My Book at the Bangalore Book Festival 2009!

As you all know, I have been doing the write stuff for some years now. Writing involves imagination and as we work upon our skills, fantasies come to us quite naturally. So it happened that I got this idea about self-publishing my first “ArTicKles Collection” early this year. Now writing nonsense is one thing and publishing it in a book, quite another. But thanks to well-wishers and some helpful souls who tend to our fantasies and work to see our creations see the light of day, like Pothi.com, my first book was published in February 2009 and has been available for purchase on the net here.

Soon, I learnt that publishing a book is one thing and selling it, quite another! The book is available on the net, but nobody seems to be buying it! So what’s wrong with my book? I began to wonder.

“Nothing, its just that it doesn’t get the publicity and since most readers still pick up books in the book-store and online purchases hasn’t yet caught up, your book lacks the visibility” said a good friend of mine.

That reminded me about what a very popular author said in his television interview. He narrated an incident about how a young aspiring author once asked him whether he considered himself the best author in the world today, to which he quickly replied “Certainly not the best author, but probably the best–selling author or close to being it”.

That sorted out the entire muddle in my head! For someone who cannot sell a refrigerator to a guy staying in a desert (not an eskimo, take note), no wonder the book doesn’t sell. Moreover, one did not even heed the advice of well-intentioned friends who suggested that I throw in some romantic love stories and garnish it with juicy bits of holding hands while naturally progressing into promiscuity, that would be certain to irk the big-wigs in the several “Senas” and several self-appointed moral brigades of the region. I could’ve just handed over a couple of free samples to their staunch supporters in my region and hoped and prayed for my book to be banned or better still, burnt in public – after which it would become an instant international best-selling success!

Finally, I did none of it!

So I am now happy that Pothi.com, the self-publishing platform has come up with an idea (not as exciting as my friends’ suggestions, though, I must admit) to help sell our books apart from the online bookstore! Pothi has decided to set up a stall in the Bangalore Book Festival to be held in Bangalore from Nov 6th to Nov 15th and signed copies of my first book will be available at a discounted price of Rs. 125/- (Listed price Rs. 140)during the event.

The details of how to get to the Book Stall of Pothi is as follows:

Stall No. 288, Bangalore Book Festival,
Gayatri Vihar, Palace Grounds,
Bangalore
(Entrance from Chowdiah/ Bellary Road side)


So now that you know what my book isn’t about, what are you waiting for? Go grab a signed copy of my book!

PS: Oops, I almost forgot – the book contains some selected “ArTicKles” – humorous, informative, entertaining collection of old published and unpublished pieces,which I promise shall be a great read especially for those who have limited access to the net! It is a great gifting idea for elderly people who read books and newspapers and enjoy some good humor in life!

For those in Aamchi Mumbai or Fascinating Goa, some copies are available for the same discounted price of Rs. 125/- plus courier charges as applicable. If anyone is interested in purchasing my book, kindly write in to my email id which is g_mavinkurve AT hotmail DOT com to be the proud owner of a work of outstanding human fantasy or...er...stupidity!

For those who think they are well-connected (to the internet, i mean), just head to my best posts in my blog here. I have actually improved upon my posts in the book! So do buy my book, guys!

Jab Tweeple Twoot Pade!

Kal Twitter pe saare Indian Tweeple twoot pade the!

All Indian Twittering people were posting tweet after tweet their own contribution to the thread that became the rage on Twitter #unlikelyindianbooks

It was surely a special treat on my special day - I was glad everyone was celebrating and having fun!

I am posting some choice picks that caught my attention from what Indian tweeple posted yesterday below (not necessarily the very best - it was difficult to choose from thousands of them)

The Best of #unlikelyindianbooks

Tweets By @amitvarma'
'A farewell to Arms' by Varun Gandhi.
'Who Moved My Cheesecake' by Adnan Sami.
"On The Road" by Salman Khan. "The Son Also Rises" by Sonia Gandhi.
'Men Are From Toronto, Women Are From Mumbai' - Rakhi Sawant.
'How the Parsis and Gujaratis Built Mumbai' by Raj Thackeray. @Krishashok
"Drink in peace & other punny tales" by Morarji Desai
"The Great Indian Navel" by Shilpa Shetty
"The Interpreter of Melodies" by Anu Malik
"Amar Shonar Nano" by Buddhadeb Bhattacharya
"A Suitable Boy" by Rakhi Sawant
"Meri Rashtrabhasha" by M Karunanidhi

Tweets by @Rameshsrivats
"Attempted yorkers and other fuck-ups" by Chetan Sharma
"Have you seen my stamp collection" by Telgi
"Headache Remedies" by Ravana
“Shoots, Eats & Leaves - The story of Salmaan & a Blackbuck"
“Cocktail Recipes" by Morarji Desai
"Damn. Pluto is out." by Bejan Daruwala
“Eyes wide open" by Deve Gowda
"Tree's Company" by Aishwarya Rai
"Cookbook" by Ramalinga Raju
Lol RT @shubhas: The buck stops here by Salman Khan

Tweets by @Jhunjhunwala
"Being Silent" by Navjot Singh Sidhu

Tweets by @SachinKalbag
"How I Created An #unlikelyindianbooks Meme Monster" by @jhunjhunwala
"A.P.J Abdul Kalam - My Friend, Philosopher and Guide" by K Santhanam
“The Art of Prime Ministership" by L.K. Advani

Tweets by @TheComicProject
"Yeh haath mujhe de de thakur" by Varun Gandhi
"How to talk like Amitabh" - By Sachin Tendulkar
"Mackenna's Gold - By Bappi Lahiri
"Employee Retention" - by Hari Sadu

Tweets by @Vinod_sharma
"A few good men" - by Laloo, Mulayam, Paswan
"Jai Shri Ram' by Karunanidhi
"Main aur meri young bai" by Shiney Ahuja
“From Pizza Hut to Dalit Hut" by Rahul Gandhi
"Bhaichara with gaichara" by Laloo Yadav
“Desperately seeking Sonia" by Amar Singh
"Hens Pecked" by Dr Manmohan Singh
"The bucks stop here" by Prannoy Roy
"Keep mom, give gas" by Anil Ambani
'Dressing up for terror attacks' by Shivraj Patil

Tweets by @gopinathmm _ Hey that's me!
"Consistency and Stability in the Indian Education System" by Kapil Sibal
“Flexibility at WTO negotiations" by Kamal Nath
“The ultimate Self-Yelp Book for Canines" by Maneka Gandhi.
To order call toll-free number 1-BOW-BOW-BOW-BOW
"How to present the news without getting excited" by Rajdeep Sardesai
"How to conduct a talk show without cross-talk" by Vikram Chandra
"Lobbying for a favorable tax slab for the unlisted gender" by Bobby Darling
"How to put the interviewee at ease" by Karan Thapar
"Committed to Industrialising West Bengal" by Mamata Bannerjee
“How to tackle tough neighbours" by Dr. Manmohan Singh
"How to handle sibling business rivalry" by either of the Ambani brothers
“How to build an empire by running an ethical business" by Ramalinga Raju

Needless to say, Twitter kept flashing the message:
“Overcapacity – Too many Tweets to handle – login after sometime”

So folks who are not yet on Twitter, you know what you are missing out!
Follow me on twitter on @gopinathmm

We may have a blast on this microblogging platform like this one again!

Magical Treachery – Breaking Codes, Vanishing Charm

Thank you Blogadda for picking this post!

“Watch the masked magician as he reveals the best kept secrets of magic on the AXN show, ‘Breaking the Magician’s code’” announced an ad in a newspaper, which immediately caught my attention! Amazing illusions of levitation, slicing a person into two parts with a powerful saw, penetration through tough walls, assistants locked and tied up in metal cages vanishing - all in front of our very eyes, had been always fascinating us since our childhood days. “How did he do it?”, was always a question on the minds of people in the audience.

While watching the 'Masked Magician', who was later found to be the well-known Val Valentino, on AXN Channel’s Thursday night show at 10 pm, “Breaking the Magician’s Code – Magic’s Biggest Secrets finally revealed”, one was shocked to see how the skillful masked performer, after presenting several conjuring acts, quickly followed them up with the revelations about the props used, hidden assistants, secret trap-doors, misleading gestures to divert attention, specially designed chairs and tables, that had actually helped deceive the viewers into the amazing effect adeptly handled by the performers. What was unknown to the audience for several years was unfolding right before them on their TV screens! ‘Oh, such a simple thing, after all – how couldn’t I guess that?’, an instant would come to one’s mind.

As *POOF* - the charm of the trick just vanished!

Being part of the Indian magicians’ fraternity since my school days, yours truly had fiercely guarded these secrets for a singular cause – to maintain the charm of these intriguing, enthralling acts which had regaled the audiences and kept them guessing. “Oh, how does he do it?”; “Does he hyponotize us?”; Surely there’s something hidden up his sleeve, isn’t there?” “There’s something special with the wand in his hand, isn’t it?” When asked, I had only one answer –
“It’s magic!”

Raja the Magician performing an act

Being the younger brother of Rajaram Mavinkurve, better known as ‘Raja the Magician’, a popular children entertainer in the ‘80s and ‘90s, I had the privilege to assist him at stage shows and birthday parties. So did I not follow into his footsteps and perform the acts myself? Well, no! While he was adept at his sleight of hands and deceitful ways, my sloppy fingers and slipshod ways were a threat to the entire trade, much before the betrayal of the masked magician. Having learnt this in private performances at home, my brother was convinced about one thing: Before the arrival of the masked magician, the best way to tell the world how it is all done was really to ask me to perform!

Raja the Magician performing an act

The magicians' fraternity was a close-knit one and guarding secrets was a major avowed principle being strictly followed. Naturally, my public performance was out of question. That left me with a limited opportunity to help out by setting the table before the show and ensuring that curious kids don’t rampage the magical stuff, until it was packed up and carried away for the next show. Several friends and kids would coax us to let them know the secrets to these mystifying acts, but to no avail. The only reply would be:
“Hey, It’s magic!”

Rajaram was also good at networking amongst magicians and entertainers all over India (and abroad too). He took active part in the Society of Indian Magicians and was also the President of the organisation for several years. This involved organizing get-togethers, picnics, competitions and such other activities. Sensing my resolve and interest in the subject, one had no difficulty to gain entry into these esoteric events of magicians, hailing from all over India, in which the secrets of acts were discussed, improvements, innovations and new tricks were actually being demonstrated and taking shape.

After his sudden early demise in 1998, due to a massive heart atttack, (he was 45 years of age), my connections with these wonderful performing artists were lost, barring a few who would call up and keep in touch. So I called up some of them recently and wanted to know their take on the on-screen exposes by the “recent” show. I was informed that the Val Valentino had begun exposing these in the US as early as 1998 and was continuing to do so even until 2008, all for the lure of money.

It was amazing, I thought – several Indian magicians were battling to keep their trade from slipping into bankruptcy but hadn’t fallen for the lure to expose the secrets, thereby letting down their own brethren and here is a guy from the western world who is doing it and raking in the moolah! So what was the reaction of the magicians, one wanted to know?

“Well, good performers continue to do well”, I was told. “Most of the folks know that we are only entertaining and want everyone including kids to enjoy themselves. There’s competition from other performers too, but the challenges are being met by being innovative, introducing some new tricks. And moreover newer kids keep coming into this world!”, he said reassuringly. So, they aren’t vanishing any time soon! I heaved a sigh of relief for my good old friends!

No such thing as a stupid question!

Thank you, Blogadda, for selecting this post for the Tangy Tuesday Picks!

“The more important a question, the more unlikely it would have an answer”- A tweet posted by me on Twitter.

Follow me on Twitter! Twitter ID: @gopinathmm

My tweet was posted after several questions were raised by the television news channels after YSR’s helicopter went missing some time ago. “Why do you think so?” Asked a good friend of mine, to which I had no answer! Why do I think so? An important question, I thought! So that’s what I replied, “Too important a question…don’t have an answer”.

Having said that, was it indeed so? I wondered. So let’s look at the types of questions that one is faced with from time to time.

Ten Types of questions

1. “Nobody knows everybody cares” type – Investigation agencies, Commissions set up etc. will investigate these forever, but these mysteries may never be solved Unknowns remain unknowns and as time passes the answers elude us until it becomes impossible to get to the truth. These questions will crop up after every tragic incident and will haunt us until we move on to newer events and newer mysteries. Do people today want to know how Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose met his end? Forgotten, isn’t it? e.g.

a. Who killed Aarushi Talwar? Will he/she ever be brought to book?
b. Was the YSR helicopter tragedy a result of flouting safety norms?
c. Who is responsible for the Thekkady boat tragedy?
d. Will Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab be hanged for their crimes?

2. “Nobody knows Nobody cares” types – could be great to write about, though. e.g.

a. Which came first the chicken or the egg?
b. Why did the hen cross the road?

3. “What the experts think” – Important questions which only experts are expected to answer – but there are several experts and each one thinks differently, why not? One wonders whether we do have the right answers, after all? Readers/viewers’ queries are included in this category of questions. e.g.

a. Where will the stock markets go from here?
b. Will the real estate prices rise or drop in the next few months and years?
c. Gold? Dollar? Interest rates? Inflation?

4. “When will you do this?” type of question. More of a command really in the guise of a question. (generally from one’s spouse, but then not always), One may not get a proper answer- and results / actions aren’ guaranteed either. e.g.

a. When are you going to clean up the clutter?
b. When are you going to decide about this or the other?
c. When are you going to finish your work?

5. “What do you think?” Opinion poll kind of questions. As if it matters! You have your say but opinion is often divided so we find the stats on the screen to the Question of the Day at the end of the program. Nobody wins, nobody loses and nobody knows for sure. e.g.

a. Is the change in the educational pattern good or bad?
b. Has the RTI Act helped curb corruption?
c. Will the nth pay commission make Government jobs more attractive?
d. Should Archie marry Veronica or Betty?

6. “Why did you do this?” Tell us why - your reasons for your choices. There may be many reasons, but the one you tell will be the socially popular one – not necessarily the one that tilted the decision in its favor. e.g.

a. Why did you change your job?
b. What made you want to leave the country?

7. “When are you going to grow up and learn?” More a venting of frustration than a question seeking answers. The answer is known: Never - but hopes remain! e.g.

a. When are you going to grow up and learn to think for yourself?
b. When are you going to make up your mind about our new furniture?
c. When will Mumbai be able to tackle the flooding during the monsoons?
d. When will our politicians ever own up responsibility for their lapses?
e. When will we be free from the scourge of corruption?

8. Quiz Questions– Time to show off your knowledge base. You may have an answer here! After all you’ve been working on these trivia haven’t you? e.g.

a. Who is the world’s tallest living man?
b. Who is the oldest living person in the world?

9. A Good question - “ That’s a Good Question!” It could be any awkward question, a question that one was hoping wouldn’t be asked or even one which is so tricky that you needed time to decide how to respond and take a few breaths before you begin to answer, so just say it “That’s a good question!”

10. A Stupid Question – At the end of a training session, we have a Q&A session, which invariably begins thus: “There is no such thing as a stupid question. Ask any question!” So I ask the question and after the Q&A session, he concludes “How can questions be stupid? But people who ask them can certainly be!”

Have I missed out on any other types of questions?
Readers are encouraged to write in with their comments, instead of wondering:
“Whatnonsanz! Why the hell did I have to read such a stupid post?” Or
“Does he have to post such nonsanz stuff when he has nothing to say really?
“What kind of post is this?”
Btw, if you want to know the types of blog posts - do read this post by Shilpa Garg here.

The Tweet that wasn't!

Glad to find this post chosen for the Tangy Tuesday Picks

When I first encountered the phenomenon, I had no inclination to share with the world the answer to their question posed to me: “What are you doing?”! Why would someone want to know what I am up to? How would it help if someone knew that I was racking my brains for the next blogpost while my wife actually wanted me to get up and fetch the plumber. Would my follower come to my rescue? Suggest me an idea or better still fetch me that much-needed plumber and save our family from drowning….???

So it is with this characteristic disbelief in the power of a tweet that I joined Twitter and began telling the world what I was reading, what I was thinking and what I was doing. Thankfully Twitter did not expect me to tell the world what I was not doing! Like not paying attention to what my wife was saying or not paying my bills or insurance premia or whatever-it-is-that-ought-to-be-done. So the world could know about this only from my humor blog and not from twitter updates!

This last week, I was busy reading 140 articles/ columns/ blogposts, each of a length of about 1400 words (not characters) about one tweet from Shashi Tharoor! Each of these 140 thoughtful pieces of labour are worth a read and that is the singular reason of my not posting my thoughts about this tweet all this while.
Perhaps if one were to contest which other tweet posted on twitter since its formation has been so much written about in the print media/blogs/websites other than Twitter, this one certainly takes the cake …and perhaps the Guinness Book record too!

I decided not to post a single word about this much-hyped tweet from the much-admired public figure who is only just stepping into the political waters of India. Unless….unless..unless I really have something different to say from all that has already been said. So here I go and post one without really saying anything at all about the aforesaid tweet.

But it wasn’t long ago that a certain voluminous work of writing which was published by an Indian politician of repute was debated and done to death by the party to which he belonged without so much as reading it! And now it is this 140 character tweet (which I suppose but am not sure) that many have read in full, faced the same wrath as the former for simply using some imaginative colloquial figures of speech! So it is not the length of the text…aha!....that can arouse the sensibilities of the members of the public at large!
(Editor - Readers are requested not to confuse the words length and arouse and members in any other context otherwise unintended by this blogpost).

An answer to a book is a book and an answer to a tweet should be a tweet. So, this post is not an answer to the tweet. So what exactly is this post? Well, I had a nightmare! That the Government of India is planning to regulate and control humour – by forming a Ministry of Humor headed by ….by…by…I couldn’t figure out this guy …because I woke up in a sweat, just then!

To begin with an insertion in the oath: “I shall not hurt the sensibilities of the people of our land by using outlandish phrases, idioms, figures of speech or any kind of grammatical connotations that my countrymen are not familiar with or accustomed to. Nor shall I mock anyone under the pretext of being funny or humorous due to the edge i have over the others due to my knowledge or technological prowess....”
Fellow bloggers may help by supplementing in the comments section!

Going forward, newcomers may be handed out an introductory brief including a few tips compiled by some old timers which goes thus:
To avoid misunderstanding, pandemonium in assemblies resulting in hung parliaments, waste of newsprint, etc., do not use phrases in your tweets, press briefs, media appearances, interviews, like:
1. “barking up the wrong tree” – people may think you called them a dog…worse if it refers to a female fellow-politician, for reasons I am sure you will understand.
2. “his bark is worse than his bite” – for similar reasons
3. “it’s a dog’s life” – in any context for similar reasons
4. “Chewing the cud” or “ruminating” – it will have much the same effect as the well- known “holy cows”
5. “offering gems to swine” – especially intelligentsia coming into politics should avoid this phrase
6. “cleanse the Augean stables” – though it means bring about a reform in some public evil, which every politician must really strive to do, this phrase is banned
7. “ruffle a person’s feathers” – it would amount to calling one a bird or bird-brained depending on which party the offended politician belongs.
8. “a fish in troubled waters” - why not simply say a politician in troubled circumstances, instead of stirring up the oceans with this idiom?
9. “flutter the dovecotes” – though it means disturb the equanimity of a body of people , that is exactly what one will end up doing by using this phrase!
10. “kill two birds with one stone” – you could be tried for plotting a double murder!
11. “beard the lion” – meaning – resolutely approach your superior with a demand – but using this idiom could find your approach road cut once and for all!
12. “riding the high horse” – as in behaving high-handedly - but may be mistaken for reference to horse-trading in politics – using this phrase could cause you nightmares!
13. “a little bird told me” – an inherent risk of a new ministry being set up to investigate the possibility
14. “a white elephant” – to refer to burdensome expense of no value – but may be mistaken to refer to elephant statues and statues of other politicians
15. talking of elephants, don’t even use “Gr8” in your tweets – they may mean ‘Grrr’..for the figure of ‘8’ and might irk the sensibilities of prominent figures like Jayanti Natarajan et al! It is always better to be cautious of such possibilities, you know.

I hope I did have the last word on this one tweet without really saying anything about it!
Could you call something that has been so much written about a mere tweet?

Blogger’s Postscript: If you want to read all the 140 articles about the tweet, try Googling “Shashi Tharoor cattle class holy cow tweet articles columns blogposts” and see for yourself.

I said Googling! Not Go ogling! Damn our sensibilities!

The Giver of Joys

When visiting government offices, one expects a grumpy-faced, never-in-the-mood, fastidious person at the desk. But when you find a radiant, smiling, cheerful person bursting with energy and enthusiasm sitting in his place, one begins wondering whether you have arrived at the right place or not?! It is this very characteristic effervescence that prompts bosses in his office to assign the responsibility of receiving all foreign dignitaries and escorting them around the most prestigious export manufacturing enterprises set up in SEEPZ in Mumbai. He puts all his charm and knowledge into his conversation, interspersing it with historic facts, which perhaps can be attributed to his interest in archaeology.

For someone who always entertained colleagues by singing on-stage at annual functions or every opportune occasion or lightening up the atmosphere with his wise-cracks even on any other work day, it is but natural to be sporting enough to participate in all events be it sports, social gatherings or musical evenings with his broad smile and ‘ready to play along’ attitude.

Having observed various interesting traits in him, which are not so common in many of us, especially those working in the government offices, one is tempted to ask him - what other interests does he have? Apart from being a good singer – he had been singing on stage with many artistes in his younger days with musical troupes and shared the stage and recording rooms with the likes of Sonu Nigam, Udit Narayan et al – he has been a keen sports enthusiast, especially cricket, he tells me.

Udit Narayan with our Good Samaritan

“What else?”, I was tempted to ask. “Social work” he replied.

“Society has isolated some unfortunate people from the others, simply because fate has been cruel with them, and has denied them the opportunity to celebrate festivals and enjoy life as normal beings. They are shunned by literate, knowledgeable, enlightened, educated people into leading a life of a loner. I love to go to such places, like the Homes for the Aged, Remand homes for street children or Hospitals for Leprosy patients, where people sulk in their own misery, lose hope and crave for someone to come and ask them ‘How are you today?’ ‘Come on, it is festival time, let us celebrate!’ They like me coming over to share a few moments of fun and laughter with them. I entertain them so that they forget their woes, even if it is only for short while. They feel that there is someone who wants us to be happy, wants to talk to us, wants to see us dance and sing!”

Some even wanted to begin celebrating their birthday with him! Perhaps they want to live longer only because they know he will certainly come again! Every Christmas finds our good Samaritan disguise himself as a Santa Claus and do the rounds of the Acworth Municipal Leprosy Hospital at Wadala in Mumbai, where the lesser fortunate ones wait for his arrival at every occasion. When word went around how one kind-hearted soul makes them dance and sing at parties, some celebrities and wealthy industrialists wanted to organize parties they just had to have him around! So when he visited the leprosy hospital in his civil dress, on the insistence of a well-known celebrity, who accompanied him incognito, the inmates wanted to know: “Why didn’t you come here on Christmas day? We had a ball here! You should have been here - you missed it all!”

As Santa Claus posing with the leprosy patients


Urging them to dance with him at the XMas party


Oh they are all dancing now!

That was indeed a dilemma – he must have hoped he could duplicate himself with a human copier so that he could accompany himself to the Xmas Party! But that is what we too may hope for – so that we can use such a device to duplicate such benevolent souls to spread the joy around!

On the occasion of the Joy of Giving Week, scheduled to be observed from September 27th to Oct 2nd 2009, I feature this story as a tribute to the Giver Of Joys, Mr. Chandrakant Birhade, hoping to spread the message about how ordinary folks can share their joys and devote some time for a good social cause! It aint only about money.

The Giver of Joy, Chandrakant Birhade, who needs no special week for bringing himself and many others joy in this world!

Let us conclude with the wise words of Mother Teresa, who spent large part of her lifetime in the care of leprosy patients.

'The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted.'
- Mother Teresa

Post-Script: Read about Acworth Municipal Leprosy Hospital, Wadala, Mumbai 400 031 Dr. WS Bhatki, Tel: 24147256 / 24150355

Doing the Write Stuff!

It is not unusual to find oneself suddenly being engulfed in lots of activities!

Just when I decided to begin a separate blog dealing with the intricate, paradoxical, debatable subject of Foreign Trade Policy developments and their effect on trade and industry, I had an old collegemate call on me telling me about the troubles he had to go through in life. The events he described had so many twists and turns that it could put any bollywood blockbuster to shame.

"Write a book on my life events - it will be a hit!" he suggested, "I know you can do it". So I began with a short summary and send it off to him.

Another acquaintance who came out as an enterprising soul, who learnt about my love for writing soon revealed to me some interesting aspects of his life and I said "Wow! I never knew you...." Soon I would want to write about his noble deeds.
"I want the write-up to touch the readers hearts and make them feel like contributing to society, I know you can do that" he says. I hope to do justice, i think as i leave him with promises.

Back at my desk, I find an invitation to write for a new blog, a novel concept in which one has got to write his/her thoughts on a chosen India-related subject in just 140 words! Twitter - 140 characters. India-tweets - 140 words!

What do i do write the twisting-turning story with blockbuster potential?
Write about the kind-hearted deeds of the acquantance? Work on my professional trade-shade stuff?

The next thing that happens i find an email from blogger-friend Sakhi who has published her first book of short stories! Read about it here .

Great work! Congratulations! I wish her and begin wondering whether publishing my book is the end of a journey or the beginning of one? After publishing my First Artickles Book", I have been able to sell 3 copies of my book all in all - one via Pothi.com and 2 personally!

My good friend Anil, who knows everything, tells me, "If you havent praised Raavan or Hitler or Jinnah...nor have you hurt the feelings of this sect or the other...your book has nothing in it that makes it worthy of banning it or better still burning it...how do you expect to...again you're not a Jaswant or an Advani in fact you're not even a Praveen Mahajan!!??..."

I am convinced "I understand..I understand...but I still do hope someone buys it for some laughs it offers and for gifting it to someone who has sparce access to the internet...
Do buy my First Artickles Book!"

That's also when work beckons! Yells out to me and tells me there is some time-bound projects to attend to and all my thoughts vanish. Suddenly I begin to believe i cant do any of the stuff, i wanted to - at least not now - maybe sometime later.

So i wait for this weekend but all i can manage to do is to post my first 140-word India-tweet post! Check it out here.

Proud to be part of India-tweets! Thanks,Vinod Sharma!