Hayao to the rescue

I spent the best part of last month sewing. To be honest, I need some motivation to get on to my felt crafts. Unless I am stitching for somebody, I don’t feel like picking up the needle and thread. But if you look hard enough, opportunity is bound to present itself to you :) For days together, I was trying to come up with a memorable gift for my friend. And I am not at all joking when I say it’s hard to shop for guys. The best way to gift somebody is to round up their interests and hobbies and get them something related to that. He is a big fan of animated movies and the Hayao Miyazaki movies by Studio Ghibli are his favorite. If you haven’t watched these Japanese animated movies, then you must. The characters are simply adorable. This gave me an idea. Why not make felt toys out of the Studio Ghibli characters! :D And that is precisely what I did. Look below!

Can you identify all of them? :P

Starting from the left, I have named the characters along with the movies they star in.

            Totoro – My neighbor Totoro
          Calcifer – Howl’s Moving Castle
                  Jiji – Kiki’s Delivery Service
          No face – Spirited Away
Dust bunnies – My neighbor Totoro (not in the pic)

The last one is not covered in the pic. I bought black pom-poms and added googly eyes to make them look like the soot bunnies. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of everything and this is the only picture I have. You can see that my stitching is not very commendable :P Totoro’s stitches seem too tight and I ran into a knot when I was finishing up Calcifer. Jiji had its own issues with the eyes melting the first time I tried to stick them using Fevi-kwik (Oops). I did not find time to stitch up No face. My sis and I struggled to glue everything on to his face :D I also wish I had kept everything in the same size. But may be Totoro needs to be a bit bigger than the rest? Hmm.. I don’t know. But I do have a chance to correct my mistakes. You know why? My sister loved these so much that she wants a set all for herself :D 

Yayyy! That’s my first order!! Howzzat :D

Book Review: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

I finally managed to read ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’ by Anne Frank. Somehow, I perceived this to be a very serious book and hence never ventured to read it when I was younger. I wish I had. The book is easy to read although some words may have to be looked up. Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who went into hiding along with her family in Amsterdam during the Second World War. They hid in the secret annexe of their office along with another family and took in one more man sometime later. After listening to a radio announcement that said diaries and journals maintained during the war will be published as historical documents, Anne made up her mind to record the daily events of her life in a systematic and elaborate manner. The family was in hiding for two years and the book narrates Anne’s experiences in the annexe, her interactions with the others, her thoughts on various subjects and her dreams.

I don’t think it is appropriate to be reviewing someone’s diary. A diary is basically a person on paper. And we have no right to judge a person. A fictional character has traits established by the author. It is easy to criticize when the character doesn’t stay true to its personality. But how do you comment on a real person? Anne’s diary reaches out to us at a personal level. The book may seem to be full of teenage angst. But let me tell you, I had a diary at a similar age and it was no different. There were times when I thought I could have been Anne Frank in my previous birth :) Then again, maybe every other teenager felt so. That’s the reason I think that this book must be read by both adolescents and adults. Anne expected her parents to treat her as an adult but her parents had no clue. These days, it is known as the 'generation gap'. Anne seems bright and mature for her age. She is spunky and has an opinion on everything. I wonder how many kids can cope so well in a restrictive environment. Yet, she is constantly subjected to age bias.

But that does not mean that her parents did not care for her. They ensured that their kids did not miss out on education. They even remembered to bring Anne’s movie poster collection. The only area where they fell short is in understanding their daughter. To be honest, during the first half of the book, even I got tired of listening to Anne’s rants. Then, I imagined myself being cooped up in a small house with several people, not being able to go out, having to eat the same food, listening to the horrifying stories of cruelty being meted out to people and thinking will I be next? I could relate to Anne much better after that. Once I had taken these few steps, the rest of the journey did not take long.

I think the main drawback of the book is incorrect publicity. This book does not describe the holocaust or its atrocities, as often stated. Anne fleetingly touches these topics since she wrote this book when she was in hiding. In fact, I will go to the extent of saying Anne’s family was relatively safe while the diary was being written since they were in the annexe. But it surely affects you when you get to know how these people were denied basic rights. Despite having shelter, the family never felt secure. They had to be on constant vigil. However, Anne’s optimism even in the face of danger is inspiring. You can actually see Anne growing mature and dealing with the situation better.

I realized how important it is to channel our emotions and try to do so in a constructive manner as much as possible. Writing helps me gather my thoughts and reflect on them. It is really sad that Anne never got to experience freedom in the end. The after math is too touching. Anne’s family was compromised and they were arrested by the Gestapo. All her loved ones were separated from her and she herself succumbed to Typhus. It is indeed tragic that the concentration camp where she spent her last days was liberated soon after her death. A special mention goes to all the Germans and Christians who helped the Jews, during dark periods of struggle, without caring about their own safety. Every one of you is a brave heart. After living Anne’s life through her diary, I am happy that at least her book got published, thus fulfilling her lifelong wish. I will sign off with a quote which appeals to both Anne and me..

"Paper is more patient than man."

A birthday to remember

Another birthday has passed! I so wanted to write about it but did not find time at all. That’s because there is so much to tell. Ever since I remember, birthdays in our family have always been more of family get-togethers. It changed a bit when my sister started working. To give her full credit, she has always made it a point to make it special for me :) But these couple of years, everybody tried their best to turn the whole day into a big celebration!

I love birthdays and there is nothing better than surprise gifts :D With my sister back from Germany, I knew she would definitely have something up her sleeve. My birthday fell on a working day this year. So, the previous night, I tucked in to bed early only to be woken up by her. She was in full on party mode and got the karaoke set out. I couldn’t resist and there we were belting out songs at midnight. When the clock struck twelve, I was called out into the hall. There was a decorated table holding a pretty cake baked by my sister. I went through the ceremony with much fanfare. I was overjoyed to see that my usually reticent mom went out of her way and indulged in some PDA just for me :D Couldn’t have imagined a better start!

I started to work with a spring in my step (told you birthdays make me unusually happy). My car pool buddy had a little surprise for me. A spinion!! Okay, I made that up :P It’s actually a minion dressed up like spider man. How cute is that! When I finally got into my cube, my white board had a big ‘Happy Birthday’. Of course, I know it was by my all in one neighbor/team-mate/lunch-mate/partner-in-crime - ‘M’, as I will call her from now on because I think she may keep popping up :P It put a big smile on my face. M did not stop at that. A cute little hand-made box rested on my desk. It had the prettiest earrings ever and a custom made ring. M is into quilling and she had gifted me some of her best stuff. Awww.. It feels so good when someone actually takes out time just to brighten up our day. Of course I realize that love doesn’t always have to be expressed explicitly, but a few gestures like these make such a huge impact.

By afternoon I was hungry for cake :P Guess what? There was a beautiful red velvet cake waiting for me and my friends had remembered to make it eggless too (I don’t eat non-veg on Thursdays). Three quarters of the cake had disappeared by the time I was allowed to open my present (I had to hunt for it all the over the place btw). I unwrapped a 50 piece coloring set which had all the colors I could think of! I was always complaining about not finding the right skin tones and they had remembered (that is if I ever let them forget). They are so sweet! When I returned to my desk, there was one more parcel waiting for me. It’s raining gifts, hallelujah! :D The parcel had two coloring books and the pictures were simply magical! That’s not all. I even got ‘Humans of New York’ books. I usually don’t buy coffee table books even though I long for light reading. These books with bright pictures and a short story are just perfect.

I came home loaded with gifts. Like all other days, this one had to end too. The similarity ends right there because this day had not been like any other day of my life. I drifted into my room in a happy daze. What I saw next was totally unexpected! My room was filled with balloons :D I pushed them away to find a small pink bucket. Further examination revealed that my sister had decided to have a go at my bucket list :P She had filled up the bucket substituting my wishes with funny equivalents :D We had such a good laugh. Just when I thought I was done with surprises, I was greeted by my third cake of the day. A yummy strawberry cheesecake made by my mom and sis. Phew! So that’s the story of how I got my cake thrice and ate it too :D

When I look back, I realize how loved I am and how much my family and friends mean to me. I feel silly for having let a certain situation shadow my entire world. Everything is not perfect and we have to deal with disappointments and let go of expectations. That doesn’t mean the end of life though. We have people around us who are constantly working towards bringing a smile on our face. It may be a direct attempt or an unconscious effort, but we owe it to them. With that, I hope to be much more sensible and lead a better life from now on. Thanks for the wonderful birthday everybody! You make this world a beautiful place for me and I hope to do the same for you.

I wish I had arranged my gifts a bit better.. Oh well!

Book Review: Anne of Green Gables - L.M.Montgomery

This month’s book review is for ‘Anne of Green Gables’ by L.M.Montgomery. I am so happy that my sister recommended this. While she was talking about the TV series, I thought she was referring to the book. The reviews say that the TV series is well adapted but I am sure that I would have preferred reading the book before watching the series, even if I knew about it. As Anne would say “there is more scope for imagination” when reading. This book is so delightful that it simply cannot be limited to a particular age group. I think there are eight books in the series and a couple of chronicles. However, Anne reaches adolescence by the end of Book 1 and I am positive that Book 1 will remain the best of the series just because of the fact that it captures the childhood innocence of Anne. It is probably the first time I gave any book 5 stars.

The plot is simple. Mathew and Marilla Cuthbert want to adopt a boy who can assist Mathew with all the manly chores that need to be done at Green Gables, a farm outside Avonlea, Prince Edward Island in Canada. They are baffled when a miscommunication brings them Anne (with an ‘e’ mind you) Shirley, a red haired orphan. Although Mathew finds the girl charming, Marilla is worried about taking her in. Through Anne’s incessant chattering, Marilla discovers that the child is lonely and craves for love. Ultimately, they decide to adopt Anne. And with that begins a roller coaster ride of Anne’s adventures in Avonlea accompanied by her frequent bouts of imagination. Book 1 mostly chronicles Anne’s school life, her merry making with friends and her rivalry with Gilbert Blythe, a boy who becomes a permanent victim of Anne’s unforgiving wrath for making fun of her red hair. The book also beautifully portrays how the Cuthberts not only provided Anne a home she longed for but how they found a family in her too.

Right from the start, the narrative flows. Anne is a high strung girl with an equally captivating imagination and a penchant for big words. She perceives the world as a beautiful place and always chooses to see the silver lining. The book is a day to day account of Anne’s life with everyday problems. The ordinariness of the problems is what appealed to me the most. There is no melodrama in the situation itself although Anne describes them in a very colorful manner. Her never ending monologues are very amusing and never seem repetitive. Marilla’s sensible upbringing and Mathew’s occasional pampering can teach a lesson or two to modern day parenting. Even though Anne is impulsive and often lost in day dreams, she is never selfish. She is well aware of her blessings and dutiful towards responsibilities. Anne makes us realize how important it is to never lose the child in us. There is always something good to look forward to. To quote her again,

“It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”

A narwhal for sis

The next edition of felting joys is here! My sister just returned from Germany and she came back loaded with presents for me. Yep, that's why you need a sister :P I bought her some gifts too. But then, nothing beats a DIY right? With my new found crafting talent, I had to make her a felt doll (coz she asked me to :S). I wanted something cute and magical. I think fairies and unicorns are all over the place. I wanted something different. I kept poking around and there it was! A narwhal!! As per wiki, the narwhal, or narwhale, is a medium-sized toothed whale that possesses a large "tusk" from a protruding canine tooth. Now let me warn you. A narwhal is a scary looking creature and nowhere near cute. Look below if you don't believe me.

However, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder they say. Proving this right, the creative people around the world have brought out the cute side of the narwhal. And although, I haven't heard of any magical stories associated with the narwhal, its prominent tooth is treated like a unicorn's horn, just to give it a magical touch. Based on the template from here, I made this enchanted creature! Hope it brings lots of luck and a big smile on my sister's face :)

Book Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

This month’s book review is late. Even though I finished reading Khaled Hosseini’s ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ some time back, I never got around to reviewing it. But that does not mean that the book is not interesting enough. Rather, it had me captivated from the start to the end. The blend of Afghan words in the narration is very natural and the detailed description of the scenarios paints a clear picture in the mind. It effortlessly transports the reader to Afghanistan. The book is about two women whose lives have always been determined by the men around them. Yes, the story is definitely not feminist but so is the case with the place and the period in which the story is based. Mariam is the illegitimate child of a wealthy trader who is married off to an aged widower. Her inability to conceive becomes the sore point for her husband who finds himself a younger and prettier wife. Mariam, who initially hates Laila for stealing her husband, later realizes that Laila comes with her own baggage. The prisoners of pain gradually become each other’s strength. But are they powerful enough to challenge the misogynist society and change their destiny is the big question. 

The tale is set in a war backdrop. However, the emotional connect is huge. Mariam’s childhood makes you wonder who is better – a mother who prepares her child to face the harsh realities of the world by crushing her confidence or a father who lures his kid into a false sense of security by providing her momentary happiness. Both of them are wrong. I feel very sad for the children who suffer in the hands of their insensible creators. Yet, the human mind is capable of so much more. Even though Mariam enters wedlock without any love for her husband, she tries to find happiness in it. The determination inherent in women is super imposed when Laila conspires to defy the rules and own her life. The subject of domestic violence is not glossed over and handled very well. The story also deals with how political upheavals affect the citizens of a country. Although the commoners only wish for peace, the government fails to give them that. Their hopes are raised and crushed with each new governing entity. That is why I love the book’s climax where the protagonist decides to go back to her roots. Rather than being relieved to have escaped her drudgery, never to look back, she goes back to the very core and works to make the world a better place.

Honestly, I found the book upsetting and nail biting at the same time. It made me feel helpless when looking at the plight of the people involved. But then, it also made me rebellious and cheer for the protagonists to claim their right. I was so involved in the plot that I failed to notice anything else. By far, the only criticism I came across for this book is that it is too depressing and the narrative is repetitive when compared to the author’s other books. I cannot comment on the second point because I haven’t read Hosseini’s other books. However, I do not agree with the first. Some things should be shown as they are. As I turned pages, how I wished to read the book without a sense of foreboding. Every small ray of happiness put my senses on high alert. I kept dreading that something terrible was about to come. Imagine if that was your life. If you had to constantly live in fear with no hope of escape. I am so grateful to be living in a liberated society with freedom to speak, wear and do whatever I choose. Books like these make us appreciate the blessings in our life. There are no fairy godmothers to change fortunes. There are people who are actually living the life described in the book and we better sit up and take notice before we become one among them.

The day he made French Toast

Today was an ordinary day and I was not particularly excited about anything. My dad picked me on my way back home. After the usual talks, he said mom was going to make French toast. French toast is my most favorite dish and I can have it anytime any day! :P My appetite woke up and I couldn’t wait to get home. Eagerly, I asked mom for food. She said there is some rice and chicken. What?! I cannot even describe the disappointment that washed over me :( Apparently, dad was joking. After it became clear that there was no French toast coming, I ate my dinner unenthusiastically. I made plans to cook French toast for breakfast tomorrow. With that in mind, I sat watching TV. Sometime later, Dad checked on me. He enquired about my dinner and left me to myself. As I turn off the TV, I hear some noises. Starting to feel wary, I step into the kitchen and see dad making French toast!! My dad, who doesn’t even make tea for himself, was making French toast for me! :D I was so sooo surprised! Of course, my mom loves me too. But she is very laid back. However, my dad pulls out such a stunt once in a while which totally floors me and my sis! I feel so blessed to have such caring parents. Every family has its own set of problems, but every family has its own moments of togetherness too. And today is one such day which strengthened the bond between me and my dad. Thanks papa :)