What I’m Reading Now… 1.SEA OF POPPIES by Amitav Ghosh
|
By Lucienne, on February 6th, 2013
They say that simplicity can hold it’s own perfection.Well this novel starts with a simple premise- a young girl on the precipice of adulthood in modern day India tries to make her way in the world without the usual safety net of her family.However the execution and the path that the plot takes renders it far from perfection. Written by Bharati Mukherjee who is known for her sensitive and realistic portrayals of Indian women caught up in the maelstrom of modernity,I had high hopes.I had read “Wife”, “Jasmine” and “The Tiger’s Daughter” in the 90′s and was impressed by the stories about ordinary Indian women caught up in the strictures of their own culture and also the new dramas experienced when they also had to navigate and integrate the culture of the West.
This new novel is set solely in India.Initially I had hoped that it would give a grounded picture of how a young woman would find life in an alien city without the blessing or backing of her family.Reading the novel I was disappointed that Bharati’s main character Anjali Bose lacked a backbone and that the life she found in Bangalore searching for a job at a call center was filled with a series of unbelievably bad and conversely unbelievably good events.I am still searching for a more authentic novel that gives a more lifelike glimpse of a young woman’s maturation in modern ,urban India. Read my review here.
By Lucienne, on July 4th, 2012
Subhankar Banerjee’s photographs about the Arctic and the Desert will be on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art from 27th June till 16th September 2012.They are part of the 18th Biennale of Sydney-a massive showcase of Australian and international artists.
. . . → Read More: Subhankar’s Art at Sydney’s 18th Biennale
By Lucienne, on July 2nd, 2012
How the Demise of the Arctic is Creating a Giant Cash Cow…
On Thursday the 21st June,2012 I listened to a talk given by Subhankar Banerjee at the Town Hall of Seattle.Subhankar is an ardent advocate for the protection and appreciation of the Arctic. The three words that commonly chime together when describing Subhankar are usually artist ,writer and activist.This evening it was through his leadership as an activist that he encouraged both awareness of the pressing issues occurring today in the Arctic and a call to action to help save the Arctic.
Obviously being a talented writer can provide a very powerful means to propel Sunhankar’s activism.His latest book is called “Arctic Voices-Resistance at the Tipping Point”,published by Seven Stories Press ,in New York just this year.It is a collection of pieces of writing by an assortment of people-writers, scientists and activists ;all concerned with the fate of the Arctic.Subhankar is one of those contributors.
The main thrust of Subhankar’s argument is that the Arctic is in great danger ,which if left unchecked will lead to the whole earth endangerment .He amongst others is urging people to educate themselves about the current events in the Arctic and to act to try and stem the damage. Casually we may believe the Arctic to be a distant ,alien land .A land so far away that we neither have influence or effect over it. However Subhankar emphasized several times about the “local and global interconnectedness.” The greenhouse gases so profusely produced in America ,Asia and elsewhere do not contain themselves to those continents alone .Carbon dioxide and methane like bad news travels fast!
Most people have come to the realization that global warming exists and most people also realize that it’s having a real time effect on the earth. Subhankar is at pains to emphasize that the warming in the Artcic is double the rate of the rest of the planet. The acceleration and lengthening of warming in the Artcic and the fact that the Arctic is predominantly ice is heightening the release of methane, which for centuries has remained trapped by the ice .The released methane travels around the entire globe and, is adding volume to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and in turn will simply heat up the planet more. Subhankar believes that this is a planetary disaster .He says that “species are disappearing like Autumn leaves on the trees”. Can anyone stand by emotionless knowing that there have been reports of polar bears dying because their icy home is shrinking.?Subhankar wants to alert us to the fact that people actually inhabit the Arctic .People who live in the uppermost reaches of Canada, The US ,Greenland, Norway and Russia are part of the Artic community .The Naskapi ,the Inuit, the Chukchi are all communities of people that dwell in the polar region .Animal species both the large and the microscopic also find a home in the Arctic. Apparently many people would have you believe otherwise.
Some say that the Arctic is a barren, useless quarter of the world-“a flat white nothingness..a wasteland”.In fact many –in industry and the American government would have you believe that this wastelands only redeeming factor is energy. That is energy in the form of oil and natural gas. This so called wasteland “misinformation” that Subhankar talk of ,brings us to the second serious point-the fact that the U.S government and the oil and gas industries are downplaying the environmental richness of the Artic so they can justify major plans to drill for oil and gas. Subhankar states that the U.S government is actively suppressing its own Federal science reports that publish the truth about the biodiversity of life in the Arctic and the negative effects that drilling for oil would have on life in the Arctic. Caribou, whales, walruses, polar bears, birds ,fish ,krill and many more creatures reside in the Arctic. Their fate and the people who live alongside them are being directly and negatively affected by drilling for oil and gas.
Seattle has recently been giving safe harbor to two massive Shell oil rigs .Just a few days ago these rigs left the Seattle waters en route for the Artic-their mission –exploratory drilling for oil. There has been very little coverage in the media about the Shell oil rigs and very little resistance to their presence and mission. The Greenpeace ship the “Esperanza” is planning to travel with the two Shell oil rigs up to the Arctic to not only act as an environmental watchdog but once up there Greenpeace will conduct its own research on the Arctic conditions.
It is a disturbing aspect of human nature that increasingly and possibly fatefully that all life eventually gets reduced and manipulated by the executioner’s axe commonly known as economics .We can’t live life it seems without an economy that creates jobs to make money so we can buy and live and then live to buy. The economy is a sword with two edges-we can’t live without money but too often that quest to make money renders the living simply: unlivable. Arctic waters poisoned with the pollution from mining effluent along with toxins from oil spills will result in the death and disease of both people and animals residing in the Arctic. A report in the Economist magazine from June 16th-22nd 2012 sums up the triumph of economy over the survival of the human species. “In the long run the unfrozen north could cause devastation. But, paradoxically, in the meantime no Arctic species will profit from it as much as the ones causing it: humans. Disappearing sea ice may spell the end of the last Eskimo cultures, but hardly anyone lives in igloos these days anyway .And the great melt is going to make a lot of people rich.”
Subhankar and other activists such as Ricky Ott, also another speaker that evening at the Town Hall, are well aware of the economic trade off that has environment on the losing end .They are encouraging everyday citizens to lobby to change that laws which currently protect money making at the environment’s expense. They are encouraging everyone to demand new energy sources. They are encouraging everyone to make democracy work.
. . . → Read More: Melting Ice Makes Mounds of Money
By Lucienne, on January 22nd, 2012
When Hanif Kureishi published his most famous novel “The Buddha of Suburbia” in 1990 it came off the back of the very successful screenplay that Hanif wrote called “My Beautiful Laundrette”(1985). The film directed by Stephen Frears was a breakout success, winning raves reviews internationally and earning Hanif Kureishi an Academy award nomination. I saw the film in the late 80′s and was sucked in by Hanif’s cocky sense of humor and his ability to bring the more unpalatable facts of life such as homophobia, racism and infidelity out into general consciousness without bludgeoning your sensibilities.
It may be difficult to imagine the film landscape of the time when films about other ethnic groups amongst the white, western world were stuck in a time warp. There was a hankering for nostalgia in the 1980′s and films such as The Jewel in the Crown, A Passage to India and Out Of Africa; which were basically romancing the white colonial past, were at the height of film fashion. Hanif Kureishi with his fabulously irreverent but extremely relevant and modern screenplays such as “My Beautiful Laundrette” and “Sammie and Rosie Get Laid” and his novels “The Buddha of Suburbia” and “The Black Album”, basically gave the proverbial two fingers to the Victorian drawing room loving set and said get real!
His was one of the lone voices paving the way for multi-cultural writers in the Western world to present a more honest and open picture of what life was really like for the immigrant in modern day Britain.This experience could be translated to New Zealand, Australia,the U.S or any other nation where many races were rapidly integrating.The fabulous thing about Hanif Kuresihi is that his specialty is not just race, he is a writer who explores the universal aspects of humanity and he does it with his own brand of cheeky, salacious humor and wit that is really quite infectious.
“The Buddha of Suburbia” written now over 20 years, is still brimming with Hanif’s love of life. Set in London in the 1970′s it chronicles the chaotic, curious, lustful and often painful life of Karim Amir-the mixed race boy who desires a better life for himself. Chock full of interesting characters and social commentary this novel is hard to put down.This is my second reading after more than two decades and the strength of writing and Hanif’s ideas that he is trying to get across have not lost their shine.
. . . → Read More: A Londonful of love, lust and life.
By Lucienne, on November 28th, 2011
The film version of the novel “The Guide” was a blazing star on 1960′s Bollywood screens.It was a big hit at the box office.However it had no qualms about mincing up R K Narayan’s novel “The Guide” and delivering an A1 melodrama with resoundingly stereotypical characters.There’s the suave fallen hero, the villainous ugly husband, the sexy damsel in distress and the long suffering but loyal mother.The outline of the story has been captured but the intense,darker heart of the story has been whipped into a heady souffle of sugar and spice.One can’t deny the attractiveness of the film-the characters are handsome, the acting is consistently strong and the action rolls along seamlessly from one entertaining scene to the next. The music is also part of a memorable score. However as a lover of the literature of R K Narayan one can only be dissapointed by the turns the film version takes from the book.
As discussed in the review the main character in the novel- Raju was played by heartthrob Dev Anand.He was the golden boy of the Bollywood film industry especially in the 50′s and 60′s.With his lustrous black hair slicked across his forehead in a style reminiscent of Elvis, his regal streamlined features and his quizzical, expressive eyes it’s no wonder that audiences were taken by him. Playing opposite Dev was Waheeda Rehman- also a sparkling star of the 50′s and 60′s Bollywood galaxy.She was an undeniable Indian beauty both in looks and talent.Her passionate, trance-like snake dance scene in the film is a veritable treat.
The film storyline is predictable and ends on a heartily high note. As every successful film producer and director of the film world knows-happy endings make for even happier bank balances. Judging by the position that the film “the Guide” is held in many film goers hearts and opinions, even many years after it’s release, it is necessary to admit that the audience’s emotional high note bears no responsibility for the original author’s intended story. They are each separate creations that must have their own life.
. . . → Read More: Take a walk on the conventional side-”The Guide” becomes a film.
By Lucienne, on November 10th, 2011
R.K Narayan is such a clever writer.Who would have thought such a seemingly simple story could reveal so much about humanity. At first glance R.K Narayan’s ‘The Guide” is about a man who from simple beginnings rises to become a revered sage. As the novel proceeds it became evident that the message within is something quite more disturbing. Some people on this earth deceive themselves and then deceive others so resolutely that the damage they leave in their wake is irreparable. Have you ever met someone who takes and takes and then when they give it’s only to get more?
“The Guide” follows the story of one such character-a charmer and a charlatan named Raju.I have written a review here about “The Guide”.This is a novel written by R K Narayan in 1958. Narayan was born at the turn of the 2oth century in Chennai,South India. He set this novel like several others in the made-up town of Malgudi. The novel doesn’t concern itself with any historical events of the day ,instead it lends itself a timeless and truly valuable quality by focusing on the vagaries of human nature that can be found in any little patch of earth across the globe.
. . . → Read More: R.K Narayan gets under your skin.
By Lucienne, on August 14th, 2011
Instant gratification is easy but does not always make for superb literature. I once read a novel called “Tourism” by N S Dhaliwal- a British Indian writer. This novel was definitely all about self gratification in the sexual sense. It came across to me as a sex obsessed and misogynistic tome by a writer who seemed rather self-absorbed with himself. If I had to recommend a literary book with good sex scenes and a genuine handle on humanity, as it is today, then I would direct you to Hanif Kuresishi’s “Something to Tell You” or Tarun Tejpal’s “The Alchemy of Desire”.
The novel by Anuradha Roy-”An Atlas of Impossible Longing” is not a novel that is so easily categorized. I have written a review that really only touches on one aspect of her writing-exploring the painfulness of human longing or yearning. The many other themes of her exciting novel cover the life of the family in India , women’s place in society, the upheaval of the Partition, sense of place, mental instability, the wrath of nature and so on. Sexual scenes have a place in this novel but it’s not the vehicle Anuradha uses to illuminate her take on humanity. Anuradha has taken time to meticulously craft a novel that shows how difficult it is for humans to fulfill their desire for enduring love. Writing a novel about this is a lot harder than writing about getting it on all the time!!!
. . . → Read More: Hard lessons about Humanity-a novel about longing for Love!
By Lucienne, on August 14th, 2011
For many months I have enjoyed plying the pages of Swapna Krishna’s blog-S.Krishna’s Books.Whilst not exclusively devoted to South Asian literature it definitely does justice to the the culture.Many a new South Asian book I have had the pleasure of discovering on her blog.
Now I have decided to join her South Asian Challenge.I plan to both read the following works and to post a review of them on my own blog.This is my list so far…….
1. An Atlas Of Impossible Longing by Anuradha Roy
2. The Guide by R.K Narayan
3. The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi
4. The difficulty of being Good by Gurcharan Das
Read about Swapna’s challenge here.
. . . → Read More: South Asian Challenge with S.Krishna
By Lucienne, on June 5th, 2011
As I was travelling in India earlier this year Dhobi Ghat ,the film was being promoted. I saw bill posters in many places and I read a couple of magazine articles about the films and it’s pedigree billing. The film stars Bollywood actor Aamir Khan and it is directed by his wife Kiran Rao .Both husband and wife produced the film as well. Most people probably know that Aamir Khan is the darling of the Bollywood set but less is known about Kiran Rao .She began as a second assistant director on films such as Monsoon Wedding and Lagaan.She has also produced several films such as Taare Zameen Par. Kiran Rao has now moved on to direct her first big film.
This film is her thermometer in the world of film .Definitely an Indian arthouse film, this film will appeal to those who love thorough character development and enjoy real life filming. Kiran Rao’s love for Mumbai in all its facets shines through in this film about relationships and the lifeful dynamism of personal yearnings. Kiran Rao’s film is Dhobi Ghat is definitely recommended viewing-read my full review to find out why.
. . . → Read More: Dhobi Ghat-Kiran Rao’s must see film from Mumbai.
By Lucienne, on May 31st, 2011
It had been more than ten years since our family had last visited India.We had the opportunity recently to spend a reasonable chunk of time in India-a month, and decided to use the extensive Indian railway network to explore the length and breadth of this sprawling,kaleidoscopic nation.In previous trips we had only visited the northern end of India namely Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan.This time we expressly wanted to see what the south had to offer,so to further this aspiration we chose to travel by train.
On the train
The attraction to travel by train is not merely the fact that it’s sweet on the hip pocket-I mean we traveled about 4000 kilometers from the southern city of Chennai all along the west coast up into the north eastern hills at Haldwani all for a mere few hundred dollars (RS 21,500 which is about $480 USD).The best thing about the train experience is meeting people and getting more enmeshed in the local life than you would’ve been if you simply traveled by air.When we traveled on the Kanykumari Express train from Chennai to Kanyakumari we met with a NRI south Indian family who were back showing their colleague the sights around their home town.Their colleague was an Italian national who was working with the Indian couple in Vietnam in an Australian university.How’s that for six degrees of separation!We had just come from Australia and in conversation with the Italian guy we mentioned how we had watched some popular Italian T.V shows in Sydney which of course he knew about.Another time on train Suryanagari Express from Mumbai to Jodphur we met an extended Indian family-four generations,heading to their hometown near Jodhpur for a family wedding.They chatted to us about life and politics in current day India and even offered some of their home cooked food which they had bought along in tiffins for the journey.This is a very Indian family thing to do on trains-your own picnic in the passenger compartment.
Tropical south India as seen from the train
If you don’t bring your own food there’s several options that might suit you but don’t expect gastronomy extraordinaire. Some trains have their own kitchens or alternatively they take a food order from you, relay it to another station way up ahead and then pick it up from there and deliver it to you.I had ordered a chicken biriyani and I found it way too full of chillies for my taste(but that’s just me). Another issue with the ordered food is that if you are not an adept juggler you will find your sleeping space Jackson Pollocked with your train food provisions. My husband’s meal was a rice and curry dish.The rice was packed in a foil tray,similar to the ones you get on airlines but the liquid curry was in a small plastic lunch bag tied with thread.There were no bowls or cutlery so you had to be mighty careful not to spill the soft capsule all over the place.Needless to say we made alternative arrangements on subsequent trips.When we left Mumbai,we bought a loaf of supermarket bread,cucumbers,tomatoes and cheese slices to make our own sandwiches.Another time we asked our hotel in Jodphur-Hotel Fifu to make up two dry vegetable dishes-aloo methi (potatoes and fenugreek leaves) and fried bhindi (okra) as well as some pooris (deep fried bread)for the trip.With nothing to spill it was a much pleasanter eating experience.
Ernakulum Station
If time has tethered your efforts to make suitable eating arrangements you could be accommodated by the traveling train vendors.Train food hawkers were on most trains we traveled on throughout the day and up till dinner time.They sell food specific to the region you’re in.They carry their wares from carriage to carriage on a silver box tray above their shoulder,hollering out their specialty.In the south you’ll hear the call for idlis,dosai and bread omlette.Going up towards Goa you’ll find tomato soupy very popular and further north is something unique I’d never heard of before-”chicken lollipop”.Chicken lollipop is basically a chicken bone with spicy chicken meat molded on the top.Heading towards Jodhpur one of the vendors had a namkeen or salty snack with all the trimmings.With such deftness and skill on a moving train he filled a paper cone with fried lentils and topped it off with the customer’s preferred seasonings-chillies,other spices,cilantro leaves,onions and so on.Some vendors carry urns with hot tea or coffee and others carry chocolates and bottled water.For the procrastinators who can’t choose on board there’s always the option of jumping train at one of the stations that has an extended stay.Usually other passengers are in the know and they’ll tel you which stations the train waits over at.Those particular stations are very well stocked with all sorts of cooked food and snacks.Just make sure you’re not late getting back on again.
Musical company on the train-an Indian naval officer.
Talking about being late-all the trains we took were on time save one.I had been warned that the trains were unreliable but was very pleasantly surprised that they were definitely reliable.We booked all our trains on cleartrip.com,which books directly for you at the Indian Railways.There is an Indian Railway site but it requires a local Indian credit card and the site crashes easily during the booking process.The following is a list of tips which I think are helpful-
Chennai Railway Station
TIPS TO REMEMBER ON TRAINS
1.Bear in mind that the train station on your ticket may not be as close as you think.In big cities like Mumbai their are many train stations-some about an hour from the CBD so check the distance well beforehand.
2.Make sure you get to the station at least half an hour before the train leaves.Show a train station employee your ticket and ask them where your carriage/bogey will pull up at the station.Some trains only wait at the station for a few minutes and if you’re at the wrong end you might find yourself struggling to get on in time with your luggage amongst all the crowds.
3.Once you’re in the carriage locate your seat and place your luggage underneath it pronto.If you’re not quick the space will get taken up-the space scramble is just like on the planes.Padlock your luggage and you might even want to chain your bags to the carriage.In some trains there are hooks designed for this purpose.
3.Carry a light blanket or woolen shawl with you.The class of train travel you have booked determines what type of bedding you will receive-in some basic seats it’s none.We traveled in AC 2 Tier and we received a pillow,two flat sheets and a woolen blanket.The shawl gives you extra warmth and comfort.Oftentimes in the AC carriage we were subjected to very erratic temperatures.At times it was arctic and other times it was balmy.
4.Keep your printed E-ticket handy with you as the ticket master always checks them off,and verifies your ID as well.
5.If you’re on an overnight train sleeping time is meant to be at 9 pm.If you are positioned on the lower berth and travelers from the upper berth are sitting there, (as they have the right to do during the day) you can request them to vacate your bed at 9pm.Likewise be prepared to be disturbed at 6am the next day.This is the time when newcomers arrive onto the train and expect to be awake and seated.
6.Set an alarm for yourself.Train workers do from time to time alert passengers about up and coming stations but you might be in a stupor at that time and miss it.Plus you’ll need time to gather all your stuff.
7.Consider carrying your own toiletry supplies-meaning toilet paper and soap.Out of the 12 or so trains we traveled on only one supplied toilet paper(Bhopal Shatabdi from Delhi to Agra).Likewise there was rarely any soap and you’ll feel like you need it as the toilets are not sparkling.
8.If you’re in any sort of AC class you won’t be able to open the windows.To get some good photos you’ll have to hang out the door to the carriage but it’s worth it as India has some spectacular scenery.
Commuters on suburban Mumbai train
Mumbai's famous CST train station
Gothic detail of Mumbai's CST station
. . . → Read More: Trekking by Train across India
|
|
