Perpetually Perplexed

   Do not be confused. You have not come to a wrong blog. For a change I thought I will write about cooking tip to surprise you all.    The tip is     The time taken for the butter to become ghee clarified butter is same as the time taken to wash few vessels. Now you ask how is that a tip. It is a tip because, the moment washing is done, you can run out of the kitchen. Now you tell me you can not imagine a middle aged woman with disheveled hair which has few strands of grey black , with a slight limp on the left leg, running out of the kitchen.  What can I do for that. What I told you is a fact. I do not have to follow the stereotype. I dunno mai aisa kyou hoon. But I am like this.

I opened around 16 windows of 16 different articles of Outlook india site. A habit I had cultivated prior to broadband era, when online time, not the amount of download was billed. One article which I found particularly interesting is about Urdu columnists in Pakistan who write without verifying any facts and write all kinds of conspiracy theories blaming US, India and Isreal. And the article also says that English versions of the same columns are saner and do not carry these lies. Is a similar thing happening to local language press and books in India. I take the example of a kannada book where it seems he has explained the muslim plunders obviously exaggerating the facts. He is supposed to have quoted historical dates etc. So people think these are facts. And gives them another reason to hate muslims. Do we need such writers and media at this time when the world is already filled with so much violence. Isn't it a moral responsibility of writers and politicians to unite the peo...

I am reading Under African Skies which is a collection of modern African short stories. Each one is a master piece. Apartheid, hunger, civil war- the stories are centered on these themes. The writings are touching but at the same time the styles are good. What I wonder is modern day Indian writings might have become shallow because our bellies are  filled and we are obsessed with material things. We do not know what real suffering is. The story which touched me is about a family in SA where there is boycot of consumer goods to oppose apartheid. People are not supposed to shop. Husband and children do not understand this at all. They keep asking the mother, why there is no food when there is money. The wife finally decides to catch a bus and buy some groceries and bring them stealthily to feed these people. When coming back she is caught by comrades who snatch her bag, spill all the food packets and stampon them. She narrates this to her husband and then mentions that her teen ...

Do not mistake me. I am not being egotistic like some people. Nor am I talking about some of the really great minds on this earth. I am just telling you how great a convincer mind is. Let us see some examples Today I was supposed to go to an interview. (Ya, finally there is one interview which I can walk in) . But my mind convinced me you have still abbu (hurt in childish) in your leg. You can not ride the scooty so far. Try going tomorrow or day after. It can find out hundreds of reasons like this to support its laziness (its laziness??) Then when there are cookies at home, ok ok biscuits at home, my mind convinces me , mother, that you can eat some biscuits, because your son should not eat too many of them as that will cause dry stomach. And I happily indulge in the biscuits one , then one , then everything in the packet. My mind is also good in providing words and songs from(in?) the background. I will be thinking about a situation, and I am not even searching for an apro...

I am proud to be Hindu. Well I am confused atheist. Sometimes I do not believe in God. Some times I will be hurriedly saying namah shivaya namah shivaya. Some other times I laugh at others for their orthodoxy, But anyway I have a firm belief that " God might be there. He might even be good. But he should not be framed in ANY RELIGION.". Then why do I suddenly say, that I am proud to be Hindu. Did pro rss people succeed in convincing me about the goodness of their ideology? No. That is not the case. See, Hindu religion is good because, it is open. Open as in Linux operating system. Anybody can read it, modify it, distribute it. Comment it. Still be alive without being sentenced to death by. (Remember Rushdie). You have the holy books. You interpret it according to your ways. You follow the religion according to your mode. My neighbor may go to temple everyday and stand in the queue for Sankashti. I may never go to temple saying that god is in my heart. (At least he is ...

I borrowed a book from the library by Thackery. Such a satirical lines. Every line. Good. But he analyses the human minds too well. Shabby genteel story is the part I finished reading. Now what am I supposed to do next. Of course go to wikipedia and find out more about him. It is good to know that he is an Indian i.e. he was born in Calcutta. Now you know, why he writes so well ;-) I have read "Vanity fair" few years back. Some how then I was not happy reading it. Need to read it again.

Contrast the child in slumdog with that in Home alone. The latter is having all and is protected by the family whereas the former is alone in the cruel world struggling to live yet sticking to an honest life. There could be millions of such Jamaals in this world. Are we not responsible for them? Why are we letting them to lead a dogs life? What can we do for them? How can we Stop them from eating from garbage heap? Getting tortured to be made into beggars? Getting turned into mini goondas? Not everyone is as lucky as Jamaal at least in the end. Every child needs care of the family. Can I do something in my small way? I know giving money does not serve much( that too with my petty 100 - 200 rupees). If any of you know some genuine organizations in Bangalore caring for orphan street children, let me know. I will get in touch with them.

I am saying it to myself. Just now finished a telephonic interview on c. Hey I know so many things and I answered in such concise programs which got the poor fellow confused. Can you see me grinning from ear to ear. For once I am really happy

I am reading this "Ghosts of Vasu master" by Githa Hariharan. Well, again a book from the angle of a retired teacher. A very good read and touches the heart. You wait for Mani to speak, you wait for him to become normal so that Vasu master's efforts and prayers are answered. Also re-read parts of War and Peace. A real classic. Somehow I am reminded of Mahabharatha. Like Mahabharatha, this is also a timeless classic. You can relate to the characters and situations even today and from every part of the world.

I am limping, no not in my spirituality experiments, nor in my blog-writing but literally I am limping. I was having bath. Phone rings. I normally ignore it. Let them call again. But somehow by twist of fate, I decided I will answer the phone. Came out or rather stepped out of the bathroom and slipped. One leg folded, one leg stretched. What a fall it was! But I did not scream, or yell. Like a mature adult got up and dragged myself to phone. (You see, I was alone at home. What is the use of drama when there are no spectators.) Doctors say it is some ligament sprain and will take 3 weeks to cure. So I am limping.

If you are a Bangalorean, you might have seen "Whoz next" on many jeeps and vans. Well, of course they are just written text. Leave them. But what made me worried the other day is "Whoz next " with a pailwan on a "free vehicle " to carry the patients of Hospital XYZ. Are you going to this Hospital. If you are asked this question, better answer in the affirmative. Or else..