I visited a temple on a recent auspicious day and I realized a couple of things. I know only one Sloka(Suklambaradharam) by heart and everytime I recite it I hear it in Ghantasala's voice in my head. Similar is the case with Venkateswara Suprabhatam. The hymn sounds odd in voice other than M. S. Subbalakshmi. Anytime I hear one of these two prayers, the name of the singer pops into my head. I assume there would be many other south indians who associate these two songs with the God and the singer simultaneously. Does that make the two singers Saints like Annamayya in their own right?
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Looking back at the world cup final
It is just over month now since India won the cricket world cup. On the day of the victory, I was euphoric. Strangely one month later, the victory does not evoke strong memories in me. I cant figure out why?
The final was good one. Srilanka rebuilt after slow start and set India a hard to get target. Zaheer's first spell was instrumental in keeping the target down. At the halfway mark, I was thinking that India will be deserving winners if they chase this total. India did chase it down after a couple of initial hiccups. Dhoni, Gambhir and Kohli played good innings under the pressure of a world cup final. The Indian victory without Sachin or Sehwag contributing significantly was sort of the younger generation picking up the baton. Then why am I not giving it its due?
May be it's the lack of drama in the chase. May be its the workman like approach with which Dhoni and Gambhir ground the opposition down. May be its the reduced effectiveness of the Srilankan bowling attack. May be its the unhurriedness that Dhoni projected even in the final.
Whatever I may feel, there is no denying that it is a great result. There was planning behind it. There was self belief in the team. There was team work not just individual brilliance. Gary Kirsten completed what Saruav Ganguly started. He built a champion Indian Team. Hopefully the team will improve on that in the next years.
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Dune: As I read
These are my impressions on Frank Herbert's Dune as I read.
2 Apr 2011
I have reached as far as Paul's first visit to the Spice mining areas. So far the writing has been crisp. The writer gave away the identity of the traitor where others would have milked it for a surprise. It is as if he is telling "This is trivial. I have bigger things lined up further down". The descriptions of Arrakis are short and just as much required for the scene. All the characters brought on "screen" are important. There is no filling pages with bit parts and description of palace architecture like Robert Jordan. I can feel the weight on Duke Leto's shoulders. So many things in the air and an impending attack. I want to know how Paul fits into the local prophecies. Back to reading then.
4 Apr 2011
I have finished book 1. The betrayal is done. I am still trying to digest the last couple of chapters. It feels like heavy reading when I did not expect it to. The interaction of Thufir Hawat with the Fremen was very interesting and puzzling. I am still trying to figure out the Fremen side of the conversation. Paul's interaction with his mother is too cold for my taste. The mother-son bond seems to be non-existent for Paul. Perhaps this is a part of the journey to become the saviour.
8 Apr 2011
I have finished reading the whole book. I am left with mixed feelings. The most important part of the book is the planet Arrakis. The trickle of information about the planet, its people and its ecosystem kept my interest up when reading the book. The plot was fairly standard. A wronged prince finds followers in unexpected places and regains his inheritance. If set outside Arrakis, the plot would be unremarkable. The pace of the book which I appreciated in the beginning felt hurried by the end. On first impressions, it appeared as if Paul and his mother Jessica are the only two characters that are well developed. After thinking it through, Baron Harkonnen, The Emperor ,Feyd Rautha and the off-worlders are also well developed. Their motivations are clear. It is only the Fremen characters that are dwarfed in comparison to Paul and Jessica. The way Paul gains acceptance as the saviour among Fremen is covered in too few pages. The political games in book 1 were interesting. In summary, Did I like the book? Yes. Would I read it again? No. Would I recommend it some one? May be.
2 Apr 2011
I have reached as far as Paul's first visit to the Spice mining areas. So far the writing has been crisp. The writer gave away the identity of the traitor where others would have milked it for a surprise. It is as if he is telling "This is trivial. I have bigger things lined up further down". The descriptions of Arrakis are short and just as much required for the scene. All the characters brought on "screen" are important. There is no filling pages with bit parts and description of palace architecture like Robert Jordan. I can feel the weight on Duke Leto's shoulders. So many things in the air and an impending attack. I want to know how Paul fits into the local prophecies. Back to reading then.
4 Apr 2011
I have finished book 1. The betrayal is done. I am still trying to digest the last couple of chapters. It feels like heavy reading when I did not expect it to. The interaction of Thufir Hawat with the Fremen was very interesting and puzzling. I am still trying to figure out the Fremen side of the conversation. Paul's interaction with his mother is too cold for my taste. The mother-son bond seems to be non-existent for Paul. Perhaps this is a part of the journey to become the saviour.
8 Apr 2011
I have finished reading the whole book. I am left with mixed feelings. The most important part of the book is the planet Arrakis. The trickle of information about the planet, its people and its ecosystem kept my interest up when reading the book. The plot was fairly standard. A wronged prince finds followers in unexpected places and regains his inheritance. If set outside Arrakis, the plot would be unremarkable. The pace of the book which I appreciated in the beginning felt hurried by the end. On first impressions, it appeared as if Paul and his mother Jessica are the only two characters that are well developed. After thinking it through, Baron Harkonnen, The Emperor ,Feyd Rautha and the off-worlders are also well developed. Their motivations are clear. It is only the Fremen characters that are dwarfed in comparison to Paul and Jessica. The way Paul gains acceptance as the saviour among Fremen is covered in too few pages. The political games in book 1 were interesting. In summary, Did I like the book? Yes. Would I read it again? No. Would I recommend it some one? May be.
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