Harry Potter, need I say more!

A Potterhead through and through, the 20^th anniversary celebrations of the Harry Potter phenomenon should not pass without one post. So here goes.

It was on a dull Saturday afternoon that I encountered Harry Potter. The year was 2001, I was 17, bored and looking for something to read, anything to read. A senior in my hostel took pity on me and gave me a book she had just finished. It was ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’. Yes, I read the fourth book first. Why, you may ask. Well, I had never heard of Harry Potter before then and it is why I thank my lucky stars that she (the senior) chanced upon me and was kind enough to lend me her copy of the book.

I never looked back after that. I saved all my money to buy the first three parts, not the originals of course but the copies that you would find selling on the pavement. The books opened a whole new world to me. A magical one, pun intended.  I always loved reading. Reading was second nature to me after breathing, and yes, I would skip meals to finish a book. But Harry Potter was different. It made me yearn for the next book almost like an addict (and no, I do not use such words often nor mildly).

Once I finished the first four books, I started to count down days until the next installment released. The release date of ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ saw me standing in the queue in front of Crossword at 8 in the morning (the store is an hour away from my home). I rushed back home (skipped classes), ran into my room asking my mother to not call me unless life threateningly urgent. I finished the book in half a day. No food though I may have sipped water periodically, no bathroom breaks. Just me and the book and the world that the book spun around me.

To be continued...

Hello!

I seem to be repeating this at intervals....but it has been a long time! The far in between frequency of the posts on my blog is something I can't seem to help :( and I have no one to blame but myself....the little time I get I indulge in the one thing I can't do without, reading. And the Kindle reader I was gifted last year has only made things easier for me on the front.


A has grown and how :) got her into a playschool and while the first few weeks we had a lot of crying happening, she now seems to have taken to it like a duck to water. She now can't wait to reach school! Talk of lightning changes!


Going back to my Kindle, I'm going to put my two-bit on this big argument that people have over how they prefer a 'real' book over an e-reader. Well, I won't argue...reading a book with real paper does have a different feel to it but you can't help but be happy with an e-reader too what with an ability to have hundreds of books in a tiny device weighing well under a kilo, at the touch of your fingertips.


While I was not too keen on it in the beginning, I'm surprised to find myself too comfortable with it now. The ease of buying and reading books not to forget the ease of carrying it around has helped me adapt faster. Though I do buy 'real' books once in a while to satisfy an urge, I would prefer my kindle any day!


On a different note, I'm back working after a long break and boy, does it feel good! I find working helps me develop a routine for myself, A and S. So, irrespective of whether I have slept well the previous night, I'm up at a particular time (read early) every morning :) and I like it!


So till next time, adios!

Weekend happiness

In a word what the weekend was? Bliss! Beauty therapy and with it, some me time, what can go wrong? So I finally got the chance to visit a much touted spa in the neighbourhood. And now I wonder, why I did not go there earlier! Throw in some random shopping, fried fish and chicken burgers (home-made), and it was nirvana, well almost :P

All of this though is in preparation for the big visit to Kerala happening on 8th. It's A's first Onam and we wanted it to be celebrated with fanfare, what better place than Kerala? We've also fitted in a weekend trip to Munnar with Sree's family. Can't wait for the vacation to start. Just been a month that I started working and I'm already waiting for a break! Does not bode well? does it? :D Well, there you go. That's me. I love my work, but who would give up two weeks of fun and all that time with A?

So we've bought a carrier for A. You know the one where you kind of wear it like a front pack and then ease the baby into the compartment in the front so she can see what's happening? Well, A and A's parents too do not seem to be too happy with it. A's parents are yet to figure out which clasp goes where and blah....and once we almost figured it out, we put A into it....and she was not too happy, which means we got it wrong. But, hey, you know what they say about getting used to something, well I hope A has heard that!

Its true what they say. About how having a baby changes your world. The centre and the focus that was you earlier is now taken over by this little person who occupies your every thought in the course of the day. I have experienced it many a ways. Take for instance, the very silly, simple task of online shopping.

Earlier I could surf for hours looking for that unique outfit or accessory, now I do the same but for A. And the time it takes me to buy stuff for myself or for Sree (my better half)? 5 mins flat. It amazes me how so much can change in such a short span of time! But this little person, under 100 cm long, does have the capacity to turn your world on its axis.

I took almost 10 months off from work just so I could devote my time to her and it worked out well. But then after the initial 7-8 months, a sense of uselessness would pervade. I was happy doing everything for A but I wanted to do something more. In short, getting back to work seemed to be ideal. And now that I'm back, I feel more useful. Nothing short of superwoman (well, not there yet but almost) :-)

A is an early riser (takes after her father), but luckily that means I get to spend the first couple of hours of my day with her, uninterrupted, unhurried. But once the clock strikes the dreaded 8.30 am I need to rush, so a bath, getting ready for work and breakfast are all slotted into a measly 45 minutes. But I don't really care, I will not compromise on those blessed two hours!

The value of time, another thing A taught me. And such a sweet lesson it was!

And I'm back. It been a long hiatus, a sabbatical of sorts. Simply put, I did not have time (cliched as it sounds) and then I just lost interest. The interest is back and so is the blog :) A lot has happened since my last blog post- the one about irritating auto drivers (about who my opinion remains unchanged). I had a baby, moved cities and changed jobs (not necessarily in that order). This blog will henceforth be not just where I post my thoughts on public issues - yes, yes, like the auto drivers- but also one where I intend to jot down my daily learning from my daughter- A :) who by the way happens to be an amazing teacher!

N.B- This is not a blog where intellectuals or pseudo intellectuals will find anything of interest. Random thoughts remains true to its name, just ramblings from a person who otherwise finds it difficult to find an audience!

Its a case of 'you cant do with' and 'you cannot do without'. Any guesses what I'm talking about? Well anyone who cannot ride a bike or does not have one (same with a car) or finds it too troublesome to wait for buses (which are never on time) would know what I'm talking about. A bane if there was any- auto drivers are the few people who can spoil your 'oh so nice day' 'so bright and sunny' etc. I used to travel in autos in Pune most of the time (lack of parking space esp on FC rd can make you do that even if you have a car!), in Hyderabad when I moved there after my marriage and now in Bangalore. My association with autos continues and I for one do not see it coming to a grinding halt anytime soon. It has just been over a month that I moved to Bangalore and the auto fares have been revised. It was like a grand welcome for me! But while I'm willing to pay the fare (the metered one), I have never been able to pay that way except for maybe one or two times. The auto drivers work telepathetically, they have already decided in their mind how much they will charge you irrespective of who you ask. It is fascinating to see that they can argue for hours, fight with you in full public view despite it being their mistake and yet be arrogant all the time. I hate they way they make me feel, as if they are doing me  favour and I will be indebted to them for life. That apart they they have now started turning the private auto hire-into a shared one, so while you might be willing to give the poor hassled commuter a lift- the auto driver makes sure your thoughts remain what they are, a kind thought. They not only charge what they think the approx fare for the other commuter would be, they expect you to pay the full fare too (whatever you have agreed upon if not a metered one)! Given a chance I could and would vent everyday but then everyday morning I keep my pride aside and board the one thing I vowed I would never board just the previous day- the auto.

First attempt

When I was asked at interviews (a few I gave recently) if I blogged, I was not sure if blogging was a requirement for the job! On being told it was not, a sense of relief prevailed. The whole idea of blogging was one that had never gone down well with me. I was not sure if my ranting and ravings in the virtual world was meant to be read by everyone. Today I'm thinking differently, I guess its not just personal issues but even public ones that can be discussed virtually and I for one am going to make an attempt at chronicling my thoughts on various issues, personal (a few chosen ones) and public :P I do not think it will be a 'blog daily' kind of a thing but I'm going to attempt at updating it as and when I feel like. So the time is 11 am and the date 30th July 2010 and 'Random thoughts' starts!