Neither Night Nor Day

“Neither Night nor Day” is a collection of 13 stories by women writers from Pakistan. This book is edited by Rakshanda Jalil. All the thirteen stories have different background, but all centre around the different aspects of  women life and their feelings. If one story deals about the dreams of a working woman, the other story will be about a woman who is going to be married to be a housewife.  The book gives a picture of the lifestyle of women across the border. Some stories give the impact of the Partition in the lives of the people.

Out of the thirteen stories, the stories which I really liked or really moved me are The Tongue, She who looked for Butterflies, The Breast, The Job Application, The Wedding of Sundri and The Goonga.

The Tongue depicts that even if you remove the tongues of the people, you cannot stop their will power. She who looked for butterflies is a story where a woman is about to receive the capital punishment. The story shows her strength which even amazes the jail warden.The Breast is a story where a woman is deprived of her womanhood for the reason that she fed a child which was not hers. The job application is a story about the dreams of a woman(a widow) when she gets an interview call from a company which will pay her more. The wedding of Sundri is quite a touching story which is about the marriage of Sundri, a twelve year old girl who was killed by the people of the village of her in-laws on the very day of her marriage. The Goonga is a story where a man leaves his village after his own son is not ready to accept him.

This book is really worth reading. It gives a picture about how the life of the women used to be some years ago. While reading this book, I was wondering whether some of these incidents still prevail in the society.

What if these incidents still prevail??

Internet: A personal Diary

The Internet has changed a lot since its inception. The web in the beginning consisted of only static content, some fixed information. But now information on the web has become dynamic. Each moment sees a change in the front page of websites. From the publisher centric web pages to user centric pages. In fact this is web 2.0 where the users post(upload) the content. Because of this user centric approach, the web has really become a personal diary. Let’s take a simple example. If you are one of those persons who do not delete any mails (I think nobody these days deletes their mails because of unlimited/high storage mail storage space), you can really take a look back into history what you were doing some two years back on this particular day- the mails you have sent to a particular person, the concerns you had, the messages you forwarded or you received. Its really interesting to turn back to the pages of history. Yes I was wondering whether the words ‘turn back to the pages of history’ is correct. There are no pages involved. Our whole approach of looking into history has changed. All of us are part of our history. Each and every action of ours which we do on the net is really a history.

There are sites which help us to plan trips and help us maintain information about the books we have read. I update my personal blog to keep an update on the books I have completed reading. When I look into my personal blog, I can see the tremendous change in my own way of writing. I  started my personal blog as a means of record keeping of my personal actions, especially with respect to the books I have read and the places I have visited. Sometimes I just check my blog to see when I did a particular thing.

With the advent of numerous travel and book sites, you can maintain an up to date information on the books you have read and your reviews or even recommendations. There is not even need of going through each and every site and remembering the site names and the passwords. The current web design approach looks like a centralized or a customized home page. A single company will not spend its revenue building cool features for each and every aspect of an individual, rather they concentrate on one particular aspect and provide the API(Application Programming Interface), which can be utilized by any other site to access that particular site. Like the other day, I saw some applications in Linkedin like tripit and Reading List.  From user perspective, he/she need not remember all the site names, but rather access everything from a single page.

If you enable logging of your history of browsed pages, you can even find out about your mood and interests in a specific period of time. Really Internet is turning to be a personal diary. It has a vast amount of data of each of our actions, like the friends we conversed with, the friends we avoided, our mood, our purchases. There are a lot of statistics which can be used to target an individual. Only thing that is needed is to make the best use of all the information.

Ignited Minds: Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Today I completed reading Ignited Minds. This is my second book of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam(Former President of India), the first being his autobiography, The Wings of Fire. Through his book, Kalam stresses on the need of working for the development of India to make it a developed nation by 2020. Through many examples from his own personal life, he stresses on the need for team work for nation building. He asks the readers to come out of the compartmentalized thinking and think beyond. He also stresses on the need of moral education in addition to the academic studies. He gives the example of many of our renowned scientists C.V. Raman, H.J. Bhabha who contributed for the science. He also reminds us of the visionaries like Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan whose contributions has led to India’s advancement in space technology.

He asks the readers to dream big.

Who Moved My Cheese?: Spencer Johnson

After a long time, today I completed reading the book, ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’. The book was quite thin so it took me only some time to complete reading it. The book as the author says, ‘An amazing way to Deal with Change in Your Work and In Your Life’

The book inspires the readers to embrace the Change rather than complaining about it. The book makes use of four characters: two mice, Sniff and Scurry and two littlepeople: Hem and Haw. The story occurs in a maze and all the four characters are looking for cheese. In the beginning, all of them after some search were depending on One single Cheese Station. But slowly the Cheese began to decrease and one day they could not find it.

The book is all about the reaction of these four characters with respect to this particular incident of their lives and their actions.

The author asks the reader to embrace changes and look for the New Cheese when the Old Cheese is no more.

Back to Bangalore

I came back from my hometown today morning. During these few days in my hometown, I visited some of my relatives. I visited my maternal grandparents on Saturday. They were quite happy to see me after a long time.

On Sunday, I attended the Church service in my hometown.

Back home

Its after a long time (some two months) that I am coming to my hometown. The train journey was pretty good. Yesterday because of the blasts, there was tight security in the Bangalore railway station. 

After entering the train, I took my dinner and started reading some pages from the book ‘The Jesus I never Knew’. Then I slept for a while. I woke up somewhere around eleven in the night. Then it was quite difficult to get back my sleep. And then my thought process began. Started thinking about lot many things, especially the question, ‘If Adam and Eve had not taken the fruit from the Tree which gives the knowledge of Good and Evil’, what would have been the world? When we see ourselves, we can find that all our actions are based on our judgements of good and evil. Before taking any important decision, we keep on thinking about it. What would have been the world otherwise.

I reached home today morning. Papa had gone to work and sister for her classes. I had a small talk with my mother. In the evening, papa and sister came. 

I talked to my sister about the Harry Potter book (‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’) I had recently read.

Diwali Celebrations in Bangalore

This is my first Diwali in Bangalore. Two years back, I celebrated Diwali in college, the memories of which are still afresh in my mind. Diwali is celebrated in a wonderful manner by the students in our college . I really miss those celebrations : the candles, the crackers, the dance, the lights and the enthusiasm of the students.

When I went out for shopping today evening, I remembered the Diwali celebrations in Chandigarh. Our house owner’s son used to give me and my sister a lot of candles and we used to light them and put them on the stairs and the walls. The whole area looks completely brightened. Then we used to burst crackers with our friends. That was some years back, but the memories of those days are still in my mind.

Compared to Chandigarh, I didn’t find much bursting of crackers. Economic crisis also can be one of the reasons. Also since this is my first Diwali here, I can’t even compare to previous years. Only some of the houses in my locality had electric lights. In very less number of houses, I could see the diyas(earthenware lights) or candles.

Anyway kids as usual were busy with the phuljadhis and crackers. There were less number of people in the shops. Shops were closed earlier than usual. I purchased dresses for myself and my family. But I had to do my shopping quickly. Hope so my family members will like my choice.

Starting back blogging

After a long time, I am starting back blogging. It was quite a long time I haven’t blogged. There are lot of things which happened in my personal life during this period. I got my first job. I have read some books like ‘The Alchemist’, ‘The Bible Jesus Read’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’. I will give my review of these books in my subsequent posts.

Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less: Jeffrey Archer

I have read this book a long time ago (to be precise two months back), but I could not comment on it then. Anyway this book is all about four people who lost their money in shares by investing money in a company called Prospecta Oil. They were all approached by a young man who had recently joined the company at a very attractive salary. Whenever he met some persons, he used to talk about his company and their oil ventures. Unfortunately these four became his victims. The young man David could not be held responsible for this because he too was unaware of the brain of Harvey MetCalfe, the person behind the Prospecta oil. All of these four invested a very significant amount of their income in these shares. But one fine morning when David went to the office, he finds it locked. He too had invested some small amount of money. Fearing legal problems he ran away from there. But these four were in a big trouble

The story is all about how these four managed to get back their money from Harvey Metcalfe. Their ways are quite interesting to read. As the book title says ‘Not a penny more, Not a penny less’. Stephen Bradley took the initiative to regain back the money. He met the other three investors and makes a detailed research on every activity of Metcalfe. He calls the other three to his home and discusses the plan. He said that they would have to work hard to gain back each and every penny they spend for this purpose, not a penny more, not a penny else

Read how these four managed to get the whole money back, including all the expenses they had to beat during this whole venture. But in the last, they failed to get back $1.24.

Did they get it?

Read the climax of the novel. A very very unexpectable incident occurs. Do read to find about it.

A Golden Tongue to Glorify His Master :George C. Abraham

Yesterday I completed reading this book. This book is the biography of the Supreme Head of Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church: Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostom who recently stepped down from his post in order to pave way for his successor Joseph Marthoma Metropolitan.

He has shown a good example as like his predecessor Dr. Alexander Mathoma Metropolitan who also stepped down and chose his successor.

In the world when we can see everywhere the quest for power, such examples from the religious world is indeed a good inspiration.

Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostom is known for his wit and wisdom. In fact this book is an English translation from the Malayalam book, ‘Mar Chrysostom Chiripikkunu, Naam Chinthikunnu’ meaning Mar Chrysostom makes us laugh and we think. Yes God has bestowed him a Golden Tongue. During his sermons (though not appropriate word, because he mostly discusses with the audience), he says many jokes but there are lot of things which we start thinking about them- the point which he wants to say through his jokes. It’s his unique style of presentation. There are not many whom God has given such talent- both wit and wisdom. Often in the spiritual world,people think it’s a sin to laugh and expect the religious leaders to be serious sort of a person. But Thirumeni (Malayalam word for Bishop) is different. I have heard his speech twice -the last one this sunday during Mass and the previous one years back.

Thirumeni in his words

‘I usually joke with God even in prayer. Many people have advised me against this. So one day I talked it out with Him. “My God, is it wrong to joke?” God’s answer thrilled me no end. He said,”Chrysostom, remember that it is I who have given you this talent. I expect melodious songs of praise from one whom I have blessed with a sweet voice. From an artist I expect a beautiful picture… and from you I expect witty jokes which make people laugh and enable them to take their minds off their selfish motives and look unto me. So I bless you with what freedom people deny you. You can always be witty in your conversations with me because I am your Father and you are my son”‘

How right he is!!

God has bestowed such a wonderful gift. Whenever he stands up to give a sermon, the eagerness in people’s faces to hear from him can be clearly seen. In fact such an attitude from the public inspired the author to write his biography.

Though I can’t write here all about his sermons and messages mentioned in the book, for there are many. But I would like to share some of the ideas that inspired me.

“You should not read the Bible, but read the Malayala Manorama (a news Daily in Kerala)….The Bible is to be studied and meditated upon, not to be merely read.”

“Prayer is not merely sitting with closed eyes. A heart rending cry uttered in deep anguish, a desperate sigh in times of fear and confusion, even just weeping before God… all come under the purview of prayer. A groan where words cannot be uttered is also prayer. In short, any sort of communication with God is prayer.”

One of the things which really made me think deeply about my prayers is through this incident.

A person contesting in College Union Elections came to Bishop asking for blessings and Thirumeni replied,”When I pray for your victory, in effect I am praying the defeat of your rival, am I not? It is not right to pray for another person’s downfall,”

Just let’s think about our prayers. When I think about my own prayers during some contest or examination, I feel how selfish I have been. I did not allow for God’s will to be done, but rather hurt others by my prayers.

As Thirumeni says ‘When we pray for our own good will, it can possibly mean that someone else’s good will is at stake. It is always worthwhile if we remember this when we fold our hands in prayer.’

There are lot of such thoughts mentioned in the book. I can’t extract out the verses, unless the readers know the context.

Here is a link of Marthoma Syrian Church. Read about its history.

Also recently Mar Chrysostom celebrated his ninetieth birthday during which he decided to start a project for building homes for the homeless. Total number of houses planned was 1500 and the people of the Church greatly contributed for this.