Unlike TV channels in India, BBC and the other free channels rarely telecast film-based programs. Of course there is one movie every night in every free channel but otherwise there are only talk shows, home improvement, garden shows, news and such. I’m finding watching TV refreshing. My favorite programs are the ‘Mind your own business’ and ‘Countdown’. MYOB is a business doctor type of program, wherein two self-made millionaires go about nursing sick businesses back to life. One business per day. Countdown is a puzzle game show loosely based on scrabble and number games. Besides these kind of programs, there are house doctors based programs wherein houses that refuse to be sold are refurbished and made beautiful and so attractive that at the end of the show I wouldn’t want to sell it if it had been my house. The thing you wanted to get rid of soon will become a thing of such beauty and style that you’ll want to keep it for yourself. During the weekend I saw a program on Impressionist painting and its history which ran over two hours. Amazing.

The death of the Pope and his subsequent funeral was telecast live last Friday. I didn’t know anything about the Pope but I learnt a few things about him. That he had a love for theatre and plays, that he used to play football in his child and adulthood, that he helped Poles get rid of Communism, that he was very outspoken and not very conservative, that he traveled to 104 times to 120 different countries which no Pope has ever done etc. There was also a feature in the newspaper on his childhood sweetheart who is in her 80’s now, she still considers him the love of her life. There were 4 Kings, 5 Queens and 70 Prime Ministers and Presidents attending his funeral. Some ardent fans of his wanted him to be declared ‘Saint’ on the spot. That was one hell of a request that a Pope can earn in his lifetime, I think.

Anyway, ‘Angels and Demons’ by Dan Brown describes how a new Pope is chosen when the existing one dies. Even if not for this piece of information, the book made a very interesting read. It was as racing as ‘The Da Vinci Code’. By the way, I got hold of the latter sometime last week and completed it in one day, which is a huge achievement for me these days with Sriram around. I mean, does a toddler never tires? He is full of energy all through the day having some funny or naughty thing to do and always keep me on my feet, which is pretty bad.

Speaking of books, I’ve been reading a whole variety of books – one on Kabbalah philosophy, one on multiple lives of a soul (I can hear you think ‘what!!??’), and of course with a healthy dosage of romance and crime stories. I find Sue Grafton interesting. She is one very good crime writer. Somehow there have never been many women crime writers and she will easily top the contemporary ones I guess.

I’m also getting some decent cooking done for important celebrations like Ugadhi when I cooked Bisibelabath and Morekuzhambu and Payasam, of course. They came out very well.

I did a couple of pencil sketching and charcoal sketching done a couple of days back when Sriram was having his afternoon nap. Though I didn’t touch pencils or colours for over two years, they were not bad. Let us see if I can pursue this further. I’m also planning to do a course. I haven’t decided on what right now. I’m not yet sure if I want to get back to work in the IT industry or switch careers. I think now is the right time to switch career, if at all I want to, that is. Now that I have taken a break of one year from working, I can think. I’m celebrating my 14th month out of work this month. Thanks to Sriram.