I had been thinking about limits of communication this week. It is so hard to communicate feedback, build bridges between people who take fixed positions, teach how to use tact in communication, being politically savvy, compromising on minor issues so as to achieve the larger goals together.
2.
There is no outright declared recession right now, but the impact of the topsy turvy economy is stressing everybody out. All businesses are trying to cut costs, improve margins and survive a difficult period. Its impacts are reaching my doorstep as well. I read somewhere that an unprecedented number of elections are happening across the world too this year and from the overall trends, the world is continuing to move to the right. I hope to get through the next six to nine months with minimum impact.
3.
We attempted to teach a group of beginners about moving from fixed scope/time/budget projects to building products. Realized the need to take further steps back to teach business and customer context, how much the people who started their careers during the pandemic are missing and the limits of “hybrid” mode of work in building a cohesive team.
4.
Finished reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I read somewhere recently that you need to write about a book to read it better. If I have to write about something, I would think about what I liked specifically and what I didn’t. Of late, I had been thinking that I should spell out what I liked about anything (people, books, movies, situations) rather than one word judgments.
This is a retelling of the story of Achilles, told from the perspective of his companion from boyhood. It is a love story of an exiled prince (Patroclus), one who is not a fighter or a killer, who is awkward socially and another who is goddess born, perfect in every sense and who knows he is destined for glory. Their childhood, coming of age and loyalty for each other that endures till their death were heart touching. This was a world of brutal men, who lived and died for a code of honor. I liked the story until the siege of Troy and from there once the ugliness of war and how it changes people comes into the story, it went downhill for me.
I had avoided similar mythical retelling as a genre so far and I am not sure I would pursue this further as well. I would rather read about the thoughts, feelings, struggles and triumphs of ordinary human beings.
4.
Watched two movies - Shiva Baby (English, Mubi) and Meenakshi Sundareshwar (Hindi, Netflix).
Shiva Baby is a story of a bisexual jewish girl attending a jewish funeral memorial function along with her parents and coming across her married lover and his family, also attended by her ex girlfriend. It could be classified as a social horror film, uncomfortable to watch, with the lies being uncovered layer by layer, by prying family and friends who dig into her like vultures.
Watched Meenakshi Sundareshwar due to Sanya Malhotra, she can carry films on her own. I have watched a few of her other films - Dangal, Badhai Ho, Pagglait and Kathal. This one had a make-believe mediocre story line. It is a story of a couple leading a long distance relationship due to usual tropes of reasons which can only work in films. Colourful visuals of Madurai and old traditional homes, a very good supporting cast and Sanya’s character which added layers even in a mediocre role made it worth watching.
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