The story starts with a yellow haired westerner on a bullock cart on the road to Sikri, the capital of Emperor Akbar. He calls himself as Mogor dell Amore and lands in the royal court of Akbar claiming that he has secrets of the family to reveal. He shocks the court with his claim that he is the son of the lost Moghul princess, Qara Koz, the youngest sister of Akbar´s grand father Babar. The story causes confusion and incites emotions among the members of the royal household. Akbar is fascinated by the audacious character of Mogol dell Amore who outwits the other members of the royal court with his intellect and sharpness. He enjoys the tall tales and fantastic fables of the ingenious European.
Qara Koz, later known as Angelica, is the enchantress of Florence, known for her irresistible beauty and magical power of enchantment. She commands her own destiny in a man´s world during the medieval times. She is captured as a war booty by a Uzbeg warlord, then by the Emperor of Persia and finally she becomes the lover of Argalia, a Florentine soldier of fortune. Angelica has a servant girl who looks exactly like her. She includes the servant in the threesome entertainment of her male lovers with kamasutra skills. The Enchantress is a strong-willed and clear headed woman who lets her heart host the men of her choice. But when she reaches the cross road, she chooses her next destination without letting her heart cloud her mind. When her last lover is killed in Florence, she decides to take her final journey, this time to the New World.
This is the story which straddles the west and the east through the middleeast. It is about how the culture and mindset of east and west understood each other and interacted in those times. Rushdie has used the Moghul court of Akbar and the Renaisance Florentine society to bring out their characteristics vividly. Akbar, was, of course, ahead of his time with his enlightened approach and freedom of thought.
Rushdie has delved into the features of Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, using the character of Akbar as a thinker. Akbar is not a believer in the unquestionable superiority of his religion. He learns, understands and respects the other faiths. He entertains doubts, like the Hindu sages, about himself, his empire, religions and the universe. As a true philosopher he is caught between the empire and self, cruelty and tenderness, treachery and loyalty, war and peace, fantasies and pragmatism.
Argalio is an inimitable adventurer. He is part of the group of three Florentine boys Niccolò Machiavelli and Ago Vespucci who grow up together with different dreams. Machiavelli writes the book called as Prince, an advisory to the kings, while Ago becomes a merchant. All three meet at the end. The other two are also captivated by the charm of the Enchantress, the lover of Argalia .
Salman Rushdie has excelled himself yet again with this story of magical realism. He connects the Moghul court with the Florentine society, fantasy with facts , love with sex and magic with reality. Rushdie excels in story telling in his own unique and entertaining way blending history with fables. Rushdie lays out a buffet of love, romance, magic, wonder, politics, religion, history , the west and the east. He is profound and profane, sarcastic and sagacious, poetic and mysterious. Rushdie has done lot of research, which is evident in the details of his story telling. He has given a long list of books he went through for this novel.
Here are some excerpts from the book
- there is a weakness that comes over men at the battle´s end, when they become aware of the fragility of life. At such time, men can think of nothing but the women´s embraces, the healing words whispered by the women and the joy of losing themselves in the fatal labyrinth of love.
- she found his vanity seductive. She was in love with his faults
- when a prince takes power he should do his worst right away, because after that his every deed will strike his subjects as an improvement on the way he started out.
- all true believers have good reason for disbelieving in every god except their own, said Birbal, and so it is they who, between them, give me all the reasons for believing in none.
Rushdie had kept me spellbound to the magical journey of the Enchantress and fulfilled my craving for and addiction to magical realism.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
The Post-American World – book by Fareed Zakaria
This is the second non-fiction book I finished reading the fastest in recent years. The first one was Tom Friedman´s The World is Flat.
The current implosion of the American capitalism , which was dominating the world for well over a century, provided the backdrop for understanding the analysis and conclusions of the author.
Zakaria has concluded that the US dominance of the world is set to decline politically, economically and culturally. This is followed by the Ascent of the Rest ( emerging powers such as China and India). He has illustrated this with tennis. The number of American players in the US Open was 78 in 1982 but came down to just 28 in 2007. His reason; ¨everyone has started playing the game now¨. He extends the illustration with the financial game. In 2005 twenty four of the 25 largest IPOs happened in countries other than USA. He has pointed out that many of the tallest, biggest, best and other superlative things are coming up outside USA.
He has diagnosed that although USA has a strong society, it is handicapped with a weak state. The American political system has got itself in a quagmire with its partisan petty wars and has been captured by special interests, money and sensational media and ideological attack groups. This has been compounded by arrogance, carelessness and lazyness. It does not have what it takes to address the fundamental problems such as health care. He points out that USA is one of the only three countries ( Myanmar and Liberia, the other two illustrious deviants ) in the world which do not follow the Metric system. The Americans left it for the rest of the World to understand USA and adopt to them. Continuation of this attitude will only accelerate the decline of USA, he concludes.
Zakaria has brilliantly summarized the problem in another American way. They used to say that what was good for GM was good for USA. Nothing seems to be going good for GM now. It has lost its supremacy to Toyota and is in a losing struggle to survive. The lesson for USA is so obvious.
He has offered some constructive suggestions for the US policy makers.
- The US should learn from the decline of its predecessor, the British Empire and should recognize the new reality and adopt a collaborative approach to tackling global issues, as the British did so gracefully.
- The US cannot solve all the problems of the world. They should prioritise and take on only those of their vital interests. Legitimacy should guide US policies.
- Follow the Bismarckian strategy of engaging the other powers and have better relations with all of them than they have with each other.
- Learn from the American MultiNational Coroporations such as IBM and GE who have successfully adopted new business models to take advantage of the new emerging markets and the globalisation.They have formed joint ventures in many countries, giving up the managerial Imperialism of their past.
- Prepare to deal with asymmetric threats arising from terrorism, drug cartel etc through innovative range of instruments.
Zakaria has brought out the folly of creation of Africom. He has explained this with a quote from Mark Twain ¨To the man who has a hammer, every problem looks like a nail¨. Brilliant !! He has commented that the US administration, while trying to scare its enemies has terrorized the rest of the world. He says that the the American policy makers are consumed by fear, paranoia, anxiety about foreign trade, foreign companies and foreigners. Contrast this with the hope, confidence and optimism of the Indians and Chinese, who want to take advantage of globalisation to conquer the world.
Zakaria has argued that USA has many strengths, unlike UK which could do nothing to arrest its decline especially the economic one. These are: economic strength, solid tradition of innovation and renewal with an educational system which nurtures these spirits and rejuvenation of the society with the energy and spirit of the immigrants.
He has brought out one of the the contrasts between the west and the east. While Christianity and Islam , believing in their inherited superiority seek to convert the non-believers, the Hindu Indians and the Confucian Chinese believe in the goodness of other faiths and do not seek to change them.
Zakaria has not pretended to be a prophet with any new revelations or new theories. He has analysed the issues in simple and clear ways understandable for readers with plain commonsense. He has advocated new ways of measuring prosperity, savings etc since the old methods of GDP and others have become inadequate for the complexity of the new realities.
The only weakness he has openly displayed is his passion for USA. Hmm.. what can I say ? …with my own passion for Latin America.
Zakaria is an Indian who went to USA for studies in 1982 and rose to become the Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs magazine and now as International Editor of Newsweek. He has concluded that to thrive in this new and challenging era and to to succeed amid the rise of the rest, USA needs to fulfil only one test. It should be a place that is as inviting and exciting to the young student who enters the country as it was for him in 1982.
The current implosion of the American capitalism , which was dominating the world for well over a century, provided the backdrop for understanding the analysis and conclusions of the author.
Zakaria has concluded that the US dominance of the world is set to decline politically, economically and culturally. This is followed by the Ascent of the Rest ( emerging powers such as China and India). He has illustrated this with tennis. The number of American players in the US Open was 78 in 1982 but came down to just 28 in 2007. His reason; ¨everyone has started playing the game now¨. He extends the illustration with the financial game. In 2005 twenty four of the 25 largest IPOs happened in countries other than USA. He has pointed out that many of the tallest, biggest, best and other superlative things are coming up outside USA.
He has diagnosed that although USA has a strong society, it is handicapped with a weak state. The American political system has got itself in a quagmire with its partisan petty wars and has been captured by special interests, money and sensational media and ideological attack groups. This has been compounded by arrogance, carelessness and lazyness. It does not have what it takes to address the fundamental problems such as health care. He points out that USA is one of the only three countries ( Myanmar and Liberia, the other two illustrious deviants ) in the world which do not follow the Metric system. The Americans left it for the rest of the World to understand USA and adopt to them. Continuation of this attitude will only accelerate the decline of USA, he concludes.
Zakaria has brilliantly summarized the problem in another American way. They used to say that what was good for GM was good for USA. Nothing seems to be going good for GM now. It has lost its supremacy to Toyota and is in a losing struggle to survive. The lesson for USA is so obvious.
He has offered some constructive suggestions for the US policy makers.
- The US should learn from the decline of its predecessor, the British Empire and should recognize the new reality and adopt a collaborative approach to tackling global issues, as the British did so gracefully.
- The US cannot solve all the problems of the world. They should prioritise and take on only those of their vital interests. Legitimacy should guide US policies.
- Follow the Bismarckian strategy of engaging the other powers and have better relations with all of them than they have with each other.
- Learn from the American MultiNational Coroporations such as IBM and GE who have successfully adopted new business models to take advantage of the new emerging markets and the globalisation.They have formed joint ventures in many countries, giving up the managerial Imperialism of their past.
- Prepare to deal with asymmetric threats arising from terrorism, drug cartel etc through innovative range of instruments.
Zakaria has brought out the folly of creation of Africom. He has explained this with a quote from Mark Twain ¨To the man who has a hammer, every problem looks like a nail¨. Brilliant !! He has commented that the US administration, while trying to scare its enemies has terrorized the rest of the world. He says that the the American policy makers are consumed by fear, paranoia, anxiety about foreign trade, foreign companies and foreigners. Contrast this with the hope, confidence and optimism of the Indians and Chinese, who want to take advantage of globalisation to conquer the world.
Zakaria has argued that USA has many strengths, unlike UK which could do nothing to arrest its decline especially the economic one. These are: economic strength, solid tradition of innovation and renewal with an educational system which nurtures these spirits and rejuvenation of the society with the energy and spirit of the immigrants.
He has brought out one of the the contrasts between the west and the east. While Christianity and Islam , believing in their inherited superiority seek to convert the non-believers, the Hindu Indians and the Confucian Chinese believe in the goodness of other faiths and do not seek to change them.
Zakaria has not pretended to be a prophet with any new revelations or new theories. He has analysed the issues in simple and clear ways understandable for readers with plain commonsense. He has advocated new ways of measuring prosperity, savings etc since the old methods of GDP and others have become inadequate for the complexity of the new realities.
The only weakness he has openly displayed is his passion for USA. Hmm.. what can I say ? …with my own passion for Latin America.
Zakaria is an Indian who went to USA for studies in 1982 and rose to become the Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs magazine and now as International Editor of Newsweek. He has concluded that to thrive in this new and challenging era and to to succeed amid the rise of the rest, USA needs to fulfil only one test. It should be a place that is as inviting and exciting to the young student who enters the country as it was for him in 1982.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Tamil connection to the ski resort in Las Lenas, Argentina
While it is summer in India and in the northern hemisphere, it is skiing time in Argentina and Chile. I was in Las Lenas ski resort in the Mendoza province of Argentina 5-8 July. This is the biggest resort in south america with long slopes. The longest slope is seven kilometers and that too in both blue ( for intermediates like me) and red and black for advanced skiers. This is a favourite place for dare devils who want to try the off-beat extreme slopes.
Before starting the skiing on 6 july, I was invited to the Snow Festival in Malargue, a town seventy km from the resort. The governor of mendoza province and the mayor of the city were there. Ther cannot be a Fiesta in latin America without a queen ! They had a beauty contest and selected a Snow Queen. The fun and frolic went on till five in the morning.
Las lenas is located at an altitude of 2249 meters at the base and goes upto 3340 meters, above the tree line. The view from the top is spectacular. With this high altitude it receives more snow in comparison to the other esorts such as Bariloche and Chappelco.
While ninty percent of the skiers are Argentines, there are a lot of Brasilians too. They come in chartered flights from sao paulo direct to malargue.
The ski resort turns into a mountain resort in summer with adventure activities such as mountain biking and horse riding. The resort hotels here have a total of 4000 beds.
Before starting the skiing on 6 july, I was invited to the Snow Festival in Malargue, a town seventy km from the resort. The governor of mendoza province and the mayor of the city were there. Ther cannot be a Fiesta in latin America without a queen ! They had a beauty contest and selected a Snow Queen. The fun and frolic went on till five in the morning.
Las lenas is located at an altitude of 2249 meters at the base and goes upto 3340 meters, above the tree line. The view from the top is spectacular. With this high altitude it receives more snow in comparison to the other esorts such as Bariloche and Chappelco.While ninty percent of the skiers are Argentines, there are a lot of Brasilians too. They come in chartered flights from sao paulo direct to malargue.
The ski resort turns into a mountain resort in summer with adventure activities such as mountain biking and horse riding. The resort hotels here have a total of 4000 beds.
Let us now come to the Tamil connection... The owner of Las Lenas resort is Arumugam...not from tamilnadu..but from Malaysia. He owns 600,000 hectares of land in and around the resort and has sheep farms and a horse breeding farm. He also owns 12000 hectares of land near Buenos Aires where he grows soya and wheat. I taught a few tamil words to the managers there so that they can surprise mr arumugam with tamil greetings, next time when they meet him.
Congrats Mr Arumugam for taking Tamil to the peaks of Las Lenas !
Congrats Mr Arumugam for taking Tamil to the peaks of Las Lenas !
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Golf at the age of 87 ...yes ...87
As usual, I was fixed today also to play with three new golfers at the Jockey Club in Buenos Aires. This is how I have been making contacts and friends by playing with new people. One of the three, Mr Carlos Bracht became my partner when they threw balls for partners.
When I reached out with a handshake, my partner smiled and said he was 87 years old. I got a shock. Then he showed the earplug and said he was hard of hearing...another jolt...I got further depressed when I saw he was going to play without the assistance of a caddy.. He was driving a single-seater cart. I thought I was going to have a miserable four and half hours.
I came out of my depression when Carlos made a par in the first hole. My spirits were lifted up when he made another par, missing birdie in the second hole. He made the third consecutive par in the third hole and then went on to score many pars and I was overwhelmed. Together we made a good score.
Carlos has been playing in Jockey club for the last 72 years! He started golf at the age of 15. He has won Argentine amateur championship several times and has won tournaments in other countries too.
Carlos now plays to a handicap of 12. He plays a serious and competitive game. He hits straight and putts sometimes with a three wood. His only frustration is that he is not able to hit drives beyond 200 yards.
The experience with Carlos reminded me of my partnership with Dr Bharat Ram in ITC golf course in Delhi in 2005. He was ninty years old when he played with me. He expired last year.
Playing golf competitions at 87 and 90 years ! What a life ! This reminds me of the saying in Latin America, " We dont stop having fun when we grow old.. we become old only when we stop having fun".
They say old golfers never retire...they just lose balls ! Bharat Ram had a ball at 90 years and Carlos is going strong at 87....playing golf competitions and having fun. I have now become a fan of Carlos.
Viva Carlos !
When I reached out with a handshake, my partner smiled and said he was 87 years old. I got a shock. Then he showed the earplug and said he was hard of hearing...another jolt...I got further depressed when I saw he was going to play without the assistance of a caddy.. He was driving a single-seater cart. I thought I was going to have a miserable four and half hours.
I came out of my depression when Carlos made a par in the first hole. My spirits were lifted up when he made another par, missing birdie in the second hole. He made the third consecutive par in the third hole and then went on to score many pars and I was overwhelmed. Together we made a good score.
Carlos has been playing in Jockey club for the last 72 years! He started golf at the age of 15. He has won Argentine amateur championship several times and has won tournaments in other countries too.
Carlos now plays to a handicap of 12. He plays a serious and competitive game. He hits straight and putts sometimes with a three wood. His only frustration is that he is not able to hit drives beyond 200 yards.
The experience with Carlos reminded me of my partnership with Dr Bharat Ram in ITC golf course in Delhi in 2005. He was ninty years old when he played with me. He expired last year.
Playing golf competitions at 87 and 90 years ! What a life ! This reminds me of the saying in Latin America, " We dont stop having fun when we grow old.. we become old only when we stop having fun".
They say old golfers never retire...they just lose balls ! Bharat Ram had a ball at 90 years and Carlos is going strong at 87....playing golf competitions and having fun. I have now become a fan of Carlos.
Viva Carlos !
Sunday, February 03, 2008
An Argentine who sees India through her heart
During my endless (and exasperating...) declaratory campaign about my passion for Latin America, I come across Latin Americans who are equally passionate about India. Some of them are followers of Indian Gurus ( such as Sai baba) or spiritual groups (such as Hare Krishna). For them it is a matter of faith. The other day I came across someone who does not belong to either of the groups but whose eyes dance while talking about India.
Quote
INDIA
India is not a country but a continent. From North to South, from East to West people are different. Languages, dialects, food, customs are different. The way they dress; and the country itself is different from many others I have explored. It is a place that somehow gets into you. Love it or hate it, you can never ignore India.
I read somewhere that poverty can bring you down, bureaucracy tries the patience of even a Hindu saint and the most experienced travellers find themselves at the end of their tempers at some point in India. Yet if you ask me, it’s all worth it. Basically India is what you want it to be. If it is history you are looking forward to re-live, you will have come to the right place, there is a profusion of temples, palaces, forts, and abandoned city ruins in the middle of the desert- and they all have their tales to tell. If it is art, music or crafts … it will be just your kind of place. If it is Ayurvedic (or traditional) medicine, pharmaceuticals, IT, automobile, or agro-business etc. …. you name it … they do it! And they do it well. But, undoubtedly its biggest treasure, in my opinion, is its people. Their wide smile, their ”Namaste” or “Vanakam” when they greet you- some people say this greeting means the divinity in me greets the divinity in you.
So this combination of people, history, arts, medicine, together with its current bustling economy make of India not just a place to simply “visit”. These factors will all contribute to making a totally different experience, an assault on your senses, a place you will never forget.
The smells are definitely strong and diverse, spices, incense sticks- especially those in Mysore- made of sandalwood burning in the countless temples you will visit or come by, the variety of flowers and specially the jasmine flowers carefully woven into long threads that are worn by women on their heads after visiting the temples. And, yes of course there is the smell of dirt, but if you are smart enough, and you “see” the struggle of this country to fight the dust, the garbage that accumulates because of the over population of its cities, because of the simple fact that they are over a billion people, you will be able to enjoy all the other things, and not just be a prisoner of pre conceptions, like "I don’t know if I will be able to cope with the dirt of India", “There’s so much poverty”, typical clichés that I have heard so much, and humbly tried to fight with all my heart since I first visited India for the first time 10 years ago.
The sense of touch is stimulated by the rich silks of the saris, the embroidered garments and brocades, the softness of the hands of the people who greet you from the bottom of their souls ... caresses to the heart I still go to when I need comfort.
The taste of Indian cuisine is also varied and delicious. There are considerable variations from North to South. Curry (which is a blend of almost 25 freshly grounded spices) produces masalas or mixes. The most well known flavours come from chillies, cloves, coriander, cardamom, cumin, and bay leaves, and several seeds that will surely captivate your palate. It is such a long list that would take pages to describe. And no fears, I won’t! But I have to mention the “breads” are also incredible a big favourite with us foreigners.
The hearing- probably most influenced by the traffic noise and its diversity in means of transportation that range from simple rickshaws, old white Ambbys (Ambassador cars), big old bikes that glide their away in dusty, sleepy streets of small cities ... and now the newest models, including the now newly released Nano (the cheapest car in the world). Then there is the chanting at the temples, the OM (really pronounced aum, some people assure if the universe had a sound this would be it!)
The sight, probably the most shocked of the sense you will experience, include the fact that you’ll see elephants, camels, holy cows, goats and other animals wandering free amidst all the vehicles, and in the middle of this chaos (an organised chaos I must say) there’s peace. Maybe the one that springs from the heart of the inhabitants of a land of religious tolerance. The colors of the saris the women wear, from bright yellow, to turquoise, fuchsia, red and green, the turbans worn by the men in the Rajasthan, the gold bracelets, the earrings, the faces of the kids that jump around you …
But besides the senses of sight, smell, touch and hearing, it is your spirit what will probably benefit more from the daily lessons of compassion, love and tolerance I personally have experienced almost on a daily basis in this beautiful country. It is a world so exotic to us; so marvellous that can instantly take you back to your childhood; to a time of fantasy and endless surprise, or to the future with all the developments that this republic is experiencing now. I hope you feel someday that it is worth taking the risk of “seeing poverty, and dirt” …but here is my tip, if you see India through your heart, I assure you, you will never regret having visited it! And like me, you will never stop going back!
FAY
(Your Honorary Consul of India in Rosario) Unquote
She is Fabiana ( Fay), a young, smart, ambitious and enterprising person from Rosario. She is the chief of her own business consultancy company. She has been to India many times and to many parts including Coimbatore! She is a friend of the embassy and has been helping Indian delegations voluntarily. Now she wants to take a business delegation to India.
I have just received her write-up on India, which she has sent with a note saying she lifted the " passionate" from my emails to say she is "passionate about India ". She describes in the article below what made her passionate about India.
Quote
INDIA
India is not a country but a continent. From North to South, from East to West people are different. Languages, dialects, food, customs are different. The way they dress; and the country itself is different from many others I have explored. It is a place that somehow gets into you. Love it or hate it, you can never ignore India.
I read somewhere that poverty can bring you down, bureaucracy tries the patience of even a Hindu saint and the most experienced travellers find themselves at the end of their tempers at some point in India. Yet if you ask me, it’s all worth it. Basically India is what you want it to be. If it is history you are looking forward to re-live, you will have come to the right place, there is a profusion of temples, palaces, forts, and abandoned city ruins in the middle of the desert- and they all have their tales to tell. If it is art, music or crafts … it will be just your kind of place. If it is Ayurvedic (or traditional) medicine, pharmaceuticals, IT, automobile, or agro-business etc. …. you name it … they do it! And they do it well. But, undoubtedly its biggest treasure, in my opinion, is its people. Their wide smile, their ”Namaste” or “Vanakam” when they greet you- some people say this greeting means the divinity in me greets the divinity in you.
So this combination of people, history, arts, medicine, together with its current bustling economy make of India not just a place to simply “visit”. These factors will all contribute to making a totally different experience, an assault on your senses, a place you will never forget.
The smells are definitely strong and diverse, spices, incense sticks- especially those in Mysore- made of sandalwood burning in the countless temples you will visit or come by, the variety of flowers and specially the jasmine flowers carefully woven into long threads that are worn by women on their heads after visiting the temples. And, yes of course there is the smell of dirt, but if you are smart enough, and you “see” the struggle of this country to fight the dust, the garbage that accumulates because of the over population of its cities, because of the simple fact that they are over a billion people, you will be able to enjoy all the other things, and not just be a prisoner of pre conceptions, like "I don’t know if I will be able to cope with the dirt of India", “There’s so much poverty”, typical clichés that I have heard so much, and humbly tried to fight with all my heart since I first visited India for the first time 10 years ago.
The sense of touch is stimulated by the rich silks of the saris, the embroidered garments and brocades, the softness of the hands of the people who greet you from the bottom of their souls ... caresses to the heart I still go to when I need comfort.
The taste of Indian cuisine is also varied and delicious. There are considerable variations from North to South. Curry (which is a blend of almost 25 freshly grounded spices) produces masalas or mixes. The most well known flavours come from chillies, cloves, coriander, cardamom, cumin, and bay leaves, and several seeds that will surely captivate your palate. It is such a long list that would take pages to describe. And no fears, I won’t! But I have to mention the “breads” are also incredible a big favourite with us foreigners.
The hearing- probably most influenced by the traffic noise and its diversity in means of transportation that range from simple rickshaws, old white Ambbys (Ambassador cars), big old bikes that glide their away in dusty, sleepy streets of small cities ... and now the newest models, including the now newly released Nano (the cheapest car in the world). Then there is the chanting at the temples, the OM (really pronounced aum, some people assure if the universe had a sound this would be it!)
The sight, probably the most shocked of the sense you will experience, include the fact that you’ll see elephants, camels, holy cows, goats and other animals wandering free amidst all the vehicles, and in the middle of this chaos (an organised chaos I must say) there’s peace. Maybe the one that springs from the heart of the inhabitants of a land of religious tolerance. The colors of the saris the women wear, from bright yellow, to turquoise, fuchsia, red and green, the turbans worn by the men in the Rajasthan, the gold bracelets, the earrings, the faces of the kids that jump around you …
But besides the senses of sight, smell, touch and hearing, it is your spirit what will probably benefit more from the daily lessons of compassion, love and tolerance I personally have experienced almost on a daily basis in this beautiful country. It is a world so exotic to us; so marvellous that can instantly take you back to your childhood; to a time of fantasy and endless surprise, or to the future with all the developments that this republic is experiencing now. I hope you feel someday that it is worth taking the risk of “seeing poverty, and dirt” …but here is my tip, if you see India through your heart, I assure you, you will never regret having visited it! And like me, you will never stop going back!
FAY
(Your Honorary Consul of India in Rosario) Unquote
her email: fay.asiana@gmail.com
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Sade - for ever
Someone asked me, what happened to the floating weed since the last blog posting of 16 september. I responded, " the floating weed has stopped at the side of the Rio de la Plata ( Plata River in Buenos Aires). The city has captivated me completely and overwhelmingly since my arrival on 10 October. This meant a lot of postings in the latin american blogs.
Today, as I opened the videos of Sade in YouTube my non-latin american side of life came alive, refreshing memories. As i was trying the different songs, something struck me. I liked every one of the songs of Sade. I cannot say this of my other favourite singers. While Selena, Celine Dion, Luis Fonsi and Cristian Castro have taken me to the heights of ecstasy with their songs I found that I liked only a few of their songs. So when I bought their CDs I ended up with majority of songs I did not like.
But Sade is an exception. I enjoy every song of hers. Every song of hers stirs my soul and set me on romantic mood.
Sure I have some which I like more such as
- No ordinary love
- kiss of life
- I still really really love you
But I like every song of sade, in video and audio. Her soft and sweet voice touches the heart and strokes the soul. It is like a breeze entering through every cell of the body finding its way to the heart. Sade's songs are relaxing and refreshing, stirring and stimulating. I discovered her songs in 1998 and every time I listen to her, there is a new sensation and enjoyment.
Today, as I opened the videos of Sade in YouTube my non-latin american side of life came alive, refreshing memories. As i was trying the different songs, something struck me. I liked every one of the songs of Sade. I cannot say this of my other favourite singers. While Selena, Celine Dion, Luis Fonsi and Cristian Castro have taken me to the heights of ecstasy with their songs I found that I liked only a few of their songs. So when I bought their CDs I ended up with majority of songs I did not like.
But Sade is an exception. I enjoy every song of hers. Every song of hers stirs my soul and set me on romantic mood.
Sure I have some which I like more such as
- No ordinary love
- kiss of life
- I still really really love you
But I like every song of sade, in video and audio. Her soft and sweet voice touches the heart and strokes the soul. It is like a breeze entering through every cell of the body finding its way to the heart. Sade's songs are relaxing and refreshing, stirring and stimulating. I discovered her songs in 1998 and every time I listen to her, there is a new sensation and enjoyment.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Floating weed moves on...
yes .. it will leave delhi on 28 september and reach Buenos Aires on 10 october. Hmm..I have been posted as Ambassador to Argentina.
The last four years of my stay in India has been fascinating and exciting. I witnessed the dramatic transformation of India and the Indians. I had seen from the vantage point of South Block the unfolding of the policy of economic reforms. I had watched with admiration the unleashing of the enterprenurial energy of the Indian businessmen who are going global. I had listened to the " audacious vision" talk of the captains of Indian industry in the business conferences and seen it in action with Mittal taking over Arcelor and Tata buying Corus. I was thrilled to see the new confidence, ambition and optimism of the Indian youth with their "can do " attitude. I was fascinated by the consumer revolution caused by mobile phones. My own village has over sixty phones! Ten years back, I thought world- class highways, malls and buildings were just dreams. Now these have come true.
Now when I go out of India, I go as the representative of this New India, with a new sense of pride, confidence and optimism.
The relocation, packing, discarding, bye to friends... and ...unpacking, living off suit cases and starting a new life in a new place, making friends, playing in new golf courses, experiencing different things... is an opportunity I always look for ...to reinvent myself.
The last four years of my stay in India has been fascinating and exciting. I witnessed the dramatic transformation of India and the Indians. I had seen from the vantage point of South Block the unfolding of the policy of economic reforms. I had watched with admiration the unleashing of the enterprenurial energy of the Indian businessmen who are going global. I had listened to the " audacious vision" talk of the captains of Indian industry in the business conferences and seen it in action with Mittal taking over Arcelor and Tata buying Corus. I was thrilled to see the new confidence, ambition and optimism of the Indian youth with their "can do " attitude. I was fascinated by the consumer revolution caused by mobile phones. My own village has over sixty phones! Ten years back, I thought world- class highways, malls and buildings were just dreams. Now these have come true.
Now when I go out of India, I go as the representative of this New India, with a new sense of pride, confidence and optimism.
The relocation, packing, discarding, bye to friends... and ...unpacking, living off suit cases and starting a new life in a new place, making friends, playing in new golf courses, experiencing different things... is an opportunity I always look for ...to reinvent myself.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Mani Talk
"India of my dreams", was the theme of a talk by Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar ( called as Mani by his friends) at the Foreign Service Institute yesterday. As I had anticipated, the talk was was exciting, stimulating, provocative and inspiring. Mr Aiyar is one of the greatest orators I have heard. As Mr Surendra Kumar, Dean of the Foreign Service Institute put it aptly " Mr Aiyar is inimitable, irrepressible and incorrigible". Mr Aiyar kept the audience spell bound for an hour with his profound analysis,incisive comments,satire and wit. He has a remarkable and accurate knowledge of history,economic data and any number of amusing anecdotes. He made the audience laugh, think and reflect.
Highlights of Mr Aiyar's talk
-his dream of India is not the dream being trumpeted as " India shining", "India poised" and " India Rising", the current slogans which is euphoric about the high growth, Indian companies going global and Indians spending the highest in Singapore. His dream is for the yesterday ( Nehru era) when the growth, even if slow, it was an inclusive growth. The focus of the government was the common man and the poor. Some of these were: the irrigation and multipurpose projects, the unprecedented affirmative action to empower scheduled castes and tribes, the building of the foundation of democracy and the engendering of the belief in one India despite separatist dreams by some Indians.
-the policies of today, according to Mr Aiyar, benefit the rich and the middle class disproportionately more than the poor, who constitute the bulk of the population.
-The middle class has hijacked the economic and public policy agenda, seeking benefits for itself, mindless of the poverty around.Their obsession with multiplexes, malls and green cards has overshadowed the crying needs of the poor.
-The huge foreign exchange reserves come from the sweat and suffering of the poor Indians working in middle east but the rich Indians spend them away in foreign holidays and shopping.
-Panchayat Raj is a way to empower the rural masses politically and enable them seek economic entitlement. There are 1.2 million elected women leaders at the grassroot level of panchayats ( this is more than the one third reserved for them in local bodies) who can deliver inclusive growth better than the colonial sytem of Collectors and the post-independent system of Block Development Officers. More resources need to be given to the panchayat leaders.
- Mr Aiyar disagrees with the Indian policy makers who believe that the tide of economic liberalisation and reforms will carry all the boats ( of the rich and poor). He says it is not a tide but a tsunami for the rich and a minor and gentle lap of the wave for the poor. What is his model? A train, which has upper and lower classes but everyone travels together and at the same pace.
The talk was meant essentially for the new officers who have just joined the foreign service. Mr Aiyar had managed to balance the perspectives of these young officers and make them level-headed and not be carried away by the hype about the high growth. He made the senior officers, including me, to feel guilty that we are part of the predatory middle class which seeks to enrich itself, mindless of the situation of the poor.
I was fortunate to have worked under Mr Aiyar in Karachi, when he was the Consul General there. I was dazzled and overwhelmed by his brilliance,energy and vision. I told him a few days after joining ,"sir, foreign service and bureaucracy are too small for your talents. you should join politics which will give a larger platform for your ideas. I was thrilled when he left the diplomatic service and joined politics and became a Minister.
Mani in Tamil means bell. Mr Aiyar has been ringing the alarm bells within his party and the cabinet cautioning about the euphoria and asking for more attention to Aam Aami ( common man ). Many disagree with him , when he downplays the economic growth, explosive indian enterprenurial spirit and the surging confidence and new mind-set of the middle class Indian. Mr Aiyar is also seen by some as excessively nostalgic about the glorious days of Nehru and the socialistic era.
But I enjoy the sound and music of Mani, with admiration.
Highlights of Mr Aiyar's talk
-his dream of India is not the dream being trumpeted as " India shining", "India poised" and " India Rising", the current slogans which is euphoric about the high growth, Indian companies going global and Indians spending the highest in Singapore. His dream is for the yesterday ( Nehru era) when the growth, even if slow, it was an inclusive growth. The focus of the government was the common man and the poor. Some of these were: the irrigation and multipurpose projects, the unprecedented affirmative action to empower scheduled castes and tribes, the building of the foundation of democracy and the engendering of the belief in one India despite separatist dreams by some Indians.
-the policies of today, according to Mr Aiyar, benefit the rich and the middle class disproportionately more than the poor, who constitute the bulk of the population.
-The middle class has hijacked the economic and public policy agenda, seeking benefits for itself, mindless of the poverty around.Their obsession with multiplexes, malls and green cards has overshadowed the crying needs of the poor.
-The huge foreign exchange reserves come from the sweat and suffering of the poor Indians working in middle east but the rich Indians spend them away in foreign holidays and shopping.
-Panchayat Raj is a way to empower the rural masses politically and enable them seek economic entitlement. There are 1.2 million elected women leaders at the grassroot level of panchayats ( this is more than the one third reserved for them in local bodies) who can deliver inclusive growth better than the colonial sytem of Collectors and the post-independent system of Block Development Officers. More resources need to be given to the panchayat leaders.
- Mr Aiyar disagrees with the Indian policy makers who believe that the tide of economic liberalisation and reforms will carry all the boats ( of the rich and poor). He says it is not a tide but a tsunami for the rich and a minor and gentle lap of the wave for the poor. What is his model? A train, which has upper and lower classes but everyone travels together and at the same pace.
The talk was meant essentially for the new officers who have just joined the foreign service. Mr Aiyar had managed to balance the perspectives of these young officers and make them level-headed and not be carried away by the hype about the high growth. He made the senior officers, including me, to feel guilty that we are part of the predatory middle class which seeks to enrich itself, mindless of the situation of the poor.
I was fortunate to have worked under Mr Aiyar in Karachi, when he was the Consul General there. I was dazzled and overwhelmed by his brilliance,energy and vision. I told him a few days after joining ,"sir, foreign service and bureaucracy are too small for your talents. you should join politics which will give a larger platform for your ideas. I was thrilled when he left the diplomatic service and joined politics and became a Minister.
Mani in Tamil means bell. Mr Aiyar has been ringing the alarm bells within his party and the cabinet cautioning about the euphoria and asking for more attention to Aam Aami ( common man ). Many disagree with him , when he downplays the economic growth, explosive indian enterprenurial spirit and the surging confidence and new mind-set of the middle class Indian. Mr Aiyar is also seen by some as excessively nostalgic about the glorious days of Nehru and the socialistic era.
But I enjoy the sound and music of Mani, with admiration.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
I could fall in love with you... by Selena
Selena has reclaimed her top spot with this romantic song since yesterday
here is the Youtube link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WTMESWDWMA&mode=related&search=
And the lyrics here...
I could lose my heart tonight
If you don't turn and walk away
'Cause the way I feel I might Lose control
and let you stay
'Cause I could take in my arms
And never let go I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
I can only wonder how Touching you would make me feel
But if I take that chance right now
Tomorrow will you want me still
So I should keep this to myself
And never let you know I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
And I know it's not right
And I guess I should try to do what I should do
But I could fall in love, fall in love with you I could fall in love with you
Siempre estoy sonando en ti
Besando mis labios, acariciando mi piel
Abrazandome con ansias locas
Imaginando que me amas
Como yo podia amar a ti.
So I should keep this to myself
And never let you know I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you I could fall in love,
I could fall in loveWith you...
here is the Youtube link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WTMESWDWMA&mode=related&search=
And the lyrics here...
I could lose my heart tonight
If you don't turn and walk away
'Cause the way I feel I might Lose control
and let you stay
'Cause I could take in my arms
And never let go I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
I can only wonder how Touching you would make me feel
But if I take that chance right now
Tomorrow will you want me still
So I should keep this to myself
And never let you know I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
And I know it's not right
And I guess I should try to do what I should do
But I could fall in love, fall in love with you I could fall in love with you
Siempre estoy sonando en ti
Besando mis labios, acariciando mi piel
Abrazandome con ansias locas
Imaginando que me amas
Como yo podia amar a ti.
So I should keep this to myself
And never let you know I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you I could fall in love,
I could fall in loveWith you...
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Toyota Way
Here comes my second Japanese inspiration after i read the interview of Katsuaki Watanabe, President of Toyota in Harvard Business Review (HBR) July-August 2007 issue.
The first one was after seeing the Japanese movie Floating Weed, which gave birth to this blog.
While the first inspiration was romantic, people might think that Toyota inspiration cannot be so. That is what I also thought untill I finished reading the interview.
Before we go to the interview here is the success story of Toyota, which speaks for itself:
-It has overtaken GM as the largest automaker in the world. Sale expected to be 9.34 milion cars in 2007.
-Its market cap is one and half times more than that of the combined mkt cap of the Big Three of USA.
-It is the most profitable car maker. It made a profit of 13 billion$ in 2006-7, while GM and Ford made losses.
-Thomas Stewart the editor of HBR says " Toyota is the best car maker on the planet"
How did Toyota achieve this?
It is by the Toyota Way.
What is it? Watanabe has explained this in the interview.
It is " Continuous improvement( Kaizen) " and "respect for other people"
Kaizen is, of course, well known. The respect for other people comes out clearly in the interview. Watanabe has quoted his juniors in some parts of the interview " As our vice president said..".
Normally it is the juniors wo quote the boss. So it is not just preaching but practice. Watanabe says "there is no genius in our company". He means team work.
The root of the Toyota Way is to be dissatisfied with the status quo. If the rate of change by continuous improvement is slow, the Toyota people resort to revoltionary change or radical innovation called as Kakushin. While there is continuity in Kaizen, there is discontinuity in Kakushin.
Toyota employees are "T" type people. The vertical stroke is for deepening and intensity, while the horizontal top is to widen horizons. So they employment is for long term to deepen ( It takes 20 years to produce a T type manager) and the managers are allowed to switch jobs to learn other things. There are 2000 coordinators to train the employees around the world in the Totota Way.
Watanabe's approach to BRIC countries is a sample of the Toyota Way of thinking.
He has no plans to compete with the herd in the fast growing markets of China and India for low-cost vehicles. He says " As people in BRICs look for better cars, as roads are built and as energy efficiency becomes more important... we should let the market come to us ".
What is the vision of Watanabe for a dream car?
To produce cars that can excite,entertain and evoke emotions...
oops... this is romance... passion...
My admiration for Toyota and the Japanese have gone up. But of course it does not diminish my passion for Latin America. This reminds me of the Brazilian Japanese ( about a million in Brazil) who have been assimilated in Brazil in the last about a hundred years. How does the japanese police detect illegal Brazilian japanese in japan. During midnight patrolling of streets if they come across a house with loud music and partying noise.. Caramba.. here they are !
The first one was after seeing the Japanese movie Floating Weed, which gave birth to this blog.
While the first inspiration was romantic, people might think that Toyota inspiration cannot be so. That is what I also thought untill I finished reading the interview.
Before we go to the interview here is the success story of Toyota, which speaks for itself:
-It has overtaken GM as the largest automaker in the world. Sale expected to be 9.34 milion cars in 2007.
-Its market cap is one and half times more than that of the combined mkt cap of the Big Three of USA.
-It is the most profitable car maker. It made a profit of 13 billion$ in 2006-7, while GM and Ford made losses.
-Thomas Stewart the editor of HBR says " Toyota is the best car maker on the planet"
How did Toyota achieve this?
It is by the Toyota Way.
What is it? Watanabe has explained this in the interview.
It is " Continuous improvement( Kaizen) " and "respect for other people"
Kaizen is, of course, well known. The respect for other people comes out clearly in the interview. Watanabe has quoted his juniors in some parts of the interview " As our vice president said..".
Normally it is the juniors wo quote the boss. So it is not just preaching but practice. Watanabe says "there is no genius in our company". He means team work.
The root of the Toyota Way is to be dissatisfied with the status quo. If the rate of change by continuous improvement is slow, the Toyota people resort to revoltionary change or radical innovation called as Kakushin. While there is continuity in Kaizen, there is discontinuity in Kakushin.
Toyota employees are "T" type people. The vertical stroke is for deepening and intensity, while the horizontal top is to widen horizons. So they employment is for long term to deepen ( It takes 20 years to produce a T type manager) and the managers are allowed to switch jobs to learn other things. There are 2000 coordinators to train the employees around the world in the Totota Way.
Watanabe's approach to BRIC countries is a sample of the Toyota Way of thinking.
He has no plans to compete with the herd in the fast growing markets of China and India for low-cost vehicles. He says " As people in BRICs look for better cars, as roads are built and as energy efficiency becomes more important... we should let the market come to us ".
What is the vision of Watanabe for a dream car?
To produce cars that can excite,entertain and evoke emotions...
oops... this is romance... passion...
My admiration for Toyota and the Japanese have gone up. But of course it does not diminish my passion for Latin America. This reminds me of the Brazilian Japanese ( about a million in Brazil) who have been assimilated in Brazil in the last about a hundred years. How does the japanese police detect illegal Brazilian japanese in japan. During midnight patrolling of streets if they come across a house with loud music and partying noise.. Caramba.. here they are !
Friday, June 29, 2007
kiss of death ...kiss of life
In my youth I was inspired by the story of Laura ( forgot the hero's name). The hero is a poet, who is in love with Laura. But he dares not face her or try to meet her. He is so shy and timid and his is a silent love..unexpressed..umrequited.. But he follows her discreetly at a distance every day without her knowledge. Hmmm..That is what every hero thinks. One day she surpises him. She stops at the corner and meets him face to face. She gives him a kiss...a long intense and passionate kiss. No talk..no other nothing. Just a kiss. Off she disappears. The hero does not what hit him. His face is white and his eys dazed. He goes home in shock and euphoria. He starts writing furiously non-stop for days together. One day ants run allover his ears, nose and eyes.
kiss of death.
I was reminded of this when I heard the song "kiss of life" by my favourite Sade the other day. I had heard the song many times but had fallen in love with her other songs " no ordinary love" and " love is stronger than pride". But this time the kiss of life struck me like a lightning. And I have not stopped listening since then. It has become the number one in my chart, overtaking Selena's magic song" dreaming with you" and the earlier " I hope you dance" by Lee Ann Womack.
Here is the link to the music video of the song in you tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvcNtoHwd6Y
the lyrics...
There must have been an angel by my side
Something heavenly led me to you
Look at the sky It's the color of love
There must have been an angel by my side
Something heavenly came down from above He led me to you He led me to you
He built a bridge to your heart All the way How many tons of love inside I can't say
When I was led to you I knew you were the one for me
I swear the whole world could feel my heartbeat When I lay eyes on you Ay ay ay
You wrapped me up in The color of love
You gave me the kiss of life Kiss of Life You gave me the kiss that's like The kiss of life
Wasn't it clear from the start Look the sky is full of love Yeah the sky is full of love
He built a bridge to your heart All the way How many tons of love inside I can't say
You gave me the kiss of life Kiss of Life You gave me the kiss that's like The kiss of life
You gave me the kiss of life Kiss of Life You gave me the kiss that's like The kiss of life
You gave me the kiss of life Kiss of Life You gave me the kiss that's like The kiss of life
You wrapped me up in the color of love
Must have been an angel come down from above
Giving me love yeah Giving me love yeah You gave me the kiss of life Kiss of Life
You gave me the kiss of life
The kiss of life
kiss of death.
I was reminded of this when I heard the song "kiss of life" by my favourite Sade the other day. I had heard the song many times but had fallen in love with her other songs " no ordinary love" and " love is stronger than pride". But this time the kiss of life struck me like a lightning. And I have not stopped listening since then. It has become the number one in my chart, overtaking Selena's magic song" dreaming with you" and the earlier " I hope you dance" by Lee Ann Womack.
Here is the link to the music video of the song in you tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvcNtoHwd6Y
the lyrics...
There must have been an angel by my side
Something heavenly led me to you
Look at the sky It's the color of love
There must have been an angel by my side
Something heavenly came down from above He led me to you He led me to you
He built a bridge to your heart All the way How many tons of love inside I can't say
When I was led to you I knew you were the one for me
I swear the whole world could feel my heartbeat When I lay eyes on you Ay ay ay
You wrapped me up in The color of love
You gave me the kiss of life Kiss of Life You gave me the kiss that's like The kiss of life
Wasn't it clear from the start Look the sky is full of love Yeah the sky is full of love
He built a bridge to your heart All the way How many tons of love inside I can't say
You gave me the kiss of life Kiss of Life You gave me the kiss that's like The kiss of life
You gave me the kiss of life Kiss of Life You gave me the kiss that's like The kiss of life
You gave me the kiss of life Kiss of Life You gave me the kiss that's like The kiss of life
You wrapped me up in the color of love
Must have been an angel come down from above
Giving me love yeah Giving me love yeah You gave me the kiss of life Kiss of Life
You gave me the kiss of life
The kiss of life
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Rural Revolution
daily labourers- the few old ones still available
Evening swim at Kollidam river near my village
I had been observing the changes during my pilgrimages to my village. But the transformation I saw this time was breath- taking and dramatic. It is nothing less than a Revolution; both physical and in the mind-set. Mobile fones, transporation and TV have changed the landscape and mindscap.
I saw this in my own village last week.
There are 100 mobile fones in my village of 160 households. The sheperd, casual labourer,the milkman, school students and the guy on the bullock cart carry them. Some of the fones are the latest versions with camera, music, video and can be used as torchlightalso. With my three-year old fone, I had to hide my backwardness, while the village kids impressed my with their versatility in use of multimedia facilities of their fones. When I was talking about my son in USA, my neighbour said let us talk to him. I was hesitant saying it would be expensive. But he did not care. He took the number from me and called my son in his fone and the whole gang around me spoke to him. The cost of the call to USA, he explained to me, was just three and half rupees ( 8 cents ) per minute. One of the lowest in the world !
I saw this in my own village last week.
There are 100 mobile fones in my village of 160 households. The sheperd, casual labourer,the milkman, school students and the guy on the bullock cart carry them. Some of the fones are the latest versions with camera, music, video and can be used as torchlightalso. With my three-year old fone, I had to hide my backwardness, while the village kids impressed my with their versatility in use of multimedia facilities of their fones. When I was talking about my son in USA, my neighbour said let us talk to him. I was hesitant saying it would be expensive. But he did not care. He took the number from me and called my son in his fone and the whole gang around me spoke to him. The cost of the call to USA, he explained to me, was just three and half rupees ( 8 cents ) per minute. One of the lowest in the world !
I tried to show off my nano iPod. But there were no takers. The boy next door showed me his collection of 35 songs in his cellfone and showed me how he makes recording from the FM music channel of the TV.
Transportation has made people moving. During my time I had to walk 3 kms to school and a similiar distance to college. Now they go in buses, cycles, mopeds and motorcycles.
The TV has opened their eyes. I was taken by surprise when the boy from the the neighbourhood started discussing an NBA game. The TV ads have exposed the villagers to the whole world and to the latest fashions. No one was willing to hear my stories about America or Delhi !
My village as well as the others in the area have a problem now. There is a shortage of labour since many boys and girls from the traditional labour class are getting urban jobs. It is very difficult to get labour during peak seasons. The solution has started arriving with mechanisation. I used to do ploughing with bullock-drawn ploughs. Now most of the ploughing is with tractors. Machines are used for harvesting and are being introduced for transplantation.
In my trips in the past I used to impress my village folk about the world beyond them. This time I was the one who looked like a country bum among the villagers who knew more than me. I have come back impressed, educated and enlightened. I am now as optimistic about my village as I am about the urban youth who are becoming global players riding on the IT revolution.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Lonely Hearts - movie
I grabbed this DVD the moment I saw the name of John Travolta and Salma Hayek, both my favourite actors. Salma has, of course, acted as an evil femme fatale in this film. Both Salma and Travolta have become matching with the weight both have put on.
The story is about a conman Raymond Fernandez who responds to personal ads and cheats the lonely ladies and war widows, pretending to be a " Latin Lover". One of his victims, Martha Beck is smarter than him and they become partners in future crimes, she pretending to be his sister. She makes Raymond kill the victims, unable to tolerate relationship between her lover and the victims. Travolta as the detective Elmer goes after them successfully and get them convicted to electric chair.
This is based on a true story of the forties when over a dozen women were cheated and killed by the criminal duo.
The story is about a conman Raymond Fernandez who responds to personal ads and cheats the lonely ladies and war widows, pretending to be a " Latin Lover". One of his victims, Martha Beck is smarter than him and they become partners in future crimes, she pretending to be his sister. She makes Raymond kill the victims, unable to tolerate relationship between her lover and the victims. Travolta as the detective Elmer goes after them successfully and get them convicted to electric chair.
This is based on a true story of the forties when over a dozen women were cheated and killed by the criminal duo.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Dreaming with ....Selena
I have been listening over and over to this song " Dreaming of you" by Selena, for the last one week. It has taken over my heart and soul. It is pure magic. The soft and sweet romantic voice of Selena mesmerises me. It puts a spell on me every time.
I start closing my eyes in the very opening of the song....
Late at night when all the world is sleeping
I'd stay up and think of you
And I'd wish on a star
That somewhere you are thinking of me too
I become ecstatic when she goes on to...
Ahhh...I can't stop dreaming of you
Ahhh...I can't stop dreamin
I am breathless when she lilts...
"I love you"... and goes for the kill with.. " How much i love you"
the friend whom i made listen said" velvet voice "- gracias
I have listened to her other songs. some interesting..others not so.
But this particular song is the most powerful one which lifts me up in the sky and let me fly to ..you know where..
And nostalgia or what the Brazilians call as " saudade" flares up when the mexican-american Selena murmurs in Spanish
no puedo dejar de pensar en ti
como te necesito
amor como te estranho
There are also two other songs in my nano iPod on Dreaming; one by Vanessa Williams and another by Sade.. both my favourites. But to make me dream.. they are no match for Selena with this particular magical song.
The song carried me to heights of passionate eloquence today morning when I gave a talk on the subject of "Dreaming with BRICs" by Goldman Sachs in the event organised by Assocham. Of course, skeptics say that Goldman Sachs has made Indians and Brazilians " daydream" with their report.
hmmm.... It is all dreaming for me...in the night .. and in the day too...
I start closing my eyes in the very opening of the song....
Late at night when all the world is sleeping
I'd stay up and think of you
And I'd wish on a star
That somewhere you are thinking of me too
I become ecstatic when she goes on to...
Ahhh...I can't stop dreaming of you
Ahhh...I can't stop dreamin
I am breathless when she lilts...
"I love you"... and goes for the kill with.. " How much i love you"
the friend whom i made listen said" velvet voice "- gracias
I have listened to her other songs. some interesting..others not so.
But this particular song is the most powerful one which lifts me up in the sky and let me fly to ..you know where..
And nostalgia or what the Brazilians call as " saudade" flares up when the mexican-american Selena murmurs in Spanish
no puedo dejar de pensar en ti
como te necesito
amor como te estranho
There are also two other songs in my nano iPod on Dreaming; one by Vanessa Williams and another by Sade.. both my favourites. But to make me dream.. they are no match for Selena with this particular magical song.
The song carried me to heights of passionate eloquence today morning when I gave a talk on the subject of "Dreaming with BRICs" by Goldman Sachs in the event organised by Assocham. Of course, skeptics say that Goldman Sachs has made Indians and Brazilians " daydream" with their report.
hmmm.... It is all dreaming for me...in the night .. and in the day too...
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
"The Hive" - novel of Camilo Jose Cela
I have just finished reading this english translation of the novel La Colmena by Camilo Jose Cela.
This is the first time I have read the book of Cela, the Spanish writer who got Nobel prize.
I started it about six months back and completed only now, although it is only about 250 pages.
The author took about five years to write it ! The story lends itself to leisurely reading. It centres around a cafe, where the characters come in midafternoon or early evening,sit around, meet others and reflect on their lives over cafe at Dona Rosa's Cafe Delicia.
The story has no big drama, suspence or memorable characters. It is like documentation of every day life of 160 ordinary characters such as an unemplyed youth, policeman, security guard, old men with young tastes and old ladies with older attitude in the city of Madrid. Cela himslef had written in his preface to the first edition "it is nothing other than a pale reflection, a humble shadow of everyday, harsh, profund and painful reality". In the aftermath of the second world war and in the middle of Franco's dictatorship, the Spaniards seem to have simply drifted along, without serious aspirations or motivations.
It is about lower middle class people and their struggle to survive. While the boys and men invent ways and means to acquire and keep up with lovers, the girls who are not luckey enough, take to the streets. The casual and easy approach of these characters to sex, partnership and fun reminded me of similiarities in Latin America.
The books of Cela were banned during Franco's dictatorship and this book was first published in Buenos Aires in 1951. Even there it had to go thorugh the censorship of Peronist dictatorship.
This is the first time I have read the book of Cela, the Spanish writer who got Nobel prize.
I started it about six months back and completed only now, although it is only about 250 pages.
The author took about five years to write it ! The story lends itself to leisurely reading. It centres around a cafe, where the characters come in midafternoon or early evening,sit around, meet others and reflect on their lives over cafe at Dona Rosa's Cafe Delicia.
The story has no big drama, suspence or memorable characters. It is like documentation of every day life of 160 ordinary characters such as an unemplyed youth, policeman, security guard, old men with young tastes and old ladies with older attitude in the city of Madrid. Cela himslef had written in his preface to the first edition "it is nothing other than a pale reflection, a humble shadow of everyday, harsh, profund and painful reality". In the aftermath of the second world war and in the middle of Franco's dictatorship, the Spaniards seem to have simply drifted along, without serious aspirations or motivations.
It is about lower middle class people and their struggle to survive. While the boys and men invent ways and means to acquire and keep up with lovers, the girls who are not luckey enough, take to the streets. The casual and easy approach of these characters to sex, partnership and fun reminded me of similiarities in Latin America.
The books of Cela were banned during Franco's dictatorship and this book was first published in Buenos Aires in 1951. Even there it had to go thorugh the censorship of Peronist dictatorship.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Volver - spanish film
This is the first ever film of the Spanish film maker and director Pedro Almodovar, I have seen.Volver in spanish means return. I expected it to be unconventional and art film type. But it was a pleasant surprise.The story flows smoothly without surrealism and or incomprehensible modernism. It is a normal film with a good storyline. The mother of Raimunda, who was believed to have died in a fire accident comes back ( volver) to attend to unfinished work including rapproachment with her daughter. The story brings out the conditions of women unlucky in marriage, daughter raped by father, aunts taking care of families, hardworking single mother and rural life in Spain. It is the women who dominate the film.There is humour, pathos and passion.
There is the old traditional Spain of superstitions and the new country with modern windmills. The windmills remind me of the story of Don Quixote, who is from La Mancha. Director Almodovar is also from the same place and this is where the story starts in the film.
Penelope Cruz, who has acted as Raimunda is brilliant. She exudes the charm and smile of the warm spanish culture. I also liked her acting as a Brazilian in the hollywood film " woman on top".
There is the old traditional Spain of superstitions and the new country with modern windmills. The windmills remind me of the story of Don Quixote, who is from La Mancha. Director Almodovar is also from the same place and this is where the story starts in the film.
Penelope Cruz, who has acted as Raimunda is brilliant. She exudes the charm and smile of the warm spanish culture. I also liked her acting as a Brazilian in the hollywood film " woman on top".
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Ambassador's Cup Golf Tournament 31 March
Harinder Sikka of Nicholas Piramal Group organised this 2007 edition with great style. The tournament was given live coverage by Zee Business TV network. There were lots of goodies, plane tickets and prizes.Although I did not win any trophy this year, I won two skins which got me a pair of footjoy golf shoes and a custom-fit Saville Row suit.... My score was 47 in the first nine and 38 in the second nine. Last year I played 82.
The tournament was held in JP Green in Greater Noida. The picture above is the par-3 fourth hole.The prize distribution and dinner was held at the residence of Spanish ambassador Don Rafael Conde. Sikka had brought in a music and dance group from Srilanka, which gave a scintillating performance. The event was compered by Shivani who did a professional job with a sense of humour. The event was put together by Digraj Singh of Tiger sports marketing.
Besides Ambassadors, there were civil servants, businessmen and judges. Mr Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for defence was the chief guest.
In my group there was the Army chief Gen JJ Singh, the Chinese and Japanese Ambassadors. The Chinese Ambassador told me that 30 out of 58 diplomats in his embassy play golf. And they practice in the embassy compound, where they can hit upto 200 yards !. There are already 3000 golf courses in China. It is amazing the way the Chinese have caught up. Another few years.. and one should not be surpised to see Chinese world champions in golf !
I was asked to give a humorous speech to entertain the audience, which I did. I joked about diplomatic way of speaking and handling issues... I talked about Indian ambassadors and brought in Latin America in the jokes. I thought i would get away with my usual cultural shock to the audience with sexy jokes. Hmmm.. this time i got a cultural shock from some of the older members of the audience who found some of my humorous anecdotes too spicy.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Blood Diamond - movie
I saw this film yesterday, on the recommendation of a soul mate. The movie stirs the soul and touches the heart. It is difficult to get over the tragedy of brutalisation and traumatisation of some of the African societies, portrayed in the film. Diamonds which adorn the wedding rings symbolising union of people have been a curse of death and destruction in some African countries. Instead of adding wealth, diamond resources have made countries poor and miserable. Sierra Leone, Angola and some other African countries have paid a heavy price in lives for possession of diamonds.It is heartening to know that the world has taken a stand against blood diamonds.
Leonardo Di Caprio has acted as Danny Archer, the Rhodesian mercenary who is a diamond smuggler. Djimon Hounsou (he is from Benin) has acted superbly as Solomon Vandy whose dream to educate his son to become a doctor is shattered by the outbreak of civil war. His family is separated and his son is taken away by the rebels who train him to become a killer soldier. Solomon is forced to work in a diamond mine by the rebels. He finds a large pink diamond and manages to hide it by burying it in the bush. Archer comes to know about it and persuades him to take him to the diamond, promising him to reunite him with his family. The duo is given some help by an American journalist who is trying to uncover the story of diamond smuggling.
The movie is a wake up call for Africa, some parts of which are still mired in civil war. Even the mercenary Archer says at one point " God has left Africa long back". His cynical remark TIA... This Is Africa perhaps sum up the tragic situation.
Leonardo Di Caprio has acted as Danny Archer, the Rhodesian mercenary who is a diamond smuggler. Djimon Hounsou (he is from Benin) has acted superbly as Solomon Vandy whose dream to educate his son to become a doctor is shattered by the outbreak of civil war. His family is separated and his son is taken away by the rebels who train him to become a killer soldier. Solomon is forced to work in a diamond mine by the rebels. He finds a large pink diamond and manages to hide it by burying it in the bush. Archer comes to know about it and persuades him to take him to the diamond, promising him to reunite him with his family. The duo is given some help by an American journalist who is trying to uncover the story of diamond smuggling.
The movie is a wake up call for Africa, some parts of which are still mired in civil war. Even the mercenary Archer says at one point " God has left Africa long back". His cynical remark TIA... This Is Africa perhaps sum up the tragic situation.
Monday, February 26, 2007
skiing in New York
I made use of my transit halt in Newyork on 20 February and the unusually cold weather and excessive snowing to indulge in my most favourite passion...skiing. This was in the Camelback ski resort in Poconos area in Pennsylvania, fifty miles from NewYork city, where I used to go when I was posted there.It was a thrilling experience. Although my last skiing was six years back in 2000 in valle nevado, Chile, i still retained the skill and was able to move confidently. I did even the half- pipe slope.
The day was perfect. After the heavy snowfall in the days before my arrival, there was plenty of powder. I loved every moment on the skis.
Breathing the pure air of the white snow ..
Drinking Hot chocolate in the cold weather ..
Following the laughter and scream of the little kids who know no fear..
Going up the lift and coming down on the slopes like kids..
the thrill of moving fast..
the fear of falling down..
hmm... It was one of the best days of my life.
Blue Butterfly - Canadian movie
I chose to see the movie "Blue Butterfly" , from the Air India collection, simply because of its name. Blue is my favourite colour and butterfly is a fascinating and colurful creature appealing to my imagination. But the movie turned out to be more than these. It was inspiring and moving.
The story is about a ten year old boy Pete, who is given just a few months more to live by the doctors after diagnosing brain tumour. He is confined to the wheel chair.Pete is an amateur insect collector and admirer of Alan Osborne, a famous entomologist. Pete is taken up by Osborne's description of Blue Butterfly- mariposa azul-from Central and south america, as having magical powers. Pete wants to catch one before his death. He and his single mother approach Osborne , who says that the season is over and he has no time to take the boy to the jungle. But he relents after hearing about the terminal illness. Osborne takes Pete on his shoulders through the tropical rain forests of Costa Rica. The journey of adventure and fulfillment makes the boy recover miraculously and he starts walking.
Osborne is commited to the world of insects and is uncomfortable with the humans. He cannot handle kids and is rude and blunt in his interactions. But his space is entered by the young boy who reconnects Osborne to the human world of emotions and feelings.
The movie is touching. It is about hope and dreams. Catching the blue butterfly is a metaphor for pursuit of life, ....passionate pursuit of dreams. The dream and belief gives magical powers to oneself to achieve the impossible and overcome challenges. I was specially touched by the little costa rican indigenous girl ( Marianella) who tells Pete " you are a blue butterfly.. I am also.. everything and everyone is a blue butterfly".
I liked the smooth and pleasant flow of the film. No big drama or make-believe. It goes like a children's story but with a strong message.
This is based on a true story.
This is a canadian film released in 2004 and directed by Lea Pool. William Hurt has acted as Osborne, Pascal Bussiers as Teresa and Marc Donato as Pete.
The story is about a ten year old boy Pete, who is given just a few months more to live by the doctors after diagnosing brain tumour. He is confined to the wheel chair.Pete is an amateur insect collector and admirer of Alan Osborne, a famous entomologist. Pete is taken up by Osborne's description of Blue Butterfly- mariposa azul-from Central and south america, as having magical powers. Pete wants to catch one before his death. He and his single mother approach Osborne , who says that the season is over and he has no time to take the boy to the jungle. But he relents after hearing about the terminal illness. Osborne takes Pete on his shoulders through the tropical rain forests of Costa Rica. The journey of adventure and fulfillment makes the boy recover miraculously and he starts walking.
Osborne is commited to the world of insects and is uncomfortable with the humans. He cannot handle kids and is rude and blunt in his interactions. But his space is entered by the young boy who reconnects Osborne to the human world of emotions and feelings.
The movie is touching. It is about hope and dreams. Catching the blue butterfly is a metaphor for pursuit of life, ....passionate pursuit of dreams. The dream and belief gives magical powers to oneself to achieve the impossible and overcome challenges. I was specially touched by the little costa rican indigenous girl ( Marianella) who tells Pete " you are a blue butterfly.. I am also.. everything and everyone is a blue butterfly".
I liked the smooth and pleasant flow of the film. No big drama or make-believe. It goes like a children's story but with a strong message.
This is based on a true story.
This is a canadian film released in 2004 and directed by Lea Pool. William Hurt has acted as Osborne, Pascal Bussiers as Teresa and Marc Donato as Pete.
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