A Reader's Apology

Books have been my window to the world. They have helped me learn a language well,taught me about places,customs,cultures and peoples. More importantly,they shaped my ideals and convictions. What follows is my ode to some books that have profoundly influenced me.In no particular order.

Fountainhead, which taught me that the highest morality is to live by your convictions and sacrificing that is compromising your integrity.

"Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision."

"I could die for you but dont ask me to live for you" 

Catcher in the Rye for the portrayal of a frustrated individual. For showing me Salinger .

To kill a Mockingbird for reminding me of the simple pleasures of life. For telling me why we must stand by our convictions. As Atticus puts it " I must live with myself before I live with others".

1984 which painted a stark picture of what governments could mutate into if we are not vigilant enough.About how freedom is worth more than anything else. For painting a harrowing dystopia.

A brave New World which portays an utopia where there is no suffering, no guilt and where you live a life which you were literally created to do.It made me think if its worth compromising passion,emotions and freedom for pleasure and security. 

Dreams from my father for its honesty. For giving me an insight into the issue of racism and for making me ponder on the issues of origin and identity.

Lolita for the beauty of prose. For shwoing that a man cant help his sexual preferences and for showing how manipulative the "victim", at times, could be. it taught me to look at everything without prejudice.

O Jerusalem for teaching me empathy. Showing me how the will of a few men can shape a nation. 

Freedom at Midnight.for telling me more about my country, showing the Mahatma in his glory.  Making me love my country even more.

Selections from the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda for the sheer inspiration it has provided me every time I turn to it . Showing the greatness of our land and the grand ideals which were conceived by our forefathers. For showing me that being spiritual does not mean compromising on logic or blindly adhering to tradition. Showing me to what lofty heights man's mind can soar. For Showing me The Man Himself. Of everything I have read so far, none can match this for sheer impact.

"Strength is life, weakness is death. Strength is felicity, life eternal, immortal. Weakness is constant strain and misery; weakness is death."

Lord of the Rings for the sheer wonder. If a man could conjure a whole world including peoples,histories and languages, there is no end to human creativity. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time for presenting a haroowing descent into madness and illustrating how simple it is to being the descent. Madness is just another way of thinking.

Neti Neti for the ethereal writing style. For the title. For portraying emptiness .

The Hannibal series for showing me that contradictions exist everywhere. That what we call madness is just another way of thinking. For the horror, intrigue and beauty(Yes Hannibal Rising).

The Harry Potter series for the countless hours of joy. For the magic in Rowling's prose. For all the madness, obsession and fun. For the 20 re reads of The Order of the Phoenix.

Sons of Fortune for being the first proper novel I read. For being unputdownable. Not a penny More Not a Penny Less for delight. Jeffery Archer for making me become even more interested in reading.

Jurrasic Park series for redefining edge the seat thriller. Never has a book scared me more. Michael Chrichton for kindling interest in technology. 

The Godfather for being a classic. For Vito Corleone. For the Mob. For Puzo. For " Ill make him an offer he cant refuse".

Shalmar the Clown for the magic. For the beauty of Prose. For the beautiful portrayal of Kashmir. Enchantress of Florence for the magic again. Rushdie never ceases to amaze. 

And more,many more, many many more.

Im pretty sure I have missed out a lot of books. And Im also sure that this post is long enough not to miss them :D 

A Few Good Men

Inspired by today's Hindu(Page five I guess)

Meet Mr Palpandi. A waiter at Alankar. You wouldn't care to give him a second glance. But he has been serving the city for 25 years and the Police plan to  to honour him. What has he done? Nothing mind blowing. He just happens to wear a khaki uniform and regulate traffic at Nanjappa Road junction whenever he is not on duty. On usual days, you can see him for about three hours in the afternoon and for three more in the evening.His reason:Soul Satisfaction, as he puts it.

This is dad's experience :

About a month ago, there was a traffic jam in Avinashi Road.Just when dad had turned off the engine and resigned himself to a  long wait, he saw the trafffic being cleared. Eager to see who it was who was doing this, he stepped out. A bunch of auto drivers from the nearest Auto stand had taken it upon themselves to clear the mess. Dad was impressed, told them as much and asked them why they were doing it. " Summa irukkara timela ethavathu help panlam la" one of them said.And apparently, this was not the first time they had done this.

This little city has such men of character.

The Moon Reaches Out

The moon reaches out
Caressing your face
Her soothing touch

The wind blows on you
Ruffling sliken strands
His boyish charm

The forests speak to you
A tongue intuitive,unlearnt
Of eternal truths

The birds sing for you
Flowers yearn for your touch
The grass waits to feel you

Rivulets to wash your pain
To make you whole again

Feel the ancient bond
Connecting you and her

In the womb of Nature
Rest awhile,rejuvenate
Find yourself.


P.S: Im not very happy with this one. Something which I cant lay my finger upon makes this incomplete.

Oskar Schindler

Schindler: I could have got more out. I could have got more. I don't know. If I'd just … I could have got more.

Stern: Oskar, there are eleven hundred people who are alive because of you. Look at them

Schindler: If I'd made more money … I threw away so much money. You have no idea. If I'd just …

Stern: There will be generations because of what you did.

Schindler: I didn't do enough!

Stern: You did so much.[Schindler looks at his car]

Schindler: This car. Goeth would have bought this car. Why did I keep the car? Ten people right there. Ten people. Ten more people.[Removing Nazi pin from lapel]

Schindler: This pin. Two people. This is gold. Two more people. He would have given me two for it, at least one. One more person. A person, Stern. For this. I could have gotten one more person … and I didn't! And I … I didn't!

What a man. What a movie.

Of moms and metal

Today I was singing Master of puppets.

Me: Your life burns faster

Mom:Obey your mother.

My mom knows  the song well enough to parody it.Shows how many times Ive played it  and how tolerant she is to what she calls "music with awful guitar tuning but great guitar playing"

The Spirit Carries On

Music by Dream Theater

Lyrics by John Petrucci

Nicholas:

Where did we come from, 

Why all we here? 

Where do we go when we die?

What lies beyond

And what lay before?

Is anything certain in life?

They say, "Life is too short,"

"The here and the now"

And "You're only given one shot"

But could there be more,

Have I lived before,

Or could this be all that we've got?

If I die tomorrow

I'd be all right

Because I believe

That after we're gone

The spirit carries on

I used to be frightened of dying

I used to think death was the end

But that was beforeI'm not scared anymore

I know that my soul will transcend

I may never find all the answers

I may never understand why

I may never prove

What I know to be true

But I know that I still have to try

If I die tomorrow

I'd be all right

Because I believe

That after we're gone

The spirit carries on

Victoria:

"Move on, be brave

Don't weep at my grave

Because I am no longer here

But please never let

Your memory of me disappear"

Nicholas:

Safe in the light that surrounds me

Free of the fear and the pain

My questioning mind

Has helped me to find

The meaning in my life again

Victoria's real

I finally feel

At peace with the girl in my dreams

And now that I'm here

It's perfectly clear

I found out what all of this means

If I die tomorrow

I'd be all right

Because I believe

That after we're gone

The spirit carries on

\m/

Lyrics .No words for these lines.

What are we really after?

The three meal eater with no appetite
The child who starving twice each day

The agnostic pretending to believe
The bloody, ignorant fanatic

The uncaring indifferent sweetheart
The introvert forced to socialise

The teetotaller who yearns to get high
The alcoholic thinking it will work out

The fitness freak hoping to prolong life
The mystic who hopes for afterlife

The nine-to-fiver in it for the dough
The coding freak, computer addict

The family man desperate for a divorce
The woman who stays on for the kids

The kid who wants to grow up
The midlifer who yearns to be young again

Contradictions, pretensions, delusions
What are we really after?
What makes a content life?