Post-flood, there's been a sharp increase in the news coverage and expert articles on Mumbai. There have been several suggestions from various people. Among all the articles, opinion pieces, discussions and arguments that have filled the media, one report that has been hotly debated in the Bombay First - McKinsey Report on Mumbai.
From the corporate visionaries that see Mumbai as an image of glowing far eastern cities such as Singapore or Shanghai, sometimes with scant regard for the environment and the temperament of Mumbai, to traditional or new socialists blind in opposition to any suggestion of reform, everyone has expressed an opinion on the report.
Thus, the link above. My views and comment on the McKinsey report in a few days.
August 23, 2005
Broken Flowers
A new film from director Jim Jarmusch, starring Bill Murray.
I saw it at the Michigan Theater this past Saturday. It's a lovely film - languorous - dreamy and lazy. Fascinating, with a lot of hidden meaning.
The soundtrack is awesome too.
I saw it at the Michigan Theater this past Saturday. It's a lovely film - languorous - dreamy and lazy. Fascinating, with a lot of hidden meaning.
The soundtrack is awesome too.
August 18, 2005
Building a house...
My friend Dan is building a 5000 sq. ft. house near Ann Arbor. Dan is quite amazing - he is a Civil Engineer; he has many different skills - and experience - with wood, concrete, and other building materials. He's doing everything related to building the house - getting land, acquiring government permissions, passing the exam to be qualified to design a house, and of course, doing all the hard work building the house. Besides, as I found out, he's a willing teacher, and very patient with unskilled laborers such as I.
It was thus that I spent a few hours a couple weeks ago helping Dan waterproof the walls. It mainly involved slapping mixed cement onto the walls using a flat, duster-shaped tool. Slapping cement on walls without dropping much on the ground, and getting it to be even surface is tricky! I have never really participated in activities that demand physical work and repetition of the same task a thousand times. This was good exercise - picking up the cement, bending the tool at a slight angle, lightly pressing it against the wall, and then moving it up with a slight wavy motion to get the finish just right. All this while standing on a delicately balanced styrofoam surface. Fun!
It was a surprise how much I actually liked doing this (ignoring a slightly sore back!). As it stands, I've never really worked much with my hands. I always had great appreciation for people skilled in handling tools, fixing things, or making objects, being unable myself to handle the simplest of tools. I admit that all through workshop practice in my engineering classes, I wasn't really sure why I was "being made" to do it - I much preferred electronics and computers then.
This was different though. After spending a day in front of the computer at office, I was surprised at how nice it felt to be outside and working. The warm weather, the smell of cement, the rock music on the radio, and the site of walls that were slowly getting waterproofed thanks to our efforts - it all had an effect. I'm definitely going again.
Kevin, Dan and I spent the better part of the evening doing this work. Later, we took a dip in Mirage Lake, adjoining Dan's property. That was awesome!
It was thus that I spent a few hours a couple weeks ago helping Dan waterproof the walls. It mainly involved slapping mixed cement onto the walls using a flat, duster-shaped tool. Slapping cement on walls without dropping much on the ground, and getting it to be even surface is tricky! I have never really participated in activities that demand physical work and repetition of the same task a thousand times. This was good exercise - picking up the cement, bending the tool at a slight angle, lightly pressing it against the wall, and then moving it up with a slight wavy motion to get the finish just right. All this while standing on a delicately balanced styrofoam surface. Fun!
It was a surprise how much I actually liked doing this (ignoring a slightly sore back!). As it stands, I've never really worked much with my hands. I always had great appreciation for people skilled in handling tools, fixing things, or making objects, being unable myself to handle the simplest of tools. I admit that all through workshop practice in my engineering classes, I wasn't really sure why I was "being made" to do it - I much preferred electronics and computers then.
This was different though. After spending a day in front of the computer at office, I was surprised at how nice it felt to be outside and working. The warm weather, the smell of cement, the rock music on the radio, and the site of walls that were slowly getting waterproofed thanks to our efforts - it all had an effect. I'm definitely going again.
Kevin, Dan and I spent the better part of the evening doing this work. Later, we took a dip in Mirage Lake, adjoining Dan's property. That was awesome!
June 28, 2005
Book-tagged..
I was book-tagged today, by Ajit. Here I go then :)
For every book I own and have read, I have 3 or 4 that I bought, but haven't read. And I am very comfortable with that. I think having a full bookshelf, with a lot of books to choose from is a really good idea, rather than be stranded without one. The mere thought that there are so many more books to read excites me and provokes me to read. And it doesn't slow me down in purchasing books. Even when I am not really interested in making a purchase, I still like to visit bookstores, just to browse, wander and lose myself amid the stacks of books, and the seemingly infinite world of knowledge and fantasy that man has built.
Living in a city like Ann Arbor is a great advantage in that regard. Ann Arbor is the home of the Borders bookstore chain, and has a nice independent bookstore Shaman Drum. A greater benefit however is that it has numerous used and rare bookstores such as the Dawn Treader Book Shop, After Words, David's Books, and many more. These are places of regular visits for me, and every visit holds a new surprise.
Number of books I own
I don't count, its probably around 250 or 300.
Last book I read
I often read several books at a time, switching from one to the other as takes my fancy. Thus the multiple entries below :)
The last book I finished was Absolute Friends by John Le Carre. The last non-fiction book I finished (the same weekend as the above) was From Socrates to Sartre: the Philosophic Quest by T.Z. Lavine.
Last book I bought
Being Logical:A Guide to Good Thinking by D.Q. McInerny. I bought this book as a gift.
Books That Mean A Lot to Me
Fiction: The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham, MukhavaTaa (मुखवटा) by Arun Sadhu, Catch-22 and Picture this by Joseph Heller
Non-fiction: Man's worldly goods by Leo Huberman, जग बदलले by Sulakshana Mahajan
Books I wish I had completed
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel C. Dennett
People I am tagging
Tapan | Ashutosh | Shrihari | Pradnya
For every book I own and have read, I have 3 or 4 that I bought, but haven't read. And I am very comfortable with that. I think having a full bookshelf, with a lot of books to choose from is a really good idea, rather than be stranded without one. The mere thought that there are so many more books to read excites me and provokes me to read. And it doesn't slow me down in purchasing books. Even when I am not really interested in making a purchase, I still like to visit bookstores, just to browse, wander and lose myself amid the stacks of books, and the seemingly infinite world of knowledge and fantasy that man has built.
Living in a city like Ann Arbor is a great advantage in that regard. Ann Arbor is the home of the Borders bookstore chain, and has a nice independent bookstore Shaman Drum. A greater benefit however is that it has numerous used and rare bookstores such as the Dawn Treader Book Shop, After Words, David's Books, and many more. These are places of regular visits for me, and every visit holds a new surprise.
Number of books I own
I don't count, its probably around 250 or 300.
Last book I read
I often read several books at a time, switching from one to the other as takes my fancy. Thus the multiple entries below :)
The last book I finished was Absolute Friends by John Le Carre. The last non-fiction book I finished (the same weekend as the above) was From Socrates to Sartre: the Philosophic Quest by T.Z. Lavine.
Last book I bought
Being Logical:A Guide to Good Thinking by D.Q. McInerny. I bought this book as a gift.
Books That Mean A Lot to Me
Fiction: The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham, MukhavaTaa (मुखवटा) by Arun Sadhu, Catch-22 and Picture this by Joseph Heller
Non-fiction: Man's worldly goods by Leo Huberman, जग बदलले by Sulakshana Mahajan
Books I wish I had completed
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel C. Dennett
People I am tagging
Tapan | Ashutosh | Shrihari | Pradnya
April 12, 2005
Bose - The Forgotten Hero
The soundtrack is masterful. The songs, instrumental versions and themes that together are the soundtrack for "Bose - The Forgotten Hero" are all wonderfully composed. A R Rahman has infused traditional songs such as "Ekla Chalo Re" and "Kadam Kadam Badhaaye Jaa" with emotion and energy, and also created some good songs on his own, the most impressive being "Zikr" - the continual chanting of Allah's name. The themes that form the background score seem to be composed to go with the situations and locations of the various scenes in the movie.
A must-buy soundtrack.
Now waiting for the movie.
A must-buy soundtrack.
Now waiting for the movie.
April 09, 2005
Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi
One of the most acclaimed Indian movies of 2005. I saw "Hazaaron... " on VCD. It is truly a different movie by most hindi movie standards. It stands out in many aspects, most importantly the top-notch performances in leading roles by Kay Kay Menon (who has recently begun to receive the attention his talent and screen presence demand), Shiny Ahuja (supremely confident in a terrific role) and Chitrangda Singh (wow! she sets the screen on fire!), and small but effective parts by other actors.
Hazaaron is set in the late 1960s through 1970s period in various North Indian locations. The director, Sudhir Mishra, truly brings this period to life. The language, clothes, and setting all seem very real. Neither is there any attempt to "glamorize" the past, as seen in the lavish sets in melodramas such as "Devdas" or "Parineeta" nor the big scale of the unknown past of 1857 as seen in "Mangal Pandey". The music, costumes, dialogue and situations are all straight out of the 1970s. More than anything else, the film succeeds in capturing the India of 1970s - full of uncertainty, youthful energy, and idealism.
The film is a series of really quick scenes - the story moves very fast, from Meerut to Delhi to rural Bihar, and from the late 1960s to the later period of emergency rule and naxalite movement. The quick cuts, and lack of "obvious" dialogue leaves a lot of room for interpretation, a valuable characteristic for a movie such as this. It is highly entertaining and provocative. Through each of the lead characters, and the different directions their intertwined lives take, we see various forces at work on the minds of young people in that period.
Hazaaron succeeds at two levels - in telling the story of its characters and in telling the story of that period. It is a classic love story, with true to life characters - each moving to their own rhythms, each dreaming their own dreams. This story is set against the backdrop of a nation in a period of turmoil. I was impressed by how the movie conveyed the essence of each character - how their thoughts and motivation leads to actions that may seem irrational to an outsider.
There are three central human characters in the story. Siddharth, Vikram and Geeta. They are all college students in an unnamed Delhi college.
The idealist Siddharth, a rich father's son, moved by leftist thought and the extreme divide amongst the haves and have-nots, decides to leave the pleasures of the city and his born with a silver spoon life for a stint in rural Bihar, joining similarly motivated young people in the naxalite movement. His revolutionary, non-compliant nature is conveyed through very simple things. He calls his father by the name Judgesaab, in a firm refusal of the personal relationship , preferring to stress the class divide between the masses of poor and the very few rich. In spite of all his revolutionary spirit, he cannot give up his love for Geeta, a college sweetheart, herself conflicted in many ways.
The pragmatic, go-getter Vikram, the son of a Gandhian is skeptical of Siddharth and his Marxist friends. He has keenly observed the corrupt bureucracy, sycophancy, and the way the world works. He believes in working for his own upliftment, whichever way possible. He succeeds in almost anything he tries - property deals, brokering agreements between government and businesses, and keeping politicians appeased. A true lobbyist, broker, a man seemingly with no ideals but his own gain. Yet, he is defeated in many ways - the idealistic Geeta, whom he loves, is in love with Siddharth; his Gandhian father, for whom he cares refuses his help, choosing to go to jail during the emergency. No matter how much money or power he earns, he cannot win the respect or love of those that matter to him.
And Geeta. She is torn between her love for Siddharth and a sincere desire to do something good, and her middle class fear or pragmatism on the other. Geeta is unsure of what her dreams really are. She drifts, she searches, she loses and then she wins. Geeta is the most fascinating character of the movie.
As the characters progress towards their future, we see India through their eyes. Geeta is most likely the character viewers will identify with - the many forces pulling her in many directions, all at once, a thousand desires unfulfilled. Yet, while the outwardly strong Siddharth and Vikram discover their failings, Geeta finds her strength. Many missteps along the way, but by the end of the story, Geeta is firmly set along a path that I believe will be hers throughout life. The changes are remarkable and very moving.
A truly amazing film, on many levels. I could probably write hazaaron more words, and yet not say enough!
Hazaaron is set in the late 1960s through 1970s period in various North Indian locations. The director, Sudhir Mishra, truly brings this period to life. The language, clothes, and setting all seem very real. Neither is there any attempt to "glamorize" the past, as seen in the lavish sets in melodramas such as "Devdas" or "Parineeta" nor the big scale of the unknown past of 1857 as seen in "Mangal Pandey". The music, costumes, dialogue and situations are all straight out of the 1970s. More than anything else, the film succeeds in capturing the India of 1970s - full of uncertainty, youthful energy, and idealism.
The film is a series of really quick scenes - the story moves very fast, from Meerut to Delhi to rural Bihar, and from the late 1960s to the later period of emergency rule and naxalite movement. The quick cuts, and lack of "obvious" dialogue leaves a lot of room for interpretation, a valuable characteristic for a movie such as this. It is highly entertaining and provocative. Through each of the lead characters, and the different directions their intertwined lives take, we see various forces at work on the minds of young people in that period.
Hazaaron succeeds at two levels - in telling the story of its characters and in telling the story of that period. It is a classic love story, with true to life characters - each moving to their own rhythms, each dreaming their own dreams. This story is set against the backdrop of a nation in a period of turmoil. I was impressed by how the movie conveyed the essence of each character - how their thoughts and motivation leads to actions that may seem irrational to an outsider.
There are three central human characters in the story. Siddharth, Vikram and Geeta. They are all college students in an unnamed Delhi college.
The idealist Siddharth, a rich father's son, moved by leftist thought and the extreme divide amongst the haves and have-nots, decides to leave the pleasures of the city and his born with a silver spoon life for a stint in rural Bihar, joining similarly motivated young people in the naxalite movement. His revolutionary, non-compliant nature is conveyed through very simple things. He calls his father by the name Judgesaab, in a firm refusal of the personal relationship , preferring to stress the class divide between the masses of poor and the very few rich. In spite of all his revolutionary spirit, he cannot give up his love for Geeta, a college sweetheart, herself conflicted in many ways.
The pragmatic, go-getter Vikram, the son of a Gandhian is skeptical of Siddharth and his Marxist friends. He has keenly observed the corrupt bureucracy, sycophancy, and the way the world works. He believes in working for his own upliftment, whichever way possible. He succeeds in almost anything he tries - property deals, brokering agreements between government and businesses, and keeping politicians appeased. A true lobbyist, broker, a man seemingly with no ideals but his own gain. Yet, he is defeated in many ways - the idealistic Geeta, whom he loves, is in love with Siddharth; his Gandhian father, for whom he cares refuses his help, choosing to go to jail during the emergency. No matter how much money or power he earns, he cannot win the respect or love of those that matter to him.
And Geeta. She is torn between her love for Siddharth and a sincere desire to do something good, and her middle class fear or pragmatism on the other. Geeta is unsure of what her dreams really are. She drifts, she searches, she loses and then she wins. Geeta is the most fascinating character of the movie.
As the characters progress towards their future, we see India through their eyes. Geeta is most likely the character viewers will identify with - the many forces pulling her in many directions, all at once, a thousand desires unfulfilled. Yet, while the outwardly strong Siddharth and Vikram discover their failings, Geeta finds her strength. Many missteps along the way, but by the end of the story, Geeta is firmly set along a path that I believe will be hers throughout life. The changes are remarkable and very moving.
A truly amazing film, on many levels. I could probably write hazaaron more words, and yet not say enough!
March 12, 2005
The Turing Test: A Coffeehouse Conversation
CHRIS: If you could ask a computer just one question in the Turing test, what would it be?
SANDY: Uhmm....
PAT: How about "If you could ask a computer just one question in the Turing test, what would it be?"?
(From The Mind's I: Fantasies and reflections on self and soul composed and arranged by Douglas R. Hofstadter and Daniel C. Dennett)
SANDY: Uhmm....
PAT: How about "If you could ask a computer just one question in the Turing test, what would it be?"?
(From The Mind's I: Fantasies and reflections on self and soul composed and arranged by Douglas R. Hofstadter and Daniel C. Dennett)
January 15, 2005
The Great Indian Middle Class
An insightful look at the historical roots, cultural and social behavior and economic influence of the Indian middle class. Pavan K Varma offers an excellent introduction for anyone with interest in understanding the Indian middle class.
He traces the history of the class, and the strong influence of Gandhi and Nehru's ideology. Further, he offers an explanation of the perceived subsequent ideological decline, and the role of the middle-class in subverting the nation's goals to serve its self-interest. He also explains the hypocrisy common in middle-class behavior - private practice of ritual and casteism while publicly projecting a secular image, relentless pursuit of self-interest while maintaining a belief in social justice and so on.
Varma's book cites several examples, from the Mandal commission recommendations, to the rise of Hindu fundamentalism. It offers insight into corruptness of Indian society, and critical analysis of the role played by the middle-class in the 50 years since independence.
The book is not full of statistics, or rigorous research results. It draws on common examples, probably familiar to most readers, rather than esoteric academic work. It is easy to relate to, even though somewhat simplistic in presenting the analysis. The book falters somewhat in the final chapters, where the author switches from diagnosis to prescription.
Many might disagree with the author's opinions. It is undeniable though, that it presents a hard look at the self-obsessed Indian middle-class.
January 05, 2005
Books read in 2004
I started 2004 with a lofty, unrealistic goal of reading 50 books through the year, knowing at the back of my mind that it was a bit ambitious to plan reading a book a week. I got through only about 17 books (including a couple of partial reads). Upon reflection at the end of the year, I am quite happy with the variety of topics that I read about.
Here's a list of books that I read through the year:
1. Jhumpa Lahiri - The Namesake
2. Gurcharan Das - The Elephant Paradigm
3. Sulakshana Mahajan - "Jag Badalal'e" (Marathi)
4. Sulakshana Mahajan - Arthavyavasthaanche Swabhaav (Marathi translation of Jane Jacobs' "The Nature of Economies")
5. Lawrence Lessig - Free Culture
6. Bhisham Sahni - Tamas
7. W. Somerset Maugham - The Moon and Sixpence
8. Michael Frayn - Copenhagen
9. John Gribbin - In search of Schrodinger's Cat
10. Chintamani Deshmukh - Homi Jehangir Bhabha
11. Richard Posner - Antitrust Law: An Economic Perspective
12. Laxman Londhe and Chintamani Deshmukh - Devaansi Jive Maarile (Marathi)
13. Guy De Maupassant - Selected short stories
14. Robin Wilson - Four Colors Suffice
15. Peter Drahos with John Braithwaite - Information Feudalism
16. Lawrence Lessig - Code and the Other Laws of Cyberspace
17. Pavan K. Verma - The Great Indian Middle Class
Here's a list of books that I read through the year:
1. Jhumpa Lahiri - The Namesake
2. Gurcharan Das - The Elephant Paradigm
3. Sulakshana Mahajan - "Jag Badalal'e" (Marathi)
4. Sulakshana Mahajan - Arthavyavasthaanche Swabhaav (Marathi translation of Jane Jacobs' "The Nature of Economies")
5. Lawrence Lessig - Free Culture
6. Bhisham Sahni - Tamas
7. W. Somerset Maugham - The Moon and Sixpence
8. Michael Frayn - Copenhagen
9. John Gribbin - In search of Schrodinger's Cat
10. Chintamani Deshmukh - Homi Jehangir Bhabha
11. Richard Posner - Antitrust Law: An Economic Perspective
12. Laxman Londhe and Chintamani Deshmukh - Devaansi Jive Maarile (Marathi)
13. Guy De Maupassant - Selected short stories
14. Robin Wilson - Four Colors Suffice
15. Peter Drahos with John Braithwaite - Information Feudalism
16. Lawrence Lessig - Code and the Other Laws of Cyberspace
17. Pavan K. Verma - The Great Indian Middle Class
December 02, 2004
Musical Nirvana
Lately I've been listening to a lot of Hindustani (North Indian) Classical Vocal music. Till now, I've been largely ignorant of this genre. I preferred instrumentals, especially in the fusion style, the acrobatics in playing the instrument, generally fast pace, and a strong basis in percussion.
However, after trying out a few CDs by renowned singers such as Vasantrao Deshpande, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Jasraj, and newer singers such as Sanjeev Abhyankar and Ustad Rashid Khan, I've begun to like it. In attempting to learn a bit about the historical tradition and the musical aspects, I came across Musical Nirvana.
Musical Nirvana seems a very good resource at this stage. It gives a detailed historical account of the origins and development of Indian Classical music. The website traces the roots of Indian Classical music in the temple tradition, to the Persian influences on it, the Gharana tradition, and the change in the form and structure of the raga performance. It also has very detailed and simplified information on a number of raagas, their history, and musical structure in terms of swaras. The technical background seems useful in learning to distinguish the finer nuances of the ragas.
The site is pretty comprehensive - it contains information about the most renowned and popular artists and composers, their albums, their Gharana traditions and so on. Certainly a very valuable resource.
However, after trying out a few CDs by renowned singers such as Vasantrao Deshpande, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Jasraj, and newer singers such as Sanjeev Abhyankar and Ustad Rashid Khan, I've begun to like it. In attempting to learn a bit about the historical tradition and the musical aspects, I came across Musical Nirvana.
Musical Nirvana seems a very good resource at this stage. It gives a detailed historical account of the origins and development of Indian Classical music. The website traces the roots of Indian Classical music in the temple tradition, to the Persian influences on it, the Gharana tradition, and the change in the form and structure of the raga performance. It also has very detailed and simplified information on a number of raagas, their history, and musical structure in terms of swaras. The technical background seems useful in learning to distinguish the finer nuances of the ragas.
The site is pretty comprehensive - it contains information about the most renowned and popular artists and composers, their albums, their Gharana traditions and so on. Certainly a very valuable resource.
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