Tag: 2020

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa 

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa 
A book that I first wanted to read, When I had visited a bookstore and found the copy on New arrival and since I had a couple of books that I was reading or wanted to read. I hadn’t picked it up and after a month when I was looking to read something new. I thought about reading The Memory Police. Originally written in 1994, but has been adapted to suit 2019-2020. This book is a science dystopian novel like the ones of 1984 George Orwell, But has more similarities with Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand as who is the Memory Police?  can easily be compared to Who is John Galt?  
The book was also nominated for shortlisting Booker Prize 2020. And relates to issues like loneliness and being expressive the issues like the lives been controlled by a particular organisation. 
This is the first book, I have read of Yoko Ogawa and it is a book, no matter how many years later you read it. You could relate to quite a few of the issues.
This Book written by yet another Japanese writer that I have read this year Should be on your reading list.

2020 Thoughts!

Ever since 2020 began! 
It’s been setting up new challenges every day. 
Two months into the year and we were all dealing with a pandemic that even more than six months later doesn’t seem to end. 
As the year moved ahead! We lost a legend and one of the best actors in our Hindi Film Industry. Just when we were coming out of these two shocking deaths. We were thrown a mysterious death of another actor. Which was cited as a suicide, but reports were pointing to murder, three months later we still aren’t sure whether it’s a suicide or a murder. 
While there was just a hand full of those who questioned and wanted justice to be served for the late actor as it was strongly pointing towards a murder 
But, Things started to change when we were forced to pick up a side as one of the prime suspects in the investigation was arrested for Drugs and also used PR tactic’s to defend herself exclusively with two Broadcasting channels without first being questioned by The CBI. 
Weeks later, An Actor who began the fight of justice for the late actor, who had also being vocals and her ”Nepotism” Conversation took an ugly turn for. Leaving her with no movies offers. Plans to come to Mumbai and is not only threatened for her remarks a couple of days ago for comparing the city and situation with an enemy territory but just a few hours before her arrival to The City of Dreams! Her Office is tarnished citing reasons, illegal construction work. 
Mind you all these series of events are taking place while India is at its peak on the Coronavirus. 
The economy has hit it’s lowest since we had our independence and our in the middle of a war with another neighbour of ours. 
And what hurts the most is people who are considered role models, people who are looked up by Millions and Billions not just from our country, but from around the world. 
Haven’t spoken about anything at all from the injustice or justice for a late actor whose death remains a mystery, For an actor who’s office has been attacked wrongly. 
Or for the matter of where our country is headed in terms of our economic mess, How one should be tackling the pandemic or for that matter about the tensions amongst the borders, Are they all scared to open their mouths, Are these the people we aspire to be like? 
Where is the Freedom, If our well-known celebrities themselves can’t speak about anything? 
Is this the country we want to live in? Where there isn’t any democracy any more, but just dictatorship from all sides… Where power is also being misused by the powerful and not used the way it should be used. 
Where we speak up in minutes and condemn the West, but can’t really address and speak about the issues that are taking place in your motherland. 

Series To Watch On Netflix part 1

The Last Dance

A Series You just can’t miss! Doesn’t matter if you are a fan or you aren’t a fan of basketball!

If you aren’t a fan of this Game! You will end up becoming a fan of the Game & The Man Micheal Jordon.

The Journey of the most famous sportsman of USA for the longest time. The Credit of Basketball becoming a Global Sport all over the world and the one name you not only associate with the sport today but even during its a phase of popularisation.

Almost not being able to play the game again in his life, to being determined to making sure he would be remembered for Decades in this sport! To Announcing his Retirement at his peak and trying his hand at baseball And playing for White Sox a baseball Team from Chicago that was owned by Chicago Bulls owner – Jerry Reinsdorf to Making a come back in 1995 and The simplest Press release being “I’M BACK !

Micheal Jordon & The Team that was part during that phase surely had conflicts. But, Show how they evolved as a Team. Winning six Championship during his career. And Winning three of them consecutively.

Micheal Jordan – Just like any other celebrity, Who isn’t perfect and has to deal with the flaws had his moments like the Golf Gambling in 1993 & his disappearance and visiting the Casino to Letting the World know – “Why should you be like in Mike” in the Gatorade commercials as even though he had food poisoning after eating Pizza – He still plays the match & Scores a Win for his Team.

The Last Dance is Totally about Dedication. Being Crazy and Hungry and Never Giving up!

An Inspiring Series For All.

Trivia 

Jordan on his return wore a 45 numbered jersey for the Chicago but soon went back to 23 his original jersey as it did not have the same feeling. Chicago Bulls as a team won 70 straight games – A record in the NBA in 1996. 

When They See us

A True Series based on an incident in 1989 known as the Central Park Five case. A Series split into four-episode each an

hour an half long. Five Black teenagers Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise are wrongly accused of rape and end up in prison for a long time until the main accuses confesses of his crime and then years later they are free.

This series highlights the facts on the racism against black during the eighties and nineties. The struggle of life in prison and the reactions of the family on their kids even though they admit they were innocent, Yet they find it hard to believe. The series highlights the dirty politics in order to win cases and falsely tricking the accused into admitting their guilt.

There is also an hour-long special with Oprah Winfrey with the “Real” five accused. Oprah Winfrey is the producer along with Robert Di Nero.

But, The Big Question is how much has changed in the USA? Even though this was 89. There was an event recently about a week in the USA Where cops were harassing and assaulted a Black.

The series is Written & Directed by Ava DuVernay who has directed the critically acclaimed film “Selma” which was also produced by Oprah Winfrey.

The five teenagers years later after proven not guilty were Vacated from court means that those who were originally convicted are treated as though no trial ever took place in the first place.

Their settlement for wrongly been accused was $41Million amongst the five of them. Largest in history.

Personal Book Review – Becoming & Charles Chaplin !!

 

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I Wouldn’t have really read this book. But, The moment you read It’s written by the former first lady, You know it’s going to be a great read. As it’s going to have things you wouldn’t know about their lives and you also get the chance to know the White House from an insider, The whole architecture, The protocols and the life behind the camera as a president and more importantly Michelle Obama’s journey in life.

Charles Chaplin – Autobiography

I really don’t like reading artist biographies or autobiography’s who have been part of the entertainment industry. For one they could be totally biased, one-sided and slightly boring to read. But Charles Chaplin I have been wanting to read for a long time, a couple of days before we went on national lockdown (25th march ’20’ ) I was about to place an order from the e-commerce website, But did not. Also, having read most of the books that I had already ordered and now worried I had no books to read, First I began scrolling from my contacts and messaged a couple of my “friends” if they could lend me some books. After having waited for too long for them to reply, I browsed through my library at home once again! Maybe there is a book I haven’t read and guess what! I found one of the first editions of Charles Chaplin which was tearing apart and I began reading the book, It was one of the best books I must have read on cinema and actor as it teaches you so much about what goes behind an actor during his preparation and how much effort is it to “Act” and being a superstar of the “silent Era” This fascinated me and within five days I had finished reading the book. Right from his childhood to him coming back from Hollywood and visiting his roots in The UK to him finally settling down in Switzerland to have been married numerous time. About five times and having eleven kids to getting the longest standing ovation in the (Twelve Minutes long ) history of academy awards Charles was one hell of a “Charlie.” It’s a must-read for all and besides Charlie, if you want to read another book on an actor you must! And must read Naseeruddin Shah Memoir – Then one day!

Then One Day!

Yes! This time feels like that moment where you keep making a Bucket list – The To-Do one, Where you plan and keep planning what you will do one day – That one Day where you want to learn how to cook, one day you just don’t want to go to work and laze around at home in your pyjamas. That One Day where you want to learn a language, That One Day you want to Binge, Watch your favourite series and That one day you would like to read that fat book waiting on your shelf, waiting for you to start reading. That one day where you have experienced so much and it is so much you want to express and yes you have written those thoughts in your diary, Word processing application and on your notes.

But, You Tell yourself one day I would like to share my thoughts with everybody. Then that one day comes and you are exhausted doing everything in the routine you have been set in.

Then for a change, you start Listening. Oh! No not! Listening to your parents or sibling. But listening to Podcast. That one sense you have always tried to ignore for the longest time. 

And you realise Oh! just listening can be fun too.