Just finshed reading Azar Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran. Whew! Made me run back to my book shelf to read The Great Gatsby again.
Arrghhh, where is the book? I knew I have it somewhere here.
Where is the darned ctrl+f function in life when you need it? Especially in your book-shelf? (Speaking of which, has anyone found a fool-proof cookies system to keep track of book borrowers – and the books they borrow?)
Also went berserk at the Strand bookfair last week. Among the spoils, Humra Quraishi’s Kashmir: the Untold Story, Amritsar to Lahore: A Journey Across the India-Pakistan Border by Stephen Alter, a couple of Saul Bellows, a Henry James collection (again thanks to Dr.Nafisi), In a sunburned country by the delightful Bill Bryson…
Broke but happy. Know the feeling?
And lots of books waiting to be read. In the high priority list, The Kite Runner, Amitava Kumar’s Husband of a fanatic.
***
And now it is time for me to take all these books out. With me to the hills. Where I am off to meditate. Sort of.
I am going to Lonavala this Sunday for a two week course in yoga (+ayurveda+whatever else helps). To seek help on some niggling health problems. Including residual and sometimes unbearable pain from a spine surgery nearly three years ago. All I was left with at the end of the surgery was an ugly scar on my neck and a negative bank balance (which is not saying much, since it was quite negative even before the surgery – and remains there till date).
Now that doctors have helpfuly and cheerfully written my “case” off – and I have tried pretty much everything possible (ok, I haven’t yet consulted a numerologist… Uma, Sanjay Jumani?!) – Lonavala beckons with a faint promise of ‘rejuvenation’ and hopefully pain relief… One last feeble straw to clutch at. Wish me luck!
I was at the Strand Book fair this Sunday and I too went beserk. But kya kare it felt so right.
Akshay, I read it on your blog… kya karein control nahi hota 🙂
am hoping to be there again tomorrow…
Hmm I know the book fair feeling 🙂
All the best for the hill retreat…have a nice time and do eat tonnes of chikki!
Aparna, chikki? I am going there to meditate and rejuvenate and all that, remember? 🙂
All the best. I’m sure two weeks in Lonavala will be helpful.
All the best. Stay away from the monkeys.
Good luck Charu. Meditate hard now. Dont let that mind of yours wander.
Sourin
charu,
Yoga would definitely help. you might also end up looking like madonna or christy turlington. and would that be a bad thing?
good luck.
n!
All the best, and I hope the yoga/meditation helps. A little bit of yoga daily does help me tremendously.
Anand, gawker, Sourin, neela, Sunil, thanks all. I have been trying lots of things for pain relief – including yoga. Am hoping a more concerted effort will help…
and thanks for the helpful tips and advice too. chikki, monkeys, wandering mind, madonna :)))
Try blogging once a week. It’s quite therapeutic 😀 Jokes aside, any countryside sojourn automagically relaxes the mind and body..and if you have books(and some tea/coffee) for company, well then what else you need. Wish you the best. However don’t be depressed. If nothing helps, simply “Iodex maliye, kaam pe chaliye”
ps:please to be explaining how you manage to skip tracks of life from one negative balance to other. The Kazi would like to give it a try.
Suhail, yes blogging once a week, will try that too 🙂
suspect will be all nerve-twitchy within two days from the withdrawal symptoms of being away from my computer and blog in any case!
negative balance? why that simply becomes a way of life. nothing to manage it is all self-managed…
Hi there–I’ve visited some of your photos on flickr with delight. The meditation/yoga/ayurveda course will surley be healing. Have you read any of Thich Nhat Hanh’s books? I highly recommend his books: The Miracle of Mindfulness; Present Moment, Wonderful Moment; The Blooming of a Lotus: Guided Meditation Exercises for Healing and Transformation; Touching Peace; and, Teachings on Love, to name a few. When I did a week-long meditation retreat in California with Thay (Thich Nhat Hanh) and 100 of his monks & nuns from Plum Village, it was a turning point for me. Thay’s teachings have taught me not to chase things, to release my “cows”, to go slow and mindfully, to appreciate the wonders of life, and enjoy every moment, every step, every breath. Enjoy your retreat 🙂
Nicole, thank you. I need to learn that too, to enjoy every monent 🙂
good luck with the course. the astrologer option sounds slightly more sensible than the medical practitioner. ATleast you will get better bedside manners 🙂
i went back to the booksale today 🙂
hey charu – enjoy the break!
Harini, thanks! good luck with your operation too… btw, the astrologer is next in line!
Uma, thanks! was a good break. am back in Bombay now..