My Book has arrived

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My book on display at Gangaram's, Bangalore

At last I am getting somewhere. And I feel great.

My book, Tales from the Garden City, is up for sale at Gangaram's, M.G. Road, Bangalore. And a consignment is on its way toward Landmark, Forum Mall. Yes, you heard right. The same Landmark, Forum, that has provided me all the books that I have read (and reviewed) in the last one million years.



Is there anything more that I can wish for? Hmmm... yes. That my book would sell. That people would read it. That they would like it. And so on. Nothing more.
Bas itna sa khwab hai.

Bangaloreans, feel free to check it out from Gangaram's or Landmark. Non-Bangaloreans are welcome to check it out here.

Update: The pictures above were taken from Gangaram's Book Bureau, MG Road yesterday and added after this post was published.

Update 2: I am told that the books will also be available in Crossword and Shankar's, but only in a month's time.

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Be Cool

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"Be Cool !"

If I hear that phrase one more time I may murder the speaker! I have warned my friends already.

For one thing, it is so much overused that it makes me want to hit my head against the wall whenever I hear it. For another, some people use it at the most needless places, where "be cool" is the last thing one should be saying.

There are several words that have, over the years, crept into the English language to give birth to a new version called "Indian English". Apart from them, there are phrases that are used to the point of exhaustion, whose existence cannot be justified even by the term 'Indian'. "Be cool" is comparatively quite harmless except when the listener is someone like me who has an obvious aversion to being cool (or compares oneself already cool and cannot be cooler).

The following are some wrongly used phrases that have penetrated deep into the English speaking minds of India, that even the most educated of all are at the risk of getting infected.

1. "One of my friend" is a software engineer.
[One of my friends]


2. "I could not able to" locate the issue.
['I was not able to'
OR
'I could not']

These are just a few samples of the so-called Indian English. I will list more as and when I remember or encounter them! If you recall any, do share them here.

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Old friends

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It is always a pleasure to run into old friends. More so when it happens after a gap of 7-8 years, and we have lost touch so much that we barely recognise each other, and haltingly ask 'if you are she?'

It happened to me at Bangalore International Airport the day I returned from Kerala. We were waiting for the baggage to arrive and I was seated with Munnu asleep in my arms. The turbulent weather had made us all rather queasy and we were glad to be on terra firma again. A woman carrying a child walked towards me and entered the room behind my seat. When I saw her, I was immediately reminded of an old friend, who, when I heard last, was settled in Bangalore. Could it be she? But she had glanced at me and looked away. I considered going in to the room. Just then she came out and I seized the moment to ask, "Are you S-?" She turned around at the question and immediately recognised me. Whew.

I am glad that I did not suppress the urge to ask, to confirm that it was indeed she. Had I not spoken up, I would have missed the opportunity to reconnect with an old friend and would forever have regretted it.

Sometimes we are given a moment to make a choice, perhaps nothing significant or huge, but important nonetheless. At times we let it slip by, and wonder, "What would had happened if I... ?" But then there is no going back to correct it. I know that a small chance encounter does not warrant this much of philosophy, but for a long time afterwards, I felt really content that I had not let the opportunity slip by.

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The Greatest Love of All

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A Mother's courage and love for her child often takes the weirdest shapes. When the whole world is against her child, she would find ways to protect him. When the world starves, she alone would find food for him. When the world keeps her from her child, she would devise methods to reach him. And when the world decides to destroy him, she would send him to a safe and certain death with her own hands, to save him from the world. Such is the love of a Mother, and as such is the greatest love of all.

Read More...

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Glimpses of God's Own Country - during Onam (part II)

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In the previous post, I shared some snaps from Ernakulam and the road to Kottayam. Here are the remaining snaps, from Kottayam to Thiruvananthapuram. Please read the captions below each snap. (As before, many of the road snaps were taken from a moving car, so the quality may not be excellent.)


I wanted to capture a beautifully illuminated shop at Kottayam, but a bus got in the way. Then I spotted this coconut tree and tried to shoot it instead. I know it doesn't look great, but this was the best of three attempts - it was late evening, and we were in the middle of crawling traffic, and unable to stop for a snap.


Josco, Kottayam - on the other side of the coconut tree. Same condition as above.



It was raining the entire week, almost non-stop. Here Munnu stands getting drenched, wondering whether to continue or come into the house. He finally took off his clothes and took a bath in the rain. Ah, the joys of childhood!


Onassadya - the lunch, in traditional style, on banana leaves.


This monkey loves mango trees!


We encountered a khoshayatra on Avittam day, and the 'deer' came to make friends with Munnu.


Munnu and his grandpa at Shanghumugham beach (Thiruvananthapuram.) The only thing that Bangalore lacks is a beach!


The sea was rough - the tide was high, it was noon-time and the day of the full moon.



Munnu tasting sea water!

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Glimpses of God's Own Country - during Onam (part I)

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Here are some of the snaps from our trip to Kerala last week. Do read the captions below each. (Most of the road snaps were taken from the car, and hence lack clarity.)

Oberon Mall at EKM


Had to capture this hoarding on the roadside. But could not manage to avoid the electric lines!


The writing on the auto (pic taken from the car) says, "Roadside Friend"



Ernakulam - Kottayam Road


As we passed a bridge...


Couldn't resist this - looked very colourful!


Ernakulam - Kottayam Road


View from another bridge




We managed to meet King Mahabali and an elephant on the way. Munnu was excited ! The elephant isn't real, by the way - though the King is. Both were advertising "Archana Textiles."

More snaps in the next post...

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Thoughts for the weekend

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1. Someone once told me, If you can't beat them, laugh at them.

2. If creativity wakes you up at night, get up and create.

3. I am happy that sometimes my son does not listen to me and adamantly keeps up after what he wants to do - because at the end of it he emerges having learnt to do something by himself.

4. There is a good amount of (bad amount, more like) road rage gallivanting around the streets today. And it is not going to do any good to anyone.

5. If you want something very badly, keep up after it for hours, days and weeks on end. By all theories of probability, persistence and coincidence, you will finally get at least a slice of what you wanted. The magic words are "keep up after it" and "at least a slice."

(Pre-scheduled post)

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Thiruonam

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Thiruonam. The most important festival of Malayalis, celebrated across Kerala irrespective of religion or caste.

Most of the major festivals in India have more than one story associated with them. Onam is one of the festivals which have only one legend describing it. The banishment of the good King Mahabali of Kerala by Lord Vishnu and his arrival every year to see his citizens. Gods are sometimes unfair to man, in the name of fulfilment of their dharma.

Not a Malayali? Read this website for the story of Onam.


(Pre-scheduled post)

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