Books in Bus

On HCL Induction day, during an interactive session I said that I like travelling places, which I definitely didn't mean travelling 'within' city. I meant going around places which I started from my Pune days. I think my HR got me completely wrong and assigned me a project in Ambattur while I was staying in Tiruvanmayur. (Of course, project assignment was not done based on that :-)). T'Mayur is the southern tip of chennai, while Ambattur lies exactly on the other extreme - in northern Chennai. When Chaithu darling is in T'Mayur, how can I stay near Ambattur :-(

So, I decided to go from T'mayur to Ambattur daily - one hour while going and 1.5 hrs while coming. In January, after trying different options for 10 days, I ended up with the best possible option - catch the Pondicherry to Chennai Express bus @ Tiruvanmayur while going (1 hr) and use the local buses while coming (1.5 hrs).

To use the time optimally while travelling - In the month of January, I've taken a DB2 Handbook (which really is not a handbook and has more than 1500 pages to weigh close to 2 kg) and tried to learn DB2 while travelling. On the 2nd day, I didnt learn DB2 but I learnt that it is not the way to learn DB2 :-). So, I started with other books ... non-technical and non-functional to keep myself busy and away from the pain of travelling.

I started with "The Path to Liberation" written by my inspiring personality - OSHO - who always stress on "Do whatever you want to do in life; Ignore about society; give the best to take the best ... etc etc". When I was in Pune, I read his books like "Joking Around", from which I became his disciple.

Next was Sudha Murthy's "The Old man and his God" - book with a series of short stories (which she claims that are real-time happenings) - which frankly speaking - I didnt like as I felt that book as self-dabba related to Infy and her charities !!!

Then was the suspense thriller novel - "The Perfect Husband". It took quite some days - more than 20 days to complete - with twists and thrills while the husband (cop) is after his wife to torture and kill for which she tries equally to protest and plan to reciprocate him in all the possible ways to save herself and her daughter. Really a gud thriller !!!

Then I felt that it was time to sprikle myself with some humor and took an "Unofficial Joke Book". I read that book one joke after the other while going to office for not finding a joke which could make me smile. While coming back from office, I just brought it back without opening !!!

Then was the touching one "Everything happens for a reason" - a typical Indian bride married to an NRI who divorces her just for the sake of his parents. Felt bad for few scenes, read and reread few pages to feel more !!!

Last week I read "Now that You're rich ... Let's fall in love" after Chaithu darling suggested. Enjoyed reading it. Good one.

Yesterday, I started with "The Art of Man Making" - gist of Bhagawadgeetha by Swami Chinmayananda !!!

Dont worry - I'm not going to start an Ashram in Chennai !!! Books can be your best friends which always gives you and doesnt take back anything from you except your time.

Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. - BARBARA TUCHMAN

A wonderful thing about a book, in contrast to a computer screen, is that you can take it to bed with you. - DANIEL J. BOORSTIN

A wonderful thing about a book, is that you can take it to bed with you - in the absence of your wife - AJAY