I am a sucker for books, I hold them and feel relaxed and when I go to a bookstore or the library the joy is sooo profound that I am sure I just have this happy grin plastered on my face!
This past week-end I was at the Rockcliffe Book Fair, I was amazed by the sheer magnitude of it. For a week-end the gym in my neighbourhood school is transformed into a full-fledged book store! This is all done by volunteers, they set up aisles of bookshelves, sort and stock books and are available throughout the week-end helping folks find books, managing the traffic, running a cafe and ringing in the sales. On Sunday evening, all leftover books are boxed, the shelves pulled down, everything sent away, and the gym returned to it's earlier form :-)
Well it was my first time volunteering there - I went on Sunday morning and oh the joy, the bliss, all these beautiful books, lined up and ready to be picked up! As I was walking around I saw a lot of people there lost and happy amongst the books, the book fair is a special treat as you could stumble upon just about anything! My husband picked up a cricketing book absolutely unexpected in our part of the world and I picked up amongst many a 1966 edition of Nancy Drew - the Hidden Staircase (for old times sake )!!
What increased my joy was watching my daughter, Uma, who is two and a half, her energy sky-rocketed when she saw the books (there was a children's section too) and she shared my happy grin as she was picking up books for herself. As I saw her I was happy for her, I knew she had a best friend forever. That is something my parents gave me and I was happy that I have been successful in passing it on!
Happy Reading!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Beautiful Inspirations
I visited the Art gallery a few week-ends ago, being someone who loves art, I was really looking forward to it. Unfotunately I started in the wrong section.
I was trying to keep up with my two-year old so didn't get a chance to really chalk out my route to the gallery or even remember which section I was in. But there I was looking at paintings of headless people, guts flying out, bloody knives, cartoonic images of children talking about molestation. And that was it! That was the end of my visit I was disturbed, NOT just disturbed BUT sick to my stomach!! I didn't want to, infact, couldn't see anymore art, everything beautiful I saw was tainted by the images!
And I came out ANGRY!!
Angry at the gallery for showcasing this kind of art, angry at the artist who was "obviously sick or some kind of criminal " to have painted such stuff!!
The experience has stayed with me it's been three weeks since but I can't erase the images or the disturbed thoughts I get everytime I thnk about it! But what's happened with time is the initial shock factor subsided, my anger that erupted as a volcano is now like molten lava, taking it's time and giving me the opportunity to dwell!
My definition of art has always been something that connects with me, gives me pleasure, is a joy and a delight to look at. Something that is always a reminder of the beautiful world we live in....But I realized that is not all art is about, Art has been a way of depicting the times that we live in. Art has been a form of communicating and informing And from that perspective I understand now what the artist was trying to show, it's the sad truth that there are some ugly sides to our society.
I have concluded, the artist was not wrong in painting what he/she did, but I personally have to fight and speak up against something that I see is wrong. Standing-by and looking is not my forte and that's why those images disturbed me. It was put up in a place where people come to observe not act and those issues need acting upon!
Art galleries should be left for random artistic musings not for social/economic/political agendas no matter how serious.
I want to see pictures of Seals happy not clubbed, though I strongly oppose clubbing!
I want to see pictures of forests thick and green and not being bulldozed although I know deforestation is an issue very close to my heart.
I want to see children and people happy although there is sadness and injustices that I know we experience.
Very often beauty is also an inspiration, personally my inspiration to protect our earth is the picture taken from space. This is my all-time favourite.
The earth looks so incredible, so strong yet delicate and beautiful that the thought of causing damage to it moves me to tears.
While we adopt alternate ways to inspire change lets use art galleries to use the mode of beauty!
I was trying to keep up with my two-year old so didn't get a chance to really chalk out my route to the gallery or even remember which section I was in. But there I was looking at paintings of headless people, guts flying out, bloody knives, cartoonic images of children talking about molestation. And that was it! That was the end of my visit I was disturbed, NOT just disturbed BUT sick to my stomach!! I didn't want to, infact, couldn't see anymore art, everything beautiful I saw was tainted by the images!
And I came out ANGRY!!
Angry at the gallery for showcasing this kind of art, angry at the artist who was "obviously sick or some kind of criminal " to have painted such stuff!!
The experience has stayed with me it's been three weeks since but I can't erase the images or the disturbed thoughts I get everytime I thnk about it! But what's happened with time is the initial shock factor subsided, my anger that erupted as a volcano is now like molten lava, taking it's time and giving me the opportunity to dwell!
My definition of art has always been something that connects with me, gives me pleasure, is a joy and a delight to look at. Something that is always a reminder of the beautiful world we live in....But I realized that is not all art is about, Art has been a way of depicting the times that we live in. Art has been a form of communicating and informing And from that perspective I understand now what the artist was trying to show, it's the sad truth that there are some ugly sides to our society.
I have concluded, the artist was not wrong in painting what he/she did, but I personally have to fight and speak up against something that I see is wrong. Standing-by and looking is not my forte and that's why those images disturbed me. It was put up in a place where people come to observe not act and those issues need acting upon!
Art galleries should be left for random artistic musings not for social/economic/political agendas no matter how serious.
I want to see pictures of Seals happy not clubbed, though I strongly oppose clubbing!
I want to see pictures of forests thick and green and not being bulldozed although I know deforestation is an issue very close to my heart.
I want to see children and people happy although there is sadness and injustices that I know we experience.
Very often beauty is also an inspiration, personally my inspiration to protect our earth is the picture taken from space. This is my all-time favourite.
The earth looks so incredible, so strong yet delicate and beautiful that the thought of causing damage to it moves me to tears.
While we adopt alternate ways to inspire change lets use art galleries to use the mode of beauty!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Measuring Patriotism
July 1st just passed by - This day deserves special mention for two reasons, it is our wedding anniversary and it is Canada Day. Hubby and I enjoy the fact that we get a day off on our anniversary every year and there is always spectacular fireworks to go with it :)
But it is CANADA DAY. Along with being a Canadian, I am also an Indian and as an Indian, we take our patriotism very very seriously! It is not a laughing matter, so when I first moved here I found it rather strange that Canada Day was not treated in as sombre a manner as 26th Jan(Republic Day) or 15th Aug(Independence Day) is in India. At the time (10 years ago and a less-wise me) thought only in India is there true patriotism.
However, I walked the streets this July 1st and as a more mature and reflective me was taking in the festivities, the free concerts and the shows, and later to watch the fireworks I looked at things in a different light - I saw people of all races and colour dressed in Red and White ( colours of the Canadian flag ) waving their flag, joyous to be out and celebrating. I saw men and women singing the Canadian anthem. I saw a lot of people young and old walking upto police officers, security guards and others in uniform and thanking them for their hardwork and commitment to keeping us safe!
I decided to look up patriotism - it is the love and loyalty to one's country
Being an Indo-Canadian, I realized we just have different ways of exhibiting the same emotion - maybe because of our different histories....
The Indian in me gets teary-eyed when I hear "Mera Watan Ke Logon"
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjfGA_IeMWo )
and to the Canadian in me "We are more"
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw3u2h72Kng&feature=related ) is the most heart-warming of poems!
Patriotism, I concluded cannot me Measured or Judged!
But it is CANADA DAY. Along with being a Canadian, I am also an Indian and as an Indian, we take our patriotism very very seriously! It is not a laughing matter, so when I first moved here I found it rather strange that Canada Day was not treated in as sombre a manner as 26th Jan(Republic Day) or 15th Aug(Independence Day) is in India. At the time (10 years ago and a less-wise me) thought only in India is there true patriotism.
However, I walked the streets this July 1st and as a more mature and reflective me was taking in the festivities, the free concerts and the shows, and later to watch the fireworks I looked at things in a different light - I saw people of all races and colour dressed in Red and White ( colours of the Canadian flag ) waving their flag, joyous to be out and celebrating. I saw men and women singing the Canadian anthem. I saw a lot of people young and old walking upto police officers, security guards and others in uniform and thanking them for their hardwork and commitment to keeping us safe!
I decided to look up patriotism - it is the love and loyalty to one's country
Being an Indo-Canadian, I realized we just have different ways of exhibiting the same emotion - maybe because of our different histories....
The Indian in me gets teary-eyed when I hear "Mera Watan Ke Logon"
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjfGA_IeMWo )
and to the Canadian in me "We are more"
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw3u2h72Kng&feature=related ) is the most heart-warming of poems!
Patriotism, I concluded cannot me Measured or Judged!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Hello World!
It's my mom's birthday today and while she is celebrating in Mumbai I am just missing her. But hey that makes it a very auspicious day for me to create my blog with my first post so Hello World!!
I am not a writer by any stretch of imagination, I remember as a younger person writing essays and autobiographies and quite enjoying it but then technology happened and those skills got lost as I started SMSing and TXTing and MSNing and black-berrying and.... well you get the picture, the words got shorter, the sentences non-existent, the friendships hurried with quick texts and no time for sharing and giving.
I realized I had undergone a change, my mind raced too fast to give me a chance to capture what was happening, I guess channel and internet surfing did a little song and dance with my attention span!
(Here’s an article on how technology is affecting us http://www.geektown.ca/2010/06/the-web-technology-making-us-shallow-and-distracted.html )
Don't get me wrong I love technology but I had forgotten that it was meant to serve me, to give me joy and not to make a slave of me...you know the golden words in life - Moderation and Balance!!
I went through a period of garble detox, the steps are listed below for anyone wanting to follow suit ;)
Step 1 Give up everything all the chats and SMS's even the internet and channel surfing Step 2 Re-introduce all the above but this time exhibit control and restraint
Step 3 Try and garner those long forgotten basic skills the basic simple joy of reading and assimilating of writing and sharing!!
So here I am at Step3 my blog, I am a Daughter, a Sister, a Wife, a Mother, a Feminist, an Individual, at times opinionated, at times confused and I hope to share some on the drama here :)
I am not a writer by any stretch of imagination, I remember as a younger person writing essays and autobiographies and quite enjoying it but then technology happened and those skills got lost as I started SMSing and TXTing and MSNing and black-berrying and.... well you get the picture, the words got shorter, the sentences non-existent, the friendships hurried with quick texts and no time for sharing and giving.
I realized I had undergone a change, my mind raced too fast to give me a chance to capture what was happening, I guess channel and internet surfing did a little song and dance with my attention span!
(Here’s an article on how technology is affecting us http://www.geektown.ca/2010/06/the-web-technology-making-us-shallow-and-distracted.html )
Don't get me wrong I love technology but I had forgotten that it was meant to serve me, to give me joy and not to make a slave of me...you know the golden words in life - Moderation and Balance!!
I went through a period of garble detox, the steps are listed below for anyone wanting to follow suit ;)
Step 1 Give up everything all the chats and SMS's even the internet and channel surfing Step 2 Re-introduce all the above but this time exhibit control and restraint
Step 3 Try and garner those long forgotten basic skills the basic simple joy of reading and assimilating of writing and sharing!!
So here I am at Step3 my blog, I am a Daughter, a Sister, a Wife, a Mother, a Feminist, an Individual, at times opinionated, at times confused and I hope to share some on the drama here :)
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