Dosa Calling - Four Stars!

After a rather tiring sponsor trip yesterday this board that said DC caught our eye. M, N & me that is. We enter inside and செம சாம்பார் வாசனை pulls us in. Nice menu they have. Ranging from paper roast to Mayo Schezwan Dosa a whole array of innovative  Dosa varieties adorn the menu card. The menu book, rather. RED is splashed all over the place and the decor is, how do i put it... Funky: a bit too much for a dosa joint. And hell it reminds you of Coffee Day what with the speech bubbles and all. Apart from Dosas and Idlys and  Oothappams and Aapams they've added on phulkas and naans as well. The chaat menu is pretty long and is full of new stuff like "Murukku Sandwich" (Wonder how it would taste). Affordability of the place is a crowd puller. There's an Ice Cream Shack inside. And YES they have Ice Cream Dosa! [can't wait to taste that one, though the idea makes my teeth tingle]. P said it might taste like a crepe. [really?] I loved the ambience, would say it's the ideal place to go to with 1. Family, 2. Friends, 3. Special People. or even alone.
Likes:
Sambhaar , Chutney, Student - Friendly prices
Decor, Music, Ice Cream Shack
Not - So - Likes:
Why ape CCD? You guys have good food.

Fantasy/ Magical Realis in Salman Rushdie's Selected Works

The Objective of my Research Project

Salman Rushdie is known more as a Magical Realist than a Fantasy Writer. His most famous works include Midnight’s Children, The Satanic Verses and The Moor’s Last Sigh; all of them (especially Midnight’s Children) often quoted as examples for Magical Realist fiction. Apart from these novels that reveal this dark, deep, realistic and nostalgic shades of Rushdie, there are two important books written by him that are less discussed by literary critics, that reveal the rather light-hearted, witty, soulful and a truly enjoyable side of this otherwise grim writer who writes controversial novels. Often dismissed as Children’s Literature, “Haroun and the Sea of Stories” and “Luka and the Fire of Life” are two Fantasy Novels aimed at children, whose true meaning only adults can understand.

The primary objective of the project is to critically analyse these two works of Salman Rushdie from the magical realist point of view, in spite of their classification under fantastic literature. The project also aims to discuss in detail the two genres of fiction that seem to culminate in these works; Magical Realism and Fantasy. Both the genres are to be treated as two separate entities but the possibility of the two being one and the same is also to be examined; keeping in mind the very minute difference that separates them.

Is Magical Realism but a fancy name for Fantasy or a different genre altogether? If yes then what are the attributes of this unique literary genre? Why do the both of them look similar? What are the common aspects between the two? Where in the selected works under one specific genre possible? The project aims to answer these  questions as well by means of in-depth analysis of these two works and Magical Realist and Fantasy works by other authors.

This project is an attempt to clearly understand the difference between Fantasy and Magical Realism while observing works of Fantasy through the lens of Magical Realism – experimenting with both the lens and the object.

The Perfect Time To Set The Microcosm Right

The Individual – a prism that refracts; not a mirror that reflects

An Abstract

The difference between life today and life in the pre – independence period is evident. This is mainly due to the various factors like economic, medical and social development that has happened in the last sixty three years. These factors have caused what is called an ‘attitude change’.

An attitude is a ‘way of thinking’ or an opinion. The young mind forms an attitude at an early age in life, when the mind is still mouldable. The young mind learns from everyone around it. It is not like a mirror that just reflects the object in front of it. It is rather like a prism that gathers light from all three sides and scatters it brilliantly in a million ways.

The society is responsible for moulding the young mind in the right way. The individual will also have to play his part and be receptive to the changes.

How can we mould the mind in the right way?

Mahatma Gandhi gives us a simple solution. Nayi Talim. New education that involves kindling the student’s creativity, binding him to his own culture and language. Making him love his country and his motherland, creating a true intellectual out of him.

This change is a mass revolution. It needs preparation. Preparation of the Indian psyche to face change. How? Through silent and subtle change; change at the microcosmic level.

 I the individual, I the parent, I the teacher, I the society, I the media must change. Because everything is there in me. And I am a part of everything. Change happens only when everybody says ‘I must change’ ; it doesn’t happen when everyone points  a finger at someone else. Let’s listen to the Mahatma and be the change we want to see.

Srunika. K

II^nd  B.A English Literature.

Ethiraj College

Haroun and the Sea of Stories - Salman Rushdie

Not Exactly the same cover, but still... 

Long back , Almost two years ago I saw this shiny blue book that said "Haroun and the Sea of Stories" written by someone called Salman Rushdie. "hey!" I thought, " isn't this the guy that wrote something very scandalous, about Islam or something...." Yes. I belonged to the uninitiated then. Turned the book back to read the blurb, that instantly impressed me. Whoa! I had just finished the latest Harry Potter, longing for something Good to read, something warm and magical and yet not dark and Nice. After that Time just whizzed by. Finished the book in record time and loved it too! For once the blurb did tell the truth! The man is unbeatable at witticisms and wordplay! The Hindi names he'd given his characters suggested their personality traits, they don't just serve as names. But did he take into consideration his English audience too while making these up? Of course there's a glossary...

It was something I immediately fell in love with, "Abhinaya" and "Khattam - Shud" and The Valley of K and The Dull Lake and all... :) The story per se, kids would love it. It makes, easy, absorbing interesting reading; But the true meaning of what he is trying to say only adults can understand.

A LOT of allegories, one finds in the book. The Sea of Stories - The Whole Tradition of Writing (i.e) The accumulation of Writings - fiction and otherwise. The threat posed to Writing and Literature - Pollution of the Sea of Stories. Courageous Haroun defeats the Shadow of the Evil Master Khattam Shud and saves the Sea. Removing the threat of pollution forever.

After reading I realised there was so much more detail to be explained, so much to be explored, so many things you can relate to and understand and so much scope for 'reading between lines'. Thats when I decided I would work on this book if I ever have to do some Research.

Unlike his Midnight's Children there isn't this dark and suffocating feeling about this book. It feels like sitting at the beach on a cool sunny day. It's the Beach after all Haroun and Mali and Butt and Iff might spot you anytime! Feel good. Interesting. Thumbs up and Five Stars!