Here comes a new line of weekly posts ...... **Plays trumpets & drum rolls** Presenting "Foto Fridays". Cool na? :)
I love taking snaps. It captures the moment in the best manner. I have an external hard disk filled with photographs as early as 2005. It is sheer bliss watching the old memories as there are numerous joys and tears in every snap.
Now I am not a professional photographer but I believe, my picture can speak a thousand words. (It's also an easier trick for me to escape writing those long posts which nobody reads anyways ;-p)
The first snap this week is an interest I wanted to start a long time ago. Better late than never, I guess. My raw materials are finally ready - Acrylic paints, brush set, color palette, blank sheet, a pen, tissue and water.
Now I wonder what my first project is going to be... hmmm ! .....
Painting - A long lost hobby
Another one from the collection, this snap goes on to show how the Life Partner (LP) and I are constant companions of work all the time.
How many laptops is "too many" laptops?
To the extreme left, you see the LP's work laptop, to the right you see my work laptop and the center one is the personal laptop (a.k.a. the internet station, junk download spot, music zone, mini theatre, blog machine etc... etc... You get the picture right.... ;-p Oh.. Special mention - Notice the LP on the desktop strumming his guitar ;-) Ain't "I" a lovey dovey wifey? :-D )
So, as my caption mentions, how many laptops do you think is "too many" laptops? :-D
- Do you get accustomed quickly in the company of complete strangers? Yes/No
- Once friends, do you keep up the friendship? Yes/No
I remember answering these questions in every personality or behavioral training undergone till today. Only wished, the answer hadn't been so straight-forward - "Yes" or "No". Why not - "Maybe" or "Sometimes" or "I don't know". It's not like you can never change those traits. Anyways, at the end of all those exercises, I realized I was an introvert.
Personally, I always knew I am an introvert. I take time to open up. A really long time. Because I believe in taking my time. Sometimes, I get judgmental of the people in the process. I realize that's not right, but it's true. Remember the saying - "Don't judge the book by its cover". There are past instances where I implemented this principle in the opposite sense.
The first impression of friends has been correct at times and wrong at others. But it always led to the same personality trait of mine - introversion. Few of my friends who know me well would have the same opinion based on how I befriended them for the first time.
We take seconds to mingle with few and for some, even ages look less.
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Take the case of my closest college friend - the poetess. She sings well and expresses her feelings in perfect words. During the first year of college, I made a late entry into the course and ended up with no familiar faces around me. Reason - ? Well, let's just say I was forced to join this University-affliated recognized state-level course compared to a personal choice of a distance-education correspondence. I will save the details for another post ! :-)
So, here I was all alone in the class, looking for some company. The "poetess" seated right in front of me had her own group of "sahelis". Neither did she acknowledge my presence nor did I interact with her. So instantly came my first judgement - she is a snob ! After many days (which means after ages of lone-some crying, hatred for the college and people around), I fostered the courage to speak to her and introduce myself. Even that one act was not enough.
Finally, after a couple of days since I spoke to her, she came up to me and then began a long friendship.
What makes us judge a person so fast? Their body language, their attitude, the way you expect them to speak, the way they actually don't speak? Why do we take so much precaution in opening up to a person. Would you call them strangers even when they are part of your college class or job-training batch?
Today, when I look back, I laugh at how a funny instance led to the beginning of a wonderful friendship between me and another close friend at work - AB :)
My college class-mate helped to form his first impression. Our college was a combined institution made up of 2 halves - 'X' and 'Y', located next to each other. The institution belonged to a wise septuagenarian who named them after his two sons.
Even though people hailed from the same institution, they took pride in stating the name of their half. :) So, on the first day of our corporate training, my friend says - Class-mate : "Have you met AB in this batch? He is from our college but from 'X'." Me : "Is it? That's weird... How come we never saw him after studying in 'Y' for three years?" Class-mate : "Beats me....... Why do you think people say - 'X' is better than 'Y'?" Me : "What? Who said so?" Class-mate : "AB said so. When I spoke to him the first time, he mocked at me when I told him we are from 'Y'." Thanks to that conversation, when I got a chance to speak to AB myself, I started by ridiculing his side of the college. How kiddish, I know ! But seven years later, AB has been very supportive as a friend and we can pass hours by teasing and pulling each other's legs.
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Times have changed since then. Working in a profession where you get to meet and work with new people every couple of months, it has become a refreshing change to make friends by the day. The number of good friends keeps increasing in my email list and my Facebook list :p
Let me share a more recent experience. My organization has a yearly stage event for its customer and employees here. And the last couple of months were the busiest for me and 'M'. I personally didn't want to offer taking a lot of responsibilities. So my bright idea, to avoid being pulled into the organization committee, was to perform a invocatory classical item and buzz off. :)
But like how "Man proposes and God disposes", I ended up being the dance coordinator for the event. Great going, GR ! But that was not the worst. My creative mind came up with numerous themes for the evening. Realistic but a bit far-fetched, I guess. Like a bowling game, all of those themes kept knocking off the plate due to lack of employee willingness, no response and dearth of participants. The final attempt - presenting 'A Bollywood Musical' and roping in 'M' as a replacement :-D.
From 8 people, the number kept dwindling between 6 and 8. I lost my cool one day, and decided - 3 couples it is. Merely 10 days short of the event, the practice sessions started. I knew, letting the situation take its stride was not going to work, considering my self-respect was at stake. So there, my introvert side shed and gave way to a new side :)
The new 4 people with whom we met as strangers, danced as partners and interacted like long-lost friends and that turned out to be really amazing. Common backgrounds, interests, likes, dislikes all put together made for one good group. The performance was enjoyed and much appreciated. But more than that, a silent routine life suddenly took a sharp turn and transformed to a busy, hectic journey. Now, the 6 of us, plan group outings, games, shopping, lunch/dinner, parties, New Year's Eve plans and what not !
Looking back at the 10 days of the practice sessions now, I realize I have always been reserved and quiet. But when you come across amazing people, they can force you out of your virtual shell. I wouldn't call them my best friends but instead my "Fast Friends" :)
This post is dedicated to all my wonderful friends.... :-)
As nature hints the change of weather, out come the warm clothing, off fall the dry leaves and chilly becomes the winds. Walking in the sun never seemed a greater delight !
Diwali is one of my favorite festivals. It has a colorful touch, there are lights of all sorts illuminating our homes, and the most important part - sweets and savories!
Since my childhood days, my most favorite thing about Diwali has been the 'rangoli' preparation. An auspicious symbol, it is believed that during the Laxmi Puja, the rangoli is used to drive away evil spirits and to invite the Goddess into the household.
What is your favorite part of Diwali?
"Wishing you all a very Happy Prosperous Diwali. Have a safe one !"
It was in February, 2000 when he asked me. Time has passed between then and now. And so has the person. He passed away today in the wee hours of the morning (IST). The person I am talking about is the King of Ghazals and the man with the silken voice - 'Shri Jagjit Singh'.
Growing up abroad gave me an opportunity to meet famous people upfront and close. Be it - world-renowned musicians like Pt. Shivkumar Sharma/Rahul Sharma/Hariprasad Chaurasia or experienced carnatic vocalists like Bombay Jayasree (of RHTDM - Zara Zara fame)/T. N. Seshagopalan or legendary danseuses like Padma Shri Chitra Visweswaran / the Dhananjayans.
We, as a family treasured each occasion and the invaluable autographs as a lifetime experience. Like every huge event, Jagjit Singh's "ghazal" night was planned on a large scale to the last meticulous detail.
Even months before the event, tickets were sold-out. The audience had to be accommodated keeping in mind only elite music lovers. The event demanded people who could appreciate poetry. The kind of poetry which were originally written by Persian mystics. Many volunteers were pooled in. Important guests were invited. A 5-star hotel was fixed for the venue. Long & short speeches were prepared. Snacks/beverages were finalized. The stage was set. Technical arrangements all taken care of and last but not the least, seating plans were charted out.
The previous night of the actual event was when the famous artistes flew in, settled and got acquainted with the organizing committee and their families over dinner and drinks. I missed the chance to meet him personally that evening due to maths tuition class while mom, dad and baby bro happily clicked away pictures with him. No no, I was not trying to prove that I was a book worm or anything. Although I wanted to meet the great personality, with the CBSE Xth board exams less than 2 weeks away, it was more of a time to be buried neck-deep into studies. Yet, I looked forward to the next evening.
Truly speaking, back then, I had the slightest clue of what a ghazal was or barely understood its symbolic expressions. I knew the artist - Jagjit Singh as the person whose voice played during the title track of a 1990s tele-serial "Sailaab" on Zee TV -
"Apni marzi se kahaan apne safar ke hum hain....
Rukh hawoon ka jidhar ke hain, udhar ke hum hain...
Pehle apne har cheez thi apni, magar ab lagta hai...
Apne hi ghar main kisi doosre ghar ke hum hain.... "
And even though I never understood the underlying meaning of the song, I loved its rhythm and soothing feel.
On the big night, I was seated at my allotted place, nearly left bored and company-less. The event had the parents seated right out in the front few rows and the children (big and small) were pushed behind. Baby bro, 10 years old at that time, happily playing off with his buddies least bothered about the whole ruckus.
The anticipation kept building up to see the person, whose voice scores loved listening to. He was wheat-skinned and had a normal physique. Having never displayed flamboyance, his attire back then and today has always remained simple, with the shawl over his left shoulder, adding to the elegance. The rimmed spectacles, a beautiful smile of pearls and the charismatic eyes always showed the innocence of a child. A trademark harmonium at his hands and his troupe set on their instruments, he was ready for the arena.
The concert began and so did the magic. Left with nothing else to do and having had the luck of a chance pen in my hand, I wrote down the songs he sang that evening. I don't know what made me do that. Maybe for a memoir, or out of boredom. But ever since, those songs have been etched in my heart & remain in my playlist no matter where I travel.
An amazing night, the concert had the audience requesting for all his known hits. The most enjoyable parts being when he would ask the audience to sing with him and mouth the lyrics. He connected well with his unique tidbits and jokes from time-to-time which proved his music always healed hearts.
The concert ended on a scintillating note. The aura kept me wishing to hear him sing for the rest of my life. We always got to attend dinner with artistes after the event was over. The dinner hall was the usual kind with a long table surrounded by chairs. While the organizing committee and their families placed themselves at the beginning of the table, leaving the seat at the head for Jagjit ji, my family took the remaining seats at the middle. When Jagjit ji walked into, he stopped on the other side of the table, bang opposite my family and asked - "Hume kahaan baithna hai?" Where should I sit? Everyone gave him the choice - "Jahaan aap chahe." Wherever you like. He chose to sit at the closest seat he found which was right in front of us !! We were ecstatic and I was nervous. Yes, I was. Apparently, meeting a huge artist like him was not something we are used to and this can be pressurizing when you don't have anything else to say to that person. I couldn't look him in the eye, although I wanted to see him. What would I do if he caught me looking at me? Smile? Speak? Look away? He was very observant and asked the President of the committee to introduce everyone. Unlike few famous people who tend to get snobby and airy after the performance, there are few like him who behave like any normal person. He liked to chat with everyone around him taking special interest in the younger people of the room. One glance and he asked the President - "Yeh kaun hai?" Who is she? I smiled at him and looked away while I was being introduced. He instantly remembered my baby bro who took snaps with him the earlier evening. He took great interest when speaking to children. He was also very concerned for others less fortunate. The waiter walked into the hall with a pile of porcelain plates on a tray, to place them on a side table when all of a sudden, he tripped and fell, crashing & breaking all the plates. Jagjit ji's instant reaction was - "Bhai, sambalke ! " Careful brother ! A moment later, he told the president - "Zara dekh leejiye ki uski pagaar se nahi kaate." Please ensure that the compensation for the broken plates is not taken from his salary. You could tell those weren't mere words. He always meant great concern. I was silent as ever left with nothing to say, trying hard to concentrate on my plate. Throughout dinner, he would look at me at intervals and say - "Yeh ladki bahut chupp hai" This girl is so silent. He had a child-like behaviour when it was dessert time. "Mujhe sugar ki problem hai lekin hum kulfi khayenge bhaiya... malai waala" I have sugar problems but still I will prefer the kulfi. Once dinner was over, we all walked out of the hotel to bid goodbye. I trailed behind as much as I could. He called me out and put his hand around my shoulder and what followed was a conversation I never forgot. Jagjit ji : "I hear, from the President, that you are very good at dancing." Me : (Blushing and nervously) "Some people say so". Jagjit ji : "Which dance style is your favorite?" Me : "I like all the styles....... No specific one." Jagjit ji : "Did you like the songs I sang today in the evening?" Me : (Smiling) "Yes." Jagjit ji : "You come by as a very silent and reserved girl for your age." At this point, a total stranger, standing nearby says - "Yes, very true. All evening, she was very observant and wrote down all your songs." Apparently, he was sitting near me, placed alternatively from where I was. Jagjit ji : "The next time I am in town, will you perform a dance for me?" Me : "Definitely...." After that, those moments turned into a memory for life. He was like any normal individual and yet it was very flattering to speak to him and getting introduced. I always wondered - Would he come to town soon enough for another performance? Even if he did, would he remember me? Do famous people ever remember you the next time you meet them? Well, I guess not. Anyways, ever since that day, I have been a fan of ghazals and Shri Jagjit Singh. I enjoy listening to his soulful music whenever I am sad or whenever I want to reminisce my childhood days or happier times or whenever I feel like listening to just anything.
I learnt later that his life had been subjected to many tragedies. His affection towards children came from the fact that he lost his only child and son - Vivek on 28 July 1990, in a road accident.Shocked by Vivek's death Jagjit's wife Chitra Singh stopped singing. More recently, in 2009, his step-daughter, Monica, reportedly committed suicide.
It always amazed me to see this person, taken down by life from time-to-time, to keep his passion going on. Like the events of his life, the pain can be felt in his voice in many a song. Here are some of my favorites. "Rest In Peace ... Jagjit ji...."
So my birthday just went by a few days ago. Unlike the other years, there were less phone calls this time around, less cakes to cut & no shopping at all ! (Not that I mean to splurge my or M's income on clothes I impulsively like but don't see myself wearing it 2 months down the line.)
Just made me reminisce older birthdays when wishes would start pouring in at the stroke of midnight. And surprising, you would not feel sleepy on such days while Mom Dad, as usual, preferred retiring early :-) As the minute hand slowly made it's way through every minute, the eyes would constantly look up to a timepiece to make sure the remaining time to the stroke. Calls would go in as long as 1 AM and then sweet sleep in eager anticipation of what the day ahead holds out to you.
The morning would then begin with Amma & Appa wishing you & singing "Happy Birthday" songs. Would right away set off a nice smile on the face. Everything would be special for the birthday girl that day. Right from the morning coffee to a delicious lunch & maybe an outside dinner at a good restaurant. Not to forget, the cash gifts by elders.
Temple visits are a must & special puja is done every year wishing for God's blessings.
A close Dr. aunt (family friend & Mom's class mate) would specifically make it a point to call & wish me & also to remind me how she was present at the hospital during my birth & had taken me to emergency ward for some complications. She would go on to say how fast time flies & how the little girl is all grown up now.
Baby bro was never left behind too. He would definitely make it a point to call at 12 AM & would ask - "So akka, what's special today?" And again at the end of the day - "So how was your day? Did you enjoy it?" :-) Awww ... how sweet !
During school days, though the tradition of 12 AM calls or wishes never existed, the excitement to get to school in a brand new dress with chocolates to share with everyone, was definitely the most mind-blowing thing in the world. Sure enough, because you don't want to miss the day when you get to wear something different & feel proud that the others take notice. Also the famous "Happy Birthday to G" sung by all the kids in new scales of music with varying symphony is the most awaited. It's a moment you wait for in the entire year. Bask in all the glory on that day. Aah, the childhood days !
During the evenings, either you have a cake cutting or a special dessert at home (the best kind made by Mommy dear), gifts from friends & birthday cards.
During college days, this definitely is not the routine because no one sings for you & no one takes notice of you (Oh ya, everyone in normal, casual everyday clothes. How, in the world, does it matter if you wear a supposedly new dress to college?). But the 1 most important thing to never forget is treating your friends. They take you out to a decent looking restaurant or pizza place (leaving aside the usual chai tapris or sandwich corners) & eat like they have never eaten in years. And while they burp on the sumptuous feast that they just had, you can count the pocket money & see how much you fall short :-) It all compensates when they get a cute "Monginis" birthday cake for dessert. Yes, those are the good old days.
I have always made it a point to save the greeting cards I received for my birthdays. The number keeps growing every year & so do the memories. It feels good to have a look at the older cards & love the fact that people took the time to remember you on your special day. While we were growing up in Bahrain, Baby bro & I always received cards from grand-parents, uncles & aunts. And this is what I do too. Whether or not you get a gift, a greeting card always has to accompany the occasion. What say?
As you grow older, birthdays seem to get busier by the year. With never-ending work, pressure & deadlines to meet - it's not always possible to take an off from work to celebrate it. I really appreciate the fact that certain organizations provide a day-off when it is the employee's birthday. Special occasions don't happen every day especially - your birthday. Why miss taking some quality time off for yourself?
While all this still happens today irrespective of what age you are, birthdays can be a lot quieter when you are away from home in another country. But they don't turn out any less special.
When you are a kid, your parents plan the day for you, when you are in college, your friends plan the day for you & once you get married, your better half plans the day for you.
This year, as time approached, I found M constantly checking at the clock. Along side, we were also watching a Malayalam movie on the laptop & the movie had reached a critical twist. At the stroke of midnight, I glanced at the laptop time & smiled. M was deeply engrossed in the movie & didn't notice. At 12.04 AM, the movie showed a scene where in the grandfather clock strikes 5 AM. M realized the time & quickly started singing - "Happy Birthday to you". It was sweet & hilarious. Ha ha ! He admitted it later saying - "I kept close vigil till 11.58 PM but got distracted after that." :-p
I cut a small cheesecake slice for my birthday cake & received a birthday card. Yippee... ! Also a cute looking beaver which repeats everything you say. :-)
Immediately, we made calls to near & dear in India to receive their blessings. Close friends kept me awake till 2 AM whiling away time on Skype trying to understand what's going on new in life rather than wishing me :-)
At 2.30 AM, my dear teacher & dance buddies called up to wish & sang a rapid - "Happy Birthday & we miss you" song.
The day was pretty normal. I did some assignments for the creative writing class early in the morning & attended all other daily chores. M took charge of the kitchen for the day preparing special lunch & sweets. In the evening, he took me out for an Italian dinner which was very exquisite.
There was a time when the phone didn't stop ringing on the birthdays & now-a-days the same never-ending wishes were flooded on my Facebook page. :-)
I am not complaining. It's how birthdays look different every year....
Don't get me wrong. :-) I am indeed going on a date but not with M.
A new concept I learnt in the "Creative Writing" class called an "Artist Date".
Julia Cameron, author of "The Right to Write" says -
"As writers, we draw on an inner fund of images that I call 'the well'.
I think of this well like an inner pond, one that must be kept both stocked & freely flowing.
Very often, creative work dries up precisely when it is going so well.
That means we have simply over-fished our inner reservoir without having taken the time & care to consciously restock our storehouse of images.
The device I use to restock the pond is a very simple one, something which I call an 'Artist Date'."
So simply put, an Artist Date is a once-weekly solitary expedition to something festive that interests us. It can be a visit to a museum, an aquarium store, a trip to the fabric store... just about anything.
The point is to go somewhere & to go there alone.
Why alone? We go alone because an Artist Date is half "artist" and half "date". You are romancing, wooing, courting your creative consciousness. This is something that requires you & your inner artist to spend time alone. Taking the time & care to restock our inner well makes writing a far easier proportion.
So off I go, to decide on a place for this week's Artist Date which is also my homework.
The main thing I miss at abroad locations, is going to a temple. And US is no different. I re-located to Cincinnati, Ohio close to 2 months ago, started visiting the client office, moved to a new apartment, set up the home, purchased a car & began work in full-swing. But some where all this turned out very mechanical with the above things just been completed as tasks on a list. There is always something amiss when I am away from God. I did bring few pictures of Gods from India, a diya & my prayer books. And yet, the same feeling never sinks in like you are at India. Ok, now that everything else was set at work & home, the search for a temple in the vicinity began. As expected, I could not locate one at walking distance from my home. I am a staunch believer in God & like to visit his shrine every now & then. It need not be a temple too. It only has to be a place with His presence. It keeps me at peace. Even when we were growing up in the Middle East, my parents would always take my brother & me to the temple, irrespective of whether it was an occasion or not. Now, this doesn't mean that you are different if you don't visit a temple. There are individuals who prefer to pray at heart & believe in God in the same way as any one else. It's what you believe in & how you prefer to follow it. The first thing I lost touch with, after moving here, was festivals. In the last minute arrangements before traveling, I conveniently forgot to pack a spiritual calendar. You do get all the information on the internet but somewhere a new lifestyle can initially put you off track till you take charge. Few days back, it was during a chat session with my friend, HK, that I realized, the next day was Krishna Janmashtami or Gokulashtami (the day Lord Krishna was born). Now, usually I rely on my mom for such information. She knows how her daughter efficiently manages the household (pun intended :)) & thus mom never refrains from informing me the important dates & functions to watch out for. On this occasion, however, mom probably missed out on telling me the actual date. I immediately Googled & found a Hindu temple at a half hour's distance from home. The day was charted out with M, that we are visiting the temple for the puja. It was an amazing experience. The location of the temple was just beautiful. The festivals are not celebrated entirely the same way as we do back home but nevertheless, it feels great ! Lastly, posting a couple of pics of the prayer spot set up at home. This spot is still work in progress. :)
Speaking of which, Ganesh Chaturthi is one festival I always look forward to while at Mumbai & this year, it will be fondly remembered... Ganapati Bappa Morya....
I stumbled upon this catalog one day, which arrived in the daily mail. The catalog was a mini-booklet of all adult education classes conducted at Cincinnati. It contained short term courses right from English speaking classes to Accountancy, Law, Flower Arrangement skills, Medical Sciences, Phlebotomy and what not ! One such course which caught my eye was "Creative Writing". It said - This course is designed to open your own personal portal to the untapped imagery and ideas that swirl in your brain. It is a workshop to provide each student insight into the “idea” of creative writing and the practice of creative writing. But how does one learn creativity? Shouldn't the idea be to help unlock ideas so they can be transformed into words? Well, I will just have to wait & see. Really curious & super-excited of what's in store.... :)
