tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-114846742012-01-06T23:42:08.075+09:00My opinions on books, movies, products and services, life in general. Read if you want to learn the truth about these--well, my truth.Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.comBlogger801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-86364642600758164982012-01-05T22:21:00.000+09:002012-01-05T22:21:27.355+09:00

One of the two lifts has been beeping in its shrill voice. Sometimes someone does not close the shutter inside properly, and it beeps to indicate this. When we went for a walk two hours ago, this lift was beeping on the second floor. When we returned after the walk and some shopping, it was still beeping two hours later. It took me just 2-3 minutes to take the other lift to the second floor. I

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-34130832051098743282011-08-29T15:07:00.000+09:002011-08-29T15:07:22.595+09:00

In India, I've observed many people using the words 'lemon' and 'lime' interchangeably--so much so that as a child I wondered why there were two names for the same fruit--which is the case with many, many people across the country. Key Lime This is a lime (Citrus aurantiflora), nimbu (Hindi)--Wikipedia says it is called the 'key lime'. This fruit is small, round and green-yellow and is what

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-20759631274329054542011-06-28T14:49:00.000+09:002011-06-28T14:49:55.653+09:00

I see that I have neglected to post about my short story appearing in the anthology Urban Shots by Grey Oak publishers. The anthology was released in November 2010 and has been very well received. I just found this review of the book and my story: Between the Lines. Here's a report about the launch of the book, and another review with a little about each story on Book Reviews. The anthology is

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-86551191940374148602011-05-22T06:39:00.000+09:002011-05-22T06:39:18.526+09:00

A great expanse of desert All around, sand dunes, pockmarked with bushes, palm trees, smudges of black, lost in overwhelming brown. Suddenly appear buildings, neat Like Monopoly houses, ruler-straight Lines of roads: human habitation. Desert gone, An oasis called Dubai. This Arabic dot inspired no poetry. Few ancient monuments, no natural scenery, just the monotonous desert. Man-made

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-17404055164517432472011-04-25T16:53:00.001+09:002011-04-25T20:38:00.850+09:00

I don't get it when people say this. You might have shared a part of your life with them that is causing you pain or worry, and they'll sagely say, "Cheer up!" You're like Duh, if I knew how to do that, wouldn't I have done it already? In private, on my own? Without baring my soul to You? Have you also noticed, when they give you this wise piece of advice, some of these people will look

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-77661808704356581372011-02-17T15:59:00.000+09:002011-02-17T15:59:23.718+09:00

I'm not a great reader of poems, but as a lover of literary expression in any form, I was drawn in by Abha Iyengar's sample poems from her book Yearnings. Drawn in enough to immediately order a copy of her book. As the title makes clear, this collection is about longing, love, loss, passion and related emotions and situations. What I admire about Abha's poetry is its impressionist style of

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-85062003656398947052011-02-01T14:26:00.000+09:002011-02-01T14:26:24.820+09:00

We've all heard of Solomon the Wise. Well, through this book we discover the 'true' nature of King Solomon's incredible power: a little golden ring he wears all the time. He has to just touch it and an immensely strong magical spirit appears to do his bidding. Solomon has several powerful magicians under him, to take care of administration and other affairs that a king concerns himself with. Each

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-69081830475097955862010-11-08T22:22:00.002+09:002010-11-08T22:32:39.487+09:00

For people whose native tongue is an Indian language, it is difficult to write error-free English. Even those who speak English all the time but live in India cannot avoid the Indian-ness that seeps into their language, both spoken and written. Avoid literal translation For new Indian writers, there is a strong tendency to literally translate from their mother tongue into English. Each language

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-12239552068197262022010-11-06T13:34:00.000+09:002010-11-06T13:34:17.335+09:00

I watched Martin Scorsese's famous 'Taxi Driver' last night. It was riveting. The taxi driver, played by Robert de Niro, is a guy with insomnia, a sense of goodness and justice, he is nice to people and he watches the worst sort of porn in the theatre every day. He even takes a high-class woman he is trying to date to one of these movies and is bewildered when walks out of the theatre and refuses

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-77247972371704118942010-10-28T16:40:00.000+09:002010-10-28T16:40:53.796+09:00

Honesty comes into the picture even while writing a story. If you're writing from the point of view of a character, you can't suddenly reveal a truth that only she knows but doesn't reveal until the end of the story, for the twist in the tail. Sounds like an obvious point but it isn't. Here's an example, from a prize winnning story I read somewhere: The story is written from a woman's point of

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-83834809048600422222010-10-03T23:44:00.000+09:002010-10-03T23:44:38.958+09:00

Riddle of the Seventh Stone by Monideepa Sahu This is a unique adventure story (age group 9-12 I'd think) involving a spider and a rat that magically turn into human children and try to help a family solve a mysterious riddle and escape the clutches of a greedy, corrupt landgrabber. What makes the story unique is the setting: the events takes place in and around Avenue Road, Bangalore.

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-3678692365804304862010-09-14T03:58:00.000+09:002010-09-14T03:58:33.768+09:00

There's no need for pomp and show. Whom are you showing how grandly you celebrate? Whom are you trying to impress with your Hinduness? You don't get any marks for this. Life goes on as it did before and after the festival. Here's something to remember: the celebration is your own private joy or respect between you/your family and your god. It's Ganesha's time now, this time of the year. Polish

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-59123050446540819602010-08-31T01:05:00.000+09:002010-08-31T01:05:21.646+09:00

I had turned up my nose at these books for a long time. The kids in the school I teach in were reading it, the posters and books stared at me every bookshop I went to. I tend to be suspicious of popular bestsellers. Sorry to say, but many bestsellers are um... crappy. But I fell in love with the movie Twilight. It made me 'phase' into a different world, a lovely, impossible world of escape. A

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-68958024999636490782010-08-06T14:30:00.004+09:002010-08-06T14:33:46.638+09:00

This third and last part of the trilogy may well be called the best of the three. As is usually the case with a trilogy or a saga, the last book has a big responsibility: to bring the story to a satisfying conclusion. When it tries to forcefully tie up the ends, the reader can see it and this makes the read a laborious one. However, Ptolemy's Gate is very much in keeping with the first two books

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-86391910846510921732010-06-11T02:51:00.001+09:002010-06-11T02:55:53.761+09:00

I've read Anne Tyler's Pulitzer Prize winner "Breathing Lessons" and loved it. I read "The Amateur Marriage" and appreciated it, but "Patchwork Planet" is the most endearing of her books (that I've read) so far. It's a book that's so well written, easy to read and interesting, I wouldn't mind reading it again. I can say that of very few books. Patchwork Planet is about a chap called Barnaby (

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-25973858134590098012010-06-01T13:57:00.002+09:002010-06-01T14:12:39.123+09:00

I didn't bother to pick up The Amulet of Samarkand when it came out in bookstores in 2003, thinking it was merely riding on the success of fantasy books at the time (Harry Potter books) and didn't pay attention to it. When I read it now, what a lovely surprise! The story is intriguing and the characters, delightful. The setting is London, which is run by the powerful magicians and where the

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-17241654816408769372010-03-09T22:01:00.001+09:002010-03-10T21:21:54.152+09:00

Two of my short stories, 'Brownies for Christmas' and 'A Secret Life' are published in the anthology called Vanilla Desires by Bangalore-based Unisun publications. The book was launched on 6 March 2010. 'Brownies for Christmas' was also on the shortlist in Unisun's annual short story competition. Coverage on Explocity

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-15528557762681071212009-08-24T20:40:00.001+09:002009-08-24T20:42:04.749+09:00

An article on freelance writing in India quotes me as a source in The Hoot:Click here to read.

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-27891186090605270152009-05-17T20:46:00.007+09:002009-05-21T23:33:04.253+09:00

Maya: IllusionI see illusionsTheir iridescent coloursLike micaSomewhere in my psycheI know what they are--Ready to shatterWith a firm tapBut mesmerisedI lose myself to the mayaI do not tap, I admire,Trapped in its perfectionSuch beauty must existIt has a right to be, I sayI forget it is micaI stare: it is mother-of-pearlI tell myself it holds treasures.

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-83957407823408884632009-04-13T15:12:00.005+09:002009-04-13T17:22:13.694+09:00

The Graveyard Book by Neil GaimanA family is murdered, except for the smallest member, a toddler about one year old. The baby crawls into a graveyard and this, of all places, becomes his home--a long dead old couple by the name of Owens become his parents, and name him Nobody Owens.It's amazing how Neil Gaiman is able to create a world of ghosts who become, as we read, more substantial than the

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-62900662673955182072009-03-19T22:44:00.013+09:002009-03-19T23:27:16.361+09:00

When I'm happy I can seethe hills from my window.At night I see the moon,in the upper left one-third,like an artist's painting. During glum times, all I perceiveare the slums below stretchingto the hills--the normalcy of poverty,decades of livingwith no water supply.I sit and look down, somehow guilty,from my cement-glass matchbox,in a high-rise building,expensive propertythat'll take decades to

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-56724899044685584632009-03-16T14:31:00.004+09:002009-03-16T17:47:47.234+09:00

I saw this cute little espresso maker in Cafe Coffee Day and was quite fascinated at its size and functionality. Sold on its features, I bought it. It does make a nice cup of coffee. It has three compartments. You fill water in the bottom compartment, put in the coffee powder in the cup-shaped, filter compartment above it and screw on the top, which has a spike-shaped thingy with slits that

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-15532623541592196732008-12-07T02:53:00.008+09:002008-12-07T03:47:43.976+09:00

This is not a review, since I haven't read the book yet. I did see and flip through the book in a bookshop today, and while I'm a Rowling fan, and have a copy of all the Harry Potter books, and my sister has her own set as well, I'm glad I did not pre-order this book.I was considering ordering it, and it was offered as an option for my birthday gift last week, but reading about what it contained

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-35429091347431858872008-11-23T16:15:00.003+09:002008-11-23T16:23:01.741+09:00

I finished reading Brisingr last month. I enjoyed the book very much, and am impatient to read the next and hopefully last book of the series. 'Hopefully last' only because I want to see how it all ends and not because it's not a good story. I did find that some parts were overly long, and dragged a little, but overall it was absorbing as a fantasy tale ought to be.The sword-making bit really was

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-62952883141458420712008-11-23T15:50:00.002+09:002008-11-23T16:14:43.338+09:00

I just finished read Aravind Adiga's 'The White Tiger' last night. It was easy to read, and difficult to put down--I finished reading it in two days, which is very fast for a generally slow reader like me. It held my interest with the situations he has written about, the characters, and the simple, clean language. His idea is interesting to think about, and the book is worth reading. But it

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-536639324630171612008-11-20T14:00:00.003+09:002008-11-20T14:52:37.178+09:00

Today is the birthday of someone I know. I received a reminder about this from networking group sites where she and I are members and marked 'friends'. It's easy enough to send her an e-mail or an e-card to wish her. She might even feel good about my wishing her. But she wouldn't feel as nice if I remembered it by myself, without the help of a Web site's reminder.She may not know that it was a

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-861341396121714242008-09-22T18:36:00.004+09:002008-09-22T19:00:11.369+09:00

I received my copy of Brisingr by Christopher Paolini today! It was just released on 20 September so I was surprised and thrilled to get it this afternoon by courier. It's a paperback, but the quality of paper is smooth and a pleasure to touch; the font is easy on the eyes, and the page numbers are on the right side centre of the page, which is great for reference--I wonder why this has not been

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-22127492856904542512008-08-26T21:00:00.002+09:002008-08-26T21:14:33.715+09:00

I ended up finishing the book, after all. And it turned out that it was a pretty good one, all in all. While I still stand by what I said in the first review, the action picks up after that point.The characters are good, and Sam Spade the detective and protagonist, is 'quite a character' as the main villain, Gutman says. He is in control in a masterful, cool way, and must have been brought out to

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-43480824635340420542008-08-21T17:12:00.003+09:002008-08-21T17:33:49.799+09:00

I got my hands on The Maltese Falcon by Dashiel Hammett after much effort, I must tell you. It was on my wishlist after I read somewhere (where the- was it, I can't recall now) that it was a classic detective novel, a literary masterpiece, highly-recommended by someone respectable in the field. You can click on the Amazon link at the title here and see that readers have raved about this book.It

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-89823252768055924172008-08-14T00:53:00.003+09:002008-08-14T01:03:29.703+09:00

Alongside the headlines that Abhinav Bindra had won India's first ever gold in the Beijing Olympics, there was a report announcing how Abhinav is now one of the most sought and eligible bachelors.Makes you wonder what an Olympic medal has to do with marriage, eh? What, you marry someone for his fame and name? It would be an honour if you got to meet him, and it would be something if you got to

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-54288966893152498072008-07-11T20:36:00.006+09:002008-07-11T20:46:41.993+09:00

A Fine Balance - Rohinton MistryThis is such a beautifully narrated story, with such realism and detail, that I was grateful to simply read it. Although I cared deeply for the characters, and couldn't stop reading to find out what would happen to them, I wasn't hoping for a dramatic ending that 'solved' everything or tied up all the ends. It's not that kind of a story. But the epilogue, I found,

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-83215056291778102462008-05-28T21:08:00.003+09:002008-05-28T21:15:39.917+09:00

I've seen Stephen King spelt Steven King so often, by Americans, his fellow countrymen, and I think, if they can misspell this great author's name, who am I to make a big noise when my surname is spelt Chandler by the same people?It's only hard convincing my bank that they meant Chander, but are familiar with Chandler and thought I couldn't spell my own name in my invoice, is all. But the bank

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-14797921629833255152008-03-19T03:24:00.003+09:002008-03-19T03:28:55.797+09:00

Mercury blobs unused, ancient, shine upon her sleeve of memory.Unbidden they flow,Uncalled they come and break.Powder of liquid.Spellings of silence,Of calm, silver peace.I wrote this years ago, and it was camouflaged in electronic dust, so I thought I'd put it up somewhere.

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-5468974227932672842008-03-10T15:06:00.004+09:002008-03-10T15:19:14.099+09:00

I happened to see on Amazon.com that Christopher Paolini's third book in the Inheritance series is going to be available in a few months (September). You can hear what Paolini has to say on the latest book, Brisingr, in a video there. He says there will be a fourth book as well.Can't wait to get my hands on this book!

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-38320077942745142422008-03-04T15:08:00.002+09:002008-03-04T15:12:57.117+09:00

I have dreams of writing books,And there are mosquitoes in the bathroom.I chase them; they're elusive.There one goes--aim, swing, grab!I open my hand:Nothing. It has escaped.Another attempt rejected.I open the door, step out into Life,Forgetting mosquitoes.It is not easy, writing--Good writing.Will I succeed? Ever?I step into the bathroom.A dream sits on the wall. Grab!Nothing.Swing, slap, open--

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-83344116985776952722008-02-28T21:04:00.003+09:002008-02-28T21:18:17.644+09:00

Please read this beautiful, beautiful poem, "Leaving" on my friend Ano's blog.Notice the imagery in her words--A period at the end of a lane: the last house in the row. Easter egg memories. Silverfish feasting on old books. Scouring scars with tears. Pictures - frozen memories - thawing.The image at the end of the poem is so moving.I am doing my best to stop gushing about this piece of writing.

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-50896201454652534182008-02-25T21:48:00.004+09:002008-02-25T22:01:30.154+09:00

I was half-listening to a Hindi film song just now when I realised that the lyrics were quite beautiful. If I had watched the film on DVD at home, I might have skipped the song; in a theatre I may have concentrated on the visuals rather than the words and emotion of the song. What a waste of good lyrics.This songwriter must have immersed himself in his creative mood and special out-of-the-skin

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-24347573283871237002008-02-23T15:26:00.004+09:002008-02-23T15:38:30.577+09:00

A Year in Provence by Peter MayleI read this book after reading Toujours Provence and French Lessons, so I was very familiar with the Mayles living in Provence and many of the characters (their neighbour Faustin, Massot who lives in the middle of the woods, the people who work on their home--Didier, Menicucci, et al) in the book. It was like reading about a family I knew, like reading James

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-66548347982423347492008-02-11T14:03:00.000+09:002008-02-11T14:21:13.240+09:00

The Road by Cormac McCarthyA man and his son are walking in the cold dark place that America has become--that the world has become. No creatures inhabit it except a few humans. The rest of the world has been extinguished.The boy has never seen the sun, and thinks of crows and fish as we do of dragons and dinosaurs, as creatures of the imagination. How can he believe that they ever existed, since

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-29785181993733603232008-02-07T19:24:00.000+09:002008-02-07T19:36:46.999+09:00

My group for writers, Writing in India, was chosen No. 10 in the Preditors and Editors Poll for the best writers' forum on the Internet.See http://www.critters.org/predpoll/tally.html

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-80583178986843419072008-01-21T11:54:00.000+09:002008-01-21T12:30:29.718+09:00

This film is visually fantastic--every other scene is as beautiful as a painting. What colours, camera angles, lighting. The palace and surroundings, the clothes--rich and intricately detailed; the food, mouthwatering. Kirsten Dunst has done a great job portraying Marie Antoinette as a character. As a viewer, I liked her, felt sorry for her, indulged her and yet felt annoyed at her excesses and

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-62590499516073018022008-01-10T22:14:00.000+09:002008-01-17T13:57:39.124+09:00

Beowulf by Caitlin R KiernanI had only heard of Beowulf, but had no clue about who or what Beowulf was. Two reasons I picked up this book at Landmark, Bangalore, were: the film by Warner Bros. (which I haven't yet watched) and that the novel was written based on Neil Gaiman's screenplay.I stood in Landmark and read Gaiman's introduction. He says he's glad Caitlin R Kiernan has written the novel

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-80692733672642779552007-12-25T18:06:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:12:00.389+09:00

Check out Manoj Vijayan's cartoon on a survival kit for Bangalore. The only thing I could add to this encumbered soul is some mini gas cylinders on his back to fly over crowded points in malls!

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-90493650259314483532007-12-25T17:21:00.000+09:002008-01-17T14:15:12.506+09:00

Aren't Google's holiday "doodles" cute? See them all in order here:http://www.google.co.in/doodle13.html

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-79832779443734997582007-12-24T21:12:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:13:52.632+09:00

The ABC Checklist for New Writers: How to Open Doors and Get Noticed the First Time Around - By Lorraine Mace & Maureen Vincent-NorthamWhen I started out, I didn't know how to becoming a published writer. I had no clue how to write a cover letter (I wrote a poem in one, begging the editor to use my story), how to 'study the market' or what an article really was. Luckily, in a few years, in which

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-36046587628753007322007-12-05T15:21:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:15:17.101+09:00

I happened to search on Google for "freelance writing, India" and saw this entry in position #2:http://www.indianchild.com/writing/freelance-writing-jobs.htmThe blurb under the heading freelance writing jobs read:"But did you know that Freelance writing could be done by almost anyone. It does not require any set of so called specialized skills in writing."This was news to me, being a freelance

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-36210545311231505732007-11-24T02:54:00.001+09:002008-01-17T16:14:40.978+09:00

A woman opens her cupboard to be greeted by a man inside wearing a hideous mask, moving his hands in a clawing action - she is not surprised, where another person might have had a heart attack and died on the spot. The man takes off his mask, and it turns out to be probably her husband, who looks to my eyes very similar to the mask itself (maybe that's why she isn't shocked out of her wits).The

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-79734186024058789372007-11-23T03:39:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:17:21.296+09:00

I picked up this book in Landmark today and read the back cover, and found it intriguing even though it starts and dwells on a woman who kills her aging mother in frustration for all the pain the latter has caused her over the years.The reason I found it intriguing and exciting enough to add it to my wishlist is probably the same for hundreds of Sebold fans around the world: her beautiful first

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-40260880175085335792007-11-15T20:53:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:20:28.785+09:00

I went to this restaurant opposite St Patrick's Church, Brigade Road, Bangalore, for the first time. A friend suggested meeting there for an early lunch. I was expecting a cafe sort of an atmosphere but this is a regular restaurant with a formal dining space indoors and a more casual setting outdoors on the rooftop of a dilapidated-looking building.We sat outside on the chunky benches painted

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-16843897285794753952007-10-21T15:33:00.001+09:002008-01-17T16:21:07.139+09:00

I got my excellent copy of High Fidelity, Hornby's first book, from Bookmooch. As with About a Boy, this book was also made into a film starring John Cusack.I got sucked into the story and the main character's life and language like dust into a vacuum cleaner. I know, weird analogy, but it works, no? Just like the things High Fidelity's Rob Fleming comes up with--wacky, so way out and then so

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-64925596370271086522007-09-28T15:10:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:23:06.712+09:00

From today's Indian Express:JAMMU, SEPTEMBER 27: For the first time, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to initiate gold exploration in the cold desert of Ladakh along the banks of river Indus. The state Department of Geology and Mining is planning to send a team of geologists to Ladakh to explore the feasibility of mining gold. My response to this is probably very naïve: I was dismayed

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-46312181311019031622007-07-31T00:34:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:24:27.180+09:00

I didn't like this movie anywhere near as much as I liked the previous one, The Goblet of Fire. I was disappointed with the characters used for Umbridge and Tonks. For Umbridge I had imagined someone like that admin woman in Monsters Inc, remember her (see image, right)? She's a slug-like one but convert her to a toadish image and you have Umbridge.Umbridge's outfits were apt and so was her

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-26265122721820924082007-06-17T20:39:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:25:00.592+09:00

I received a forwarded mail about a blog post on Treehugger.com, an environment-related online community, that mentioned the black search page of Google called Blackle. This page is supposed to contribute to saving power by changing the Google's white background to black, because CRT monitors use up more energy to display white than black.I visited the blog and saw pages of comments, of which

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-63251785675152700512007-06-03T00:49:00.002+09:002008-01-17T16:25:28.566+09:00

I had heard of "Yoko's" spoken of with respect, so I assumed it would be a good place for an anniversary dinner. Was I disappointed!The name brought to mind some dreamy images connected with John Lennon and Yoko Ono--that Yoko. I don't know if there is/was any connection when the owners named the place, but the atmosphere I believe was definitely far from dreamy. In fact, it was very down to

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-88455621728527548092007-04-19T04:29:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:25:44.530+09:00

Almost all the words from my Tuscan Vocabulary post are in quite common usage, I've discovered. I've eaten gelato as it's available in several places in India now. I saw pine nuts available in Namdhari's Fresh in Bangalore. Mascarpone can be bought from the Hypercity mall in Malad, Mumbai. I plan to make my own basil pesto soon, simple enough recipe. I've eaten some delicious antipasti in Little

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-59823298371507814422007-02-17T11:50:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:26:05.316+09:00

Suddenly the Indian cosmetic shelves are flooded with anti-ageing products. Why are we supposed to hate wrinkles so much? They are natural--they form when we smile, when we frown and when we are perplexed. And natural is usually good.Ad agencies seem to have no scruples whatsoever about promoting these products. The most common mantra is to show a woman in her thirties looking glum, not getting

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1170769006336979312007-02-06T21:33:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:26:31.011+09:00

Reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini has been a moving, enlightening and powerful experience. The story is about friendship, family, caste differences, honour and reputation as well as the truth--and how difficult it is to be courageous in a scary situation and how much easier to be the coward and walk away; how it is easier to go with the flow rather than to stand against the majority and

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1170521098834878302007-02-04T01:31:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:26:56.255+09:00

The seventh and last (?) of the Harry Potter series has just been announced as releasing on 21 July 2007. The name is "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." When death is in the title itself one can only bite one's nails and hold one's breath to find out how the whole story will end. Harry has to win and Voldemort has to be defeated, but at what cost? And how will the magical world and Hogwarts

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1170495779670183862007-02-03T17:13:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:27:28.580+09:00

How many megapixels should your digital camera be capable of capturing if you want to print a postcard size (4" x 6") picture? To print it at 300 dpi, the standard resolution, you'll need 300 dots or pixels for every inch. That is 4 x 300 x 6 x 300 = 2,160,000 pixels. That's 2 megapixels.It's as simple as that, but many people are confused with words like dpi and megapixels, and even pixels (

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1147117757682114992006-05-09T04:24:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:27:43.012+09:00

I finally bought the specialty coffee I've been eyeing for a while at Café Coffee Day yesterday. This is called Dark Forest and was originally launched in Central Europe. It comes from coffee grown in the famous Baba Budan Giri mountains near Chikmagalur. Baba Budan is the man who brought coffee to India. He is supposed to have managed to steal some coffee seeds from Arabia and bring them to

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1144517585964753762006-04-08T23:32:00.000+09:002008-02-23T15:37:24.976+09:00

Thanks to Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes, my vocabulary and knowledge has grown a bit. I learnt a completely new word in English that I had never come across before: Xeric. The Merriam Webster Online says:Main Entry: xe·ric Pronunciation: 'zir-ik, 'zer-Function: adjective: characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture So I suppose it's a scientific word, which

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1143711013710656862006-03-30T18:27:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:28:19.919+09:00

I know, I know, 'party' is supposed to be a synonym for 'fun', but I must be blind or very stupid because I simply can't see how this is possible.I just read an interview of Aishwarya Rai in which she talks about how she would like to spend her time if she had just one day in her favourite city, Mumbai. She goes here and there and then, in the night, "like any young starlet" she wants to shop,

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1141019264285571532006-02-27T14:37:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:28:35.033+09:00

This is the latest business gag. To vote for this contestant SMS "HISNAME" to 1234. Cost of each SMS, Rs.6. Cost of normal SMS, Re.1.What's the deal? What do I gain by spending the extra five? At least when I spend a rupee normally I'm passing on information to a friend or telling my mom I'll be late. In the voting SMS thing, it's like doing a poll, but paying to participate. Isn't it ridiculous?

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1140607472250517632006-02-22T20:15:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:28:45.679+09:00

The National Writers Union in the US makes it clear that the writer-needs-better-pay argument in my previous post is very fair indeed:http://www.nwu.org/journ/minrate.htm (on the minimum rates a freelance writer needs to be paid)(Thanks, Rohini, for bringing this to the attention of WII.)

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1138483263387618352006-01-29T05:26:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:28:53.546+09:00

We were just discussing on my writers group how magazines in India have such low pay rates for freelance work--famous magazines like Good Housekeeping pay one rupee a word in India while the US version pays around $1/word. Where's the equation? Our rate is a fraction of the American rate, so why would we want to write for the Indian GH, or other mags that pay like this (most do)?What would the

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1137500235666462482006-01-17T21:10:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:29:02.606+09:00

Gracie is Levenford’s prettiest, most charming girl, with most men at her feet. Her uncle, Daniel Nimmo, is no exception--he dotes on Gracie, even when she makes mistakes. Nimmo is a failed priest-turned-photographer, a quiet man who is always aware of his failure, but tries to live a dignified life as best he can.When Gracie comes back to Levenford after seven years--after having disappeared

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1135799602383453722005-12-29T04:46:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:30:23.929+09:00

As a child I used to collect greeting cards. I had some cool two-dimensional ones, handmade ones with pressed flowers and leaves, foreign ones from my aunt in the US, some friends of my parents in one or two other countries, and a lot of regular cards.As the collection got bulkier I discarded the common ones and only saved the specials. But over the years it managed to grow beyond the bag I used

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1132408916859667042005-11-19T22:56:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:31:18.434+09:00

According to this "StudentNetwork" (jobs@snrinfo.com) India and Philippines are only good for cheap and low quality labour:http://www.freelancewriting.com/jobbank/article903.htmTo quote them: "We are an American based company looking for American, Canadian, or British freelance writers. A lot of companies in this industry look to exploit cheap labor from India or the Philippines, but we pride

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1129985962191201482005-10-22T21:55:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:31:18.434+09:00

"Sheer" has got to be one of the most misused words. I saw the Web site of a five-star resort yesterday that said "for sheer romance" you could step onto their private beach. What is "sheer romance"? People in love wearing sheer clothes?This is one of those favourite words to throw into brochures, ad copy and Web sites along with opulent, best, guaranteed, unique, once-in-a-lifetime,

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1129526164905747122005-10-17T14:14:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:31:18.435+09:00

You've read about it in the newspaper--the recent earthquake in Jammu-Kashmir-Pakistan where people anxiously await basic things like warm woollen clothing to keep them from succumbing to the bitter cold there; many little children have already lost the battle and died.Please send your contribution, however humble, to "The Indian Express Citizens' Relief Fund" organised by one of the courageous

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1128169605908449962005-10-01T21:08:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:33:25.295+09:00

As I mentioned in my review, it's true that the movie inspired me to read the book, but did the movie have to move so far away from the original story?One big, solid character in the form of Melony is missing from the movie. OK, forgivable because that would have meant that much more time developing that character. But how about Homer Wells's basic characteristic of mostly saying just "Right"? He

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1127907965335417992005-09-28T20:41:00.000+09:002008-02-23T15:38:56.862+09:00

Saw the ad on TV and wanted to try it. I bought it yesterday and tasted it today--yummy!I just ate it as an accompaniment to my roti and sabzi, and it really enhanced the taste. I am not very fond of sauces in general, but this one's good. It has the flavour of freshly torn mint leaves and tangy tomato (the Maggi company had better not steal my lines). I plan to use it the next time I make pasta!

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1123591240641949682005-08-09T21:06:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:33:04.655+09:00

Harry Potter is sixteen, and in his sixth year at Hogwart's. No longer a kid, and the book is not a cozy read like we expect a Harry Potter to be.Death and sadness hover constantly in and around the school--just as the special clock always points to Mortal Peril in the Weasley home.This long awaited book somehow disappoints. It may not really be a fault in the writing, but a let down in the story

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1123066107208105702005-08-03T19:38:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:34:23.330+09:00

I just read through the BBC Web site that the latest Harry Potter is being sold on the streets in our dear Mumbai, pirated and cheap. The article says that the book, that ought to sell at Rs. 670 onwards, is being sold for $6 which is around Rs. 270.E-books of the Harry Potter series are also being circulated by e-mail. If you get a copy of this mail, please delete it--these are illegal,

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1120965172912456022005-07-10T12:10:00.000+09:002008-02-23T15:37:58.801+09:00

If you were a kid in the seventies you definitely remember biting into a Cadbury's Eclair. Not today's Dairy Milk Eclair but the one that had an orange and brown wrapper and gold-coloured foil inside. The one that had a core of real milk chocolate that oozed deliciously into your mouth when you bit it.It was a treat eating those éclairs. They were, if I remember right, the most expensive toffees

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1118223423401380722005-06-08T18:35:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:33:04.656+09:00

To Booktag: Here's a new infinitive that we won't find in a dictionary. We're good at creating new words, especially by sticking together two decently independent ones, eh? If you'd like to read more about this particular talent we have, click here.Now that Percy says I'm It, I believe I'm supposed to blurt out some deep secrets about my book buying and reading habits. So here goes:Total number

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1116652414749294342005-05-21T13:56:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:31:18.437+09:00

Yes, I do mean handicapped, and not “differently-abled,” because that’s the meaning I’m talking about--disadvantaged, at a loss.This country is thoughtless--if not cruel--to people with physical problems: those who have a cast on the leg, those who depend on crutches or wheelchairs to get about, the elderly, and mothers with little babies.The last category is where I'm coming from at this point.

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1112439250339760652005-04-02T19:35:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:33:04.656+09:00

An obese young woman is in prison for murdering her mother and sister. She has not just murdered them, she has butchered them into small pieces. It's a gripping, intriguing start, and definitely makes you want to read on to find out what the story is behind this gruesome killing.I'd been meaning to read Minette Walters from the time I saw an interview with her in the British Writers' Forum

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1112329485983627292005-04-01T13:12:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:33:25.296+09:00

One would think that a story about the Mafia would be violent and ugly, but Francis Ford Coppola's film, The Godfather, is simply beautiful, and the musical composition by Nino Rota is unforgettable and deeply moving.The movie and the music are forever linked even if you (can) forget the story and the actors. The theme music plays in the film to show the passage of time; a change in a character's

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11484674.post-1111237083692952372005-03-19T21:47:00.000+09:002008-01-17T16:31:18.437+09:00

One would think that a story about the Mafia would be violent and ugly, but Francis Ford Coppola's film, The Godfather, is simply beautiful, and the musical composition by Nino Rota is unforgettable and deeply moving.The movie and the music are forever linked even if you (can) forget the story and the actors. The theme music plays in the film to show the passage of time; a change in a character's

Hasmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06430445031684028058noreply@blogger.com2