The Capri-beat

The Extraordinary Ordinary

2010-07-02T13:26:00.002+05:30

The sun’s setting behind the roof of a north Malabar home..were it not for a zigzagging clutch of similar palatial homes in the vicinity, you’d have been afforded a panoramic view of the coastline a stone’s throw away n the glowing orange take a parting dip in a sea of molten metal..the Arabian Sea by twilight. A modern construction, the bungalow in itself is quite well-built, evidence of dedicated thought having gone into making the spacious house highly aesthetically pleasing.

The inmates - He a highly successful ex-banker, she a very pleasant lady, the details of their providential meeting would make for quite a story by itself, she fondly remembers n thinks of bygone times often, which is what’s still got that smile plastered to her pretty face..reaching all the way up to add the twinkle in her eyes. Can it be true..or has the world made one cynical enough to question everything putting a stop to learning, I wonder. If the scientific spirit includes observation, questioning, experimentation, verification, had we conveniently lost the 1^st, 3^rd & 4^th somewhere along the way? The gentleman looks the respectfully quiet sorts, speaking only to intelligently contribute to a discussion, the lady generously fills in the pauses, never for a moment allowing silence to reign..which is what she’s been doing for quite a while now ever since the medics diagnosed her husband with having entered an advanced stage of cancer creeping to claim a greater portion of him every passing second. The countless chemotherapy sessions he underwent at a specialist hospital has not even yielded temporary respite making the journey back home more painful than they’d expected, with the promise of yet another session turning into nothing more than a shadow on hope.

But that’s the only way out for these nice folks as of now, surprisingly, since the condition’s been around for as long as most other ailments. Last year, I had the privilege of speaking to a scientist in the US researching cancer cells, aiming at finding out what kills them more effectively n checks their migrating tendencies. What I learned was nothing new...the endless process of checking what the mutated cell adversely reacts to..enabling it to be specifically targeted. Thanks to the ‘big bucks’ funding from the US Dept Of Defence, there’s adequate incentive for researchers stuck in an otherwise demoralising rigmarole of finding a practical solution for an ‘out of control’ condition. In most cases, their efforts are rendered useless by the migration of these cancerous cells, thereby introducing the risk of healthy cells succumbing to the preventive therapy..N everyone knows there’s no solution in sight unless medical science figures out how to effectively stem the migration. It’s a game of numbers as of now.

One day someone very dear to me and dear to everyone for her forever helpful, friendly and motherly nature, there are several fellow students who’ll affectionately remember her as Paari...an ordinary English teacher…an extraordinary human being, while discussing topics for a forthcoming debate, told me that Maya was succumbing to cancer. Maya, my library teacher..who closed her eyes to the rule of x number of books per student per month..and loaned us as many as we could carry in our hands on every visit every other day. After a point, books had become second priority and the library visits more frequent. She would just brighten up on seeing students and no..she was no boring library in-charge. She always had lots of stories to share and we always felt more like grand children than students when she was around. Sometime that year, I was moving to high school and had to move on to another one. One day after lab work where I usually get into trouble with the lab incharge mixing unknown salts that explode in the marble sink..and make other struggling students re-contemplate pausing with their unmixed mixtures staring helplessly at the smoke in my corner..I quietly slipped out to breathe some fresh air..when I ran into Paari..Hey, I’m your Vice Princi now..she beamed as we embraced in sudden joy! Oh..Maya ma’m’s no more..by the way, she confided slowly. We just stood in silence for some time..even though you expect stuff like this, it always comes like a shock..wonder why.

A year from then, I was just wondering at life while returning from the home of everybody’s favourite. Just a month from the time when my biology teacher had found me after class one day, called me away and slowly taking my hand had said..Paari ma’m is succumbing to cancer…

Maya

2010-06-16T09:23:00.000+05:30

“Maya your food’s turning cold now…where are you?”

“Coming mom..”

“You’ve been saying that for more than an hour..what’s keeping you…need help with anything?”

“No.. I’m done. Here I am” she glided into the dining room.

Her mom forgot her complaints and began serving lunch…one look at the plate and the colours and textures burst out at Maya…yellow, green, white..food was so beautiful! How much trouble her mother must have taken to prepare such food..she wondered. Gulping it down without a care would be such injustice to such beautiful food..

Lost in thought she pulled a chair and slipped in, drawing closer to the table …she had not seen her mother bustling back into the kitchen and then toward the living room to check the papers.

Maya didn’t even realise she was staring at her untouched plate..and the food had transported her to a different land…she could see rocks and sand, creepers flowing downward from the branches of lush green trees..swaying in a gentle breeze..she could see a gurgling stream flowing and smooth gray rocks gleaming below…

Then she turned to see..a human figure walking toward her…tall like fathers are…but dressed in a different manner…may be this is how they dress themselves here she guessed as she looked at him approaching with a gentle smile on a face that was far from scary..it was fascinating and beautiful.

As she saw the figure reach closer, he bent and gathered a handful of smooth pebbles from the ground, and shaking the pebbles between both palms said to her, “Look what I made for you…!!” And next she saw him deposit something gleaming white in her plate with a swish of his arm…it was beautiful rice!!

Next he swooped toward the stream, gathering some water in his palm, swinging the arm with a gentle smile he again said, “Look what I made for you!” He poured something in her plate…it had become lovely yellow gravy.

He smiled at her dismay…reaching for the creepers…he held out his palm and there were leaves in his hand…with a swishing action in the air, he added something more to her plate…she stared and stared with childish glee at the salad glowing green.

“Now..have…” she heard the gentle entreaty. Maya couldn’t tear her eyes away from the miracle in her plate…and she reached out toward the food…slowly as if it was the most delicate stuff in the world. Scooping a morsel, she slowly took it towards her lips. She placed the mixture in her mouth and was still in bewilderment..the taste was unlike anything she had ever tasted…from the food the taste reached out, began to spread out like nothing else existed except it…Later, she used to think back to the times when the stranger would feed her thus. She could never recollect much about her immediate surroundings those times…except restrained wonder of her mother who would have read the papers and magazines to her heart’s content and returned to fetch some water to find her daughter perched before her half-empty plate, eating as though that were the sole purpose of her life and had to do it perfectly without a single mistake.

“What’s the matter…?” she would ask, as a rule she never liked to bother anyone who was in the process of eating “so many hours to just finish your lunch?” she would murmur gently.

Looking back, Maya couldn’t even remember her mother’s look or reaction…may be she was indeed lost.

A Whole New World :)

2009-02-11T18:25:00.005+05:30

KUDOS TO AN ANGEL

It’s well into the new year n li’l Naina’s seen a li’l more than 2 years of life on planet earth..even if for her the planet’s populated only by the few special beings she’s had the opportunity to interact with.

Come Christmas she’s goin to be an entire year older than she was in this picture. Wish Harry’s magical world really did exist allowing the subject to move around in her frame n make the most of a ‘say cheers’ moment!

Not to be outdone..for a two-year old, she’s miles ahead of the competition neural evolution wise..n on an aside..happens to have inherited from her beautiful parents, one of the most endearing smiles I’ve ever seen a such li’l one sport! Here’s a huge Cheers to li’l Naina Pillai.. :)

Don't Be Talkin To A Stranger-II..Contd

2007-05-26T03:03:00.000+05:30

As I took stock of the situation, a frequent refrain of dad's came to mind.."When one can't find options, stop looking for them - turn around and study the problem instead, you'll realize you never needed options."

There, the answer was just a stretch away, round the bend! All I needed to do was..unclip Carlo from the leash, thereby ensuring that he was free to scoot n fetch help if required and the metal leash itself could serve as quite a useful tool, though I was aware that using it in any manner would occur, only if patience was stretched to the tether n the circumstance most trying! What intrigues me though, is that even in so pressing a scenario, I'm capable of this amazingly comic knack of shaking my head n going into denial mode.."Nah..can't be happenin..such unnecessary 007 stuff..most unreal..," so on n so forth! Anyways..at least the contemplation kept me occupied, while the strange soul beyond pondered his next move.

Headlights..brightened in intensity as he returned..no intuition needed, he was driving on the wrong side of the road - my side of the road. The bike glided to a silent halt right before me, I stood facing the figure in black (mindful to keep out of swipe range), leash in my right hand n the left gripping onto Carlo's collar. Carlo exercised his prudence n raised his gaze to the helmeted figure, knowing instinctively, that I wished him to stay still. The biker made a move - raised the visor of his helmet..blood shot eyes locked onto mine. Something changed, I felt anger, as one would practically expect to feel out of a meaningless confrontation like this..but that swifty changed. Suddenly I felt lucky..to have the chance to study a suspect at such close quarters! The look betrayed recognition. There wasn't a need to make an attempt at rememberin if I'd seen this person before, the knowledge that he did was adequate. It meant this was not a chance 'let's-make-some-trouble' encounter. The stranger seemed indisposed to do anything but hold the stare. I studied the look further - insolence, flitted past to reveal indignation. All of a sudden, even that changed, as though something suddenly dawned on him, he shook his head, turned his gaze away, lowered the visor n like he'd appeared, shot off toward the city. I turned n set foot toward home..but not before wondering if this was indeed someone drivin around in a daze..or was there some connect to the shadowy silhouette from the past?

Don't Be Talkin To A Stranger-II

2007-03-18T22:38:00.000+05:30

One wonders if relating the entire story with the sequels intact is such a good idea. But thankfully, I've reconciled to the notion that anything left incomplete n unfinished most certainly is not.

So here goes..

The events relating to the 'shadowy' encounter were forgotten and life was sailing along as smooth as can be..We'd adopted a German Shephard Carlo and it'd begun to take its role as the youngest member of the family quite seriously! Autumn was setting in..spreading generous shades of golden brown on trees all around..Serene and picture perfect, the Cantonment looked resplendent with trees, shrubs and cocooned within it the residential bungalows of families of officers leading strategic anti-militancy operations in field areas. As twilight set in, the wind swayed branches rustling leaves, letting them loosen their hold and drift about to settle in sheets of gold and yellow on smooth tar roads leading out of the block. Armed sentries stationed on a grassy mound kept watch over the entry, exit points to the area.

One such evening found me blitz through supper as large brown eyes keenly followed my every move. An unexpected call had extended mealtime and Carlo was trying his best to draw my attention worried I’d dispense with his daily ‘walk in the winds’. Making a mental note to not wander afar, I proceeded with the pattern of fastening metal leash onto collarbelt as Carlo readied for the ritual he liked best (after ‘gobbling-down-meals’ ofcourse, don’t mention ‘shower-&-shampoo’..when he ensures that at least one human in the house (usually I) looks very like him at the end of it all!!). The clock struck ten as we stepped into the windy night, Carlo nodding quizzically at how ‘seemingly’ inanimate things like leaves can dare drift and glide on roads and respond with a crunch beneath one’s paws??!! What remained unresolved for me though..was the issue of who was leading whom..for it became clear that my pet seemed to have the route we’d take, well charted out in his mind, dutifully tugging at the leash when he wanted me to change direction!

It was a while before I noticed we'd wandered out of the cocoon using the forked path that trailed out toward the highway leading to the main city. As I slowed my pace and turned around to head back - Whoosh! – a biker flew past and disappeared in a rush of wind n fluttering leaves! Not before freeing one gloved hand to attempt a jabbing swipe at my free arm missing his target by inches as I leaned away instinctively even as I was caught completely offguard! What on Earth!!?? Who?? Why?? Something glinted in his hand? Something was wrong..! Again!! And the guards’ station was just a stone's throw away, but we were out of their line of vision, hence out of their radar..A classic ‘out of sight, out of mind’ case. The culprit would get away this time as well. But what was he up to?? An irregular pattern of heartbeats later, I turned on my heels to let my gaze scour the dark distance.. Mercury vapour lamps punctuated the highway lighting it in stretches..Far down the tail-lights dwindled and disappeared. Had he left? Intuition strongly persuaded otherwise. Then it dawned. The black out happened before the bend that would have removed it from view!

What was he waiting for at the bend? I was certainly not headed that way..then the answer struck.. waiting for his target to head back so he could launch another cowardly attack under the cover of night! Time stood in suspended animation..we weren’t given any to use, any to squander. But unsuspecting Carlo had no inkling of what lurked round the corner. There was no way I'd be able to take Carlo back down the road in time to remove us from whatever danger this stranger posed! Gathering my thoughts, I looked around. In those few seconds I became more aware of.. learnt more about surroundings I'd been gazing at admiringly just a short while ago. Carlo n I stood on a grassy stretch that sloped away from the gleaming street toward an ancient lime n cement lined drainage canal designed to take care of excess rain water..and lie conveniently out of sight..Between the road to the right n the sloping dead-end to the left we didn’t seem to have many options left to exercise.

To Sis With Love

2007-01-13T02:06:00.001+05:30

SCENE - A RIDING RANGE

ME: Hey you look considerably slimmer now!

SIS: Yea..Horse riding lessons

ME: I..was talkin to the horse..! (I've this 'dangerous' habit of talkin to subjects that'll have to make a supernatural effort to respond in the same tongue!!)

DISCLAIMER: Under no circumstances whatsoever, is anyone authorised to (mis)read between the lines of this post to construe that sis needs a slimming course. She is perfectly fine the way she is and if she ever happens to get here n not get to the disclaimer in time before blowin her top, trot along to the funeral (yea the horses too)..maybe somewhere close to 17 Race Course Road!

Plz Welcome The Amazin Li'l Naina Pillai

2007-01-13T01:36:00.000+05:30

Naina Pillai is the latest member to join our fast expanding family. A fellow Capri (uhmm)..you'll find it amazing that she was only 4 HOURS old when these pics were taken and and and in spite of being born a whole week before her due delivery date to these 2 young docs (family frnz..soon to be family:) Congratulations Sanju bhaiya n Sitara didi!! Progress is the name of the game!! We already love you Naina!! :)

Nightmare: She'll call me aunt...Ouch

Don't Be Talkin To A Stranger!!

2006-10-22T19:37:00.000+05:30

One fine day, back home from college, I found a familiar document lyin face-up on the divan..an army circular issued by the Area Headquarters..at a glance the contents were nothin like I'd ever seen before..so inspite of wantin to grab a soft drink n chill out..I took pains to go over the entire contents takin in the news bit by bit! The Area Commander was a worried man..there'd been reports of unidentified entities callin up officers’ wives pretending to be an old childhood friend of the officer, wanting to 'catch up' n ferret out strategic info on postings n bases. This clearly didn't augur well for us n everything pointed only one way..the possibility of militant elements bein on the prowl. Over lunch, dad confirmed this.."coz there's no knowing where militancy'll attempt to infiltrate..they can be relentless in their pursuit!" The import of his constant advice - "Try not to get drawn into conversation with strangers,” struck me then..n also why dad hadn't revealed this before - he hadn't wanted the fear to build up before courage did!

For ages, I’ve never slept at the ‘appointed hour’..stretching it as much as I can with my best frnz..books. Few months later..long after dad had returned to his base n as I lay in bed about to give in to the waves of sleep tired of bein made to wait so long..felt a strange sense of foreboding n for some strange reason my eyes were drawn to the beam of light thrown across the floor of the darkened room from a window about 9 feet behind me..The shadows betrayed that the curtains hadn't been drawn completely n through the parting between them, framed against the window pane was a face appearin to peer in with hands on either sides of his face. The face seemed to alternate between peerin n disappearin beneath the ledge..All of a sudden I fought the instinct to turn my face the other way n confirm what I’d seen..but the recurring pattern across the shadows confirmed it all the more. I drew a blank..! Who was this?? What brought him to our lawns at this unearthly hour?? How had he breached security, jumped the fence?? Where was the night patrol guard?? Everythin fell into place suddenly n all I seemed to want to do was check on what was goin on. I was scared, but there were really no two ways about it..yellin out for mom would jolt her awake scaring her into assuming I’d hurt myself somehow..the guy would surely get away without us knowing why he was here in the first place. Left with no choice whatsoever, I slowly turned to the window, lay still n tried to focus on the face..the mercury vapour lamp lit the pomegranate shrubs behind him..didn’t help. Needed to get away n near the window.. though that was the last vantage point I wanted to approach. Swallowing my fear, the next time I saw the face duck, I grabbed 2 pillows, heaved them under the quilts, let myself slip to the floor on the other side of the bed n rolled underneath..just in time for I could see the face resurface in the oblong shadow that fell across my room. Whoops..heaved a sigh of relief..but not for long..the face disappeared again..n I needed to get to the window side where the curtains would provide the cover..Checkin the shadows for the average duration for which he disappeared..a deep breath n a dash of a crawl later I stood next to the parting, the curtains a useful shield. Turnin around to check the shadow I found the face obstruct the beam of light..had to fight hard not to peer around the side as drawing the curtain away even slightly would mean another ray cutting across the shadows. When he dipped, I pulled the curtains away just enough to afford a clear view n the scene was quite so unexpected..I forgot the fear. Squatting on the grassy lawn, he seemed to be tryin to dig at the grass with some kind of a sharp implement..beside him on the grass in the shadows were some fist sized objects. All this on my garden beneath my window..Suddenly I knew what I had to do..had concrete info to give mom n we’d decide on how best to deal with this. With the phone n mom both in another bedroom..I needed to get past this window n out of the room unseen..or this chap would surely flee without a trace left behind.

Checkin the shadows, I fell on my stomach n reached midway to the bed when Golly the face emerges a bit too soon in the beam to my left!! This time there was no fear..I turned n faced him..n come to think of it..that was one of the most comic moments of my life!! The face just stared for longer than it had ever done that night..probably too shocked to move..I stared straight into what I thought were his eyes..An eternity later..he ducked..I got up n ran out, woke mom gently, to reduce the impact served the news like pudding at supper..an everyday affair. By the time she understood n went rushin into my room, the chap had obviously disappeared. .

To cut the story short..a couple of calls fixed the matter n we found nothing on the site beneath the ledge! Okay TJ n the rest of ya..this iz the backdrop to my forthcomin post! Seen in the light of this 'history' it'z goin to be a lot more fun!! Happy Diwali guyz!!

Motoring Blues!

2006-07-10T00:26:00.000+05:30

Customised - Traffic Rules

Mumbai's traffic sense is amazing..there's something to be said for the volumes one can imbibe for the sake of one's own enlightenment..from keeping an eye out for those signals - (not traffic) that riders are fond of catching one offguard with..Watch out for these signs folks...they're not even meant for you!!

A) Bike ahead - Restless kid riding pillion - Kid flaps right hand - you overtake from left, kid's bike turns left - Crash! Kidz are never indicating direction..They're only pointing at the overweight pedestrian who looks like their neighbourhood aunt! :[

B) Parked cars - Harmless. Don't be surprised if a friendly canine pokes its scary snout out the underside to attempt a quick snap at that flailing flap! Grr..

C) Divider to your right - Kid trying to cross ..Big deal..But WAIT - Turn your neck the other way to check if there's an equally restless lookin lady to your left..GOD FORBID if that's the kid's mom..one of the two are sure to make an insane bid to dash across to the other! Next..it'll be your mom dashin to the cops to get you out on bail!

D) We're not done yet - As you approach a fork - one of which extends into a flyover - go easy on the gas pedal - motorists often have their minds made up on the route they're gonna take..until ..faced with an option! N someone ahead (you never who) will take the ultimate godgiven microsecond to choose! Pheeeww!

E) If you've just skidded off the road built by the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai..your lean-mean vroom machine meanly divested of its unassumin carriage, an unsightly mess flung just a few feet away..you sittin on your hind side ...inspecting the grime on limbs..muck on clothes..don't worry there's hope - nopes....not referrin to a certain brand of detergent.. it'z not everyday that you encounter an oil spill dished out right in the middle of the road!..n the benevolent monsoons lyin in wait havin flavoured up the experience to make it unforgettable..uhmm...for you n the blessed vroom machine! Doesn't rain everyday does it??

Is it already time?

2006-02-13T00:10:00.000+05:30

Microsoft Internet Explorer <- Double click www.rediffmail.com <- Go User Id <- Tab Password <- Enter 10% of 1GB full- (Phew!-Gotta delete some of that backlog) Inbox <- Click From Anupama Viswanathan: Wedding Invite <- Whhhhhat!

When did all this happen? When did I cease to be a kid n when did my friends grow up n get married? It seems just yesterday when we toiled away in our labs late into the evenings..at college. When we trudged up to the gracious but loud lady who kept the counter at the canteen, just when she'd have liked to call it a day. Cuttin the flashback short..what's happening now? Why're the nice folks I'm living with approaching me with 'suitable' matches from 'people they know'..? I'm not about to get hitched..I've seen this happen to others..others far older! Gosh...this can't be happening to me!!!

As dad often says..I'll need to gulp down gallons of 'grow-up' tonic! I'd rather not! What if I could return...to 33/3 Staveley Road...to walks along Salisbury Park...to my ole school 'around the bend'..where old Mr Young (yes, he was ancient..wrinkles permanently in place to masquerade as a perpetual smile) taught the piano after classes..(the piano's extinct n if I judge right at the risk of sounding rude, I'd say so is Mr Young).. where Mrs Mathew, the Principal, gave full-throated renditions of old English classics during prayertime (no, this isn't a memory malfunction)!.. Where I'd stay after classes to know if a certain Mrs Samuel would require a helping hand with restoring books lent to forgetful students, to the class cupboard..in return for a generous bar of chocolate of course...where the bunch of the 'tiniest of the tots' hung on to tunic-ends of those ahead to 'maintain' a 'painfully shepherded' queue for our daily cocoa...(could dive into one of those tumblers n die of embarassment, now that I think of it..n now that I've better(?) sense!)..Cocoa was taken for granted..the multi-coloured tumblers were quite another story..n kept us interested in the contents for quite some time! (...if I catch any of ya (TJ?) laughin again...I'm goin ta hav ta perform th Expeliarmus ..not for the wand..but for ya)!!

The majestic structure - Command Hospital - My first medical admission - the bed never could boast of its occupant..li'l Miss Muffet, in the favoured company of uniformed 'sisters' (as nurses in the armed forces are popularly called) was always to be found 'doin the rounds' of all wards n checkin that occupants of other beds were firmly in place! No..no am not proud of all that..not in the least! N how was I indulged in return??..With an exclusive dining experience at the nurses' mess (the food I managed to wriggle away from..the ambience n television being the object of interest) n steady prescriptions of the popular fizz..the straw had to be a nice colour! Come Wee Willie Winkie time...n mom on her frequent visits would try not to look too flabbergasted at why her li'l one had 'absolutely no appetite at all!'..N why the sisters surrounding my bed looked like they all had somethin up their (short) sleeves! Boy! Did I have a great time! Thankx..dear sisters...I love ya all..n I miss ya all..God bless ya'll wherever you are!! :) Me haven't changed one bit...would rather not! Hope ya'll haven't 'grown up' either! N Hey Anu..! I wish I could make it to the wedding..Here'z wishin...here'z wishin...here'z wishin u....u...u wud mail me ur b'lore address! Aruna n I've gotta send somethin across! :) ASAP

I realize many of us come from varying backgrounds..places which are no more what they used to be..different timezones even.. If you've a page to share from your 'good ole days'..plz go ahead n let us in on the 'magic'..the space'z all yours! :)

What's Alien?

2005-12-08T17:51:00.000+05:30

Hi there everyone!
It's the Harry Potter season....n I'm no stranger to Pottermania..and though I'm not Albus Dumbledore, the legendary Principal of Hogwarts, I'm gonna dip into my pensieve and retrieve a very special memory...that has a tune to it too!

" Pheri tyo din samjha na chahan na
Tyehi kathha ma dohrau na chahan na
Maya yo ago ho polchha thha ha chha
Aphu lai jalau na chahan na"

This verse happens to be in a language as alien to me as it may be to the lot of you-Nepali. However, as it happens, based on the explanation I was given, I've made an attempt to translate the same in English...Here goes..

" I dont want to recall those days from the past
Dont want to see the story repeat all over again
Love, as you know is the flame that engulfs the heart
Dont want to scorch from the heat all over again"

There's something I must admit now- this, which seemingly is a simple verse in English, sounds far more appealing in this language that I don't understand. The play of words, the way they sound when they're strung together, the subtle aspects of meaning conveyed in an alien tongue mysteriously disappear when translated into a language that's more universal, that would help one understand much better. I've encountered several paradoxical situations like this..maybe even when I've sat listening to Ricky Martin's fascinating vocal feats in his native tongue- he could be singing about the Northern lights at the poles for all I know...sometimes, it really doesn't make sense to try n make sense!
There's this particular occasion sometime back..it was the month of June drawing to an end and after the scorching summer this year, everyone in this part of the world( a coastal town called Cannanore in Southern India) which I call home, were eagerly awaiting the first spell of monsoon that early July brings. When the sky is overcast and there's a gentle breeze to accompany the welcome drizzle, it's wonderfully refreshing to take a nice long amble by the sea...to gaze upon fishermen out in the middle calling out to each other hurrying their catch ashore. There are several tourists one encounters.. and on one such occasion, a gentleman from Korea or Japan(my apologies..should've asked) happened to be passing me by and in doing so, when I was least expecting it, bowed deeply with a warm smile and a touch of the hat! He got a genuine smile in return...but frnz, it stumped me...truly! How on mother earth could a total stranger
.. with no ties of his own to the land..make me feel welcome in my own country!!

Needless to say..I do look forward to you guyz relating similar instances..! And dear frnz...this is to wish you all a very Merry Christmas...Buon Natale!

Unexpected!

2005-04-28T11:58:00.000+05:30

Y'know I'm back....I'm back....that's more like MJ who just cant keep out of
prime-time news... But frnz, fellas n countrymen, I'M BACK. Amrita, stop giggling...if that's what
you're doing. Anu, you deserve a spank as much as I do, for the "remarkable failure
to keep in touch" over an entire month. Hey Anu...congrats for "conquering" Covering Dep! Well done!Needless to say, you've done us proud! As for you Amrita, what's with calling me up and pestering me into watching Milli
daily..?Now...dont go off the handle....Milli's a very sweet soap. And to be
honest...I think I've begun to like it....Really. Though Ive begun to wonder about
why the script requires her to shed buckets of tears...in almost every
episode?Isn't that a very cruel script??Come on tumbu....go ahead and re-script the
whole thing...let her laugh for a change. I think Star Plus needs you more than
Moneycontrol does. Am I not talking too much to just the two of you..!
Hullo everyone...(Wait..dont leave yet...both of you're also included)!I wonder sometimes, how many of us into blogging are also working. I wonder what
kind of work environment we're all dealing with...and if there is a lot of
disparity among them, then, why is it so?Do a basic set of guidelines exist that
can help brand work environs as amicable or competitive or for that matter highly
politicised...?If I sound weird to Amrita and Anu, guys I'm still sane. Infact, I'm
in a particularly jovial mood.And I'm at work.And this is the scenario everyday.No,
I'm not in a hurry to pass impulsive judgements on the state of affairs here. The
rationale is that if the state of affairs was anything like a lot of what I was
warned to expect, it would've shown on the folks working here. Nopes..they're all
happy n carefree...and managing work quite well without necessarily taking the
baggage of work-related worries that accompany it. It can't just be the
air-conditioning that's helping them keep their cool.That's for the equipment...We
humans require more than that...so what's the case here? Looks like, there is one
overwhelmingly obvious factor. The population here comprises mostly of the young...
and the young-at-heart. No murky politics, no complacency! Just the pure, unadulterated pleasure of work taking over. Whoosh..! Love the place...n Way to go! Unexpected but not unwelcome!

What an inspiration!

2005-03-08T10:50:00.000+05:30

A friend of mine rang the door-bell yesterday. Night had set in..was around 9p.m. He smiled and enquired if I had any DVDs that he could watch. My answer surprised him. "A PYT like you has no DVDs at home except this weird movie I've never even heard about!" He was truly shocked. But that is not what amazed me. It was true that I'd never been moved to want to own any DVD, as I get tired of them very easily. What shocked me was that he'd never heard of the movie I'm about to mention. This guy shrugged, and borrowed the DVD from me anyway. Today, I heard from him, as I knew I would. It was at the entrance to the lift, as I exited on my floor even as he was entering.
His comment was expected," Varsha, your DVD just moved the folks in my apartment to tears." His eyes were moist. He wasn't able to look into mine. The look said it all. I smiled and said I was glad they'd liked it.
Friends, this is the only DVD I own. Because I had no choice, but to have a copy of it "lying around" in case I wanted to watch it 'again!' I also am not overlooking the fact that I'd not been very positive about this film, when it'd been recommended to me. I was as dismissive of it as this guy I'm talking about. So I dont blame him.
The movie is called, "Life is Beautiful." For those who've watched it, it need not be described. But for those who've not, I suggest they do so as and when they get a chance.
The movie is about valuing what so many of us, infact maybe all of us, take for granted- life. It is also about learning how life is nothing but love. If you've watched the movie, I'd like you to reflect on what aspect of it you liked. If it moved you, then, why do you think this was so?
Many a times, I'm amazed by people's perception of this term they call "love." Personally I feel love is faith. And as I was telling a very dear friend the other day, faith is not the same as trust. Trust, I think, can be broken. Faith, cannot. When as a kid, I expected my dad to arrive on time for the part of the annual-cultural programme in my school where I was anchor, that was trust. When he didn't make it on time, and I assumed he would have a very good reason for it, that was faith. Trust probably comes from expectation, from a degree of self-interest. Faith comes from love, and love alone.
I love the character of the 'dad' in the movie I was talking about. My dad's with the army, but years of the tough-life hasn't changed him much- as a dad atleast. There was a time when I thought I was a know-it-all...I needed no advice. But when I paused to observe my dad, what I learned changed me for ever. What I like best about him is when he knows he's right and the one who's arguing with him(usually I) is wrong, and he has ample evidence to prove it, yet wouldn't. He'd just wait for me to realize..and when I do, he never says,"I told you so!" All he does is to give me a modest smile. He loses all his battles. I lose the war. What a way to win-by the power of faith and love.
The best victory of all! And what a sweet defeat!

Cross-Cultural Currents

2005-02-28T14:57:00.000+05:30

In the beginning I found this remarkably hilarious. ..but now that better sense has prevailed...I've awoken to reality. Friends, have you ever woken up to what you thought(or didn't think) would be a perfectly normal day...and shut the door to your place, only to return later that evening marvelling at the degree to which life changed in that single day, as you unlock the door to your house?Could've been what you thought was a positive or a negative change..but a change, nevertheless. The house, your room, your pet..are all the way you left it..but, you are not the way they left you.
What happened with me has me deep in thought. For when one does good, one doesn't generally expect the opposite as outcome. I'm going to let you in on a certain 'going-on' in life here. It was indeed hilarious in the beginning...but...well, but...
I'm doing this course, which includes one semester of training in broadcast with my college, and another semester of training with a British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC) journalist. So, in the first sem, we learn broadcast skills applicable to the Indian scenario. And, in the next, ..you can guess...BBC skills. That's what the course booklet or the prospectus as it is called, says. What it doesn't say, or let me put it this way, what it doesn't 'warn us of', is that these two parties would have the least degree of mutual compatibility and that we'd be the ones caught in these cross-cultural currents. So, it was with some surprise that I stood witness to the happenings of one seemingly fine morning during my BBC training. The BBC trainer never leaves an opportunity to show the college trainers in bad light. Before I let you in on what it was that unfolded, I'll tell you something about a key project that I count among my accomplishments (alas). I've covered, with camera ofcourse, a satellite launch, and by sheer coincidence, happen to be the first in college, to have shot it right. I believe this was communicated to the BBC trainer, by none other than, my college trainer(as part of our introductions). The way things changed after that, were funny initially. All my shots were branded 'to be retaken.' So, I took the 'compliment' seriously and worked on it day in and day out. To my utter surprise, however, no amount of camera work would satisfy the journalist. So I 'redid' what I'd 'redone'...and enjoyed doing so, assuming the aim to be training folks to perfection! The fun ended, when I was happily informed that the journo'd been overheard complimenting my work before a select audience of two Central Processing Units, one edit controller machine, an air-conditioning unit and a hapless student who happened to be present at the 'defining' moment.'
A couple of hours later, when the audience changed to include a few more animate objects like fellow students, the compliment was supplemented-"Shots need definition, could've been dispensed with." It no longer seems funny..
"There's none so blind as one who will not see," said someone, and I'm no more in the mood to pacify the journalistic vision. I remember a wonderful book, with one of the most simple yet, the most profound truths of life..the book's titled-"To Kill a Mockingbird." The character of the kid's father, forgot his name, makes an important point in it. He says," Sometimes, you know you won't win what you're fighting for, and you can choose not to fight, but you decide to fight nonetheless."
I'm sure this can't be the only account to be aired in this manner. You must've been witness to several situations, where, you could've passed on the baton. But, you chose to take it, and finish the race. Do speak up....

INTRODUCTION

2005-02-26T08:45:00.000+05:30

It promises to be an eventful year ahead.....Hi folks..this is Varsha signing in! Look forward to seein y'all join the bandwagon...Untill then....

Deja-vu-Dreams and reality?

2005-02-25T19:41:00.000+05:30

This is for the record...I woke up this morning and recalled something. My friend'd recently bought a book, 'The interpretation of Dreams' by Sigmund Freud. It differentiated between dreams linked with reality and those that aren't related to one's life. My dream fell in the latter category. I'd found myself in a large house with a huge dog. There were people milling all around...folks whose face I'd seen clearly in the dream(dont remember seein them in real life though). Freud says, such dreams have certain connotations. What they could possibly be, I have no clue..but there are several instances of deja-vu happening with me nowadays. Is there an 'interpreter of dreams' out there....anyone who has a better clue on what such dreams're all about? Must've happened to a lot of folks...