The Prestidigitator

It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured. I realised, somehow through the screaming in my mind that even in shackled, bloody helplessness, I was still free:free to hate the men who were torturing me or free to forgive them. It doesn’t sound like much I know. But in the flinch and bite of chain, when it’s all you’ve got, that freedom is a universe of posibility. And the choice you make between hating and forgiving can become the story of your life.

Any book that begins like that can’t go wrong can it? And it doesn’t , for most part.

Shanataram is supposedly an autobiographical novel by Gregory Roberts, an Australian fugitive who lands in aamchi Mumbai and begins life anew. It’s perhaps one of the longest (930 odd pages) and most inspiring books I’ve ever read. But I did find it hard to digest many things in the book simply because it seemed a little too incredible and hence I doubt it works as an autobiography, but as a novel, I’m sure it will blow most people away.

The story follows the adventures of Shantaram/Gregory Roberts/Lindsay/Linbaba (he’s known by a lotta names you see) once he comes to Bombay. He falls in love with a woman named Karla (who happens to be my dream mate), starts a free clinic in a slum, does work for the mafia, gets involved in a murder, earns the hatred of a certain Madame Zhou who runs a huge prostitution racket, learns about life from an underworld don, does bit parts in Bollywood flicks and then fights the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan! Now you know why the book is so huge!!!

The writing is simply superb. His observations on Indians and the rich cultural heritage is amzing, more so as it comes from a foreigner. He goes on to say that India is truly the land where the heart is king! The book has also inspired me to visit Bombay soon (heard it’s only 12 hours from Hyderabad!).

Incidentally, Johnny Depp has bought rights to the book and a movie is in pre production but a direcor hasn’t been finalised.

On the whole, the book merits a 7.5/10 only because it gets unnecessarily mushy at times and he raves on pointlessely about love!

My favourite line among numerous others: Every human heartbeat is a universe of possibilities.

Another line that pretty much described me was Interested in everything but committed to nothing.

3 hours and 14 minutes! Nope, it’s not the running time of Lord of the Rings! Actually it could have been…I really don’t know…but anyhoo that’s how long I walked today!

I’d always loved walking but who knew that Hussein Sagar Lake was a lot farther away than the 5 minutes I always assumed it to be!! For the uninitiated, Hussein Sagar Lake is a huge (240 sq km basin area) artificial lake in Hyderabad/Secunderbad built sometime around 1560 (Stop looking so shocked! I read it on a board near the lake.) by some guy named Hussein and it pretty much divides the twin cities. It’s surrounded (Atleast I think! Hyderabadis, feel free to correct me! ) by the Necklace Road and the view (especially sunset) is amazing!

Anyway, I took a long long walk around the place and the first thing that comes to my mind is the multitude of couples. It is depressing especially if you happen to be single. Moreover, our ’simple and traditional’ society may be catching up with the west in more ways than you think! The place is great if you love corn too which yours truly adores!

After an hour of loitering, I decided to walk back because…well…I’m currently broke! Made it in one piece though I think I may need somebody to carry me back home! (*groan*)

Shall post some cool pics (read pointless,narcissistic and self indulgent photos) soon.

A certain Ms Imperfect said my name was too hard to pronounce and I tried repeating my name to myself in an attempt to prove her wrong and now I’m not really sure how it’s actually pronounced! My heartfelt thanks, Ms Imperfect!

By the way you may want to check out www.scribez.wordpress.com. It’s this community blog thing started by 5 (and counting) individuals with too much free time on their hands! It’s already attracted a fair share of controversy too.

Later

Listening to Acoustic #3 by Goo Goo Dolls (www.pandora.com is an awesome awesome site!)

Edit: I would like to take this oppurtunity to thank Ms Imperfect without whose constant encouragement and support, I would not have been able to make it back home today. Thankyou! I would also like to state that she has NOT asked me to mention her name on this post. (:-) Happy?)

For the lack of anything better, here goes…

Rob Gordon: What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?

High Fidelity

Andrew Largeman: You know that point in your life when you realize that the house that you grew up in isn’t really your home anymore? All of the sudden even though you have some place where you can put your stuff that idea of home is gone.
Sam: I still feel at home in my house.
Andrew Largeman: You’ll see when you move out it just sort of happens one day one day and it’s just gone. And you can never get it back. It’s like you get homesick for a place that doesn’t exist. I mean it’s like this rite of passage, you know. You won’t have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for you kids, for the family you start, it’s like a cycle or something. I miss the idea of it. Maybe that’s all family really is. A group of people who miss the same imaginary place.

Garden State 

Red: [narrating] I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don’t want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I’d like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can’t be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.

Red: [narrating] I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice. Still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they’re gone. I guess I just miss my friend.

Shawshank Redemption

Lester Burnham: [narrating] I had always heard your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. First of all, that one second isn’t a second at all, it stretches on forever, like an ocean of time… For me, it was lying on my back at Boy Scout camp, watching falling stars… And yellow leaves, from the maple trees, that lined my street… Or my grandmother’s hands, and the way her skin seemed like paper… And the first time I saw my cousin Tony’s brand new Firebird… And Janie… And Janie… And… Carolyn. I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me… but it’s hard to stay mad, when there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing it all at once, and it’s too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst… And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can’t feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life… You have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m sure. But don’t worry… you will someday.

American Beauty

Valerie: I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish, every inch but one. An inch, it is small and it is fragile, and it is the only thing in the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away; we must never let them take it from us. I hope that whoever you are, you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and that things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that even though I do not know you and even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you, I love you. With all my heart, I love you.

V for Vendetta

More…some other time.

Later

Woke up in a very nostalgic mood today, probably ‘cos our BE Graduation Ceremony happens tomorrow and I’m one of the few people who won’t be going.

Ever since the first year I wondered what it would be like posing for the cameras in the black robe and grad cap whilst holding the degree that I had “strived” for 4 years of my life! But, that was until I realised that the robe wasn’t black, but yellow (YELLOW!) and that the certificate wasn’t the degree but just some piece of paper with the college letter head. Ironically, I’ve been there for the graduation ceremonies of all the 3 senior batches.

What troubles me a bit is that I seem to be least bothered about it…except that I’m going to miss the whole gang that’s gonna be there tomorrow!

 It’s funny how 1 incident can change your opinion about a person whom you’ve held in high regard for a long time. I’m talking about Mel Gibson. Loved every single one of his movies (including Mad Max and Conspiracy Theory!!) and now he goes ahead, gets drunk, abuses cops and becomes all anti-semitic and that’s just very disturbing! Read about it here. How the mighty have fallen!

Just the other day, Swen and I had a conversation that went something like this:

S-Dude…Mel Gibson’s a Roman Catholic right?

P-Yea, hardcore Roman Catholic! He’s got like 5 or 6 kids man!

S-Woah! Roman Catholic with 6 kids! That’s a tough act to follow!

P- Yea, he probably believes “If you can’t convert them, create them!”

(and then both of us burst into wild, raucous laughter that is typical of idiots with nothing better to do!)

Later

Listening to Mrs Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel (Holy moly! That’s the soundtrack to The Graduate right??)

Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long supressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of Inida and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.

Every single time I read these few lines uttered by Nehru almost 60 years back…I get goosepimples. But then again, if you know me, I get gooseflesh pretty often. Setting all that aside I have to admit, shamefully, that everytime I think about our country, all that comes to my mind is the poverty, pollution, defecation on the streets, corruption, long queues for Krrish , greed, insecurity, unfriendliness, packed trains, reckless driving (Hyderabad specific) and the likes.

I’ve spent less than a quarter of my life in India and ironically I still call this my country and deep down I’m immensely proud of who we are. Look at it this way…imagine that Britain or France ceased to exist one fine day. Apart from fashion and a few pieces of pop culture(but then again, we’d be better off  without Harry Potter and that whole school of idiots!), the course of the world wouldn’t be affected in any major life altering way. BUT…if WE ceased to exist, expect nothing short of worldwide pandemonium! What pisses me off is that we don’t really realise how important we are!

This sudden burst of patriotism can be attributed to the latest issue of India Today I just read! A lot of amazing facts about a place that each one of us calls home…

That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we may fulfil the pledges we have so often taken .

 Jai Hind everybody…

Interesting week. Monotonous, but interesting.

• Reading Shantaram…an awesome awesome book. Will review it once I’m done.
• Have been “taught” at work that if one gets an oppurtunity at an onsite location abroad, he/she HAS to use toilet paper, cannot hang clothes out to dry and cannot wet (with water, perverts!) the bathroom floor ,else risk being sued!!
• Unwittingly managed to hurt a very very good friend. Repercussions presently unknown.
• Saw Omkara…regained faith in Indian cinema.
• Got angry at a colleague for making polite conversation in the loo. (For God’s sake, do what you came to do and leave! Why talk!!??)
• Learned to love something that I’d always thought I’d hate.
• Realised that the only language that works around here is “MONEY”.
• Found out to my horror that I’ve spent 8052 days on the planet! (That’s as creative as I can get with Oracle SQL *PLUS.)

Listening to Harder to breathe by Maroon 5

Later

 Sometime back I wrote a post on things I want to do before turning 30  and from the looks of it I don’t think I’m really going to accomplish much. It suddenly hit me on the bus this afternoon that I’ll never be able to relive all this again. Time’s flying and life is far too beautiful and precious to just spend brooding over and/or thinking about! I’m going to update the list and I intend to do atleast half of the stuff on it by the time I turn 30!!!

1. Do something adventurous…outdoors. Read parasailing, bungee jumping, diving(inspite of me not knowing how to swim), skiing(on real snow) etc…
2. Write a memoir…on how a confused child grew up to become…a…well…confused adult!
3. Travel. I want to go to as many places as possible. Norway, Thailand, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil (and get a pic taken with a girl sporting that big fruit hat thing), France, Italy, NewZealand and ofcourse, The US of A!
4. Make a movie. This is something I really want to do. Atleast a damn documentary…about …”Disillusionment”.
5. Have a huuuuuge library with all the books I’ve read and the movies/music I love.
6. Take a big risk with my career. Diversify by the time I’m 30 to a career nobody thought I was capable of.
7. Learn to dance. Sigh…this is something I’m very skeptical about.
8. Do a post graduation.
9. Meet Umberto Eco and have a long chat with him. Won’t matter if I don’t understand a word he says!
10. Learn to drive and then take a road trip.
11. Shave my head atleast once.
12. Meet Quentin Tarantino and tell him that I never really “got” Pulp Fiction.
13. Buy limited editions of graphic novels by Alan Moore and Frank Miller.
14. Wear shorts and sneakers to a formal dinner party.
15. Go to a formal dinner party. (heh)
16. Get a tattoo. But then again, it wouldn’t look that great when I turn 60.
17. Sing in front of a crowd.
18. Look into somebody’s eyes and say “I Love You”…and mean it! (Awwwwww!)
19. Work for a non profit organisation that helps somebody. I know it’s easier said than done.
20. Get drunk.
21. Surprise people by actually not saying anything stupid for an entire week!
22. Try Kopi Luwak…coffee with bat droppings!
23. Make money on the stock market.

I’ll think of more things and maybe make another list soon!

Aaaargh! I’m so tired of being ordinary and I’m not even good at being ordinary!

Listening to The Fear You Won’t by Joshua Radin

Pull the hair back from your eyes
Let the people see your pretty face
Try not to say anything weird
Save your questions without answers
‘Til your old enough to know that things ain’t as they appeared

Try not to focus on yourself
Share that love with someone else
Don’t let the bitters bring you down (Down)
Don’t let anything bring you down