Perks Of Being A Non-Malalyali Medico!

 Pookalam - flowers everywhere!

Celebrating Onam definitely is one, on the other hand no matter how hard I try Malayalam will remain a language that is impossible to learn in this life. My 'endaveno' is more like' gindaveno'.  When two Keralites are in  deep conversation I stand looking at them wide-eyed and all ears, I try my best to understand and all I get is the speed, so commendable! Every word sounds like a palindrome from all directions.The real problem according to me is that lip reading never works here, all because the tongue is on a roll. Funnily this happens every other moment if one is working in a hospital for reasons known ;-)

 Enters Mahabali- apparently he is one of our ambulance drivers who was sporty enough to wear this royal costume, he has been doing this for the last 9 years!

What also happens during the festive season of Onam is the grand celebration by the staff nurses. We at Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru celebrated Onam today. Our nursing director mentioned an interesting fact " If need be a Keralite may even sell his property to celebrate Onam!" she said. The crowd burst into peals of laughter on that. On a serious note what is admirable is the sense of commitment that they show to their rich heritage and culture even today,when you watch it your heart swells with joy and pride.

 Pulikali- tigers dance too !

This spirit is totally infectious; the flowers, the colours, the dance and the music can keep one blissful for weeks. I have never witnessed such elaborate preparations and attention to details during any festival ever. So many songs and dance forms, stories and decorations, Pulikali and Mahabali, boats and oars, sarees and dhotis, bananas and coconuts, flowers and lamps, Kaikotti Kali and Kathakali. The list is endless, and ofcourse who can forget the Onam Sadya, slurp!

Sorry I could not share this sumptous lunch :-( I am sharing a video of one of the dance forms-'Thiruvathirakali' which was performed today, such pose and grace, even that's a grand treat to watch :-)

Yo! Apollo family staff nurses! :-)

 -R.

Shattered Dreams’ - Ramayana-The Game of Life - Book 2 - Book Review

‘Shattered Dreams’ is the second in the series of Ramayana-The Game of Life authored by Shubha Vilas. About a week ago I received a copy from the author with a wonderful handwritten note which definitely has added  to the positivity I hope in this year , also I must say that my inquisitiveness to learn more about the epic which started with the first book is adequately appeased.

Firstly mythology, secondly a series to write in my opinion is a great challenge. To top that keeping a reader of the modern times hooked to the story is not a piece of cake. I did feel some dialogues and scenes above the light reading that I usually prefer but something did not let me put down the book. It does succeed very much like the first in its rendition.

The story begins with Dasaratha’s nightmare on a restless night and ends with Rama, Sita and Lakshmana leaving towards the Dandakaranya forest. What transpires in between is where all the learning of life is, as the author rightly put it for me in his mail-how to handle reversals positively is what one can learn from Rama and how to explore beyond one’s comfort zone is what one can learn from Sita.

What added to my knowledge and confidence about Ramayana is what the other characters had to tell me. Dasaratha, Kausalya, Sumitra, Kaikeyi, Lakshmana, Bharatha, Shatrugna, Urmila, Manthara, Sumanthra, Guha, Anasuya, Vasistha and all the others have myriad things to teach us as well. We all have heard and read about Ramayana from many sources, but what makes this book different is the extreme detailing and the interpretation which contributes to developing our own perspective about the epic. The stories within the story-how people earned their names, why a certain situation had to happen and what made people behave the way they did is what the book offers. For example how Dasaratha came to be called so, why a boatman wanted to wash Rama’s feet, why Bharatha refused to become the king and so on. The book has answers to these questions.

My favourite line is in one scene between Rama and Sita”…she then wove an imaginary garland around Rama’s neck by moving her beautiful eyes and smiled again” This was one poetic portion. I also have to mention about the point to point footnotes. Some of them like these are etched in my memory.

“Relationships thrive when genuine service is acknowledged by active gratitude”

"The decisions to make decisions has to be made in moments of strength not in moment of weakness"

“One ounce of immaturity coupled with ten ounces of ill advice is the perfect recipe for a life of disaster”

“Convenience is about changing the law to suit your life but maturity is about changing your life to salute the law”

On one considerable side I must admit that I was at my wit’s end with some portions of footnotes and explanations, that one thin line when a reader realizes with the flow”Oh wait, let me get back, where was the story!” This happened to me a couple of times when I had to flip the pages back. I guess this was the only pique I had to deal with even with the first book. I decided to overlook this since so many good ideas and opinions came along with the reading . I would only recommend this for people who are interested in looking at Ramayana as our story, because it actually is. 

-R.

Ramayana - The Game of Life : Rise of the Sun Prince- Book Review

“Everyone needs a hero to look up to and adore”

How do you tell a story which people think they already know? Difficult thing to do ain’t it? But there is this magical realism in epics like The Ramayana which gives us something to ponder and discuss no matter how many times you read or hear it. In my case, every second story of Ajji was something to do with Lord Rama. All things right and wrong during childhood was taught in context with him. Obviously so, there was this natural tendency in me to read this rendition although I am not a voracious reader of this genre right now. It feels good to do something which makes you remember your roots once in a while, what say ? :-)

This book authored by Shubha Vilas is the first in the series of six and deals with the Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana. The author’s attempt at rewriting this part of Ramayana in a way that a reader of today can read is totally commendable. The hero of the book is the story itself and the protagonist is the reader himself, I found that very impressive.

The footnotes in every other page are like pearls of wisdom telling us what to learn from the many people and circumstances that they have faced. The attention to so many nuances and their interpretation is what kept me hooked to the book. A refreshingly new perspective of how Valmiki began to write the Ramayana, the kingdom of Ayodhya, Dasaratha’s quest for a heir, his three hundred and fifty three wives, the origin of names of all his sons, Viswamithra’s role and guidance in bringing them up, the love story of Rama and Sita, the holy bow, the kingdom of Lanka, the story of Ahilya-well there is no stopping!  It clearly tells us that the epic is not just about Rama, Sita & Ravana.

At some places the footnotes seemed lengthier than the prose though, which in my opinion interrupts the flow of thought of readers, there is a thin line between narrating a beautiful story in a way it reaches people and holding a  sermon session,  I felt  the author has had a hard time to keep it simple, but tried with his best. The most appealing part to me was the book cover, the green and the blue and the gold, so very celestial. And when you get such a touching handwritten note, one cannot help but connect. This was some good wisdom gained!

Book Details:

Title:-  Rise of The Sun Prince, Book 1

Series:- Ramayana: The Game of Life

Author:- Shubha Vilas

Publisher:- Jaico Publishing House

Publication Year:- 2013

ISBN 13:- 9788184955309

Binding:- Paperback

Number of pages:- 256

Price:- Rs 250

My rating:- 3/5

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