My favourite books from 2012

These are not books that necessarily released in 2012, rather I came accross them or maybe decided to read them in this particular year. Maybe for a reason or just as a whim. But the interesting part is they all turned out great and hence made it to this list!

1. Chanakya`s Chant by Ashwin Sanghi
2. The Last Song of the Dusk by Siddharth Dhanwant Sanghvi
3. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
4. The Google Story by David Wise
5. English August by Upamanyu Chatterjee
6. Myth=Mythya by Devdutt Patnaik
7. Malgudi Days by R.K.Narayan
8. Buddhist Stories by F.L.Woodward
9. It`s not about the bike, my journey back to Life by Lance Armstrong [controversial now, I know]
10. Breakout Nations by RuchirbSharma
11. Secret of the Nagas by Amish Tripathi
12. It happened in India by Kishore Biyani

These are not in some particular order. Just how I remembered them.
Will write reviews on some on them soon.

And coming up is reading list of 2013....

Library Longings

Its this uncanny fascination I have for libraries. I have been to many, big and small. And there are many many yet to go to.

the smell of old books, of all sorts of looks
the charm of platforms, the wooden desks and chairs
the staircases, the ladders, the sticks, and the reading lairs

for the young for the old
for the mild for the bold
one for the night one for the day
one for the bright one for the lay
and always one for the road.

the glass, the globe, the lantern
the clock, the cushion, the tavern

the immersion, the pleasure of the reading time
the pausing of the possibly everlasting rhyme

peace peace peace is what there is
that's where the heart lies, and that's where it is.

Attitude Changes With Time

Recently I went to Bangalore, and amongst many experiences, there was one which particularly made me think. I visited many places of interest, and sightseeing etc etc. I usually visit all zenres of places, including religious places sometimes when I am travelling. So I do my own spiritual practice but am not a big believer in temples, churches or any religious idols etc, though I do visit it is mostly it is out of curiousity.
Sometimes there are great structures, beautiful monuments and paintings, lovely architecture, outward beauty. But the main reason I go there is to do my own little experiments. All I want to know is If I feel differently when I am in that holy place, or religious place. If I feel anything, any presence of divinity. The presence can be felt clearly in some places.

So when I was in Bangalore, I dragged some friends to a temple there, and we stood in the line for about 1 hour or so to get to the inner temple, where the idol was established, so we had enough time to observe everything around us. And I noticed, that there were posters of the person who has helped in the formation of the temple, a really generous person probably, who made large donations there. It was not that his posters were put up, but what disturbed me was that his posters were even more imposing than the idol itself.
It was as if the temple is dedicated to him more than to the God it was made for. No one is allowed to be a judge for anyone else, as one can only judge oneself, but since it made an impression on me I thought I'll write about it, may be my attention was on the wrong thing there. I shouldn't have even noticed anything else, if I was there with the right spirit.

Each one is answerable only to himself, good and bad is relative and it is about realisations. I did think of it critically at first, with the immediate succession of a realisation, that at least there was some effort towards public good, enabling people to follow their belief. It is a contribution never the less. And whereas about attitudes, with time everyone's changes anyway.

Wisdom from the day I went to the Bank

Recently something happened that made me realize something. I went to the bank, very

happy to deposit some money I got back from some reimbursements, I had just come

back from a trip abroad, which was excellent. I was chatting with the banker lady there,

and just having fun. Suddenly a man came and said I need some help, in a sort of non

challant way, and she looked at him and said Yes, how may I help you?" He said his son

had died, and he needed to close his account, and do some formalities, and wanted to

know the process. The banker lady asked, “Oh, what happened?”. He said, he drowned

at Bessie Beach. I was struck by this statement, and all other thoughts vanished. 

It was a real moment, when I thought to myself, that every moment

when some person is happy, there is someone else who is sad. It is not only that we

should be sensitive to what others could be feeling at the moment when we are feeling

something else, it is also the transience of moments, events and happiness that we should

realize, and know that nothing lasts forever. Situations can reverse in moments, and it is

out of respect and in respect of this fact, that we should look at everyone and everything

around us.

Why blog

I was thinking why even write a blog? I mean what's the purpose? Some people write for a specific purpose. A certain topic. But I wouldn't know what topic to pick. I really don't have one. Then I thought about it, and thought let me do what I do best- Be random. Not for a specific audience. For anyone or no one. It doesn't matter, who reads it or doesn't. It's really for me. To know myself better. And I could write a private diary instead. But then this could leave a chronicle, a story behind, if something were to happen to me. I don't know. I am just doing this Cause right now, at this point of time, I feel like doing it. No other point really. 

My first Compact Disc

I stumbled upon the first CD (Compact Disc) I owned, and I remembered things connected with it. My friend from school had gifted me on one of my birthdays. And all my favourite songs from school were in it- Celine Dion, Boyzone and Westlife. An awesome feeling, all memories pouring in! Especially music is such a thing, that you instantly connect certain music to certain incidents and certain people you met. And this is exactly what's happening now. Nostalgia striking. A great THANK YOU to my friend who gave me that. It was a great thought- to gift me music, and this was probably in Grade 5 or 4. And I remember till now! She probably doesn't know it- But she created a great mark in my mind, for sure. 

More than just flowery words

I happened to remember a old friend (maybe oldest) of mine today from school. It's strange how certain things that happen remind you of a particular person. There was a specific thing about her that I always used to wonder about.That how she used to be effective by not saying very much. People say that about me sometimes, But then she was even more so like that. She was very good in academics (which I never was), and used to stand first almost everytime. We were best of pals for a very very long time, ever since I can remember school. Once I read her English answer paper, in which she had got the highest marks, and realised she used not a single big word, nor any complex sentences, just simple straight sentences. They conveyed exactly what she wanted to say. I found that pretty great. And it was like that in her relationships also- subtle.I knew from then on, that it's not just about flowery words, which reach out, most often they don't. I learnt from her, the power of simplicity. And being yourself.

This post is for her, If she ever reads it- She will know.