REFLECTION WITH JIM CARREY – THE BRUCE ALMIGHTY

Ever since I watched ‘The Mask’ – a satirical comedy about human nature – Jim Carrey became my favourite. He’s been my brother’s favourite too and it’s when he suggested me to watch the movie that I got one of my favourites in Hollywood. His popular movies include Ace Ventura series: ‘When nature calls’ and ‘The pet detective’, ‘Liar liar’ and ‘Bruce Almighty.’

                                     True.                                       

Born with genius talent of mimicking and stretching his elastic face into varied manifests of emotions and fluent speech that in itself is humour, laughter and applause are inevitable wherever and whenever the Jim Carrey appears. He is a synonym of comedy to me.

Several of his dramas, interviews, TV shows and movies uploaded in YouTube are bookmarked and when I get fed up with books, I switch on to his movies. They never fail to amuse me. Yesterday, I watched Bruce Almighty again. That was the third time.

                                       

I was much like Bruce; blaming God’s absence when I failed, that God has turned against me when I was sad and that He has totally abandoned me when sick. In fact, I even used to curse – as Bruce do – getting blasphemous when unable to tackle with the boundless irritations in life.  But Bruce Almighty teaches God is always with us and being sacrilegious over holy things only belittles us; God has given us equal power to seek solution to our own matters; we shouldn’t be too selfish so as to ask God’s attention to us only for He needs to attend to His other infinite children and creations. ‘Why bother God when we’ve power to solve our own problem’ is what I learned from the movie.

All his other movies I watched carry a serious message each, at least. ‘Liar Liar’ is about the impact of lying in family. The father (JC – Jim Carrey) – a lawyer (or liar) always makes excuses even to his only son, thereby not keeping his promises. Therefore, the son makes a wish that his father speak all truth on his birthday. Miraculously, though unable to lie, JC wins the case for his client – a divorcee – against a father, who then, gets ripped off his children. Realising his folly, JC then condemns he’s been living a selfish life. He realises the value of family unity. On he goes to reunite his almost broken family.

Trust him. :D

                                        

And ‘The Mask’, as I said, is of the human’s nature; part good and part bad personalities that every person carries. Whenever, the protagonist wears the cursed notorious mask, his concealed desires surface and he does what he thought of doing then. The movie could be the comical adaption of R.L. Stevenson’s gothic novel, ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.’

In The Mask. 

                                                           

If you watch the movie and read the novel, I am sure you can draw for yourself a best conclusion. 

Note: All pictures due Google. 

THE BLUE UMBRELLA

“The Blue Umbrella is a short and humorous novella set in the hills of Garhwal.”

Binya is a ten year old girl who lives with her little brother, Bijju, and mother. Her father had died when she’s just two, “but his passing had made no difference to their way of life.” From three tiny terraced fields on the side of the mountain, they produce enough to live on. They also own two cows – Neelu and Gori.

One day, she comes across a party of picnickers. A woman eyes on her necklace with a leopard’s claw. In exchange for it, Binya acquires a beautiful blue umbrella, woven of sky blue silk. Soon it becomes envy of the entire village including old Ram Bharosa ( Ram the Trustworthy ) who owns a tea shop on the Tehri road. He persuades Binya to sell him the umbrella. Binya refuses because she loves her umbrella. Unable to resist the greed to acquire the umbrella, Ram Bharosa tries various wicked means: luring Bijju and employing his minion – Rajaram – into stealing the umbrella.

When it becomes known to everyone that Rajaram tried to steal the Umbrella on behalf of Ram Bharosa, “Ram the Trustworthy” gets taunted to “ Trusty Umbrella Thief.” Ever since then, people avoid his shop. As result, his shop and he nearly dries up. But kind Binya breaks the stigma by sacrificing her lovely umbrella to the old man, on pretence of forgetting it on his shop:

Cover picture in Rupa publication.
 It contains 82 pages excluding author's note. 

“But I’m never in the sun or in the rain,” he said aloud.” Of what use is an umbrella to me?”.........

He wasn’t used to running, but he caught up with her, held out the umbrella, saying,” You forgot it – the umbrella!”

In that moment it belonged to both of them.”

Ram Bharosa gifts a bear’s claw pendant having thin silver chain to Binya.

The Blue Umbrella is a story of gift, greed and sacrifice. Binya exchanges/sacrifices her leopard’s claw pendant to acquire The Blue Umbrella. Greed ruins Ram Bharosa. But Binya’s gift changes Ram Bharosa totally – from greedy to a kind person ( round character J ).

The Blue Umbrella is a realistic fable for children but the simple yet witty language of the story teller – Ruskin Bond – makes it a story to be read by all ages. 

AWARD WINNING BOOKS SET IN INDIA

India was once a constant victim of foreign ambitions.The discovery of sea route to the subcontinent by Dom Vasco da Gama let several other French, British and Europeans follow him. They settled there and spread throughout the subcontinent – with or without the permission of the natives. It was colonization. Colonization was hard upon the Indians because the colonizers mined the country’s resources, forced the natives for labour and imposed unbearable laws. Looking back to the time, it’s tyranny. Imperialism. On contrary, it’s quite a blessing in disguise: because of those, India makes important appearances in the history of mankind, war, religion, evolution, revolution, civilization and of literature.

It’s no wonder India is based as setting in the books of many great writers – both classic and contemporary. Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian. Ruskin Bond, an Anglo-Indian, writes in the backdrop of mountains and hills where his childhood was and where he lives. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made three characters Indian in “The Sign of Four” excluding Jonathan Small as foreigner to India. And in the journey “Around the World in Eighty Days”, Phileas Fogg and Passepartout save a young widow from Allahabad who later gets married to the protagonist. In fact, the cause of the journey was: “Fogg gets involved in an argument over an article in The Daily Telegraph stating that with the opening of new railway section in India, it’s now possible to travel around the world in eighty days. He accepts the wager of £20,000 from his club members, which he’ll receive if he makes around the world in eighty days.”

When we read those books, it’s the celebration of India. And what should be said of the country when some of the books and the writers win prestigious international awards and prizes, mainly due to her?

And I, even as an ordinary reader, take pride in possessing a copy of such books. Three award winning books I have are:

1.The Room on the Roof. – Ruskin Bond.

Written when the author was just seventeen, the novel is about Rusty, a boy, who ill-treated by his guardian, escapes into the bazaar of Dehradun and mingles with new friends. Altogether, the story of adolescence. It won John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957.

2.Life of Pi. – Yann Martel.

The story of a shipwreck survivor, a sixteen year old boy – Piscine Molitor Patel ( teased as Pi ) – who was left to share a boat with another carnivorous survivor – a Royal Bengal tiger. It centres on the theme of friendship, courage, religion and belief ( or believes.) The story starts in Pondicherry, travels across Pacific Ocean and ends in Mexico. This book won Yann Martel The Man Booker Prize. It’s also adapted into a movie. Even as a movie, it was nominated for few Oscar categories.

3. Kim – Rudyard Kipling

( I am amidst the book.)  Set in the northern India, this one again is the story of an orphan whose father happens to be an Irish soldier. He adopts a Tibetan Lama as his master and the two sets to seek the Lama’s ‘The River of the Arrow.’ This book directly and solely didn’t win the Nobel Prize to the Kipling. But it was after its publication that he became the winner as writes Ruskin Bond in Introduction of the latest “Kim” publication:

“Three years after Kim was published, Kipling received the Nobel Prize. India has for the first time become a major theme in English literature and for that we are indebted to him.”

WHERE IS THE COIN?

I

ndian shopkeepers are very reasonable in charging the prices they fix on their articles. And other than bargaining, the customer need not bother about the remaining balance the seller owe him/her; be it one or four, they return the balance amount anyhow. Indians are precisely calculating mathematicians.

Shopping in India is much comfortable than in Bhutan. In India, whether the price is odd or even, one need not worry about the change if the note of higher denomination is paid. The role of smaller paper notes and coins are still alive here. In Bhutan, chocolates and other articles of little value make up the smaller balance the shopkeeper owe the buyer. This has become a rigid trend in shopping and Bhutanese shopkeepers are omniscient: they always give either matches or chocolates or chewing gums for the remaining balance. If you dare demand the exact amount back then the omniscient people will obviously call you a miser.

Many commercial goods in Bhutan have prices in multiples of five with least starting from the number. If the supposed price is odd, then the shopkeeper won’t mind taking trouble to beautify the articles with newer price tag and re-fix the rate. One thing they make sure – the price be paid without involving the coins.

Bhutanese coins are extinct. They might be among the offerings in the temples or rusted on the ground or among the fossils of dinosaurs. Who knows? If you happen to possess one, preserve it! And sell it either to an antique dealer or museum authorities. Becoming millionaire is propitious if you've a dozen at least.

The coins are here. But they are all Indian's.

Even if the coins are resuscitated, it will never find use now as it used to decades ago because hypocrisy has eaten consciousness of every modern Bhutanese and have taken control of their conscience: using coin belittles them. But it’s also not usual that we get to count dollars.

I’m sure every one of us is familiar with the poem saying little grains of sand make pleasant land. Of course, it’s an elementary poetry. Who won’t know? Yet we forget – or neglect – what it conveys actually. The slack cost us our dear coins. I wonder whether we, Bhutanese, really care it’s one that makes hundred.

We only keep measuring our pity economy against the formidable Indian progress. We are incompetent. India outraces us because they count their coins. They’ve mastered the fact; building palace requires the collection of pebbles first. 

I AM A BUDDHIST

There are two reasons for me being Buddhist: one; I was born a Buddhist and two; I follow the principles of Buddha. 

A Buddhist ought to be sincere in following the teachings of Buddha. And I do it. Except I am a non-veg; it’s the only drawback I have as a Buddhist. But to acquire the diet, I don’t kill. 

As a Buddhist, I care no difference between religions, let alone of looking down or ostracizing and claiming superiority of my belief over others. It’s the differences that man tries to shed between their creeds which ultimately divide themselves into sections of otherwise one population. Kahlil Gibran wrote: “ You’re my brother and I love you. I love you worshiping in your church, kneeling in your temple, and praying in your mosque. You and I and all are children of one religion, for the varied paths of religion are but the fingers of the loving hand of the Supreme being, extended to all, offering completeness of spirit to all, anxious to receive all.”

When man focus and gets absorbed much in the differences, it’s then they become fanatic and comes up with malicious measures to exercise supremacy of one over the other, posing risk to everything, causing threat to humanity at large. 

I don’t know the current Buddhist population in the world or that of other religions either. I don’t even like to know. I am content in being sure of myself as a Buddhist and that I shouldn’t compare religions; comparison intends only one thing – persuasion – invitation or compulsion into a religion with larger population. 

I learned – as a Buddhist – to revere no barrier erect between religions or to respect the wall of the sort. Segregation is ugly. Separation is bad. 

Often times, many in general society still avoid relation because of the difference in their religions. They are preconceived with the idea one should be confined within one’s own creed. And mixing – not conversion – is betrayal; sin. 

My teacher married a Christian. They even have a child now. This added to my knowledge that religion cannot be a barrier in our population. It’s man’s narrow mind that is not fitting on the wide road of humanity. The cataract of ignorance tends to blind those from seeing the truth. 

Similarly, I also won’t retreat from marrying woman of other caste and creed, if I happen to fall for one. Marriage won’t change me. I would remain a Buddhist because Buddhist blood flows in my veins. You may think what would become of my children then. Well, as my teacher, I’ll provide them the freedom to choose their own religion. But before, I’ll teach them all religions can be one. And that I am a Buddhist. 

BOOKS

Following are the books I bought from online store, flipkart. I received it yesterday only. And this month is all going to be theirs. As I haven’t started reading yet, I will read to you what’s written on the back cover of the books ( for you may like them too ) :

1.Sonnets – William Shakespeare 

“ First published in 1609, the 154 sonnets refer cryptically to the poet’s relations with various persons particularly a handsome young man, a dark woman, and a rival poet. As the sequence of sonnets stands, it roughly falls into two sections: 1-126 are concerned mainly with the youth and 127-154 mainly with the mistress. 

The poems are characterised by the expression of strong feeling within an exquisitely controlled artistic form, and the themes are as varied as can be, for William Wordsworth in a sonnet about sonnets thought: ‘with this key / Shakespeare unlocked his heart’. The poems to the youth dwell on the great Renaissance themes of friendship, love, death, change and immortality and the relationship of the poet’s art to all these, while those on the ‘Dark Lady’ are concerned with the poet’s relationship with his mistress.”

2.THE GREAT WORKS OF KHALIL GIBRAN

“Khalil Gibran ( January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931 ) was a Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer. Born in the town of Bsharri in modern-day Lebanon, as a young man he immigrated with his family to the United States and began his literary career. 

He is chiefly known in the English-speaking world for his 1923 book “The Prophet”, an early example of inspirational fiction including a series of philosophical essays written in poetic English prose. The book sold well despite cool critical reception, and became extremely popular in the 1960s counterculture. Khalil Gibran is the third best-selling writer of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu.”

3.On the Origin of Species – Charles Darwin

“Before Charles Darwin presented his revolutionary insights into the theory of evolution, it was believed that each species came to life individually and maintained its original form. He disputed this and proved that the law of nature was evolution – each living being descended from the common ancestors, and used ‘natural selection’ to survive in changing environments. His findings challenged the deeply held belief in divine creation and permanently transformed our understanding of the world. 

When it was first published in 1859, On the Origin of Species triggered one of the fiercest debates between science and religion in the history of the world, one that still rages. Today, more than a century and a half after its publication, it continues to exercise a tremendous influence in the fields of philosophy, history, theology and economics.”

4.THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY – OSCAR WILDE

The extract of this book is taken from the introductory notes from within the book because the back cover, unlike the rest above, contains no summary but the publishing house’s advertisement.

“The picture of Dorian Gray arrived in prim Victorian England in 1891 like a naked man at tea party, and was just about as well received. The novel tells the story of Dorian, a beautiful young man who remains eerily unmarked by age and excess, while, hidden away from view, his painted portrait registers every detail of his dissolute life. At once a Gothic tale of horror and a philosophical exploration of aestheticism, Dorian Gray probes the pleasures and dangers of life devoted to the gratifying the senses.”

NB: If I'm absent for long, please, take the books as an excuse. :-)