Ganpati Bappa Maurya

We celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi today. Thankfully it was on a weekend so we could make the kozhakattais at leisure and not rush the festivities as we had to for Krishna Janmashtami. After making the kozhakattais we did a small puja and then devoured all the kozhakattais before we could even take proper photos of it :)

Our temple was inaugurating their fundraising campaign for an expansion project. Since we knew we'll get delayed due to the puja at home we made our contribution on the previous day itself. We made our way to the temple slowly at around 4:00 pm. The temple was flooded with devotees. What really stood out in the sea of devotees was a wave of red color. Everywhere we turned we spotted atleast one Nepali. All of them had turned up in their wedding attire. Suddenly I realized that they were observing Teej (something similar to Karva Chauth). I have never seen so much red ever in my life before.

I couldn't help but feel nostalgic amidst all this chaos and rush. I was recollecting my experience in Mumbai during Visarjan. Everyone was out on the streets that evening, singing, dancing, jumping in sync to the fast beats. The air around us was electrifying. Colors were sprayed in all directions; everyone was pink by the end of the evening. Ganesh idols of all shapes and sizes were transported by the indefatigable devotees. I suddenly missed the festive spirit I experienced that evening. There was a lot of crowd in the temple but the festive atmosphere was sorely lacking.

Hopefully I will get to see another visarjan someday in Mumbai. Till then we chant GANPATI BAPPA MAURYA!!!

Much Ado About Nothing

I am tired of all the attention being given to SRK being questioned in Newark. What's wrong with our media and the politicians? Why is so much attention being given to this incident anyway? Shahrukh was not representing India in any way on his trip to the US. He is not an Indian diplomat nor does he have any sort of diplomatic immunity which prevents him from being questioned. He was here to merely attend a show and make money. So what prevents him from being detained or questioned? This happens to a lot of people these days.

The media and politicians alike are crying foul about a mere actor but sadly these same people remained largely silent when our esteemed former President Dr. Abdul Kalam was frisked and that too right on Indian soil. To prove the point, TImes Of India and IBN have just 3 - 4 stories about the Kalam incident while Shahrukh's story has been in the limelight for 3 dasy now and everyday a minister comes up with a statement condemning the act. Most people may say that the politicians are addressing their votebanks since Shahrukh is a Muslim but isn't Dr. Kalam a Muslim too?

Why is it that we always maintain such double standard? It just happens that we have blindly worshiped and idolized our movie stars to such an extent that even people in high ranks and offices forget what is important and what deserves a mention. I hope everyone comes to their senses soon and start focusing on the real issues on hand such as the swine flu, the failed monsoon, the fluctuating markets, ...

Silver Linings

I recently started listening to NPR and also follow the articles on their website. While browsing through their site I came across a recommendation for this book. Due to previous disappointments I decided to read the book only after seeing good reviews on Amazon.

Was I glad I picked this book!! The story follows the life of Pat Peoples, a guy who is brought home from the mental institution by his mother.

Pat Peoples:

• is a firm believer of silver linings.
• has lost a major portion of time in which a lot of changes have taken place around him - his brother is married, Vets stadium has been torn down and been replaces by Lincoln Field.
  
• is waiting for "apart time" to get over to be reunited with his wife.
• uses the "apart time" to become a better man whom his wife will like more.
• hates Kenny G and hums each time anyone mentions G.
• gets an Indian therapist - Cliff Patel - who is an ardent fan of Eagles, just like Pat.
• befriends Tiffany (another person who is having emotional problems and is undergoing therapy) who promises to unite him with his wife if he participates in Dance Away Depression and helps her win.
  

Why does he hate Kenny G? Will he get back with his wife? Will he remember the forgotten parts of his life? What is the silver lining in his life? This forms the story.

The book is almost like a parallel version of Little Miss Sunshine. If you liked that movie you will love this book. It is a little predictable and of course it has to have a silver lining as that is what the book is about. Yet it is a page turner. I finished the book in 3 nights. Usually I don't draw parallels between actors and the characters portrayed in books but as I read the book I couldn't stop myself from casting Steve Carell as Pat Peoples and Edie Falco (Tony Soprano's wife in Sopranos) as Tiffany. When the book is made into a movie I would love to see these two play these roles.

This book has brought back my appetite for books so lets start the marathon.

Second Time Around

A few weeks ago I declared that I was going to read 52 books in 52 weeks. Unfortunately due to various constraints I had to abandon the quest abruptly. Yesterday I finished reading The Silver Linings Playbook and it started a spark in me to renew my vow.

So just like the Dragon says in "Balls of Fury" after her opponent returns her nonreturnable serve - "That was not the no can return serve. This the real no can return serve." I say, "That was not the real 52 Weeks 52 Books quest. This the real 52 Weeks 52 Books quest." So watch this space for more...

Tweeting

There was a time when only birds tweeted. Twitter, the latest sensation has replaced all that. Anyone who is anyone has a twitter page and keeps updating it with necessary and unnecessary posts.

I entered the world of Twitter when there was a battle for a million followers between CNN and Ashton Kutcher. That was the funniest thing ever to be seen on CNN. Such a big news channel engaging in a pointless imaginary warfare with an actor who attained fame in a way which is beyond my comprehension. CNN was canvassing for the audience to become their follower. It suddenly reminded me of the stories we hear about politicians collecting crowds for their rallies by enticing people with food and some allowance. I was bemused by the fact that a lot of people kept track of the current affairs by visiting Kutcher's tweet page. I always thought people read the papers or listened to news on radio and tv to keep themselves aware of the latest world happenings.

After this heated battle I decided to give Twitter a try. I created a profile, posted 3 - 4 tweets and got obscure followers whom I had no idea about. After a while I didn't know what to post. I'm still contemplating if this is because I lead such a 'boring' hectic normal life or if I'm just too restless to sit around tweeting about my whereabouts when I could just as well keep in touch with my friends through phone and mail. Should tweet back once I figure that out. Well I'm staying away from twittering for now...