Sujatha Again

My Semester is about to end and so using(misusing) the facilities my school provides. Taking print out of ebooks. I am currently reading sujatha's short stories. Read his "AAh" .

"aah" is based on a software guy who hears voices.( he is Scizophrenic) and this stork was sritten in 1992 in Ananda Vikatan. every chapter ends with the word "AaH"

The short story collection is a collection of his writings written during different periods. But the best part is he has added an autors note in which he adds something- either the reason behind the story, the style of the story, the narration techinque, how the story changes if he adds an additonal line to the story!

I am also keen to read Vishnupuram by jayamohan . Most serious tamil literature followers have praised the book. I dont think I have a chance to read until my next trip to India and I dont know when that is likely to happen. The other book that I is in my list is Ti janakiraman's Mogamul. I ahev watchedthe movie several times and have never like the movie. Saw the movie for the sake of the actress with the poonai kann!!

Sujatha

I was a bit disturbed on the demise of Rangarajan , more popularly known as Sujatha - writer, columnist,screen play writer, engineer. He was one of the writers who made me read Tamil books .I have not many of his books which I in tend to read when time permits and also when I a am able to get hold of online.

Though I knew him as thoguht provoking writer with his extensive use of science in his works I was suprised by the style of Srirangathu Kathaigal ( or I am not sure if it was sri rangathu kathaigal). It was a collection of short stories or rather a fictious account based on real life incidents which he Sujatha had experienced. You could notice a lot of humour as well as sadness ( which I did not expect) .

Andha munthru natkal, jews , brahmins

The brahmins in India have been compared to Jews for a lot of reasons and I came one such commonality. Woman during the Antha mundru natkal are considered to be in a impure state in a typical iyer/iyengar house and in a a very orthodox home don't mingle with the others during those days. they are not allowed into the kitchen and for obvious reason not cook - how could one eat from a impure person. I don't if this is part of other caste/community in India. Such a lifestyle could be afforded in a joint family set up but in modern city based nuclear family set up a difficult thing. 2 days ago , someone was giving a talk " on his living a ultra orthodox Jewish life" for a year. this means he led a life strictly as per the testament for one year.He was talking about the interesting incidents/ the difficulties in sticking to the rules etc. Apparently the rules state that one should not sit on the same place where an "impure woman" has sat - ie during those andha Mundru natkal days . the solution he invented for this is carrying his won chair whereven he could and avoiding sitting especiaily on the subways. He jokingly told how is wife took revenge on him by sitting at all possible places at his home during those three days! He also discussed following other rules which were again difficult to follow. the other rules the testament state are "not telling lies- small or big", stone a prostitute etc.
He also followed other Jewish rules like wearing rope (n new york street you will find jewish people with some ropes hanging near the hip )-probably something like the ponals that brahmin wear. They have some kind of food restrictions in food also - meat and milk together not allowed. so they too cant eat the Mcdonald cheese burger.

This interview was preceded by another person - a jew who grew up in a orthodox lifestyle but gave it up for a year to live otherwise.

Both have published their memoirs as a book

North by North West - Alfred Hitchcock

So again a movie review. This was my my first Alfred Hitchcock movie - North by North west - actor Cary grant and Eva saint marie. I enjoyed the movie as it was a comical thriller. The dialogues were humourous and enjoybale.
The movie is about a Madison Advertisiing exceutive who is mistaken to a CIA spy by the criminals. He is being followed by the Criminal group headed by VAndamme and at the same time by the police for a murder case involving the murder of Mr.Townsead , a United Nations Employee.

I had the effects of watching tamil movie but I should say I enjoyed the movie.

Anyone reading my blog could suggest movies of the similar kind.

By the way I do not know why it is named North by North west -I will google and find out

Fascination for cars

I have time now and no other work to do . Visited all news sites - so the only option remaining is to Blog and I am doing it. I had a fascination for cars like all boys during school days. I started collecting toy cars - the pull back one and not the hot wheels kind , from my fourth standard. I got theses cars as a gift for every school term that I stood first in the class.I started this tradition myself -I mean it was not a incentive that my mom or dad gave me but a means of complimenting myself. I was never denied anything by my parents but I don't remember misusing that liberty.

So over the year I collected quiet a number of cars which I used to admire until my 10th standard. After that I did not stand first in the class (thought was among the top in the class) and so stopped collecting them

In New york , I had few opportunities to watch the real cars as I traveled by subway and spent most of the time indoors.

However my interest in cars is revived back now as I have been able to watch a lot of them on roads now in texas and trying to follow the models and the company.

APJ Abdul Kalam - I am unable to add adjectives

Unless one knows the worth of gold ,it is of no use to the person who has it. Is Dr.Abdul Kalm the gold that we never values properly. The ex-president I could say has been the greatest president or probably the greatest personality that India had in the post independence era. He heen a source of inspiration to millions especially the youth .

He possesses all the attributes that management guru says state about an ideal leader.
He has a vision, goal,selflessness, example setter, intelligent capable of taking independent decisions.

When i read or hear spiritual lectures by say chinmayananda, all uniformly state that when we focus or mind and action towards the goal , we are in state of meditation. Meditation is a state and not a process.

I find this in Dr.kalam. He tries to concentrate all his actions towards the goal of a developed India by 2020. He also state what this state of development there by defining his goals clearly. I watched the program about on journalism in India in NDTV and kalam spent some time in the discussion. The panel was talking about defining standards for journalism in India and Dr.Kalam interrupted and told them to include in the agenda of discussion " The role of Journalism in National development"

You will in most of kalam's speeches, ideas and actions something linked to his vision of India 2020. What was the need for Dr.Kalam at this old age to have such goals , yard stick , vision. He could have enjoyed his five years in the sprawling Rashtrapathi Bhavan, made countless, meaning less foreign trips with relatives, and enjoyed life. There comes the difference. According to me He lives life as prescribed by Krishna in the Gita . He is "yogi"

A very inteesting incident.-but lot to think about

I have been a scout during school days and according to Baden Powell (Is he still the founder) , we are supposed to do a good turn every day and make note of it. So this is a good turn I did which made another work for me.

My friend in India had some problem relating to her sister's GRE rescheduling. She had tried contacting the Indian center in gurgoan the number being 91 124 5....... and she got a message saying thae number did not exist She wanted me to contact the US center and had give me the number.

I decided that I first contact the Indian center from US and so dialled india country code and the first digit of the city code . Then I decided to cancel the call and put the phone down . Suddenly I got a phone call with no respons in the other end when I tried ansering it.

In another minute a polica vehicle was outside my house .My action of dialling India country code 91 and the first digit of gurogan city code 1 resulted in me calling the emergency number 911 !

I apologised the cop for the mistake. The time gap between my phone call and the cops arrival was only 2 minutes.

I was really amazed by the speed with with the emergency system works here. My uncle died 2 years back in India and he had suffered about 23-30 minutes in pain before he reached the hospital dead. He was only 44. Was wondering if there had been proper medial help he would have survived and lived happily with his two youn daughters.

Now coming to helping my friend , I could not be of much help to her also. ETS , GRE conductors had brought in new rules and the new rules over rules the existing ones.. So according the new rules any cancellation or rescheduling should be done 10 days prior to date exam against the 3 day time period that existed till last year.

End of story