Asian writers in English

Have any of you read The Reluctant Fundamentalist? Guess Maha would have. Well, I just finished reading it in a week's time, snatching a few hours in a lean week at work. It is not an achievement, I'd say since many would be able to finish it off in a day's time. It was nominated for the Man Booker prize, and for a seemingly boring narrative - a monologue by a Pakistani young man who left a successful career in New York in the post 9/11 scenario to a wary American stranger that is suggestive of the distrust between the east and the west - it reads very well .
I liked all the little details about life in Pakistan which reminded me how similar it was to life in India - the power cuts, the exotic food, cross-border tensions etc. - and despite the tensions of a possible war in the wake of the Dec 13 attack on the Indian Parliament, one feels a sense of kinship with fellow inhabitants of the subcontinent and the continent.
Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner was another novel I loved. I understand the movie is out.

p.s. From a cbox message on my blog, I decided to clothe my views into a short, proper review. I hope it is not unwelcome.

Some links on MCC:
http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/23/stories/2009092360220400.htm

http://www.thehindu.com/mp/2009/04/13/stories/2009041350270400.htm

A new mall is coming near my house. I am looking forward to more cinema trips and landmark...
http://www.thehindu.com/mp/2009/09/24/stories/2009092450750100.htm

University days: green thoughts on a green page

Dear ladies and gentlemen... or ageing aunts and uncles,


You might want to visit www.mcc.edu.in. Go to 'departments' and click 'faculty' to see how our lecturers look now.

An ageing aunty

This is how fat I have got in the past one year... Now waiting for
pictures of the lean uncles of our class.

English in diverse contexts

Better late than never

Akshita our daughter born on 19.1.2008.


Chitra joined MCC (Social Work) a few years after our batch.

Apologies for being late - must've posted these photos last year.

Babyshowers

There were two baby showers the last two weekends. One of them sent me these pictures. There are more baby showers to come in the next few weeks. There is a population explotion in Saskatoon among us Indians!!

Wonderful meeting with friends

IS THAT VENKI"S victory sign -we see or his playful nature? GOD BE WITH U-we hope to see victory sign.

Here is our Future VVVIP-waving. ..Good luck! GOD BLESS!

Does he not look it!I bet venki is itching to pass all the comments to us. welcome to do so, venki-we r here. Oh! my daughter was taking photos- he said whats this like press--Venki get used to it!We hope to see u in the limelght for all your good work.You already have classmates and juniors in press .

See how much we put wgt? we r all the same though-right!?

great meeting u all.!

Its great to see that the blog has been very active and busy.During my travel time.
I am extremely happy to see more participation by Prem, Jac, Suni,Rajeev -the new active members would hopefully continue to do so.

Also wow, same teasing etc back. It was nice to meet with Roshin and family, met with Annie, Griz, Venki too.Griz tried to call Usha Nair and Venki called Prem while they visited me at my home,looks like Usha Nair was not home..Thank you all for finding the time to visit me at my home.I doubt if i would have had the time to meet with you all .Sorry, Gladi ,i could not catch up with u.Venki gave me Persis No.. I called her. chatted a few minutes with her too. Spoke with some juniors also.Murali is another person i did not get down to calling. sorry about that.
As Rosh said Boy ..oh Boy!-venki has the full political look-OF Course he has the talents and capability also for the political future.I took some photo.. i will try and load it one of these days.Hey, why did u stop with Venki's political rise. I told him.. soon he may be in such high position that this maybe our last time we will get some free time with him. He seems to be busy in his work, studies, family life, political life.
Annie is same as ever, Griz is put some wgt, Rosh looked same too. Annie and Griz have quite a lot of travel right now in their hands. Hopefully God and friends or some one would be able to get them the necessary transfer. So they can be close to family.
Prem called it was really nice to chat with him for so long. May God continue to give all of you the strength and wishing you all the best in your active , busy, hectic lives.Great to be in touch With you all.

Good Old MCC how can I forget you.......

Happy Onam to the mallus

Happy Onam to all the Mallus. Enjoy your sadhyas and welcome Maveli.....

Viva Venky!

Prem tells me that Venky is one of the state leaders of the Paari Narpani Mantram which will become a political party in Jan 2010. And that nowadays he speaks in one meeting in a week. A newsitem about him appeared in the Tamilan Express, a local daily, a few days back.
Even when I saw him a few months back, he looked like a pakka politician - dressed in khadi white and driving a Scorpio, which is so popular with the Tamil political gentry.
It is good to have a politician in our midst :)