tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38887364519652060552024-03-17T16:53:41.542+05:30WINNOWEDBook Reviews, Articles and Original Short StoriesWinnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.comBlogger376125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-88395967806305558542024-03-17T11:12:00.001+05:302024-03-17T11:12:04.057+05:30Book Review: Eden Abandoned – The Story of Lilith, by Shinie Antony<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjxQX0yYKlPPYY8mGy03UwFomnNAthZw4DqjhHwuGcHu8wSezGf99Z1XTZHIDt6sL2tI3eBitXzdyQKvoawj8B1q5UofChyphenhyphenFqFNGUMtwscZqrItiySpy19rNSSWhfB85eQPTBq4XaJC5goXBYepbO5FY-ZCu20uiRQAwJ1P6zOM1FAtZJFZ9wCCkos5k/s4624/IMG20240221100003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjxQX0yYKlPPYY8mGy03UwFomnNAthZw4DqjhHwuGcHu8wSezGf99Z1XTZHIDt6sL2tI3eBitXzdyQKvoawj8B1q5UofChyphenhyphenFqFNGUMtwscZqrItiySpy19rNSSWhfB85eQPTBq4XaJC5goXBYepbO5FY-ZCu20uiRQAwJ1P6zOM1FAtZJFZ9wCCkos5k/s320/IMG20240221100003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <span style="text-align: justify;">Did God intend women to be subservient to men? Did God want Man to be on
top or did the missionaries place him there? Didn’t God create Eve from out of
Adam’s ribs, with the intention that she would always follow her man, obey him
and bear his children? Then why did God create Lilith first? Did God make a
mistake with Lilith, which he rectified by creating Eve?</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN">Shinie Antony’s
Lilith, doesn’t give a damn about the expectations of others. She seeks, or
rather demands, parity with Adam. She asks nicely at first and when Adam
doesn’t concede, she uses her fists and claws, before walking away from Adam.
Adam didn’t give her any children <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">of his
own accord</i>, but Lilith does bear a brood of children. Please read this book
to find out how Lilith manages that feat. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN">Lilith is the
archetypal bad woman that our ancients warned us about. Adam is goody two-shoes
who obeys God to the letter and is even scared of him. After having walked away
from Adam, Lilith goes about cavorting with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samael">Shamael</a>, fulfilling her wants
in the ways she finds best. Shamael really indulges Lilith, especially her evil
thoughts and desires. When they see Lilith enjoy life, they urge her to return
to Adam and fulfil her duties. Lilith refuses. She becomes a serpent that tempts
Eve. I’m not going to disclose more and give away the story.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN">Is there a bit
of Lilith in all women? Is there a bit of Lilith in all men too? If so, Antony unleashes
the Lilith in her readers even as launches a furious assault on patriarchy. If
you haven’t heard of Lilith, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilith">here’s
Wikipedia to the rescue.</a></span></p>
As usual, Antony’s writing is subtle, explosive, sensual and once in a while, bland. Much of the beauty in Antony’s writing is on account of her placement of words and sentences. She leaves a lot to one’s imagination and then, after one’s imagination has run wild, takes one on a wild ride in a different direction altogether. I read this book once around two weeks ago, got busy with work and then re-read it again a second time just now and found myself sinking into an abyss of thoughts and confusion, though it is a slim volume of just 135 pages, one which fits into my trousers’ pocket.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN">I can’t recommend
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Eden Abandoned – The Story of Lilith</span></i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, by Shinie Antony</span><span lang="EN-IN"> highly enough. It’s possibly
Antony’s best book to date. </span></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-56998393272427581522024-03-12T07:18:00.007+05:302024-03-12T07:18:46.318+05:30France amends its constitution to inscribe the right to abortion <div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNw0MlLmdjus-nlE_8UHWJPFfDIGtW6AeueQox_q6CQFdksRVhjt3oFtTzP494swWdiBnDmQ5dMjc4KeaA5_NJI3jbuD0mfPySN0j0edjdTBFapDRKIVsXo2upaZLL6XPl6LdwC_736Bnc35KQDtqyjU3rH4lCbVOiolh-OO3IOBcHn7omYsMrskv3vY/s628/8CF5E712-DB73-4181-91E2-1A46B78DD916_4_5005_c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="628" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNw0MlLmdjus-nlE_8UHWJPFfDIGtW6AeueQox_q6CQFdksRVhjt3oFtTzP494swWdiBnDmQ5dMjc4KeaA5_NJI3jbuD0mfPySN0j0edjdTBFapDRKIVsXo2upaZLL6XPl6LdwC_736Bnc35KQDtqyjU3rH4lCbVOiolh-OO3IOBcHn7omYsMrskv3vY/s320/8CF5E712-DB73-4181-91E2-1A46B78DD916_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/france-inscribes-the-right-to-abortion-in-its-constitution-as-world-marks-international-womens-day/article67928788.ece" target="_blank">France has amended its constitution to inscribe the right to abortion</a>. This was done on March 8, International Women’s Day.<br /><br /> Abortion has been legal in France since 1975, but Macron last year pledged to better protect it after the United States Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the half-century-old right to the procedure, leaving it up to individual states to decide. <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/8/france-makes-abortion-a-constitutional-right-on-international-womens-day" target="_blank">Macron has also promised he “will not rest” until women across Europe have the same protection.</a><br /><br />Generally, I am a big fan of all things French. However, was this amendment really necessary? Abortion is not a controversial issue in France or in most countries of Western Europe. <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2022-06-27/the-story-behind-irelands-abortion-ban-and-its-reversal" target="_blank">Ireland is an exception</a>, I believe. I would have been a big deal if Ireland, or better still, the USA has incorporated the right to abortion as a constitutional right.<div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">But France? Seems to be a farce, </span><a href="France makes abortion a constitutional right - BBC News" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">as many in the media are saying.</a><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /></div>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-86072239523916003432024-02-25T18:32:00.001+05:302024-02-25T19:07:57.478+05:30Pro-Choice or Pro-Life: Where do the US Presidential Candidates stand?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1y1QfRWLlLn5QS0im27Btuc_9xfcpxTOqLS8p5_oGQrFMXyuo2_YGmfctefjVUzA61zfU4o1-nD9x_zUp2yyovwOxdZrg4bJ4OIr6MxZJW9W4FulsLg5mqZtrYRXea0D305lB0XmMUl0Y4EhtnPfztdN7VVNgcOije5Eq9KjuiBdeOvhjsndHl0OM04/s474/OIP.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="474" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1y1QfRWLlLn5QS0im27Btuc_9xfcpxTOqLS8p5_oGQrFMXyuo2_YGmfctefjVUzA61zfU4o1-nD9x_zUp2yyovwOxdZrg4bJ4OIr6MxZJW9W4FulsLg5mqZtrYRXea0D305lB0XmMUl0Y4EhtnPfztdN7VVNgcOije5Eq9KjuiBdeOvhjsndHl0OM04/s320/OIP.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Abortion has always been a hot topic in US
presidential elections and in the one coming up, it’s even more relevant after
June 24, 2022, when the US Supreme Court (<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">in the case of Dobbs</span></a>)
overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling which had guaranteed women the right to
an abortion up until the point of foetal viability (about 24 weeks). After the
Dobbs decision, 14 states, including most of the South, have enacted near-total
bans from the moment of conception. Georgia has banned abortion after six
weeks, which is before most women know they are pregnant.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">where do each of the Presidential
candidates</span></a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">stand on abortion</span></a>?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Joe Biden</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 9.6pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">President Joe Biden</span></a>, a
Democrat and a <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">devout Catholic</span></a>, supports
access to abortion and has called on Congress to codify protections for the
right to abortion that were guaranteed by Roe. He has said he would veto any
legislation that would ban abortions federally.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Donald
Trump</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 9.6pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was President Trump who had appointed three
conservative Supreme Court justices, all of whom helped strike down Roe in a
5-4 vote in Dobbs. However, Trump’s stand on abortion seems to be
opportunistic. In early 2023 at a Faith & Freedom convention, Trump
said there should be some role for the federal government on the abortion issue
but most other times has remained skeptical of a federal ban, most recently
saying it is "probably better" to leave it to the states.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 9.6pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Trump’s abortion ban skepticism
has often times annoyed pro-lifers.</span></a> De Santis thinks Trump
is “not pro-life” and has said that the former president
“flip-flipped” on the issue of abortion.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 9.6pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most recently, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">there have been reports</span></a> that
the ex-president, plans to rebrand as a “moderate” on reproductive rights after
repeated GOP losses on the issue.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ron
DeSantis</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DeSantis has made it clear that he plans to be a
"pro-life president." Last April DeSantis signed into law a bill
approved by the Republican-dominated Florida Legislature to ban </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">abortions</span></a><span style="background: white;"> after six weeks of pregnancy.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DeSantis <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">has not said if he would support a
national abortion ban</span></a>. However, last September, during the course of
a <span style="background: white;">Republican presidential debate, in
response to q question from Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">DeSantis said that he would sign a
“15-week limit” on abortion as president</span></a><span style="background: white;">.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mike
Pence</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 9.6pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just like Trump, Former Vice President Mike
Pence brags about how he helped in the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade with the
appointment of three conservative justices while he was in office.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Pence</span></a> supports
exceptions for abortion access in the cases of rape, incest and to save the
life of a mother, but not with nonviable pregnancies. He’s called on the rest
of the 2024 field to support a 15-week federal abortion ban, at minimum. <span style="background: white;">Pence is the only major candidate who supports a
federal ban on abortion at six weeks, before many women know they’re pregnant.
He has advocated pulling from the market </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">a widely used abortion pill</span></a><span style="background: white;"> that has a better safety record than penicillin
and Viagra.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nikki
Haley</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 9.6pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The only female Republican candidate has called
for a national "consensus" and to stop "dehumanizing" the
issue. Haley has said that passing a federal abortion ban would be
highly unlikely without more Republicans in Congress. But, she has also said
she would "absolutely" sign a 15-week federal abortion ban into law.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 9.6pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">During her time in the state House
of Representatives from 2004 to 2010, Haley backed two “right to life” bills
that would have significantly limited abortion access statewide, although
neither bill ultimately became law</span></a>.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vivek
Ramaswamy</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 9.6pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8242158982324552558/8319887203761058331"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Vivek Ramaswamy has said he is not
in favor of a federal abortion ban</span></a>. However, has said he is
"unapologetically pro-life" and believes that "most Americans
share pro-life instincts" too. Vivek prefers to leave regulation of
abortion up to the states.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-42409026908916830982024-02-24T08:49:00.007+05:302024-02-24T09:05:51.945+05:30Did Darius Actually Flee From Alexander at Gaugemela?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3Rs1a483HzQCCRLgVAj5swlU76K1o7_mnNfJc1uFWL0FqHtQYAzl6hyln4cdH9N-z_8oLLbXaFOLCC7Lm2G0DSZ8QJdmIi8nVNngP_xsDZEXJMj5OgvqU7Ht4QyzXmT4ivDrUN7OxatT4b4G8ASSuOUgCz1UGItDCCTqLt8GLtVTkSHNApm4-MrlQhc/s474/OIP.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3Rs1a483HzQCCRLgVAj5swlU76K1o7_mnNfJc1uFWL0FqHtQYAzl6hyln4cdH9N-z_8oLLbXaFOLCC7Lm2G0DSZ8QJdmIi8nVNngP_xsDZEXJMj5OgvqU7Ht4QyzXmT4ivDrUN7OxatT4b4G8ASSuOUgCz1UGItDCCTqLt8GLtVTkSHNApm4-MrlQhc/s16000/OIP.jpeg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">I recently watched Netflix’s
series on Alexander the Great – Alexander: The Making Of A God. A well-made
series, I ended up binge-watching it and came away with one big question.
Before I tell you about my big question, here’s a brief summary of NetFlix’s Alexander:
The Making Of A God:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Alexander’s father Philip
had sidelined Alexander’s mother and had taken a much younger wife. Alexander is
estranged from his father. I read elsewhere that this happened because of a petty
quarrel at his father’s wedding party. </span></li><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Alexander’s mother
imbued in him a belief that he was the son of Zeus </span></li><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Alexander was bisexual
– we see a young Alexander having sex with his friend Hephaisteon, who would go
on to become one of his generals.</span></li><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Alexxander was a
witness to the murder of his father (Philip) by one of the guards. Netflix even
creates a whiff of suspicion that Alexander may have had a role in Philip’s
murder. </span></li><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Darius becomes the Emperor
of Persia roughly around the time Alexander becomes the King of Macedon. Thus
both men are new to the throne. Darius is not really of royal lineage and acquires
legitimacy because his chief queen Statira is of royal lineage.</span></li><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Darius and the
Persians have only contempt for Alexander, a barbarian in their eyes, whilst
Persia is everything nice and noble. </span></li><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">At Issus, when the
Persian army starts losing, Darius flees. He doesn’t want to run away, but his
companions make him do so. Basis justifies the fleeing by saying that Darius’s
survival is necessary for Persia’s survival. Darius is Persia. </span></li><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">At Issus, Alexander
captures Darius’s family, including his wife Stateira and daughter Barsine. Apparently,
it is common for the Persian royal family to accompany the Emperor to the
battlefield and when Darius fled, Alexander was able to capture the royal
family.</span></li><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">After defeating Darius
(for the first time) at Issis, Alexander does not pursue him. Instead, he goes
to Egypt, wins it without any fighting, is crowned Pharoah. Egypt is a source
of much wealth – gold and food gains. Alexander also makes a symbolic trip to
Siwa and is blessed by the Oracle there. He is acknowledged to be son of Ra.
Taking on more divinity (and going even more native) comes to Alexander
naturally. </span></li><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Stateira and her
daughter Barsine go to Egypt with Alexander. Stateira and Alexander become
close. Later Stateira becomes pregnant and dies in childbirth. Netflix suggests
that Stateira willingly bore Alexander’s child.</span></li><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">After Issus and before
Gaugemela, Darius makes various peace overtures to Alexander and Alexander
rejects all of them, even if Darius’s terms are generous, because Alexander is
ambitious and will settle for nothing less than becoming the Emperor of the
whole world. </span></li><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">At their second
encounter at Gaugemela, once again Alexander dashes towards Darius and Darius
flees. Because Darius flees, his troops flee as well and many of the fleeing
troops are killed. Darius’s companions insist on him fleeing using the same
excuse as in the past – that Darius is Persia and they cannot afford to lose
him. </span></li><li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Finally, after a year
or so on the run, Darius is killed by fellow Persians as he lived in the wild,
hoping to fight Alexander through Guerilla warfare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My big question is,
why did Darius flee at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gaugamela" target="_blank">Gaugemela</a>? Why did Darius’s companions make him flee when
fleeing causes Darius to lose? The flight at Gaugemela leaves Darius high and
dry and he never recovers from that defeat. Why go to the battlefield, if when
your enemy charges at you, your only reaction is to flee? Darius is shown as a
sturdy man in his prime who practices with his sword a lot after the defeat at
Issus. Not too different from Alexander in that respect, though Alexander is
much younger. One gets the impression from Netflix that Darius lost at Gaugamela
primarily because he fled. Darius is shown to have fled not because his army
was losing, as happened at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Issus" target="_blank">Issus</a>, but solely because Alexander charged at him. The
flight at Issus can be understood and justified. <span face="Aptos, "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">The
Persian army was losing and Darius needed to preserve himself to fight later.
But the flight at Gaugemela doesn’t make sense. Alexander had been in Persian
territories for two years and this was a do or die battle. The Persian army wasn’t
losing. Netflix shows Darius fleeing solely because Alexander charges at him. <a href="https://historum.com/t/did-darius-iii-do-the-right-thing-to-flee-from-battle-twice.77050/">Many others have asked the same question.</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As they say, history
is written by the victors and so the story of the fight between Alexander and
Darius <a href="https://historum.com/t/did-darius-iii-do-the-right-thing-to-flee-from-battle-twice.77050/" target="_blank">was originally written by Greek Chroniclers such as Alexander’scompanion Ptolemy and later repeated by Roman historians</a>. The fact is,
Alexander and Darius are real-life figures who battled it out and
Alexander/Macedon/Greece did win and Darius/Persia did lose. Maybe Darius
retreated only after his troops started to flee and defeat was on the cards and
not because Alexander charged at him. I would really like to know what exactly
happened at these two battles though finding the truth won’t make a whiff of
difference to my life, other than being able to say that Netflix got it wrong and the original Greek chroniclers lied. <o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-30622421098263889212024-02-10T18:38:00.007+05:302024-02-10T19:41:43.462+05:30Book Review: can't, by Shinie Antony<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELCRt4DeM2feNXNDSIa_9KGlB8H0SHB0oCmbwKmXvIyq-oY_9vwWB8ubJknr9wogIzTF3ILey71b0XsC8bF7RjDo2EgJood2Bft86bk_u_yK0iiFu1En9dkj7x4gvaMorzoz4w-h0Rib6GA-E3_uNT5C7lBxoXSKnfKHPwo91usRwcoe89l5RtFIEVWM/s4624/IMG20240210183336.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELCRt4DeM2feNXNDSIa_9KGlB8H0SHB0oCmbwKmXvIyq-oY_9vwWB8ubJknr9wogIzTF3ILey71b0XsC8bF7RjDo2EgJood2Bft86bk_u_yK0iiFu1En9dkj7x4gvaMorzoz4w-h0Rib6GA-E3_uNT5C7lBxoXSKnfKHPwo91usRwcoe89l5RtFIEVWM/s320/IMG20240210183336.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Can’t</i> is Shinie Antony’s latest offering. The story is set
in a series of unnamed small towns which could be anywhere in India. One of the
two main protagonists, Nena, is both rustic and polished, knowledgeable as well
as naïve, a virgin as well as one extremely knowledgeable about men, in
particular her unfaithful husband, someone who attends glamorous soirees with
her husband when she is not at home, waiting for her husband to return. An
experienced Antonian, I was only mildly startled whenever Antony threw a googly,
such as when Nena says that she’s allergic to water and swallows water capsules
instead of drinking water. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tata, not his real name, is the other protagonist. A perfect
counterfoil to Nena, Tata is as silent as Nena is loud, young unlike Nena who
is in her seventies. After the initial pleasantries for the reader have been
concluded, Nena, who derives masochistic pleasure in describing her husband’s
voyeurisms to her friends, decides to track down all of her late husband’s past
lovers and takes Tata along with her. They travel from place to place, meet
various kinds of people and have many unrealistic adventures along the way.
Towards the end, Tata finds out what can’t be. I’ll let you read <i>Can’t</i> and
figure it out for yourself. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The best thing about Antony’s world is that it is non-<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">judgemental, but, like any other world-class
raconteur, Antony keeps observing and observing, making sharp and incisive
comments all the while</span>. We are told that ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nena’s tales of her husband’s adultery affected women two ways-one type
of woman who sees herself as the wife and takes sides, one type of woman
identifies with the other woman and stays to hear how it ends.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Tata tells us that his ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">own mother was neither; all she wanted to do
was to borrow a bit of Nena’s sass, her boldness, bask in her rebellion.</i>’ In
Antony-land, conversations are always kept on an even keel even when the topic
of discussion isn’t from one from a run-of-the mill living room. For example,
when her unfaithful husband tells Nena that a girl he knows has got herself
pregnant, she doesn’t ask who the girl is. The husband goes on to tell her that
the girl is from a conservative family and ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the
boy who plucked her like a ripe grape</i>’ wont marry her and the girl’s
parents would kill her if they found out. So, Nena delivers the girl to an
airless ultra-bright chamber, places thick bundles of cash on the doctor’s desk
and waits for the job to be done so that she can get the girl home. When things
don’t go as planned, Nena finds herself worrying about her husband, his blood
pressure and nerves, mentally noting that ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">girls
who danced too close to the flames would be moth sooner or later</i>.’</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Antony is an acquired taste, one definitely worth
acquiring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as a seasoned Antonian, I’ve
learnt to expect the unexpected, to enjoy the sudden drop and to even enjoy the
somersault. I found in <i>Can’t</i> most of the things that I have learnt to expect
from Antony and some more. For all Antony fans out there, <i>Can’t</i> is a must-read
and for those who haven’t read Antony before, it’s definitely a taste worth
acquiring. Go on, have your first pint and you will learn to enjoy Antony. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here are my reviews of Shinie Antony’s previous
books: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://winnowed.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-orphanage-for-words-by.html">The
Orphanage for Words</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://winnowed.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-girl-who-couldnt-love-by.html">The
Girl Who Couldn’t Love</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://winnowed.blogspot.com/2011/08/when-mira-went-forth-and-multiplied-by.html">When
Mira Went Forth And Multiplied</a></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-27173041278492261402023-12-18T13:33:00.004+05:302023-12-24T10:20:26.866+05:30Book Review: Boys Don’t Cry, by Meghna Pant<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTLQ2kCu7srhUMr7ZIhpm0GmK_cHc76SBXRz69GAXujT0LmIa0CFPkbL29w29ns2cnj0x0QSJjYjcmfDYBBEk3TarriShKgYsv0AjjJwxMvlWIdzbFHDFtCUzhQ5Np_PKQw1yQHNo3uRGDDfRT4KxtL7RshiMeN-r9pAVi8vrcfrufGx5Ly_pYZ2yEvI/s4624/IMG20231217125515.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTLQ2kCu7srhUMr7ZIhpm0GmK_cHc76SBXRz69GAXujT0LmIa0CFPkbL29w29ns2cnj0x0QSJjYjcmfDYBBEk3TarriShKgYsv0AjjJwxMvlWIdzbFHDFtCUzhQ5Np_PKQw1yQHNo3uRGDDfRT4KxtL7RshiMeN-r9pAVi8vrcfrufGx5Ly_pYZ2yEvI/s320/IMG20231217125515.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;">Meghna Pant’s <i>Boys Don’t Cry</i> is a brilliant, though heart-wrenching story of marital abuse. It’s very difficult to believe that an educated woman from a well-to-do and progressive family would put up with domestic abuse, but that’s exactly what Maneka Pataudi does. After a fair amount of abuse, when Maneka aka Manu is on the verge of walking out, there is a reconciliation and peace prevails for a while. Then it’s back to square one and the cycle repeats again. Forget, forgive, move on, suffer again, prepare to walk out, reconcile, forget, forgive, suffer once more. As a reader, I lost track of the number of times this happened.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Pant is an excellent raconteur and her language is simple and straight forward. The book begins on a semi-funny note and then there is a sudden vertical drop for which the reader isn’t prepared. The ending is equally unexpected and Pant makes full use of her writer’s licence to serve her readers an unexpected dessert to end her tale.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Does Manu manage to escape her domestic prison and walk away or is she trapped forever? Do please read this wonderful book to find out more.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><u>Warning: Spoilers Ahead!</u></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">The stars willed for Manu to meet Suneet in New York. It was love at first sight. Manu gives up her job as a TV news reporter in Mumbai and everything else she had to move to the USA to be with Suneet. Suneet was an MBA student – his older step-brother was covering his tuition and Manu was unemployed. Suneet beats up Manu badly before their wedding, but Manu goes ahead with the wedding nevertheless. Why did she do that? Was it because her parents had already spent a lot of money on the wedding? Was it because she wanted to avoid the shame and embarrassment that comes with the cancellation of a wedding?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Suneet is good looking, the sort of handsome man that made him a catch. Suneet’s father is a doctor who used to work for AIIMS. Later he gets a job in Dubai. Suneet’s mother is one of the main villains in the drama and once again we see a case of a woman being another woman’s chief tormentor. Manu is treated on par with a domestic help while Suneet is expected to be treated like royalty. There is verbal abuse all the time and the rare physical violence. Suneet and his parents act in concert, with a lot of planning, to torment Manu. The idea seems to be to subjugate her and make her conform to Suneet’s family’s values and notions of a woman’s place in a household.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Manu knew that Suneet took drugs even before she agreed to marry him. However, he was handsome and was the sort of man Manu could introduce to her friends. That Suneet didn’t gel with any of Manu’s friends from day one is a different matter. Was Manu the typical woman who was subconsciously looking for a husband who ticked the right boxes and when she met Manu, couldn’t say No to him?Towards the end, Manu concludes that Suneet is probably bipolar, offering a possible explanation for his violence and occasionally acts of kindness.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Boys Don’t Cry</i> poses many questions for which there are no easy answers, but that shouldn’t stop us from searching for solutions. In this day and age, there is no reason why women need to put up with domestic abuse. Period. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Highly recommended!</span></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-80420108528115746552023-11-11T19:13:00.006+05:302023-11-11T19:17:30.738+05:30Book Review: Manasbhai Ka KRA - How organised crime became... more organised, by Gitanjali Chandrasekharan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-wYkrt2VlilJH6NcDO3ofL6-2RxGT88fpqpI6i7Guem09Xr9H6MIV1eJzQqVzxooX1vqaxmLpC83YkrgdwEXx0h5sFBnZM2S00SxANEb79ZyHZho7Zu6MIujBW7iRW2Fy58Q-48kXH8OZOoYimPiYKuPa43Ez3ejTcYf4AnPIACorI34QOpJARiTW3c/s466/71kfMQqsTaL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-wYkrt2VlilJH6NcDO3ofL6-2RxGT88fpqpI6i7Guem09Xr9H6MIV1eJzQqVzxooX1vqaxmLpC83YkrgdwEXx0h5sFBnZM2S00SxANEb79ZyHZho7Zu6MIujBW7iRW2Fy58Q-48kXH8OZOoYimPiYKuPa43Ez3ejTcYf4AnPIACorI34QOpJARiTW3c/s320/71kfMQqsTaL._SY466_.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><p>I just finished reading this hilarious
novella. Manasbhai, an old fashioned local goon who operates out of a Mumbai
chawl, is forced to hire a HR person when two cleaners hired by him to clean up
and dispose of dead bodies, go on strike. That’s right. A Human Resources
person, who comes in the form of well-intentioned Sunil, a man hyper-focussed on
learning and growth. Sunil would rather work for the mafia and be able to learn
new things and grow professionally rather than work for an old-fashioned, staid,
legally-run business enterprise where would stagnate. Sunil gels well with Manasbhai's associates and starts to put in place the sort of HR processes which any self-respecting enterprise would have and also rolls out benefits, such as insurance cover for the goons.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">I read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manasbhai
Ka KRA</i> in a single sitting and it took me around an hour to read it on my Kindle.
I’m not going to say too much and give away either the plot or the ending.
However, let me say this. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manasbhai Ka
KRA</i> shines a light not just on the ways of Manasbhai and his mafia
associates, but also shows the lighter (and at times ridiculous) side of HR practices and jargon – from KRAs
to appraisals. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">Gitanjali Chandrasekharan, is a former
journalist who now runs <a href="https://www.talered.com/">Talered</a>. Chandrasekharan’s
language is simple, but elegant and the frequent use of Mumbaiya Hindi adds authenticity
to the dialogues. I really enjoyed reading <i>Manasbhai Ka KRA</i> and highly
recommend it. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">You can buy <i>Manasbhai Ka KRA</i> from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Manasbhai-KRA-Making-organised-crime-ebook/dp/B09TH5QKRG">here</a>.
</span></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-68596634818198045892023-11-11T07:54:00.021+05:302023-11-11T09:48:35.691+05:30 Book Review: Kill The Lawyers, by Shishir Vayttaden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkrL-5zt4BhoUOox1JoGt-BHr3TQJ9J2Z76WkrTvxc7Zrk9DfP1ysZMDPpEHFF1CML_ZOORIwfdKc4Thc3xhBeSTvZOOTMiobv8zXFQlL5udZCbTJ45KMLEmtOiO4vVH2JmEBXz2uCftkSVmx9MzroHE3hGYx8tY4d0NGVFzqvl_Ozudp0evysaEwsSY/s1600/KTL%20Pic.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkrL-5zt4BhoUOox1JoGt-BHr3TQJ9J2Z76WkrTvxc7Zrk9DfP1ysZMDPpEHFF1CML_ZOORIwfdKc4Thc3xhBeSTvZOOTMiobv8zXFQlL5udZCbTJ45KMLEmtOiO4vVH2JmEBXz2uCftkSVmx9MzroHE3hGYx8tY4d0NGVFzqvl_Ozudp0evysaEwsSY/s320/KTL%20Pic.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Quick, think of a lawyer fiction book
you’ve read and enjoyed, and the chances are that the lawyer-hero/heroine in
question, whether it be Perry Mason or a John Grisham hero, is a criminal
lawyer. There are many lawyers who don’t go to court to ply their trade, but
these folks almost never grace pages of a book of fiction. In India too, there
have been a number of lawyer-heros who, usually in a movie, manage to prove the
innocence of someone falsely accused of a crime or convict a guilty person who
would otherwise have gotten away scot-free. In particular, Aditya Sudarshan's <a href="https://winnowed.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-review-nice-quiet-holiday.html" target="_blank">A Nice Quiet Holiday</a> comes to mind. So, is it even possible to make a
hero out of a lawyer who is not a litigator? Shishir Vayttaden, a leading
corporate lawyer based in Mumbai, evidently thought it was possible and picked
up the gauntlet through his debut novel <i>Kill
The Lawyers</i> and I should say that Vayttaden has managed to do the impossible,
which is to make a hero out of a laptop warrior who whispers advice in his or
her clients’ ears and gets remunerated for the counsel provided. To do so,
Vayttaden has picked Public M&A, which usually involves the sale and
purchases of shares of companies listed on stock exchanges or the merger of
listed companies, activities which are heavily regulated by the Securities and
Exchange Board of India, primarily under the Takeover Code, as his canvas.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN">Edwin Edamarra is
an interesting character. A former amateur boxer, he dresses like a lumberjack and,
like many corporate law partners, works very long hours and drives his subordinates
(especially Anjali Mathur) nuts by overworking them. Edwin is single and has a
Man Friday who takes care of him. Most importantly, Edwin is a good human
being. He has friends across the spectrum and a sense of justice and fairplay
even when working for clients who don’t always play square. One cant help but
like Edwin, the main protagonist in all nine stories in <i>Kill The Lawyers. </i>Some of the clients like Nostral and a few other characters
appear in more than one story. Anjali Mathur and Edwin’s boss Amit Adhikari,
who is nicknamed Ron Burgundy by Vayttaden, also appear in most stories. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">For those familiar with Indian commercial law
firms, many of the human relationships, such as the one between Edwin and his
boss Amit Adhikari or Anjali Mathur’s experiences (driven to the brink of
despair with research after convoluted research), will ring a bell. The law firm - client relationships, such as where a law firm, when working for a client, is pitted against a particular corporate, impresses the hell out of that corporate and is later hired by that corporate, or what a law firm does when an angry client has to be placated, will also not be too strange, though Vayttaden does blow it up. For those
who have followed Indian Public M&A transactions over the past twenty
years, many of the plots underlying the stories will seem to be oddly familiar.
<i>Kill The Lawyers </i>has open offers, artificial inflations of the minimum price that a buyer would
have to offer to the public in an open offer, mutual funds refusing to approve a
sensible merger at the behest of their investors, who are rivals of the merging
entities, White Knights, Indian promoters fighting to stave off takeovers by
MNCs more out of fear of the skeletons that will come out of closets if the
acquisition succeeds, the travails of the micro finance industry, gold loan companies and much more</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN">Edwin comes from
a middle-class background and Vayttaden gives sufficient hints to convey that
his own personal background isn’t dissimilar. At times, Edwin goes against his
own class interests and values. In one of the stories, where a merger between
Oster Auto and Kaslow Motor Parts is blocked by a union, Anjali is forced to
call him out. ‘<i>Edwin your grandpa led the
teachers union. There’s not one lawyer in the country who has not read his case
in law school</i>,’ she reminds him angrily. However, easy-go-lucky Edwin
easily makes friends with all and sundry, including his very well-off class-mate Varun Dayan. Later when Edwin helps </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">Chandubhai Agarwal stave off a takeover bid by Grande Acier of France, Varun, then working for a Singapore law firm, acts for </span><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: -24px;">Grande Acier</span><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: -24px;"> and the friendship between the two opposing lawyers helps ease the transaction towards its conclusion. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">Most stories are set in tony South Mumbai, but at times the action moves to Kolkata, India's former commercial capital, or to Hyderabad and in one story, to Ghansoli in Navi Mumbai. The action venues range from Edwin’s law firm to
the exclusive Belvedere Club in the Oberoi at Nariman Point to corporate offices of clients. In many of the
stories, threads from Edwin’s personal life play along as a sub-plot,
such as a fight with Dolly Shah, the Secretary of the Residents Council of the
housing society where Edwin lives or an interesting train journey which a
ticketless Edwin had undertaken in the past and his encounter with an
interesting fellow passenger. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">Vayttaden’s language is at times very
simple and at times flowery and poetic, which is in a way, similar to Edwin’s
lifestyle. For example, once when Edwin finishes an assignment at 4 am, we are
told that <i>a crepuscular light was
breaking over city and sea. Tiny ships had grown around the anchoring lights
and the stars were making their final stand in a cloudless sky. </i>Just like Vayttaden, Edwin can also be witty and sarcastic. </span>When asked by Spanish JV Partner Andolius when a particular transaction would conclude, Edwin retorts that it would as soon as the Spaniards finish the famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia" target="_blank">Sagrada Familia</a>. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">Vayttaden is required to explain various
laws and regulations in order to get his reader involved in the plot of each
story, be it a merger or a hostile takeover and Vayttaden does this with
simplicity and verve. Provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, SEBI's Takeover Code, Stamp Duty Rules, all of these are simplified and packaged in easy-to-swallow capsules for the benefit of the reader, accompanied by a tall glass of cool water. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">The best part of each story in <i>Kill The Lawyers</i> is how Edwin manages to
save his client from a hopeless position and either checkmates his opponents or
at least gets a stalemate. To do this, Ed goes much beyond the role of a
desk-bound corporate lawyer. Once, he takes French leave from his law firm and
goes to Hyderabad to play detective, at the risk of being fired by his firm. </span></p>
I thoroughly enjoyed reading <i>Kill The Lawyers</i> and am sure you will too.Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-77966623179005976372023-08-15T19:27:00.012+05:302023-08-17T06:32:18.332+05:30Book Review: Silver Lining - Overcoming Adversity to Build NephroPlus, By Kamal Shah<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKar0WCmS_J0hx8OxkVdvz4x2uZfYP5VyV72fOB0tVqomea2487_uCqposQ8-hSPCHCRK88Xvco1bXI6TIplR4yU4BTqpnDjkOwWM54EXJiMyNbxhK0T4BKv_UBLDhstmF98e2u4NN0lOjzbuoQkBw4_3CWGSgDaS7MfYZRLcNG-q96DRPcX36vnK0RA/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-08-15%20at%2019.20.25.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKar0WCmS_J0hx8OxkVdvz4x2uZfYP5VyV72fOB0tVqomea2487_uCqposQ8-hSPCHCRK88Xvco1bXI6TIplR4yU4BTqpnDjkOwWM54EXJiMyNbxhK0T4BKv_UBLDhstmF98e2u4NN0lOjzbuoQkBw4_3CWGSgDaS7MfYZRLcNG-q96DRPcX36vnK0RA/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-08-15%20at%2019.20.25.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Take any start-up and the chances are you will find an incident or trigger which caused the entrepreneur to found the start-up, with the noble intention of solving a problem or pain point. Nephroplus, a dialysis service provider, founded by Kamal Shah and Vikram Vuppala, to provide patient-centric dialysis treatment in India, also has a “story” behind it. However, this story is a far-cry from the usual start-up story. In 1997, Kamal Shah, one of the co-founders of Nephroplus, was hit by kidney failure at the age of twenty-one when he was on the verge of departing for the US for his master's degree. After the US Consulate in Chennai approved his student visa, Kamal took his extended family in Chennai for lunch at a restaurant called Dasa on Mount Road, which apparently served the best dosas in Chennai, before returning to Hyderabad. In Hyderabad, a mild fever, which Shah initially put down to the various vaccinations he took before his impending departure to the US, deteriorated into a full-blown emergency. After a kidney biopsy at Hyderabad’s Medwin Hospital, Shah was diagnosed with an atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (AHUS). Shah started kidney dialysis and further complications ensued. A second doctor at Kamineni Hospitals diagnosed the problem as Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN). Shah kept hoping that a cure was around the corner and that he would depart for the US pretty soon. He was so wrong.<br /><br />Shah’s first dialysis session was a nightmare. On his way out of the dialysis centre after his first, Shah met a lady who was having her ninety-fourth one! Ultimately, it was decided that Shah needed a kidney transplant. Shah’s mother generously volunteered to donate a kidney, but the renal transplant was unsuccessful. Shah’s trauma continued.<br /><br />Soon Shah got used to the frequent dialyses and learned to live with his condition. He later moved to peritoneal dialysis (PD), whereby dialysis happens without an external machine. PD made Shah’s life easier. He even took up a job at Suma Computers and learnt Visual Basic. With PD, it became possible to take holidays. He later moved to a software firm started by Obul Kambham (who had moved back to Hyderabad from the US) that focused on the Apple Platform . In December 2004, Shah and a few colleagues took a holiday at a resort in Mahabalipuram, experienced the Tsunami and lived to tell the story!<br /><br />Shah mentions the names of many good doctors and technicians who helped him to slowly improve his lifestyle. Jayaram, the lead technician at KIMS is one of them. Thanks to Jayaram’s support, Shah was able to switch to home haemodialysis. His energy levels improved, and he could work for eight to ten hours a day. He started to go for a swim every day. Then, in 2007, inspired by his work colleague Akbar Pasha, Shah started a blog. Initially, his blog was on various topics that caught his fancy, including his journey with his kidney disease. However, his posts about his dialysis experience touched a chord with patients and those involved in nephrology. Shah got questions about various aspects of his disease, which he answered. His readership climbed up steadily. One day in 2009, Vikram Vuppala who had worked for Mckinsey in the US, came across Shah’s blog when he googled for ‘dialysis in India’. The rest is history.<br /><br />After Shah and Vuppula founded NephroPlus, it slowly grew to become Asia's leading dialysis networks with 320+ centres across 4 countries, including India, Nepal, the Philippines and Uzbekistan. How did Shah and Vuppula achieve overwhelming success with Nephroplus? In addition to implementing many innovations which cut down the risk of infection, they started to treat dialysis patients as guests and also followed a 'guest care comes first' policy. They received VC funding. I am not going to give more on this away, other than to say that towards the end of the book, we see Nephroplus acquire a competing business run by US giant DaVita.<br /><br />Shah writes in simple, but beautiful English which makes the reader glide over the story, even when it details so much hardship. Shah’s matter-of-fact approach to his ailment is reflected throughout and it is very likely that such calm, unruffled demeanour is one of the reasons for Nephroplus’s success. <i>Silver Lining- Overcoming Adversity to Build NephroPlus</i> is a very unique memoir by an entrepreneur which will not fail to strike a chord in any reader, especially in a reader who appreciates courage amidst adversity, despair and hopelessness. Also, Shah’s tome details so many problems which India’s healthcare industry in general and dialysis patients in particular face and will be a boon to anyone who wants to address these issues.<div><br /></div><div>Go on, <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Silver-Lining-Story-NephroPlus-Kamal/dp/0670097969/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YJCLGWMNSVYK&keywords=Silver+Lining-+Overcoming+Adversity+to+Build+NephroPlus%2C+By+Kamal+Shah&qid=1692112139&sprefix=silver+lining-+overcoming+adversity+to+build+nephroplus%2C+by+kamal+shah%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-1" target="_blank">get hold of this book</a> and read it. Highly recommended. </div>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-10136667173920872082023-08-11T21:32:00.002+05:302023-08-11T21:33:44.354+05:30An Interview with Sarah Khan<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAqeLODR6JeQFMsalZyfoh61Xz1K4_deNev2ssno_xhfVK1JXkArb-oTTiTGYOBzcZFFHjwK6X_oUvM1WHZV5jK4OGucfpkMDSjvr-NcBbGqB2QagazHP9QM7pRmQULk-HySeZf9l6ToF1Z-9qsPwHZ5biqSkVE4jp5VqSJxj7-HHZmhvIns-79ImLBI/s2048/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-08-11%20at%2004.26.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAqeLODR6JeQFMsalZyfoh61Xz1K4_deNev2ssno_xhfVK1JXkArb-oTTiTGYOBzcZFFHjwK6X_oUvM1WHZV5jK4OGucfpkMDSjvr-NcBbGqB2QagazHP9QM7pRmQULk-HySeZf9l6ToF1Z-9qsPwHZ5biqSkVE4jp5VqSJxj7-HHZmhvIns-79ImLBI/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-08-11%20at%2004.26.34.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="text-align: justify;">Dear
Readers, I would like to introduce to you to my friend and former classmate Sarah
Khan. Sarah is a lawyer by training and has focused on public international law
for her entire career. Her focus has been international humanitarian law, human
rights law and refugee law and their applicability primarily in zones of
conflict and natural disasters. Her work expertise is known as “protection” - i.e.,
the protection of rights of refugees and displaced populations and other
civilian population.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Her work
has involved implementing these various international laws, by supporting the development
of: government legislation; policies for governments, international
organizations (including UN country teams- that is all UN entities in one
country), and civil society; training programs for various entities including, armed
forces and national security actors; establishing monitoring systems to track the
situation of people in zones of crisis including, access to humanitarian
assistance and services such as, education, health and legal aid; and advocacy
on crisis situations. In the last few years, Sarah has worked in management,
heading offices and has had less to do with law. Her day-to-day work has been
managing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>governmental relations, budgets
and staff and overseeing programs on health, education, livelihoods, legal aid
etc., for populations in crisis areas. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sarah has
worked with various NGOs and at the Red Cross prior to working for the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as a Senior Protection Officer
and then Head of Office. Her work has taken her to various places in Asia,
Africa, Europe and North America. She notes, a happy accident gave her over 12
years of incredibly rewarding work with UNHCR. She has worked in some of the significant
crisis’ of recent times, including, Afghanistan, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan
and Syria. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has worked with UNHCR
both in a country (colloquially called “the field) and at its headquarters -- however,
her real love has been working in “the field”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sarah has
very kindly agreed to tell us a bit about her experiences at UNHCR and give
some career advice to budding public international law students who may wish to
work for the UN or an International NGO <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or a think tank which focuses on situations of
humanitarian crisis. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Winnowed</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">:
Sarah, thank you so much for agreeing to spare a few moments and talk to
Winnowed’s readers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sarah</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">:
It’s my pleasure and thank you for asking. I’m always happy to help law
students who are interested in global affairs and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who see themselves as future public
international lawyers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Winnowed</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">: Tell me,
if a law graduate wants to work for the UNHCR, is doing a masters’ degree in
public international law from a Western university still the best route into
that domain? Also, are there other public international law opportunities for
students other than the UN? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sarah: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There
are many positions in UNHCR and other UN entities that are not just for people
with a master’s degree and it was never ever the only way. However, a masters’
degree may make it possible to be recruited directly to a higher position in
the UNHCR or other entities within the UN. The best way to understand what is
required is by looking at the job descriptions of various positions that
interest you and talking to people who work there is key. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There are
different paths to join any UN entity. People have started in the UN as
national officers in the country that they are from and then moved to overseas
positions. So please do consider working in New Delhi UN offices as a start.
Others have joined the UN Volunteer Program, which enables you to work for
different UN entities either in your own country or overseas. After 5 years of
service (please check if the number of years required has changed) as a UN
volunteer, one can get a regular staff contract (UN civil service). The UN
volunteer program is paid. There are others who have had a Junior Professional Program
post with a UN agency (these are not always open to Indian nationals and are
very few since they are funded by a select group of wealthy countries). I
joined UNHCR as a consultant, as many do and then you apply for regular
position. There are also roster positions in a lot of UN entities – where you
get selected and then when a position is opened your name is selected from the
roster for the position. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a
common system for the UN secretariate for UN peace keeping, political affairs,
legal affairs etc. and then the UN specialized agencies like UNHCR and
UNICEF<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have their own systems. You need
to study each entity to understand what the methods are since new things keep
getting added over the years in terms of employment schemes. I apologize that
it is not simple! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After
NLSIU, I opted to go to the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts
University in Boston for a master’s in law and diplomacy (International
relations with law). Graduate school broadened my sense of the world and the career
possibilities. I am thankful for that. I will list here what I did -- in case
any of these entities interests the reader since they are all in human rights
and related areas and beyond just the UN. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
opportunities included a paid internship at Calvert Investments (an American
social responsibility firm), where I worked on developing human rights indicators.
I chose that over an unpaid internship at the UN office for Legal Affairs at
the UN Secretariate in New York. I believe now there are a number of UN paid
internships available with different UN entities, which students reading this
should check out. Note UN internships are competitive and limited but not
impossible to get. Fletcher also nominated and funded me to intern with the US
Institute for Peace (think tank), who put me on a project for the Pearson
Peacekeeping Center in Canada. Some years later, Pearson recruited me to do
trainings for NATO forces deploying to Afghanistan and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>senior military officers in UN peace-keeping
missions around the world --<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as I had
previously interned with them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I was at
Fletcher when 9/11 took place, and like a lot of young people working on global
affairs then (scholar Michael Igantieff has written a great essay on this!) - I
wanted to go to Afghanistan. My professor at the Kennedy School at Harvard
University found me funding to go work for a tiny civil society organization in
Kandahar, which was working on out-reach to women to increase their political
participation in Afghanistan’s first “Loya Jirga” deliberations after the fall
of the Taliban (note: Fletcher School, Harvard and MIT students can
cross-register for classes with each other). In the same year, I got funding from
Fletcher to intern for an American NGO, Mercy Corps in Tajikistan (I was tasked
to write a report suggesting ways human rights could be incorporated into
conflict resolution programs they were running there). As a result, I suspended
my graduate degree for a year and half, which, luckily, Fletcher allowed me to
do. These <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were amazing opportunities for
me as young person and I seized them when offered – so keep a look out to see
what all is out there and it might be not what you have planned or foreseen. It
did help my CV stand out in my initial job applications and led me to my first
paid international job with Oxfam GB in Afghanistan, and it counted that I had
worked in the country as an intern. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Winnowed:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
If I am in the fourth year of my five-year law degree in India, what should I
do to create a career in the field of public international law?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sarah</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">:
I cannot speak to the entire field but at least vis-à-vis the UN humanitarian
and political actors, I would advise students to identify what interests them.
The UN is vast with different entities dealing with different aspects of public
international law. I would identify what interests you in the area of public
international law and then check out the entities which deal with it and then
apply for an internship there. Internships give you an idea of the place but
also make you become a known entity for future job applications. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, if you are interested in human
rights, do an internship with a human rights NGO or even UN offices like UN Women
or UN Development Program which have representation in New Delhi. If you can
afford an internship overseas as some Indian law students have done, then please
do so. From NLSIU I know some who interned with International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the Hague and subsequently got jobs there.
Many from ICTY now work for the International Criminal Court. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Of course,
you can write and publish on a topic that interests you and that too is a
plus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Academia is another great route to
work for the UN as an expert further down the line in your career, if you so wish.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The key is
to take opportunities on offer. Do also try to ask for opportunities and show
an interest in your topic. While at NLSIU it was clear to my professors that I
was interested in public international law, and I did get very good grades in
that subject as opposed to say contract law. So right after I graduated from NLSIU,
I got offered my first job with the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) in Delhi by my former international law professor at NLSIU who became
their regional advisor for South Asia. I still remain in touch with him and am thankful
that he gave me my first big break. Working for the Red Cross for a year did
wonders for my CV and helped me get into a master's program of my choice. A Red
Cross contact became my reference for my job with Oxfam later in time since the
Red Cross has a certain gravitas for other actors in the international
law/humanitarian field. Both UNHCR and ICRC have a lot of lawyers working for them.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Winnowed: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">You’ve
learnt French, haven’t you? How useful do you it think it’s to learn a foreign
language when working in the field of public international law?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sarah: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
just can’t emphasize sufficiently how important it is to learn an international
language, in addition to English. Of course, it is much easier to learn an
additional language when you are young. Most South Asians are bilingual, if not
trilingual. However, that doesn’t mean one is not able to pick up an
international language as an adult. In this area of work many learn foreign
languages as adults since it increases your geographic work opportunities. Those
who work in the foreign services of large governments learn new languages prior
to each diplomatic posting. You need to be open to the possibility and have a
willingness to put in the time and effort. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I have
studied French for some years and have also studied Dari a little (similar to
Persian and Urdu) while in Afghanistan. I tried Arabic and Russian while in the
Middle East and Central Asia but found both very difficult for my limited
linguistic skills. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So having
second language other than English, is a distinct advantage to have in the UN
or with an international NGO. So, it’s worth learning one of the 6 UN languages,
apart from English, while at law school. For crisis areas, French, Spanish and
Arabic and now Russian are languages of focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Winnowed</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">: Currently,
what are you up to? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sarah</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">:
I resigned from UNHCR in 2021 to try and have a ‘normal’ life rooted in one
place and decided to go back to school. For the last two years, I’ve been in a
research LLM program at Osgoode Hall Law School (as law continues to be the
parlance of global affairs) and as a </span><span lang="EN-US">Graduate Research
Scholar</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> at </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #212529; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">York University’s Dahdaleh Institute for Global
Health Research in Toronto. My research centers on </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">NATO’s
landmark Policy on protection of civilians and the harm of displacement in law
and policy of the international community. I am grateful for the funding I have
from York to think, research and write about the eight significant post 9/11
wars - where over 38 million people have been displaced. I have engaged with
these wars for most of my career over the last decade or so. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Winnowed</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">: Sarah, this
is very helpful. Thank you very much.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sarah</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">:
You are welcome! Thank you. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.yorku.ca/dighr/person/sarah-khan/" target="_blank">Sarah Khan</a>
tweets at @Khan2005Sarah <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Cover
photo © with </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/contact-information/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">PBS</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
from Part 2 of the documentary series “</span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/when-disaster-strikes-premieres-wednesdays-january-620-2021-on-pbs/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When
Disaster Strikes</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">”, which is a good series to
watch for students, to understand the mechanics of aid work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-58099465508469289652023-07-04T09:20:00.003+05:302023-07-04T12:17:31.263+05:30Pig farm on Nazi ‘Roma Camp’ Demolished<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPRhdKNxNGLwAmZYGwxZUQPU6PjYuiRyRWxQMOTphOR8bsl8T-Z-BA7psPLaHrj4vt0Q1TtMFUJaEz2pKJYoV1aq7CvhOAI6vQUESB_sIAl5WkhCVmP42nQ1kewarVGuR8z22UBPYhaMHnmtntCeWOVDsiyeeNG8t2F_oHRAqKREO3pkwV7QrE8hEXvk/s600/lety_baraky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="600" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPRhdKNxNGLwAmZYGwxZUQPU6PjYuiRyRWxQMOTphOR8bsl8T-Z-BA7psPLaHrj4vt0Q1TtMFUJaEz2pKJYoV1aq7CvhOAI6vQUESB_sIAl5WkhCVmP42nQ1kewarVGuR8z22UBPYhaMHnmtntCeWOVDsiyeeNG8t2F_oHRAqKREO3pkwV7QrE8hEXvk/s320/lety_baraky.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;">I have for long been
fascinated by <a href="https://winnowed.blogspot.com/2020/04/should-india-speak-up-for-european.html" target="_blank">the Roma</a>, nomads in Europe whose roots can be traced to the
Indian subcontinent. The Roma have historically been discriminated against and marginalized
in Europe. During the Nazi era, the Roma got caught in Nazi theories of racial
superiority and were subjected to a genocide. <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/03/europe/roma-concentration-camp-czech-intl-cmd/index.html" target="_blank">Historians believe that between25% and 70% of Europe’s Roma population was murdered during the 2nd World War</a>.
Unfortunately, even after World War Two ended, the Roma continued to face
discrimination and prejudice. They still do. There can be no better example of
such <a href="https://www.praguemorning.cz/pig-farm-that-stood-on-the-site-of-nazi-era-roma-camp-is-finally-demolished/" target="_blank">discrimination and prejudice</a> than the communist government of Czechoslovakia
allowing a piggery to be set up on the site of a Nazi camp near Lety, about 80
kilometers south of Prague, were thousands of Roma were held, exploited, tortured
and many killed. The guards who operated the Lety camp were local Czech.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 24.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62263340" target="_blank">This piggery <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at Lety has now been demolished</a>.</span></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-85493681748910900922023-03-26T05:39:00.019+05:302023-03-26T10:19:20.299+05:30Book Review: Marriages Not Made In Heaven, by Vathi Agrawal<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGWsapJnLXQq2v3FDY7pLnVSnYhFx4pQ7BKVzYD8SG2qTg5PSz12hQNgkEsRfDH-5XsQhQGSw1tXapv3OI2g7D_ip2fov7Fqxqny3X_GCyKDSPtNIdjZ1ccnlpE1q2fRQzWuAZbSzNokG2A_1YVdTR8AIzULERVp2zuFbBB7DB9VulPTTPI4XtwGT/s400/71Lu8Ks+XPL._AC_UL600_SR600,400_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="243" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGWsapJnLXQq2v3FDY7pLnVSnYhFx4pQ7BKVzYD8SG2qTg5PSz12hQNgkEsRfDH-5XsQhQGSw1tXapv3OI2g7D_ip2fov7Fqxqny3X_GCyKDSPtNIdjZ1ccnlpE1q2fRQzWuAZbSzNokG2A_1YVdTR8AIzULERVp2zuFbBB7DB9VulPTTPI4XtwGT/s320/71Lu8Ks+XPL._AC_UL600_SR600,400_.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><br />A South Delhi mother of three daughters of marriageable age is a special creature and Nita Chopra runs true to the stereotype. Her three daughters are as different from each other as chalk and cheese and chai, with just one thing in common - all three, Payal, Simran and Nisha, are very keen to get married, just as keen as their parents are in getting them married. Anand Chopra, the father, works for the Mittal Group of companies and the Chopras are well-off, though not filthy rich and they have the money and wherewithal to spend on the desired weddings. Vathi Agrawal definitely believes in ‘getting on with it’ since the marriages happen in quick succession, atleast for two of the daughters, and the last one doesn’t take too long either, but that’s because the story moves fast. Agrawal’s characters are real-life ones and many run true to stereotypes, though a few don’t. Nita Chopra is ambitious, but also realistic. Nisha is the prettiest of the lot and ‘<i>it was an unacknowledged aspiration of Nita, that her youngest daughter get married to the young scion of the Mittal family, Sidaarth Mittal. After all, aren’t rich business tycoons always marrying beneath them, so long as the bride is young and good looking.</i>’ However, for the eldest Payal, an old maid who had crossed thirty and who took after her father in looks and brains, broad of shoulders, neck and waist, she did not harbour any extravagant ambitions and is even willing to shell out a substantial dowry to get a half-decent groom. <br /><br /><i>Marriages Not Made In Heaven</i> is definitely not a politically correct novel, though it gets its characters and their settings correct. There is nastiness and jealousy, pettiness and greed, love and longing, sacrifice and benevolence. Each character is vividly drawn. Was it Mark Twain who said that human beings show their true colours when they are dating, getting married or getting ditched? Actually, I made that one up, but after reading <i>Marriages Not Made In Heaven,</i> one would find it difficult not to agree. <br /><br />Agarwal’s debut effort is such a romantic (or rather unromantic) thriller that I read it in one go – I think I took around five hours to read the 198-page page-turner on a warm Saturday afternoon, not needing a single cup of coffee while doing so. Agrawal writes well in simple, everyday Indian English, the sort of English which the Chopras and their neighbours, the Grovers, would speak. Agrawal’s use of ‘will’ instead of the more common ‘would’ threw me initially, but I soon started to enjoy the usage. For example: “<i>He knew Nisha had a steady boy friend, but was naive enough to believe that if he displayed his steadfast unshakeable devotion to her, she <u>will</u> fall in love with him sooner or later.</i>” <br /><br />I highly recommend <i>Marriages Not Made In Heaven</i>. Go on, do pick up a copy and read. Actually, its fine even if you don’t read it because it is very likely to be made into a TV serial soon and you can watch it on screen.<div><br /><b>SPOILERS AHEAD</b><br /><br /></div><div>Thanks to Nita Chopra’s quest for sons-in-law from the get-go, despite the title of the book suggesting otherwise, I ended up looking (in vain) for Jane and Elizabeth and Lydia, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham in <i>Marriages Not Made In Heaven</i>. In India, with its patriarchy and dowry, dyed-in-the-MCP-wool men and steeped-in-tradition women, many marriages, unlike the marriages that take place in Austen-land, don’t have a happy ending, even if both horoscopes had been matched before the M boat set sail. Payal, a marketing executive in a technology firm, does have a few things in common with Jane, but not in the looks department. Second daughter Simran, a doctor to boot, ‘<i>attractive and unapproachable</i>’, the official snob of the family who has a high opinion of herself, has nothing in common with Elizabeth Bennett. As for Nisha, the youngest and the prettiest, she is as head-strong as Lydia, but not as lucky. <br /><br /><i>Marriages Not Made In Heaven</i> is as different from <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> as pride is different from prejudice, or are they really? Don’t pride and prejudice have a lot in common? If Jane Austen were to write <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> today, wouldn’t the Bennett sisters also be career-minded? Actually, unlike her two elder sisters, Nisha isn’t very career-minded, but she is pushed into working for an investment bank and she does pretty well, effortlessly stealing credit from her colleague Ananya and sleeping with a key client. Wouldn’t Lydia have done the same? <br /><br /><b>ONE MORE SPOILER</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>By the way, I did find Mr. Darcy in <i>Marriages Not Made In Heaven</i>. Actually, Nisha’s colleague Ananya found him for me. No, I’m not going to tell you more. Please read this potboiler to find out more for yourself.</div>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-57426064503138822222023-03-07T20:40:00.024+05:302023-03-08T12:02:46.057+05:30 Book Review: Once Upon A Plate – The Recipes and Memories of an Unhurried Cook, by Radhika Ramachandran<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qUnKb9CoW73_VjqI1gnZT_U3UvBQqSaqsfTKgWkAgLAeWIFfYU2iPf_BQJa2oaPux7HGHzegBlcIgS5gWvyA4oBq1PlLQUFUdFmAv_eSDt9qGWwtyFbuuYKsh9fDn01vyfFwQYcSBjzBqnOUJG-kRVuF47Jva729UG03gJPt0h8EEmRwGtXJLD7n/s1156/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2017.58.33%20(1).jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="867" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qUnKb9CoW73_VjqI1gnZT_U3UvBQqSaqsfTKgWkAgLAeWIFfYU2iPf_BQJa2oaPux7HGHzegBlcIgS5gWvyA4oBq1PlLQUFUdFmAv_eSDt9qGWwtyFbuuYKsh9fDn01vyfFwQYcSBjzBqnOUJG-kRVuF47Jva729UG03gJPt0h8EEmRwGtXJLD7n/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2017.58.33%20(1).jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>Do you know how Chicken 65 originated? Radhika Ramchandran’s
cookbook <i>Once Upon A Plate </i>tells me that in 1965, when hostilities
between India and Pakistan were on, Chennai’s famous chef A. M. Buhari came up
with this delicious non-vegetarian dish that could be prepared instantly and
served to soldiers. The resulting dish draws its name from the year in which it
was invented. Or is it called Chicken 65 because it is made by cutting chicken
into 65 pieces? Or did its name come about because a 65 day old chicken was
used to prepare it? Once Upon A Plate is not conclusive on this point, but it doesn’t
really matter. The eye-watering photo of a plate of chicken 65 and the
accompanying recipe ensure that one is focused more on preparing a plate of
Chicken 65 than resolve the mystery behind its name.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOS6ZJzZGJ3idEGtUhEtzMz12JAZWGt7b7UMHM1wEEdaf6Wu8Z1D9vNOULo2Vpnv8IKdniha1Aivh0vyAEA6h5qsMh4u4L7lr70qsVjQbNnkD3pwTyv47leUczWLFCUoqJNgR78UI2NJVzZWH6yBXVp86btJRxh3Gpm8hhO5MGB19UV5BonzbFpiKK/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2017.58.37%20(1).jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOS6ZJzZGJ3idEGtUhEtzMz12JAZWGt7b7UMHM1wEEdaf6Wu8Z1D9vNOULo2Vpnv8IKdniha1Aivh0vyAEA6h5qsMh4u4L7lr70qsVjQbNnkD3pwTyv47leUczWLFCUoqJNgR78UI2NJVzZWH6yBXVp86btJRxh3Gpm8hhO5MGB19UV5BonzbFpiKK/w150-h200/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2017.58.37%20(1).jpeg" width="150" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">A cookbook they say, is made not just of paper, but carries
with it the author’s sweat, grime from her kitchen, fragrant aromas wafting from
her oven, the burnt smell of experiments that went wrong and sounds of grateful
lips smacking in appreciation.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the case of Radhika Ramachandran, <i>Once Upon A Plate</i> – <i>The Recipes and Memories of an Unhurried Cook</i> also has buried in it generations of inherited kitchen wisdom and culinary dust
gathered from across the world. Ramachandran, a lawyer cum cook, has poured her
heart and soul into this coffee table cookbook, which has been many years in the
baking. <span>Once Upon A Plate is more than just a collection of recipes.
Rather, ‘</span><i>it stands conveniently at the beautiful intersection of a cookbook
and a food memoir’</i><span>. It lovingly describes how Ramachandran inherited a
passion for cooking, how the time spent with her grandmother laid the seeds for
her motivation to write </span><i>Once Upon A Plate</i><span> for which she spent years
accumulating recipes in meticulous detail. </span>Ramachandran’s English is simple and unadorned and her instructions straightforward.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReHNmDclkDfCOEIk_0FKi38QijDDH8gkM7P6tPfceOJTj8YjutmRTcpyJTvrFGtp55p5tctUnfET7L7VmyhqVa9TKse2L24otPSSZFQ22sBA4wXZhbxfrbL5DQmGv5peZPxogEIwTJt015ZiSCMWESo1rVMfYbACBCiZbEBfUhlV4YzCX1JAaIn_f/s1280/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2020.33.09%20(2).jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReHNmDclkDfCOEIk_0FKi38QijDDH8gkM7P6tPfceOJTj8YjutmRTcpyJTvrFGtp55p5tctUnfET7L7VmyhqVa9TKse2L24otPSSZFQ22sBA4wXZhbxfrbL5DQmGv5peZPxogEIwTJt015ZiSCMWESo1rVMfYbACBCiZbEBfUhlV4YzCX1JAaIn_f/w150-h200/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2020.33.09%20(2).jpeg" width="150" /></a></div></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Ramachandran has her roots in
Andhra, spent her childhood in various cantonments across India, went to law
school in Bengaluru, married a Bengali man who too has a military background and
much later moved to Nigeria where she lives even now. <i>Once Upon A Plate</i> draws
on the culinary traditions of all these places.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8epPKyyx3SsKpwM67W7f2zhDhu0mPGeklIhbIQd9VQqP60Mm_s1ekh6Me_1wqV6DYkSERCXLbMMbyX0zXpMC-o42H6Amsco9uxxjdzT2nOVdWRcX9pWZyqcXUDb7rSxWZXPQPWzm5msqBNW_4A-3ZJMPNfb46QWk0M3soMHO4pSG-E22A5mJw3_nd/s1156/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2017.58.34%20(2).jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="867" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8epPKyyx3SsKpwM67W7f2zhDhu0mPGeklIhbIQd9VQqP60Mm_s1ekh6Me_1wqV6DYkSERCXLbMMbyX0zXpMC-o42H6Amsco9uxxjdzT2nOVdWRcX9pWZyqcXUDb7rSxWZXPQPWzm5msqBNW_4A-3ZJMPNfb46QWk0M3soMHO4pSG-E22A5mJw3_nd/w150-h200/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2017.58.34%20(2).jpeg" width="150" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There are recipes for chutneys,
pickles, dips, sauces, salads, dozens of south Indian vegetarian dishes, many
chicken, fish, mutton dishes from across the world, including Iran, Pakistan
and Nigeria, breads and biriyanis and other rice dishes and more than enough
desserts to satisfy any sweet tooth anywhere in the world.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN9PUUcO-PjY30wZ1lUkuAnr0SQbYksM54puroF04J0tRenmBy576zakxs_T4haivQwQH5AuhtOV6R39XKCBTb-vkGpbc4drBwVAevO_EYxtLbyNhOSNFfnDaEITAvNi2XSMx_DJ_eY8eTyLzzghDh-mQaXitCv0v87ELmI11yKgqv5W0VG6DIxlF/s1156/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2017.58.35%20(1).jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="867" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN9PUUcO-PjY30wZ1lUkuAnr0SQbYksM54puroF04J0tRenmBy576zakxs_T4haivQwQH5AuhtOV6R39XKCBTb-vkGpbc4drBwVAevO_EYxtLbyNhOSNFfnDaEITAvNi2XSMx_DJ_eY8eTyLzzghDh-mQaXitCv0v87ELmI11yKgqv5W0VG6DIxlF/w150-h200/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2017.58.35%20(1).jpeg" width="150" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">One of the best bits about <i>Once
Upon A Plate</i> is that it is almost autobiographical and Ramachandran’s
background is truly fascinating. Ramachandran’s maternal grandfather BDP Rao
was a military doctor in the British Indian army who was awarded an MBE for his
exemplary service in World War II. Her maternal grandmother Anasuya Rao hailed from
a Zamindari family. All four of their children became doctors. Ramachandran received from her <i>ammamma</i>
lessons in mythology, cookery, proper demeanour and Sai Bhajans. Ramachandran’s
mother and her two sisters, all doctors at one time, formed a close-knit
group of strong opinionated women and there is little doubt that Ramachandran
is cut from the same cloth.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the daughter of two army officers and granddaughter of an
army general, Ramachandran who grew up in ‘<i>magical cantonments</i>’ where
many evenings were spent at the Officer’s Mess and Army Clubs such as the
Defence Services Officers’ Institute and various Rajendra Sinji Institutes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Isn’t the proof of the pudding in the eating? Well, I made <i>Bhuna Gosht</i> using the recipe from <i>Once Upon A Plate</i> and it’s lip smacking good, though I ended up deviating a bit from Ramachandran's toolkit - mainly in that the mutton I used was chopped into small pieces.
Here’s a photo:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAnd3QZSs2wBr80t_bvsFH0PlBMqhR_BSbH6EUzZpmUvokFMtS_s6InWt7oe26fv-p136kr28-BWjgNC2f5s2A9Stqdm4oNCE14hTgzcsGBbBJLXg7SNpSOwYGg5nrgDoEK-nHVM72l8wwsPd6uSP2lVsv_HTK3Ln4fpSSlMRwlCvqGU6qqTvXkd3/s1156/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2020.13.09.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1156" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAnd3QZSs2wBr80t_bvsFH0PlBMqhR_BSbH6EUzZpmUvokFMtS_s6InWt7oe26fv-p136kr28-BWjgNC2f5s2A9Stqdm4oNCE14hTgzcsGBbBJLXg7SNpSOwYGg5nrgDoEK-nHVM72l8wwsPd6uSP2lVsv_HTK3Ln4fpSSlMRwlCvqGU6qqTvXkd3/w400-h300/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2020.13.09.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGYNWdDB-dcrMzKIBBs_oiKB15v2_YdfGTVSEfq2rk_l3yWfrHdpb8S2GNE6d2PziOAru8QaLkqy_nvSf8uArMqyLb2EJJ9r2v-xChZOw_s3w9qxuy6vwxhactTbAaIho-IXV2pFNMehnhbebAdNGikEOoZkDZqESx0NiThKT4Bdkeoz688mpqZiC/s1156/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2020.33.10.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1156" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGYNWdDB-dcrMzKIBBs_oiKB15v2_YdfGTVSEfq2rk_l3yWfrHdpb8S2GNE6d2PziOAru8QaLkqy_nvSf8uArMqyLb2EJJ9r2v-xChZOw_s3w9qxuy6vwxhactTbAaIho-IXV2pFNMehnhbebAdNGikEOoZkDZqESx0NiThKT4Bdkeoz688mpqZiC/w200-h150/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2020.33.10.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Once Upon A Plate</i> is beautiful coffee table book which can
adorn any drawing room. It runs to over 550 odd pages, has hundreds of
photographs of the finished dishes and a painstakingly prepared index at the
end which will be very useful to any reader.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0bXMYsaD6T55pBIPsHvj-J1097g9eCPhmOkDa-30eIf3-d6npcSu1yfzDHmXv2kCWRCOBARtL24S8GjdscDYa9jThOJ-RES35pUeE84lfASZ5E3uFSGYqYq8ONxaTgvvmZF8nE9cjGJJpbuSTK-WHrayuunqyAxgPY4yzluf72LUe2nNHouW8LqN/s1280/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2020.33.10%20(1).jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0bXMYsaD6T55pBIPsHvj-J1097g9eCPhmOkDa-30eIf3-d6npcSu1yfzDHmXv2kCWRCOBARtL24S8GjdscDYa9jThOJ-RES35pUeE84lfASZ5E3uFSGYqYq8ONxaTgvvmZF8nE9cjGJJpbuSTK-WHrayuunqyAxgPY4yzluf72LUe2nNHouW8LqN/w150-h200/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-07%20at%2020.33.10%20(1).jpeg" width="150" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">I do encourage all my readers to acquire a copy of this
beautiful book which will not only be useful in cooking tasty dishes, but can
be passed on lovingly to future generations.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Once upon A Plate is available on <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Once-Upon-Plate-Memories-Unhurried/dp/B0BVR2QR15" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and at <a href="https://notionpress.com/read/once-upon-a-plate" target="_blank">Notion Press</a>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-49535344163430534022023-02-20T04:56:00.007+05:302023-02-20T05:13:52.890+05:30Maintaining My Streak On Duolingo<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENe-Yi-9XdcBk_oh3Y6wZlBVWzp-N6ji7NBVFm1oYR_Mzg00CHl7LXDw_aM15wustvZ5Vf136yM2QsQC94yDc3aKHHdMTw9q2yWibomS08Tf2rIbm99oFy0m50TKxNBxRPTxfzm8KQC98XD98RsRqpGPdvSzmdyFnJibEuLk0tz90TdyzaMi0slxo/s1200/streak%20-%2058.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENe-Yi-9XdcBk_oh3Y6wZlBVWzp-N6ji7NBVFm1oYR_Mzg00CHl7LXDw_aM15wustvZ5Vf136yM2QsQC94yDc3aKHHdMTw9q2yWibomS08Tf2rIbm99oFy0m50TKxNBxRPTxfzm8KQC98XD98RsRqpGPdvSzmdyFnJibEuLk0tz90TdyzaMi0slxo/s320/streak%20-%2058.jpeg" width="144" /></a></div>I have been using <a href="https://winnowed.blogspot.com/2021/07/test.html" target="_blank">Duolingo since March 2019</a> and find that Duolingo is the best resource available to me to learn French, considering the various constrains I am under. However, I have learned to not use Duolingo mindlessly. Duolingo is designed like a gaming app and it makes one addicted to gaining various types of rewards or credits, which reduces its effectiveness. One of the most well-known features of Duolingo is the 'Streak'. There are folks who proudly claim to have a Streak of over a year, implying that they have used Duolingo regularly everyday to maintain that Streak. However, Duolingo makes it rather easy to maintain the Streak. There are refills and other gimmicks which keeps one's Streak going even if one has not been regular. I have become so annoyed with the Duolingo Streak that I don't use Duoling on weekends and once in a while on weekdays too, but my current Streak has stayed with me for over 58 days. This is the story of my current Streak on Duolingo. <p></p><p>Duolingo offered refills to maintain my Streak, whenever I was on the verge of losing mine.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRwHKaepWrcTuGoshATk7-PHMz0i7bhqvSuB2aMTP0PS1HZd0Cbzf4uaOA946Sq2UMO5HLvg0xWb-uGZVkyPwcbg7t8OEU50LLlZagxYfWAhu8rIQigp_rxankX_xyXvkeIF-m_uIT9Z4XQ1mDMePXtxwMXNH0Zz-auoV_3E-kNBjSJ-4-nDW_sdH/s1200/S%20freeze%20used%20-%2010027.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRwHKaepWrcTuGoshATk7-PHMz0i7bhqvSuB2aMTP0PS1HZd0Cbzf4uaOA946Sq2UMO5HLvg0xWb-uGZVkyPwcbg7t8OEU50LLlZagxYfWAhu8rIQigp_rxankX_xyXvkeIF-m_uIT9Z4XQ1mDMePXtxwMXNH0Zz-auoV_3E-kNBjSJ-4-nDW_sdH/w288-h640/S%20freeze%20used%20-%2010027.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Look at my calendar. There have been many days when I did not use Duolingo.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbQeS0bJFnfkvwXgmXTUVMwlvO3XXGXlCnax5W0F-Lq9ZGMNrh4ysf0bsQdZDJCMr_anc-tSu2htQ14hZw9dU1kW-cJM_VAlh_xgd2mYN1H_l2L8DEjk-p9Mbykqw8TMnOEn36ge1X1mTgU2YBneA4LBbZu1m0BOjDU0zN6L_6rofuM6H0ALXBaer/s1200/Streak%20Calendar%20-%2058.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbQeS0bJFnfkvwXgmXTUVMwlvO3XXGXlCnax5W0F-Lq9ZGMNrh4ysf0bsQdZDJCMr_anc-tSu2htQ14hZw9dU1kW-cJM_VAlh_xgd2mYN1H_l2L8DEjk-p9Mbykqw8TMnOEn36ge1X1mTgU2YBneA4LBbZu1m0BOjDU0zN6L_6rofuM6H0ALXBaer/w288-h640/Streak%20Calendar%20-%2058.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I dropped down the league table many times!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfW7PEzmm3EN9QahXPKFCBxhmwHFJFq-9AzTsHRyIIsAgWWSr4xly5vDnWNq2lrXyGa7w8Kf86V-nC3WTmGaYQ_EMJWntIk6sLiudh0IZiC1841DtI6haEmjd5MjNQc8tdNxreZNmswjwke-Nu_XUHQw2PNEf7DmTcOLIBI3lgj029zsjNCGdcXFyV/s1440/Dropped%20down%20to%20Emeraald.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfW7PEzmm3EN9QahXPKFCBxhmwHFJFq-9AzTsHRyIIsAgWWSr4xly5vDnWNq2lrXyGa7w8Kf86V-nC3WTmGaYQ_EMJWntIk6sLiudh0IZiC1841DtI6haEmjd5MjNQc8tdNxreZNmswjwke-Nu_XUHQw2PNEf7DmTcOLIBI3lgj029zsjNCGdcXFyV/w320-h640/Dropped%20down%20to%20Emeraald.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I kept dropping</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifWYlOdaOUnRlsudH_Rcfttd0BkadpB7C0cGmSm2d0W7dqVSPDOayzqYXxZrVliX0XEDP9t38BRl4CizCXjuE6LoT4XDtQOdIM_fFEfkHff2hNaJtWWapXeopd-VJmxwO3uqbWnCqnz4rwKxEgyO1MPMJSYzfT5W5RWrQO6bVg8geNlJcbznA-WOa/s1200/dropped%20from%20Emerald.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifWYlOdaOUnRlsudH_Rcfttd0BkadpB7C0cGmSm2d0W7dqVSPDOayzqYXxZrVliX0XEDP9t38BRl4CizCXjuE6LoT4XDtQOdIM_fFEfkHff2hNaJtWWapXeopd-VJmxwO3uqbWnCqnz4rwKxEgyO1MPMJSYzfT5W5RWrQO6bVg8geNlJcbznA-WOa/w288-h640/dropped%20from%20Emerald.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">However, I manage to keep my streak</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDOOAe-mTft5Yef1zN4txafkq61Q0d24PAF6JWXwW7O4yjYlHhWEtav6RfbbGfIXpG-5s6RGDSgg8Ehnjrag4dTsWK_M--oLEG1Js17DkYSENVjWjjmbaA6ig-p2l29FWe5k2jT6DG-ZjGfbicXOabQrUZSBxT3bjuMnSSAIZJbghqWc5NXax7zk6/s1200/50%20day%20streak.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDOOAe-mTft5Yef1zN4txafkq61Q0d24PAF6JWXwW7O4yjYlHhWEtav6RfbbGfIXpG-5s6RGDSgg8Ehnjrag4dTsWK_M--oLEG1Js17DkYSENVjWjjmbaA6ig-p2l29FWe5k2jT6DG-ZjGfbicXOabQrUZSBxT3bjuMnSSAIZJbghqWc5NXax7zk6/w288-h640/50%20day%20streak.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Streak is just one of the incentives offered. There are others too!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmGTPwHVFARw5rSJ_cylXBrbT1H5SW5UAeXFAfRxvuqIJnbAZ6XW-qLnO25Vz6b6CMy0779JbrdomF_9r-j_8Cay2c87OXzj3NIWBxvODx6qpkjOd1tmrIyK9T7ok9GW_kN7qgWIvgSyDalrmXCxgYBrZhfpue3BWFS08bI5epdqarvSHvccBq7zR/s1200/Earned%205%20gems.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmGTPwHVFARw5rSJ_cylXBrbT1H5SW5UAeXFAfRxvuqIJnbAZ6XW-qLnO25Vz6b6CMy0779JbrdomF_9r-j_8Cay2c87OXzj3NIWBxvODx6qpkjOd1tmrIyK9T7ok9GW_kN7qgWIvgSyDalrmXCxgYBrZhfpue3BWFS08bI5epdqarvSHvccBq7zR/w288-h640/Earned%205%20gems.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>There are daily quests.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyBOTM_eqoZyO6z3aSo6JzaAxetL5iMqyxiQkTsaAaI0PrHUn3ptFRkmRUi4P14j84FUpNDUuBQ5rmhWii-v02lHGN_GF8G4V81b17l5Rq6nOshwJLqCaNQl5WWfKp_4AZfGBejEx-cgXckKMQldQseokjsybq1KbHHTY0RiOJj3BKlbCR6k8Ygyr/s1200/Daily%20quest%20complete.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyBOTM_eqoZyO6z3aSo6JzaAxetL5iMqyxiQkTsaAaI0PrHUn3ptFRkmRUi4P14j84FUpNDUuBQ5rmhWii-v02lHGN_GF8G4V81b17l5Rq6nOshwJLqCaNQl5WWfKp_4AZfGBejEx-cgXckKMQldQseokjsybq1KbHHTY0RiOJj3BKlbCR6k8Ygyr/w288-h640/Daily%20quest%20complete.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once I was inducted into the Streak Society, not sure what that means though.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZ7evu4AU7A1vxSVnXJ9OFr-vC-YZD_6eIettL9dOvqoIBymA4Y0UfSmfOvaCLViiyRjeqW6dbt3rV7m3JBCgXQPUxr-1CTE6yXZFsFxp78Beq3vzFMZnE03Q6YJ78OFcTwXPWRvwHEvimEj-xyVWQcQvR1AOMT0rkCX93v8QSxTcQTjHENvWANNH/s1200/Inducted%20into%20SS.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZ7evu4AU7A1vxSVnXJ9OFr-vC-YZD_6eIettL9dOvqoIBymA4Y0UfSmfOvaCLViiyRjeqW6dbt3rV7m3JBCgXQPUxr-1CTE6yXZFsFxp78Beq3vzFMZnE03Q6YJ78OFcTwXPWRvwHEvimEj-xyVWQcQvR1AOMT0rkCX93v8QSxTcQTjHENvWANNH/w288-h640/Inducted%20into%20SS.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Look at how my calendar looked around 10 days ago</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIbkgdZvDxcFqlPsARc7r1wWXHq2mncjzspZGO11hr5fqI60vNR0WibR01R-783YtyXh5ux6l1gNesolav7QMBuURqW9yczDoJvlVlq0g3tMh4f0-qPbO7CCu9BA2KIL53a4vOn2oXtzpKBdLZhdfsrdjtnQ5REhSXGRVa9MGceq5GMk4sTqNP_AD/s1200/Streak%20calendar%2010187.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIbkgdZvDxcFqlPsARc7r1wWXHq2mncjzspZGO11hr5fqI60vNR0WibR01R-783YtyXh5ux6l1gNesolav7QMBuURqW9yczDoJvlVlq0g3tMh4f0-qPbO7CCu9BA2KIL53a4vOn2oXtzpKBdLZhdfsrdjtnQ5REhSXGRVa9MGceq5GMk4sTqNP_AD/w288-h640/Streak%20calendar%2010187.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-55660649886787637362023-02-05T12:26:00.023+05:302023-02-05T21:22:58.332+05:30Book Review: Zainab The Precious Quest, by Shayan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUEvaLg-KzFrEccg0-oQBICqBiLCxVLUlmz7aTiJDpgPBT9SR0IWXqJLhN-9vRi3Dlspw5boGWD1jH2H_e1wKIbCHiFktT5FIAsmmi4VCBvg_6-FVaz4sYLGn6oofKawD3brfZwJnA-JblKO9y_THbVpv2CA8PtXqVdCopGKTOXTm6be22AGXKvVS/s477/Image_0.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUEvaLg-KzFrEccg0-oQBICqBiLCxVLUlmz7aTiJDpgPBT9SR0IWXqJLhN-9vRi3Dlspw5boGWD1jH2H_e1wKIbCHiFktT5FIAsmmi4VCBvg_6-FVaz4sYLGn6oofKawD3brfZwJnA-JblKO9y_THbVpv2CA8PtXqVdCopGKTOXTm6be22AGXKvVS/s320/Image_0.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>When a butterfly flaps its wings in Delhi, it causes snowfall in Switzerland. When Indira Gandhi abolishes the privy purses of the former rulers of erstwhile Indian princely states, Magnus Montgomery, a Swiss banker focusing on South-East Asia at the Banque Wedderburn Privee, sees a huge uptick in his business.</div><br />We live in dystopian times and <i>Zainab The Precious Quest</i> reflects this with muddled precision. Vikas. Magnus, Zainab, Rishika, Varun, Sejal, they get on with lives, as they move across continents, meet new people and lose contact with old friends and then sometimes there is a reunion. Throughout the novel, Vikas, Zainab and Sejal manage to steal moments of happiness. We don’t know if Prakhar did the same. Most probably he did not, since he was always precise and methodical and his entire live was a managed project that did not require any external injection of joy. When the reader reaches the end, s/he is none the wiser (regarding the magic elixir that leads to human joy) than s/he was in the beginning. <br /><br />Vikas Kumar ran a small travel agency in West Punjabi Bagh. When Magnus Montgomery landed at this doorstep after having lost his briefcase, which had his Swiss passport and expired Indian visa, Vikas was ever so helpful, even going to the extent of suggesting that the word "Banque" in "Banque Wedderburn Privee" was misspelt. Shouldn’t it be “bank”?, Vikas queried. Soon Vikas ended up working for Mangus, which took him to Moradabad, '<i>the armpit of India</i>,' where he made his way to Rishika Pradhan’s father’s shop. Love blossomed between Vikas and Rishika, even as Vikas enabled, for Magnus, the collection and transfer of literally truckloads of cash from various parts of India through Tyagiji’s hawala parlour in West Punjabi Bagh. In parallel with Magnus using Vikas’s services, Banque Wedderburn Privee decideed to outsource back office operations to cut costs and retains New Horizon Infotech Limited in Noida for this purpose. Vikas managed to get Rishika to work for New Horizon. Fast forward and Vikas becomes a private banker in Zurich, working for Banque Wedderburn Privee. Rishika plays the role of the bored housewife amidst the mountains and snows of Switzerland. How does Vikas become a private banker in Zurich? Do please read this novel to find out for yourself. <br /><br />Prakhar Solanki, a boring data analyst, and his clever wife Sejal, take-off from India for Zurich so that Prakhar can work on-site on an integration project for his MNC employer. In Zurich, Prakhar continues to be ever efficient and precise, while Sejal becomes a marketing assistant at the Uto Kulm Hotel, where she meet Vikas, who is a total contrast to Prakhar. On weekdays, Sejal swirls her prosecco and meets Vikas often. On weekends, the best she can hope for is an Antakshri with Prakhar’s office-mates and their families. Vikas wishes Rishika could be as much fun as Sejal, but he wishes in vain and so he continues to meet with Sejal whenever he can. <br /><br />Zainab’s family hails from Hyderabad and her father Mr. Sidhiqui works for IDPL - Indian Drug and Pharmaceutical Limited where he is Senior Purchase Officer. When Mr. Sidhiqui is transferred to IDPL’s Vibhadra branch, he manages to get his wife a job as a Chemistry teacher at the IDPL Inter College. Zainab and her family are allotted a Type-III flat (though he is entitled to a Type-IV flat) and things would have been really dreary for Zainab if she hadn’t become very close friends with Varun Dixit whose father is entitled to a Type-V flat. Water Tank No. 5 of the Virbhadra township is where Varun and Zainab have their frequent rendezvous. Suddenly, Mr. Sidhiqui is transferred to a scientific laboratory in the US on behalf of IDPL and Varun and Zainab are torn asunder. Zainab chances upon some documents, addressed to Mr. Sidhiqui which contains another name. Further, at the US immigration counter, they are escorted by state agents via a special queue, sans the usual ESTA checks. Is it just a high profile posting, or something else? We are told that before the move to the US, Mr. Siddiqui had made several visits to the Office of the Technology Attache in the US Embassy on Shanti Path in Delhi. Do please read this excellent novel to find out more. <br /><br />Vikas soon starts making frequent trips to Philadelphia where he runs into Zainab. They meet often in a seventh-floor luxury suite of the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Chestnut Street. Zainab has a boyfriend three doors down on the same street. Varun Dixit is a faint memory, though Zainab has been looking for Varun in every man she has had a relationship with until then. When her relationship with Vikas starts to threaten to become serious, Varun gets in touch with Zainab via Orkut and it turns out that Varun is actually in her vicinity. Are Varun and Zainab able to put the clock back and recreate the ambience of Vibhadra's Water Tank No. 5? Go on, please read and find out for yourself. <div><br /></div><div>Shayan (the author's pen name) writes well in precise prose that does not become a barrier to one’s enjoyment of the story. There is no unnecessarily lyrical prose that diverts your attention. The religious fundamentalists who pop in and out of the story occasionally add colour to the human kaleidoscope that rolls on at moderate speed. Shayan's main characters are all very much lovable - in fact, I didn't find a single character in this novel who is detestable, not even the boring Prakhar. I really enjoyed reading <i>Zainab The Precious Quest</i> and highly recommend it to Winnowed’s readers.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Zainab The Precious Quest</i> is available on <a href="https://store.pothi.com/book/shayan-zainab-precious-quest/" target="_blank">Pothi</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/ZAINAB-Precious-Quest-Shayan/dp/B0BHMZRRMD/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=3FCZFKAE5V9O7&keywords=zainab+the+precious+quest&qid=1672877988&sprefix=zainab+the+precious+quest%2Caps%2C343&sr=8-1&ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=71415245-243d-4971-b04e-5d77ec950b7f" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.</div>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-8673771422931867412022-12-29T18:59:00.021+05:302022-12-30T09:48:28.300+05:30How Effective Is Duolingo?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASoJ_GzGpQyN6OtVnD4PXoltelVUSz6a42jH9hsn1JMZJD_6LZXEM_27Pv0UhF690wfbQI2FrBQvY9UXrQy2qcCdEVLGoaDX4T2vT0VFvk4xMoXjVLM5J2a5qfvvMGBV-GONQumwQBl5tWRJvuIAKmJOzNZGCGVmnzM6CP2kwtOI5f3-Zj51YzDUg/s1440/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-12-29%20at%2018.55.46.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASoJ_GzGpQyN6OtVnD4PXoltelVUSz6a42jH9hsn1JMZJD_6LZXEM_27Pv0UhF690wfbQI2FrBQvY9UXrQy2qcCdEVLGoaDX4T2vT0VFvk4xMoXjVLM5J2a5qfvvMGBV-GONQumwQBl5tWRJvuIAKmJOzNZGCGVmnzM6CP2kwtOI5f3-Zj51YzDUg/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-12-29%20at%2018.55.46.jpeg" width="160" /></a></div><p>I’ve been using Duolingo to improve my French language
skills. As I have mentioned in my <a href="https://winnowed.blogspot.com/2022/07/going-back-to-duolingo-to-learn-french.html" target="_blank">previous</a> <a href="https://winnowed.blogspot.com/2021/07/test.html" target="_blank">posts</a> on Duolingo, I started learning French sometime in 1999 and have been learning it on
and off. As for Duolingo, I started using it in March 2019, used it for three
or four months, found it very addictive, but had misgivings about how effective
it actually is and gave it up until November 2020, when I went back to
Duolingo, more because of the absence of any other feasible option that would help me learn French during my work commute.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I still have mixed feelings about Duolingo. On the plus side, the grammar
exercises in Duolingo are very good, and though they don’t cover all tenses,
help improve one’s grammar. On the flip side, Duolingo has not improved my ability
to converse in French. If at all, I find myself hesitating more, compared to the past, when I used to rattle off with my limited French vocabulary, unconcerned about my grammatical mistakes. <o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4XXyJ8VOSsYB_2y4IoRC0u2g7ARo1cNnC307Sfi4DR77cLKr5wXigSXLfD33je6ldCykZRIHvUu6tsUgaqqw0olieDeoHddI8K6pY7K-EYXzafjrNts2sdwNeKO4naUOGBskgGD80rrPR9aU7qmTYMVQfaBOdnwcKG0JSdOAMu3Af2OrpQoEnMgI/s1440/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-12-30%20at%2004.29.31.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4XXyJ8VOSsYB_2y4IoRC0u2g7ARo1cNnC307Sfi4DR77cLKr5wXigSXLfD33je6ldCykZRIHvUu6tsUgaqqw0olieDeoHddI8K6pY7K-EYXzafjrNts2sdwNeKO4naUOGBskgGD80rrPR9aU7qmTYMVQfaBOdnwcKG0JSdOAMu3Af2OrpQoEnMgI/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-12-30%20at%2004.29.31.jpeg" width="160" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">These days, I constantly feel that I am not learning as much
on Duolingo as I should be, considering I spend around 30 minutes on Duolingo
every weekday and sometimes on weekends too. I feel that when I learnt French
in a classroom, I learned a lot more. My vocabulary is composed almost entirely
of words I learnt in 1999-2001 and later in 2002-2003 in a classroom where the
teacher used a textbook (with pictures in it) to teach. I can easily remember a
number of phrases from that learning. What I learn on Duolingo is more like
water off a duck’s back. The new words I learn on Duolingo, I remember them for
a few seconds afterwards and then I forget them. Vocabulary building is one of
the places where Duolingo falters though Duo claims to teach so many new words every
day. I feel that in a classroom, one creates associations between the newly learnt words and the surrounding environment (such as the joke cracked by a fellow student or a rebuke from the teacher), which makes it easy to remember the newly learnt words. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /> Ultimately, online learning cannot hold up a candle to classroom learning, I feel and Duolingo is a case in point.</p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdy5RGFrXnO5qOxqfSZqxlAeu9t_L6gGMFLDNp72pylPDydjJ0gqyzxicrcfF5u1xHfxhEdZPpGUGpNbEAcHc-OaGooHfFZAEb7bFfBEnIiKnlPyZYVp8c-phosGP-6poCHF1_pDgUz5Fj869zwd2R_u5gGXS14X4zEYXjDzYDhftb8aweme8Ci7m/s1440/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-12-30%20at%2004.29.32.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdy5RGFrXnO5qOxqfSZqxlAeu9t_L6gGMFLDNp72pylPDydjJ0gqyzxicrcfF5u1xHfxhEdZPpGUGpNbEAcHc-OaGooHfFZAEb7bFfBEnIiKnlPyZYVp8c-phosGP-6poCHF1_pDgUz5Fj869zwd2R_u5gGXS14X4zEYXjDzYDhftb8aweme8Ci7m/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-12-30%20at%2004.29.32.jpeg" width="160" /></a></div><br /><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></div>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-49076794808981589132022-12-28T05:56:00.008+05:302022-12-28T10:38:08.774+05:30Book Review: Elijah, by Susy Matthew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRObP2ePpCX4gwrr7uIdUZgj1XVFtn9fiQp_JyZOJEw0XBL7Nv4KTLXYMUCczGHHzy3RjTXpavwIn7qD1rG6rwVh4vR0EfmxROB1Ih_-0vG0QM4j-VWVP8ecGcpnUs4h0xbKkqFTPZWraibUX7TkRJMmZNG17hs74Q51HiF1fqbo--8U-F_vb3O5N/s346/24709700.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="228" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRObP2ePpCX4gwrr7uIdUZgj1XVFtn9fiQp_JyZOJEw0XBL7Nv4KTLXYMUCczGHHzy3RjTXpavwIn7qD1rG6rwVh4vR0EfmxROB1Ih_-0vG0QM4j-VWVP8ecGcpnUs4h0xbKkqFTPZWraibUX7TkRJMmZNG17hs74Q51HiF1fqbo--8U-F_vb3O5N/s320/24709700.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div>A few weeks ago, I had read Susy Matthew’s <a href="https://winnowed.blogspot.com/2022/12/book-review-in-bubble-of-time-by-susy.html"><i>In A Bubble Of Time</i></a> and really enjoyed it. So much so that I wanted to read Matthew’s second novel <i>Elijah</i>, but couldn’t find it on Amazon or any other store. So, I contacted Matthew who was kind enough to let me buy a copy from her.</div><br /><i>Elijah</i> revolves around Prophet Elijah who is believed to have lived in the territory that is now Israel/Palestine, in the 9th century BCE. At that time, Israel/Palestine consisted of the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. During the time of Elijah, the Kingdom of Israel was ruled by King <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahab">Ahab</a>. Ahab’s wife Jezebel was the Head Priestess and, according to the Bible, Jezebel, with her husband’s support, promoted the worship of Gods such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal">Baal</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asherah">Asherah</a>. Jezebel also suppressed Yahweh and Yahweh’s prophets. In the relatively smaller southern kingdom of Judah, Yahweh held sway, though Baal and Asherah were not unknown. Elijah fought against the promotion of Baal and Asherah and stood his ground against Ahab and Jezebel. <br /><br />Just as she did <i>In A Bubble Of Time</i>, Matthew uses the historical setting to tell us the story of Elijah and his sister Ruth. Ruth, who later metamorphoses into Lilith, occupies as much space in Matthew’s book as the Prophet himself. Sold by her wastrel father to the royal household to be a Qedesha or a sacred prostitute, Lilith rises through the ranks of the Qedeshot after some initial hesitation and resistance. Lilith is taught to harness the powers of Baal and Asherah and go beyond the common man’s world, into supernatural realms, from where things and situations in the common man’s realm can be accessed and controlled. She then falls with love with Jehu, a common soldier and out of that love, conceives a child. It is not unheard of for a Qedesha to bear a child, but when Lilith conceived she had already made an enemy of Jezebel and someone betrayed her secret before she was ready to reveal it. Consequences follow.<br /><br />Matthew writes well, using simple English that does not act as a barrier to the reader’s enjoyment of this spiritual thriller. From the time Eli and his mother struggle against Eli's father’s tyranny, to Lilith’s struggles as a Qedesha to her big fight against Jebebel and Elijah’s battles against Ahab and those who favour Baal and Asherah, Matthew has you at the edge of your seat as she takes you on a grand, pulsating and adrenalin-filled 370-odd page ride. <br /><br />One of Matthew’s strengths is in her ability to describe situations, something she does with aplomb, whether it be Lilith’s duel with Jezebel (spanning across metaphysical realms) or Elijah’s demonstration of Yehweh’s prowess and superiority over Baal and Asherah. The best thing about <i>Elijah</i> is that it transports the reader to that particular epoch in time and one feels one is living in the semi-arid desert region of Israel and Judah. When Matthew describes a blood sacrifice for Baal, one can sense and smell the gore and fear and pain, just as much as the blind faith that called for the sacrifice. Some of the descriptions are quite gory, but Matthew never loses her artistic touch and her deft handling makes this book such a compelling and unputdownable read. <br /><br /><b>SPOILERS AHEAD </b><br /><br />Ruth/Lilith is a complex character and is actually much more interesting than her brother Elijah. Unlike Elijah, Lilith has a dark side and Matthew brings out the contrast very subtly. Some of those close to Lilith, such as her first caretaker Rebecca and her closet friend Alissa, who possibly betrayed her, are at the receiving end of her experiments and wrath. Lilith refuses to give up her status as a Qedesha and runaway with her lover Jehu, something that seems to make sense, but actually doesn’t. When she catches King Ahab’s eye, Lilith does not give away the opportunity to get close to him, gain his confidence and try and get what she wants. Does she succeed? No, I’m not going to divulge more. <div><br /></div><div>Go on, get hold of a copy of <i>Elijah</i> and read it. I highly recommend this book. To contact the author for a copy, please refer to her <a href="http://susymatthew.com/">website</a>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-45020213520897383382022-12-07T04:25:00.023+05:302022-12-08T06:57:58.499+05:30Book Review: In A Bubble Of Time, by Susy Matthew<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpBRKusyo7gZsPRQR3oRgqEXhj9qbTl_crvsYs6wmew6kexL2FxwbadRbk7y8BY3VciMVytyReZx1dLkrKmP-ximKr2kjY-6BYHhSpPqCSubj89DeegHQI-DTbY4sTmXJXQoUAKLUiooahCUKysaotLfBznHO2hhOIH-NL35OJxLGnixC8lkPah6T/s500/51AuAOCU7MS.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpBRKusyo7gZsPRQR3oRgqEXhj9qbTl_crvsYs6wmew6kexL2FxwbadRbk7y8BY3VciMVytyReZx1dLkrKmP-ximKr2kjY-6BYHhSpPqCSubj89DeegHQI-DTbY4sTmXJXQoUAKLUiooahCUKysaotLfBznHO2hhOIH-NL35OJxLGnixC8lkPah6T/s320/51AuAOCU7MS.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>In A Bubble Of Time</i> is a period novel written by an Indian origin Malaysian author based in Bengaluru, which is set in Judea, during the time of Jesus Christ. Historical fiction
carries the tag of fiction, but it requires an extraordinary amount of
background research to get it right. Further, the creator needs to also spin a
good yarn without messing with historical facts. So, I was quite skeptical when
I started reading Susy Matthew’s <i>In A Bubble Of Time</i>. By the time, I was
mid-way through, I realized that I was reading a masterpiece, one on par with </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Robe">The Robe</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>In A Bubble Of Time</i> is a feminist novel. Its protagonist
Deborah is a woman far ahead of her time. A Jewess who hobnobs with the elites
of Caesarea, Derorah fights back against cruel fate after her wheeler-dealer
father forces her to marry Daniel, a Jewish freedom fighter (against Roman
tyranny) and a traditional male chauvinist pig. Deborah’s meeting with Marcus, a Roman officer, could be called destiny. Marcus isn’t your typical Roman and he wins Deborah’s
heart. Do the lovers manage to beat the mores and ethos of those times and be
together? Do please read this excellent novel to find out. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>In A Bubble Of Time</i> is a beautifully crafted historical
novel. Matthew must have done an extraordinary amount of research to get the
historical settings right. From page one, I was effortlessly transported back
in time and I could imagine myself in the fields of Judea and in the streets of
Ceasarea and Jerusalem. It is generally accepted that many of the events
mentioned in the New Testament, such as the census taken by Augustus Caesar did
take place, though it’s no one’s case that the Bible is a history book. Some of
the characters in the New Testament are well-known historical characters. However,
some events like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_the_Innocents#:~:text=The%20Massacre%20of%20the%20Innocents,in%20the%20vicinity%20of%20Bethlehem.">Herod’s
Massacre Of The Infants</a> may not have taken place at all. In Matthew’s
hands, all her characters, whether they really existed or not, come to
life. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_the_Great">Herod</a> is
diabolically clever and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salome_I">Salome</a>
is indeed a schemer. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna,_wife_of_Chuza">Chuza and Joanna</a>,
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healing_the_blind_near_Jericho">Bartimaeus</a>,
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barabbas">Barabbas</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herodias">Herodias</a>, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healing_the_centurion%27s_servant">Centurion
and his servant</a> and many others find a place. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealots#:~:text=The%20Zealots%20were%20a%20political,War%20(66%E2%80%9370).">The
Zealots</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharisees">the Pharisees</a>
are alive and kicking <i>In A Bubble Of Time, which</i> starts off around the time of
Jesus’s birth and concludes just after his death. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Matthew gets the relationship between Rome and Judea just
right. Ruled by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Herod-king-of-Judaea" target="_blank">Herod</a>, a Client King, Jews could follow their customs and the
High Priest <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caiaphas" target="_blank">Caiaphas</a> and his council handled the day-to-day affairs of the
people, with the Roman Procurator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus_Flavius_Sabinus_(consul_AD_47)" target="_blank">Sabinus</a> and the Prefect <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontius_Pilate" target="_blank">Pontius Pilate</a>, who both
lived in Ceasarea, not interfering much. However, <i>In A Bubble Of Time</i> goes a
bit beyond history. For example, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barabbas">Barabbas</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"> </span>is not a mere
thief (who was meant to be crucified, but was set free by Pontius Pilate as per custom, though innocent Jesus was much more deserving of the customary Passover pardon), but a Jewish rebel who fights the
Romans, steals from rich travellers and gives to the poor. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>In A Bubble Of Time</i> is a work of fiction. Many of the
characters are undoubtedly fictional and so-well crafted. If Deborah is a
feminist, Joanna is cut from an old rock and is very conversative and
traditional. However, both women, though poles apart, are very real. Elkanah, a crippled
beggar, who lived in the vicinity of the Jerusalem temple, took care of the
footwear of devotees and was <a href="https://apologeticspress.org/the-lame-man-is-healed-4701/" target="_blank">healed by Peter and John </a>after Jesus’s death, is, to the
best of my knowledge, not named in the Bible. However, Matthew not only names
him after the father of the famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel" target="_blank">Samuel</a> who lived many centuries before Jesus,
but also makes him a three-dimensional human being with anger, pride, jealousy,
arrogance and much more. To be honest, Matthew does this with all her characters </span><i>In A Bubble Of Time</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>In A Bubble Of Time</i> is a Christian novel. The Author’s Note
makes it clear that Matthew is a believer who drew on her Christian faith to
write the first draft of this beautiful book over four years. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Matthew writes in simple, unadorned English, which makes the 630-page
tome easy to read. Her descriptions of crucifixions are in particular excruciatingly beautiful - pun intended. </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">In A Bubble Of Time</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> was published in 2012. I don’t
think </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">In A Bubble Of Time</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> has got the publicity and recognition that it deserves. Yet. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do please read this excellent novel to find out if you agree with my assessment.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span></div>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-52469669729263451122022-11-06T21:50:00.015+05:302022-11-09T15:15:41.877+05:30Book Review: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, By Shehan Karunatilaka<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcvchO6PzMlvNHj9nTh4Xmbbj2YUZ5lsCkaOUG3AIY7Nk1h81tAR5Tw4ZKkzhIdnA8RJ8zwyl9OaeSVDInJSNaBEABtN0wMMpAQvba00cgDxH2MPNV4N_ydWHNgwO8W5eD4JRvvwJ1ZMY9nPCDtlxVSQFyEE4ck46ZIfOeJDkirAZCsaFkpydfcyN/s805/612+ETEa-SL._SX498_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcvchO6PzMlvNHj9nTh4Xmbbj2YUZ5lsCkaOUG3AIY7Nk1h81tAR5Tw4ZKkzhIdnA8RJ8zwyl9OaeSVDInJSNaBEABtN0wMMpAQvba00cgDxH2MPNV4N_ydWHNgwO8W5eD4JRvvwJ1ZMY9nPCDtlxVSQFyEE4ck46ZIfOeJDkirAZCsaFkpydfcyN/s320/612+ETEa-SL._SX498_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">It took me over two weeks to read Shehan Karunatilaka’s
latest novel, though I had actually purchased it just before the Booker Prize
was announced. <i>The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida</i> was the only book I ordered
from out of the short list and I started reading it immediately after it was
delivered by Amazon. However, I found the going tough and not just because of
external diversions and lack of time. <i>Seven Moons</i> is brilliant piece of
writing, satire coupled with tongue-in-cheek humour, used with devasting effect
to show the brutality that pervaded Sri Lanka in the late eighties when the
IPKF was deployed in the north and the JVP was active in the south. Human brutality
is what slowed me down, not the ghosts who abound in the novel. Though I have a
pretty good idea of how bad things were then in Sri Lanka, it wasn’t possible
for me to digest <i>Seven Moons</i> with any degree of speed.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maali Almeida the protagonist, at the commencement of the
story, has just ceased to be. A brave (and possibly foolhardy) photojournalist with
a gambling addiction and a homosexual to boot, Maali works for anyone who hires
him to take photographs, from media houses, to the Sri Lankan army to human
rights organisations. His profession makes Maali a witness to the brutality of
the Sri Lankan civil war and the JVP insurrection. Maali has even managed to
snap a photo of a government minister who literally stood by and looked on
while Tamils were being slaughtered during the riots of 1983, not to mention
numerous portraits of dead bodies, bound and gagged, of journalists and
activists who fell afoul of the government.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Immediately after his death, Maali passes through some very
bureaucratic red tape, something reminiscent of a third world country’s
government offices and with difficulty, he gathers that he has seven moons (a
moon a day), to figure out how he ended up dead, which would prepare his spirit
for eternity with The Light. Maali watches his corpse being chopped up by goons
with a cleaver, before it is dumped in Lake Beira, which doesn’t help him much.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As each
of his seven moons is used up, Maali flies around Colombo, surrounded by other
phantoms, many of them victims of the Sri Lankan violence. Some of the spirits are
friendly and many are not. Maali decides that he needs to get his secret cache photos,
that have the potential to bring down governments, published. Maali knows where
these photos are - underneath a bed in his family home and mixed up with some
erotic stuff. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p>Soon
everyone who is anyone in Sri Lanka (the Sri Lankan Army, the LTTE, the JVP, the
IPKF and international black-market arms dealers) is also hunting for the same
cache and their negatives.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Karunatilaka’s
writing has an effortless quality which adds to the dark beauty of the story.
One barely takes note of it, as one drowns in the narrative. Almost all the
others characters in <i>Seven Moons</i> are as exotic as Maali, who has a Singhalese
father and a Burgher-Tamil mother. Maali’s lover Dilshan and his flat-mate Jaki
are not run-of the mill Sri Lankans. They are the cream of Colombo, though they
too are victims. Dilshan’s father Stanley Dharmendran is a Tamil
Parliamentarian who hobnobs with the powers-that-be in Colombo, yet he finds it
difficult to find out what happened to Maali after “he was disappeared”. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">For
those interested in the LTTE’s history and growth, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahattaya" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #202122; line-height: 107%;">Gopalaswamy Mahendraraja</span> (aka Mahattaya)</a>, who used to be
second-in-command to Vellupilai Pirabhakaran, till he fell afoul of his Supremo
on suspicion of betrayal, has a significant
role in <i>Seven Moons</i>. Karunatilaka calls him Colonel Gopallaswarmy(sic). Further, t</span>he <a href="https://winnowed.blogspot.com/2009/08/short-story-just-little-boy.html" target="_blank">LTTE’s use of child soldiers</a>. is acknowledged by Karunatilaka in his signature fashion. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Karunatilaka’s first novel, “</span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://winnowed.blogspot.com/2012/05/book-review-chinaman-legend-of-pradeep.html">Chinaman:
The Legend of Pradeep Mathew</a></i><span style="font-family: inherit;">,” the rambling story of an alcoholic Sri
Lankan sports journalist tracking down a missing cricket star had appeared around
ten years ago, to critical acclaim. I think I 'enjoyed' <i>Chinaman</i> more than <i>Seven Moons, </i>though </span><i>Seven Moons </i>has left left a more profound impression on me and it will take me more than seven moons to recover from the trauma.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-36160502335297333912022-10-08T22:24:00.014+05:302022-10-09T21:32:41.101+05:30Book Review: Best Intentions by Simran Dhir<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgep0k3Xk5lNhDsshKRAEJxp_nV_Rn5Bz2riSNAVv41IV7D2SlDsGvzGJA6UE9cGL_CkkjPsEdNjp5JTBsO6hUEgllI-OUF7iU5wn45UGlSC-0aPhwUC3Px26pb_R0G3HfUW1kZ5Nj17DxslTmd7egXCMrbAveH0_2A7-S3ScpYiX43N8T6WSeeZMqi/s499/51V108aMUhL._SX337_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="339" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgep0k3Xk5lNhDsshKRAEJxp_nV_Rn5Bz2riSNAVv41IV7D2SlDsGvzGJA6UE9cGL_CkkjPsEdNjp5JTBsO6hUEgllI-OUF7iU5wn45UGlSC-0aPhwUC3Px26pb_R0G3HfUW1kZ5Nj17DxslTmd7egXCMrbAveH0_2A7-S3ScpYiX43N8T6WSeeZMqi/s320/51V108aMUhL._SX337_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="217" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: justify;">‘</span><i style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;">Gayatri will also get married, Nina</i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: justify;">,’
Ashok Mehra tells his wife consolingly on the day Ashok and Nina’s second
daughter Nandini gets married. This opening line immediately transported me
to a different world, in a different era, when Rupa Mehra told her second
daughter Lata </span><i style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;">'You too will marry a boy I choose</i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: justify;">' on the day that the
older daughter, Savita, married Pran Kapoor. Much later in the book, it is
revealed that Gayatri is a big fan of </span><i style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;">A Suitable Boy</i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: justify;">, as is Akshay, but
that revelation isn’t a surprise since Simran Dhir’s debut novel </span><i style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;">Best
Intentions</i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: justify;"> reminds one of Vikram Seth’s magnum opus right from the start,
time and again. Just as Seth uses the political and economic landscape of post-independence
India as a back-drop to his story, Dhir uses the explosive growth of India’s religious
right wing as her canvas, as she tells us the story of how Gayatri navigates
the social pressure to get married after her younger sister Nandini settles into
matrimonial bliss. </span><i style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;">Best Intentions</i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: justify;"> does not use up as much paper as </span><i style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;">A
Suitable Boy</i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: justify;">, around one-fourth I think, but manages to just as successfully
spin a good and realistic, romantic-socio-political yarn.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">Stop! Isn’t it so wrong to review a novel
solely by comparing it with another, even if the comparison is with what’s
possibly the finest novel to have come out of India? You bet it is. So, let me
say this. <i>Best Intentions</i> is an excellent novel, very well written,
gripping till the end and, if it didn’t run to 348 pages, would have been
unputdownable. I read it over a single weekend though. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #202124;">Best Intentions</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #202124;"> is full
of lawyers, of all hues. Nandini is a corporate lawyer, a partner at a leading law firm. Her husband Amar Grewal
is also a partner in the same law firm, but with ‘<i>a shitty practice in an area that
requires you to be a robot</i>, <i>no thinking whatsoever</i>’, one who gets
his deals because of his father. Dhir does not tell us what exactly Amar specializes
in, other than imply that it does not call for the same degree of rigor as her
specialism. Amar’s relatively poor performance at his job, as compared to
Nandini, gives him an inferiority complex, which in turn has a toxic effect on
his marriage. Gayatri, the lead protagonist, is a lawyer turned historian, one with
an anti-right-wing bias, which causes her to hate Akshay, Amar’s pragmatic
brother, who is a litigator just like his father Gyan Singh Grewal. Neelam
Bedi, an escapee from a broken marriage, who is generously accommodated by Gyan
in his office, is a lawyer too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">Since all the lead characters (barring Vikram
Gera, an investment banker) are lawyers, there is no dearth of confrontations
despite the best intentions. However, Dhir’s lawyers, their friends and
families are mostly good at heart and learn, adapt, improve and on the whole,
make the world a better place. Dhir’s standout achievement is her ability to
show both sides of an argument, without harming the yarn being spun. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">Dhir’s characters are realistic, too realistic
and each of them comes in 5D. Dhir’s English is effortlessly good, though it is
never lyrical or flowery and the occasional Hindi is not translated. Often
times, Dhir’s characters speak desi English and it just adds to the overall
atmosphere. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">There are writers who believe in Karma (who make
sure the baddies get their comeuppance and the good people their rewards) and there
are others who leave karma to God and keep it out of their books. Which way
does Dhir’s <i>Best Intentions</i> go? Please do read <i>Best Intentions</i> to
find out for yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">As many other reviewers have already said, there’s
a new writer on the horizon and am anxiously waiting for Dhir’s next novel. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;"><b>SPOILERS AHEAD</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">Vikram and his London based boss Akhil Tandon
are colourful characters, pirates actually, who form the perfect counterfoil to
the various lawyers in the book. Vikram is willing to go to any extent to get
what he wants, in this case, getting into Delhi’s moneyed social circle, even
if it means he has to string ‘may-get-married-if-all-stars-are aligned’ Gayatri
along. One keeps wondering why Gayatri can’t see through Vikram and even Akshay
is annoyed on this account. Dhir is so good at making her reader dislike
someone and then do a slow flip. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">Gayatri sees everything in black and white, but
towards the end of the book, we see her appreciating the other side’s arguments
and recognising that most people and ideas have a lot of grey in them. The bad
ones, who tormented Gayatri and others working at the Indian History Review,
are maybe not so bad after all? I found myself nodding in agreement more than
once. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gayatri initially detests Akshay who she
finds very arrogant and snooty, though rather good looking, with a bit of grey
around his temples. Towards the middle of the novel, as we've been taught by countless </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">Mills and Boon novels, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">some sparks start to fly between them. However, after Nandini and Amar crash their marriage, it is
inevitable that the embers around Gayatri and Akshay are bound to die, or
is it? </span></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-18415242975108871402022-09-27T09:22:00.011+05:302022-11-08T19:39:31.133+05:30Book Review: How Gourango Lost His O, by Sanjoy Ghose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeM3MsdP53PxQ8ecY6Q9C1snuK9W5STlFQF-vloNLGv42zjHpYEn2iZPJzB5qtZ0uMCG8e0R6SVNqIkkRkOEnlCxSgzaIjOcdMGEvhxDrozKr4M1Gk8rCP0zzNAZKBGVDuFtLfyHC3fthFys55717oq1-wxBm4mJKmvgHP_L7rgt-zb56tAFIaF99/s562/51GK9JIRS-L.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeM3MsdP53PxQ8ecY6Q9C1snuK9W5STlFQF-vloNLGv42zjHpYEn2iZPJzB5qtZ0uMCG8e0R6SVNqIkkRkOEnlCxSgzaIjOcdMGEvhxDrozKr4M1Gk8rCP0zzNAZKBGVDuFtLfyHC3fthFys55717oq1-wxBm4mJKmvgHP_L7rgt-zb56tAFIaF99/s320/51GK9JIRS-L.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><p>What happens when a lawyer practicing in Delhi, locked down at home due to Covid – 19, sets out to write a book of
fiction? Well, the reading public gets to know, <i>How Gourango Lost His O. </i>Purportedly
a work of fiction, <i>How Gourango Lost His O features </i>a number of lawyers,
clients, their families and most importantly, court clerks, for every lawyer
worth his/her salt knows how important court clerks are to the smooth
functioning of courts. The characters in <i>How Gourango Lost His O </i>come<i>
</i>in all shapes, sizes and ages. Some are good, many are clever and a few
(like Narendra Biswas aka Nasty Naru) are downright nasty, because fate had
been unkind to him ‘<i>and compassion and kindness had left him years ago’</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>How Gourango Lost His O</i> had been on my reading list
ever since it came out many months ago, but it was only very recently that I
managed to read it. I read it in one go, since I found it
unputdownable. The best thing about <i>How Gourango Lost His O’s</i> cast is
that everyone is real. Real as in, I’m sure the characters either existed or continue to
exist, somewhere in India, most probably in the vicinity of various chartered
High Courts and the Supreme Court. Since the author Sanjoy Ghose is a lawyer
who practices in various courts and tribunals in the NCR region, including the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, it is possible that the
main protagonist Gourango might bear some resemblance to Ghose and some of the
characters in <i>How Gourango Lost His O (</i>like Gourango’s senior Indumati
Khilani<i>) </i>might<i> </i>remind the reader of well-known lawyers who grace the corridors of courts in Mumbai and Delhi. However Ghose doesn't offer any clue as to where facts end and fiction begins.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Noor Malik is forced to litigate when the government frames
a new rule that would prevent him from being the headmaster of the Madarassa
where he teaches. Enter (no, not Gourango at this stage) Keshto Bannerjee, a
Kolkata lawyer who is decent enough to not hold out false hopes to his clients.
Ghose tells us from the beginning that Noor Malik does not have a strong case
and that the odds are stacked against him. However, Ghose builds up the reader's
sympathy for Noor from the beginning and there is always a glimmer of hope. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Wasn’t it George Orwell who said that the best books are
those that tell you something you know already? As someone with more than a
passing familiarity with courts and lawyers, <i>How Gourango Lost His O</i>
told me a lot of things I already knew about lawyers and courts, but in a nice
way, tickling my funny bone quite frequently, but more often than not, it
brought in a flood of memories. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Ghose writes in limpid, but
elegant prose, which makes it all the more easier to turn the pages of this
finely crafted, not-too-thick, not-too-thin storybook. <i>How Gourango Lost His O</i> has at least
fifteen significant characters and for each of them, Ghose paints a fine portrait,
in the most economical manner. For example, we are told that Keshto’s clerk
Jobu is someone who has made himself indispensable to Keshto and also ensured
the sacking of four juniors who made the monumental mistake of miscalculating
that Keshto was the boss of his own office. In contrast, Ghose would have us
know that Parambrato Basak, a ‘service judge’ was not a compassionate man.
However, while serving as a district judge in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, two
judges of the Calcutta High Court visited him to hear appeals against Basak’s
orders. Basak was at the aerodrome, to receive the judges, as per custom. Mrs.
Basak hosted a lavish dinner for them on their first evening on the island. The
judges go back to Calcutta with stories of Basak’s honesty and industry. Within
weeks, Basak is promoted to the High Court! <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Does Noor receive justice from the Indian legal system? Do
kind, capable and not-so-expensive lawyers like Keshto Bannerjee and Gourango
find answers to Noor Malik’s prayers? Please do read this excellent novel to
find out more.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD<o:p></o:p></p>
<i>How Gourango Lost His O</i> is divided into three parts. In Part 1, Noor Malik fights his case in the Kolkata High Court where Keshto Bannerjee is his lawyer. Later, in Part 2, he takes his fight to the Supreme Court, where Gourango is his counsel. But after Judgement Day, the last chapter in Part 2, Noor disappears from the book. In Part 3, Ghose introduces a number of new characters, ranging from Naren Gujjar, a landlord from Greater Noida and an original inhabitant of Delhi, to Rajesh Aggarwal, who gamed the Indian legal system so judiciously and Mohandas Chaddha, a corporate litigant who was, unusually, fighting for his honour. All of these characters come with their own story packs and Ghose dispatches them with the same efficiency as he presumably would, a plate of kosha mangsho and half a dozen piping hot luchis. Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-58005297157935975742022-07-31T19:24:00.009+05:302022-08-07T06:47:20.490+05:30Cultural Appropriation – Or Is It Cultural Appreciation?<p> Cultural appropriation is a term that I came across rather
late in life, a few years ago, to be honest. Initially, I brushed it away. As a
child growing up in India, it was common for us to wear attires from different
regions once in a while. Come Onam, everyone wore Malayalee clothes. For Navratri,
if you are lucky enough to be invited to a Garba, you wore Gujarati clothes.
During the school annual day, there would be so many regional songs and dances
in which everyone participated. Surely, it’s a matter of pride if someone from
a different culture copies your attire or style or even name?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well, it’s not as simple as that and it took me a while to
appreciate it. The cultural appropriation that one objects to is apparently when
<i><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90772584/this-is-the-difference-between-cultural-appropriation-and-cultural-appreciation">members
of a dominant culture – for example, white Americans or white Australians –
take elements from the culture of an ethnicity or racial group they have typically
oppressed – e.g. Indigenous peoples – and use them for themselves. That is,
they appropriate a culture that is not their own. And it’s most
problematic when that appropriation occurs for reasons of power or profit</a></i>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now I do see where the objection is coming from. There is no
law in the world which says you can’t copy the culture of someone else. There are
Caucasians who immerse in Japanese culture, so many Indians and other Asians
are anglophiles and everyone in Asia and Africa has adopted a lot of western
customs and traditions, not to mention attire. So, is it a big deal if a Caucasian
wears a bindi or a Maori dress? The objections seem to be that, until two
generations ago, your people oppressed mine saying we are inferior, now how
dare you wear our clothes or adopt our hair style? The objection becomes more
vehement if a white model wears a <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/a13880726/victorias-secret-cultural-appropriation-native-american/">native Indian</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/04/cultural-appropriation-of-maori-traditions-is-an-exercise-in-entitlement-and-privilege" target="_blank">Maori</a> dress or has <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/31/living/white-dreadlocks-cultural-appropriation-feat/index.html">dreadlocks</a>,
because the model is profiting from the attire. I do understand the objection,
but my heart says this is not such a big deal and appreciation of the culture of those previously oppressed by former oppressors should be welcomed. You can be sure that two generations ago, white men
and women did not dress up as native Americans or as Maoris. Times have changed! Isn’t it time to
move on? <o:p></o:p></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-51413529329301738822022-07-10T10:38:00.004+05:302022-07-10T15:11:10.096+05:30 Going Back To Duolingo To Learn French<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjul7VEu4kfRJF2V4RwZ4ODrynOKN2j3EvutEkQ2Nxk5kdpDHaJzKUfVykbBFMCYt_ubY2aqHMMmMRSN_1wSMw3Hp2cxC_-Zj5GoT2qdx-eTs-8d6IrmWPOR1dX5r6sjv6bFEwUfY6JbB0ku8e1fGkRqYrdybpVclcoMhWN0m_pvXBaXd3hDIyO5Mcf/s450/Duo_Flag_French.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="450" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjul7VEu4kfRJF2V4RwZ4ODrynOKN2j3EvutEkQ2Nxk5kdpDHaJzKUfVykbBFMCYt_ubY2aqHMMmMRSN_1wSMw3Hp2cxC_-Zj5GoT2qdx-eTs-8d6IrmWPOR1dX5r6sjv6bFEwUfY6JbB0ku8e1fGkRqYrdybpVclcoMhWN0m_pvXBaXd3hDIyO5Mcf/s320/Duo_Flag_French.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 10pt;">And so, I went back to Duolingo after a 8
month break, mainly because its so convenient to use and suits my lifestyle. If
I could attend an in-person class, I would do that, but my French learning is
restricted to the time I spend commuting to work by taxi. I don’t drive myself,
mainly so that I can practice French on Duolingo. I avoid the normal black and
yellow taxis since they are usually noisy and stick to airconditioned Uber
taxis, whenever possible.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I found the following changes in Duolingo <a href="https://winnowed.blogspot.com/2021/07/test.html" target="_blank">from the time I signed off in July 2021</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Earlier, when there was one blank and two
choices, the correct answer was always the second one. This is no longer the case now - the correct answer is often the first choice. Did Duolingo change this
after reading my previous post? I wonder!</span></li><li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Duolingo French had only 9 Units, but now a 10<sup>th</sup>
Unit has been added</span></li><li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In each Unit, there is a 6<sup>th</sup> or
legendary level. Earlier there were only 5 levels. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To clear the Legendary Level, one needs to
complete four challenges without any hints or tips. </span></li><li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The number of Duolingo Stories seems to have
increased. There are 72 Sets and each Set has 4 stories. Right now, I’m at the
61<sup>st</sup> Set.</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I found these changes to be for the better.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As in the past, I am constantly prompted and
encouraged to maintain my Streak and I am in some <a href="https://support.duolingo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360035931732-What-are-Leaderboards-#:~:text=Leaderboards%20is%20a%20fun%20experience,tier%20for%20the%20next%20week." target="_blank">Leaderboard</a> or the
other. I am doing my best to not get distracted with such stuff and focus on my
language learning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-14914780337747117802022-05-02T15:08:00.010+05:302022-05-02T15:20:36.699+05:30Book Review: Limitless: The Power of Unlocking Your True Potential, by Radhika Gupta<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWSJ1Jj5e3aJjDbVu1ketNzioX2iVFHU3zZMatHvfpUMAYTLjoNZg5FYZN2oEZFwoSLpKKSjzWW1ulWNCM0n2GqmQjf82M40GNkEvULo-TIYAf3TFdwyFHWP5D3DFb-ThAPDDkiYYYDw5p1AbGRqL2WrGpWSEMuU3q7DIrcG9U5LgsQh5wDp0ktLs/s280/download.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="180" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWSJ1Jj5e3aJjDbVu1ketNzioX2iVFHU3zZMatHvfpUMAYTLjoNZg5FYZN2oEZFwoSLpKKSjzWW1ulWNCM0n2GqmQjf82M40GNkEvULo-TIYAf3TFdwyFHWP5D3DFb-ThAPDDkiYYYDw5p1AbGRqL2WrGpWSEMuU3q7DIrcG9U5LgsQh5wDp0ktLs/s1600/download.png" width="180" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">When steel is heated in a forge
and beaten into shape, it becomes stronger. When faced with setbacks, if you draw
the right lessons and move forward, you are bound to achieve success. Radhika Gupta,
the current MD & CEO of Edelweiss <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AMC,
had more than her share of drawbacks in life, but bounce back she did and she happily shares her experiences, mostly professional and a few personal,
through her newly released book <i>Limitless</i>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Born in Pakistan when her father,
a career diplomat, was posted there, Gupta grew up in a variety of countries,
ranging from Nigeria to Italy, until she went to college at hyper-competitive Upenn.
In 2005, when she was just twenty, Gupta took to heart seven consecutive
rejections from consulting firms during campus placements at UPenn and tried to
commit suicide by jumping off from the 19<sup>th</sup> floor of a building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily for us readers, she did not succeed
though the reasons aren’t fully spelt out. She also drew the right lessons from
her desperate action and went on to become a business leader and an inspiration
for many across the world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Accept difficult feedback
gracefully, Gupta tells us, citing a number of examples of feedback that she
did not initially accept or was happy with, but which added value to her
professional life once she was able to gracefully accept them. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Take risks, but do so sensibly.
Gupta refers to Dr Arokiaswamy Velumani’s example to buttress this point. Dr
Velumani, the founder and MD of Thyrocare, one of India’s largest diagnostics
companies, went from having just ₹500 in his pocket to seeing his idea develop
into a public listed company with crore market cap in excess of a RS. 5,000. Dr
Velumani was able to throw everything he had into his venture, comforted by the
fact that his wife could get a reasonably well paying job easily, if his
venture flopped.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is important to get started. Take small steps if needed,
but do get started. This one resonated with me. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What’s the best thing someone who
is just graduating from college or is in the early years of their career,
especially women, can do? They ought to ask for opportunities, a task which is
not very easy to undertake when one suffers from lack of confidence However, if
you don’t ask, you usually don’t get. What’s the worst that can happen if you
ask for an opportunity? When Gupta started her corporate career, a family
friend told her that those who speak up always get more than those who stay
silent. There are no points for being shy. Those who ask end up getting the
bigger promotions, the raises, the better projects, because they keep
vocalizing their needs. Gupta tells us that this advice made sense only many
years later, but she swears by it now.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Change is always constant. One
has to accept it and take it in one’s stride. Gupta quotes lyricist Javed
Akhtar who used the ‘my mother’s cooking is better than my wife’s’ dialogue at
the Jashn-e-Rekhta Urdu festival in 2017, to explain this. ‘Why does every man,
when he gets married, tell his wife, you make good dal, but not quite as good
as what my mother made? Has the quality of dal in India just deteriorated over
1,000 years?’ It hasn’t! We need to accept today’s dal – one slightly different
from the one we grew up with – as our reality and move forward.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Let go of the past. Gupta tells
us that she always tells new employees at Edelweiss Mutual Fund that if they
want to have a chance at succeeding in their new organisation, they have to
embrace it and let go of where they came from. One is certain to face problems after
a job change and it is so tempting to look back to one’s past organisation with
nostalgia, but if the rose tinted glasses are taken off, chances are there was
no shortage of problems at the previous organisation either. If one were to
take an honest count, one will find that there is no shortage of problems
anywhere. A guaranteed way to fail at a new organisation is to focus on the
problems in the new environment and compare them to the positives of the past.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Be adaptable. Charles Darwin
theorised that the most important factor for survival is neither size, nor
intelligence, nor strength. It is adaptability. Gupta fully agrees with Darwin.
Gupta uses the example of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%81k%C4%81p%C5%8D" target="_blank">Kakapo</a> to buttress her point. Honestly, I hadn’t
even heard of the Kakapo until I read <i>Limitless</i>. Gupta mentions Kunal Bahl, the
co-founder of e-commerce giant Snapdeal, as an example of a person who built a
successful business by adapting and pivoting, based on feedback.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Gupta firmly believes that the
job market is fair and very little arbitrage exists in it in the long term.
In today’s information-rich world, one gets paid what one deserves. If you feel you are getting a lot less than
someone else doing the same job, the most likely conclusion is that that
someone else has a lot more experience doing that job in a larger organisation
with a much larger profit and loss statement. I was reminded of the stock
market, though Gupta doesn’t use this comparison and I am not sure if this
would be a good comparison, since the job market doesn’t have to content with
insider trading, for starters.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Everyone has his or her
imperfections and these imperfections that set you apart from your peers and
make you what you are. Gupta repeats the story of the ugly duckling, based on
the fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen, who, after being teased and
taunted by fellow ducklings, decides to throw himself at a flock of swans,
assuming he will be killed. He forgets that he has grown up and matured into a
beautiful swan and is finally welcomed by his fellow swans. Gupta wishes for a
new version of this story, one where the duckling owns his imperfections, where
he understands that it’s his imperfections that set him apart from his peers
and make him who he is, where his happiness does not depend on becoming a swan.
Who defines what ‘ugly’ is anyway? Gupta wonders aloud and I found myself
nodding my head. ‘<i>Self-confidence comes from accepting yourself, rejections
and imperfections included</i>’ Gupta advises. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The ability to reach out for help
and to confide one’s problems in others is an important life-saving skill,
something Gupta did not always have, but had to develop over a period of time. Gupta
divulges a very personal story, one very traumatic, that took place just after
she started working at Edelweiss. Either on account of her insecurities or the
fear of judgement, she felt trapped. Though she had an incredibly kind team and
an incredibly kind boss, she was unable to be honest and reach out to them
during one of the toughest moments of her life. I’d rather not divulge the
actual event in this review. Do please read this excellent book to find out for
yourself. Five years later, an internal restructuring impacted the financials
of Gupta’s division and Gupta just couldn’t wrap her head around the situation.
Finally, she forced herself to ask for help from three very senior members of
her team in sales, strategy and marketing. The end result? Gupta found herself
out of the morass pretty quickly.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I’m going to wrap up this review,
lest this become a summary of the book. Gupta has a lot of advice on investing
in education, relationships, finding a mentor(s), work-life balance etc., all
of which made a lot of sense to me. Do please read and find out for yourself. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><o:p></o:p></p><p></p>A google search tells me that Gupta has a permanent tilt to her neck due to certain birth complications, but she doesn’t discuss this disability in her book, except for occasional references to her “broken neck”. There is a brief mention of a personal tragedy (in the context of her inability to reach out to her colleagues for help), a short but sensitive description of the day she and her partners sold their start-up to Edelweiss, took the signage off the door of their Worli office and crossing the Bandra–Worli Sea Link as they drove to the Edelweiss office in Kalina. The personal references are just right, as a percentage of the whole book, and make <i>Limitless</i> more wholesome and readable, without making it an autobiography.<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">They say that corporate
organisations are glass pyramids, designed to make people slip off the smooth sides,
as they gain experience and grow older. Despite all the risks and challenges that
lurk ahead, hundreds of thousands of men and women pursue an education, usually
an MBA, that sets them on course for a corporate career and then jump into the
corporate well quite happily. If anyone falls of the pyramid, it is usually on
account of an inadvertent slip-up in tactics or a defect in long term strategy.
<i>Limitless</i> is a treasure trove of advice for all career-minded and ambitious folks
and will definitely help all readers who imbibe its wisdom to avoid many of the
pitfalls that befall many as they progress in their careers. <span style="text-align: left;">Gupta writes in simple English, that is classy, easy to read
and doesn’t force the reader to ponder over the language at the cost of her narrative. </span>I highly recommend
this book.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3888736451965206055.post-84166132042112578992021-12-04T17:54:00.003+05:302021-12-04T17:56:16.837+05:30Book Review: Kopi, Puffs & Dreams, by Pallavi Gopinath Aney<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-R1Q_aPn25H1YcvRgf78QV1WS15l6tnwIOWLzqJiK01df6a-HBlu6yzOXW5k3l8wJP2HGsADfVFIzK0_apaUKPujI41dtkXMYf371Z-1kYJY8uOZJBcUpYf2x38PLyHQOuuQUIHOw48/s1599/WhatsApp+Image+2021-12-04+at+17.50.40.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-R1Q_aPn25H1YcvRgf78QV1WS15l6tnwIOWLzqJiK01df6a-HBlu6yzOXW5k3l8wJP2HGsADfVFIzK0_apaUKPujI41dtkXMYf371Z-1kYJY8uOZJBcUpYf2x38PLyHQOuuQUIHOw48/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-12-04+at+17.50.40.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;">When Puthu and Krishnan open
their eatery in British ruled Singapore in the early part of 20</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">th</sup><span style="text-align: justify;">
century, they choose to serve curried puffs and Kopi, the black coffee
traditional to the Malay peninsula, instead of the standard heavy south Indian
fare served at restaurants like the Anna Vilas. </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">We are not told if the curried puffs were
spicy or mild, but I’m assuming they were ‘somewhere in between’, not too mild
to turn off the Indians in Singapore and not too spicy to turn off the others. Pallavi
Gopinath Aney’s </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Kopi, Puffs & Dreams</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> maintains that </span><i style="text-align: justify;">not-too-spicy-not-too-mild</i><span style="text-align: justify;">
ambience throughout the novel, in the prose, its plot, the wry humour and the
twists and turns, of which there are many.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">They served meat too, in their
café, though both men had started eating fish and chicken only after they
arrived in Malaysia. In that sense, both men, but especially Puthu, constantly
push their boundaries. Puthu is a visionary, a man much ahead of his times and
he takes Krishnan with him, grumbling, dithering and even pulling back, as they
establish a restaurant chain in Singapore. Puthu and Krishnan are quite
different, though not exactly chalk and cheese. Puthu is from an upper class
family, while Krishnan is from a broken home, his mother an alcohol addict,
whose preoccupation with the bottle made Krishnan learn to cook. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Krishnan too pushes the boundaries in his
personal life, maybe more than Puthu ,as he marries the daughter of their
well-to-do businessman landlord, without the consent or even knowledge of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the bride’s parents. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Puthilath Parasuraman, Puthu for
short, is a peculiar man, different from most other men. In a way, it is this
difference that made Puthu board a ship for Malaya and his upper class Palakkad
family was only too glad to be rid of him. Aney keeps her readers guessing about
Puthu’s peculiarity till the very end. Puthu is not necessarily a warm
personality. Though generous to those close to him, he is calculating. Nevertheless,
Aney makes her readers fall in love with him from the first page. One ends up
liking Puthu even more than Krishnan, though Krishnan is the better looking
man, the people’s person, loyal and good. Puthu’s and Krishnan’s friendship is
so heart-warming, as they navigate foreign lands, that one starts wondering
immediately whether it will stand the test of time. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Aney’s language is elegant, in a classic 20<sup>th</sup>
century sort of way, writing with a light touch and a deft turn of phrase. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best part of <i>Kopi, Puffs & Dreams</i>
is that Aney captures the atmosphere of early 20<sup>th</sup> century India,
Malaysia and Singapore very well. However, certain values and skills are the
same, whether it be <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the 20th century or
the 21st. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Puthu’s market survey before
setting up his venture in Singapore would put a modern day entrepreneur to
shame. Years later, when faced with a law suit from his investor, Puthu turns
lawyer and wriggles out of his trouble. On landing in Malaya, Puthu receives a
very rough welcome, something very different from what he had envisaged.
However, his bad luck doesn’t last for long and he is on his feet in the
beautiful Jacaranda House, which reminded me of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manderley" target="_blank">Manderley in <span color="windowtext" style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Daphne du
Maurier</span></a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manderley" target="_blank">'s <i><span color="windowtext" style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Rebecca</span></i></a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">. The bulk of the novel is set in Singapore and names like Serangoon Road,
Orchard Road, Penang Road, Joo Chiat and Nassim Hill crop up from time to time.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As mentioned in the beginning, <i>Kopi, Puffs & Dreams</i>
is full of sudden, gentle roller-coaster spins, which turn the facts upside
down and show everything in a different mild light. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want to say much more and give away the
plot or the ending. I really enjoyed reading <i>Kopi, Puffs & Dreams</i> and
highly recommend it to one and all. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Winnowedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.com0