Monsoon Wedding

Mrinalini has gotten married!!
But it didn't rain at the reception, so all went well.

Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs

Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs (2008)

It's her 11th book.... and though it holds some interest in the beginning, the book does fall apart towards the end. I was not happy with this book. Agreed, it was interesting to learn about voodooism and santerism; but apart from a few pages that discuss these syncretic religions, you really don't learn too much. I regret buying the book at all. I learnt far more from other books.

I'm so tired. I think I'll put in some personal stuff on this front. Someone close recently told me that "Weddings don't require much work. I don't know what your parents complain about." They are so wrong. You're always hassled and tired and busy.... always buying new stuff... worried about the new house you're supposed to set up....

It's exciting as well... but intrepidation sinks in after a while. I don't think I've read the paper in a week... don't know anything about current affairs and why Omar Abdullah has handed in his resignation papers, what our PM has said at Sharm-el-Sheikh....

I think I'll pick up one of my remaining books now. I've already finished a few and I think by the end of the week, I'll try and finish all. Maybe the Jeffrey Archer will be finished next.

State of Fear by Michael Crichton

I just finished this novel by the creator of Jurassic Park and Congo. Congo I read, Jurassic Park I'd seen. They're both fast paced, exciting and interesting plots where you learn a lot.

State of Fear isn't that kind of a book though. It's not well knit, it doesn't hold well, some of the stuff is totally unreal (yes, I know that living dinosaurs are as well). It goes against everything that we've heard about from Al Gore and others, the United Nations.... everyone.

The book centres around a group called NERF that is intent on using eco terrorism to create a State of Fear so that they can bring to light the problems facing the Earth today and how climate change is detrimental to Mother Nature. Good intentions but bad information can be a deadly combination. That's the bottom line.

Why would you take a group of amateurs to diffuse a plot that will kill millions? Did the author think the plot through? What will a rich philanthropist contribute to a guerilla situation? Why would you put in some of your own views regarding polluting activists and exploiting hypocrites in a novel that is not really going to lead anywhere?

I don't really know. I don't think I was left with much after I finished this novel. Even White Tiger was better. At least it gave some food for thought. To think that fear of communism has been replaced by fear of global warming - is far fetched. I think that fear of terrorism is much much more.

Not that I don't think we should be eco conservative and keep our environment clean.

But to say it is a conspiracy. I don't think so.

Life

Life is short. That's what we keep hearing. After we're gone, all that will be left of us are our photographs and memories of us. Those too will fade. There are some people who are remembered for what they did, and some for what emotions they left behind. Some quotations on this topic:

Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have
- Doris Mortman

To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.
-Unknown

Three Rules of Work:
1. Out of clutter, find simplicity.
2. From discord, find harmony.
3. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
-Albert Einstein

When you get into a tight place, and it seems you can't go on, hold on, for that's just the place and time that the tide will turn.
-Harriet Beecher Stowe

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Yesterday night at around 11:00 pm I finished the recent Booker Prize winner based on the life of a young man with hopes and aspirations from the Darkness who becomes an entreprenuer in the shining bustling city of Bangalore. Balram Halwai is shrewd, enterprising and vicious - all traits that are implied to denote the roads to success in this fast paced novel.

It doesn't take very long to finish. The novel is in the form of letters written to the Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao, and there are some funny instances when the author makes a comparison of India's democracy with China's lack of democracy.

The book has a spine chilling effect. I felt bad with the two cases of hit and runs that occur, the apathy that appeared to prevail amongst the characters of the book, the matter-of-fact way in which Balram's two choices are portrayed. You can either be loyal, or you can break free.

The future lies with the yellow race and the brown race. Hmmm.... politically incorrect? Totally.

Incorrect novel?

Not totally.

Reading

I'm a big fan of reading. I read constantly and whenever I can. Unfortunately I have one bad habit - I start too many books at the same time. At the moment, I am involved in the following novels:

A Golden Age by Tahmina Anam
Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer
Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs
State of Fear by Michael Crighton
The Hummingbird's Daughter by Alberto Urrea
Hot Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman
Everest Hotel by Allan Seally
White Tiger by Arvind Adiga

I fear I have been travelling too much and have not had time to finish these books. In fact, some just require a few more hours. It's amazing how much one reads though. Newspapers, commentaries, blogs... No wonder we get so tired!!

Hors de prix (2006)

So I saw this movie yday on World Movies -- what made me stop and watch it was Audrey Tautou... same person who plays Sophie Neveu in "The Da Vinci Code."

The film is about a young pretty lady who spends her days wooing old rich men and living off them. Finally though one day she gets conned by a barman who has fallen in love with her. He pretends to be rich... she leaves her current prey to be with him. But things aren't always as they seem - and she falls in love with him.

It's cute. It's well made. I liked it. I wish my French was better. I also liked it because it reminded me of Breakfast at Tiffany's - and later on I found out that it was loosely based on that film.

Terminator Salvation (2009)

So Skynet has taken over the robots and is waging a bloody war among humans. It has also developed the new Terminator 800 model - a with emotions.

Why did I watch this film? I suppose it has to do with having grown up with the Terminator franchise. Who could forget Arnie as he says "I'll be back"; or "Come with me if you want to live". Some of these memorable quotes appear in this film as well... though thankfully they cut down on the linkages and concentrated on the story.

The story ponders questions like - Do people deserve a second chance? Do people get a second chance?

Christian Bale plays a good John Conner, and Sam Worthington - is really believable as Marcus. They're both so damn fit it is amazing. I liked them. I liked the film. Though I watched a really late show... I still enjoyed the film.

The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war that we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living. ~Omar Bradley

What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world. ~Robert E. Lee, letter to his wife, 1864

Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime. ~Ernest Hemingway