Moeibustrip - digressions from India's Highways
by Giti Thadani


For those to whom the title of this book sounds unfamiliar, Moeibustrip or rather Moeibus strip , is a strip of paper with neither a beginning nor an end.

And it is in a way apt for this book, because this book is not just an account of traveling on India's roads. This book is more about metaphysical aspects of such a journey undertaken by Giti Thadani. I loved the tagline for the book "Digressions from India's highways" wow what a lovely phrase, because that is essentially what the book is.

It follows Giti's travels on road in her 4WD gypsy, to far off places , temples in ruins, archeological sites, museums and everything in between. In fact, I hardly found any "normal" tourist places in the book, apart from The Khajuraoh temples. Giti quite naturally hates the tamasha that that goes on in typical Hindu temples and goes to depths on this topic, explaining each and every little nuances of the Brahmins and their ploys to swindle money. She also delves in deep explaining various bits and parts of stories in Hindu Mythology and the metaphysical meanings of the rituals and traditions, some one completely unfamiliar with the Hindu pantheon might not find this very interesting.

From the book it is obvious that Giti has a extraordinary interest in Etymology, and she is very good at it. The book is liberally sprinkled with Sanskrit words and explanation of their etymological origins and their meanings. These pages were all the more interesting for me as I hope to some day be proficient in Sanskrit and understand the language which according to many sources is one of the most Etymologically structured and object oriented languages of all time. I just loved some of the Sanskrit words that she explains in her book. for exp
rit = pulse of life, its throb
M + rit = death, M (indicates reversal of the meaning) Mrit
A + mrit = eternal, elixir (a indicates negation)
S + mrit(i) = Memory (s indicates preservation, keeping alive)
yog = fusion
ini = female ending
yoni = vulva, origin , waterfall, cave , source
Maheshasur derived from Mahesh = Maha or great, ish = god , asur = demon
Feminine/ Masculine : Kali / Kal (without matrika / vowel i) , Shiva / Shiv (sh(a)v - corpse - without a), Krishna / Krishn, Kumari / Kumar

The book is filled with metaphors, so much so that at times the you loose track of the real passage imagining the metaphor. Apart from this there are hundreds of words there which are either in Hindi, or colloquial in use that some one with limited exposure to Indian culture / Hindi would have difficulty in understanding. Fortunately that was not the case with me :) There are also many passages devoted to Giti's personal life , her family and experiences, which are just as interesting as some of the places she describes.

To conclude the book is more close to a writeup on Indian present day culture / life than it is to a travelogue.

Yakety Yak: Bombay to Beijing by Bicycle

By McGilton Russell

Russell McGilton, You are bound to like this man by the end of the book, I have been searching the net for ages looking for ways to contact Russell to thank him for writing such a hilarious travelogue. As usual it got to my reading shelf being a travelogue with a difference, Bombay to Beijing on a bicycle, well technically speaking he did not do the complete trip on a bicycle, but frankly speaking I don't think it would matter unless you are one of those who go back an verify every little thing that they read.


Read the initial introductory pages of this book which explain why Russell started on this trip here.

From there on the books gets even more interesting as he actually sets on his trip and arrives in Bombay. On the flight sitting next to him is an inquisitive Indian who doesn't understand why must one cycle when there are trains, while Russell learns that the local politicians had just changed the name of the city from "Bombay" to "Mumbai" and along with the old name plates go his dreams of the title of his planned Book, "Bombay to Beijing". Once in India just like all foreigners he is dismayed by the poverty and difference in classes, the crazy honking traffic, pollution and the general hustle bustle of Bombay.

Hailing from India it makes it all the more interesting for me to read about my home town when viewed from a different perspective. Especially when no matter where he goes he is pestered with a single question " Hello Sir , Which country?"

The book then moves on a swiftly , with Russell's experiences as he meets another cyclist and they join to cover the route till Kathmandu together. In Kathmandu he is joined by his beautiful blonde girlfriend with whom he then cycles to Ladakh. On the way things don't quite well and the stress of the journey and the pressure of Indian pestering takes its toll, with Russell breaking up with his Girlfriend. Then he moves on by flight to Hongkong and from there rides on to Beijing.
In between these pages are hilarious accounts of his experiences with villagers, bad hotels with peeping toms, cycle breakdowns, friendly people to assist in roadsides, frustration over his inability to find a single private moment in a country crowded with a billion people, fighting freezing cold and snowfall on roads in China. In China is when Russell gets lucky again and hooks up with another petite babe who takes his nude picture on the great wall of China.

This is a very fast moving humorous book , especially when coming from a horny and pervert author:) He paints a factual not so pretty picture of India as it really is, I recommended it to another cyclist and he got through it in less than a week and came back with genuine compliments for the book . In all an excellent, hilarious, must read book !

Being Indian
by Pavan K Verma

"Ethos" as per the dictionary means "the distinctive spirit of a culture or an era" and the Indian ethos is what this book is all about. A true feast for Indians and foreigners alike, this is a must read for anyone interested in the Indian culture. The book describes precisely the inner workings of an Indian mind, why the Indians are the way they are?

I haven't read anyone else describing an abstract concept like "Indian ethos" so very well. The book is filled with anecdotes and accounts of various glaring contrasts and contradictions that make India.

The Author, Pavan K Verma was High Commissioner for India in Cyprus and has held other assorted positions in the Indian Diplomatic service. Coming from such a very learned man of such high social standing the book is surprisingly down to earth. When you read, It becomes obvious that the author has had his ears very close to the ground. Personally I liked the book and I recommend to any one who seems interested / curious about Indians.

Best of all , I had written a small mail to Pavan, generally thanking him for writing the book, and he was courteous enough to reply back. I got a reply the very next day :

thank you hari for your appreciation for my book. i wrote as honestly as i could, and i am glad some people have liked what i have said. we shd certainly try and meet when i am next in mumbai or pune, best, pavan

Now this might seem a small thing , but well I am impressed. By the book and by the Author.

Hats off to you, Sir!