* Originally appeared in my other blog!
Hubble repair mission is being released in IMAX.WOW! Here is the trailer. I don’t know when it will be released in Singapore’s Omni-Theatre.
Few weeks back, I took my wife and my baby (18 months old) to IMAX to
see “Under the Sea”. I have already seen this movie and it is a treat
for underwater lovers. (My wife likes to see underwater creatures,
though, I haven’t developed that interest). My baby was doing OK until
the film started. Once the film started and when the water is all over
us, she was scared and started screaming at high pitch. Some viewers
have started expressing contempt already. I got no choice except to come
out! I played with my child showing this and that, while my wife
finished watching the movie. But some how she didn’t like the movie
much; may be because I was not there!
Hope this Hubble repair movie comes to Singapore after few months!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
3.1 crore business in Tasmac shops during Pongal day
* Originally appeared in my other blog!
“நெல்லை: நெல்லை மாவட்டத்தில் பொங்கல் நாளான்று டாஸ்மாக் கடைகளில் ரூ. 3.1 கோடிக்கு மதுபானங்கள் விற்பனையாகி உள்ளது. இது கடந்த ஆண்டை விட ரூ.36 லட்சம் அதிகம் ஆகும்.”
“3.1 crore Indian rupees worth of alcohol was sold during Pongal day in Tasmac alcohol shops in Nellai district (in southern part of India).”
3.1 crore business in just one day? And the same news says that from march – march (1 year) the revenue from these Tasmac alcohol shops is 13000 crores.
What the heck?! What happened to Tamil people?
PS: The budget for free color television scheme is 2400 crores.
“நெல்லை: நெல்லை மாவட்டத்தில் பொங்கல் நாளான்று டாஸ்மாக் கடைகளில் ரூ. 3.1 கோடிக்கு மதுபானங்கள் விற்பனையாகி உள்ளது. இது கடந்த ஆண்டை விட ரூ.36 லட்சம் அதிகம் ஆகும்.”
“3.1 crore Indian rupees worth of alcohol was sold during Pongal day in Tasmac alcohol shops in Nellai district (in southern part of India).”
3.1 crore business in just one day? And the same news says that from march – march (1 year) the revenue from these Tasmac alcohol shops is 13000 crores.
What the heck?! What happened to Tamil people?
PS: The budget for free color television scheme is 2400 crores.
Seeing in the dark : A tribute to amateur astronomers
Yesterday I saw a documentary Seeing In The Dark which I rented from the Library. This documentary is about amateur astronomers and star gazers. I am really exited to see how the world of amateur astronomers has improved. I never thought more about them than mere star gazers. Heck, they make their own telescopes.
These amateurs are doing professional grade researches and discovering planets and even exploding stars. This is a real inspiration. I know these discoveries are not made in a day; but it was shocking to know that they had been watching a single object for years!
This video pays tribute to those amateur astronomers who had spent decades (one must keep in mind that they have family and a different primary job) researching the dark and who had made their dreams come in to reality.
This documentary is based on a book written by Timothy Ferris on the same name. Both the documentary and the book are available in the Singapore library.
Rent it and get inspired.
These amateurs are doing professional grade researches and discovering planets and even exploding stars. This is a real inspiration. I know these discoveries are not made in a day; but it was shocking to know that they had been watching a single object for years!
This video pays tribute to those amateur astronomers who had spent decades (one must keep in mind that they have family and a different primary job) researching the dark and who had made their dreams come in to reality.
This documentary is based on a book written by Timothy Ferris on the same name. Both the documentary and the book are available in the Singapore library.
Rent it and get inspired.
Luck,Buying HDB and Solar Eclipse
* Originally appeared in my other blog!
I am not a great believer in Luck.
But people say Luck knocks your door only once. If you didn’t open the door, then it is gone. Congratulations,You have missed your best deal. Paulo Coelho describes about beginners luck in his book, i forgot the name, it must be Alchemist. It is something that works in favor of you when you begin something. The same thing happened to us, when we started looking for a house to buy.
Somehow because of some misunderstandings and wrong information, we let go of a good deal and until now that missed deal comes before us dancing and mocking at us when ever we start to look for house to buy. Market has become bullish since then and we can no more afford to buy a house.
No one knows if the missed deal is good or bad. But as of now it looks good.As of now.
*
Today the world witnessed the longest solar eclipse of the century. It was seen clearly in the southern part of India. I wish I were there.
Twitter had become an enormous power in the internet world. Now Google is including the Twitter messages for the search key word you have given. Just type Solar Eclipse; you’ll see flood of Twitter updates pouring in from all corners of the world. Loads of updates.
Out of all messages I liked the following tweet:
“Your face is like solar eclipse; who ever sees it goes blind“
People, these days, have lot of time and got really nothing to do. Believe me!
Anyway I didn’t see the solar eclipse!
*
I am not a great believer in Luck.
But people say Luck knocks your door only once. If you didn’t open the door, then it is gone. Congratulations,You have missed your best deal. Paulo Coelho describes about beginners luck in his book, i forgot the name, it must be Alchemist. It is something that works in favor of you when you begin something. The same thing happened to us, when we started looking for a house to buy.
Somehow because of some misunderstandings and wrong information, we let go of a good deal and until now that missed deal comes before us dancing and mocking at us when ever we start to look for house to buy. Market has become bullish since then and we can no more afford to buy a house.
No one knows if the missed deal is good or bad. But as of now it looks good.As of now.
*
Today the world witnessed the longest solar eclipse of the century. It was seen clearly in the southern part of India. I wish I were there.
Twitter had become an enormous power in the internet world. Now Google is including the Twitter messages for the search key word you have given. Just type Solar Eclipse; you’ll see flood of Twitter updates pouring in from all corners of the world. Loads of updates.
Out of all messages I liked the following tweet:
“Your face is like solar eclipse; who ever sees it goes blind“
People, these days, have lot of time and got really nothing to do. Believe me!
Anyway I didn’t see the solar eclipse!
*
Driving Instructors : Why can’t they be patient and informative?
Why can’t the driving instructors be patient enough and be
informative also? Until now I have taken 13 classes on driving and still
a long way to go. Off all the instructors I had, every one of them
falls in to one of these two categories: either they are impatient but
informative or they are patient but not informative.
Yesterday I was doing right turn class. My previous class was also on right turn. My previous instructor was patient enough that I wished him to be my instructor for ever. (It is possible to choose our preferred instructor but to choose your instructor you will have to shell out another 5$ or something which I didn’t want to. Already I am spending hell a lot of money on this driving). But my instructor for yesterday’s class was so informative that he really scared me by giving so much information like “if you ever touch the white cross lines in your filter lane while you right turn then I guarantee an immediate failure during test”. Huh!
I was not able to catch up with him. When I asked him to repeat (of course, after asking a pardon!) he said “so fast also cannota!” That means “The class is only for 1 hour (last session) I wanted to give out information as fast as I can. I am doing you a favor by being fast but still are you not able to catch up with me?” He missed the whole point. It is not his quick way of talking that concerns me but it is his English. It is broken and highly localized. How am I supposed to follow him while I drive? And why does he show his angry face when I am not able to follow him? After all he is a teacher! He gives me more information but he is totally impatient. An impatient teacher never really teaches.
In the middle of right turn he talks with me. In fact he questioned me. He wants an answer immediately. When I didn’t answer he is very upset and he reminds me that he is talking with me. What am I supposed to do? Stop doing a right turn and chat with him in the middle of the road?
When I go for the next class there is a high probability that I will again get him as the instructor. Allocation system tries to help me!
But I understand that a patient instructor is highly useless when he didn’t really educate. I wish the teachers to be patient and informative.
Yesterday I was doing right turn class. My previous class was also on right turn. My previous instructor was patient enough that I wished him to be my instructor for ever. (It is possible to choose our preferred instructor but to choose your instructor you will have to shell out another 5$ or something which I didn’t want to. Already I am spending hell a lot of money on this driving). But my instructor for yesterday’s class was so informative that he really scared me by giving so much information like “if you ever touch the white cross lines in your filter lane while you right turn then I guarantee an immediate failure during test”. Huh!
I was not able to catch up with him. When I asked him to repeat (of course, after asking a pardon!) he said “so fast also cannota!” That means “The class is only for 1 hour (last session) I wanted to give out information as fast as I can. I am doing you a favor by being fast but still are you not able to catch up with me?” He missed the whole point. It is not his quick way of talking that concerns me but it is his English. It is broken and highly localized. How am I supposed to follow him while I drive? And why does he show his angry face when I am not able to follow him? After all he is a teacher! He gives me more information but he is totally impatient. An impatient teacher never really teaches.
In the middle of right turn he talks with me. In fact he questioned me. He wants an answer immediately. When I didn’t answer he is very upset and he reminds me that he is talking with me. What am I supposed to do? Stop doing a right turn and chat with him in the middle of the road?
When I go for the next class there is a high probability that I will again get him as the instructor. Allocation system tries to help me!
But I understand that a patient instructor is highly useless when he didn’t really educate. I wish the teachers to be patient and informative.
Observation and hence Eye witness
* Originally appeared in my other blog.
It’s a game. Observation game. I have given a video down here that shows few youngsters standing in a circle weaving in and out and passing basket ball to each other. Your job is to count how many times the basket ball is being passed among them? As simple as that. The video runs for 25 seconds. So 25 seconds is all you have got.
Here is the video link.
Done? Ok now answer me:
The famous evolutionist Richard Dawkins was one among the observers and he says in his new awesome book The Greatest Show On Earth that,surprisingly, he too didn’t took much notice of the gorilla. And most of the observers also didn’t saw the gorilla, they were busy counting the number of times the basket ball was being passed. They were focussed to their job in hand. In this 25 second video the gorilla appears and waves its hand and begs the observers to “see” it for a whole 9 seconds,almost one-third of the entire length of the video. And yet most of them didn’t see it.
If you can just spot the gorilla in the video, don’t immediately come to a conclusion that this entire game and research does not make much sense. Remember that circumstances and seriousness of the game could change the mentality of the observers and could easily divert their focus.
It’s a game. Observation game. I have given a video down here that shows few youngsters standing in a circle weaving in and out and passing basket ball to each other. Your job is to count how many times the basket ball is being passed among them? As simple as that. The video runs for 25 seconds. So 25 seconds is all you have got.
Here is the video link.
Done? Ok now answer me:
- How many times was the ball passed?
- How many of you actually saw a gorilla?
The famous evolutionist Richard Dawkins was one among the observers and he says in his new awesome book The Greatest Show On Earth that,surprisingly, he too didn’t took much notice of the gorilla. And most of the observers also didn’t saw the gorilla, they were busy counting the number of times the basket ball was being passed. They were focussed to their job in hand. In this 25 second video the gorilla appears and waves its hand and begs the observers to “see” it for a whole 9 seconds,almost one-third of the entire length of the video. And yet most of them didn’t see it.
If you can just spot the gorilla in the video, don’t immediately come to a conclusion that this entire game and research does not make much sense. Remember that circumstances and seriousness of the game could change the mentality of the observers and could easily divert their focus.
Singapore getting diluted?
*Originally appeared in my other blog
It appears so. I saw and heard a lot of evidences in the past 2 weeks. To list them out:
1. I and my friend were standing in a MRT station (underground) waiting for the train. A woman came almost running and dropped few pealed skin of oranges behind the pillar. We were standing behind the pillar and we were watching the whole thing; in fact she knew we (for that matter few other people who were waiting for the train too) were watching but she was least bothered. She dropped the pealed skins and walked slowly as if she had done nothing and sat on the bench and waited for the train. How can she ever do that?
2. On that day I was going to Bukit Batok driving center. I had evaluation exam or something. I took the green line and I had to change line at Jurong East station. Those who don’t know about the station: To change line from Green to Red at Jurong East one can just alight at the stop and walk straight to the waiting red line train. So as usual the red line train was waiting. It was fully packed. People were standing out in the platform and waiting to board the next train. They didn’t squeeze themselves in. I had alighted and I ran to board this waiting train. In a few seconds I knew I cannot board the train because it was already full and people were already waiting and so I slowed my pace. But I could see some people still running with a hope to board the already fully packed train. I watched. In spite of people waiting to board the next train, these new people started to squeeze themselves in to the train. They adjusted themselves with in the slightest gap available. After settling themselves, they just stared the ground and never looked at the people who were already waiting outside the train, never.
3. I was waiting for the green man when a CRV stopped in the nearest bus bay and continued to wait there for few minutes, making other buses to wait for this CRV to move. On the same day I saw another SUV which stopped way after the white line and poked its nose in to the pedestrian crossing.
4. Previous week there was a robbery in one of my friends house. Planned robbery. We were shocked to hear this news because it happened to one of my close friend’s wife. She was alone that day when suddenly current went off. Can you imagine power cut in singapore? No way. She was a bit worried and called her husband. After a while 2 “big” men came and told her that there is an up gradation going on and they will have to check the house and do some changes. This poor girl didn’t gave a second thought and let those 2 “big” men inside the house. And there started the problem. They robbed her gold chain, bangles, watches, her husband’s chain, cell phones etc. They had a one year old baby boy whom those 2 “big” guys had used to blackmail the girl.
5.On the night of this diwali my baby was running high temperature. We do our regular checkups at Kinder Clinic but since that was a public holiday we had no choice but to go to KKH. This was our first visit with baby to KKH.There was a big crowd. And once I entered the emergency information/appointment/registration/pre-checkup hall I saw bits of notice standing on the table showing “Consultation fee $80”. Almost on all counters.After waiting for 2 hours we got our turn to see the doctor.We explained and gave all the data correctly for which she promptly replied “there is a 90% chance of H1N1 for the baby”. And advised us to start Tummy Flu. I asked her why can’t we do some test to confirm this; for which she replied me that now H1N1 has become a common flu and for almost all the cases they prescribe Tummy Flu. And she insisted that the baby need to start taking Tummy Flu with in 48 hours of the fever. Already a day has gone. We were scared. Taking Tummy Flu has its own complications. It is not as simple as taking Panadol. For one reason it is bitter and children(especially toddlers) find it extremely difficult to drink it. One must mix it with ice cream or something. Another thing is for some children this may lead to nausea, diarrhea etc. Scary information. My kid had nausea effect and she vomited for first three doses. She was very tired and she had diarrhea too. 2 days gone. No effect. Fever didn’t subside. We were really scared now. Luckily the next day, our baby’s pediatrician returned from his overseas conference and I thought of consulting him too; just in case. I was right. At first look our pediatrician told that this is not H1N1. After few checkups he concluded that this is just an ear infection. And he told me that he has a kit to test for H1N1 positive and he can get the result in 5 mins. Just 5 mins. He was pretty much shocked that KKH has prescribed Tummy Flu for ear infection with out even doing this 5 mins test. My baby got well with in 8 hours after we gave her the antibiotic prescribed by our pediatrician.
These are just few examples. What is happening? I am staying in Singapore for almost 5 years now. This is the first time I am seeing a dilution and this is really not good.
It appears so. I saw and heard a lot of evidences in the past 2 weeks. To list them out:
1. I and my friend were standing in a MRT station (underground) waiting for the train. A woman came almost running and dropped few pealed skin of oranges behind the pillar. We were standing behind the pillar and we were watching the whole thing; in fact she knew we (for that matter few other people who were waiting for the train too) were watching but she was least bothered. She dropped the pealed skins and walked slowly as if she had done nothing and sat on the bench and waited for the train. How can she ever do that?
2. On that day I was going to Bukit Batok driving center. I had evaluation exam or something. I took the green line and I had to change line at Jurong East station. Those who don’t know about the station: To change line from Green to Red at Jurong East one can just alight at the stop and walk straight to the waiting red line train. So as usual the red line train was waiting. It was fully packed. People were standing out in the platform and waiting to board the next train. They didn’t squeeze themselves in. I had alighted and I ran to board this waiting train. In a few seconds I knew I cannot board the train because it was already full and people were already waiting and so I slowed my pace. But I could see some people still running with a hope to board the already fully packed train. I watched. In spite of people waiting to board the next train, these new people started to squeeze themselves in to the train. They adjusted themselves with in the slightest gap available. After settling themselves, they just stared the ground and never looked at the people who were already waiting outside the train, never.
3. I was waiting for the green man when a CRV stopped in the nearest bus bay and continued to wait there for few minutes, making other buses to wait for this CRV to move. On the same day I saw another SUV which stopped way after the white line and poked its nose in to the pedestrian crossing.
4. Previous week there was a robbery in one of my friends house. Planned robbery. We were shocked to hear this news because it happened to one of my close friend’s wife. She was alone that day when suddenly current went off. Can you imagine power cut in singapore? No way. She was a bit worried and called her husband. After a while 2 “big” men came and told her that there is an up gradation going on and they will have to check the house and do some changes. This poor girl didn’t gave a second thought and let those 2 “big” men inside the house. And there started the problem. They robbed her gold chain, bangles, watches, her husband’s chain, cell phones etc. They had a one year old baby boy whom those 2 “big” guys had used to blackmail the girl.
5.On the night of this diwali my baby was running high temperature. We do our regular checkups at Kinder Clinic but since that was a public holiday we had no choice but to go to KKH. This was our first visit with baby to KKH.There was a big crowd. And once I entered the emergency information/appointment/registration/pre-checkup hall I saw bits of notice standing on the table showing “Consultation fee $80”. Almost on all counters.After waiting for 2 hours we got our turn to see the doctor.We explained and gave all the data correctly for which she promptly replied “there is a 90% chance of H1N1 for the baby”. And advised us to start Tummy Flu. I asked her why can’t we do some test to confirm this; for which she replied me that now H1N1 has become a common flu and for almost all the cases they prescribe Tummy Flu. And she insisted that the baby need to start taking Tummy Flu with in 48 hours of the fever. Already a day has gone. We were scared. Taking Tummy Flu has its own complications. It is not as simple as taking Panadol. For one reason it is bitter and children(especially toddlers) find it extremely difficult to drink it. One must mix it with ice cream or something. Another thing is for some children this may lead to nausea, diarrhea etc. Scary information. My kid had nausea effect and she vomited for first three doses. She was very tired and she had diarrhea too. 2 days gone. No effect. Fever didn’t subside. We were really scared now. Luckily the next day, our baby’s pediatrician returned from his overseas conference and I thought of consulting him too; just in case. I was right. At first look our pediatrician told that this is not H1N1. After few checkups he concluded that this is just an ear infection. And he told me that he has a kit to test for H1N1 positive and he can get the result in 5 mins. Just 5 mins. He was pretty much shocked that KKH has prescribed Tummy Flu for ear infection with out even doing this 5 mins test. My baby got well with in 8 hours after we gave her the antibiotic prescribed by our pediatrician.
These are just few examples. What is happening? I am staying in Singapore for almost 5 years now. This is the first time I am seeing a dilution and this is really not good.
On Kamal’s 50 year service
*Originally appeared in my other blog.
Vijay TV is sporting a new program on Kamal’s 50 years of service in Tamil (Can I say Indian?) film industry. Service? How else can I put it?
(What I don’t like with Vijay TV Singapore is their continuous irritable repeated telecast of the advertisements of their own program. One can not count the number of times “Anbe Va” serial’s advertisement is telecasted with in one hour with his own fingers.)
Ok now to the point. I have been seeing this Kamalum-Thamizhum (Kamal and Tamil), Kamalum kadhalum (Kamal and Love) et., all kind of programs coming up in Vijay TV.
One cannot deny that he is one of the best available actors in Indian cinema and particularly Tamil cinema industry. I fell in love with Kamal’s acting after I saw his movie Sathya. For other than Tamil readers: If you have never seen this movie, now go rent it or buy it or download it or do what ever and make sure you see that movie. That is one of the master piece performance by Kamalhassan. One might say that his crying in Mahanathi or his crying in Punnagai Mannan is his best performance. But I doubt it.
Ok I accept that I cried in the theater when I was watching this movie Mahanathi. But that is an emotion. An emotion that was being built up right from the starting of the movie and it waited for its time to burst out. If you watch just that scene alone I bet you will not have that kind of emotion.
An acting must be natural that when you see the performance you must never see the actor in it, but you must see the character. But in most of his movies once in a while appearing characters will be totally wiped out by the strong wiper Kamalhassan. Guna, Thevar Magan, Hey Ram are to name a few; not to forget Sandiyar.
Even though I am a fan of Rajini, I liked and loved very few performances of Kamal. Here is the list:
Now there is a visible change happening here in Tamil industry. Loads of good movies from good directors had been made. Mozhi, Kaadhal, Veyil, Subramaniyapuram, Pasanga to name a few. Did the Tamil audience not support these movies? The architects of this change are apparently Shankar (as a producer) and Prakash Raj. They identified and introduced good directors. They produced and experimented movies. That was very bold. One fine example is “Imsai Arasan 23aam Pulikesi”.
Now, why can’t (or didn’t) Kamal do this? Don’t mistake me. I cannot put this question to Vijayakanth or Rajnikanth for simple reason: they are not Ulaga nayagarkal (Heroes of the world!).
Vijay TV is sporting a new program on Kamal’s 50 years of service in Tamil (Can I say Indian?) film industry. Service? How else can I put it?
(What I don’t like with Vijay TV Singapore is their continuous irritable repeated telecast of the advertisements of their own program. One can not count the number of times “Anbe Va” serial’s advertisement is telecasted with in one hour with his own fingers.)
Ok now to the point. I have been seeing this Kamalum-Thamizhum (Kamal and Tamil), Kamalum kadhalum (Kamal and Love) et., all kind of programs coming up in Vijay TV.
One cannot deny that he is one of the best available actors in Indian cinema and particularly Tamil cinema industry. I fell in love with Kamal’s acting after I saw his movie Sathya. For other than Tamil readers: If you have never seen this movie, now go rent it or buy it or download it or do what ever and make sure you see that movie. That is one of the master piece performance by Kamalhassan. One might say that his crying in Mahanathi or his crying in Punnagai Mannan is his best performance. But I doubt it.
Ok I accept that I cried in the theater when I was watching this movie Mahanathi. But that is an emotion. An emotion that was being built up right from the starting of the movie and it waited for its time to burst out. If you watch just that scene alone I bet you will not have that kind of emotion.
An acting must be natural that when you see the performance you must never see the actor in it, but you must see the character. But in most of his movies once in a while appearing characters will be totally wiped out by the strong wiper Kamalhassan. Guna, Thevar Magan, Hey Ram are to name a few; not to forget Sandiyar.
Even though I am a fan of Rajini, I liked and loved very few performances of Kamal. Here is the list:
- Varumaiyin Niram Sigapu
- Aboorva Sagotharargal (For Appu’s innocent smile)
- Sathya
- Indiran Chandran (for the Mayor)
- Micahel Madana Kamarajan (for showing 4 different characters)
- Salangai Oli (only young performance)
- Oru Kaithiyin Dairy (only old performance)
- Vettaiyadu Vialayadu
- Dasavatharam (Vincent Pooavaragavan)
- Vikaram (For his style and charm)
- I liked and loved Velu Nayakar before I saw Don Corleone. I still
don’t know why Kamal had to imitate Marlan Brando and Al Pacino.
- Even now when I see Al Pacino in some movies I cannot help but
relate his mannerisms with Kamal. If you have doubts watch Insomnia and
God Father part 2. Did Al Pacino follow the styles of Kamal Hassan?
- Also why in the world Kamal has to remake the movie A Wednesday? My
friends say that he has done it to pass the message to all including C
section. Bullshit. And the message in the movie A Wednesday is utterly
stupid, that you can eliminate (or reduce) the violence by killing the
terrorists. One of the cheap commercial tactic to attract already
confused youngsters.
- If Kamal ever wish to do a remake of a Hindi movie and yet want to
pass a good message to the so called B and C section then he must act in
the remake of Lage Raho Munnabhai and Taare Zameen Par.
After I watched Taare Zameen Par, I repeatedly asked this question to
myself: why our so called legends in Tamil cinema didn’t ever think of a
movie in this theme? Can they ever? I share Charu’s view on this regard.
Now there is a visible change happening here in Tamil industry. Loads of good movies from good directors had been made. Mozhi, Kaadhal, Veyil, Subramaniyapuram, Pasanga to name a few. Did the Tamil audience not support these movies? The architects of this change are apparently Shankar (as a producer) and Prakash Raj. They identified and introduced good directors. They produced and experimented movies. That was very bold. One fine example is “Imsai Arasan 23aam Pulikesi”.
Now, why can’t (or didn’t) Kamal do this? Don’t mistake me. I cannot put this question to Vijayakanth or Rajnikanth for simple reason: they are not Ulaga nayagarkal (Heroes of the world!).
ECP : Camping
Last Saturday I was just going through my mails at home and suddenly
this camping thing flashed in my mind. I always wanted to camp - but
have never done that. When we were living at Clementi - we used to go to
West Coast Park often. It is just 10 mins walk from the place where we
lived. Though it is not quite an interesting place as East Coast Park;
it had lots of activities to do like kite flying, biking, skating and
camping.
This time when I said to my wife about camping; to my surprise she immediately agreed and started to pack things. We are going for camping but we didn’t have any camp gears. We planned to buy tent from Giant – in Tampines Retail Park and then to go to ECP.
In Singapore if you want to Camp in any park you need to register yourself. It is a very simple procedure – and you can do it in minutes using AXS website.
There are few rules to know before you apply for Camping. One rule which worried me is:
To me this rule is not realistic. When you go for camping you think about loads of other things to do other than just camping. And the important point is you will wish to do it with your family. What is the fun in just leaving your spouse back in tent? Or letting your spouse do it when you stay back in tent? I don’t understand!
Any way I booked and got my print out from an AXS machine (there is one very near to my HDB). And we headed out direct to Giant.
It was pretty easy to buy a tent – because you know your budget. Anything around than 30$ was good. I got one from xTreme (3 Person water proof) tent for 34$. Bought some sand play toys for my kid. Great!
*
We reached the spot and searched for a good location to pitch the tent. In ECP you can pitch tents at 2 places – Park area D and Park area G. Park area D is nearer to the main ECP center and food courts. Park area G is almost the end of the beach. Just opposite to National Sailing Center.
We chose area G – for no reasons. We found the place quite. It was our first camping – we didn’t know how to mount this tent. After struggling we sought the help of a neighbor who was BBQing although this time. He helped us to understand the basics of the tenting – then it was a breeze.
Basically there are 2 long poles – to be inserted diagonally in the packets that run through the tents diagonally and clamp the hook in the four corners to the corresponding end of the diagonals. Then use the anchor to pitch the tent to the ground. That’s it.
*
Meanwhile my daughter has started to play with her sand toys. After pitching up the tent we joined my daughter in her sand games – we made crabs, sea horses, castles etc. When it is boring we played with waves. Then back to the sand.
After some time we thought of flying kite. My daughter loves kite very much. The previous day, I had bought an expensive Cindrella kite from Musthafa. But unfortunately the kite didn’t go up. We tried hard. My daughter was very angry with me. She must have been thinking: why daddy cannot put this kite up in the sky. What’s wrong with him and the kite? We tried for some time and then we decided to put an end to this drama as everybody around us started wondering what’s going on?!
After buying some drinks we decided to go biking. There are no shops around car park area G – except a drinks and snacks stall in the bike rental place. I and my wife rented a bike each. My bike had baby seat – where my daughter perfectly fitted in. We started our bike ride from Park area G to the SKI Park – almost 5 KM and bought some food from the food court and then returned back. Almost 10KM ride in bike. It was tiring but a refreshing ride. I and my wife loved riding bike together. My daughter was bit worried though, saying: daddy it is dark, we go to home and sleep!
We returned to our tent and had our food. We relaxed ourselves lying back watching the stars and hearing the tides and the airplanes.
The only thing that irritated me is the wind. No wind and it were hot. We stayed there for some more hours and left later.
Altogether the trip is refreshing and we look forward to go again!
This time when I said to my wife about camping; to my surprise she immediately agreed and started to pack things. We are going for camping but we didn’t have any camp gears. We planned to buy tent from Giant – in Tampines Retail Park and then to go to ECP.
In Singapore if you want to Camp in any park you need to register yourself. It is a very simple procedure – and you can do it in minutes using AXS website.
There are few rules to know before you apply for Camping. One rule which worried me is:
“The person to whom a permit is issued must be present at the tent at all times and must not leave the tent vacant or unattended to, and must show his permit to NParks officers for verification upon request. Any tent left vacant or unattended to may be removed by NParks without notice.”
To me this rule is not realistic. When you go for camping you think about loads of other things to do other than just camping. And the important point is you will wish to do it with your family. What is the fun in just leaving your spouse back in tent? Or letting your spouse do it when you stay back in tent? I don’t understand!
Any way I booked and got my print out from an AXS machine (there is one very near to my HDB). And we headed out direct to Giant.
It was pretty easy to buy a tent – because you know your budget. Anything around than 30$ was good. I got one from xTreme (3 Person water proof) tent for 34$. Bought some sand play toys for my kid. Great!
*
We reached the spot and searched for a good location to pitch the tent. In ECP you can pitch tents at 2 places – Park area D and Park area G. Park area D is nearer to the main ECP center and food courts. Park area G is almost the end of the beach. Just opposite to National Sailing Center.
We chose area G – for no reasons. We found the place quite. It was our first camping – we didn’t know how to mount this tent. After struggling we sought the help of a neighbor who was BBQing although this time. He helped us to understand the basics of the tenting – then it was a breeze.
Basically there are 2 long poles – to be inserted diagonally in the packets that run through the tents diagonally and clamp the hook in the four corners to the corresponding end of the diagonals. Then use the anchor to pitch the tent to the ground. That’s it.
*
Meanwhile my daughter has started to play with her sand toys. After pitching up the tent we joined my daughter in her sand games – we made crabs, sea horses, castles etc. When it is boring we played with waves. Then back to the sand.
After some time we thought of flying kite. My daughter loves kite very much. The previous day, I had bought an expensive Cindrella kite from Musthafa. But unfortunately the kite didn’t go up. We tried hard. My daughter was very angry with me. She must have been thinking: why daddy cannot put this kite up in the sky. What’s wrong with him and the kite? We tried for some time and then we decided to put an end to this drama as everybody around us started wondering what’s going on?!
After buying some drinks we decided to go biking. There are no shops around car park area G – except a drinks and snacks stall in the bike rental place. I and my wife rented a bike each. My bike had baby seat – where my daughter perfectly fitted in. We started our bike ride from Park area G to the SKI Park – almost 5 KM and bought some food from the food court and then returned back. Almost 10KM ride in bike. It was tiring but a refreshing ride. I and my wife loved riding bike together. My daughter was bit worried though, saying: daddy it is dark, we go to home and sleep!
We returned to our tent and had our food. We relaxed ourselves lying back watching the stars and hearing the tides and the airplanes.
The only thing that irritated me is the wind. No wind and it were hot. We stayed there for some more hours and left later.
Altogether the trip is refreshing and we look forward to go again!
Friday, July 27, 2007
I bet you won’t cross 30 pages
As soon as my boss saw the book, Midnight’s Children, on my desk, he snapped saying, “Oh! Come on; don’t say you are reading that crap. If you are, I bet you won’t cross 30 pages.” But he was wrong, I crossed 50 pages. Here, I am compelled to say that, it is not an easy read. Forget those unknown words, that don’t matter at all. The problem is with the concept and the sentence formation, to be precise, the narration. When I say problem, I am not representing, the whole lot book readers. It is just my problem.
And after 50 pages, I had enough of his complex words and sentences and of course, the imagination. I cannot stand the perforated sheet and the Humming Bird. Finally, yesterday, I dumped it. I may return, later. Not now for sure!
I started reading Istanbul, Memories Of A City, today.
It is raining a lot here in Singapore. No day has passed in this week without an hour of rain. The usual, hot-and-humid annoying air has given way for cool-and-misty enjoyable climate. Suddenly, Telok Blangah looks like Camaroon Highlands. The chillness of the floor passes through my feet, as I step off my bed in the morning. Certainly, I miss Camaroon Highlands and Kodaikanal. And again I am compelled to say that, I have never been to Ooty.
And after 50 pages, I had enough of his complex words and sentences and of course, the imagination. I cannot stand the perforated sheet and the Humming Bird. Finally, yesterday, I dumped it. I may return, later. Not now for sure!
I started reading Istanbul, Memories Of A City, today.
It is raining a lot here in Singapore. No day has passed in this week without an hour of rain. The usual, hot-and-humid annoying air has given way for cool-and-misty enjoyable climate. Suddenly, Telok Blangah looks like Camaroon Highlands. The chillness of the floor passes through my feet, as I step off my bed in the morning. Certainly, I miss Camaroon Highlands and Kodaikanal. And again I am compelled to say that, I have never been to Ooty.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Whatsitsname, ah!, Sarcasm
Sometimes, I feel like, Rushdie deserves Fatwa. No. I haven’t read his Shame or Fury. But I have read The Ground Beneath Her Feet and now, reading – for a second time, though at first time I wouldn’t say, I read. I just flew through the pages, for no apparent reason! – Midnight’s Children. This time, I have to admit, I am enjoying it thoroughly. I always wonder where in the world he keeps all these words. Both the novels – The Ground Beneath Her Feet, is a first-class word galore! – use lot of unknown words, atleast for me. Again, No, don’t be silly, the Fatwa is not for using unknown words.
And then sometimes, I feel like, I love him, for his way of criticism. How in the world, he finds such sarcastic comments over anything and everything he sees or come in contact with. Being sarcastic is too bad, when the sarcasm is false. But he is right, at times, very right, indeed!
I can quote a lot from his books, but this thought – that urged me to write it down – popped up, after I read these lines in Midnights Children.
The twin hearts of her kingdom were her kitchen and her pantry. I never entered the former, but remembered staring through the pantry's locked screen doors at the enigmatic world within, a world of hanging wire baskets covered with linen cloths to keep out the flies, of tins which I knew to be full of gur and other sweets, of locked chests with neat square labels, of nuts and turnips and sacks of grain, of goose eggs and wooden brooms. Pantry and kitchen were her inalienable territory; and she defended them ferociously. When she was carrying her last child, my aunt Emerald, her husband offered to relieve her of the chore of supervising the cook. She did not reply; but the next day, when Aziz approached the kitchen, she emerged from it with a metal pot in her hands and barred the doorway. She was fat and also pregnant, so there was not much room left in the doorway. Aadam Aziz frowned. 'What is this, wife?' To which my grandmother answered, 'This, whatsitsname, is a very heavy pot; and if just once I catch you in here, whatsitsname, I'll push your head into it, add some dahi, and make, whatsitsname, a korma.' I don't know how my grandmother came to adopt the term whatsitsname as her leitmotif, but as the years passed it invaded her sentences more and more often. I like to think of it as an unconscious cry for help… as a seriously meant question. Reverend Mother was giving us a hint that, for all her presence and bulk, she was adrift in the universe. She didn't know, you see, what it was called.
- An excerpt from Midnights Children.
And then sometimes, I feel like, I love him, for his way of criticism. How in the world, he finds such sarcastic comments over anything and everything he sees or come in contact with. Being sarcastic is too bad, when the sarcasm is false. But he is right, at times, very right, indeed!
I can quote a lot from his books, but this thought – that urged me to write it down – popped up, after I read these lines in Midnights Children.
The twin hearts of her kingdom were her kitchen and her pantry. I never entered the former, but remembered staring through the pantry's locked screen doors at the enigmatic world within, a world of hanging wire baskets covered with linen cloths to keep out the flies, of tins which I knew to be full of gur and other sweets, of locked chests with neat square labels, of nuts and turnips and sacks of grain, of goose eggs and wooden brooms. Pantry and kitchen were her inalienable territory; and she defended them ferociously. When she was carrying her last child, my aunt Emerald, her husband offered to relieve her of the chore of supervising the cook. She did not reply; but the next day, when Aziz approached the kitchen, she emerged from it with a metal pot in her hands and barred the doorway. She was fat and also pregnant, so there was not much room left in the doorway. Aadam Aziz frowned. 'What is this, wife?' To which my grandmother answered, 'This, whatsitsname, is a very heavy pot; and if just once I catch you in here, whatsitsname, I'll push your head into it, add some dahi, and make, whatsitsname, a korma.' I don't know how my grandmother came to adopt the term whatsitsname as her leitmotif, but as the years passed it invaded her sentences more and more often. I like to think of it as an unconscious cry for help… as a seriously meant question. Reverend Mother was giving us a hint that, for all her presence and bulk, she was adrift in the universe. She didn't know, you see, what it was called.
- An excerpt from Midnights Children.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Not a Secret Anymore!
Sometimes you will be careful. Even Geetha (Not my friend. But Bagavat Geetha) says, what ever happens is for good. Yes. But sometimes things are out of your dirty littlle hand. We try to catch it, we do action well. We may feel like we are holding it. We may even feel like we had it in ourselves all along. But still like air, it will elude us. Like BinLaden. We will never get hold of air, can we? Even if we catch it, we cannot prove it, can we really?
What happened is, I should have gone to sleep, at least now, with this cold and cough. But the Cine-maniac inside me wanted to see The Departed for upteenth time. I selected the VOB file and played using VLC Media player. But after I saw Decaprio, I cannot control myself. I wanted a mustache like him. That’s where all started. Now I regret, earnestly.
At first I was going alright and yeah, in line. After all I just have to cut short my mustache, like Decaprio. I did it. But suddenly I got a call in my cell phone and now am doing a double duty. Result over-enthusiastic-me, cut a lump under nose. I became anti-hitler, at least in mustache. What can I do after that? What other options do I have?
Get rid of the mess or mustache or what ever you name it, that thing you got under your nose, shouted Charming-Me. So I got rid of.
PS:
Honestly, for this story, do you think it is fair to drag Bagavath Geetha and Hitler? Nazis, if they exist as they do in The Seventh Secret written by Irving Wallace will feel so upset.
What happened is, I should have gone to sleep, at least now, with this cold and cough. But the Cine-maniac inside me wanted to see The Departed for upteenth time. I selected the VOB file and played using VLC Media player. But after I saw Decaprio, I cannot control myself. I wanted a mustache like him. That’s where all started. Now I regret, earnestly.
At first I was going alright and yeah, in line. After all I just have to cut short my mustache, like Decaprio. I did it. But suddenly I got a call in my cell phone and now am doing a double duty. Result over-enthusiastic-me, cut a lump under nose. I became anti-hitler, at least in mustache. What can I do after that? What other options do I have?
Get rid of the mess or mustache or what ever you name it, that thing you got under your nose, shouted Charming-Me. So I got rid of.
PS:
Honestly, for this story, do you think it is fair to drag Bagavath Geetha and Hitler? Nazis, if they exist as they do in The Seventh Secret written by Irving Wallace will feel so upset.
Such is the power of the boy!
Reading is a habit, which has to be developed over time. It is a skill that can be acquired –not easily though- at any period of our life. Most of the people acquire it when they retire- to be more precise, when they got nothing to do. Yes, that’s what the whole lot non book lovers think- reading a novel is such a waste and you have to do that only when you really have nothing on hand. When I say “I was reading” to my brother when he calls me, he would whine saying “oh, come on, do something more useful”
I read everywhere. I usually carry a book with me, always (Now I am carrying Black Swan Green by David Mitchell). Except, for the toughest stand in the train –yeah, sometimes you’ll have nothing to hold on to but the near by girl’s waist, which you’ll eye up on but will never try. Mind you, you’ll do some amazing dance steps which you will never be able to repeat under normal conditions, howsoever you try- I read all the times. I even read at escalators, if the novel is so interesting.
Then there is a new girl in our office. It is almost a week now and I never talked with her, didn’t get a chance, actually! And then there we are in a lift.
I began with a usual Hi. And it picked up from there. After formal mutual who-what-where introduction, she told she knew me even before she joined in our office. “Oh, Really? How?” “I am staying in the same line (MRT) and we have traveled together a lot of times. I have seen you all those times. Of course, you wouldn’t look at me, because you always bury your stupid head in to your stupid Harry Potter book. Honestly, what is there for you in that kid’s book?”
As a matter of fact, I finished 5 Harry Potter books at a stretch. I was carrying one after the other for the whole 2 months. No wonder she got pissed off.
She noticed me not because of my charms- yeah, sometimes I speak truth- but because of Harry Potter. Such is the power of the boy. As Rowling wrote - confident or premonition? - in her very first book in the very first chapter like this:
-There will be books written about Harry. Every child in our world will know his name.
I read everywhere. I usually carry a book with me, always (Now I am carrying Black Swan Green by David Mitchell). Except, for the toughest stand in the train –yeah, sometimes you’ll have nothing to hold on to but the near by girl’s waist, which you’ll eye up on but will never try. Mind you, you’ll do some amazing dance steps which you will never be able to repeat under normal conditions, howsoever you try- I read all the times. I even read at escalators, if the novel is so interesting.
Then there is a new girl in our office. It is almost a week now and I never talked with her, didn’t get a chance, actually! And then there we are in a lift.
I began with a usual Hi. And it picked up from there. After formal mutual who-what-where introduction, she told she knew me even before she joined in our office. “Oh, Really? How?” “I am staying in the same line (MRT) and we have traveled together a lot of times. I have seen you all those times. Of course, you wouldn’t look at me, because you always bury your stupid head in to your stupid Harry Potter book. Honestly, what is there for you in that kid’s book?”
As a matter of fact, I finished 5 Harry Potter books at a stretch. I was carrying one after the other for the whole 2 months. No wonder she got pissed off.
She noticed me not because of my charms- yeah, sometimes I speak truth- but because of Harry Potter. Such is the power of the boy. As Rowling wrote - confident or premonition? - in her very first book in the very first chapter like this:
-There will be books written about Harry. Every child in our world will know his name.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Book-Kraken
For the past two days, I had lots of free time, enough to finish up a 375 paged Man Booker prize nominated book. And then I started another one of same kind. I didn’t know how this booker thing got in to my mind. I have read some –a lot really! - Yester year’s nominees. Let me revisit my brain like Dumbledore visits his pensieve. First I got hold of The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson, then The Perfect Man (didn’t care to finish!) and Seven Lies (finished it, but not sure of the story line!). Then I stopped. I really felt like had enough of war and people of Scotland or British villages. As a coherence all of the novels had something to do with War and it’s after effects. One thing for sure is, every one wants to have a go about war and they all have got something – or same thing - to say.
I jumped to Harry Potter and The Order of Phoenix and finished it in one week. I really love it –needless to say. I love the creativity and the imagination. But what amazed me is how the imagination fits in for all the age groups? How she writes for all of us? Kids, Pre-Teens, Teens, Adults and even for grand-pa and grand-ma. I have a –stupid- habit of reading everywhere- not to mention trains, I have a story, which I will share later. Guess all the bloggers share this habit. Yes. As a matter of fact all are bookworms. Else they wouldn’t be blogging in first place. What on earth will they have to write –if they are not reading- daily? I have already told in my Tamil blog that bookworms are not supposed to be called like that! I hate that word, worm. Apart from the fact that worm slowly –rather patiently- eats up a book (or for that matter a leaf), that word doesn’t make any sense at all. I have seen book-anacondas. I have seen them gulping Shantharam in a week. I know a girl who reads 4 books per month- no matter what-so-ever business she has got. I would call her, the Book-Kraken!
I started somewhere and ended up at another place, like a kid learning to write in an un-ruled exercise notebook. So is this entry.
I jumped to Harry Potter and The Order of Phoenix and finished it in one week. I really love it –needless to say. I love the creativity and the imagination. But what amazed me is how the imagination fits in for all the age groups? How she writes for all of us? Kids, Pre-Teens, Teens, Adults and even for grand-pa and grand-ma. I have a –stupid- habit of reading everywhere- not to mention trains, I have a story, which I will share later. Guess all the bloggers share this habit. Yes. As a matter of fact all are bookworms. Else they wouldn’t be blogging in first place. What on earth will they have to write –if they are not reading- daily? I have already told in my Tamil blog that bookworms are not supposed to be called like that! I hate that word, worm. Apart from the fact that worm slowly –rather patiently- eats up a book (or for that matter a leaf), that word doesn’t make any sense at all. I have seen book-anacondas. I have seen them gulping Shantharam in a week. I know a girl who reads 4 books per month- no matter what-so-ever business she has got. I would call her, the Book-Kraken!
I started somewhere and ended up at another place, like a kid learning to write in an un-ruled exercise notebook. So is this entry.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Casafina
Last Saturday my boss gave us a lunch party, at her new house. As usual I was asleep until 11 am and was woke up by her phone call. She was really startled to hear me say: just now woke up, mam! Never mind, I am still a bachelor.
But on the contrary I was the first one to be there, for which she gave a sharp surprise by commenting : wow. you are very much punctual man. For which I promptly gave a reply: Yeah. At least here.
I started my lunch with mysorepak (a south Indian sweet, if not prepared carefully, would make you build your tooth again -may be one or two). Cautiously I gave it a try, but not bad. She packed some for my friends.
And then we went on for an in-house tour. Ah, what a tour it was? and what a beautifully, enchantingly decorated house it is! All the rooms are well maintained with all possibilities of decorations, simple but superb. Particularly I liked two rooms. The office room (that includes a piano, a computer and a laptop) which has a false ceiling made up of glass and brought in non-irritating soothing sunlight. And then the bed room with hight ceiling, so that you can hear the rainfall clearly. Hearing the rainfall is more enchanting than Yesudas's "Om" chanting, I believe.
Lots of showcase dolls caught our attention as a whole. She must have collected through out her life. Budha's different faces was soo good and so is dasavatharam dolls.
That casafina apartments as a whole is beautifull and had an enjoyable greenish surroundings. I would like to live in this kind of environment, but then who else wont?
But on the contrary I was the first one to be there, for which she gave a sharp surprise by commenting : wow. you are very much punctual man. For which I promptly gave a reply: Yeah. At least here.
I started my lunch with mysorepak (a south Indian sweet, if not prepared carefully, would make you build your tooth again -may be one or two). Cautiously I gave it a try, but not bad. She packed some for my friends.
And then we went on for an in-house tour. Ah, what a tour it was? and what a beautifully, enchantingly decorated house it is! All the rooms are well maintained with all possibilities of decorations, simple but superb. Particularly I liked two rooms. The office room (that includes a piano, a computer and a laptop) which has a false ceiling made up of glass and brought in non-irritating soothing sunlight. And then the bed room with hight ceiling, so that you can hear the rainfall clearly. Hearing the rainfall is more enchanting than Yesudas's "Om" chanting, I believe.
Lots of showcase dolls caught our attention as a whole. She must have collected through out her life. Budha's different faces was soo good and so is dasavatharam dolls.
That casafina apartments as a whole is beautifull and had an enjoyable greenish surroundings. I would like to live in this kind of environment, but then who else wont?
Friday, January 26, 2007
Babel
Again a boring day, not much things to do. Got loads of forwards from my dear friend in KL, that almost flooded my mail box. And in turn I flooded my colleagues mail boxes too. Forwards are Fun, aint it? I usually send forwards to my colleagues in my floor, and it became a habit, to watch them if they really enjoy my forwards. Sometimes they frown.
Went to the movie Babel, Brad Pitt starrer. Actually this movie is one of the nominees for this years oscar. A fantastic movie with lots of obsorbing characters. Soon I will post a detailed review in my tamil blog kuralvalai. Enjoyed the movie very much with my friends Saravanan, Raj and Ashwin, forgot to take a snap.
Still reading Harry Potter and the order of pheonix.
Went to the movie Babel, Brad Pitt starrer. Actually this movie is one of the nominees for this years oscar. A fantastic movie with lots of obsorbing characters. Soon I will post a detailed review in my tamil blog kuralvalai. Enjoyed the movie very much with my friends Saravanan, Raj and Ashwin, forgot to take a snap.
Still reading Harry Potter and the order of pheonix.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
IceCream Melts
Feeling very much tired today, particularly, because of this stupid cough. I don’t know some how I have developed a character to whole-heartedly accept others diseases. I got this cough from one of my roommates. And that too virus stays with me for a long time. Its almost a week, this stupid cough haunts me. Since I didn’t have good sleep for 3 days, I feel sleepy now. And as a solution I have bought Pankajakasthuri syrup, that says, breathe easily. Don’t know really if it works. It was recommended by my boss. Lets see how it works.
And one of my colleague celebrated his birthday today and as a result I got a cake. Cheese cake with 2 layers of ice-cream. One other colleague, reminded me to eat it straight away since ice-cream would melt soon, a theory I have learnt before ages. With out a second thought I stuffed my mouth with major part of the cake, with loads of ice-cream, too cold to handle.
And through the whole process of stuffing and grinding the ice-cream and cake, I didn’t remember that I got cold. Grr.
And one of my colleague celebrated his birthday today and as a result I got a cake. Cheese cake with 2 layers of ice-cream. One other colleague, reminded me to eat it straight away since ice-cream would melt soon, a theory I have learnt before ages. With out a second thought I stuffed my mouth with major part of the cake, with loads of ice-cream, too cold to handle.
And through the whole process of stuffing and grinding the ice-cream and cake, I didn’t remember that I got cold. Grr.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Life of Pi
I have been eyeing this novel for quite some time now. May be because it has won the Man Booker Prize award for the year 2002 or may be because my friends told it is worth a read or may be because of its title.
And at last, I got this novel last Friday from a lending library in my office towers - Suntec city. Usually they would give one month to finish a novel. Since this novel is classified under Serious Read, they gave me 2 months. But you know what, if you seriously read, you could finish the novel in 3 days, I mean 3 working days, say 2 hours a day. I finished like that. But I never returned back, in fact I don’t want to.
This novel is written by Yann Martel a Canadian author, who came to India – with little money and because in India you could do a lot with little Canadian dollar - to write a different novel and heard this unbelievable story in a hotel in Pondicherry. Yann Martel’s story itself is unbelievable, that how he raised from a dish washer to a Man Booker prize winner. Yann Martel is not so successful in his previous writings. His previous works like
Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios - a collection of short stories and Self, a novel are not a great success, commercially.
The story is narrated by Piscine Molitor Patel aka Pi Patel, younger son of Molitor Patel, who owned a zoo in Pondicherry. When I took the novel, I was particularly intrigued about the name PI. I was wondering, if it was the mathematics Pi, equivalent to 3.14. And why his father had given such a unique name. I thought his father could be a mathematics genius. But I was wrong. There is a story narrated by Pi Patel himself, about this weird name. I bet, you’ll laugh.
Pi Patel with his family and some animals – those were to be sent to Canada and those cannot be sold- starts his journey to Canada, in a Japanese ship named tsintsum. I really don’t know what does this word mean. The ship has Chinese and Taiwanese crew. After manila, suddenly the ship breaks and drowns immediately in 20 minutes – later told by Pi Patel, in an investigation by Japanese ship company.
Pi Patel survives the wreck, and gets hold of a life boat. When he boards in there is a zebra and a tiger – weighing 450 pounds. Later an orangutan – named Orange Juice – joins them aboard. Next morning he sees a hyena also in the boat. Hyena, since the tiger is sea-sick, attacks zebra and starts eating it alive, starting from its leg. Pi Patel startled to see this, but gets relieved that he is spared. Orangutan gets restless. Hyena continues to eat zebra alive. Pi Patel and orangutan can do nothing against the spotted hyena, but to just stare.
Later hyena eyes Pi and attacks orangutan. Orangutan, being a female cannot withstand a fight, gets eventually killed by the Hyena. Tiger, called as Richard Parker, gets into movement now. His sea sickness is overridden by his hungriness. He kills the hyena with out any kind of effort. Hyena succumbs meekly to Richard Parker with out a single fight.
Pi Patel and the tiger – Richard Parker; from now on will be referred to as R.P – are left in the boat. Pi Patel, at first thinks of getting rid of this beast out of the life boat, but later he tries to protect R.P, because he knows that RP is the least hope of his life and his only companion, in this never ending land of water, salty water. Since RP was a circus animal in the zoo – in the zoo owned by Pi Patel’s family in Pondicherry – Pi Patel tries to train him and every time Pi gives RP some food – either fish or dorado or turtle- he constantly reminds RP that he is the master, by blowing his whistle attached to his life jacket, orange in color, the color of hope in Hinduism, as he says.
Life rolls out in this ocean for a long time. Pi Patel and RP get weak and RP looses his eye sight, followed by Pi Patel.
And this is where the important part of the novel comes in. This part includes a blurred dialogue between Pi Patel and RP, followed by Pi Patel and another life boat rider, escaped from the ship wreck like Pi Patel. He says he has lost his eye sight like Pi Patel. Pi Patel gets him – the stranger - aboard in his life boat and RP kills him immediately.
Later when Pi Patel gets his sight back, he could see only the remains of the stranger.
Later they – Pi and RP- lands in an island full of algae which Pi finds so delicious. Pi and RP builds their strength. The island is so weird that it does not have any other inhabitant except meerkats – herbivorous version of mangoose –and the same algae everywhere. He also sees some fresh water ponds that had swarms of dead fishes floating. Pi Patel happily feasts over the algae while RP hunts meerkats.
He finds that in the night the rich growths of algae burn the entire island with its acidity.
Pi and RP leaves the island and travels again.
Later they reach the Mexico coast. RP jumps of the coast and disappears. Local tribes find him and take him to their village, bathe him and give him good food and shelter.
A couple of guys from the ship company investigate Pi about the ship wreck. That’s where the other side of the story – rather shocking – comes in to picture.
Altogether the novel is gripping, has a well defined plot, well knitted characters and a surprising end. The author has explained lots of complex things in simple sentences. He constantly reminds us of human characters and the divisions in them, particularly religious.
I would like to quote the words of Yann Martel about fear:
Next time when you are gripped with fear, pay close attention to your self.
And at last, I got this novel last Friday from a lending library in my office towers - Suntec city. Usually they would give one month to finish a novel. Since this novel is classified under Serious Read, they gave me 2 months. But you know what, if you seriously read, you could finish the novel in 3 days, I mean 3 working days, say 2 hours a day. I finished like that. But I never returned back, in fact I don’t want to.
This novel is written by Yann Martel a Canadian author, who came to India – with little money and because in India you could do a lot with little Canadian dollar - to write a different novel and heard this unbelievable story in a hotel in Pondicherry. Yann Martel’s story itself is unbelievable, that how he raised from a dish washer to a Man Booker prize winner. Yann Martel is not so successful in his previous writings. His previous works like
Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios - a collection of short stories and Self, a novel are not a great success, commercially.
The story is narrated by Piscine Molitor Patel aka Pi Patel, younger son of Molitor Patel, who owned a zoo in Pondicherry. When I took the novel, I was particularly intrigued about the name PI. I was wondering, if it was the mathematics Pi, equivalent to 3.14. And why his father had given such a unique name. I thought his father could be a mathematics genius. But I was wrong. There is a story narrated by Pi Patel himself, about this weird name. I bet, you’ll laugh.
Pi Patel with his family and some animals – those were to be sent to Canada and those cannot be sold- starts his journey to Canada, in a Japanese ship named tsintsum. I really don’t know what does this word mean. The ship has Chinese and Taiwanese crew. After manila, suddenly the ship breaks and drowns immediately in 20 minutes – later told by Pi Patel, in an investigation by Japanese ship company.
Pi Patel survives the wreck, and gets hold of a life boat. When he boards in there is a zebra and a tiger – weighing 450 pounds. Later an orangutan – named Orange Juice – joins them aboard. Next morning he sees a hyena also in the boat. Hyena, since the tiger is sea-sick, attacks zebra and starts eating it alive, starting from its leg. Pi Patel startled to see this, but gets relieved that he is spared. Orangutan gets restless. Hyena continues to eat zebra alive. Pi Patel and orangutan can do nothing against the spotted hyena, but to just stare.
Later hyena eyes Pi and attacks orangutan. Orangutan, being a female cannot withstand a fight, gets eventually killed by the Hyena. Tiger, called as Richard Parker, gets into movement now. His sea sickness is overridden by his hungriness. He kills the hyena with out any kind of effort. Hyena succumbs meekly to Richard Parker with out a single fight.
Pi Patel and the tiger – Richard Parker; from now on will be referred to as R.P – are left in the boat. Pi Patel, at first thinks of getting rid of this beast out of the life boat, but later he tries to protect R.P, because he knows that RP is the least hope of his life and his only companion, in this never ending land of water, salty water. Since RP was a circus animal in the zoo – in the zoo owned by Pi Patel’s family in Pondicherry – Pi Patel tries to train him and every time Pi gives RP some food – either fish or dorado or turtle- he constantly reminds RP that he is the master, by blowing his whistle attached to his life jacket, orange in color, the color of hope in Hinduism, as he says.
Life rolls out in this ocean for a long time. Pi Patel and RP get weak and RP looses his eye sight, followed by Pi Patel.
And this is where the important part of the novel comes in. This part includes a blurred dialogue between Pi Patel and RP, followed by Pi Patel and another life boat rider, escaped from the ship wreck like Pi Patel. He says he has lost his eye sight like Pi Patel. Pi Patel gets him – the stranger - aboard in his life boat and RP kills him immediately.
Later when Pi Patel gets his sight back, he could see only the remains of the stranger.
Later they – Pi and RP- lands in an island full of algae which Pi finds so delicious. Pi and RP builds their strength. The island is so weird that it does not have any other inhabitant except meerkats – herbivorous version of mangoose –and the same algae everywhere. He also sees some fresh water ponds that had swarms of dead fishes floating. Pi Patel happily feasts over the algae while RP hunts meerkats.
He finds that in the night the rich growths of algae burn the entire island with its acidity.
Pi and RP leaves the island and travels again.
Later they reach the Mexico coast. RP jumps of the coast and disappears. Local tribes find him and take him to their village, bathe him and give him good food and shelter.
A couple of guys from the ship company investigate Pi about the ship wreck. That’s where the other side of the story – rather shocking – comes in to picture.
Altogether the novel is gripping, has a well defined plot, well knitted characters and a surprising end. The author has explained lots of complex things in simple sentences. He constantly reminds us of human characters and the divisions in them, particularly religious.
I would like to quote the words of Yann Martel about fear:
Fear next turns fully to your body, which is already aware that something
terribly wrong is going on. Already your lungs have flown away like a bird and
your guts have slithered away like a snake. Now your tongue drops dead like an
opossum, while your jaw begins to gallop on the spot. Your ears go deaf. Your
muscles begin to shiver as if they had malaria and your knees to shake as though
they were dancing. Your heart strains too hard, while your sphincter relaxes too
much. And so with the rest of your body. Every part of you, in the manner most
suited to it, falls apart. Only your eyes work well. They always pay proper
attention to fear.
Next time when you are gripped with fear, pay close attention to your self.
Thursday, June 1, 2006
World is Flat
Today, I have started reading this book, world is flat by Thomas L. Friedman, so far so good, actually, i gave this book as b'day gift to one of my friend, after reading some tempting reviews, i cant help it, yeah, i snatched back, and strolling through it at the expense of all my free time. reviews, later :)
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