Just started reading the much acclaimed book "Eat,Pray,Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. A detailed analysis and review of the book will be a separate post later. Basically, the book is about an American woman's search for everything in her life across Italy, India and Indonesia. But, even as I've completed exactly 100 pages in this 330paged book, the author whose narrative of the story is in first person, throws out so many ideas, thoughts and topics for discussion that I can think of writing so many posts out of the readings. It will be appropriate to say that atleast one post can come out of one page's reading in this book, such is the content material.
This will be the first out of many posts to follow from several anectodes in this book.
During the author's stay in Rome, Italy, a snippet of coversation between the author Liz and a friend result in the friend saying that the secret to understanding a city and its people is to learn- what the word on the street is? The friend explains that in any place if you could read a passer by's thoughts, you will find that most of them are thinking the same thought. Whatever that majority thought is,will be the word of that city. And as an individual living or visiting that city, there will be one word used to describe your current personality and if that personal word matches the word of the city, then you totally belong in that place. Makes sense?
A few examples given by the friend and the author are-
What is Rome's word?
Answer: SEX (Since that is what is there on the mind of most of the people all the time)
What is Vatican's word?
Answer: POWER, though you'd think FAITH is more like it.
What is Stockholm's word?
Answer: CONFORM (depressing one)
What is the word in Naples?
Answer: FIGHT
What is the word in New York city?
Answer: ACHIEVE (yes, it is a verb of course)
What is the word in Los Angeles?
Answer: SUCCEED (a subtle but significant difference)
The coversation then moves to more specific questions that the friend poses to the author, which might be worth answering in our own lives.
What was the word in your family when you were growing up?
My answer to this would be Abundant and Religious (yes, I used 2 words).
Lastly, What's your word?
If I had to use this in my current state of affairs, I would come up with Restless.
It will be interesting to hear what your answers to these last 2 questions will be, if you want to share them. What I really liked about this message/exercise is that by coming up with that one word that best describes you at present, it brings about a clear realization of who you are or your current state of mind.
Happy Thinking and enjoy your weekend..
20 comments:
My word right now is "Confused" Arrgh!
{Place a hold for this book in my library)
I think I saw in Oprah show about this book.
What was the word in your family when you were growing up?
Sharing...
What's your word?
Giving
Very interesting....
For the first one:
Independent
The second one:
Relaxed
This book sounds interesting will check it out..I guess the word growing up would have been content...currently...hectic
sounds like a good book! will try reading it sometime!
my word now:
"worried"
my family word
"generous"
i really look forward to your blogs everyday. You make it very interesting!
Keep it up Mitr!
Hi Mitr. Looks like you finally managed to get hold of this book. You may remember my review on it from some time back. Am keen to discover how you found it too :).
Love the exercise that you suggest at the end of your post. The word that seems to best fit me at the moment is "RESTLESS". :)
This book sounds very interesting will try reading it sometime!
my family word
"Religious"
my word now:
"Confused"
My family word is "Affection".
My word right now is definitely "Relaxed":~)
First time here, this is an awesome post.
Asked my kids what our family word could be, one said "focus", the other said, "study!"
And my word - grow.
And here are some more for cities:
Pune Traffic,
Delhi Aggressive
Mumbai People
my word right now is "disoriented"
hmmm. this is interesting!
For the first question:
Caring
For the secone one:
Relaxed.
I am too in the same state!...:)
hey.........I'm back to blogging!
Check out my space.....
Right now it's kind of rush hour for me so I'll check out the post soon!
Happy blogging!
loving is what I grew up with
What is the word now?! Many come to mind...but hopeless fits well.
This is one book a person has bought for me and I hope to get it from him sometime :) Guess the book is pretty apt for me!
All,
Thanks for sharing your words.
Mitr... very interesting exercise. I liked the book, but not all that much. I have reviewed it as well for Laksh's Thoughtful Thursdays.
First question, discipline. Second question, introspective.
Thanks for dropping by at my blog space.
I reviewed this book for Laksh' Thoughtful Thursday as well like Suman. The first section of the book is nice, but fails to hold the interest later - or so I thought. Will wait to hear your verdict on the book :)
Books sounds quite interesting.
I just cannot think of any word as my family word. Right now, my word is: Vertiginous
Mitr,
Its totally a different book and not this one. Its called eat, love and pray.
Sorry about that.
Hi M
Very interesting...set me thinking
Family - Contentment and Laughter
Office - Challenge (currently more so)
Mumbai City - Achieve, Succeed (at any cost)
India - Simmering, Aspiring, Confused....
Very nice ...will try and pick up a copy.
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