Things Fall Apart... A Glimpse of Africa

Things Fall Apart (1958), a novel by Chinua Achebe, is the simple story of a man, of a family, of a clan, of an entire continent, told in a nostalgic tone uncluttered by the complexities of technique. Captivating and intimate, it  reveals the true colors of the "black continent".
The reader is taken to the very 'heart of darkness'. Yet what we find their is not only the seemingly brutal  callousness of an uncivilized race of humans who beat their women, offer their young in sacrifice and throw new born twins into the forests. Instead of a scrutinizing analysis of the wild man, the reader is allowed a glimpse of  their culture, of the underlying humanity of their ways, their norms, their justice, their faith. We are reminded of our own limitations of condemning, of judging on matters of morality, for "who is to tell His will? It is too great to be known."
Achebe's novel animates the struggles of the people of Africa who are torn between the age-old ways of their clans and the modernity that the white man brings from across the borders- religion, government, civilization.

The Penguin Classics edition of Things Fall Apart comes with an introduction by Biyi Bandele. Thought provoking and insightful, it explains Achebe's contribution in redefining the image of Africa in the West as one of the pioneering writers of English fiction from Africa. It is no wonder that the Guardian named him 'The Founding Father of the African novel in English'.


An excerpt from the novel:

"'You say there is one supreme God who made heaven and earth', said Akunna on one of Mr. Brown's visits. 'We also believe in Him and call Him Chukwu. He made all the world and the other gods.'

'There are no other gods,' said Mr. Brown. 'Chukwu is the only God and all the others are false. You carve a piece of wood- like that one' (he pointed at the rafters from which Akunna's carved Ikenga hung), 'and you call it god. But it is still a piece of wood.'

'Yes,' said Akuna. 'It is indeed a piece of wood. The tree from which it came was made by Chukwu, as indeed all minor gods were. He made them for His messengers so we could approach Him through them..."

In Time... "Don't waste my time!"

Today, many a random stroll led us to the cinema, where we watched In Time. Starring the once-sexy Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried (from Mean Girls, Mama Mia, Letters to Juliet and many other soapies), this film is a futuristic Bonnie and Clyde.

Time is (literally) money and humans are genetically engineered not to age beyond 25. From the moment you complete growing your clock begins to tick, and the richer you are, the more time you have got to live, making the rich immortal with centuries on them, while the poor people of the ghetto have to make do with the little they have got, one hour, one day at a time.

When an ordinary youth from the ghetto, Will Salace (Timberlake), finds himself thrown into the very clutches of the rich who enjoy the luxuries of immortality in New Greenwich, and is wanted for murder by the Time Keepers, the police who run this dystopia, the injustices of this time-economy are revealed. Together with the time banker's daughter, Sylvia (Seyfried) he begins a rebellion. The rest of the movie is a blurry chase with much shooting, very little sex and a dash of the Matrix thrown in here and there.

I felt the essence of a political message embedded in the references to class differences and "the system", but the story itself lacked the depth the idea called for. An excellent idea, but poor execution.

Women In the 21st Century

Reading Shelley Phillips' Beyond the Myths, a fascinating book that analyses mother-daughter relationships through "Psychology, History, Literature and Everyday Life", has almost shockingly transformed my perspective of the world. That is what Feminism does to you, I have been warned.

I picked up this book assuming it would be a 'tough read', but in spite of the academic tone and jargon it has a smooth flow and distinct voice that, allow me the cliche, renders it un-put-downable. The inter-disciplinary approach to this sensitive subject combines the best of the sciences, clinical studies and research, with voices from the past, drawing examples from the legends of Goddess-worshipping cultures to Shakespeare to Jane Austen to Virginia Woolf. Philips analyses history to illustrate the transformations the role of women has endured and discusses their strain on mother-daughter relationships. Her goal seems is to enrich these relationships by providing a clearer understanding of the 'roots of the mother-daughter conflict'.

Reading about everything from the underlying politics of the Witch Hunts to Victorian ideals of 'fair' women to Freudian explanations of female masochism, makes me wonder how the story of Eve will continue in the 21st century. What issues will be raised and what changes will come to her role in society? If my daughter or grand daughter was to look back, just like I am doing right now, what will she identify as the challenges faced by women at the turn of the 21st century? Will she be proud of what we have achieved?

I think one of the main issues that we have inherited form the previous millenium is the need for a balance between the working-woman and the housewife- their roles as wives, mothers and independent women, their rights as workers and citizens, and their impact on the economy and society will probably be redefined within the next 100 years.

The 'Global Economic Crisis', much like the World Wars and the Great Depression of the previous century, will be an axle for change. Globalization, the intergration of world cultures, will set new boundaries to the female sphere and allow Feminism to be (finally) studied beyond the West. Could the Arab Spring, another significant sociopolitical transformation of this decade, also be written about in the books of our children? My guess is yes.

The enfranchisment of women won in the last century will need to be built upon, giving women the world over not only the right to elect, but also the power to lead. Political philosophy will hopefully expand beyond the patriachal thinking of acquisiton and consumerism, to encompass a more feminist world view, or at least a more humanitarian foundation. Whishful thinking? Yes, that's me.



May be while we are at it, we could also declare war against (unethical) advertising? Even though I cannot tell you what criteria make an advertisement 'wrong' and what it is that should be done against it (censorship, anyone?), I say we bring an end to the lustful, idiotic representation of women in the media. Yes, dream on Hansi. May be we could ask Barbie to remove her silicons first? Oh, you mean they are real? I couldn't have guessed.

Feminism, as I understand it, has expanded and diversified so much over the last century, and has at times even become unrealistic and self-contradictory. Further evolutions are to be expected, but if feminism and the women's rights movement (two inter-related yet subtely different ideologies) are to stand true to their cause some knots will need untangling.

The woman who fought to have an equal opportunity to work has been shoved into a rat-race chasing unrealistic dreams of material wealth with no power for mental and spiritual wellbeing. As Phlips explains, have we become the generation of "daughters seduced by the images of the television soapies where the single, working girl, sexy and clever, with money in her pocket outshone the sickly, sweet mom"? I feel that at times a woman's need to live a family-oriented life with fewer material goals is frowned upon by hard-core feminists, a view directly in contrast to the freedom they advocate. Women today are chastised by society's desire for alpha-females, straining the feminine psyche. Similarily, the ban of the niqab in France, a move made to 'free women of oppressive religious dogma' is also a direct attack on a woman's right to freedom, to practice religion and dress the way she likes.

I am no fortune teller and I know not what the future will hold for us x-chromosomed humans. But change is inevitable (I can smell it in the air), and one thing is certain, whether you like it or not, we are all part of History.

Recklessness Be My New Religion

As I have mentioned in my previous post, the fading time is a noose around my neck, strangling me and pulling me towards an euphoric insanity.
I have taken it upon myself not to say no to anything. From house chores to hopping across creaking railway bridges to buying unmentionables from pharmacies, I'm doing it all and enjoying it immensely.
For some reason my new philosophy of life seems to have set lose those pubescent hormones, causing me to emit giggles while walking down by roads on idle afternoons and do the ninja dance to rock 'n roll in my bedroom.
If there's a time to be reckless, then it is now. I welcome all ideas from crazy people around the world on insane things I could do in Sri Lanka! =)

PS- Today's act of recklessness is a visit to the dentist!

Piling Memories into Boxes

It seems, life is just more beautiful when you have a deadline. I say so not because I have been working at a newspaper office for the last two months, but because it has suddenly dawned upon me that I only have two more months to stay on this island that I have called home for more than a decade.
It seems, when you can hear the clock ticking away, your inner self goes into a desperate frenzy, trying to absorb every passing second and wrench the most out of it, a last attempt to taste, to feel, to remember.
And as the days roll by, at an alarming speed, every sunset and every sunrise seems to grow in beauty. Each day  becomes shorter, yet fuller and richer in color.

I might be getting my blogs mixed up here, but let me say, if we knew just how many more years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds we had to live, life would be so much more vibrant. If we only realized that our ephemeral lives last only for such a little time, a fraction of a century, we would live fuller, richer, crazier lives.

If I was to make any new year's resolutions for 2012, then REMEMBERING LIFE COULD END TOMORROW would be my #1.

Gamani... a (F)ailed Attempt of Patriotic Grandeur

I understand that the intentions behind the production of the Sinhalese movie Gamani were all good. Giving the public a good shot of patriotism, in a post-war era, presented in the form of an easily-comprehensible straight lined plot about team work in the face of the enemy is a good idea. But when that idea is (badly) camaflouged in a comdey it's purpose becomes overrun.

The movie started about an hour late as the earlier shows had dragged on. We were sitting in the cinema for a solid two hours, drifting between brutal scenes of slaughter- swords flinging, blood spilling- and lewd laughter. At one point I was laughing so hard (not the good kind of laughter evoked by witticism, but the oh-my-god-these-fricking-morons! type of laughter, almost bordering the American Pie-type of ridiculousness) and suddenly there was a scene of a man who had hanged himself. I, together with about half of the audience, continued to laugh through the first minute of that scene out of mere confusion. The juxtaposition of brutality and idiocy is such.

I woke up the next morning and tried to think of what I had seen. On my bus ride to work, I tried to untangle the mess of characters and sub-plots. My confusion only went from bad to worse. I remember something about a gramarakshaka (scout appointed during war times to protect villages) and his girlfriend who was hacked to death and another gramarakshaka and his girlfriend who slapped him for hugging girls. There was a small Tamil girl whose brother was a terrorist, another small girl whose brother was killed by the terrorists and another girl? A monk, a teacher, an angan (Sri Lankan martial arts) fighter, a man who lost his family etc. etc. and some of these characters simply trailed off somewhere mid-plot.

This is probably a bad review, heck, this is not a review at all. That's simply because I couldn't be bothered writing a 'review' about a movie as juvenile as Gamani. But to give at least one or two words of encouragement for anyone who still insists on watching this- there were one or two explosions, and for Sri Lankan cinema, that in itself is a mini-achievement. Some of the fighting scenes and the blood and effects were also commendable. May be if they hired a qualified editor and scriptwriter the explosives could have been put to some use.

Words That Define A Generation

We all come up with creative excuses for procrastinating. These days I have been telling myself that technology simply does not work for me anymore. The world's to blame, I say, for I was not born a bum.
Because writing with a keyboard somehow seems to blunt my train of thought, I decided to try my luck with pen-and-paper. That is how I ended up sitting down at a desk with a candle (another power cut that night) and flipping through the pages of my Little Oxford Dictionary.
At the very end of this book, I came across a chapter entitled 'New Words Survey'.

"Words of the Nineties- A special new supplement highlights new words of the nineties including feel-good, hyperspace, short-termism, teleshopping, and videoconference."

This made me think, if etymology is a reflection of culture and history, will not the 'Words of the Nineties' be the defining keywords of who we- the saplings of the 21st century- have and will become? So I rummaged through these few pages trying to discover a hint of something that would define what we as a generation lack: purpose, meaning. And I must say I was far from impressed. Allow me to give you a taste of it, of these 'new' words that we have created, of the proud monuments of a bygone decade, our decade.

• air bag n. safety device that fills with air or nitrogen on impact to protect the occupants of a vehicle in a collision.
• alternataive energy n. energy fueled in ways that do not harm the environment.
• bailout n.  financial assistance given to a failing business, economy, etc. to save it from collapse.
• biocide n.  1. poisonous substance, esp. a pesticide. 2. destruction of life.
• biohazard n. risk to human health or the environment arising from biological work, esp. with micro-organisms
• bird-strike n. collision between a bird and an aircraft.
• body bag n.  bag for carrying a corpse from the scene or warfare, an accident etc.
• body piercing n. piercing of holes in parts of the body other than the earlobes. 
• breakfast television n. early morning television
• carjacking n.  highjacking of a car.
• cyberspace n. notional environment in which electronic communication occurs; virtual reality.
• and the list goes on..........dark matter, date rape, dialog box, differently abled, distance learning, eco-friendly, EPROM, Euro-skeptic, fandom, fruitarian, glass ceiling, global village, hate mail, HDTV, high-five, ibuprofen, internet, laser printer, lip-sync, mobile phone, monosaturated, multitasking, out-of-body experience, paint ball, rollerblade, post-traumatic stress disorder, rainbow coalition, road rage, saturation bombing, six-pack, super model, touch screen, World Wide Web

And I wondered, what will be the words of the early 21st century? LMFAO!

It's been so long, again

I blame technology for my long absence. Even now I am using a keyboard that is falling apart- the Enter key doesn't work so bear with me please.
My life has been quite eventful in the recent months. I blame fate for that. I feel like I was whirling about in a washing machine for months before being spit out on the floor, cold and hard. I feel like I'm trying to be a teenager again. I try to keep myself busy and distracted. (I am confused and disoriented most of the time so there's little need to pretend.) But yes, as someone says at the end of every sentence, Life goes on. The clock keeps ticking and we keep walking towards the grave, never back. So I might as well as try to make the best of it!
On a positive note, the lunar eclipse on the full moon day was simply breath taking! Sri Lanka had a splendid view of it, even though the cloudiness was a slight problem. But like props on stage, the masses of grey only made the scene more dramatic, more eerie. Well, that's me, I watch, I pray and stay alive!

Rango- The Chameleon in the Wild Wild West

The creators of this movie take the Western Classic to a whole new level. When a lonely pet chameleon lands on the roadside of the Mojave Desert, he finds himself in a whole new world, a world that only existed in his imaginations. After arriving in Dirt, a dilapidated Old West town, he decides to bend his destiny and take on the role of Rango, a dangerous drifter of the West who killed seven brothers with one bullet. The townspeople are elated by his acts of bravery and crown him as the new Sheriff. Rango takes up the responsibility of bringing water and prosperity back to Dirt.
Before I go on to declare my undying love for Johnny Depp, I must say that this character, even though it is an animated non human, was undeniably created, perfectly tailored, just for him. Throughout the movie there were many allusions made to Johnny Depp's previous roles including references to movies like Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas and, of course, Pirates of the Caribbean. Surreal dreams that Rango experiences and his other idiosyncrasies all reminded me of my beloved Depp. There might be other references that I missed, and I'd love to know if you spotted any I failed to catch.
Even though the animations were beautiful and the characters were appealing, I felt that the plot was somewhat predictable. But then again, I suppose there is only so much you can expect from a Nickelodeon movie.

Eve Green: a Dream, a Nightmare in the Welsh Highlands

I admit it- I took this book into my hands and I just couldn't stop reading, I was enraptured. The terrible heat of the tropics licking at my skin, clothes clinging to me, I just kept on reading till I came to the last page and heaved a sigh. It took me a little less than a day. Eve Green by Susan Fetcher is a beautiful book, simply because she creates such a magnificent back drop. She's a writer who really sticks to the rule of showing- the color of a flower, the roar of the wind- without merely telling us it is so, like so. The story itself is terrifying. It reminded me of both Ian McEwan's Child In Time and Atonement, as if both stories somehow overlapped somewhere. Spoken in a lyrical and almost childishly enchanting tone by a woman who looks back upon her life and recalls fragments of memories that gradually weave into a sad and mysterious story, it is no wonder that this book won its author the Whitbread First Novel Award in 2004.

The Rebel... The Wanderer... The Buddha of Suburbia

"My name is Karim Amir and I am an Englishman born and bred almost".
Karim is the son of an Indian migrant and his English wife, and his only dream is to escape the boredom, the oppression of the racist neighborhood of the suburbs and reap the greater pleasures of the 1970's.
Hanif Kureishi's debut autobiographical novel, The Buddha of Suburbia takes us through the narrow streets of South London and gives us a true taste of youth in revolt. Karim's story is a deliciously witty and satirical account of a third culture kid exploring the realms of art, sex and spirituality in the  turbulent waters of the 70's London. His story serves as a political and social collage of what the turn of the decade held for Britain and leaves us inspired, questioning who we are and what we it is that we want of this thing called life.
The story is scattered amongst characters we seem to know- the immigrant father who came from India two decades ago, to study law and go home with his fortune 'like Ghandi' but somehow forgot to return, the Aunt Jeeta, an Indian princess, who sells groceries, and her daughter, the rebellious Jamila who reads Silvia Plath and is forcefully betrothed to the crippled Changez from India.
The Buddha of Suburbia is a rich and inspiring story, one that forms an interesting comparison to the next generation of youths who stand at the turn of a millennium unable to conceive what is expected of them and wonder what they expect of themselves.

 

Four Extractions Complete!

I am very relieved to say that I did survive the ordeal of having four perfectly healthy teeth pulled out (on two separate days). I cannot say that it was not at least a slightly traumatizing experience: the crunch sound a tooth makes when it refuses to let go of the flesh and bone that binds it, the shock waves that travel through all near by teeth at the sight of slaughter.
I experienced almost no pain at the dentist's clinic but an hour after returning home with my mouth stuffed with bloody cotton wool a numbing pain shot through my face, piercing my jaw bone. I could almost feel the hollowness of the cavity the missing tooth had created in my skull. With a couple of Panadols I was able to get my mind off the unpleasantness. The pain persisted for a day or two but I had very little difficulty in chewing food or brushing my teeth. A few hours after my last two extractions, in spite of my mother's appeal to stick to vegetable soup, I devoured a whole plate of rice with dried fish curry.
Now since my wounds have healed I am glad that the most gruesome parts of getting braces are behind me. Can't wait for the perfect smile!

Avurudu is here...

Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous Sinhalese and Tamil New Year!!!

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

One thing overtakes another- with classes, braces and internet connection failures- and before you know it, two months have gone by with hardly any writing work done. Nonetheless, I have been reading quite a lot and lazing around on the floor (it's hard to do anything else with this heat), and I can't wait to write about all that I have discovered.
Avurudu (Sinhalese and Tamil New Year) is around the corner and it calls for a Spring cleaning. That and the preparing of the sweet treats ought to keep me busy for the next week or so. Not to forget, the hordes of relatives. In the mean time, I will try to pick up where I left off with this blogging business. Pfft, so much for daily posting...

The Kite Runner... A Tale of Broken, Fallen Dreams

Two nights of insomnia is all I needed to finish this mind gripping novel by Khaled Hosseini.

The Kite Runner (film)

Narrated by Karim, the son of an affluent and respected businessman, The Kite Runner is a nostalgic account of childhood, of days spent picking juicy pomegranates, munching dried mulberries and walnuts, and running across street markets in the suburbs of Kabul during a time prior to the reign of blood, before words like communism, the Roussi or the Taliban had begun to plague the people of Afghanistan. But Karim and his loyal friend Hassan soon learn that the happiness of childhood is as ephemeral as the wings of a butterfly. Evil strikes on the most important day of their lives, tearing them apart and leaving behind an emptiness, a guilt that will haunt Karim for life. It is this bundle of memories that Karim takes with him when he sets off to find a better life in California as yet another Afghan refugee. Decades later, when Karim discovers "a way to be good again", he is forced to return to the land of his birth, 'the soil of his ancestors'. The novel gathers pace as he sets out on this adventure in 'modern' Afghanistan.

It felt as if I was right there, strolling the streets of this forlorn city, amongst the sun scorched alleys and "adobe walls", reminiscing the recent past of a nation that had once had hopes and dreams of betterment. It inspired in me a sense of the desperation that clings to every aspect of life in Afghanistan.

The Kite Runner is not only a heart warming story of love, friendship and 'blood', but also a reflection of the ways of the people of Afghanistan and the dark and bitter history of their nation.

A Blood Curdling Dance: BLACK SWAN

About twice a year, you come across a story that leaves you absolutely awestruck. Last night, I watched Black Swan, a motion picture based on the timeless classic ballet Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, and I am still haunted by the silent music that drifts through my being.
Black Swan is the story of the young, beautiful and talented ballerina, Nina, whose passion and dedication to dance has opened up the curtains of opportunity. The leading role of the Swan Queen in the dance company’s enactment of Swan Lake is within her grasp, but to realize her dreams she must fight hard, amidst her sister dancers’ envious treachery, and defeat the inner demons that plague her. Shy and anxious, she is vulnerable at the hands of the maestro and her wild and haughty competitor, Lily. Plunging into a sea of confusion and carnal lust, she ‘loses herself’ in the dance of her life. As her struggle for perfection overcomes her, she splits from sanity and delves into a darkness only she understands, bringing the tragic desperation of the swan queen alive, in her own being.
This captivating and hauntingly vivid portrayal of passion and defeat, Black Swan, is a dark and lustful experiment of psychology.

Things To Do Before I Die

courtesy www.bucketquiz.com

• Throw a huge party and invite every one of your friends.
• Swim with a dolphin.
• Skydive.
• Have your portrait painted.
• Learn to speak a foreign language and make sure you use it.
• Go skinny-dipping at midnight in the South of France.
• Be an extra in a film.
• Tell someone the story of your life, sparing no details.
• Make love on a forest floor.
• Make love on a train.
• Learn to roller blade. DONE 
• Own a room with a view.
• Brew your own beer/wine.
• Buy a round-the-world air ticket and a rucksack, and run away.
• Go and buy your mother flowers.
• Send a message in a bottle.
• Ride a camel into the desert.
• Plant a tree. DONE 
• Write a fan letter to your all-time favorite hero or heroine.
• Enjoy the sight of the Taj Mahal under a full moon.
• Fall deeply in love -- helplessly and unconditionally. DONE Oh, I am...
• Ride the Trans-Siberian Express across Asia.
• Write the novel you know you have inside you.
• Go to Walden Pond and read Thoreau while drifting in a canoe.
• Drink beer at Oktoberfest in Munich.
• Shower in a waterfall. DONE 
• Learn to play a musical instrument with some degree of skill. in the process 
• Teach someone illiterate to read.
• Write down your personal mission statement, follow it, and revise it from time to time.
• See a lunar eclipse. DONE Definitely want to do it again...
• Spend New Year's in an exotic location. DONE My home is exotic!
• Get passionate about a cause and spend time helping it, instead of just thinking about it.
• Experience weightlessness.
• Sing/play a great song in front of an audience.
• Drive across America from coast to coast.
• Make a complete and utter fool of yourself.
• Write your will.
• Sleep under the stars.
• Take a ride on the highest roller coaster in the country.
• Go wild in Rio during Carnival.
• Spend a whole day reading a great novel. DONE that's what I do as a hobby
• Forgive your parents.
• Learn to juggle with three balls.
• Drive the Autobahn.
• Find a job you love.
• Spend Christmas on the beach drinking pina coladas.
• Overcome your fear of failure.
• Raft through the Grand Canyon.
• Donate money and put your name on something: a college scholarship, a bench in the park.
• Buy your own house and then spend time making it into exactly what you want.
• Grow a garden.
• Spend three months getting your body into optimum shape.
• Drive a convertible with the top down and music blaring.
• Accept yourself for who you are.
• Learn to use a microphone and give a speech in public.
• Scuba dive off Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
• Go up in a hot-air balloon.
• Attend one really huge rock concert.
• Give to a charity -- anonymously. DONE 
• Let someone feed you peeled, seedless grapes. DONE Amma...
• Fart in a crowded space.
• Make love on the kitchen floor.
•  Visit Alaska.
• Create your own web site. DONE
• Visit the Holy Land. DONE Earth is the Holy Land
• Run to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
• Ski.
• Go to Wacken.
• Run a marathon.
• Look into your child's eyes, see yourself, and smile.

Hacking a Menu

A few months ago, my friend Nirmani and I had a lunch disaster! We cooked pasta and potatoes in the same white sauce and had no gravy to go with it. We made the mistake of cooking two different starchy staple foods. We figured that our meal didn't look as appetizing as we had hoped and made our second mistake- we BAKED BOTH dishes in the microwave oven.
The situation was much worse than it sounds. We were left with big white lumps of starch that we really had to struggle to swallow. Recently I remembered this incident and thought about what had gone wrong- we had cooked a meal without a menu!
Yes, a menu is definitely more important than the amateur cook would imagine. Even if you cook a dozen delicious dishes, but have no menu, a theme that binds the different items of the meal together, the final result will not be filling.
Coming up with a menu is not complicated at all and requires only a little creative thinking. You just need to pay attention to the following three points: GOD

• The Guests

The number of people is important for two different reasons. First and foremost, you need to prepare not only the food but also space, utensils and napkins etc. for the number of people you are going to host. You also need to decide which items can be efficiently prepared, considering the cost as well as  time for preparation. Additionally, you need to consider the preferences of your guests. For example, there might be vegetarians or kids who don't like too much of spice. So your menu will need to match your Guests.

• The Occasion

So what's cooking? Is it breakfast, lunch or dinner? How is the mood of the diners? Will everyone be hungry or will some small nibbles do? What is the weather like? Where and how will the food be served? Will it be a full-blown buffet, a simple TV dinner or a snack on-the-go?

• The Dishes

Unity is what holds the dishes in a menu together. And here are two simple tips to avoid disharmony:

• DO NOT REPEAT ingredients

Tomato soup, Pasta with tomato sauce and a tomato salad as a side dish is a bad idea.

• DO NOT REPEAT cooking techniques

There are so many techniques to choose from- stir fry, deep fry,grill, bake, roast, stew, boil, steam, saute, poach etc. Add some variety!
With G.O.D. you just can't go wrong!!!

The Maestro Of Comedy: George Carlin

George Carlin

When George Carlin teamed up with Jack Burns for a small performance in a coffee house in Fort Worth, TX, his life had been far from jolly. He was born in 1937, in Manhattan. In his later years he would frequently refer to his memories of the 'white harlem' and his Irish Catholic upbringing. His mother had run away from his father when he was only two months old and Carlin had had a difficult childhood growing up with his mother and elder brother. After leaving high school he had begun training as a radar technician for the US Air Force and had been sent to Louisiana. It was here that he tried his luck in the arena of stand-up comedy. Over the years, he evolved into a unique icon, shunned by some for his blunt nihilism but loved by most for his honesty, insight and enlightening philosophies of life. Today, he is remembered as one of the greatest and most influential comedians.

When Vimukthi first showed me an act performed by Carlin,what struck me was his persona. A man in black, speaking the bitter truth and using humor to give life to the fears that we cloak in a conscious attempt to prove that humanity has achieved greatness. He forces his audiences to analyze religion, commerce and life itself and see beyond the cliched ideals we hold.

A Slice of the World

Man has a strange desire for order based on hierarchy. The notions of an omnipotent God and a democratic government stem from this same thirst for self-discipline and moral order. However, these desired outcomes have been far from achieved after millenia of human struggle. Quite on the contrary, often times the methods employed have resulted in the exact opposite- war and disharmony. Religions that were supposed to liberate people from the bonds of suffering and unite them in brotherhood have cause more death and destruction than any other human invention. For religion in the hands of a fool is more dangerous than a thousand nuclear bombs. But I see a silver lining on this cloud of nuclear waste. Certain other things have precipitated through such turmoil. Man has created complex social systems in the forms of culture and religion. I have come to believe that, if I am willing to look carefully, I can find a glimpse of inspiration, a shred of wisdom in the strangest of human cultures.

Just for fun

I believe that religion is merely a facet of a culture, similar to dress, cuisine and language. It cannot be defined or understood as a separate entity, for it has no existence of its own. Every time a religion has crossed a border and entered a foreign soul, as a result of war, trade or diplomacy, it has undergone an evolution. It has seeped in and merged with the traditions and ways of the people. And with the passage of time, this practice of faith forms a separateness from the original form from whence it came. Even if the fundamental teachings remained unchanged, the practice of religion as a whole transforms to suit the geography and the people.


When I first became interested in Neo-paganism and Wicca, I understood that following the footsteps of existent  traditions like Gardenian, Alexandrian or Dianic would not serve my purpose. I believe that Wicca calls for an individual spiritual journey, where each person is actively engaged in an eternal process of learning, from the past and from the moment, through the means of study, thought and prayer.
Led by my instincts and interests, I decided to delve deeper into the world we live in. And my findings have mesmerized me! And some of those I have decided to share here- my tabula rasa.

Braces are ON!

My appointment was at 7.45 am and was to last two hours. I was a bit nervous, specially since I was also having a bad flu. My doctor was very understanding, and even reduced the air conditioning!
It was an absolutely painless procedure. To tell the truth, I didn't feel the time pass. All the gadgets he shuffled around and the Toy Story movie playing on a screen above kept me entertained.
I have been wearing my braces for a little over 24 hours and there's little pain, only discomfort. I took ibuprofen twice yesterday and that was it. All that I have to do now is get used to it and brush, brush, brush. =)

The Fear of the Swine

Pretty Pig

I started the New Year with a big sneeze and a terrible headache was my companion on the first of January. Over the next two days I developed a full-blown flu. Being a natural hypochondriac, I speculated the worst: I’ve got the Flu of the Swine, the terrible A H1N1 virus!
As the first step of a self-diagnosis I Googled the symptoms of this disease:

• Fever (sometimes absent)
• chills
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Cough
• Sore and itchy throat
• Headache
• Diarrhea and/or vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue and body ache

I scored yes to 8/9! So, I decided to go to my family doctor, a.s.a.p. But this was not my only concern: I was supposed to get my braces the next day. My orthodontist insisted I do not postpone but take amoxicillin and Piriton, and go ahead with my treatment.
My family doctor did vaguely mention the possibility of Swine Flu. I think he did not want to create an unnecessary panic. He told me that amoxicillin was not needed and prescribed some basic flu aid.

But this experience got me thinking….

What is Swine Flu?
The swine influenza is a respiratory disease that affected pigs, and occasionally humans, like farmers who came into direct contact with pigs. However, this changed in 2009 when the virus evolved into a form that is spread from human to human. This new genetic form of the virus was previously unknown to humans, therefore we lacked the immunity and the medical knowledge to fight it.

What makes it SO dangerous?
For many this flu is just another seasonal flu that requires little medical attention. In most cases a little bed rest would do.
But this is different for people who are suffering from weakened immune systems, heart disease, blood, kidney and liver disorders, chronic lung diseases, neurological and neuromuscular diseases, diabetes and cancer. Anyone under the age of 5 or above the age of 65, as well as pregnant women need to take extra care. For them medical attention is vital as the disease could be fatal.

What can you do?
Stay at home. Rest and Sleep. Drink plenty of water.
If you have any of the complications mentioned above, go to a doctor.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and I am merely paraphrasing what I have read elsewhere. To quote Matt Stone and Trey Parker, “This should not be viewed by anyone”!

Resolutions '11

I have had a habit of writing down a plethora of resolutions at the glorious beginning of every year, and forgetting them in a month's time. Everything from 'being a better daughter' to 'drinking more water' and 'partying more' has made it to my list during my adolescent years. However, this year I'm going to keep it crisp and simple-

New Years Resolutions 2011

1. Figure things out.

(My list goes a step further by clearly defining what falls under the abstract term things.)

Things

• Life
• Love
• The Past
• The Present
• The Moment
• The Universe
• My Place in it
• My Path,
• From a spiritual perspective
• From a worldly perspective

  etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

Well, it's not that I do not realize the gravity of my undertaking. After all, I am trying to solve problems that humanity as a collective entity has not been able to comprehend throughout all its millennia of existence. But there is clearly no harm, other than busting a few brain cells and heart fibers, in trying.