Just Wondering -9

An optimist's view of a pessimist:
Coming to think of it, atleast a pessimist never gets any rude shocks in life !

Dusty Pages

I get this inexplicable delight whenever I spot a best seller or a famous book, at the pavement book hawker’s.

Call it a vestige of middle class upbringing, but the day is made if I manage to steal a deal after hours of harangue, fully acknowledging in a remote corner of my mind, the unprinted pages, the typographic errors and other minor flaws that lurk within those glossy covers.
This sort of mutated into a mild addiction, a couple of years back, and I began to amass books. Books that were neatly stacked in my cupboard, amidst a hoarde of other miscellany; books that were never read beyond the blurb and the preface.

Books that were lent to friends and relatives, with beaming pride in recollection of the bargaining mastery behind their possession. Books that were dutifully reminded to be returned, with a statutory warning of not revealing the contents, for they were yet to be read by the owner, and would be read someday, sometime.

Not that I am a poor reader. My reading speed is average,and my attention span can hold for alteast a couple of days. The longest book I have read was of 1200 pages. The genre of my reading is decently wide, and I read a range of authors.
Although I have always liked reading, I have never really owned books. I used the library, or liberally borrowed from everyone I knew.

Maybe the lack of pressure to finish a book (now really owning them), or sheer intimidation by the length of printed matter made me put them them away for later.
With this hypothesis in mind, I began to feed on a staple of short stories, various collections borrowed from the library. I read them whenever I could find a moment, once even dropping a book into a bowl of sambar that I was stirring.

Revitalised by this exercise, I began to plod through those books I purchased. But, sadly they got tucked under the pillow, stashed beneath the bed, and a few even found their way to the attic. They had began to symbolize a lapse. They sent me on a guilt trip whenever I chanced a glance.

Then my mother started nagging me about the clutter they were making, and threatned to throw them away along with the old newspapers. The thought of the fruits of my labourious bargain being reduced to meagre change spurred me into action, yet again.
On a fine lazy Sunday, I locked myself up with one of those seemingly innocuous ones. I drew up a chart, with the targetted no of pages, Vs an ambitious time estimate. I set the alarm for the first chapter. And began to read.
The alarm rang. And I woke up. Chin deep in page no 5, chapter 1.

I still wage my war against the dusty pages. Managing to cajole extra time out of my mother, now and then.

My current (will always be current) list of dust collectors:
1. Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenence
2. A collection of Shakespere’s tragedies
3. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
4. Some Irving Wallace novel (forgot the name)
5. Bourne Series (Read the Ultimatum, from the library)
6. And countless e books (my battle against e books deserves a seperate post)
What’s yours ? *:)


P.S :
* : A desperate measure to absolve myself of all that guilt.

Just Wondering - 8

Chris Srey Kant
Has Krish Srikanth become one among the "US Re-turneds?" Or is he working part time at a call center?


P.S : Was watching Chee-ka twist and roll his tongue at the Set-Max Studios, as the CSK thrashed the KKR at the IPL match yesterday. Missing his inimitable cheeky Chee-ka Chennai commenting ishtyle. :(

Short Notes on Life - Memories

They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel - Carl W. Buechner

Everyone likes to be remembered. It is an assurance that one gets every now and then, that one might leave a mark on this earth, when its time to depart. Even infants that die at birth or embryos that get aborted tend to leave behind memories.

So many people come, and so many others go. Lives that touch, and get touched. Thoughts, deeds, words- spoken and unspoken. People born in different places; brought together for a certain period of time, by certain circumstances. Scattering again to get in touch with other folks.
Carrying with them memories: Impressions, Sounds, Visions, feelings.

A Brownian movement of humans. Although apparently not random.

Memories can straighten the ripples, and create a silken record. Or they can blow up minor skirmishes and obliterate the good times.
Some people try to consciously suppress memories. Others choose to live in them.

And the rest of us, live with them.

People 10 : The Look-out.

A run down shack on a busy highway. A road in a constant spate of traffic.

Homes and residences, smoky images on black and white memories.

Flash forward: Office buildings, enterprises, bus stands, traffic signals, policemen, petrol bunks, politician’s statues, posters, billboards, big city lights. Accidents, ambulances, trauma care, lives lost, livelihood earned.

A dark shanty. Broken panes. Peeling paint. Moldy well. Littered lawn. Creaky gates.

He sits. Atop the compound wall. A small slab on the gate post. Legs crossed. Arms hugging his lanky body. Rocking himself back and forth. Beams from headlights, cast an eerie halo. A smile, running parallel to the lines on his face.

Is he a mad man? Why is he seated here? Who is he smiling at?

Is he the watch man of the shack? Why doesn’t he have a chair to sit on?

Why isn’t anyone else noticing him? Is he really there? Is it a Ghoul? Having a night out of the graves?

Just Wondering - 7

It is strange that blows that could have once broken backbones, hardly make an eyelid bat.

Is detachment the panacea to all pain ?

Still,what would man be, but for the ability to wish and hope?

Just Wondering - 6

Can someone crave for both company and solitude at the same time?

Just Wondering - 5

Is there a state of mind, where nothing can interest a person ? An Eternal Ennui of the Extreme kind ....All shades merging into one blurry blend of grey.....All tastes mixing into insipid blandness....Every second as dull and dreary as its predecessor...

Can someone die of boredom?

Just Wondering -4

A short cut to Ramar Sethu

Karunanidhi : "Who is this Rama? From which engineering college did he gradute? Is there any proof for this?"

Advani :''Today a civil war is going on and the government of Tamil Nadu is adding to it"

My father : "Intha Rendu kezhathaiyum pidichu jail la pota Ramarum nimmadhiya irupar, sethu vum nimmadhiya irukum." * (chuckles)


* Translation :
'If both these old croonies are put in jail, Rama would be happy, and so will the bridge. '

Just Wondering - 3

Why does a super-powered Genie always have a human master to command it? Is it for the same reason that a few lesser mortals hold the leash over the rest?

Inspiration : A chance flicking of channels that lead to a glimpse of Disney's Alladin.

Just Wondering -2

Is Patience a form of self deception? A narcotic that lulls your consciousness to reality? Does a strength of spirit warrant a dishonesty with oneself?

Why is plain old common sense that tells you to give up and move on , viewed as slackness of the soul?

Isn't it mulish waiting that is an indication of lassitude and reluctance?

Just Wondering - 1

Does anyone think that Kareena Kapoor and Paris Hilton look alike?
Has anyone noticed that Urmila resembles Jeniffer Aniston?

Or Is it just me?