Shantaram

I'm reading the book Shantaram right now while in India, which I must say, is quite amazing. It's about the author's life story. He escaped from prison in Australia and came to Bombay. He goes through some pretty crazy stuff in his life but is clearly an intelligent man. His writing is almost lyrical in its philosophical discourse. In other words, me gusta! :) I wish I were more eloquent. The book also gives spot-on commentary of Indian culture and mannerisms. My favorite India mannerism is what he labels, quite accurately, the "Indian head bobble." Instead of nodding, Indians wiggle their heads from shoulder to shoulder and sometimes shrug along with the bobble. It's adorable. As Gregory David Roberts states though, at first it's quite confusing. Like, is that a yes or a maybe? Does it mean okay? Is this person agreeing or trying to decide to agree or not? In the end, it's a yes/okay. I've adopted it. It's my favorite new game.

So back to the book. Here are a few of my favorite passages that I've bookmarked. "Take yesterday, for instance, when we were all talking about truth. Capital T Truth. Absolute truth. Ultimate truth. And is there any truth, is anything tue? Everybody has something to say about it...then you said, the truth is a bully we all pretend to like." (I kinda agree. the truth can throw a mean right hook at you. and it can hurt.)

"She loved the guy. She did it for him. (talking about prostitution). Some women are like that. Some loves are like that. Most loves are like that, from what I can see. Your heart starts to feellike an over-crowded lifeboat. You throw your pride out to keep it afloat, and your self-respect and your independence. After a while you start throwing people out- your friends, everyone you used to know. And it's still not enough. The lifeboat is still sinking, and you know it's going to take you down with it. I've seen that happen to a lot of girls here. I think that's why I'm sick of love." (Accurate, but not completely. At least, not for most loves. No lifeboat should need be inflated if it's the right love. Or maybe the love is right until the need for a lifeboat arises. But who am I to comment?! I'm a 24 yr old single woman who really has only had minor relationships, all of which required a lifeboat. and waterwings. Pink, disney princess waterwings. I had a slowly sinking lifeboat once. but what was lost does not compare to what was gained from having the experience. If you learn nothing from the "lows" in life, the "highs" aren't as intoxicating.)

"you still like Maurizio? Even after he did that to your friend?"
"Maurizio did exactly what I knew he would do. In his own mind, he made a trade of his affection for the visa, and it was a fair trade. He would never try anything like that with me."
"is he afraid of you?" I asked, smiling.
"yes. I think he is, a little bit. that's one of the reasons I like him. I would never respect a man who didn't have the good sense to be at least a little bit afraid of me."
---Agreed. Have the good sense to be at least a little but afraid of me.

"Didier once told me, in a rambling, midnight dissertation, that a dream is the place where a wish and a fear meet. when the wish and the fear are exactly the same, he said, we call the dream a nightmare." (paging Freud. Is there a Mr. Freud is the house to do my dream analysis? I wished to get into law school - now I fear being a lawyer. Nightmare? Or normal thought process of anyone crazy enough to enter law school if the first place? I'm just going to do estate planning so that way I'm a "lawyer" but really just a fancy financial guru. sounds good.)

"If fate doesn't make you laugh, Karla said, then you just don't get the joke." (what if you get the joke, and you think you could probably laugh, but you'd rather cry? I mean, the line between crying and laughing can be thin and easily disolved. Not saying that I want to cry in response to fate. I prefer laughter because I'm the eternal optimist (cough cough Dad.) Playing the devil's advocate is all...)

I have more to share, and I will share, because there are some lovely passages in this book. All should read it. Be warned, it's over 900 pages. Worth every turn of the page though.

tootles. (BTW: there are two posts today. The one below is new also)