I
had a sudden urge this week to read books written by Indian authors. So
I searched on Wikipedia for the Best Indian Authors of 2011. I picked
out few titles by random authors and made my way to the neighborhood
library. To my disappointment, other than 'The Namesake' by Jhumpa Lahiri, not one book was readily available at my branch. :-(
So what do I do ? Request the librarian to order a copy from the main library and head out ?
Oh no no ! :) I ask her to order a copy and then wander about looking for other prospective pickup.
Leaving the library with nothing in hand and mind to read is a huge sin for me and my bedside book shelf.
It's a good thing that there is no limit on the number of books you can take at one time. :-)
No book limit makes 'GR' a happy girl ;-) Take a look at my book shelf -
Eddie my Teddy
Read.. read... read....
Any suggestions for good Indian reads?
The paints were inaugurated for use last week on a "Om" that I drew. :-) The first time the drawing was free-hand done with the brush.
"Om"
The
next attempt was a detailed one. I searched for an authentic outline on
the internet (like how the Indian mythological series show them).
"Om" - The beginning and the end
And then used the strokes of the brush to fill it up.
Nevertheless, both the attempts now adorn the sacred wall of the house. :-)
My dear 'M', I like surprises. And I love giving them as well. The sheer joy of surprising someone, which either scares/delights them, is a wonderful feeling. For me, it means whole lot of planning, determination, efficiency, co-ordination and will (to safe-guard the secret till the moment) !
End results - The surprised person is happy, confused, excited and very importantly, relieved. :-p
Last week, I planned a surprise for you. And I want to confess, it was executed very much like an actual crime. :-D Let me now give you an inside peek of this crime.
Mission: 'M'
Aim: Surprise 'M' on his birthday
Partners in crime : A group of closely-picked individuals
Time-frame : 15 days
It all started in the last week of December 2011, before New Years', when we were on the road trip returning from New York. When you were off on one of your restroom breaks, I announced to the Fast Friends gang, that your birthday is around the corner and that I wanted to plan a surprise. They were all game for it. Visually, I had images of how I wanted it to turn out. But practically, it was a milestone yet to be achieved. 1. Choosing the guest list - First and foremost, we needed the partners in crime. It had to be a wise group of people who were perfect in execution. Enter the "cast" :-)
- "Mrs. Hyper" and "Mr. Cool" - Being the true experts in party planning and decoration, there was no way I could manage this surprise on my own. They took care of the complete makeover of the party room. It was an easy transformation from a boring room to a decorated birthday arena. During all the pandemonium, their son, the sweet lil "Mickey Mouse" was more than just helpful in everything.
- "Mrs. Juliet"and "Mr. Romeo" - I am a complete dunce when it comes to buying gadgets or guitars. My initial budget, shamelessly set at a measly $25, wouldn't have been enough to purchase a branded formal shirt, never mind a branded watch. It was definitely going to be the cheapest gift a wife could have got her husband, until this lovely couple suggested - "Why don't you gift him a guitar, he is willing to learn since forever or a reading tablet since he reads a lot?" I wonder who should actually be your wife. Me or them? :-D Anyways, their swell idea made me re-think my budget. After all, It had to be a birthday you remember for years.
Amazon Kindle Fire
- "Mrs. Wrapper" and"Mr. Store-keeper" - Because they stay less than 25 feet away from our apartment and considering the fact that you know every nook of our home, could I think of a better option to store all the party stuff? While Mr. Store-keeper booked & paid online for your birthday present, Mrs. Wrapper took utmost care to innovatively gift-wrap it.
- "Mr. Anna" - The experienced criminal of the lot, his expertise helped me to choose the most important area - dining restaurant for the evening. He also saved me a run by picking up the cake on the D-day.
- "Miss. Madam ji" - The co-ordinator of the crime. She was the most enthused partner in the entire crime and enjoyed every aspect.
- "Mr. Escalator" - If there was 1 person who knew about your professional area of work and could scare you with technical project issues and major escalation surprises on the day of the birthday, it could only be your team member. :-)
- "Mr. Jersey bro" - Last but not the least, strict instructions were passed onto your brother and gang to not wish you on the D-Day. Sweety, no matter how bad you felt when your brother didn't wish you at 12 AM, always remember - family never forget birthdays. :-) Nevertheless, the prank which made you think otherwise, was strike-on. :-D
We laugh, We flirt, We Love...
2. Shopping - In India, I could wander off anywhere, after office hours if I needed to purchase a gift for you. But here in US, even if I were to go to the local library, you knew I would never go alone. In order to get some time away from you, the gals of the gang created a perfect scenario so that you would believe it - "Girls' shopping day out" :-P This must have been the only time in the history of shopping, when 3 girls got together and avoided Macy's, Victoria Secrets, Zara and the likes to do serious party-shopping :-D And to justify our shopping to you, I entered an accessory shop to pick up 3 earrings each for $1. So honey, next time a girl tells you she got only 3 tiny earrings after a whole day of shopping ..... Don't believe her ! :-D 3. D-Day - When we retired for the day after speaking to our loved ones at home at 1 AM, you easily drifted into a long slumber. On the other hand, I was sleepless and kept waking up to check the time and ponder if things would go the way it was planned.
The first birthday gift :-)
At 10.30 AM, when Mr. Store-keeper secretly placed the gift bag outside our home, knocked and ran away, you followed behind to check who left the mysterious bag. The way you stepped out of the house, on the (-2 deg celsius) snowy morning bare-foot was a sight not to be missed :-D 3 PM was the decided time when everyone was supposed to sneak into the house to setup the place. So when at 3.15 PM, you were so caught up watching the online movie and wouldn't budge from the couch, your wife had to convince you with medical c**p :-) "Let's go to the temple now. Look at the weather outside. It is so sunny. I need to go out right now to soak the afternoon sun. I need my Vitamin D." ;-D At 5 PM, when the gang back home was not done decorating the place, I took you to the Starbucks shop near our home, to while away the time. Just a mind teaser - Do you really think I enjoy the expensive cuppa coffee at the mall, when I can make steaming hot chai in my cosy home and sip it sitting in the warmth of my couch? :-) I deliberately took you to the same music shop from where I had purchased your guitar. While you were fascinated by the enormous selection of acoustic and electric guitars it had to offer, I was walking away from you to sms the gang to know the status at home. The hardest moment was to keep a straight face at 6 PM, when Mr. Escalator called and informed you about a huge project escalation email from the client on a "weekend". He triggered the urge in you to go home ASAP and check out the email. You stood there all tensed and frozen and I ... well, I was laughing in a weird manner. Hee hee ;-p
As we left the mall, I smsed the group to be ready. When we climbed the stairs to our apartment, my heart was pounding in my neck ! When I snatched the house keys from you and pretended to open the main door (even though the lock was left open ;-p), I knew this is the moment. You wouldn't switch on the lights. So I obliged. And then - "SURPRISE !!!" :-) You were left gaping at the group of strangers who stood in our hall with eye masks. At first, you thought they were thieves but honey, in that case, your wife should have been screaming with fear not with happiness. :-D You finally understood the events of the day and were relieved to hear there was no escalation in the project. :-) The sumptuous dinner feast ruled the evening. The last surprise of the day was the most dynamic one. The guitar was gift-wrapped and hidden in Mr. Cool's car trunk. At the restaurant, just before dessert, Mr. Anna and Mr. Cool took supposed "restroom breaks" to hand it to the concierge desk lady. She walked over to our table with the guitar and presented it to you. I can vouch the look on your face, at that moment, was worth a million-dollar !
Happy Birthday LP !
You enjoyed the birthday and I enjoyed planning it for you. I have now realized that you were not the least bit suspicious of me even when the occasional blunders took place in the last 15 days. :-p Wishing you many many more years of surprises ... You are truly a Life Partner ! :o) Love, GR Disclaimer : The author doesn't take responsibility for the above nicknames as they were provided by the birthday boy, himself ! :-)
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...."
