Of Canuck Relationships and preferences

When I came to Canada I was under the impression that Indian women are highly regarded and  sought after in Canada because they are well educated, cultured, have good culinary skills...self boasting .. I know :). But I was in for a surprise..... I came to know that white guys don’t really give a second look to Indian girls. Guys who pursue Indian women are mostly from the Caribbean :)Now I know why i like Chris Gayle....

I remember the first time I went for lunch with my colleagues in Toronto. One woman announced that she recently got divorced. And with that conversation I found out that all the women at the table were divorced with the exception of me and another girl whose fiancee backed off before the wedding. That conversation scared me on the whole relationship aspect in this part of the world. Couple of unmarried guys i worked with told me that they have no intention of marrying because of the fear of paying huge alimonies.

Seven and Nila- Netflix review

I saw Seven over the weekend and thought it was good for a short movie. Most of all I was glad to see a good looking Tamil actor for a change. I am so tired of the all the ugly Tamil actors that i have pretty much stopped watching Tamil movies.
However more than the actor, I liked the performances of Nanditha and Regina. I am impressed by both actresses and feel that they should be getting better movies with this movie. I did not like Regina before because of how she came to be known as a lookalike of Ileana but hey she is better that Ileana. I like Ileana but she does not know how to act but Regina does a good job I must say.
Its a pretty ok - once to watch show.

Nila was another movie I came across through my desperate searches to watch something worthwhile on Netflix. The actor is funny :) but i guess he just played the character he was supposed to. The actress was pretty and did her role well. What i did not like in the story as to  - there was no reason to what the female lead did what she did and why she did even though she did like what she was doing. Movie was kind of realistic but not enough to engage a viewer. 

Life lessons (tattvam)

In the last few weeks, I came across two life lessons that I want to pen down so that I can remember them. The first one is about perceptions - How perceptions mess up our life. Our perceptions of where we should be and our preconceived notions on where other people think we should be and keep ruminating about it.

Why I prefer to identify as an Ambai Girl rather than a Mumbai girl

I saw the movie on Thackeray recently and saw my old buried anger and emotions rise. The word Mumbai, marathi, and Shiv Sena rile me up like a swastika riles up a Jew. I have managed to not bring up this with my friends - Marathi or not because is topic is like vegetarianism. There are no correct and wrong answers, only strong emotions on both sides.

Book review time!

From time to time, we all need a voice that quietens the negative chaos running in our minds and tell us that we will be fine. And when we don't find that voice then we need someone outside to reassure us. A lot of times these are self help books (at least for me) that makes the difference. The books I recently listened to are “The Untethered Soul” and "You are a Badass" (I know!)

An ode to Kollu Paati

If you have watched Downton Abbey and admired countess Grantham, then I will describe my Kollu paati as a countess in madisar. My first memory of my kollu paati was when I visited my uncle in his railway quarters in Matunga and I saw a granny like lady coming out of thin air and scaring the shit out of my cousin. And I realized it was a prank and got introduced to the Kollu paati or Shenkottai paati as she was called, because Shenkottai was her town (her adda :).

Chennai - Foodie journal

I had a very beautiful and welcoming image of Chennai until I started living in Chennai. All the dreamy summer vacation days I spent there eating mangoes and yummy bakshanams (snacks). All the weddings and getogethers I would attend to play with my cousins. I think you can relate to the picture I am trying to paint here. But the real nightmare started when I moved to Chennai from Mumbai for work. If you have been to Chennai, you would know that it is not a welcoming place. People there actually have the attitude of a New Yorker that surprised me when i landed there.

The house of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III

This is one of those books where all the characters are portrayed so beautifully that you can relate to them. I am impressed that the author, Andre Dubus could actually portray an Iranian family with such depth and genuineness. One of the best stories that puts the reader in a dilemma  on who to side with. Either the American couple who have a real cause to work on but chose the wrong method to work it out. Or the Iranian immigrant and his family who were stripped from their aristocratic background by the Iranian revolution and want to survive in their new immigrant status.

The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah

This is a beautiful book that revolves around a mother and  daughter and their survival story in the cold region of  Alaska. I started reading this book in the beginning of January 2019 when Toronto started looking more like Alaska. So I was able to relate with the book. ;)  Kristen Hannah has done an amazing job of describing the wilderness of Alaska and how newbies underestimate the beauty and the peril this region will expose them to.

Some Audiobooks I caught up on

Audiobooks are the best thing that happened to me since pdf novels. I remember getting PDF novels from colleagues and spending weekends reading them. And the Kindle phase where I would buy books and read them during my spare time.

After coming to Canada, I discovered Toronto Public library and was amazed that this service was free to all residents. I would borrow books but never find the time to read them. That's when one of my friends told me about overdrive  - an app that lets you borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your city library. And TPL had a lot of ebooks and audiobooks. And I dont even remember when I switched to audiobooks, but I have managed to listen to a lot of John Grisham's novels. Almost exhausted... need to move to another author. But i know i will keep coming back to John Griham.