Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Manjaveyil Maranangal

ആടുജീവിതം  വായിക്കാന്‍ തുടങ്ങുന്നത് മുന്‍പ് തന്നെ മൈനയുടെ ബ്ലോഗില്‍ മഞ്ഞ വെയില്‍ മരണങ്ങളെ പറ്റി വായിച്ചു.. അത് കൊണ്ട് തന്നെ ആട് ജീവിതം വായിച്ചു തീര്‍ത്ത അന്ന് തന്നെ മഞ്ഞവെയില്‍ മരണങ്ങള്‍ വായിച്ചു തുടങ്ങി...

ആട് ജീവിതവുമായി യാതൊരു സാമ്യവുമില്ലെങ്കിലും  വായനക്കാരനെ പിടിച്ചിരുത്തുന്നതില്‍ മഞ്ഞവെയില്‍ മരണങ്ങള്‍ വിജയിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു... കഥയില്‍ എന്തെങ്കിലും സത്യമുണ്ടോ അതോ എല്ലാം ബെന്യാമിന്റെ ഭാവന മാത്രമോ എന്നൊരു ചോദ്യം മാത്രം അവശേഷിക്കുന്നു...

ഇത്തരം ഒരു പ്രമേയം ഞാന്‍ വായിച്ചിട്ടുള്ള മലയാളം നോവലുകളിലോന്നും  ഞാന്‍ ഇതുവരെ കണ്ടിട്ടുമില്ല.. അത് എന്റെ പരിമിതമായ വായന മൂലമാണോ എന്നറിയില്ല... എന്തായാലും പ്രമേയത്തിന്റെ പുതുമ  കൊണ്ടും അവതരണം കൊണ്ടും എനിക്ക് ഇത് വളരെ ഇഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടു...

ബെന്യാമിന്‍ -നു എന്റെ അഭിവാദ്യങ്ങള്‍...

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Aadu jeevitham

ആദ്യം ആടുജീവിതം വായിക്കാന്‍ പറഞ്ഞത് അരുണ്‍ ആയിരുന്നു... പക്ഷെ അത് കുറെ നാള്‍ മുന്‍പാണ്.. എന്ത് കൊണ്ടോ അത് വാങ്ങലും വായനയും അപ്പോള്‍ ഉണ്ടായില്ല... പിന്നെ പതിയെ എല്ലായിടത്തും
ആടുജീവിതത്തെ  പറ്റി കണ്ടു.. അങ്ങനെ ഒരു ദിവസം flipkart-ല്‍ ഓര്‍ഡര്‍ ചെയ്തു.. ആദ്യം വായിച്ചത് അമ്മയാണ്.. വല്ലാതെ മനസ്സില്‍ തട്ടുന്നു  എന്നാണ്  അമ്മ പറഞ്ഞത്.. അത് കൊണ്ട് അമ്മ വായിച്ചു തീര്‍ത്തു വച്ച ആണ് തന്നെ ഞാന്‍ അത് എടുത്തു. പക്ഷെ വല്ലാതെ സങ്കടം  വരും എന്ന് പേടിച്ചു രണ്ടു മൂന്നു ദിവസം വായികാതെ കൊണ്ട് നടന്നു.. പിന്നെ എടുത്തു വായിച്ചു തുടങ്ങി.. ഹ്മ്മം... നജീബിനെക്കാള്‍ ഹക്കീമും  ഹമീദും മനസ്സില്‍ വേദന നിറയ്ക്കുന്നു...

ഈ കഴിഞ്ഞ ഒരു മാസത്തിനിടക്ക് ആട്ടിടയന്മാരുമായി ബന്ധപെട്ട മൂന്ന് കൃതികള്‍ വായിക്കാന്‍ ഇട വന്നു...

മലയാളികളുടെ സ്വന്തം രമണന്‍...
ലോകരെ മുഴുവന്‍ സ്വന്തം സ്വപ്നത്തിനു പിന്നാലെ പോകാന്‍ പ്രേരിപിച്ച Santiago -യുടെ കഥ
ജീവിതം  ഒന്ന് കൊരുപിടിപിക്കാന്‍ ഒരുപാട്  മലയാളികളെ പോലെ ഗള്‍ഫിലേക്ക് വിമാനം കയറിയ നജീബിന്റെ കഥ..

നജീബ് പറയുന്ന പോലെ സന്റയാഗോ യുടെ  മരുഭൂമി  യാത്രയിലും വഴി കാണിച്ചു കൊടുക്കാന്‍ ഒരു ആല്‍കെമിസ്റ്റും കുതിരയും ഒടാകവും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു...ഹൈവേയുടെ അടുത്ത് വരെ എത്തിച്ചു എങ്ങോട്ടോ മറഞ്ഞു പോയ ഇബ്രാഹിം മാത്രമാണ് നജീബിന്റെ കൂടെ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നത്...


ബെന്യാമിന്  എന്റെ ആദരങ്ങള്‍... മഞ്ഞ വെയില്‍ മരണങ്ങള്‍ എന്നെ കാത്തു ഇരിക്കുന്നു എന്റെ പുസതക  കൂട്ടത്തില്‍..




Thursday, October 13, 2011

Lord of the Flies

William Golding has done a commendable job with his first book. I havent read his other books but this one really leaves its mark in your mind.

The plot is  really different from everything else that I have read. May be there are other books on similar lines, just that I havent come across them. Its not a thriller in the lines of the Millenium series but it does makes you wait for the end. I could visualize the island and climb the cliffswith the boys and attend their assemblies.I could live with the boys in the forest. And when the forest is caught in fire, I lost hope. I really jumped to last page at that point to know if the boys are rescued and then came back to reading the left out part.

Jack, used to being the unquestioned leader, cannot accept Ralph's leadership. And his team of hunters are caught between whether to break free of his commandership or to go for the thrill of hunting and killing. But finally its hunting is what gives the boys the sense of enjoyment and achievement and ofcourse, satisfies their hunger. Is it just their young age that makes them never focus on the need to get rescued and stay together?

And Piggy sticks to my mind as if he is not a fictional character. With all his shortcomings and lack of natural leadership qualities, he is the only one who never looses his train of thought and focus.

Simon, Ralph, Sam 'n Eric, Roger, the littleuns..  I think they will stay with me for sometime


                 

Friday, July 01, 2011

10 years

10 years .. looks like a long time.. Its 10 years since i came ti Bangalore.. 10years since I started working.. 10years I remained loyal to this company.. 10years since I started earning.. yet looking back, what have a I achieved?? Am I happy?

The urge to do something different .. something new.. is very strong these days. But what? searching for an answer...

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Miss you dear......

Its two months today since you left us... I have known you for only around 2 years.. You were so different from the image I had before I met you.. You were someone whom I felt so much at ease with when I met you.. You were someone whom I enjoyed every moment with.. You were one of the few people whom I felt like picking the phone and making a call... Yet I never understood the pain you hid behind your laughs.. Yet I didnt give in to my urge to call and talk to you on that fateful day.. I dont know why...

Miss you dear Balamani....

Friday, September 03, 2010

Vidyarambham

Dusshera -  to me it was always some festival that doesnt have anything to do with malayalis. Celebrated elsewhere in India.. Known to me only as the 10lines of hindi essay that I had to learn byheart.

For me all that mattered was "Puja holidays" or the "Pujaveypu" or "Vidrarambham". I knew the 10days was important for students. Starting from the first day of Navrathri, no non-veg was to be eaten. You get your morning tea only after taking bath and you have to pray to Saraswathi. And then on Durgashtami day, you keep your books for Puja. The impression I had was one should never read anything onceyou have kept the books for Puja. So I couldnt read story books, newspapers or even read the prayer books. I remember taking effort not to read the titles written while watching TV or movies.

And as every other Hindu kid growing up in Kerala, I used to look forward to the Durgashtami day. Once you keep your books for puja on this day, nobody will ask you to study anything until you take it back on Vijayadashami day morning- even if you had an exam the next day.

My memories of Pujaveypu is always associated with memories of my father's house at Paravoor (in Ernakulam Dist) and the Mookambika temple there.  Every year, there were two occassions when I would definitely go to my father's house - For Puja and then when he and his brothers go to Sabarimala. Navrathri is a big festival there. On Durgashtami day, after school, we go to my father's house and then along with my cousin's I go to Mookambika temple for keeping my books for Puja. On Vijayadashami day, early morning we go for the 'nirmalya darshan' , ie worshipping the devi before the previous days decorations are removed. So we will be there before the temple opens with my aunt, mom and cousins.  This is a beautiful temple with the Srikovil surrounded by a Lotus pond and shrine of Ganesha to the right of the Godess. Outside the main temple are shrines of Mahavishnu, Hanuman,Veerabhadran, Yakshi and Subramanian.

Later, as I grew up and learnt more about temples and the stories associated with them, I grew closer to another temple. Sree Dharmasastha temple at Thiruvullakkavu in Thrissur Dist. More than the legends associated with the temple, what inspired me was the family story - One of my maternal uncles and a cousin of my mother had their initiation to study (Vidyarambham) at this temple and they both were exceptionally brilliant and had multiple talents and grew on in their careers to be becomes head of major companies. The temple was close for me during my Engineering college days in Thrissur and the good thing in this temple, you can do Vidyarambham on any day at any age. So during my engineering days, I did my second Vidyarambham at this temple. [ But career doesnt look so bright and my only way becoming head of a company will be start one on my own].  This temple is a "kavu" with only the main diety and Ganesha shrine to the left. A Saraswathy shrine is newly added in front of which is a hall where Vidrarambham is done. The place is supposed to have been a thick forest in earlier days.

Anyway, it was a dream come true for me, when I was able to take my son to Thiruvullakkavu for his Vidyarambham on VIjayadashami day last year and ofcourse I didnt forget the Mookambika Devi who bestowed me with her blessings. Let both the God and the Godess bless my son and all other students with their studies.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Krishna and Nandagovind

" I need two vuvuzelas."
"Why do you need two?"
"One for me and one for Krishna."

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"Its Krishna's birthday today. Let us wish him Happy Birthday. We have got him a new mundu also"
"Ok.. Let us buy cake also for Krishna"

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