Books I read in 2009

While relaxing on hammock at Kelva beach resort, I thought of writing the first post of new year and that is the list of Marathi and English books I read in the whole year of 2009.

1. Siddhartha- Hermann Hesse

2. Shala - Milind Bokil

3. Bandh anubandh - Kamal Padhye

4. My Autobiography - Charles Chaplin

5. P.S. I love you - Cecelia Ahern

6. The winner stands alone - Paulo Coelho

7. Like the flowing water - Paulo Coelho

8. The old man and the sea - Ernest Hemingway

9. Tales from the country matchmaker - Patricia Warren.

10. Atlas shrugged - Ayn Rand ( I was reading this from Sept.07 till May 09 )

11. The curious incident of the dog in the night time - Mark Haddon

12. Bhool bhulaiya - V.P. Kale

13. Vapunchi Manse - V.P. Kale

14. Stay hungry, stay foolish - Rashmi Bansal

15. Curfewed night - Basharat Peer ( currently reading )

16. Two States - Chetan Bhagat ( currently reading )

17. TOTTO-CHAN, The little girl at the window - Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

translated by Dorothy Britton ( currently reading )

overheard conversation

I overheard this conversation of travellers sitting next to me. It was in hindi but I have translated that at few places. This couple seemed to be from very poor background.

8:15 PM @ Mahim railway station, Mumbai

Man – When did you come?

Woman – Just now :)

Man – Woh dekha! on that train that actor in blue shirt..Ajay Devgan..woh movie ka add hai na train pe

Woman – Haan.. usaka kya?

Man - I saw him today afternoon, doing one film shooting. Many media people were there and five body guards were with him when he got out of the car. Sidha sada insaan hai!! Apane jaisa … even his complexion is like us!! Not fair. But he is very nice ..as soon as he got down from the car, he waved at the public and smiled ...waited and greeted few people and went to the location. All photographers were clicking snaps.. shayad mera bhi photo aayega news paper me.

Woman – acha hai ..woh bhi apne jaisa hai matlab!

That woman was smiling happily looking at her husband.

Happiness ...

"I realized that time and circumstances have favored me. I have been cosseted in the world’s affection, loved and hated. Yes, the world has given me its best and little of its worst. Whatever were my ill vicissitudes, I believe that fortune and ill – fortune drift upon one haphazardly as clouds. Knowing this I am never too shocked at the bad things that happen and am agreeably surprised at that good. I have no design for living, no philosophy – whether sage or fool, we must all struggle with life. I vacillate with inconsistencies; at times small things will annoy me and catastrophes will leave me in – different.

Schopenhauer said happiness is a negative state – but I disagree. For last twenty years I have known what happiness means. I have the good fortune to be married to a wonderful wife. I wish I could write more about this, but it involves love and perfect love is most beautiful of all frustrations because it is more than one can express. As I live with Oona, the depth and beauty of her character are a continual revelation to me. Even as she walks ahead of me along the narrow sidewalks of Vevey with simple dignity, her neat little figure straight, her dark hair smoothed back showing a few silver threads, a sudden wave of love and admiration comes over me for all that she is – and a lump comes into my throat. "

My Autobiography, Charles Chaplin

Faith

As I grow older I am becoming more preoccupied with faith. We live by it more than we think and achieve by it more than we realize. I believe that faith is a precursor of all our ideas. Without faith, there never could have evolved hypothesis, theory, science or mathematics. I believe that faith is an extension of the mind. It is the key that negates the impossible. To deny faith is to refute oneself and the spirit that generates all our creative forces. My faith is in unknown, in all that we do not understand by reason; I believe that what is beyond our comprehension is a simple fact in other dimensions, and that in the realm of the unknown there is an infinite power for good.

My autobiography, Charles Chaplin

How does one get ideas?

Interviews have asked me how I get ideas for pictures and to this day I am not able to answer satisfactorily. Over the years I have discovered that ideas come through an intense desire for them; continually desiring, the mind becomes a watch-tower on the look-out for incidents that may excite the imagination - music, a sunset, may give image to an idea.

I would say, pick a subject that will stimulate you, elaborate it and involve it, then, if you can’t develop it further, discard it and pick another. Elimination from accumulation is the process of finding what you want.

How does one get ideas? By sheer perseverance to the point madness. One must have a capacity to suffer anguish and sustain enthusiasm over a long period of time. Perhaps its easier for some people than others, but I doubt about it.

My Autobiography, Chalie Chaplin

Do you belive in Miracles?

Miracle - Inspiring movie I watched yesterday morning on star movies. May be ‘Chak de India’ is inspired by this movie. Its a true story of Herb Brooks ( played by actor Kurt Rusell ) player turned coach of US Ice hoceky team who brings gold medal at the Olympics, Lake Placid in winter 1980. Soviet Union's powerful team is the winner for last 15 years and famous since they play as if they attack the opposing team. So somebody has to find out new strategies and courage to fight in this game not by defending themselves but by attacking them back. Main strength of the Soviet Union team is they skate with the fastest speed on ice. If you want to win you have to move fast, act smart and speed is the only thing you have to keep in mind.

Coach Herb Brooks was cut from 1960 US Olympic team and since then has only dream of making a well conditioned team for US ice hockey. Herb gets appointed as a coach for the national ice hocky team in 1979. He comes, chose a team of 27 different players who were college students and has old rivalry in mind and has different dreams for being selected in the team like being very popular amongst girls, being national champion, sign huge contracts etc. These various dreams, egos never allow them to work in a team. Coach Kurt Russel has acted so brilliantly to bring them together by giving few instructions and no explanation for his any immediate actions. Team has to follow what he says and at the end of 6 months he has to choose only 20 players. Team is getting trained under a doctor, and two coaches. But Herb is the only decision maker who explains briefly about how the game should be played, smart moves and rules. Half of the players laugh at him but nobody has courage to say anything against him.

Rest of the committee members questioned Herb from the day one, why has he chose such a team keeping best players out of the team and without asking any other committee member. But he says: ‘I’m the coach and I have made the best team possible for country to win the game. I don’t want national champions in the team. I have seen all recordings of every move of a player selected and based on them I have chose them. He behaves totally contradictory than the kind of person he is, just to train the college kids to emerge as US Olympic team. I was flattered by his every move to chase each player so much that he comes out of his comfort zone and becomes mad about winning the Olympic by playing his heart out in the game without worrying how many injuries he has got. I think, someone has said if you want a person to do a required thing you have to attack on his values/ emotions or tell them exactly opposite so you get the desired result!

All matches they play are breathtaking and speed and counting seconds is the only thing you understand. All Herb’s reasoning while eliminating each candidate to make the final team explains one has to do few things without compromising and keeping personal priorities aside if you have larger goal in front your eyes and have responsibility of representing entire nation in the Olympics. Few heated arguments are shown with his wife where she complains about being so involved in "teaching such a simple game"…but eventually she says : I KNOW NOW, HOCKY IS MORE THAN A GAME!

Before the final match he gives very brief speech to his team: “ GREAT MOMENTS BORN FROM GREAT OPPORTUNITES AND HERE YOU ARE IN THE OLYMPICS PLAYING WITH WINNING TEAM OF THE WORLD. YOU HAVE EARNED THIS MOMENT AND NOW PLAY FOR YOUR LIFE. I am tired of hearing their name for so many years. Play your game and show them they cannot win any longer. Things has to change. All the best!”

In semi final round US team doesn't allow to make Soviet Union team to make a single goal in last 10 minutes. When finally they win Herb says: All these chances are required in life to make you BELIVE in things. As per director Gavin O'Connor in the acknowledgement: Herb Brooks died after winning the game. He never was there to see this movie dedicated to him but he has lived the game already!

Interesting bus journey!

Bangalore buses are divided partially half into seats allocated for ladies and gents. Front entrance is for getting up and down for ladies and exit is for getting up and down for gents. No one sits on ladies seats in the bus, other women make sure that you get up from ladies seat. Buses are too crowded and mostly with women bus conductors. So I am standing in the bus and saw an old man sitting on a ladies seat and I knew what is going to happen with him after some time. Bus stopped on next stop and more women entered into the bus and forced that old man to get up. I could not resist and said why are you behind him ? let him seat he is old. You can stand on your feet. Later woman sitting next to old man got down in the next stop and nobody was ready to sit next to him so I sat and started reading a book. Old man started to make conversation with me, his was voice was loud. I thought one of the problems of old age.

Old man ( OM ) : What are you doing in Bangalore, you don’t look from here right?
ME : Yes and I'm working here with design firm and studying simultaneously
OM : Are you from Mumbai? Your English accent is different and what are you studying?
ME : (surprised by his observations) yes I’m and studying Product design from NID, A’bad ( I didn’t wanted to go in details, so started reading book again )

OM : Oh that’s something new I have heard. My both sons are engineers and working here with software companies. I myself was working in electric board of Bangalore and retired just now. My native place is Hubali. My sons have got new flat of 1,000 sq.ft. Here near Arekere gate. What exactly you are studying and where are you staying? What about your family?

( I was like this man is asking too many questions but I should give answers because he must not have spoken to anyone and just trying to have a conversation )
ME : I stay in south city. And my family belongs to Kolhapur and ( I explained in brief about my field )
OM : Oh, I come there every morning for walk. So will meet up sometimes. your work field is very interesting. Kolhapur is not far from Hubali, so you are Marathi.

(Then he started talking in marathi few basic questions and I was wondering why is he asking about my native place and what my family is into and all but I was unable to stop the conversation since my bus stop was still too far)

ME : Yes I’m. your marathi is very good! I don’t go for morning walk since I have to leave early in the morning. But walking path near Arekere is good.


OM : How long you will be in Bangalore?
ME : 2 months then I’m going to work with another company in Sweden.

OM : Thats great! even my younger son is going to London for work and plans to settle there.
My stop is coming near now. I will show my house from the bus… that peach colored tall building. I stay there on ground floor. This is my card, I am actually looking for daughter in laws for both of my sons. And I liked you a lot. You are very spontaneous and generous. Think about it. You come to my home, meet my both son and then decide. They both are good. All the best for better future and god bless you.


( since he was loud everyone who were standing close to me were listening to the conversation. And surprised by his last few lines and were looking at me. I was in a dilemma whether to accept the card or not. But I did accept. I don’t know why I did that. And the old man got down from the bus…)