Book Review: 'The Dalai Lama's Cat' by David Michie

There are very few books one reads with absolutely not a single negative remark to say. This book is a delightful read and I am honoured to present a book review of it on my blog. It is for books like these that the purpose of a book reviewer truly exists - to tell you that this is a good book and you should read it. But lets not only make this me talking and you believing. I'd like to think that the audience of my blog is a smart independent one that thinks for itself and ascertains itself as it what is worthwhile and what is it not. So here why in my opinion I rate this book a flashing 5/5 stars -

The book's story although fictional is one hundred percent plausible and infact in many situations deals with problems that all normal human beings deal with - ego, anger, gluttony, low confidence, etc. Yes the book places Buddhism and Spirituality at a higher pedestal and makes it the first and foremost solution to all these problems - so if your not into spirituality this book is certainly NOT for you.
The book is quite literally exactly what the title suggests. The story of the Dalai Lama's cat. The most unique and never-before-seen feature that I as a reader witnessed was that the story is presented FROM THE CAT'S POINT OF VEIW. Yes! The entire Narrative is that of the cat's! There are passages in between where humans (often famous humans) take over but it is mostly the words and thoughts of the cat. Now I have always been a dog person and have a more or less stern dislike for cats since the 5th grade, but this book never made me feel repulsive to this feline even when it spat out furballs. That's the other catch. I'm the kind of reader who appreciates good writing. I do appreciate a good story but the way its presented scores points with me too. This book is deliciously written. I say 'deliciously' not because of the hundreds of food descriptions that are indeed gastronomically delightful as our little Snow Lion or HHC (His Holiness' cat) as she is addressed as is a big fat glutton! But because the author has indeed taken time to edit his manuscript with the choicest words to express articulately what he wishes to convey. This rare talent in today's fast pace world makes you admire and literally get lost along the pages as you grow reading this wonderful book. From accurate descriptions of the behaviour of how his holiness behaves with his guests to breath taking descriptions of Mcleodganj from a feline's eye situated at the highest point of Namgyal Monastery, this book is a light, humourous, spiritually enlightening read that makes you introspect and feel alive. I would suggest all who are interested to pick it up and not look back. Oh and keep your pencil ready because in all likelihood you'll definitely be doing some underlining :)

Although I do caution you it starts rather slowly and takes the first few chapters to get gripping, but once your hooked - There's no turning back! Just sit back and enjoy the show :D

A Stern Confession

Written for PACH 13 by Anirudh Vasdev
28/12/2013

It's true, I'm damaged.
I was pure once. I knew love all too well but not any longer,
Now I have issues; I have baggage,
but the pain has made me grow and made me stronger.

Too much has changed and I understand what it means to grow up,
It's a lot more 'Good Mornings' and a lot less 'Wassup',
It's a lot more difficult and a lot less easy,
you feel the ride with its highs and lows - its a lot less breezy.

Innocence is replaced because of experience,
envisioning a dream and realizing it are two very different things,
you change, you understand and often become more obedient,
you have to adapt - you realize 'Thats Life!' and resistance stings.

Life was never complicated, on the contrary its brutally simple,
choices have to be made as both 'black' and 'white' intermingle,
these choices come at a cost and that cost is what affects us,
It questions, it confuses, it irritates, suddenly the game's calculative - minus or plus?

But the golden rule of life is that there's no going back,
and if you desire to return; its strength you lack,
Nostalgia and retrospect have a very limited shelf-life,
'Let it go' is what your told but once scared you always fear the knife.

In such times there is one great quality we posses that never fails to delight,
the ability to suprise yourself,
Transgression, taking an unexpected turn can lead to witnessing a lovely sight!
like finding an old photograph while dusting the top shelf.

Life is long; longer than you and I know,
So listen to Lenka's words when she says 'Just enjoy the show',
Being compassionate and true give peace and courage to push further,
Its not always a fairytale but neither is it 'The Sorrows of Young Werther!'

In friendship we find tremendous good feel,
In family we find support and nurturing,
we share laughs with the ones we love over a hearty meal,
with religion; in god, we feel our soul merging.

There are moments that make you feel divine,
there are moments that simply take your breath away,
there are moments you find yourself in good company sipping sparkling wine!
and your body gradually begins to sway . . .

When I was little, we'd first be inspired then work, but now the deadline is the greatest inspiration,
rather than success - the fear of failure is the force of motivation,
although then I was a child now I am worldly wise,
and honestly I'm a better man for the job in my own eyes :)


__________________________________________________________

Heightened Exuberance

Blessed with youth, energy and vibrance,
free to run, unrestrained and without guidance,
a soul with strength and passion; an empty mind with low will power,
laziness mixed with honour growing more numb with each passing hour.

a deep question, a lost cause of reality,
an illusion of greatness, an imagined sense of purpose followed by a miscalculated state of affairs,
loneliness, obsession, escapism, overwhelmed abnormality,
life is made to slow down like looking into a mirror and being forced to stare.

in betweenness follows complications,
negativity is short lived,
understanding is weak based on a flutter of emotions,
only positivity makes me 'Dare to be Free'

The mundane routineness follows an active alert curiosity,
a decadence of images with subtle animosity,
self reasoning accompanied with self doubt,
a thrill to hit without hurting upon seeing her pout.

Raw, so crazy raw from within despite the consistency for correct cooking,
like a simultaneous organised brainwashing when your not looking,
It is isolation and I do blame you !
I blame all who fed me the illusion even though they knew it wasn't true!

Beauty is presupposed by need,
not greed,
patience is a virtue,
not speed.

The pain mixes with the tranquility to form an unusual chasm,
the images float starting the process again,
exhaustion and hunger, peace and power, overrated expense causing a spasm,
'Grow up boy! This is the world of men!'

Orders sparkle with intent and rebellion,
a sense to defy is omnipresent,
gripped with fear; 'Forward March Batallion!'
all face the consequences whether Patriarch or peasant.

Time will pass by, this will all fade,
no matter how hard you worked, no matter what you made,
but the results are your own truth, the truth YOU cannot run away from,
You still live here, in this quiet compact dorm.

Putting pen to Paper - letting thoughts flow :)

"Its all so new and unheard of! Its like being born again at 22!"

At first when I came here I thought, "So its London .. Been there so many times before. Shouldn't be sooo much of a change right?" .. Well I was in for a treat alright. It all started with having my first glass of water. Now I've been here before, I've been to Singapore where the similar practice is undertaken but I'm still from a country where we dont directly consume tap water! I mean who does that?! Apparently EVERYONE here.

Then came the rules of the road. So your walking down the road say .. and you realize you need to cross the street and so it begins - the planning in your head of how to cross, look for an opening between the zooping cars without killing yourself right? Yeah; No. Not here at least. Maybe in Central London you'll find some of those rude drivers but definitely not here. You wanna feel like a Queen? Take a walk on any road side and simply stand at a crossing. Any car and believe me when I say ANY car coming at no matter what speed will come to a dead stop as soon as your foot's forefinger's nail touches the road.

This is getting a little boring .. I'm just gonna convert this into a poem ..

They drink tap water and park in squares,
The unpredictable weather always confuses you to wear a light shirt or layers,
The traffic and the people are all too polite,
They'll stop at the red lights even when there's no one in sight!

Laws are followed and balance is maintained,
The best quality of stuff is available here - right from Barley to Sugarcane,
We have sabzi mandi, they have Tescos and Azda,
their poor is our well-fed, their Maruti is our Mazda!

'English' - the word itself has so many different connotations now,
It could mean cold, diplomatic, clever, bland, historical, or make you wanna take a bow,
It is shit expensive though and highly overrated I tell you,
London has a vibe but its dead after 3, you have to walk crazy distances just to use a loo.

A storm will make news headlines if 3 trees fall and a handful die,
roads will be closed, trains will have bus diversions, delays will make you go *sigh*,
They're very efficient sometimes but are usually so lazy,
laid back, by the book attitude, boring and unrefreshed, like the climate - drab and hazy.

The Sun here teases you and teases you alone,
It wont come like a good friend for lunch to stay,
It'll come like a high school Principal for a cordial visit and then run away.
It'll be days before you see its light brightly shone!

Thankfully, they're not many insects here, just a few spiders and small fellas,
they'll show up every now and then just to remind you how you sound when you yella!
But the food though is horribly bland,
its like eating beach sand :S

The good thing is that things usually work,
fast internet, constant power, hot water, the system supports you to push forward,
around public offices you need not lurk,
Oh and for those who are fans, here its called 'Yogurt' not 'Curd'. 

The river is sublime in some areas and the long intertwined roads are a sight to behold,
Breakfast at Riverside Cafe, lunch at 'Foxes n Hounds', The Holiday Inn, The Boatyard Tavern,
The colourful leaves spring forth in autumn from Tress with small green molds,
the birds here are as if indifferent to us! They're just not scared! and it doesn't seem like they'll learn.

I think I'll stop now ... little sleepy .. plus its like 2:30 AM. Unless I'm still operating on Indian Standard Time, I should sleep if I know whats good for me.

Farewell.

Little Dandelion

Inspired by Audioslave's song 'Dandelion' 

There it lay, swaying politely under the sun,

Sinfree with glee, delicate like a flea,

Here I sit, writing this from London,

Happy to be here, but more so just happy to be! 

It's a quiet night with the road ahead lit up,

The silence is comforting, the cold is a fuck up,

Sometimes it's just nice to sit back and sip wine,

Especially when it's not mine ;) 

Yeah, I'll admit I drank your wine and ate your food,

Why do you think I'm in such a joyful mood !

Just like this little Dandelion I sway carefree,

Happy to be here; but more so just happy to be :) 

She sits in the garden lost in thought,

He rolls with his friends planning for cinema,

That one stands all alone, in his own world caught,

Oh did I tell you? My flatmate's name is Emeka. 

The romantic flavor of the air is fully engrossing and beautiful to be in,

The blowing wind freezes you from the outside but blesses you from within,

To ignore this magnificence and be lost in your problems is as much a sin!

As making a worthy horse purposely lose when you know he was born to win. 

Free verse ... Is such a boon, 

Can you imagine if I had to follow rules while writing this?

Rather than express myself freely, I'd be some disciplined goon,

I'd be adhering to grammar instead of being educated by bliss.

Its nice sometimes to just sit and feel,
like an Apple - complete, not like an Orange that needs to be pealed.
the song continues, the music makes you sway,
One can only sit back and wonder 'Ah! What a beautiful day!'

The food grows cold, the leaves grow still,
the berry mix is a beat, just like the movie 'Kill bill',
The blonde guitar, the perfunctory report,
the detailed analysis, the scared fort.

The endless story, the ring composition,
the disappointment in the longing eyes; The intermission.
the rolled up underwear, the sparkling sea,
I'm just happy to be here; just happy to be.

Beatbox thunder, drunk girls, pizza delivery and smoking,
abuses on your face disguised under the label of 'I was only joking!',
the never ending stench of responsibility, room freshner please!
Laundary, cooking, bank account, payment of fees!

This is a new way of living, unjust but free,
fuck it up - your fault, make it - your degree!
What you see is what you get; no hanky-panky,

I miss PACH yaar, and especially you Shanky!

We escape everyday to return to our reality,

I was once lost but now I'm profound, 

you have to accept your nature; cultivate humanity,

the automatic lights, the foxes at night, the leaf-blower mornings, 

accompanied by a plethora of unfamiliar sound.

The Water in a Smrinoff bottle, (the tap water mind you), 

the anti-bacterial spray, the 'You're holding the sponge wrong!' while cleaning the loo,

the unfamiliar plug points, the longing for home,

the fireworks on the wrong nights, the chanting of 'Aum'. 

The Dandelion still sways, 

yet the breeze is no more,

what a comfort it finds in just being,

while we all are still sore. 

'Teach me your wisdom!' I cried in admiration, 

'There is no wisdom' came the answer; 'Just unlearn everything you know!' 

So I sat with him a while shaking his hand,

Feeling so ... ? ... Feeling so. 

But I aint no Dandelion, I am human so I returned. 

Sharing my discovery with you, sharing what I learned. 

'Just be!' was his message, 'don't BE this or BE that!' 

such a simple message, such glee, such a pretty thing to look at.

THE BENCH

By Anirudh Vasdev 
(7th October, 2013)

I am seated for you to sit on me,

wood, metal, paint and glue,

we were all united solely for you!

Our union - my purpose - to comfort you I wait, can't you see?

The polite tree waves to me everyday,

but I have my heart on another,

the slim and tall street-lamp is the light of my life,

but I treat him like a little brother.

The cement on which I stand is cold and unfriendly,

the soft grass tugs gently at my feet,

O! A stranger! I am graced with company!

*Cough* *Cough*, he smokes, *cough*, not such a joyous meet.

Whew! He's gone and I'm reunited with my silent scenery,

We are stagnant on the surface but inside lies bursting energy,

riveling with excitement, mood, flavour and sense in perfect symmetry,

yet we seem as expressionless as Keira Knightley.

I am an ant's breakfast, the Magpie's relief,

the homeless' bed, the fox's roof,

the Christian's faith, an occults belief,

and a familiar space for the aloof.

Yet you'll find me here, day in and day out,

without fear, without worry, without doubt,

this is my spot for better or worse,

It is my gift, it is my curse.

I enjoy the bustling busy mornings,

I introspect on the lonely nights,

I offer support to all whether dawn or dusk,

and have been witness to a few drunken fights.

You, young man, who step into my sockets,

Its getting cold, I urge you to head in,

put the pen away and warm your hand in your pocket,

there's a thin layer of ice developing on the dustbin.

Go and rest son, I'll be here tmrw too!

Thank you for your words, I found a friend in you.

Sleep now child, the party has begun elsewhere,

I see 4 coming towards me - dark, tall, young and one fair.

With a cold hand and a warm heart,

I take your leave;

Farewell.  

 The Bench at Seething Wells; The muse of this poem.

Meeting The Vice-President of India

Meeting the Vice-President of India Hon'ble Shri M. Hamid Ansari and Presenting him with the books - 'Of Ghosts, Wizards and Other Fantasies' and 'Essence of Spiritual Wisdom' at his residence on 23rd Spetember, 2014.