंगभूमीवर हाताळला जातोय ह्याचं कौतुक् आणि तो कसा हाताळला गेला असेल ह्याबद्दलचं कुतूहल.

प्राध्यापक रविशंकर साने आणि त्यांच्या कुटुंबाची ही गोष्ट. साने पुरुषांपेक्षा बायकांच्या घोळक्यात जास्त रमतात आणि टिपिकल 'बायकी' समजल्या जाणार्या विषयांत जास्त रस घेतात असं त्यांच्या बायकोचं आणि मुलाचं मत. तर सुनेला - जी त्यांची माजी विद्यार्थिनीही आहे - सासऱ्यांच्या रसिकतेचं कौतुक. लग्न होऊन एक वर्ष होत नाही तोच सुनेला मातृत्त्वाची चाहूल लागते. सगळ्या घराला आनंदाने न्हाऊ घालणारी ही बातमी असते खरी पण तेव्हाच घरात एक पत्र येतं - प्राध्यापक सान्यांच्या जुन्या सखीचं, रेवती देशपांडेचं. बंगल्याच्या आऊटहाउसमध्ये तिचं पैजण, तिची लिपस्टिक, मोगर्याचा गजरा वगैरे गोष्टी मिळतात आणि सानेची बायको आणि मुलगा बिथरतात. वारंवार विचारूनही त्यांच्याकडून, प्राध्यापकांकडून किंवा घरी येणार्या डॉक्टर जयंताकडून काही खुलासा मिळत नाही म्हणून सून गोंधळते. घरात एक वादळ उठतं आणि एकामागोमाग येणार्या रेवतीच्या पत्रांनी परिस्थिती चिघळत जाते. कोण असते ही रेवती देशपांडे? सान्यांच्या कुटुंबासमोर ती का येत नाही? तिचं आणि सान्यांचं नेमकं काय नातं असतं?

रेवती देशपांडे नक्की कोण आहे ह्याची प्रेक्षकांना अंधुकशी कल्पना आलेली असली तरी २ अंकाच्या ह्या नाटकात त्याबद्दलची उत्सुकता जवळजवळ शेवटापर्यंत कायम ठेवण्यात लेखक-दिग्दर्शक बर्यापैकी यशस्वी झालेत. प्राध्यापक रविशंकर साने ह्या भूमिकेत मोहन जोशी चपखल बसतात. त्यांच्या बायकोची आणि मुलाची व्यक्तीरेखा साकारणाऱ्या कलाकारांनीही छान अभिनय केला. फक्त सुनेची व्यक्तीरेखा थोडी माठ वाटली. आणि डॉक्टर जयंत म्हणून रमेश भाटकरांची निवड निदान मला तरी पटली नाही.

एका गोष्टीचं फार वाईट वाटलं - प्राध्यापक सानेच्या काही संवादांवर आणि लकबीवर काही प्रेक्षक् हसत होते. ह्यात चूक व्यक्तीरेखेचीही नाही आणि जोशींच्या अभिनयाचीही नाही. अश्या व्यक्तींकडे पहाण्याचा समाजाचा दृष्टीकोणच ह्या वागण्यातून अधोरेखीत झाला आणि त्यामुळे अश्या विषयांवरची नाटकं - मग ती पचायला, पटवून घ्यायला कितीही अवघड असली तरी - रंगभूमीवर येणं किती गरजेचं आहे हेही जाणवलं.

एरव्ही जो विषय टाळण्यातच मी शहाणपण मानलं असतं त्यावर १-२ तास का होईना पण विचार करायला लावल्याबद्दल रेवती तुझे आभार मानावेत तेव्हढे थोडेच आहेत.

2012-02-12T22:26:00.000+05:30

This one came in a forwarded SMS:

किसीने भगवानसे पूछा - जब नसीबमे पहलेही सब लिख दिया गया है तो दुआ क्यो करे?
भगवानने हसकर जवाब दिया - हो सकता है मैने नसीबमे लिखा हो की 'As You Wish'

2012-02-12T22:24:00.000+05:30

A visit to VJTI is almost never complete without a stroll in the vegetable market near Matunga station. This area has changed a lot since my student days. But still it's a treat to walk among the heaps of fruits and vegetables - some of them used exclusively in South Indian cooking. A few days back, I had jotted down a recipe for Raw Banana Curry while watching Sanjeev Kapoor's Kitchen (Food Food channel) and decided to give it a try. So I bought 3 of them and plan to cook the curry next week. :-)

I also visited one of the shops at the corner in front of Maheshwari Udyan to buy a special variety of Papads called Khichiya Papad. I know, everyone these days is asking us to cut down on fried food but these papads taste just heavenly when you fry them. I am planning a little feast of tamarind rice, lemon rasam, raw banana curry and fried Khichiya Papads - heaven on plate. What say? :-)

2012-02-12T22:23:00.000+05:30

It's always a pleasure to visit my Alma Mater - VJTI. Not that I need any reason for it but the "Annual Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Show" was as good a reason as any. The campus was a riot of colors as different varieties of flowers overflowed through the earthen pots everywhere. I hadn't thought of taking my digicam with me but my mobile camera rose admirably to the occasion as I went totally berserk snapping away at roses, sun-flowers and orchids. The quadrangle in front of the computer center had the usual section of bonsais. This section always fills me with mixed feelings. On one hand, I am amazed at the little chickoos and oranges hanging from the bonsais but then I also feel sad because these trees were not allowed to grow to their full height. There were fewer floral landscaping arrangements - only three if I am not mistaken - than I remember from my last visit but the soothing sound of a waterfall cascading in one of them added a mellow touch to the noon sunshine as it spread throughout the quadrangle.

I wish the organizers set aside special timings for the judges who were evaluating the flowers, fruits and vegetables on display. It was annoying to be informed that you cannot visit a particular display area because the judges were there.

People were busy buying when I stepped into the ground in front of the hostel. During one of my earlier visits, I had bought a small collection that had different varieties of cactus in the same pot. I had made the mistake of watering it too often and it didn't survive for long. This time I was on the lookout for something similar. I didn't see any shop selling cactus even after going around almost half the area. Just as I had lost all hope, I came across one shop that was selling only cactus. I didn't exactly find what I was looking for, but I fell in love with a little ----- and brought it home. It's sitting on the window ledge in the balcony as I write this.

I am determined to see it flourish this time around :-)

No non-sense advice for Successful Projects by Neal Whitten

2012-02-12T22:08:00.000+05:30

'Read this one. I bet you will wonder why you didn't do so before' said my friend as he handed over his copy of Neal Whitten's "No non-sense advice for Successful Projects" to me. Thanks so much Prashant for that!

I confess that though reading is one of my passions, I seldom read anything related to what I do for living - managing software projects. So this was the first time I was reading any such book. And frankly, when I started I didn't think that I will read it through. But I did. The material is presented in easy-to-digest chapters of manageable length. The language is far from the 'ignore this advice at your own peril' tone adopted in many books. It's as if the author is talking to you from across the table over a cup of coffee. He is eager to share the knowledge and experience he has amassed through years of work. There are nuggets of key points clearly highlighted throughout the book. And the material makes loads of good sense. I had many 'why didn't I think of this before' moments as I devoured the book hungrily.

So in my humble opinion, this book is for keeps for anyone who wants to do anything and everything (legal and ethical, of course!) for successful execution of their projects.

2012-02-02T14:45:00.001+05:30

Currently I am reading Neal Whitten's "No-Nonsense Advice For Successful Projects". Some quotable quotes:

There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit
- Ronald Reagan

He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever
- Chinese Proverb

In the midst of great joy do not promise anyone anything. In the midst of great anger do not answer anyone's letter
- Chinese Proverb

It is my belief, you cannot deal with the most serious things in the world unless you understand the most amusing
- Sir Winston Churchill

2012-02-01T13:53:00.000+05:30

अर्ज किया है.....

फिक्र मत कर बंदे ये दिनभी गुजर जायेंगे
हसी हसनेवालोके चेहेरे उतर जायेंगे

(Seen at the back of a truck on a highway)

घाशीराम कोतवाल

2012-02-01T13:52:00.002+05:30

'घाशीराम कोतवाल' बघायचं की नाही हे मला बरेच दिवस ठरवताच येत नव्हतं. कारण हे नाटक जेव्हा प्रथम रंगभूमीवर आलं तेव्हा बरंच वादग्रस्त ठरलं होतं हे मला वाचून माहीत होतं आणि असं नाटक आपल्याला झेपेल की नाही ह्याबद्दल मला जरा शंका होती कारण ह्याबाबतीत मी नाही म्हटलं तरी थोडी, थोडी काय बरीच, conservative आहे. पण मायबोलीवर ह्यावरचा एक लेख वाचला. (सुदैवाने त्यावरची उलटसुलट चर्चा व्हायच्या आत माझं नाटक बघून झालं होतं.) तेव्हा ठरवलं की जाऊन पहायचंच.

नाटक सुरु झालं आणि एकच वेश केलेले १०-१२ ब्राह्मण प्रेक्षकांतून चालत रंगमंचावर पोचले तेव्हा हे नाटक थोडं वेगळं आहे असं जाणवलं. तरीही सुरुवातीचा पद्य भाग पाहून (आणि ऐकून!) हा संगीतनाटकाचा प्रकार तर नव्हे ना अशीही शंका आली. ते मात्र खात्रीने मला झेपलं नसतं :-) पण घाशिरामाची कथा सुरु झाली आणि मी नाटकात गुंतत गेले. घाशीराम सावलादास हा उत्तरेतून पुण्यात नशिब काढायला आलेला एक ब्राह्मण. पुण्यात सगळीकडे अनाचार माजलेला. रात्र झाली की राव काय आणि रंक काय सगळ्यांची पावलं बावनखणीकडे वळणारी. ह्याला अगदी शहरातील ब्रह्मवृंदही अपवाद नाही. बावनखणीतल्या एका खणात गुलाबी नावाच्या तमासगीर बाईकडे घाशीराम नोकरीला लागतो. तिथे आलेल्या नाना फडणवीसांकडून त्याला एक किंमती हार बक्षीस म्हणून मिळतो पण गुलाबी आपल्या नोकरांकरवी तो काढून घेते. आणि मारहाण करून घाशिरामाला हाकलून देते. तश्यात रमण्यातून दक्षिणा घेऊन परतणाऱ्या एका ब्राह्मणाची दक्षिणा चोरल्याचा आळ त्याच्यावर येतो आणि त्याला मारमारून गावाबाहेर काढलं जातं. पुण्यावर आणि त्यातल्या ब्राम्हणावर सूड उगवायचा तो निश्चय करतो. आपली तरुण सुंदर मुलगी ललितागौरी नाना फडणवीसांच्या नजरेस पडेल अशी तो तजवीज करवतो आणि तिचं आयुष्य पणाला लावून आपण पुण्याचा कोतवाल बनतो. मग सुरु होते त्याची राजवट आणि पुण्यातल्या लोकांना सळो की पळो होऊन जातं. पुढे काय होतं ते जाणून घ्यायचं असेल तर तुम्हाला त्यासाठी हे नाटक पहावं लागेल :-)

नाटकाची कथा किती खोटी, किती खरी, घाशीराम कोतवाल खरा होता का ते काल्पनिक पात्र आहे, नाना फडणवीस नाटकात दाखवलेत तसे प्रत्यक्षात होते का नव्हते, हे नाटक ब्राह्मणविरोधी आहे का नाही ह्या सगळ्या वादात मला पडायचं नाही. पण पुण्याच्या कलाकारांनी ते अत्यंत सुरेख पध्दतीने सादर केलं ह्यात शंकाच नाही. मला गाण्यातलं फारसं कळत नाही. त्यामुळे नाटकातली गाणी कशी होती ह्याबद्दल मला काही लिहिता येणार नाही. पण नाना फडणवीसांचं काम करणारया कलाकाराने अगदी जिवंत अभिनय केला. ललितागौरीकडे त्याचं लंपटपणे पहाणं एक प्रेक्षक म्हणूनच नव्हे तर एक स्त्री म्हणूनसुध्दा असह्य वाटलं. घाशिरामाची भूमिका करणारया नटाने त्याची कोतवाल असतानाची गुर्मी आणि नंतरची अगतिकता अश्या पद्धतीने दाखवली की त्याने स्वत:च्याच मुलीच्या आयुष्याची जी राखरांगोळी केली ती क्षम्य नाही हे माहीत असूनही क्षणभर त्याची द्या आली. हं, आता नाना आणि घाशिरामाच्या तोंडचे काही संवाद 'Bold' वाटले. पण हा कदाचित माझ्या conservative दृष्टीकोनाचा भाग असावा.

एकंदरीत काय तर कुठल्याही वादात न पडता एक नाटक म्हणून एकदा पहावाच असा हा घाशीराम कोतवाल आहे.

2012-02-01T13:51:00.000+05:30

This one came in an SMS:

Trust the one who can see these 3 things in you:

- Sorrow behind your smile.
- Love behind your anger.
- Meaning behind your silence.

Two Litte Girls In Blue - by Mary Higgins Clark

2012-02-01T13:48:00.003+05:30

I had meant to read this one months back. Not sure why I missed it. It's about two 3-year old twins, Kathy and Kelly, who go missing from their home one night. The kidnappers demand a ransom. The father's company comes forward to pay it. But only one girl, Kelly, is returned to the parents by the kidnappers - along with the note that the other one, Kathy, was killed unintentionally. The thing that baffles both - the parents and the investigators - is the fact that Kelly keeps telling them that Kathy is alive and wants to come home. Is Kelly telling the truth? Or is this the child's way of dealing with the trauma of kidnapping?

I usually skim through the 'Acknowledgments' section of the book just to know who has contributed in bringing out the book. Most of the authors thank the publishers, editing team, subject matter experts, their spouses, siblings, kids, children, cats, dogs, friends, neighbors - a veritable list that can put an Oscar acceptance speech to shame! The 'Acknowledgments' section of this book was a bit different. Along with the usual 'Thanks's and 'I owe You's, there were a few references to books dedicated to twin telepathy. I include a list here not just for the benefit of whosoever is reading this post but also for my own reference:

Twin Telepathy: the Psychic Connection - by Guy Lyon Playfair
Entwined Lives - by Nancy L. Segal
Twin Tales: The Magic and Mystery of Multiple Births - by Donna M. Jackson
One Being A Twin - by Shannon Baker
Nature's Clones - Psychology Today by Jill Neimark

All in all, a good read but the suspects' list is rather short and each of them has a thin motive. That's why, almost right till the end, I wasn't sure who the Pied Piper could be. Of course, it is not difficult to arrive at the answer by process of elimination and that's what I ended up doing.

BTW, the title of this novel seems to have been borrowed from the song "Two Litte Girls In Blue". This delightful song can be heard here.

2012-02-01T13:44:00.000+05:30

Using wisdom of crowds to buy a house cheaper

2012-02-01T13:43:00.000+05:30

Important numbers to save on your cellphone

Shopping For Death

2012-02-01T13:42:00.001+05:30

I was watching 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' over the weekend (Friday, Fox Crime, 9:30pm-10:30pm). I missed the beginning of the first short story but the twist in the end was a good one. The second short story was titled 'Shopping For Death'. I confess that I didn't understand this one much. What impressed me most, however, was the acting by one of the 3 main characters - a lady who is so harassed by her poverty, miserable existence and soaring heat that she practically bites the head off anyone who dares to cross her path. As I watched her, I simply forgot that she is an actress who is essaying her part. She seemed so natural. I have no idea what her name was but she did one helluva job!

2012-01-29T22:45:00.001+05:30

A friend sent following SMS:

We don't know the value of moments until they become a memory

लव्हबर्डस

2012-01-29T22:42:00.002+05:30

मराठीत ह्याआधी रहस्यप्रधान नाटकं होऊन गेली की नाही हे मला माहीत नाही. पण मी नाटकं बघायला सुरुवात केल्यापासून तरी मी अश्या नाटकांबद्द्दल फारसं वाचलेलं नाही. म्हणून 'लव्हबर्डस' बद्दल फार उत्सुकता होती.

नाटक सुरु होतंच ते देविकाला हॉस्पिटलातून आलेल्या एका फोनने. तिच्या नवर्याला, विश्वासाला, अपघात झालेला असतो. ह्या भयानक अपघातात त्याची स्मृती तर जातेच पण चेहेराही न ओळखण्याइतका विद्रूप होतो. plastic surgery च्या सहाय्याने देविका नवर्याला त्याचं पूर्वीचं रूप मिळवून देण्यात यशस्वी होते. पण स्मृतीचं काय?तरी देविका आणि ऑफिसातली सेक्रेटरी ह्या दोघींच्या मदतीने विश्वास आपल्या हरवलेल्या आयुश्याचे तुकडे जोडत असतो. आणि एके दिवशी त्याला एक बिल सापडतं - ५ लाख रुपयांचे लव्हबर्डस खरेदी केल्याचं. तो गोंधळून जातो. त्या लव्हबर्डसच्या दुकानात फोन केल्यावर त्याला दुकानाचे मालक साने भेटायला येतात. ते जे काही सांगतात त्याने विश्वासच्या पायांखालची जमीनच सरकते. असं काय सांगतात साने? हे लव्हबर्डसचं रहस्य काय असतं? :-)

खरं तर plastic surgery करून एखाद्याचा चेहेरा बदलायची कल्पना वापरून वापरून इतकी गुळगुळीत झाली आहे की त्यातलं रहस्य आधीच कळून जातं. पण तरी एखादा नवा ट्विस्ट असेल आणि तसं नसलं तरी एक बर्यापैकी रहस्यप्रधान नाटक पहायला मिळेल अशीच माझी अपेक्षा होती.ती काही अंशी नाटकाने पूर्ण केली. माझ्यासाठी नाटकातला सगळ्यात जास्त लक्षात राहिलेला भाग म्हणजे साने झालेल्या गिरीश साळवींचा अभिनय. सानेची विशिष्ट पद्धतीने बोलायची लकब, हात हलवणं, रोखून पहाणं, विश्वासला मदत करायाची त्यांची धडपड सगळं त्यांनी अगदी चोख वठवलं. देविका झालेल्या अमृता सुभाषला आत्तापर्यंत एकदाच पाहिलं होतं ते टीव्हीवरच्या 'अवघाची संसार' नावाच्या रटाळ मालिकेतल्या आसावरी भोसलेच्या भूमिकेत. त्यात तिला टिपं गाळण्यापलीकडे फारसं काम नव्हतं. तिची बिनधास्त देविका आवडली. सगळ्यात निराशा केली ती अनिकेत विश्वासरावने. 'सूर्याची पिल्ले' मधला त्याचा अभिनय मला आवडला होता. पण ह्या नाटकात मात्र त्याच्या अभिनयक्षमतेच्या मर्यादा स्पष्ट झाल्यासारख्या वाटल्या. नाटकात बऱ्याच ठिकाणी विश्वासच्या तोंडी विनोदी किंवा गंभीर परिणाम साधणारे संवाद आहेत पण दोन्ही वेळेस अभिनय मात्र त्रागा केल्यासारखा अपेक्षित आहे. हा अभिनय दोन्ही वेळेस त्याने एकाच पद्धतीने केला. त्यामुळे गंभीर संवादाच्या वेळी प्रेक्षक हसल्याचे जाणवलं.

विश्वासचं घर आणि ऑफिस दोन्हीचं नेपथ्य सुरेख वाटलं. तसेच काही प्रसंग आणि फोनवरचे संवाद पडद्यावर दाखवण्याची कल्पनाही मला आवडली. त्यामुळे प्रसंग अधिक परिणामकारक झाले. नाटकात वापरलेलं गूढ संगीतसुद्धा मस्तच. नेमकं हेच कथाबीज असलेला एक हिंदी चित्रपट पाहिल्यासारखं मला वाटतंय पण त्याचं नाव आठवत नाही. तो चित्रपट पाहिला नसता तर हे नाटक अजून आवडलं असतं ह्यात शंकाच नाही.

2012-01-22T12:56:00.001+05:30

अर्ज किया है.....
जिंदगी तुम यही कही रहना
मै जमाना बदलकर आता हू

(From the internet)

The Litigators - by John Grisham (Spoiler Alert!)

2012-01-22T12:49:00.000+05:30

I recently finished reading this novel. As I turned the last page, a funny thought came to my mind. What if one day some director thinks of making a Hindi movie 'loosely' based on this novel? How will he end it?

Well, for starters, there is no way David will lose the case against Varrick Labs. He will dig up some irrefutable proof that the drug Krayoxx is indeed harmful to the long term health of those who are consuming it. He will ask someone to deliver the proof to the courtroom on the very last day. That person will be invariably late or attacked by thugs from 'evil' Varrick Labs. India has abolished Jury system so the responsibility of delivering the verdict will be solely upon the judge. As he/she is about to discharge this duty, the person will manage to stumble to the courtroom clutching the precious 'papers'. After a short speech by the lawyer David, the judge will go through the papers at lightening fast speed. Then it will be the judge's turn to deliver a sermon. There will be a few tense moments but finally the verdict will be in David's favor. The judge will not fail to hail him as the Hero.

Oscar's wifey dear would have apologized to him, well before the verdict is out and promised to stand by him, no matter what. His wayward daughter would have come to her senses.

Wally, of course, in a dramatic gesture, fling away the bottle at a wall for good. He would go back to his divorced wife (4 divorces are unheard of in India so she will be either his only or first of the two divorced wives).

There will be inauguration of the new offices of the law firm where David will make yet another short speech thanking everyone from his parents to his neighbor's pet dog. He will keep saying that God is great. His mom will keep wiping away the tears and saying that his dad, had he been alive, would have been immensely proud of him. His dad, looking out from a portrait on the wall (with a garland of flowers around it) wouldn't be in any position to disagree. Mommy dearest, true to the time-tested tradition of Indian mothers, will bring out dishes heaped with Aaloo Ka Paratha and Gaajar ka Halwa.

The last scene will show David and his wife frolicking in foreign location, gyrating to the song which would not have lyrics that make any sense but the music would be enough to take it to the chart-buster league in no time.

And they will live happily ever after.
The End!

2012-01-22T12:48:00.001+05:30

Hard to believe that it has been more than a week since I last came here. I was on a visit to a Tier-3 city for 2 days last week. Vast open spaces, green fields and slow-paced life was a welcome relief from the daily grind that has become a norm for us city-dwellers. Laugh at me if you want, but the air there smelled different as well - probably the scent of pollution-free air that we sometimes get a whiff of on late winter nights in the city, if we are lucky. Otherwise it's a commodity that's not even available in bottled form.

Try as I might, I simply couldn't tear myself away from the open balcony of the Inn where we were put up for the night. It wasn't warm but it wasn't bone-chilling cold either. I just sat there with John Grisham's 'The Litigators' open in my lap - wondering whether to read the novel or stare at the little cottages that dotted the country-side, the road that broke off the highway to bring the vehicles to the city and the trucks that plied on it from time to time - blaring some Hindi song or other or blowing on the horn that emitted weird sounds. The sun had already gone down by the time we arrived so I didn't have much idea of what lay in the empty space adjacent to the Inn that was shrouded in the dark. For all I know, it could be a huge garbage dump - though I would have got a hint, or should I say a whiff, of it with the night air and I didn't.

As I stared at the little cottages and huts - little squares of lights forming puddles outside their windows - I wondered what the occupants were doing. Were they watching the saas-bahu dramas that are churned out on all the channels during prime time each day? Or are they having dinner? Then I laughed at my own thoughts and tried to concentrate on the book in my lap. Grisham is good but somehow that night his words failed to match the magic that the winter night in the Indian hinterlands was working on me. There was no full moon bathing its beams in the clear pond, no scent of jasmine filled the night air, no heavenly music floated from far across but does magic really need all these things to hypnotize you?

Complete silence is unnerving most of the times. What I needed that night was silence punctuated by sounds and voices. And by some grace of God, I got what I wanted :-)

2012-01-22T12:40:00.000+05:30

In an interesting article on the latest Salman Rushdie row, I found link to the following site - kafila.org. I am yet to check it out so this is as much a note to me as it is a blog post.

2012-01-22T12:28:00.003+05:30

A friend sent me the following in an SMS:

What makes some people dearer is not just the happiness that you feel when you meet them
But also the pain you feel when you miss them

Oh yes, I know some people to whom this applies. But I also know some for whom following lines would be more apt :-)

What makes some people dearer is not just the pain that you feel when you meet them
But also the happiness you feel when you lose them

2012-01-22T12:26:00.000+05:30

If you are in the market for a home, here is an article for you - 3 signals that indicate a delay in a project. You might also want to check out the site gnbindia.com - they group prospective home buyers and use their bargaining power to get favorable terms on home loans.

2012-01-14T20:53:00.002+05:30

And here's something that came as an SMS:

The best pair in the world is smile and tears
They rarely meet each other at a time
But when they meet.....
That is the best moment in the world

Ordinary People, Extra-ordinary Acts

2012-01-14T20:51:00.000+05:30

Kyunki... social messages can be fun

2012-01-14T20:48:00.002+05:30

A handy list of nifty gadgets:

Refresh your hardware for 2012

The perfect case of mix and match

2012-01-11T13:28:00.000+05:30

I will sign off with this SMS:

A moment of patience in a moment of anger can help you to avoid a thousand moments of sorrows.

Have a great day ahead and take good care of yourselves!

2012-01-11T13:21:00.001+05:30

I suspect that the joy of not being bombarded with spam SMSs after the TRAI directive was rather short-lived. Since the new year, I have been observing an increase in the number of these unsolicited messages. More often than not, they are plain annoying but once in a while there comes an SMS that puts a smile on your face right in the middle of a busy day, just when you think that you don't have time even to smile. Here's part of one such gem from VLCC:

Distress yourself with Abhyangam and Shirodara

Wow, there are plenty of things in life to distress one, without having to shell out big bucks to VLCC for that. :-) Guess the person who put together this message is in serious need of 'de-stressing' himself or herself, what say? :-)

2012-01-11T13:20:00.002+05:30

A friend sent me this SMS:

Expectation is a gift, not a curse
When people expect something from you, it means you have given them a reason to believe in you.

I disagree. More often than not, the expectations fall in 'Unrealistic' category. That's because when we expect something from someone we are thinking only about ourselves, and hardly about the other person. I wouldn't necessarily call Expectations 'a curse' but I wouldn't call them 'a gift' either.

अनोळखी दिशा - स्टार प्रवाह (शुक्र-शनि रात्रौ ९:३०)

2012-01-11T13:20:00.001+05:30

नारायण धारपांची पुस्तकं वाचायची असं मी अनेक दिवस ठरवते आहे. पण हिम्मत होत नाही. उगाच पुस्तक वाचायचं आणि रात्री जागून काढायच्या - सांगितलाय कोणी नसता उपद्व्याप, नाही का? पण त्यांच्या गोष्टींवर आधारित सिरीयल लागतेय म्हटल्यावर बघायचा मोह काही आवरला नाही. दुर्दैवाने, १-२ अपवाद सोडता ह्या सिरीयलने निराशाच केली असं म्हणावं लागेल. :-(

मनातली इच्छा पूर्ण करणारया शक्ती असलेला पंजा 'Monkey's Paw' ह्या गोष्टीतून परिचयाचा होता त्यामुळे कथेत काही नाविन्य वाटलं नाही. पै-पै जमवून बांधलेलं घर ते बांधणाऱ्यानेच घश्यात घातल्यावर आत्महत्या करणारया आणि त्याचा सूड घेणार्या माणसाची कथाही बरीच Predictable वाटली. आपल्याला हवं ते एका तान्ह्या बाळाच्या अतृप्त आत्म्याकडून मिळवणार्या माणसाची गोष्ट वेगळी होती पण अभद्र वाटली. मागल्या आठवड्यातली भूतकाळातून आलेल्या माणसाची कथादेखील पटली नाही. म्हणजे 'समीरा' हा 'चंदी'चा पुनर्जन्म असतो का? नसेल तर त्या भूतकाळातून आलेल्या माणसाला स्पर्श करताच तिला त्याबद्दल कसं आठवतं? ती आईवडिलांसाठी भूतकाळातून पत्र पाठवते त्यात स्वत:चा उल्लेख 'समीरा' असा न करता 'चंदी' असा का करते? काहीच खुलासा झाला नाही. नाही म्हणायला 'हिरवं फाटक' ही कथा आणि तिच्यावर आधारित एपिसोड चांगला वाटला.

सिरीयलमधल्या बऱ्याचश्या पात्रांचा अभिनय तकलादू वाटतो. महेश कोठारेनी एक तर एपिसोडच्या सुरुवातीला यावं नाहीतर शेवटी. मध्येमध्ये येऊन बोलल्याने रसभंग होतो. दोन मराठी वाक्यांच्या मध्ये ते इंग्रजीत का बोलतात हेही एक गूढच आहे. :-)

एकुणात ही सिरीयल पहात राहिले तर मला पूर्वीइतका धारपांच्या कथा वाचायचा हुरूप उरणार नाही असं वाटू लागलंय. त्यापेक्षा ही सिरीयल पहाणं बंद करून पुस्तकंच वाचलेली बरी :-)

To Cut A Long Story Short - by Jeffrey Archer

2012-01-11T13:13:00.000+05:30

I recently finished reading this collection of stories from one of my favorite authors. The cover at the back rightly said that every reader will have his/her favorites. Though it was a delightful collection, the stories that I liked the most were 'A change of Heart' and 'The Endgame'. Since I cannot discuss why I liked them without revealing their end, I will refrain from doing so. But if Archer is someone whose books you reach out for, then you shouldn't miss reading this one, if you haven't read it already :-)

Currently I am reading 'The Litigators' by, who else but, John Grisham - another favorite author :-)

2012-01-07T13:51:00.001+05:30

अर्ज किया है.....

ना आशिक माना ना सनम माना
तूने तो हमेशा हमे सबसे कम माना
दिया दर्दभी जो तूने हमे
हमने उन्हेभी अपना हमदम माना

प्रेमा तुझा रंग कसा

2012-01-07T13:49:00.002+05:30

वाऱ्यावरची वरात पाहिलं तेव्हा मला वाटलं होतं की माझा २०११ चा नाटकांचा कोटा संपला. पण 'प्रेमा तुझा रंग कसा' ची जाहिरात पाहिली आणि ठरवलं की कसंही करून पहायचंच. विषय तसा साधाच पण अनेक प्रश्न उभे करणारा - स्वत: प्रेमविवाह केलेले आईवडील मुलं प्रेमविवाह करताहेत म्हटल्यावर विरोधात उभे का ठाकतात? लग्नाआधी एकमेकावर जीव टाकणारं प्रेमी जोडपं लग्न झाल्यावर आणि भांडण झाल्यावर 'माझा चोइस चुकला' असं का म्हणतं? 'माझं तुझ्यावर प्रेम आहे' असं न म्हणताही प्रेम करता येतं? प्रेमाचा अर्थ काय?

नाटकाची गोष्ट इथे सांगायच्या फंदात पडत नाही. अशोक सराफांना रंगमंचावर पाहायची माझी पहिलीच खेप. त्यांचा प्रोफेसर बल्लाळ खूप आवडला. जयंत सावरकरांचे कोळसेवाले गोरेसुध्दा. चारुशीला साबळेंची प्रियंवदा कुठल्याही मध्यमवर्गीय गृहिणीसारखी, थोडक्यात खूप ओळखीची, वाटली. बच्चू आणि सुशील तुळजापूरकर ह्या भूमिका करणारया कलाकारांनीही धमाल केली. बब्बड आणि तिचा नवरा ह्यांच्या भूमिका करणारया कलाकारांनीही जीव ओतून काम केल्याचं जाणवत होतं - विशेषत: बब्बडच्या नवरयाचं मधेच छाती फुगवून आवेशात बोलण आणि माहेरी पाठवण्यात आल्यामुळे बब्बडचा होणारा त्रागा. दिवाणखान्याचा सेट सुरेख लावला होता. फक्त एमएचे क्लासेस घेणार्या प्रोफेसरांच्या पुस्तकाच्या शेल्फवर व्हिज्युअल बेसिकचं पुस्तक का होतं ते कळलं नाही. :-)

माझ्यापुरतं विचाराल तर उत्तरं मिळायच्या अपेक्षेने मी गेलेच नव्हते. प्रश्न पडायच्या अपेक्षेने गेले होते असं म्हटलंत तरी चालेल. कारण जगण्याच्या धबडग्यात हे असे प्रश्न पडतच नाहीत तर उत्तरं शोधणार कशी आणि शोधणार कोण? ही अपेक्षा मात्र नाटकाने पुरेपूर पुरी केली. जन्मभर लक्षात राहील तो बल्लाळ आणि प्रियंवदा ह्यांच्यातला शेवटचा लोणावळ्याच्या ट्रीपबद्दलचा संवाद. माझी खात्री आहे की तोच संवाद आणि बरेचसे प्रश्न मनात घेऊन प्रेक्षक घरी गेले असतील. आता उत्तरं मिळतात की नाही हे ज्याचं त्याला ठाऊक. शेवटी काय? "प्रेमा तुझा रंग कसा" हा असा प्रश्न आहे की ज्याचं उत्तर प्रत्येकाने स्वत:चं शोधायचं आणि ते प्रत्येकाचं वेगळंच येणार :-)

2012-01-07T13:48:00.002+05:30

The economists might very well say that India shouldn't get rattled because of the grim global scenario when she has such a huge domestic market - thanks to her population. The same population, however, gets on to the nerves of us mere mortals. Oh no, I am not talking about the rush-hour traffic or weekend stampede at the supermarkets. I am talking about your friendly-neighborhood ATM.

Just the other day I went to one to withdraw some money. Looked like the bank hadn't yet got a chance to refill it after the new year eve because the machine told me that it couldn't hand over the entire amount requested by me and suggested a sum which I could withdraw instead. As if I had any choice! When I agreed to do so, it spit out the currency notes in denominations of 100 instead of 500. Oh no! I had to make sure the amount was right before I left the premises. Just then I heard the room door bang shut. I looked over to see a man waiting outside. This opening and closing of the door is the way we Indians seem to tell each other that our patience is running thin and to hurry.

I pulled out the receipt as well as card from the machine and started counting the cash. I hate to keep anyone waiting so I hurried myself and so probably counted one note less. That meant I had to start over again. The crispness of the notes wasn't helping the process. To make matters worse, I now saw that another person had joined the queue outside. I could practically hear them wonder in their minds about the primary school I attended and the quality of its maths teachers. But funnily enough I was now getting annoyed with the people outside. They don't have a right to rush me because if I end up with less money than what the receipt indicates, it is I who will have to run from pillar to post to sort out the matter with the bank. So though this time the counting told me that the amount was right, I counted a 3rd time just to be sure.

All was well. So I put everything in the purse and walked out. One of the guys glared at me and I glared back.

As I walked down the street, I wondered if there will still be a queue if the banks put an ATM on every street corner. I agreed that there will be. And I realized another thing - the next time I find myself on the other side of the door at an ATM location, I am going to end up glaring at someone who takes, what as per my estimate is, an unnecessary long time inside. Human nature is a funny business!

2012-01-07T13:48:00.001+05:30

Do you have any idea why some women use a money purse that has several compartments? I don't. Here you are, standing in the supermarket checkout queue, waiting for your turn with the last ounce of patience that you can muster when the employee at the counter announces the bill amount to the lady standing ahead of you. You are relieved that finally it will be your turn to get the checkout done and walk out. The lady slowly opens up her multi-compartment purse. She fumbles for the supermarket membership card. You count your lucky stars if she finds it in the first compartment she checks in. She waits for the employee to finish swiping the card and only then starts fishing for the money. You resist the urge to ask her why she couldn't do that while the swiping was in progress. In the meantime, the lady looks through more than one compartment and hands over the cash. You look heavenwards the way Sachin Tendulkar does when he scores a century. More often than not, the employee asks for some change. You stifle the urge to yell in frustration. More fumbling in the purse and the change is handed over. You heave a big sigh of relief when the lady marches away with her grocery.

I have gone through this situation so many times that these days I never join a queue when I see a lady with that multi-compartment money purse. :-)

2012-01-02T12:34:00.001+05:30

अर्ज किया है.....

यू डरते तो हम मौतसेभी नही
खौफ अब बस तेरी बरिश्तगीका है
मौतने तो हर लम्हा साथ दिया
बेवफाईका सिला तो कम्बख्त जिंदगीका है

Chakh Le India - Kacha Rasta

2012-01-02T12:32:00.001+05:30

It's true that we live to learn new things every day. For example, I would never have thought that meat can be mixed up with kadhipatta (Curry Leaves) and rai (mustard seeds). Yes, that's precisely what chef Aditya Bal did when he made a fried mutton dish. That's Chettinad cuisine for you, I guess. I just hope that before I die I get a chance to roam around India and sample these treats for myself. Or some travel channel offers me a chance to anchor one such program. :-)

Food Tech and Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes

2012-01-02T12:31:00.001+05:30

If you like to watch shows about cooking and/or travelling and don't mind investing an hour of your life, I would recommend two TV programs. The first one is called 'Food Tech' - either History or Fox Traveller shows it. Yesterday I chanced upon its 'Chinese Takeaway' episode halfway through. The information on how Oyster sauce and fortune cookies are made was, in Spock's words, fascinating! There was also a segment on how the boxes used for takeaway are manufactured. I think I could get addicted to this program :-)

The other program is Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes (BBC Entertainment) - he covered Morocco and Turkey - places to visit, culinary delights etc. I am not sure if there are other episodes of this program but if there are, I would sure like to watch them.

Secret Kitchen

2012-01-02T12:30:00.002+05:30

Have you ever seen anyone cook using ginger oil? Coconut oil, yes. Mustard oil, yes. But probably not ginger oil, right? Okay, here's another question for you. Did you know that the Tamils were cooking a dish very similar to the Biryani (meat and rice combo) centuries before the Mughals set foot in India? Do you know what the tribals in Kerala's Periyaar reserve eat? Do you know where to find the best Jewish food in Kochi?

Well, if you don't know but are curious to find out, make it a point to watch the Tamilnadu and Kerala episodes of "Secret Kitchen" (History channel). I did and I thought that it was an hour well spent.

Just one regret though - as I watched one old lady after another dish out these delicacies, I wondered if the recipes will survive a few years from now on. :-( No one seems to be caring about this culinary treasure trove that might soon slip away from us if not carefully preserved.

2012-01-02T12:30:00.001+05:30

नव्या वर्षाचं पाहिलं पोस्ट आणि तेसुध्दा मराठीतून! हम्म, हा मातृभाषेचा अभिमान म्हणायचा का दुराभिमान? दुराभिमान नक्कीच नाही. कारण मला इंग्लिश आवडते, हिंदी आवडते - विशेषत: तिचा दुसर्यांना आदर देऊन बोलायचा लेहेजा. आता मी हिंदी बोलताना दुसर्याला 'आप' म्हणत असले तरी अजूनही माझं हिंदी बरचसं 'बंबैय्या' आहे हेही तितकंच खरं :-) मुंबईत रहात असल्याने गुजराती बोलता येत नसलं तरी बोललेलं बऱ्यापैकी कळतं (काठीयावाडी वगैरे नसेल तर!) खरं तर एक भारतीय आणि एक विदेशी भाषा शिकायची हा निश्चय करून अनेक वर्षं झाली. विदेशी भाषेत का कोणास ठाऊक पण मला स्पेनिश शिकायची आहे. आणि भारतीय भाषेत बंगाली - ह्याचं कारण मात्र रविंद्रनाथ टागोर आणि इतर बंगाली लेखकांचं साहित्य मूळ बंगालीतून वाचायची इच्छा हे आहे. एखादी तरी दाक्षिणात्य भाषा शिकायला हवी हे खरंय. एक शिकली की बाकीच्या दाक्षिणात्य भाषा शिकणं थोडं सोपं जातं हेही ऐकलंय. पण ती एकच दाक्षिणात्य भाषा शिकायची हे काम कठीण वाटतंय. :-(

देवा! निदान ह्या वर्षी तरी माझ्या ह्या भाषा शिकायच्या निर्णयाची अंमलबजावणी होऊ देत :-)

Happy 2012!

2011-12-31T14:09:00.002+05:30

Alright! The last post of 2011! I would like to end with John Wesley's words:

Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as you ever can

I should probably get them framed and put up where I can see them as the last words I see before going to bed and the first words to set my eyes on when I wake up every morning. :-)

On this happy note, I wish all of you a Happy 2012. :-)

Whisky in Food

2011-12-31T14:02:00.000+05:30

I have read all the previous issues of Mint's Indulge - despite the fact that it is meant exclusively for men. This week, however, I picked it up and put it down almost immediately because the latest issue is all about - Whisky! Needless to say that chef Madhu Menon's column 'Whisky in Food' was the only one I went through and liked :-)

Here's a note for the Mint team - you have been very unfair to the fairer sex. Why not have similar series of Indulge meant for us women? I can think of so many subjects for the articles - from the ones traditionally considered as 'feminine' like jewellery, perfumes,Kanjeevarams, skin care to more 21st century ones like food (and not cooking!), offbeat careers, books, hobbies, and so on and so forth...

There is one request though, if you ever get around to actually bringing out this issue, please name is something other than 'Indulge'.

2011-12-31T13:55:00.000+05:30

There was a reference to one interesting saying from Sunday School in 'Living History':

Faith is like stepping off a cliff and expecting one of the two outcomes - you will either land on solid ground or you will be taught to fly.

There were a few lines in the letter that one father Trobou wrote to Mrs. Clinton that will stay with me forever:

It is my opinion that on Judgement Day the first question God asks is not about the Ten Commandments (although He gets to them later!). But what he asks each of us is what did you do with the time and the talents I gave you.

2011-12-31T13:45:00.000+05:30

The last day of the year and I am done with two of the four books that I had started reading simultaneously. I finished 'Tintin in Tibet' 2 days back and last night turned the last page on Hillary Rodham Clinton's 'Living History'. Not sure if I mentioned this on the blog - I also completed reading the fourth Adhyaya of 'Bhagwad Geeta As It Is'.

21st December 2011

2011-12-31T13:43:00.002+05:30

I wasn't exactly expecting people lining up the streets with the signboard saying 'Repent, the end of the world is near'. But I was surprised, and in a way relieved, that there wasn't much fuss about the 'supposed' end of the world a year down the lane on this day. Or if there was any fuss, I didn't notice it on the net. :-)

2011-12-30T10:52:00.001+05:30

I came across a song penned by Stevie Wonder in Hillary Rodham Clinton's 'Living History'. A search on the net yielded the following lyrics:

Everybody covets everybody lies
Everybody’s done it some time in their lives
We all slip, we don’t mean to
That don’t mean you can’t make it right

It’s the path you take the steps you make
That make you who you are
It’s the life you live
The gifts you give
The love that’s in your heart
Just try to do the best you can to be a better man
You don’t have to walk on water
It’s how you walk on land

Everybody judges everybody else
Everybody’s done it to everyone but themselves
We know what’s right
But we still go wrong
And life still goes on
Even when we fail

It’s the path you take the steps you make
That make you who you are
It’s the life you live
The gifts you give
The love that’s in your heart
Just try to do the best you can to be a better man
You don’t have to walk on water
It’s how you walk on land

It’s the path you take the steps you make
That make you who you are
It’s the life you live
The gifts you give
The love that’s in your heart
Just try to do the best you can to be a better man
You don’t have to walk on water
Oh it’s how you walk on land

You don’t have to walk on water
It’s how you walk on land

(Source)

100 years of National Anthem

2011-12-30T10:37:00.002+05:30

There was a time when I used to listen to the national anthem every day - at the beginning our daily school sessions. Now I get to listen to it only when I go to a theatre. And since that hasn't happened in the past few months, I really cannot recollect the last time I listened to 'Jan Gan Man'.

If you are someone like me, do check out this version on YouTube. The anthem turned 100 on 27th December. But please don't forget to stand up while you listen to it.

A sombering thought....

2011-12-30T10:20:00.004+05:30

I am not one of those who jump up and down with glee on the even of the new year. Nor am I one of those who consider the glass half empty and worry about getting older by another year. But an email did check any irrational exuberance that I might have felt, if at alln. I am posting the same mail here.

Can we see this around us?

"AJEEB HAI NA"

Rs.20 Ka NOTE Bahot ZYADA Lagta Hai Jab

GARIB Ko Dena Ho, Magar HOTEL Mein TIP

Dena Ho To Bahot KAM Lagta Hai.
--------------------------------------
3 Minute Ke Liye BHAGWAN Ko YAAD Karna

Kitna MUSHKIL Hai,

Magar 3_Hours Ka FILM Dekhna AASAAN.
--------------------------------------
Pure Din MEHNAT Ke Baad GYM Jaane Se Nehi

THAKTE, Magar Jab MAA-BAAP Ke PAIR

DABANA Ho To HUM THAK Jaate Hain.
---------------------------------------
VALENTINE's DAY Ke Liye HUM Puure SAAL

Intezar Karte Hai, Magar MOTHER's DAY Kab

Hai hume Pata Hi Nahi.

EK ROTI NAHI DE SAKA KOI US MASOOM BACHHE KO LEKIN WHO TASWEER LAKHON ME BIK GAYI JISME ROTI KE LIYE VO BACHHA UDAS BETHA THA…………….

(No one gave any food to the innocent kid but the photograph of him waiting forlornly for something to eat was sold for millions!)

There is a knot in my stomach and it refuses to go away. :-( There is this usual helpless feeling and that too refuses to go away.

Every time I see these children begging at the street lights I feel like giving some money but then a cautious voice tells me not to encourage begging. Some people say that we should carry biscuits and give them to these children instead of money. But there was a news a few years ago that a lady who tried to do so was confronted by the child's mother who accused her of trying to poison her child. Now who would want to cool heels for hours at a local police station for trying to help a hungry child? No one. Does that mean we shouldn't do anything?

I am still searching for a way out of this helplessness and anger. If you know of any reliable NGOs which have programs to feed street children, please let me know.

Silence is Not Spoken Here

2011-12-28T21:35:00.002+05:30

I came across a few lines from this poem by Anasuya Sengupta in Hillary Rodham Clinton's 'Living History'. The full poem can be read here.

A little search on the net yielded the following:

“Silence” was, in fact, inspired by “Heritage,” a short poem she wrote when she was 16.

Heritage
I will come when I can walk beside you
And talk of ambitions
With an easy tongue.
I will not look at your feet
And drag my heritage behind me
Through the dust of my grandmother’s silence

I can only say 'Wow'!

A Reading list of Zen books

2011-12-28T21:32:00.002+05:30

Note to myself:

Zen Books to read before I kick the bucket :-)

1. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind - by Shunryu Suzuki
2. Dharma Bums - by Jack Kerouac
3. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - by Robert Pirsig
4. Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart, A Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness: Lessons from Meditation and Psychotherapy (Broadway Books, 1998) - by Mark Epstein, M.D.,

5. Stumbling Towards Enlightenment - by Geri Larkin
6. Wherever You Go, There You Are - by Jon Kabat-Zinn
7. Catastrophe Living - by Jon Kabat-Zinn

2011-12-28T21:25:00.002+05:30

I have been reading 4 books these days. That sounds a little crazy, I know. Okay, okay, more than a little crazy. I haven't done this before and wouldn't have advised it for anyone earlier. But all said and done, I don't think it is such a disastrous experience after all. I agree one of the books is pretty light - Tintin in Tibet :-) - which I will finish tonight, in all probability. One of my Business School friends introduced me to this series. And I am glad he did. I am determined to finish the whole series before the next year is out. :-)

The second book (a pdf actually) is 'The Complete Idiot's Guide To Zen Living'. This isn't light reading but given that it is meant for idiots, it isn't any heavy-duty stuff either. The only problem is that it is meant for the westerners and so every time I come across lines such as 'Zen perks are so relevant to the stressed-out,busy, and sometimes isolated lives of typical Westerners' I laugh out aloud. Someone please tell the authors that such a life has become the fate of millions across the world who are not 'westerners'. Anyways, I am almost at the end of part 2 (7 chapters) but haven't found anything substantial as of now - maybe because we Asians in general, and perhaps Indians in particular, are familiar with the concepts of Nirvana etc which have been explained in some detail for the benefit of the westerners. More on this as I make further progress...

The 3rd book is of course the one that I brought home from the library - Hillary Rodham Clinton's 'Living History'. I am more than halfway through this one as well. Whatever my misconceptions before I started reading it, one thing is certain - it has vetted my appetite for reading more such books written by people in world politics. While one can argue that the authors may sugar-coat or gloss over certain negative events to present themselves in better light or to state their side of the story, it cannot be ignored that it gives one some insight into how the game is played out day after day in power corridors across the world. I hope I find similar books written by Indian politicians.

The last book that I have been reading is 'Bhagwad Gita - As It Is'. Yeah, yeah, the same book that is being banned in some part of Russia. Of course, I had started reading it before the controversy erupted. I must confess though that I wouldn't have been surprised if the demand to ban the book had been made on the grounds that it might encourage people to convert to Hinduism. Even then it would have been a silly accusation. I am almost halfway through the 4th Adhyaya and till now I am yet to come across any such suggestion. But I can understand how a non-Hindu reading about yagnas, chaturwarnya vyavastha, brahman etc might mistakenly conclude so.

What took me aback was the fact that people are demanding that the book be banned because they think it promotes terrorism. I am not quite sure what has caused this reaction. Maybe someone misunderstood some passage and the rest of them could have just taken up the war cry without bothering to verify the allegations. This underscores the importance of having a global platform for the interpretation of holy scriptures of the major religions.

To take an example closer to home, many (Hindus) claim that the Holy Koran calls anyone who doesn't believe in Allah a 'Kafir' and urges a true Muslim to either convert such people or to destroy them. But some Muslim scholars are quick to refute this. And the rest of us are left wondering about who is speaking the truth. If Muslim scholars the world over could come together to interpret and share the message of the Koran (without any calls for conversion, of course!), that could go a long way in combating Muslim fundamentalism. A similar interpretation of the Gita can nip any Hindu extremism right in the bud.

Sadly though, the question is 'Who will bell the cat'? :-(

2011-12-27T21:30:00.001+05:30

आता आयुष्याचा उल्लेख झाला आहेच तर ह्या काही ओळी:

तू भेटशी नव्याने बाकी जुनेच आहे
आयुष्य तेच आहे अन हाच पेच आहे

The Voyage Of Life

2011-12-27T21:24:00.003+05:30

A friend has forwarded a Dummy's guide to Zen. It's a pdf file. And I have been going through it on a chapter by chapter basis when I find some time daily. I came across a reference to Thomas Cole's 4 paintings called "The Voyage Of Life" in it. Curious, I searched on the net and here is the link to the paintings and a description of what they represent.

Something worth checking out and pondering on.

2011-12-26T21:27:00.002+05:30

A friend forwarded this rather grim, but very thought-provoking sher:

एक शमशानके बाहर लिखा हुआ शेर:

मंझिल तो तेरी यही थी
बस जिंदगी गुजर गयी तेरी आते आते
क्या मिला तुझे इस दुनियासे
अपनोनेही जला दिया तुझे जाते जाते

The Lost Symbol (Spoiler!)

2011-12-26T20:50:00.004+05:30

I finally managed to read Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol'. Awesome! It was hard to put it down every night. Though it wasn't difficult to guess Malakh's real identity, the book kept me spellbound right till the end. Speaking of which, the end slightly disappointed me. I would have preferred a staircase spiraling down into the bowels of the earth in some far-away ancient cave rather than at the base of some Washington monument. :-(

Living History - by Hillary Rodham Clinton

2011-12-26T18:29:00.004+05:30

I was in two minds when I saw Hillary Rodham Clinton's "Living History" on the library shelf. Politics is not one of my favorite subjects. Plus, such books, more often than not, present a lop-sided view of the events. So I was a bit reluctant to commit my time to reading it. Finally, I decided that I will read a few pages and return it if I don't find it interesting enough.

I must confess that though I found the first few pages interesting enough, I was hopelessly lost by the time Hillary started describing the health care reform initiatives. It felt as if all the related chapters were written only for American people. I didn't want to know about the various committees and organizations involved but it was impossible to understand the successive pages without a basic familiarity with things. I seriously thought about returning the book.

Then I stole a glance at the pages ahead. They appeared worth reading and so I decided to run through the chapters covering the Clintons' failed attempt at improving the health care facilities. Almost halfway through the book now, I am glad I did that.

A couple of things surprised me though. Hillary mentions how there was quite an uproar in the country because she kept her maiden name of 'Rodham' after marriage. This would have been an expected reaction in India a couple of years ago though now-a-days married Indian women prefer to keep their maiden names. Of course, she is talking about the 70s. But somehow I had assumed that things would have been different even then in the US.

Then there is reference to how people were surprised that she could hold on her own despite being a woman - the Talking Dog Syndrome. She mentions a quote by Samuel Johnson that is both, amusing and very much annoying:

Sir, a woman's preaching is like a dog's walking on his hinder legs. It is not done well; but you are surprized to find it done at all.

I could only roll my eyes at this :-)

So far, my favorite has been the quote by Eleanor Roosevelt:

A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water.

2011-12-22T14:09:00.001+05:30

If you like Gazals and Hindi movie songs, then maybe you should tune in to 'Purani Jeans' on Radio Mirchi 98.3 today and tomorrow at 9pm. Every week, on Thursdays and Fridays, a whole hour is dedicated to a particular genre of music. Last week the program played songs based on Indian classical music Ragas. This week is going to feature Gazals.

So as RJ Anmol says, when the hands of that clock make a sign of right angle, tune in to music from Golden Era and tune out all your worries :-)

2011-12-22T14:07:00.000+05:30

आजकाल टीव्ही चेनेल्सवर ज्या मालिका दाखवतात त्या प्रेक्षकांना नक्की कुठल्या युगात घेऊन जायचा प्रयत्न करताहेत काही कळायला मार्ग नाही. झी मराठीवरच्या ७ ते ९ ह्या वेळात दाखवल्या जाणार्या मालिकांचे नुसते प्रोमोज जरी पाहिले ना तरी डोकं भणभणतं.

एक आहे ती कुंकू - त्यात त्या आत्याबाईला अल्झायमर झालाय तर तिच्यावर इलाज करायचं सोडून घरातली बाकीची माणसं वेड्यासारखी वागताहेत. विवाहित व्यक्तीने दुसरं लग्न करणं हा कायद्याने गुन्हा आहे तरी पण मालिकेतल्या नरसिंहांचं पुन्हा लग्न लावायचा घाट घरातल्या शिकल्या-सवरलेल्या बायका घालताहेत.

'सासूच्या नानाची टांग' अशी जाहिरात करून सुरु झालेल्या 'दिल्या घरी तू सुखी रहा' ह्या 'बाबा आदम' पेक्षाही प्राचीन (आणि संतापजनक) शीर्षकाच्या मालिकेत आतीशा नाईक 'मला खाष्ट सासूची भूमिका करायची आहे' एव्हढं एकच ध्येय डोळ्यासमोर ठेऊन काम करतेय. 'सून म्हणजे पैश्याची खाण' असा पवित्र संदेश देणार्या ह्या मालिकेशी संबंधित कोणाही व्यक्तीला अविवाहित बहिण किंवा मुलगी नसावी कारण तशी असती तर आपण जे दाखवतो आहोत त्याचा समाजावर आणि पर्यायाने लग्न झाल्यावर आपल्या बहिणीवर किंवा मुलीवर काय परिणाम होऊन शकतो ह्याचा त्यांनी विचार केला असता.

'अरुंधती' मध्ये सासू विरुध्द सून असा सनातन धर्मापेक्षाही अधिक सनातन संघर्ष असल्यामुळे कटकारस्थानाना उत् आला आहे. अरुंधतीच्या आंधळ्या नवर्याला तोंडी लावण्यापुरतंही महत्त्व नाही. 'एकाच ह्या जन्मी जणू' मध्ये अंजली नवरयाचं वेड बरं करायला त्याच्या पहिल्या बायकोसारखी वागतेय. इथेही एक Overacting करणारी सासू आहे. 'आभास हा' मध्ये 'मुलं जन्माला घालणं' हेच प्रत्येक विवाहित स्त्रीचं आद्य कर्तव्य असल्याप्रमाणे मालिकेतल्या सगळ्या बायका वागत आहेत. कोणाला मूल होत नाहीये म्हणून प्रोब्लेम तर कोणाला होतंय म्हणून. ह्यातली एखादीही बाई नोकरी करून संसाराला हातभार लावताना का दिसत नाही?

झी मराठीची ही गत तर झी हिंदीवरची वाईट डोक्यात जाणारी मालिका म्हणजे - पवित्र रिश्ता. कथानक वीसेक वर्षांनी पुढे गेलं तरी अर्चना, तिची आई आणि तिची मुलगी सगळ्याचे केस सारखेच काळेभोर. मानव आईवडील, मुलंबाळं आणि घरी काम करणारी बाई ह्या सगळ्यांना कुठल्या व्हिसावर Canada ला घेऊन गेला? तिथे तो उदरनिर्वाहासाठी काय करतो? हे असे प्रश्न ह्या लोकांना पडतच नाहीत का? मला एक आश्चर्य वाटतं - एव्हढा आरडाओरडा करून ह्या लोकांचं ब्लडप्रेशर कसं काय वाढत नाही?

कलर्सवर दाखवल्या जाणार्या मालिकांबद्दल तर न लिहीलेलचं बरं. बालिका बधू, बाबा ऐसो वर धुंडो, उतरण ह्यांचे प्रोमोज पाहून मती कुंठीत होते. ह्या मालिका censor करा म्हणून कोणीतरी उपोषण करा रे!

वाऱ्यावरची वरात

2011-12-22T14:05:00.002+05:30

नाही नाही म्हणता ह्या वर्षी बरीच नाटकं पाहून झाली - सूर्याची पिल्लं, हमीदाबाईची कोठी, सारे प्रवासी घडीचे, झोपी गेलेला जागा झाला. अजून काही नाटकं पहायची बाकी आहेत - आलटून पालटून, सुखांशी भांडतो आम्ही, मी रेवती देशपांडे, लव्हबर्डस वगैरे. हे वर्ष संपायला जेमतेम काही दिवस राहिलेत. त्यामुळे बहुतेक उरलेली नाटकं पुढल्या वर्षीच पाहून होणार असं वाटत होतं. पण अचानक काही दिवसांपूर्वी पुलंचं 'वाऱ्यावरची वरात' बघायचा योग आला. तसं काही वर्षांपूर्वी ह्याचं नाटकाचा एक प्रयोग पाहिला होता. पण आपले पुलं म्हणजे एव्हरग्रीन. त्यांची नाटकंही तशीच. कितीही वेळा पाहिली तरी समाधान होतच नाही. :-)

तर शिवाजी मंदिरला ठरल्या वेळी पोचले आणि मोठ्या उत्सुकतेने पडदा वर जायची वाट पहात बसले. पडदा उघडताच पुलंच्या वेशात आनंद इंगळे आले आणि सगळ्यांची दाद घेऊन गेले. गावातल्या कार्यक्रमाला पाहुणे म्हणून जायचा प्रसंग छान रंगला. "दिल देके देखो' प्रवेशातल्या शिरपाचं काम करणारा नट तर अफलातून. आतिशा नाईक कडवेकर मामी म्हटल्यावर माझ्या कपाळावर आठ्या पडल्या होत्या. कारण झी मराठीवरच्या 'दिल्या घरी तू सुखी रहा' ह्या अत्यंत टुकार मालिकेच्या (तश्या झीवरच्या सगळ्याच मालिका टुकार असतात म्हणा!) प्रोमोजमध्ये ती अतिशय डोक्यात जाते. पण कडवेकर मामीच्या भूमिकेत भाव खाऊन गेली. मामी ओरडल्यावर कडवेकर मामांचा अभिनय एकदम खास.

मात्र 'दारू म्हणजे काय रे भाऊ?' चा नाटकात समावेश नव्हता :-( काही ठिकाणी पार्श्वसंगीत फार जोरात लावल्याने गाण्यांचे बोल ऐकू येत नव्हते आणि १-२ वेळा नट बोलत असतानाच पाठीमागे नेपथ्य बदलले जात होते ते खटकलं. एव्हढा देखणा प्रयोग सादर केल्याबद्दलं सगळ्या कलाकारांचं आणि नाटकाशी सम्बंधित व्यक्तींचं कौतुक आणि मनापासून धन्यवाद!

WSD Calendar 2012 - 'Best Friends' is now available!

2011-12-09T13:54:00.003+05:30

I got the following email from The Welfare Of Stray Dogs(WSD) and am spreading the good word :-)

You will be happy to know that our calendar(Wall and Desk) for 2012 is now available. The theme of this year's calendar is Best Friends. It is a celebration of the bond that street dogs have developed with other living beings � be it other dogs, cats, and of course�people.

The calendar is available at various outlets in Mumbai.(Please see given below). It can also be couriered to various cities outside Mumbai (check with us on the courier costs depending on the no and type). It is priced at Rs 150 (Wall and Desk) as a donation towards WSD's sterilisation, immunization and health care programmes.

The WSD Calendar for 2012 is inspired by Julie from the Oval Maidan. Julie�s life truly epitomized what friendship is all about. Providing a gentle haven where the other can be relaxed and feel safe. Being together without needing to pretend. Loving another person in spite of flaws and imperfections.

Julie got along famously with the pets that came to the Oval and the strays that lived there. She did not distinguish between the pedigreed and the pariah. She embraced them all with the joie de vivre that was so characteristic of her.

As you flip through the pages of this calendar, you will be moved by the uplifting stories that tell of the unconditional love and devotion shared among friends (on twos and fours!)

So come, join the Best Friends as they sing their �Song of Friendship�
To order a calendar, E-mail: wsdindia@gmail.com or you can buy them from the list of outlets given below.
Mumbai

South Mumbai

Colaba and Kala Ghoda

WSD Office: C/o Mr F. Broacha, 2nd Flr, Yeshwant Chambers, B.Bharucha Marg, Near Fab India, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 23 Tel : 64222838

Rhythm House : 40, K. Dubash Marg (Rampart Row), Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400023. Tel: 4322 2727

Greenfields : Army Navy Building ( back entrance), Behind Westside, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 23. Tel : 22853784

Churchgate

Dr Leena Dalal�s Clinic :Green Fields, Opposite Oval Maidan, Churchgate, Mumbai 21 Tel: 66153497

Kemps Corner

Ibrahim�s Pet Shop : Kemps Corner, Mumbai Tel: 23806278

Tardeo

Pawfect : Shop no AS 10, Forjett Street, Anand Nagar building , Tardeo, Mumbai. Tel : 64463129

Central Mumbai

Blue Frog : Mathuradas Mills Compound, NM Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Opposite Kamala Mills Compound, Entrance From Tulsi Pipe Rd Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013 Tel : 40332300

Dr Makrand Chavan�s Clinic : Shop No 1, Matoshree Tower, Kohinoor Mills Lane, Shivaji Park, Dadar Mumbai- 28 Tel: 24380756

Western Suburbs
Bandra

Paws and Furs : Shop No 3, Kailash,156, Waterfield Road, Bandra, Mumbai. Tel: 66990858

Tailwaggers : 16th Road, Behind Hawaian Shack, Bandra, Mumbai. Tel: 9820127572

Khar

Dawgz : B4, Snowhite CHS, Ground Floor, 18th Road, Opposite Fabindia on Khar Danda Road, Khar (W), Mumbai. Tel 26056810

Vile Parle
Pet Range : Shop No 4, Saroj Building, Opposite Grasshopper Restaurant, Near Nanavati Hospital, Vile Parle, Mumbai 400 056.

For more info: visit http://www.wsdindia.org/

Purani Jeans - Radio Mirchi

2011-12-09T13:51:00.002+05:30

This is one FM program that I wish I could listen to right from 9pm till 1am. Sure, it plays songs from the Golden Era. But that is just one reason. Another one is that when you tune in to this program, it gives a nice feeling that you are listening to it along with many others across the country who share your affinity for songs from that era. There is no doubt that RJ Anmol is doing an excellent job of anchoring it.

Moreover, it feels immensely good to see that this audience not only includes people from all walks of life but also spans across generations. Just the other day, a person close to retirement requested that the song 'सौ साल पहले मुझे तुमसे प्यार था' be played for his dear wife. I am sure all those who heard that request must have smiled. Then yesterday there was a student who told Anmol that he would like to work on this program with him. The fact that the music that was composed in the 60s and 70s is liked by today's generation is a glowing tribute to those who were instrumental in producing it.

BTW, Purani Jeans is featuring a special program on the late actor Dev Anand this whole week from 9pm to 10pm. Today is the last day of it. So don't forget to tune in.

अ प्रिन्सेस रिमेम्बर्स

2011-12-09T13:50:00.000+05:30

कूचबिहारमधल्या बालपणाची एक झपाटणारी आठवण म्हणजे जंगलातली दिवसभराची शिकार संपवून, दमूनभागून हत्तीच्या पाठीवरून घरी परत येणं. संध्याकाळ व्हायला आलेली. मन थरारक धाड्साने उल्हसित झालेलं. मोहरीच्या फ़ुलांचा गंध हवेत कोंदलेला. दुरून कुठून तरी हवेवर तरंगत येणारे बासरीचे सूर. उत्तरेकडे दूरवर स्वच्छ संधीप्रकाशात अजूनही दिसणारं हिमालयाचं शुभ्र अर्धवर्तुळ.

हा परिच्छेद आहे "अ प्रिन्सेस रिमेम्बर्स" ह्या जयपूरच्या महाराणी गायत्रीदेवी ह्यांच्या आशा कर्दळे ह्यांनी अनुवादित केलेल्या आत्मकथनातला. इथे पोस्टण्याचं कारण म्हणजे नुकतंच मी ते पुस्तक वाचलं तेव्हा मला तो खूप आवडला. कालौघात वाहून गेलेल्या एका काळाच्या ह्या वर्णनाने जवळजवळ एक शतकानंतर त्याबद्दल वाचणाया मला वेडच लावलं. टाईम मशिन असतं तर तेव्हाच्या कूचबिहारमधे जायला मला नक्की आवडलं असतं. राजकुमारी बनण्याचं मुलीचं स्वप्नाळू वयात एक स्वप्न असतं तेच जणू इथे साकार झाल्यासारखं वाटतं. :-)

तसं हे छोटंसंच आत्मचरित्र. बडोद्याचं आजोळ, कूचबिहार हे वडिलांचं घर आणि लग्न झाल्यावर जयपूर अश्या तीन ठिकाणच्या संस्थानाचा परिचय आपल्याला त्यातून होतो. भव्य राजवाडे, त्यातले अनेक नोकर, संस्थानिकांची आणि त्यांच्या कुटुंबियांची बडदास्त, त्यांची संपत्ती ह्यांची वर्णनं वाचून खरंच खूप आश्चर्य वाटतं. थोडासा हेवाही वाटतोच. जयपूरच्या महाराजाच्या प्रेमात पडून त्याची तिसरी महाराणी व्हायला गायत्रीदेवी तयार झाल्या ह्याचंही आश्चर्य वाटतं. गोषात रहाणाया स्त्रियांचं जीवनही बरंच व्यस्त असे हे त्यांचं मत मात्र मला तितकंस पटलं नाही.

४७ साली स्वातंत्र्य मिळाल्यावर संस्थानं खालसा झाली त्याबद्दलचा तपशील फ़ार तोकडा वाटला. गायत्रीदेवी म्हणतात त्याप्रमाणे सर्वच राजपुत्रांनी देशाच्या हिताचा विचार करून विलिनीकरणाचा निर्णय घेतला असं नाही हे इतिहास सांगतो. सरदार वल्लभभाई पटेलांना बळाचा वापर करावाच लागला. पण त्याबद्दल पुस्तकात फ़ारसा उल्लेख नाही हे खटकतं. पूर्वापार चालत आलेली सत्ता गमावणं, आपल्या खाजगी मालकीच्या राजवाड्यांचं हॊटेलात रुपांतर झालेलं पहायला लागणं हे अत्यंत क्लेशकारक असणार ह्यात वादाचा मुद्दाच नाही. तरी पण हाताखालच्या आश्रितांना भविष्यातही आधार देता यावा म्हणून संस्थानिकांचे तनखे चालू रहावेत हा विचार निदान मला तरी पटला नाही. अर्थात पुस्तकात उल्लेख केल्याप्रमाणे सुरुवातीला तसं मान्य करून आणि घटनेत नमूद केलं असतानाही भारत सरकारने नंतर त्यावर घूमजाव केलं असेल तर ते अत्यंत दुर्देवी आहे. संस्थानिकांना राजदूत म्हणून परराष्ट्र खात्यात सामावून घेणं आणि तिथे त्यांच्या अनुभवाचा फ़ायदा करून घेणं हे शहाणपणाचं झालं असतं असं वाटतं. तरी ’उडदामाजी काळे गोरे’ ह्या न्यायाने सर्वच संस्थानिकांचा, विशेषत: ज्यांची राज्यं बळाचा वापर करून खालसा करून घ्यावी लागली अश्यांचा, सरकारकडे पाहण्याचा दृष्टीकोण स्वच्छ नसणारच. गायत्रीदेवींची ह्याबाबतची मतं एकांगी वाटतात, संस्थानिक सगळे चांगले आणि सरकार तेव्हढं वाईट हा ग्रह दूषित खरा पण अपरिहार्य आहे हे तितकंचं खरं.

आणीबाणीचं मात्र अत्यंत विदारक चित्र पुस्तकात आहे. भारतावर अशीही वेळ येऊन गेली हे वाचूनही खरं वाटत नाही. त्यांच्या एका राजवाड्यातल्या वस्तू खूप आहेत म्हणून कवडीमोलाने लिलावात विकल्या गेल्या ह्याचं गायत्रीदेवींबरोबरच मलाही दु:ख झालं.

एकंदरीत स्वतंत्र भारतात आणि येणाया आधुनिक जगात देशभर विखुरलेल्या संस्थानांना भविष्य नव्हतं ही वस्तुस्थिती असली तरी हे राजेरजवाड्यांचं जग नामशेष झालं ह्याचं मनाच्या एका कोपयात का होईना पण वाईट वाटलं. कालाय तस्मै नम:, दुसरं काय?

Why This Kolaveri Di!

2011-12-03T11:57:00.005+05:30

Chances are that you have already heard about this song that has become a rage, or so they say, on the internet and across the country. One of my friends sent me a YouTube link. Before watching it, I mentioned the song to my Tamil friend for her opinion. Deepa fairly bit my ear off - 'Oh, I don't like it' she almost shouted into her cell-phone. I was taken aback but asked her why. She said something about the heavy accent and lyrics. Hmm, why don't I listen to the original song and then, maybe, she can sing her own version for me so that I can compare the accents - I suggested despite a huge risk both to my hearing ability and sanity. Mercifully, Deepa almost never takes me seriously. She disconnected the phone. I prayed that her husband was a safe distance away. :-)

Must say this made me more curious about the song so I finally listened to it using the link emailed by my friend. I just plain don't get the lyrics despite the glossary (Tamil-to-English) provided by my friend. e.g. the lines

You showed me bouv-u
Cow-u cow-u holi cow-u

The translation said that:

Showed me Bouv-u: Rejected me (When you go near a dog, it barks ‘Bow’ which means, go away don’t come near me. Similarly when you go after a girl and she shoos you away, it is called showing ‘Bow-u’. In a funny way.)

Wow! If I hadn't read the translation I would have associated that 'bouv' with 'Bovine' and scratched my head till eternity looking for the meaning.

The following was a revelation too:

Da or Mama: Tamil variant of “Dude” or “Bro”.
Di: Tamil variant of “Girl” or “Babe”.

Wonder what 'PronobDa' and 'MamataDi' have to say about this ;-)

But I liked the music - it's an unusual tune for sure. Hey, and who is the Sarika-lookalike? Must be her daughter Shruti Hassan. :-)

In case you haven't listened to this song, here is the link.

26 November 2008

2011-12-03T11:49:00.002+05:30

It would have been any normal day in the calendar except for the terrorist attacks that cost a lot of innocent people their lives. I dreaded reading the newspaper on 26th November, 2011. I didn't read the account of the happenings from those who survived. I didn't read about Ajmal Kasab who has been having a merry time at the taxpayers' expense. I didn't read about how the government hasn't learnt any lessons from this tragedy. I just turned the pages and closed the newspaper. I didn't tune in to any news channels that day and I didn't surf the web. I wasn't blocking out the memories.

Was I being callous ? Not really! I just didn't want to feel unsafe again in my own city. Sounds rather like an ostrich, don't I? But then I don't have any control over how to protect myself and my loved ones from such mindless blind acts of hatred. What use is it reminding oneself of it again? I would rather offer my own private prayers for those whose lives were cut short that day and then get on with my life.

But that doesn't stop me from getting angry - when are we Indians going to stop being so careless about our own safety in our own country?

2011-12-02T21:00:00.000+05:30

हा मला आलेला एक फ़ॊरवर्डेड शेर. वाचून कसंतरीच झालं. देवाने अशी वेळ शत्रूवर पण आणू नये. :-(

अर्ज किया है

इक इंतजारसा था, अब नजरमे वोभी नही
सफ़रमे मरनेकी फ़ुरसत थी, घरमे वोभी नही

टेक २५ - भावना सोमेय्या

2011-12-02T20:56:00.000+05:30

खरं तर मी मूळ इंग्रजी पुस्तकांचा अनुवाद कधीच वाचत नाही. जी भाषा आपल्याला समजते त्यातून मूळ कलाकृतीच वाचायला हवी, अनुवादाच्या कुबड्या कश्याला हव्यात? पण ह्यावेळी माझा नाईलाज झाला कारण भावना सोमेय्यांच्या ’टेक २५’ ची मूळ इंग्रजी आवृत्ती लायब्ररीत नाहिये. सहज म्हणून अनुक्रमणिका चाळली तेव्हा बासु भट्टाचार्य, अपर्णा सेन, राजेश खन्ना, रेखा, जया बच्चन अश्या अनेक जणांच्या मुलाखती आहेत असं दिसलं त्यामुळे अगदीच रहावलं नाही आणि मी पुस्तक घेऊन आले.

हिंदी पिक्चर थिएटरमधे जाऊन पाहिल्याला अनेक वर्ष लोटली पण जुने हिंदी चित्रपट, त्यातले कलाकार, दिग्दर्शक, संगीतकार, गीतकार ह्याबद्दल जबरदस्त कुतूहल आहे, जाणून घ्यायची इच्छा आहे. कसे बनतात चित्रपट, कलाकार आपल्या भूमिकांबाबत कसा विचार करतात, त्याबाबत ते समाधानी असतात का - एक ना दोन अनेक प्रश्न. कबूल आहे की एक पुस्तक वाचून सगळ्यांची उत्तरं मिळणं अशक्य आहे. तरी पुस्तकाने माझी निराशा केली नाही हे नक्की. आपण प्रेक्षक थिएटरात जातो, पिक्चर आवडला तर ठीक नाहीतर पैसे पाण्यात गेले म्हणून दिग्दर्शकाच्या नावाने, कलाकारांच्या नावाने शंख करतो पण ह्यामागे किती लोकांची किती मेहनत आहे हे लक्षात घेत नाही. हां, एक मात्र आहे, काही काही चित्रपट एव्हढे वाईट असतात की आपल्याला वाटतंच ’अरे, हा पिक्चर वाईट आहे हे आपल्याला दिसतं तर दिग्दर्शक, कलाकार ह्यांना कळलं नसेल का?’

असो. तर पुस्तकाविषयी. रेखाची एक अत्यंत खाजगी प्रश्न विचारलेली मुलाखत सोडली तर बाकीच्या मुलाखतीत लेखिकेने बरेच संयत आणि माहितीपूर्ण प्रश्न विचारल्याचं जाणवतं. मला स्वत:ला तर नीतू सिंगची मुलाखत अतिशय आवडली. एक नायिका म्हणून नाही तर एक व्यक्ती म्हणून ती इतकी छान वाटते ना की मी तर तिची फ़ॆनच झालेय :-)

अंजनी नरवणे ह्यांनी अनुवादाचं काम चांगलं केलंय तरी काही ठिकाणी Third Person मधले उल्लेख मराठीत आणतान कृत्रिमपणा जाणवतो. तसंच अनेक ठिकाणी ’रसप्रद’ ह्या शब्दाचा त्यांनी केलेला उल्लेख फ़ार खटकतो. बहुतेक interesting ह्या मूळ शब्दाचं ते मराठी रुपडं असावं असं बाकीच्या संदर्भावरून वाटतं. ’रंजक’ हा शब्द अधिक योग्य वाटला असता का?

हे पुस्तक जवळजवळ वाचून संपलंय. A Princess Remembers हे पुस्तक आणायचा बेत आहे. ह्याचीही अनुवादित आवृत्तीच बहुधा लायब्ररीत उपलब्ध असणार पण मूळ पुस्तक कधी वाचायला मिळेल ह्याची खात्री नसल्याने सध्या तरी अनुवादच वाचायचा ठरवतेय. भारताच्या स्वातंत्र्यासोबत खालसा झालेल्या ह्या राजे-रजवाड्यांचे राजवाडे चित्रात किंवा प्रत्यक्षात पाहून कधीकधी हे सगळं खालसा झाल्याचं वाईट वाटतं खरं, नाही असं नाही. पाहू या तरी ह्या राणीचं जीवन कसं होतं ते :-)

2011-12-02T20:50:00.001+05:30

I have finished reading the second chapter of 'Bhagwad Geeta - As It Is' and will start with the next one in a day or two. Must confess that sometimes the going seems a bit tough as the explanations that follow a shloka are couched in a very heavy (at least for me!) philosophical language. But I am not the one to give up. :-)

It is both fun and frustrating to try to read the original Sanskrit verses and try to understand their meaning without looking at their English translation. It has been years since my 3 years of Sanskrit study in school. Obviously, I don't know many words and many times it is nearly impossible to bring them in order so as to construct the sentence. It is fun when I get it right and frustrating when I don't. But I am happy because I think this whole activity is serving two purposes - one is obviously to read the holy book (which I have thought of doing since quite a few years) and the other one is to engage in study of the language. I agree that this is not a proper study but I think it is one tiny step in that direction. Better a baby step than none, right?

But I guess it will be a difficult task to learn by heart the whole book. Roughly, even if I take 3 months to learn one chapter by heart, it will be four and a half years before I can learn the whole book - provided I keep at it diligently.

Well, I guess I shouldn't worry about it as of now. If that's meant to be, it will happen :-)

Discover Your Destiny - by Robin Sharma

2011-12-02T20:32:00.000+05:30

I had liked Robin Sharma's 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari' so much that I have bought a copy of it. So, it was with great expectations that I brought home his 'Discover Your Destiny'. However, I must say that I was in for a mighty disappointment. :-(

Usually I don't leave any book unfinished but I couldn't go beyond first 4-5 chapters in this one. Thinking back, the only takeaway that I seem to remember is 'Do your best and leave the rest to the almighty' because life works itself out in such a way that at any point you are exactly at the point where you are meant to be. Now, doesn't the 2nd chapter of Bhagwad Geeta talk about exactly the same thing in its famous 'KarmaNyevaadhikaraste' shloka? No matter what mentions this thought - be it Bhagwad Geeta or Sharma's book - I am not entirely convinced by it. At best, it seems merely comforting because no matter what anyone does he/she can never guarantee a particular outcome of his/her actions. At worst, it seems horribly wrong - especially when I look at a beggar on the street or an old vendor peddling his goods when he should be resting at home. Did life actually mean this for these people? If no, then the thought falls flat on its face. If yes, then maybe it's that old cycle of Karma working itself out again. The next question then is - should we stop donating to charitable causes that help under-privileged people because these people need to work out their karma in this life? That sounds horrifying.

Oh well, the more you think, the more complicated it gets.

Anyways, about the book. As I was saying, after that takeaway, the book just seemed to go round and round about the same in the next chapter or two. I tried my best to get on with reading but it was an impossible task given that I had totally lost interest. So finally one evening I just picked it up and returned it to the library :-(

2011-11-25T22:53:00.004+05:30

And now 2 books for afternoon readings in an armchair well into my retirement years - First one, The Cairo Trilogy and the second one, The Tomb Of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter ;-) Incidentally, the sealed doorway was breached to reveal the tomb on 26th November, 1922 - precisely 89 years ago.

2011-11-25T22:46:00.002+05:30

Do you believe in re-incarnation? Whatever your answer, you might find it interesting to read about Dorothy Eady- an Englishwoman who believed that she was born in ancient Egypt in an earlier life. What's notable is that leading Egyptologists didn't think of her as a nutcase but valued her opinions.

2011-11-25T22:23:00.002+05:30

I am sitting down to browse through the Notes section of my mobile - sifting through the entries, trawling the internet for tidbits of information jotted down while reading a book or some newspaper article. I will note down some of them on this blog so I can maybe come back to them when I have some more time. And then I will delete them from my phone. This has become almost a monthly ritual now. Sometimes when I am jotting down these notes on the phone I wonder if I will ever have time to go through them in detail. It's akin to the feeling that I have when I thumb through the thick notebooks looking for a recipe from the thousands accumulated over the years. Will I ever try even 1% of these?

Oh well, let's hope for the best, shall we? So here's one such entry - a poem dedicated to curry by William Makepeace (rather an odd middle name, don't you think?) Thackeray. I was looking for the entire collection called 'Kitchen Melodies' which contains this poem. But I guess I will have to buy the book for that.

Do check it out if you are a curry fan :-)

2011-11-23T21:15:00.000+05:30

नुकतेच मीना प्रभू ह्यांचं 'इजिप्तायन' हे पुस्तक वाचून संपवलं. नाव जरी 'इजिप्तायन' असलं तरी इजिप्तसोबत जॉर्डन आणि इस्त्रायल ह्या देशांच्या सफरीची माहिती ह्यात आहे. वाचून खरोखर थक्क झाले. एकटीने आणि तेही आधी फारशी तजवीज न करता ह्या तिन्ही देशांत फिरून येणार्या लेखिकेचं कौतुक वाटलं. नाहीतर आम्ही कुठे जायचं म्हटलं की विमान वेळेवर सुटेल ना, ट्रेनमध्ये खिडकीकडची जागा मिळेल ना, होटेल कसं असेल ह्या विवंचनेत सहलीचा आनंद घ्यायचं पण विसरतो. रहाण्याची सोय, प्रवासाचं गणित आणि साईटसिइंग ह्या त्रिकोनाच्या तिन्ही बाजू जुळवता जुळवता नाकी नऊ येतात. खांद्यावर पडशी टाकून मुसाफिरी करण्याचं स्वप्न ह्या जन्मी तरी स्वप्नच रहाणार. असो.

तरीही लेखिकेने केल्या त्या दोन गोष्टी मी कधीच करू शकणार नाही. एक म्हणजे एखाद्या पर्यटन स्थळात गाईड किंवा तिथे काम करणारे रखवालदार ह्याच्यासोबत आजूबाजूला कोणी नसताना एकटीने तिथे फिरणे. ह्यात धोका आहे ही बाब नजरेआड करता येण्यासारखी नाही. कबुल आहे की ह्या बंधनामुळे केवळ पर्यटकांची गर्दी असलेल्या जागाच पहाता येतील पण 'सर सलामत तो पगडी पचास' हेही तितकच खरं नाही का? दुसरं म्हणजे मुस्लीम धर्माचा पगडा असलेल्या देशात त्यातल्या बाकी धर्मियांना अनिष्ट वाटणार्या प्रथांबद्दल बोलणे उदा. हिजाब, जिलबाब. त्या लोकांना बाकीच्या धर्माबद्दल कितीही कुतूहल असलं तरी त्यांच्यातले बरेचसे लोक दुसऱ्या धर्मांबद्दल फारसे सहिष्णू नसतात आणि स्वत:च्या धर्माबद्दल काही शंका असल्याच तरी त्याबद्दल दुसर्या धर्माच्या व्यक्तीने मत व्यक्त केलेलं ते खपवून घेतीलच असंही नाही. मग कशाला विषाची परीक्षा घ्या?

एकदा विचार आला होता की तिन्ही देशातल्या लेखिकेने पाहिलेल्या स्थळाबद्दलची माहिती टिपून ठेवावी. मग लक्षात आलं की अस २-३ महिने सलग फिरणं आपल्याला सध्या तरी शक्य होणार नाही. :-( तरी ह्या पुस्तकाच्या निमित्ताने ह्या तिन्ही देशांना जायचंय ह्या बेताची पुन्हा एकदा आठवण झाली हेही नसे थोडके.

अजून ह्याच लेखिकेचं 'चीनी माती' वाचायचं आहे. पण आता ते बहुतेक पुढल्या वर्षीच वाचेन. सध्या रॉबिन शर्मांच Discover Your Destiny घेऊन आलेय.

2011-11-08T17:52:00.000+05:30

काही दिवसांपूर्वी एक संस्कृत श्लोक वाचनात आला:

परप्रयुक्त: पुरुषो विचेष्टते
सूत्रप्रोता दारुमयीव योषा

म्हणजे कळसूत्री बाहुली ज्याप्रमाणे सूत्रधाराच्या इच्छेनुसार हालचाली करते त्याप्रमाणे मनुष्य ईश्वराच्या इच्छेनुसार हालचाली करतो.

ह्याच अर्थाचं एक इंग्लिश वाक्य काही दिवसांनी वाचलं.

You walk in the direction God points you

किती साम्य आहे ना दोन्ही वाक्यांत? :-)

2011-11-08T16:12:00.005+05:30

Whatever else anyone might say about the new TRAI regulations on SMS, I am happy that I don't have to reach for my phone at every beep to find the SMS is from someone who is offering me an opportunity to work from home or trying to sell something that I absolutely don't need. I don't know for how long this calm will last but for now, I am enjoying it :-)

हेपी बर्थडे पु.लं.

2011-11-08T15:55:00.000+05:30

खरं सांगू का? तुम्ही आमच्यातून गेला आहात हे मला अजूनही खरंच वाटत नाहिये. कारण तुमच्या पुस्तकांच्या पानांपानांतून तुम्ही भेटत होतात, भेटत आहात आणि भेटत रहाल. घरापासून दूर परक्या देशात, परक्या लोकांत असताना तिथे रुळेपर्यंत तुमच्याच पुस्तकांनीच आधार दिला. खरं तर ती पुस्तकं अश्या काळातली जो काळ माझ्या पिढीने कधी पाहिलाच नाही. तरी तो आपला वाटत राहिला, नॊस्टेल्जिक करत राहिला. फ़्लॆट संस्कृतीत वाढलेल्या मला चाळीची ओळख तुमच्या बटाट्याच्या चाळीने करून दिली. "अरेरे! आपण चाळीत का वाढलो नाही" हे तेव्हाच्या वयात वाटायला लावायची किमया तुमच्याच लेखणीची. तुमच्या नंदा प्रधानाने रडवलं, पेस्तनकाकांनी हसवलं....आणि त्याच वेळी आयुष्य़ आयुष्य़ ज्याला म्हणतो त्याबद्दल बरंच काही शिकवलं. किती लिहू आणि काय लिहू? ही यादी न संपणारी आहे. तुमचं ऋण न फ़िटणारं आहे किंवा मला ते फ़ेडायचंच नाहिये म्हणा ना.

आता श्रीकांत मोघे तुमची ’वायावरची वरात’ घेऊन आलेत. हा प्रयोग पहायची आशा मलाही आहे. तुमच्याच भाषेत सांगायचं तर ’कधीकधी देवाजी कृपा करतो’, हो ना? बघू माझ्यावर कधी ही कृपा होते.

चला, मग भेटू यात पुन्हा तुमच्या पुस्तकांतून. आत्ता तुमच्या ’हॆपी बर्थढेंच्युयु’ साठी हे कॆडबरी सेलेब्रेशन्स माझ्याकडून :-)

झोपी गेलेला जागा झाला - एक धम्माल-ए-धम्माल अनुभव

2011-11-08T12:55:00.003+05:30

हर्बेरियमतर्फ़े येणारं शेवटचं नाटक म्हणून ’झोपी गेलेला जागा झाला’ ची जाहिरात आली तेव्हाच ठरवलं होतं की काहीही झालं तरी हे नाटक चुकवायचं नाही. ह्याआधी आलेलं ’आंधळं दळतंय’ पाहणं मनात असूनही शक्य झालं नव्हतं. १ तास रांगेत उभं राहून मान आणि पाठीचं धिरडं करून घेऊन तिकिट घेतलं. आणि प्रयोग पाहिल्यावर त्याचं अक्षरश: सार्थक झाल्यासारखं वाटलं. :-)

विजू खोटे, सतीश पुळेकर, सुनिल बर्वे, संपदा जोगळेकर, दिन्यार तिरंदाजच काय पण इतर सहकलाकारांचीही काम सुरेख होती. चक्क भरत जाधवचं कामही मला आवडलं. खास लक्षात राहतील ते सतीश पुळेकरांचे डॊक्टर आठवले आणि सीआयडी इन्स्पेक्टर सावंत झालेल्या संतोष पवारांचा अभिनय. अफ़लातून! दिनूच्या घराचा सेटसुध्दा छानच होता. :-)

फ़क्त २५ प्रयोग आणि त्यामुळे तिकिट काढायला होणारी प्रेक्षकांची गर्दी नसती ना तर मी पुन्हा एकदा नक्की हे नाटक पाहिलं असतं. ’सूर्याची पिल्लं’, ’हमिदाबाईची कोठी’ आणि ’झोपी गेलेला जागा झाला’ सारखी नाटकं पहायची संधी दिल्याबद्दल सुनिल बर्वेचे खरंच मनापासून आभार! आणि पुढच्या वर्षीही हर्बेरियमतर्फ़े आणखी नाटकं घेऊन याच ही कळकळीची विनंती :-)

2011-11-08T12:55:00.001+05:30

गीतेचा पहिला अध्याय काल वाचून संपला. त्यातून Takeaway काय असं जेव्हा मी माझ्या मनाला विचारलं तेव्हा एकच गोष्ट आठवली. अर्जुन कृष्णाला म्हणतो की सगळं सोडून देवाचं नाव घेत बसणं मला शक्य होणार नाही. अगदी खरं आहे ते. मीही पूर्वी बसमधून जाताना बयाचदा काही लोकांना वहीत रामनाम किंवा एखादा श्लोक पुन्हा पुन्हा लिहिताना पाहिलंय. हे मला कधी जमणार नाही आणि का कोणास ठाऊक पण पटतही नाहिये. का ते नेमकं नाही सांगता येणार. ह्यावर कृष्ण अर्जुनाला म्हणतो की मी असं सांगतच नाहिये की तू सगळं कामधाम सोडून देवाची प्रार्थना करत बस. तुझं नेहमीचं काम कर पण त्याचबरोबर देवाचीही आठवण ठेव. हे प्रॆक्टिकल वाटतं खरं पण महाकठिण. माझंच बघा ना, सकाळी ऒफ़िसच्या आधी देवाची पूजा करून निघालं की देव एकदम संध्याकाळी सूर्यास्तानंतर उदबत्ती लावताना आठवतो आणि मग रात्री अंथरुणाला पाठ टेकल्यावर. बाकीचा दिवस आयुष्य नावाचं यंत्र कशाकशाची म्हणून आठवण राहूच देत नाही. मग कुठला देव आणि कुठलं काय? :-( कसं जमवायचं हे सगळं?

पुन्हा एक गोष्ट खटकली. एका श्लोकात अर्जुन म्हणतो की घरात मोठी माणसं नसतील तर कुळातली माणसं बिघडायला वेळ लागत नाही. म्हणून मी इथल्या वडिलधाया माणसांना मारु शकत नाही. हे इथपर्यंत ठीक आहे. (तेव्हाच्या काळात झी वरच्या ’पवित्र रिश्ता’ मधल्या मानवच्या आईसारखे वडिलधारे नसतील बहुतेक!) पण पुढे असा उल्लेख आहे की कुलस्त्रिया बिघडल्या की कुलाच्या धार्मिक रीती वगैरेंचा नाश होतो, वर्णसंकर होतो. ह्या सगळ्यात फ़क्त स्त्रीचीच चूक का? वर्णसंकर करायला फ़क्त एक स्त्रीच जबाबदार असते का? त्यात पुरुषाचा हातभार असतोच ना? मग तो दोषी नाही? का बरं?

बरं, ह्यावरच्या विवरणात हे जे स्वामी प्रभुपाद आहेत त्यांनी म्हटलं आहे की स्त्रिया पुरुषात मिसळू नयेत आणि त्यांचं अध:पतन होऊ नये म्हणून त्यांना धार्मिक कर्मकांडांत गुंतवावं. तसंच स्त्रिया बुध्दिमान नसल्याने त्यांना सदोदित वडिलधाया मंडळींचं मार्गदर्शन असावं. हे वाचून मी फ़क्त ’हरे राम’ एव्हढंच म्हटलं. :-(

2011-11-04T17:13:00.002+05:30

So people are advising Sushil Kumar (winner of Rs 5 Crore Jackpot in KBC) on what he should do with his money. I am no personal finance wiz but nevertheless will pitch in with my 2 cents worth:

1. Clear your tax dues (Income tax people are sure to knock on your door.)
2. Buy a house (or two!)
3. Arm yourself and your wife with basic financial education
4. Get a life insurance
5. Get medical insurance for self and family (including parents)
6. Invest for children's education and your retirement but in a mix of financial products that you understand thoroughly and that are in sync with your risk appetite - debt (most probably FDs) and equity (definitely MFs).

Oh, and a few don'ts:

1. Stay away from everyone promising quick guaranteed returns on your investment
2. Stay away from relatives with their imaginary financial woes
3. Never put all eggs in one basket (this sounds like such a cliche)

2011-11-04T17:03:00.003+05:30

Almost every FM channel that I tuned into yesterday had one RJ or other asking listeners about their suggestions on what to do if you find yourself in the shoes of Keenan and Reuben. I wondered what suggestions people could offer. Such criminal behavior can be tackled only if other bystanders are willing to pitch in - which more often than not they aren't. It's sad but it's the fact.

And who can guarantee other people's behavior when most of us cannot predict what our behavior will be if faced with a similar situation? I mean, I might very well say that people should have come to the help of these 2 boys but can I honestly stay that I would have stepped in as well? If I cannot guarantee that, then what right do I have to blame those who didn't?

It sometimes seems like such a hopeless situation. :-(

2011-11-03T17:26:00.000+05:30

Best SMS to drag your friends out of mid-afternoon post-lunch stupor:

लम्हा कोई सुहाना साथ हो ना हो
कलमे आज जैसी बात हो ना हो
आपकी दोस्ती हमेशा इस दिलमे रहेगी
चाहे आपमे इन्सानोवाली कोई बात हो ना हो

2011-11-03T15:27:00.003+05:30

Here's a weird one - a museum of the gifts from an ex-lover. While an unsolicited advice is never welcome - probably the only such free thing on earth - I would still give it. It's best to return all such gifts to the ex - whether you dumped him/her or he/she dumped you - as soon as possible. Best to travel through life with a clean slate, I say.

2011-11-03T14:52:00.000+05:30

खूप दिवसांपासून भगवदगीता वाचायची असं ठरवत होते. पण बेत काही तडीस जात नव्हता. मग पुस्तक समोरच काढून ठेवलं. आता काय बिशाद लागली आहे दुर्लक्ष करण्याची? हे पुस्तक आहे भगवद गीता As it is. सुरुवातीच्या Introduction मधला बराचसा भाग डोक्याच्या खूप उंचावरून गेला. ’कर्म’ ही आजकाल आपल्या सगळ्यांच्याच ओळखीची गोष्ट झाली आहे. पण प्रकृती आणि त्याच्या अनुषंगाने आलेल्या काही व्याख्या एव्हढ्या बाऊन्सर गेल्या की आता आठवू म्हटलं तरी आठ्वत नाहियेत. :-( त्यातून अश्या बाबतीत अस्मादिकांचं डोकं चाळणीलाही लाजवणारं. गळती होत होत शेवटपर्यंत किती उरतंय ते त्या श्रीकृष्णालाच ठाऊक.

शाळेत असताना आठवी ते दहावी संस्कृत घेतलं होतं. त्यामुळे आता मूळ संस्कृतातले श्लोक वाचून अर्थ लावायचा प्रयत्न करतेय - कधी जमतंय, कधी नाही. जमलं की एखाद्या लहान मुलासारखा आनंद होतोय. मग मी गीता विसरून क्षणभर आपण पुन्हा संस्कृतच्या अभ्यासाला सुरुवात केली आहे अश्या दिवास्वप्नात रंगून जातेय. देवा रे! ह्या ओढाळ मनाकडून तूच हे गीतावाचन करून घे आता. पूर्वी अमेरिकेत असताना २ का ३ अध्याय पाठ झाले होते. सहज म्हणून कुठले अध्याय होते ते पहायचा प्रयत्न केला. १ ते १० अध्याय चाळून पाहिले तर एकही श्लोक ओळखीचा दिसेना. धसकलेच एकदम. एव्हढं विसरायला झालंय? पण अकरावा अध्याय उघडला आणि एकदम ओळख पटली. काही दिवस वाचत राहिले तर हा पुन्हा पाठ होईलसं वाटतंय. मग थोडी पुढे गेले आणि पंधरावा अध्याय दिसला. तोही ओळखीचा. ह्यापुढे मात्र गाडी जाईना. दोनच अध्याय पाठ होते का तिसराही होता आणि आता आठ्वत नाहिये? कोणास ठाऊक.

काल सगळी Introduction वाचून संपली. खरं सांगायचं तर त्यातला काही भाग खटकला. एक तर गीता ही अनुभवी, जाणत्या माणसांकडूनच ऐकावी इथपर्यंत ठीक आहे. पण ती disciplic succession मधल्या एखाद्या माणसाकडूनच ऐकावी हा अट्टाहास का ते कळलं नाही. ह्या परंपरेत नसलेली एखादी व्यक्तिही गीतेचा अर्थ जाणून असेल, नाही का? तसंच देवाने सांगितलं आहे म्हणून विश्वास ठेवा हे म्हणणंही पटलं नाही. शेवटची एक गोष्ट म्हणजे एका श्लोकात कृष्णाने असं म्हटलं आहे की माझं नाव घेतल्याने शूद्र, वैश्य किंवा स्त्रियाही मोक्षप्राप्ती करू शकतील. प्रत्यक्ष देवाने त्याच्या लेकरात असा भेदभाव करावा हे विचित्र वाटतं. आपण म्हणतो ना देवाला सगळी सारखीच. मग हे शब्द देवाच्या तोंडचे का वर्णव्यवस्था मानणाया आणखी कोणी नंतर पदरचे घातले?

ह्या सगळ्या प्रश्नांच्या गुंत्यातच आता अध्याय वाचायला सुरु करतेय. मूळ संस्कृतातले श्लोक वाचून अर्थ लावून मग इंग्लीश ट्रान्सलेशन वाचायचं म्हणजे बराच वेळ लागेल. हरकत नाही. सुरुवात केली ही अर्धी लढाई जिंकली. आता रोज वाचत रहाणं ही उरलेली अर्धी. आम्हा सामान्यांना कृष्णासारखा सारथी मिळण्याचं अर्जुनाचं भाग्य नाही पण ’तू ना जाने आसपास है खुदा’ ह्यावर विश्वास आहे. नसेना का माझ्या चर्मचक्षुंना दिसत पण आसपास कुठेतरी माझा कॄष्ण आहे हेच तेव्हढी ताकद द्यायला पुरेसं आहे.

2011-11-02T12:32:00.002+05:30

Finally a quote from Formula One's Bernie Ecclestone:

Women should be all dressed in white like all other domestic appliances

Wonder what Simi Garewal will say to this? :-)

(Source: Dressed in white, but not in the kitchen)

2011-11-02T12:28:00.002+05:30

Wanna plan a trip to a remote Indian village to get a taste of rural India? You might wanna check this out - Villages get tourism boost with Travel Another India.

Birthday Star

2011-11-02T12:24:00.003+05:30

Recently, while reading a Travelogue on Hawaii, I came across the term "Birthday Star". It's basically a star of which distance from earth in light years is same as your age today. In other words, the light that we see from that star today had left it at the time you were born. Cool, huh? To find your Birthday Star, visit Joint Astronomy Centre.

2011-11-02T12:19:00.002+05:30

Nargis from UP is being touted as the world's 7 Billionth baby. But honestly, who can confidently say that in this vast world, some other baby hasn't beaten her to the finish line? Doesn't Media have more important topics to cover?

Cooking is a Rocket Science

2011-11-01T17:37:00.003+05:30

I felt that the challenge in which the Masterchef Australia contestants had to cook up 4 dishes without any recipes was a tough one. How can you figure out all the ingredients that go in the making of any dish just by tasting it? This one brought forth another question which always haunts me every time I eat a tasty dish - who must have thought of this recipe?

I was reading the Mint Indulge issue when I found the answer in Madhu Menon's "Getting It Just Right" article. Most of us stop at "Right Recipes" steps, but I think those of us who enjoy cooking should make a conscious effort to take the baby steps towards learning about Right Ingredients, Right Techniques and Right Flavors. Mastering "Right Balance" seems difficult at best. And I seriously doubt if I will ever get the time or have the enthusiasm to even venture into the last 3 - Right Composition, Right Ideas and Right Learning.

They sure seem like Rocket Science to me! :-)

2011-10-31T10:57:00.001+05:30

अर्ज है.....

अपनी तो मोहबतकी इतनी कहानी है
टूटी हुई कश्टी और ठेहरा हुआ पानी है
एक फ़ूल किताबोंमे दम तोड चुका है
मगर कुछ याद नही आता ये किसकी निशानी है

2011-10-31T10:55:00.000+05:30

Why does Hema Malini want to re-launch her daughter Esha? Heaven knows. But if you haven't yet listened to the song 'Someone Somebody' from this re-launch vehicle titled 'Tell Me O Khuda', I think you should give it a try. It has a catchy tune, albeit slightly on the louder scale. It is hard to find any meaning in Hindi movie songs these days, even if you can figure out what the exact words are. But some of the lines in this song might make sense to a lot of us - no matter what the age group.

2011-10-31T10:52:00.002+05:30

Saturday morning was 'Call-Customer-Service Day'. First, a call to the Internet Service Provider where I was kept on hold for close to 10 minutes. Tired of listening to the same song, I hung up and called my mobile service provider. I explained to the person that I should have been given discount for the entire number of local messages that I had sent and not a partial one. He too kept me on hold for what seemed like eternity and then told me that he agreed with me! I was told that a request had been made to adjust the amount in the next billing cycle. I should have been given the request number without asking for it but I wasn't so I asked for it. Still, I am not sure that the amount will be adjusted. Oh, and BTW, I didn't even bring up the issue of the service charge and Cess that was levied on top of this extra amount. Who will argue with the customer representative for 2-3 rupees? And that too, on a Saturday morning when the thought of going to office after a break of 5 days is just haunting you like hell. :-)

After that it was back to the Internet Service Provider. This time, I got through and an impersonal recorded voice read out summary of my account - without once asking for my customer account number. I was dumbstruck for a moment. For a bizarre moment it felt as if I have forgotten to log off a site and on returning to the page can see my account details. Did I or didn't I call the mobile service provider in between? Then it struck me that they probably have a new system in place that ties up customer's mobile number with their customer account number. I felt rather silly after I made that deduction.

But for a moment I was totally zapped. Guess the brain is addled up after eating too many Diwali sweets :-)

2011-10-31T10:51:00.001+05:30

I am not much for revamping my wardrobe as per the current rules of the ever-changing game called 'fashion'. But even a fashion-ignorant person like me thinks that some rules are too sacred to be broken.

That's why I did a double take when I saw 2 grown-up men with identical shirts in a shopping mall over the weekend. Lest you get any ideas, both had their wives in tow. Of course, the men appeared to be twins. But guys, twins in identical shirts look cute and adorable and all that as long as their respective age is in single digits, don't you think so? :-(

2011-10-31T10:48:00.000+05:30

लोकसत्तात दररोज येणारी त्यांच्या दिवाळी अंकातल्या लेखांबद्दलची माहिती वाचून अंकाबद्दल उत्सुकता निर्माण झाली होती. म्हणून मागच्या सोमवारीच अंक घेऊन आले आणि दिवाळीच्या दिवशी अधिरतेने अंक उघडला. पण नाही म्हटलं तरी निराशाच पदरी आली.

पहिले ३-४ लेख अमेरिकेत स्थित असलेल्या आणि तिथे बहुराष्ट्रीय कंपन्यांत नोकरी करणाया भारतीयांचे होते. ह्या लेखांचं प्रयोजन कळलं नाही. वेगळं सांगण्यासारखं असं ह्यांच्यात काहीही नव्हतं. तीच गोष्ट विनोदी लेखांची. एकही लेख ’विनोदी’ वाटला नाही. :-(

सचिन कुंडलकर ह्यांनी लिहिलेला ’ज्याचा त्याचा प्रश्न’ हा लेख वाचून तर हसावं का रडावं हेच कळेना झालं. कोणाच्याही खाजगी आयुष्य़ात नाक खुपसायचा इतरांना हक्क नाही हे लेखकाचं मत अगदी मान्य. आपल्या क्षेत्रात दैदिप्यमान कामगिरी असणाया व्यक्तिचं खाजगी आयुष्य हे त्या कामगिरीचं मूल्यमापन करण्यात गणलं जाऊ नये हेही मान्य. पण म्हणून ’जबरदस्तीचे शारिरिक संबंध सोडता समाजात इतर सर्व प्रकारचे लैंगिक संबंध मोकळेपणे चालू रहावेत अशी माझी इच्छा आहे’ असं म्हणणाया लेखकाची खरोखर कीव आली. लोकांना काहीतरी धक्कादायक वाचायला द्यावं असा एकमेव हेतू लिखाणामागे आहे की काय अशी शंका यावी इतपत ह्या मताच्या समर्थनार्थ त्यांनी मांडलेले मुद्दे तकलादू वाटले. तुम्हाला काय करायचं ते करा हो, बाकीच्या समाजाने काय करावं त्याची नसती उठाठेव कशाला?

’हरवलेल्या दिवसांची गोष्ट’ हाही लेख काही उमजला नाही. आयुष्यातल्या आठवणींचे तुकडे, किंवा कोलाज म्हणा हवं तर, ह्यापलिकडे जाऊन ह्या लेखात नेमकं काय सांगायचं आहे ते निदान मला तरी अजिबात समजलं नाही.

ह्याउलट ’फ़िरुनी पुन्हा भेटेन मी’ हा रविंन्द्र पाथरे ह्यांचा अमृता प्रीतमवरचा लेख आवडला. तसंच ’फ़रिश्ता’, न्यू हनुमान थिएटर आणि सत्यदेव दुबेंवरचे सर्व लेख माहितीपूर्ण होते. ’रॊबर्ट फ़्रॊस्टच्या शेतावर’ वाचून तर अमेरिकेत असताना ह्या जागेला भेट दिली नाही ह्याबद्दल खेद वाटला. पण फ़्रॊस्टच्या कविता वाचून काढायचं मात्र ठरवलं आहे, हा निश्चय कितपत तडीस जातो ते पहायचं. ’गिधाडांवर धाड’, ’खारे पिस्ते’, ’कांदा फ़ेस्टिव्हल’ हे लेख वाचूनही छान माहिती मिळाली. गिरिश कुबेर ह्यांचा ’त्रिशंकूंची पैदास’ हा लेख आजकाल चालणाया मिडिया सर्कसवर विचार करायला लावणारा होता.

हा अनुभव घेऊनही दिवाळी अंक वाचायची हौस काही अजून फ़िटलेली नाहिये. लोकसत्तात भटकंती आणि समदा ह्या अंकांबद्दलची आलेली माहिती आवडली. मिळाले तर वाचायचा बेत आहे. पाहू मिळतात का ते.

दिवाळीच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा!

2011-10-27T21:19:00.001+05:30

माझ्या सर्व गुणी मित्र-मैत्रिणींना दिवाळीच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा!
आपण रोजच बाहेर दिवे लावता
आता चार दिवस घरातच दिवे लावा :-)

2011-10-27T21:15:00.000+05:30

एका मित्राने फ़ॊरवर्ड केलेलं काही.....

मैत्रीचे कट्टे आजकाल ओस पडतात
कोणी ऒर्कूटवर तर कोणी फ़ेसबुकवर जमतात
प्रत्यक्ष भेटीत सगळेच बुचकळयात पडतात
कारण सगळे विषय चॆटवरच संपलेले असतात
मग चॆटवरच भेटू असं प्रॊमिस होतं
आणि संभाषणातून साईनआऊट केलं जातं

ऎव्हेलेबल आणि बिझी मधे प्रत्येकाचा स्टेट्स घुटमळत रहातो
आपणहून ऎड केलेल्या मित्रापासून लपण्याकरता इनव्हिजिबलचा आडोसा घेतला जातो
ताप आल्याचं आजकाल आईच्या आधी फ़ेसबुकला कळतं
औषधापेक्षा टेक केयर च्या डोसनेच तापालाही पळायला होतं

कधीतरी वाटतं पुन्हा कट्ट्यावर जमावं
चॆटला गप्पांनी आणि स्माईलीला हास्यानी रिप्लेस करावं
शब्दापेक्षा सोबतीचं सामर्थ्य जास्त असतं
मैत्रीचं खरं समाधान खांद्यावरच्या हातात असतं

चला तर पूर्वीचे दिवस पुन्हा अनुभवू या
मैत्रीला टेक्नॊलीजीपासून जपून ठेवू या

Quiz Show

2011-10-23T22:38:00.003+05:30

Though the movie channels continue to air oft-repeated movies in the prime-time slots, they never fail to air good never-before-seen movies at other times. I watched a bit of one such movie - Quiz Show - last week. It is based on a true story about a fixed quiz show.

There is a scene in which Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes) tells his father that he hasn't found anything which will make him as happy as he was when he used to come home from school and sit down to a plate of cookies and glass of cold milk from the fridge.

I liked that dialogue so much that I searched for it on imdb.com and on the net. But it is not mentioned in the Quotable Quotes from the movie anywhere.

Surprising? Maybe not.

2011-10-23T22:25:00.003+05:30

Currently, I am reading a travelogue in Marathi. I came across references to 2 books in it. One is Deceit at Pearl Harbor. This one, written by Ken Landis - lone survivor of Admiral Kimmel's staff - claims that the attack on the harbor wasn't so much of a surprise as the US led the world to believe, but a ploy to enter WW2. Sounds like a conspiracy theory? Who knows? The truth, as they say in X Files, is out there.

The other book is The Third Eye which was supposedly written by a Tibetan monk, who upon later investigation turned out to be an Englishman who had never been to Tibet. And yet, the book continued to be popular.

Hope I will be able to curl up with these books on some rainy afternoon in not-too-distant future :-)

2011-10-18T16:37:00.001+05:30

अर्ज है.....

गुजर गये वो चमनसे बहारकी तरह
आखोमे बस गये है इंतजारकी तरह
कैसे भुला दे उन्हे हम अपनी यादोंसे
उन्होने इन्कारभी किया इझहार की तरह

(From the internet)

1-Nod Ordering Patent

2011-10-18T16:27:00.002+05:30

If sources are to be believed, even Mr. Spock would be able to order from Amazon.com soon by just raising his eyebrow.

I am talking about Amazon's 1-Nod Ordering Patent here, which, it is claimed, would let people make purchases with a nod, a smile, or even a raise of the eyebrow. This reminded me of my one of my ex-bosses - an American with 3 Indians in his team who were inclined to nod their heads instead of clearly saying 'Yes' or 'No'. 'Do you mean Yes or No?' he would often ask, perplexed - before he got used to the gesture that is :-)

In the meantime, I have found the perfect first order for Mr. Spock :-)

2011-10-18T14:47:00.002+05:30

Someone caught cold in the office and now the bug is everywhere. I am, of course, one of the first few to fall victim. A leash on temper was never my claim to fame. And the temper seems to be on an even shorter fuse since yesterday because of the general fatigue that cold never tires of bringing with it. I have been trying to keep a lid on it. May God help my team!

And now the weather department has forecast 3 days of rains in the city. That, of course, means dark skies n cool breezes in the evenings, not to mention, the pitter patter of raindrops and smell of wet earth. Unfortunately it also means that I will have more members in the sick bay. In this case, the more is, definitely not, the merrier!

2011-10-17T17:43:00.000+05:30

जगजितने गायलेल्या एका गझलेच्या ओळी वाचल्या.....

अब खुशी है ना कोई दर्द रुलानेवाला
हमने अपना लिया हर दर्द जमानेवाला
उसको रुखसत तो किया पर ये मालूम न था
सारा घर ले गया घर छोडकर जानेवाला

आमच्या सगळ्यांच्या मनातलं कित्ती आणि कायकाय घेऊन गेला आहेस रे तू जाताना :-(

ह्या फ़ुलांच्या गंधकोषी.....

2011-10-17T17:42:00.000+05:30

आज सकाळचीच गोष्ट. देवाच्या पूजेची फ़ुलं संपत आली आहेत म्हणून ऒफ़िसला जाता जाता नेहमीच्या फ़ुलवालीकडे गेले. झेंडूची, जास्वंदीची, शेवंतीची फ़ुलं, दुर्वा, तुळस, बेल, निशिगंध - काय काय घेऊन बसली होती ती. मग ’बेल कमी घाला, झेंडूची छोटी फ़ुलं घाला, दुर्वा जास्त घाला’ वगैरे नेहमीच्या सूचना झाल्यावर फ़ुलं घेऊन मी बाहेर पडले.

ही फ़ुलं उगवतात कोणाच्या बागेत, मुंबईत कशी येतात, ह्या फ़ुलवालीकडे कोण आणतं असे प्रश्न कधी पडले नाहीत किंवा पडले तरी तिथून निघाल्यावर डोक्यात उरले नाहीत. आज लोकप्रभात एक लेख वाचला तेव्हा फ़ुलांच्या खरेदी-विक्रीचं एक कधी न बघितलेलं विश्वच डॊळ्यांसमोर उभं राहिलं. २० रुपयांची फ़ुलं माझ्या फ़ुलांच्या पिशवीत येण्यात आणि मग पुढले ७-८ दिवस देवघरातल्या देवांवर सजण्यात किती अदृष्य हात लागत असतील ह्याची तेव्हा कल्पना आली.

गेल्या काही महिन्यांपासून रोज रात्री झोपताना देवाकडे एक प्रार्थना करतेय - माझ्या पोटात अन्न जाण्यात ज्यांचा ज्यांचा हात आहे त्यांना सगळ्यांना सुखी ठेव अशी. आता रोजची पूजा करताना ह्या लोकांसाठीसुध्दा प्रार्थना करेन. फ़ुलांचा धंदा ही त्यांची रोजीरोटी असली तरी ते ती इमानेइतबारे करताहेत म्हणून तर माझी देवपूजा नीट चाललेय ना?