2017, Tamil. Wonderful. Loved it. Shines through. Aditi Balan is fabulous.
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Friday, March 15, 2019
Anjali - I Like That You Listen
I was listening to an animated and emotional description of some misunderstanding at school. It clearly looked like the other person was at fault and it was clear that Anjali felt that way too. I listened, unsure if I should say anything. I chose not to.
Anjali cooled off after a while.
'I am glad you just listened and did not offer me any suggestions or said something about the other person to make me feel better. While talking to you I could see her point of view and most of my upset is now gone. But if you had said something about her or against her, I would not have thought about it like I did now. Maybe because you said something about it or her, I would still be angry with that person. Thanks for listening, Nanna. Without saying anything.'
I totally get that. When we step in with our solutions and opinions we do not allow them the space to look at it and figure it out.
Good one Anjali.
Anjali cooled off after a while.
'I am glad you just listened and did not offer me any suggestions or said something about the other person to make me feel better. While talking to you I could see her point of view and most of my upset is now gone. But if you had said something about her or against her, I would not have thought about it like I did now. Maybe because you said something about it or her, I would still be angry with that person. Thanks for listening, Nanna. Without saying anything.'
I totally get that. When we step in with our solutions and opinions we do not allow them the space to look at it and figure it out.
Good one Anjali.
Anjali - Can't Tell Them, They Overreact
Anjali was telling me something about some issue at school. Some minor issue. I was listening to her quietly. 'I am glad I have you to talk,' she said.
'What about your friends at school?' I asked.
'I can't tell them anything these days because they overreact. The moment I start saying something they are already assuming, giving suggestions, getting dramatic, asking questions. I just want them to listen. I cannot tell them if they overreact. That's why it's easy to talk to you. You don't overreact.'
Hmm.
'What about your friends at school?' I asked.
'I can't tell them anything these days because they overreact. The moment I start saying something they are already assuming, giving suggestions, getting dramatic, asking questions. I just want them to listen. I cannot tell them if they overreact. That's why it's easy to talk to you. You don't overreact.'
Hmm.
Anjali - S Came First
The competitive miss has an eye on the first rank, the gold medal. I know she is competitive but did not know how she felt about competition, especially when they got the better of her. The other day we were chatting at end of day, and she found the space to bring this out. She had got a silver medal in a couple of subjects and an unlikely contender had taken her spot away.
'S came first,' she said. I could see the disappointment in her face, her voice. 'I don't know how he got so good in those subjects. When I asked him he would not tell me. He treats me like a competitor and does not want to share.'
It was a tense moment so I kept quiet. Most times I don't know what to say anyway.
She processed it for a bit and then the mood changed.
'You know I am actually happy for S. He worked hard and deserved the gold medal.'
Ah, that's a good response. But I know that it does not mean she will let him go easily. S better brace for a fight now.
It's a good response under stress and disappointment. We talk about it a lot in cricket - being happy for each others success, but its only lip service mostly. It's a good space to be in as a team if we get that into the team culture.
'S came first,' she said. I could see the disappointment in her face, her voice. 'I don't know how he got so good in those subjects. When I asked him he would not tell me. He treats me like a competitor and does not want to share.'
It was a tense moment so I kept quiet. Most times I don't know what to say anyway.
She processed it for a bit and then the mood changed.
'You know I am actually happy for S. He worked hard and deserved the gold medal.'
Ah, that's a good response. But I know that it does not mean she will let him go easily. S better brace for a fight now.
It's a good response under stress and disappointment. We talk about it a lot in cricket - being happy for each others success, but its only lip service mostly. It's a good space to be in as a team if we get that into the team culture.
Nation of Fools - Balraj Khanna
Balrak Khanna went to England in the swinging sixties to study English. He, however, got interested in Painting and became a highly successful painter. He wrote four books as well - with the 'Nation of Fools' being adjudged as one of the top 200 novels in English in the UK. He lives in London.
Lalaji owns a sweet shop in Camp area outside Chandigarh. His life is small and happy. The randy Lalaji however has eyes only for his wife. Their only son Omi is no good, but he is a spirited kid. Lalaji wrangles a deal in Chandigarh where he hopes he can get Omi educated and push him out of life as a halwai. Chandigarh brings its own bunch of problems - Income tax raids, girls, a new restaurant, money and relatives. All's well and that ends well.
Through the life of Lalaji and his small ambitions, Balraj Khanna shows us life in India in the sixties. The corruption, politics, sex, religion, partition, untouchability, hypocrisy, the rich and poor divide, it is all there. Thanks, Vinod bhai.
Lalaji owns a sweet shop in Camp area outside Chandigarh. His life is small and happy. The randy Lalaji however has eyes only for his wife. Their only son Omi is no good, but he is a spirited kid. Lalaji wrangles a deal in Chandigarh where he hopes he can get Omi educated and push him out of life as a halwai. Chandigarh brings its own bunch of problems - Income tax raids, girls, a new restaurant, money and relatives. All's well and that ends well.
Through the life of Lalaji and his small ambitions, Balraj Khanna shows us life in India in the sixties. The corruption, politics, sex, religion, partition, untouchability, hypocrisy, the rich and poor divide, it is all there. Thanks, Vinod bhai.
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Aspyrus - Appupen
Aspyrus is Appupen's third graphic novel (I think) after 'Moonward' and 'The Legends of Halahala'. Aspyrus is about our aspirations. They enter our head quietly, floating through the air, mostly someone else's, and settle down there like it is our own. Once the dream or aspiration settles down there, it's like we are on a fast-moving treadmill (I was never on one for exercise purposes so don't know how it feels) from which one cannot get off.
The dreams and aspirations of Halahala come in the form of a cute little dinosaur-type of thing that flits here and there and enters the head of a Dreamer who promptly sells the idea to everyone around. It's nice and everyone feels good but soon the dream becomes much bigger than they can handle. Soon everyone is taking credit for it. The dream is hijacked and becomes uncontrollable.
In Act II we get a Tarzan like novice who somehow comes to the edge of the city and the dream reaches out to him and draws him in. He joins the treadmill race and wears himself out trying to go from one dream to another - one ad to another. He sees an angel and runs after her - needs her. He cannot. He ends up with all the trappings of success. He is now part of those people who is encouraging others to chase these dreams. Then he kills it. Tries to.
In Act III we have a super girl called Underwoman who hates the dream and tries to kill it. The end we will leave for you to find out.
Capitalism, money, consumers - even the word responsible consumption which comes up in the book - show a serious lack of imagination from the consumers. From the producers and the controllers it shows a lack of soul, of greed. Clearly one cannot exist without the other but seriously - does this guy hovering around survival stand a chance? The kid who wants to eat a pizza or a KFC does it simply because they have been led to believe it's cool. They have no sense of discretion. So it makes sense for the producers to encourage this behavior, to not let them think rationally. One way or another - it all leads up to the power to control the consumers. If you have done that, you have made it.
Appupen makes a case against this world of exploitation under the guise of free will. Once you plant an idea insidiously, you can get them to do anything. People stop thinking and work themselves to death. The art work is layered and I discover new ideas each time I look at it. There is very little text - he calls it a silent novel. The story is dark, dystopian and real. It's a book one must read again and again to get the full extent of his layered thought. Well done George. Loved it.
The dreams and aspirations of Halahala come in the form of a cute little dinosaur-type of thing that flits here and there and enters the head of a Dreamer who promptly sells the idea to everyone around. It's nice and everyone feels good but soon the dream becomes much bigger than they can handle. Soon everyone is taking credit for it. The dream is hijacked and becomes uncontrollable.
In Act II we get a Tarzan like novice who somehow comes to the edge of the city and the dream reaches out to him and draws him in. He joins the treadmill race and wears himself out trying to go from one dream to another - one ad to another. He sees an angel and runs after her - needs her. He cannot. He ends up with all the trappings of success. He is now part of those people who is encouraging others to chase these dreams. Then he kills it. Tries to.
In Act III we have a super girl called Underwoman who hates the dream and tries to kill it. The end we will leave for you to find out.
Capitalism, money, consumers - even the word responsible consumption which comes up in the book - show a serious lack of imagination from the consumers. From the producers and the controllers it shows a lack of soul, of greed. Clearly one cannot exist without the other but seriously - does this guy hovering around survival stand a chance? The kid who wants to eat a pizza or a KFC does it simply because they have been led to believe it's cool. They have no sense of discretion. So it makes sense for the producers to encourage this behavior, to not let them think rationally. One way or another - it all leads up to the power to control the consumers. If you have done that, you have made it.
Appupen makes a case against this world of exploitation under the guise of free will. Once you plant an idea insidiously, you can get them to do anything. People stop thinking and work themselves to death. The art work is layered and I discover new ideas each time I look at it. There is very little text - he calls it a silent novel. The story is dark, dystopian and real. It's a book one must read again and again to get the full extent of his layered thought. Well done George. Loved it.
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