My latest book is The One Who Swam With The Fishes.

"A mesmerizing account of the well-known story of Matsyagandha ... and her transformation from fisherman’s daughter to Satyavati, Santanu’s royal consort and the Mother/Progenitor of the Kuru clan." - Hindustan Times

"Themes of fate, morality and power overlay a subtle and essential feminism to make this lyrical book a must-read. If this is Madhavan’s first book in the Girls from the Mahabharata series, there is much to look forward to in the months to come." - Open Magazine

"A gleeful dollop of Blytonian magic ... Reddy Madhavan is also able to tackle some fairly sensitive subjects such as identity, the love of and karmic ties with parents, adoption, the first sexual encounter, loneliness, and my favourite, feminist rage." - Scroll



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17 January 2009

Things not big enough for individual posts but amuse me anway

* When I'm bored, I daydream. Today, I had an excellent dream--sometime around ten this morning--about a new and improved rickshaw system. Basically, you go to a pole, with buttons on it--saying rickshaw or taxi or bus. You press the button and within minutes, an automated rickshaw comes to you. You enter your co-ordinates, the GPRS is configured with Google Maps and it takes you where you want to go. Also, as I lay awake thinking about it, I figured out the payment could be a sort of debit card system. You put in, say, Rs 2,000 into your public transport account, and give your fingerprints. Each rickshaw or taxi has a fingerprint panel and when you put yours on it, it deducts the fare from your account. AND, if you use the system enough, you'd have a 'Favourites' panel which means you don't have to enter the address again and again. You could just press 'Home' or 'Zenzi' or 'Friend's House' and it would take you there. I'm a genius.

* I have INJURIES, speaking of rickshaws, those Fiends Of Death. The other day, I was in one, going to a party and the driver was insane and we almost died five hundred times and then he braked really suddenly and I got thrown forward and my shin hit the barrier thing and the pain was so intense, I thought I was going to die. Now it's scabby and I have to shave my leg around it and it hurts to touch and meh.

* I am quite the globetrotter this next month and a half. First to Delhi to pay homage to several people. Then back here, briefly and then.. the UK! So exciting. Only I haven't gotten my ticket and visa stuff done yet, and JC's all relaaaaaaaaaax, it'll be okay and if it was possible to smack someone on the head through MSN, I would do it. The thing is, we planned to be together on Valentine's Day which is less than a month away and we planned for me NOT to be jetlagged on Valentine's Day, which means the latest I should aim to reach is the 11th. Sigh. Hyperventilation type things are happening. Although since I plan to be there for about three weeks, I'm fully going to hit all the Famous People's Houses--Austen, Shakespeare, Freud--anyone else you can think of? I've only been to England once before, when I was nineteen, and only for a couple of days, but my sustaining memories include GREYCOLDWET. I've got my fingers crossed for global warming. I'm so used to living in a tropical city now, that this 33/18 degree weather we're having now, makes me carry a stole around and use a light quilt at night. I've become such a wuss, I embarrass myself.

* This long distance thing sucks in many ways but my silver lining is that I seem to have lost weight. My friend came up with a theory about "sex weight"-- basically if you're having regular sex, you become more filled out and so on, something about the hormones. I thought people who had regular sex lost weight because of the exercise. On the other hand, I did grow an ass during my relationship and now I fill out the back of my jeans, which is nice. Does sex weight exist? Weigh in (heh) in the comments section.

*Chrisann's wedding was uber fun. Ira and I went to the church ceremony together and then rushed back home to change for the reception. The bride looked beautiful, the food and music was awesome, AND Ira caught the bouquet! Heh. They just got back from the 'moon in Bali and I'm looking forward to seeing them tonight at Vie. Friends weddings have become so normal for me now, I feel a little old.

Okay now my hunger takes over and I'm going to do some vegging in front of the TV. Have a good weekend!

32 comments:

  1. Lucky you if you are visiting the UK - you may want to visit the Lake District,where many major poets including Wordsworth lived - also supposed to be gloriously beautiful :)

    You may also want to visit Edinburgh (literary, intellectual) or perhaps Ireland (Dublin, and the Giant's causeway).

    No, I haven't been to any of these places...it's just that this is a trip i have been planning since I could practically think, and am going to do as soon as I earn the moolah!

    tc...

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  2. james herriott's house in the yorkshire dales ? if u read him..of course. Jo

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  3. if u stopped having sex and your weight increased it would become kinda catch 22, dont u think ? Then there is no more sex cos you become fat. I think to balance it out, sex weight should ideally exist.

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  4. If u reach in feb, u still have some beautiful spring weather to look fwd to:)

    On Sex weight: I think u must be losing weight because of ' missing ur guy' syndrome and less of 'midnight chocolate brownie snack after awesome sex'

    after all! sex can be good cardio if u want it to be:P
    lets recheck on this subject after ur UK return!!

    TC

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  5. Your next book should be set in 2050. You could probably put in all that dreamy stuff about automated transport systems in there!

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  6. Your rickshaw system has several drawbacks. But it was a good daydream.

    Buckinghamshire is a must visit for famous author's houses. SO many of them lived in that area.

    Experiments are the way of life. Start your own one regarding sex weight today.

    @Knick Knacks
    Makes sense

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  7. Add Glasgow to ur list of places to visit... i dont know any poet or writer who'd from here though... (poems have never been my thing...sigh)....

    u could visit the uni of Glasgow! hehhe... n it's still d grey cold weather here.. at least in Glasgow it still is

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  8. Wordsworth's place in the Lake District. At least for me, it solved half the puzzle and helped me understand what the hell he'd been on about.
    Freud and Shakespeare are definitely cool. The souvenir shops are even better!
    Also the Bronte home in Yorkshire?

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  9. what about virginia woolf? maybe you could find out where she lived- i would do that someday :)
    hav fun in the UK!

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  10. does nobody want to visit the queen's home anymore?? it's like she's no longer important! :P

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  11. flaneur: Virginia Woolf lived in Richmond, which she hated. But it's a lovely place with lots of greenery and pubs along the river. (Remember that famous quote from The Hours - If I have to choose between Richmond and death, I choose death?) You should go.

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  12. Your Transportation thing could work out in the future, but definitely not here in INDIA. :D

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  13. Well GREYCOLDWET isn't what U.K is all about. Plan a trip sometime between July-September..you'll love it, it's sunny and colourful. U.K's second home to me, So I'll have nothing bad to say. Visit Devon and Cornwall, they're lovely..away from the madness that is London :) Also Visit Brighton if you're a beach person. And yeah I love the whole rickshaw daydream..makes perfect sense..ask me I struggle with them almost everyday..sighhhh, but stubbornly refuse to drive!! Anyhow have a great trip :)

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  14. If ur going to UK try hippo biskits..they are outta da world!

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  15. /This long distance thing sucks in many ways but my silver lining is that I seem to have lost weight. My friend came up with a theory about "sex weight"-- basically if you're having regular sex, you become more filled out and so on, something about the hormones. I thought people who had regular sex lost weight because of the exercise./

    hey i hav no clue abt this sex weight theory .. neva got a chance to experience this as am still single .. but if it's true then i must find a companion soon before my belly makes me look like an Indian hawaldaar...LOL

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  16. That idea indeed was genius. If Spielberg heard about it six years ago, we would have seen it in Minority report.

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  17. Whatever else you do, do NOT miss out on H&M and TopShop in London! Getting goose bumps as I type... :-)

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  18. Not to scare you or anything... but i had to reschedule my trip becoz VFS took 15 working days to get my visa. I had to change my tickets and pay extra and everything... so u better get yr visa apps in order ...like... yesterday!
    and carry woollens!

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  19. Sex weight theory is somewhat ryt i guess .. :)
    Experience says so....
    gud post

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  20. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  21. Sure sign that you're famous- When someone spends an afternoon writing about how much they hate that they like you..

    http://whatastupidity.blogspot.com/

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  22. The local pubs are a big hit in the UK. I've heard that some big stars perform at these little watering holes just for a break from the fame.
    And you're auto rickshaw idea was brilliant. I especially like the 'favourites' option :)

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  23. ya their is a sex weight. I used to call it the "happy couple" weight,and I find that guys loose weight and girls put on weight.

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  24. throw in sum weird-ass yoga asanas - (and i mean REALLY weird) - then sex weight will only be a myth

    weird - im listening to donna summer crooning 'i feel love'

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  25. UK reminds of
    1) "british" weather (its the term Britons frequently use for starting a conversation)
    2) coffee and muffin for breakfast
    3) chocolate cake at m&s
    4) walkers chips
    5) pizza hut pizza with cheese dumplings
    5) yasai itame at wagamama
    6) roaming around in oxford street
    7) signature caramel hot chocolate at starbucks

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  26. Go to Marx's grave - its in Hampstead heath, if I remember correctly. And 221 B Baker Street most certainly...Sherlock Holmes address.

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  27. doesn't something like this transport system already exists??

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  28. There's a zip car - auto rental system in DC metro. Available next to bus/metro services. To use, you swipe your debit/credit card. Not sure if they have a GPS in those cars. But the regular GPS has features like favorites, home, rest areas, speed limits...

    All the skinny girls get big asses after marriage. Something if not sex is making that happen.
    :-P

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  29. GPRS with Googlemaps ... HeHeHe !
    Please upgrade urself before you dream !
    I thought atleast the bloggers sknow the difference betwn GPRS and GPS

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  30. I Have to add that you are too Techie prson also....Why don't you start a Cool Tech Blog
    ...
    TechPapaRazzi

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  31. Am a new visitor to your blog....And love it so far! Am currently a compulsive reader if you may call me so...If you're gonna go to London, must go to Hyde Park...for me it was the reminisces of "An Equal Music" by Vikram Seth...its huge and sprawling, and if you like photography, you can indulge urself there...

    BTW, totally dig the Ingrid Michaelson song...been playing it on loop at my end...

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  32. Good , u r some how tech person , u should create a tech blog like srv said .

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