"All happy families resemble one another and all unhappy families are unhappy in their own ways" _ This was the opening line of one of my all time favourite novels, Anna Karenina. The novel has been close to my heart for many reasons and even more now!
Set in medieval time Russia,the story was way beyond its generation, rather too bold and unexampled.The heroine, Anna who meets a tragic end in the climax, is nevertheless a character of great intensity. No other heroine has ever come so close to being immortalised in the virtual world than Scarlett 'O Hara of Gone with the wind. Both meet tragic fates in the end but it's not as much the tragedy that transfixes the reader but the persuasiveness of the heroine in not giving up. Of course Anna gave it up in the end but Scarlett didn't!!
Anna's character is of such high debate in the literary world- was she justified in what she did? Was she right in doing what she believed in, or wrong, because the society she lived in, judged her?" She stood up to her own fate, she was brave and was ready to face the consequence of her action.. and she did too.
It wasn't up to the society to judge her and condemn her.
How relevant is the situation in every generation? Times change, but people dont!
How different are we in being prejudiced about someone today than we were yesterday? All the same..Are we quite modern in our ways of perceiving someone who does something "out of the box" much to the distaste of certain people who have their own norms and conventions? There can only be 2 angles to any situation- right or wrong! It just makes a difference which angle you look at it.
There's an Anna in everyone of "us". And there wil always be "them" - the society! Either you stand up to it or fall apart,the latter one being too easy a task. But if you dare to stand up to it,there are chances that you will be scorned at or isolated. Some people die trying to please the rest of us while there are others who live life in the fast lane! Of course , there will never be a dearth of mean people who go beyond their capabilities to make you feel insignificant, but they will just fade away in time. People who matter dont mind and people who mind dont matter!!
"Thank you" to all those who stood by me and never judged me ever....and to the rest- "who cares anyways!!!"
Justified !!
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Monday, October 05, 2009
Conspiracy Theories and Me
My new found love these days- Conspiracy Theories!!
Be it on television or books, all i look for is a Conspiracy theory!
Wikipedia's definition of a Conspiracy Theory- "Conspiracy theory is a term that originally was a neutral descriptor for any conspiracy claim. However, it has come almost exclusively to refer to any theory which explains a historical or current event as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful Machiavellian conspirators, such as a "secret team" or "shadow government", rather than broad social forces and large structures of human collectivities".
My favourite conspiracy theories have been-The death of Princess Diana, the mysterious disappearance of Amelia Earhart, the assassination of JFK, The Kennedy family curse,apocalyptic theories, Bible conspiracy theories, the death of Marilyn Monroe, 9/11, criminal investigation conspiracy theories and many many more!!!
One theory which i follow the most and have done some exclusive researching has been the death of Princess Diana.
Criminal investigation conspiracies have been my childhood favourites! I remember growing up watching "Investigation discovery" on Discovery channel and dreaming of becoming a Forensic expert someday :) sounds surreal but I still do watch the show and the role of a Forensic scientist fascinates me the same! What a challenging job that would be- everyday would be a new day at work. And every case as distinct as the other.
I do get chided at times for watching too much of these, nevertheless i watch them undeterred. It captivates my imagination to an extent that I often find myself wedged over these topics on google,looking for more information for my personal study. Well, I'm not trying to make a career out of it, but what damage has any extra-knowledge done to humanity? :)
Be it on television or books, all i look for is a Conspiracy theory!
Wikipedia's definition of a Conspiracy Theory- "Conspiracy theory is a term that originally was a neutral descriptor for any conspiracy claim. However, it has come almost exclusively to refer to any theory which explains a historical or current event as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful Machiavellian conspirators, such as a "secret team" or "shadow government", rather than broad social forces and large structures of human collectivities".
My favourite conspiracy theories have been-The death of Princess Diana, the mysterious disappearance of Amelia Earhart, the assassination of JFK, The Kennedy family curse,apocalyptic theories, Bible conspiracy theories, the death of Marilyn Monroe, 9/11, criminal investigation conspiracy theories and many many more!!!
One theory which i follow the most and have done some exclusive researching has been the death of Princess Diana.
Criminal investigation conspiracies have been my childhood favourites! I remember growing up watching "Investigation discovery" on Discovery channel and dreaming of becoming a Forensic expert someday :) sounds surreal but I still do watch the show and the role of a Forensic scientist fascinates me the same! What a challenging job that would be- everyday would be a new day at work. And every case as distinct as the other.
I do get chided at times for watching too much of these, nevertheless i watch them undeterred. It captivates my imagination to an extent that I often find myself wedged over these topics on google,looking for more information for my personal study. Well, I'm not trying to make a career out of it, but what damage has any extra-knowledge done to humanity? :)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Favourites
Five of my top-rated fictions i have read till date (not in any order)
Anna Karenina
Gone with the wind
The Godfather
Wuthering Heights
A thousand Splendid Suns
"Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri- That's next in line!
Cheers!
Anna Karenina
Gone with the wind
The Godfather
Wuthering Heights
A thousand Splendid Suns
"Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri- That's next in line!
Cheers!
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Fox Philosophy
What is it that really is important? "Loving what you do, or doing what you love"?
Most of us try to love what we do most of the times, which may not be what we love to do necessarily! Lucky are those individuals who did what they loved and found glory in it!! For e.g, Roger Federer!! He is doing what he loved to do always!
I love tennis too, maybe as much as Federer himself; but i couldn't make it to Wimbledon!! :) Instead I am "trying" to love what I am doing!! It's just a compromise between you and your mind. Ever heard of the "Greedy Fox" fable? It's not just a fable, but i call it "Fox Philosophy"! When you cant get what you want, just console yourself that the effort wasn't worth the grub anyways!! It's not about being pessimist- it's what i call felony against self."Fox Philosophy" is all about being in peace with oneself, with being able to take your defeats graciously, with being able to accept the fact that humans err!! I have applied this philosophy in many areas of my life and it has worked wonders for me! But it has never discouraged me ever. To try and to fail is all but natural;but it's the act of giving up that is reprehensive! Maybe the fox gave up trying in the end but that's not the end of the story!! It just consoled itself that the grapes were sour! Maybe, another tree, another place, the fox will surely get there!! Untill, then why not resort to self consolation?I think it's absolutely fine!
Cooking is not one of my favourite activities per se, but if i don't love to cook, I wouldn't be able to cook something edible. Moreover,if your own taste buds disapprove of your culinary skills, there's no way others can bask in the palatibility of your cuisines!!! As simple as that!
So cooking is not what i love to do on any given pleasant day, but I have applied myself to the art of loving to cook well enough so that I have developed a sense of accomplishment within me! Yess, I have finally mastered it!!
Cheers!
Most of us try to love what we do most of the times, which may not be what we love to do necessarily! Lucky are those individuals who did what they loved and found glory in it!! For e.g, Roger Federer!! He is doing what he loved to do always!
I love tennis too, maybe as much as Federer himself; but i couldn't make it to Wimbledon!! :) Instead I am "trying" to love what I am doing!! It's just a compromise between you and your mind. Ever heard of the "Greedy Fox" fable? It's not just a fable, but i call it "Fox Philosophy"! When you cant get what you want, just console yourself that the effort wasn't worth the grub anyways!! It's not about being pessimist- it's what i call felony against self."Fox Philosophy" is all about being in peace with oneself, with being able to take your defeats graciously, with being able to accept the fact that humans err!! I have applied this philosophy in many areas of my life and it has worked wonders for me! But it has never discouraged me ever. To try and to fail is all but natural;but it's the act of giving up that is reprehensive! Maybe the fox gave up trying in the end but that's not the end of the story!! It just consoled itself that the grapes were sour! Maybe, another tree, another place, the fox will surely get there!! Untill, then why not resort to self consolation?I think it's absolutely fine!
Cooking is not one of my favourite activities per se, but if i don't love to cook, I wouldn't be able to cook something edible. Moreover,if your own taste buds disapprove of your culinary skills, there's no way others can bask in the palatibility of your cuisines!!! As simple as that!
So cooking is not what i love to do on any given pleasant day, but I have applied myself to the art of loving to cook well enough so that I have developed a sense of accomplishment within me! Yess, I have finally mastered it!!
Cheers!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Journey of a Bibliophile!! :)
I am reading "The Kite Runner" by Khaleid Hossaini nowadays and reading has kept me busy for a while. My last book was "Spring Fever" by P G wodehouse. Previous to that I was glued onto "Angels and Demons". I am on a reading spree!! When was the last time i read like there was no tomorrow??Maybe long long ago!!
The ones lined up in queue are- "A thousand splendid suns" by Khaleid Hossaini and P G Wodehouse again!Did i mention earlier that i like to blend a Wodehouse here and a there just to keep my spirits soaring!!
Reading modern fictions has been my new found love! Earlier i used to read more of classics because i found them too challenging (i still do). But now, i am trying to bring about a change in my library by incorporating some modern bestsellers in my archive. I just want to diversify when i can afford to. Prejudice and complacence are 2 vices I have been trying to get rid of! To be a good author, one has to experiment with one's reading habits and try every book under the sun. From "Gulliver's travels" to "Sigmund Freud"- I am talking as diversified as that!
Well, I stil remember my very first book that i read, at age 5 or 6,it was "Three Little Pigs". I owe it to my father (who himself is a very good writer and a voracious reader!!) who imbibed in me this reading habit by getting me story books.
I still have all my story books intact and i read them whenever i go home. It might seem silly to read them now but it surely brings back good old memories..
My favourites were the Arabian Night stories and the Chandamama stories(Kannada).
My first novel was "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" By R L Stevenson(Dad's personal pick).
From the very beginning, my father encouraged me to read medieval classics. I started with English literature and gradually moved onto Russian classics. My very first russian classic was "Anna karenina" by Tolstoy. My interest hovered over Russian classics for a while. I read Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Boris Pasternak. After i read "Dr Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak I got drawn towards poetry in general; and in specific to Pushkin's works. Of course Wordsworth,P B Shelley and Keats have always remained my favourite poets!! For a while i again shifted back to English Literature with Dickens, Bronte, and Hardy. Not long ago, I thought of giving a try on modern fictions. I read "The Godfather". I loved it so much that I decided to switch over to modern fictions but for some reason i couldnt! After a very long gap, i read "The da Vinci Code". But somehow i could never stick to modern literature the way i do now!! I tried P G Wodehouse on a blue moon day and I loved it instantly! For the very first time i was reading classic humour and it was "truly classic". And its been a while since i have been reading modern fictions and have taken a short break on classics.
If i could ever read Kannada Literature in my lifteime I would consider it a great honour and a personal feat accomplished!! Well, I am proud to say that Kannada literature is rife with the literary geniuses of SL Bhairappa, Girish Karnad,Kuvempu and the likes. For the records, Kannada Literature has won the most "Gnaanapeet" awards ever!
Well, thats about it!! I would like to diversify furthermore (If I get a chance). Maybe try a hand on philosophies,religion or biographies someday! Long way to go and I have just started....:):)
Cheers!!!
The ones lined up in queue are- "A thousand splendid suns" by Khaleid Hossaini and P G Wodehouse again!Did i mention earlier that i like to blend a Wodehouse here and a there just to keep my spirits soaring!!
Reading modern fictions has been my new found love! Earlier i used to read more of classics because i found them too challenging (i still do). But now, i am trying to bring about a change in my library by incorporating some modern bestsellers in my archive. I just want to diversify when i can afford to. Prejudice and complacence are 2 vices I have been trying to get rid of! To be a good author, one has to experiment with one's reading habits and try every book under the sun. From "Gulliver's travels" to "Sigmund Freud"- I am talking as diversified as that!
Well, I stil remember my very first book that i read, at age 5 or 6,it was "Three Little Pigs". I owe it to my father (who himself is a very good writer and a voracious reader!!) who imbibed in me this reading habit by getting me story books.
I still have all my story books intact and i read them whenever i go home. It might seem silly to read them now but it surely brings back good old memories..
My favourites were the Arabian Night stories and the Chandamama stories(Kannada).
My first novel was "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" By R L Stevenson(Dad's personal pick).
From the very beginning, my father encouraged me to read medieval classics. I started with English literature and gradually moved onto Russian classics. My very first russian classic was "Anna karenina" by Tolstoy. My interest hovered over Russian classics for a while. I read Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Boris Pasternak. After i read "Dr Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak I got drawn towards poetry in general; and in specific to Pushkin's works. Of course Wordsworth,P B Shelley and Keats have always remained my favourite poets!! For a while i again shifted back to English Literature with Dickens, Bronte, and Hardy. Not long ago, I thought of giving a try on modern fictions. I read "The Godfather". I loved it so much that I decided to switch over to modern fictions but for some reason i couldnt! After a very long gap, i read "The da Vinci Code". But somehow i could never stick to modern literature the way i do now!! I tried P G Wodehouse on a blue moon day and I loved it instantly! For the very first time i was reading classic humour and it was "truly classic". And its been a while since i have been reading modern fictions and have taken a short break on classics.
If i could ever read Kannada Literature in my lifteime I would consider it a great honour and a personal feat accomplished!! Well, I am proud to say that Kannada literature is rife with the literary geniuses of SL Bhairappa, Girish Karnad,Kuvempu and the likes. For the records, Kannada Literature has won the most "Gnaanapeet" awards ever!
Well, thats about it!! I would like to diversify furthermore (If I get a chance). Maybe try a hand on philosophies,religion or biographies someday! Long way to go and I have just started....:):)
Cheers!!!
Monday, February 02, 2009
An Epic for all generations
A new bug has bitten me of late!! I wouldn't call it a "bug" though. Its just that i have been spiritually enlightened!!
I started watching one of the greatest Hindu epic ever written "Mahabharatha" on Youtube and i am almost done wih it. Just a couple of episodes more and that would leave me atleast 90% enlightened on a spiritual scale. I had watched it as a kid on TV, had heard stories of Mahabharatha-but all that wouldn't have meant anything more than just stories to an age where fairytale stories,magic and the conception of God as the one who punishes "bad people" held the utmost charm than the idea of being morally and ethically acceptable or spirituality as a whole or even relevance of those stories in modern times!!!
We already know the story of Mahabharatha-its the basis of our Hindu religion. We knew Pandavas were good and Kauravas were bad, and that in the end how good always triumphs over bad. We knew the battle that changed the course of history forever-the battle of Kurukshetra. There's hardly a hindu who would be ignorant of it!
It is highly overwhelming to me to realise something at the end of watching Mahabharatha! Its just this- To come to realise that Mahabharatha is not just a "story that was.." but on a broader scale, the penultimate relevance of it to a world in which i live today!!
To me, Mahabharatha is pure philosophy-and philosophies do not have a shelf life. They are true for all generations!It's discussion of human goals (artha or purpose, kāma or pleasure, dharma or duty, and moksha or liberation) takes place in a long-standing tradition, attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world and the workings of karma.
I strongly believe in the concept of "Karma" and in turn it openly means how strongly embedded my faith in my own religion is! The whole idea of being a Hindu or Hinduism is the basic understanding of the concept of "Karma" To believe in the 4 Purusharthas of life viz. dharma,artha,kama and moksha is the basic understanding of Hinduism. My own basic interpretation of these concepts in a proper or appropriate sense would be limited by the fact that i am neither a scholar in the field of Sanskrit nor would I claim that i have attained the "salavation" of life! My perspection of it is just a dot in the vastness of this Universe. With age comes maturity of actions and thoughts and hence the spiritual outlook. We base our thoughts and actions on the experience of our past (good/bad)and to declare that I have been successful in understanding the concept of Hinduism (at this age) would be a highly ambitious or a haughty statement!! Life is all about learning and exploring the mysteries of life. In that way, none of us (mortals) can ever decipher the real concept of "Life", leave alone, the Religion!!
So I prefer to remain focussed and discuss on what my beliefs are, rather than trying to preach the "philosophies that are...or that should be as per a school of thought"..
Well, coming back to Mahabaharatha, my favourite characters are Bhishma,Vidura,and Karna. I like Bhishma for his strongness of character,Vidura for his righteousness and unprejudiced disposition, and Karna for his principles!
Hoping to come out with a write-up soon on each of my favourite characters!
I started watching one of the greatest Hindu epic ever written "Mahabharatha" on Youtube and i am almost done wih it. Just a couple of episodes more and that would leave me atleast 90% enlightened on a spiritual scale. I had watched it as a kid on TV, had heard stories of Mahabharatha-but all that wouldn't have meant anything more than just stories to an age where fairytale stories,magic and the conception of God as the one who punishes "bad people" held the utmost charm than the idea of being morally and ethically acceptable or spirituality as a whole or even relevance of those stories in modern times!!!
We already know the story of Mahabharatha-its the basis of our Hindu religion. We knew Pandavas were good and Kauravas were bad, and that in the end how good always triumphs over bad. We knew the battle that changed the course of history forever-the battle of Kurukshetra. There's hardly a hindu who would be ignorant of it!
It is highly overwhelming to me to realise something at the end of watching Mahabharatha! Its just this- To come to realise that Mahabharatha is not just a "story that was.." but on a broader scale, the penultimate relevance of it to a world in which i live today!!
To me, Mahabharatha is pure philosophy-and philosophies do not have a shelf life. They are true for all generations!It's discussion of human goals (artha or purpose, kāma or pleasure, dharma or duty, and moksha or liberation) takes place in a long-standing tradition, attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world and the workings of karma.
I strongly believe in the concept of "Karma" and in turn it openly means how strongly embedded my faith in my own religion is! The whole idea of being a Hindu or Hinduism is the basic understanding of the concept of "Karma" To believe in the 4 Purusharthas of life viz. dharma,artha,kama and moksha is the basic understanding of Hinduism. My own basic interpretation of these concepts in a proper or appropriate sense would be limited by the fact that i am neither a scholar in the field of Sanskrit nor would I claim that i have attained the "salavation" of life! My perspection of it is just a dot in the vastness of this Universe. With age comes maturity of actions and thoughts and hence the spiritual outlook. We base our thoughts and actions on the experience of our past (good/bad)and to declare that I have been successful in understanding the concept of Hinduism (at this age) would be a highly ambitious or a haughty statement!! Life is all about learning and exploring the mysteries of life. In that way, none of us (mortals) can ever decipher the real concept of "Life", leave alone, the Religion!!
So I prefer to remain focussed and discuss on what my beliefs are, rather than trying to preach the "philosophies that are...or that should be as per a school of thought"..
Well, coming back to Mahabaharatha, my favourite characters are Bhishma,Vidura,and Karna. I like Bhishma for his strongness of character,Vidura for his righteousness and unprejudiced disposition, and Karna for his principles!
Hoping to come out with a write-up soon on each of my favourite characters!
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Coldplay
Not long ago,i was introduced to a genre of music called "Alternative rock" and since then have i been wanting to blog on one of the alternative rock bands that has got me dancing to its tunes- "Coldplay".
I always knew there existed a band called Coldplay (mainly cos its lead vocalist was married to Gwyneth Paltrow)but i wasn't really "into" alternative rock as such and hence i never much cared to explore their music in depth! I prefer classic rock any given day but then it wasn't meant to be forever.Once a very dear friend of mine introduced me to one of the songs of coldplay called "Yellow". I instantly fell in love with the song. And not before long, i was exploring details on coldplay and alternative rock as a whole. And to this day, I have been hitched onto Coldplay. Coldplay songs top my ipod "top most played songs" list! Verve,Greenday and U2 are few other alternative rock bands that I love the most after Coldplay.
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in London, England in 1998. The group comprises vocalist/pianist/guitarist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Will Champion.
Their first single "Yellow" catapulted them to worldwide fame in 2000. "Parachutes", "A rush of blood to the head" and "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends" are some of their albums which have topped the US and UK charts and won several Grammy awards.
Alternative Rock has its origin in the United Kingdom. It emerged in the 1980s. "College rock" was used in the United States to describe the music during the 1980.British alternative rock is distinguished from that of the United States by a more pop-oriented focus and a lyrical emphasis on specifically British concerns.
Coldplay music is typical of its "very heavy soft rock" sytle. Most of the songs have a central theme and are catchy. The musicscape is built on a varied instrumenation. For e.g. the song "clocks" is built on a repeating piano riff and features a minimalist soundscape of drums and bass. "yellow" begins with an acoustic guitar backed by a background electric guitar. Martin's lyrical wordplay has been called feminist and the band's music has been called "meditative"; it reflects on their emotions and lead singer/songwriter Martin "endlessly examines his feelings".
The band's latest song "Viva la vida" is the latest craze on my ipod now. It's being endlessly played on all FM radios here across the United states. It is the band's first song to reach number one in the United States and the United Kingdom.
I am definitely looking forward for more record breaking songs from Coldplay!!
Cheers!!
I always knew there existed a band called Coldplay (mainly cos its lead vocalist was married to Gwyneth Paltrow)but i wasn't really "into" alternative rock as such and hence i never much cared to explore their music in depth! I prefer classic rock any given day but then it wasn't meant to be forever.Once a very dear friend of mine introduced me to one of the songs of coldplay called "Yellow". I instantly fell in love with the song. And not before long, i was exploring details on coldplay and alternative rock as a whole. And to this day, I have been hitched onto Coldplay. Coldplay songs top my ipod "top most played songs" list! Verve,Greenday and U2 are few other alternative rock bands that I love the most after Coldplay.
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in London, England in 1998. The group comprises vocalist/pianist/guitarist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Will Champion.
Their first single "Yellow" catapulted them to worldwide fame in 2000. "Parachutes", "A rush of blood to the head" and "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends" are some of their albums which have topped the US and UK charts and won several Grammy awards.
Alternative Rock has its origin in the United Kingdom. It emerged in the 1980s. "College rock" was used in the United States to describe the music during the 1980.British alternative rock is distinguished from that of the United States by a more pop-oriented focus and a lyrical emphasis on specifically British concerns.
Coldplay music is typical of its "very heavy soft rock" sytle. Most of the songs have a central theme and are catchy. The musicscape is built on a varied instrumenation. For e.g. the song "clocks" is built on a repeating piano riff and features a minimalist soundscape of drums and bass. "yellow" begins with an acoustic guitar backed by a background electric guitar. Martin's lyrical wordplay has been called feminist and the band's music has been called "meditative"; it reflects on their emotions and lead singer/songwriter Martin "endlessly examines his feelings".
The band's latest song "Viva la vida" is the latest craze on my ipod now. It's being endlessly played on all FM radios here across the United states. It is the band's first song to reach number one in the United States and the United Kingdom.
I am definitely looking forward for more record breaking songs from Coldplay!!
Cheers!!
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