You Are Here Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan

Meenakshi’s blog was famous, so when she wrote a book, it became famous too. Are all famous books good ? This book is your answer, its a big huge NO.

There is nothing much to tell you about this book. Only good thing that I found is, that the language is really simple, and good. I tried really hard to find the idea or message or experience that the author is trying to convey, but it ended up in something really vague, like “confusions of a 20 something girl, when she realizes and refuses to accept  that she is no longer a teenager, but grown up.”

The whole book looks like a movie that was made with no script or whatever, – Director selected some actors, ( modern, pub going, smoking, drinking and dating heroine ? how about that ? ) and started shooting scenes.

As I told you, language is simple, and it sounds fresh. But if you are expecting something with so called “literary  value”, you will be disappointed.  Sometimes the language becomes so simple that you feel lke you are in store listening to the sales girl explaining the product, and that’s too boring.

This book will test your patience. I am really really disappointed. I have read her father’s Malayalam novel ( which was brilliantly awesome )  4 or 5 times, does that count ?

Tips : Read only the text on front cover, you are almost done with this novel. There is nothing much to expect from reading the entire thing.

“When someone is seeking…it happens quite easily that he only sees the thing that he is seeking; that he is unable to find anything, unable to absorb anything…because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal.” Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha

I read this book in Malayalam and I am finding it little difficult to express, what it was like. I feel great, … I feel, I got something that will help me look at life and people from a perspective which is very much different from what it is now.

It’s tough to understand, sometimes, like when he says “There is no past, or future, …. everything is present. ..”  It is tough, when he says,

Continue reading →

Here is a news from the Malayalam blogging community, and it is no more an issue of Malayalam Bloggers alone. I am not writing a long post about the issue because you have a lot to read at the pages linked to.

See the first email from the blogger :

You have copied from malayalam blogs and
placed it on your website.

http://www.kerals.com/malayalam/kerala/malayalam.php?f=8

http://kerals.com/malayalam/kerala/malayalam.php?f=15

These links show the copied stories and poems from Malayalam blogs. You have no right to do so. You have ads all over your website. You cannot put ads on copied content. This issue will be reported to your hosting service and to google.

And the reply ? here is a sample.

May be I might dont know how to reply properly, however it’s none of your business since you are another malayali thinks world is under your neath.. Just get rid of all the ego’s and come down to earth.. may be your parents didnt teach you to respect other and get respect.. I am too nice based on your character.. You are Nothing, just another FOB.. So Do NOT think you are on top of me or us.. Rule your husband or familly.. DO NOT TRY TO RULE THE WORLD…

Read the entire Story in Malayalam or in English

I know I don’t have enough experience in Malayalam blogging to actually get in to writing a review about it. These are my random thoughts on writing in Malayalam or few notes on what I am doing there.

(1) I am still trying to learn to type in good Manglish that Blogger will understand, in order to transliterate it in to Malayalam words.

(2) I do not know how Google will index blogs in Mayalam or any language other than English. I am still at zero on SEO ( Search Engine Optimization ) in Indic languages including Malayalam.

(3) 99% of Malayalam blogs are on blogger.com ( or blogspot ) and there are only very few people who actually try it with WordPress.com or wordpress.org

(4) There is a good community of Malayalam bloggers.

(5) There is lot of serious blogging happening. They are discussing politics,history,international issues,poetry,culture.. and lot of serious topics.

(6) Malayalam blogging community is trying everything possible to get more people in to Malayalam blogging.

(7) Most of the Malayalam blogs are 100% in Malayalam.

(8) I am yet to see someone who is trying to make money through blogging.

(9) I need to personally ask Malayalam bloggers if they are satisfied with what they get on Blogger.com

(10) I will try to bring them to WordPress.

I was talking to a friend of mine. She was really happy about her new job and she was sharing her experience with me.

Past

Both of us wanted to be Journalists, when we were on school. We used to discuss everything possible about that career, on our way to school, during our breaks and whenever we get time.

Present

She is a Journalist for a leading Malayalam daily. I am in to Customer Service, technical support etc ……
It was a strange feeling when I heard her talking happily about her job and friends…

I was happy for her, but at the same time, I was feeling something else inside me. I had to take a different route because of many reasons. I know I have done few things, that I should be happy about. But still ….

I know my decision to take up this career was correct and I have no problem with it. I know that I can still learn Journalism and start working for Media, if I want to. I know I can do freelancing too. But, the reason behind this post is my curiosity …

Question

Are you doing a job that you wanted to do ? Something that you planned and tried to get in to during your studies ? Are you happy with it ?