I’ve set the ball rolling… Monday, Nov 30 2009

….. as far as the 100 Shots of Short Challenge goes.  I’m done with the first eight short stories out of 100.

1st shot of short: Next Stop: Table for Two – Cecelia Ahern

As the name suggests, it is a mushy story. What better way than this to begin the Challenge?

The central character of the story is Lucy, a girl in her thirties and not yet in love. A girl who wants to fall in love, desperately, but has never met the right one, and is now doubtful that love is only for a few lucky ones.  A girl who works in a restaurant, who turns in for duty on Valentine’s Day, because she has nowhere else she’d rather go. A girl who keeps watching as one couple after another come in and share a meal with love, and keeps hurting inside and smiling outside. A girl who gets sick and tired of hearing the words – ‘Table for two’.

I’ll not break the suspense any more, and leave you to read the story and find out on your own. I’d just say that it is a cute story, with a kind of fairytale element to it. I liked it for what Lucy did towards the end of the story.

You can read the story online here.

Shona, thanks a lot for the link!!

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2^nd shot of short: Christmas Timing – Maeve Binchy (from This Year It Will Be Different and Other Stories)

Christmas Timing is a story about a couple – Noel and Chris – who are involved in an extramarital affair. Chris is married and has two kids. Both of them are extremely fond of doing personality and relationship quizzes wherever they can find them – in magazines or in newspapers. The story is based on a Christmas-day quiz that they both do at the same time. It is a sad story, which kind of left me depressed.

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3^rd shot of short: The gift of the Magi – O. Henry (from O. Henry – 100 Selected Stories)

This story needs no introduction. I decided to read it once more, after a long, long time, and thoroughly enjoyed it again. Another Christmas-time story, this one again left my heart feeling heavy.

Available online here

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4^th shot of short: How the camel got its hump – Rudyard Kipling ( from Classic Short Stories – Reader’s Digest Collection)

This one is a light-hearted fable about the animals long, long ago and how the camel got a hump on account of its laziness. It was a welcome diversion and I had a smile on my face by the time I finished reading it.

Available online here

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5^th shot of short: A telephone call – Dorothy Parker

I read this story online here, thanks to Shona! It is a sweet story about a girl waiting for a phone call from her beloved (or maybe, someone she is immensely attracted to). It revolves around her thoughts as she waits fro him to call. I could relate to it at some points, and liked the story greatly.

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6^th shot of short: Useless beauty – Guy De Maupassant (from Classic Short Stories – Reader’s Digest Collection)

It is a story about the Count and the Comtesse Mascaret, of which the latter is extremely beautiful. It is about the reactions of the society and the husband to the extreme prettiness of the wife. Though I am not sure I got the point the author is trying to drive home, it left me feeling sad.

Available online here

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7^th shot of short: Memoirs of a yellow dog – O. Henry (from O. Henry – 100 Selected Stories)

I decided to read this story just because the title intrigued me a lot. It is a cute, happy story about a yellow-coloured dog, his mistress and his henpecked master.

Available online here

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8^th shot of short: The selfish giant – Oscar Wilde (from Classic Short Stories – Reader’s Digest Collection)

Again, a classic story that needs no introduction. I decided to revisit it after having read it as a student. It is a nice, fairytale kind of story that I enjoyed a lot.

Available online here

The Count: 8 down, 92 more to go! I am loving it!!

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100 Shots of Short Friday, Nov 27 2009

I came to know of this wonderful challenge called 100 Shots of Short, thanks to Shona and Veens. It made me realise that there are some great short stories out there which I have hardly read, and that I am missing out on a lot. And, the best part of the Challenge is that it is open-ended!!

“The Challenge is a simple one – no time limit, no specific titles, just the goal of reading 100 self-picked short stories as and when possible.” That about sums it up!! Simple, isn’t it?

Needless to say, I am going to take it up!!

Thanks, Rob, for hosting this challenge!

So, I’ll be meeting you guys soon with the first of these 100 shots!! Till then, ciao!!

Care to join the club?

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Song on my mind – 1 Thursday, Nov 26 2009

Tere Bin from Delhi Heights

I always liked this song, though I never understood its Punjabi lyrics. A few days ago, I accidentally stumbled over the video and wanted desperately to find out the meaning of the lyrics that always sounded soulful to me. And, thanks to the wonderfully done translation here, I fell in love with this song all over again. It’s just SO beautiful. Gives words to my feelings quite accurately.

Tere bin / besides you
sanu sohnia / my love
koi hor nahio labhna / I shan’t find another
jo dave / who’ll give
ruh nu sakun / peace to my soul
chukke jo nakhra mera / and indulge me

ve main sare ghumm ke vekhia / I have gone and seen it all
amrika , roos, malaysia / America, Russia, Malaysia
kittey vi koi fark si / there wasn’t any difference
har kise di koi shart si / they all had some condition or the other
koi mangda mera si sama / some asked for my time

 

koi hunda surat te fida / some were fascinated with my face
koi mangda meri si vafa / some demanded my fidelity
na koi mangda merian bala / none wanted my demons.
tere bin / besides you,
hor na kise / no one else
mangni merian bala / wanted my demons

tere bin / besides you
hor na kise / no one else
karni dhoop vich chhaon / shall shade me in the sun

jiven rukia / the way you paused
si tun zara / slightly
nahion bhulna / I shan’t forget
main sari umar / all my life

 

jiven akhia si akhan chura / you said, looking away,
“rovenga sanu yad kar” / “you shall weep in my memory”

hasia si main hasa ajeeb / I laughed a strange laugh,
tu nahi si hasia / but you didn’t,
dil vich tera jo raaz si / you had a secret in your heart
mainu tu kyon ni dasia / why didn’t you tell me?

tere bin / besides you
sanu eh raz / none shall tell this
kise hor nahion dasna / secret to me

tere bin / besides you
peerh da ilaaj / what druid
kis vaid kolon labhna / has the cure to my ills?
milia si ajj mainu / I found today
tera ik patra / a note of yours

likhia si jis ‘te / on which you had scribbled
tun shayr varey shah da / a Varis Shah couplet,
park ke si osnu / upon reading which
hanjnu ik duliya / a teardrop fell,
akhan ‘ch band si / what was locked in the eye
seh raaz ajj khulia / was revealed today
ki tere bin / that other than you
eh mere hanjnu / these tears of mine
kise hor / won’t be kissed by
nahio chumna / anyone else
ki tere bin / Other than you
eh mere hanjhu / these tears of mine
mitti vich rulnha / will wither in the dust

Beautiful, isn’t it? What’s on your mind today, songs or otherwise? Would love to know!

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Sometimes, social networking site gyaan is beautiful…. Tuesday, Nov 24 2009

… like this piece I discovered today.

A  successful relationship requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Always with the same person, but deeper and deeper every time. Each time on a whole new level you together open in love and discover the truth of your beloved anew. There is no limit to the beauty of your beloved. If you think you’ve reached the end, stop generalizing.

I can SO relate to this. It’s an amazing feeling peeling off a person’s nature layer by layer, and slowly getting to the core underneath.

Kinda heart-warming, no?

Image Source

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Need some suggestions… Thursday, Nov 19 2009

…. on vocabulary enrichment. How do you add new words and usages to your existing vocab? When you come across a new word that you don’t understand, do you look up the dictionary immediately? Always? And once you know and understand a new word, how do you make sure you remember it? Is there any particular technique that is effective? How do you make it interesting so that you continue to do it, without giving up? How do you accomodate that into the hustle and bustle of daily life, when you barely get time to read?

Pretty please, tell me!

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To Sir, With Love Wednesday, Nov 18 2009

To Sir, With Love by E.R. Braithwaite is another book that I picked up while I was in Ahmedabad. I began reading it last week, and couldn’t put it down till I finished it today.

It is a book that can best be described as inspiring. It is a semi-autobiographical account of E.R. Braithwaite, a Negro who becomes a teacher not out of choice, but out of compulsion, because no one is ready to offer him a decent job on account of his colouring. He gets a job as a teacher in a London school that is renowned for all the wrong reasons – the students there are ill-mannered, stinking and with absolutely no sense of discipline.

The book tells the story of how Braithwaite entered the school with a sense of bitterness and faced with such an impossible class, and later learnt to love the children as his own and how he transformed them with love and dedication, sometimes putting them in their place and making them feel ashamed. With his constant efforts, he trains them to be disciplined children, taking a keen interest in studies and in the fine arts. In the course of his teaching career, he also meets and falls in love with a colleague of his, Gillian, the relationship facing a lot of problems just because of the colour of his skin.

I loved Braithwaite’s level of involvement in teaching the class, and his commitment to transforming them into decent human beings. I felt inspired by him, going ahead in spite of his problems. I loved his kindheartedness with the children, not to mention his tender love for Gillian. I could relate a lot to Braithwaite’s thought process.  Braithwaite is another character added to my list of would-like-to-meet-literary-characters.

If and when I become a teacher, I would like to be one like Braithwaite. With the same level of commitment and involvement. This is the second book about a teacher to have impressed me greatly, the first one being Tuesdays With Morrie.

It is a wonderfully written book and has a profound impact, in spite of its small size. It joins the rank of my most favourite books, and I would say it is worth a read for everyone for the lessons it carries.

This beautiful book has been made into a movie, and I really can’t wait to get hold of it.

My rating: 4.5 stars

OT 2009 update: 8 down, 2 more to go! The stopover this time was Guyana. I am so excited at having read a book from a completely new country!

Have you read this book or seen the movie? Do share your thoughts about them.

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Song on my mind:

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A stolen tag – once more!! :) Friday, Nov 13 2009

Came across this tag here and decided to take it up! So, here we go:

1.Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.
Ans. Its two entrance doors, one opposite each alleyway, were painted a dark, unfriendly green, as were the boys’ and girls’ lavatories which squatted in separate corners of the courtyard, as if aware that, like the large, ash-filled dustbins, they were usurping precious playing space. (From a lovely book called To Sir, With Love by ER Braithwaite)
2.Stretch your left arm out as far as you can.& catch….
Ans. My intercom phone

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Ans. News on TV 9 – some depressing piece on the casting couch

4. Without looking, guess what time it is?

Ans. Around 12 pm

5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?

Ans. 12.04 pm
6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
Ans. Colleagues talking to each other

7.When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
Ans. Today morning. I came to work from home.

8.Before you started this survey, what did you look at?

Ans. My schedule for the day

9.What are you wearing?
Ans. Salwar Kameez

10.When did you last laugh?
Ans- Yesterday night, over an utterly stupid conversation with the better half

11.What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Ans. A big glass window with blinds, a few TV sets and charts

12.Seen anything weird lately?
Ans. Not weird lately, but yes, saw and heard lots of upsetting stuff

13.What do you think of this quiz?
Ans. It is a timepass quiz

14.What is the last film you saw?

Ans. Wake Up, Sid!

15. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?
Ans. A house and a world tour

16.Tell me something about you that I dunno
Ans. I am interested in trying to understand modern-art and instrumental and classical music to the best of my abilities

17.If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
Ans. I would like there to be more love, passion and sensitivity in the world

18.Do u like to Dance
Ans. Sometimes…

19. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Ans. No idea. I believe it will strike us when the time comes to decide

20 Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Ans. Same as above

21.Would you ever consider living abroad?
Ans. Not considering it at the moment, but if circumstances demand, I would go for it

22.What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
Ans. I am happy about what you did with what I gave you – your life!

Any interesting tags you came across of late, people? Do share…

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Came across this song today morning and just fell in love with it. Check it out! :

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Inviting contributions: A Second Serving of Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul Thursday, Nov 12 2009

Thanks to Anupama, I came to know of this: A Second Serving of Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul is being compiled, and contributions are invited for the same.

The details are:

• The book  would be published by Westland publishing house.
• The write-ups will carry the contributors’ name. Westland pays Rs 1000 per story and two copies of the book. They carry a 3-4 line profile on all contributing authors. Previously blogged and published work is accepted too. The copyright of the stories stays with the author.
• Please send your stories to: rakshabharadia@gmail.com before 31st December 2009

About Chicken Soup for the Soul

A Chicken Soup for the Soul story is an inspirational, true story about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The most powerful stories are about people extending themselves, or performing an act of love, service or courage for another person.

Guidelines for a Chicken Soup for the Soul Story

1. Tell an exciting, sad or funny story about something that has happened to you or someone you know. Make sure that you introduce the character(s).

2. Tell your story in a way that will make the reader cry, laugh or get goose bumps (the good kind!) Don’t leave anything out — how did you feel?

3. The story should start with action; it should include a problem, issue or situation. It should include dialogue and the character should express their feelings though the conflict or situation. It should end in a result, such as a lesson learned, a positive change or pay-off.

What a Chicken Soup for the Soul story IS NOT:

1. A sermon, an essay or eulogy.

2. A term paper, thesis, letter or journal entry.

3. About politics or controversial issues.

4. A biography or testimonial.

Story Specifications

Stories should be non-fiction, ranging in length between 300-1200 words.

Feel free to submit more than one story or poem.

Chapters

Every book is divided into topic chapters, with the following as a guideline for typical chapters:

1) On Love:
This chapter contains stories that describe acts of love and kindness; the healing power of love; acts of tenderness and compassion; acts of generosity; and events that transcend racism, sexism, ageism and nationalism.

2) On Parenting:
This chapter contains stories that demonstrate love and caring in the act of parenting and grand parenting.

3) On Teaching and Learning:
This chapter contains stories that demonstrate caring, compassion and creativity in the art of teaching—both in the classroom and outside the classroom.

4) Overcoming Obstacles:
This chapter contains stories that demonstrate how we have triumphed over our own personal obstacles or supported one over theirs, and how individually each should be celebrated.

5) A Matter of Perspective:
This chapter contains stories that demonstrate how our experience of all events is effected by our point of view, that there is more than one way to see and interpret the same event, and that as we change our point of view, we actually change our experience. These stories may be humorous.

6) A Matter of Attitude:
This chapter, like the previous one, will contain stories that demonstrate how our attitudes and beliefs control our perception of reality and our behavior.

7) On Death and Dying:
This chapter will contain stories about the power of the human spirit to confront the loss of loved ones through spiritual understanding, healing acts of love and kindness, and through humor.

8 ) On Aging:
This chapter will contain stories about people over 60 years old who are making remarkable contributions to society, who are challenging the stereotypes of aging, and who are living without limitations.

9) On Living Your Dream:
This chapter will contain stories that demonstrate the power of believing in your dream, the power of goal setting, the wisdom of trusting and following your heart, the power of giving encouragement and the importance of asking for and being open to receiving assistance from both other people and God.

10) Eclectic Wisdom:

This chapter contains stories that don’t fit into any other chapters. The stories are what about any aspect of life that is emotionally moving, touching, inspiring and insightful.

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Girls of Riyadh Thursday, Nov 5 2009

While I was in Ahmedabad, I had the opportunity of going to one of my favourite places, where I have spent many a quiet Sunday afternoon – the Landmark store. It was there that I saw and picked up this book called Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea. I first read about this book on Divya’s blog, and thought it had a really interesting storyline.

Girls of Riyadh is a story of four girlfriends living in Riyadh – Sadeem, Michelle, Gamrah and Lamees. The story is told in the form of a set of e-mails sent out by an anonymous person to members of a particular Riyadhi group. The sender later identifies herself as a friend of the four girls, but does not reveal her true identity. The story revolves around the relationships and break-ups and heart-breaks of the four friends, at the same time bringing to light the conservative culture of Riyadh as well as the mentality of the society. In other words, the book is about ‘life behind the veil’.

In spite of the serious storyline, the book has the chick-lit element to it and is quite an easy read. The writing style is unique and quite simple. I found myself shocked at some parts of it, and laughing away at others. All in all, I found it a rather OK-ish book. Somehow, I couldn’t find myself growing attached to the book, as I usually do.

Why don’t you check this one out? You might like it better than I did.

If you have already read this book, do drop in with your feedback on it. Would love to know.

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My rating: 2 stars

I read this book for the OT ‘09 Challenge. The stopover this time was at Saudi Arabia.

The countdown: 7 down, 3 more to go!

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Check out this fun song:

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Diu re-visited :) Wednesday, Nov 4 2009

It’s been quite some time since we returned from the trip to Diu and Ahmedabad, but the memories still linger. Time has been AWFULLY stretched, and there has been WAYYYYYY too much to handle, which has kept me from penning down these beautiful memories so far. Here’s an attempt to jot some random reflections from the trip, and an attempt at shaking off the cobwebs. Excuse me for the haphazard flow of thoughts here.

• What I loved most about the trip was the loads of free time that we had. When we are at Bangalore, life is so mechanical and time is EXTREMELY tight. So, it felt like bliss to have so much time to ourselves and just being able to sit around and do nothing.
• It was heart-warming to see the happiness on the faces of family and friends at A’bad, who welcomed us both. Some acquaintances met the better half for the first time.
• What I loved most about Diu was the serenity of the beaches. We had a hotel just opposite to a beach and it was fantastic being able to walk to the beach any time of the morning, afternoon, evening or night. I satisfied my long-standing dream of taking an early morning or moonlight walk on the beach with the significant other. The sheer accessibility of the beaches was amazing, and some times, we would be the only two people on the entire beach.
• I can never tire of beaches. The sound and feel of the water, the soft sand sliding from under your feet as you stand in the middle of the waves – it is magical. It washes away all your stress. Diu was always on my list of must-visit places, and it was a total fun experience visiting the place, though it turned out to be very different from what I had imagined.
• Diu filled me with awe about underwater life. A visit to the seashell museum there added to it. There’s a whole world below those waves, and I would love to explore it – was what I kept feeling all the time. I don’t know why, I have this fascination for starfish and sea horses, though I have never seen either in real life any time. Note to self: Maybe I should go to an underwater safari sometime.
• Hoka trees and aloe vera ABOUND in Diu. We were amazed to find designs on the sand which were very much similar to hoka trees. Probably, these were made by crabs, though we never found out the truth. It just amazed us!
• It was ultimate fun exploring the footprints on the sand and trying to guess what the people who made them would have walked like. Yes, we do crazy things like that!!
• There are shells all over the beaches! We had the time of our lives looking for the best ones, and we did manage to carry some beautiful ones back. I will always remember the way I put my hand into a pit full of water, searching for shells, and came up with a huge, black, live crab! My reflexes made me drop it instantaneously, and though not bitten, we shied away from pits after that!
• It was fun reliving childhood by making castles in the wet sand and writing our names with a stick on the sand, just to watch them being washed away by the waves. Yes, we can be that childish at times!
• The last day of our stay at Diu saw us waking up REALLY early to witness the sun rise on the beach. I must say – it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a totally moving one. The lost sleep and tiredness was forgotten as our mouths literally opened in awe of the entire water turning golden in the early morning sun rays. I still can’t believe I witnessed such an amazing phenomenon.
• The waves lapping at your feet, sometimes high enough to reach your face, the sound of the sea in your ears is therapeutic. It never fails to mesmerize me. Standing before the sea and witnessing the highs and lows of it, we realized just how tiny we are in the whole scheme of things in the world. And that, when nature decides to unleash its fury, there’s not much we can do.
• Being pampered by the parents and grandma and having the choicest of home-made food and sweets for Diwali – heaven on earth! We just rolled over in it. Dishes on demand by mom the best was the highlight.
• It felt wonderful visiting Ahmedabad again and seeing the city with new eyes. It was fun showing the better half around the city and taking him to some of my most favourite places, and sharing some of my most favourite foods with him. It was not so much fun, though, returning to Bangalore tanned and with a few extra kilos.
• I fell in love with the Gangeshwar temple at Diu. It is just so serenely beautiful, located on the banks of the sea, the waves washing over the Shivlingas. Felt a strange sense of calm and bonding with the place. For the umpteenth time, wondered about my connection with Shiva Lingas, beaches and underwater life. Can’t seem to get enough of them!
• The fort at Diu is AMAZING. It is such a huge place that we got tired walking inside it and exploring. Surrounded by water from one side and still housing some ancient cannons, it is a must-see place for its sheer architectural magnificence. We had fun trying to pose for firing-the-cannon pictures and jhanking from the jharokha. The sound of the  waves lapping against the fort walls is sheer bliss here.
• Standing at the edge of the beach on reefs formed by sand and hollowed-out by the constant lashing of the waves is a transforming experience, albeit a rather risky one!
• It was entertaining to watch the Bullet motorbikes converted into small vehicles, beautifully and colourfully painted, and being used for transporting people and goods in Diu. Didn’t have the chance to ride on one, though!
• We got the opportunity to visit one of the most famous temples of Gujarat – the Somnath temple. It was wonderful watching the sunset at the temple. Shopping for locally hand-made things around the temple was too good!
• I loved watching the expression on the better half’s face as he burst the Thala Deepavali crackers with child-like glee. This guy sure knows how to enjoy himself when he wants to! I had fun bursting crackers after a long, long, long time as well.
• I jumped up in happiness at the chance to visit a national arts-n-crafts fair at Ahmedabad. We both loved it and picked up some knick-knacks for the house too! Had one of the best bhel-puris I have ever eaten there.
• Call me childish if you want, but a plane ride never fails to excite me. I LOVE watching the moon travel with me from the window, the lights on the runway and the cities and seas looking diminutive. Fills me with a strange sense of miracle.
• The departure from A’bad was kind of sad. We returned with a sense of something lost and a lot gained.

All in all, it was a trip that I’ll never be able to forget.

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