Remembering Uncle Pai.....

Dear Uncle Pai,

That summer from 18 years ago is still crystal clear in my mind. That was the summer when I read my very first “Tinkle” and instantly fell in love with it. Lazy afternoons were never the same again.

I giggled at Suppandi’s innocence, went into hysterics reading Shikari Shambhu’s antics, marveled at Kaila’s intelligence and felt sorry for Tantri’s ever failing attempts to grab the throne. I remember thinking wistfully that maybe someday I will get into a sticky situation and send my story to “It happened to me.” Sadly, it never happened to me.

Not surprisingly, even after getting out my teens, Tinkle continues to be my constant companion, ever present in my bag, by my side like a faithful friend.

No one has, till date, managed to explain The Ramayan like you did. I am very proud that I am so well versed in our Indian mythology, all thanks to Amar Chitra Katha.

Uncle, you touched many lives, brightened up countless lazy afternoons and shaped many young lives. Today as you begin your journey into the world beyond, I wish that you become one of the brightest stars and continue to shine upon us forever.

Yours sincerely,

A “Tinkle” & “Amar Chitra Katha” loyalist since age 5 years

An Unfailing Companion-- Part 2

Situation 2: The Solitary Journey

The world can be a lonely place when you are an introvert. That I am an introvert, a naturally shy person, is something that has bothered me a lot. More so when I am on my own, travelling to someplace with nothing else to do.

Striking up a conversation with your fellow travelers can be a huge pain when you just end up tongue tied and unable to speak at all with strangers.
The iPod gets boring because after a certain while you cannot bear the music blasting in your ears (no, switching to soft music also doesn't help after an hour or two.)
Yes, looking out of the window can be pretty pleasing because our incredible country is full of sights and surprises at every nook and corner... But what do you do after it turns dark?

Then out comes The Book.
And invariably I lose myself in it, because, the book is my gateway to an unknown exciting world; 17th century Europe, 21st century India, the morbid world of Vampires, the artificial world of socialites and the gruesome world of the Mafia.

Laughing and crying with them, I make my way to my destination and realise that the book has been an unfailing companion to me, yet again.

Book Review: The Part-time People

Sometimes you come come across a book that is so desperately lazy and lax in its script that you wonder why the hell did you even pick it up? But then, you have started reading the book and being the incurable Bookworm that you are, you WILL read the book completely and finish it come what may.

And so, pushing away all the sarcastic, snotty thoughts about the author and his writing, you start reading again... And as the book wraps up, you realize that the author has used the age old formula of making a story work: "3-4 main characters, introduced in a sequence, a slow unfolding of the main plot, a small twist towards the end and ultimately tying up everything with a clinching one-liner". But then, not everybody is O'Henry.

The Part-time People, a novella by Tom Lichtenberg, tells us the story of DeBarrie's, a Stationery store run by two brothers Mike and Joe. Though the business brings them a neat profit, they could do with some extra help in the store. The problem however is that they never seem to find the right people as part timers. After burning their fingers at least 5 times, Joe ultimately hires David, a non-assuming shy college kid. But is David really what he seems like or is there a storm brewing within?

At times a psycho-thriller, at times dark humor and at times just a plain short story written without a strong plot, the author has tried to use a mash up of many elements in his writing. And it does go wrong because honestly I found my attention wavering many times while reading.

The O'Henry-esque way of ending a story with a simple but clinching one-liner that the author has used, is the only saving grace of this novella.

My Verdict: Avoid this one!!

An Unfailing Companion-- Part 1

Books, they say, are our best friends. And best friends stand by us come what may, and never let us down. Books, I discovered, are my best friends too, my truest, most unfailing companions :)

Situation 1: Classroom, Boring lecture in progress

Imagine a situation, where you are compelled to sit through a lecture on an extremely lethargic subject like Indian Management Thoughts and Practices. With huge efforts I was trying to concentrate on what the prof was trying to say but invariably my mind started wandering, i began stifling monstrous yawns and my eyelids start drooping. But hey!! I cannot sleep in class, can I? Who wants to get caught sleeping midway through a lecture... because that is like the surest way to drawing not just the professors but the entire class's attention to you. Neither could I chat or play my i-pod, lest I be caught :(

And then I remembered, I had an old Archie somewhere in my backpack :D
Honestly, it is very easy to camouflage an Archie within a huge Management volume, pretend that you are listening and taking notes/marking points and still have the time of your life hanging out with Archie and his Gang at Pop Tates ;)

And boy, did the time fly by!!!! :)

Writers Block and back...!!!!

I am back at last, from what I feel was a mini Writers Block. My fellow bloggers will agree, it is not a good feeling.
You have a thousand ideas swimming in your head, so you take your laptop, sit somewhere nice all set to write out a good meaningful post and ............................................................!!!!
The words just don't come out as they should. It is as though there is a huge block right inside your head which simply does not allow you to think, write, express.
*Blank*

Nonetheless, I am back. And it feels good, no... Awesome, to be back :)
Feels like I am home at last.

Looking forward to bright sunny blogging days again :) :)

Book of the Month: February

After quite a few requests that I start a regular feature on my blog, I thought, why not? So "Book of the Month" it is, from now on, published in the first week of every month.
Now that we celebrate St. Valentines Day this month, I have put together a list of some nice books, which are not necessarily high on the "Mush" and "Gooey" factor, but nonetheless manage to give you that breezy, goody good feel :)
However, if you are looking for some Mills and Boons type of romance over here, then please move ahead... this is not for you!!

So here below, my nominations and the Book of the Month:

5. Romeo and Juliet -- William Shakespeare
4. The Notebook -- Nicholas Sparks
3.Eleven Minutes -- Paulo Coehlo
2. Pride and Prejudice -- Jane Austen

And the Book of the Month is "P.S. I Love You" by Cecelia Ahern.

Now though the title may sound a bit cheesy, this one is not your run of the mill kind of romances. Set in Dublin, Ireland, the story revolves around Holly and her dead husband Jerry who has left her a bundle of notes each ending with the sentence P.S. I love you. These notes help Holly to move on with her life after the sudden death of Jerry

Funny, emotional and warm, the readers will find themselves laughing and crying with Holly as she slowly makes her way into a new life.
The best thing about this book is that it is romantic without being corny, cheesy and full of outdated tedious love quotes. Also, the author has used Irish English throughout the book which gives it a very delightful flavour.

Grab your copy now, snuggle up on your couch and feel the magic of love that promises to live on even after death.