One more last thing about Potter before I leave

I have to go now. But just remembered, have to mention this.

I remember posting a month or so ago about the Potter e-book that was floating around. Quite a few actually, and one version I read, was really good. But of course, not the real thing.

Yesterday, a colleague from another team at Google sent me a file. Called Harry Potter 7.pdf.

Now, its really close to the real book's release date. I DONT want to read the book online, and I certainly don't want to know what happens in the end until I really get to the last page. But, I opened the file.

It is - you wont believe it - a file which contains photographs of every single page of the new book. I saw the first two pages (the dedication and index) and there is no doubt about it. It is the real stuff.

Well, am not saying any more, coz I haven't opened that file again. Will only say one thing: the dedication sent a little chill down my spine.

Just before I go...

I have spent the past 20 minutes looking for a recent photo I've taken to post. But browsing through my Picasa stack, I saw a photo which is apt, to celebrate the full dose of Harry Potter that's hitting me.

This one has been called the Harry Potter staircase.

St. Xavier's College.

Quote for the day

Never try to teach a pig to sing, it only wastes your time and annoys the pig.

- Unknown helicopter repairman in Germany.

If I told you that it was the combined effect of the 3 strong painkillers and listening to Personal Jesus (all three versions) loudly, that caused me to find this Quote for the day amusing enough to post on my blog, will you forgive me? (More than the quote I found the credit to it amusing.) Also, I'm reminded, by the previous sentence, of being told in my creative writing class that the construction of my sentences is very complex, which, more often that not, results in very long sentences. But, on contemplation, I have found that that is not true, and even if my sentences are long, they are not difficult to understand, which therefore makes them not complex. And I hope by now you realize that I am deliberately composing rather long sentences, and attempting to not make them complex, but, as they actually are nothing more that on-the-flow words straight out of my thoughts, they really can't be too complex. Nevermind.

I also like short sentences. Like this one. And this. And also, I like breaking rules of grammar. When it serves a purpose. Of course. Only if. Come to think of it, short sentences make comprehension more difficult. I prefer long ones. Medium sized ones are boring. They really have no point.

Happy weekend. But am still not going, will just think of something else to post. A photo maybe.

Friday again.

It's Friday. I am going to be on 3 strong pain-killers in the next 20 minutes. And just in anticipation of the drugs, am already feeling groggy and druggy.
It's a great Friday.

1. Work's going great.
2. I saw Harry Potter last Sunday. I am going to see Harry Potter tomorrow. And I am going to see Harry Potter on Sunday again.
3. On Monday, I will have the brand new Harry Potter book to read.
4. I have a holiday to plan - birthday weekend, long weekend, going to Bombay with 7 colleagues.
5. I have a pile of movies to watch this weekend.
6. There is a rock gig this weekend - which would bring total count of all rock show attended in Hyderabad to 4. (If I can count a band performing in a mall as a rock show.)

Yea, that's all I can think of. And enough reasons to justify my happy Friday. As if you care anyway. Happy Weekend.

Potter

I told you, Potter fever's coming up.

Yesterday, I received an email, with an e-book. The 7th Harry Potter Book. I have no idea how this person got their hands on the e-book of the book that isn't released yet, and everyone is waiting for.

I'm not sure I quite believe it is the thing. So, a bit wary, I opened it and read it suspiciously. The writing seemed accurately her style. J. K. Rowling I mean. But then I was reluctant to read more, for one, I've lost touch and wanted to read book 5 and 6 again. And then again, when I read Dumbledore's name, I felt an immense pang.

Also I wonder if someone has actually been crazy enough to write their own version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Harrows. I can't wait to find out.

I'm reading book 6 now. E-book, though. I mostly hate reading books online, in fact I never have. But this time, I dont have a choice, coz I'm reading it during work hours and I'm hooked. I could never ever get hooked to an e-book. Its just difficult to read too much text online for long. But, Harry Potter makes it otherwise.

Anyway, gotta get back to the book. I just wrote this because:

1. I haven't blogged for a while and have missed it.
2. I was impressed or intrigued, rather, by how many times I've been in near tears while reading Potter. Quite affects me.

Later, then.

PS: Been also tripping on Depeche Mode the past week or two. Brilliant stuff - Playing the Angel (the album). Check out.

Potty about Potter

Very silly title again. It's very easy to create them.
Anyhow, I love Harry Potter. It's been a while, though, since I've been consumed by Potter fever, but I feel it coming. It's very near.
I never tire of going back to how it all began. I remember coming across a list in Bombay Times. Some list to the effect of Must-Read Books of the Week or something. 4 out of 5 in that list were the Harry Potter Books. And this was not a children's book list. I was very intrigued. Hadn't heard about the series until 4 books were out.
I was in class ten. At our next 'open house day' (when you get exam results), school hosted a book sale. Now, generally the practice at home was if you do well in your exams, mum would buy you a book or two. I don't think I'd done too well in my exams. I still got mum to buy me a book. And as I could only persuade her to buy one, I picked the fattest Harry Potter book. HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE.


So that's how it all begun. And here's what's so amazing about Potter.

The entire series is very engaging and easy to get hooked to. The plots are complex, interwoven, thrilling and brilliantly thought out. The characters are so real that I'm in love with at least 5. Her imagination (even if she's borrowed and tweaked a lot from other stories) is excellent and fascinating. I've tried my hand at fairy tale writing and I can't confess how difficult it is to come up with any kind of 'fantasy-world' that is plausible and amusing and as exciting as Hogwarts and the magical world of Potter is. Well, I could go on forever.

But more than anything, I owe a lot to those books. This part is very corny, but yea, when I was going through some rough phases, and I'd often burst into tears, I'd find solace in my Potter Books. It's true. I could, and still can, open any of the books, to any page, and get hooked instantly and certainly get a chance to laugh in the first 4 minutes of reading.

There was also this time, when I took upon myself this difficult task of converting people to read and love the Potter books. It was easy in some cases, when people were keen to read, I'd just lend them my books or urge them to borrow them from somewhere. I've also gifted the set to a couple of precious friends.

But this task often turned ugly when I came across people who had great disdain and resentment for the Potter books. There was a time when I'd like to have punch them. But soon, I realized it was no point. People either loved the books or hated the idea of them. What was unfortunate, was that these guys hadn't given Potter a chance. I've been exasperated and so frustrated in numerous arguments about how they should at least read a few pages. But then I figured it was pointless. So, I decided I'd have nothing to do these snobs.

It got so bad for a while, that when I was in a situation where I'd have to make new friends, inevitably, when we ran out of small talk, I'd ask the person I'd be talking to if he/she read the Potter books. And it influenced my making friends with that person or not decision.
But, some close relationships were formed because of Potter.

Pooja Shah - I was sitting next to her one day in the first week of Math class in my pre-12th standard preparation classes. The class was full of aliens. So far I hadn't met one person I could exchange words with. She, however, had an expression that revealed to me that she felt the same way about being where we were. A frustration that bordered on disbelief. It really was that bad. So, after a few minutes of what's your name-s, I asked her if she read. She did. And she was just reading a Potter book. I fell in love, and from then on, we were two humans in that sea of aliens. But we didn't notice them ever again.

Shammi - My ex-boyfriend. One of the ghosts in my life now. But, yea, our first conversation was about Potter too. Again, I was sitting next to him in college, first week at Xavier's and he held in his hand, a magnificent hard-bound copy of Book 5. I'd read it already, and immediately gushed off into 'you wont believe what happens to Sirius in the end!' And he read the expression on my face and guessed correctly 'what happens to Sirius in the end!' I was horrified, I hadn't meant to reveal it. And I simply had to apologize profusely.

But, besides all that, the Potter Books are precious to me. They'll always be special. Now, I can imagine the pressure that J. K Rowling must have gone through when she wrote book 5 and 6 after the immense success of the series. Imagine - the whole world is commenting, guessing, requesting, begging, discussing, ordering, predicting the content of something you're trying to write. And you have to write it well enough to shut up the critics in the first place. Crazy. Commendable.

I'm dying to read the last book. Of course, am sad that it is the last book and apprehensive about what the end is going to be like, but yea, it's about time.