ZOUK and ZYDECO

Have always been told that if you like music listen to the different kind of music that you can find especially the different folk music of the world. Reading and listening more about it brought me to the concept of world music. Also there is a good website by National geographic on World Music.

Of course, am no good in commenting anything on this with any command but will try to slowly learn about different kinds of music. Hope I can post more of this in times to come. But even if I don't, here are the two forms of music that I heard today. In case you are interested do go through these links and enjoy.

Zouk

Wikipedia on Zouk
National Geographic on Zouk :

This is a form of dance and music that originated with the French Islands and is famous Brazilian form. I found it very much similar to the Mexican music whatever little I have heard of it. A very lively fast music tracks, which you might enjoy if you like dancing on certain good tunes.

The most famous band for the same is Kassav, Heard “Oh Madiana!” by them. Lively.
Another good musician for Zouk that I could hear from youtube was Jocelyne Labylle. (“T-Vice, wanna see you baby” was the track). Jane Fostin’s performance “No, No, No” had good beats

A special style within the Zouk is called Zouk Love which is more melodious. Edith Nefel’s “Mon Ange” ) was good. Some tracks by Suzanna Lubrano sounds like some bolywood music. heard Tudo Pa Bo.


Zydeco

On wikipedia :
On Natinal Geographic :

A typical Accordion – drums –guitar –bass music for dance, a lot of it is beats and carries the festive mood of its origin. Again its origin is with the French speaking blacks mixing up Cajun and Creole Musicians. A distinctive touch of bass in the music.

Important Musicians that you can get on you tube.

Buckwheat Zydeco
Clifton Chenier (would like to have a soundtrack like this being played in some restaurant, if I ever make a movie J)
Geno Delafose (This too in bits and pieces sound very Bollywood music)


In case you listen to them, hope you like it.

Manorama : Six Feet Under : Film Review

Here is one more example of how good advertising people can be a film maker. An experienced Ad maker Navdeep singh, ventures for the first time into movies. And the subject that he chooses is not preachy, its not sensitive, its not about a message etc., its plain entertainment. Its pure good fiction. Let me make it very clear, this movie belongs to its script. A well written well thought out suspense film throwing a hundred dots on to you till the last 15 minutes and joining all the dots to lead to the climax of the film. Truly Awe some.

"Registan ka yahi sach hai,

yaha jo hota hai wo dikhta nahi aur jo dikhta hai wo hota nahi"

Hence, starts a movie with an unusual looking Abhay deol in a rugged look, driving a motorcycle on the barren roads cutting the desert. Would not like to detail the story here as it would be giving too much out, the movie has twists and turns of event every 10 minutes. Characters as mysterious as the desert are not all that they seem to be.

Putting the characters Together

The only character the way he seems is Satyaveer (Abhay Deol), a suspended Construction engineer, who is a part time writer and wants to be famous, he wants to overcome the shackles of the small town, small place and unknown life living between the mediocre people you see every day and wants to be a "big fish". But he knows that

"Dunia ki ladai mein har baar badi machli kya khana pasand karti hai?"

"Chhoti machlio ko".

With a sharp mind, that he wrote his book "Manorama", he moves on to find out the reasons behind a murder, he finds a detective within in himself. But the luck it seems is not in his favour and he falls into the BIG FISH's game.

The Big fish, minister P.P.Rathore (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), through out the movie is just like his character, unaccessible. Someone whom you know only through the talks of other people and characters in the film. You hear about him, his personal life, his involvement in issues, his dirty political objectives everything from someone else's mouth. This does not create a clear picture of him in your mind and maintains the mystery around him intact.

Manorama (Sarika), age 32, keeps you wondering through out the movie who she is and you get a new identity of her every now and then in the movie. Where did she come from? where did she go? How was she related to the whole story? Keep on thinking till the end.

Raima Sen's character is another such mysterious personality, who is she, is she sheetal, what is it that she wants, who is she? Whoever she is, her simplicity is charming enough to seduce our married Satyaveer.

Then there is a motley of simple characters, not as complicated as discussed here. But this mix of complex and simple characters weaves the suspense of the script darker and dense.

There is Nimmi (Gul Panang), Jittery wife of Satyaveer, who wants to live a simple life and is not very appreciative about her husband's antics. There is Nimmi's brother, Inspector BrijMohan (Vinay Pathak), whose love for Malpoa and alcohol and disinterest in married life is quite clear in his interactions with his friend Satyaveer. Then there is Biharilal(Brijendra Kale), a simple next door neighbour. Then there are single cliched characters of Goons, roommate of the female protagnist, Minister's wife, his illicit daughter and many more to confuse you through out the story.

And weaving all these characters together is a thick, let me say a very thick story line. It unfolds slowly and makes you savour every moment of the story telling. All credit for the movie goes to Devika Bhagat and Navdeep singh for writing such a master piece. It just moves on like some Agatha christie fiction work. Dialogues (Abhinav Kashyap and Manoj Tapadia) support the story well. Dialogues are understandably simple and to the point.

A great start by the director Navdeep singh, would appreciate him for the choice of story and casting. A wonderful assemblage of talented actors fitting the role perfectly.

I feel the cinematography (Arvind Kannabiran) could have been a little better.Though the plot thickens nicely, the whole aura of a story set in desert could have been done a little better. So is it with the editing (Jabeen Merchant), which looks naive at times. Music by Jayesh Gandhi and Raimond Mirza is Ok. There are songs but none that you can remeber.

Performances are the key for a good suspense thriller and the performance in this movie confirms the same. Raima Sen and Sarika are top class. The very looks, the charm, the mysterious simplicity of Raima sen, just befits the character in the most appropriate manner. Kulbhusan Kharbanda lives up to the expectations from him. Though she hams at time, Gul Panang is good. Vinay Pathak as the eccentric officer is Brilliant, he brings a smile to face whenever he is onscreen. But the real winning performance of this movie is that by Abhay Deol, a not too experienced shoulders to carry of an entire suspense movie with him. Absolutely fantastic. I have started liking his choice of role and also his execution of the same. Look at the movies he has done, Socha na tha, Ahista Ahista, Honeymoon travels, Ek Chalis ki last local, and Manorama, all so different. He is a deol to watch out for in future.

All in all a treat for the lovers of suspense thriller with thick story line.

31/2 * for this fantastic debut by the director Navdeep singh.

Jab We Met : Achhi hogi Socha na tha

Just when the Art of making a good romantic movie was vanishing somewhere in oblivion with the new murder mysteries and thrillers filling up the theatre halls, here comes Imtiaz Ali with his very fresh "Jab We Met". Love has many shades, many small itches that can hardly be converted to a piece of art. I think it is this where the movie scores. The most important thing for a romantic movie is, it should look fresh, and with Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor in it it is definetly a daunting task.

Theme is important for any romantic movie. As per my interpretation, here the movie was not about a boy meeting girl, falling in love, and realizes later, the way it has been done in many different movies earlier. But the movie's main theme was when one falls in love, One changes in to be a different person. The partners personality is bound to be rubbed on to him/her. Beautiful theme which was rarely captured in earlier movies.

I think the director, Imtiaz Ali, has made it a point to give us movies exploring these mushy mushy corners of emotions. His earlier movie "Socha Na Tha", exploring Confusions in Love was a fresh work of art too. While this deals with a separate corner. Good Work Mr.Ali.

My Suggestion : After watching both the movies I would Like to Suggest Imtiaz Ali to give us a out and out comedy movie. I think his comic timing for characters is amazing.

The story of the movie is quite simple. A ditched lover Aditya Kashyap (Shahid Kapoor), rejected and dejected just wants to go away from his business after his girlfriend's marriage and on an unplanned journey on train he meets Geet (Kareena Kapoor) who just cant stop talking. One person full of frustration and dejection, another full of life and fun. Well slowly as they pass through some of very interesting nothings through the movie, as they go from Mumbai to Bhatinda and from Bhatinda to Manali where Geet wants to marry Anshuman (Tarun Arora). But it is not about their individual aims, which they themselves seem to have no clue about, but is about the journey that you have with Aditya and Geet and subsequent change in Aditya. Once Aditya moves away from Geet, he feels how Geet's personality has rubbed on to him and he changes as a person from a mature, dull person to one who enjoys life.The Punjabi Family of Geet, Anshuman, Aditya's office seen and all the fillers that fill the screen space around Shahid and Kareena seems to be as appropriate as it can.

Various scenes like the Geet's babbling in train, Hotel Decent scene, Aditya's meeting the Punjabi family all are good. The movie is absolutely entertaining in the first half and later gets slow in the second half. But it is never boring. The use of smartly written, witty and lively dialogues keeps you along with the story and the character. Screenplay takes a very simple stroy to a differnt level altogether. All in all an absolutely brilliant effort by Imtiaz.

I dont like Kareena kapoor, but this was the first movie where I should say she was a perfect cast for the role and she has given it her best. Shahid Kapoor out of place in some serious scenes as an Industrialist, but shines everytime he is with Kareena Kapoor on screen. Pawan Malhotra (as Kareena's Uncle) and Dara Singh plays a good cameo, and so does Tarun (situation that he faces are hilarious).

But the movie is about the chemistry between the lead couple. This is to Shahid and Kareena what Guru was to Abhishek bachhan and Aishwarya. First film where you love to see them together. Editing by Shirish Kunder is good. Manali as a location for this movie is good but does not match the charm of Goa that Imtiaz Ali created in 'Socha na Tha'.

Music of the film, as an Album is good. Pritam creates good lively music but it does not mix up with the movie and the story well. You feel that songs are coming abruptly and are not carrying the story any forward. "Mauja Mauja" (sung by Mika) and "Ye Ishq hai" (Shreya Ghosal) are good and lively. In My opinion the music lacked the absolute melody that is required for a romantic movie. A melody that was so obvious in Sandesh Shandalia's music of "Socha Na Tha". Well Sandesh gives one song in this movie and that is my favourite in the album "Aoge jab tum ..." beautifully sung by Ustad Rashid Khan. Lyrics By Irshad Kamil are OK.

Overall the movie is worth a watch. If I could I would have rated the first half of movie as 4* and second half as 2*.

Overall the movie gets a 3* with a recommendation to watch.

A truth for the truth.....

Have you ever recieved a mail which reads :

The Truth : Woman In your Life

Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;

who is earning almost as much as you do;

one, who has dreams and aspirations just as you have

because she is as human as you are;

one, who has never entered the kitchen in her life

just like you or your sister haven't,

as she was busy in studies and competing in a system that gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements;

one, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;

one, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family name;

one, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen;

one, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more, and yet never ever expected to complain; to be a servant, a cook, a mother, a wife, even if she doesn't want to;

and is learning just like you are as to what you want from her; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than you;

one, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;

yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won't, simply because you won't like it, even though you say otherwise;

one, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;

one, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some and trust her; one, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it.

Thought I agreed with most of the things written in this forward, I thought it was glorifying women to an extent which was not actually necessary. Men too sacrifices a lot many things for marriage. Had replied by creating an answer for this mail.

A Truth for the Truth : Man In Your Life

Here is a boy who is as educated as you are , usually more,
Who is earning as much as you are , if not more,

One who has dreams and aspirations to spend his money on himself as much as you do,
because he is as human as you are.

One who has never taken anyone else's bags on himself ,
just like you and your brother's havent ,
as he was not the fairer sex,
and the world does not give him any concessions in any queues or tax payments or "reservations of seats" for his "coolie"nary activities.

One who has lived with and loved his parents and brothers and sisters,
for 20-27 years of his life, just as a part of them.

One who has left all the sports channel, friends (especially the girls), the time he could have given to his hobbies, Infact his hobbies per se, his free spirit, to adopt to your "kyunki saas bhi kabhi bahu thi", your idea of a great evening, for being by your side.

One who is supposed to be a Master financial manager from day #1
while you sleep oblivious to his predicament in his new circumstances, environment and that "kyunki..";

One who is supposed to talk to you sweetly whether morning or evening,
even if he is as tired as you are, just to prove that he is not ignoring you.
one who is always supposed to say "darling you look beautiful today"
even if you dont , just to save the day.

to be a servant , a driver, an ATM, a care taker,
even if he dosen't want to be all that.

And is learning just as you are,
all that you want from him.

and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if he demands anything, or if he walks faster than you;

(this was wrongly written for girls and applies in these phrases more)

one, who has his own set of friends, and that includes girls and even women at his workplace too, those, who he knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;

yes, he can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won't, simply because you won't like it, even if you smell his clothes everytime he is late;


One who can be late from work,
and its not always "a party" or "someone else" you spy,

one, who is doing his level best and wants to make this most important relationship in his entire life to sustain, if you just help him some and trust him;

one, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one new in his life, - your unstinted trust and understanding his needs, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love for his freedom, if you may call it.

Mr. Modi, we dont know you

There is a lesson that I have learned from Modi's Interview with Karan Thapar on Devil's advocate and that lesson is :

"If you are a public personality make sure that you are sufficiently media
friendly and you know how to use it to your advantage".

Ok, we will not discuss about the Gujarat Riots here, lot has been written on it and we are clear that the government did not do enough (or could not do enough) to contain those riots and the person at the helm of the government has to take responsibility for it, which Modi did not at that point in time. Let us not be unfair to Narendra Modi opinionating the facts and let us not see him through the dark painted glasses of media. Even without that his credibility and image are tainted enough.

Let us look in to his life after the riots, he got selected as CM of the state, a state ravaged with earthquake in 2001 and riots in 2002. Credit to him for bringing Gujarat to a place where it is acheving 10% growth YoY continuously. He was the person who revamped the entire political as well as delivery system of Gujarat. He has worked, amazingly to improve the life of every single Guajarati. He has nailed the system where it should have been way back. Corruption has decreased for sure, Business is easier now, Infrastructure has developed considerably, jobs are getting created. India today group has awarded him the best chief minister twice in three years. He definitely has the most efficient and the best resume amongst all the chief ministers of the country.

But,

People still see him as a mass-murderer, Riots are still fresh in people's mind. He has done a lot post riots but a lot is not enough to clean the blot that has been created on his career.

Just a thought, had then back in 2002, Modi had accepted that the government could not do enough to contain the riots and he takes the moral responsibility of things going haywire. Had he told this infront of media and had taken proper steps that could have saved many lives, today he might not have been questioned, snubbed, opposed, interrogated and embarassed by the media.

To me it was not him, a person but it was the Gujarat Government, the entire system that failed in 2002. No one person can be blamed for such act of terror. It were the hundereds of people involved in the riots, it were the inefficient police force of the state, the hard liners and also everyone who allowed the state to reach to such dire state.

But a lot has passed since then, there are a thousand things that he did, but national media it seems have very conviniently ignored all of them. Narendra Modi should have used all that he did post 2002 to be projected in the right manner in the media. Now that has happened within Gujarat, but not outside it. So there is a fairly positive image of him in Gujarat and fairly negative image in rest of the world.

The man is suffering from image crisis. How I wish to go into his mind and know if he is facing identity crisis? How I wish to know if he had ever wished the things that happened in 2002? How I wish to know what is the future of Gujarat that he conceives in his mind? How I wish to know many things but for his non-media savvy attitude.

Tell me who are you Mr. Modi.... what is it that you have for Gujarat's Future... tell us more ... dont walk out of interviews, we want to know, we are concerned....

Moment of the interview, that made me think all this:

During the interview with Karan Thapar, which was taken in Narendra Modi's Office, there was a point when Karan was describing narratively the cruel killings of hundereds of innocent people in Gujarat riots and was indicating his involvement and inefficiency as a chief minister. The looks, helpless, frustrated, flimsy, "dont-do-it-to-me-again" looks, that Minister had on his face told to me that there is more to Modi.... Have captured it!

Tell me Mr. Modi, What does your mirror say to you when you stand infront of it, in the solace of your room, in the peace of your mind, away from the media frenzy, Has that person in the mirror ever asked you : Was I responsible? What was your answer?

An Edit on 26th October: I am editing this blog after reading a lot and the most interesting and scary I thought was the Report by tehelka, If even 10% of this is correct, I know Mr. Modi what the man in the mirror says to you.

The King And I : Travels in Tigerland : A must read

King And I : Travels In TigerLand

A Book By Prerna Singh Bindra

How Many times has it happened with you that you believe in a particular cause, you have some skill and you try to help the cause with your skills? Atleast that has been a way of living for Prerna singh Bindra, as I follow her works through net sitting here in the little chair of mine. Well here is an exceptionally good writer, who might as well write fiction beautifully but has chosen to devote her writings to "Tigers" something that is too very close to her life. I deeply admire this very thing about this author.

While moving across the rack of business books, I found a title "King and I" which was kept their by someone's mistake. I saw the coverpage of the book

The tiger reminded me of those numerous books by kenneth anderson and Jim Corbett which I never read, one because I never had time for it and two I preferred other books over it. But turning a few pages of the book and looking at a list of different national parks in the content list, I thought this must be a very informative book about the details of various national park and I might like to read it as a refernce book. To my surprise it was neither a refernce book nor very informative. But I liked the book, a lot more than what I had expected from it.

What Made me like the book?

This is a more of a travelogue, about a young girl's (photos of the author does not make me feel that she has had 25 years of experience in wild life, compared to experts that she talks about, I would like to call her a girl) journey not just thourgh the forests of India searching for the her beloved tigers, but also an emotional journey that she has felt all along and has penned so well. She makes you travel with her and see the wild cats of India from her eye, which is both compassionate and in awe for the wild cats.

Secondly, she almost brought to life and gave human faces, attributed habits, created personality of each of the animals that she talked about. That to me was her writing genius.

Thirdly and most importantly, everyone should read it for the message that the book wants to spread. Conserve country's endangered wild species, or one day you will be wiped off similarly.

As she travels...

The book is full of photographs (some 200 of them), and all bringing to life the stories and characters (tigers, elephants, leopards...) that she is talking about. The book, in its 22 chapters tries to bring the status of the various national parks and wild cat habitats of India.

Ranthambore

She starts her travelogue with Boomburam, whose picture she loves to see in her house, a tiger of Ranthambore. Who awed Bill Clinton, who mispronounced him as Boomerang and fell in love with him at the very first sight. As you read you understand not just the beauty of the place but also the economy surviving there on wild life tourism. (The one thing that impressed me the most was the "tiger cut" in barbers' shops).

Rajaji National park

Next she talks about Rajaji National park and how human development is taking away the homes from our endangered fauna. A railway track going across Chilla, a village there makes the wild life and the wild commercialization cross path every now and then.

Dudhwa

Then comes the story of Dudhwa and Billy Arjan singh, and the pets he brought up. You feel so emotionally involved as you read about Tara, a tigress he brought up, coming to Billly to bid last good byes as she was migrating from the forest with her cubs. Salutes to you Billy.

Namdapha

Namdapha, comes across to me as a forest that I did not know anything about. Here is a beautiful landscaped forest with the rarest of wildlife, with snow leopards, clouded leopards and ofcourse tigers. Ms. Bindra's stint with the closest relatives of Human, the gibbons is definitely interesting.

Sundarbans

Stories of Bonobibi and her blessings is what the stories of Sundarbans is full of, this is also because here is place where land and water does not have a boundary and gets merged into each other with tigers, swimming in water, hiding on trees has been killing people and still is the Bagh devta. Sundarbans and the people there has a thousand tales of the man eaters

Pench and Kanha :

Next the author takes us to the land of Mowgli, where she talks of Pench and Kanha and the people there. The wild dogs, leopard, Barasingha all seems to be as much a part of these villages as the porters there. Though the game has been thinning here too.

Manas

The message that here is a place where birds, animals and water does not follow the lines of control made by the governments, comes across strong from this North east forest reserves of Manas. The story of Manas is as interesting with army of 2 countries, villagers and surprisingly ex-poachers coming together to protect wild life. The poachers now want ot make their bread from tourism rather than killing the animals. Bodo man and woman she describes are equally intriguing.

GIR

Then comes the forest so close to my heart, place where i have been and the place where recides the only forest which still preserves the asiatic lion, Gir. It tells us a tale of how the sports of Nawab, hunting has brought the population of Lions down. Human beings have invaded the lion house and now Lions occasionaly takes his tax (as a farmer describes the same in the book) in form of the cows and buffaloes that they own.

Melghat
Then came the land forest of the Vidarbha, Melghat. The beauty of this part of the book lies in the way Prerna weaves the story of people along with the forest. I especially liked an event where she gets so very excited with the pugmark of her beloved tiger. "He was here" is all he says looking at AT and BT marks (after tiger and before tiger).

Bandipur

Bandipur forest of Karnataka as described by the author to me remained in my mind as, as much a land of elephants as anyone else. All the elephants (Padmaja, Padmini...) and the leopard Baby come to life as the author describes how the royal descendents of Mysore are trying to conserve the wildlife here.

Leopard

The next chapter is not about a place but about another cat, the Leopard. The concern of this beautiful cat going the tiger's way, getting hunt and killed for money, for skin, for bones moves me. Photograph of a leopard who got entangled in a trap and people laughing at him, brought a tear to my eye. How cruel and hypocrites are we behaving so insensitvely.

Palamau

The story of Palamau is the story of Rani, only tiger left in the reserve, she wants to live a normal tiger life, has her wishes to mate and not get extinct in this world of human beings, but she will have to get extinct one day as there are no male tigers here. Authors' converstation with Mohammad Omar, whom she refers as "Father of the unmarried daughter(rani)" are a good read. He was killed later by the terrorists who have made the forest their abode.

Rumbak Valley

The author then travels all the way near Leh to Rumbak valley in search of snow leopard. Her guess of looking at the thick tail of snow leopard in the dark of night, makes her feel satisfied for her visit to the place.


Panna

The tigers of Panna are known by their radio frequency numbers, which are used to track them. The only exception to this was Ms. 52, whose name comes from her eyebrow shape. She happens to be mother of most of the tigers in Panna. Here is a bleak effort of saving a species that is being killed by poachers as much as ever.

Kaziranga

For Kaziranga, the park has more to discuss than the wild cats. The author takes us through series of royal interactions to the wild life here, One horned rhinoceros, elephants and wild buffaloes.

Nilgiri hills

She then visits in the Nilgiri hills to the place made famous as "Cheetal walk" by E.R.C. Davidar . She meets the elephant camaraderie of Rivaldo and Ronaldo here. Evening does not allow her to sleep in the tiny room there due to the ghostly cries of Hyenas. Cheetal walk true as her read was a place belonging to both human beings and Animal equally.

Bandhavgarh

Then she talks about Bandhavgarh, which shows the superficiality of the way we have treated our wild life. Bandhavgarh comes across as a commercialized wild life tourism spot where the wild tigers and elephants live in constant threat of people nearing them. The place is also brings reminiscences of the tigress Sita, once a National geographic cover girl, as Ms. Bindra puts it.

Obituary to Cheetah

Obituary to Cheetah, makes you get worried and you hope that Tiger and Lion dont face the end that cheetah faced. The way the animal was used by humans to kill and to hunt was something that I never knew. Kings used to take cheetah on horse backs for hunting other animals. The last Cheetah was killed in India in 1947, the year Indians were set free. It was the hunter, the hunting weapon and the hunted at last. Sorry Cheetah, it was our mistake, we killed you.

Corbett's Country

Carpit Sahab's (Corbetts) country comes next. The author is here not in search of tiger but tracking the path that Corbett tooks years back and the one that she has read for years. Corbett never killed tigers for the hunting sport but he killed only the miscreants who turned man eaters. He had his own wild life protection theory, which author explores as she meets people of Kaladunghi and Kaatkinaav. I have been to the Corbett national park, and I must agree you need to be there to feel it.

Sariska Tiger reserve

Then comes the story of Sariska Tiger reserve, which could not preserve the tigers. A story of the collosal failure of the Wild Life protection systems in India and its politics. A part of Project tiger, Sariska Tiger Reserve include the leopard, jungle cat, hyena, jackal, chital, sambar, carecal, langur, wild boar, four-horned deer but no tigers now. In 2005, tigers abscence in the park was officialy declared to the people.

The last part of the book and the afterword makes a strongly emotional and strongly human appeal for conservation of wild life. Tigers have been killed by man for thousands of reason. Criminals like Sansaar chand has killed more tigers and leopards than the nawabs and kings of past. We need to teach our selves that tiger skins and leopard skins are not the best kind of clothes, show people who buy it what happens to the poor animals and they will stop buying it. Tiger hunting because of human has been a greatly rewarding activity for poachers.

Prerna Singh Bindra is still fighting for the rights of the wildlife in India. I realize this as I read the latest (Aug 2007) article of hers in Pioneer, talking of the funds not reaching the national parks of Corbett and Ranthambore. She is trying to do her best to make her plea fall in to the ears of politicians which have more to gain from the tiger reserve funds than from the tiger reserves.

The positives of the book as i suggested above is the emotional and mental connect that it draws from the reader and the visuals that are sprayed all over the books. The only negative thing that i thought was that the writings on each of her travel were a little to brief. But overall it is from the heart of a true child of nature.

I salute the never dying and unflinching devotion of Prerna to the cause of conservation of wild life in India. She is fighting to get the rights of the animal back to them without glamourizing her work like others (she has written more than 1000 articles as a profile of her quotes in deccan herrald). Your Love for the wild animals, your curiosity for the wild, your compassion for the animals will definitely keep others inspired.

A definite 4* for the book from me.

I am everything and I am nothing..... A confused blabbering after a good Basic Astronomy class

Yesterday, was a bright sunday afternoon and a group of us, which I must mention was quite a motley crowd from students of 7 th standard to housewives and working professionals were all assembeled in a small room listening to the Basic astronomy workshop at "Akashmitra" - an astronomy club over here.

Well they showed us this video which I found to be particularly interesting. Do watch.





After watching the movie, I was simply amazed with the kind of symmetry that god has created in various things. We dont know anything about the 10 raise to power 27 m and what the sizes would be like and we dont know what is the world at -27th power of 10, it is all so amazing. we are here which we consider a power 0 plane and feel that the universe is too big and a DNA is too small. Its all so relative.

There is a whole lot of blabbering that is going on in my mind looking at this. Just trying to pen it down, it might not make much sense, but it might just be true.

I have a strong feeling that there in the DNA strands of mine there will be world more advanced, more advanced traces of lives living and extra sophisticated life at 10 raise to -45 m levels which we cannot even think of just the way we cannot think of 10 raise to 45 m sizes.

Similarly we might be a tiny part of a football of some giant beings at an unconcievable size. And there might be some sophisticated guy at 10 raise to -45 m who in his astronomy class might be studying about humans the way we study galaxies.

We are searching lives in our planetary neighbourhood but life might be existing in any form, at any level of magnitude, it is just that we cannot conceive how it would be. There might be some being at a size of 10 to the power 50 who doesnot even understand or have not yet found that there is a tiny thing called solar system in our world. Its all so possible and its all so unknown.

Thank you God for creating this absolutely wonderful universe (I dont know a bigger word which covers everything).