Sea of Poppies

Ok just finished reading Amitav Ghosh 'Sea of Poppies', the first in the Ibis trilogy. What really stood out for me which is why I'm documenting it here is the version of 'Hindoostanee' that the English in this book speak which is a sort of transalation/bastardisation of 'Oordoo/Hindi'. Words I learnt today:

• Loll-Shrub-->Lal Sharab-->Claret
• Brandy-Pawnee-->Paani-->Water
• Kubber-->Khabar-->News
• Burrempooter-->Brahmaputra
• Rascally Roger--> Raja of Rashkalli
• Bobachee-->Bawarchee-->Cook
• Chitchky
• Dumbpoke-->Dumpukht
• Cursies-->Kursis
• Tuckiers-->Takia
• Tobbler -->Tabla
• Loocher -->Luccha/Lukha
• Tottee-connah/Cacatorium-->Tutti-->Toilet
• Chuckeroo-->
• More-Roger-->Maharaja
• Cuzzanah-->Khazana-->Treasure
• Gudda-->Donkey
• Zubben-->Zubaan-->Language
• Gubbrow-->Ghabrao-->Scare
• BeeBee-->Biwi-->Wife/Lady of the house(BurraBeeBee)
• Nil-Rotten-->Neel Rattan

The one good thing about not having cable is that one does not get distracted watching random crap on TV and thus I have managed to read Stieg Larsson's masterpieces, Sea of Poppies, Rick Riordan's Lost Hero and the Red Pyramid, Eat Pray Love - at this rate, I think I should finally buy a copy of Homer's Odyssey or at the very least the Iliad!

Money Money Money!!

So I pretty much made a killing at the wedding (not including the jewelery given to me by parents, family and inlaws), making the following list a possibility.
Things I've bought ostensibly for the marriage/house:

• Ipad for the 'Husbaand'
• Cupboard+Bed for the house
• Vase to hold flower lights
• Flower lights from Thailand
• Shoe cupboard
• Rattan Laundry basket
• Carina 6 ft lamp
• 22 pc crockery set
• Coffee machine

*edited to add

• Bookshelf
• step sideboard currently used as dressing table
• shoerack

And yay! I still have vouchers left!

Looking back....

I wrote this post in May 2008. Apallingly, I've only struck off two things!! So I've decided to review the list and see what I did accomplish....

   1. Visit Leh-Ladakh
   2. Study Fashion History - the subject can change but the thought is to study further.
   3. Live in London/New York/Paris - preferably while I'm studying
   4. Go deep sea diving/snorkelling
   5.  Got burnt on a white beach - Nha Trang, Vietnam
   6. Be Brave enough to wear a 2 piece string bikini once
   7. Go for a calligraphy course
   8. Be more technology friendly - learn how to operate DVD players, iPod's, fancy phones
   9. Do the heritage walk at  Rajasthan - Road trip in March 2010!
  10. Visit a sanctuary in India - Bandipur, Jim Corbett, any any!!
  11. Practice my french in Pondicherry
  12. Run a marathon
  13. Learn to cook 4 awesome dishes and make 3 fantastic cocktails and create 2 delicious deserts
  14. Print out digital photos to put memories of a life
  15. Create a signature look - either with a color or style
  16. Honeymoon in (Thailand)- the wedding thing gets taken care of in this one
  17. Own a property
  18. Vipassana/Art of living
  19. Stop smoking
  20. Manage my own money

Ok clearly, for me, list making does not help me accomplish any thing! I don't think I could have accomplished all of these by 30, given my lazy nature but to have just done 2 - shameful! espescially since pts. 1,10,11 and 18 involve travel which should have motivated me! Pt.13 was too hopeful to begin with - I'm on the way for Pt.19!
When I was living through the last 2 years, It seemed busy enough but clearly I've achieved much less than I could have - there are months which nothing to show for it! My resolution for the year 2012 (clearly 2011 has marriage related resolutions...) is to travel more and self improvement!

In my non missed absence:

• I got married - three times
• had a wedding after party in a fancy ass suite at the Taj Lands End with champagne flowing
• visited Thailand for the first time (Honeymoon)
• stayed in a Pool Villa
• bought fabulous and fabulously expensive shoes
• moved home (Khar)
• been sick for 3 weeks
• started playing House
• discovered maid trauma
• bought things like vegetables, masalas,
• obsessed about putting boxes away
• own 4 chairs too many
• attended 4 weddings - 2 on the same day
• ignored the sales
• started and finished the millenium trilogy
• started planning a trip to the States 

Since TheCharade now has me addicted to fashion blogs, I consider it my duty to opine on the fashion of major awards ceremony. Presenting The Golden Globes:

• Think Amber Riley looked superb 
• Julianne Moore - My God!who said Red clashes with Pink?
• Justin Bieber wears what I was trying to convince my husband to wear for the wedding - Suit with sneakers!
• I understand shoes not matching each other - but to then not match the dress as well! Helena Bonham Carter - explain yourself.
• These 3 look like left overs from Oscar 2010 - Carrie Underwood, Olivia Wilde,
• If January Jones ran out of material, she should have put the apron in front to better use!
• Jennifer Lopez returns to her Latin (read Mexican) roots - by wearing a Poncho!
• This year's icecream - Lea Michele!
• I know it's Glee - but polka dots and checks!! 
• Since I only bought the inner wear, I'll just drape the sheer curtains like a sarong: Halle Berry! 
• Competing for vampire of the week - Jayma Mays and  Piper Perabo!

That's all, folks! Stay tuned for further updates and the Oscars!

To remind me....

I love you not only for what you are,
But for what I am when I am with you
I love you not only for what you have made of yourself
But for what you are making me
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.
I love you for passing over all my foolish and weak traits,
That you can't help but see
I love you for drawing out into the light my beauty,
That no one else had looked quite far enough to dim
I love you.

The wedding preps finally caught up with me yesterday - Cried thrice - only knowing the juggler is at the end of it makes it worthwhile!

American History X

The dichotomy of American History fascinates me - on one hand, there was this influx of immigrant Europeans trying to retain their way of life in a new land and on the other, they denied the same right to the African slaves.

I read 'Cane River' by Lalita Tademy  which is a fictionalised account of her family's slave history and the difficult choices they face - the book ends in the early 1930's. Now halfway through 'The Help' by Kathryn Sockett, which talks about black maids in the 1960's at the time of desegregation.

 In the help, the crux so far is black women raising white children for them to become the mistresses in turn. In Cane River, the light skinned move to different towns to deny the african roots, mothers/children are sold to different areas so the owner's offence is not in the face of the family everyday - making you wonder all those generations of history which are untraceable.

Is this also what makes the US so great - the lack of history making it easy to overcome cultural taboos?

In India, with the caste system and general knowledge of where you come from makes it impossible for many people to knuckle down and embrace change - stagnating the country as a whole - we have a mindset to follow, revere people  - thus moving from royalty to dynastic politics - choosing the same name again and again as a route to familiar. 

It seems that the very things that make a culture proud are the same that can be a pitfall - which I suppose  is the root of the saying 'Pride comes before a Fall'!

Random fact!

Even though, I claim 'Clueless' as my favourite movie, it probably is Sleepers'. To me the movie exemplifies the word 'poignant' - I don't know what it is that makes it so - the friendship between the boys, the waste of lives, the unfinished story between Carol and Micheal, the relationship between Fr.Bobby and the boys - something about the movie makes me feel.

For me, the film manages to clearly show the loss of innocence, from the mischievous children to to the stoic adults.  It also clearly depicts choice - how 2 boys followed the obvious decisions while others managed to break away, even though it involves cutting a part of who you are. 

It's the sort of movie that makes me appreciate my life, appreciate the art of telling a story and the strength of human relationships!