Harry Potter 7: The Saga….

Blogging about Harry Potter: especially the last one, seemed an impossible task...simply because of the magnitude of the task! Imagine: the monument, masterpiece that the concluding version is: having to summarise and comment on it in the limits of one blog! (Yep: Im definitely an ardent Potter fan! More for the impeccable plot and easy writing style, than anything.)

The last book is everything and anything the ardent Potter fan could ask for! Rowling surpasses all her previous installments in bringing together the threads (many of which you didn’t even know existed!!), leaving you constantly gasping at the pure genius of the plot… (I mention no details... I respect the un-initiated :) ) The pace is breath-taking right from the word ‘Go!’ and you find yourself chewing your nails in anticipation as you follow Harry through his (mis)adventures.

The power, and beauty of the book comes through as Rowling laces in wisdom that comes with age, and great perspective, into a supposed children’s-book (though Deathly Hallows is certainly darker and more complicated than any book in this genre). She somehow manages to bring out the Good-Vs-Evil theme, which is anything but new, in such a way that, even though you do not know it, you are very much in the War with Harry! She takes you into the struggles and tribulations of a 17-yr old caught in a War far bigger, crueler and darker than any lone-soul, and you feel the pain of every loss, and the frustration at every failure. Far from dampening spirits, it beautifully builds a crescendo for the edifying end (Which, I guarantee you: you can never, ever foresee!!). :)

The twists and turns in the plot leave you devouring page after page; the typical British sense of humour thrown in (Ron!), doesn’t hurt at all…even in the most terrifying and despairing moments… :) The power of goodwill, understanding, kindness, bravery, suffering and the need to overcome despair…. The strain on the closest of relationships, when the stakes get too high, when one mistake could be your last…. I don’t know how she manages to bring all of that in…!! But its all there…That’s where her genius lies: in her ability to draw the reader into the world of Harry and his friends.

Someone once said ‘Every line, every word in her books have some relevance and connection. She doesn’t waste one word!!’ I couldn’t agree more. Especially in this final installment: when she brings in the ‘Hallows’ like the ‘Horcruxes’ in the previous installment, keep your antenna in the air: ‘coz you may read the end and not figure out anything if you have been glossing over to reach ‘The Fight’:P

To think this will be the last time ever, would I read a Potter book without knowing what happens next, seemed a little heart-rending when I began it… But the book leaves you with a kind of satisfaction...You don’t want to put Harry, Ron and Hermione through much more!

‘Harry Potter’ can certainly be called a ‘Classic’, simply because it shall be read, re-read by many generations of children and adults alike. Its’ appeal is universal, and irresistible!

Rajeswari

Is the world flat?

Thomas Friedman had the chance to look at the world as he stood in India, with Nandan Nilekani and Vivek Paul. He was never seen the world like that ever before. Nandan Nilekani said to him “the global economic playing field is being levelled”. He was shaken. And then came the book “The World is Flat”

Its an interesting way to look at how things have changed in the past few years. The rules of the game have changed. Friedman looks at globalisation in versions. Version 1.0 when Colombus discovered America. Its interests me to observe that India was the country that made Colombus discover America. However, v1.0 was about countries globaliszing. Version 2.0 started from about 1800 AD when companies started to go global. And version 3.0 which is on now, is about individuals going global. I just did that if you are reading this from outside India.

Globalisation was born to make people in all walks of life better off. But experience tells us that at least some people are worse off. Joseph Stiglitz says that this is because the rules are set majorly by the main players. He’s right. But Friedman talks about the unflat world too. Countries like Africa are still to see the shining face of globalization. Well then it would mean that a part of the world has not entered to or completed globalization 2.0 so that they can upgrade to version 3.0. It might turn around. May be they will have a blast and take both the versions together. But what is to be understood is probably that there should be something by which we can make globalization work. One cannot be for or against globalisation. Its a part of evolution. Its growth. But what do we do if there is less growth in some areas? We sort it out and make it work somehow…

Second Year: This n That….

After all that speculation, second year of MBA is well underway… Summer Presentations practically whizzed by!! Of course: the process of presentation will be forever etched in memory-every, intense 70-minutes of it... :) The kind of satisfaction you get from getting through faculty like ours is really something else!! :)
Actually-this could have been the main topic of this blog, but some recent events jostle for space now...Like the ‘Ice-Breaker’ session we had with our Juniors last night… :) It was very reminiscent of our own Ice-breaking, and we spoke with many of them for the first time. Now we’re all jumped up about garnering the best of the lot for our Forums. :) Guess there is going to be a round of wild-grabbing of the best of them for our Forums, preceded by some frantic campaigning starting soon!!

Revised schedules nearly caused me to miss a class this morning… Guess it’s a taste of the year ahead...Different classmates everytime, and actually having work that’s not the same as everyone else… And of course: the strange freedom from being on the 3rd floor of hostel… Seems to mark the second year for me… Of course, there’s this ‘strange familiarity’ – an oxymoron, I know!!- with the campus and Life, because I never thought I would feel it…MBA is a course that teaches you never to get used to anything- work/no-work/sleep/no-sleep/hot/cold/.. Um…Guess you get the picture…:P

Anyway: I think I really cant say much until classes start full-blow… I haven’t even had some core papers…Guess it’ll become the familiar mad, mad rush when you’re grabbing at the next deadline… I was already made painfully aware in class about my inadequate revision of last year’s concepts... (Yes, from classes the previous December. :)

Now, we’re talking second year. :P

Good Luck all!! Juniors: for your months ahead which will prove to be very exciting and eventful. Batchmates: hold on to your brains, because they’re going to receive the ‘Treatment’. :)

Rajeswari

Stepping into the corporate world..!!!

Boy oh boy..!! It sure does feel nice to be back in the midst of things..!! :-)
It felt really gr8 catching up on what the college was upto and what was happening..!!
Summer internships for a lot of people I am sure were an enlightening experience…!! For those who still have not been enlightened – I guess the Summer Presentations are still there… ;-) Lol..
It was heartening to read about what people have undergone in their summers… my summers were quite boring compared to their experiences..!! But I guess “to each his own”..!!
Being in the corporate world sure does give you a feel of importance… I dunno how many of friends would agree with me on this… I love this world..!! Of course it might be too early for me to say that I love everything about my job but well so far it’s been good..!!
I remember the first time we were given access cards to enter into the sanctum sanctorum of the office…. Oh!! I felt like someone so important..!! heh heh..!! More so than ever when this person whom I had called up with regard to something called me Ma’am..!! :p Lol… and to think the guy was in the same level as me..!! :-)…
It feels good to hear when your roomie calls up and asks when are we going home..?? Is that apartment where we are staying actually home.. Well it is a home away from home.. Our own place.. No matter we pay an arm and a leg for it..!! And the exhilarating feel when u actually go out and buy something for the household (provisions and such)… and the fact that you actually think how much you are paying for it (it’s our hard-earned money after all..!!) and comparing brands… well… all I can is it’s quite an experience..!! Going back home to decide what to cook for the night and how to save up on stuff..!! Well… I am sure my parents are gonna be really happy to know how thrifty I have become..!!
I guess being out here in the “big, bad corporate” world does teach you a whole lot of things about LIFE… Sometimes you feel that life is so good..!! That nothing can ever go wrong… and the minute you start feeling that well… Murphy’s Law comes into play..!! Heard of it…??? Things that could not possibly go wrong will start going wrong..!! So you see… it does have its plus and minus points… I mean at least for me… for a girl who specialized in HR and who used to hate excel sheets look at what Satyam landed me into..!!! A world of excel sheets analyzing business performance..!! That’s why I guess some wise guy cracked.. “If you can’t do what you like.. Like what you do...”!! heh heh..!! And guess what I discovered – excel can be fun too..!!! :-).. Always look for the silver lining in the cloud…!!
Until the next time… ciao… adios… take care..!!! :)