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After the book “Invitation” by Shehryar Fazli, this is another fiction I am reading that is happening around Karachi, Pakistan. This time what I read was two books from a popular series “Ali Imran” set of detective novels written by South Asia’s popular write IBN-E Safi who was a celebrated author in Pakistan in last century. The first book in the series of 79 novels was published in October 1955, IBN-E Safi (meaning Son of Safi) is the pen name of Asrar Narvi who was borh in 1928 in Nara (Allahabad District) in British India, he started writing in 1940s while in India and then moved to Pakistan during partition where he continued to write till his death in 1980. It is said people queued up in Pakistan to buy his books on there release.
The books are “The House of Fear” and “The Dangerous Man” both are English translations of the original from Urdu, translated for the first time. Each book contains two stories, each story about 100 odd pages. The books revolves around Ali Imran, an engaging protagonist, he has an MSc and PhD in criminology from Oxford, but can be disarmingly moronic, even appearing mad at times. Imran is the son of Intelligence Bureau chief and in the first book (The House of Fear) he appears as a freelancer helping his friend Captain Fayyaz. Captain Fayyaz telegrams to Colonel Zargham who needs help withe a problem this “I am sending someone who could be of great use to you if you don’t get fed up with him”. This statement captures the character Ali Imran is portrayed in the story, most of the time he talks nonsensical to the point of irritating the other characters, but as a reader we are having a good laugh. In many places in both the books I was laughing myself loudly to disturb others in the room with me. At the end, Imran solves all the cases without much bloodshed and all mysteries unravelled. The subject of each story seems to be different as well – one was about a Murder, another was about Smuggling, another was about Drug Trading and the other was about Ghosts.
If you enjoy a mystery novel that is fun and engaging, I will recommend you try these two books.
 
Story summaries from the Publisher:
1. The House of Fear: Dead bodies have been found in an abandoned house, each bearing three identical dagger marks, exactly five inches apart. Who is behind these eerie murders?
2. Shootout at the Rocks: Colonel Zargham knows he is in grave danger when he receives a three-inch wooden monkey in the mail. This is no ordinary threat, but a warning from the two-hundred-years old Li Yu Ka, one of the world s deadliest gangs. The monkey will be followed by a wooden snake, and then a wooden rooster, after which the colonel will be swiftly murdered.
3. Mysterious Screams: Ten years ago, Nawwab Hashim was found dead in his bedroom. Now a man claiming to be him appears out of the blue. Sajid, his nephew and heir, doesn t know what to believe, nor can he fathom the terrible screams that have started emerging from the house each night.
4. The Dangerous Man: Roshi, a prostitute, has always known how to take care of herself until the day she meets a handsome young man called Parrot . Soon she is caught in a spiral of intrigue and she doesn t know who to trust. Who is this Parrot ? Will he prove to be her saviour? Or is he the archnemesis?
In June 15th, 2011 issue of Bhavan’s Journal I read this article “Placebo is better than Drugs” by Dr.B.M.Hegde. First thing I had to do was to do a Wiki search to learn what Placebo meant, it means “simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment intended to deceive the recipient. Sometimes patients given a placebo treatment will have a perceived or actual improvement in a medical condition”. Dr.Hegde is a internationally known Cardiology specialist with numerous degrees and awards to his credit – his website lists 3 pages of numerous credentials here. He has written many books including “What Doctors Don’t Get To Study At Medical School”.
In the article put forward a different thought to modern drugs produced by Pharma & BioTech industries, I found it interesting. In the article Dr.Hegde writes “An Indian cardiologist George Thomas, wrote in British Medical Journal (BMJ) that he had to treat a poor patient with stable angina who did not have money for expensive drugs in a free clinic. George did a thorough search of the evidences in modern medicine and reached the conclusion that these costly drugs were not needed. He choose three cheap drugs (nitrates, aspirin and beta-blockers) that we have been using for decades. The patient did very well. George called it as reverse evidence. … I have been using these drugs for decades. … Sometimes I don’t even use beta-blockers, if the basic heart rate is slow”.
In a interview here with Deepak Chopra Dr.Hegde says “everything is wrong with modern medicine, we use a linear model on a non-linear human system. It uses Randomized control trial where we compare two groups of human beings based on some features like Height, Weight, Body Mass Index but leaving a large part of the human being – his consciousness, genotype, etc. We use a reductionist idea of a drug, a chemical targeting a particular organ in the human body. To give an example Human body produces Cholesterol, 90% of it and it is not foolish to produce Cholesterol if it is not needed…The drug blocks the area in liver that produces the enzyme which should do more harm”. He continues to say that in Japan longevity is high where the Doctors/Patient ratio is the highest.
My yoga master who has done his Ph.D on Yoga too as similar complaints on the Randomized control trial, he says any drug can be proved to be effective/in-effective by manipulating the control set. What I know on this this subject is limited to hear-say and some casual reading. As a patient I have experienced good results with alternate medicines – Indian Ayurveda and Homeopathy (yes I know the scientific proof is limited) for common ailments I suffer like Allergic Cold, Dry Skin and Digestive problems. So even if Homeopathy is a Placebo it appears to me to be a better solution than taking drugs which can’t do much anyway for common cold and so on. Having said this it will be foolish to avoid modern medicine for serious ailments like Cancer which Steve Jobs seems to have done for over 9 months when he was first diagnosed for Pancreatic cancer. In summary we need to be informed, aware of options & evaluate them carefully before we decide on a treatment model. The modern medical practioners will do more good by working out to reduce the drug intakes than to continuously increase them with every new drug discovery.
Update: Dr.B.M.Hegde has written a related article “Modern Medicine has given illness care a miss” in The Hindu dated 19-Feb-2012.
I am born and brought up in Chennai but I have rarely had a need to go beyond Flower Bazaar in North Madras. Today accompanied by my Yoga Master I went to Sowcarpet for some Rajasthani Thali (Meals), Window shopping in Mint Street and Dry fruits shopping. You can enter into Sowcarpet area at Mint street from Chennai (Central) or through N.S.C. Bose Road near Flower Bazaar (பூக்கடை).
Almost all buildings here are narrow (in width) but go deeper in length. You can see that clearly in this one that was demolished for a new one. After an hour so roaming in Mint Street we were hungry and found a banner advertising for a traditional Rajasthani Bojanalaya in one of the small streets off Mint Street (near Chinnakadai Amman Koil) ‘Hunumantha Rayan Koil Street’, we had lunch there. Don’t be deceived by the small entrance, the restaurant can have 16 seats and served hot Rajasthani meal – not classy, not hygienic enough but manageable.
Our next stop was Chinnakadai Sri Mariamman or Renuka Parameswari Temple which is claimed to be more than 200 years old. It is in Mint Street (Sowcarpet) & N.S.C. Bose Road junction, the time we went it was closed so we saw it from outside and then moved on to Kakada Ramprasad.
Kakada Ramprasad in Mint Street is a famous sweet and snack shop in the area. We had a heavenly Badam Drink loaded with nuts, saffron and thick milk.
Then we went to Strotten Muthiah Mudali Street which is lined with shops selling all varieties of fresh Dry Fruits (Badam, Pista, Cashewnuts, Dry Dates, Figs, Charoli), Rajasthani Pickles, Papads and all other tasty items.
Reference: I found this nice blog post listing all popular temples in Chennai.
இன்று நான் கற்றது, எண்ணெய் பெயர் விளக்கம்.
எனக்கு தெரிந்தது: நல்லெண்ணெய் = நல்ல + எண்ணெய்
இன்று கேட்டது: எள்ளு + நெய் = எண்ணெய்
எண்ணெய் என்றால் லிப்போ பேராகராதி சொல்கிறது (கீழே):
எண்ணெய் : (1) எள்ளைப் பிழிந்து எடுக்கும் நெய் gingili oil; (2) எல்லாவகை நெய்க்கும் பொதுப் பெயர் a general name for all kinds of oil.
After 25 hours of listening spread over last 30 days during my regular drives to work and Gym sessions I finished listening to the Audiobook of “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson. Few months back I had finished the book “The Steve Jobs Way: iLeadership for a New Generation” by Jay Eliiots so I was familiar with the man & his life. A lot has been written about Mr.Jobs and about the book in the weeks following his sad demise in October, so I will write in next few paragraphs my impression about the book and what I feel after reading it.
First thing you notice is the size of the book which looks exhaustive, over 600 pages in the hardcover edition. A thorough work by the author “Walter Isaacson”, considering it should have been a monumental effort for Walter to make Jobs talk and then to verify/cross-verify facts as Steve Jobs (as you will learn in the book) is known to distort reality both wilfully and unawares.
In the recent years media has taken a liking to Apple because of Apple’s phenomenal success in Marketplace and its massive market capitalization. Millennials reading it are unaware of the two decades of struggle Jobs had to grow through to bring (personally mature and ripen with age) to that level, he had to suffer through being ousted from the company he founded & so on. Jobs’ early life was unlike any others, he had to deal with the fact of being adopted, had long stints with most things that are narcotics (ACIDs, LSDs), his year of free-roaming in India in Himalayan plains, his interest of Japanese Zen philosophy, yet his appreciation of Italian architecture and the list goes on. What strikes you is the realization that a man as creative as Jobs, with his Buddhist bend he can be a sensitive person, pick up easily vibes assessing people emotionally, yet can use those same skills to hurt the people who are around him at his will. It is well know that Jobs liked the quote “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” from the back cover of last issue of “Whole Earth” magazine in 1971. Jobs had a way of thinking/behaving like pirates during the original Mac development times in early 1980s. Jobs doing most of his important meetings and probably decisions too during his long walks with the concerned person – be it Sculley, Gates or Music label titans. Jobs had an enviable ability to laser-sharp focus on items he cared and completely ignore things he doesn’t care or don’t want to hear – this led him to create brilliant products of our age.
Readers will see the obvious differences between the two personalities who shaped the digital world in last 4 decades – Bill Gates & Steve Jobs, they are exactly of opposite poles. I enjoyed this quote from Bill Gates while countering Jobs claims that Microsoft stole for its Windows the GUI from Apple Mac OS – “Well, Steve, I think there’s more than one way of looking at it. I think it’s more like we both had this rich neighbour named Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found out that you had already stolen it”.
In the last chapters of the book you are left wondering what if this man could have lived for few more years, what more great products he could have given us and what about his young kids losing their father for ever. But then it suddenly hits you, that’s what life and nature is. All of us including Jobs get to stand on giants (and generations before us) shoulders and it is up to each one of us to make use of the vantage point & the time we have got there.
After listening to the Audiobook I bought the hardcover edition as well – as the book certainly needs a reserved place in my bookshelf and the hardcover has some of the rare photographs from his life journey.
As many readers of this blog would have inferred, I am a strong believer of market economics and free world trade. Capitalism & Free World rewards the hard-working and the entrepreneurs in ways that Nanny states & Socialistic states can’t. Market and Trade when allowed to flourish freely has a self-correcting behaviour. Money is just like Water and Gravity, it flows to places of least resistance. There has been no other tool in Human Civilization that has been effective and proven in lifting millions of poor from hunger and starvation than free trade – look at Japan after WWII, look at China & India for last two decades or even look at African states where democracy and free trade have been allowed to take ground. The trouble with free trade is that you can’t be selective or do it half-heartedly, either you have to be in or you have to be out.
I feel India had lost a whole generation by following an economical model (the famous license raj) after its independence which had a strong socialist bend and isolated it from World for 45 years (1947-1991). Unfortunately the pace gained in 1990s was lost in the last decade due to petty politics & poor leadership at all levels of Government (Central, States & Municipality). Coming to the present issue at hand on allowing “Foreign Direct Investment” (FDI) in Retail in India. There has been huge outcry from many parties and states on this and the weak government in Centre has suspended the whole move – which is sad. India needs huge improvement in infrastructure on getting its food from farm to stores, it wastes so much in the centuries-old process and most elements in the chain are laded with Political interference. The money to improve the infrastructure is never going to come within India alone, it desperately needs it from outside its shores and more so the technology, efficiency, managerial talent and the discipline has to be imported. For this main reason I welcome FDI in retail. The critics claim that FDI will destroy all Mom & Pop shops (Kirana stores as they are called here) doesn’t cut it with me. No retail chain or behemoth can ever match the personal touch, neighbourhood affinity of a local store run by a passionate, caring owner & her family. What the world leaders like Walmart and Carrefour can do is to help in cleaning up the supply chain, improve prices paid to farmers, help them with loans and seeds, bring better quality and hygiene and get cheaper prices for consumer too (as this dipstick survey says). And finally China has been allowing 100% FDI in retail for last two decades and tangible improvements have been visible there.
An example is a small Kirana Store (மளிகை கடை in Tamil) near my house in Mambalam area that has grown many fold only in the last five years than the previous three decades of its existence, and it all happened only after Reliance Fresh, Nilgris Supermarket, More stores opened near-by. The small store converted their place from counter sales to self-service, increased the product mix (added toys, CDs, Luxury cosmetics and more), computerized billing and trained staff. Nowadays in weekend you can’t even enter the store and Reliance Fresh that is near-by appears deserted.
You may be interested to read these two articles which articulate the points further. The first one is from Mint newspaper dated 30/November/2011 titled “Shoot the messenger, not the message” and the second is from Economist magazine dated “December 3,2011” titled “Why India needs Walmart”
My son is avid reader of Tintin comics, because of him after so many years I too read again many of the books recently. Both of us have been planning to see this movie “The Adventures of Tintin” and we went for it today at Escape (Express Mall), Chennai. My interest was increased due to the film being directed by Steven Spielberg.
The adaptation of the comics to movie has been done quite nicely, without disturbing the original author’s (Herge) magic. The original Tintin stories had a way of impressing boys with its action packed scenes, simple storyline & wordings, a trip around many parts of the world showing its culture & people. The movie to a good extend has retained it, the animated characters too look quite faithful to the impression I had from the comics. You can even have laugh at many of the scenes, just like I had. Overall, a fun movie to watch with your whole family.
One thing I don’t understand is the need to pay for the 3D glasses Rs.20 separately in the food counter at Escape, why can’t they add it to the Online transaction itself?. I guess it might be due to some archaic Entertainment tax issue, but Satyam can collect additional Rs.10 or so to cover it and make it convenient for audience.
Few years back one of my friends who is from Singapore introduced me to Fabindia stores in Chennai. Every year when he visits Chennai he buys his White cotton shirts and Kurtas from here and he loves them, I was impressed. Two years back I tried and bought a Kurta for an upcoming wedding function in the family. When I wore it in the wedding many complimented my looks (yes they did mean it for the Kurta!) and I was hooked by the brand & store.
From then I started to try few of their other products during every visit. I started with their Organic food line of Honeys and Soups – the Honey was certified by my mother to be good, the soup was not that tasty though. The products are certainly expensive compared to their competition but you got to pay extra for organic & the company seems to have good procurement policies to help handicraft communities. Then a year back I tried their Avocado Body Wash and Aloe Vera Moisturizer – both of which I use regularly & my wife likes it too. Today when I went to the store I bought their Khus (Vettiver in Tamil) Body wash and Strawberry organic conserve.
Few areas were Fabindia stores has to improve will be on their products running out of stock most often, no printed explanation of the merits and usage of products and their website needs a complete over-haul – most of their products are not listed on their site, including many of the items I have written about. While writing this post, I learnt that FabIndia was founded by an American John Bissell in 1960 (51 years back) for exporting Handlooms out of India in a self-sustainable model of helping traditional communities who make them.
On a related note, I have been using for long “Bath & Body Works Men Glacier Bay Soothing Face Conditioner” as my after shave lotion (I detest the alcohol based splashes). Over the years during my US trips I had stocked over a dozen. Unfortunately Bath and Body stopped this fine product few years and they even exited out of this product category. I have been trying to find a replacement but in vain. In the interim I have been using a Gillette After Shave that is OK but feels too chemically & gelly. Luckily I found one today in Fabindia (the top one in the photo above), let me try it few weeks from now and see how it is.
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