Obama

Obama.Osama

The similarity ends right there. At the second letter.

Of course, one is preaching for peace as a presidential candidate the other is preaching for peace in the garb of jihad.

When Barrack Obama burst on the election scene, his Muslim middle name(Hussein) and surname, his African origins, was the topic of many a conversations. And for a while it seemed that the race was between a white candidate and a black one.

However the tables are turning in favor of this Columbia University graduate, who has an overwhelming presence in the Democrat delegate circles. From what is looks like, its going to be a match between a man and a woman. For a large part of his campaign obama has emphasized on ending the Iraq war, energy independence and universal health care. He has come about the whole process with immense grace(barring of course those comments against Indian-Americans and their funding to the Clintons) and energy.

The racist comments have more or less emerged from the Clinton camp. As I type this, Obama has swept across the Potomac states and has set a clear lead over Clinton. The fact that Clinton had to replace her campaign manager, shows that there is some sign of trouble in the Clinton camp. But the unpredictability remains. Nobody really thought that Bush would get a second term.

The unsung person in all of this is, Michelle Obama. A Princeton-Harvard Law graduate, she is famous for her striking resemblance with Ms.Condoleeza Rice and calling the shots in husband Obama's campaign. A lady driven by spirit and integrity, she is the most unassuming First Lady to be, I have read about.Laura Bush was more or less very princess-like and had an elegant aura about her. Michelle Obama, on the contrary, is very down to earth , more approachable. She takes a great interest in sports, is hysterically addicted to fitness, speaks on her mind, and stays away from white washing her husband. She has publicly admitted that she doesn’t support a career in politics, but has stood by her husband like a rock because this "is what he wants". It will be interesting to see how her role plays into the future. A tougher personality that Mrs. Clinton, I hope that someday she runs for President. Till then, my fingers are crossed for Barack.

 

 

Memoirs of a Geisha--Peek into Japanese Culture

Thanks to haiku and Discovery Travel and Living, I fell in love with Japanese culture. All things elegant inspire me and Japanese culture is just that. The amount of detail that goes into every task is mind blowing. The way they make a particular type of food is dependent on the kind of knife that they use! Which means the a dessert will go by a different name,just because the fruits are cut with a different knife. And they have over seven types of cuts that they do on raw fish, before cooking it.

In earnest and partly because I was developing an unnatural obsession for Japan, I picked up the book Memoirs of a Geisha. Popular perception made me assume that a geisha is a sex worker. However they are just entertainers. Their job is to dance and make tea for guests visiting the nitta- the house of the geisha. In special cases, however they might offer sexual services to their danna--the geisha sponsor.
The book is the fictional story of Chiyo alias Sayuri, the most popular geisha of Japan and her rise from a fishing village of Yoroido to the high rises of New York.
Like my earlier oriental literary experience with 'The Good Earth', this book is also about destiny and the role of chance in the life of an ordinary girl, who has no aspirations in life.
The book begins with Chiyo being sent to a Geisha house in Gion,Kyoto(which to his day is a popular Geisha district in Japan) . It is her rivalry with Hatsumomo-a famous geisha-that forms a large part of her childhood. That rivalry becomes the reason why a better geisha Mameha-her mentor-chooses to guide her to glory. Sayuri's hopes and her ride to greatness in the world of geisha based entertainment is against the backdrop of culture and the World War and depression. I was shocked to know that the virginity of a geisha undergoes a bidding war! It is a priceless commodity in geisha business and a good source of income for the geisha house.
The book drags in places, but its a good and easy read, especially if you want to steer clear of boring Japanese culture guides. The way a kimono is worn, the emphasis on routine, culture and precision and detail ...most things that we as Indians(harboring non-precise values!) would never know or appreciate. Eyeopener: The photographs on tourist guides and travel ads are not that of the geisha but that of a maiko--an apprentice geisha.
Overall, I would rate the book as a light read,nothing exceptionally great.

Hope is absolute--Sayuri,during one of the lowest periods of her life(Memoirs of a Geisha)

Masdar City --Powered by the Sun

Masdar City in Abu Dhabi is all set to be the world's greenest city modeled on the lines of futuristic energy saving theories.

For a government that relies primarily on oil for its sustenance and has an abundance of solar energy its a step forward to ensure its self sufficiency. Post the Petroleum era,we might live in cities like these-- powered by the sun and having no cars.

The link to the same is here.