Seven Years in Tibet

BOOK REVIEW: Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer

My Recommendation

This is recommended for anyone and everyone who has a burning desire to achieve their goal in life, a desire that doesn't allow you peace until you are at it. The high experienced when the wait for that one spark turning to lightning is over. It is a narrative of what every adventurer can endure to realize that dream which he nurtures in his heart. A tale of strong will power and determination, the beauty of belonging and friendships is well described in the association of Heinrich and Dalai Lama. This is a literary preservation of a theocratic culture that has been eroded. As you read along, you can draw visual interpretations of every aspect of the story owing to its simple and clear style of writing.

I lay my eye on this book, years ago, purchased and stacked on the shelf. I wouldn't have picked it up anytime soon, had it not been a genuine recommendation. Soon after reading this I realized, what I had been missing for a long time in the world of non-fiction. 

The Review

Seven Years in Tibet is an engrossing and gripping tale of Austrian Mountaineer  Heinrich Harrer’s trysts with the escape from an Indian POW camp and the realization of his boyhood dream. Unlike other boys of his age, as a child he found the achievements of the heroes far more inspiring than book reading. The goal of his life was to be one of those who conquered great peaks and took the road less traveled  An amazing narration that keeps you hooked, yearning for more.  

Life takes a turn, when he receives an invitation to realize his long cherished dream of the Himalayan Expedition. The past failure of many heroes, who lost lives, did not deter the young dream to be achieved. He had his determination focused on climbing the 25000 foot mountain. The exquisite beauty of the mountains, the immense height that he climbed took him by a spell.

It was while his return, that the World War II broke out and Britain declared war with Germany. He along with his comrades were held as POW and taken to an Indian POW camp. This was in the year 1939 when India was under the British Rule. But Hein had other dreams to pursue. He refused to be taken as a captive and lead a life that may have been pleasant, because the prisoners were not ill treated, but that certainly could not devour his appetite of measuring his strength against the mountains.

He chalks out a plan to escape the POW camp and fails at his first attempt. The second attempt was more carefully etched, moves minutely planned, resources well arranged and determination at its peak. He succeeded in his endeavor, which was only the beginning of a herculean task that he had set upon. He managed to survive against all odds; the suspicion of the natives, lack of food and shelter, ill-health, rough terrains and the fear of being caught and taken back to the POW camp hovering every moment.

After nearly two years of walking when he and his associate finally entered Lhasa, the forbidden land, they had frostbite and blisters, were starved and ill. At a time, when it was impossible to inhabit a land without a pass, they were taken into shelter and a hospitable environment. The association of the then Dalai Lama and the author is a bond that makes emotions stride. He holds it very dearly and close to his heart.

Heinrich is amused by the simplicity that the Buddhist culture had to offer. He defines in great details the simple reclusive country, its friendly inhabitants that believed in the power of prayer and superstition. Tibet was a land that shunned technology and was totally cut off from the rest of the World. 

But it grieves me to think that this beautiful “Roof of the world” has been crushed and changed beyond recognition. The death of a culture that was pious and sacred to preserve the lives on earth, for they believed that more the number of lives you preserve, better the chances of re-incarnating to a higher soul. The land was secluded to an extent that its wish to live in peace and freedom won no sympathy from any nook-corner of this world, extending no help at all. All this finally forcing the culture and its people succumb to power.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Go grab it, read it and experience a new high.

With Love,

Megha S.

One $ a half wife - Meghna Pant

Book Review : One $ a half wife by Meghna Pant

Introduction

• ISBN : 9789381626481
• Price : Rs. 191
• Pages : 296
• Publisher : Westland

Unlike most Indian immigrants, Amara malhotra is not destined to achieve the American Dream. Much to the anxiety of her parents - the spirited Biji and the doting baba - Amara leads an unremarkable life. That is, until she marries a harvard - educated millionaire, Prashant Roy. However, this fairytale isn't meant to last.

About the author

A financial journalist by day and a writer by night, Meghna Pant is the editor of a business magazine. She has formerly worked as a TV anchor for NDTV Profit and Bloomberg-UTV. her short stories have been published in over a dozen literary magazines, across four countries.

My recommendation 

Meghna Pant has chosen a delicate and sensitive subject for her debut novel. Nevertheless, she has done complete justice to the subject and the narration that follows.

The story revolves around the life of a girl next door, Amara Malhotra. Born in a conservative family, the sequence of Amara's life is decided by the whims of her mother. The two big dreams that Biji places in her life are a Green Card and Amara's marriage to an 'Amreekan' guy. 

The plot begins on the mall road of Shimla in the year 1991. Biji takes Amara across SoothSayers to know what is the Almighty's wish for the man of her life. It is then that the ringneck Parrot steps out of its cage and declares that Amara shall be "A one and a half Wife". Not knowing what this shall mean and where it will lead her to, soon they get their Green card and the Malhotra family begins their journey to be Indian immigrants carving a niche for themselves in America. In the transit from India to America, they could neither ever become fully 'Amreekan' nor could they continue to be completely Indian.

Amara faces lot of hardships in adjusting to the American ways and is always overshadowed by her cousins who are immigrants in the truest sense, for they were born and brought up the American style. Light shines upon the Malhotra family when an affluent Indian immigrant's family choses Amara to be their daughter-in-law. Amara is soon wed to Prashant, the young eligible bachelor, who neither rejects nor accepts the decision of his mother for his marriage.

Amara's dreams get shattered when after a span of 6 years, Prashant declares that he is unwilling to carry the burden of a loveless marriage. Meghna Pant has beautifully captured every emotion that lie in the heart of a girl who is coping with a broken marriage, the society's humiliations and the contempt of her parents. We still live in a society that has modernized in its dressing, yet orthodox and conventional in their thoughts. A divorcee girl/woman is a curse to the family and the society she lives in. Amara is an outcast, with even her parents not willing to understand her. The pain that she undergoes and the ray of light and hope that comes in the form of Shikha Didi, another divorcee who got re-married at the age of 37, much to the scorn of the society is well described. Shikha's successful life breaks the morose silence of Amara's life and she feels she can give herself a second chance.

In the quest to create an identity for herself, Amara does everything that the MODERN INDIAN SOCIETY considers forbidden. Later, she meets a man who understands her the way she is, lets her be and values her priorities and her decisions, someone who gives her the space she deserves yet is close to her. She couldn't have asked GOD for more. 

The story's end brings in a sense of fulfillment and contentment. There is light at the end of the Tunnel. Keep Walking and yes it's true. Settle down in life for what you think is right, not because what others have to say. people have their own priorities and ways. Hold the remote control to your happiness in your hands. In the journey of life you'll meet someone who accepts you the way you are, no changes/ no updates. That is when you should settle down. They say bells start ringing when you meet the right person. Indeed it does. 

Overall Rating

4.5/5

Recommended reading for everyone who value literature and are sensitive to the needs of life.

With Love,

Megha S.

My Life Path # 3

The MOST correct prediction about me Ever!!!  I needed to preserve it..

You possess a great talent for creativity and self expression. Many writers, poets, actors and musicians are born under the 3 Life Path. Megha, you are witty, possess a gift for gab, and savor the limelight.

Your talent for the expressive arts is so abundant that you may well have felt drawn to becoming an artist while still very young. Your artistic abilities can only be developed, however, through discipline and commitment to the true development of your talent. Commitment, concentration and hard work are the only means of bringing forth your talent.

Thanks to your gift for self expression, you can be the life of the party, and the center of attention. However, you could easily squander your talent by becoming a social butterfly.

Your creativity is the gift that can give you the comfort and luxury you desire, but not without continual focus and discipline.

You are optimistic and possess the resilience to overcome many setbacks. You are socially active, popular, and inspire people with your sunny 'happy go lucky' attitude.

Megha, you can be generous to a fault. Many people born under the 3 Life Path have difficulty handling money because they can be disorganized and not particularly serious about their responsibilities.

You are emotional and vulnerable. When hurt, you withdraw into a cloud of silence, eventually emerging from your reticence with jokes and laughter that cover up your true feelings. You can become moody and cynical when depressed. You can succumb to sarcastic remarks, which can be painful to those around you.

When used positively, your talent for self expression can be a great inspiration force in the world, uplifting others, and bringing much success and happiness to you.

Feminism and Divorce - No Way

I overheard a so-called upbeat educated, learned, independent lady saying this, "Feminism has gone to women’s head. They fall in love, get married and even sooner get divorced. Divorce has become like selling onions.Girls should better learn to compromise" and I was taken aback in shame and surprise. I strongly feel all the money put into her education has gone waste and down the drains.

I do not understand what kind of a society we live in,  where a married daughter is considered a status symbol! Is it not more important that the daughter should be happily married rather than being only married. After all her parents nurtured her with utmost care, without any bias,  imparting the best of education, and brought her up in an environment where her opinion was always valued, she never had to bow down for things that she considered inappropriate and unjust. 

Does compromise mean forgetting that a girl is as human as a boy is and that she too has a backbone to stand up tall and straight for her viewpoint and also a head to think logically? Does compromise mean succumbing to Domestic Violence by her husband only because she is a woman or may be because she chose to marry someone who was not completely acceptable to her family? 

I am not sure what this lady meant by such heavy weight words like "Feminism and Divorce selling like Onions". And I do not speak on behalf of all the woman out there who choose to put an end to their marriages and I do not say that all the marriages break because of the man being wrong. Yes, I know of few woman who were terribly wrong when it came to breaking off relationships or setting expectations. But my question is who decides, what is right or wrong? Shouldn't it be the sole discretion of two people who have to live under the same roof all their life to decide to Pull-On or Call-Off. Why does the society have to poke their nose in damn everything others do. Please let people be on their own.

Only a person who decides to Call-Off can understand the pain and the courage it takes to do so. We live in a society that is stereotyped to live by the rules. It is not easy to face the interrogations and stupid advise that practically anyone could hurl at them, only because they have chosen to get divorced. One who breaks the rules, chooses to follow a path less taken, turn to be anti social, esp. a girl, if she gets divorced, she deserved it because she is a BAD-GIRL. She doesn't have the innate qualities of compromise, sacrifice for her family(read husband, son, father, brother), is outrageously outspoken and deserves to be alone. A civil court and its ugly face for a girl who chooses to stand apart from a lot of her counterparts in a country like ours is not pleasant. So, in each and every case, it definitely is not only feminism that brings her there. Please stop categorizing people. Not all girls are the BAD BAD GIRLS and not all boys are Insane either.

I do not know if she deserves to be alone because of all that the society thinks to be right. But yes,she definitely deserves to be alone because she wants to breathe, because she doesn't want to prove anything to anyone, she is the apple of her parent's eyes and she doesn't deserved to be humiliated, beat and demoralized by her husband who is insane, suffering from lack of self esteem and wants to command all the respect and dominance on his wife.It does not matter if she is educated or not, she is a human being and at least deserves to be respected and not treated like a donkey who is supposed to keep on working day and night and not utter a word.

Marriage as they say a Holy Matrimony is by far much more than all this. It is a bond of understanding and love, where if one falls the other is ready to pick up. No one out there in this world is perfect. Each one of us are bound to make mistakes, Marriage is not about picking up the partner's faults, rather it's being the Strength in times of distress. Accept and Respect at every step. It's about Selfless Love, there is no I, Me, Myself - it's all about We-togetherness. And it is not a one-sided attempt. Both need to understand and imbibe all of it to make it work. But when it does not and people break off, it doesn't mean the the girl wasn't ready to 'COMPROMISE' or is 'FEMINIST'. It only means she deserves to breathe, be happy and spread that happiness all around.

I don't care what views people have on this post - positive or negative, I don't know if it makes sense or not but to hear something of the sorts I did today brought me to boil and I voiced what I thought is right. 

Lots of Love to such people who need it the most,
Megha S.

My Best Friend's Wedding

What a packed day it was! Moved around the city from one shop to the next, from one mall to the other, shopping like crazy. Yes, that is part of the Big Fat Indian Weddings. Wedding Ceremonies in India and esp. in North India are more of a Show-Shaa than anything else. Parents spend all their booty on feeding hundreds of hungry relatives who will do nothing but criticize the arrangements, the catering and even the Venue. There is a whole lot of "Auntyjees" whose only goal of coming to a wedding party is to check out the Outfit and accessories of other ladies and more so the Bride. And as if all this was not enough, if the wedding that they are into is by Chance a Love Marriage, God save the poor Bride and Groom. If anyone asked me, I would settle down into a marriage by signing off few papers in the presence of my closest family members.

Well anyways, Divya has finally found her Man and is getting married in a week and we went shopping for her.For once, I forgot it is Divya's wedding not mine. I bought perfumes and accessories worth half my month's salary and now I am feeling like a stupid moron for wasting my hard earned money.  

I don't know how would have I survived the toughest times of my life without her. How would have I managed to live away from home without the constant support, love, warmth and care that she had to offer. No matter how terribly wrong things were, she always stood beside me and said,"Megha, you are the best and deserve nothing but the Best. Have Patience, the best is yet to come." She has this bundle of confidence in me, that I too begin to lack sometimes and then she comes around and strengthens me, lifts me up and brings back my Mojo. That is what Friends are for, but she sure is way above all the others. My heart goes out to Wish her all the happiness on this planet. Oh Dear Lord, bring her only happiness and smiles. May she be blessed with the strongest bond of marriage and all her dreams come true, all that she aspires and all that she hopes out of this new relationship come true. Lots of Love to my sweetheart. 

I can only try to imagine how would my life change post her wedding. No matter what promises we make, I know things change, priorities get altered, focus shifts and yes it should. So I am apprehensive of what will happen to all that masti time with her that we had as SINGLES, those ACTIVA-RIDES, movies, shopping and crazy little things without which my life in Delhi would have been tasteless and stagnant.

Again, I am back to the same option left, Wait and Watch what is in store.. :) :) So when our shopping was finally over and I pacified the hunger of my stomach that could devour even a Human had I not got food then,I bid bye to meet her next on her Sangeet Ceremony. She could sense the apprehension in my eyes and  I felt like holding her and weeping like a child who longs for that favorite toy but doesn't know if it will get it or not. I wanted to pour out my heart, I am strong filled with patience. I know it will all be fine in the end. But I want all those good things to happen now.

She only said, "Enjoy this time as long as it lasts, bells are going to ring soon.Those who chose to leave were fools for they know not what a precious jewel they have lost".. Ahhh!! I don't know sweetheart if I am really that good or it is only your biased love for me that is talking.. :) :)

Whatever it is, I am super excited for the Sangeet and the Wedding for I get to adorn ethnics that I rarely wear otherwise..
Photographs and details to follow soon.....

With Love,
Megha S.

Always at the Top...

I have been there all the time,
At the TOP with nothing to whine,
Like the SIRIUS that is determined to Shine...

Nothing came for free or any ease,
I burnt the midnight Oil, battled the breeze,
Fought against all odds and made the Stars Believe..

The fetish to excel in all walks of life,
Coaxed the body and the mind to always be in strife,
One pleaded Stop, the other commanded never pause and sigh..

I always put at stake all that I had,
Only the taste of success gave me the HIGH,
It takes to keep moving, soaring and never Die..

But now this Excruciating Pain,
Like a thousand sharpnels pierced into the Brain,
For all the efforts and trials are going into Vain..

The body and the mind are at a constant rage,
They are now anyway in the same Cage,
"You do not have it in you anymore" is what they gauge..

Tired from the judgments and this drama unique
Solace from all this is all that I seek,
Where there is only acceptance and no critique..

"Show-Shaa" and manipulation is not my antique,
Spare me Thy Lord, the horror of this league,
All this drowns me into an ocean of fatigue..

Happy I will be in the world of my dreams,
Where there is Love and Compassionate gleam,
Give me a jolt and make me believe,
You have created a world with Truth Supreme...

With Love,
Megha S.

Listen if You Can...

I have been in a state of constant confusion for the past few weeks now. Nothing has worked out the way I wanted it to, so much so that whatever I am clinging to with hope seems to evade; people, relationships, possessions. 
I have been asked the same question, "What is most important to you in Life?" more than 10 times in the last one month. My answer has always been the same. People don't believe it. I think its their problem. I want to be happy and my happiness lies in the beauty of life. I don't want a lot of money since I am not a very extravagant person. With the ups and downs that life had to offer, I have learnt that if there is a force that can keep you bound and help you release all your troubles, that force is Family. Today, Family is on the top of my priority list. By the Grace of God, I have an independent life, a good job, a wholesome pay packet.Yet, at the end of the day, when I head back, I yearn to be within a home where I have few close people waiting for me to come back and celebrate Life. I am missing that so so much. How I wish, I could keep my father, sisters and everyone close to me and forget all the worries of my life. 
Why is the trust factor so low in people? Why do they have to resort to mean ways to find the truth? I can look up straight into people's eyes and tell them the truth? I am blatantly honest, irrespective of what you think about me after that.I have done no Crime. I have no reasons to lie. With all these questions and a series of failures both professionally and personally, I had begun losing hope. I was worried if God is with me or not! Can God or the Master Spirits or the Guardian Spirits, whatever you may call them hear me at all. Do they Know what I want. Am I asking too much? Is being genuine a crime in this manipulative, materialistic world?
This morning, I had a beautiful dream, a dream that sent a lot of positive vibrations my way. An Affirmation from the Gods, "They Are With Me, They are in fact listening to Me." They filled my cup of love that was fast depleting and gave me the courage to Hold On. The dream filled me with Compassion and I felt charged up. I feel like reaching out to friends, family whoever is in need and hug them, let them know. God is there with us always, always, always. The Universe is listening to every vibration that you are transmitting. Those vibrations shall travel to people whom it is meant for. We only need to be positive in our vibrations, if we really want it to. I am now ready to stretch my hands and lend help to anyone. For I know the Cup of Love is always full and can never deplete. 

With love,
Megha S.