Books, Food and Other Stuff

A Writer Needs Courage

2016-02-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

People who write have one thing in them. They are ready to face the world, whether in a good way or bad. They are ready to take criticism for what they write. Anyone who is afraid cannot be a writer.

One needs to become responsible for what one writes. Just because one has courage and is unafraid, doesn't mean that the writer can write whatever she wants. Because the written word is so powerful, because people take it seriously, the writer has to be careful about things she expresses.

Writing for the public is not a personal diary, where one can spill out whatever is on her mind. The public needs to be spared the chaos in an individuals' mind. Otherwise, that chaos would spill into the public arena, which would cause more confusion.

Since the written page is taken so seriously by readers, it comes with a lot of responsibility to the writer. It is a record for posterity, and everything isn't grist for the mill in a future world. Now, with the media explosion because of the internet and social media, people's attention spans have shortened. The writer needs to keep that in mind.

With so much information floating around, in the future, when it would be time for the society to look back, it would be selective, and look at the useful, what would be useful to itself, and discard those that are of no importance.

Morning Pages for the Writer

2016-02-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

If one thing is vital to a writer's day, it is the morning pages. It helps absolutely. Whether you call it Morning Pages, or Novel Diary, it jump starts a writer's day. In the morning when you haven't primed yourself up yet, and you are groggy from sleep, you need this.

I've been practicing writing the Morning Pages, and it has worked wonders. I get more easily and quickly attuned to a writer's mindset. I get focused in what I need to do during the day. I can make a link with the previous day's work, and then continue from there.

Just as a journal can be useful to any person, these pages are useful to a writer. I am a living proof. They are even more needed after a weekend, when I don't write, to go back to the working mode. I forget my work during the weekend, which I devote to my family. So, getting back to work on Monday is a bit tough.

I have to orient myself to the stream of thought. I have to pick up from where I'd left. The novel's complexity comes back when I delve deep into myself, and that I can do when I write my pages.

Walking and Writing

2016-02-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

I have solid proof that walking helps writing. The two topics may seem completely unrelated, but they are not.

Whenever I am stuck while writing a scene or chapter, I just need to get out of the chair and walk about the house. Walking out in the open is even better. Just stand up and work your legs. Walk. Continue.

The results will show immediately. Ideas would flow and you'd have to go back to the table to jot them down, so you won't lose them. That's the way it works. When the blood travels away from the head to the feet, it works wonders.

These are nitty-gritties of the writing life that are so significant that they're not noticed until ideas stop flowing. Outdoor life, without losing focus, can be a great inspiration. A walk in the neighborhood park is beneficial. So is a little outing on your bicycle, when you let the breeze touch you as well as your inner self.

Writing is a constant balancing of energies and thoughts, and that can be achieved with a minute eye for one's body and mind.

God in Writing

2015-09-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Many of you are surprised to read the above headline. Am I talking about religious writing? One can interpret it in many ways. No, I'm not talking about theological pieces, or anything to do with religious philosophy.

What I mean here is about the underlying force in writing. One need not be a church or temple goer, or even believe in any religion. By 'God in Writing', I mean the presence of a power you believe in, during the entire process of writing, from conception of an idea or ideas, to planning and execution.
Which by themselves are often incomprehensible, or unwieldy, or confusing.

When you seek to do everything by yourself, then any work will assume gigantic proportions. Small things will appear big and difficult. But when we place our faith in someone, or something, it becomes easily manageable. It's like having a companion or friend in your time of need.

Writing is a time when you need strength. It may be physical strength to withstand long hours of work, or emotional strength to see you through times when you are slogging away alone at your desk, away from the society to finish that last few pages. However much you want to be partying or be somewhere else other than your desk, you need some kind of strength to carry you through these tough pockets of time. That is when 'God' helps you, and gives you the strength, to carry on, in spite of everything.

In times of 'Writer's Block', you need 'God' the most. a writer's block comes in the first place, I believe, when your ego takes over. While you are creating some good pieces and one very good days, your pride makes you think that it is you who has produced that work. That is a dangerous process. If you think you're too good, then the pride halts you in your steps.

Your expectation from yourself becomes so high that you want everything from you to be the highest in quality and quantity. The ego asks and you deliver. Then a time comes when you cannot produce anything. You don't have anything to show. That is the effect of ego on creativity and writing.

Minimizing you ego means believing in 'God' or the power that feeds your creativity. When we think that all our creations come from God, it means we're subjugating our ego an raisin our work higher than the ego.

Creating any piece of writing, or art, needs some amount of 'ego' so that the creator's signature is seen in the outcome But too much ego isn't good. It will block you and you will stagnate. Just ask the Universe, the Power, the God to be with you. Then you're not alone. And you'll be able to create you best work.

Regularity: Sticking to it all the way

2015-09-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I've realized that if you have the talent to write, if you know how to compose a piece of work, whether prose or poetry, short story or novel, the next important thing is carrying power.

How long can you persevere at it? Writing is not for those with a faint heart. It demands total dedication and long hours of work. Merely writing words on paper (or the computer) isn't called writing. It has to be readable and comprehensible. Someone should be able to read and understand it.

Even basic types of writing like diary keeping has one condition attached to it. That's called regularity. One has to be regularly writing to accomplish one's goal. Keeping a diary is not as complicated as writing a book, which needs more dedication, because one has to figure out the content, as well as shape that content into a coherent whole spanning several hundred pages.

When I talk about a few hundred pages, immediately it feels as if I am talking of a daunting task. To fill pages and pages with interesting and readable material is not for the flimsy or flaky minded. One has to apply one's various faculties to and stand one's ground, for long hours, weeks and months, even years.

There are also some who are adept at making great starting. There is a lot of enthusiasm in the beginning, until they get stuck in a rut, for various reasons, which has one name in the writer's dictionary. Block. I don't believe in the kind of writer's block that I hear people talking about. There cannot be a block when one write's regularly and approaches writing as serious work, like any other day job.

The general belief is to think of writing as a hobby or a lighter activity. Our society doesn't give that importance or legitimacy to someone's work unless it is an award winner or a blockbuster, earning loads of money. But writing is not any whimsical activity that one can pick up and drop off any time. One a writer, always a writer. As they say, You are a writer before as well after publishing.

Many people would find it difficult to believe that it requires months, and sometimes years of work, to get that book in hand ready in print. And now, with the surfeit of information because of the internet in our lives, that little, or big volume, requires a writer to be more dedicated to her work. She has to keep all distractions at bay and write every day, even if it is less than what she set as her daily goal.

Being able to sit at one's desk and producing those words that would eventually become your book, and doing it regularly, is the secret to a writer's success. By success, I mean getting a good quality book in print and ready for the reader.

The Writer in Me: The Mind Body Connection

2015-09-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

I grew up as a child spending lot of time with books. What outcome could you expect in such a scenario? Someone who wants to write. And hence my life is now long years of reading, writing, and more writing. And the best place to visit all time has been the library wherever I lived.

It isn't surprising, is it? My earliest clear memory is of going to the District Library in Jorhat, a small town in Assam, India, where I spent most of my school years. That was the formative period of my life.

For some reason, I wasn't much into games and sports. I wasn't a weak girl. Somehow, that aspect of life never interested me. Later, after passing out from school, I became a yoga enthusiast. and right now, I regularly go to the gym and walk in the park, also bike sometimes. Haven't reached the half-marathon level. But this isn't that bad. It isn't about all head and body care. I do try to live a holistic life, taking care of my physical as well mental well being.

One thing I've learnt over the years is that, one cannot live just the way one likes, especially when it comes to the body, mind and spirit. Eating and drinking anything, at any time, or inputting anything into the mind, sleeping at any hour, no control in life... One cannot abuse any part of it. There is a clear connection between all these aspects.

Life continues because of balance. It's so important to take care of the body if one wants to use the mind. Writing is nothing else but using the mind to produce words from ideas. Dynamic ideas are born in an active energetic body. Just like an oiled machine works efficiently, similarly, a well maintained body (not just aesthetically, it's about health) works better than when it hasn't been cared for.

Health is wealth. I don't know who said this or from where it has come. The older I am getting, I realize the significance of good health more seriously. Everything in life is connected to health. As long as one is alive, health affects that person. It could be good health or bad health. When we talk of bad health, it brings up the image of a sick person, who cannot walk straight and tall, or someone in a hospital bed with pipes everywhere, or coughing an eyes watering.

These are just a few images that I get when I talk about bad health. a person who is in bad health is not in normal condition, is unable to perform optimally, and is a drag to herself and others surrounding her. The opposite scenario applies to a healthy person. She is full of energy and can apply herself to the task at hand with full focus.

Not that good health guarantees the best writing. Many other attributes also go into making a great writer, like life experiences, perception and empathy, power of observation, ability to interpret incidents in a writerly way, etc. etc.

But a writer in good health, and with better than average abilities is a boon to everyone. A society needs writers who write well.

There's Something about Writing

2014-09-12T17:22:00.001-07:00

I have been writing since a young age. A few years I spent in the newspaper and editing industry on day jobs. But all throughout, writing has never left me.

And the outcome is here in the form of a full-fledged novel titled Silk. There are also various other projects in different stages of completion. I have a lot of stories inside me, and the time is not not enough.

A day has only twenty-four hours, out of which eight hours are designated to sleep. Much goes into eating and cleaning and for the family too. How much time do I have, to write? Not much.

But there's something about writing that keeps me at it.

Writing before the Week Ends

2013-06-28T18:32:00.001-07:00

“It's hell writing and it's hell not writing. The only tolerable state is having just written.” - Robert Hass

I have always had this question: should a writing career be shaped like any other? People work all week, and then take rest at the end of the week. Any kind of writing should be out of bounds during the weekend - theoretically.

Over the years, I have come to realize that, writing, when interspersed with breaks, can be continued for the long haul. After a point of intense celebration, the brain stops making any more sentences. Five/week days is lengthy enough to write extended pieces, like stories and novel chapters. Each day of the week, if it results in a few thousand words, can take the writer a far way.

I have personally stumbled upon activities unrelated to writing to be very useful in rejuvenating the mind. Any hobby is useful. Music, movies, painting, traveling, trekking, boating, dancing, exercise - the list can go on. About exercise, it's usefulness to a writer cannot be overstated. Since writing is cerebral, some form of physical activity, especially, can open up the mind.

I am saying this from personal experience. I have noticed that I am more productive when I fit in some time of stretching or yoga, where the body is put under stress rather than the mind. If I spend more time at the gym, then its outcome is more writing, and, I would say, better.

This topic of resting the brain (not the mind) indirectly also points to the issue of 'writer's block' that is so widely talked about. What is actually writer's block? Is it actually a block, or something one can work around, with rest, recreation, and exercise?

A Poem

2013-01-26T12:27:00.000-08:00

The following is a poem from my new collection available on www.amazon.com titled 'The Glazed Bowl' - price $2.99 by Anuradha Rajkumari.

Another World

Off and on when

The heart rules the head, storms upset

Calm of the deep recess within

Language loses meaning, feelings

No longer end in pulse beats

But a will to be

In the stillness of another world.

Where nine to five jobs do not

For people give bread only, but joy

That is found in an oyster

When the waves on the seashore recede

And a pearl impatiently waits to be discovered.

Long queues and plastic mannequins

Nor any space age paraphernalia

Stay a baggage on my side

To break placidity of communion of

My head with my heart in that world.

A Collection of Poems

2013-01-24T11:08:00.001-08:00

For many years I've been writing poetry. A few have been published in periodicals. But most of it had remained as a file on my computer. Recently, the entire compilation was published on www.amazon.com.

There are reminiscences of Guwahati, Assam. These are not new poems, so the time period ranges from 1996 to 2005, an entire decade.

Check out the poems at the following link:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Glazed-Bowl-ebook/dp/B00B4J7DB0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359054228&sr=1-1

On Writing a Novel

2013-01-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

The most important point about writing a novel is: writing it. The mere size of a novel is so huge, so large with so many moving parts, that, staying put and keeping pen to paper - rather, finger to keypad - and keeping at it, is the key to writing it.

The many 'How-to' books do help, as I have discovered last December. December 2012 is the most important month in my life as far as novel writing goes. I discovered Karen S Weisner and her book 'First Draft in 30 Days'. I didn't stop once I started reading it. Simultaneously I started following instructions. I am amazed at how useful the worksheets have turned out.

Now, the understand why I used to get overwhelmed working on novels, and was forced to stop after a few chapters every time. That way, I started several different novels, without finishing them. And now, the whole thing is becoming so easy. I am glad I came upon this book.

I've learnt the importance of brainstorming and doing research before writing even a word of the novel. It's all about planning and organizing. The more meticulous one's plan is, the easier the writing becomes.

Does this mean the end of creativity? Is there no place for creativity in fiction writing? I disagree. The creativity flows where it is needed the most - in writing the novel or the story, and not in going back and forth to iron out details after the story is written.

New Year Resolution 2013

2013-01-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Palm Springs, California

So the time has come and almost gone to make New Year resolutions for this year. Like so many other years, this year has come, is on its way. January has started, and we're almost in the middle of the month. Soon January would be over.

The more the years pass, the faster the speed of life, of time passing. When we are young, much younger, time has a slowness that it never has later on as we grow older. The closer we move to the closing line of life, the faster is our sprint towards it.

And there's more and more to do as we approach the Finish Line. A lot to do. And in that, organizing the list, making it manageable, is so much more necessary. That way, the available little time is well utilized.

The Oscars: Dreams on Screen

2012-02-26T18:19:00.001-08:00

Why is there an obsession about award ceremonies, including the Oscars, the Grammy's, big time games on the field like golf tournaments, the Big Bowl, the various beauty contests, etc. etc.?

Every year, the award ceremonies come and go. There is a blitzkrieg in the media about the hosts, the participants, the sponsors, often the venues, and then the nominees.

What are award ceremonies all about? I'd say, they're about achievement. Stars. Promises kept. Dreams fulfilled. What is life without dreams? And what is life without dreams fulfilled? About hope. About the future. Will anyone be able to live on without hope? These award ceremonies give us hope. Hope that people could achieve, despite all odds, despite a hundred issues.

It gives an exhilarating feeling to see achievers, and to find hope in our lives too. Like stardust falling on us. Like light from glowworms.

Dragon - my Experience with this Software

2012-02-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

I have been looking for this kind of a software for a long. This will be quite a useful tool for me. I am very confident that this tool will be regularly utilized by me to write stories and novels. This is a long unfulfilled need, and I am very glad that I found it.

Mostly I want to focus on my novel. I have a feeling that by using Dragon, I would be able to accomplish more. The speed at which I would progress would be much faster. The volume of work output would be larger. It is the first day today, and I am moving very slowly. With more practice, I am sure that speed will become better. My vocabulary pronunciation will also get incorporated into the software.

There are so many things that I have wanted to write about, but have not done so. With the use of Dragon, I would be able to put down many thoughts into words. Many ideas would take concrete form. There are so many things that I want to talk about. Moreover, narration of this kind is so much like conventional storytelling. In storytelling of the past, the spoken word was the mainstay of entertainment. Much before the written word was discovered, much before the alphabets were used, it was either words or pictures.

In communication with words, at least one sense organ comes useful. In storytelling, the mouth and ears are the main organs. The mouth of the storyteller pronounces the story, the ears of the audience hears the story. While reading a manuscript or a book, the eyes are the primary organs. And while writing a book, the hand and the eyes are majorly involved.

The use of Dragon software in writing is an interactive and enjoyable activity. The process of writing a story or a novel has been made into a very serious and academic affair. But, in the real profession of a writer, when writing is conceived to be as serious as this, the enjoyment in the storytelling is thrown out of the window. Is there any reason to take writing so seriously and handle it with the extent of caution it is done?

As an artist and an author, all these years, when i compare the two now, I realize that I have enjoyed doing my paintings much more. I have lost track of time when I have worked in my art studio. I enjoy writing tremendously too. But, until now, it had been more about forcibly trying to enjoy it. It had not been innocent and spontaneous joy. With this voice recognition software, I can see immediately that I am enjoying this different way of narrating my stories. Instead of the ink pen or the computer keyboard, I am interacting with my voice and the screen. I can notice that this way, the quality of my input is better. I am also less bored or tired. Narrating a story has made it less intense, and therefore less strenuous.

I am so thankful to God that I discovered Dragon.

Finished reading Anne Lamott's book

2012-01-29T12:30:00.000-08:00

I'd been browsing, then reading off and on this novel by Anne Lamott, titled "Rosie", for quite a long time now. Finally i was able to finish it. And it felt good.

The book, about Rosie, whose mother Elizabeth, drinks and drinks, and does not take care of her own life and her kid properly. The story began slowly, the tempo of the text was slow.

I was almost on the verge of putting it down after too much repetition of drinking episodes. But then, the story picked up.

Her language kept me reading. more than the story, her style, and the use of words is fascinating.

This isn't a newly published book. But reading a long published book doesn't take the joy out of it.

The many NRIs returning to India

2010-12-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

For nearly ten years now, the exodus of NRIs from the US has been unceasing. It began much before the recent economic downtown - the current recession. I think it started with the opening up of India.

When did India's economy began opening up? Just before Dr Manmohan Singh took office. The 'India Shining' advertisements were the first ones that brought the world's focus on India. What started as a PR exercise soon became real. The advertisement turned into the personality of the country.

And with the entrance of Dr Singh, under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, India's economy took off. In businesses and enterprises, in education and technology, in culture and fashion, Indians came to the forefront. Movie stars and authors came into the limelight of the international arena. Indian origin VS Naipaul received the Nobel prize for literature, Amartya Sen for Economics, Arundhati Roy, followed by others received the Booker Prize.

With the concept of multiplex cinemas, more and more movies started to be made in India, and demand for experimental movies began. People were willing to pay more to watch a movie in air-conditioned luxurious theaters like the PVR.

Enterpreneurs like RK Mittal and the Ambanis were followed by others. Companies like Airtel, an India-born business caught on. Other Indian businesses also prospered.

In every aspect of life, India began growing. And now it is among one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Despite its inflation and high population, it is prospering. Lifestyles have changed dramatically.

With the global Internet revolution, outsourcing started. And businesses became more global. The world now has become so small that one could live in one corner, and work for another corner somewhere else.

With the impressive growth of India, there has now been a reverse brain drain. The brains that had earlier deserted India because of better jobs abroad, as in countries like US, are now going back to India. That is great news. India needs these talents in such a period of time. Their intelligence is required to steer the country through the changes that it is undergoing. It has bigger homegrown business, its population needs better management, its markets are getting bigger and bigger.

It's Raining and I should be Happy in such Weather! But...

2010-12-18T19:17:00.000-08:00

Since yesterday, it's been raining. Yesterday it was drizzling more than pouring. But then early morning today, I heard the heavy footprints of rains drops.

Drought is more typical of California than rain. Water has been a serious problem here for years now. But this year, it has been different. And the year end seems to be more different than anytime before. Looks like 2011 will be welcome with showers.

I was born in the rains. In July in Assam in India, where heavy rainfall is a way of life. And then over the years, have grown reading and seeing and experiencing floods. Have seen bamboo plant rafts during flash floods from the Brahmaputra in Dibrugarh while growing up.

But then, years later, when I spent a long time, another type of weather had dominated my life. Extremely hot, dry in summer, and cold in winter. So where was the rain? Occasional short spells that never continued over days. Like back in Assam.

And now, in California, the unending rains have brought back memory. Childhood, growing up years, etc etc. I should have been happy. Why not?

Because I am missing home. What to say? Parents, sisters, the sights and smells, the food and colors, the people and the festivals. It isn't easy to stay away from family.

Watching TV serials versus reading books

2010-11-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

The problem with television serials is that they are serial. Like Desperate Housewives, or American Idol, or Barefoot Contessa, or Wife Swap. They come on the tube periodically, either every day, or once a week, or twice a week. It makes you follow the story closely. One has to know what happened to one's favorite character, whether she left her house to stay on her own, or got divorced, etc.

But the problem with one kind of a serial is unique. They are the popular comedy serials. I wonder if it is only with me, or everyone else. I love comedy serials. King of Queens, Seinfeld, Two and a Half Men, Reba, are a few that I adore. It is not far to find the reason why. They make me laugh. They make me look into everyday situations with humor, they make me take life a little less seriously.

I love reading books too. I have so many favorite authors that I can't count them on my fingers. And I have read so many books in the past that it will fill up a small library. A major part of what I am is the written word. My sister says that only if I read something do I believe it. That much faith I have on the printed word.

Belly Dancing, the Contemporary Way

2010-10-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

On the evening of September 30, my Equal Half called me on his way back from work. That was not unusual. Calling while driving is his usual way of cutting down the boredom of a lonely drive. And also his way of catching up with backlog of conversations. And although we were neighther freinds nore neighbors, and we talked and talked all the time we are together, he rang me up often to catch up on his latest ideas.

But, for the first time in the 5 years I've known him, he suggested something that was unusual. 'Would you get ready, so that we could leave for Bombay Bellywood by 7:15?' Keeping time, and him? How could he be so exact about what time he wanted to leave the house? And before leaving, having a bite of dinner?

It was no surprise when he told me he wanted to see belly dancing. I had always thought belly dancing, the sensual dance form of the Middle East where female dancers wriggled and jiggled mostly their abdominal muscles , wearing shiny elaborate costumes, catered to a male audience. It seemed to me a hand doqwn of a patriarchal form of entertainment, where women were the objects that men admired, and paid for the entertainment.

So, to keep peace, and to make him happy, I agreed to accompany him. So we set off towards the Marjorie Luke Theater on Cota Street, Santa Barbara. By the time we reached, the parking lot had was full. We were guided to a section of the Santa Barbara Junior High School playground to park our car, alongside others.

People had already gathered, some in twos, some in groups. A short line had formed near the ticket table, as many people had already booked online, and did not have to go through the strain of selecting the row or the aisle in the midst of shuffling feet, dazzling colorful dresses, solemnly dressed men who were trying to hide the excitement of the imminence of some exotic belly dancing.

The show started half and hour later than advertised. As it started, to me it changed concept, and impression. And here is what I have to say about it now.

I liked the beginning. The background of computer generated imagery - the pictures of dry trees, plants and run down buildings - transported me into a mix of memory. Memories of India, sounds of Arabic culture, tinkling of Indian temple bells. And I also liked the two dancers with their elaborate headgear and the jangle of jewelry that covered their heads, necks, shoulders, wrists, ankles and waists. The sober color of their dresses also denoted a solemn beginning.

No doubt the group's main aim is to offer a mix of dance forms, not in their purest avatar, but in fusion style. And if anyone was not a purist, they would like to see the easy movements from belly danging, to bharat natyam, to bhangra, to use of the hula hoop and other props. It is obvious that the group constantly changes its presentations, and the appearance of the group on stage by changing the color of their costumes and the props they use.

Camping: the other way to vacation

2010-09-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Only this year we have begun camping. It took us a very long time to do that. To go out and buy the tent, the sleeping bags, the gas burner, the air mattress, the hurricane lamp. As if we were scared to start out.

Camping in the wilderness is a new concept to me. Coming from India, where even living space is scarce, finding a bit of wilderness to set up the camping gear is not easy. Only sometimes we used to hear about people exploring the forests, or the mountains. The wildest one could go there is travel up the Himalayas. That is the definition od the remote and the exotic in India.

But here in the US, bits of forests and the wild seem to be everywhere. Especially in California, remoteness can be very nearby. Even adjacent to a city one could find a bit of forest. It is great to find pieces of what appeared like untouched nature.

And so, the camping sites are some of the bits of American wilderness to where people escape when the urban get on their nerves. When the fabulous beaches, the five star hotels and cruises do not hold any more fascination, when deserts do not surprise, when snowfall tires you.

Summer is the time when people get out in hordes, carrying their supplies, their food in ice boxes, their soaps and tissues handy, searching for that bit of nature that would touch their heart and cool their stressed out frayed nerves. The few sites we have invaded by now are El Capitan, Los Padres, and Big Sur. And we have not regretted for desiding to try out what camping is all about. Especially the fir at night! Isn't it romantic? Memorable?

In and around Big Sur

2010-09-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

The last trip outside town had been a great time! The winding road to Big Sur took us long, until it was late night. If only we had started off early. But who would have known that the drive from Santa Barbara to Big Sur would take so long?

This time we did not have the courage to take Highway 1. The memory of the previous year's drive from north to south on the same highway had been too winding and unending. At first the sights and sounds had caught our imagination. We were getting at every wayside parking for tourists, and had a look around.

Anyone who has traveled that way would agree that the scene around Highway 1 is breathtaking. The rolling mountains on one side, the shimmering ocean on the other, and the fabulous greenery. What more does a wayfarer need while cruising along?

And if you take the road from Carmel and Monterrey, your mind is already set on the loveliness of the place. The quaintness of Carmel, and the business of Monterrey would have made a mark already, and the mood is set for the upcoming sceneries of Big Sur.

The most striking of all the features of big Sur I think is its mistiness. Whether early in the morning, most mornings, or late in the afternoon, most afternoons, the mist rises from the water of the sea and engulfs the entire area. It gives a dreamy look to the place, and drving along Highway 1 seems to unreal.

The Search for Love

2010-06-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

The novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd could also be named The Secret Search for Love (although the search was not secret, it is to rhyme with the original). The young teenager Lily Owens is looking for love, which she is not getting at home. Her father treats her like a drill master and punishes her at his every whim. She is a growing girl, and the absence of her mother in her life creats a void that is hard to fill.

It is not only the absence of her mother, but how she became absent that weighs on Lily. It was possible that her mother died because of Lily, when she picked up a gun which went off accidentally and killed the mother.

And all her life until she spent months with the Boatwright sisters, Lily kept on thinking that she was never loved - neither by her father, nor her mother. She was without love in this entire world. Except Rosaleen, the maid, no one loved her.

To save Rosaleen from a hard life in jail, therefore Lily takes a drastic step. She sneaks Rosaleden out of jail, and then runs away from home with her. She had always wanted to find more about her mother, as her father had nothing to do with her. He would not even hear Lily mention her, so Lily had no other way but to find about her mother on her own.

Running away from home with Rosaleen was a drastic step, fraught with danger of being caught by police or found out by her father and then put back in the house. But the need to know more about her mother was so overwhelming, Lily went ahead and started the search.

Where she was offered a roof to stay, the pink house where the Boatwright sisters lived tending to bees and selling honey, Lily found love. She discovered love in the youthfulness of Zach, and in the sisters August, June and May. In this same house she found out the truth about her mother. That her mother loved her. That she was not an unloved child.

And Lily continued to stay on here, even after her father found her out.

Color in Fiction

2010-06-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

Earlier, I had read the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and had been bowled over by its clarity and directness in depicting racism. And now I am reading a more recent novel, The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, and it is still a de ja vu when it comes to the question of color.

The interface with color is a theme that tends to transcend color and rise to a human emotional level. There is understanding and empathy. The parallel in both the books is unmistakeable. And the overarching feeling while reading them is the power of the author, who describes scenes with such humanity that one can't but get into the skin of the characters, and once and for all forget about various prejudices that still invade so many relationships.

With their pointed focus on individual stories, the authors of both these books with their different story lines through their eyes, have laid open the idea of a world that is close to the ideal. They have written at a time when the ideal was too far away, and their work was a step towards it.

This is the way, through individual effort, the world changes. It is a slow process, but for changes to take place, these efforts are invaluable.

Media, Mass Media and such Means of Communication

2010-05-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

The whole world seems to be in turmoil nowadays. Due to the extreme quickness of media, news travels in the blink of an eye and spreads throughout. What happens in one part of the world affects every other part. There seems to be no escape.

Especially economic news has a characteristic of moving the fastest. And its ability to affect countries and people is the most tremendous. Take the instance of different countries in their different stages of development. Whether a country is developed, or developing, is of the First World or the Third World, they all react in similar ways to news.

The effects of globalisation in economic policies and the spread of various media and the mass media is undeniable. There is an instant reaction to any news. Like the days of yore, when news used to travel through messenger birds, or drum beating, are like fairy tale. They no longer seem believable, that such means of communication even existed.

Is this a scary situation? Or is it good, that everyone gets to know everything? Should we remain unaware of some things for our own good? Is ignorance bliss? Faster media is a blessing and a curse. It provides news, but it also builds opinion. Which may or may not be for the good of every one.

The Stock Market today

2010-05-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

It's been a routine for us. As soon as we get up in the morning, I switch on both the television and the computer. I go to CNBC and check how the stock market is faring. By then, the computer screen comes alive, and I open the finance page. I click on the signs for specific stock quotes, one after another, to see whether they were green or red.

While we both (me and my equal half) start the day, with yoga and exercise, our eyes and ears are glued to the signs and words on the television. Why have we become so dependant on the television? Is it doing us any good, giving us ideas, advice on investment? Sometimes I am doubtful. Things happen so fast. It is not merely on someone's advice, but acting or not acting on it, that determines one's profit from the stock market, I think.

But it is all a waiting and observing game. Not totally a casino play, some amount of thought and intelligence is also required. But a lot depends on intuition, and personal opinion. So we both have disagreements naturally, due to our different dispositions. He is cautious, and I am a risk taker. I have less fear and the converse is true in his case.

Accordingly, our buying and selling decisions are characterised by our personalities. Often, when he wants to sell, I want to hold. When he wants to hold, I want to buy. A lot of disagreements arise. But finally we agree on one point, that need to be cautious. I have learnt from him over the years, that I need to be careful in investing hard earned money on something as whimsical as the stock market.