Harini shared this story at the RD-Bhoj taco party on Saturday and I am repeating it here without permission. The talk had circled around to kids asking to have pets and ways to say no to them (at least in most cases), when Harini mentioned that they have a goldfish. The crowd was a bit surprised - You have a fish tank? Well, it's not much of a tank - just a little thing really and Harini gestured with her hands to indicate a small box. How many fish, an enquiring mind wanted to know? Oh, just one. And is it doing well? Yes, but....oh good, there was a story here. So apparently what happened was that when the fish came home, the kids (or was it Harini? I forget) took it out of the water and left it on the counter top "momentarily" before dropping it into the tank. The fish seemed fine and the kids went to bed happy to have a new friend. Soon after though, Harini saw the fish doing the belly-up float, which fish in the pink of health are not wont to do. Siva was promptly dispatched to WalMart which fortunately is open at 10.30pm. He came back with a fish that sort of looked like its predecessor - only a bit more orange and a lot more plump. He went in the tank and down the toilet went the first guy.
The next morning, the kids ran to check out their new pal and there he was - swimming along just fine. Pranav though, noticed a difference and commented to his sister, "Wow, see how much he has grown in just one night?" His older and wiser sister was quick to dismiss him: "No you silly, he is not any bigger. Its just the light - see how much more orange it makes him look?"
Little did it occur to them that a switcheroo had taken place - after all who would do such a thing?
Monday, August 10, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Why I Will Never Buy A Kindle
Knowing my love of books and reading (there is a distinction), not to mention, gizmos, many friends have asked why I don't have a Kindle. My answer was always that I would at some point, just not now - I wasn't quite happy with the current form and functionality. Last week's New Yorker has an article about the Kindle that is very negative. Some of the complaints the author has ("Text is greenish grey") seem rather petty, but even after filtering those out, it crystallized my discomfort with the Kindle.
The best part of the Kindle, I have always felt, is the wireless connection that is always available and for which there is no explicit fee. This wireless connection is enabled by Qualcomm and that of course has an added appeal. In fact this model is considered so revolutionary, that it has coined a new term in the industry - "Kindlize," which is basically to add seamless wireless connectivity to a device and not have the owner pay a recurring service fee. And there are the usual pros about e-books: can have a whole library with you, reading a big book doesn't come with the challenge of holding up 4 lbs of paper, etc.
But, I dislike the Kindle - sometimes with a visceral intensity. It is in some ways a most cynical expression of locking the owner into a closed system under the pretense of freeing them from the shackles of traditional books. The Kindle uses a proprietary format for its books that can only be read on the Kindle - there is an open format, but Amazon decided against that. Until the DX, they didn't support PDF either. The books you buy for the Kindle, can only be read on your Kindle (or your iPod) - you cannot lend them out, cannot give it away, cannot donate it to a library after you are done, cannot resell it. One of the joys of books and reading for me is to share the experience - talk about the book and allow somebody else to enjoy it by loaning them the book. You cannot do that with a Kindle book. This is not just about borrowing books from your friends. Think about it - you have all your books locked in your Kindle - what is the trigger for your spouse, your kid, to pick up a book from the shelf or the nightstand and start perusing it, perhaps reading it all the way through? How often has it happened that you are at a friend's house and notice a book lying around and it piques your interest? Or maybe you notice what somebody traveling with you is reading? Recently P&V announced that they were going to get a Kindle for S. I wonder - how will little s be able to pick up and read a book that her older sister is reading? In fact, how will she even know what book is being read?
Even economists ("Freakonomics") have made a case for the value (in terms of positive impact on the kids) of just having books in the house. Where goes that value when all your books are trapped in a little plastic box that makes every book look the same?
The Kindle does many other things to destroy the reading experience, but they are common to e-books in general. Page numbers have no meaning, the physical feel and heft of the book are lost (I often picture the actual book in my head when I think about a favorite book - what happens with an e-book?), but I know these are aspects that will cease to have much importance over a period of time.
RD announced recently without an hint of irony that the new Kindle almost made him want to read a book. I do see the value in e-books and maybe there will be some future incarnation in which the pros will outweigh the cons. The Kindle is not that.
The best part of the Kindle, I have always felt, is the wireless connection that is always available and for which there is no explicit fee. This wireless connection is enabled by Qualcomm and that of course has an added appeal. In fact this model is considered so revolutionary, that it has coined a new term in the industry - "Kindlize," which is basically to add seamless wireless connectivity to a device and not have the owner pay a recurring service fee. And there are the usual pros about e-books: can have a whole library with you, reading a big book doesn't come with the challenge of holding up 4 lbs of paper, etc.
But, I dislike the Kindle - sometimes with a visceral intensity. It is in some ways a most cynical expression of locking the owner into a closed system under the pretense of freeing them from the shackles of traditional books. The Kindle uses a proprietary format for its books that can only be read on the Kindle - there is an open format, but Amazon decided against that. Until the DX, they didn't support PDF either. The books you buy for the Kindle, can only be read on your Kindle (or your iPod) - you cannot lend them out, cannot give it away, cannot donate it to a library after you are done, cannot resell it. One of the joys of books and reading for me is to share the experience - talk about the book and allow somebody else to enjoy it by loaning them the book. You cannot do that with a Kindle book. This is not just about borrowing books from your friends. Think about it - you have all your books locked in your Kindle - what is the trigger for your spouse, your kid, to pick up a book from the shelf or the nightstand and start perusing it, perhaps reading it all the way through? How often has it happened that you are at a friend's house and notice a book lying around and it piques your interest? Or maybe you notice what somebody traveling with you is reading? Recently P&V announced that they were going to get a Kindle for S. I wonder - how will little s be able to pick up and read a book that her older sister is reading? In fact, how will she even know what book is being read?
Even economists ("Freakonomics") have made a case for the value (in terms of positive impact on the kids) of just having books in the house. Where goes that value when all your books are trapped in a little plastic box that makes every book look the same?
The Kindle does many other things to destroy the reading experience, but they are common to e-books in general. Page numbers have no meaning, the physical feel and heft of the book are lost (I often picture the actual book in my head when I think about a favorite book - what happens with an e-book?), but I know these are aspects that will cease to have much importance over a period of time.
RD announced recently without an hint of irony that the new Kindle almost made him want to read a book. I do see the value in e-books and maybe there will be some future incarnation in which the pros will outweigh the cons. The Kindle is not that.
Abhi Makes Progress
It has been a while since I blogged and it is not for want of things to write about - time has been in short supply. Anyway, I am going to try and get a couple of things out quickly.
Abhi recently achieved a significant milestone - he is riding his bike without training wheels! The purchase of a bigger bike (20") for Arjun seemed to be the trigger and he put aside his hesitation and got it down in a couple of sessions in our local park. Now he is eager to go riding everyday and most evenings both Arjun and Abhi ride to and from our park. It is possible the recently concluded Tour De France had some influence as well. All of us (yes, including Malini) watched each day's race with great interest and the boys absorbed a lot from the coverage and commentary. Just before he managed to ride without his training wheels Abhi would ask if he could ride in the TDF once he learnt to ride. He took to calling himself 'Alberto Contador' and would only respond to that name, but only while he was on the bike. As they ride around in our cul-de-sac, Arjun keeps a constant running commentary going about an imaginary bike race in which he is involved.
Arjun likes Boost in his milk and we ran out last week. So I mixed in some Horlicks for both of them and after some reluctance they both drank it up. When I asked how it was, both replied "good." I was eager to press it home (since we have about 3 kgs of that stuff accumulated), so I asked if they would have it every time with their milk. No response. Arjun was watching a show, so that was understandable - it typically takes a 6.4 earthquake to break his TV focus. I asked again. This time Abhi gives me a considering look and replies, "It is good, but not that good."
One of my pet beefs is the amount of toys all our kids have. This abundance and variety of toys stymies their natural imagination. Notice how much fun kids will have with a cardboard box and some foam pieces if that is all they have to play with. Giving kids a whole bunch of toys has basically the same effect as sticking them in front of Cartoon Network all day long. We pretty much stopped buying toys for the boys about 3 years ago. It doesn't really seem to bother them - they play just fine with the ones they have and often create new games from whatever is around. A recent example is "TT Golf." This consists of a fly swatter (the club), a sketch pen (the tee), and a TT ball. It is rather fun and safe to play indoors - you should try it sometime.
Abhi recently achieved a significant milestone - he is riding his bike without training wheels! The purchase of a bigger bike (20") for Arjun seemed to be the trigger and he put aside his hesitation and got it down in a couple of sessions in our local park. Now he is eager to go riding everyday and most evenings both Arjun and Abhi ride to and from our park. It is possible the recently concluded Tour De France had some influence as well. All of us (yes, including Malini) watched each day's race with great interest and the boys absorbed a lot from the coverage and commentary. Just before he managed to ride without his training wheels Abhi would ask if he could ride in the TDF once he learnt to ride. He took to calling himself 'Alberto Contador' and would only respond to that name, but only while he was on the bike. As they ride around in our cul-de-sac, Arjun keeps a constant running commentary going about an imaginary bike race in which he is involved.
Arjun likes Boost in his milk and we ran out last week. So I mixed in some Horlicks for both of them and after some reluctance they both drank it up. When I asked how it was, both replied "good." I was eager to press it home (since we have about 3 kgs of that stuff accumulated), so I asked if they would have it every time with their milk. No response. Arjun was watching a show, so that was understandable - it typically takes a 6.4 earthquake to break his TV focus. I asked again. This time Abhi gives me a considering look and replies, "It is good, but not that good."
One of my pet beefs is the amount of toys all our kids have. This abundance and variety of toys stymies their natural imagination. Notice how much fun kids will have with a cardboard box and some foam pieces if that is all they have to play with. Giving kids a whole bunch of toys has basically the same effect as sticking them in front of Cartoon Network all day long. We pretty much stopped buying toys for the boys about 3 years ago. It doesn't really seem to bother them - they play just fine with the ones they have and often create new games from whatever is around. A recent example is "TT Golf." This consists of a fly swatter (the club), a sketch pen (the tee), and a TT ball. It is rather fun and safe to play indoors - you should try it sometime.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Simple Matters
Another July weekend and another birthday celebrated, this time mine (next week will be my father's turn). 
The minor twist on the birthday meal was Malini asking me to come home for lunch on Friday and she had prepared an elaborate Kerala style meal with lots of my favourite dishes. The coup de gras was the jackfruit jam 'payasam.' I ate rather well and it was a struggle to dig myself off the couch to return to work. To complete the Kerala touch, Malini had served the lunch on banana leaves. As she was getting the leaves ready, Arjun inquired why she was going to use leaves.
Malini: "That's how we used to eat in Kerala for special occasions."
Arjun: "Why? Didn't they have plates?"
Seeing them struggle to eat rice with their hands I was struck by how different their upbringing is in some of these details.
Malini has been having a dry cough for more than a week now and it seems to ebb and flow. Tonight as she was putting the boys to sleep, she broke out into a prolonged coughing fit. Arjun was concerned and suggested "Amma, you should go to the doctor." Abhi was equally concerned, but for a slightly different reason: "Then who will put us to sleep?"
The minor twist on the birthday meal was Malini asking me to come home for lunch on Friday and she had prepared an elaborate Kerala style meal with lots of my favourite dishes. The coup de gras was the jackfruit jam 'payasam.' I ate rather well and it was a struggle to dig myself off the couch to return to work. To complete the Kerala touch, Malini had served the lunch on banana leaves. As she was getting the leaves ready, Arjun inquired why she was going to use leaves. Malini: "That's how we used to eat in Kerala for special occasions."
Arjun: "Why? Didn't they have plates?"
Seeing them struggle to eat rice with their hands I was struck by how different their upbringing is in some of these details.
Malini has been having a dry cough for more than a week now and it seems to ebb and flow. Tonight as she was putting the boys to sleep, she broke out into a prolonged coughing fit. Arjun was concerned and suggested "Amma, you should go to the doctor." Abhi was equally concerned, but for a slightly different reason: "Then who will put us to sleep?"
Monday, July 6, 2009
A Sporting Weekend
The July 4th weekend turned out to be a rather good weekend for people interested in watching sports. Friday was uneventful in that regard although there was a spirited discussion about death and sports at the Jothi residence during a potluck dinner gathering (deserves its own blog). Saturday morning I headed out early to take part in a 10k run, part of which was around Miramar lake. I hadn't run this distance in some time and while I was confident about finishing, I did a conservative pace most of the way to ensure that I could finish strongly. Eventually I managed to come in just under my usual 9-minute pace. July 4th was also Day 1 of the Tour de France and the race was once again interesting with the return of Lance Armstrong. With Armstrong in retirement after winning his 7th Tour, I didn't follow the race much the last 3 years, especially after the Floyd Landis (a San Diego guy, btw) doping scandal. Last year a whole bunch of riders got thrown out during the race and it was a big turn-off. Of course a big factor is that the only time I pay attention to professional cycling is during the Tour (or 'Le Tour' as the French call it) and without familiar faces/names in the race, it is not very interesting. For those who don't follow cycling, multi-stage races like the Tour de France are very much a team event. There is a lot of strategy involved and typically all the riders on a team (usually about 9-10) work towards getting a victory for the presumed leader of the team. This automatically means that even before the race starts there are probably only about 10-12 people who would even contend for the overall prize. They do give out a number of other awards such as the best sprinter, climber, rookie, time trial, etc. The overall leader of course has the privilege of donning the yellow jersey, but each of the other categories also have designated jersies of their own. Armstrong used to ride for the US Postal Service team, which was disbanded soon after his retirement. Now he rides for Team Astana, which has at least two other contenders for the overall prize - Alberto Contador (Spain)and Levi Leipheimer (USA). This has made for some controversy - Astana is the overwhelming favorite for strongest team, but who is the leader of the team?
July 4th is also Malini's BD and this one was a bit of a milestone. I caught some flak from Vanitha for not having done anything special to mark the day. She even showed up with some rice dish sample for Malini. Being July 4th there are lots of fireworks to watch, but this year I wanted to catch the one in the SD bay. Trying to account for traffic and parking, the Murthys and us left around 4.30pm and drove to Harbor Island. Parking turned out to be not a problem. Prem & family showed up later after picking up dinner and a cake for Malini. Arjun, Abhi,Bhavana, and Pallavi were riding their scooters up and down the board walk pretty much the whole time. It was a beautiful evening, although it got a bit chilly once the sun went down. As darkness fell, Malini cut her BD cake (to some Nadaswaram music from Prem's iphone) and we were ready for the fireworks. It was quite a show, although I couldn't fully enjoy it focused as I was on trying to take pictures!
Sunday morning brought stage 2 of the Tour, but more thrillingly, the Wimbeldon men's final. It was an appropriate game for a grand moment - Federer going for his 15th grand slam with all the greats of recent years - Sampras, Borg, Laver, etc looking on. Roddick gave it a good fight - I was really hoping he would win, but in the end Federer prevailed.
After this came the final round of the AT&T Congressional golf tournament. In the final pairing were Tiger Woods and Anthony Kim. Kim is considered the next challenger to Tiger's throne and was the winner of this event in 2008. The course was playing difficult and it was engrossing to watch Woods think his way around the course and finally win the tournament by one stroke.
What made watching these events more fun was the interest both Abhi and Arjun showed. Arjun has always been interested in watching sports (especially golf & football), but both of them were clearly enthralled by the cycling - perhaps it is the one thing they can also do and hence is much more accessible to them. I am looking forward to the remaining 16 stages of the race!
July 4th is also Malini's BD and this one was a bit of a milestone. I caught some flak from Vanitha for not having done anything special to mark the day. She even showed up with some rice dish sample for Malini. Being July 4th there are lots of fireworks to watch, but this year I wanted to catch the one in the SD bay. Trying to account for traffic and parking, the Murthys and us left around 4.30pm and drove to Harbor Island. Parking turned out to be not a problem. Prem & family showed up later after picking up dinner and a cake for Malini. Arjun, Abhi,Bhavana, and Pallavi were riding their scooters up and down the board walk pretty much the whole time. It was a beautiful evening, although it got a bit chilly once the sun went down. As darkness fell, Malini cut her BD cake (to some Nadaswaram music from Prem's iphone) and we were ready for the fireworks. It was quite a show, although I couldn't fully enjoy it focused as I was on trying to take pictures!
Sunday morning brought stage 2 of the Tour, but more thrillingly, the Wimbeldon men's final. It was an appropriate game for a grand moment - Federer going for his 15th grand slam with all the greats of recent years - Sampras, Borg, Laver, etc looking on. Roddick gave it a good fight - I was really hoping he would win, but in the end Federer prevailed.
After this came the final round of the AT&T Congressional golf tournament. In the final pairing were Tiger Woods and Anthony Kim. Kim is considered the next challenger to Tiger's throne and was the winner of this event in 2008. The course was playing difficult and it was engrossing to watch Woods think his way around the course and finally win the tournament by one stroke.
What made watching these events more fun was the interest both Abhi and Arjun showed. Arjun has always been interested in watching sports (especially golf & football), but both of them were clearly enthralled by the cycling - perhaps it is the one thing they can also do and hence is much more accessible to them. I am looking forward to the remaining 16 stages of the race!
Friday, June 26, 2009
A Fleeting Life
6-year old Arjun to Malini: "Amma, what happens when somebody dies?"
Malini: "They go back to God."
Arjun (after mulling over it): "When does he send them back?"
Malini: "He doesn't. He keeps them with him."
Arjun (in tears now): "No! He doesn't keep them! They'll come back!"
How do you respond to that? All Malini could do was to try and calm him down with some platitudes.
When I heard the above exchange, my immediate thought was that at least in this respect Arjun takes after me. Malini was a bit startled hearing this, but matters of aging and death have always bothered me - even as a kid. Very early I sensed the transitory nature of life and this used to affect me greatly. My sister and I grew up in various cities outside Kerala, but would visit most summers. Those were carefree days and I would look forward to spending days and days playing with cousins and other kids in the village. Then one summer everything was different: the same games that had so fascinated us just a year ago seemed juvenile and uninteresting. The kids I used to play with, all seemed to have other interests and didn't care much to hang out with this once-a-year visitor. One of my favorite cousins was several years older than me and I could sense the distance that developed as she reached 'marriageable age.' I can still recall the sense of betrayal I felt when I learnt that she had been secretly seeing somebody. I realize now that I was being selfish and should have been supporting her instead of being upset. Not that my support would have counted for much - her family opposed that marriage and she eventually married somebody else. Her story is one of life's unexplained tragedies - she is bright, goodlooking, loving, and with nary a character fault, but the thwarted marriage was only the start of her miseries. They continue even today.
For several years after Malini and I were married, I was ambivalent about having kids. Sure, I enjoyed playing with children and I could charm almost every child I met, but was I prepared for all the non-fun stuff? I had a clear-eyed view of what having children meant and was not convinced that I was up for it. There was always pressure from parents and relatives of course, but I could resist that. Then my BIL gave me a reason that resonated with me: Its through our kids that we renew ourselves. Suddenly I found a way to deal with my always-present undertow of melancholy over the changes that time wroughts.
And that is what happens now: As I watch Arjun and Abhi do their antics and enjoying life, my worries about the passage of time fade to the background. Of course they never really go away - Attending Arjun's kindergarten graduation, I had to fight my thoughts about how he was changing and would soon be ready to fly the coop. Malini sometimes tells the boys, "I just want you to stay like this and never grow up." A sentiment expressed by and shared by many a parent, for sure. At such times, I keep silent - I know exactly how she feels, but the pragmatist in me refuses to give voice to such thoughts.
Much has been made of the 'power of now' (something our yoga master Sashi often alludes to), but there really is no better way to live life. Of course, this is easier said than done.
Malini: "They go back to God."
Arjun (after mulling over it): "When does he send them back?"
Malini: "He doesn't. He keeps them with him."
Arjun (in tears now): "No! He doesn't keep them! They'll come back!"
How do you respond to that? All Malini could do was to try and calm him down with some platitudes.
When I heard the above exchange, my immediate thought was that at least in this respect Arjun takes after me. Malini was a bit startled hearing this, but matters of aging and death have always bothered me - even as a kid. Very early I sensed the transitory nature of life and this used to affect me greatly. My sister and I grew up in various cities outside Kerala, but would visit most summers. Those were carefree days and I would look forward to spending days and days playing with cousins and other kids in the village. Then one summer everything was different: the same games that had so fascinated us just a year ago seemed juvenile and uninteresting. The kids I used to play with, all seemed to have other interests and didn't care much to hang out with this once-a-year visitor. One of my favorite cousins was several years older than me and I could sense the distance that developed as she reached 'marriageable age.' I can still recall the sense of betrayal I felt when I learnt that she had been secretly seeing somebody. I realize now that I was being selfish and should have been supporting her instead of being upset. Not that my support would have counted for much - her family opposed that marriage and she eventually married somebody else. Her story is one of life's unexplained tragedies - she is bright, goodlooking, loving, and with nary a character fault, but the thwarted marriage was only the start of her miseries. They continue even today.
For several years after Malini and I were married, I was ambivalent about having kids. Sure, I enjoyed playing with children and I could charm almost every child I met, but was I prepared for all the non-fun stuff? I had a clear-eyed view of what having children meant and was not convinced that I was up for it. There was always pressure from parents and relatives of course, but I could resist that. Then my BIL gave me a reason that resonated with me: Its through our kids that we renew ourselves. Suddenly I found a way to deal with my always-present undertow of melancholy over the changes that time wroughts.
And that is what happens now: As I watch Arjun and Abhi do their antics and enjoying life, my worries about the passage of time fade to the background. Of course they never really go away - Attending Arjun's kindergarten graduation, I had to fight my thoughts about how he was changing and would soon be ready to fly the coop. Malini sometimes tells the boys, "I just want you to stay like this and never grow up." A sentiment expressed by and shared by many a parent, for sure. At such times, I keep silent - I know exactly how she feels, but the pragmatist in me refuses to give voice to such thoughts.
Much has been made of the 'power of now' (something our yoga master Sashi often alludes to), but there really is no better way to live life. Of course, this is easier said than done.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
A Few Obama Musings
Obama continues to be in the limelight - at this point in their presidency the shine had faded from both Clinton and Bush Jr, especially so with W, given his dubious assumption of the presidency. A few thoughts on some recent events:
Date Night seems almost a case of hubris. Surely there was a lower key way of taking his wife on a date to NYC? How about doing it when you are already in NY for some official event? He must be going there often enough what with the UN headquarters being there.
A little reported study is about the media's fascination with Obama. Sure, we have the rabid right wing that is willing to throw the man under a bus for anything that he says or does, but that limits their credibility severely. Sure, we should expect the media (& us the public) to view Obama differently given the historical context (both in his personal self as well as the state of the economy and world politics). But I tend to agree with the results of the above study that the main stream media is not being sufficiently objective.
The most recent splash is of course the speech at Cairo University. Given the occasion, the setting, and the person delivering it, it was bound to succeed on a oratorical level and it did. However, I wonder what difference it is likely to make? Yes, the elevation of the Palestinian cause to the same level as the Israeli one was noteworthy, but the call for a "new beginning" had me mostly yawning. There is a lot of symbolism in calling for democracy when you are being hosted by Hosni Mubarak, who heads one of the many 'quasi' democratic regimes in the region, but substantively what impact will such a call have? Of course, the big difference is in the person making the call - Obama with his muslim and African heritage has so much good will around the world that local politicians are forced to at least take him seriously. His repudiation of Bush-era rhetoric and policies cannot hurt either. I can only hope that this capital that Obama has today will be expended in a productive way.
Date Night seems almost a case of hubris. Surely there was a lower key way of taking his wife on a date to NYC? How about doing it when you are already in NY for some official event? He must be going there often enough what with the UN headquarters being there.
A little reported study is about the media's fascination with Obama. Sure, we have the rabid right wing that is willing to throw the man under a bus for anything that he says or does, but that limits their credibility severely. Sure, we should expect the media (& us the public) to view Obama differently given the historical context (both in his personal self as well as the state of the economy and world politics). But I tend to agree with the results of the above study that the main stream media is not being sufficiently objective.
The most recent splash is of course the speech at Cairo University. Given the occasion, the setting, and the person delivering it, it was bound to succeed on a oratorical level and it did. However, I wonder what difference it is likely to make? Yes, the elevation of the Palestinian cause to the same level as the Israeli one was noteworthy, but the call for a "new beginning" had me mostly yawning. There is a lot of symbolism in calling for democracy when you are being hosted by Hosni Mubarak, who heads one of the many 'quasi' democratic regimes in the region, but substantively what impact will such a call have? Of course, the big difference is in the person making the call - Obama with his muslim and African heritage has so much good will around the world that local politicians are forced to at least take him seriously. His repudiation of Bush-era rhetoric and policies cannot hurt either. I can only hope that this capital that Obama has today will be expended in a productive way.
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