A Fine Balance
To anyone who hasn’t yet read ‘A Fine Balance’ by Rohinton Mistry, you are really missing on one of the greatest books written by an Indian author.
It was my friend TK who introduced me to the book, she warned me that it was heart wrenching, sad yet fabulous. Now I’m not one to jump and wallow in misery which is not my own (smile)..yet there was something about the foreword of this book which made me take it from her hands and carry it home. And read it through the night, and days after till I hadn’t finished it.
This book is about four characters—Dina Dalal, Ishvar Darji, his nephew Omprakash and a young boy named Maneck. Four diverse people from varied backgrounds who come together, develop a bond and depart from each other lives as dramatically as they came.
A must read for everyone who has a passion for books and compulsory for every Indian- a book to be proud of.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Thursday, October 12, 2006
A Thing called Love
I want to share with the world 2 absolutely beautiful songs about love. They are not the conventional kind. But they've never failed to move me.
Fields of Gold - Sting
Youll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
Youll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in the fields of gold
So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold
Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in the fields of gold
See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise
when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of goldI
never made promises lightly
And there have been some that Ive broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in the fields of gold
We'll walk in the fields of gold
Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
Youll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in the fields of gold
Come Undone – Duran Duran
Mine, immaculate dream,
made breath and skin,
Ive been waiting for you,
Signed, with a home tattoo,
happy birthday to you was created for you.
cant ever keep from falling apart.. at the seams
cant believe youre taking my heart.. to pieces
Ahh, itll take a little time, might take a little crime
to come undone
Now well try to stay blind, to the hope and fear outside,
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind
And blow me in to cry.
Who do you need? Who do you love?
When you come undone.
Words, playing me deja vu,
like a radio tune
I swear Ive heard before,
Chill, is it something real, or the magic Im feeding off your fingers
Lost, in a snow filled sky,
we'll make it alright, to come undone,
Now well try to stay blind, to the hope and fear outside,
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind -And blow me in to cry
I want to share with the world 2 absolutely beautiful songs about love. They are not the conventional kind. But they've never failed to move me.
Fields of Gold - Sting
Youll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
Youll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in the fields of gold
So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold
Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in the fields of gold
See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise
when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of goldI
never made promises lightly
And there have been some that Ive broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in the fields of gold
We'll walk in the fields of gold
Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
Youll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in the fields of gold
Come Undone – Duran Duran
Mine, immaculate dream,
made breath and skin,
Ive been waiting for you,
Signed, with a home tattoo,
happy birthday to you was created for you.
cant ever keep from falling apart.. at the seams
cant believe youre taking my heart.. to pieces
Ahh, itll take a little time, might take a little crime
to come undone
Now well try to stay blind, to the hope and fear outside,
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind
And blow me in to cry.
Who do you need? Who do you love?
When you come undone.
Words, playing me deja vu,
like a radio tune
I swear Ive heard before,
Chill, is it something real, or the magic Im feeding off your fingers
Lost, in a snow filled sky,
we'll make it alright, to come undone,
Now well try to stay blind, to the hope and fear outside,
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind -And blow me in to cry
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Art Speak
Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh has risen to the peak of artistic achievements. Although Van Gogh sold only one painting in his life, the aftermath of his work is enormous.
Starry Night is one of the most well known images in modern culture as well as being one of the most replicated and sought after prints. From Don McLean's song 'Starry, Starry Night' (Based on the Painting), to the endless number of merchandise products sporting this image, it is nearly impossible to shy away from this amazing painting. One may begin to ask what features within the painting are responsible for its ever growing popularity. There are actually several main aspects that intrigue those who view this image, and each factor affects each individual differently.
The aspects will be described below:
1. There is the night sky filled with swirling clouds, stars ablaze with their own luminescence, and a bright cresset moon. Although the features are exaggerated, this is a scene we can all relate to, and also one that most individuals feel comfortable and at ease with. This sky keeps the viewer's eyes moving about the painting, following the curves and creating a visual dot to dot with the stars. This movement keeps the onlooker involved in the painting while the other factors take hold.
2. Below the rolling hills of the horizon lies a small town. There is a peaceful essence flowing from the structures. Perhaps the cool dark colors and the fiery windows spark memories of our own warm childhood years filled with imagination of what exists in the night and dark starry skies. The center point of the town is the tall steeple of the church, reigning largely over the smaller buildings. This steeple casts down a sense of stability onto the town, and also creates a sense of size and seclusion.
3. To the left of the painting there is a massive dark structure that develops an even greater sense of size and isolation. This structure is magnificent when compared to the scale of other objects in the painting. The curving lines mirror that of the sky and create the sensation of depth in the painting. This structure also allows the viewer to interpret what it is. From a mountain to a leafy bush, the analysis of this formation is wide and full of variety. Van Gogh painted Starry Night while in an Asylum at Saint-Remy in 1889. According to VGgallery.com: "his behavior was very erratic at the time, due to the severity of his attacks. Unlike most of Van Gogh's works, Starry Night was painted from memory and not outdoors as was Vincent's preference. This may, in part, explain why the emotional impact of the work is so much more powerful than many of Van Gogh's other works from the same period."
Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh has risen to the peak of artistic achievements. Although Van Gogh sold only one painting in his life, the aftermath of his work is enormous.
Starry Night is one of the most well known images in modern culture as well as being one of the most replicated and sought after prints. From Don McLean's song 'Starry, Starry Night' (Based on the Painting), to the endless number of merchandise products sporting this image, it is nearly impossible to shy away from this amazing painting. One may begin to ask what features within the painting are responsible for its ever growing popularity. There are actually several main aspects that intrigue those who view this image, and each factor affects each individual differently.
The aspects will be described below:
1. There is the night sky filled with swirling clouds, stars ablaze with their own luminescence, and a bright cresset moon. Although the features are exaggerated, this is a scene we can all relate to, and also one that most individuals feel comfortable and at ease with. This sky keeps the viewer's eyes moving about the painting, following the curves and creating a visual dot to dot with the stars. This movement keeps the onlooker involved in the painting while the other factors take hold.
2. Below the rolling hills of the horizon lies a small town. There is a peaceful essence flowing from the structures. Perhaps the cool dark colors and the fiery windows spark memories of our own warm childhood years filled with imagination of what exists in the night and dark starry skies. The center point of the town is the tall steeple of the church, reigning largely over the smaller buildings. This steeple casts down a sense of stability onto the town, and also creates a sense of size and seclusion.
3. To the left of the painting there is a massive dark structure that develops an even greater sense of size and isolation. This structure is magnificent when compared to the scale of other objects in the painting. The curving lines mirror that of the sky and create the sensation of depth in the painting. This structure also allows the viewer to interpret what it is. From a mountain to a leafy bush, the analysis of this formation is wide and full of variety. Van Gogh painted Starry Night while in an Asylum at Saint-Remy in 1889. According to VGgallery.com: "his behavior was very erratic at the time, due to the severity of his attacks. Unlike most of Van Gogh's works, Starry Night was painted from memory and not outdoors as was Vincent's preference. This may, in part, explain why the emotional impact of the work is so much more powerful than many of Van Gogh's other works from the same period."
8 Deodar Street
It was the rains that cheered him up. A sky full of moody dark clouds, leaves swaying to the sweet rhythm of the wind, children delighted at the thought of missing yet another day of school.
Why would anyone say the rains made them gloomy?
It had now been 4 months in Kolkata. Coming from a very conservative north Indian upbringing, he had found it hard to digest the comfort with poverty that people in this city seemed to have. While in the swanky streets of Punjab it was almost unheard of not to see a couple of brand new Toyotas, Kolkata screamed of noisy yellow taxis and the grunts of rickshaw pullers.
Now in sitting in his plush office he thought of how ironic life had become. Here he was with the kind of job his Paaji would have sold his soul for, back in the day, yet he had no means of really enjoying it. Life gets lonesome for bachelors traveling out to strange lands in pursuit of a rewarding career and his was no different. And now as he watched out his window at the hustle bustle of the city, he realized more than ever the pain and sadness of separation.
Another Day
Waking up at 4 am was never a problem with her. The mornings were quiet and peaceful, a stark contrast to how her day would progress. Breakfast, rush hour traffic, honking cars and blinking red traffic signals. Life for the modern woman they call it now, but truth be told, the job just seemed like another burden pulling one down.
It was not always like this. She had once been the wild child, life of the party with a certain effervescent quality that all around her wanted to imitate. No job was too difficult, no dream too big.. there was always room for more friends and they came easy. Like a moth to the flame. There are very few who are blessed with an arresting face as well as the intelligence to hold a persons interest. And she definitely fitted the bill.
It was the rains that cheered him up. A sky full of moody dark clouds, leaves swaying to the sweet rhythm of the wind, children delighted at the thought of missing yet another day of school.
Why would anyone say the rains made them gloomy?
It had now been 4 months in Kolkata. Coming from a very conservative north Indian upbringing, he had found it hard to digest the comfort with poverty that people in this city seemed to have. While in the swanky streets of Punjab it was almost unheard of not to see a couple of brand new Toyotas, Kolkata screamed of noisy yellow taxis and the grunts of rickshaw pullers.
Now in sitting in his plush office he thought of how ironic life had become. Here he was with the kind of job his Paaji would have sold his soul for, back in the day, yet he had no means of really enjoying it. Life gets lonesome for bachelors traveling out to strange lands in pursuit of a rewarding career and his was no different. And now as he watched out his window at the hustle bustle of the city, he realized more than ever the pain and sadness of separation.
Another Day
Waking up at 4 am was never a problem with her. The mornings were quiet and peaceful, a stark contrast to how her day would progress. Breakfast, rush hour traffic, honking cars and blinking red traffic signals. Life for the modern woman they call it now, but truth be told, the job just seemed like another burden pulling one down.
It was not always like this. She had once been the wild child, life of the party with a certain effervescent quality that all around her wanted to imitate. No job was too difficult, no dream too big.. there was always room for more friends and they came easy. Like a moth to the flame. There are very few who are blessed with an arresting face as well as the intelligence to hold a persons interest. And she definitely fitted the bill.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Of Dancing girls and Kite-runners
I have been introduced to a new wave of writing.
Its not the sad glum stories.. Boy born in deprived surroundings, boy never gets education, boy abused.. Now there is a new breed of writers who give this angle to books a new spin. Take for example- Louise Brown’s The Dancing girls of Lahore. Maha is a prostitute whose life is a series of sleeping pills, being cheated by her clientele, and a desire to be richer by pimping her own daughters. Mind you this is not fiction. This is true lives lived by many in the red light districts of Lahore. Now for the interesting part, not once in the book is the situation pitied, yet the author strives to portray the characters as strong and independent. Then there is the bestseller ‘The Kite runner’, a story to me of guilt and cowardice turned into acts of courage- life coming to full circle and karma. Here too, there are no excuses in the book of wrongs committed. The story traverses its path to reveal that wrong can be made right.
Its nice to see that lives are not pitied and even the most evil deeds can seek absolute redemption.
Even though it may only be in fiction.
I have been introduced to a new wave of writing.
Its not the sad glum stories.. Boy born in deprived surroundings, boy never gets education, boy abused.. Now there is a new breed of writers who give this angle to books a new spin. Take for example- Louise Brown’s The Dancing girls of Lahore. Maha is a prostitute whose life is a series of sleeping pills, being cheated by her clientele, and a desire to be richer by pimping her own daughters. Mind you this is not fiction. This is true lives lived by many in the red light districts of Lahore. Now for the interesting part, not once in the book is the situation pitied, yet the author strives to portray the characters as strong and independent. Then there is the bestseller ‘The Kite runner’, a story to me of guilt and cowardice turned into acts of courage- life coming to full circle and karma. Here too, there are no excuses in the book of wrongs committed. The story traverses its path to reveal that wrong can be made right.
Its nice to see that lives are not pitied and even the most evil deeds can seek absolute redemption.
Even though it may only be in fiction.
Play On
If music be the food of life.. Play on.
I can't remember the fist time I heard a song and went WOW! For as long as I can remember..it has been this way. An obsession. Love. Passion. Music has made me happy, lifted me in times of trouble and even helped me say F off! (Remember 'We don't need no education..?' or 'I hate everything about you'?)
To me the greatest invention of our times is the Ipod without which my morning drive to office, or my evening musings over lonely dinners would be incomplete.
My song on flights to someplace is however this one called Zephyr Song by RHCP- can't say why though i think its because I've always imagined myself in a strange contraption of a jet whenever I hear it.
Zephyr Song – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Can I get your hand to write on
Just a piece of lead to bite on
What am I to fly my kite on
Do you want to flash your light on
Take a look its on display - for you
Coming down
No
not today
Did you meet your fortune teller
Get it off with no propellor
Do it up its always stellar
What a way to finally smell her
Pick it up its not to strong - for you
Take a piece and pass it on
Fly away on my zephyr
I feel it more then ever
And in this perfect weather
Well find a place together
Fly on my wing
Riddlin on liberator
Find a way to be a skater
Rev it up to levitator
Super manly aviator
Take a look its on display - for you
Coming down no not today
Fly away on my zephyr
If music be the food of life.. Play on.
I can't remember the fist time I heard a song and went WOW! For as long as I can remember..it has been this way. An obsession. Love. Passion. Music has made me happy, lifted me in times of trouble and even helped me say F off! (Remember 'We don't need no education..?' or 'I hate everything about you'?)
To me the greatest invention of our times is the Ipod without which my morning drive to office, or my evening musings over lonely dinners would be incomplete.
My song on flights to someplace is however this one called Zephyr Song by RHCP- can't say why though i think its because I've always imagined myself in a strange contraption of a jet whenever I hear it.
Zephyr Song – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Can I get your hand to write on
Just a piece of lead to bite on
What am I to fly my kite on
Do you want to flash your light on
Take a look its on display - for you
Coming down
No
not today
Did you meet your fortune teller
Get it off with no propellor
Do it up its always stellar
What a way to finally smell her
Pick it up its not to strong - for you
Take a piece and pass it on
Fly away on my zephyr
I feel it more then ever
And in this perfect weather
Well find a place together
Fly on my wing
Riddlin on liberator
Find a way to be a skater
Rev it up to levitator
Super manly aviator
Take a look its on display - for you
Coming down no not today
Fly away on my zephyr
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