Quid Pro Quo With The Gods

Devanagiri Punctuation

Something struck me recently! Does Hindi have punctuation? Does my own native language have punctuation? I pulled up a Hindi daily. I noticed punctuation.



There was a vertical bar "|" instead of a full stop with comma and other glyphs. Eyy?! I never noticed punctuation in Devanagiri and Dravidian scripts. May be it always existed. But punctuation is so European. How does the Proto-Indo punctuation match with Later-European punctuation? Then I started reading how English-pausing punctuation was adapted in Indian languages. I felt strange. I don't know why I felt strange. Except that "|", what happened to the native punctuation? Have we lost the other native symbols.

I rounded up the evolution of Sanskrit and Prakrit tongues and finally landed at Sa Dingding. No, she is not a grammarian like Panini or Patanjali but a pop singer. She is a Chinese folk singer. Like my unhinged madness, she too discovered Sanskrit and belted out folk songs and chants in Sanskrit. Here's one for you. Hold on, I need to check what kind of Chinese punctuation exists. Dingding's voice is cute! Though I doubt if she is singing Sanskrit or chopping Sanskrit. Also, I recalled Enigma's Child in Us, the only English song I had known with Sanskrit lyrics before Dingding startled me with her rendition of Vajrasattva Mantra. I don't know this mantra. So, I don't know if she sweeped all the hundred syllables in that mantra.

 

Cheeniya,

I am reminded of you often, every time I come across exciting film makers and brilliant actors we discussed in QPQ. Recently I stumbled on Being There by Jerzy Kosinski. As I was reading about the book, I found out about the movie adaptation with Peter Sellers as the lead. Peter Sellers! That Party guy! I made a note to convey this to you. Now, I am searching for the film. So many films I have discovered this month. Be back soon, loads to cover in QPQ. I have recently ventured into German and Russian (Shurik's adventures), Polish, and French filums without understanding a word in any of those creations. Hail our nonsensical discovery and waffle!

 

Mosquitoes are biased

We already know that humans are prejudiced and biased. But now mosquitoes too? All humans are not alike to the mosquitoes. They prey on few more than the rest. Why? This article explains the science behind the mozzie whim. Beware of smelly (cheesy) feet and sweaty armpits. Mozzies love to raid those clammy recesses. Next time you see a mozzie hovering around a friend in particular then ask him/her to take a shower and step out all fresh to thwart those tasteful and picky mosquitoes. I am slightly worried. Already monkeys and humans are biased in their interactions and now mosquitoes too. Dart!

 

Hatterr

Ramblers are unstoppable in their discovery on all days. Yesterday, I picked up "All about H. Hatterr" by GV Desani. Mommy calls: Beti, today is ... Snappy Beti: shush later later ...I am bolted by Desani.. and, no, he is not my clandestine boyfriend... later!

I called a friend: Do you know this book H. Hatterr. It is incredible!
You mean the meteque book?
(Huh! Everyone knows!)

I called up another friend and before I could confer: Ira ...happy happy ...
Shush ...do you know this Desani ..and Hatterr... the book is crazily funny in gnarly English.
No clue, babe. You rattle away such idiotic names.What Hatter?
No ...HATTERR -RR!

I called up another: Dude, listen, shut up and listen. Do you know this H Hatterr book?
No idea. Who is he? Why do you read such books? It will do your good if you read normal books.

Hindustani Hatterr is fascinating! The most underrated book! I was stunned that no one told me before to read this book. Cruel and irresponsible friends! Cheeniya, if you also know this book and never bothered to intrigue me with it, then you too are cruel and irresponsible and I cannot forgive you as well. How can such a book not be recommended! Why, why ..why did I discover so late this book, which is a notch above other fluffy literary works.

 

NotEnrique

I think I told you once about Trollhunters on Netflix. My slurpy and flavonoid cartoon! With the Season 2.0 dump in Netflix, I am now a born again fan.

Cartoons are wimpy or silly but Trollhunters is a suspenseful exhilaration to be reckoned with. I love the animation!

My favourite character in the series is NotEnrique (NE). You might wonder, what an odd name. NE is a changeling from the Troll World who masks as a human baby, that is, the baby brother of Claire, one of the protagonists in the story. On knowing the truth about this surreptitious switch, Claire locks horns with NE. But through the series, they struck a rapport and remain as friends even after her real (human) brother is restored from the DarkLands.




There are other central characters in the series who drive the storyline but I love the marginal NotEnrique. Last night, I watched the finale of Season 2.0. There was a scene where NotEnrique dashes to rescue Claire roaring "Holy Sheek Kebabs! Count me in, Sis". The flashy scene is not the usual dramatic and sentimental tripe but outrageously sweeping. I love such portrayals of impish creatures with a soft heart.



You must check out this animation. Knowing you, and knowing our common love for cartoons, you will enjoy the fellowship of the trolls and humans in this whimsical enterprise.

 

In general

I enjoy the whatsapp fisticuffs in a group. Usually, someone broaches a burning topic of the day and each ponders (as in drones) on it thereby assumes a polarising stance. Recently (which means last year) I was debarred (as in gagged) in that group. Ira will shoot off hasty counter even before half the group grasped the original text. Prohibit her! She can talk for herself and then for the other and then she can talk and impersonate the whole group. Gag her! Don't allow her to talk. And clasp her fingers so that she doesn't scratch those loo-o-o-ng texts. Who types long messages in whatsapp. But Ira does! Huh! Isn't that unfair Cheeniya that my natural endurance for lo-on-on-ong musings has been mercilessly curtailed in the interest of the group. Unfair!

(That's a cute gang with funny blokes who tirelessly reprimand me. Shut up, Ira, talk when your turn comes. Till then, shut up!)

Still, unfair! (Baw!)

 

I am a thoroughbred cartoon addict. I grew up less on books but more on cartoons.

In a typical cartoon series, there are lead characters and then sidekicks. I love those sidekicks who are doughty and thoughtless. They just march ahead with no plan or purpose whilst the lead characters invariably twiddle their chafed thumbs in careful planning. Cartoons thrive on these sidekicks. Hence, I adore NotEnrique. He has no lasting care or thought but just intoxicated passion and adventure to join in with his friends.

Welcome back! Your unintended disappearance though missed was fructuous because I trawled so much nonsense for QPQ to swamp you with.