Sapiens

A Brief History of Humankind - Yuval Noah Harari

This is one space I think 'brief' gets redefined.

What Yuval Harari does here is touch evolution from way way way back, and not as paleontology or archaeology or sociology.....but with Sapiens as center. It's an amazing macro level view of the journey.....how we've reached where we've reached. 

I heard that Harari did ten years of vipassana, a full month each year, before he wrote this book. Don't know how true or exaggerated that is, but I can clearly see why that would fit. Just the quantum and diversity of information that he has put together to create this tome, would need that kind of mind space.

The first two pages is the timeline, starting from 13.5 billion years ago when matter and energy appeared, down to 200 years ago of the Industrial Revolution, 50 years ago of the Scientific Revolution....onto the present.

I think I took a half hour or maybe even two days to just process those first two pages. It's the feeling you get when you're just stepping into the sanctum sanctorium of an old large church, an over whelming feeling that just takes you over. (I say church and not temple, because architecturally churches do that best)

One concept that seems to underlay it all is of the cognitive revolution, wherein man, rather Sapien created this reality or construct in shared imagination, which paves the way for each future evolution. And in that he brings out how so many constructs we accept as real are but creations from man's need for power and dominance at one end, and universality and convergence at another.......be it the economic system, system of caste, the institution of marriage, or even God.

While he's writing in full earnest about evolution of the Sapiens and the structures surrounding it, and you are engrossed in processing the complexity of the compression, there's humor that laces many an observation.......I had many a laugh aloud moment, especially as he inches closer home.

The chapter on the scientific revolution was electrifying in the connection and coherence he drew through it all. Columbus and Megallan and Amerigo Verpucci sprang alive from the ghosts of history text books to tell a tale of adventure and grit. Facets like cartographers creating maps with empty spaces, with an invitation to explorers to fill in was like out of a fascinating Sci-Fi novel....mind blowing stuff.

The Industrial revolution caught my fancy like a thriller novel, I was walking around with the book in my hand, through breakfast, lunch and dinner. Funny thing is there was nothing new. Yet when you read about something as simple as invention of electricity, how it changed lives, how in Mary Poppins even as late as in 1930 they yet used gas based street lamps, a lot of dots connect to create a wondrous story.

And those absolutely hilarious cultural quirks; like when aluminium was discovered, and how for decades it was more expensive than gold. In the 1860s Emperor Napolean commissioned aluminium cutlery to be laid out for his most distinguished guests. Less important visitors had to make do with gold knives and forks.

That said, I did find places in the book which seemed a tad opinionated, and perhaps didn't fit perfectly into the whole. For instance he seems to suggest that the shift from 'Hunters-Gatherers' to the Agricultural Revolution was detrimental to the Sapiens growth, he says that repeatedly, and then later in the book we have him say that the flux in human cultures does have a direction... it is moving towards unification.

How then can an agricultural revolution be not part of a unification direction. Felt like an aberration.

Anyways, that was one such thought.

In terms of pushing understanding of some seemingly unanswerable questions, the perspective is truly enabling...... and I'd say it's one of those direction changing books, where every once in a while you get to step back and reassess, and it's impossible to get the kind of vantage he provides in one place in 480 pages. Just for that, it's such a big wow !

It's not an easy read....  takes a lot of processing..........but for those up to it, totally worthwhile ! 

Once Again

A beautiful portrayal of a mature romance...... with brilliant and soul stirring performances by Shefali Chaaya and Neeraj Kabi.  

It's extremely slow moving, almost at a meditative pace............ through deep joys and soulful moments...through challenges and issues...... be they their own quirks and traits set over the years, or through their children or through the larger society.

There's tremendous chemistry....her huge and expressive eyes....his brooding personality ....and a lovely backdrop of the sounds of cooking and the streets of Mumbai, which add a lot of character to the film.

He a well known actor, and she a restaurateur running her own kitchen. A relationship that stays on the phone for many years, until they just have to meet. 

Some nice symbolism where she says she is afraid of the sea, and he of the mountains....looked to me like her fear of taking the deep dive, and his of  scaling those heights...... the struggle in embracing those deeper desires and the guilt and fear of judgement.

Another thing that stands out is the way the daughters, both sides, are supportive of the relationship, but the son is not...he is more sensitive to image and opinion, and becomes a thorn in the space., a thorn that rips the very fabric. Stereotyping I guess, but largely true that daughters are by nature more empathetic.

Soulful and melancholic music nicely blends with the mood...

I loved the movie....and it's time to say that thanks to Netflix , as I doubt such cinema would see the light of day in theaters. 

A Millennial Little Thing

Yet another anecdote which had me agape:

Yesterday Diksha said she's going out for a short bit, as Sav, her close friend, 'wants to go check out a bike' . 

They're back in under two hours.....bike in tow. A pulsar, not a cycle mind you.

To my astonished expression.... raised eyebrows, open mouthed et al, she says:

"that's how it works on OLX ma"

Apparently the guy they bought it from is someone from the army, and he himself was taken aback.  He'd put up the advertisement just that morning, and was thinking the process would take a week and that he would have the bike for the week, after which he was moving on transfer. But once Sav liked it, negotiations done, he was like "where's the nearest ATM, I'll take it now".

Honestly, for all my exposure to their generation and way of life, I still get amazed. 

If we can park judgement and keep that open mind, it's a crazy fun ride with them.... even pavilion view :)

When you know your children have grown beyond you

If there's one practice I'm glad to have developed, it's of how much I consult with Dhruva and Diksha. 

It's my 'pause for perspective' .... 'push those thoughts' time

Especially in spaces containing ambiguity or moral dilemma, be it within my circle of experience, or one witnessed from the outside, I will flesh it out with them. I've always loved to push thought...... get to the deeper 'whys'......enable connect into ones own beliefs, and many a time in process call out the conditioned responses and false assumptions.

And today, it's at one time annoying, and exhilarating when I see them use it on me.....call out my assumptions or quirks in behaviour. Especially if I'll try and defend, they will point out quite precisely where I'm being the hypocrite. 

Precious moments of learning and joy.

The deep joy you experience each time you get occasion to witness such clarity of thought. Especially when you see it articulated to the T.

One such recent moment was when Diksha helped me make a difficult decision, and in process had messaged me these few lines, which I thought were quote worthy:

"Some people are not strong enough to ask for help ma, but I'm sure they are glad when they get it"

Take a bow girl....it's times like this that make parenting even more worthwhile.

Elizabeth Town

A warm and gentle movie, around difficult spaces like failure, death and love......and some nice lines in between.

The movie opens with "a failure is simply the nonpresence of success. Any fool can accomplish a failure. But a fiasco is a disaster of mythic proportions.” 

And that's what we journey through alongwith Drew 

                                

The fiasco is of Drew's atheletic shoe design, one that he has worked on for eight years, crashing at the market and bringing down with it a company of 972 million dollars. He is on the verge of suicide, all planned and ready for execution, when he learns that his father has died and he needs to go arrange things in his home town in Kentucky.

On the way is the meet cute with Clare, his flight attendant. Through that relationship and his meeting with family in his home town, is where we see the play of death and the exuberance of life.....and it's juxtaposed quite beautifully. 

What one will see is the possibility of recovering from failure and dealing with the loss of a loved one.

There's cute scenes and life lessons....a few which stayed

While they're great at long conversations on the phone, and are trying to be just friends, there's a moment when Crew kisses Claire.... passionately enough for her to say “Most of the sex I’ve had in my life was not as personal as that kiss.”  Another one I found cute: "You are always trying to break up with me and then saying we are not even together"

A couple of realizations that empower Drew;  ' a royal blunder never occurred from a quest for mere adequacy' and  'Success, not greatness, was the only god the entire world served' 

Plus it had good music .....a worthwhile watch I'd say.

The AMB Experience

Once we decided to go watch Mary Poppins, I told Dhruva I'd book in Prasads. His reaction was "why so far amma?"

I had no real reason, except maybe a subconscious one of popcorn being sensibly priced :)

I asked him to pick his choice, I'd book, I was open.....and imagine my surprise when ten minutes later he sends me ''can we go to AMB gachibowli amma ?". 

After my reaction of  "what?!? how is gachibowli nearer than prasads, kanna?", and Diksha's of "WTH ma, why we going to gachibowli for a movie?!? ", I still booked this theater I hadn't heard of until that moment.

And we went.

And was it fancy !

Inside the theater. That's almost the whole of it, just 5 rows. And this movie, there was a total of 6 people, including the 3 of us :)

Dhruva and Diksha well ensconced in their seats

Guess it does redefine movie watching. The seats, actually couches, are so comfortable and recline and stretch any direction..... and with my shawl, it was like how I'd cozy up at home to watch.....except watch large screen :)

Mary Poppins Returns

Couple days back when Diksha said "Ma, I want to go see Mary Poppins, want to come?", I was just so excited. I didn't know there was a 'Mary Poppins Returns' in town.

I roped in Dhruva as well, and said for old times sake we should all go.  They remember their ammamma getting them the video cassette of the movie from the US, and the the three of us likely having watched Mary Poppins on the DVD player maybe thirty to forty times. 

We each had our own favourite song recall from the movie, it was that etched in memory. Every time the children had to take a medicine I had a 'spoonful of sugar' humming, and I sometimes do even now with Diksha :)

It didn't disappoint. It's a totally new movie, and not a remake. Yet they did pretty much the same story with Mary Poppins visiting the same house on 17, cherry tree lane, just with the next generation.   Michael Banks, back then around ten years of age, twenty years later is now a widower, in debt and at the risk of losing his home. His sister Jane yet the more practical one is  helping bring up his three kids, and hopefully save the house.

Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins was brilliant, and until I saw her, that first few seconds landing in the grass on a kite, I was a little skeptical at seeing anyone but Julie Andrews in that role. Old London was brought out as beautifully.... lamp lighters, chimney sweepers and all...the first film was set in 1910, this one is 1930.

Meryl Streep as Topsy, a cousin of Mary Poppins, was super cute....a very gypsyish person whose entire world turns upside down every second Wednesday. What a cute concept.

Every song was plugged into very similar sequence, each equally beautifully choreographed, though I wished they had some clips of the old songs.....enough to have me back home and onto you tube :)

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable experience, as full of nostalgia as presence !