Portrait

I am excited to share a recent commissioned work I did. 

This is a portrait of Dr. Reddy, a distinguished Indian academician. 

Below is the ref. photograph I was given for the portrait. 

*

For commissions, please contact me through my blog or 

my website ankitasharma.co.in

Book Review- Sputnik Sweetheart

Title:     Sputnik Sweetheart 

Author:  Haruki Murakami

Transl.:  Philip Gabriel

Publ.:     Random House

ISBN:      978-0-099-44847-1

MRP:      Rs 499

Pages:    228

I was looking forward to reading more works by the famous writer Haruki Murakami after I read the very inspiring ‘What I Talk about When I Talk about Running’ about a year back. It is still one of my favorite non-fiction works. My latest read was ‘Sputnik Sweetheart’ which was originally penned in Japanese. It has his characteristic elements such as loneliness, alternate reality, unrequited love, Greece, and of course, cats. The novel does not have a concrete ending and leaves the reader wondering about many possible outcomes, may be similar to the satellite Sputnik- II’s remains still floating in the outer space.

In a nutshell, the plot goes like this-

The author, a school teacher, is in love with his best friend, an eccentric girl named Sumire who is a struggling writer and lives alone in a small apartment. He longs for her but she falls for Miu, a much older businesswoman. Sumire is open and unapologetic about her sexual orientation but the author cannot let go of his love for her. Sumire travels to Europe on a business trip with Miu for whom she works and then disappears suddenly on a remote and non-descript Greek island. Author reaches Greece and Miu reveals a strange and eerie incident happened 14 years ago that had changed her life forever. As he returns, he gets into trouble when one of his students is caught shoplifting. This incident alters his relationship with his girlfriend and he returns to his apartment, pondering over many things.

The novel ends on a very abstract note and is somewhat philosophical in certain parts but not stuffed with long convoluted and didactic sentences. What I could gather from the linear plot narrated in first person is that we all are broken and move in our orbits. Sometimes, we come across each other for brief moments much like the remains of Sputnik II and then go our own ways, all alone. I think the author is trying to convey that in an alternate plane (which was earth for Sputnik II where it was one whole) we live a whole and perfect life the way we desire but in reality, we all are broken pieces, revolving all alone within the orbits of our banal and mundane lives.

My rating is 3.5/5.

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His books and stories have been bestsellers in Japan as well as internationally, with his work being translated into 50 languages.

Dignity

Tough as a diamond and fragile as a delicate piece of chinaware, a woman’s dignity is a queer thing. Still, it needs to be protected from scratches and dirt and is to be carried like a child everywhere. This is indeed the biggest responsibility. This is a woman’s strength that her dignity is alive and kicking and it is also the most perilous thing for her to live like this in a world where everything, from rules to laws and from religion to mindsets have been designed to smash it like it were a poisonous weed, that could claim tall snooty trees, standing upright, looking down upon little sprouts feeling insecure over their growth.

Ego Hassles

Love, every time I look into your eyes,

My heart whispers

That life is too short for ego hassles

The Transformation Tide

I call those of my generation ‘The Hybrids’, for we have lived life in different eras and times. For those like me, born in mid 1980’s, as late thinker Alvin Toffler has described, it is not the change itself but the rate of change that is startling; nothing has been more surprising than the changes that have swept us along the way like leaves in wind, within the past few years. From combined families, deeper interpersonal relationships, Premier Padminis and Ambassadors, traditional home cooked food and spacious country houses with many rooms, to living a modern urban life with smaller apartments, less interference and frequent eating outs and plethora of electronic gadgets, I have experienced much transformation till now. This change has changed me, my attitudes as well as my habits in astounding ways and this can be felt in every area be it relationships, food habits, emotional orientation and preferences. We were happy in that life till we tasted a far more urban life of metros and then craved for more; we desired for more quality sans adjustments in everything. From using heavy box like mobiles with monochrome messaging to smart phones that are used for everything from calls to browsing, from music to movies, the way I communicate has undergone a paradigm change. We, The Hybrids, now desire more without an iota of compromise on quality. Undoubtedly, we are riding a tide of constant transformation.

I can vividly recall my father’s portable AM (‘Amplitude Modulation’, the old wireless sound technology) transistor, b/w TVs with huge aluminum antennas, audio and video cassettes for music and movies. Later colored TVs with FM (Frequency Modulation) audio system appeared and gradually all AM radio transmissions too were replaced altogether with FM type. In those times when CDs did not exist, tape recorders with cassettes ruled the music world. I too, have a huge collection of cassettes at my place and am confused about what to do with all that. The sound quality was very fine in our Sanyo tape recorder then till ‘Walkman’ revolutionized the music world! I carried mine almost everywhere. The music was portable and the quality too, seemed pretty good. However, when I recall and compare, I realize we were happy with a little and had low expectations from products and life in general. New and latest gadgets like ‘BoseQuiet Comfort 35 II Wireless Headphones’ have changed the whole scene altogether. The change has been swift and speedy and now people want a far better experience from music and phone calls, low noise factor and hands free ease and portability. Gone were the days when we used liquid ‘head cleaner’ to clean our tape recorder and then ignoring the noise factor, would groove to ABBA (I grew up listening to this band!) Boney M and Ghulam Ali Ghazals, fast forwarding and rewinding to reach the fav number!

When I was in college, listening to music on PCs was in vogue but that too was not portable and the noise factor had to be ignored in portables like Walkman, mobiles and small radios. However, now there is no scope of compromise, we just do not need even to think of it. The status quo has broken and innovation rules the roost. Companies like Bose have done much research in the domain of sound and music and their technology and inventions are the best one can get.

I will dedicate this small poem to my past self-

Hey you, cute little girl in pink frill frock!

Ribbons in hair, shiny shoes with lace socks

Dancing to your fav song on the rustic radio

Blaring loudly in old country house’s patio

You, who have loved music such deeply,

And would notice every beat so keenly

Got one day the best life could offer

Your dad’s old Sanyo tape recorder

Black old keys were divine and golden

Rewinding- forwarding was no problem

Jarring noise too could not stop you at all,

From enjoying Boney M and E. Fitzgerald

Now a teenager, you carry a walkman

Like it is your personality’s extension

Listening to Michael, Mariah and Martin

No issues, you feel sound is so amazing!

From that little girl dancing on old transistor

To an emotional child then a reckless teenager

Raise bars, demand better of what you do love

Now get the best for music, a part of your soul

‘Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II Wireless Headphones’ come not only with a Google Assistant but also a free app that makes switching devices a cakewalk. GA helps in listing to music without noise, receiving texts and managing daily tasks with voice command system easily, all in a few clicks. These headphones cut all the external noise so all you get is pure music, your preferred music that helps you entertain and relax for as long as you wish! Three touch button settings namely, ‘High’, ‘Low’ and ‘Off’  help a non Google user to adjust noise cancellation settings as well.

Music has always been an integral part of meditation and healing. From religious chants and hymns to sweet melodies and pure classical, music knows no shape, no boundaries and class; it adjusts itself around and pats you like a mother, hugs you like a friend, loves you like a darling and makes you walk out of dark memories. Music is life! Bose brings more spice in your life with its new technology that cuts outside noise thus giving you far better quality. I can enjoy music for 20 hours non-stop now!

Now, I can kick aside those rough noises of old radios and tapes, that annoying forwarding-rewinding and issues of low batteries (I always carried extra pencil cells for my walkman), and get the innovative and latest, re-chargeable, Bluetooth optimized, wireless, 240 V, microphone optimized and lightweight (only 236 gms) ‘Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II Wireless Headphone’. It can be used with my home PC as well or on the go with my Smartphone, as per my personal ease so I can enjoy clear noise free phone calls too. (Image link)

With us Indians, durability is always a strong factor in deciding our purchases of gadgets. In that case, I do not need to worry as the materials used are high-quality namely ‘Alcantara’ which is approx 68% polyester with 32% polyurethane, providing more durability and stain resistance for the headband and ‘Synthetic Protein Leather’ for the ear cushions. Quiet Comfort 35 II comes in Silver and Black. I personally prefer sleek and subtle silver that looks premium and stylish at the same time! 

Quiet Comfort comes with a charging cable, backup audio cable and a stylish carry case. One Lithium ion battery is also included.  (Image Link)

Dear Past Self, 

Even if you do not believe me, you can trust ‘IndiaToday’ that has rated it a great 8.5 on a scale of 10! According to India Today, Bose QC 35 II is 'the best noise cancelling headphone with a technology that cannot be beat'. mensXP.com too, has also declared QC 35 II to be the' best wireless noise cancelling headphones yet'!  

Now, I know you must be feeling slightly envious or disappointed but now tables have turned and I will not compromise on sound quality anymore as music is my life and I demand unparalleled quality and ease like that of Bose devises!

Much Love

Visit www.boseindia.com to know more about this awesome innovation.

#BoseQC35

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