Musings on 'The Opposite of Fate'

Reading Amy Tan's The opposite of Fate. So far, Love it.*

I have read the Joy Luck Club but fortunately or unfortunately I saw the movie and as it happens often with the order of movie-then-book, the celluloid imagery blocked a large portion of my own visuals/imagination from being created. So there was not much to compare. I remember that the movie was well made and the book, well written. So in a way, this is my first taste of Tan in writing.

This is drastically different from her fiction, because the voice and the context is quite clearly American[ and she keeps insisting that she's an American writer and not a Chinese American one] and there are few situations which are not doled out with heaps of humour, irrespective of when she's talking about. I love the fact that bits and pieces of what she's written seems to have been taken out from her dairy. The tone is almost conspiratorial, like she's sharing moments or disclosing secrets with a close friend, you the reader.

And I love what she writes about. About being a cynical ghost believer to a rock band member. And the trials and tribulations of being the American daughter of a Chinese Mother. While custom wise, China and India are poles apart, cultural reasoning [ by that I mean the reasons behind a particular custom/cultural icon etc] is quite similar. And for that reason I'm able to identify with her, because I've heard my own versions of ills befalling a disobedient girl from my mother/grandmother.

But what I like best about the book is that she openly admits that she writes for herself. Least reading the essays, I had a feeling that she's someone who writes for herself and even if her first book had not got publlished or worse, not got read, she would still have written the rest.

When I write, I write for me more than anything else in the world. Communicating what I have to say is only part of the story, it's far more important that I have a clear idea of my thoughts and emotions, and writing helps me to do just that. I have to give it form and structure, a flow and all of it makes it so much more tangible which in turn helps to clarify who,what,where I am.

Whenever I have told this to someone, they exude displeasure which conveys what I'm doing is selfish and that's not how it's supposed to be. I've always been of the opinion only of you write for yourself will you be most dispassionate and give the most honest opinion you have. Else we'd be trying to adjust or compromise our opinion to fit in some way to the other person. Somehow that she writes for herself first and everyone else second gave me a sense of validation. Maybe validation is the wrong word.. I think it's more of ..ummm.. finding a kindred spirit. That's a unique feeling when you find someone ; a touch of relief mingled with joy, perhaps not just in knowing that you are not the only one, but because in it's own way it's you finding the common thread, a wisp, that runs though the soul of the universe as well. Least that how I feel when I come across someone who knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Anyways, That's about the sum of things on Tan.
Take care


*Finished it too. Still Fabulous! :-D

To Blog or Not to Blog.. that is the question...

I wonder how Shakespeare feels about the whole thing; about how everyone uses every other line written by him and hijack it and paraphrase [ to use the term most loosely] into whatever context they want. Or worse, write some shitty line and attribute the inspiration or the line itself to him. 

But that his problem. And my problem is that I have not yet started and yet I've digressed from where I wanted to go.

It's been a long time coming. It's been a long drawn out [internal] debate on whether or not I should be imposing yet another blog with yet another random thought on the wide,wild web. It was a stale mate for the longest time between arguments which run along socialistic views [ No.. dont you dare put up coz you know you are gonna succumb like everyone else and write whiny posts about inane stuff like rain ruining your shoes, which no one wants to hear!!] and narcissistic ones [ Hey, I can write better posts than thaaattt! And I promise not to write about rains and shoes.. and heart of hearts, dont you really want to just see how popular it might just get? *]

Finally, like an epiphany, it hit me. What's the worst that could happen? So, it will be just another blog with [godforbid] whiny posts about things that no one other than shallow, self centered people care about. Ok.. It sounded damn casual in my head, but written down it sounds BaaaD! Do I really want people to know just how shallow or self centered I am? :-| Ultimately, truth is, it matters very little. So people will finally close off that nagging doubt that Phil is lazy or [ insert your favorite 'Phil' trait which is equally unfortunate and annoying but bearable]** But they'll love me all the better for have known a little bit more about me. [ or maybe they wont, but I've been reasonably lucky that way..So not too worried!]

Well, the long drawn out point was, I finally got down to it. Hope if not actually engaging it will least be endearing. ie if laziness of my muse doesn't hamper me too severely.

So take care and [hopefully]see you soon enough**

Phil![and the lazy muse!]

*Blogs are the modern day equivalent of diaries which we kept as kids in the hope that one day it'll be the literary successor of "Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl".

**I'm already guilty of the habit of addressing ghost readers. Internet Gods, Save my blog!