It all started when my friend and I who owned the server where this blog was hosted, decided to clean it up a bit, due to the sluggishness that this Linux server suddenly decided to adopt from its WIndows compatriots around the globe. As is well-known (or should I say notorious) amongst the people in IT, a “fat-finger” was what triggered off the chain reaction. The result – the server decided to take control by locking us out, still running all the services that we needed. Unable to accept defeat to this lifeless “being”, we decided on a reboot. So all it took was a “powercycle” and everything came crashing down! Three days and 50 emails later, here we are back again, with almost all of it restored back to normal.
This whole saga really did call for a break, something that could take my weary eyes of the monitor. And “The Bastard of Istanbul” by “Elif Shafak” did just that. A rather surprisingly witty tale which juggled between Turkey and San Francisco is proving to be a worthy read.
Particularly interesting were the scenes from Cafe Kundera on the streets of Istanbul and the myriad of interpretations on its christening, which the author claims has nothing to relate to Milan Kundera . Conversations between a group of people, amusingly referred to as, Exceptionally Untalented Poet, Nonnationalist Scenarist of Ultranationalist Movies and his shallow slew of girlfriends often termed as appetizers, Dipsomaniac Cartoonist and his wife, Asya Kazanci (a central character in the book, with her unending rants about her aunts and ballet) and Closeted-Gay Columnist, over alternating orders of Cafe Lattes and Beer were probably the best part in this book.
Although certain parts along the way, reminded me of the “mega-serials” in India, it did provide a humorous tone to the “extravagance” called tradition which tried to blend in with the modernity. Im still on the final few chapters, and am hoping to complete it before the new week begins and things start to get busy again.
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5 users responded in this post
Wow. Your work life sounds HECTIC. It sounds all the more mind boggling to me because I do not have even a single techified bone in my body :p This book sounds good, I need to check it out sometime. You support Liverpool huh?? So sorry. But I can’t help sniggering. You see, we haven’t quite forgiven you for our upsetting loss in 2005
Oh my work life is completely different. All those “efforts” were just to keep this place alive and kicking. So lets just say it is more of a hobby
And lol. Liverpool it is! And 2005 is perhaps one of the most unforgettable memories
It that what caused you to stop blogging during that time 
?
Wow.. all of that went so high over my head, it’s practically in orbit
don’t remind me of uefa 2005!
@Divya you should have let it go up with an escape velocity!
@Vaishnavi …. what say about a liverpool – milan match final this time again!
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