writingsonthewall's blog

The hungry tide – Amitav Ghosh (Book review) – 10 September - 2010

It’s a novel that imbue mind with
images touching lifestyles of people living in tidal villages (Bengal). Visuals like , a machete being used to cut the foliage
, a cetologist patiently watching river for any sort of movement , a tiger
captured by the locals , a housewife taking measures to have a good living for
future , and of-course village stories spread like rumors that itself becomes
true (bon –bebi story ) will be left behind after reading this novel. Slow
paced touching the rustic life and struggles of tidal village.

Novel begins with the central character
Piya (cetologist) who has come down in doing research over irrawady dolphins. She
meets kanai in the train, who is heading to visit her aunt in a tidal village as
she wants to give him a book written by his belated husband. Her research did
not start on good note where the govt. forest official did not seem to be
co-operative enough. To her good luck she meets “fokir” a fisherman who is illiterate
and does not understand her language but still he was the best man to assist her
in research due to his immense knowledge of places. Piya’s and kanai paths do
cross each other who also joins her during research as a middle-man while
reading his uncle book (a story of revolution by refugees). Get grooved with
this journey of Piya who is saved by fokir in the end during a storm.

One of the thoughts, de-forestation has
happened in past by our ancestors at the cost of dreams to provide us so what
called a comfy lifestyle.  So, is the
similar case of refugees who have landed up in these forests and dreams to
provide their children the best for future? They have their right to dream the
same and so is the govt. who cannot allow land to be taken by these poor inhabitants.  Story deals with a small revolution that got
curbed and lost in the tidal forests.

Good liners:

“To
Stay is to be nowhere”

“we ,
who have always thought of joy

as
rising . . .  feel the emotion

that
almost amazes us

when a
happy thing falls”

<< Reference to
a high tide: who only in falling that the water gives birth to the forest
>>

Madhushala part 1:

Madhushala part 2:

Translation by some person in english… 

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=69736005188&topic=11169

njoy the same this weekend!

njoying n exploring the world of twitter…its also having glue effect…. lets c how many days…. :). It has been long since watched any hindi movie… I guess Paa will be the next one…  though in between did catch up with some english movies on the set…none of them good enough to be even commented…:( . read few books like the logic of life by tim harford…. crossing the chasm … plan to read house of mr. biswas by v.s. naipul….  somehow i left it in between a month back… baki sab badiya…njoying with loads of chess games….

Chess-Game Or Sonata ———–

Excerpt of a book: The Bridge Across Forever - Richard Bach

I think you see life as a chess game; I see it as a sonata. And because of these differences, both the king and the queen are lost, and the song is silenced.

I am still your friend, as I know you are mine. I send this with a heart full of the deep and tender love and high regard you know I have for you, as well as profound sorrow that an opportunity so filled with promise, so rare and so beautiful, had to go unfulfilled.

If it's so, so it is.

I'll never repeat it again.

That's what I've believed,

That's what I've loved,

And it can't bring me down.

If it's so, so it is.

I'll never try hard to win.

That's what I've believed,

That's what I've loved,

And it can't bring me down.

If it's so, so it is.

I'll never reason it out.

That's what I've believed,

That's what I've loved,

And it can't bring me down.

Excerpt of book : The Ground beneath her feet ' Salman Rushdie

Happiness, now, that's something else again.  Happiness is human, not divine, and the pursuit of happiness is what we might call love.  This love, earthly love, is a truce between metamorphs, a temporary agreement not to shape-shift while kissing or holding hands. Love is a beach towel spread over shifting sands. Love is intimate democracy, a compact that insists on renewals, and you can be voted out overnight, however big your majority. It's fragile, precarious, and it's all we can get without selling ours souls to one party or the other. Its what we can have while remaining free.  This is what Vina Apsara meant when she spoke of a love without trust. All treaties can be broken; all promises end up as lies. Sign nothing, make no promises. Make a provisional reconciliation, a fragile peace. If you're lucky it might last five days, or fifty years.

"You bas**d, Get out " was the sudden scream that made me stop and look behind to the scene. I've got my dinner packed and was walking back to my house. It formed a perfect "L shaped figure" between the girl and me where I stood at the shorter end. An auto-rickshaw moved a little slow and took the same "L path" and as it passed me could see a wicked smirk on driver face. I'm sure this will remain for some time in my mind.

I stood frozen for some-time and got lost in my own little thoughts. It should have been the same old story where an auto-driver demanding some unwanted money.  Girl treaded the same path of auto and walked towards me.  Still engulfed in my thoughts, I spoke out to girl "If you have noted the number, than you can file a complaint."

It's her anger of that very moment that also got graved in my memory. She spoke out as we walked, "F**k the driver stalking on me and passing obscene remarks", "Why they always treat women in such a way passing obscene remarks, eve-teasing etc." ,"It's not at all safe where people are ready to take disadvantage every-time in India, though I have never been to abroad."  We parted after taking stride of some few steps to our own journey of life. I said, "You did it right, screaming on such people is the best thing. Now you cool down and enjoy." She replied that she will think to complain as she does remember the number.

The questions that were raised have to be answered by our society. Doubts that have been aggravated of the Indian mentality of eve-teasing should be reversed.  I wonder at this moment what did he achieved by such act, just a wicked smile.  I do recall certain other incidents that were being brought up some days back.  "Screaming is the best weapon" is undoubtedly the best way. Hope, it will bring a little fear to such people so they think twice before indulging in such cheap acts.  I'm not sure whether she will complain or not but such incidents must not be tolerated at any cost.

Thought is fast

Dreams are vague.

When I wake up

Life starts with single take!

Spirit is high

Chores are slow.

As me grew insane

Life continues with meek pain!

Energy is lost

Deeds are sinful.

Am dying for the night

Life ends with no fight!

What is Life ' Life is what.

More you think more you fall prey to it.

Life is change.

It is physical change from Childhood to Adult-hood.

It is emotional change from weak to strong character.

And, it is spiritual change of reasoning things out that were taken for granted.

Life is time.

It is physical time you were born to time you are dead.

It is emotional time spend in your happy hours to the ones spend in morrow moments.

And, it is spiritual time you prayed to mighty lord and discussed with your loved ones.

Life is feeling.

It is physical feeling of your existence in the world.

It is emotional feelings both to the loved ones and one you hate.