On the radio, I hear advertisements, urging the consumer to wake up and realise that the Maximum Retail Price is printed on all kinds of products. Consumers are duped by dishonest shopkeepers simply because they do not know that they should look at the MRP. I sometimes feel bad when I listen to these ads. I agree with the motive behind it, yes, but I feel bad because it was a shopkeeper who taught me to look at the MRP. As a child in Bangalore, I often went with my sister across the road to a shop to buy all the little things children always need - pencils, crayons, gum . . . The shopkeeper knew us, and always greeted us with a genuine smile, which we loved. One day, when we went to buy some stuff, my father gave us a hundred rupee note, which, like all little children, we carried for the whole world to see. "How much?" we asked the shopkeeper-uncle. He saw the note. "Hundred … [Read more...]
A Tribute: Prem Jeevan
I met her twice. Two memorable times. I know nothing or next to nothing about Osho, but once I had the pleasure of dropping this formidable lady, Prem Jeevan, to Koregaon Park. I had a long ride with her, during which she told me about her life, her daughters, and her association with the Osho Ashram. She told me about how she lived in a caravan, once upon a time. She wanted to know more about IB, and was thrilled that a board like this existed. She told me about a time when she spoke at The Bishop's School and everyone was so appalled that she was never called there again. We made tentative plans to meet again, simply because I was so intrigued by her, and she seemed so interested in everything and everyone. That never happened. May she rest in peace. … [Read more...]
Asylum
For once, the amount of time I've taken to read this says nothing about the book. I remember reading Bloom of Youth. I was faintly unhappy with it. I then somehow ended up reading Grandmother's Footsteps and was so bored with it that I decided never to read Rachel Anderson again. Thankfully, despite what the proverb says, I always judge books by their covers. When I picked Asylum, I did not even notice the name of the writer, and the cover was so significantly different from the other two that I'd read, that I realised much later that it was by an author I did not quite like. I have to change my mind about that. Asylum was beautiful, moving, haunting. At a time when I know that getting a UK visa is tough, I wonder disgustedly at why we try so hard to get there. This book shows me how many people think of it as a wonderland. No, a Wonderland. A book about illegal immigrants, Asylum … [Read more...]
The Pursuit of Happyness
Yes, I know I ought to have watched this long ago. Yes, I know that practically everyone has already watched this. But it moved me to tears, and I cannot not write about it. The story of a struggle against all odds is always touching, but what truly moved me was love. When is it not? A child, five years old, willing to keep on going. A child whose biggest sorrow seems to come from losing a beloved toy. A child who wonders whether his mother left home because of him. A child who worships his father, and keeps on going even when he's tired. A father who is not perfect. He gets angry, even violent. But he does everything he can in pursuit of happiness. And in pursuit of happyness for a son who means everything to him. … [Read more...]
Encyclopedias
I remember a time in school when a teacher asked what we liked to read, and one child replied, "Encyclopedias." I inwardly rolled my eyes and thought, "Oh my God! What an unimaginative sycophant!" (Well, maybe not those words, but you know . . .) Today, I apologise. In the library, I opened a volume of the World Book encyclopedia set, and it was like stepping into a world of knowledge far more beautiful than Wikipedia with its five hundred hyperlinks per page. I read up to prepare for a class ahead, and was amazed at how exciting it is to peer at black and white pictures, to turn the page, to flip through articles that are totally unrelated, and to remember that as a child, I did not know Google or Wikipedia. I left the library feeling deeply satisfied and unimaginably thirsty for more. I love encyclopedias. How outdated I am. … [Read more...]
Theory of Knowledge
I teach 'Theory of Knowledge'. That's part of my job description now. We have many questions that count as TOK questions. Epistemological questions, ethical questions, ontological questions, the works. For once, though, I have a very strong TOK answer rather than a TOK question. The question is, "Can I explain humour?" The answer is 'no'. Discussing existentialism in class, I naturally spoke about René Descartes and his famous 'I think, therefore I am.' Very stupidly, I decided to tell a joke as well about how Descartes walked into McDonald's and ordered a burger. "Do you want fries with that?" asked the waiter. "I think not," replied René, and he disappeared. I waited for smiles, chuckles, or at least some measure of comprehension. Blank faces. Even more foolishly, I explained the joke. Some shrugs. So, how is that funny anyway? That was the unspoken response.I had no answer. … [Read more...]
Toto Funds the Arts 2014
I wrote about having been long-listed for the Toto awards three years in a row, without being shortlisted even once - it's time to try again! I know there are several young writers who read my blog, writers who don't quite know how and where to begin. A competition is sometimes the best place. I know that's where I made my beginning! So, anything I write for will now find a way into my blog. Why not? … [Read more...]
Stories on a Postcard Challenge
I found this such a charming idea that I felt compelled to share it! I have so many memories of postcards! My father used to send postcards like this to me when I was on vacation in Bangalore with my grandparents. Somehow, I remember one postcard very clearly. 'Did you hear the one about the two holes in the ground? Well, well.' I remember finding it inordinately funny. I still have the postcard! Needless to say, I will take part in this! … [Read more...]
The Diary I’m Using
I can't stop laughing. I found an age-old diary. It's a 1988 diary, and I seem to have started using it in the early nineties. Only a few pages are used, so I picked it up to use again. As always, one of the first few pages has space provided for personal details. Name, address, phone number, insurance policy number, driving licence number . . . Little Varsha chose to fill in just three spaces. Name: Varsha Seshan Phone number: 612060 Height: Very short … [Read more...]
Movies and Me
I don't like horror movies. Or even thrillers, or anything remotely frightening. I don't find them funny, the way most people seem to. They don't make me laugh and say, "How lame! That's not scary at all!" I get scared. It's as simple as that. I remember a time we got together to watch Hide and Seek. We were spending the night at a friend's place, and, as is meet, we started watching the movie at night. I was determined not to be afraid. I kept telling myself, "This is just a movie." I drew my eyes off the screen over and over again. "It's just a movie. It's not real." I thought about happy things. "They're just actors. Why should I be afraid?" And then, a friend of mine screamed and clutched my bare leg with ice-cold hands. That did it. I don't watch scary movies any more, even if people try very hard to convince me that it's only pseudo-scary. … [Read more...]
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