The Charm of the Hills

“And the last puff of the day-wind brought from the unseen villages the scent of damp wood-smoke, hot cakes, dripping undergrowth, and rotting pine-cones. That is the true smell of the Himalayas and if it once creeps into the blood of a man, that man will at the last, forgetting all else, return to the hills to die.”

- Rudyard Kipling

There is something about the Hills, whether it is Kipling’s Simla or Bond’s Mussoorie. Hailing from the hills myself, I derive an unparalleled contentment from all things characteristic of the hills. They provide an ideal getaway for an invigourating yet peaceful holiday, away from the mundane city life.

To me, there is no greater pleasure than that of seeing the sun rise from behind the snow-capped peaks, making your way through the dense carpet formed by dried needles of chir-pine trees as you climb the mountains, boating on the misty blue lakes, feasting one’s eyes on bright flowers in full bloom amidst beautiful green surroundings, experiencing the slow-paced life…

It is a wonderful experience taking long strolls on the mall road, while gentle breezes, laden with ‘that’ blissful smell, brush against you. The clean and fresh air of these idyllic destinations rejuvenates your mind completely, and the old world charm that these places still retain is a welcome retreat from the heat and dust of the plains.

One cannot help but return to the hills to die!

Why???

• In order to speak of something disparagingly, one has to be good at the same; otherwise people label it as a case of ‘sour grapes’.

• There is such a fine line between being optimistic and being impractical.

• We are so spirited and extreme about our likes and dislikes when young but gradually become impassive and docile as we grow older.

• Everyone proclaims that they want to lead a simple and unpretentious life, free from strife, in the countryside, despite being clearly enthralled by the hustle and bustle of big cities.

• Old days always seem much more delightful in retrospective.

Indian English

It is amusing how several words and idiomatic forms, derived from Indian literary and vernacular languages have made their way into the every-day English we speak today. Over the long history of the language in India, the implication of many English words and the context in which they are used has changed considerably. Following are some of the most noticeable and interesting instances of such usage, as pointed out by wikipedia:

• Use of "blood pressure" or "BP" to refer particularly to high blood pressure, as in "I have BP!" to mean "I have high BP or hypertension".

• Use of ‘no’ or ‘na’ as a tag question, as in “He's here, no?” or “You are lying, na?”

• The word "marriage" used to mean "wedding", as in "I am attending my cousin's marriage next month”.

• The word "healthy" as a euphemism for fat people, as in "His build is on the healthy side" to refer to an overweight person.

• 'B.A. fail' for someone who was admitted to college, took college classes, but did not pass the final examinations, as opposed to someone who did not go to college! 'Higher Secondary fail' and 'M.A. fail' are used in a similar fashion.

• Creation of rhyming double-words, as in "No more ice-cream-fice-cream for you!", "Let's go have some chai-vai.” or "There's a lot of this fighting-witing going on in the neighborhood".

• The word "hero" is used to mean a male protagonist in a story, especially in a movie. The protagonist need not have any specifically heroic characteristics! Thus, "Look at him; he looks like a hero", meaning "he is as handsome as a movie star."

• The word "dialogue" to refer to "a line of dialogue" in a movie. ("That was a great dialogue!" means "That was a great line!"). "Dialogues" is used to mean "screenplay". In motion picture credits, the person who might in other countries be credited as the screenwriter in India is often credited with the term "dialogues".

• Use of "engagement" to mean not just an agreement between two people to marry, but a formal, public ceremony (often accompanied by a party) where the engagement is formalized with a ring and other local rituals. Indians will not speak of a couple as being "engaged", until after the engagement ceremony has been performed.

As Binoo K John says in his book 'Hazaar fundas of Indian English', "savour the sorry and soaring love affair between India and English"!

The Curious Case of 221B - Partha Basu

My fascination with Sherlock Holmes refuses to die with the Canon (the fifty-six short stories and four Sherlock Holmes novels written by Conan Doyle). So I turn to this "brilliant retelling that turns the Holmesian canon on its head, even as it adds to it".

The book starts with Jit's story in Deogar, a small town near Calcutta. Jit, a young man, stumbles upon some letters and notebooks addressed to his father, penned in secret by Dr.Watson. The notebooks divulge Holmes’ failures and his fallacious theories regarding some of the most illustrious cases. Watson's narratives go on to elucidate how Holmes committed a 'Blunder in Bohemia' rather than preventing a 'Scandal in Bohemia'! They talk about the 'Reappearance of Frances Carfax', the 'Tale of the sad cyclist' and the 'Judgement at Abbey Grange', among other accounts.

The narratives are laced with Emma Hudson's synopses of the original cases to make it easier to comprehend for those who haven't read the Canon. However, those already familiar with the original work will derive much more pleasure from the book for the feeling of déjà vu that it provides every now and then.

Although the stories lack the powerful element of drama so peculiar to the original stories, they make one ruminate whether the solutions to the original cases were really as 'elementary' as Holmes made them out to be.

Read the book if you are one of those who always wanted Watson to have some share of the limelight enjoyed by Holmes.

Don't read it if the purist in you can't see Holmes being defeated in his own game or if you want to retain that legendary image of the detective in your mind forever!

Why so serious??

I recently came across this video where Andy Roddick imitates Serena Williams, duly cheered up by the crowds. It made me think about the inevitable backlash had the same episode occurred in India.

So why are we such a sombre nation?

Every witticism seems offensive to someone or the other. The self-appointed moral police are always armed and ready to counter anything even remotely displeasing to any section. The most common argument in favour of curtailing open banters is that they hurt the sentiments of people and thereby breed contempt in the society, or they pose a threat to our culture and values.

But, is our culture and our values so fragile that they won’t be able to endure a joke or a pun?

We are obsessed with political-correctness at all times, more so if the people involved are public figures. Politicians, in particular, are expected to be poker-faced creatures with no sense of humour as is evident by the “cattle-class” controversy involving Shashi Tharoor. No wonder we don’t come across playful exchanges of insults as between, say, Winston Churchill and George Bernard Shaw. It also explains the dearth of good stand-up comedians in the country.

It is time for an honest introspection if we want to grow up as a nation because as the noted American author, Richard Bach, said- “The first prerequisite of an advanced being is a sense of humour.”

Sherlock Holmes - the ultimate sleuth!

I have always enjoyed reading Sherlock Holmes mysteries, not just for Holmes’ deductive reasoning of the solution to a crime but also for the remarkable quotations that still seem as relevant as they may have been in the Victorian times.

Following is a list of quotes from the Sherlock Holmes series of stories that I find the most contemplative:

1. I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it.
2. It was easier to know it than to explain why I know it. If you were asked to prove that two and two made four, you might find some difficulty, and yet you are quite sure of the fact.
3. When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
4. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.
5. It is of the highest importance in the art of detection to be able to recognize, out of a number of facts, which are incidental and which vital. Otherwise your energy and attention must be dissipated instead of being concentrated.
6. What one man can invent another can discover.
7. Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself; but talent instantly recognizes genius.
8. Education never ends Watson. It is a series of lessons with the greatest for the last.
9. What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is, what can you make people believe that you have done.
10. His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge. (Dr. Watson about Holmes)

And now the wittiest passages:

Dr Leslie Armstrong - "I have heard your name, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, and I am aware of your profession — one of which I by no means approve."

Holmes - "In that, Doctor, you will find yourself in agreement with every criminal in the country."

Holmes - “I followed you."

Sterndale (the murderer) - "I saw no one."

Holmes - “That is what you may expect to see when I follow you."

My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know.

Come at once if convenient — if inconvenient come all the same.

(Holmes to Dr. Watson)

"I play the game for the game's own sake."

(Holmes - expressing his indifference toward any kind of public honour for solving a case of national importance)

Economics-making rational fools of people?

“Our criticism of the accepted classical theory of economics has consisted not so much in finding logical flaws in its analysis as in pointing out that its tacit assumptions are seldom or never satisfied, with the result that it cannot solve the economic problems of the actual world.”                                              

                                                                                                      - John Maynard Keynes

 Theories in Economics have often been criticised for relying on overly simplifying assumptions which are, many a times, in stark contrast to the actuality. Take, for instance, the most basic assumption - that of  'Rational choice'. According to this assumption, a person always reasons before taking an action (say, making a purchase) by weighing the pros and cons of the action against each other. However, in reality, individuals often base their choices on impulsive decisions; or sometimes they are not adept at judging what is good for them in terms of utility maximisation. Theories in Economics do not consider these inherent aspects of human behaviour.

Nonetheless, such assumptions are indispensable in formulating a theory and reaching some conclusion. They make it possible to study the interplay of a specific set of forces keeping other forces constant. Moreover, modern economists have been evaluating these unrealistic assumptions and there has recently been an increased interest in modeling non-rational decision making.

Is being an 'idiot' really so cool?

The tremendous success of  '3 Idiots', in a way, reflects the popular viewpoint of the present generation. While hard work, commitment and devotion towards one's job and honesty were once considered to be among the most prized qualities in a person, today these have been replaced by creativity, inherent intelligence, and street-smartness (even if it amounts to deceit). Those working hard to achieve their aim, rather than searching for shortcuts, are often ridiculed.

The movie compares rote-learning to some grave offence. So, what should someone not as intellectually endowed as the protagonist do-simply accept that academics are not his cup of tea and sit back? Isn't it better to try and make up for the lack of natural intelligence by working harder than others?

Further, the movie highlights the loopholes in the country's education system. Many of these are exaggerations but nevertheless, the sentiment has found collective endorsement from everyone. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon just  because criticising the education system and being a rebel is considered to be fashionable or the 'in' thing. In reality,most students do not favour even creative learning; what they really want is 'easy' learning. Anything that causes the slightest stress is deemed to be undesirable even if, once accomplished, its outcome is most likely to be fruitful.

Moreover, thinking outside the box is not opposed so vehemently as the movie portrays. No teacher tries to supress creative thinking even if they do not go out of their way to encourage it. What they actually comdemn is indiscipline and deliberate ignorance on the part of the students.

Undoubtedly, the movie is well-shot and is highly entertaining but it should be enjoyed merely as a work of fiction rather than being taken too seriously as a true portrayal of the current state of affairs.