Atanu Dey on India’s Development

I got tagged by Raj In the past, getting tagged usually pins me against the wall and I end up not playing along. But it being a lazy Sunday, here goes nothing: eight random things about me.

1. I cannot play any musical instrument and cannot sing to save my life. But I like music passionately. Some of my favorites: Indian Classical vocals, Sarangi, Philip Glass, Al Stewart, Leonard Cohen, music from the Cirque du Soleil shows, old Hindi movie songs.

2. I don’t buy a book until after I have read it. The excellent public libraries in the Bay area made this possible.

3. I have to have a keyboard before I can write even half a page. The most I can do on paper is scribble a line or two of disjointed sentence fragments.

4. I think I am the second best driver in the world. It is my innate modesty that prevents me from claiming to be the best.

5. My perfect day. Sit by myself on a deserted beach watching the waves come in. Eat Oreos and peanut M&MS whenever I feel hungry. Drink a couple of bottles of red wine. Watch the sun set into the Pacific. See the stars come out. I have had many perfects days like that.

6. I know a little secret about the universe that I am certain no one else knows.

7. Popular Indian heroes are anti-heroes to me. Gandhi, Nehru, and M. Teresa head the list which is long and includes movie idols and gurus.

8. The three men I admire most are the Buddha, Einstein, and Aurobindo.

Here are the rules of the tagged game:

1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged, write a blog post about their own 8 random things, and post these rules.

3. At the end of your post you need to tag 8 people and include their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

4. If you fail to do this within eight hours, you will not reach Third Series or attain your most precious goals for at least two more lifetimes.

I apply for anticipatory forgiveness from those I tag:

Saheli Datta, a friend in Berkeley. I love her way of looking at the world and how she describes what she observes.

Meraj Hasan, a friend in Mumbai. The subjects are varied and the point of view is unique.

Sandeep, a friend in Bangalore. He is seriously fights the pseudo-secular nonsense that is overwhelming India.

Suhit Anantula, a former co-worker and friend who lives in Australia. He is the “Save the Earth” type. I think all this “green” stuff is a lot of hokum. But it takes all sorts.

Pratix, whom I have never met. He writes about education and urban planning, subjects close to my heart.

Tim Worstall, a large mammal in the TTLB eco-system, domiciled in London. Timmy is wise. It is all either obvious or trivial to him.

Maria, a friend who lives in NY. Her obsession is with Bollywood. I hate Bollywood with a passion that is hard to convey.