Thursday, September 09, 2004
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
No, this is not a heist ending with " the dog did not bark " , which I have incorporated into my lingo. More to do with this delightfully, witty, touching and raw read that I polished off at Crossword yesterday. The day began with my right ear perfunctorily telling me that it had proceeded on urgent leave, without permission. Unable to hear with it, I duly hit office dreading the worst ( The last time I was afflicted was at an inopportune time,before an interview, with the outcome that everytime the interviewer asked a question, I was forced to lean forward queruously, and ask " Eh, what ?". Fortunately, I had mitigated the damage somewhat by stating this at the beginning with my assurances that I was not , at least, genetically, a Deaf Adder. )
Anyway, with this obvious handicap ( unable to hear cars whizzing by ), I reached the good bookstore with the intention of reading a book end to end, having been inspired by a write in the Sunday's Hindu professing to being an irrational browser.I selected two books to drag to the empty corner, in the manner of a lion dragging a freshly-killed beast--decided that there was no way I could even think of completing Bill Bryson's A Short History of Almost Everything... and began the Mark Haddon title.
Twas an amazingly easy read and I could feel myself getting into the head of the autistic fifteen year-old protagonist, Christopher Boone, accused of murdering his neighbour's dog Wellington and setting out using his considerable powers of mathematics and Holmes, chancing upon his parents' unhappy married life and taking a brave decision or two along the way. There, i hope I've not spoilt it for somebody--I recommend this heartily and unabashedly !
Came back to the hotel and found a Robby Grewal movie ( who's he ? )called Samay was just beginning--I had been promising myself that I'd watch something soon and this was just the setting--comfy breaks ensured my poor ear got periodic rests and daresay the poor brain too.I found the movie eminently watchable--not a thrill-a-minute script but one that ensured the unrelenting pressure and mounting tension I've never liked Sushmita, Sushant Singh was a tad too unctuous ( jee, madam jee , after every exclamation is galling ! ) but Jackie has a nice hammy role and the direction was taut.Overall, a Thumbs Up.
RED HOT CHILE PEPPERS
A word on the exploits of the intrepid Massu & Gonzalez at the Olympics. Well, this is not the first time, they won the World Team Cup earlier in Dusseldorf last year, Incredibly, they defended the title in 2003. So, this is a pedigreed team indeed and the only thing that I know of was they were coached by a former Argentine with the longest hairdo I've seen ( bar Bruno Oresar ) called Horacio de la Pena. Of course, Indian readers will remember that it was against this team ( Martin Jaite, H d l Pena, Christian Miniussi and Javier Frana ) that the Great Indian Rope Trick at the 1987 Davis Cup began, What a time it was..... !
Watched a rivetting Agassi-Federer match today--excellent quality and I may actually support Agassi on this one. I know Federer was takig it seriously because two strands of hair were outside his bandanna ( a la Jeeves arching his right eyebrow a full sixteenth of an inch when deeply perturbed ).
Kuznetsova was handpicked by Navratilova as her doubles partner, so I'd be careful.
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No, this is not a heist ending with " the dog did not bark " , which I have incorporated into my lingo. More to do with this delightfully, witty, touching and raw read that I polished off at Crossword yesterday. The day began with my right ear perfunctorily telling me that it had proceeded on urgent leave, without permission. Unable to hear with it, I duly hit office dreading the worst ( The last time I was afflicted was at an inopportune time,before an interview, with the outcome that everytime the interviewer asked a question, I was forced to lean forward queruously, and ask " Eh, what ?". Fortunately, I had mitigated the damage somewhat by stating this at the beginning with my assurances that I was not , at least, genetically, a Deaf Adder. )
Anyway, with this obvious handicap ( unable to hear cars whizzing by ), I reached the good bookstore with the intention of reading a book end to end, having been inspired by a write in the Sunday's Hindu professing to being an irrational browser.I selected two books to drag to the empty corner, in the manner of a lion dragging a freshly-killed beast--decided that there was no way I could even think of completing Bill Bryson's A Short History of Almost Everything... and began the Mark Haddon title.
Twas an amazingly easy read and I could feel myself getting into the head of the autistic fifteen year-old protagonist, Christopher Boone, accused of murdering his neighbour's dog Wellington and setting out using his considerable powers of mathematics and Holmes, chancing upon his parents' unhappy married life and taking a brave decision or two along the way. There, i hope I've not spoilt it for somebody--I recommend this heartily and unabashedly !
Came back to the hotel and found a Robby Grewal movie ( who's he ? )called Samay was just beginning--I had been promising myself that I'd watch something soon and this was just the setting--comfy breaks ensured my poor ear got periodic rests and daresay the poor brain too.I found the movie eminently watchable--not a thrill-a-minute script but one that ensured the unrelenting pressure and mounting tension I've never liked Sushmita, Sushant Singh was a tad too unctuous ( jee, madam jee , after every exclamation is galling ! ) but Jackie has a nice hammy role and the direction was taut.Overall, a Thumbs Up.
RED HOT CHILE PEPPERS
A word on the exploits of the intrepid Massu & Gonzalez at the Olympics. Well, this is not the first time, they won the World Team Cup earlier in Dusseldorf last year, Incredibly, they defended the title in 2003. So, this is a pedigreed team indeed and the only thing that I know of was they were coached by a former Argentine with the longest hairdo I've seen ( bar Bruno Oresar ) called Horacio de la Pena. Of course, Indian readers will remember that it was against this team ( Martin Jaite, H d l Pena, Christian Miniussi and Javier Frana ) that the Great Indian Rope Trick at the 1987 Davis Cup began, What a time it was..... !
Watched a rivetting Agassi-Federer match today--excellent quality and I may actually support Agassi on this one. I know Federer was takig it seriously because two strands of hair were outside his bandanna ( a la Jeeves arching his right eyebrow a full sixteenth of an inch when deeply perturbed ).
Kuznetsova was handpicked by Navratilova as her doubles partner, so I'd be careful.
