The Day of the Jackal - by Frederick Forsyth

The Day of the Jackal (written in 1971) is a very remarkable and exceptionally stunning political thriller novel by English writer Frederick Forsyth about a professional assassin nicknamed as 'The Jackal'.

The job of this hitman is to assassinate Charles de Gaulle-President of France and he has been contracted by a group opposed to president's policies on Algeria.

Not only does the reasonably well-informed reader know that, historically, Charles de Gaulle was not assassinated, but Forsyth actually makes a point of telling us this early in the book. So, in a most important sense, we know from the outset how the book ends. And yet, it is one of the best examples I've read of page-turning, heart-stopping, breath-holding suspense writing.

With a meticulous personality and obsession with planning to the last-minute detail, 'The Jackal' is one of the most intriguing and enigmatic characters ever created in the thriller genre.

His precision, work ethic, fastidious planning—it almost forces you into admiration and at some level you may even want him to succeed even though he is a cold-blooded killer who eliminates anyone hindering his progress without hesitation or remorse.

The other lead character is - ofcourse a police detective - Claude Lebel. Its extremely thrilling to read Lebel narrow-in on Jackal through tireless and methodical police work.

If you’re looking for a thriller that keeps you riveted from start to finish, The Day of the Jackal is the book for you.

A TV adaptation was released in 2024, in which 'Eddie Redmayne' plays the role of the Jackal. The director has taken some cinematic liberties to alter the plot a bit, but it still stays quite close to the original plot of the book.

Japan Travelog

Due to global pandemic, the travel outside India was almost stopped in past 4 years. I joined a new organization in last quarter of 2024 and my first business visit was to Japan.

Japan had always intrigued me. In my humble opinion, there are only 2 countries which are uniquely unique on earth and they are India and Japan. In terms of culture, history, lifestyle, nature, there is no other country in the world matching India and Japan.

Here are few things I noticed during my short stay in Tokyo as an outsider and first-time visitor - 

- High tech Toilets - toilets in Japan are completely different from any other place. Compared to normal toilet, which only has one function -flush-, the Japanese ones is equipped with warmed-up seats, bidet, jets, music and array of other functions.

- Vending machines - there are vending machines everywhere  and apparently you can buy food items, drinks, batteries etc   

- Long working hours - Till I visited Japan, I always thought Indians are the most long-hrs working people. Japan beats India truly here. I have seen associates started working very early morning than expected and staying back till very late evenings. As a result, folks doze off in metros, trains. Almost all eateries incl small kiosks and fancy restaurants were running full every evening. Most of the workers grab food on the way back home rather than buying groceries.

- Food - Wherever I went in Tokyo, I could find ample options for lunch/dinner.  Though I noticed that there were very few options for an Indian vegetarian. Seafood is part of almost every japanese dish. At the same time, I also realized that there is not much popularity for fastfood. But the 3 main chain-stores 7-Eleven, Lawsons and FamilyMart have stores literally at every corner and provide wonderful on-the-go options of quick food/drinks. 

- Dense population - Just like most of major metro cities around the world, Tokyo is also densely populated city. The trains run jam-packed at rush hours but everyone is super-disciplined in travels, walking, crossing the roads, driving

- limited english - on my arrival and on first day, I really struggled to find ways around the city, to ask for necessary information. People do understand and speak English at airports/hotels but in local stores, restaurants, it was a struggle to ask for directions, getting train details, asking for food details or even to ask counter person how much I need to pay. Google-lens and translator were saviors for me then onwards.  Even in a global city like Tokyo, there are hardly any boards or signs in English.

- Restaurants - we went for lunch to a restaurant close to office and I was surprised to see robots delivering food. we placed order through tab placed on our table and food was ordered by robot like moving cart. Seems this is pretty common in many restaurants. Another unique thing especially in small eateries, they display their menu in the form of plastic food in show-case outside.

- extremely punctual trains - like global metro cities, there are multiple train companies in Japan/Tokyo too. But the trains are extremely punctual, I read that average delay of Japanese trains in 18 seconds. really? 

- Plethora of Kitkat flavors - every store I went, I found a atleast 3-4 new flavors of Kitkat chocolate. I brough home flavors like strawberry, orange, double dark, matcha, cheesecake which are most common. seems there are 300+ flavors available incl cherry-blossom, sake, red-beans, soy and many many more

- Onsen - there was a pamphlet lying on my hotel desk, mentioning onsen timing and instructions. At first, I thought it must be equivalent of spa. Later I understood 'Onsen' means common bathing facility offered to guests. Of course there are etiquette rules to be followed if you want to use the facility.

- Longevity - life expectancy is really high in Japan. I could see ageing people everywhere. One of my co-worker from Tokyo office was in 80's. Inspite of age, most of the old folks are pretty independent, working and mostly on their own.

Well, as they say, Japan is a land of ancient wisdom, futuristic dreams where every corner  holds a new discovery. So if you ever get a chance to visit, don’t miss it- you can’t un-visit Japan once been there.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Another English classic I picked up this year  - 'Jane Eyre' is a novel by English writer 'Charlotte Brontë', published in 1847 under the pseudonym 'Currer Bell' to disguise the fact that the author was a woman.

An enduring love story and undisputed classic, 'Jane Eyre' is full of passion, mystery, tragedy, and most importantly a strong-willed beloved heroine.

it is ironic that at a time when the Charlotte felt compelled to hide her true identity, Jane Eyre provided a story of individualism for women.

This masterpiece introduces one of fiction's most memorable protagonists ie Jane. As a child, orphan Jane Eyre suffers under cruel guardians and harsh schooling, but her indomitable spirit shines through against the greatest odds. When she takes up a position as governess at Thornfield Hall, she meets and begins to fall in love with mysterious and brooding master of the house, Mr Rochester. The secrets of the house and from Mr Rochester's past are soon revealed causing a heartbreak for Jane. Her life takes few turns in the course and as they say takes a full circle at the end.

Though it falls under genre of romantic classic, the romance is very very suttle and deep without any explicitly. A novel of intense power and intrigue, Jane Eyre dazzled me with its passionate depiction of a woman's search for equality and freedom.

The classic has been adapted in many other forms like opera, film, theatre plays. The most recent film adaptation was released in 2011, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, and starred Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre and Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester.

The Second Lady

 'The second lady', written by famous American author Irving Wallace, is a fascinating USA-Russia cold war thriller.

When I read this book for the first time, I was in 9th or 10th standard and ofcourse I read the translated version back then.

The plot of the story was so intriguing that I had to look for original book when started reading English novels.

The story goes like this - To grab an inside information over a politically critical matter, KGB (Soviets intelligence agency) plots an unbelievable plan to replace the American First Lady with a look alike, a Russian actress with  strong resemblance who has been tweaked and trained to perfection over the period of three years.

The replacement happens as planned but un-foreseen hurdles keep cropping up in the secret mission.

We have to keep in mind that this book was released in 1980. The secret services of the time had been small force then. The internet, mobile phones were atleast fifteen years away from becoming mainstream reality. So the story has to be lived in the period it has been told.

This book has everything that a perfect novel demands - gripping plot, love, drama, action, entertainment.

Irving's writing style is not very tricky but the overall storyline and continuous twists keep readers hooked till the end. 

The nail biting and unusual climax left me absolutely stunned.

Certainly an entertaining and unput-down-able page turner read, wonder why it didn't get converted into movie or TV series.

#2023readinggoals

आम्ही मुंबईकर

आम्ही मुंबईकर कारण  - 

* 'अ ' ठिकाणाहून  'ब' ठिकाणाचं अंतर किती आहे हे आम्ही मिनिटं -तासात मोजतो , किलो मीटर मध्ये नाही 

* ५-१७, ८-४२, ७-२४ ह्या वेळा कशाच्या आहेत हे कळायला आम्हाला अजून काही स्पष्टीकरणाची गरज नाही 

* वडा - पाव ही आमची अत्यंत आवडती डीश आहे आणि तो नाश्ता , दुपारचं जेवण किंवा 'असच काहीतरी ' ह्या सर्व कारणांसाठी खाऊ शकतो 

* संकट काळी आम्हाला सिद्धी विनायक , हाजी अली  आणि माउंट मेरी ची एकत्र आठवण येते 

* मुंबई च्या वरचे सगळे ;नॉर्थ इंडियन ' आणि खालचे सर्व  'मद्रासी ' हे आमचं अर्वाचीन मत आहे 

* जगातली सर्वात शांत, आत्म परीक्षण करायची  जागा म्हणजे मरीन ड्राईव्ह चा गजबजलेला कट्टा 

* मुंबई च्या स्वतःच्या अशा खास भाषेत - ज्यात बॉस , घंटा , निकल ले , जुगाड, मांडवली  असे विविध अद्वितीय शब्द आहेत - आम्ही पारंगत आहोत 

* आयुष्यातील नकार पचवायची दैवी शक्ती  आणि मनोबल वृद्धिंगत करण्यात इथल्या रिक्षा वाल्यांचा मोठा हातभार आहे 

* जगात कुठेही असो , 'गणपती बाप्पा ' ची आरोळी कानावर पडली की लगेच  'मोरया ' असा जयघोष मनात उठतोच 

* एकदा तरी 'ताज ' मध्ये जेवायला नाही तर किमान चहा प्यायला  तरी जायचं हे आमचं बालपणाचं स्वप्न असतंच 

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

 Written by Alex Michaelides, this book was the Winner of 'Best Mystery & Thriller of 2019'. 

It was appearing on all online forums, social media channels  as well as leading book stores as 'a 'must-read'.

It is a psychological thriller - story of a woman's (Alicia) act of violence against her husband and her therapist (Theo) who is obsessed with uncovering her motive.

Alicia is caught after killing her husband and who has remained silent ever since.

The narration of story is split between these 2 leading characters, Alicia through her diary pages and Theo's POV.

The book is easy read, its not very fast paced but doesn't get boring either.

Though the plot is gripping, the twists and ultimate turn was not much convincing.

In my humble opinion, it is a bit over-hyped novel but certainly one time read if you are mystery lover.

Consequences series by Aleatha Romig

 Todays blog is about 'Consequences' novel series, set of 5 books, by American author Aleatha Romig.

This is a mixed-genre novel. It can be categorized as a psychological thriller, dark romance, mystery. 

It tells a story of battle between a protagonist and antagonist which plays out like a battle of wits and it starts as dark as well as disturbing one. In a nutshell,  it is a story of 'Stockholm syndrome' (Google it if you don't know what it is). 

Clair Nicholas  wakes up in a suite owned by Anthony "Tony" Rawlings, a charismatic manipulative powerful man. She is told she signed an agreement with Rawlings that if the money she owed him is not paid back, she would become his property, She had no way to pay him.

Tony tells Claire it's simple: Follow my rules, actions have consequences.

She is trapped in a very strange, abusive relationship with Tony. 

But it is not a typical alpha male dominating submissive lady kind of storyline at all.

The entire plot is quite original, completely unpredictable and intriguing. It's a full bundle of emotions thrill,  anger, sex, lies, obsession and a complete roller coaster ride through n through. 

When I started this series and managed to complete few chapters,  my immediate reaction was - what the Hell? I loathed Clair and hated Tony. During the course of first book itself I really considered giving it up and thought it's not my cup of tea to survive reading such a dark story.

As a woman the violence, brutality and humiliation Clair faces was thoroughly unsettling, infuriating for me.

But Aleatha Romig definitely knows how to keep her readers hooked!  

   
It took me from 2 weeks to 1 month to finish each one of the books. And I still don’t know how I managed to pull through this experience. I can only blame author's talent and my  curiosity. At the end, it was worth pondering how story started and where has it landed. 

So if you want to experience a novel that will stick with you for a long time,  go for this series. As they say, get yourself Aleatha'd.

Jack Reacher

Few years back, I stumbled over 'Jack Reacher' accidently and unexpectedly.

While wandering through library shelves, I picked 'him' up randomly without knowing background, character as such.

But post that first encounter, he had been in my system forever and my immense liking for him only kept on growing with every next rendezvous.

so who is 'Jack Reacher'? 

Jack Reacher is a fictional protagonist by British author 'Lee Child', who has featured in series of crime thriller novels and short stories.

The uniqueness of this character is - he is ex-military, extreme minimalistic-living lifestyle, a drifter who wanders America with no destination on mind and invariably gets himself in dangerous situations.

The only belongings he has are a toothbrush and an ATM card. No house, no mobile, no wife, no ties. He has an internal clock and knows precise time without looking at the watch. He doesn't own pair of clothes, he simply discards the in-use ones and buys a cheap new set when needed.

He is a well-balance of physical strength, primitivity and acute deduction skills. (probable recipe :) - James Bond minus fancy gadgets and fights, add super investigation skill of Sherlock Holmes).

His personal motto 'Hope for the best, plan for the worst' is my favorite tagline too and have used it umpteenth times in my management gyan sessions. 

Reacher's family background, military days are revealed in some of the books in bits n pieces, but every book is a stand-alone read in its own and you don't have to read them in particular sequence.

Two novels about Reacher have been adapted into Hollywood films, namely 'Jack Reacher' and 'Jack Reacher - never Go Back' starring Tom Cruise as Reacher. Another novel has been adapted into an Amazon Prime Video television series starring 'Alan Ritchson' as Reacher.

BTW, Tom Cruise's casting as Reacher was severely criticized by fans (like me!!!)

If you are still newbie to the aura of Reacher, can start with any of these novels 'Killing Floor', 'One Shot', 'Without Fail' and thoroughly enjoy the 'Reacher' phenomenon .

Eat, Pray and Love

Finished reading 'Eat, Pray and Love' 2 months back. I wanted to write about it ever since. the reason it took so long to pen down my thoughts was mainly due to fact that I was unable to conclude my own opinion about this one. this happens rarely with me as typically while reading the few chapters of any book, i either like the book or dislike it.

I had read the Marathi translation of this around 8-10 years back. somehow it didn't make a lasting impression that time. Either the emotions and gravity of Elizabeth's own words was lost in the translation or may be I was too young that time to be able to relate her exploration towards E-P-L.

EPL is memoir of American writer Elizabeth (Liz) in her thirties, who after her divorce decides to spend next one year in Italy, India and Indonesia searching for 'everything'.

She eats well in Italy, experiences prayerful meditation at an ashram in India, and meets a variety of loving individuals in Indonesia.

Like I said, this book took me on a whirlpool ride, i honestly could not decide if I loved or disliked it.

At one hand, I was thrilled to read about her multi-country, multi-culture, "looking at rest-of-the-world through American eyes" experience. but at the same time, at many spots it would force me to think this writer as the most self-absorbed person.

My biggest problem with this book was I had difficulty at times believing if Liz actually achieved the enlightenment she talks about because most of the times she is so internally focused. 

Italy part was quite ok. 2nd part of India experience - being Indian and Hindu, I have fair idea how tough & how long it takes to reach the state of igniting your kundalini and to even experience the glimpse of out-of-worldly experience which Liz claims she had in Ashram. The 3rd part in Indonesia - was again quite believable for most of the part.

In the end the overall effect on me was rather like sitting at a party listening to someone telling a long involved story all about themselves, and you're alternately annoyed and fascinated, so you want to get up and leave. But she's just so entertaining that you keep telling yourself you'll leave in the next minute--but you end up sticking through the whole story.

When the fascinating journey of reading this memoir ended,  I couldn't help rolling my eyes and thinking "huh, this is a tale of a privileged but emotionally self-indulgent woman who is unsatisfied with her life." but at the same time it also tipped me to think if I get an opportunity to spend one year as all-advance-paid job to explore the world on my own terms, would I do anything differently?

The book became more famous after the movie was released with same title as of book starring Julia Roberts as Liz. 

किंडल

किंडल बद्दल आधी मी इंग्लिश मध्ये एक पोस्ट लिहिली होती. पण नंतर असं वाटलं कि लेख मराठीत लिहिला तर जास्त लोकांपर्यंत पोचेल , म्हणून हा खटाटोप . 

किंडल संदर्भात नेहमी मनात येणाऱ्या काही प्रश्नांची उत्तरं देण्याचा हा माझा प्रयत्न - 

* किंडल म्हणजे नक्की काय?

किंडल हे electronic पुस्तकं वाचण्यासाठी अमेझॉन कंपनी ने बनवलेलं एक खास device आहे, जे साधारण एका टॅब सारखं दिसतं .  किंडल च्या वापरातून तुम्ही पुस्तक / मासिक / वर्तमानपत्र वाचू , शोधू, खरेदी करू , download करू शकता . 

किंडल मध्ये खास तंत्र (ई - शाई ) वापरलय जे आपल्या स्मार्ट फोन / टॅब पेक्षा वेगळं आहे. त्यामुळे दोन फायदे होतात , एक कि किंडल ची बॅटरी खूप जास्त चालते (कित्येक आठवडे ) आणि दुसरं म्हणजे ह्या तंत्रा  मुळे डोळ्यांना त्रास होत नाही . 

* किंडल का खरेदी करावं  आणि वापरावं ?
जर तुम्ही हाडाचे वाचक असाल तर तुमच्या साठी किंडल अगदी योग्य आहे. आता 'हाडाचे वाचक ' म्हणजे काय तर - जर तुम्ही रोज काही ना काही, साधारण एक तास भर , वाचन करता . 

पण जर तुम्ही क्वचित वाचता - जस कि समजा कुणी काही सूचित केलं किंवा एखाद्या पुस्तकाबद्दल तुम्ही खूप ऐकलं  तरच तुम्ही वाचन करता - तर किंडल चा पूर्ण फायदा घेऊ शकणार नाही . 

* कागदी पुस्तकांच्या संग्रहा  पेक्षा किंडल चा काय फायदा आहे?

किंडल वापरण्याचा सर्वात मोठा फायदा म्हणजे जवळ जवळ अगणित पुस्तक तुम्ही ह्यात ठेऊ शकता आणि सोबत कुठेही  नेऊ शकता . 

समजा तुम्ही घरा बाहेर आहात , प्रवास करताय, विमानतळ / हॉटेल / डॉक्टर अश्या ठिकाणी तुमचा नंबर यायची वाट पाहताय,  किंवा तुम्हाला आजुबाजूला अंधार असतानाही वाचायचंय , मग अश्या वेळी कागदी पुस्तकांपेक्षा किंडल चा फायदा असतो.  

सध्या जे किंडल मिळतात , त्यांच्यात कमीत कमी ४ GB मेमरी असतेच. म्हणजे मोठ्यात मोठी पुस्तक ज्यांची फाईल साईझ १ MB असते , अशी करोडो पुस्तक ह्यात सामावू शकतात आणि हि सारी पुस्तकं तुम्ही एकत्र कुठेही घेऊन जाऊ शकता. 

मलाही कागदी पुस्तकं आवडतात , पण मुंबईतल्या घरांचं आकारमान पाहता , करोडो पुस्तकांसाठी राखीव जागा ठेवणं शक्य नाही . आणि नुसतं साठवणूक नाही तर त्यांची निगराणी राखणं , धुळीपासून संरक्षण , कव्हर बदलणं हे सुद्धा कठीण होत. 

* किंडल घेण्यापेक्षा मोबाईल वर फ्री किंडल अँप वापरलं तर? 

जर तुम्ही अनियमित वाचक असाल किंवा मोबाईल च्या प्रकाशाने तुम्हाला त्रास होत नाही , तर कदाचित किंडल  device विकत घेण्यापेक्षा किंडल अँप सोयीस्कर ठरेल . 

अँप वापरण्याचे महत्वाचे फायदे म्हणजे - १) अँप एकदम फुकट आहे . अर्थात पुस्तकं विकत घ्यावी लागतील ('फक्त फ्री पुस्तकं वाचायची' असं तुम्ही ठरवू शकता 😊 ), २) अँप तुमच्या फोन मध्ये असतं जो तुम्ही तस पण कायम सोबत बाळगता . 
किंडल हे छोटं आणि हलकं device आहे पण तरीही एक जादा गोष्ट चार्ज करणं आणि सोबत बाळगणं अपरिहार्य होत . 
अँप चा सर्वात मोठा तोटा म्हणजे , फोन चा प्रकाश. फोन आणि किंडल च प्रकाश तंत्र वेगळं आहे . कितीही नाही म्हटलं तरी फोन च्या प्रकाशाचा नकळत डोळ्यांवर परिणाम होतोच होतो. 
आजकाल तसही आपण सर्वच फोन पाहण्यात गरजेपेक्षा जास्त वेळ घालवतो , मग निदान वाचन करताना तरी अतिरिक्त त्रास नको डोळ्यांना . आणि जर तुम्ही पूर्ण सूर्य प्रकाशात वाचताय , जस की गच्ची वर / बीच वर , तर फोन वर पुस्तक वाचन कठीण होत. 

किंडल device कि किंडल अँप - ह्यात निवड करताना , आधी किंडल अँप वापरून पहा. १-२ पुस्तक किंवा २-३ आठवडे वाचून पहा कि वाचन अनुभव कसा आहे ते . मग किंडल घायचा कि नाही हे तुम्ही ठरवू शकता  

* किंडल वापरताना वायफाय किंवा इंटरनेट लागतं का ?

नाही . एकदा का पुस्तकं किंडल मध्ये संग्रहित झाली , जस कि आपल्या फोन मध्ये आपण फोटो संग्रहित करतो, कि पुस्तकं उघडायला आणि वाचायला इंटरनेट /वायफाय ची आवश्यकता नाही . नुसतं वाचन नाही तर तुम्ही अधोरेखित केलेले परिच्छेद , लिहिलेल्या टिप्पणी  हे सर्वही उपलब्ध राहातं . 

* किंडल चा डोळ्यांवर परिणाम होतो का ?

इ-शाई आणि LED प्रकाश ह्या तंत्रामुळे किंडल चा प्रकाश प्रचंड सौम्य असतो, जो डोळ्यांसाठी खूपच कमी त्रासदायक आहे. किंडल ओऍसिस मॉडेल मध्ये तर स्व-नियंत्रित प्रकाश योजना आहे ज्यामुळे सभोवतालच्या प्रकाश तीव्रते नुसार किंडल चा प्रकाश आपोआप बदलतो . 

* मला रात्री / झोपण्या आधी वाचायला आवडतं , मग किंडल उपयोगी आहे का?

खुप लोकांना झोपण्या आधी थोडं वाचन करायला आवडतं . कागदी पुस्तक वाचायचं असेल तर त्यासाठी दिवा चालू  ठेवणं आवश्यक होतं जे तुमच्या जोडीदाराला त्रासदायक वाटू शकतं . किंडल चा प्रकाश अतिशय सौम्य असतो आणि त्यामुळे आपण किंडल वाचनाचा दुसर्यांना त्रास होत नाही . 

* आता पर्यंत सर्व छानच , पण पैसे किती पडतात ?

किंडल ची खूप (३ प्राथमिक) मॉडेल बाजारात मिळतात, ज्यांची किंमत साधारण ८००० ते २२,००० रुपये ह्या रेंज मध्ये आहे . 

सर्वात उच्च प्रतीच्या मॉडेल मध्ये सुविधा हि चांगल्या आहेत जस कि ४G , म्हणजे तुम्ही फोन सारखं डेटा सिम कार्ड त्यात वापरू शकता . 
जर किंमत आणि सुविधा ह्यांचा ताळमेळ घालायचा असेल तर मधलं मॉडेल (उदा . किंडल पेपर व्हाईट ) योग्य ठरेल.  ह्या मॉडेल मध्ये सर्वसाधारण वापरात येणाऱ्या साऱ्या सुविधा आहेत आणि किंमतही योग्य आहे . (साधारण १२००० ते १३००० रुपये )

* आणि पुस्तकांच्या किमतीचं काय? त्यांचा किती खर्च येतो?

पुस्तकांच्या किमती मध्ये खूपच विभिन्नता असते. अमेझॉन वर लाखो पुस्तकं फुकट हि उपलब्ध आहेत . पण सुप्रसिद्ध लेखकांची किंवा प्रसिद्ध कादंबऱ्या , मुलांची पुस्तकं , स्व-मदत (सेल्फ-हेल्प ) अशी पुस्तकं साधारण ० ते ५०० रुपयात मिळतात. 

चांगली गोष्ट म्हणजे , दररोज अमेझॉन वर वेगवेगळी पुस्तकं , अतिशय नाम मात्र किमतीत उपलब्ध होतात. 

अमेझॉन च्या साईट वर तुम्हाला 'Deal of the day', 'Monthly deal', 'Lightening deal', 'Limited time deal' असे खूप पर्याय दिसतील . 

जर तुम्ही उत्सुक वाचक आणि त्याच सोबत संयमी असाल तर तुम्हाला हवी ती पुस्तकं खिशाला परवडणाऱ्या किमतीत कधी ना कधी  नक्कीच मिळतात . 
माझा स्वतःचा अनुभव -  मी गेली ६ वर्ष किंडल नियमित वापरतेय . मी जी काही पुस्तकं विकत घेतलीयत (इंग्लिश आणि मराठी), त्यातली बहुतेक मी प्रत्येकी १०० रुपयांपेक्षा कमी किमतीत घेतली आहेत.  आणि माझ्याकडे चांगल्या पुस्तकांचा बऱ्यापैकी संग्रह आहे ज्यांची कागदी पुस्तकांची  किंमत प्रत्येकी  २५० ते ५०० रुपये आहेत . 

बहुतांशी पुस्तकांच्या  किंडल कॉपी ची किंमत हि कागदी पुस्तकांच्या किमतीपेक्षा खूपच कमी असते, 

* पुस्तक विकत घेतल्यावर ते वेगवेगळ्या उपकरणांवर वापरता /वाचता येत का?

हो . तुम्ही तुमचा किंडल संग्रह ६ वेगवेगळ्या उपकरणांवर वापरू शकता, जस कि वेगवेगळे किंडल device , तुमचा कॉम्पुटर , फोन किंवा टॅब (किंडल अँप द्वारे )

* किंडल बिघडतो का? बिघडला तर दुरुस्ती साठी काय करायचं ?

किंडल ची दुरुस्ती केंद्र भारतात almost नाहीच आहेत . किंडल विकत घेताना १ वर्षाची warranty  असते . पण फोन च्या तुलनेत किंडल तसं खूपच कमी क्लिष्ट device आहे त्यामुळे सहजासहजी ते बिघडत नाही . तुम्ही किंडल सोबत जर चांगल्या प्रतीचं कव्हर घेतलं तर रोजच्या वापरात जी घाल-पाड होते त्यापासून नक्कीच संरक्षण होत . 

माझं किंडल मी गेली ६ वर्ष वापरतेय  आणि अजून एकदाही त्रास दिलेला नाही. 

त्यातूनही जर किंडल बिघडलंच, तरी  तुमचा विकत घेतलेला पुस्तक संग्रह अबाधित राहतो. तुमची पुस्तकं अमेझॉन खात्याशी संलंग्न असल्याने नवीन device वर ती तात्काळ उपलब्ध होतात आणि नव्याने खरेदी करावी लागत नाही. 

* किंडल चे अजून काय फायदे आहेत?

किंडल 'Goodreads' ह्या प्रचलित साईट शी जोडू शकता . ह्यामध्ये in-built  शब्दकोश आहे जो जुनी इंग्लिश पुस्तकं वाचताना खूप कामात येतो . 

* किंडल सारखे अजून काही वाचन उपकरणे आहेत का?
हो. बाजारात किंडल व्यतिरिक्त देखील पर्याय आहेत जस कि Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Clara HD, Nook. 

पण जसं बाकरवडी चितळ्यांची , तसंच इ -वाचन उपकरण म्हणजे किंडल असं समीकरण आहे 😄

* मग किंडल विकत घेणं ही फायदेशीर गुंतवणूक आहे का?

ह्याच उत्तर तुमच्या बजेट वर आणि तुम्ही किती वाचता यावर अवलंबून आहे . 

मी साधारण १०००० मध्ये किंडल घेतलं होत आणि ती माझी सर्वात चांगली गुंतवणूक ठरलीय. 

मग आता एवढा मोठा लेख वाचलाच आहे तर एखादं आवडीचं पुस्तकही वाचून पहा . 

" दिसामाजी काहीतरी वाचीत जावे " असं म्हटलंच आहे ना !

!!!happy reading !!!

वाढदिवस आणि बाबा

काल रात्री १२ वाजता लेकाने गळ्यात पडून Happy Birthday विश केलं आणि खर्र्कन जाणवलं की ह्या वर्षी मला विश करायला बाबा नाहीत . 

माझा वाढदिवस म्हणजे अगदी खास त्यांच्या साठी . एकही वर्ष असं गेलं नाही कि मला बाबांनी विश  करून काही भेट दिली नसेल 

मी शाळेत असताना वाढदिवस जसजसा जवळ येई तसे बाबा गिरगावातल्या खास खास कपड्यांच्या दुकानाच्या फेऱ्या मारायचे . आणि शॉर्टलिस्ट करायचे की ह्या वर्षी मला काय घेणार ते 

अगदी लहानपणी च नाही आठवत पण कळत्या वयातले त्यांनी घेतलेले सगळे ड्रेस मला अजूनही आठवतात . त्यांची पसंद मला आवडली नाही असही  कधी झालं नाही . 

एका वर्षी 'गोट्या ' नावाची मालिका खुप प्रसिद्ध झाली होती आणि आम्ही सर्व पाहायचो TV वर . त्या वर्षी त्यांनी मला गोट्या कादंबरी चा पूर्ण सेटच आणला होता . 

एकदा मला प्रार्थना समाज च्या एका बूकडेपो मध्ये घेऊन गेले आणि म्हणाले तुला हवी ती पुस्तक घे , मी गोंधळून १-२ छोटी छोटी पुस्तकं घेतली , मग त्यांनीच अजून ४-५ सिलेक्ट केली आणि आम्ही रमत गमत (मी उड्या मारत ) घरी आलो . 

माझं लग्न झाल्यावर देखील हा सिलसिला चालूच राहिला . एप्रिल च्या सुरवाती पासूनच ते आई ला विचारायला लागायचे काही आणलास का नाही अजून तिच्या साठी ?

जेव्हा ते स्वतः बाहेर जायचे तेव्हा काही नाही तेर ग्रांट रोड च्या मेरवान चे मावा केक तर आवर्जून आणायचे . २४ ला सकाळी सकाळी फोन यायचा शुभेच्छा द्यायला . 

गेल्या एक-दीड वर्षात त्यांचा तारखा बाबत जरा गोंधळ व्हायचा . कुठला महिना चालू आहे हे पटकन उमगत नसे. मी गेल्या ७ फेब ला त्यांना भेटायला गेले होते, तेव्हा निघताना त्यांनी विचारलं कि २४ तारखेला येशील ना तू?  मला पटकन समजलं नाही असं का विचारतायत , मी म्हटलं काय आहे बाबा ह्या २४ ला ? तर त्यांच्या खास शैलीत म्हणाले "अरे येडा , तुझा वाढदिवस नाही का ? " इतकी महत्वाची होती २४ तारीख त्यांच्या साठी . 

आता बाबांना जाऊन २ महिने झाले , ह्याच नाही तर ह्या पुढच्या प्रत्येक वाढदिवसाला मला तुमची उणीव भासणार आहे बाबा . तुमचे आशीर्वाद आणि शुभेच्छा कायम पाठीशी राहूद्या . 

Anna Karenina

My first long read of 2021 is 'Anna Karenina', an timeless classic by Russian author 'Leo Tolstoy', published in 1878.

A complex novel, acclaimed by many writers as one of the world's greatest novels, 'Anna Karenina' deals with troubled affair of a married woman. But that is not the only theme in this novel. It also describes a vast panorama of contemporary life in Russia in 19th century along with politics, religion and humanity.

In my true opinion, the title of this novel is little misleading because the story solely doesn't revolve around Anna. The parts of the book that focuses on Anna's story do portray her character, passionate affair with Vronsky, agony of a mother and later her downward fall.

The other half of novel is devoted to 'Levin', a country landowner, who is in constant search for meaning of life.

Both these leading characters ie Anna and Levin, do not even meet each other till 80% of story is told.

But only towards the end I realized the contrast of characteristics these 2 display towards finding peace of heart.

Considering the length of the novel (approx 1000 pages), it is bound to have many characters. Tolstoy has made each of them fully human, everyone with their own vivid characteristics and flaws.

While reading this long saga, somewhere half way through I realized that I have stopped judging the morality of characters and merely accepting them as they are.

The original novel was ofcourse written in Russian. The English translation in illustrated version that I read is peculiarly worded. eg women are not 'pregnant' but they are 'with child', people are 'deceived' and 'received', things are 'Capital' and so on

Also there are peculiar things about Russian society like 2 words names, mentions of common domestic helps like nurse/footman/doorman, peasants and their lives etc 

The novel has been adapted into various audio-visual platforms including opera, film, television, ballet, and radio drama. 

The prominent and latest one is the movie with same title as of book, released in 2012 featuring Keira Knightley, Aaron Johnson etc

A Thousand Splendid Suns - Book review

Today I am writing about novel 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by famous Afgan-Americal novelist Khaled Hosseini. His debut novel 'The Kite runner' is the one which is probably most famous and also has been adapted into a film with same name. 

Personally, 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' affected and left lasting effect on me than 'The kite runner', may be because the former is more feminine oriented. 

As an Indian, whenever we hear Afghanistan, we think of it as a dry country that is full of unreasonable religious extremist, gun-carrying bearded men traveling in jeeps and burqa-clad women. All of Khaled's books give a very good glimpse of how prosperous, nature-blessed and rich cultured this country was at once upon a time.

The story gets unfold on the background of era in Afghanistan when the Soviets took over in 1980s through post 9-11 Taliban control.

Mariam and Laila, who are protagonists of this story, are from different generations with no blood relation but their lives meet at the crossroads due to unfortunate turns dictated by their own fates. In a way, it mirrors and reflects back as a metaphor for their country's brutal and bruised history. Along with the story of their lives, you get an outline of socio-political situations that conquered this once beautiful country to devastated conditions. 

Khaled's narration is absolutely gripping, mesmerizing and builds a vivid picture which can be easily visualized throughout the book. 

Even if you may have heard/read about the oppression of women under the Taliban regime, it will still bring a real shock to get full measure of it through the eyes of Mariam and Laila.

Below are some quotes that I would like to mention here as they provoked my deep thoughts - 

"Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter. Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always."

“Marriage can wait. Education cannot...Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated. No chance.”

“A man’s heart is a wretched, wretched thing, Mariam. It isn’t like a mother’s womb. It won’t bleed. It won’t stretch to make room for you.”

This novel is certainly not a fun read but a very deep, incredibly infuriating and emotionally challenging one. It weaves thirty years of turbulent Afghani history through an intensely powerful story of families, friendship and ultimately, hope.

The Thorn Birds

As part of my reading goals of 2020 (reading at least few classic books), the recent one I picked up was 'The Thorn Birds'.

It is an epic novel by an Australian novelist 'Colleen McCullough' written in 1977.

The novel is the best selling book in Australian history, and has sold over 33 million copies worldwide.

This post is not a book review but my own perception and views about leading characters and their entwined story.

It is an opera-ish saga spanning over 3 generations of Cleary family, set in the Australian Outback

Though primarily it will fall under 'romance' genre, it is much more than just a passing romance. 

It has its bit of a romance but more of relationships, struggle of loyalties and beliefs, morals and sacrifices.

The character portraying is what makes this book stand apart. Every character is so well detailed, you can see them come alive while reading the novel.

The protagonist is the daughter of Cleary family, Meggie. The story swirls around Meggie and Ralph de Bricassart who is a catholic priest.

Both these lead characters are very well portrayed and the book sketches emotional struggles, defeats and affection from both of their views.

Personally I could not relate to the eternal love between Meggir and Ralph with their 18 yrs of age difference, but what appealed the most is the theme it is based on - knowing very well what can never be yours and still not knowing who you'd be without it

The plot is well weaved and irrespective of whether you like the turn of events or not, you are bound to accept them as they happen.

The 3-genrtaions of Cleary ladies with distinguished characteristics make their lasting impression very well throughout.

So it is indeed an engrossing and captivating story. The eagerness to uncover Meggie and Ralph's destiny won't let you put down the book till you finish it.

There is also a TV-mini series adapted based on this novel, broadcasted n 80's.

Kindle - Reader's Companion in lockdown

After I posted my 'Gone with the wind' review, many people asked me that in the current lock-down situation, how am i getting hold of good books.
The answer to this is my dearest gadget 'Kindle', the e-reader.
So in order to answer the curious reader's questions, I have listed below some FAQs about Kindle.

• * What is Kindle?

'Kindle' is a special e-reader device, designed and marketed by Amazon. Kindle enables users to browse, buy, download and read the ebooks/newspapers/magazines.
It uses special technology of e-ink and LED back-light which is different than the technology used in smartphones/tablets. The battery life of Kindle is amazing and you can go on for many weeks on one full charge.

• * Why should you buy Kindle?

If you read lot of books, you are qualified to buy a kindle.
Now what qualifies as 'lot of' is open to interpretation. But if you read everyday for an hour or so, you have a valid case to go for kindle.
if you don't read quite as much or you pickup a book only if someone recommends you, you may not rip all benefits of owning a kindle.

• * What are the benefits of Kindle over having collection of paper books?

The most obvious reason for buying kindle is that you can carry nearly unlimited amount of books around in your pocket. If you tend to read outside, while traveling, while waiting in lobby/reception/lounge or read in the dark regularly, the Kindle gets upper hand over the paper book.
All of the current Kindle models have atleast 4 GB of storage space. With even large books often sizing under 1 MB of space, that’s an absolutely huge shelf space you get for your books and you can carry it all around with you wherever you go.
Honestly, as much as I love to have nice paper collection of books, with my tiny house in Mumbai, it is nearly impossible to spare decent size space for storing books. Also the simple maintenance like dusting, covering can also be tiresome.

• * Should you buy a Kindle device or just use the Free App?

If you are a lite reader, or the smartphone back-light doesn’t bother you, then Kindle app may suit you rather than buying expensive gadget.
Using it on your phone is not ideal, but it can certainly be done.

App has 2 major advantages - 1) app is absolutely free. Of course you still have to pay for the books that you download (unless you’re planning to read only the free stuff available). 2. app resides on the device that you already have ie your smartphone.
Kindle is small and light, but it’s still another device that you’ll have to charge and carry with you if you want to take it anywhere.

The biggest drawback of using the app, is the backlight on your phone. it’s just not as nice as the e-ink and LED lighting that Kindle provides. You can definitely read in the dark on your phone, but it is pretty harsh and will take a toll on your eyes.
Now a days, we all are already spending too many hours looking at a screen, and reading on one will not be preferred. Also reading on phone can be extremely difficult in direct sunlight.

Probably the best way to figure out if you should buy a Kindle is to try using the app first. Read couple of full books over the course of a 2-3 weeks to see how you like using the app on your phone or tablet, and if you think you’d prefer a Kindle, then you can decide about buying.

• * Do you need constant internet/wifi connection to use Kindle?

No. The books are downloaded on your device similar to how we have photos stored on phone. So no Wi-Fi or internet required in order to open already purchased and downloaded books . You can also turn pages, search for words and view all notes/marked paragraphs within each title without an Internet connection

• * Does kindle affect eye health?

The e-ink screen and built-in LEDs of the Kindle provide soft lighting that is very easy on your eyes without making it hard to read at night. The high-end models like Oasis have adaptive light sensors to automatically adjust to your current lighting.

• * If you are a night reader, should you buy Kindle?

Lot of us read at night before going to bed. Reading paper book would require night lamp to be kept on and that may be irritating/distracting for your partner. The LED light of Kindle is mild enough to not wake up or cause distraction.

• * All good so far, but how much does it cost?

Kindle is available in various models, ranging from approx 8000 INR till 22,000 INR.
The high-end models provide major feature of having compatibility with 4G, that means you can use data SIM in the device.
If you have to go economical, I will recommend to go with intermediate model (like Kindle Paperwhite) that provides decent amount of features along with affordability of around 12000-13000.

• * and how much does it cost to buy books?

The books price varies largely, starting with millions of free books to in thousands for rare books.
However, most of the common and famous self-help, novels, children's books range from 0 to 500 rupees each.
The good news is, every day, Amazon sells a wide range of top-tier novels and non-fiction books at knockdown prices.
When you browse Amazon for eBooks, you will stumble upon 'Deal of the day', 'Monthly deal', 'Lightening deal', 'Limited time deal' and many such.
If you keep close watch on the book you want to get hold of and have little patience, you will certainly break a pocket-friendly deal within days.
This is based on my own experience of using Kindle for 5 years. I personally have not bought any book for more than 120 rupees and I have decent collection of famous titles as well as authors.
In any case you will notice that almost always, Kindle edition price will be way lesser than paperback price.

• * After purchasing a book, can you copy/access them on multiple devices?

Yes. You can access your Kindle library on up to 6 devices, and these can be actual Kindles or PCs, tablets or smartphones running the Kindle app

• * what about aftersales service?

Regarding service centers, there are close to no service center for Kindle in India. So, you can trust kindle for one year as long as it is in warranty. After that, trust with 'All is well!!!'. But there is rarely any problem in e-readers because they are not very-complex devices as smartphones. Buy a good cover for your device and you can let go the worry of clumsy handling.
I have been using my device for 5 years now and never ever faced a slightest issue.
In case you really try hard and manage to damage your device, no worries about purchased contents. They are linked to your Amazon account and stored on Amazon cloud. So can be easily retrieved on new device using same account.

• * What more features Kindle has?

Apart from being great e-reader, it has many more features. It is integrated with 'Goodreads', in-built dictionary, 'most highligted passages' etc

• * Is Kindle only option in e-reader?

There are other e-readers available in the market like Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Clara HD, Nook etc.
But like 'Colgate' is synonym to tooth-paste, Kindle is to e-reader. :)

• * So is it worth making investment?

That’s going to depend largely on your budget and how much time you spend reading.
I spent around 10K on device few years back, it has been giving highest ROI since then.

If you have taken efforts to read such a long post, i reckon that you can try with reading a good book too.
So happy reading and remember - “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”

Gone With The Wind (GWTW)

One of my reading goals of 2020 is reading at least few classic books. It seems only fitting that the first one I finished in this category is truly epic and classic  'Gone With The Wind'.
GWTW is a novel by American writer Margaret Mitchell, first published in 1936.

Before going into the book and movie details, let me put down some interesting facts about GWTW -
- As of 2014, a Harris poll found it to be the second favorite book of American readers, just behind the Bible.
- More than 30 million copies of this novel have been printed worldwide
- it received the prestigious the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937
- The author 'Margaret Mitchell' wrote no other book after GWTW, it is the only novel she wrote in her lifetime
- She started writing it in 1926 and eventually finished in 1936. Also the book's final moments were written first and then wrote other events that led up to them
- The book is accused of being 'racist' and has great deal of racism, in content as well as language. The N-word and the euphemism “darkie” are all over the place
- The movie with the same name was released in 1939. It received 10 Academy Awards (eight competitive, two honorary) from thirteen nominations.
- For movie, casting took 2 years and the "search for Scarlett" led to 1,400 women being interviewed for the part.
- After the first release in 1939, the movie has been re-released many time with improved technology and restoration. But there is no known re-make.

Now coming to the novel - frankly this post is not a book review. There are ample reviews available on net that describe the story-line, characters and era context. What i have put down is how I have perceived the characters.

As an Indian, I didn’t study the American war history in my academics. What I know about it has been cobbled together from bit of my reads and research lately.

GWTW is a war era novel but undoubtedly remarkable and unique reading experience.
It is indeed a long read, near to 1000 pages. Took me 4-5 times the time compared to what I take for any std size novel.
But I have never been so enthralled in any book. In spite of its length, I was never bored and constantly picking it up for reading as and when I could.

It is very difficult to place this book in a single genre. GWTW is not just a romantic story involving Scarlett, Ashley and Rhett but also a well researched account of the American civil war.
Along with portraying the era, characterization and artistically-drawn relationships are the best things about this book. Each and every character is so brilliantly portrayed, and the lead characters are so fully rounded that you can barely believe they're fictional.

Both Scarlett and Rhett, bounce off the page and overwhelm your thoughts even after you finish reading the book.
During the read, you may like or dislike these lead characters, but they encroach your mind throughout.

There is everything in here. A brutal war and its aftermath, moving romance, virtues of ethics and morality, all centered around one of the most complex characters in all of literature, Scarlett O’Hara. It is a bold of author to sketch the protagonist female as selfish, spoiled brat, materialistic bitch.
But in spite of all this, she still emerges as powerful, fiery woman.

Then there is Rhett, the only character with the ability to conquer Scarlett. He is an absolute alpha mate.
Just like the ladies in Atlanta I found myself at times entranced by his charms, but at many occasions I did not like him as well. I sympathized with him and was often amused by his sarcasm and satire. A classy anti-hero.
The evolution of his relationship with Scarlett is so carefully and artfully structured that the final 100 pages will make your heart ache.

I haven't watched the whole movie yet, but have seen few clips on web.
Both, Vivien Leigh and  Clark Gable, seem perfectly fitting in the characters of Scarlett and Rhett.

So overall, an incredible classic converted into equally epic movie, immensely special and the one that will posses you for a while.

Stream/college selection after 10th std

In the morning, I read news that CBSE 10th results are going to get declared today.
The news triggered 2 yrs back memories and so thought penning-down this post for benefit of all students and their parents.

For our children, the first struggle or decision we make regarding their education is while deciding which board/school to be chosen while admitting them in school in KG/1st std.
we do all kind of RnD through various modes, discuss with colleagues, relatives, internet forums, parenting groups.
Once that is sorted, the feeling is of 'done and dusted' remains on mind for a while.

However deciding next course and taking appropriate admission after passing 10th is also equally imp milestone and decision has to be made with good amount of introspection and very wisely.

Once the respective board declares the results, most of the students/parents start struggling about their next course of action.
Which stream to choose, which college to choose, how to select coaching classes - these are some of questions that linger.

Below I have noted few points and tips which I feel should help the anxious students as well as parents.
Though some of the things are very much Science stream specific, but it is common that science students face the dilemma the most.

So here are my notes -

- Do not decide the stream (Sci/commerce/Arts) based on your 10th %.
These % are mere indication of how you have written your board papers and may not reflect your interest/inclinations in true sense.

It is quite a common perception that if student gets say above 80-85%, he/she is fit to go to science.
But eventually if the student is not interested in any of science driven careers, he/she will struggle later to decide career choice after 12th.

So choose the stream based on student's inclination, ability towards doing hard-work, mental-ability.

- Do not fall for peer pressure. Students tend to decide choice of stream by getting influenced by their friends, siblings, cousins, even parents.
Parents need to carefully make them aware of  future career options of every stream than blindly choosing stream because someone else is doing the same.
Do seek professional advise from career counselor in case you are not aware of various career choices of every stream.

- Next question is how to choose college.
I would like to bring another aspect about choosing right board before going for college selection.

Now since most of the students are taking their 10th education from diverse boards, it is also important to choose right board for 12th.
So make a cautious choice if student should continue in his/her current board like CBSE or ICSE, or whether should opt for moving to state board.

most of CBSE schools have jr college ie 11th/12th attached to school.

My recommendation will be to stick to 10th board unless there are valid reasons like no availability of  jr college offered by 10th board.

Otherwise I do not see a good reason to switch to different board after getting well-versed with your 10th board for last many years.

- The admission process for central boards like CBSE is different than centralized process of state board colleges.
So in case student decides to continue with same board as of 10th, the admissions are carried out individually by respective colleges. They do not have centralized process.
eg Every college has their own forms to fill in, own schedule of deciding admission lists, fee structure etc
So do your pre-study of which all colleges offer the stream you have decided and the apply to those colleges individually.

- If the student decides to enroll into state board, he/she has to follow centralized admission process driven by Maharashtra govt.
The main dilemma in centralized process is which college options should be given.

I will highly recommend to choose colleges which are in close vicinity of your residence.
There is no point in wasting students precious time and energy if he/she has to change 2 trains, hop-in/hop-off train/bus and take 1-1.5 hrs to reach best college chosen.

Remember that for science students, 11th/12th are not for enjoying college life, rather focus on studies.
So don't get bogged down by aspiring for best college which may be far away.

- Let us say the student has decided to go for science stream.
The next huddle is to decide about coaching classes.

Since last few years, many new patterns have emerged in institutes like integrated, semi integrated, non-integrated.
let us see what these terms mean.

1. Semi Integrated model - Since few years now, the renowned coaching institutes like Fitjee, Allen, Lakshya started collaboration with local colleges.
In such allied model, the core subjects like physics, maths, chem are taught  by institute professors.
Non-core subjects like languages are taught by college professors.
All the practicals are carried out by college and in college premise.
The core subject classes are held in college premises or at institute facilities.

The advantage of above model is enormous saving is student's time. As they do not have to attend double lectures ie at college as well as classes
The con is that the institutes focus largely on preparing students for common entrance exams ie jee, KVPY, mh-cet, NEET etc.
So in case the student has inclination towards aspiring some other field besides engineering/medicine, this model may not be of much help.
Also, getting into semi-integrated model comes with high tuition fees. Combined fees for 11th-12th can range from 3 lakhs to 5 lakhs. The college fees is has to be paid separately.

So in case if financial constrains, please opt for non-integrated model.

2. Integrated model -
Some institutes like PACE (IIT&Medical) offer coaching classes as well as college benefits ie non-core subject teaching, conducting practicals.
The student doesn't have to seek admission in any other college if enrolled in such institute.
In Maharashtra, PACE is affiliated to state board. So in case student has inclination to stick to non-state board, the decision has to be re-evaluated then.
The typical fees for integrated model can range from 2.5-5 lakhs for 11th/12th together.

3. non-integrated model -
this is traditional model similar to 10th std format that student would have followed.
The student has to attend college for all subjects and attend coaching classes separately.

- in integrated as well as semi-integrated models, the corresponding institutes carry out qualification entrance test. The tuition fees would vary as per the score in these exams.

- So in case student decides to take up semi-integrated model, choose the institute carefully.
Some of the institutes offer collaboration with sub-standard colleges with not-so-good facilities.
The college matters a bit as after-all student is going to spend 2 yrs there.

I hope above points will help in clearing some of the common confusions that arise during 11th class admissions.

Top 10 new things in my life

If you ask anyone around you - 'what has been new in our life compared to earlier/childhood days?' - the obvious answers would be mobile phones, internet, computers, social media, digital gadgets, eCommerce, automobiles etc.
But even if we leave aside these obvious things which have become integral part of our daily life, there are many eccentric things that have also occupied a place in our day-2-day life. People in my generation would certainly be able to relate to my selection of top 10 such things listed below.
For newer generation, they probably can't imagine now life without these.

Below compiled list is of course purely my choice of top things. I am certain everyone will have their own personalized such list :)
I have split the list in 2 types, one is food related and another one non-food related.

These food items have over the time become so much defacto in households/daily life, it is really hard to believe that none of these even heard of in our childhood.

1. coffee - like i have mentioned in one of my earlier post, coffee was always considered as special drink, only to be offered, consumed on special occasions and may be for certain people. It was never a part of day-to-day life. Today it is essential part of office routine, social catch-ups and for many more reasons. Truely, a lot can happen over a cup of coffee.
2. Paneer - I probably had not even heard of this substance till few years back. My mother would have gone crazy at the idea of spoiling a full liter of milk to get the bowlful of paneer, what a waste!. Now a days, any vegetarian meal is incomplete without a dish of paneer.
3. maggie - this special food entered during very late days of our childhood. and frankly it didn't appeal at all at first taste. But later during onsite travelling days, this yellow packet became life-saver. I have seen most of the next-gen kids love maggie and to my surprise many dada-dadi and nana-nani also love this instant food.
4. Biryani - in my childhood and pre-marriage life, non-veg used to be eaten only in curry style. 'starters' and dishes like chicken tandoori or kebabs started becoming part of plate little later when hotelling become more frequent. Biryani was still looked upon as alternate of having plane rice. however had not got hooked to this delicious one-dish meal until very late. But once tasted, then there was no looking back. From lucknawi/hyderabadi biryani to Jaffer bhai's speciality, it was the door opener to wide world dedicated only to this classic amalgamation of meat n rice.
5. Bottled water - like all above items, this is integral part of life especially when you are on road or travelling by any mean. In my childhood days, during travel times, water need used to get fulfilled by big jars/bottles/plastic gallons. 'Bisleri' was pioneer in India to launch packaged drinking water. So much so that just like every toothpaste is 'colgate', every bottle of packaged water is referred as 'Bisleri'. Few years back, if anyone would had dared to predict that this nation will be buying their water for drinking, he would have got considered as a big fool.

Non-food - it was hard to pick these 5 items, barring the obvious onces like mobile, apps etc. I have picked up these 5 considering their penetration in my daily life.

1. sanitary pad - Undoubtedly it deserves the top position in the list. All the woman of my generation have seen and experienced the transformation from home-made cotton napkin to industry-made/super easy-to-use sanitary pads. 
2. Hair conditioner - remember how we used to clean hair? Most of the time with Shikakai beans/powder boiled at home or with Shikakai soap. Use of shampoo was considered as luxury. I heard the word and substance called 'Conditioner' first time when SunSilk (one of top shampoo brand of 90s) introduced their new range of products as shampoo+conditioner. But what does this product supposed to do was unknown for many. Now for women as well as for men, it is essential product of daily cleansing regime.
3. Denims /Jeans - Our daily-wear clothes used to be frocks/skirt-tops etc. Denims were one of dress type which used to be optional, one may have it or may not. Do you know anyone now who doesn't own a pair of jeans? It is not a choice anymore but defacto clothes for youth. Not just us and our next gen, but even many of previous gen also got used to comfort of this sturdy attire.
4. air conditioners - in earlier days, AC used to be present only in selected restaurants and offices. It was certainly looked upon as luxury or rare occasion to be in a AC room. Now every flat/apartment has AC installed by default or provision is made to install one. Even the older buildings of Girgaon have made space for AC installation wherever possible. It is no more looked upon as luxury but very much part of must-have's in house.
5. Air travel - overall the travel modes and means have evolved to a great extend in last 20 years. With the revolution in automobile domain, the once unimaginable things like owning a vehicle or commuting in a private taxi is no more a thriller. But air-travel was always looked upon as a high-end luxury meant only for celebrities, politicians and richest of rich folks who have no better things to do with their money. and look at today! every person around me have been in air atleast once incl folks in previous gen. Now travel plans, be it business travel or family vacations, start with air booking option first.

Hope these 10 things made you travel through your own memory lanes and you have already started making your own list to match :)
Do let me know whats on your list.

#lifechanging

समांतर

सुहास शिरवळकरांच्या 'समांतर' कादंबरीवर वेब सिरीज येतेय अस वाचलं आणि पुस्तक घेऊन आले.

सु.शि. च्या इतर कादंबर्यां सारखीच 'समांतर' पण थरारक, उत्कंटावरधक , वेगवान आहे.

सतत येणारी वळणे, सुरेख व्यक्ती चित्रण यांनी रंगलेल्या या २०० पानी कांदबरीचा शेवट जरासा abrupt असला तरीही कथा नक्कीच page turner आहे.

पुस्तक २ दिवसात संपलं आणि मग सिरीज पाहीली.

थरारक घटनांनी फुलवलेली आणि अनपेक्षित वळणांनी जोडलेली अशी कथा सिरीज साठी अगदी योग्य होती

त्यात दुनियादारीचीच टीम. 

पण कादंबरीच्या तुलनेत मालिका जाम फसलीय

स्वप्निल जोशी ला ‘कुमार महाजन’ सापडलाच नाहीये. त्याचे सततचे अचंबित expressions २-३ भागांनंतर कंटाळवाणे व्हायला लागतात.

खर तर कादंबरीमधे एक एक प्रसंग इतका खुलवलाय की पुन्हा पटकथा लिहायची गरजच नव्हती.

पण नको त्या क्षणांवर अती focus, over dramatisation आणी मेलोड्रामा ने पुर्ण मालिकेचा बाज बिघडवून टाकलाय .

पन्हाळ्याच्या खाणावळीतल्या माणसाची भेट , सुदर्शन ला खोक कशी पडली - ही काही उदाहरणं जे प्रसंग उगाच ताणले आहेत .
त्या उलट कुमार आणि सुदर्शन ची भेट - जी घटना milestone आहे ती अगदीच गुंडाळून टाकलीय .

सिजन १ चा शेवट मात्र perfect twist वर झालाय

पुस्तक आधी वाचलं नसतं तर कदाचित मी मालिका enjoy केली असती. 

पाहुया आता पुढचा सिजन कसा असणार आहे ते

#samantar #mxplayer #marathi 

Bird Box - book review

Recently finished a book ‘Bird Box’  by Josh Malerman.

Later I discovered that its been converted into netflix movie too starring Sandra Bullock.
The book can be described in 1 word as ‘creepsville’. It is incredibly engaging, horror/psycho suspense novel which takes post-apocalyptic theories to next level.

I do not want to disclose whats so scary about it but imagine a world in which you are constantly threatened and you need to train yourself to defend without seeing what are you fighting against.

On my first day of reading rather on first night, had to shut off after few pages as i was s***t scared to read further. On 2nd night I progressed with more chapters but when i woke up in the morning.. the first thought that crossed my mind was not to open my eyes.

The whole story and its climax leaves many open questions and perpetual desire for more answers. But it still succeeded in keeping me fully engaged till the last chapter.

To sum it up, its an extremely interesting, unsettling, fast paced read that will keep you on the edge.

Do let me know if you have also read this book or watched the Netflix version and how did you find it.

#2020readinggoals