Just back from our favorite holiday. We had been to Manoribel at Manori. Jasmine and me love this as its just about an hour and a quarter away from home. Over pack whatever you want into the dam trunk and run along when ever you wake up in the morning.
It quite a laid back place with most of the staff consisting of local women. It amazing how the entire place runs with minimal male involvement. The men are limited to the watchmen and gardeners. Otherwise it’s women’s lib all the way.
This time we sent on a Wednesday and had Jasmine’s family join us over the weekend. They would normally be wary of coming to a place that has a common veg and non veg kitchen but Jasmine prevailed. Her brother just loved the place in the end. It’s nice in winter but I think it’s nicer in the summers. It doesn’t get hot on the hammocks and under the trees. The water at the beach is also nice and warm when we hit it at 4 pm. Thus we can swim in as much as we like without feeling cols or worry about catching one. A good book along the holiday is an absolute must to enjoy the hammocks. This time I bought the book Outliers by Malcom Gladwell. Good thing I brought this one along. At first I was planning to read the HBR on employee appraisals and I relaised that it was reminding me of office way too much for comfort, till the point that I wasn’t enjoying reading it. I had to chuck it fast. Offices are useless when it comes to transparency, keeping employees interest first, structured processes etc especially mixing common sense and fairness. I believe my notions are way too radical for offices with their myriad structures and politics to follow. So it was nice to chuck that book and pick up Gladwell. He just has this amazing ability to pick different studies, collate them and draw common strings to prove his point. Sometimes I believe it might be much too simplistic and he might overlook strong counter points but, hell it’s a best seller that he is writing and not a thesis. You take it as he gives. It is quite a different read once you are a parent. It almost reads like a parenting book and I would possibly recommend as thus as well.
On of the evenings we were having a discussion with Jasmine’s family (brother, mom, dad, everyone). We were talking Gandhi (jasmine’s dad is quite a gandhian), India etc. normally I am reticent in such conversations (see earlier blogs) but this time in front of family I felt comfortable to open out. I found myself quoting a large number of books for supporting view points. I found myself sounding quite erudite (forgive my self praise). I was surprised that I remembered this much from these many sources. All that reading seems to be helping me somewhere. I hope.
Normally my rule is that one book must give me atleast one take away. Imagining India by Nandan Nilkeni has given me several. I realised this in the conversation that I was having. I think that’s the power of well researched and thought through arguments. In fact I started a new thing thanks to that book. Half way through I took a pencil and started underlining what I liked. I looked up meanings of words and started writing them in the book. I hope to follow this from hereon. Its quite a revelation. I recommend that book fro anyone who wishes to talk, argue, debate, blah blah anything on India. I have not seen a book like this anywhere else.
It quite a laid back place with most of the staff consisting of local women. It amazing how the entire place runs with minimal male involvement. The men are limited to the watchmen and gardeners. Otherwise it’s women’s lib all the way.
This time we sent on a Wednesday and had Jasmine’s family join us over the weekend. They would normally be wary of coming to a place that has a common veg and non veg kitchen but Jasmine prevailed. Her brother just loved the place in the end. It’s nice in winter but I think it’s nicer in the summers. It doesn’t get hot on the hammocks and under the trees. The water at the beach is also nice and warm when we hit it at 4 pm. Thus we can swim in as much as we like without feeling cols or worry about catching one. A good book along the holiday is an absolute must to enjoy the hammocks. This time I bought the book Outliers by Malcom Gladwell. Good thing I brought this one along. At first I was planning to read the HBR on employee appraisals and I relaised that it was reminding me of office way too much for comfort, till the point that I wasn’t enjoying reading it. I had to chuck it fast. Offices are useless when it comes to transparency, keeping employees interest first, structured processes etc especially mixing common sense and fairness. I believe my notions are way too radical for offices with their myriad structures and politics to follow. So it was nice to chuck that book and pick up Gladwell. He just has this amazing ability to pick different studies, collate them and draw common strings to prove his point. Sometimes I believe it might be much too simplistic and he might overlook strong counter points but, hell it’s a best seller that he is writing and not a thesis. You take it as he gives. It is quite a different read once you are a parent. It almost reads like a parenting book and I would possibly recommend as thus as well.
On of the evenings we were having a discussion with Jasmine’s family (brother, mom, dad, everyone). We were talking Gandhi (jasmine’s dad is quite a gandhian), India etc. normally I am reticent in such conversations (see earlier blogs) but this time in front of family I felt comfortable to open out. I found myself quoting a large number of books for supporting view points. I found myself sounding quite erudite (forgive my self praise). I was surprised that I remembered this much from these many sources. All that reading seems to be helping me somewhere. I hope.
Normally my rule is that one book must give me atleast one take away. Imagining India by Nandan Nilkeni has given me several. I realised this in the conversation that I was having. I think that’s the power of well researched and thought through arguments. In fact I started a new thing thanks to that book. Half way through I took a pencil and started underlining what I liked. I looked up meanings of words and started writing them in the book. I hope to follow this from hereon. Its quite a revelation. I recommend that book fro anyone who wishes to talk, argue, debate, blah blah anything on India. I have not seen a book like this anywhere else.
Just outside we came across a shop that predominantly caters to the beach tourist. He inflates the price of the Kurkure chips by 5 bucks (25 instead of 20). I check the pack and sure enough a stcker that says – specially packed for picnic point – price rs. 25. what a scam. I tell the guy ‘com on – what rubbish is this?’ he doesn’t look me in the eye and smiles sheepishly and says, company has does this. What’s the real price I ask. 20 he says. Since he half admits by his smile and is a sweet guy, I pay the 25 in any case. But I like the scam. Why charge extra, just change the sticker. The novelty of the scam was worth the 5 bucks extra for me.
Life moves at a snail’s pace in Manori, actual plus metaphorically.
The three lovely puppies that are in our building. One recently died under a car. Sad. Jispa is getting used to the concept of death.
Aurora theatre. An old theater in Mumbai that is yet to be refurbished. The good part is that till then the seat prices are so low that you don’t mind a bad movie at the place. I mean for 100 bucks for a seat in an A/c hall, the picture is a bonus. Look at the ticket counter, look closely and you realize how thick the wall really is. It’s at least a foot deep. It feels funny talking to the guy. Its like talking to Alice in wonderland after she fell inside the burrow.
Two kids sat next to me in the train to work today. I made as many faces as I could possibly muster up. Try as I might, he just refused to smile. He just kept ignoring me, glancing once a while but no smile. How cheap yaar. The next one is his brother (I guess). He was Mr. perpetual frown, but at least he gave me a short quick smile before moving to his forwny self.
