"The Fountainhead" is one of the books I'm always planning to read, along with the other works of Ayn Rand and Umberto Eco. But 'planning' is the keyword here, because I never actually get around to reading these books. The library I frequent has a pretty decent collection, right from classics to contemporary philosophy, and the books are in very good condition too. After a hefty deposit, you can take books out for 10% of the original cost, which is a stiff but reasonable price.
But come on, after a long week of work and oppression, do you really want to read serious stuff?
Do you read James Joyce when you want to forget your emails and performance reviews? Pass-time books, like comics, Agatha Christie, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and a long list of others are more like it. They take you to another world, where reality is disconnected, and you can temporarily be anyone but you. From real-life monsters that cannot be slain (ranging from your boss to local politicians) to a world where you are a HERO and perhaps vaguely wonder why the dragon you are about to kill looks so familiar and resembles your boss, ha ha!
Escapism! That magic word in Indian culture, that mainstay of Indian Cinema, the Great Indian Dream where romance and true love is told with song and dance and skimpy costumes. Well, I run true to type and prefer light reading. You can catch me in the library every Friday evening, sneaking into the comics and kiddies section, hoping I don't run into anyone I know. These days I'm into a regressive phase and have started reading Archies and Nancy Drew again (No, I'm NOT a regressive amnesiac, thank you!)
Anyway, I managed to pay my way for a Somerset Maugham and Fitzgerald's "This Side of Paradise". From now reviews of the books I've read (no, not Nancy Drew :)) and maybe the movies I've seen will appear in this blog space.
See you next with the review of "The Alchemist"!
Syane says: Here comes Syane to terrorize the literary world! Muahahaha!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Money, Money, Money
When a soft rain whispers at the windows and the coconut-tree leaves glisten a lovely green (do you know how rare that is in this POLLUTED city?), when the blazing heat of Chennai is a distant memory, and all you want to do is curl up in bed with a good book and a cup of tea ... is this a dream? In short, when life has the makings of bliss, it can turn miserably perverse. Let me explain.
This morning I woke at 5.45, 6.30, 7.00, and finally hauled myself out of bed at 7.30. After a lot of hurrying, I managed to land at office by 9. There was a ton of pending work and with my performance review scheduled some time very soon, I planned to do a Wonder Woman act and clean out my work queue (HA!).
But fate had other sinister plans. Thanks to a busted transformer, all the power lines to my office were down and there was no chance of repairing it in a day. This should have been my lucky day, right? No. Our office gives us laptops and free internet connections so we can work from any location. Which is actually seriously kool, but I regretted it today.
So what did this Wonder Woman-wannabe do? Back I trudged, to work from my PG room. And midway, stranded in the middle of Nandanam traffic, carrying my laptop (the only precious thing I own) the weather decided to go for a toss and water just poured down from the sky. It was as if a celestial water tap had opened. Of course, I had no umbrella. Wrapping my dupatta around my precious (my laptop, what else), I caught an auto and was roundly cheated up to 40 bucks. Reached home by 11, dripping wet. Logged in and worked straight for 12 hours.
What is wrong with me?
This is not a one time occurrence. Most of us in the IT industry regularly put in 15 solid hours a day. I know people who put in more and get the cold shoulder from their spouses. There are loud whispers at home about the nuisance of "visiting guests" who might as well become "paying guests!"
Why do we punish ourselves?
Just imagine if there really is a Man in the Moon. How does he see us? We are born, we do this, we do that, and ultimately we die. We travel in our little metal boxes and ultimately, well, we die. Put in this perspective, we are little more than ants with their similar self-absorbed routine life.
All we want to do in this world ultimately boils down to this : We want to live in comfort. The more comfortable life can get, and that too if it comes with some shiny gadget, we want it, we want it! Well, this is part and parcel of progress - eliminating the cares of humankind, ranging from smoky wood stoves to cancer to internet in outer space (for who? little green men?).
We don't know where we came from and we don't know what is beyond life either (yes, yes, there is a heaven and hell but right now, I'm alive and it's more a concept for me!). In the few years given to us we strive for perfection, to be as perfect as we can be. To be better than the next person. All life is a struggle for perfection, so it is said.
For what? Isn't it enough to have money for a comfortable lifestyle? Why accumulate millions over millions? And the best part is, it takes very little to lose all that hard earned money. With most money being invested in stocks and shares "virtual money", if the stock market kicks its heels we are done for.
Well, I've got nothing against making money (yes, I will put in 15 hours a day at work, but you can't stop me from grumbling ;)). And this is a good enough life to keep us occupied until we hit the high sixties. But what about those who cannot afford to think of ambition and wealth but only hope for a meal a day? I feel the world will be a better place if we focus our energy on those kind of issues.
And what about our dreams? Do we want to be stuck in dingy offices most of our lives? I mean, seriously, apart from the money and prestige why do we stick to one line of work for around 40 years? Duh, it's for the money and prestige and security. Gone are the days when we could feel secure in a dry cave on a rainy night, and all said and done, money is a necessary little devil. We do need money to go for that World Tour we always wanted.
Just remember . . . dreams have a very short lifespan. They need to be realized before they expire. We can't go hunting whales after we turn 80.
Coming to the end of a long rant, work and money are very very good things and provide a focus for humankind's fickle attention. But we need to get our priorities right. It's not just money money money. but how we spend the money is what counts. How we make the world a better place (it's a cliche, but it's the best!). Better people than me have thought deeply about this condition of humankind and have written a lot of inspiring work through the ages.
As for me, I'm certainly going to try my advice: less grumbling, more action. It's a tough job to keep my mouth shut. Ask my long suffering friends and they will tell you! :D
Syane says: Work hard, play hard, and share what little bounty you have!
Here's hoping for global happiness !! :)
This morning I woke at 5.45, 6.30, 7.00, and finally hauled myself out of bed at 7.30. After a lot of hurrying, I managed to land at office by 9. There was a ton of pending work and with my performance review scheduled some time very soon, I planned to do a Wonder Woman act and clean out my work queue (HA!).
But fate had other sinister plans. Thanks to a busted transformer, all the power lines to my office were down and there was no chance of repairing it in a day. This should have been my lucky day, right? No. Our office gives us laptops and free internet connections so we can work from any location. Which is actually seriously kool, but I regretted it today.
So what did this Wonder Woman-wannabe do? Back I trudged, to work from my PG room. And midway, stranded in the middle of Nandanam traffic, carrying my laptop (the only precious thing I own) the weather decided to go for a toss and water just poured down from the sky. It was as if a celestial water tap had opened. Of course, I had no umbrella. Wrapping my dupatta around my precious (my laptop, what else), I caught an auto and was roundly cheated up to 40 bucks. Reached home by 11, dripping wet. Logged in and worked straight for 12 hours.
What is wrong with me?
This is not a one time occurrence. Most of us in the IT industry regularly put in 15 solid hours a day. I know people who put in more and get the cold shoulder from their spouses. There are loud whispers at home about the nuisance of "visiting guests" who might as well become "paying guests!"
Why do we punish ourselves?
Just imagine if there really is a Man in the Moon. How does he see us? We are born, we do this, we do that, and ultimately we die. We travel in our little metal boxes and ultimately, well, we die. Put in this perspective, we are little more than ants with their similar self-absorbed routine life.
All we want to do in this world ultimately boils down to this : We want to live in comfort. The more comfortable life can get, and that too if it comes with some shiny gadget, we want it, we want it! Well, this is part and parcel of progress - eliminating the cares of humankind, ranging from smoky wood stoves to cancer to internet in outer space (for who? little green men?).
We don't know where we came from and we don't know what is beyond life either (yes, yes, there is a heaven and hell but right now, I'm alive and it's more a concept for me!). In the few years given to us we strive for perfection, to be as perfect as we can be. To be better than the next person. All life is a struggle for perfection, so it is said.
For what? Isn't it enough to have money for a comfortable lifestyle? Why accumulate millions over millions? And the best part is, it takes very little to lose all that hard earned money. With most money being invested in stocks and shares "virtual money", if the stock market kicks its heels we are done for.
Well, I've got nothing against making money (yes, I will put in 15 hours a day at work, but you can't stop me from grumbling ;)). And this is a good enough life to keep us occupied until we hit the high sixties. But what about those who cannot afford to think of ambition and wealth but only hope for a meal a day? I feel the world will be a better place if we focus our energy on those kind of issues.
And what about our dreams? Do we want to be stuck in dingy offices most of our lives? I mean, seriously, apart from the money and prestige why do we stick to one line of work for around 40 years? Duh, it's for the money and prestige and security. Gone are the days when we could feel secure in a dry cave on a rainy night, and all said and done, money is a necessary little devil. We do need money to go for that World Tour we always wanted.
Just remember . . . dreams have a very short lifespan. They need to be realized before they expire. We can't go hunting whales after we turn 80.
Coming to the end of a long rant, work and money are very very good things and provide a focus for humankind's fickle attention. But we need to get our priorities right. It's not just money money money. but how we spend the money is what counts. How we make the world a better place (it's a cliche, but it's the best!). Better people than me have thought deeply about this condition of humankind and have written a lot of inspiring work through the ages.
As for me, I'm certainly going to try my advice: less grumbling, more action. It's a tough job to keep my mouth shut. Ask my long suffering friends and they will tell you! :D
Syane says: Work hard, play hard, and share what little bounty you have!
Here's hoping for global happiness !! :)
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Intuition vs. Logic
Have you ever tried to think out a decision in your head? Do you go step by step and come to a "logical" conclusion which makes sense? Right, then you are one of the lucky ones! You are level headed and reasonable, and being able to make swift, sensible decisions, your friends and family rely on you for shopping excursions where lightning quick action helps choose that crepe sari as opposed to that designer silk.
There is a difference between voluntary and involuntary actions when it comes to decision making. When you go buy a chocolate, by long habit you may reach for Hershey's as opposed to Cadbury's. This isn't a decision, it's more of a habit or preference. Same goes for the sari, and other consumer stuff. On the other hand, do you take a gamble and meet up with your crazy ex-boyfriend out of just habit? Fat chance. Real live decisions involving personal and professional lives require so much thought and analysis.
That said, if life is only something like a long chess game, then all the grand masters should have perfect lives. Well, they don't. They muddle through like the best of us, trying to see through short-sighted glasses what life throws at us next.
There's a contradiction, rite? We have to be both practical as well as intuitive to deal with the vagaries of life. Not a street-smart wiseass nor a nerdy bookworm. Most of us are just made up that way, living a good life half n' half, compensating round-the-clock dreary work with a yearly trip to Hawaaii or some exotic playground.
I recently read a book by Paulo Coelho, "The Witch of Portobello". Here the protagonist has absolutely no logic in the ordinary sense and relies on intuition and the paranormal for every action in life. Finally she ends up being murdered. Coelho dances a thin line where both sides of humanity is depicted: steady, slightly drab people talk about the wild and exciting life of the protagonist in varying degrees of spite, envy, and also love. Which is the better life? No one can tell.
What would you prefer? To be swept off your feet by a tall, dark stranger or proposed to by that steady young man your Dad approves of? To be cured by a miracle or through medical treatment?
Life sure is a chancy bitch.
Bottom line: Live out your wildest dreams in a sensible fashion! :)
Here's hoping for life, love, and a fat bank balance!
There is a difference between voluntary and involuntary actions when it comes to decision making. When you go buy a chocolate, by long habit you may reach for Hershey's as opposed to Cadbury's. This isn't a decision, it's more of a habit or preference. Same goes for the sari, and other consumer stuff. On the other hand, do you take a gamble and meet up with your crazy ex-boyfriend out of just habit? Fat chance. Real live decisions involving personal and professional lives require so much thought and analysis.
That said, if life is only something like a long chess game, then all the grand masters should have perfect lives. Well, they don't. They muddle through like the best of us, trying to see through short-sighted glasses what life throws at us next.
There's a contradiction, rite? We have to be both practical as well as intuitive to deal with the vagaries of life. Not a street-smart wiseass nor a nerdy bookworm. Most of us are just made up that way, living a good life half n' half, compensating round-the-clock dreary work with a yearly trip to Hawaaii or some exotic playground.
I recently read a book by Paulo Coelho, "The Witch of Portobello". Here the protagonist has absolutely no logic in the ordinary sense and relies on intuition and the paranormal for every action in life. Finally she ends up being murdered. Coelho dances a thin line where both sides of humanity is depicted: steady, slightly drab people talk about the wild and exciting life of the protagonist in varying degrees of spite, envy, and also love. Which is the better life? No one can tell.
What would you prefer? To be swept off your feet by a tall, dark stranger or proposed to by that steady young man your Dad approves of? To be cured by a miracle or through medical treatment?
Life sure is a chancy bitch.
Bottom line: Live out your wildest dreams in a sensible fashion! :)
Here's hoping for life, love, and a fat bank balance!
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