Book review : Cross Connection : of Culture, Clan and Cuisine By Deepali Joshi Adhikari

                                                

I am a fiction lover and bringing myself to read a non - fiction was a task in itself. I had purchased the book maybe some 6 months back but never came to open it. The book is a real-life account of the author. As the title goes...Cross Connection it talks about inter-caste marriage in India. The book elaborates on the marriage and life after between a Marathi girl and a Bengali Boy.

Though a memoir, the book is succinct and yet full of tit-bits that make you laugh as you go through it. Deepali has written it as someone would see a movie, laying down each character type, one-by-one.

Living in central India, I have known Marathi culture since my childhood. And for Bengali culture...as Deepali puts it...aami tumako bhalo bashi....is the max that I know of. But while reading Cross Connection, I fell in love with Bengali culture. As the title goes, it details their lifestyle, food, festivals and romance. The subtlety of it all surely can make anyone fall in love with the culture and here I mean both the cultures. For me Bengalis won my heart for the newness that I found.

The way Deepali has woven the entire journey in the simplest language, among the least number of pages still managing on including almost every occasion and occurrence is commendable. Of course the urge of a reader to read more goes on and on and hence I found it to be a short read.

Overall will rate it 4 out of 5.

Book Blurb

Marriages may be made in heaven but they are certainly enjoyed and endured here. They are an amalgamation of culture, customs, cuisines and people. In India, where these aspects changes every 100 kms, the equation of marriage becomes complex. A girl conditioned to a certain culture is put in a completely new culture after marriage. I was no different. I, a Maharashtrian, chose to marry a Bengali from only a few 1000 kms away from where I had lived so far. What ensued was a roller coaster ride of interesting incidents and amusing moments. Cross-connection is an auto-biographical account of these anecdotes that happened in this Marathi-Bengali marriage.

About the author

Deepali Joshi Adhikari, simply put - an Ex-banker, freelance writer and a corporate trainer specialising in banking domain. She loves to blog at kolorpencil.com.

You can buy your ebook copy of Corss Connection : of Culture, Clan and Cuisine on Amazon

Kitabon ka ghar

As the festive season has already begun, in one of our monthly meetings, at work, the agenda was - De-clutter your workspace.

And a meeting involving about 20 people is bound to be full of discussions and distortions on what is essential and what not.

Amidst all this, one person suggested we get rid of the library.

For an avid reader like me, it was a shock. How can anyone even say so!

But he was not entirely illogical. His reasons were -

1. Over time, number of people issuing books to read, has reduced.

2. Many books are old and in a tattered state.

Given today's technology dependence everyone wants everything on/in their mobile.

Old books are classics but now no one wants to indulge in them.

According to the dictionary, library is - a building or room containing collections of books, periodicals for use or borrowing.

When I was in school, we had open book shelves and we could take a book and get it issued to take home and same was in my PG college.

But my graduation college had books in looked cupboards and same is so with my office. In both these places, the books are issued but kept locked all the time.

We all know - knowledge increases by sharing, then why we need locks. Infact, for that matter, why a library needs that issuing system. Anyone who wants to read should be free to choose a book and read at one's leisure without the boundation of a finishing date.

This is one reason I love the concept of free open libraries.

People, institutions have kept their collection of books out in open for a reader to pick up and read.

This actually helps in making people read who think either they cannot buy books or don't want to.

I know of a person, who is a book lovers but never shares them with anyone. His theory is, if you want to read one of my books, do it at my place, only.

Yes, we all book lovers get possessive about our books but it's a great feeling to share a book you loved with someone and then discuss about it. I have been part of such discussions and I enjoy them the most. Especially when it is a thriller.

Well, I even know a person, who is an avid reader and who wholeheartedly shares each and every book that he has, with everyone. He loves books but more than that he loves talking about what's written in them.

My affair with reading has been on and off as usually any relationship is. I started reading in primary school by looking at the pretty picture books and a few fairy tales that I got as presents then found video games and our relationship was over.

Then took on reading again in highschool with the draw of Nancy Drew's and Hardy Boys and we broke up again.

In senior school, a few classmates introduced me to Mills and Boons and Sidney Sheldon and the rise in hormones pulled me back to my past relationship.

With the busy and tiring work life, reading was also a gone by.

A few years later, met few like-minded reader and reading and I are back again. And this time, this one is forever. If you keep coming back to something, means  that's very very special. And this is the reason I want everyone to read.

I like how people read in different styles. Some draw pictures along, some use highlighters to highlight what they like, some scribble around their opinion, some dog-ear their favorite pages And some want to keep it as clean as new.

But all of this make them so personal and so having a library, whether at home or office is a must.

I have a Kindle library and a mini library at home too.

It's a surreal feeling when you are reading something as it takes you to a different world all together. It opens the imagination and relieves one from the mundane. And this is why I not only want to read but share it with others as well.

To all those wondering, what happened in my office....we still have books and the library...but without locked cupboards. It is an open library now, for everyone to read. 

Besides the management has added few new books as well. :)


P.S. Every alternate Wednesday is dedicated to stories or instances or learnings that I learn or implement at work. So stay tuned for #WorkWednesdays

Happy Birthday Mr. Bachchan

Dear Sir,

Wish you a very Happy Birthday Sir :)                

I never thought of writing to you but seeing you these days, every night at nine on the television makes me nostalgic.

It's an honour to see you on-screen daily. You still have the same charm and charisma. Infact charm is a rarity in today's time.

What melts my heart and compelled me to write to you is, everytime that I see you on KBC, it reminds me of my late grandfather.

From the very first season of KBC to the last one that he had watched, his enthusiasm was the same.

I never understood why he admired you so much. Whenever I tried to introduce him to the new actors, he would listen keenly but never remembered them or liked them.

It was your style, the way you smiled that had made a great impact on him. When I sit back to think, he used to be cautious of what he wore and generally it was inspired by you.

He was much older than you but still too much in love with you. Maybe this was one reason he was the style and guide icon of our entire family.

We were blessed to hear his life stories and incidents often enough. And one day he told us how fortunate he was, to hear Mr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan while he was pursuing law from Lucknow university. He used to tell the bits and pieces of what he had heard and the aura that Mr Harivansh Rai Bachchan carried.

He liked to read and write every night in his diary and the inspiration was your father. He was in awe of his narrative, his style and probably it automatically translated into his admiration of you.

Today on your birthday, I thought to put my thoughts all out. I don't know if you will read it or not (of course I am sharing it at as many places as I can, so you read it) but it is a happy feeling.

Whenever I see you on television these days it instantly fills me with emotions, for my grandfather and somehow a lot of admiration for you.

You have been an inspiration to many over the generations. There's so much to learn from you and words can never truly justify it. You are, as people say, "The Man of Century". You are the perfect personification of the qualities that we were taught but many haven't implemented in our lives - discipline, sincerity, curtsey, humility, humbleness, chivalry...I can go on and on about it.

What inspires me most is the way you keep yourself so calm and composed. You walk with the times yet retain your style. Sir, you are amazing!

Happy birthday again Mr. Bachchan, Sir we love you :)

Book Review - The Blue Moon Day By Santhosh Sivaraj

One day I got this book - THE BLUE MOON DAY, it was sent by the author for an honest review.

Do you want to know what I think of this book?? Then hop on and read the full review on Novemberschild.com as my guest post...Happy we :)

Ideas that empower - TEDx Navlakha

We all think of a dozen ideas all throughout the day but seldom implement them. Mostly 90% of the ideas are rejected by us thinking it cannot be practically possible.

Ideas, are important. Well it is rightly said, that "need" is the Genesis of all but "idea" is what helps give it structure.

Last Sunday I attended a TEDx event held in the city and the theme was - Ideas that empower.

The speakers elaborated on little ideas that they thought of and adapted. Ideas which have not just created a name for themselves but also enabled a chain of change.

Tedx Navlakha speakers

Few things I learned from it, in my words  are -

Start talking wherever and whenever you can on your idea, you don't know how and when the change will start. -  Dr. G. V. Ramanjaneyulu

Work hard and never lose patience -  Madhusudan Patidar

Beauty is everywhere. One initiative can change the entire scenario. - Bhalchandra Mondhe

Make things simple and easy to use, so that maximum people can get it's advantage. - Dr. Geeta Manjunath

The best story is not the one said in words but one set out by expressions - Dr. Ragini Makkhar

No food is bad. One should treat food as friends, some are best friends, some good friends and some are like acquaintances and hence be met in the frequency one would such friends. - Pooja Makhija

For some life is a ordinary and for some it's poetry. - Rakesh Tiwari

Infact this TEDx event was also the idea of a young city girl who decided to do it for the first time in my city. If she wouldn't have dared to think of this idea, I would have never got to experience this in person.



P.S. Every alternate Wednesday is dedicated to stories or instances or learnings that I learn or implement at work. So stay tuned for #WorkWednesdays

Life of Vikram - Page 1 - The Bucket List.

The alarm buzzed for the third time today but still Vikram was lying on his bed. It was not that he was sleeping.

Vikram was a self-motivated and disciplined and used to take pride in his qualities. His routine was fixed. He used to wake up at 5, go for a sprint, do his workout and to office at 9.

He never actually needed an alarm. He used to wake up even before the alarm buzzed on a daily basis. But today, his mind was not at ease.

At 37, he was single-handedly managing his father's construction company. He had exapnded the business to 3 cities and was in talks with some government agencies for a huge contract.

He had been working since he was 21. All he ever dreamt of was how to take the company to the next level.

His father, who rarely went to office now, had started the low-scale business and grown it to 3000 employess, which now boasted of 10000 employee base under Vikram. Yet Vikram knew he had'nt reached the pinnacle.

He used to work from 9 to 9 and even at home, post dinner, till midnight. Living with his doting parents, he was happy but not content.

Work pressure never took toll on his personal life. He was ambitious but never too stressed. Stress is part of every busineeman's life but Vikram never let it go out of his control. But today, he was bothered enough to unsettle his set routine since past 16 years.

One his senior managers was going on world tour with his wife as part of their - BUCKET LIST.

While asking for the same he told Vikram - "Sir, this is the first item going off my Bucket List."

It did bring a smile on Vikram's face but also left a deep thought on his mind as well. Vikram never had a BUCKET LIST.

He had dreams and he did worked on them but it was only work that featured there. He used to sometime think about getting married but his attractions use to fizzle out soon. Infact whenever any girl used to approach him, he used to distance himself. He used to feel, giving time to someone else was taking away his precious work time.

But today he felt shallow. He always thought he was doing his best, living every moment, planning for his future but what use of all the money and achievements when his life is sans the enjoyment and experiences.

People had many, many wishes, he had none. For him it was like -

having feet yet not walking.....
having eyes yet not seeing the beauty around...
having hands yet no one to feel beside.....
having a stomach yet never feeling the butterflies inside...
having a heart yet never feeling it skiiping a beat.

Was he living his life?? A life he dreamed of when he was barely 16?? Or was he just moving where life was taking him?

He got up and sat on his table. He decided to write down his BUCKET LIST,  what he liked, what he dreamt of in those early days of his life. Sitting with a pen and paper...his mind was blank. Nothing was helping him think...what he wants.

Before She Met You

Now that the pages are filled,

In the blue, that was first red,

By a girl who has been bleeding feelings,

From her heart as much as from her eyes,

Holding a pen and clutching on to it with all her might.

Give her back who she was before she met you.

Now that the darkness has said its goodbye,

And a new day awaits its first breath,

You still occupy her first thought of daylight,

As you did the last before she closed her eyes.

Refusing to accept everything that went down,

Give her back who she was before she met you.

Now that the times have changed,

A whole lot still remains the same.

She hasn’t been able to let go,

Even when the seasons changed.

And you are the one to blame.

Give her back who she was before she met you.

Now that she has heard from you again,

Her heart has danced it way,

To where she began in the first place.

Little does she know you’ll never be the same.

Yet, she keeps her hopes high.

Give her back who you were when you met her.

This is a guest post by @muskanrajani17

About the Author -

Muskan Rajani, a bibliophagist by choice, a bibliovert by nature and a writer by passion.

Can talk about the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe in one breath. Finds her solace in random

words strung together, blinded by a jacket that makes you think. Makes absurd decisions and

struggles to find perfect endings.

You can read more on THE BOOKMARKED WRITER  


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