Of Paper and Bytes

I took the e-jump this year.I put aside my need to smell a new book and feel its wonderful finish (and get paper cuts in the process), installed Kindle on my iPad and downloaded a sample extract from Amazon once the India Kindle Store opened. And then I downloaded some more. And then some more. Now I have a bunch of receipts from Amazon in my inbox and not weekly visits from Flipkart’s delivery guys. I window shop to my hearts content at the Crosswords and Oxford’s of the world (Ever see a female with her nose in a book, literally?That would be me) and then go home and download. To be honest Kindle is a bit overpriced and my hand gets tired cradling the iPad during all night reading sessions but I have run out of space to store my voluminous tomes with no heart to give away some of my precious books.I also choose to believe that I am helping some tree live a little longer.

So I have been diligently reading up quite a bit in 2012 and  here are my 5 super fantastic reads for the year in case you are into that sort of thing.

Gone Girl is not everyone’s cup of tea. Its a deconstruction of a marriage hidden as a thriller or maybe it is the other way around. A woman goes missing and the husband is the prime suspect. But what the author gives you is two bedazzling sides of the same story. Just when you think you have a character figured out the author will pull you in a completely different direction. This book once bought will not be left unread and may refuse to get out of your brain for days. Its a book that you would love or you would love to hate. I re-read the book post the reveal so that I could connect the dots I missed the first time around.

Game of Thrones What Can I write about this best seller and hit TV series that has not been written/said before. The only thing stopping me from reading the complete series is the number of pages in each tome. Also I pray for the authors good health so that I know what he was thinking doing what he is doing to my favorite characters. I have started watching the series as well and the casting is bang on!

How To Be A Woman I think I fell in love with Caitlin Moran after reading this.Its funny in a tears-in-eyes till you realise the joke is on women and the way they have let themselves be treated. Its about society’s expectation from women on everything from thong underwear to marriage and babies. Its about reclaiming feminism .And this what it says about feminism before you imagine bra-burning-butch hair styled women.

“We need to reclaim the word ‘feminism’. We need the word ‘feminism’ back real bad. When statistics come in saying that only 29% of American women would describe themselves as feminist – and only 42% of British women – I used to think, What do you think feminism IS, ladies?What part of ‘liberation for women’ is not for you? Is it freedom to vote? The right not to be owned by the man you marry? The campaign for equal pay? ‘Vogue’ by Madonna? Jeans? Did all that good shit GET ON YOUR NERVES? Or were you just DRUNK AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY?”

Read it. If you are a woman you have thought about these at some point or the other.

No Easy Day An ex-marine who was part of the elite squad that killed Osama Bin Laden has penned this. He gives the reader a background of what it takes to be part of this team, previous missions and what happened on THAT day. (Things started going wrong even before a single person had put a boot to the ground).Written in simple english (and large fonts-bought the paper book) I finished it in a single marathon reading session. And then followed it up by watching this interview.

Persepolis is a graphic novel for non graphic novel readers as one review said.It that covers the author’s story from when she was 6, living in Tehran with her intellectual parents, to when she was 14 and had to flee to Vienna to continue her education and her return to Tehran post her graduation. At its best it’s an inspiring coming-of-age story which shows Iran in a much different light than what one would imagine from a once-in-a-blue-moon PTI reports one reads in the paper.However I suspect the author grew up in privileged circles and her perceptions may not be that of a person on the street. I also wanted to shake her and ask her to get her life in order/stop self pitying once in a while considering she did get chances many people in her home country did not.

There are however many many books I wish I had not read. Unfortunately some of them have been on bestseller lists for almost a year now (yes its that Fifty Shades book!) and are widely loved by women. I cant write a review that matches this so go ahead and read what I pretty much wanted to say.

 

Finish Line

It has been so long since I have seen this dashboard vis a vis the multiple work related dashboards I see everyday. Have to say I had to reset my password and stumble along a bit till I got here.

This post comes after a year. In fact more than that. Not that I got any crazed blog followers begging me out of my retirement but today I was reading this woman’s blog- she was funny and she was real and for a moment she reminded me of me or rather how I perceive my writing to be. And I realized how long it has been that I have not written a complete paragraph.

It was a mixed bag this year. 2011 was very good, so I set myself some ambitious growth targets in my personal and professional space-took some risks and I wish I could say I came out with flying colors but I didn’t. I succeeded in some, learnt some hard lessons, regretted some decisions, and thanked God for the good in life. In my mind I am reviewing 2012 in a loop and thinking what could make 2013 defining for me in a good way.

I was in a slump in this last quarter- you know where you doubt yourself every step and like a self fulfilling prophecy your doubts result in mis-steps. It would have been positively comic if it werent happening to me.

And in the midst of this I decided to run a 10K. Like every year I had taken the usual-get-fitter-lose-weight New Years Resolution and like a good manager I wanted it defined. So 2012-Run a 10K became the one liner in my mind.

To put things in perspective I dont like to run (or any other physical activity which involves elevated heartbeat and any sort of hand-eye coordination) and it doesnt do anything for me physically or mentally. My body doesnt change (I fuel up more than I need ) and mentally I picture myself having a cardiac arrest or dying of boredom.

Once or twice a week I run 3.5 kms on the treadmill. Yes, I wanted to follow a training schedule. Yes I have a year long gym membership. And yes I did zilch about preparing myself.

And there I was at the Bangalore Midnight Marathon with my iPhone playing my workout-playlist. I wanted to turn back and run home instead-because I knew, I just knew there was no way I would hit the finish line. That 2 hours would be up-they would close the trail and they would find me crawling somewhere. Or maybe I would just give up.

I was convinced I could not do it. I would fail. In front of all these people.

The race started. Some people ran ahead, some fell behind. I was there in between somewhere and as familiar music played in my earphones I started to run. 35 minutes later with couple of walking breaks in between I was still running. And I had finished 5kms.

This was more than I have ever run in one stretch or one day. But there were people who were running their second lap and there were people behind me. So many people behind me. And suddenly I wanted to finish this. Finish this race. My mind saw the finish line and my body just obeyed. I was reduced to brisk walking/trot/bursts of running by the time I finished 7 but I now knew I could push the 3 remaining Kms out.

And I did. It took me a goddamn 90 minutes which doesn’t stand any test of endurance/strength/stamina/speed but I walked over that 10K finish line.

For many people this would be a physical victory- of pushing their body. But for me it was doing something that my rational-realistic brain said I couldn’t-I wasnt good enough for.(Wonderful adventures with my self esteem await you in archives through the link).There wasn’t triumphant background music at my finish line. I didn’t burst into tears. My perception of life and myself didn’t change over night. But it was a small victory for my self worth.

Of course now I have to run a 10K under 60 minutes to prove my worth. To myself.

 

Going around the Cape

So just in case you thought that one blog with photos is all you are going to get from my SA visit-let me assure you my attempt at getting back to writing involves detailed travelogues. I have figured that one of the most pleasurable things in life for me is planning a trip and then being  completely obsessed that we stick to the itinerary I made (which involves visiting each and every damn place there is to see in that area). Not for me a luxury or leisure trip- my trips are all exhausting to say the least!

And as for spouting it all online,God knows there is a requirement for more Indian travelogues out there. I mean Indian travelling to non Indian places.

So continuing with my Cape Town sojourn. Next day morning we made our second attempt at table mountains and yes we reached there to find a snaking queue (took us around an hour to clear it) because it was one of those occasions when the cable cars where working.

A lot of foreigners of course trek to the top and there is a nature reserve as well. However the rotating 360 view cable cars is also quite good. While you are admiring the Lions head and the Bay the view would change and the Table Mountains would loom up suddenly. Your breath really does get taken away for that one moment. The view from the top stretches across the city. Definitely worth the effort. There is a café/shop at the top as well. Only drawback-its quite crowded at the top

 

Table mountain dominates CT landscape.

The rest of the day was spent in going around the Cape. Hemmed in by the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, the Cape Peninsula Loop is one of the most stunning drives in the world. This area boasts magnificent scenery of mountains giving way to the oceans, quaint fishing villages and beautiful beaches.

As you keep driving the scenery becomes exceedingly dramatic and picture postcardisque. The beauty of each bay is rivaled by the next . We did 3 comparatively large pit stops-Hout Bay, Cape of Good Hope and Boulders beach.

Overcrowded much?

Hout bay is a fishing town just south of Cape Town. The main street in Hout Bay is full of interesting shops  and there is an excellent craft market. There are also daily charters from Hout Bay Harbour to Duiker Seal Island beneath the well known Sentinel Mountain where you can view thousands of Cape Fur Seals .

Next we headed along the spectacular Chapman’s Peak Drive .

Picture Postcard from Chapman's peak drive

Winding our way South to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve we visited the Cape of Good Hope. Here the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean and a rocky peninsula jets out into water stretching as far as they eye can see. The whole scenary is ethereal.

As we returned to Cape Town we moved along the False Bay Coast to visit Boulders Beach African Penguin Colony.

Little out of place to see something which inhabits the Pole near the Equator!

We rushed past Simons Town and  Muizenberg to head back to Cape Town before night fall. I really wish we had spent some time at these places.

If I were to dispense advice based on experience would say spend a day for Cape of Good Hope exploration alone.

Our Cape Town sojourn was done. It truly is home to a stunning setting of mountain meeting the sea and lucky are those who wake up to such beauty everyday.

But we were not done yet.

We were headed to the Garden Route next! And we even managed to find a travel guide-cum-driver for a reasonable price. This was turning into a dream vacay!

 

 

Ticking off the bucket list

So after the wedding was done and dusted I couldn’t wait to get that suitcase packed and run off.I had made it amply clear my honeymoon was going to be in one of THE FIVE places I wanted to see. Cape Town was at the top.Except apparently not enough Indians think South Africa to be a very likely honeymoon destination or destination of any kind. Every packaged trip cost a bomb and whenever I told someone our choice of destination the usual reaction would be

1.”ooh..is it safe?”

2. “Waha to bas kaale log hain na?” (not making this up trust me)

So in a burst of frustration both me and AB stayed up with our laptops one night and booked the entire trip ourselves including the flights, hotels and applying for visa.It cost us a bomb. But it was going to be a trip we wanted with places we wanted to see and at our pace than being bundled around in a van with 10 other tourists and going to an amusement park or overpriced game drive.

To be honest, I was scared with the countless warnings we got-doubting my (please note singular not plural) choice of destination. Will we find a guide? Is planning-on-the-go gonna run us to the ground? Will I get mugged/killed the moment I step of that plane.

So after quick stopover at Dubai I was sitting/sleeping my way on the longest flight I had ever taken to Cape Town-South Africa’s mother city clutching my excel itinerary to heart.

Well the Gods they were smiling I guess. Because from the moment I stepped off that plane I knew this was going to be the memorable trip I had always wanted.

Our Hotel was right next to the V&A waterfront. It reminded me a bit of Clark Quay but a lot prettier.

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is the centre of CT tourist's social life

There were pubs music shops restaurants by docks as sailboats splashed on the docks inviting tourists like us for a sunset cruise. Of course we had to have experienced every tourist trap there is.

Sunset Cruise on the Atlantic

The champaigne, the sunset, the beauty was all very heady and finally the husband agreed that maybe maybe that hole in the pocket was worth it!

Spell binding view of city

The next day we left early to visit Cape Town’s main attraction the Table Mountain. The flat-topped Table Mountain dominates the City skyline and is now one of the world’s seven natural wonders.But when we got there we realized it was quite possible that we maybe leaving this continent without seeing the top if it. Gale winds are common at the top of the mountain and authorities dont take any chances with the cable car.

With our spirits a little lower than before we set off for Robbins Island tour.  When we were talking to couple of agents from India one of them happened to mention how quickly this tour sells out. So we had tried to book tickets online the day before we left for RSA. And luckily found what might have been the only 2 tickets left for the entire week.

Robbins island was the place where South Africa kept its political prisoners during apartheid. And we must have been the only honeymooning couple checking out Nelson Mandela ‘s cell. An ex-prisoner takes this tour and it seemed rather punishing to me that someone would want to revisit a place they were imprisoned for decades daily and take a tour of the same.A must visit for history buffs it left us feeling rather glum.

An evening in the buzzing V&A waterfront cheered us up as we stuffed our face with Italian food.

The last day in Cape Town was drawing close and there was a lot to see! (This trip wasnt planned with relaxing or taking it slow in mind!)

 

The Domestic Ungoddess

It has been so long since I have updated this blog that even the spam comments have stopped ,not to mention the wordpress dashboard has undergone a complete overhaul.

Ohh well.

I got married.

Yup-someone agreed to marry me. What can I say-miracles do happen.

Of course he is the-most-amazing-man-walk-on-earth and maybe now I can also post awww inspiring posts. But let me just make it clear-today is not that day.

Today is the day I tell you about the things they don’t teach you at Harvard.

1) If the wedding card says “Arrival of baraat: 8PM”, You should leave for bridal makeup at 7.30, so that you are back by 10 by which time the baraat would actually arrive. Do NOT get ready by 6PM taking into consideration Delhi’s traffic or any other factors like you are a South Indian and ignorant that North India works on a different time zone.

2) 20 sleepless, 7kg lehenga lugging hours later still smile for every single photo and REMEMBER YOUR BEST PHOTO ANGLE. You will get over the lack of sleep but ugly marriage pics live forever.

3) Prepare for that moment when after the 20 sleepless hours, and after unclipping the 200 pins on your hair bun you take a bath and come out to the room to see a saree kept ready for you to wear. There are 20 relatives waiting to judge you outside. Spending you life searching for that perfect Levis isn’t going to help you then but prodigious memory of the 2 times you did wear saree would.And yes suddenly that petticoat will seem longer than needed and peep out from the bottom.

4) Getting up at 10AM the next day and heading straight for breakfast may not reflect too well on your upbringing but will kill whatever little expectations are there out of you.

5) When it comes to cooking be honest- Maggi is your signature dish.

6) While filling forms hold back the habit and tick on married and Mrs.

7) Expect shoes, used towels, clothes anywhere and everywhere. Attitude that let it lie there till he learns to pick up after himself will not help because if you have sudden house guests you cant explain away those towels

8) Your new best friend is you maid/cook. Do half the work yourself to ease the burden on her. Offer free spa service once a month. DO WHATEVER NEEDED to retain her.

9) Yes hard day at work. Sympathies, however the tea will not make itself.

10) Personal time? Huh?

I know for someone who loathes domestic work and would rather roll in filth than move a finger I am shocked at my own transformation into I cant sleep because I know there is curry stain on my table. But then they say marriage is full of surprises-don’t they?

PS: that’s my photo, so thieving publications you better not steal it!

 

Dont you wish you were here on a Monday morning

Like I was?

Yeah thats a nice shade of green you have going on there

 

Being a feminist and the right to being stupid

So you might have read about the Slut Walk by now.Its basically women raising their voice against the percieved notion of victims of sexual assault asking for it.In a society as patriarchial as ours “it is always the girls fault” and victim shaming and blaming are real issues. So how are we-the self proclaimed feminists going to address this.

Why, by dressing ourselves up in our skimpiest outfit and marching around holding placards.

Stupidity-much?

I try not to judge women because everyone has their own yardstick of sticking-by-my-sisters and what comprises women’s lib. But some of these “symbolic” protests just rally against any ounce of sense and makes me question their purpose.

What will this achieve? Will the women in the Capital suddenly be free of all the butt pinching lecherous guys because of this. Having spent my young adult life there I KNOW the average bloke on the DTC bus will only enjoy the sight of parading naked ladies and rub his crotch harder against one of them the next time she gets on the damn bus. Subtle message, cultural impact-you wish!

My disdain for these shock value campaigns ended with the Pink Chaddi campaign. It achieved nothing apart from giving Pramod Muthalik-the antigonist state level notoriety. Or the put-up-your-bra-color to raise breast cancer awareness. Yes, because when all 342 of my friends read “blue” or “au-naturel” on my status message-it automatically triggers a visit to the nearest specialist or a donation to any of the breast cancer awareness charity.

Women, who are we fooling?I have always felt there is only one answer to a culture where falling in love is a sin and being aggresive or forward undesirable traits-education and being independent.

Not being undressed literally.

As someone said on my Twitter TL “Hope #Slutwalk achieves what basic education, life imprisonment or the possibility of getting lynched hasn’t taught the libidous Indian male.”

Amen to that.