2 states-The Story of My Marriage --- A book review

Chetan Bhagat has once again captured the hearts of his readers with his superior writing and his uncanny way of writing which blends humor and intensity in the perfect way. There have been controversies about his writings as he claims his books talk about social issues which could change the way people look at life and according to me that is just BS because when you are reading fiction, you are not looking to change your life but just to have a good time, maybe a good laugh while at it.


This book deals with marriage between 2 people from different states. There is a lot of racist litany which could very well offend some people, nevertheless it is still humorous for those who can take it in the right spirits. Krish from Punjab and Ananya from Tamil Nadu meet in IIMA, fall in love and decide to get married with their parents'consent. What follows is a hilarious and sometimes sentimental account of how that occurs. Krish's character seems to be a lot influenced by Harish from Five point someone and the writing also seems redundant in certain places.


Personally, I don't think this book is gonna bring about any social reforms as the ideas are not really all that practical but it is an enjoyable read; One I couldn't keep down until late 2 in the morning.


Bottom line: A decent read but Chetan Bhagat could have done better.


There is a free pdf book of the book in this link.. Enjoy!
http://www.therabbitrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Chetan_Bhagat_-_2_States-The-Story-of-My-Marrige.pdf

Judgement Day!

I recently had this convo with a friend that set me thinking. How easily we judge people!! Even if they are our friends, one bitter thing happens and we are all ready to throw the person out of our lives!! Is that how it works? Isn't that sad? What happened to accepting people as they are, with their faults? Obviously no one is perfect, so what gives anyone the right to judge another person. And really who decides what is right and wrong. What might seem wrong to a 1000 people can seem right to that one person who does it? Shouldn't we hear their side of the story too? Hating is an easy way out but is that the solution, I don't know. I wish it wasn't.  

Some cool judgement quotes:


Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves


If you judge people, you have no time to love them


“We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another to think that yours is the only path.”

Let Life Inspire You =)

Let life inspire you. No matter what happens, you can choose
To be inspired by it.

If you make a mistake, let it inspire you to be more careful
And diligent next time. When you're having a great time, let
It inspire you to create even more positive experiences.

Each time you see kindness, be inspired to pass it forward.
If you encounter deception or injustice, feel inspired to
Raise your world above it.

Anything can inspire you when you choose to let it. You can
Even be inspired for no reason at all.

Be inspired by the big accomplishments and by the small,
Simple moments as well. An inspired life is a life that's
Rich, and it's a life you can choose no matter what.

If there's a reason to be inspired or if there is not, be
Inspired. Bring your spirit fully to life, and raise your
Life to a higher, more enriching level.

Thoughts in the Hypnagogia state!!

This was something which hit me when I was in the half state of sleep and wakefulness (hypnagogia, wiki says)!! Don't we all experience some handicappness at one point in our life?! Let's say for me, I wear glasses and when I occassionally forget to, everything seems so blurred and it's so frustrating but there is nothing I can do about it! I am visually challenged at that time and that helps me to relate with people who are born with this defect. To a small extent I agree. I know at the end of the day I can go back and wear my glasses and then it will all be over. But.... :(
Another instance is when I am with people who speak a different language than me, isn't that how a deaf/dumb person feels all the time! And the irony here is that, even though they might/might not know the language they cannot speak. Also they never get to feel the relief I do when I am back in familiar territories.!
I don't know what I am trying to say with all this but it was like a wakening to me!! Just felt like sharing it! :)

A visit to the astronomy tower

It was by sheer luck that I ended up at the UCF Astronomy tower one night. To be perfectly honest I wasn't exactly very enthusiastic about the visit. It had been a long day and I was ready to go home and hit the bed. However, as chance had it I ended up at the UCF Astronomy tower around 9 pm. There were 3 small telescopes and one large one. The large one was awesome, totally computer operated. There was this nerdy, good looking kid who explained us about the stuff. He showed us some kinda nebula (I am not even sure I am spelling it right). I think it's some kinda thing when a star is about to die. The 3 smaller telescopes focused on Saturn, Pleaides (7 star cluster) and the nebula. We could actually see the Saturn with all it's rings. It was so awesome to actually see something which I have only read about, or seen pictures, on television etc etc. It actually seems much more real now. The Pleaides was very beautiful, it's actually a cluster of 7 stars. It was gorgeous, like fireworks glittering in the sky. This was an amazing experience and one I would revisit again and again!!

Will it be Donkey or Eeyore?!

With the qualifying exams approaching soon (in less than 3 hours :P) I decided to write a pre and post blog about the whole exam!! The qualifying exam is the most stupid thing to have ever been invented in the history of PhD. For the less fortunate ( or should I say more fortunate ;)) this is a 2 day 4 hour exam each taken after atleast 2 years of course study. Some students who pursue PhD in the same school as Master's are lucky (sarcasm dipping heavily) enough to be able to take it maybe an year from the beginning of their PhD. But they do have the advantage of being familiar with the teachers' and their way of teaching and problem setting techniques. That's the most important  thing for these exams!! Sigh. Anyways so UCF has various branches and I chose the Mechanical stream. I often wonder too, why not Aerospace track. Well it didn't help that the Aerospace track has the wierdest control subjects, none of which I have ever heard of. Okay maybe that's a lil exaggerated but still it has nothing to do with aero and that was a risk I wasn't gonna go with. Psst a birdie told me that the next year's qualifiers might actually have some related Aero subjects. Well I hope I dont get to take that anyways. I really want to get it right this time. I can't say I have prepared awesomely well, but I think I can survive unless they give a toughie! So yea since I am a huge donkey fan, I would know by the end of this day, if it's an Eeyore (sad/depressed donkey from Winnie the Pooh) or the Shrek Donkey. Good luck to me.

Obie!! - a new addition to the family!