Here and Now

One of my most fav movies ever, Golmaal (the original) directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee  remains a comedy you can come back to, every now and then. The famed twin brother scenario worked to the hilt, it is a must watch. The actors, and I say actors because each one added their dimension to the characters and the plot, are unforgettable. 

So, as I woke this morning, I was humming this song and I knew I just had to let it out here. Penned by Gulzar, composed by R.D. Burman and sung by the evergreen Kishore Kumar, a song that will leave you smiling.

This song brings to mind the truest statement of a singular lifetime, "This too shall pass". Yes, even as I write this and you will subsequently read it, the moment of creating this would have long passed. All I would be left with would be the memory of when I did. And because I am in charge of creating my own treasure trove, I choose happy thoughts. And you?

This moment will be gone too soon

Make life happen while you can

In this here and now that gently passes by

I chanced upon an innocent bud set to bloom

Happily wandering in the hued flower maze

I see her but can’t seem to find her

In this here and now that gently passes by

Whenever a moment falls from time

A story you find of an era gone by

With many a smile, perhaps a few tears

This here and now, too, will gently pass by

If you liked what you saw, you can glance the rest in these series here.

Superheroes

My Wandering Wednesday Series are dedicated to the flight of my imagination now and then, captured by my camera lens. And then, songs and movies simply fill in the gaps for the right captions! I try to give you the back story of the picture too. Perhaps you may see a tale hidden there. Check the previous posts here.

We all want a superhero to drop in from the skies and make everything all better. It is this hope of a greater power that can save us that keeps us. We believe and so they exist. Never mind if they wear their underpants on the outside, that's the mark of a 'real' man. But who will protect them from us? 

A cabbie in Singapore had this on his dashboard. The pride he took in his vehicle and his collection was contagious. I think only Chitti is missing out here (Unless he has a shrine dedicated to him at home?) BTW cabbies in S'pore, very friendly. Always ready for a chat, and they will take you to the address you want to go. It's like they have an inbuilt GPS system, they know every building complex that exists out there. 

Sometimes, Superheroes need to Drive By

Disclaimer : All pictures belong to the author and may not be used in any form.  

Surfing the Virtual Waves

Love Virtually was a random book that I picked. Actually, there was that bookstore offer where I could get 3 books for the price of 2. This was the 3rd equally priced book that made it to the cash counter. I came home and picked it to read as it seemed less daunting than the rest. I could not put it down. I read it over the next 24 hours with breaks to do jobs that otherwise I am required to do. The story line was simple. A misspelled email address causes two people to accidentally meet in the virtual world. The exchange of emails between these two protagonists is what this the whole book was about. WORDS are the third character in this novel. To be able to carry of a book merely on an email format requires a whole lot of imagination. It was a given then that the sequel would be eagerly awaited. I finally got the book yesterday. Every Seventh Wave picks off where the earlier one left me.

Leo Leike and Emmi Rothner had fallen in love and broken up via e-mail. Now she was back with her husband and step children while he was engaged to his American girlfriend. And yet, after all this while, the irresistible urge of having a mail in the inbox resurfaces. They are destined to be friends? Or maybe not. Maybe their life was meant to head in another direction and each of them were just the catalyst.  The sequel tries to catch that elusive seventh sea wave that can crash the shores and change the landscape. Whatever it is, you will need to read the book to find out more.

What I can tell you though is that this was not a sappy love story. It did not border on overt sexual tones either. In fact the passion appealed to the senses, humour and intellect. It was a smart exchange between a man and a woman. It showed you what a woman wants and what a man needs. They did nothing that people in love do. And yet when they did, it was not the center of the universe. Words and only words were all that take your breath away. And yes, the absence of sms lingo and smileys make for delightful read. You laugh, you smile, you smirk, you grin, and you enjoy the banter, almost willing for it to happen. You forgive the protagonists for being unfaithful, even if it is virtually.

Daniel Glattauer has a firm grip on both voices. That he is able to wrap their world in the inbox is commendable. And to think that the book has been translated from German. I doff my hat to the husband and wife duo, Jamie Bulloch and Katharina Bielenberg for being able to retain the essence of the story and the feel of the characters. Largely, translations tend to lose grip when they are transcreated. And more so, sequels don't live up to their predecessor. They suffer from a disadvantage that you know the setting and the characters, roughly. The change in situation can happen to take you on a graph of high and low, yet, does the story move forward? Daniel very expertly gives the reader what they want and then goes on to make it nonchalant. Leo and Emmi meet and yet, the mails are still where you see the relationship change. That  is the beauty of the story. 

If you haven't read the first, don't read this yet. Pick Love Virtually and then read Every Seventh Wave, you won't be disappointed, I promise. At the heart of it, if an affair is what sparks an interaction such as this, I am willing to have one. Leo Leike, where are you?