The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

My Review: 4/5

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

MORNING

It's 8 o'clock in the morning. I am running to the train station. There are two trains I can catch, at 8:07 am or at 8:10 am. If I leave my home exactly at 8, I can catch 8:07 train but if I am 2 minutes late, I can get 8:10 one. Anyway, that 3 minutes doesn't really matter that much. I will reach 3 minutes late at work but today, I can't wait to catch 8:07 train because I can't wait to get to the train station and sit in there, and start my new book. Yes, I am starting my new book today called 'The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins'. Its a murder mystery. I saw there are mixed reviews about it on goodreads but sometimes I don't like to listen to those reviews. I just want to read even though they say it's bad. Shouldn't we see ourselves why they say its bad? and the only way to see it is, by reading it. Anyway, I have a good feeling about it. Its not always I read mystery books. I open the book and read it. The train is quite packed. Germans like working early. It's really really packed. There is no seat for me. I am standing but I am reading. Few pages into the book, its time to get off. 

EVENING

Its nearly 8 pm. I sat on the train and opened the book. Hmm... this is about a girl Rachel who is drunk all the time. She lost her husband to someone 2 years ago but still hasn't gotten over it. Recently, she lost her job too. In order to avoid telling her flatmate about the job, she pretends to go to work. Everyday she takes the same train into London. From the train she sees her old house which is shared by her ex-husband and his new wife now. She also sees their new neighbours who she doesn't know but have now become familiar figures since she sees them almost everyday from the train. She names them Jason and Jesse. 

      I am now home and can't wait to finish my dinner and go back to the book. At around 10 pm, I start reading again. So the neighbours of her ex-husband are Scott and Megan (although she named them Jason and Jesse). One day, from the train, Rachel discovers Megan kissing someone who is not Scott. Soon after that, Megan disappears completely. Her disappearance becomes a big talk of the town. Rachel, thinking that it might be something to do with a guy she was kissing, goes to Scott to tell him what she saw. 
    I am completely engrossed in the book. Next time, I check the clock, its 2 o'clock in the morning. I should sleep now. 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2015

MORNING

This is my 4th day in this book. The story is getting interesting. I am back to the book. I confess it's bit boring in the beginning but after 50% its getting interesting again. They have found the body of Megan now but who could have murdered her? and why? and why I do I feel like every character in this book is messed up and has sort of psychological problem? but something is making me read it though. There is something interesting which I can't describe, probably an urge to know who exactly is the culprit and why? Anyway, I have got shopping and laundry to do now. I will catch up with this book later. 

EVENING

What???? It was him? Oh my beautiful God! I couldn't have imagined it in any way. Its been 4 hours that I am reading this book continuously. For some reason I could't keep it down. 

Now, its finished, time to read its reviews on goodreads!

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2015

MORNING

Why is everyone talking bad about this book? It was ok for me. May be I don't understand the real taste of the mystery since I don't read them that much but it was not that bad. Atleast this book has taught me that people's lives are not as same as they show you. Long time ago my friend and I had a big argument over someone's post on Facebook. I told him why he can't be like that 'someone'? His argument was 'Not everything is same as people show you on Facebook'. I felt exaclty like that after reading this book. Everyday I take trains and although it was somewhere behind my brain, I never properly imagined everyone sitting there has some stories. This is the book that shows you the prospective of lives from other's view. Oh well, I got to be honest. I kind of enjoyed it so, I will give it 4 stars. Scheiße! Tomorrow is Monday :( 

Nowhere but Here by Renee Carlino

My Review: 5/5

''To exist in each other's souls so strongly that you are bound without a physical tie is the greatest mark of love...''

Beautiful story about love, choice, family and life. More precisely, an extremely heat touching love story of an ordinary girl with a man every girl dreams of. 

Kate Corbin is going through hell. Her mother figure died recently, her boyfriend is an asshole and she is not being productive in her work place. Then her kind boss gives her an opportunity of a life time that changes her life completely. As a journalist, she gets to interview a born computer genius R.J. Lawson, who disappeared about a decade ago and then again reappeared in completely different form, as a wine maker. Then the moment comes when he comes into her life and she into his, they meet just as it was always meant to be.

''Remember playing hide-and-seek as a kid? You would run full speed away from the one who was ''it''. Every time you played, you thought you'd found the best hiding place. You would sit, shaking with anticipation because even though the object of the game was opposite, all you really wanted was to be found. You wanted to be found by the one who was ''it''. For months, I had been hiding. I had run so far and hidden so well, I thought no one would find me, but then he did.''

But......

 ''It's hard to know how green the grass is if you have never been on the other side of the fence. There is no light without darkness- there's no joy without pain-but we promised each other, through it all, that we would always choose to be here, living in the moment, right by each other's sides. And I believe that's truly what love it.''

Their love story goes through strange ups and down. The unique moments that make both of them appreciate each other the way they deserve. 

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Really, I am so happy to have this book found. It has a great plot, great story, great writing and great characters that will remain forever in the heart. Now, I am going through a problem most book readers go through- 'The book hangover- Unable to start a new book because you are still too immersed in the last book to move on'

Here is the lesson of the book:

This is what I would really say, "Leave your life. Leave everyone you love, every care, every stress, every commitment. Live alone. Understand what it feels like to know that if you go into cardiac arrest, choke on a piece of hot dog, or get electrocuted, no one will find you. You'll rot. No one will mourn you. Imagine this feeling haunting your thoughts for the rest of your life. You'll wither and vanish, and some stranger will take care of your things and your burial, and you may not even get a placard. Imagine that, live it, and let yourself believe that you should be alone, and then go back to the people who love you."

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

My Review: 3/5

"If we'd never met, I think I would have known that my life wasn't complete. And I would have wandered the world in search of you, even if I didn't know who I was looking for."

Two stories at two different eras! Ira Levinson lived a romantic life after Second World War with a only girl he ever loved, Ruth Levinson. Now, aged 91, he is struggling to live alone since his beloved wife died nine years ago. He seems to remember every single detail of Ruth, even the clothes she was wearing in her twenties, thirties, forties, at every possible age (ok, that was bit too much). On the other side of the town, a new and young couple Luke Collins and Sophia Danko are living their normal lives. Newly in love, Luke and Sophia are struggling to keep up with their love life. The only thing that is common between these four people is what seems to be the climax of the story. One thing that kept me reading is I really wanted to know how these two stories are connected. I must say although I was bored reading 'too much' of their romances, I loved the ending. It was perfect in a way. 

''The night air was turning crisper, giving the stars a crystalline cast. He looked up at them, then over to her, and when her thumb gently began to trace the contours of his hand, he responded to kind. In that instant, he knew with certainty that he was already falling for her and that there was nothing on earth he could do to stop it.''

Most of Nicholas Sparks' books are so romantic that they sometimes become intolerable. Most pages of this book are filled with the description of stars, moon, nights, beauty of other half, sunlight; kind of literature I used to write in my teenage. Now, I feel like I have outgrown it and really need to change the genre. 

Now since I have finished all the books by Nicholas Sparks, I must say the only one that made me cry and will remain forever in my heart is 'Dear John'. 

Summer Love by Subin Bhattarai

My Review: 3/5

Every time I have someone coming from Nepal, I ask for some Nepali books. When my sister-in-law came to Germany, she brought me 'Saaya' (Part 2 of Summer Love'). So, I read part 2 before part 1. 

After reading Saaya, I needed to read part 1. I really wanted to know what happened in part one that made the story turn out like this in part 2. So, next time, I ordered 'Summer Love' with my grand parents. 

I must say the writer did great job in putting two books together. Once you read both books, you can really see all the pieces falling into place but there were some things that didn't really make sense to me somehow. 

Synopsis: 

After being accepted into a Masters degree in the Tribhuvan University, Atit Sharma falls in love with Saaya Shakya through her name. He sees her name in the list of entrance topper and immediately gets smitten by it. It was kind of cute and reminded me of the love story of a popular Nepali singer Sugam Pokharel and his wife. They have a similar story. His wife found his name so unique that she called him to talk on phone. That's how their story started. 

So, going back to 'Summer Love', Atit is already in love with Saaya even before he saw her. Once they meet each other, the first introduction turns into friendship and friendship turns into love. Then comes the role of their family who have to come in between them. The problem of Atit and Saaya is mainly due to their caste difference but I bet even if they were from the same caste, there would be some other problems. Sigh! seems like most Nepalese family have a problem with their children's choice. 

My View:

Although the story is ordinary and addresses every problem a Nepalese couple go through, you are kind of confused thinking why it happened the way it happened. In the middle of the story, Saaya is completely changed and you have no idea why and just to find that out, you have to read part 2. It's kind of annoying sometimes when you have to do that. On the other hand, the character, Sushmita seems so lame and nonexistent. I don't think there ever existed a woman like her and neither will be there in future. And Saaya's father, Dayaram or Dayabir whatever his name is, he doesn't seem to be 'Dayalu' even though there is Daya in his name. He calls Atit all the way from Dhangadi to Kathmandu just to humiliate him. And the author ends the book in such a way that you saw part two coming miles away but in his defence, he had to write part 2 otherwise, it would be one of those times where you convict a prisoner without hearing a defender. So if you want to know the full story,
Read Summer Love (part 1)- Atit's part of the story
Read Saaya (part 2)- Saya's part of the story

Then sit back, relax and punish the convict!

Last but not least, the biggest question I kept asking myself throughout the book- 'Why is it called Summer Love?'

Education in Europe vs Asia

I saw someone asking somewhere, how education systems differ in Asia and Europe? I intend to share my experience here.  

Germany:
Few months ago, I had an oral exam; one of the exams I must pass in order to get my PhD degree. In Germany, if you are an international PhD student, there is a different rule. They look at your previous qualifications and depending upon which department you have enrolled, if there are modules in their list you haven't done before, you have to pass that in order to be fully enrolled. 

Oral exam is more popular than written here. Obviously, there is written exam and in some cases, presentation exam too but most of the examiners prefer oral exam because they believe that it is the only way to know if the students have actually understood the materials. So, if you want to get a decent result, you cannot skip a single chapter or part. You have to master everything. 

First of all, oral exam, the name itself was stressful for me. I had never done it before and I was as scared as hell thinking what it will be like. It won't be like a written exam where you can have some time to think about the questions. Plus in written exam, if you don't know one question, you can choose to come back to it later. I didn't think it would be possible in oral exam while two examiners are staring and waiting for you to answer. I was really really nervous. I am not even joking. 

So, in oral exam, I already mentioned, there are two professors. One to ask questions and another to write down whatever you answer. The professor in charge of writing can also ask questions in the middle.  

After spending 2 years in Germany, I know for sure that education here is all about understanding. Students are very knowledgeable. They certainly know what they are doing because they value education more than grades. Here, I have to confess that I struggled in Germany during my first few months as much as I did when I came to UK from Nepal. 

Nepal:

My memories from Nepal is, we were memorising all the time. We even used to memorise 2 pages of essays and by the end of it, we knew where all the full stops and commas were. The students are highly competitive there. Getting high scores in the exam is more important. Whether you understand or not, but if you score high, you are smart enough. Oh, there is also a good thing. The students are more disciplined. And my God, they are studying all the time (I mean the serious ones).

UK:

In the UK, for my subject, it was all about understanding the application without memorising. You don't have to understand the theory as long as you know where and how to use it. As an Engineering student, I learnt a lot about working in a group and communicating well because at the end of the day that matters a lot wherever you go.

UK vs Germany:

In the UK, its extremely competitive to get into University. The ranking of the University is very important. Higher the rank of the University is, more difficult it is to get in. On the other hand, from what I hear, its not that competitive in Germany to get into University unless you are studying medicine. But the story doesn't end there. They make exam really tough that only smart ones can survive.  

Oh, here is another thing, every German University is fee-free but the UK has increased its tuition fee from 3000 to 9000 grand (only for home students). 

Germany is also the place where internships are favoured, encouraged and the must, whereas the UK is more rushed to its degree. For eg. Engineering Bachelor and Master's degree (MEng) can be completed in four years in the UK but in Germany, students finish in their own time. Some students finish bachelor in 3 years, some in 4 years. It totally depends on when they are ready and because everyone finishes in different time, there is no graduation ceremony here :O. And here is another thing to note: British students do their part time job in restaurants, pub or retail stores but Germans students work in the institutes or the Company- impressive indeed!

 

Europe vs Asia

So, in Europe, education is not only about reading books. It's also about thinking and questioning everything you see, solving the problems you are interested in. Students are encouraged to contribute in community projects to make them open minded and confident. They do lots of volunteering work plus paid work from early age. They travel and learn to become independent from the beginning.

Asian students start learning very complicated math skills since they are in grade 7 but now when I think about it, the sole purpose of all those hard work was only to pass the exams. We had different mindset. We studied to get high scores in exams rather than considering how we could use what we learned to solve interesting problems. Voluntary works and paid works were not common (Not sure about it now). We were occupied with all kinds of lessons and homework, and we hardly explored. Most of us were used to wait other people to tell us what to do. By the way, that was called being disciplined.

There are vast differences between the education systems in these countries. There are good sides and bad sides everywhere. It's certainly difficult to say which system is better for who. It all depends on where you grow up and which system you are used too. If someone is constantly shifting from one system to another like me, it's a real adventure but does make you adaptable.