Not that they (books) come alive in him (the collector), it is he who lives in them.
- Walter Benjamin
- Walter Benjamin
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
I should have been relaxed. It was a Saturday morning after all. But I had a lot of errands to run and couldn't have afforded a delay anywhere. Obviously, the very first delay occurred at the bank when the cashier told me that she would not be able to process my withdraw request for at least 15 minutes owing to some technical glitch. Now you might wonder why I wanted to visit the bricks-and-mortar avatar of the bank instead of heading for the nearest ATM. Well, ATMs don't churn out the currency notes in the exact denominations that I want, at least not all of them.
I took a deep cleansing breath and prayed to the God Almighty that the glitch is sorted soon. But I couldn't wait as that would have delayed my appointment for the haircut. Maybe if my stylist has arrived early at the salon I would be done with it earlier than planned - I knew this was wishful thinking but I willed every ounce of mental power I had to make it come true. Turns out that wasn't enough. It became pretty clear quickly that I would have to cool my heels (and my head!) for a better part of 15 minutes.
Frustrated, I made a couple of phone calls, arranged for a set of documents to be picked up from my place, sent a few pending texts, put in place a few reminders. But when I looked at the mobile screen again (I don't even remember the last time I used a watch!), only 5 minutes had flown by. What? That's impossible! Am I in some kind of slow time zone here? Is the earth's crust different at this place than the outside world? Or does time pass by in a slow motion when you simply don't have anything to do but wait? I normally carry some reading material with him to guard against precisely this situation but I had been pretty confident that my carefully laid-out plan will function like clockwork. And so there was nothing to read, except a few grooming magazines in a rack beside me. I picked up one reluctantly and realized in a minute that reading it would be even more wasteful use of my time because I wasn't interested in what shade of lipstick Kareena wears or what kind of mascara she uses.
Use of my time! I suddenly stopped short at these words as I realized that I was stressing myself out trying to use every minute available. Rather I was trying to squeeze out every minute dry. While it is good to be efficient it is also necessary to what they call 'smell the roses'. And that's what precisely I had forgotten all about. Why couldn't I sit and do nothing even for 5 minutes? It wasn't that I was going to die that day. And even if I was, whatever tasks I was hurrying to complete wouldn't be that terribly important anyways.
Another deep cleansing breath! I put my phone in the purse, relaxed my posture and started looking out the glass door - at the cars zooming past, at the people hurrying to jobs or returning from their morning walks. I observed the attendant sweep the floor, dust the chairs, re-arrange the magazines. In fact, I was so absorbed in doing all this that I hardly noticed when my stylist called out to me.
As I got up I wondered if I will ever get a chance to do this again. No, the question was will I remember to this again even if I get such a chance.
I took a deep cleansing breath and prayed to the God Almighty that the glitch is sorted soon. But I couldn't wait as that would have delayed my appointment for the haircut. Maybe if my stylist has arrived early at the salon I would be done with it earlier than planned - I knew this was wishful thinking but I willed every ounce of mental power I had to make it come true. Turns out that wasn't enough. It became pretty clear quickly that I would have to cool my heels (and my head!) for a better part of 15 minutes.
Frustrated, I made a couple of phone calls, arranged for a set of documents to be picked up from my place, sent a few pending texts, put in place a few reminders. But when I looked at the mobile screen again (I don't even remember the last time I used a watch!), only 5 minutes had flown by. What? That's impossible! Am I in some kind of slow time zone here? Is the earth's crust different at this place than the outside world? Or does time pass by in a slow motion when you simply don't have anything to do but wait? I normally carry some reading material with him to guard against precisely this situation but I had been pretty confident that my carefully laid-out plan will function like clockwork. And so there was nothing to read, except a few grooming magazines in a rack beside me. I picked up one reluctantly and realized in a minute that reading it would be even more wasteful use of my time because I wasn't interested in what shade of lipstick Kareena wears or what kind of mascara she uses.
Use of my time! I suddenly stopped short at these words as I realized that I was stressing myself out trying to use every minute available. Rather I was trying to squeeze out every minute dry. While it is good to be efficient it is also necessary to what they call 'smell the roses'. And that's what precisely I had forgotten all about. Why couldn't I sit and do nothing even for 5 minutes? It wasn't that I was going to die that day. And even if I was, whatever tasks I was hurrying to complete wouldn't be that terribly important anyways.
Another deep cleansing breath! I put my phone in the purse, relaxed my posture and started looking out the glass door - at the cars zooming past, at the people hurrying to jobs or returning from their morning walks. I observed the attendant sweep the floor, dust the chairs, re-arrange the magazines. In fact, I was so absorbed in doing all this that I hardly noticed when my stylist called out to me.
As I got up I wondered if I will ever get a chance to do this again. No, the question was will I remember to this again even if I get such a chance.
Hathee Singh Temple, Ahmedabad
We had decided to go to either the Sun Temple at Modera or archaeological site Lothal but shelved the plans to take it easy. On the last day, we made a trip to the main outlet of the famous Kandoi sweets, which, as mentioned in one of my earlier posts, proved totally fruitless.
Two more places were on our agenda - the first being the mosque of Sidi Sayed which is located near the Lal Darwaza. The reason was to take a look at the 'Jali' - a mesh covering ten semi circular windows. I had my doubts about women being allowed inside the mosque but I did not voice them. Maybe I can take some photos from outside. When we reached the spot, the place didn't look like a conventional mosque. It was an open area and there wasn't a soul in sight except for a few tourists. I almost forgot about the 'women not allowed' rule till a woman tourist pointed it out to me. There it was, mentioned clearly on a board. No one in the group was as enthusiastic as I was about visiting this place anyways and since I wouldn't be able to go in, we turned on our heels and left the place. I have vowed never to include a mosque in my itinerary anymore.
The second place was the Hathee Singh temple, a very famous Jain temple constructed in 1850 AD by a, need I say wealthy, Jain merchant Seth Hathee Singh. I have had my share of experiences at the temples in South India - you have to be clad in a saree to be allowed in and so on. So I had checked beforehand at the hotel and had been assured that no such rules exist in this temple. I had read on the internet that this temple is built using white marbles and has lots of intricate carvings. But you really have to see it to believe it. The courtyard is surrounded by small shrines, 52 in all, if what's mentioned on the internet is to be believed - each of the shrines being dedicated to a Tirthankara. I would have loved to spend hours here, checking out the carvings leisurely. Alas, in India, temples are the last places to afford you any sense of peace or space, unless they are tucked away on a hill or in a remote area. No chance of getting spiritual at all. So after clicking the customary photos, we bid adieu.
Two more places were on our agenda - the first being the mosque of Sidi Sayed which is located near the Lal Darwaza. The reason was to take a look at the 'Jali' - a mesh covering ten semi circular windows. I had my doubts about women being allowed inside the mosque but I did not voice them. Maybe I can take some photos from outside. When we reached the spot, the place didn't look like a conventional mosque. It was an open area and there wasn't a soul in sight except for a few tourists. I almost forgot about the 'women not allowed' rule till a woman tourist pointed it out to me. There it was, mentioned clearly on a board. No one in the group was as enthusiastic as I was about visiting this place anyways and since I wouldn't be able to go in, we turned on our heels and left the place. I have vowed never to include a mosque in my itinerary anymore.
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| Hathee Singh Temple |
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
३. वसा, दिवाळी अंक २०१४
लोकसत्तामध्ये दिवाळी अंकांचं परिक्षण येतं ते वाचून मी ५ अंकांची एक लिस्ट बनवली होती. त्यात 'वसा' एक होता. मागच्या आठवड्यात शिवाजी मंदिराच्या मेजेस्टीक दालनात उत्साहाने गेले खरी पण फक्त 'वसा' च मिळाला. मी इतकी हिरमुसले की तो पण घ्यावा की नाही असा विचार आला मनात. पण तो घेऊन घरी आले हे चांगलं केलं. ह्या निमित्ताने एक वेगळा अंक वाचायला मिळाला.
अंकाची सुरुवात होते ती पहिल्या महायुध्दाच्या शंभर वर्षांच्या निमित्ताने लिहीलेल्या तीन लेखांनी. पहिल्या महायुध्दातल्या भारतीय सैनिकांच्या सहभागाबद्दल लिहिलेला समीर कर्वे ह्यांचा, युध्द ह्या विषयावर आधारित विदेशी चित्रपटांवरचा अभिजीत रणदिवे ह्यांचा आणि पोएटस् इन आर्म्स हा युद्ध ह्या ह्या विषयावर कविता करणाऱ्या कवींवरचा डॉ.सुप्रिया सहस्त्रबुद्धे ह्यांचा असे तिन्ही लेख खूप वेगळी छान अशी माहिती वाचल्याचं समाधान देऊन गेले. मनोरंजन आणि ज्ञानात भर म्हणजे आजच्या भाषेत सांगायचं झालं तर 'बाय वन गेट वन फ्री'. :-)
'कथा' विभागात सगळ्यात आवडलेली गोष्ट म्हणजे मनस्विनी लता रविंद्र ह्यांची 'साडेएकतीस वर्षांचा संसार'. विवेक गोविलकरांच्या 'इन्वेस्टमेंट' चा विषय चांगला पण कथा खूप लांबल्यासारखी वाटली. 'गुरुचे चंद्र' ही अनुवादित कथा सुरुवातीला छान वाटली मात्र पुढे फारशी कळली नाही. एकदा मुळातून वाचावी काय?
'लेख' हा विभाग माझ्यासारख्या गंभीर वाचन न करणाऱ्या वाचकांची कसोटी पहाणारा. ;-) ह्यातला दिवंगत पत्रकार डेनिएल पर्ल ह्यांच्या मृत्यूचं रहस्य खणून काढणाऱ्या त्यांच्या सहकारी आणि मैत्रिण आसरा नोमानी ह्यांच्या लेखाचा 'सायली परांजपे' ह्यांनी केलेला अनुवाद भावला. आसरा नोमानी ह्यांचं कौतुक करावं तितकं थोडंच आहे. कसली धडाडीची बाई आहे ही. मुलाला एकटीने वाढवताना आपला जीव धोक्यात घालून हे सगळं प्रकरण धसास लावणं कसं निभावलं असेल तिने? तिच्या शतांशाने देखील वाट्याला आली तरी धन्य समजेन मी स्वत:ला. हिटलरच्या पुस्तकप्रेमावरचा नितीन रिंढे ह्यांचा लेख एक पुस्तकप्रेमी म्हणून आवडला. ह्या निमित्ताने हिटलरची एक वेगळीच बाजू कळली.
'भूमी उसवून भूमिगात होताना' वाचताना थोडं गोंधळ उडाला - हे फिक्शन आहे का सत्यघटना आहेत ह्याबद्दल. पण लेखाने प्रचंड अस्वस्थ केलं. 'हिंदू राष्ट्राच्या दिशेने' ह्या लेखाचा विषय वृत्तपत्रांतून बऱ्याचदा वाचलेला. 'काळ्यांची निळी जखम' मधली माहिती मात्र नवीन. 'अब्राम्हणी निरपेक्षता' आणि 'सकल आनंदाचा प्रदेश' हे लेख उडत उडत वाचले ह्यात चूक सर्वस्वी माझी. आधी एकदा म्हटलं त्याप्रमाणे गंभीर काही वाचायची सवयच नाही.
संतविचारांवर आधारित भागातील 'मन तू पार उतर कहा जइ हो' आवडला पण 'अंतरीचा ज्ञानदिवा' आणि 'नाथसंप्रदाय: अभ्यासाच्या काही दिशा' हेही लेख वरवर वाचले असंच दुर्देवाने म्हणावं लागतंय.
कविता हा विषय शाळेत असल्यापासूनच फारसा समजत नसल्याने 'कविता' विभागाबद्दल काय लिहिणार? :-)
पुढल्या वर्षी ह्या अंकावर नक्की लक्ष ठेवणार.
अंकाची सुरुवात होते ती पहिल्या महायुध्दाच्या शंभर वर्षांच्या निमित्ताने लिहीलेल्या तीन लेखांनी. पहिल्या महायुध्दातल्या भारतीय सैनिकांच्या सहभागाबद्दल लिहिलेला समीर कर्वे ह्यांचा, युध्द ह्या विषयावर आधारित विदेशी चित्रपटांवरचा अभिजीत रणदिवे ह्यांचा आणि पोएटस् इन आर्म्स हा युद्ध ह्या ह्या विषयावर कविता करणाऱ्या कवींवरचा डॉ.सुप्रिया सहस्त्रबुद्धे ह्यांचा असे तिन्ही लेख खूप वेगळी छान अशी माहिती वाचल्याचं समाधान देऊन गेले. मनोरंजन आणि ज्ञानात भर म्हणजे आजच्या भाषेत सांगायचं झालं तर 'बाय वन गेट वन फ्री'. :-)
'कथा' विभागात सगळ्यात आवडलेली गोष्ट म्हणजे मनस्विनी लता रविंद्र ह्यांची 'साडेएकतीस वर्षांचा संसार'. विवेक गोविलकरांच्या 'इन्वेस्टमेंट' चा विषय चांगला पण कथा खूप लांबल्यासारखी वाटली. 'गुरुचे चंद्र' ही अनुवादित कथा सुरुवातीला छान वाटली मात्र पुढे फारशी कळली नाही. एकदा मुळातून वाचावी काय?
'लेख' हा विभाग माझ्यासारख्या गंभीर वाचन न करणाऱ्या वाचकांची कसोटी पहाणारा. ;-) ह्यातला दिवंगत पत्रकार डेनिएल पर्ल ह्यांच्या मृत्यूचं रहस्य खणून काढणाऱ्या त्यांच्या सहकारी आणि मैत्रिण आसरा नोमानी ह्यांच्या लेखाचा 'सायली परांजपे' ह्यांनी केलेला अनुवाद भावला. आसरा नोमानी ह्यांचं कौतुक करावं तितकं थोडंच आहे. कसली धडाडीची बाई आहे ही. मुलाला एकटीने वाढवताना आपला जीव धोक्यात घालून हे सगळं प्रकरण धसास लावणं कसं निभावलं असेल तिने? तिच्या शतांशाने देखील वाट्याला आली तरी धन्य समजेन मी स्वत:ला. हिटलरच्या पुस्तकप्रेमावरचा नितीन रिंढे ह्यांचा लेख एक पुस्तकप्रेमी म्हणून आवडला. ह्या निमित्ताने हिटलरची एक वेगळीच बाजू कळली.
'भूमी उसवून भूमिगात होताना' वाचताना थोडं गोंधळ उडाला - हे फिक्शन आहे का सत्यघटना आहेत ह्याबद्दल. पण लेखाने प्रचंड अस्वस्थ केलं. 'हिंदू राष्ट्राच्या दिशेने' ह्या लेखाचा विषय वृत्तपत्रांतून बऱ्याचदा वाचलेला. 'काळ्यांची निळी जखम' मधली माहिती मात्र नवीन. 'अब्राम्हणी निरपेक्षता' आणि 'सकल आनंदाचा प्रदेश' हे लेख उडत उडत वाचले ह्यात चूक सर्वस्वी माझी. आधी एकदा म्हटलं त्याप्रमाणे गंभीर काही वाचायची सवयच नाही.
संतविचारांवर आधारित भागातील 'मन तू पार उतर कहा जइ हो' आवडला पण 'अंतरीचा ज्ञानदिवा' आणि 'नाथसंप्रदाय: अभ्यासाच्या काही दिशा' हेही लेख वरवर वाचले असंच दुर्देवाने म्हणावं लागतंय.
कविता हा विषय शाळेत असल्यापासूनच फारसा समजत नसल्याने 'कविता' विभागाबद्दल काय लिहिणार? :-)
पुढल्या वर्षी ह्या अंकावर नक्की लक्ष ठेवणार.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Cheval, Kala Ghoda
It's a strange name. Sounds rather French and I still don't know its meaning. But we wanted to try out a different place. Not Irish House, Not Bombay Blue, Not Copper Chimney and certainly no Chinese food. The place promising to provide Gourmet Italian food had 'Coming Soon' tacked on the board. And we were not in the mood to have a Thali that seemed to be the only thing on menu in Chetana. It's Cheval then.
The place has a quaint look. The cracked, paint peeling off the wall sort of air that is so in-thing these days. I absolutely don't mind it. The high ceiling gives you the feeling that you are sitting in some long-forgotten British Raj club from the pre-independence era. I don't mind that either. I could sit here for hours.
The menu boasted of quite a lot of new dishes. But as a rule, I try a mix of new and known things at a new place. That way you get to sample something that you have never tried before and also can gauge how they measure up to making some of the dishes that you have probably been eating for years. So our order consisted of Black Truffle Gnocchi (Rs. 550) and Funghi Pizza with an add-on of chicken (Rs. 550).
The food was served in reasonable time. First it was the Gnocchi. My heart sank when I saw the quantity. This sure must be gourmet! Should I have ordered two servings? I wondered as I ate the first mouthful. Soft, creamy and tasty. It can easily make you forget the world. The pizza was served as I was savoring the Gnocchi. And it was equally tasty. My main worry was that the chicken shouldn't be as if it has been added as an afterthought. It blended in just fine. There was a tad too much cheese for my taste but I didn't complain as it added to the taste.
If I have to apply my recent knowledge of Spanish, I have only to say this - La comida es deliciosa! And Hasta La Vista - I am going to be back for more, for sure!
The place has a quaint look. The cracked, paint peeling off the wall sort of air that is so in-thing these days. I absolutely don't mind it. The high ceiling gives you the feeling that you are sitting in some long-forgotten British Raj club from the pre-independence era. I don't mind that either. I could sit here for hours.
The menu boasted of quite a lot of new dishes. But as a rule, I try a mix of new and known things at a new place. That way you get to sample something that you have never tried before and also can gauge how they measure up to making some of the dishes that you have probably been eating for years. So our order consisted of Black Truffle Gnocchi (Rs. 550) and Funghi Pizza with an add-on of chicken (Rs. 550).
The food was served in reasonable time. First it was the Gnocchi. My heart sank when I saw the quantity. This sure must be gourmet! Should I have ordered two servings? I wondered as I ate the first mouthful. Soft, creamy and tasty. It can easily make you forget the world. The pizza was served as I was savoring the Gnocchi. And it was equally tasty. My main worry was that the chicken shouldn't be as if it has been added as an afterthought. It blended in just fine. There was a tad too much cheese for my taste but I didn't complain as it added to the taste.
If I have to apply my recent knowledge of Spanish, I have only to say this - La comida es deliciosa! And Hasta La Vista - I am going to be back for more, for sure!
Tertulia, Shivaji Park
"A new eatery in Shivaji Park? Where?" I asked incredulously. "In the lane next to Tamnak Thai" I was told. Tamnak has always been my favorite for their Phad Thai and I have always felt that they don't see as much of a footfall as they should considering their excellent food.
So what's this new place about? I decided to check it out last Sunday. It looked pretty ordinary from the outside. But appearances can be deceptive and that is true about this place as well. As soon as you step in, you cannot but appreciate the decor. Make it a point to sit in the inner room. Bare walls, old clocks and chandeliers, it's a pleasure to sit there. The only sore point is the high chairs, which could be troublesome if you have any senior citizens in the group.
Beetroot Risotto had to be part of the order. I wanted to go for Herb Roast Chicken but the server said that it is not boneless. When I asked for his suggestion, he advised us to go for Sea Salt Rubbed 'Grilled Chicken'. I am not too fond of grilled stuff. So I tried to ask him about how they differed but didn't get a convincing answer. We decided to go with his suggestion anyways. But I was skeptical till the dish arrived. Then all my doubts were to put to rest, for good.
Beetroot Risotto could have been more in quantity. But what it lacked in quantity department, it more than made up for in quality. I don't like beetroot as a vegetable but I could eat this risotto every day. That reminds me - I must hunt for its recipe on the net and try to make it at home. It would be such a blast if I can. :-) God bless the server for suggesting Grilled Chicken. A delectable mix of tender chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and veggies. Wish I had more storage space in my stomach!
Definitely a place to visit again and again. Just make sure to reserve your table in advance. Then sit back, relax and enhoy your food :-)
P.S. They seem to have a fantastic breakfast menu.
So what's this new place about? I decided to check it out last Sunday. It looked pretty ordinary from the outside. But appearances can be deceptive and that is true about this place as well. As soon as you step in, you cannot but appreciate the decor. Make it a point to sit in the inner room. Bare walls, old clocks and chandeliers, it's a pleasure to sit there. The only sore point is the high chairs, which could be troublesome if you have any senior citizens in the group.
Beetroot Risotto had to be part of the order. I wanted to go for Herb Roast Chicken but the server said that it is not boneless. When I asked for his suggestion, he advised us to go for Sea Salt Rubbed 'Grilled Chicken'. I am not too fond of grilled stuff. So I tried to ask him about how they differed but didn't get a convincing answer. We decided to go with his suggestion anyways. But I was skeptical till the dish arrived. Then all my doubts were to put to rest, for good.
 | |
| Beetroot Risotto |
 |
| Sea Salt Rubbed Grilled Chicken |
P.S. They seem to have a fantastic breakfast menu.
२. नवल, दिवाळी अंक २०१४
खरं तर 'खगम' ही या अंकातली पहिली कथा - सत्यजित रे ह्यांच्या मूळ कथेचा अनुवाद. पण 'गांधीवाड्यातलं भूत' ह्या कथेच्या नावातला 'भूत' हा शब्द वाचून मी ती आधी वाचायला घेतली आणि स्वत:चा पचका करून घेतला. कथा अगदीच बाळबोध वाटली. मग चुपचाप 'खगम' कडे वळले. 'खगम' ही महाभारतातील एक व्यक्तिरेखा आहे असा उल्लेख कथेत आहे. मी ह्या व्यक्तिरेखेबद्दल कधी ऐकलं/वाचलं नव्हतं. पण ही अनुवादित कथा मस्त वाटली. कधीतरी मूळ कथा वाचता यावी असं फार वाटलं.
'विलक्षण सत्यकथा' मधला 'आपले अडाणी बांधव' आणि 'नेपोलियनचे स्त्रीसंबंध' हे दोन्ही लेख आवडले. त्यामानाने 'चमत्कारिक भविष्यकथन' अपूर्ण वाटला.
'संदेहकथा' भागातली अशीच अतिशय आवडलेली कथा म्हणजे सुनील दांडेकर ह्यांची 'एका कोळीयाने'. कदाचित आयटी क्षेत्राची पार्श्वभूमी असल्यामुळेही असेल. 'चीफ आर्किटेक्ट' म्हटल्यावर काय प्रकार असेल ते कळून चुकलं. पण शेवटचा ट्विस्ट आवडला. अरुण मांडे ह्यांची 'संकटमोचक' सुध्दा मस्तच. रमा गोळवलकर ह्यांची 'पुनरावृत्ती' सुरुवातीला अतिशय रंजक वाटली पुराणकाळातील कथेनुसार शिळा असलेल्या ठिकाणाचं स्थानमाहात्म्य आणि आधुनिक काळात जवळच अणुउर्जा निर्मिती केंद्र असणं ह्याची काहीतरी सांगड घातली जाईल असं वाटलं होतं पण शेवट गुंडाळल्यासारखा वाटला. खरं तर कथा अर्धवट वाटली.
'कर्नलचा कोट' ही अनुवादित कथा वाचावी अशीच. 'विज्ञान-काल्पनिका' मधली फक्त 'प्रीत तुझी माझी' आवडली. 'डाव' काही खास वाटली नाही. आणि 'तुझ्यावाचून गमेना' तर अगदीच काहीतरी वाटली. 'डस्टी', 'विलक्षण प्रतिस्पर्धी', 'ब्रेम्बली' वाचताना निदान मला तरी बोअर झालं असं म्हटलं तर अतिशयोक्ती होणार नाही. 'आगच्छ कामेश्वरी' थोड्या वाह्यात धाटणीची वाटली. जयश्री कुलकर्णी ह्यांची 'चकवा' शेवट काय होणार ह्याची कल्पना येऊनसुध्दा आवडली.
'युद्धकथा' भागातला 'युद्धाची अखेर अखेर होता होता' हा लेख खास उल्लेखनीय. 'सागरा प्राण तळमळला' ही सत्यकथा आहे असं सुरुवातीवरून वाटलं. पण नंतर वाचताना हा कल्पनाविलास आहे हे लक्षात आलं तरी थोडं गोंधळ उडालाच. 'रोमन इतिहासाचा साक्षीदार' वाचून आपणही एकदा 'कलोझियम' पाहिलं पाहिजे हे प्रकर्षाने जाणवलं.
'दत्तक' ह्या भयकादंबरीची पानं निदान मी विकत घेतलेल्या प्रतीत तरी नव्हती त्यामुळे ती वाचता आली नाही.
एकूणात काय तर काही अपवादात्मक कथा वगळता अंकाने निराशा केली. :-(
'विलक्षण सत्यकथा' मधला 'आपले अडाणी बांधव' आणि 'नेपोलियनचे स्त्रीसंबंध' हे दोन्ही लेख आवडले. त्यामानाने 'चमत्कारिक भविष्यकथन' अपूर्ण वाटला.
'संदेहकथा' भागातली अशीच अतिशय आवडलेली कथा म्हणजे सुनील दांडेकर ह्यांची 'एका कोळीयाने'. कदाचित आयटी क्षेत्राची पार्श्वभूमी असल्यामुळेही असेल. 'चीफ आर्किटेक्ट' म्हटल्यावर काय प्रकार असेल ते कळून चुकलं. पण शेवटचा ट्विस्ट आवडला. अरुण मांडे ह्यांची 'संकटमोचक' सुध्दा मस्तच. रमा गोळवलकर ह्यांची 'पुनरावृत्ती' सुरुवातीला अतिशय रंजक वाटली पुराणकाळातील कथेनुसार शिळा असलेल्या ठिकाणाचं स्थानमाहात्म्य आणि आधुनिक काळात जवळच अणुउर्जा निर्मिती केंद्र असणं ह्याची काहीतरी सांगड घातली जाईल असं वाटलं होतं पण शेवट गुंडाळल्यासारखा वाटला. खरं तर कथा अर्धवट वाटली.
'कर्नलचा कोट' ही अनुवादित कथा वाचावी अशीच. 'विज्ञान-काल्पनिका' मधली फक्त 'प्रीत तुझी माझी' आवडली. 'डाव' काही खास वाटली नाही. आणि 'तुझ्यावाचून गमेना' तर अगदीच काहीतरी वाटली. 'डस्टी', 'विलक्षण प्रतिस्पर्धी', 'ब्रेम्बली' वाचताना निदान मला तरी बोअर झालं असं म्हटलं तर अतिशयोक्ती होणार नाही. 'आगच्छ कामेश्वरी' थोड्या वाह्यात धाटणीची वाटली. जयश्री कुलकर्णी ह्यांची 'चकवा' शेवट काय होणार ह्याची कल्पना येऊनसुध्दा आवडली.
'युद्धकथा' भागातला 'युद्धाची अखेर अखेर होता होता' हा लेख खास उल्लेखनीय. 'सागरा प्राण तळमळला' ही सत्यकथा आहे असं सुरुवातीवरून वाटलं. पण नंतर वाचताना हा कल्पनाविलास आहे हे लक्षात आलं तरी थोडं गोंधळ उडालाच. 'रोमन इतिहासाचा साक्षीदार' वाचून आपणही एकदा 'कलोझियम' पाहिलं पाहिजे हे प्रकर्षाने जाणवलं.
'दत्तक' ह्या भयकादंबरीची पानं निदान मी विकत घेतलेल्या प्रतीत तरी नव्हती त्यामुळे ती वाचता आली नाही.
एकूणात काय तर काही अपवादात्मक कथा वगळता अंकाने निराशा केली. :-(
Induben Khakharawala, Ahmedabad
Nope. I am not writing about someone I met during my recent visit to the city. This indeed is the name of the shop that is famous for its savories. :-)
I had expected to see a big shop but the place appeared quite unassuming for a shop of its reputation. I pushed open the door and instantly felt as if I was back in the sweet shop in Kolkata during Navaratri days years ago. It had the same chaotic look, lots of people picking stuff off the shelves and talking loudly at the same time. I almost stepped back in alarm. How am I going to manage to buy anything here? But a second later I realized that there was an order to this madness. The people were in fact standing in a queue, serpentine though it was. And it was moving at a fairly fast clip.
Encouraged, I stepped in. The first two choices were easy - Chapati Kachori and Khasta Kachori. I moved on to grab a pack of Nylon Banana wafers and another of Masala Pudina Kurkure. A tiny section containing sweets caught my attention. How could I give it a miss? So Topara Pak and Halvasan found their way into the shopping cart. I hadn't bothered to check the price tags when I picked up the packs so as I joined the queue I took a good look at the contents and fished out two Rs 500 notes. Surprise! When my turn came, the guy at the counter asked me for Rs 360 only. And though looking at the number of people ahead of me in the queue I had expected to be standing there for at least 20 minutes, I was in fact out in 10 minutes flat.
It turned out that I had done a smart thing buying sweets when I got a chance. Because when we reached the famous Kandoi sweets on our last day in the city, an empty shop and a security guard were the only thing in sight. When I had called the shop a couple of weeks earlier they had assured me that they are open on all days of the year. :-(
The kachoris were good. The wafers appeared a bit salty in the beginning but later on I realized that the salt had not got mixed in evenly. I should have bought 1-2 more packs of Masala Pudina Kurkure. Topara Pak (Coconut Barfi) was okay and Halvasan was heavenly.
It was much later that I realized that I didn't buy Khakhara at all :-)
I had expected to see a big shop but the place appeared quite unassuming for a shop of its reputation. I pushed open the door and instantly felt as if I was back in the sweet shop in Kolkata during Navaratri days years ago. It had the same chaotic look, lots of people picking stuff off the shelves and talking loudly at the same time. I almost stepped back in alarm. How am I going to manage to buy anything here? But a second later I realized that there was an order to this madness. The people were in fact standing in a queue, serpentine though it was. And it was moving at a fairly fast clip.
Encouraged, I stepped in. The first two choices were easy - Chapati Kachori and Khasta Kachori. I moved on to grab a pack of Nylon Banana wafers and another of Masala Pudina Kurkure. A tiny section containing sweets caught my attention. How could I give it a miss? So Topara Pak and Halvasan found their way into the shopping cart. I hadn't bothered to check the price tags when I picked up the packs so as I joined the queue I took a good look at the contents and fished out two Rs 500 notes. Surprise! When my turn came, the guy at the counter asked me for Rs 360 only. And though looking at the number of people ahead of me in the queue I had expected to be standing there for at least 20 minutes, I was in fact out in 10 minutes flat.
It turned out that I had done a smart thing buying sweets when I got a chance. Because when we reached the famous Kandoi sweets on our last day in the city, an empty shop and a security guard were the only thing in sight. When I had called the shop a couple of weeks earlier they had assured me that they are open on all days of the year. :-(
The kachoris were good. The wafers appeared a bit salty in the beginning but later on I realized that the salt had not got mixed in evenly. I should have bought 1-2 more packs of Masala Pudina Kurkure. Topara Pak (Coconut Barfi) was okay and Halvasan was heavenly.
It was much later that I realized that I didn't buy Khakhara at all :-)
Spanish - Class XII
Can't believe we are already 60% down the road. I was looking forward to learning new things for the entire 2-hour duration of the class today. But the first hour was spent in doing exercises from the sheet that was handed over during the beginning sessions of the class. It was a good revision though.
Then the teacher taught us 'Los Adjetivos Demostrativas' - this, that and that (to indicate something that is far away) - in masculine and feminine form as well as in singular and plural. Then followed the exercises. And for homework, we have to introduce the person sitting next to us in the class.
BTW, I forgot to mention one thing - the teacher told us last week that we are going to have a surprise test in December. That means at least 5 sessions' worth of material to study.
Buena Suerte Swapna! :-)
Then the teacher taught us 'Los Adjetivos Demostrativas' - this, that and that (to indicate something that is far away) - in masculine and feminine form as well as in singular and plural. Then followed the exercises. And for homework, we have to introduce the person sitting next to us in the class.
BTW, I forgot to mention one thing - the teacher told us last week that we are going to have a surprise test in December. That means at least 5 sessions' worth of material to study.
Buena Suerte Swapna! :-)
Spanish - Class XI
First class after Diwali. It didn't look like we had the full quorum of 35. But I would peg the class population at about 30. Not bad, not bad at all! The first half of the 2-hour duration was spent in going over the homework. Just when I was wondering if we are going to learn anything new today, the teacher wrote 'El Verbo "ESTAR"'. That means, well, To Be. Okay, but then 'SER' also means 'To Be', isn't it? I wonder if Shakespeare was learning Spanish when he wrote the famous 'To Be Or Not To Be'. ;-)
Our teacher has mastered the art of reading minds. These thoughts had barely come into my mind when she advised us to concentrate on the different forms of the verb for now and we will get to the usage soon enough. So we went from Yo Estoy, Tu Estas (I am omitting the tildes here!) down to Vosotros Estais and Ustedes/Ellas/Ellos Estan. Hmmm, except for the first 'Estoy', these look same as the forms for 'SER'. Cool!
And now for the usage patterns. SER is used for describing, let's see - Identity, Nationality, Profession, Colors, Material, Inherent Qualities and Possession (not of the supernatural type!). ESTAR is for describing moods/feelings, state of a place and where a place is situated. So far so good!
But then I hit a roadblock. The teacher took us through the list of adjectives that we had learnt earlier. Some adjectives are used with SER, some with ESTAR and some with both. The general rule of thumb is if something is of a permanent nature, you use it with SER, otherwise with ESTAR. Still, I found the usage pretty ambiguous. I mean, let's take something like clean - limpia if you are using it for a room - which is feminine in Spanish. This adjective, it seems, is to be used with ESTAR. But what if the room is always clean? How can it be used with ESTAR?
Must say this is the first ambiguous part that I have come across in this language. And I sincerely hope that it is also the last :-)
Our teacher has mastered the art of reading minds. These thoughts had barely come into my mind when she advised us to concentrate on the different forms of the verb for now and we will get to the usage soon enough. So we went from Yo Estoy, Tu Estas (I am omitting the tildes here!) down to Vosotros Estais and Ustedes/Ellas/Ellos Estan. Hmmm, except for the first 'Estoy', these look same as the forms for 'SER'. Cool!
And now for the usage patterns. SER is used for describing, let's see - Identity, Nationality, Profession, Colors, Material, Inherent Qualities and Possession (not of the supernatural type!). ESTAR is for describing moods/feelings, state of a place and where a place is situated. So far so good!
But then I hit a roadblock. The teacher took us through the list of adjectives that we had learnt earlier. Some adjectives are used with SER, some with ESTAR and some with both. The general rule of thumb is if something is of a permanent nature, you use it with SER, otherwise with ESTAR. Still, I found the usage pretty ambiguous. I mean, let's take something like clean - limpia if you are using it for a room - which is feminine in Spanish. This adjective, it seems, is to be used with ESTAR. But what if the room is always clean? How can it be used with ESTAR?
Must say this is the first ambiguous part that I have come across in this language. And I sincerely hope that it is also the last :-)
Elementary - Season 3
Disappointment is in the air, again! The last season ended with Sherlock accepting the proposal to work for MI6. I was looking forward to watching him apply his amazing deductive powers to some interesting international cases. Sadly, in the very first episode of the latest season, he is back after ending his association with them. :-(
I could have lived with it but for the irritating new Watson. What in the world is wrong with her? It's not as if she didn't know him. Why is she so hurt that he had decided to end their partnership suddenly? Why take such a 'holier-than-thou' attitude? And why is Sherlock trying so hard to be in her good books again? Why all the grovelling? After all, he does have a new protege now. And he does confess that he didn't miss her but their mentor-protege relationship. Boy! It sure feels as if their souls have got interchanged.
It would be interesting to see how this story unfolds.
I could have lived with it but for the irritating new Watson. What in the world is wrong with her? It's not as if she didn't know him. Why is she so hurt that he had decided to end their partnership suddenly? Why take such a 'holier-than-thou' attitude? And why is Sherlock trying so hard to be in her good books again? Why all the grovelling? After all, he does have a new protege now. And he does confess that he didn't miss her but their mentor-protege relationship. Boy! It sure feels as if their souls have got interchanged.
It would be interesting to see how this story unfolds.
Supernatual - Season 10
Though it seemed like season 9 had ended centuries ago, I hadn't forgotten that Dean had turned a demon by the end of it. And I had mixed feelings about the same. Sure, it was going to be painful to watch Dean turn into the very same thing that he did everything in his power to eliminate. But I was also curious about how the creators of the series were going to handle this change to his personality.
Must say that AXN did a very good job of spoiling the fun. First of all, I didn't know when the the new season was going to start. I was flipping through the TV guide on one Wednesday night and saw that the show was on at 11:30pm. What? Is this the first episode? If not, when did the show start? And which channel telecasts a new season of a series at 11:30 at night on a weekday? I had no choice but to watch. The episode began with a summary of the last season and I heaved a mighty sigh of relief. Okay, this is the first episode. I watched it with great expectations but was slightly disappointed by the time it ended. Somehow, it didn't quite measure upto the season finale of season 9.
Relax, I told myself, this is just the first episode. Little did I know that I would not get to watch the 2nd one. What happened was this. The TV guide showed that there was another telecast of the show on Saturday (10pm) and Sunday (5pm). I did check it out for few minutes on Saturday night, mistook the last episode's snippets for the repeat telecast of the last episode and changed the channel. I never bothered to check it out on Sunday. And gave the show a miss on next Wednesday thinking I will watch the repeat telecast on the following Saturday. What I completely missed out on was the fact that the new episodes are, in fact, telecast on Saturday 10pm.
So when I tuned in the following Saturday I thought I was watching the repeat telecast of episode #2 whereas actually it was episode #3. Needless to say, I was completely at sea. Couldn't figure out how Sam found Dean and how he knew how to cure him. I watched the episode anyways and afterwards found out on the net that I had missed the second episode.
Okay, enough complaining about one missed episode. Back to the latest season and associated disappointment. I still cannot stomach the fact that Dean has been cured in the first few episodes of this season. What happened? It was such a nice twist and had so many possibilities, which, alas, have been forever squandered away. I do have a lurking suspicion that he is not completely cured yet but I guess that comes from watching bits and pieces of Hindi daily soaps where characters who appear good are in reality evil and the ones who are evil are so holy that they can anyday give any saint a run for his money. Oh, and you cannot ignore the fact that Dean didn't flinch when holy water was flung at him. Unless, of course, he had managed to replace it with tap water without Sam noticing it. :-)
Good to see Castiel getting back to his old self though. I wasn't too fond of his sick look. As for the 3rd episode, vampires and werewolves have been an old story for such a long time now that I wondered if the writers of the series used them as a stopgap arrangement while they figure out how to take the show forward.
Here's hoping that one of my favorite shows finds it old rhythm back and soon!
Must say that AXN did a very good job of spoiling the fun. First of all, I didn't know when the the new season was going to start. I was flipping through the TV guide on one Wednesday night and saw that the show was on at 11:30pm. What? Is this the first episode? If not, when did the show start? And which channel telecasts a new season of a series at 11:30 at night on a weekday? I had no choice but to watch. The episode began with a summary of the last season and I heaved a mighty sigh of relief. Okay, this is the first episode. I watched it with great expectations but was slightly disappointed by the time it ended. Somehow, it didn't quite measure upto the season finale of season 9.
Relax, I told myself, this is just the first episode. Little did I know that I would not get to watch the 2nd one. What happened was this. The TV guide showed that there was another telecast of the show on Saturday (10pm) and Sunday (5pm). I did check it out for few minutes on Saturday night, mistook the last episode's snippets for the repeat telecast of the last episode and changed the channel. I never bothered to check it out on Sunday. And gave the show a miss on next Wednesday thinking I will watch the repeat telecast on the following Saturday. What I completely missed out on was the fact that the new episodes are, in fact, telecast on Saturday 10pm.
So when I tuned in the following Saturday I thought I was watching the repeat telecast of episode #2 whereas actually it was episode #3. Needless to say, I was completely at sea. Couldn't figure out how Sam found Dean and how he knew how to cure him. I watched the episode anyways and afterwards found out on the net that I had missed the second episode.
Okay, enough complaining about one missed episode. Back to the latest season and associated disappointment. I still cannot stomach the fact that Dean has been cured in the first few episodes of this season. What happened? It was such a nice twist and had so many possibilities, which, alas, have been forever squandered away. I do have a lurking suspicion that he is not completely cured yet but I guess that comes from watching bits and pieces of Hindi daily soaps where characters who appear good are in reality evil and the ones who are evil are so holy that they can anyday give any saint a run for his money. Oh, and you cannot ignore the fact that Dean didn't flinch when holy water was flung at him. Unless, of course, he had managed to replace it with tap water without Sam noticing it. :-)
Good to see Castiel getting back to his old self though. I wasn't too fond of his sick look. As for the 3rd episode, vampires and werewolves have been an old story for such a long time now that I wondered if the writers of the series used them as a stopgap arrangement while they figure out how to take the show forward.
Here's hoping that one of my favorite shows finds it old rhythm back and soon!
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