Book Review: Zero Percentile

Note: This review was published earlier when the author had sent me a personal copy for reading. Now the book has been published under Rupa in November and has come out in the market and is available in all major stores.

Zero Percentile is a book that is compelling and easy read. I finished the book in a sitting in a matter of few hours.

It is story of an Indian middle-class boy Pankaj (yeah, Pankaj) who thinks education as a means of improving the financial, and subsequently social status of his family. He has his plans clearly laid out: to be at IIT.

If you think this book is Chetan Bhagat’s What Not to Do at IIT, then you couldn’t be more wrong.

A Close Shave

A leisure trip to bookshop usually lifts my gloom. Needless to say, it also lightens my wallet. Today’s trip was no different. I had just seen off my sister at station.

When your dear ones depart, a strange knot forms inside stomach. Suddenly nothing seems as good as it seemed a day ago. My theory is it is easier on the people who go, harder on the ones that remain behind. Therefore, my trip to bookshop.

After an hour armed with packages, I hailed an auto rickshaw to home. And then I remembered a friend had mentioned a party tonight. I called the friend to ask if party was still on.

While talking I noticed that the auto rickshaw driver bumped twice into a motorcycle and a car. I asked him to take it slow. I checked, he was not drunk. I am good at smelling it out. 5 years of practice in crowd-ridden buses of Delhi.

Me and my friend fixed the meeting details and I joked that he should wear a pink T-shirt so that I can make him out. We hung up. That’s the last thing I remember. Last thing before the accident.

Blog Action Day 2009: Environment and India

This post is part of Blog Action Day.

Every time we talk about environment, we tout and talk about Al Gore and his over-hyped documentary An Inconvenient Truth. What’s more, I have also mentioned him in my previous climate change posts. I thought it is time we recall some Indians who have done the  good work.

Here are my top 5, with a bonus thrown in. 

Book Review: Two States by Chetan Bhagat

Chetan Bhagat magnanimously dedicates this book to his in-laws. He admits that book is inspired by his own experiences and yet he requests the book be treated as fiction. Its hard to considering every second couple in this country undergoes similar experiences. Not to mention, every Boolywood movie harps on same theme.

The book is all about an  IIMA couple’s  struggle to marry. Krish is north Indian Punjabi boy Krish in love with Tamilian Brahmin girl Ananya. (Chetan Bhagat too is Punjabi and his wife is a South Indian.) The only catch is, Krish and Ananya don’t want to elope or be estranged to their families, therefore, they choose to convince their parents for the marriage.

Both Ananya and Krish take turns to win over each other’s families and then they try to make both the families like each other. After all in India, you don’t marry the guy (or girl for that matter), you have to marry the family. In fact, Krish does get 4 gold rings made to propose girl’s entire family! :-/ Sounds cheesy? Well, irrespective of my shortened plot summary, you must concede it is a mammoth project to accomplish anywhere, in real life.

Of course, it goes without saying that even though both Krish and Ananya are exceptions to their North Indian and South Indian clan; this book is perfect opportunity to dwell into age-old ‘North India versus South India divide’.
Krish maybe Punjabi boy, but he is blissfully unaware how in his community greedily and offensively ‘boy’s’ side can come on the ‘girl’s’ side during a Punjabi wedding. Similarly, Ananya, the Tamilian girl is completely unlike other Tamil girls: For one she is not as dark as southern girls ( a fact she will be reminded over and over again by Krish’s Punjabi clan) and unlike her staunch family, she both drinks and eats meat. (May be we should thank IIM for breaking the latter stereotype )

Though the premise is most realistic, it draws your attention to cultural differences in diverse India. Some of them are as simple as boisterous, loud Punjabi music versus quiet, mellifluous Tamilian Carnatic music. However, the difference in sensibilities is predictable. I familiarized myself once again with all the clichés.

Avant Garde Bloggies Awards 2009?

Last year Avant Garde Bloggies Awards (2008) was very popular. It had a huge participation; so much that it had to be conducted with the help of a small, dedicated team (whom I can never stop thanking enough):    The Scrutinizing Committee, the Publicist, the Badge Designer, the Poll Manager and of course the Judges.

This is the list of award categories for which nominations were invited. Before taking the plunge into such a mammoth and busy affair, I would like to know your opinion:

Taking lessons from the last year event, there will be some necessary changes this year. For example, multiple nomination by same person in a category will not be allowed. Voting will be available for lesser duration. Award categories maybe overhauled. And more changes, if required.

Similarly, in case you want to suggest any changes in Avant Garde Bloggies Awards, if conducted this year, let us know in the comments section. Thank you!

P.S: Oh, and here is a promotion video from last year created by Nikhil.

A Rescue Operation

My phone rings. It is my neighbour.

“Poonam, do you know that there is a dog lying outside your house?”

“Really?”

I instantly got up from my bedroom and went to check at the door. Sure enough, there was a large black dog laying in front my gate. He had a huge wound, yet I could see he was breathing. There was also a huge odour. I silently closed the door.

I was soon on phone to find a vet. A colleague, R, who is also an animal rights activist, said she would get me some help. Actually this whole effort could not have been made without her help. First she gave me the number of a voluntary organisation called Paws.

Movie Review: Wake Up Sid

Irrespective of the title not really a review, reflections

There are some movies, that by looking at its stills you can tell with certainty that you are going to watch it.  It is distinctly a whimsy feeling considering you watch all other movies after carefully vetting the reviews. Wake Up Sid was one such movie for me. I knew I had to watch it.

God knows how many times I have given in to such feelings and been mortified at my own judgment. I still have a stark memory of buying advance tickets of a Hrithik Movie Yaadein. (After the first hit, Hrithik’s this second movie had so many takers in advance bookings.) I stood for more than two hours (there was a lunch break in between) in an agonizingly long queue for the tickets at Delhi’s Chanakya theater (It has been closed down now) with my friends. Needless to say, once inside in the theater during the screening of Yaadein, my friends cursed me for that excruciating effort we made to buy the tickets for them.

My reviews aren’t meant to be professional, I mean to ramble and reflect. The experience. And Wake Up Sid gave me a wonderful experience.

This is the first time I am going to rave about a movie that has hardly a plot to talk about. Plot is always important to me when it concerns a book or a movie. And Wake Up Sid has none.

Updates, Tag and General News

First the good news, I have written about DU distance learning students’ plight at their courses not being recognised. IGNOU has now given a green signal for DU distance learning courses. Hurray!

I had written this post at request of Deepak, who wasn’t receiving his appointment letter from Staff Selection Commission (SSC) even though he was selected. So, thankfully, Deepak will receive his appointment letter shortly.

All winners of Cricket-opedia Contest by Virgin IHL have received their gifts. However, I could confirm it with all winners except one, Sandil Srinivasan. Sandil, could you please let me know if you got your goody bag?

Now come the dedications and thank yous.

Jhatpat Tag

Vee tagged me, the  once-reigning meme queen:

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.

She laughs. A Dog? Why?

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can & catch air?

My handsome tote bag that I carry to work

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?

I haven’t watched TV since two months. Unless you count glimpses of Rakhi Sawant show caught at a friend’s place.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is?

8.30 pm

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

8.12 pm (Testing my time keep abilities, are you? I am bad at it since I live in timelessness and also I cheated)

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

Bob Dylan playing in my room. Wait Ganesh Chaturthi loud speakers are also playing outside my balcony, somewhere in my society.

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?

An hour ago to catch a burger from Subway

8. Before you started this Q&As, what did you look at?

Vee’s blog to copy this whole thing

9. What are you wearing?

Skirt and top, ready for bed.

10. When did you last laugh?

Little while ago, was pulling my favorite friend’s leg which has become my e-speciality.

11. What is on the walls of the room you are in?

At home, in my room, beautiful red and lime green walls were so good I didn’t put up anything other than a framed picture of my sister and me. By the way, I have uploaded this picture in my this post about my sister.

Poor English Peasant? :rolling my eyes:

12. Seen anything weird lately?

Yes, saw someone putting imbecile graphic visualizations in training program. For example, this is supposed to depict a poor English peasant:

13. What do you think of this quiz?

Inane and Simple; perfect for my tired frame of mind

14. What is the last film you saw?

Juno

15. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?

An Island and stuff my lone house there with all books and movies I can find.

16. Tell me something about you that I dunno!

…that I have made some girlie jokes about you (in good spirit of course) with other girls. Nope, don’t ask, for I won’t tell.

17. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?

I would remove all caste, region, religion barriers. We must be one.

18. Do you like to Dance?

Yes, but can’t really shake a leg for life.

19. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?

Navya, though I am not sure. It’s tentative.

20. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call her?

Atiharn. Again, tentative.

21. Would you ever consider living abroad?

Yes, for a short period of time. Tuscany, Rome, Venice, and maybe even Paris. Pity they never send you onsite to these places.

22. What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?

Take care of all my loved ones I left behind. Let them know how I miss them.

I tag Indyeah, Arpit, Withering Willow and HyperMom.

P.S: Vee, as a tribute to you, I have not used the ‘more tag’ to cut off my post. I know that lazy you doesn’t  like it.

Angels of the Day

…are the auto-wallahs I met today.

Yes, you heard it right.

Truthfully, most harrowing thing that I have encountered in Pune has been its auto rickshaws.

Some days ago, I was actually stuck with an auto driver, who was taking me round and round the same place, asking directions to random people, taking random turns. I got very scared inwardly since I didn’t know my way to home either and it was about 9 already. I finally ordered him to stop, threw some bills (even though I was still within mile of my source point) and ran away.

Pune auto rickshaws have used every trick in the book to cheat me. They usually tell you incorrect fare, since meter shows only distance covered. Once, they used Bombay or some other place rate card (which had higher rates), lied to me that in the morning newspaper tariffs have been increased, had faulty meter that stopped in between and now they demand unreasonable price. Of course, I have deflected most of them barring once or twice, because I can easily calculate the fare correctly.

So today, when hurriedly paid some bills (usual fare) to the auto wallah and was rushing out to office, he stopped me to hand me some bills back. I gaped in confusion.

He was forty-ish bespectacled Muslim driver with hennaed hair and beard.

He explained, I had paid him more money. And I remembered then that I had flagged auto away from home so obviously it was less fare. Gingerly, I told him, no one ever takes less. He dismissed my observation with curt “Banta nahi to kyun lun.” Loosely meaning, if that is not the deserved cost, why should I take.

I was so touched by this gentleman’s gesture, I blessed him hundred times in my heart. For reinforcing my faith in people. And auto wallahas. God bless him!

Similarly, on my way back from the malls of my swine-flu city, where I had accompanied a friend to find a nice gift for her husband (What do you gift men, by the way, besides clothes, accessories, wallets, cologne?), I easily found an auto way back. By meter. It is a minor miracle since I live in bit far-end of city; and auto rickshaws refuse to ply at times.

Next time I complain about auto rickshaws, remind me of this post. By the way, is there anything we can do when autowallahs refuse to ply and overcharge?