Myth= Mithya: Continuation of the bucket list

                 Being born in a country which had certain theological issues right from the time of it's birth, a person learns to not only respect religion, but also approach it with caution. I was born a Hindu, studied in a Catholic establishment, and while living in Delhi picked up on the Sikh roots and religion also. I am not an atheist (although, according to my dad, only an atheist can have the tolerance level I have), but I have a certain level of skepticism where all religions are concerned (not to offend anybody). Reading Myth = Mithya was a fun experience for all the above reasons and more.


 Before I give you my view point let me warn you, I have a bias where the author of the book, Devdutt Patnaik is concerned (I was at one of his talks, and the guy just blew me away with his logical approach to something that is considered controversial and too complex to understand in lay man's terms. Obviously, NOT TRUE!), but I would also like to point out that I read his book only as a book, and not as his book, and therein lies the difference!
       
                  The book cover shows a goddess, a symbol that most of growing up in India will be familiar with, even if one is not Hindu. The book talks about the basic roots of Hindu Mythology and tries to break it down completely. A mammoth task, or so it would seem, given that there are so many gods and goddesses that are worshiped in the religion. But the genius of Patnaik lies in the fact that he approaches it at the basics, which in HIndu mythology comprises of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (fyi- Mahesh aka Shiva is my favorite lord. He is fair, just, and the destroyer. A simple yet just yet cool god!, again no offense to all the believers out there). These are the premises of the book which has three sections. The author has been able to break down all the stories that one has heard and more around each god in the respective sections in the book.
     

The most obvious characteristics of the book include that it is well researched but also compact, and believe me that is no easy given the amount of information that is at one's disposal on the subject matter. Also, the book uses examples along with images, so that one does not get lost. There are visuals to support most, and there are anecdotes that gives a reader the necessary break from the overall essence. Patnaik makes an attempt to break down the barrier around the myths, and as the book suggests explains how the Mithya, that is, the lies around each has evolved.

             I would recommend the book to anyone who is not overtly sensitive about their respective religion, or anyone who is open to various interpretations on the subject matter. People with colorful imagination would also enjoy the book, and the rhythm allows it to be an easy read. A different approach and a simple design allow the book to avoid becoming a cliche on the symbolic interpretations of religious texts as so many others have. I enjoyed the book, and I hope that others who read it also do the same.

Nerds: Why dating them can be not so bad

              I don't know how many of you are dating out there. Not to rub your face-in-it, but I am kind of dating one (and yes, dating is a pain-in-your-ass, pardon my french!). I am not here to talk about my experiences in this, sticky field which most men believe is a ticking time bomb and females believe is slow torture (yet everybody seems to either engage or want to engage in one!) but to talk about something which I guess only some will be able to relate to. Dating a nerd. Yes, I am. And to be honest, it is fun! Let me describe him. Awkward walk. Big nose. Looms over me. Talks very little. Uses words that I don't understand. Talks shop all the time. Loves to explain things. Quiet. Well-read. Loved studying. My very own nerd. Dating one isn't easy, but here are some of the best things about dating one (you know the crazy ass things that makes you stick around n all).

Patience: One of the best things about nerds is that they are very very patient. In fact, I have till date not met a nerd who was impatient or had a easy your-pushing-me-too-far point. I know it sounds trivial, but for a person like me, dating a guy who is patient is amazing. He can take my tantrums, doesn't run when I ramble (I guess that is more cause he doesn't know how to!) and can endure all my hyper activity without blinking an eye-lid (and that is very very difficult, just ask any of my teachers or better yet, my mom). Having a patient guy is such a help. And he wouldn't mind waiting if your running late either.

Rock solid advice: Another amazing thing about nerds is that they usually have an analytical mind. They are the best people to approach when you are confused  (in my case twice every hour), and just get some sane advice at the end of the day that will make you less lost in your life. Nerds also, usually, have a vast pool of knowledge about varied subjects and this helps them help you make informed decisions.
Quirks: This is why they are oh so adorable. All nerds have these little twitches and quirks. Mine talks with his hands, and makes this really exasperated face when I bug him, (which I do often enough), and hates it when I go around playing with his big nose (yes I mean nose). Now that I have mentioned it, I love pressing his nose, and making the beep noise, like car or something. This usually bugs him to death, and I do love the look. And it is, going to repeat myself here, adorable. Obsessive about movies, his quirks are quiet fun at times.
Hidden qualities: This is believe me the best thing about dating a nerd. You never know what is about to come next. There are so many layers to these people, that you get to discover something every day. And it is oh-so-difficult to not get pleasantly surprised at times. Having these hidden qualities is how the nerd is able to score brownie points over the tough guy, or the baseball player, who usually are easy to figure out (no offense to the tough ones or players out there!) Usually nerds have more than one sides and that is the best part of dating him. Discovering all the angles is fun!
            

Godfather: Deja Vu in so many ways

                            I don't know how many of you have read the book by Mario Puzo, The Godfather, or seen the movie by the same name. There is a particular part of the movie that I found particularly gruesome, and although I enjoyed the book, I completely could not accept the distate that I felt when I read it. Imagine when it came true in real life for me. But I get ahead of myself, (as usual, I do love to rant it would seem!)



                            Let me describe this extract from the scene. It made me almost put the book down. Imagine that. It a scene that reflects the power of the godfather, how the underworld manipulates, cajoles and then scares a man, (a producer at that) to their bidding. What especially put me off was not the terror that was created by it. That amazed me, but what did repulse me was the description of blood, the mist that added to it and the fact that he is covered in the warm sticky red liquid, almost bathed in it when he wakes up! I mean the image was just too grotesque for me to accept.

                        I woke to the exact same thing! Well, almost the same. What woke me up was movement in my bed. It was a lazy lazy afternoon, a Sunday, a holiday. I love my day off in the week. It is the only day when I get to wake up at 2 pm. A lot many people have told me that it isn't healthy, my father screams at me through the telephone, when I answer groggily at 1 30 pm. We live in different cities, allowing me to give my dad heart palpitations and still get away with it every week! Coming back to story, (I am digressing a lot today, ain't I?), as I mentioned before, what woke me up was movement and flutter in my bed. Now My bed is usually cluttered, and I thought that my foot had gotten tangled or something that woke me up. Imagine as I untangled myself from the blanket, I felt something something wet, not just on the blanket, but also on my nightshirt, against my skin.
                Thinking my water bottle had leaked, I opened my protesting eyes, lifting my heavy eyelids, looking for the culprit that I thought must be crushed somewhere. Imagine when I saw a hazy mess of red and grey on my bed (I can barely see without my glasses). I groped for my glasses, shook my head, sure that I was still half asleep or dead or something and the next second I was jumping out of bed, screaming murder and trying to get away from my bed as fast as I could. At 8 am. On a Sunday.
              The pigeon that had been fluttering, screamed harder than me, if that is a possibility and fell from the bed, quickly scampered under it still screaming. My flat mates banging on the door, I tried to close my still open mouth, pleading my heart to slow down. Gingerly opening the door, I stepped out, explained as my flat mates went into my room. No one would believe me u see! Like you could make this up! Anyways, I re-entered my room and surveying my bed. It was a pool of the poor creature's blood, the wall was splattered with sprays of the same dark shade and my room looked more goth than I would ever want it to.
                       Trying to pry it from under the bed so we could heal it, or aid it was the next task. Not as easy as I would have assumed, it was more difficult to figure out who was more scared. We both screamed, my flatmates screamed, and when we finally got it to move, everybody screamed some more. Finally we called the nearest animal care, they came, they rescued, we cheered, they left!
               What was left behind was just a mess. I scrubbed the floors, the sheets were ruined, the wall still has certain drops of blood that I just can't seem to wash away. It was a Sunday which I will remember forever as the bloody bath day, and one which I wouldn't want to revisit even if it included Hugh Jackman as a phantom in the background.

Godfather: Bucketlist buster

                      Starting the bucket list with this book was easy. It is a simple read, yet the complexities of it blows my mind. I started reading it because my friend pushed me to do so, and I am so glad I did. The book revolves around a multi-layer plot which Mario Puzo ties up together perfectly. I am not going to talk about the most obvious of the things that most before have said. I am going to talk about what I loved when I read the book. The thing about this book is on the surface it is about, as is obvious by it's name, The Godfather (Vito Corleone) is a man of few words, telling silences and great perceptions; but it devles more deeply into the human psyche, the practicalities of the world, the bonds that human beings form and plays it out to one of the most simple but exciting climaxes I have ever come across. The genius lies, and here I repeat myself, in the simplicity of the book.

                      Vito Corleone is a man who can look into your soul, make you squirm yet one you cannot despise or ignore. The book revolves around him, his family and his experiences in life. The highlight of course is his emerging as the Godfather, but to understand just what it means, Puzo has added a number of characters to ensure that the impact of the title sinks in deep right in beginning of the book. The layers of complexities are bought in by conflicting characters whose vested interests somehow seem parallel.  but the thing that will keep you going is the fast turn of events. Not for a moment will you feel that the book is becoming monotonous and boring.


                 The book manages to steer clear of the various cliches that it could have very easily have fallen into, allowing it to emerge like a unpolished pearl from an ocean of confusing literature about slick Italian mafia. The book treats each character with dignity, allowing it to act and react as it would, allowing it to develop a life of it's own. No character is in disposable, the love is only for the plot. Puzo allows himself to go back and forth between events to keep the reader interested, yet gives enough information to ensure that the reader doesn't feel cheated or confused. The end is complete and leaves one feeling satisfied, yet I would read six other continuations, if each was as enthralling as this was. The epic of Godfather unfolds and grows on the pages, his legacy is clearly developed by his son Micheal and the conflict of family and of practical matters is best captured in Santiano (sunny), who is my favorite because he wears his feelings, and of course his temper, on his sleeves.


                 I would recommend everyone to read the book, even if they have watched the movie. Everyone may love Micheal, but for the real Godfather will always be Vito, a simple man with a mind so complex that one could even fathom imagining it knew everything that was going on.  

Summer heat: Things you don't want to do....

                                     The summer is here, and it is starting to hit me hard in Mumbai. It didn't creep up on me like it usually does, but it just stunned me with a blow right in the nose. As the summer approaches, most articles in the paper read about what one should do to keep cool. I mean today as I stepped early in the morning, I got hit by what seemed like a blast from hell right in the face. Who is keeping track of the weather craze? Who has the time? But this summer I realized that even I might have to keep a low profile to ensure that I survive without crashing and burning.  I don't usually like the conventional, so I am going to give you some friendly advice on the things that You want to avoid doing in order to ensure that you beat the heat this summer.


Don't step out: Seriously, try not to step out during the day. Reach office before the sun is up, say till 11. Yes, giving up the morning sleep is a pain, but this is the one of the best ways of beating the sun. Also, lets face it, most of us have to reach work by then or face the heat of another kind (which no one actually likes!)Leave after the sun stops trying to fry you, say after 5ish and the first is accomplished. It truly is just that simple, and very effective.


Avoid drinks: Believe me, it pains me more to write this than it will be for you to implement. Especially since it's my birthday in a few weeks and the thought of not indulging leaves me kind of sad.! No, no, don't feel sorry for me. Coming back to the point, drinks are just bad for you, and this list includes areated drinks as well. It just warms up your whole system making you feel hotter and much worse deprives your body of it's much needed water supply. Try to avoid indulging, or maybe indulging too much over the summer. Also think of all the extra pounds you may shed and look hot in this summer season. So, don't touch that glass. Although, remember to reward yourself with a mohito or a long island every now and then!

Don't over hydrate: Yes, there is a concept of over hydrating. In such a case your body starts storing up water, and even worse, you want to keep going to the loo all the time. It is okay to a certain level, but the other day I got hit by the feeling hard as I boarded the train in Andheri, and believe me the pain that I went through by the time I reached college an hour later can only be compared to that of being shot by a bullet and then letting that wound and then letting that wound bleed for a month, if that! Drink plenty of fluids, but try not to rely on just water. Eat fruits and some of the greenies (sad as that may sound)!

Cover up: Okay ladies, listen up..I know how you may feel overwhelmed by the heat and want to shed the weight of clothes, but do you skin a favor and cover up. Apparently, the sun can do more damage to your skin by direct impact than indirect. Also, it is easier for you to loose your clothes that have soaked up the heat from the sun than lose your skin which will lead to tanning and even worse skin like leather in the long term. Wearing loose but covering clothes is the way to go this summer. Spring dresses and frocks are your friends.

Tone it down: This is for all the lovers. I get the whole "I am so in love, I need to be with him/her all the time", but if you are going to sit near the seaside during the day with your special someone, love isn't the only thing you will be basking in. The sun doesn't shine softer for you, although the pink-hued glasses may make it seem so. All those who take to Marine Drive at 2 pm, you can always meet after the sun cools down for a bit. Believe me no one wants to stick their partner with sweat pouring all over them with the smell of rotten fish drying in the exposed beach for ambiance!

The sun maybe in the mood to be a kill-a-joy, but with my shady umbrella and some simple changes I plan to make most of the crazy summer. Hope you survive enough to do the same!