Despite all those facts, my mind is far away from my present location…Curry, chapatti, paan, buffalos, rickshaws, slums, outsourcing hubs, 5 star hotels, sweat, heat, various people’s destinies and amazing landscape – planet India.
Aravind Adiga was the one who has got hooked up many to his novel, giving away a story about successful “entrepreneur “Balram Halwai in India’s south Banglore..No wonder, that Aravind was awarded by Man Brooker Prize in 2008. (All of you can read the reviews online when you will look up The White Tiger)
So, I will focus on my take from this novel. Please, share with me your opinions, my dear friends from all around the globe! I am great listener and even author composed this book by talking to people.
I have bought this book by “accident”, when I have had last 50 AED note in my wallet during my last visit in Dubai. Price of the book was 50 AED and it was on the central stands in the bookshop as bestseller. However, I don’t like to follow the crowd, I have taken it. “Nice color and cover of the book”, I thought myself.
Start: 27th December 2008, 4:00 AM
Underlined places of the book and notes have made my thoughts run in my head and I have learned many new facts, which I didn’t know about India, even despite 3 years spent with many Indian friends and now I even understand them more…especially those who are called office BOY even at their forties…
Interesting facts:
• Bohd Gaya is the town where lord Budha sat under tree and found enlightment
• Benaras is the holiest spot on the river Ganga
• Balram is sidekick of the god Krishna
• Halwai is cast of sweet makers
• Cast system is still present with very strong family pressures and loyality
• Corruption is part of day to day life: in health care instutions , educational system, police departments and government offices
• Poor people in the north drink tea and poor people in the south drink coffee.
Underlined parts of the book, I want to share with you:
• Servants are obsessed with being called “sir” by other servants
• Trustworthiness of servants is the basis of the entire economy, who are caught in the scoop like roosters before getting killed by butcher, they don’t even try to escape from the scoop…
• Dreams of the rich and dreams of the poor never overlap…the poor dream all their lives to get enough food and looking like rich. And rich are dreaming of losing weight…Ironic, huh?
• The moment you show cash, everyone knows your language.
• Everyone who counts in this world, has killed someone or other on their way to the top.
• The moment you recognize what is beautiful in this world, you stop being a slave..
Balram broke the chains of his slavery, got out from the scoop….Made himself a free man, he let his spirit out of the cage made by rules and boundaries built by society…
I am just wondering...
- Why can be people so cruel to other human beings? Are not we all one?
- How can be respect to human life changing its levels as the casts are lowering? Aren’t we all one?
- Who has got the power and influence in hands is mostly the greediest one…Don’t we all need to eat just 3 meals a day and sleep on one bed at a time?
Hmm…and the same night when I finished the book, I have bumped into a movie trailer Slumdog Millionaire. I have just finished watching the movie. Please do the same.
When you will combine it with novel White Tiger, you will understand my urge to write down this lines.
My next steps: trip to India...
Finish: 7th January 11:45 PM
Cheers and awaiting your feedback
i.
