A February Wedding!

Beautiful and serene, she sat waiting to be guided out to the groom. The crowd of relatives did not unnerve her. Composed and smiling she received each relative with warmth. Flashlights from cameras shone and I was hurrying up and down busy. But I couldn't help notice in the chaos, that she sat there as pretty as ever. That's my sister.

I look back at the time when the wedding took place and everything is still clear in my memory. The happy get togethers of relatives(ofcourse with the nosy ones playing spoilers at times), the stress, the emotions and the ceremonies. It was a quick affair but everything happened with utmost ease and perfection. I wish i was just a spectator at the wedding. I would've had more time to see all the ceremonies, and truly enjoy. I did, but I was kept busy throughout. However, the importance I got being the 'brides sister' was  unparalleled! Happily I went about the chores assigned, trying my best not to falter. An upset bride and sister is the last thing I wanted! And once Che (I call her that) gets upset about something..ahem...(I dint say anything Che)! ;)

The Wedding

I fell in love with the Manipuri style of weddings. It is simple and elegant. A pretty white mandap is set up in the courtyard of the girls house where the marriage ceremony takes place. The men are dressed in white phaijom (dhoti)  and Phi( a coth to cover the upper part of the body). The married women wear the traditional mayek naibi phaneks( something like a wrap)  and  white Rani Phi's. The unmarried girls wear the same phanek paired with dainty and pretty phi's  in varied colours.

Together for life!

My sister was wearing what is called the Poloi, the bridal dress of Manipur. The groom wears the Phaijom and Phi in white and a turban in white. The ceremony is held around the Tulsi plant unlike the rest of the Hindu cultures where it is solemnised around fire. The tulsi plant is considered sacred in our culture. We pray to the tulsi every morning. I think this is connected to the Vaishnavite ( beleivers in Lord Vishnu) culture. Manipuris are predominantly Vaishnavites. Amidst the traditional wedding songs sung by some artists, and the beats of the pung(dhol), the ceremony takes place. The groom is seated while the bride walks around him seven times. Everytime she reaches him she pours flowers on the groom. The flowers are tiny white ones, not sure of the name. My sister walked so beautifully, I felt like clapping! Everyone complimented her for the way she walked, so elegant. This is another feature of the Manipuri wedding. The bride is expected to be the epitome of elegance. In the end she offers the two garlands to the groom. These two garlands are made by the bride herself on the mornin gof the wedding day. It is yet again a simple string of the same white flowers. The groom in turn removes one garland and offers it to the bride. Ok, I missed this part!! And I was quite peeved that I missed one of the main parts of the wedding!

The marriage ceremony came to end at 6 pm . Yes, that early. It started at around 3. Every wedding has the emotional part where the parents see off the girl. Damn. I felt my eyes welling up. I tried not to blink. She was about to leave for her new home, new life and new experiences...
The brides family goes to drop her off. So we all piled into cars lined up in a procession, with a truck full of 'band baaja's' leading the way. I obviously had to sit with my sister (yay!). The car in which we were sitting has to have the lights on( another 'tradition' I guess). So, sniffing and sentimental we were driven by che's brother in law. My aunt and cousins too were there in the car..all teary eyed. Now, who doesn't like to see a bride pass by... 'Yam phazei ko, Iteima!'( looking very pretty, bhabhi) , a guy on a bike calls out from the road...umm....I hear a giggle, its my little cousin Sunaina. We all start laughing, including my sister!! I wouldn't blame that anonymous guy, Che did look very pretty!

The Chakouba

Five days after the wedding Che came back with my brother-in-law(itei) and her new family for the chakouba. She looked beautiful. Chakouba is a feast that is held at the girls home and a variety of dishes are prepared by the bamons (brahmins who used to cook for the kings). The feast had two- three varieties of fish, like row, saireng, dals, eromba( typical spicy dish), fried fish, rice and a lot of other things. All superbly delicious. The banana leaves were laid out on the courtyard and we took our places, my sister flanked by my little cousins and myself. A mound of rice adorned my 'plate'. Th bamon came by and served the fish, followed by the rest of the preparations. I gorged and asked for more rice, unaware of the video/photographs being taken. Wow!  I could feel my tummy expanding, but i couldn't care less. The food was too yummy to be not had! I'll handle my guilt pangs later.. Che on the other hand was 'elegance eating' (!) with her pretty fingers. How do you do it Che??!! I don't think I can ever do that!
 

Satisfied with the aromas and variety we then had the kwa(beetle nut and leaf). The end of of the sumptuous meal!

It had rained for a couple of days after the wedding and Manipur became a beauty I had never seen and I took out my light cardigans. It had become cold. The perfect weather.

Everyone had begun missing Che after the wedding. The children went quiet and I was missing all the things we shared..including the conditioner, nail polish remover etc!! :P

The two weeks came to an end..relatives started leaving and we left Manipur, back to Delhi. My sister came back a few days later..and for the first time she did not come straight home...

The Tea Cozy!

Who uses a tea cozy today..? I remember my mother had a tea cozy embroidered set way back in the 90's. She even had a beautiful tea set. We used tea cozy's back then. Some days when we would go visiting an 'aunty' in the neighborhood, they would serve tea with the teapot covered with a dainty tea cozy. Then slowly it disappeared from households. The one we owned went through the wearing out phase, collecting stains of tea and soon of rust. And it vanished from my memory.

Recently, my sister got married. In the run up to the wedding my mother would surprise us with little little things that she had collected over the years in a trunk, to be given to us when we got married. A bed cover from Fatehgarh, a small town in U.P, with its patchwork of very English prints, a hand embroidered table cover set (with napkins and place-mats) from Pune etc etc. The beauty of these simple treasures cannot be matched by the modern upholstery anyday, though no doubt they too look very good. So along with these, out came the Tea Cozy set with Kashmiri embroidery! Our eyes lit up with girlish joy! The word 'Pretty' just doesn't do justice. With its rosy pink embroidery and delicate looking napkins, we held it and I could see my sister loved it. I loved it too. 

In the excitement of the wedding preparations, I wanted to get married too! And I love my mother for collecting these simple joys. Its a great idea! So I began making of list of things that I should collect from across the Indian states, apart from the ones mama had already bought! Be it a particular type of saree, curtains etc, and guess what topped the list..The Kashmiri Tea Cozy set! So what if we don't use them anymore? 

Wherever there was a possibility of finding one I would search, Dilli Haat, Emporiums etc. I did not find the same one that my sister got. Sadly, some of them were 'modernized' and had lost the charm...

Finally, I got just the one(or two!) I wanted at Jammu!We visited Jammu recently and I bought myself not one but two Tea Cozy Sets...'for later'! It may be a stupid indulgence but one cannot resist these pretty girly things with the most simple yet alluring embroidery. So I liked two and couldn't let go of either! It is now tucked away somewhere in the same trunk from where my love affair with the Tea cozy began!

When Flowers Bloom

The April sun is warm and fuzzy. We are being driven through the road that is winding its way through the mountains. As we ascend the heights of the mountain and geographically move upwards the sun becomes brighter and stares through the window of the car. As usual, I'm on the sunny side. I like to believe that I am the Sun's favorite child. I was born in the hot month of June(I love the name!). I emerged from my mother's womb as the sun was rising at 4:30 am in Manipur and I always land up closer to the sun..be it in buses, cars, autos or even up in the skies. And like in any emotional bond, I  get irritated with the sun, when it shines too bright giving me headaches.
I shield my self from the sun, which is becoming more notorious as we approach noon time. I give in, I say Hi! The journey is dull with three sleepy people, old melodious(with sleep inducing properties) Hindi classics and a comfortable car. I am awed by the driver, driving for 4 hours with a 20 minute break, not on straight roads mind you and with the car completely silent with an occasional snore from my mother and a  one minute chuckle from me as I find something like a snore extremely hilarious in such a strikingly monotonous journey. The head of the person in the front seat keeps jerking sideways, 90 degrees, then it jerks back and then again its back to 90degrees right.. the acrobatics continues till he is awakened..by what..one never really knows. Maybe my stifled giggling..? The driver drives on unaffected by these events in the car. I wonder if he finds the snoring and head bobbing funny. Will he giggle if he does..?


Our stomachs are growling by now. I am extremely hungry. But the thought of food awaiting us at home helps me be patient and not open the kurkure packet kept in the car. I gaze out looking at the valley below, the river accompanying us till our destination, I am  a stranger to its adventures beyond. The river is gushing, clear and  fresh in its personality. How lucky are the people who live close to the river. There is a particular point in its course ,where a few big dark rocks are perched at the one side of the river,here it slows down, almost looking still. I have often times imagined myself sitting on the flat rock..reading and just sitting. It is shaded..I made sure of that before I imagined me sitting there. Talk about practical imagination..
The river, the roads the people were familiar sights on every visit. This time I was 'blooming' with joy as I began to spot colourful and dainty flowers sprouting on the once dried out trees. Angelic whites, blushing pinks, and alluring reds! Such beauty along the roadside, my heart was filled with joy. I soaked in the colours and the elegance and felt the glow of beauty within..! It was spring time and in a place like Delhi I had almost forgotten the romance associated with the word- Spring.


Standing under the burst of pinks, whites and purples...only love could match that feeling..

My 'flowery' experience was enhanced as I stepped into the lush green garden surrounded by pansies, snowflowers, calandulas,poppy, flocks and many more. Each one smiling and chirpy, lending a timeless bliss to the admirer...

I cannot fathom what about flowers brings me so much joy but I don't delve into it (as I do with any other incomprehensible thought/emotion)  and let the feeling remain.
I remember these lines from a poem by John Keats "A thing of beauty  is a joy forever; its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness..."    

My Wish List..Contd...

So I had to come back to writing about my remaining 'dream destinations' as I had a horrible start to the day. I drove someone mad and feeling the lowest of my lows.... :(

My mind then wandered (more like I let my mind wander)to Yvoire, France. I had read about Yvoire in a food magazine. The quaint little town, filled with flowers and tiny cafes, very romantic! There is a restaurant that I read about, the La Rabeouf( not sure of the spelling

now) Restaurant. The picture of the place is what caught my fancy. My imagination centre (in my head) instantly imagined my self there at the restaurant with 'the one'..hehe..sounds funny (by the way 'the one' is mad at me these days..can't blame the one though!). Well anyway, thinking about Yvoire, I cheer up! Why do some places make me feel all happy, even though I am not there? How do they make me feel at peace? So, how would this place be..? I am imagining a lazy afternoon sun, a slight nip in the air, the subtle fragrance of the fresh flowers, shrubs, quiet and peaceful, friendly locals.....wine and cheese..!

It just struck me that for the first time in my blog i am writing about something in the future..so far all i have written about have been things that happened in the past. Soon when these places also go down into the beautiful treasure trove of my memory I will keep true to the name of the blog. For now, a little deviance is accepted, my blog, my rules it is!

Next up on my list is Ireland. The name itself has a country'ish feel. The movie P.S I Love You, makes it even more desirable..! Gerry, the perfect lover; him belonging to a place like Ireland, even more perfect; the way they meet,at the national park, better than fairy tales i'd say. Ireland has been a 'place to visit before I die' since my days as a fan of 'Westlife', a boy band not popular with the true music lovers, but my sis and I liked them anyway, and they were from Ireland.

So the pretty boys of Westlife had my sis and I wanting to go to Ireland atleast once. The beauty of the place did not help matters much..Ireland was stunning! Just the kind of place I would like to visit. I haven't read much about Ireland yet so don't know what i'd be looking forward to but I believe in surprising myself and discovering...
If there were a travel personality I would come in the 'serene, calm, exotic countryside lover' category. There are so many places in the world but these places win hands down any day for me. Not Las Vegas,not Miami...! Be it a holiday with friends, a romantic getaway, a family holiday, I think I'd choose one of these places.
There are a couple of other places I have on my list but will make do with writing about just these... in fact, my next piece will be on a small valley I visited in our very own, India!!
  

My Wish List!!! Part 1

This sudden strong urge,within me to explore the new...is taking me places,creating new moments in my life(ok..not really but in my mind..yet..) and makes my heart happy!! That's why the title has the 'wish' in it...well wishes do come true,i'd like to believe..!

Here are some pics taken from the internet of places that I will visit very soon :)

Oh Greece!! The blue and the white of the Santorini and the sea expanding into the horizon. I imagine myself here in a dainty flowery summer dress,feeling all fresh, and sipping coffee..!

Swim in the blue sea, have a cozy dinner on a yacht, taste some wine and relax..a greek boy as a friend,guide whatever...is more than welcome....Inner Peace...wink wink!!

Istanbul by Turk Hava Yollari :)

I have been to Istanbul once on a really short trip. Too short for a city like Istanbul. I still

remember the welcome nip in the air, the cobbled roads, the varied colours at the grand bazaar, the old man who I bought a Turkish tea set from, the Hagiya Sofia, the Boshphorous cruise and the Shawarma! Though i visited most of the tourist attraction there, i would say they were more like short 10 seconds preview of a film you're dying to watch! The main show is yet to be seen!!

I imagine myself in Istanbul as a single traveler, walking the lanes, sitting at one of the outdoor seating of a restaurant, riding the Istikal Caddesi Tram...Oh so much to do....! Life..please take me to Istanbul....

My list has a few more places, some I came across in movies, some in food magazines and some have been just my childhood dream....Need to update soon..right now i'm hard pressed for time hence leaving with Greece and Istanbul in my blog and my eager heart..

Sat-errr-day....

Woke up to the humanly noise and a stillness outside my window , its a saturday, ma is going to work, pa, my sis and I are home. It's a weekend in its true sense(atleast for the three of us), weekend always should = 'work-end'!

Always the last one to emerge from slumber, i am witness to quite an unpleasant experience. One moment I hear sounds the next I don't. These sounds progressively get irksome. The beginning is pleasant with my dad chanting 'Aaauuuuuummmmm'('OM' elongated), my mother's homely movements around the house, and then the bell ma rings for the morning prayers. I sleep the longest but never satisfied, woken up by philosophical taunts..'the world is going ahead of you..' (a part of the irksome progression). At one extreme there's the peace and stillness outside due to the lack of cars and the usual hustle bustle of a weekday and then theres utter disturbance with Neo pouncing on..I repeat...ON...me, barking.licking,clawing; the sound of utensils being washed, a running tap, the doorbell, the phone, the mobile phone..phones...Noise wins any day, sorry Peace and Quiet I tried my best....I finally give in.....

So this Saturday turned out to be mundane..and I realised mundane is good.

Washed my black wrap dress, that I managed to stain with tomato soup, last season and long overdue. Dry flat..tumble dry(googled it)..expert water washing etc etc said the care instructions. I soaked it, scrubbed the stained part a bit, wringed it and dried it between two clothes lines...well almost flat, just the edges hanging.

Next chore, washed my Converse shoes..after finally feeling pity for the way it looked, pen marks, grime, faded. All the typical washing stunts I did not use in my dress I did on the shoes!! The fact is I have grown up watching clothes being 'washed' not just touched, soaked and dried. So I am still getting used to the washing of delicate clothes..weren't there delicate clothes back then? So the shoes were scrubbed nice and proper,went in and out of buckets of water(just the required amount mind you!), the shoelace was scrubbed...felt good.

The shoes were then placed in the sun. Back in the bathroom, poured out the water, what colour is that exactly..the muddy, dirty colour..? :)

So, sat down to read the latest edition of Femina. Cool. Feeling at peace. Mundane chores are like meditation. Had a minor spat with my sis. Peace...declining......heard a lecture from dad...further declining...!

Peace was regained when I spoke to a special friend(wink wink). And further calm prevailed while learning to prepare Quiche(An Australian dish)!!

My converse shoes are a happy pair..! And by the way, my dress is doing perfect..as long as you love what you're washing you'll never go wrong!

Peace!

A Bugle Call...

The army never fails to captivate me.

I attended the Army day Parade recently. It was impeccable. Men in smart olive green uniforms with their respective regimental colours adorning their arm bands and beret, informing the other of their regimental loyalties, yet the uniform colour of their 'uniforms' conspicuously declaring their unity, that they belong to one country first. The officers from other countries who attended the parade simply stood out...they were different. Our soldiers seemed to merge and blend into a familiar green. Senior officers to the junior officers holding themselves with aplomb....how good they must feel to be in that uniform, to be serving the nation in the highest form possible. I feel a sense of pride.....

The demonstration of a combat situation was scintillating! The helicopters, right in front of you, at eye level, blowing up dust, tanks coming in full speed from behind, the thundering sound of the bombers. Soldiers demonstrating how a face to face combat with the enemy takes place......! We literraly were holding on to our seats. It was indeed a treat to the eyes and a pleasant jolt to the adrenalin...and specially mine which had become quite sluggish off late!

The brass bands, with their bugles and bagpipers, their colourful 'uniforms' rending out tunes never fails to send a chill down my spine. They play tunes, there are no words, but my mind can almost hear the harsh cold of the high mountains, the dreariness of the deserts and a song of the life that has been surrendered to the country. Some popular patriotic songs that I have grown up singing in school sounds a lot more stirring when the army bands play it their way, while they march in unison, their white 'boot covers' ( i need to know the exact name!), moving together in an effortlessly harmonious manner. Since I was a kid, I was captivated by the synchronic movement of the 'white boots'. I would get lost just staring at the white part of their dms boots as they marched on into anonymity....

The traditions of the army have always charmed me. The decorum that one needs to follow, the disciplined structure, it's culture and the slight touch of royalty that it exudes.....how would life have been outside of the army fraternity...? Almost unimaginable! Standing there, in civvies, yet feeling a part of the sea of olive greens, sipping coffee I was grateful to be lucky to have experienced the 'army life' in this life....!

"High in the mountains, buried deep in snow, when the bugle calls I will rise and march again"

The Streets of Vrindavan

The cold air did not give up ruffling my hair into knots. The auto did not seem to be willing to compromise on the speed. Wrapped in three layers of warm clothing I was enjoying the feel of my cold cheeks. We entered the town which seemed like one main road. The main eateries and shops seem to lie on this one road. The rest of the town was hidden in the lanes and by lanes off the main road. Having set foot on this holy land I embarked upon the adventure of wandering through the streets yet again.....

Walking through the lane leading to the Banke Bihariji Mandir... sadhus and rishis in their discoloured saffron and white robes with dread locked hair chanting as they walked along, what is their purpose in life...I can't help but wonder...not that I am certain of my own purpose here on earth but at the cost of sounding foolishly proud- I have a job, a family, friends and I am happy...period....but what goal do they live for. How can they do without worldly possessions? Are they truly happy? Stray dogs trotting ahead of us with an air of confidence, bet they know every turn and secret passage in these narrow lanes. Men, women and children, mostly pilgrims I'm guessing walking by chattering and chanting. Every devotee goes back with a different experience...and to each the experience is a cherished one, I presume.....

'Radhe Radhe' we greet the walkers in these streets. Many throng this mandir...many jostle to receive the 'prasad' and many crane their necks and bodies to get a glimpse of the god whose eyes speak to each one present there. Every human present in the mandir feels that the god is looking at him. I felt the same. The belief is that one has to look into the eyes of Bihariji and talk to him and pray. I stretched out my hand too to present the garland of marigold to be offered to god and yet again for the prasad, i craned my neck too to get a view of the lord. Just this act of offereing a garland forms a bond between the almighty and the self. I felt at peace. The hundreds present were chanting and praying, for once people were in a wave of unison. A lone voice singing praises of the lord, melodious by itslef. One goes out of the mandir feeling blessed. I gave a bit of my prasad to the first stray dog I saw, he seemed a bit lost with a tiny girl trying to shoo him away when he wasn't even interested in her. God bless him and people like him who don't even know what they are being blamed/punished for.........

Walking out into another street I see the rows of sweets, ladoos being sold as offerings. The shops selling colourful attire for the murtis of ladoo gopalji that one takes home and palces at the mandir at home. I took one too...

As we walked out, a young boy told me to remove my specs. The monkeys have a fancy for eye glasses. I glanced up and sure enough there were hoard of monkeys and their extended families perched on the roof tops. Was that little monkey eyeing me?! Go eye all those sweets please...!

The streets are crowded and the buldings through which these lanes meander go unnoticed. old and dirty, I wonder what they are used for now...what history do they conceal....Short of time and without someone who could tell me about them I trudged along.....leaving the brick lanes behind and a number of lanes unexplored.....

Love Note

Sunny and bright were those two days I spent with you. A warm glow of love enveloped us. The little things we did, the few words that were spoken and those that were not. When did we reach where we are today? I dreamed of this day once as we took a journey together. Is that why they say dreams do come true.....?

Don't ever ask me to let go of those moments....let's keep creating more, even if distance separates us, even if we face challenges..let's keep creating....

'Letting Go'!!!

I am laughing at myself. And I invite one and all to do so! I have always been able to laugh at myself, my stupidity and find it quite okay if people also find what I do funny, stupid or whatever is the appropriate adjective to use here (i cant think of any) and laugh along with me. maybe I wouldn't be so comfortable if people laugh 'at' me...Hmm..eeeehh thats a scary thought! But I know thats not gonna happen because I think I pretty much have control over that.

Now, What I dont have control over will take up one full page and no I don't want to write about that.

My Blog was named 'Memory's Eye' as I was writing about things that have happened in the past. Every moment becomes the past the very next moment...so as I am writing this in the present it keeps becoming the past so well even if I write about anything in the present..as I am doing now...just wrting whatever comes to my mind im keeping true to my blogs name and purpose!! Yay....!! Talk about having control by default...Sounds great...and confusing I guess..!

Today, has been, well transitional! I am suddenly realizing that I have taken my life and relationships a wee bit more seriously than I should've. I know this because I am not liking this!!I am recalling me when I was younger. All that comes to mind is 'I was carefree'. I had no attachments. And I was so amazing back then!! I want that back! I see that what i wrote about too has changed so much. What am I writing about today?? Im not writing....im just venting my feelings which by the way is a lot...I think I feel too much these days!!

So, thats it...thats all...I can take control of this. I am just letting myself go (umm, i just like the sound of it!)...adding more sense to that-I will be what i like being. It's just me now. Wait, not in the selfish way! It is in fact for the people in my life, who whether they know it or not are so damn special and I can't help that. For those people who will be happy if I become a little laid back and not hyperventilate about things. I can just help myself! Can't force anyone else to change or not be affected by my varying moods and words.....

Thats why I am laughing, because thats what makes me happy and carefree for starters!

Truly,

A Wanderer ( who went 'off track' for a bit!)

Nonuuuu!!

Wow! It's been quite a while....!

I sat down with a pen in hand...yes, I still prefer writing first and then typing it out if I have to, hoping that words will flow and the blank notebook page will fill up. But alas, the note book page remains blank as I take to the mobile phone, frustrated with my 'blank' mind, and in a furious need for some thoughts and some words that might help fill the 'blankness'. Whew! Sometimes life does become just 'blank'!!

What?!Right there...yep...three lines up...yep..right there..! 'Take to the mobile phone'?? Is that where i was looking for inspiration to write? I have no more to say....!

Enter Neo(alias Nonu)...back from his outing,bounding into the room and straight on the messy bed of mine. My face is his focus and soon we are in a game of rough and tumble play. The bed is even messier. His quota of play with me over he finds his bone and begins his work on it. Chewing it with great concentration and passion.

Watching him is a delight. Just watching him....the stress from my hectic day evaporates, a warm feeling fills me. He lets you watch him, he lets you hold the bone for him, he lets you hug him, he lets you pull his cheeks..umm..you know what I mean! All this without a sign of irritation! Look at him now...sprawled over the blanket (why does it have to be a 'blanket'!) his head hanging from the edge of the bed and a part of his loose skin, that would be his extended lips folded inwards revealing one of his canines. He does not realize he's looking funny! He does not act stupid. He is all that!

Blank it!!(umm..an exclamation of joy!) (Yeah all this happens when I don't write for long periods...! Kindly bear with my languid outbursts...)

Today is a Holiday

Went to office, past the major traffic, thinking I'm running late. Reached the office and its locked!?? Wait I'm confused, its my second day at work. Has the office closed down? Have they all gone off on a project without informing me? Umm, No! I was late....maybe everyone else is stuck in the jam. Hmm, let's just wait a while till somebody shows up. Should I call ma'am? Should I ask the shopkeeper what happened? I think I should just call ma'am. And somebody does show up. The office peon. There, he's late too and has probably got the keys to the office. Yay! No one will know I was late! He comes up to me and asks- you didn't get the message? It's a holiday today....followed by the reason, an unfortunate reason. But the office is not closing down. Thank you dear God. "So, what? I go back?" I just wanted to confirm. I was happy.

The last time something like this happened was back in school. I hated going to school. Everyday my mom and aunt had to drag me out of bed, make me eat my breakfast which I deliberately did as slowly as I could, and I would search for signs of impending stomach aches and nausea. If I felt even a wee bit of either of the two I would magnify it many fold and act. Yes, I did. So, imagine after all the effort that goes into trying to avoid school, you reach school and find a blackboard saying "Today is a Holiday". Ten exclamation marks immediately get attached to the notice even if they don't exist. the Word 'Holiday' itself has an exclamation of its own...if you know what i mean. In a place like Manipur, it happened quite frequently, the rains (yes, after reaching school in the rainy mess!), strikes, bandhs (very common here), or some other reason, which we never bothered to find out. It was pure exaltation for me! A content heart and mind, as if a battle had been won, going back from school at a time when I would probably have been studying about early man in the first period.

Today of course, was different. It was not like I did not want to go to work. But I love surprise holidays!

As I walked back, the weather just perfect in making the feeling sink in and even more enjoyable, I remembered the days back in school and I am left with a smile and a very familiar feeling of contentment!

Reaction....! Breathe.......

People/humans, the animal that has progressed leaps and bounds are...well numerous. I think this species too has to be furthur categorised into subtypes...according to the level of advancement,one of the categories should be-emotional sensibilities towards other 'animals'. Those who don't meet the criteria should be placed, as an identity, 'insensitive and cruel to Animals'. And to what end? Labelling, yes I wouldn't mind 'labelling' them as that. Secondly, in order to keep them in check there would be laws made, and therapy made a necessity!!!

I read in the newspaper today that dogs, the expensive and rare breeds are being abandoned by their owners. Why? beacause they can no longer take care of them, or because the pet has developed some disease. Why did they buy it in the first place?? Social Status!!! Freakin' rubbish and inasnity and utter Stupidity..yes with a capital S!!!! These people have to come in that category..they need therapy, medication...whatever!

As is evident, I am angry. And this is an outburst.

These breeds cannot survive in the streets or even in shelters...as the newspaper reports. I believe they understand and feel too. If they did not, then why would our pets reflect our low and happy moods( dog owners will understand what I mean).

On the other hand, again, there are people in the opposite category....and they have made life better for these abandoned beings. Praise and blessings to them.

Here, ive talked about dogs, but the recent revelation about the sad state of tigers is another issue. I think every animal faces some problem and most of the cause is us, the humans. And the afore mentioned category of people definitely is the microcause!
Who are we calling 'Dogs'...we should rather say 'such a human'!!

Mickey!

A Hillstation outside my Window...

The cold is different today. From my second floor flat, Ican see a few trees peeking thorugh the curtain that the fog has formed. I am warm in my bed,under my blanket, a muffler to protect my neck and a decently warm sweater. My face is cold,and feels fresh from it, a small wet patch beneath the nose..or atleast it feels wet. The friendly sun is missing today, on a holiday I suppose, he said so a few days back...
Its slient and calm, with a few vehicular sounds that are almost familiar, interrupting the perfect silence. It seems the usually gregarious and 'walking' people prefer the warmth of the indoors today. What must the two funnily irritating children from the ground floor doing today...indoors.. and I am evidently glad about their positioning today...I peep down at the empty tree lined road and it is darker...wet...wet! It drizzled and I dint get to know....as if to prove it I hear faint light drops on the window pane..or was it my mind..my mind:interestingly quite imaginative....
Being a holiday helps the feeling and mood. No parents at home(for the time being) to put me back into reality helps furthur!
Is this Delhi that I know? Is this A Vihar that I know? Sitting in my bed it is neither.
I am looking at a hillstation through my bedside window.

Great "Unexpectations"

Its the new year...Happy New Year 2010(umm...ok isn't it apparently 2010..anyway we have to mention the year right) to all of you!
Last night was unexpected. Firstly, I never thought that we would end up at DSOI (thanks to Ish!) instead of TOI...( etc etc Officers Institute). I never thought I would enjoy myself, I never thought I would take my fondness for black to the extent of wearing a black dress, stockings,shoes,coat, and nail paint. And I never thought I would get to see so many strikingly handsome men in Delhi. So, the 'entry' into the new year 2010(! i like this) was good..thanks to the company too..let me just make a personal comment here:Thank you R and R...It was fun being with you guys.
Good Bye Old year 2009(im infact loving this)..which began with a change in residence, a breakup..hmm,becoming a post grad, a rather interesting online buddy(unexpected), my first job, a foreign tour, a now there now not relationship(unexpected too), a crazy time at the afore mentioned residence(including beer and more of it..and the end of it too..well almost)(unex...!),my first blind date(not at all expected..!),three dear friends leaving delhi,yet another change of residence and lots of new and variety of friends...and I am left smiling. Lights fade out....and curtains down.....
Woke up to a string of door knocks..when I realised that they were actually my message alert tone. Sleepy and tired from last night I replied and sent the same to other friends...wishing for the best but with no idea how this new year 2010( im crazy about this now), is going to shape up!
Curious and excited, uncertain and hopeful, I'll just 'wait and watch' I guess (H...your words still remain with me and means a lot!)
Welcome New Year 2010!!!

Cock-a-doodle-do and other Sounds...

5 am...I hear the first strains of the morning call. It drowns into part dream,part reality, part drowsiness. I drift back into sweet slumber. 8 am it seems clearer. A lazier call this time to suit my mood but yet does not lose its identity of a 'wake up' call. I wake up. As I brush with the icy cold water fetched from the water tank I can hear activity in the kitchen which is in the backyard outside the house. My uncle is sweeping the verandah and my grandfather muttering and mumbling some displeasure about the sugar content of the morning tea. The three little pups are clear with their playful squeaks. By nine the familiar sounds of the bell from Govindaji temple nearby ring, ten times, I counted once. The ring of the bell has remained the same. Even afetr 15 years it is part of my morning and evening sounds, unchanged and undulating. At sharp 9 am when the prayers are offered and the Gods are cleaned and fed, one can hear the chants and the tiny gongs in musical unity. The 9 am Indigo flight coming fron Delhi flies above our red brick house bringing others back to their homeland, Manipur.
An occasional collection of young laughter I heard once as I was sipping the sweet milk powder tea and eating boiled cucumber. Like when someone cracks a witty joke in the middle of a speech. And it seemed as though the listeners were in rapt attention. My aunt told me that it was coming from a tuition class ( a succesful one it must be) right behind our house. After an hour I heard numerous bicycles clinking and carefree banter of young boys and girls( it became a commonplace thing to hear them)....it made me feel older...sigh..
11.30 and I hear it again. I wondered why it would shout out in the middle of the morning. Wasn't it supposed to be only in the mornings? However, it enforces the lazy and drowzy feeling. I like it so i dont bother finding out. By this time it is quiet. I can hear the whistle of the pressure cooker, which brings to mind what special food is being cooked on the second day of my visit. I am already hungry, and having nothing to do does not help contain my hunger pangs. I sit to read beneath the tree partly in the shade and partly getting warm under the sun. I read for a while...... then sounds take me away from the book- the squirrels, and the colorful birds chirping, the sound of thr poultry gurgling, the radio with a Manipuri ballad..... it's not long before I feel at peace and capture the moment in my being.

Mickey comes near me after having roamed the streets, wagging his tail, I call out " Mickeeyy.... Mickiiiccckkeeey' and he responds ... ' booooooooo'. It generates love.

The power of sounds is strange......:)

Faces in the Crowd?

Some faces make me happy...
My day is brightened when I see these faces. A muffin just got baked somewhere, warm and fuzzy..when I catch a glimpse of these faces!
The person sipping coffee at the table across, a face in the audience, a collegue, a senior, a junior, a passerby in the familiar corridors. That's how it all begins. It began...for me. A person sipping coffee...breeds a strange sense of familiarity and need. My eyes scan the many tables for that one face. There comes a time when the simplest gesture is exchanged- a smile. A smile that brings an undefined joy. A face in the audience..yes. The only face that was composed yet smiling. The same face seen in the corridors, the face is that of a senior.... Calm and composed as we cross and beaming after I cross the person. A chocolate walnut cake just got baked....
Temporary...the faces maybe temporary. We move away...they move away. I search...a day, a week..and a new face appears-the muffins..!
Today a Chocolate Walnut cake got baked somewhere for sure....!

Inspiration:Nigela

Generosity is a good word, and generous helpings of oft avoided foods sounds like heaven. At the thought and sight of it my stomach has a pleading smile and my face betrays my longing.
I was flicking through the T.V channnel's the other day(like when one really needs to 'get a life'), twice over already. Finally, I decided to watch Nigela Lawson's show. A neat lady who evidently has the passion to cook and savour what she cooks. And every bit of her accent sounds like chocolate truffle (bizzare eh?!). Sandwich. She was preparing sandwich that day. Yes, as simple as a sandwich..and I was mesmerised!
The whole grain bread-fresh and sunny, the black currant jam-dark and tangy, and the homemade cream cheese-rich and well...creamy!
Okay, I had to bite into this sandwich! The show over, I check my kitchen for possible ingredients that at least 'look' like what Nigela had used. So down comes the plum jam, the lid tight over it from a long period of not being opened. umm...I'm not much of a jam person, but anyway , next..yeah there you are, the plain cheese spread and finally the whole grain bread (woohoo! somethings the same..ditto).
So here we are, all the ingredients in front of me..and a delightful dish we are ready to prepare!( a dialogue rambling on in my head).
I slop on a generous quantity of cheese spread on the bread, not in a neat way but just a lot of it on every inch of the bread. Then the plum jam (mmm..smells good, right out of he farms), with the butter knife I spread it over the slice. One slice comes on top of the other and the sandwich is ready! The dialogue is still on in my head..trying to let chocolate truffle emanate through my words!
And there you go...mmm, this is really good. Almost sinful. Savour..mmm, happy...savour. Get a life?? No, go make yourself a generous sandwhich!
I felt the bliss of eating 'generous' that day. Liberating. Awesome!

By the way, just in case, don't try my cheese spread and plum jam recipe. And if you do think of trying it, do it after watching Nigela's show..it'll taste better!!

Spontaneous thought's about...a phone call.

Yet another technical end to our conversation! 'SNIP' and it's over. We didn't even say our sweet "bye's" . Thank god! we don't measure our lives in terms of our phone batteries. I would be about a century old..make that two..!! Why does this technical glitch make me feel irritated?? Am I technically maladaptive(TM)?
Those days (un dino u see!)...sigh..well those days when my father (or would it be my grandfather?..umm,the telephone came to India around the 1950's. By then my grandfather had two to three kids so, well, my father it is then) may have tried calling my mother with just a few paise (or rupee?... now its your turn to tell me!!heehee!) to spare over an STD call. And the phone went dead with no more coins to insert, did she feel the same or did she feel in a different way..unknown to me? Maybe she coyly kept the phone down,returned to her room and went about her other chores. Perhaps she waited for the next call.
May be I am TM...or am I..am I?!
The joy,however, of having talked beats my TM any day. That's something common I shared with my mother I guess..!
Thinking 'un dino' actually helped!:)