I just watched “The Namesake” – the master piece from Mira Nair. It has been long… no let me correct that – really long that I have seen such a brilliant piece of cinema. What an amazing story! How beautifully filmed! Made me cry, laugh and wonder all at the same time. This is what I am here for – perspective; perspective and experiences to make me live my life in much more meaningful way.
The movie, if seen at some other time, probably wouldn’t have had such a profound effect on me. Everything about it, India, parents, different culture, finding a partner… all resonated with me so well because of the place and situation I am in. I still recommend it to people who appreciates good cinema, a story so aesthetically told. There are so many subtle things about the film, so carefully placed and timed, that makes you think. My respect for Mira Nair, as a filmmaker, has grown many folds.
Another ‘life changing experience’ that I recently went through, “Tuesdays with Morrie”. An absolute essential for everyone everywhere in every stage of life- life’s little instruction booklet. It has so much ‘soul’, so many answers to what everyone asks day in day out. Read it and then gift to someone really important in your life. Let me not be cynical – give to everyone who are really important in your life, I promise that you wont regret it. It is written by Mitch Albom who has brilliantly captured his visits to his professor Morrie Schwartz. He visits his mentor every Tuesday, in his mentor’s last days’, to learn about life form the eyes of a person who knows when he is going to die. It is a book that will ‘humble’ you and again provide you with a different perspective (by now you would know that it is my favourite word!). It will sneak up from behind and grab your heart, one of the reviews said. I could not agree more.
For those who didn’t know, I have just returned from a 3 week long visit from ‘home’ country – India. I am still in the process of letting the feeling sink in that I have moved! I think it will be quite sometime before I get to go back again. May be it will sink in then…
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Namesake!
Monday, March 24, 2008
From Sydney!!
Well here I am … and some would say “Its about time!!” (It is my vanity that tells me that some people still read what I have to write). Well, I agree that it’s been really long since I sat down and started clobbering the key board to churn my thoughts on the screen but then again, and just to reason, it’s been a mad roller coaster ride lately. People who know me closely would testify to that fact. I have now come to believe that there is enough meat in my head that I can send out to cyberspace.
Now that I am here after the biggest gambit I have ever taken with my life – marriage can top that still I think. I am now in a different country, with a different job, around different people, tasting different kinds of food, living in a new place to live far away from home away from my family. A country radically different than where I came from, I think it will take a while to settle. “Too big a change” some would say and it wont be unfair to do so. It is big by any standard. So big that I don’t think have the ability to feel it completely. I guess time would help ‘sink it’ in for me. One more statement that I get to hear is “But … you were doing so well?” This really cracks me up. I am not going to prison people!!! Professionally, this was a no-brainer. Not that I have arrived in life but it gives me so much perspective that it is worth its weight in gold. Personally, yes I agree, I am not sure if I am better off than before … yet. Though there are tons of things to see and experience, I had lots of people around me that cared for me which made my life very easy and comfortable. That’s something I don’t get here and I am not too sure in an alien country it will come easy but then technology is definitely helping. The physical distance still remains but connections are becoming smaller.
Nonetheless, I think it was required, for me atleast. I was stuck in a middle of daily grind so big that I no could longer tell what was wrong or right. I could not tell how I was doing, how I was thinking, I could not tell my real friends from the fake ones, I didn’t know what I wanted – an utter state of confusion believe me! To me this is that first step in the journey of figuring out my priorities and then a lot more. I also think it make help me find some ‘answers’ that I have been asking myself lately. Many of you might say that you don’t have to go far away to solve for those. I say that you do, sometimes atleast. Only when you are so far is when you are really able to look close enough. It might be too early to say but I think I am getting to know myself better; I am getting to know the people who matter to me, people who REALLY care. It is still not that clear, as yet maybe, but I know, deep down inside, that I will get there… soon. This is something, which, until recently, I didn’t know how to handle. I guess I am lucky that I got to experience this. My advice, to all that who care to take, is to get out of that comfortable chair and go through the experience life has to offer!
More soon…
Now that I am here after the biggest gambit I have ever taken with my life – marriage can top that still I think. I am now in a different country, with a different job, around different people, tasting different kinds of food, living in a new place to live far away from home away from my family. A country radically different than where I came from, I think it will take a while to settle. “Too big a change” some would say and it wont be unfair to do so. It is big by any standard. So big that I don’t think have the ability to feel it completely. I guess time would help ‘sink it’ in for me. One more statement that I get to hear is “But … you were doing so well?” This really cracks me up. I am not going to prison people!!! Professionally, this was a no-brainer. Not that I have arrived in life but it gives me so much perspective that it is worth its weight in gold. Personally, yes I agree, I am not sure if I am better off than before … yet. Though there are tons of things to see and experience, I had lots of people around me that cared for me which made my life very easy and comfortable. That’s something I don’t get here and I am not too sure in an alien country it will come easy but then technology is definitely helping. The physical distance still remains but connections are becoming smaller.
Nonetheless, I think it was required, for me atleast. I was stuck in a middle of daily grind so big that I no could longer tell what was wrong or right. I could not tell how I was doing, how I was thinking, I could not tell my real friends from the fake ones, I didn’t know what I wanted – an utter state of confusion believe me! To me this is that first step in the journey of figuring out my priorities and then a lot more. I also think it make help me find some ‘answers’ that I have been asking myself lately. Many of you might say that you don’t have to go far away to solve for those. I say that you do, sometimes atleast. Only when you are so far is when you are really able to look close enough. It might be too early to say but I think I am getting to know myself better; I am getting to know the people who matter to me, people who REALLY care. It is still not that clear, as yet maybe, but I know, deep down inside, that I will get there… soon. This is something, which, until recently, I didn’t know how to handle. I guess I am lucky that I got to experience this. My advice, to all that who care to take, is to get out of that comfortable chair and go through the experience life has to offer!
More soon…
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