It is almost 10am and since the team members are filing in one by one, all Monday-morning mayhem is about to begin soon. So let me sign off for the day with the following:
सबके होठोपे तबस्सुम था मेरे कत्लके बाद
जाने क्या सोच कर रोता रहा कातिल मेरा
Monday, February 8, 2010
The story of my experiments with Sushi
It seems like “Acquired Taste” is something which I will never ever acquire in this life. Over the weekend, I had been to one of these places that serve up a buffet of oriental dishes – Thai, Japanese and Chinese. Along with the usual spring rolls, sweet corn soup and noodles there was a Sushi corner. It looked pretty but my stomach turned at the thought of most of it being raw. I tentatively picked what looked like 2 rice dumplings. There was a plate containing Salmon slivers nearby. I toyed with the idea of helping myself to one but remembered in time that it would be raw. Content with the baby steps that I was taking to taste this much-raved-about cuisine I returned to my table with a tiny bowl of soya sauce that accompanied the Sushi.
I was told that I have to dip the whole thing in the soya or I wouldn’t enjoy the full flavor. I did that but found to my dismay that no matter how wide I opened my mouth, I was simply unable to swallow the whole rice dumpling. I took a tentative bite and the sharp taste of the sauce fairly made me choke - I had no idea it was dark soya. I took another bite telling myself not to be silly – but with the same result. Of course, you cannot waste food and so I swallowed the remaining with giant sips of the Sweet Lime Soda that I had had some foresight to order.
Thus ended my first, and definitely only, tryst with Sushi. :-(
I was told that I have to dip the whole thing in the soya or I wouldn’t enjoy the full flavor. I did that but found to my dismay that no matter how wide I opened my mouth, I was simply unable to swallow the whole rice dumpling. I took a tentative bite and the sharp taste of the sauce fairly made me choke - I had no idea it was dark soya. I took another bite telling myself not to be silly – but with the same result. Of course, you cannot waste food and so I swallowed the remaining with giant sips of the Sweet Lime Soda that I had had some foresight to order.
Thus ended my first, and definitely only, tryst with Sushi. :-(
The Overlook - by Michael Connelly
On my last trip to the library, I brought home Reader’s Digest Select Editions – this usually has 4 books together. I find it very convenient because it saves me 3 trips to the library. I had read one of these before – No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay.
Sometime last week, I finished reading another one – The Overlook by Michael Connelly. This is another Harry Bosch adventure. A scientist is found murdered on an Overlook in LA. Basic investigation reveals that he had access to radioactive material which is later found to be stolen. With so much at stake the scene is soon crawling with the FBI agents (I wonder why all of them always have to be a Special Agent!) – much to Bosch’s displeasure. Of course, it is anybody’s guess as to who finally gets the bad guy and saves the day. But the journey till that point is full of twists and turns – that make it a worthwhile reading.
Now I am reading the 3rd book in the set – The Last Testament by Sam Bourne.
Sometime last week, I finished reading another one – The Overlook by Michael Connelly. This is another Harry Bosch adventure. A scientist is found murdered on an Overlook in LA. Basic investigation reveals that he had access to radioactive material which is later found to be stolen. With so much at stake the scene is soon crawling with the FBI agents (I wonder why all of them always have to be a Special Agent!) – much to Bosch’s displeasure. Of course, it is anybody’s guess as to who finally gets the bad guy and saves the day. But the journey till that point is full of twists and turns – that make it a worthwhile reading.
Now I am reading the 3rd book in the set – The Last Testament by Sam Bourne.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Towards The Silver Crests Of The Himalaya - G. K. Pradhan
After reading Robin Sharma’s “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” I was on a roll and so decided to go for the book that 2 friends had recently recommended - “Towards The Silver Crests Of The Himalayas” by Mr. G. K. Pradhan. The library, however, didn’t have the original in English. I have never really cared for Marathi translations of English books. I mean, if you can read the original why go for a translated version, right? In this case, however, I didn’t want to get my hands on the original one so I brought home the translation.
A week later, I was pouring out my disappointment to my friends over Email. The book is about a very bright guy who, as is the tendency of most of the educated people – including myself – is highly skeptical of anyone who talks about “Spirituality”. Life, however, has other plans for him with the result that he finally leaves the material world for the spiritual one.
I found that most of the book is devoted to this story and what little talk there is about spiritualism is couched in such heavy words that it makes the subject seem more difficult than it actually is. Of course, it could be the fault of the translator and the original need not be so. What does equally apply to both versions is that there is very little guidance on what a normal person like you and me should do to take our first baby steps in this direction. So it ends up overwhelming you. When I wrote about this to one of the 2 friends who had originally suggested the book, he chastised me for expecting a spiritual cheat-sheet. I, however, wasn’t looking for any.
We all know that the path to true spirituality is a long and hard one, not to mention riddled with people who are there to dupe you in the garb of holy men (and women!). And most of us cannot renounce everything to march to the Himalayas one fine sunny morning. But that shouldn’t preclude us from making a small start. And this small start is precisely what the book is silent about.
Sadly, the silver crests of the mighty Himalayas remain light years away :-(
A week later, I was pouring out my disappointment to my friends over Email. The book is about a very bright guy who, as is the tendency of most of the educated people – including myself – is highly skeptical of anyone who talks about “Spirituality”. Life, however, has other plans for him with the result that he finally leaves the material world for the spiritual one.
I found that most of the book is devoted to this story and what little talk there is about spiritualism is couched in such heavy words that it makes the subject seem more difficult than it actually is. Of course, it could be the fault of the translator and the original need not be so. What does equally apply to both versions is that there is very little guidance on what a normal person like you and me should do to take our first baby steps in this direction. So it ends up overwhelming you. When I wrote about this to one of the 2 friends who had originally suggested the book, he chastised me for expecting a spiritual cheat-sheet. I, however, wasn’t looking for any.
We all know that the path to true spirituality is a long and hard one, not to mention riddled with people who are there to dupe you in the garb of holy men (and women!). And most of us cannot renounce everything to march to the Himalayas one fine sunny morning. But that shouldn’t preclude us from making a small start. And this small start is precisely what the book is silent about.
Sadly, the silver crests of the mighty Himalayas remain light years away :-(
The Witch Of Portobello - by Paulo Coelho
While I was reading this one, I had posted my thoughts on this blog. They remain the same even at the conclusion of the book. I am not sure what the author was trying to get at. Personally I felt that Athena was confused as to what she wanted in life and could not strike a balance between the material and spiritual side of it. Of course, most of us cannot. But at least we are sane enough to let go of one side – never mind that it more often than not turns out to be the spiritual one. At least we don’t start gathering up followers and then abandon them in the midstream saying that someone better capable will look after them.
The comment that I found to be most puzzling was when Athena says that she is capable of loving someone who she doesn’t like. Huh?
The only saving grace, as far as I am concerned, is the Twist in the Tale. As the Americans say “Won’t Say No More”. :-)
The comment that I found to be most puzzling was when Athena says that she is capable of loving someone who she doesn’t like. Huh?
The only saving grace, as far as I am concerned, is the Twist in the Tale. As the Americans say “Won’t Say No More”. :-)
Alright, so I was wrong about Rahul Gandhi boarding the Mumbai local train with all security people and no Mumbaikars in tow. Seems that he traveled along with the crowd, gave them a patient ear and also managed to sign an autograph on someone’s hand (didn’t the commuter in question have a single paper with him?). But if we are all going to be gung-ho about the new young leader (God knows I too am sick of watching the oldies running the show!), I for one would prefer him solving some real issues rather than resorting to Bollywood-like tricks of changing his program to board a local train.
As far as the antics of the politicians go, we have seen it all. What we haven’t seen so far is a politician who is solving issues that plague the common man. Do that Mr. Rahul Gandhi, and you will earn followers for life – including this one!
As far as the antics of the politicians go, we have seen it all. What we haven’t seen so far is a politician who is solving issues that plague the common man. Do that Mr. Rahul Gandhi, and you will earn followers for life – including this one!
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