Another year coming to an end! When I look back it feels like its been a mixed bag. The good with the not so good, the happy with the sad, the highs with the lows and many more such contrasts that usually are a part of the thing we call LIFE.
Its strange how when I begin to write I feel like I have a lot to say or share but often whilst in the process of doing so words just elude me. Either there is so much there that I dont know how to go about it or then I know exactly what I want to say but 'words dont come easy'.
For starters, this year has whizzed past. 'Time flies' somehow came alive when it came to 2011. So much happened in one year but at the end of the year, when I sit to recall all that transpired, my mind draws a blank. For me the recent few events stand out. The earlier ones seem like a blur.
At the end of a year I try and look at what I have achieved, more in terms of self growth. Its like when you started out, there was a mental list of things that you knew you need to work on and somewhere you put in all the necessary efforts to do that. Sometimes it works , sometimes you know you achieved part of it and you still need to work harder. But to me the most outstanding moments are the ones where things just happen which make you do stuff in an spontaneous manner and in those moments lie some of your own biggest breakthroughs, even though you did not set out to achieve that for yourself! Often you dont even realise that those aspects needed some working upon or polishing or changing. So in hindsight, to me those were the best happenings. And there is also so much that you learn about life or the workings of the universe through these events.
In this year life gave me a lot to both work upon and also reflect upon. And what stands out after all that is something that I will try to put into words so its also a reminder for me about what I have learnt and all that needs to stay! Some beliefs I had, got strengthened and reinforced, and some that I had not even thought about got imbibed. The way I have seen and experienced life in general, I have seen that 'the more you persist, the more it resists, and the more you resist the more it persists'! This is a mighty profound statement from whatever I have seen and understood in my own life and to me nothing else seems more true. The more you go after something the more it eludes you and the more you run away from something, the more it comes after you!
Another one is the fact that there definitely is a 'time' for everything and try as hard as you want if the time is not right or just 'not yet', it does not happen. This may sound fatalistic but atleast I feel it is true. For those who believe in destiny, that too may have a part to play here. And if I have to highlight this, the best eg would be that you try very hard and leave no stone unturned for certain things to happen, but they still dont! So there has to be something else operating here, a different plan, a bigger plan, a better time, or a combination of all these and other factors or then something else altogether.
Then there is something that I learnt about "healing"! If there is anything that heals that too in the most effective manner , its only TIME! Other things may help to some extent or facilitate the process of healing but its time alone that does the trick! And its self defeating to force or speed up the healing process, whether the healing is in relation to people, relationships, events , memories, grieving, or anything that truly requires to be healed! You need to let it happen naturally and its own time.
Something that I did not or could not believe in earlier was that if there is something wrong in your relationship with someone who truly matters to you, if you give it love and positive vibes from your end it will only change for the better. To me this was too idealistic and I always said 'easier said than done'! But overtime I decided to give it a shot and now I can say quite confidently that if at all thats the only thing that works. Nothing else does! It takes time and a good amount of patience is required as well but it does something miraculous in the end! I am truly amazed with how it works. Its very tough to do this if u feel hurt or pain but it requires baby steps, and a lot of faith and persistence. And its very tempting to give up when u dont see the results when you want to see them, but thats exactly when you need to hang in there just a little longer. There comes a time and a point in your own life when you just cannot carry on feeling bitter, sad, hurt or angry with someone or something. They did what they did but when you realise that its 'you' who is carrying the baggage, thats when you realise and tell yourself that it will have to be "you" alone who needs to shed that baggage! At the end of it all you need to travel light and it feels so much better! You let go, you forgive even if u cannot forget. The latter will happen when its meant to.
Something related or connected is the fact that you cannot change anyone, neither can you change their thoughts or feelings about anything. You may want to do that in many cases especially when you can see something that the other one cannot and that person may be dear enough which is why you hope that they can see it. But you need to and will have to take solace in the fact that if they are meant to see it they will but you cannot decide how and when that will happen. And yet again if they are not meant to, you just have to do your bit in whichever way and surrender and let go of the situation very gracefully and ideally without expectation even though thats a tough one! Its only human to expect but with all the experience you know better even if you cannot implement it right away. The awareness is a good starting point!
And last but not the least is something that is very close to my heart. Some people just walk into your life by default or by a stroke of fate or destiny and sometimes the relationships that you have with them are the best and most beautiful. They maybe part of your life in any capacity but what they bring along with themseleves is truly inspring, enriching or if I have to put in simple words, then they bring some sunshine into your life along with bringing a smile on your face! These people and relationships just happen, without you doing anything and thats when you realise how some things are just meant to be and that the universe does some really wonderful things which are beyond the human intellect and understanding. The more you actually believe in these, the more they will happen for you and if you do not you might just miss out on some lovely events and occurences that life has in store for you.
And to sum up, wishing a lot of pleasant times ahead in 2012 for everyone and may Faith and Hope supercede everything else! And if by any chance there is any truth to the whole bit about the world ending in 2012 then all the more reason to do everything that is on our bucket list and make sure we live it up before we pop it :)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
When death comes calling!
This is certainly not going to be one of my normal or happy posts, but at the same time it is as real as hardcore reality can get! That reality which we often have a hard time accepting. And one major aspect of that reality is 'death'! Am sure most of us have experienced this phenomenon at some point in our lives when we had to deal with the 'passing away'of someone we knew. And its even worse when that 'someone' was very close or a very near and dear one! At first there is shock, where u almost freeze. Something within goes numb and then when the numbness slowly starts wearing off, there is denial followed by a flood of emotions which range from anger to sadness to grief. These emotions take awhile to leave you and while you experience these, at another level you are learning a lot about life and death! So much seems to be happening at so many levels and at the same time, consciously and subconsciously that you do not know how to deal with it!
When I take a walk down memory lane visavis losing dear ones to death, there is a list that comes up. Some being not as traumatic by the mere fact that I was not very close or attached to them, but it was a loss nonetheless. The others being quite close which basically include maternal and paternal grandparents, uncles, aunts, close friends' parents and a dear friend. Death is something you are never prepared for. Like people often say that when the person is either ailing or old, you know its a matter of time so in a way you are prepared. I honestly dont think so! It might be more appropriate to say that you possess the knowledge that this is likely to happen and someday it will as is inevitable, but by no means are you 'prepared'! Given the relationship you share with the person, the intensity of feeling always differs and thereby the impact might be more or less. Thats about it.
Very recently I lost my maternal uncle (my mom's oldest brother)! I was affected in more ways than one. My uncle always had such a dominant and strong presence along with a powerful personality, that its just impossible to believe that he is no longer around. I feel it even more when I now go to his house. Everything has his mark on it. His chair which was more like his throne, his bed, his things, all shout out loud in his absence! Something that made me feel quite horrible was the fact that I did not meet him before his demise and to make matters worse he asked about me the evening before he passed away. In my mind I had planned to see him the next day, but in hindsight it really doesnt help or make you feel any better! Its times like these that make you realise the meaning and importance of not waiting to do what you want to do becuase life in the truest sense sometimes never offers you second chances! All I could really do was offer a heartfelt apology while praying for him when we lost him and when his last rites were being performed.
The fact that my mom was very close to him just adds another deeper dimension to it. He was her eldest brother and hence like a father figure who was there for her always and helped her make some of her biggest and hardest decisions in life. For her, his advice was of utmost importance and she truly valued it and almost always followed it very diligently. She had her best childhood memories with him. Its like she possesses a treasure chest when it comes to memories of very pleasant events with her brother. And today she cherishes every single moment she spent with him and there is a sweet pain attached to the memories now that he is no more! That my mother adored and revered her brother will be putting it very mildly. The vaccum created by his absence will be tough to cope with. A big challenge apart from accepting his death has been seeing my mother go through the grief and sadness of losing someone who meant the world to her. When you see someone you love so much go through this and become so helpless, sad and vulnerable, you wish you could do something to reduce or ease the pain for them. Unfortunately you cannot wish away that which happened and all you can do is just 'be there' unconditionally and offer silent support! And you are only glad for being there as that really is the least you could have ever done to make it even slightly better for them, if at all!
In all of this I have also realised how important it is to 'grieve'! Grieving in some way helps you come to terms with what has happened apart from the cathartic platform that it provides. Crying is therapeutic and makes you feel like you just offloaded a whole lot which made your heart so heavy while it was still there inside of you. It makes you reach the point where you think that things are slowly limping back to normalcy! Its like a cloudburst, it came, there was a downpour and then things began to clear up once it was all over. And while it all lasted the emotions are more like the thunder and lightning that accompanied the cloudburst.
Some realities of life are heartwrenching to say the least. During all of this some images have stayed and I dont know if they stay for life or they heal in due course of time! Seeing a strong, active man who was always in charge, transformed into someone frail, helpless and towards the end a disfigured body, is something very distressing. Also moreso because he never ever saw himself in this state and dreaded the very thought of reaching a stage like that, so much so that he had made his family promise him that they would never keep him on life support as he hated the thought of living like a vegetable. I dont want to elaborate anymore on his physical state in his last few days or describe it in any kind of detail as that would be very morbid! For all of us it was terrible enough seeing him like that. Another scene that I just cannot get out of my mind is the fact that my cousin brother missed his dad by minutes. It shook and rattled my soul to see him trying to wake his father out of the 'declared dead' state and whispering his own arrival into his father's ears. It still gives me goosebumps! He literally begged and pleaded with his father to 'get up', but of no avail!
The cold heartedness of the medical team attending to my uncle was pathetic and how much ever I look at it from a hospital's point of view, for the life of me I cannot understand the "hurry" to disconnect the ventilator. That was our last and only hope and in the most candid and heartless manner the lady (a paramedic perhaps) announced that there was no point as the patient was indeed dead. Its a mechanical job for them and they probably do it day in and day out and cannot ofcourse afford to let any kind of feelings or emotions come in the way but it still did seem very inhuman! The 'just another patient' is someones' father, brother, husband and a lot more at the end of the day! You just console yourself saying that they were doing their job and probably they had someone waiting for the ICU bed and you dont want another family to go through the pain of losing their loved one, if there was the slightest hope or chance or survival or recovery for the next patient.
The whole proocedure that follows to get the formalities completed before you get the final discharge and are allowed to take the body away can be called the most cumbersome and draining especially given the frame of mind of the family. What has happened to your loved one has barely sunk in and then you have to go through this! A series of silly, stupid, inane formailities or procedures follow, one of which is to replace the stock of medicines personally and run from one counter to another as there are different counters for the stock of medicines and that for the payment of the same. Its high time they do away with such silly redundant procedures.
My uncle was someone who did not believe in religious rituals etc so he had made clear a lot of things which really did not leave any scope for the multitude of suggestions that you get from known/unknown people at times like these! His body was taken to the crematorium directly from the hospital and the burial took very little time. So at the end it was all over literally in a matter of minutes. A whole life and its journey gone! JUST LIKE THAT! The logical brain/mind understands that its only the 'body' that is cremated but still it feels awful to see that body go through the process of creamation because you identified with the person as his body. Its easy to say that the body dies and not the soul but after all you did know the person and related to him only in the body form. Its the physical body image that comes in front of you when you think of the person. And the thought of the body being burnt or put in an electric furnace is something that is very gruesome and unpleasant! I dont think I can really describe this the way I feel it but this is as close as it gets!
So much happened in just a few hours. You wish you could block it all out because its so painful but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. There was only one train of thought that stood out for me when the day ended........................
U come into this world , live your life ,go through the various stages and phases of existence and in the end you go out of this world, wrapped in a piece of white cloth. Where you go no one knows, probably to that place where you came from!
All you do know and have to live with is the fact that how much ever you wish, pray or desire, you will never ever get to see even a glimpse of that person ever again or meet him or get to speak with him, or hear his voice! And then what hits you harder is the fact that you will at some point have to even deal with the mortality of your most loved ones. That leaves you feelig utterly insecure and helpless. It rattles your very core and there is nothing that you can do about it other than hoping against hope that you never see that day!
I had only one purpose for writing this post and that was to get all of this out of my system and hopefully get some closure for my uncle's death. While doing this I relived it yet again and there were unsettling feelings as well. Nonetheless I do hope that my grief has found some expression and that will help integrate this experience for me!
And last but not the least, my most earnest prayer is that my uncle's soul rests in peace and if there is an afterlife, wherever he is, he is doing just fine, just like the strong confident person that he was and the way we all knew him to be!
When I take a walk down memory lane visavis losing dear ones to death, there is a list that comes up. Some being not as traumatic by the mere fact that I was not very close or attached to them, but it was a loss nonetheless. The others being quite close which basically include maternal and paternal grandparents, uncles, aunts, close friends' parents and a dear friend. Death is something you are never prepared for. Like people often say that when the person is either ailing or old, you know its a matter of time so in a way you are prepared. I honestly dont think so! It might be more appropriate to say that you possess the knowledge that this is likely to happen and someday it will as is inevitable, but by no means are you 'prepared'! Given the relationship you share with the person, the intensity of feeling always differs and thereby the impact might be more or less. Thats about it.
Very recently I lost my maternal uncle (my mom's oldest brother)! I was affected in more ways than one. My uncle always had such a dominant and strong presence along with a powerful personality, that its just impossible to believe that he is no longer around. I feel it even more when I now go to his house. Everything has his mark on it. His chair which was more like his throne, his bed, his things, all shout out loud in his absence! Something that made me feel quite horrible was the fact that I did not meet him before his demise and to make matters worse he asked about me the evening before he passed away. In my mind I had planned to see him the next day, but in hindsight it really doesnt help or make you feel any better! Its times like these that make you realise the meaning and importance of not waiting to do what you want to do becuase life in the truest sense sometimes never offers you second chances! All I could really do was offer a heartfelt apology while praying for him when we lost him and when his last rites were being performed.
The fact that my mom was very close to him just adds another deeper dimension to it. He was her eldest brother and hence like a father figure who was there for her always and helped her make some of her biggest and hardest decisions in life. For her, his advice was of utmost importance and she truly valued it and almost always followed it very diligently. She had her best childhood memories with him. Its like she possesses a treasure chest when it comes to memories of very pleasant events with her brother. And today she cherishes every single moment she spent with him and there is a sweet pain attached to the memories now that he is no more! That my mother adored and revered her brother will be putting it very mildly. The vaccum created by his absence will be tough to cope with. A big challenge apart from accepting his death has been seeing my mother go through the grief and sadness of losing someone who meant the world to her. When you see someone you love so much go through this and become so helpless, sad and vulnerable, you wish you could do something to reduce or ease the pain for them. Unfortunately you cannot wish away that which happened and all you can do is just 'be there' unconditionally and offer silent support! And you are only glad for being there as that really is the least you could have ever done to make it even slightly better for them, if at all!
In all of this I have also realised how important it is to 'grieve'! Grieving in some way helps you come to terms with what has happened apart from the cathartic platform that it provides. Crying is therapeutic and makes you feel like you just offloaded a whole lot which made your heart so heavy while it was still there inside of you. It makes you reach the point where you think that things are slowly limping back to normalcy! Its like a cloudburst, it came, there was a downpour and then things began to clear up once it was all over. And while it all lasted the emotions are more like the thunder and lightning that accompanied the cloudburst.
Some realities of life are heartwrenching to say the least. During all of this some images have stayed and I dont know if they stay for life or they heal in due course of time! Seeing a strong, active man who was always in charge, transformed into someone frail, helpless and towards the end a disfigured body, is something very distressing. Also moreso because he never ever saw himself in this state and dreaded the very thought of reaching a stage like that, so much so that he had made his family promise him that they would never keep him on life support as he hated the thought of living like a vegetable. I dont want to elaborate anymore on his physical state in his last few days or describe it in any kind of detail as that would be very morbid! For all of us it was terrible enough seeing him like that. Another scene that I just cannot get out of my mind is the fact that my cousin brother missed his dad by minutes. It shook and rattled my soul to see him trying to wake his father out of the 'declared dead' state and whispering his own arrival into his father's ears. It still gives me goosebumps! He literally begged and pleaded with his father to 'get up', but of no avail!
The cold heartedness of the medical team attending to my uncle was pathetic and how much ever I look at it from a hospital's point of view, for the life of me I cannot understand the "hurry" to disconnect the ventilator. That was our last and only hope and in the most candid and heartless manner the lady (a paramedic perhaps) announced that there was no point as the patient was indeed dead. Its a mechanical job for them and they probably do it day in and day out and cannot ofcourse afford to let any kind of feelings or emotions come in the way but it still did seem very inhuman! The 'just another patient' is someones' father, brother, husband and a lot more at the end of the day! You just console yourself saying that they were doing their job and probably they had someone waiting for the ICU bed and you dont want another family to go through the pain of losing their loved one, if there was the slightest hope or chance or survival or recovery for the next patient.
The whole proocedure that follows to get the formalities completed before you get the final discharge and are allowed to take the body away can be called the most cumbersome and draining especially given the frame of mind of the family. What has happened to your loved one has barely sunk in and then you have to go through this! A series of silly, stupid, inane formailities or procedures follow, one of which is to replace the stock of medicines personally and run from one counter to another as there are different counters for the stock of medicines and that for the payment of the same. Its high time they do away with such silly redundant procedures.
My uncle was someone who did not believe in religious rituals etc so he had made clear a lot of things which really did not leave any scope for the multitude of suggestions that you get from known/unknown people at times like these! His body was taken to the crematorium directly from the hospital and the burial took very little time. So at the end it was all over literally in a matter of minutes. A whole life and its journey gone! JUST LIKE THAT! The logical brain/mind understands that its only the 'body' that is cremated but still it feels awful to see that body go through the process of creamation because you identified with the person as his body. Its easy to say that the body dies and not the soul but after all you did know the person and related to him only in the body form. Its the physical body image that comes in front of you when you think of the person. And the thought of the body being burnt or put in an electric furnace is something that is very gruesome and unpleasant! I dont think I can really describe this the way I feel it but this is as close as it gets!
So much happened in just a few hours. You wish you could block it all out because its so painful but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. There was only one train of thought that stood out for me when the day ended........................
U come into this world , live your life ,go through the various stages and phases of existence and in the end you go out of this world, wrapped in a piece of white cloth. Where you go no one knows, probably to that place where you came from!
All you do know and have to live with is the fact that how much ever you wish, pray or desire, you will never ever get to see even a glimpse of that person ever again or meet him or get to speak with him, or hear his voice! And then what hits you harder is the fact that you will at some point have to even deal with the mortality of your most loved ones. That leaves you feelig utterly insecure and helpless. It rattles your very core and there is nothing that you can do about it other than hoping against hope that you never see that day!
I had only one purpose for writing this post and that was to get all of this out of my system and hopefully get some closure for my uncle's death. While doing this I relived it yet again and there were unsettling feelings as well. Nonetheless I do hope that my grief has found some expression and that will help integrate this experience for me!
And last but not the least, my most earnest prayer is that my uncle's soul rests in peace and if there is an afterlife, wherever he is, he is doing just fine, just like the strong confident person that he was and the way we all knew him to be!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Dichotomies of Existence!
Something that I experienced last sunday has just stayed with me. For some reason I havent been able to shake off the whole thought process and the feelings attached to it. We live in a strange world, where dichotomies have always existed but sometimes they become so stark and 'in your face', thats its difficult to not think about them!
I read about a music event happening on sunday at a place called 'Aurus', which you can call a resto pub, a hangout place or a happening weekend/ night spot! The event sounded ineteresting so I decided to call in and check the details. Asked a couple of friends and then finally my cuz decided to come along. We reached early only to realise that the main event would begin much later. An international artist who was to perform was to come in only after a couple of hours. We decided to hang around for a bit nonetheless. The place is lovely and by that I mean the setting, the fact that it overlooks the beach and the sea. In Bombay you cant have a better view than that! We actually sat there and witnessed the sunset and apparently these events that happen there occasionally are actually called 'sundown' events. They cudnt have found a more apt name! As the evening advanced the crowd bagan to pour in. It was a mix but more of it were either the happening lot of todays teenagers or then the more elite socialites, who are often referred to as the 'page 3' bandwagon!
From where we were seated it almost felt like we were watching a film. And it surely was entertaining to see all that transpired around us and the eclectic mix of people with their own style statements and trends. And just then it suddenly struck me as to how two very different worlds can exist in the same world. Just then there was this girl who made sure she stood in every different corner of the place, struck very different poses and got the photographer to capture all of it. So while she was at it, in one of the spots the background happened to have an attendant sweeping the floor and that obviously wasnt a background for the picture she wanted! So she quickly came and had him get out of there. (And she also tried to make this one particular guy get up from where he was seated but she met with little success. But what later stood out about that guy was the fact that he wore a badge which read " I HATE FAKE PEOPLE"! :) It somehow seemed like he sure wanted to highlight that right there and then!) That moment something dawned on me! If you had to look at that woman and then you saw the guy who was sweeping the floor, they obviously did belong to two very very different worlds! And the dichotomy was just so stark. The haves and the have nots! Then on, the evening just transformed , more in my head than anywhere else. It was almost like something sparked off in my brain and refused to relent! Post that I just cudnt help but notice the 'dichotomies' more and more as they just stood out all the time! We dint hang around too much longer because there came a point where we cudnt relate to the crowd or the music, the latter getting more and more techno! And it was way too loud or maybe we were way too out of sync with whats really hip and happening currently! So we decided to make our exit! One of the staff members at the door even offered us bands just incase we wanted to return and we politely declined! Must be strange for him to see people actually leave before the main event when there was a long line waiting to get in!
Just as we waited to hail a rickshaw for our next destination the crowd dint stop pouring in! We were literally made to move away couple times cos we were in the way of some of the elite alighting from their stylish and luxurious vehicles while handing them over to the valet. We finally got a rick and decided to head northward to dine at a place called 'Caravan Serai'. Once again, my head was on a roll as soon as I looked at the rickshaw driver! His clothes, the dishevelled look, the whole appearance which exuded the whole struggle of a day to day existence! And my mind raced back and forth from the visuals at Aurus to this and then to other such things that I noticed that enitire evening! It was a certain train of thought and it just refused to stop. Even when we got to the restaurant and then when I saw the waiters or the other staff there I thought about their lives. The people around who had come to eat were people we could relate to. They seemed like they belonged to a world similar to ours. We felt at home! We moved to a coffee place later and there again were these young boys who served us. People who probably had this as a second job so as to help them make some more money.
All of it made me wonder as to how and who decides as to who will be born with a silver spoon and get it all on a platter due to an affluent lineage and never really know what the words 'struggle' or 'survival' really mean! And then there will be others for whom life is a struggle and another name for 'survival of the fittest' from very early on. And then there will be the 'inbetweens', which most of us may fall into! Even as I say this there is no 'opinion'/'judgement' of any kind or a condonement of one section over a bias towards another! Its just an observation and a thinking aloud of what these dichotomies are and how they exist! A matter of 'wonder' to say the least! Just makes you think as to how in the one larger world , many many smaller different worlds can exist! And how they can be so disparate from each other. The contrast is just so overwhelming sometimes, and though almost on a daily basis you encounter it all around you, there are times when it all stands out much more and you just cant get your head around it! If even only for a day we just notice all the different people we meet or whose services we avail of in some way, a certain realisation sets in! There is so much that we are so used to that we just take a lot for granted without really being grateful for what we are blessed with!
What I felt that day was not something new or alien to me! Iv felt it before but that particular day it all just seeemed to stand out bigtime! I dont think words have been able to do justice to what I really felt within and those feelings still linger somewhere deep down! Sometimes like they say what you feel cannot really be expressed in words as the latter almost always fall short. Some things can only be felt and experienced or experienced and felt! A statement that Osho made comes to mind to sum it all up... Life is indeed a schizophrenic experience sometimes, or rather more often than not!
I read about a music event happening on sunday at a place called 'Aurus', which you can call a resto pub, a hangout place or a happening weekend/ night spot! The event sounded ineteresting so I decided to call in and check the details. Asked a couple of friends and then finally my cuz decided to come along. We reached early only to realise that the main event would begin much later. An international artist who was to perform was to come in only after a couple of hours. We decided to hang around for a bit nonetheless. The place is lovely and by that I mean the setting, the fact that it overlooks the beach and the sea. In Bombay you cant have a better view than that! We actually sat there and witnessed the sunset and apparently these events that happen there occasionally are actually called 'sundown' events. They cudnt have found a more apt name! As the evening advanced the crowd bagan to pour in. It was a mix but more of it were either the happening lot of todays teenagers or then the more elite socialites, who are often referred to as the 'page 3' bandwagon!
From where we were seated it almost felt like we were watching a film. And it surely was entertaining to see all that transpired around us and the eclectic mix of people with their own style statements and trends. And just then it suddenly struck me as to how two very different worlds can exist in the same world. Just then there was this girl who made sure she stood in every different corner of the place, struck very different poses and got the photographer to capture all of it. So while she was at it, in one of the spots the background happened to have an attendant sweeping the floor and that obviously wasnt a background for the picture she wanted! So she quickly came and had him get out of there. (And she also tried to make this one particular guy get up from where he was seated but she met with little success. But what later stood out about that guy was the fact that he wore a badge which read " I HATE FAKE PEOPLE"! :) It somehow seemed like he sure wanted to highlight that right there and then!) That moment something dawned on me! If you had to look at that woman and then you saw the guy who was sweeping the floor, they obviously did belong to two very very different worlds! And the dichotomy was just so stark. The haves and the have nots! Then on, the evening just transformed , more in my head than anywhere else. It was almost like something sparked off in my brain and refused to relent! Post that I just cudnt help but notice the 'dichotomies' more and more as they just stood out all the time! We dint hang around too much longer because there came a point where we cudnt relate to the crowd or the music, the latter getting more and more techno! And it was way too loud or maybe we were way too out of sync with whats really hip and happening currently! So we decided to make our exit! One of the staff members at the door even offered us bands just incase we wanted to return and we politely declined! Must be strange for him to see people actually leave before the main event when there was a long line waiting to get in!
Just as we waited to hail a rickshaw for our next destination the crowd dint stop pouring in! We were literally made to move away couple times cos we were in the way of some of the elite alighting from their stylish and luxurious vehicles while handing them over to the valet. We finally got a rick and decided to head northward to dine at a place called 'Caravan Serai'. Once again, my head was on a roll as soon as I looked at the rickshaw driver! His clothes, the dishevelled look, the whole appearance which exuded the whole struggle of a day to day existence! And my mind raced back and forth from the visuals at Aurus to this and then to other such things that I noticed that enitire evening! It was a certain train of thought and it just refused to stop. Even when we got to the restaurant and then when I saw the waiters or the other staff there I thought about their lives. The people around who had come to eat were people we could relate to. They seemed like they belonged to a world similar to ours. We felt at home! We moved to a coffee place later and there again were these young boys who served us. People who probably had this as a second job so as to help them make some more money.
All of it made me wonder as to how and who decides as to who will be born with a silver spoon and get it all on a platter due to an affluent lineage and never really know what the words 'struggle' or 'survival' really mean! And then there will be others for whom life is a struggle and another name for 'survival of the fittest' from very early on. And then there will be the 'inbetweens', which most of us may fall into! Even as I say this there is no 'opinion'/'judgement' of any kind or a condonement of one section over a bias towards another! Its just an observation and a thinking aloud of what these dichotomies are and how they exist! A matter of 'wonder' to say the least! Just makes you think as to how in the one larger world , many many smaller different worlds can exist! And how they can be so disparate from each other. The contrast is just so overwhelming sometimes, and though almost on a daily basis you encounter it all around you, there are times when it all stands out much more and you just cant get your head around it! If even only for a day we just notice all the different people we meet or whose services we avail of in some way, a certain realisation sets in! There is so much that we are so used to that we just take a lot for granted without really being grateful for what we are blessed with!
What I felt that day was not something new or alien to me! Iv felt it before but that particular day it all just seeemed to stand out bigtime! I dont think words have been able to do justice to what I really felt within and those feelings still linger somewhere deep down! Sometimes like they say what you feel cannot really be expressed in words as the latter almost always fall short. Some things can only be felt and experienced or experienced and felt! A statement that Osho made comes to mind to sum it all up... Life is indeed a schizophrenic experience sometimes, or rather more often than not!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Girls night out!
A girls night out is always fun! Had one after a long time and totally enjoyed myself. For one I was longing to go dancing since like ages. And that wish was fulfilled bigtime last night. I danced away and totally let go. Strangely the dance floor was full of girls and there were few guys. The reason being that stags are not allowed on the dance floor! Honestly I knew or rather thought that stags were not allowed in at all but once they were in, I wasnt aware of a rule where they were not allowed on the dance floor. The logic or rationale being that maybe they may get drunk and then try to act funny with women or somethig on those lines probably.
For once I felt bad for the guys. For all you know they may have been decent enough and have just come there like the rest of us to have a good time and so its quite unfair to not let them dance the night away and enjoy themselves just cos they dont have girls with them! From where my friends and me were dancing, we could see clusters of guys standing at various corners at the bar, grooving to the music. Then there were others who were standing just near the dance floor, dancing and still others who were indulging themselves at their own tables!
The venue was Firangi Paani at andheri and its quite a nice, spacious place with systems very much in place. There were bouncer kinda guys at both ends of the dance floor! The ambience and vibe of the place were perfect and the lighting and interiors set the right mood! We just chilled with drinks initially before we hit the dance floor and grooved away to the evergreen 80's/90's numbers! They never go out of vogue, do they!! Tarzan boy, Self control, Girls just wana have fun, Boney M and the list was endless! My request for the night was "Gime hope Joanna"! I just love dancing to that song for some reason! It really makes me want to jump and dance like there is no tomorrow!
The music then changed to trance which I can enjoy a bit but cant handle too much of and thats when we decided to feed our appetites and just chill at our table! After awhile the whole trance bit got too much and just when we were hoping that it should change, the DJ did the needful and started to play some great hindi numbers. No night out, especially when you go dancing, is complete without our very own desi beats! They just get out something else in you! The DJ started with Chhamak Chhalo and everyone went mad. (Atleast the songs did it for SRK, if not the film!) And then there were a mix of some old groovy numbers where we literally went all out and did some crazy stuff! We were so pooped that we could have dropped dead but the awesome music kept us going. The crazy, funky steps that you can do on our hindi songs, you just cant do even on some of the best english numbers! Atleast all of us in our group would vouch for that.
And since the night is usualy incomplete without the funny parts, here goes... When I looked at the menu and was deciding on which drink to order I glanced through a section that caught my eye because of the names of the drinks. I thought they were cocktails and the two between which I wanted to take my pick were, Screaming orgasm and Silk panties. I was very amused. The former blend seemed more exciting so when I had to place the order I strangely said 'Smoking orgasm'. The waiter dint get it and I gave him the benefit of doubt as the music was way too loud for anyone to hear anything unless the mouth of the one who spoke was literally stuck to the ear of the one who was supposed to listen :) So I repeated myself and he still dint get it and thats when my friend and me thought there was something wrong and looked at the menu again and then we both had the 'OH OK!!!' look on our faces and then I said 'Screaming orgasm' and we both burst out laughing along with the waiter ofcourse. I have no clue what made me change the 'screaming' to 'smoking'! The waiter then informed me that they were shooters which you finish at one go so I wasnt too pleased with that as I wanted to sip and enjoy my drink so then I asked about 'cocktails' and finally without wasting too much time settled for 'Sex on the beach'! :)
The other funny bit was when we were on the dance floor, there was this girl who was skimpily dressed and was dancing with a guy all along. Then suddenly out of nowhere she came and started to dance with one of us and was dancing too close for comfort and made some nasty moves. Initially we were amused but then she dint look like she was going to stop and my other friend went and started dancing alongside in a bid to help out. Then this babe was literally onto her and then she came to me and there was this point that I literally felt like she is going to smooch or kiss us. Thats how close she got! But thank God she then went onto someone else, specifically speaking a sardar who wasnt the guy with her and she merrily danced away, arm around his waist! Wonder where her guy and the sardar's girl were!!! :)
All in all a superb night which was totally dedicated to DANCING! And boy was I glad for that or what! Atleast for the time being I seem satiated. So a big thanks to Manj and Prats that we could work this out and there were no hiccups in the plan or the coordination bit. We decided and made it happen! Cheers to my girl pals for that!
And another heartening fact is that when you make sure you can organise things well and get things in order, you dont need the guys . I dont say that in a feminist way. I would love it equally if the men were around but its no longer like you cant go out and have a good time just cos you dont have guys with you. Another factor making a big contribution to it is that this is Mumbai city and overall, despite stray incidents happening, by and large we live in a safe city which will hopefully always be like that by the very nature and fabric of it! And to add to that the good places make sure they do the needful so as to make the women feel safe and the ratio of women to men yesterday was proof enough. Very reassuring!
To sum it all up, a great night dedicated to lovely friends, a perfect venue, good music and above all DANCE! :)
And looking forward to many more of such memorable nights out!!!!
For once I felt bad for the guys. For all you know they may have been decent enough and have just come there like the rest of us to have a good time and so its quite unfair to not let them dance the night away and enjoy themselves just cos they dont have girls with them! From where my friends and me were dancing, we could see clusters of guys standing at various corners at the bar, grooving to the music. Then there were others who were standing just near the dance floor, dancing and still others who were indulging themselves at their own tables!
The venue was Firangi Paani at andheri and its quite a nice, spacious place with systems very much in place. There were bouncer kinda guys at both ends of the dance floor! The ambience and vibe of the place were perfect and the lighting and interiors set the right mood! We just chilled with drinks initially before we hit the dance floor and grooved away to the evergreen 80's/90's numbers! They never go out of vogue, do they!! Tarzan boy, Self control, Girls just wana have fun, Boney M and the list was endless! My request for the night was "Gime hope Joanna"! I just love dancing to that song for some reason! It really makes me want to jump and dance like there is no tomorrow!
The music then changed to trance which I can enjoy a bit but cant handle too much of and thats when we decided to feed our appetites and just chill at our table! After awhile the whole trance bit got too much and just when we were hoping that it should change, the DJ did the needful and started to play some great hindi numbers. No night out, especially when you go dancing, is complete without our very own desi beats! They just get out something else in you! The DJ started with Chhamak Chhalo and everyone went mad. (Atleast the songs did it for SRK, if not the film!) And then there were a mix of some old groovy numbers where we literally went all out and did some crazy stuff! We were so pooped that we could have dropped dead but the awesome music kept us going. The crazy, funky steps that you can do on our hindi songs, you just cant do even on some of the best english numbers! Atleast all of us in our group would vouch for that.
And since the night is usualy incomplete without the funny parts, here goes... When I looked at the menu and was deciding on which drink to order I glanced through a section that caught my eye because of the names of the drinks. I thought they were cocktails and the two between which I wanted to take my pick were, Screaming orgasm and Silk panties. I was very amused. The former blend seemed more exciting so when I had to place the order I strangely said 'Smoking orgasm'. The waiter dint get it and I gave him the benefit of doubt as the music was way too loud for anyone to hear anything unless the mouth of the one who spoke was literally stuck to the ear of the one who was supposed to listen :) So I repeated myself and he still dint get it and thats when my friend and me thought there was something wrong and looked at the menu again and then we both had the 'OH OK!!!' look on our faces and then I said 'Screaming orgasm' and we both burst out laughing along with the waiter ofcourse. I have no clue what made me change the 'screaming' to 'smoking'! The waiter then informed me that they were shooters which you finish at one go so I wasnt too pleased with that as I wanted to sip and enjoy my drink so then I asked about 'cocktails' and finally without wasting too much time settled for 'Sex on the beach'! :)
The other funny bit was when we were on the dance floor, there was this girl who was skimpily dressed and was dancing with a guy all along. Then suddenly out of nowhere she came and started to dance with one of us and was dancing too close for comfort and made some nasty moves. Initially we were amused but then she dint look like she was going to stop and my other friend went and started dancing alongside in a bid to help out. Then this babe was literally onto her and then she came to me and there was this point that I literally felt like she is going to smooch or kiss us. Thats how close she got! But thank God she then went onto someone else, specifically speaking a sardar who wasnt the guy with her and she merrily danced away, arm around his waist! Wonder where her guy and the sardar's girl were!!! :)
All in all a superb night which was totally dedicated to DANCING! And boy was I glad for that or what! Atleast for the time being I seem satiated. So a big thanks to Manj and Prats that we could work this out and there were no hiccups in the plan or the coordination bit. We decided and made it happen! Cheers to my girl pals for that!
And another heartening fact is that when you make sure you can organise things well and get things in order, you dont need the guys . I dont say that in a feminist way. I would love it equally if the men were around but its no longer like you cant go out and have a good time just cos you dont have guys with you. Another factor making a big contribution to it is that this is Mumbai city and overall, despite stray incidents happening, by and large we live in a safe city which will hopefully always be like that by the very nature and fabric of it! And to add to that the good places make sure they do the needful so as to make the women feel safe and the ratio of women to men yesterday was proof enough. Very reassuring!
To sum it all up, a great night dedicated to lovely friends, a perfect venue, good music and above all DANCE! :)
And looking forward to many more of such memorable nights out!!!!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Random Thoughts!
There is nothing concrete that I wish to write about today or if I could phrase that better it would be that, there is no one issue I want to talk or write about. Hence the title! They are thoughts that have come and gone. Some have stayed. I keep telling myself that there is a need to keep a writing book whereby I can just note down random thoughts and then it would help when I get down to doing stuff like this.
Anyway for now let me just ramble on.....
Watching a programme on t.v. which has Anu Malik in it. And just have this thought that I cant quite figure out who I dislike more, Anu Malik or Himesh Reshamiya! I have no idea why the comparison. Maybe its just the 'dislike' factor that is intense and common!
Speaking of Himesh, his songs and lyrics just go from bad to worse but yet get more and more popular. Its almost like its inversely proportional! And its amazing that this man actually gets roles of a hero! All the people involved in the making of a film which has Himessss bhai in it are either too courageous or are too foolish! Just throws light on the 'never say never' philosophy! Most people even when asked as part of a research randomly , whether they would ever see Himesh as a hero would have laughed away or said 'no way!' and see what happened!
Moving on. the October heat just does not seem to be receding. Literally speaking its still October but hoping that the advent of november brings along an actual season change as well! Personally for me there is an indiactor, probably very different from the general ones, that marks the arrival of the winter! Its a strange phenomenon which possibly may not have struck anyone or most people but I have marked it from year to year. There is an 'aroma' in the air and it smells of some kind of a spice. The closest that I can come to describing it is that it smells somewhat like nutmeg or alternately a mix of cinnamom, clove and nutmeg! I dont know where it comes from but I am guessing that some or many trees emit it. Its a wonderful aroma that almost lifts your spirit at once! This aroma has already set in, indicating that the winter has indeed arrived. Now the season just needs to take off! The aroma will just get more and more intense as we get into the thick of winter. Its lovely!
The whole hype about the F1 races in Noida just left me with one thought, especially after I watched glimpses of it on some news channels on t.v. and that thought was " Why cant we give the contracts for our roads to the people who built the track!" If they can do such a great job there bring them on to do this mighty herculian task!
Saw Ra.One! Went with no expectations and came back feeling nothing! It was not bad but neither was it great! Given that it revolved around gaming etc, I have a feeling that 'boys to men' would probably like the film by virtue of pure content alone! When the song Chhamak Chhalo was being aired initially, I did not seem to like it but overtime it has really grown on me and I always catch myself grooving to it! Akon has sung it very well and the part where he says 'akkiyon se akkiyan mila le' instead of 'akhiyan', somehow sounds very sweet!
Diwali has come to an end. The good part being that the pollution levels will come down which were enhanced due to the crackers. The sad part being that the lights will also now dim down and the festivity will disappear only to reappear during Christmas and New Year! The lights , the diyas will simmer away and the festive air will suddenly vanish! During diwali there is so much to do and there is such a 'feel good' factor attached to the festival that everyone's spirits just soar! One to two days post Diwali, all of us feel the vaccuum and say "Oh its already over!" Such is life I guess, everything being transitory in nature.
This year somehow seems to have flown by! We are nearing the end of another year and it just feels that it has been quick! I often wonder if we had no days, dates, months and years and no such measures of time how would it be or how would it feel!
When I began writing there were way too many thoughts in my head and now suddenly it all feels blank, like atleast as of now I have nothing more to say! There is music that I am listening to while writing this post and there is a thought relating to that too! What would life be without music and thats not a very pleasant thought I must add! There is nothing more apt and better than music to perk you up, anytime, anywhere! It can change your mood in an instant and can linger on and on, in a good way! So much so that I sometimes feel that when you visit a doctor for any/every ailment, there should be a note emborsed on every page of their prescription pad, more like a P.S. which says " Listen to music!". Music heals in such a miraculous way!
I end this post while I am still listening to some of Jagjit Singh's ghazals. One goes something like this " koi yeh kaise bataye ke woh tanha kyun hai", and the other one goes " tum itna jo muskura rahe ho", both from Arth! If there is a word more appropriate than 'profound' I would use it for such awesome lyrics and an even more awesome rendition of the same! I still cannot get myself to believe that this great singer has left this world and is no longer with us.
Ok something in me wants to end on a happy note so I am wondering what that should be! Maybe a happier song! So it's got to be "tumko dekha toh yeh khayal aaya, zindagi dhoop tum ghana saaya!" :) Its not a totally happy happy song but still is one of the happier ones and somehow just feels very soothing and reassuring. And its from an absolutely lovely film called Saath Saath!
The last part of this current post feels like an extension to my earlier post on Jagjit Singh but since I like this man so much I almost always get carried away while saying anything about him and I always feel the need to let it flow!
Tomorrow begins another day and another week and something happy and hopeful to look forward to and that part comes from the die hard optimist in me :)
Anyway for now let me just ramble on.....
Watching a programme on t.v. which has Anu Malik in it. And just have this thought that I cant quite figure out who I dislike more, Anu Malik or Himesh Reshamiya! I have no idea why the comparison. Maybe its just the 'dislike' factor that is intense and common!
Speaking of Himesh, his songs and lyrics just go from bad to worse but yet get more and more popular. Its almost like its inversely proportional! And its amazing that this man actually gets roles of a hero! All the people involved in the making of a film which has Himessss bhai in it are either too courageous or are too foolish! Just throws light on the 'never say never' philosophy! Most people even when asked as part of a research randomly , whether they would ever see Himesh as a hero would have laughed away or said 'no way!' and see what happened!
Moving on. the October heat just does not seem to be receding. Literally speaking its still October but hoping that the advent of november brings along an actual season change as well! Personally for me there is an indiactor, probably very different from the general ones, that marks the arrival of the winter! Its a strange phenomenon which possibly may not have struck anyone or most people but I have marked it from year to year. There is an 'aroma' in the air and it smells of some kind of a spice. The closest that I can come to describing it is that it smells somewhat like nutmeg or alternately a mix of cinnamom, clove and nutmeg! I dont know where it comes from but I am guessing that some or many trees emit it. Its a wonderful aroma that almost lifts your spirit at once! This aroma has already set in, indicating that the winter has indeed arrived. Now the season just needs to take off! The aroma will just get more and more intense as we get into the thick of winter. Its lovely!
The whole hype about the F1 races in Noida just left me with one thought, especially after I watched glimpses of it on some news channels on t.v. and that thought was " Why cant we give the contracts for our roads to the people who built the track!" If they can do such a great job there bring them on to do this mighty herculian task!
Saw Ra.One! Went with no expectations and came back feeling nothing! It was not bad but neither was it great! Given that it revolved around gaming etc, I have a feeling that 'boys to men' would probably like the film by virtue of pure content alone! When the song Chhamak Chhalo was being aired initially, I did not seem to like it but overtime it has really grown on me and I always catch myself grooving to it! Akon has sung it very well and the part where he says 'akkiyon se akkiyan mila le' instead of 'akhiyan', somehow sounds very sweet!
Diwali has come to an end. The good part being that the pollution levels will come down which were enhanced due to the crackers. The sad part being that the lights will also now dim down and the festivity will disappear only to reappear during Christmas and New Year! The lights , the diyas will simmer away and the festive air will suddenly vanish! During diwali there is so much to do and there is such a 'feel good' factor attached to the festival that everyone's spirits just soar! One to two days post Diwali, all of us feel the vaccuum and say "Oh its already over!" Such is life I guess, everything being transitory in nature.
This year somehow seems to have flown by! We are nearing the end of another year and it just feels that it has been quick! I often wonder if we had no days, dates, months and years and no such measures of time how would it be or how would it feel!
When I began writing there were way too many thoughts in my head and now suddenly it all feels blank, like atleast as of now I have nothing more to say! There is music that I am listening to while writing this post and there is a thought relating to that too! What would life be without music and thats not a very pleasant thought I must add! There is nothing more apt and better than music to perk you up, anytime, anywhere! It can change your mood in an instant and can linger on and on, in a good way! So much so that I sometimes feel that when you visit a doctor for any/every ailment, there should be a note emborsed on every page of their prescription pad, more like a P.S. which says " Listen to music!". Music heals in such a miraculous way!
I end this post while I am still listening to some of Jagjit Singh's ghazals. One goes something like this " koi yeh kaise bataye ke woh tanha kyun hai", and the other one goes " tum itna jo muskura rahe ho", both from Arth! If there is a word more appropriate than 'profound' I would use it for such awesome lyrics and an even more awesome rendition of the same! I still cannot get myself to believe that this great singer has left this world and is no longer with us.
Ok something in me wants to end on a happy note so I am wondering what that should be! Maybe a happier song! So it's got to be "tumko dekha toh yeh khayal aaya, zindagi dhoop tum ghana saaya!" :) Its not a totally happy happy song but still is one of the happier ones and somehow just feels very soothing and reassuring. And its from an absolutely lovely film called Saath Saath!
The last part of this current post feels like an extension to my earlier post on Jagjit Singh but since I like this man so much I almost always get carried away while saying anything about him and I always feel the need to let it flow!
Tomorrow begins another day and another week and something happy and hopeful to look forward to and that part comes from the die hard optimist in me :)
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Ghazal Maestro!
When I switched on the radio this morning I just felt nice because I heard some of my favourite numbers and then I soon realised they had a common thread, that of being sung by Jagjit Singh. Then there was this sadness that crept up with a sudden realisation that dawned on me! They usually play such clusters either when its someone's birthday or when someone dies and the probability of the latter was higher since he was in the I.C.U. And then I finally heard one of the Radio Jockeys announce that this great singer with such an enchanting voice had indeed passed away. It felt sad , like a void and a vaccum and the corresponding thought was that we may no longer have songs that will reflect our deepest sorrow, pain or hurt, in relationships and in life! That feeling of 'wow someone understands our intense emotions and actually puts them into words and renders them as beautiful songs that touch the deepest core of our heart and soul" suddenly felt alien enough like it was some distant dream! Sure the songs are usually penned by profound writers but to lend a voice to those words that render them so soulful, is no small task!
Jagjit Singh has this deeply profound and haunting ( in a good way!) kind of voice which can tug at your heart strings and linger on and on much after the song is over. The pain in the voice is that of a person who sings from his heart and has seen life with all its peaks and valleys. I do know of his personal tragedies where he lost his daughter and then his son early on in life ! The classic "chithi na koi sandes" was written after his son's death, in his memory apparently. So the real pain always reflected in his singing as well. It was like this man felt and lived every emotion and feeling that the words in his songs evoked. He knew what it felt like when he rendered compositions like " apni marzi se kahan apne safar ke hum hain", or like " tum itna jo muskura rahe ho , kya gham hai jisko chhupa rahe ho!" These are my all time favourites . You almost felt like someone just peeked into your life and got out stuff that was burried under the many layers in your soul , like way down there where no one could go ! And that feeling was as daunting as it was reassuring!
I remember as a child we had this music album on an LP which had songs by him and his wife. I had two favourites then and those were the first ones I had heard. Till then I did not really know who this man was. One was " saare pindich puare aaye" , it was a punjabi song , so sweet on your ears that u really did not care that u coud not understand most of the words. And the other one being " woh kagaz ki kashti , woh baarish ka paani'. I was a kid then, so the profanity of the words eluded me, but I enjoyed listening to it nonetheless because it had words like nani etc and kids could relate to what was being described in the song in a childlike manner, though not in the way it was meant to be or in the way you would relate to it as an adult! After that introduction to this genius called JS , there was no looking back! 'Honthon se chhoo lo tum' and 'tumko dekha to yeh khayal aaya' are so soothing apart from being lyrical masterpieces and couple of my most favourite lines in the latter are " hum jisse gunguna nahi sakte , waqt ne aisa geet kyun gaya..... aaj phir dil ne ek tamanna ki , aaj fir dil ko humne samjhaya"..... so so beautiful and his rendition of the same have just made these ghazals evergreen classics. These songs literally give me goose bumps, especially when I listen to them in some specific phases of my life, when they suddenly become so meaningful and true!
There is something about his songs that anyone or atleast most people I know love. Everyone has atleast one favourite JS song if not more! And given our own life stories, we identify with the ones that resonate most with what we have individually gone through. For me that one or rather two are which I have already mentioned above! 'Apni marzi se' and 'Tum itna jo muskura rahi ho'! There is a phrase in hindi which does complete justice to his voice and describes it perfectly. It says "unki awaz mein itna dard hai ke seedha dil ko chhoo jaati hai". Literally translated into english will make it lose its essence, so I shall let that pass!'Hoshwalon ko khabar kya' is also a lovely song but my own bias against Sonali Bendre just dilutes its whole effect for me! I wish it was sung in honour of some true diva!
Its sad that he cud not do his last concert with another legend, Ghulam Ali! That would be so memorable, yet it came as such a disappointment for the fans who made sure they booked well in advance so they dont miss this beautiful opportunity. And what a stroke of fate that he took ill the same day or just the night before! Life can be so strange and unpredictable at times. But the bright part is that even after he has gone he will continue to live forever in our hearts through his soulful melodies. There never was and there never will be another like him! May his soul rest in peace and may his songs live on for generations to come.
Jagjit Singh has this deeply profound and haunting ( in a good way!) kind of voice which can tug at your heart strings and linger on and on much after the song is over. The pain in the voice is that of a person who sings from his heart and has seen life with all its peaks and valleys. I do know of his personal tragedies where he lost his daughter and then his son early on in life ! The classic "chithi na koi sandes" was written after his son's death, in his memory apparently. So the real pain always reflected in his singing as well. It was like this man felt and lived every emotion and feeling that the words in his songs evoked. He knew what it felt like when he rendered compositions like " apni marzi se kahan apne safar ke hum hain", or like " tum itna jo muskura rahe ho , kya gham hai jisko chhupa rahe ho!" These are my all time favourites . You almost felt like someone just peeked into your life and got out stuff that was burried under the many layers in your soul , like way down there where no one could go ! And that feeling was as daunting as it was reassuring!
I remember as a child we had this music album on an LP which had songs by him and his wife. I had two favourites then and those were the first ones I had heard. Till then I did not really know who this man was. One was " saare pindich puare aaye" , it was a punjabi song , so sweet on your ears that u really did not care that u coud not understand most of the words. And the other one being " woh kagaz ki kashti , woh baarish ka paani'. I was a kid then, so the profanity of the words eluded me, but I enjoyed listening to it nonetheless because it had words like nani etc and kids could relate to what was being described in the song in a childlike manner, though not in the way it was meant to be or in the way you would relate to it as an adult! After that introduction to this genius called JS , there was no looking back! 'Honthon se chhoo lo tum' and 'tumko dekha to yeh khayal aaya' are so soothing apart from being lyrical masterpieces and couple of my most favourite lines in the latter are " hum jisse gunguna nahi sakte , waqt ne aisa geet kyun gaya..... aaj phir dil ne ek tamanna ki , aaj fir dil ko humne samjhaya"..... so so beautiful and his rendition of the same have just made these ghazals evergreen classics. These songs literally give me goose bumps, especially when I listen to them in some specific phases of my life, when they suddenly become so meaningful and true!
There is something about his songs that anyone or atleast most people I know love. Everyone has atleast one favourite JS song if not more! And given our own life stories, we identify with the ones that resonate most with what we have individually gone through. For me that one or rather two are which I have already mentioned above! 'Apni marzi se' and 'Tum itna jo muskura rahi ho'! There is a phrase in hindi which does complete justice to his voice and describes it perfectly. It says "unki awaz mein itna dard hai ke seedha dil ko chhoo jaati hai". Literally translated into english will make it lose its essence, so I shall let that pass!'Hoshwalon ko khabar kya' is also a lovely song but my own bias against Sonali Bendre just dilutes its whole effect for me! I wish it was sung in honour of some true diva!
Its sad that he cud not do his last concert with another legend, Ghulam Ali! That would be so memorable, yet it came as such a disappointment for the fans who made sure they booked well in advance so they dont miss this beautiful opportunity. And what a stroke of fate that he took ill the same day or just the night before! Life can be so strange and unpredictable at times. But the bright part is that even after he has gone he will continue to live forever in our hearts through his soulful melodies. There never was and there never will be another like him! May his soul rest in peace and may his songs live on for generations to come.
Monday, September 19, 2011
A Menace called Rickshaw drivers !
Today I want to focus and concentrate on something that has annoyed me since a long time and the state of affairs just seem to be getting worse. Its been a really long time since autorickshaws have been plying on Mumbai streets. Years ago I clearly remember never having a problem with getting a rickshaw for commute from one destination to another. The rickshaw drivers were courteous and cooperative. I cannot clearly recall when and how things changed and why! But currently it has deteriorated to such an extent that it can be tolerated no more purely because there can be no justification to the behaviour and demands of these drivers.
Firstly they callously refuse to take you from one place to another, which if someone could just remind them is precisely what they and their vehicles are meant for. Earlier, they had issues about going from east to west or vice versa. Now they even have issues taking you within the east or the west. For those who know Mumbai and the suburban areas well, would understand the following. There are times I have tried to hail a rick from SV road santacruz to say SV road khar or bandra, just one straight road, and they have refused. Sometimes I actually feel like asking them if they would rather fly somewhere because they seem to have issues going anywhere and everywhere. Then there are those that will tell you that they will take you to a certain point and not beyond or into a particular area. And the tone is more like they are doing you some favour, though its on their terms and conditions. At such times, firstly people should ideally tell them to buzz off or if desperate to get somewhere just say 'Ok I will pay you less than what the meter reads cos you are not taking me where I want to go'! Then another norm these days seems to be them not having/ wanting to return change back to you. An easy way for them is just to say that they dont have it. Breaking signals is their right and they do it all the time ,even in stark daylight , which not to mention adds to the ever increasing traffic and creates more of a commotion. Thanks to all this our city just seems to be getting more and more uncivilised by the day and chaos seems to be the order of the day. Another aspect that almost always baffles me is that you may be going from point X to point Y almost daily ie the same route and the same place and the meter reading almost is different everytime. Once in a while you can blame it on the traffic or some other factor but not every single time. Its like say you have to go to a place which you know will be a minimum fare of Rs 11, given the distance, but in my experience and that of many others I knwo, it ranges from 11 to 15 or even more sometimes. If that is not a case in point of meter tampering then what is !!!
Then are the days of some problems that the city faces in the form of heavy rains or some other such aspects and again these very asses have the gall to ask for more fare and not go by the meter. Some heart and some audacity! I clearly remember that even on days of the train blasts some rickshaw drivers asked for more fare to transport people. These are days when they should have ideally gone out of their way to cooperate with the irate and vulnerable public and help tehm out in whichever way they could. But instead they added to their woes and stress by acting like totally irresponsible heartless human beings!
According to me, by far, the worst that they have done and continue to do is when they turn down old, invalid people. That is downright inhuman and unacceptable. I have heard of people complaining that they literally plead with them to take them where they need to go especially if its an emergency situation and someone needs to get to a doctor or a hospital, and they still refuse to cooperate. Its so disheartening to see an old person standing on the road and trying hard to hail a rick with no luck and most ricks just saying NO and going off like they have something better to do than their very own job. At such times I often wish we were empowered with certain rights as citizens to take strong action against such offenders or complain to an authority, which for once will handle this sort of stuff efficiently.
Most times we as women might just feel why take panga with such people as you never know what kind of an idiot you are dealing with and what if you get into trouble etc. We read incidents in the newspapers where these guys get violent. In the recent past an old man lost his life because he got into an arguement/ fight with one such character and then a gang of other drivers joined him to harass and beat up the old man who was eventually hurt on his head and lost his live eventually! These incidences do give you perspective and you wonder if its worth getting into any kind of interaction or dialogue with these people. To add to that we also have a conditioning that goes,' ke aise logon ke mooh nahi lagte' . The whole point is lagna bhi kaun chahta hai but how much nonsense can one tolerate! How long are we going to be held ransom to their whims and fancies. Today they have the guts to go on strike because they are being made answerable for their own follies. What kind of warped logic is that! In normal situations anyone not doing their job 'well' is also pulled up. Here, let alone "well", they are refusing to even do the very job they chose to do and they are allowed to get away with it, just because their union is handled by someone with the right connections and enough clout.
I think as citizens it might be a good start to give them a befitting reply by boycotting rickshaws for a day or like a weekend as the latter will not inconvenience people given that there is no pressure of reaching their work place etc! Maybe then, whether or not it makes a difference to them monetarily, atleast as citizens we are sending out a loud and clear message that their blackmail and bull shit will not be tolerated. If you are here to do a job just shut up and do it. As it is we deal with their fuss almost on a daily basis apart from dealing with ever increasing and tampered with fares. And the least we deserve is that our commute should be peaceful and problem free in the otherwise chaotic city that we live in!
Firstly they callously refuse to take you from one place to another, which if someone could just remind them is precisely what they and their vehicles are meant for. Earlier, they had issues about going from east to west or vice versa. Now they even have issues taking you within the east or the west. For those who know Mumbai and the suburban areas well, would understand the following. There are times I have tried to hail a rick from SV road santacruz to say SV road khar or bandra, just one straight road, and they have refused. Sometimes I actually feel like asking them if they would rather fly somewhere because they seem to have issues going anywhere and everywhere. Then there are those that will tell you that they will take you to a certain point and not beyond or into a particular area. And the tone is more like they are doing you some favour, though its on their terms and conditions. At such times, firstly people should ideally tell them to buzz off or if desperate to get somewhere just say 'Ok I will pay you less than what the meter reads cos you are not taking me where I want to go'! Then another norm these days seems to be them not having/ wanting to return change back to you. An easy way for them is just to say that they dont have it. Breaking signals is their right and they do it all the time ,even in stark daylight , which not to mention adds to the ever increasing traffic and creates more of a commotion. Thanks to all this our city just seems to be getting more and more uncivilised by the day and chaos seems to be the order of the day. Another aspect that almost always baffles me is that you may be going from point X to point Y almost daily ie the same route and the same place and the meter reading almost is different everytime. Once in a while you can blame it on the traffic or some other factor but not every single time. Its like say you have to go to a place which you know will be a minimum fare of Rs 11, given the distance, but in my experience and that of many others I knwo, it ranges from 11 to 15 or even more sometimes. If that is not a case in point of meter tampering then what is !!!
Then are the days of some problems that the city faces in the form of heavy rains or some other such aspects and again these very asses have the gall to ask for more fare and not go by the meter. Some heart and some audacity! I clearly remember that even on days of the train blasts some rickshaw drivers asked for more fare to transport people. These are days when they should have ideally gone out of their way to cooperate with the irate and vulnerable public and help tehm out in whichever way they could. But instead they added to their woes and stress by acting like totally irresponsible heartless human beings!
According to me, by far, the worst that they have done and continue to do is when they turn down old, invalid people. That is downright inhuman and unacceptable. I have heard of people complaining that they literally plead with them to take them where they need to go especially if its an emergency situation and someone needs to get to a doctor or a hospital, and they still refuse to cooperate. Its so disheartening to see an old person standing on the road and trying hard to hail a rick with no luck and most ricks just saying NO and going off like they have something better to do than their very own job. At such times I often wish we were empowered with certain rights as citizens to take strong action against such offenders or complain to an authority, which for once will handle this sort of stuff efficiently.
Most times we as women might just feel why take panga with such people as you never know what kind of an idiot you are dealing with and what if you get into trouble etc. We read incidents in the newspapers where these guys get violent. In the recent past an old man lost his life because he got into an arguement/ fight with one such character and then a gang of other drivers joined him to harass and beat up the old man who was eventually hurt on his head and lost his live eventually! These incidences do give you perspective and you wonder if its worth getting into any kind of interaction or dialogue with these people. To add to that we also have a conditioning that goes,' ke aise logon ke mooh nahi lagte' . The whole point is lagna bhi kaun chahta hai but how much nonsense can one tolerate! How long are we going to be held ransom to their whims and fancies. Today they have the guts to go on strike because they are being made answerable for their own follies. What kind of warped logic is that! In normal situations anyone not doing their job 'well' is also pulled up. Here, let alone "well", they are refusing to even do the very job they chose to do and they are allowed to get away with it, just because their union is handled by someone with the right connections and enough clout.
I think as citizens it might be a good start to give them a befitting reply by boycotting rickshaws for a day or like a weekend as the latter will not inconvenience people given that there is no pressure of reaching their work place etc! Maybe then, whether or not it makes a difference to them monetarily, atleast as citizens we are sending out a loud and clear message that their blackmail and bull shit will not be tolerated. If you are here to do a job just shut up and do it. As it is we deal with their fuss almost on a daily basis apart from dealing with ever increasing and tampered with fares. And the least we deserve is that our commute should be peaceful and problem free in the otherwise chaotic city that we live in!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Are we really so HELPLESS!!!!????
My next post was supposed to be a happy one .... I wanted to write about my serene monsoon getaway and another overdue one..which I promised my friend Asha ... that on Gulzar ... For now these two will have to wait ......... My frame of mind is different ....It is a mix of emotions ...... that of anger, fear, hurt, hatred, vulnerability, helplessness and the list goes on......
Another bomb blast and another list of innocent victims ....The common man is angry, and all that he gets to hear is a series of monotonous and shallow assurances ...... The same words , the cliched speech ...... it almost makes one nauseous.... and one cannot help but wonder .. " are we really that helpless"........ as usual there is a public outrage ... there are many questions and no answers ..... is the common man's life so invaluable and worthless ?!How long are we going to continue to be targets whilst the government continues to be as inefficient as ever and blurt out absurdities in the name of explanations that are as foolish as they are unbelievable........
How many terrorist attacks does it take to pull up our socks and say 'enuff is enuff".....On the one hand we have India which short of laying out a red carpet for these terrorists has done everything to make such attacks conducive ..... and on the other hand we have 'The Big daddy" who goes right into countries and flushes out the terrorists, with or without proof..... They just avenge and owe no explanations to anyone ....... and is that not the way it should be.. Its only logical apart from being the only way to send out a clear and loud message to anyone and everyone who harbours such malintentions........If not anything else, atleast our country can take a lesson or two from the way America goes about these matters ..... The recent operation which smoked out Osama is certainly a case in point........
Another factor that is absolutely annoying and provoking is the fact that such a big deal is made out of our spirit and resilience ...... Honestly is there any other option or choice?! Life has to go on and no one can afford to sit home 24/7 given that this fear lurks around all the time.....
We have a Qasab whose fate still hangs when ideally and as per law he is th eone who should....... A news channel reported that the government has already spent close to 32 crores on him...... even if that is an exaggerated figure , any approximate estimate would still be a huge one and a total waste of our resources all the same ....... Justice delayed is indeed justice denied.... And what more proof than having soild evidence in the form of footage of CCTV cameras ........ You have this man who went about killing people ruthlessly and it was for the world to see...... and then we have a mercy petition for the same ..... How absurd and ridiculous is that?! And then we have the issue of human rights.... what about the human rights of those who lost their precious lives in these attacks .... Didnt they have the right to live .. Why dont the human right activists fight for that ............
The politicians have high level security and they havent even earned it ...... What kind of a warped constitution decides these things ...... These corrupt selfish morons need to be protected but the average citizen of this country is always left to fend for himself .....how should he go about his own security and save himself from these coward dastartdly acts committed by lunatics in the name of religion .........Why cant we have a system in place where the 'aam aadmi' receives the security and protection that he rightfully deserves, even if that means diverting the resources and stripping the netas of their protective shield and cover.......
Maybe we need a high profile figure to be targetted to take terrorism as a serious threat to the very fabric of this nation and all that it stands for......Im not sadistic but at the same time I feel its high time that something happens which forces the government to pay enough attention to these matters and do the needful, which has been long overdue.......Or maybe we need another "Anna Hazare" type of movement to bring about a change or atleast set things in motion.......
Its sad that we have become so immune that any news of a terrorist attack just makes us numb after sometime.. We go through all the same emotions and at the end just feel helpless! And that is the bigger question ... Are we really and actually that helpless or are we just made to feel that way by the same silly reassurances that serve to be just lip service rather than a genuine ray of hope ......... Its become such a joke now ..... Some loonies come in, plant bombs , kill innocent people and walk away feeling proud and satisfied while we rave and rant which anyway falls on deaf ears ......And at the end of it all we have our home minister saying some rubbish like this time around we had better systems in place and the police did a better job..... Of what ???!!!! And a robot of a prime minister assuring the country that we will not succumb to these acts of terror ..... Its like everytime something like this happens, it looks like some button has been switched on and he delivers his ridiculous sppeech and then the button is automatically turned off!! I have yet to hear a more monotone speech than the one this man delivers each time.......We succumb time and again and we have this wonderful man, supposedly at the helm of affairs making such false, empty promises on behalf of a nation that is tired and angry, and certainly does not voice the same sentiment as his, but all the same does not know what to do ......... Like I read somewhere or someone said, we do not know whats worse .. these terrorists that come from outside and attack us or the internal terrorists in the form of the politicians who are corroding the roots and foundation of our wonderful country.........
I end this feeling the anguish, the insecurity and the despair as I do not know what lies ahead, for us............ I do not know when the common man will feel safe enough leaving his home for work and be assured that he will return home safely at the end of a laborious and hard day .........I do not know when there will no more be a fear in the eyes of the near and dear ones of a bread winner when they bid him goodbye at the start of a day ..... I do not know when we will feel safe enough to visit places like malls, markets,places of worship and theatres without the dread of being blown up into pieces...........
And the fact that I do not know .......makes me feel helpless enough!!!!
Another bomb blast and another list of innocent victims ....The common man is angry, and all that he gets to hear is a series of monotonous and shallow assurances ...... The same words , the cliched speech ...... it almost makes one nauseous.... and one cannot help but wonder .. " are we really that helpless"........ as usual there is a public outrage ... there are many questions and no answers ..... is the common man's life so invaluable and worthless ?!How long are we going to continue to be targets whilst the government continues to be as inefficient as ever and blurt out absurdities in the name of explanations that are as foolish as they are unbelievable........
How many terrorist attacks does it take to pull up our socks and say 'enuff is enuff".....On the one hand we have India which short of laying out a red carpet for these terrorists has done everything to make such attacks conducive ..... and on the other hand we have 'The Big daddy" who goes right into countries and flushes out the terrorists, with or without proof..... They just avenge and owe no explanations to anyone ....... and is that not the way it should be.. Its only logical apart from being the only way to send out a clear and loud message to anyone and everyone who harbours such malintentions........If not anything else, atleast our country can take a lesson or two from the way America goes about these matters ..... The recent operation which smoked out Osama is certainly a case in point........
Another factor that is absolutely annoying and provoking is the fact that such a big deal is made out of our spirit and resilience ...... Honestly is there any other option or choice?! Life has to go on and no one can afford to sit home 24/7 given that this fear lurks around all the time.....
We have a Qasab whose fate still hangs when ideally and as per law he is th eone who should....... A news channel reported that the government has already spent close to 32 crores on him...... even if that is an exaggerated figure , any approximate estimate would still be a huge one and a total waste of our resources all the same ....... Justice delayed is indeed justice denied.... And what more proof than having soild evidence in the form of footage of CCTV cameras ........ You have this man who went about killing people ruthlessly and it was for the world to see...... and then we have a mercy petition for the same ..... How absurd and ridiculous is that?! And then we have the issue of human rights.... what about the human rights of those who lost their precious lives in these attacks .... Didnt they have the right to live .. Why dont the human right activists fight for that ............
The politicians have high level security and they havent even earned it ...... What kind of a warped constitution decides these things ...... These corrupt selfish morons need to be protected but the average citizen of this country is always left to fend for himself .....how should he go about his own security and save himself from these coward dastartdly acts committed by lunatics in the name of religion .........Why cant we have a system in place where the 'aam aadmi' receives the security and protection that he rightfully deserves, even if that means diverting the resources and stripping the netas of their protective shield and cover.......
Maybe we need a high profile figure to be targetted to take terrorism as a serious threat to the very fabric of this nation and all that it stands for......Im not sadistic but at the same time I feel its high time that something happens which forces the government to pay enough attention to these matters and do the needful, which has been long overdue.......Or maybe we need another "Anna Hazare" type of movement to bring about a change or atleast set things in motion.......
Its sad that we have become so immune that any news of a terrorist attack just makes us numb after sometime.. We go through all the same emotions and at the end just feel helpless! And that is the bigger question ... Are we really and actually that helpless or are we just made to feel that way by the same silly reassurances that serve to be just lip service rather than a genuine ray of hope ......... Its become such a joke now ..... Some loonies come in, plant bombs , kill innocent people and walk away feeling proud and satisfied while we rave and rant which anyway falls on deaf ears ......And at the end of it all we have our home minister saying some rubbish like this time around we had better systems in place and the police did a better job..... Of what ???!!!! And a robot of a prime minister assuring the country that we will not succumb to these acts of terror ..... Its like everytime something like this happens, it looks like some button has been switched on and he delivers his ridiculous sppeech and then the button is automatically turned off!! I have yet to hear a more monotone speech than the one this man delivers each time.......We succumb time and again and we have this wonderful man, supposedly at the helm of affairs making such false, empty promises on behalf of a nation that is tired and angry, and certainly does not voice the same sentiment as his, but all the same does not know what to do ......... Like I read somewhere or someone said, we do not know whats worse .. these terrorists that come from outside and attack us or the internal terrorists in the form of the politicians who are corroding the roots and foundation of our wonderful country.........
I end this feeling the anguish, the insecurity and the despair as I do not know what lies ahead, for us............ I do not know when the common man will feel safe enough leaving his home for work and be assured that he will return home safely at the end of a laborious and hard day .........I do not know when there will no more be a fear in the eyes of the near and dear ones of a bread winner when they bid him goodbye at the start of a day ..... I do not know when we will feel safe enough to visit places like malls, markets,places of worship and theatres without the dread of being blown up into pieces...........
And the fact that I do not know .......makes me feel helpless enough!!!!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Insomnia .......
Insomnia strikes again...... sounds almost like a disease or an epidemic which has suddenly raised its ugly head yet again....... And while I write this, I realise that Im not the only nocturnal creature awake at this unearthly hour .... I hear voices of the lovely people staying downstairs ..... At first I ask .. are these voices in my head... do I think im hearing things which Im actually not ... and it freaks me out so I decide that it must be the people living under us ..... Its strange how u get the most weird, unwanted thoughts at times like these ....... and then u realise that its best not to entertain them ........ U wud rather get thoughts that choose to entertain u at such times......
So back to the sleeplessness bit....... I wasted 3 hours just "trying" to sleep and then when the radio also refused to cooperate given that the cell went dead, was when I finally pushed myself out of bed and decided to make some good use of this wonderful phenomenon called Insomnia ....... Till date I have rarely used this to my advantage ... In other words I have almost never used this time period constructively ..... Its so ingrained that " U shud try to sleep nahi toh jitni neend aa rahi hai ya aanewali hai, woh bhi chali jayegi"...... and then you wonder who the hell came up with this hogwash... Kahin mil jaaye toh uski neend bhi uda dein....... The conditioning is so strong that it takes long and arduous effort to break away from ......
The next thought is trying to identify and pin down the culprit who has been responsible for this state ... and after much thought the only thing that comes to mind is that I had tea rather late this evening .... And though this is a pattern and it always follows the same cause and effect path ... I still feel ...What the hell ya .. so what if I had tea late ...... why should that be a problem but like many other questions , this one too does not have an answer.. If it does , it does and u just have to take it in ur stride and do what u have to do which ideally is not have tea afte a certain time..... Im still not convinced but it has happened way too often to not be convinced ........ So if I dont learn I have to face the consequences or not being a good learner ........
This time around another "ullu" friend of mine was up and awake as she is now on way to fetch her darling hubby from the airport ... So till now we exchanged a few smses and I finally took her advice and started to write my blog.......
And the first thought was .. what better subject to write on than this ..... And just when I was about to begin, I heard some growling sounds from my tummy so I decided to start by nourishing and feeding it.....I wanted the creative juices to flow better, so as to facilitate the thought flow needed for writing rather than being distracted with the hunger pangs...... Since I wanted them to flow in the direction of my brain and not my tummy I gave in and ate my favourite Bourbon biscuits..... after which I felt satiated and began to write .......
As I logged in, the yahoo home page came on and suddenly there was this pop up of "shaadi.com" which said ... 'meet ur life partner on shaadi.com" ... I suddenly felt nauseous and the whole joy of eating bourbon just vanished ......The kind of people I have come across and actually met when I accessed that site, the less said the better .. I wud have rather seen an ad flashing which stated.. " meet a partner and then suffer life imprisonment together"........ Before my nausea could grow more I quickly got out of there and got down to doing what I had set out to.......
Its been an incessant downpour all night and somehow , for once I dont know why but Im not enjoying it.......I dont know if thats part of this whole syndrome...... I just chatted with another friend now in America ... on such occasions the time difference is such a boon and a blessing ..... U feel less isolated and lonely......... Now she is gone so Im back to my writing .......
On most nights like these I just listen to music on my cell and try to sleep....... Sometimes God is kind also .. atleast he makes sure the songs being aired are soulful and enjoyable and sometimes he is so kind that all the songs are your favourites ... but the epitiome of his kindness is when most of the favourites are also associated with or remind u of a feeling , emotion or a memory long forgotten or dug away deep inside somewhere ......... The painful chord is struck and then suddenly it gets raked up all over again.... So along with insomnia, as a bonus, u also get to enjoy these perks ...... The only phrase that comes to mind to throw more light on this kind of a situation is " when rape is inevitable u may as well lay back and enjoy it"............
The good thing is that now my mind is distracted enough and Im flowing with the writing process...... though in bits and pieces I am reminded of my long day tomorrow and how it will go since I have a track record of being cranky, whiney and irritable when Iv not had my fair share of sleep..... And the cherry on the cake is when on such days I have my counselling sessions ...... At such times I almost feel like telling my client.." ok we are doing a role reversal today :)" .... The only trick on such days is to be as busy as possible so u have no time to think and the day just passes by and before u know it , night arrives and then u can look forward to some good quality sleep ........Sleeping in the day is not a good idea as that screws up my body clock even more .....
By now Im actually listening to many voices and people laughing loudly .... And Im like .. wow people do this by choice as well.. as in the 'staying up' bit .. but the people downstairs are pure night birds .. they are up almost all night and must be catching upon some beauty sleep in the day ..... On most nights my house floor vibrates because they blast on music and have parties way too often...... In jest I have invited the lady owner of that house to come over and experinece the wonderful vibrations herself the next time around, and all she does is smile and the suddenly laughs out loud ..... and dashes any hope I have that this pattern might end .....I know she has no intention to change anything..... And then from somewhere another thought pops up which says ...'Atleast someone is enjoying life to the hilt irrespective of what others think or feel'...... And sometimes depending on my mood I either think ...'what the hell... we shud complain .. how can u not think that you are disturbing others' or then..' what the hell.. they are only having a good time which by no yardstick is a crime'....... So all in all I just let it go..........
Its 4.30 am and all I have are some teeny weeny bits of sleep in my eyes and I know if I even try to go to bed in this state, all optimistic and hopeful, that my sleep will befriend me and we can sleep together happily ever after ..... this myth will be busted as soon as I hit the bed and all Il do thereafter is toss and turn for the next couple of hours .......A total waste all over again.... So not worth it .......
The feeling that your halfway there but have still not been able to cross over to the other side and cover the entire distance to your sleep, is not a good feeling at all...... It leaves you even more restless than when you started out.......I can still hear the pitter patter of raindrops outside my window .... this time softer than earlier...... almost sounding like they are also tired and want some respite ........
5am and am wondering ... should I really call it a day or actually a night and try to go to bed ... Am undecided and unsure which doesnt leave me feeling too great.... And suddenly something happens which transforms my confused state to one of certainty as to what Im going to do next.....My mother walks through the door and throws a glance which has " have you lost ur marbles' written all over it and Im quite sure that all I want to do now is to go straight back to my room and jump into my bed whether or not I get sleep otherwise tomorrow I might get a nice sermon of a concerned mother or rather concerned parents...... Anyway, since I have nothing more coming to me in the form of words, I kinda decide to end this piece and sign out ......... Till ofcourse my uninvited guest decides to knock on my door yet again.......
So back to the sleeplessness bit....... I wasted 3 hours just "trying" to sleep and then when the radio also refused to cooperate given that the cell went dead, was when I finally pushed myself out of bed and decided to make some good use of this wonderful phenomenon called Insomnia ....... Till date I have rarely used this to my advantage ... In other words I have almost never used this time period constructively ..... Its so ingrained that " U shud try to sleep nahi toh jitni neend aa rahi hai ya aanewali hai, woh bhi chali jayegi"...... and then you wonder who the hell came up with this hogwash... Kahin mil jaaye toh uski neend bhi uda dein....... The conditioning is so strong that it takes long and arduous effort to break away from ......
The next thought is trying to identify and pin down the culprit who has been responsible for this state ... and after much thought the only thing that comes to mind is that I had tea rather late this evening .... And though this is a pattern and it always follows the same cause and effect path ... I still feel ...What the hell ya .. so what if I had tea late ...... why should that be a problem but like many other questions , this one too does not have an answer.. If it does , it does and u just have to take it in ur stride and do what u have to do which ideally is not have tea afte a certain time..... Im still not convinced but it has happened way too often to not be convinced ........ So if I dont learn I have to face the consequences or not being a good learner ........
This time around another "ullu" friend of mine was up and awake as she is now on way to fetch her darling hubby from the airport ... So till now we exchanged a few smses and I finally took her advice and started to write my blog.......
And the first thought was .. what better subject to write on than this ..... And just when I was about to begin, I heard some growling sounds from my tummy so I decided to start by nourishing and feeding it.....I wanted the creative juices to flow better, so as to facilitate the thought flow needed for writing rather than being distracted with the hunger pangs...... Since I wanted them to flow in the direction of my brain and not my tummy I gave in and ate my favourite Bourbon biscuits..... after which I felt satiated and began to write .......
As I logged in, the yahoo home page came on and suddenly there was this pop up of "shaadi.com" which said ... 'meet ur life partner on shaadi.com" ... I suddenly felt nauseous and the whole joy of eating bourbon just vanished ......The kind of people I have come across and actually met when I accessed that site, the less said the better .. I wud have rather seen an ad flashing which stated.. " meet a partner and then suffer life imprisonment together"........ Before my nausea could grow more I quickly got out of there and got down to doing what I had set out to.......
Its been an incessant downpour all night and somehow , for once I dont know why but Im not enjoying it.......I dont know if thats part of this whole syndrome...... I just chatted with another friend now in America ... on such occasions the time difference is such a boon and a blessing ..... U feel less isolated and lonely......... Now she is gone so Im back to my writing .......
On most nights like these I just listen to music on my cell and try to sleep....... Sometimes God is kind also .. atleast he makes sure the songs being aired are soulful and enjoyable and sometimes he is so kind that all the songs are your favourites ... but the epitiome of his kindness is when most of the favourites are also associated with or remind u of a feeling , emotion or a memory long forgotten or dug away deep inside somewhere ......... The painful chord is struck and then suddenly it gets raked up all over again.... So along with insomnia, as a bonus, u also get to enjoy these perks ...... The only phrase that comes to mind to throw more light on this kind of a situation is " when rape is inevitable u may as well lay back and enjoy it"............
The good thing is that now my mind is distracted enough and Im flowing with the writing process...... though in bits and pieces I am reminded of my long day tomorrow and how it will go since I have a track record of being cranky, whiney and irritable when Iv not had my fair share of sleep..... And the cherry on the cake is when on such days I have my counselling sessions ...... At such times I almost feel like telling my client.." ok we are doing a role reversal today :)" .... The only trick on such days is to be as busy as possible so u have no time to think and the day just passes by and before u know it , night arrives and then u can look forward to some good quality sleep ........Sleeping in the day is not a good idea as that screws up my body clock even more .....
By now Im actually listening to many voices and people laughing loudly .... And Im like .. wow people do this by choice as well.. as in the 'staying up' bit .. but the people downstairs are pure night birds .. they are up almost all night and must be catching upon some beauty sleep in the day ..... On most nights my house floor vibrates because they blast on music and have parties way too often...... In jest I have invited the lady owner of that house to come over and experinece the wonderful vibrations herself the next time around, and all she does is smile and the suddenly laughs out loud ..... and dashes any hope I have that this pattern might end .....I know she has no intention to change anything..... And then from somewhere another thought pops up which says ...'Atleast someone is enjoying life to the hilt irrespective of what others think or feel'...... And sometimes depending on my mood I either think ...'what the hell... we shud complain .. how can u not think that you are disturbing others' or then..' what the hell.. they are only having a good time which by no yardstick is a crime'....... So all in all I just let it go..........
Its 4.30 am and all I have are some teeny weeny bits of sleep in my eyes and I know if I even try to go to bed in this state, all optimistic and hopeful, that my sleep will befriend me and we can sleep together happily ever after ..... this myth will be busted as soon as I hit the bed and all Il do thereafter is toss and turn for the next couple of hours .......A total waste all over again.... So not worth it .......
The feeling that your halfway there but have still not been able to cross over to the other side and cover the entire distance to your sleep, is not a good feeling at all...... It leaves you even more restless than when you started out.......I can still hear the pitter patter of raindrops outside my window .... this time softer than earlier...... almost sounding like they are also tired and want some respite ........
5am and am wondering ... should I really call it a day or actually a night and try to go to bed ... Am undecided and unsure which doesnt leave me feeling too great.... And suddenly something happens which transforms my confused state to one of certainty as to what Im going to do next.....My mother walks through the door and throws a glance which has " have you lost ur marbles' written all over it and Im quite sure that all I want to do now is to go straight back to my room and jump into my bed whether or not I get sleep otherwise tomorrow I might get a nice sermon of a concerned mother or rather concerned parents...... Anyway, since I have nothing more coming to me in the form of words, I kinda decide to end this piece and sign out ......... Till ofcourse my uninvited guest decides to knock on my door yet again.......
Friday, August 19, 2011
Better late than never ..........
I could not think of a very patriotic title for this post so this is kind of a working title ...... It will remain so if I cannot think of a better one by the time I finish writing this ..........
This post is for all thats happening in our country at present ...... We all wanted this ... we wanted to see a change or atleast the begining of it but none of us knew what to do or where to start ...... We just felt so small and insignificant in being instrumental in bringing about any change and kept justifying it by saying 'what can a few handful of people with good /right inetentions do'....At the same time we were also so pessimistic that we almost always said 'nothing will change ... this country and the systems here suck'..
And ONE MAN , who is 74 years old has taken the initiative and proved us all wrong and HOW! .... One tiny man, with high stature has done the 'so called impossible'..........Given the skepticism which is so ingrained and which is so much part of our conditioning due to all that we see around us, day in and day out , still makes me feel, "I hope I/WE am/are not speaking too soon"........
I had heard of things that happened as part of our freedom struggle and seen them in movies ..... But what it really feels like, is what we are all getting to see now ..... Maybe its too premature to talk like that or feel elated, but it certainly gives more than a ray of hope to all of us who have just cribbed and ventilated about the sorry state of affairs in this nation .........
But even if this is mometary ( and I hope its not) ,I want to soak in all its glory .....Its so heartening for a change, to see the police providing a security cover to Anna Hazare and his supporters , rather than to a bunch of moronic buffoons (politicians) who have most certainly not earned it nor are worth it .......
The humungous crowds, all chanting in one voice that we want to do away with corruption and providing whole hearted support in whatever capacity they can to this great man's greater vision .......This is so amazing to say the least .......
And again from a common person's perspective I think the media is doing a good job and getting across that voice to people all over the world ... It feels reassuring to hear callers from different parts of the world , like New Zealand, America etc calling in to support this noble cause and say that if this bill is passed and if it looks like something will really be done against corruption , they would want to come back to their own country as these are the very issues that made them think of relocating in the first place .........Or to see Indian people lead marches in other parts of the world where all Indians have come out in huge numbers ...... It just shows how U can take an Indian away from India but u cannot take India away from an Indian..... Indian always at heart and proud to be so!!!!!!!!
For once the government seems all quiet after doing ridiculous things like calling Anna Hazare corrupt and trying to malign him or saying that this facade will die down and no one will be able to do anything and the fuuniest or the most insane thing I have heard a minister saying is US is behind all this ......Till now they only tried our patience , now they are even trying our intelligence ...... The fact that this movement is happening right under their nose is a tight slap on face of the government and they should ideally bow their heads down in shame because the writing on the wall is very clear for once and it shouts out aloud and says, " We put our faith and trust in you, voted for you and see how terribly you failed us "........Any self respecting Party who is in power would give up their power and walk out if such a 'no trust' motion is being passed ... but we unfortunately are talking about power hungry, corrupt, hardened criminals so to speak who want to stick to their chairs and are so thick skinned that nothing affects them.......
Even at a time like this ... seeing our parliament in session is so amusing ..... the government in power and the opposition are busy slinging mud at each other and trying to pull each other down...... They all look like a bunch of uneducated and uncivilised people and they are actually the ones in power.. How very sad and disillusioning is that.........And what upsets me more is that we have given them that power ....... Is there no way to undo this damage ? Is there no way that someone like Anna and the likes of him form a political party and are voted into power however idealistic it may sound... Hopefully we can start afresh and on a clean slate .......
We have always had the option of only choosing between the frying pan/ fire or between the devil/deep sea....... Why dont we ever have a better option ........ When will we see a day where India is not seen as a corrupt country and the term politician will no longer be synonomous with hooligan, buffoon, bloodsucker, goonda, uneducated, uncivilised, corrupt, criminal, inadept and the list can be endless........
Today this movement signifies a "no confidence' vote BY the people .. Is that not enough to implement a change ????? What every Indian sees on any news channel on his t.v. set is PEOPLE POWER and I wish this does not die down.. I hope this gains more and more momentum by the day.......... And we all can continue to do our bits ..... visavis not buying tickets in black even if we are dying to see a particular film with our favourite movie stars in it, or not bribing a cop who was willing to cut out a receipt for a certain amount fr eg, Rs 200 but we paid him a 50 or a 100 to not do that just because we did not have the time to get into 'procedural' hassles, or we do not encourage donations which amount to ridiculous figures, just for getting our children into BIG schools which are more commercial organizations and have very little to do with academics ........ We are all guilty of what we are trying to do away with , though in smaller proportions, but we have contributed to the corruption in this country.........
If we want the CHANGE we have to be the part of it and instrumental in bringing it about and we have to be sure of our own principles visavis what we will /will not do just to make life either a little bit more easy for us or get away in the name of the typical 'sab chalta hai' attitude or console/ justify ourselves by sayin "mere ek ke na karne se kya fark padega" .... It may seem insignificant today but in the longer run it will certainly go a very long way when the singular translates into the plural!!! And we are all already witnessing a glimpse of what can happen if that comes about ........So never say never..... We have to change our own attitudes first ... We have to become law abiding , conscientious, civilised citizens of our own country and then we will ceratinly see the country of our dreams being turned into what we have always visualised it to be.......
Even as I end this piece ... the news channel is on and I see this frail looking ANNA seated in front of a huge picture of the MAHATMA....... One who was responsible for a revolutionary past and the other, hopefully a revolution in the near future ....... I still cannot believe the heart warming support in the form of thousands if not more, of Indians gathered on the ground to stand up as ONE against what we have already had enough of!!!!
I love my India !!!!!!!!!!!!
This post is for all thats happening in our country at present ...... We all wanted this ... we wanted to see a change or atleast the begining of it but none of us knew what to do or where to start ...... We just felt so small and insignificant in being instrumental in bringing about any change and kept justifying it by saying 'what can a few handful of people with good /right inetentions do'....At the same time we were also so pessimistic that we almost always said 'nothing will change ... this country and the systems here suck'..
And ONE MAN , who is 74 years old has taken the initiative and proved us all wrong and HOW! .... One tiny man, with high stature has done the 'so called impossible'..........Given the skepticism which is so ingrained and which is so much part of our conditioning due to all that we see around us, day in and day out , still makes me feel, "I hope I/WE am/are not speaking too soon"........
I had heard of things that happened as part of our freedom struggle and seen them in movies ..... But what it really feels like, is what we are all getting to see now ..... Maybe its too premature to talk like that or feel elated, but it certainly gives more than a ray of hope to all of us who have just cribbed and ventilated about the sorry state of affairs in this nation .........
But even if this is mometary ( and I hope its not) ,I want to soak in all its glory .....Its so heartening for a change, to see the police providing a security cover to Anna Hazare and his supporters , rather than to a bunch of moronic buffoons (politicians) who have most certainly not earned it nor are worth it .......
The humungous crowds, all chanting in one voice that we want to do away with corruption and providing whole hearted support in whatever capacity they can to this great man's greater vision .......This is so amazing to say the least .......
And again from a common person's perspective I think the media is doing a good job and getting across that voice to people all over the world ... It feels reassuring to hear callers from different parts of the world , like New Zealand, America etc calling in to support this noble cause and say that if this bill is passed and if it looks like something will really be done against corruption , they would want to come back to their own country as these are the very issues that made them think of relocating in the first place .........Or to see Indian people lead marches in other parts of the world where all Indians have come out in huge numbers ...... It just shows how U can take an Indian away from India but u cannot take India away from an Indian..... Indian always at heart and proud to be so!!!!!!!!
For once the government seems all quiet after doing ridiculous things like calling Anna Hazare corrupt and trying to malign him or saying that this facade will die down and no one will be able to do anything and the fuuniest or the most insane thing I have heard a minister saying is US is behind all this ......Till now they only tried our patience , now they are even trying our intelligence ...... The fact that this movement is happening right under their nose is a tight slap on face of the government and they should ideally bow their heads down in shame because the writing on the wall is very clear for once and it shouts out aloud and says, " We put our faith and trust in you, voted for you and see how terribly you failed us "........Any self respecting Party who is in power would give up their power and walk out if such a 'no trust' motion is being passed ... but we unfortunately are talking about power hungry, corrupt, hardened criminals so to speak who want to stick to their chairs and are so thick skinned that nothing affects them.......
Even at a time like this ... seeing our parliament in session is so amusing ..... the government in power and the opposition are busy slinging mud at each other and trying to pull each other down...... They all look like a bunch of uneducated and uncivilised people and they are actually the ones in power.. How very sad and disillusioning is that.........And what upsets me more is that we have given them that power ....... Is there no way to undo this damage ? Is there no way that someone like Anna and the likes of him form a political party and are voted into power however idealistic it may sound... Hopefully we can start afresh and on a clean slate .......
We have always had the option of only choosing between the frying pan/ fire or between the devil/deep sea....... Why dont we ever have a better option ........ When will we see a day where India is not seen as a corrupt country and the term politician will no longer be synonomous with hooligan, buffoon, bloodsucker, goonda, uneducated, uncivilised, corrupt, criminal, inadept and the list can be endless........
Today this movement signifies a "no confidence' vote BY the people .. Is that not enough to implement a change ????? What every Indian sees on any news channel on his t.v. set is PEOPLE POWER and I wish this does not die down.. I hope this gains more and more momentum by the day.......... And we all can continue to do our bits ..... visavis not buying tickets in black even if we are dying to see a particular film with our favourite movie stars in it, or not bribing a cop who was willing to cut out a receipt for a certain amount fr eg, Rs 200 but we paid him a 50 or a 100 to not do that just because we did not have the time to get into 'procedural' hassles, or we do not encourage donations which amount to ridiculous figures, just for getting our children into BIG schools which are more commercial organizations and have very little to do with academics ........ We are all guilty of what we are trying to do away with , though in smaller proportions, but we have contributed to the corruption in this country.........
If we want the CHANGE we have to be the part of it and instrumental in bringing it about and we have to be sure of our own principles visavis what we will /will not do just to make life either a little bit more easy for us or get away in the name of the typical 'sab chalta hai' attitude or console/ justify ourselves by sayin "mere ek ke na karne se kya fark padega" .... It may seem insignificant today but in the longer run it will certainly go a very long way when the singular translates into the plural!!! And we are all already witnessing a glimpse of what can happen if that comes about ........So never say never..... We have to change our own attitudes first ... We have to become law abiding , conscientious, civilised citizens of our own country and then we will ceratinly see the country of our dreams being turned into what we have always visualised it to be.......
Even as I end this piece ... the news channel is on and I see this frail looking ANNA seated in front of a huge picture of the MAHATMA....... One who was responsible for a revolutionary past and the other, hopefully a revolution in the near future ....... I still cannot believe the heart warming support in the form of thousands if not more, of Indians gathered on the ground to stand up as ONE against what we have already had enough of!!!!
I love my India !!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
An Ode to Friendship.....
The title for most of my dear pals would be 'an ode to frandship' and they would understand .... :) Today on friendship day ..... I just feel like celebrating the spirit and essence of friendship ...... Life would really not be so interesting without friends .... They all add so much colour and flavour to our lives ..... I cannot imagine my life without my 'frands' ..... and Im talking about all.... the ones whom Iv known for years, but still dont remember when and how we became friends and honestly thats the last thing that really matters .. It just feels like we have known each other forever...... and the other ones who came into my life in the recent past and we have grown so thick in the shortest span of time ... that I almost wonder how these things happen........One of the wonders or miracles of nature .......and just as well cos I would like to have it no other way ........
And what really stands out for me is the "timing" of how someone who is practically just nothing more than a stranger, just walks into your life from nowhere and becomes someone so special and stays there for keeps..... Most of my dearest friends are the ones whom I havent really gone and seeked out .. They just came into my life by chance and circumstances and became an integral part of my life ... I feel a lot of gratitude towards someone up there cos this certainly wud not be possible without his grace ........
The happy times become far more enjoyable and memorable when there are friends to share them with and the sad or tough times become so much less stressful and easier to cope with, only cos of the support and love of true friends who are always such strong pillars of strength standing by our side whenever we need them.......
Whether its something sad to share and offload , or something happy to enjoy, or something bitchy to gossip about, or then last but not the least, the pure unadulterated nonsense and madness, the fun is in doing all this ONLY with ur pals .........
To me , friendship means ..... fun, laughter, joy, heart to heart chats , sharing some of my most silly thoughts and most quirky moments ....... to be able to be myself totally without the fear of being judged or condemned....... to be there for your friend through both their best and worst , to be able to take off on each others whims, fancies, idiosyncracies and quirks but at the same time not let them affect the love and feeling you have for each other.......to be able to be completely crazy and do mad stuff that you can remember and laugh about for years to come..... and to cherish all this, always and forever :)
I always think that people who have good friends are truly blessed.... and Im fortunate to have some really lovely people as friends in my life ........So on this friendship day this one is certainly dedicated to all my dearest pals whom I cannot imagine life without :)
Normally words come so easy to me on any and every topic and this one is really close to my heart so I thought there wont be a derth here , but suddenly I am at a total loss ... maybe Im just overwhelmed!
Had stopped writing midway as went to meet my friends at barista in honour or friendship day .... and am resuming it now........ and I realise that there still is a lot to say or share but am not finding the words ... Somethings can just be felt and cannot always be expressed in words ........ And today evening's meeting also highlighted that ...... The group together ... laughin , chatting away , reminiscing old times , talking a fair load of senseless stuff and still enjoying oursleves to the hilt...... and ofcourse missing the rest of the group members along with their unique quirks .......
Something that happened this evening would sum up this piece very well cos it depicts the true essence of friendship ....
Barista was unusually cold with strong air conditioning and I had worn a sleeveless top, not realising that it would be that cold within .. Given our past few experiences at the same barista we have usually complained about the AC not working at all ..... My friend Manjusha had a shawl on her and she offered it to me which I politely declined cos I knew she would need it as feels very cold ..... But she insisted that I wrap it around myself as I was just about recovering from a viral ...... I still tried to resist but she did not relent so I wrapped it around me and felt comforted and warm instantly .... Alongside we tried to get the guy there to turn the AC down but that did not happen for quite awhile ..... During that time I knew that my friend was feeling quite cold herself, but did what she did cos that was the concern of a friend ..... To me thats FRIENDSHIP ...... These are the gestures that just throw light on what friends are all about and what friendship really means ....... And if you are true genuine friends then this comes so naturally ...... None of us would think twice or even make a big deal about something like this cos thats what most of us would do, given the way we feel for each other .....
I have just put this out in words .. It sounds descriptive but the feel of it is as overwhelming as it is fulfilling! There are many many more such instances that keep happening between 'friends' and just add to this whole journey of FRIENDSHIP that we have all embarked upon together................. Its like a comforter that completely engulfs you and provides enough warmth to take care of yourself when you need to......
So this one goes out to all my lovely lovely friends who have been with me and continue to do so...... We have built a treasure of memories of all these lovely moments spent together, which I truly cherish.......... And here's to many many more memorable ones in the times to come.......... Love you all...............
And what really stands out for me is the "timing" of how someone who is practically just nothing more than a stranger, just walks into your life from nowhere and becomes someone so special and stays there for keeps..... Most of my dearest friends are the ones whom I havent really gone and seeked out .. They just came into my life by chance and circumstances and became an integral part of my life ... I feel a lot of gratitude towards someone up there cos this certainly wud not be possible without his grace ........
The happy times become far more enjoyable and memorable when there are friends to share them with and the sad or tough times become so much less stressful and easier to cope with, only cos of the support and love of true friends who are always such strong pillars of strength standing by our side whenever we need them.......
Whether its something sad to share and offload , or something happy to enjoy, or something bitchy to gossip about, or then last but not the least, the pure unadulterated nonsense and madness, the fun is in doing all this ONLY with ur pals .........
To me , friendship means ..... fun, laughter, joy, heart to heart chats , sharing some of my most silly thoughts and most quirky moments ....... to be able to be myself totally without the fear of being judged or condemned....... to be there for your friend through both their best and worst , to be able to take off on each others whims, fancies, idiosyncracies and quirks but at the same time not let them affect the love and feeling you have for each other.......to be able to be completely crazy and do mad stuff that you can remember and laugh about for years to come..... and to cherish all this, always and forever :)
I always think that people who have good friends are truly blessed.... and Im fortunate to have some really lovely people as friends in my life ........So on this friendship day this one is certainly dedicated to all my dearest pals whom I cannot imagine life without :)
Normally words come so easy to me on any and every topic and this one is really close to my heart so I thought there wont be a derth here , but suddenly I am at a total loss ... maybe Im just overwhelmed!
Had stopped writing midway as went to meet my friends at barista in honour or friendship day .... and am resuming it now........ and I realise that there still is a lot to say or share but am not finding the words ... Somethings can just be felt and cannot always be expressed in words ........ And today evening's meeting also highlighted that ...... The group together ... laughin , chatting away , reminiscing old times , talking a fair load of senseless stuff and still enjoying oursleves to the hilt...... and ofcourse missing the rest of the group members along with their unique quirks .......
Something that happened this evening would sum up this piece very well cos it depicts the true essence of friendship ....
Barista was unusually cold with strong air conditioning and I had worn a sleeveless top, not realising that it would be that cold within .. Given our past few experiences at the same barista we have usually complained about the AC not working at all ..... My friend Manjusha had a shawl on her and she offered it to me which I politely declined cos I knew she would need it as feels very cold ..... But she insisted that I wrap it around myself as I was just about recovering from a viral ...... I still tried to resist but she did not relent so I wrapped it around me and felt comforted and warm instantly .... Alongside we tried to get the guy there to turn the AC down but that did not happen for quite awhile ..... During that time I knew that my friend was feeling quite cold herself, but did what she did cos that was the concern of a friend ..... To me thats FRIENDSHIP ...... These are the gestures that just throw light on what friends are all about and what friendship really means ....... And if you are true genuine friends then this comes so naturally ...... None of us would think twice or even make a big deal about something like this cos thats what most of us would do, given the way we feel for each other .....
I have just put this out in words .. It sounds descriptive but the feel of it is as overwhelming as it is fulfilling! There are many many more such instances that keep happening between 'friends' and just add to this whole journey of FRIENDSHIP that we have all embarked upon together................. Its like a comforter that completely engulfs you and provides enough warmth to take care of yourself when you need to......
So this one goes out to all my lovely lovely friends who have been with me and continue to do so...... We have built a treasure of memories of all these lovely moments spent together, which I truly cherish.......... And here's to many many more memorable ones in the times to come.......... Love you all...............
Friday, July 1, 2011
Satsang........
Have been meaning to write this one for quite some time now.... Like my wednesdays, my tuesday evenings have also become magical and mystical .. in a different way..... My parents recently did an 'art of living' course...... I had myself done it years ago..... Did not really follow up .. somehow the place I did it from couldnt captivate me .... Maybe a lack of connect?! There are some aspects of AOL that i still dont and cant relate to ... but overtime one thing i have learnt is that in anything u do .. take what resonates with u and leave the rest..... So the one thing about AOL that i can relate to and works for me are their "bhajans" and the "satsang"....Even then, i remember absolutely loving their bhajans .... So this time around when my parents did their course and were told that there will be bhajans every tuesday evening at the same venue where they did the course, i had decided that i will try and attend .....
I couldnt go the first time as i had my session with a client who has been coming for the longest time on tuesday evenings.... And it so happened that the following tuesday my client cudnt make it for some reason, which now in retrospect i look at as a blessing in disguise...... So that blessed and destined tuesday i accompanied my parents... and the entire experience was nothing less than divine......
To begin with, the environment is particularly conducive given that the venue is the living room of a sprawling appartment overlooking the sea at Carter road..... The view from there is nothing short of spectacular! And the vibes of the place are lovely.....The session begins with a "guru puja" where the diya is lit along with the chanting of mantras...... This sets the mood for a beautiful evening which unfolds even more magically! There are always atleast a couple of singers per session, if not more .... Needless to say they have amazing voices....... One after another , the most melodious bhajans are rendered..... And gradually you find urself being transported into a different world altogether..... I usually sit with my eyes closed..... and after awhile I am in some other space .... and its only when i open my eyes that i realise where i am and that there are so many people around me..... That feeling has to be experienced cos words cannot really do justice to what u feel ...... Its like being in a crowd but still being in and by urself .... in a good way!!! Somewhere during this I feel connected to what people normally refer to as one's 'higher self'..... and u also feel tuned to that core within u which is silence personified and where probably ur spirit resides ..... This is the closest i have ever come to being in a truly meditative state ...... Music always does that to me but the satsang experience is truly exceptional....
Its so rightly put that " if music is the food for love .... play on......" cos u actually feel this phrase coming alive at the end of the session .... where u feel something in u has changed and is full of "love"....... U feel so light ...... Its almost magical...........A truly divine feeling.....
Personally for me, whenever a male sings the bhajans , it touches me far more than a female voice...... It may sound strange or absurd but the male voice somehow penetrates much deeper and touches my soul ..... Although the last tuesday there was this lovely lady who sang most of the bhajans and she came quite close to most of the male voices i have heard so far! The energy, the zest, the joy, the dedication and last but not the least the "love" with which they all sing is so heart warming..... 'Total surrender' is also something i have seen come alive when i see these lovely people perform........ They are so "into" the whole process that its magnetic and as the session gains momentum, the cumulative energy of everyone present becomes so electrifying that u feel like a live wire urself.....
A special quality of the AOL satsang is the fact that they are far from the typical cliched bhajans or bhajan sessions , the way we know them to be...... The first thing that comes to mind when someone says im goin to attend 'bhajans' .... is that some middle aged/old person is probably singing some very slow songs in a monotone and boring voice.... atleast this is what i used to think earlier.....But attending the AOL bhajans has completely changed that for me..... The most unique and endearing part of these sessions are that some of the bhajans are sung in 'rock' style..... I was and still am so pleasantly surprised to see and experience that...... also sometimes suddenly in the middle of a bhajan the singer sings a para or a couple of lines from a famous hindi/english number and it is so beautifully blended in the bhajan, that it always leaves me smiling!
All else apart .. the highlight of the evening is something that still amazes and amuses me..... The owner of the house where the satsang is held, has a cute little poodle..... That cute little creature comes and sits down quietly while the satsang is on and i have yet to hear a sound from that dog.... I have never heard him/her bark of even let out a sigh........ Its one of the most happy and peaceful dogs i have ever seen.....Even my parents vouch for the fact that during their entire course there, they have never witnessed the dog make a sound... It would come and sit quietly without disturbing anyone...... It almost feels like the dog mustve also done AOL and follows it closely :) There honestly is no other explanation to this one ... It never follows anyone or goes to anyone, licks them etc .. It goes only to those who call it and want to play with it or cuddle it ..... For me this is nothing short of a miracle..... Im sure the vibe of the place and the whole process must be rubbing off on the dog bigtime...... Nothing else seems to explain the peaceful and serene presence of this creature who never makes its presence felt other than doing some happy jigs occasionally where it looks so happy that it lays itself on the ground , back touching the floor and throws its body around, from one side to another ......
I am so glad to attend the satsang that i look forward to my tuesday evenings .. My client has been kind enough to reschedule our tuesday sessions to fridays .. God bless him , cos given a choice and chance I wudnt want to change this new routine or miss the satsang for anything in the world..... I can literally feel my spirit being fed ...... And God knows that it needs to be fed bigtime :)
So here's to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the AOL for this wonderful thing they started called "Satsang' .............
I couldnt go the first time as i had my session with a client who has been coming for the longest time on tuesday evenings.... And it so happened that the following tuesday my client cudnt make it for some reason, which now in retrospect i look at as a blessing in disguise...... So that blessed and destined tuesday i accompanied my parents... and the entire experience was nothing less than divine......
To begin with, the environment is particularly conducive given that the venue is the living room of a sprawling appartment overlooking the sea at Carter road..... The view from there is nothing short of spectacular! And the vibes of the place are lovely.....The session begins with a "guru puja" where the diya is lit along with the chanting of mantras...... This sets the mood for a beautiful evening which unfolds even more magically! There are always atleast a couple of singers per session, if not more .... Needless to say they have amazing voices....... One after another , the most melodious bhajans are rendered..... And gradually you find urself being transported into a different world altogether..... I usually sit with my eyes closed..... and after awhile I am in some other space .... and its only when i open my eyes that i realise where i am and that there are so many people around me..... That feeling has to be experienced cos words cannot really do justice to what u feel ...... Its like being in a crowd but still being in and by urself .... in a good way!!! Somewhere during this I feel connected to what people normally refer to as one's 'higher self'..... and u also feel tuned to that core within u which is silence personified and where probably ur spirit resides ..... This is the closest i have ever come to being in a truly meditative state ...... Music always does that to me but the satsang experience is truly exceptional....
Its so rightly put that " if music is the food for love .... play on......" cos u actually feel this phrase coming alive at the end of the session .... where u feel something in u has changed and is full of "love"....... U feel so light ...... Its almost magical...........A truly divine feeling.....
Personally for me, whenever a male sings the bhajans , it touches me far more than a female voice...... It may sound strange or absurd but the male voice somehow penetrates much deeper and touches my soul ..... Although the last tuesday there was this lovely lady who sang most of the bhajans and she came quite close to most of the male voices i have heard so far! The energy, the zest, the joy, the dedication and last but not the least the "love" with which they all sing is so heart warming..... 'Total surrender' is also something i have seen come alive when i see these lovely people perform........ They are so "into" the whole process that its magnetic and as the session gains momentum, the cumulative energy of everyone present becomes so electrifying that u feel like a live wire urself.....
A special quality of the AOL satsang is the fact that they are far from the typical cliched bhajans or bhajan sessions , the way we know them to be...... The first thing that comes to mind when someone says im goin to attend 'bhajans' .... is that some middle aged/old person is probably singing some very slow songs in a monotone and boring voice.... atleast this is what i used to think earlier.....But attending the AOL bhajans has completely changed that for me..... The most unique and endearing part of these sessions are that some of the bhajans are sung in 'rock' style..... I was and still am so pleasantly surprised to see and experience that...... also sometimes suddenly in the middle of a bhajan the singer sings a para or a couple of lines from a famous hindi/english number and it is so beautifully blended in the bhajan, that it always leaves me smiling!
All else apart .. the highlight of the evening is something that still amazes and amuses me..... The owner of the house where the satsang is held, has a cute little poodle..... That cute little creature comes and sits down quietly while the satsang is on and i have yet to hear a sound from that dog.... I have never heard him/her bark of even let out a sigh........ Its one of the most happy and peaceful dogs i have ever seen.....Even my parents vouch for the fact that during their entire course there, they have never witnessed the dog make a sound... It would come and sit quietly without disturbing anyone...... It almost feels like the dog mustve also done AOL and follows it closely :) There honestly is no other explanation to this one ... It never follows anyone or goes to anyone, licks them etc .. It goes only to those who call it and want to play with it or cuddle it ..... For me this is nothing short of a miracle..... Im sure the vibe of the place and the whole process must be rubbing off on the dog bigtime...... Nothing else seems to explain the peaceful and serene presence of this creature who never makes its presence felt other than doing some happy jigs occasionally where it looks so happy that it lays itself on the ground , back touching the floor and throws its body around, from one side to another ......
I am so glad to attend the satsang that i look forward to my tuesday evenings .. My client has been kind enough to reschedule our tuesday sessions to fridays .. God bless him , cos given a choice and chance I wudnt want to change this new routine or miss the satsang for anything in the world..... I can literally feel my spirit being fed ...... And God knows that it needs to be fed bigtime :)
So here's to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the AOL for this wonderful thing they started called "Satsang' .............
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Homemakers........
To me the term 'women of substance' is actually a no brainer, in a sense......Most women always have substance ... They are just made of that material.....God made them like that.....Ofcourse how they use that substance within is a different aspect altogether.... Some may make it an essence and others a menace :)
Anyway as this post unfolds i guess it will become more clear as to what i really mean.... Its all very nice and great when women become achievers in todays' world.. like being highly educated, having great jobs, holdin great positions,managing home, husband, kids , inlaws etc .... Women can be efficient multi taskers ...........I always have tremendous regard for women as they juggle between so many roles and responsibities......
One set of women who are totally undervalued and also guilty of not valuing themselves enough are the 'housewives', who for some reason i prefer to call 'homemakers'..... The latter term is more apt as i feel it conveys the true essence of what they do along with conveying a sense of dignity and appreciation as well....... For all practical and other purposes they truly "MAKE" a house a home......A house is just a concrete structure and becomes a home just because the woman tends to it with so much TLC! One day if women dont do the things that they do on a daily basis, the whole structure will crumble....you can see the mess and how everything goes haywire.......A man reports sick for a day or takes the day off his office will still run smoothly .. but one day if a woman decides to take an off or report sick a house can never run, forget smoothly.........
It makes me feel deeply sad when i often or rather very often hear women say " im ONLY a housewife"......... Its sounds so absurd .... U do everything in the house and u call urself 'only' a housewife ......If u ask someone who is employed and working somewhere, have u ever heard anyone say ...."im only an architect/accountant/teacher etc etc", when in the literal sense the word 'only' would be much more apt there as they do 'only ' that job.....Housewife or homemaker is not classified as a profession or a meaningful vocation and thats where we all falter...... If it were given the necessary value , respect and importance it would surely rank as one of the highest paid and most esteemed position/rank there ever was.........And if this is tough to believe, a good way to assess this would be, the next time u meet any homemaker ask her about her regular day, what its like, when it starts , all that she packs in a day and what all she achieves and what all is expected of her, U will clearly know what im talking about apart from the fact that it will be very insightful and informative at the same time......
I feel that women who are homemakers need to value and respect themselves much more .... And so do everyone around them..... Managing the A-Z of the workings of a home, apart from inlaws and kids ... phew .... its just tiring to even think about it,let alone live it day in and day out, without really burning out or breaking down ..... .... Agreed that in this day and age some things are simpler with the technology around and labour that we have but despite all that ... to even oversee it or be part of it in any capacity is huge..... Being a hands on wife, daughter in law and a mother at the same time is a tall order and doing it every single day without a break is superhuman .... In any office there is atleast one if not 2 days off that u get in a week ... How many times have we heard women say 'im takin a day off from my role as a home maker'...... Or " i have a 5/6 day week" And they so deserve that and i feel they earn it bigtime for themselves, given all that they do.....
Most or rather many of us belong to a generation where our moms have been homemakers .. Today when i look back i realise what a great and noble job they have done and how most often it was always taken for granted ... We never thought of the hard work, the sense of duty, the love and dedication that went behind every meal that was always cooked and served on the table before we even got hungry or ready to eat......... and how often did we really end up appreciating that ...... or showing gratitude for it ..... On the contrary we possibly made a fuss and threw tantrums about what was not there or how we did not like what was cooked ...... Sometimes when i say something to my mother, in sheer ignorance or silliness .... all she says in return is "U will know when u get married, have home of ur own and have kids of ur own as well" and that hits the nail on the head...... I have friends who can swear by this statement and totally vouch for it, as they have been there, done that ........... I guess we will realise and empathise when we are in the same situation....
There is just one desire ....that women who are homemakers take themselves more seriously and have more self admiration along with self respect for being who they are..... Being a homemaker is one of the most thankless jobs, only second to that of being a mother, if at all we were to classify and categorise, and i use the word job here , for the sheer want of a better word..... Imagine doing so much , not getting paid or even expecting a remuneration for it, and not even being appreciated ... how sad is that really .......
It amuses me to think that if, one fine day 'homemakers' are so empowered and realise their own worth what will we all get to witness......and the first thought that comes is that we all might just get into a lot of trouble...... Imagine if someone were to come up with a brainwave or an idea of forming a union of homemakers, and being a part of that means being able to have rules and regulations, do's and don'ts, have a new set of demands from time to time, go on strike , demanding wages/ salaries( cant put 'higher wages' here though that wudve been ideal), perks and benefits, gratuity, retirement , pension etc...
And if an idea truly has the power to change your life , then believe me this "idea" would certainly change not only an individual life but a lot of lives on a colective and much larger scale :)
Anyway as this post unfolds i guess it will become more clear as to what i really mean.... Its all very nice and great when women become achievers in todays' world.. like being highly educated, having great jobs, holdin great positions,managing home, husband, kids , inlaws etc .... Women can be efficient multi taskers ...........I always have tremendous regard for women as they juggle between so many roles and responsibities......
One set of women who are totally undervalued and also guilty of not valuing themselves enough are the 'housewives', who for some reason i prefer to call 'homemakers'..... The latter term is more apt as i feel it conveys the true essence of what they do along with conveying a sense of dignity and appreciation as well....... For all practical and other purposes they truly "MAKE" a house a home......A house is just a concrete structure and becomes a home just because the woman tends to it with so much TLC! One day if women dont do the things that they do on a daily basis, the whole structure will crumble....you can see the mess and how everything goes haywire.......A man reports sick for a day or takes the day off his office will still run smoothly .. but one day if a woman decides to take an off or report sick a house can never run, forget smoothly.........
It makes me feel deeply sad when i often or rather very often hear women say " im ONLY a housewife"......... Its sounds so absurd .... U do everything in the house and u call urself 'only' a housewife ......If u ask someone who is employed and working somewhere, have u ever heard anyone say ...."im only an architect/accountant/teacher etc etc", when in the literal sense the word 'only' would be much more apt there as they do 'only ' that job.....Housewife or homemaker is not classified as a profession or a meaningful vocation and thats where we all falter...... If it were given the necessary value , respect and importance it would surely rank as one of the highest paid and most esteemed position/rank there ever was.........And if this is tough to believe, a good way to assess this would be, the next time u meet any homemaker ask her about her regular day, what its like, when it starts , all that she packs in a day and what all she achieves and what all is expected of her, U will clearly know what im talking about apart from the fact that it will be very insightful and informative at the same time......
I feel that women who are homemakers need to value and respect themselves much more .... And so do everyone around them..... Managing the A-Z of the workings of a home, apart from inlaws and kids ... phew .... its just tiring to even think about it,let alone live it day in and day out, without really burning out or breaking down ..... .... Agreed that in this day and age some things are simpler with the technology around and labour that we have but despite all that ... to even oversee it or be part of it in any capacity is huge..... Being a hands on wife, daughter in law and a mother at the same time is a tall order and doing it every single day without a break is superhuman .... In any office there is atleast one if not 2 days off that u get in a week ... How many times have we heard women say 'im takin a day off from my role as a home maker'...... Or " i have a 5/6 day week" And they so deserve that and i feel they earn it bigtime for themselves, given all that they do.....
Most or rather many of us belong to a generation where our moms have been homemakers .. Today when i look back i realise what a great and noble job they have done and how most often it was always taken for granted ... We never thought of the hard work, the sense of duty, the love and dedication that went behind every meal that was always cooked and served on the table before we even got hungry or ready to eat......... and how often did we really end up appreciating that ...... or showing gratitude for it ..... On the contrary we possibly made a fuss and threw tantrums about what was not there or how we did not like what was cooked ...... Sometimes when i say something to my mother, in sheer ignorance or silliness .... all she says in return is "U will know when u get married, have home of ur own and have kids of ur own as well" and that hits the nail on the head...... I have friends who can swear by this statement and totally vouch for it, as they have been there, done that ........... I guess we will realise and empathise when we are in the same situation....
There is just one desire ....that women who are homemakers take themselves more seriously and have more self admiration along with self respect for being who they are..... Being a homemaker is one of the most thankless jobs, only second to that of being a mother, if at all we were to classify and categorise, and i use the word job here , for the sheer want of a better word..... Imagine doing so much , not getting paid or even expecting a remuneration for it, and not even being appreciated ... how sad is that really .......
It amuses me to think that if, one fine day 'homemakers' are so empowered and realise their own worth what will we all get to witness......and the first thought that comes is that we all might just get into a lot of trouble...... Imagine if someone were to come up with a brainwave or an idea of forming a union of homemakers, and being a part of that means being able to have rules and regulations, do's and don'ts, have a new set of demands from time to time, go on strike , demanding wages/ salaries( cant put 'higher wages' here though that wudve been ideal), perks and benefits, gratuity, retirement , pension etc...
And if an idea truly has the power to change your life , then believe me this "idea" would certainly change not only an individual life but a lot of lives on a colective and much larger scale :)
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Beautiful Wednesdays!
Wednesdays are wonderful for me ...... I look forward to this day as its a lot of 'me time' that I get and try my best to make the most of it! Its been years that I go to Mount Mary church at bandra ...... I cant recall why I zeroed in on a wednesday but all I do know is that once I started there was no looking back! Maybe it has something to do with my convent education .... As a child I do remember going to the chapel in my school whenever I wanted to pray and that was the quietest moment which I shared with God....... The peace that I found in that is hard to describe in words...... And the peace that I find going to Mount Mary every wednesday is just and extension of that.... There is definitely something about the vibe of the place as well and the location just adds to it..... I go to the church, put a few candles , sit there for as much as I feel like and then visit the grotto opposite the curch, light candles there ..... This whole process may sound like a ritual but for me its far more than that.... Its a very uplifting and wholesome experience ... Its like tuning into a part of myself which in turn tunes into a higher reality and together they find peace and reach a level of oneness!
And quite recently I have tried to follow another ritual ... that of visiting the parlour every wednesday or atleast every alternate wednesday ...... The parlour therapy just adds to the whole 'me time' experience.....Also most of the times the lady who attends to me there is this wonderful person who cant speak or hear but her spirit is unmatched by even the ones with all their faculties in perfect order and without this so called handicap..... They call her 'didi'....The zest and dedication with which she does her work is something else and the warmth that she exudes touch me at a very deep level..... Her smiling face is something that often comes back to me and I look forward to meeting her and seeing her happy cheerful face whenever I go there...... She is a great example of how beautifully one can live life despite the impediments that nature chose to endow upon someone......
The parlour itself is run by a lovely woman called Jane who is extremely good at her work and makes sure her clients get the best ... She is very compassionate and at the same time a task master to her employees ....... However crowded the parlour is I have yet to see her squirm or turn away someone........ She too is always smiling , cracking jokes with the girls there or the clients and she has a very affectionate and welcoming demeanour........ At the same time she takes enormous effort in training people under her so that her clients get treated in a way that makes them want to always come back.......
After going to the parlour in the afternoon , I visit this bakery called American Express Bakery ..... I have very fond memories of this place as they had a branch close to our house and I remember going there almost everyday to get our daily supply of bread ..... Unfortunately they leased out this place near my house which now boasts of a boring Barista.... So now, their one and only branch is in Bandra.... Since I am in the area almost every wednesday, I make sure to go there to pick up their lovely bread ...... At times I have my evening cuppa tea there with a sandwich and chat away with the owner of the place .. a lovely old lady called Mrs Caravalho who loves narrating stories and talking about anything and everything ...She again is someone who makes sure that people visit them for the quality they offer, which I can personally vouch for since I have eaten their stuff since childhood... The taste still remains the same which is coupled with the fact that they never compromise on quality .........They have lovely cakes, bread , and some good health snacks.. My personal favourites there are the sundried tomato and basil bread, the normal white slice bread and the veg puff , in that order ........ I always tell the aunty there that I really wish that they take back their property in Santa Cruz and open their own branch again .... and she always smiles and tells me that they would surely do that and its only a matter of time.. They are just waiting for their son to return from abroad as they need trustworthy people to manage the family business and she and her husband already being aged, find it difficult to maintain and oversee every minute detail....... Just recently she told me how they were written about in the paper and with pride she mentioned that the next time I visit, she would give me a copy of the article...... While writing this I wonder where the name came from .... maybe I should ask aunty the story behind that the next time Im around ........ To say the least it will be very inetersting!
God bless Jane's parlour and The American Express Bakery and may they always have grace and abundance, and continue to have the dignity and humility with which they "serve" ........
So that is my 'trio' for a typically free wednesday ...... The parlour , the bakery and the church ..... And last but not the least is my walk from the church ...... Where I am immersed in myself, totally satisfied after feeding my vanity, my body and my soul!
And come to think of it , the common factor/thread here is a catholic connection which runs through all these three.....Its an observation ...... It might just be a coincidence or a thoughtfully orchestrated plan for me by someone up there :)
But im not complaining :)
So for very obvious reasons, I look forward to and cherish my wednesdays :)
And quite recently I have tried to follow another ritual ... that of visiting the parlour every wednesday or atleast every alternate wednesday ...... The parlour therapy just adds to the whole 'me time' experience.....Also most of the times the lady who attends to me there is this wonderful person who cant speak or hear but her spirit is unmatched by even the ones with all their faculties in perfect order and without this so called handicap..... They call her 'didi'....The zest and dedication with which she does her work is something else and the warmth that she exudes touch me at a very deep level..... Her smiling face is something that often comes back to me and I look forward to meeting her and seeing her happy cheerful face whenever I go there...... She is a great example of how beautifully one can live life despite the impediments that nature chose to endow upon someone......
The parlour itself is run by a lovely woman called Jane who is extremely good at her work and makes sure her clients get the best ... She is very compassionate and at the same time a task master to her employees ....... However crowded the parlour is I have yet to see her squirm or turn away someone........ She too is always smiling , cracking jokes with the girls there or the clients and she has a very affectionate and welcoming demeanour........ At the same time she takes enormous effort in training people under her so that her clients get treated in a way that makes them want to always come back.......
After going to the parlour in the afternoon , I visit this bakery called American Express Bakery ..... I have very fond memories of this place as they had a branch close to our house and I remember going there almost everyday to get our daily supply of bread ..... Unfortunately they leased out this place near my house which now boasts of a boring Barista.... So now, their one and only branch is in Bandra.... Since I am in the area almost every wednesday, I make sure to go there to pick up their lovely bread ...... At times I have my evening cuppa tea there with a sandwich and chat away with the owner of the place .. a lovely old lady called Mrs Caravalho who loves narrating stories and talking about anything and everything ...She again is someone who makes sure that people visit them for the quality they offer, which I can personally vouch for since I have eaten their stuff since childhood... The taste still remains the same which is coupled with the fact that they never compromise on quality .........They have lovely cakes, bread , and some good health snacks.. My personal favourites there are the sundried tomato and basil bread, the normal white slice bread and the veg puff , in that order ........ I always tell the aunty there that I really wish that they take back their property in Santa Cruz and open their own branch again .... and she always smiles and tells me that they would surely do that and its only a matter of time.. They are just waiting for their son to return from abroad as they need trustworthy people to manage the family business and she and her husband already being aged, find it difficult to maintain and oversee every minute detail....... Just recently she told me how they were written about in the paper and with pride she mentioned that the next time I visit, she would give me a copy of the article...... While writing this I wonder where the name came from .... maybe I should ask aunty the story behind that the next time Im around ........ To say the least it will be very inetersting!
God bless Jane's parlour and The American Express Bakery and may they always have grace and abundance, and continue to have the dignity and humility with which they "serve" ........
So that is my 'trio' for a typically free wednesday ...... The parlour , the bakery and the church ..... And last but not the least is my walk from the church ...... Where I am immersed in myself, totally satisfied after feeding my vanity, my body and my soul!
And come to think of it , the common factor/thread here is a catholic connection which runs through all these three.....Its an observation ...... It might just be a coincidence or a thoughtfully orchestrated plan for me by someone up there :)
But im not complaining :)
So for very obvious reasons, I look forward to and cherish my wednesdays :)
Friday, June 3, 2011
Blessings from above!!
The title might sound a bit misleading to begin with but for me its bang on! And Im talking about the RAINS :) I totally love the rains and the fact that the monsoon arrives after 3-4 months of gruelling heat just adds to the whole flavour of the season......
To me its the most beautiful of all seasons ...... Somehow I cant see anything negative about the rains though there are many factors that realistically make it tough .... but I still feel its the best season we have and its a miracle of nature ...... Im sure there there is a very scientific and rather boring way to explain the occurence of rains ..... but Id rather go by the way I perceive it or for that matter anyone who thinks from their heart and not their head........
There is something about the sun/the heat that just brings out irrtability in me and then I cant really see anything as wonderful and beautiful around me .... I am at my cribby and whiney best ....... And the absolute opposite happens during the monsoon..... My mood changes ...JUST LIKE THAT! I am happy without reason.....The rains just do it.. They just bring out a very happy side in me without any effort on my part..........
The best is the first shower ..... Its just magical and there are not enough words in any language to do justice to the feeling it evokes ....... Sheer bliss......
Showers from up above, the smell of the wet earth, a hot cuppa tea/coffee, a cosy and comfy feeling are just some of the lovely happenings associated with rains ..... Everything looks and feels better than it actually is ........Its really strange ... the happy emotions a heavy downpour can bring out ... I find myself dancing around the house .....humming happy songs in my head .... showering more TLC on my family .... And its funny cos in my house no one else feels as much for and about the rains than I do ..... So they are just left wondering what the hell happened ..... :)
The fact that I am a water baby may have something to do with it as well ..... The fact that someone up there made sure I arrive on this planet in this season was very thoughtful on their part .....Im very grateful for that and it most certainly was very kind of whoever runs the show up there..... Given a choice I wudnt have arrived at any other time, :)
Thunder and lightning to me always are indicators of a heavenly presence along with the rains ....... The most beautiful natural phenomena that your eyes can actually witness.....
Getting wet in the rains ...... just WOW .... Its an experience like no other ....... Since we live in a civilised or rather an uncivilised society , its tough to act on impulse visavis getting wet, as it calls for unnecessary attention and much more ... But if i could have my way , Id love to go and get wet in the rain and not have a care in the world ......
If you are a tea lover like I am .. then the joy of having a hot hot cuppa masala / ginger chai in the rains is something else altogether........Also the joy of watching a mushy film all cuddled up or reading some nice romantic novel, listening to some melodious, soul stirring music ... all of it such a pleasure at this time of the year!
And last but not the least is the fact that if you have a special someone in this season .... Romance is a different high altogether...... I miss that ..... Not having that special someone does get to you at times for various reasons but not having a partner in this season , with whom you can enjoy the rains gets to you at a different level ........ Whenever that happens I know the joy of it will be unparalleled.... Till then atleast the rains are here and that I can certainly enjoy with or without anyone :)
So cheers to my favourite season ...... :)
May more and more blessings come our way from the heavens above ..........
To me its the most beautiful of all seasons ...... Somehow I cant see anything negative about the rains though there are many factors that realistically make it tough .... but I still feel its the best season we have and its a miracle of nature ...... Im sure there there is a very scientific and rather boring way to explain the occurence of rains ..... but Id rather go by the way I perceive it or for that matter anyone who thinks from their heart and not their head........
There is something about the sun/the heat that just brings out irrtability in me and then I cant really see anything as wonderful and beautiful around me .... I am at my cribby and whiney best ....... And the absolute opposite happens during the monsoon..... My mood changes ...JUST LIKE THAT! I am happy without reason.....The rains just do it.. They just bring out a very happy side in me without any effort on my part..........
The best is the first shower ..... Its just magical and there are not enough words in any language to do justice to the feeling it evokes ....... Sheer bliss......
Showers from up above, the smell of the wet earth, a hot cuppa tea/coffee, a cosy and comfy feeling are just some of the lovely happenings associated with rains ..... Everything looks and feels better than it actually is ........Its really strange ... the happy emotions a heavy downpour can bring out ... I find myself dancing around the house .....humming happy songs in my head .... showering more TLC on my family .... And its funny cos in my house no one else feels as much for and about the rains than I do ..... So they are just left wondering what the hell happened ..... :)
The fact that I am a water baby may have something to do with it as well ..... The fact that someone up there made sure I arrive on this planet in this season was very thoughtful on their part .....Im very grateful for that and it most certainly was very kind of whoever runs the show up there..... Given a choice I wudnt have arrived at any other time, :)
Thunder and lightning to me always are indicators of a heavenly presence along with the rains ....... The most beautiful natural phenomena that your eyes can actually witness.....
Getting wet in the rains ...... just WOW .... Its an experience like no other ....... Since we live in a civilised or rather an uncivilised society , its tough to act on impulse visavis getting wet, as it calls for unnecessary attention and much more ... But if i could have my way , Id love to go and get wet in the rain and not have a care in the world ......
If you are a tea lover like I am .. then the joy of having a hot hot cuppa masala / ginger chai in the rains is something else altogether........Also the joy of watching a mushy film all cuddled up or reading some nice romantic novel, listening to some melodious, soul stirring music ... all of it such a pleasure at this time of the year!
And last but not the least is the fact that if you have a special someone in this season .... Romance is a different high altogether...... I miss that ..... Not having that special someone does get to you at times for various reasons but not having a partner in this season , with whom you can enjoy the rains gets to you at a different level ........ Whenever that happens I know the joy of it will be unparalleled.... Till then atleast the rains are here and that I can certainly enjoy with or without anyone :)
So cheers to my favourite season ...... :)
May more and more blessings come our way from the heavens above ..........
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Parlour Therapy!
Ask any woman and she will certainly vouch for this term! Its so uplifting and has a tremendous feel good factor attached to it .. Parlour Therapy is a more generic term.... anything that a woman gets done in the parlour , excluding waxing and eyebrows is almost always a pleasure ..... For me the ones I enjoy the most are the oil massage and the face massage ...... They transport you in a different world altogether...... Any stress and/or fatigue just dissipates once your deep into this process .... it works beautifully at so many levels ..... U have to experience it to feel it and believe it......
God bless the parlours and the people who work there ..... they are nothing less than angels... they do everything to make you feel awesome when u leave that place irrespective of how u felt when u entered ...... They work hard day in and day out so that women who go there feel happy, relieved , rejuvenated and refreshed once they have finished with their respective jobs .....
Me thinks it will be a fun and insightful experiment if someone would just wait there outside the parlour, any parlour, only if even for a day and see the face of the women when they enter and when they leave, whatever they may have done in there.. You will always notice a world of a difference...... There is a certain buoyance in their step and confidence in their attitude when they leave the parlour ....... A makeover in the true sense ...... and its not only physical .. For some inexplicable reason it permeates much much deeper! It almost uplifts the soul!
And ofcourse last but not the least is a HAIRCUT...... Its wonderful..... A new and different you ..... Always helps .... Tried and tested way to feel amazing and elevated when you have hit a low or just want a change in the way they are feeling....A guaranteed "mood elevator". Very few would disagree with that if at all ... Maybe the few odd ones who got something else for what they expected .......
The particular parlour that I go to deserves a special mention for various reasons and I would like to dedicate a whole post to it cos just a teeny weeny mention here would do injustice to my joyful experiences there....
Till then ......Parlour Therapy rocks :)
God bless the parlours and the people who work there ..... they are nothing less than angels... they do everything to make you feel awesome when u leave that place irrespective of how u felt when u entered ...... They work hard day in and day out so that women who go there feel happy, relieved , rejuvenated and refreshed once they have finished with their respective jobs .....
Me thinks it will be a fun and insightful experiment if someone would just wait there outside the parlour, any parlour, only if even for a day and see the face of the women when they enter and when they leave, whatever they may have done in there.. You will always notice a world of a difference...... There is a certain buoyance in their step and confidence in their attitude when they leave the parlour ....... A makeover in the true sense ...... and its not only physical .. For some inexplicable reason it permeates much much deeper! It almost uplifts the soul!
And ofcourse last but not the least is a HAIRCUT...... Its wonderful..... A new and different you ..... Always helps .... Tried and tested way to feel amazing and elevated when you have hit a low or just want a change in the way they are feeling....A guaranteed "mood elevator". Very few would disagree with that if at all ... Maybe the few odd ones who got something else for what they expected .......
The particular parlour that I go to deserves a special mention for various reasons and I would like to dedicate a whole post to it cos just a teeny weeny mention here would do injustice to my joyful experiences there....
Till then ......Parlour Therapy rocks :)
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