An Elegy

She was a lively spirited soul
her presence at the desk
attending phone calls
with her sweet chirping voice
was music to the ears
a helpful friendly soul
always in starched cotton saris
 her wide smile and friendliness
made her endear to all
I met her one day
she was an epitome of  joy
seeing a colleague's wife
in a pregnant state
said it would be a boy
complemented on looks and
the sari worn
 praises that came from the heart
Alas! a sad news one day
she was no more
was victim to brain haemorrhage
in prime of life
leaving behind
a loving family
to entertain gods above
the office is silent now
without her and her
resounding laughter
that echoed round
the office for years and years  

The moon

From my bed,
Through the window
Looking at the full moon
Golden rays
illuminating
The night sky and earth below
I gazed and gazed
Felt the moon smiling at me
From behind the dark clouds
It kept appearing and disappearing
Then appeared in full form
Clouds at bay
To spread radiance around
And lighting the path for weary travellers
Bound home

Human flag

   


                                     

                                                               Feeling proud
                                                               To be part of the flag
                                                               Formed by volunteers
                                                               Breaking Guinness Records
                                                               For the largest flag formed
                                                               By humans
                                                               A Herculean task
                                                               Accomplished
                                                               By Rotary
                                                               To honour the Indian
                                                               National Flag
                                                               To bring about patriotism
                                                               In the future generation

Mother's love

                                            A haiku on a photo clicked by my son.

                                                           behold
                                                       the mother
                                                        untainted
                                                            love

Haiku

                                               Haiku on a snap I downloaded from Google

                                                           heavenly hues
                                                                 fills
                                                             the soul
                                                         with fragrance                                                            

Nature's Plight

The morning light
A lovely sight
The fauna and flora
Bring the forest alive
The hues around
Dew drops on leaves and flowers
The tears of Mother Nature
Seeing nature at the mercy of
Wicked humans
For their greed and selfishness
Making a concrete jungle
All beauty an eyesore
Death, disease and calamities
For Man's mistakes
Innocents suffer
How I wish
Pandora's Box
Was left untouched

L

Morning life in B'lore

The daily morning activities I notice from my son's home in B'lore while standing on the balcony is LIFE at the early hours. I see parents waiting with children for the school buses, I see employees waiting for the staff vans, older students rushing past, ladies in nighties waiting with children or going to the shop across the street to buy household things. Across the street is a creche/daycare center where parent/parents are taking the submissive tiny tots to the classroom.
Looking down I can see a catering barrow doling out hot idlies and, dosas for bachelors surrounding the barrow and a few office goers ready to go to office.

Traffic is moving at a rapid pace. There is a vegetable seller shouting full throat to attract customers. There is the milk van delivering milk to the shops around and a few customers coming to buy. Often I go to the shop to buy household provisions as soon as I wake up and have my morning tea. Seeing ladies walking to and fro in their nighties, I too don't take the trouble of changing my nightie while going to the shop but make sure my nightie is decent enough. Since I don't see any surprised looks from people, I feel OK.
Temples too are nearby. There is a Saibaba Temple alongside a Devi Temple where I go on Thursdays whenever I feel, not always. I visit the Shani Temple on Saturdays (not all Saturdays). I go when I get the urge. As this temple is walking distance, it is convenient. All in all, enjoyable and no time to feel bored.

Also, the vanilla fragrance of freshly baked cakes wafting from a bakery kitchen above the provision store across the street is wonderful. I can see through the bakery kitchen window the team of bakers working busily doling out delicious cakes.
The bakery as its name Magic Oven is indeed magical catering to the needs of customers, also taking orders for online cake designs that are made to perfection.
There is a shop nearby that takes me to my days in Kolkatta. The shop sells authentic shingaras, (samosas) as also the famed Bengal sweets, and I was surprised to see parwal sweets, a dessert served at my wedding 37 years back, which I was trying to find in many sweetmeat shops.
There are the puchka sellers (pani puri)  at every corner.
Life is a pleasure in B'lore.

L

Human Nature

On the way to Koramangala by auto with a friend, saw an ambulance honking away after being caught in a traffic jam. Wonder when drivers have a heart to give way to an ambulance which may be carrying a very sick patient or dying patient who needs immediate care. Also, saw a serial in Malayalam where the heroine aspiring to complete her IPS gets stranded in a traffic jam created when two drivers are at war and an ambulance is got caught. In spite of having to attend a very important competition and being late, considers it service above self and gets down from the auto giving a piece her of mind saying it was everyone's prime duty as citizens to allow the ambulance to go as it may be carrying a very sick or dying patient who needed immediate medical care. Reel and real life!  Human Nature

Delhi Reminiscences

Two brats, staying at opposite houses and aged 3 and 5 years in the early 90's.
Had real fun listening to their conversations. One day, they were in my place stationed on the stairs leading to the other rooms. The 5 year old was heard telling the 3 year old, ' Pata hai, mera daddy gadi banatha hai' ( Do you know, my daddy manufactures cars), immediately, the 3 year old said, 'Aur pata hai, mera daddy tyre banatha hai'. Both their fathers were working for a car and and a tyre company. I could'nt hold my laughter.
The 5 year old soon had a baby sister. He invited the 3 year old to see the new born. Seeing the baby, the 3 year old said,' Tumahara bahen sunder hai'. The 5 year old immediately said, ' Sunder nai hai, bahut sunder hai'. ( She is not beautiful, but very beautiful).
A relative had come home to attend a friend's wedding. Seeing her dressed in her finery with mehendi on her hands, the 3 year old immediately burst into the song- Mehendi laga ke rakhna..
One day during a function in somebody's house in the colony, the cooking was taking place in an open space under the 3 year old's balcony.
The brat brought a stool, stood on it, looked down and started screaming, 'Bhook lagi hai,khana jaldi banau'. ( I am feeling very hungry, cook fast). His father panicked and had to come rushing to whisk him away from the place.
Another time, both the boys took away 2 lt soft drink bottles that was stored for a function and a supervisor had to come barging into their homes to take the bottles back.
The two boys are now adults and into jobs after completing their engineering degrees, but their pranks will ever remain fresh.

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The Kitchen Visitor

I was in the kitchen when I noticed this weird looking insect more like a beetle on the window net.
Wanting to get rid of it, I took the kitchen cloth and tried to free it with the cloth when I received a sting and a burning sensation. I left the cloth with the insect in it and ran to my mom.. She came and gathered the cloth when she too received a sting and the sensation. Being brave, she gathered the cloth in spite of the pain and threw it on the service area.
I told her not to kill it but allow it to go free. She said it might sting someone else.
She then took a big spoon just to move the cloth to see what kind of insect it was and found something black that immediately took wings. Luckily, it was not a scorpion whose stinging pain remains for 24 hrs.
Mom immediately took some hot water , put some haldi and salt and both of us had ourselves treated. There is no pain only a small swelling on the stung area. Wonder what insect it was?

The frame

One day Venu and I decided to go to the neighborhood market.
He took the car thinking there will be lots of provisions and it would be difficult to carry all.
On reaching Venu parked the car and we went across to the store. We did a lot of purchases and as usual my husband went to the car with the packets and waited for me.
After my usual practice of window shopping, I decided to cross the road and went through an iron frame that two men were carrying. I thought it to be a short cut to get to the car.
I did not expect what was to follow. I tripped on the base frame and found myself hurtling to the ground in full force. The portion above the left foot had hit the frame badly and was smarting.
It was dark, so I could not make out how the injury was.
Meanwhile a crowd started collecting to see what had happened. My husband oblivious to everything sat in the car waiting for me.
Realizing that something was wrong, Venu too joined the crowd to see what the matter was and was shocked to see me being helped up by a few men.
After having given me a piece of his mind ( he was shocked to hear that I walked through a moving frame), he took me to an ortho( the dyspensery was close by). After a titanus injection, the doctor examined my foot which by then was looking like a range of hills. He prescribed some pain killer pills and told me to meet him the next day and take an Xray if the swelling did not subside.
The next morning much to my pleasure, the hills had given way to plains. There was no swelling or any pain. It seemed as if I did not have  any sort of accident.
An apt  example of the proverb 'Look Before You Leap'.
The Frame

Witty moments

I have a friend whose husband is witty to the core.
This friend who I know for the past 37 years and her husband, friends with my husband for more than 54 years cracks jokes with a straight face. Wonder how he can hold back laughter with the jokes he cracks.

The Jokes:
One day it so happened that a soft toy, a cute monkey with a long tail which my husband got from Dubai stopped functioning. When it was keyed up, it used to roll up its tail and make small cute sounds.
I was very upset and waited for a chance to have one more like that. Since my friend's husband was a marine engineer and went to a lot of countries, I requested him to get me a similar toy.
With a straight face he said, "Give me 500 rupees and I will behave like that monkey". His saying made everyone burst out laughing.
Till today, no one has found that toy in any shop.

Once I read in the paper about a gadget that attracted dust and made the house dust free.
When I told my friend about it, her husband immediately said that if anyone applied oil and sat in a corner, he can be a dust buster.

My friend wanted to buy a diamond necklace. Her husband pointed out that he was always sailing and  their daughter was away in the US. Some robbers may enter the house when she was alone and make off with the diamond necklace, so it was best she did not buy any diamond. But he did buy her a diamond necklace after all the statements.

Cups and Saucers

This rib-tickling incident took place in Chennai at an exhibition venue.
My husband and I went to many stalls having exotic Bone China and ceramic crockery.
Since rates were exorbitant and we did nor buy anything, I was quite upset.
Coming outside, I chanced to see beautiful cups placed in an orderly manner and wanted to check on them.
My husband pleaded with me not to do so and tried his best from making me go there.
Finally, he left my hand and told me to do whatever I wanted to do.
I walked up to the neatly stalked crockery stall and picked up a cup.
My husband who had followed me asked me to put it down and told me to read what was written above.
The writing made me squirm. It was written- Refreshment Stall.
Should have followed the saying "Look before you leap".
https://www.facebook.com/                             

Lizard incident

This happened a few years back when I was in Delhi.
I was busy frying some papads when I chanced to see a very repulsive huge lizard on the net covering the kitchen window. I panicked, and to make it scuttle away began splashing water on it.
It ran helter skelter all over the net. This went on for sometime. Then without any warning, the lizard pounced on me. Luckily, it fell on the kitchen floor, neither on me nor into the boiling oil. Surely, I would not have been in a position to see a fried lizard, I would have fainted then and there.I never irritate any lizards after that gruelling experience.

Eye to eye-body parts

A story I composed using body parts idioms

There was a colony of birds.
A crow and a peacock could not see (eye to eye).

One day, the crow found some peacock feathers and disguised as a peacock, strutting all over the place.
The crow kept (dragging its feet), waiting for the right moment for the other birds to praise it.

The crows perched on branches had (a gut feeling) that it was one of their species disguised as a peacock when they saw some exposed part on the body looking black. .

Meanwhile, the crow (kept its ear to the ground) waiting for some praise from the other birds on how beautiful it looked. 

The fraudster got (a kick in the teeth) when the original peacock with the other crows came towards it and wrenched off the peacock features, exposing its original color.

The crow (had egg on its face), unable either to face the peacock or the other crows.
It flew away in shame and remorse.

Linking this to http://writetribe.com/body-part-idioms/ Eye to eye body parts

Reflections on A-Z

1. Not a regular blogger, but A-Z posts were interesting and made me to go down memory lane.

I was able to refresh English proverbs linking them with true incidents.
The posts took me to Africa, Nepal, Kolkatta etc. where I had memorable experiences.
I thank the bloggers for their wonderful feedback. I enjoyed reading other posts.
Really a wonderful month.


http://chroniclesofanu.blogspot.in/2014/05/reflections-on-z.htmlA-Z reflection

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Zaire, an unforgettable experience

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Zaire is in Central Africa.

Very frequently, we had parties. It was always pot luck where the women made their favorite dishes for the party.

One day it was my turn to make sambhar sadham, a south Indian delicacy.

Actually, I did not know the traditional method of making it and did not want to disclose my ignorance because I thought everyone would make fun of me since I lived in Chennai for a few years.

I took it up as a challenge and put in great efforts to make it in the way that I invented proving the saying- Necessity is the mother of invention.

I kept adding more spices, salt and tamirind to the mixed rice and sambhar, tasting it for some iota of taste and finally felt it was quite OK.

I took it to the party with mixed feelings thinking the ladies would surely ridicule me.

When all the different food was served and tasted, wonder of wonders, everyone proclaimed that the sambhar sadham was the best.

It was also heartening when my husband's friend told the ladies to ask the expert ( meaning me) to tell how the South Indian food made by an African couple was.

Linking this to A-Z challenge
Z is for Zaire

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.comZaire, an unforgettable experience

Yadon Ki Baraat

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Y for Yadon Ki Baarat

This movie was released in the mid 70's when I was doing my graduation.
Along with a few friends, I bunked classes to see the movie. It had a multi star cast and melodious songs and was a blockbuster  during that time. Amir Khan was a 4 year old boy who grew up to be Tahir Hussain,( Amir Khan's father and younger brother of director Nasir Hussain). Tahir Hussain  was handsome and dashing and swept my friends and me off our feet. My friends kept raving about him.One friend was so smitten that said she did not mind having an affair with him. Each had her own opinion. I was still grounded. May be because I was an ardent fan of Rajesh Khanna during those days. I saw one more of Tahir Hussain's movie- Hum Kissi se Kam Nahi. Wonder why he did not act in more movies?

Linking this to A-Z challenge

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Xanadu

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Xanadu takes me down memory lane. I was an ardent fan of Indrajal comics as a child and would eagerly wait for my father to bring  a copy. Zanadu is the high-security mansion where Mandrake the Magician lived. He was the main character in the Indrajal Comics.  He was a master-illusionist, thanks to his incredible hypnotic powers.  These magical abilities stood 
 him in good stead as a crime-fighter - a career he chose after leaving the Collegium Magikos where he grew up and was trained in magic by the grandmaster Theron.  A wealthy man, Mandrake lived with his girlfriend Narda, sidekick Lothar and chef Hojo.. Usually dressed in his trade-mark magician's top-hat, coat and tails and cape, he frequently sallied out of Xanadu to solve crimes. 

Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrake_the_Magician.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. X is for Xanadu.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/Xanadu

Worth watching/ Wine Incident

                 
                 

                                                                            For


                                                                    What's that?

                                                   
                                                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNK6h1dfy2o

      A very inspiring and thoughtful video about a father, son and a sparrow.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. W is for What's that?

If URL doesn't work, I have one more post on W

Wine is my weakness. The  incident took place in Kolkatta when I was newly married.( 1977) . 
Venu and I were invited to a friend's house for a dinner party. 
Upon going there, I saw that it was a lavish party with a large gathering.
We were ushered into the friend's stylish bar and offered drinks.
I was given a small goblet (I was seeing such a glass for the first time) and my husband was offered a bigger glass. 
The friend then poured whisky in the bigger glass and poured what he called a 'Lady's drink' into my goblet. Everything was new to me. 
It so happened that when the friend filled my goblet with wine, (I came to know that the drink was called wine) I gulped it down. 
He kept pouring and I kept gulping without knowing that it should be sipped little by little. Finally, the exasperated friend showed venu the empty bottle.
Venu looked shell-shocked. The friend then told Venu, "Either your wife is a drunkard or she does not know what this is". Luckily, I was in my senses throughout the party.
Maybe, that incident made me fall in love with wine. So at times, I whine for some wine!!

Linking this to A-Z challenge. W is for  What's That?/Wine Incident
Wine Incident
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Vaisnodevi trip

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Vasisno devi shrine is  located on the Trikuta Mountains.
In Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess or Durga. The words "maa" and "mata" are commonly used in India for "mother", and thus are often used in connection with Vaishno Devi..Vaishno devi shrine is one of 108 shakti Peetha.

In the year 2003 on a very cold winter, I went on a trip with my nieces with a group of college students.
The itinerary was to Delhi, Agra, Amritsar and Vaisnodevi in Jammu. It was a wonderful trip by train to Delhi and then in a luxury bus with a very aged driver maticulously. manouvering the roads amidst dense fog.

On the way to Agra, we halted at Mathura Bridavan to offer our worship to Lord Krishna.
As I was walking on rocky terrain, I chanced to see a  monkey on the overhead wires and thought how dirty and ugly it looked. It seems that I annoyed Lord Hanuman because the next moment, I found myself hitting against a huge stone and being thrown to the ground in full force.

I lay stunned on the ground and was helped to my feet by my nieces. It was not as bad as I thought, but
gradually, my right knee started aching badly as there was a nasty bruise which started swelling. I found it painful to bend it while sitting cross legged on the floor in front of the idol of Lord Krishna and his consort Radha.

Somehow, I managed to get into the bus and reach the hotel in Agra where we were put up for the night.
As it was a bitter winter month, the cold took its toll on my left foot. I was unable to climb down from the bus because of the excruciating pain I felt when putting my leg down to get out from the bus.

Seeing my plight, everyone was worried. My nieces called an auto and took me to the nearest ortho clinic. I was helped up the steps by my nieces and the auto driver. There was a group of  rural people watching an English movie and their laughter filled the room. It was really funny, and I had to smile in spite of the unbearable pain.The doctor took sometime in coming as he was at an operation theatre.

As soon as he appeared, I was taken into his chamber. At the first glance itself,  the doctor said that I had a nasty fracture. I was heartbroken as I was to go to Vaishnodevi shrine the next day. I told the doctor, and he simply said that if  Mata wanted, I would surely visit her shrine.

Even with the pain, I did some toe exercises and prayed with my heart and soul for some miracle which would make me walk normally. In the morning, I was a bit satisfied to see that the pain  had slightly reduced, and I was able to walk. I got into the bus and went with everyone to see the famed Taj Mahal.
Though I had seen the Taj Mahal a few times, I did not want to sit in the bus and slowly walked to join the queue. Surprisingly, the pain had disappeared. Goddess Vaisnodevi did want me to visit her.

I climbed the hills without any difficulty and reached the shrine. I had a grand darshan and then it was time to go to Amritsar to see the golden temple and the heavily crowded Wagh border which were covered easily with my loving nieces forming a protective circle around me to avoid someone from stepping on my injured foot.

When we reached Chennai, my husband oblivious to everthing took me immediately to see the ortho when he came to know of everything. An xray was taken which showed a split bone on my left foot.
The doctor looked at me in wonder and said, " It is a miracle. I wonder how you walked"?.
Prayer that comes from the bottom of your heart is always heard by god.
It's true Prayer has the power to move mountains

Linking this to A-Z challenge.

V is for Vaishnodevi trip.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/
Vaisnodevi

Unity is strength

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Unity is strength is a very well known proverb.
It brings to mind the story from Aesop's Fables- The bundle of sticks.
A father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks.
When they had done so, he placed the bundle into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it.
He next opened the bundle, took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into his sons' hands, upon which they broke them easily.
He then addressed them in these words: "My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this bundle, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks."
Downloaded from
http://www.umass.edu/aesop/content.php?n=4&i=1
Unity establishes love, affection and  friendship.
As a saying goes- In olden days it was united family and in modern age it is attached bathrooms.
A united family brings forth responsible children.
I came across such a family in Jodhpur where the mother was the head of the family.
Her sons handed over their salary to her and she was the treasurer.
The daughters-in-law too were loving, affectionate and polite and were seen doing the household chores
as a team.
Hope modern age too realizes the importance of this saying - Unity is strength.

                                                                   My family

Linking this to A-Z challenge.

U is for Unity is strength.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/ Unity is strength

Terrifying night

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Terrifying Night
The experience that I had as a child in Kolkatta is really unforgettable
One day as I was having dinner all alone, I felt something pulling my toe from under the table.
I couregously looked under and got a fright to see something big and dark moving to and fro.
I panicked, took to my heels with all the strength I had crying out, " A ghost", and ran to my parents room and collapsed.

My mother, a courageous woman, wanted to prove that ghosts did not exist. She carried me to the room and looked under the table and lo and behold!, it was a mosquito net freshly dried that had dropped off the chair and comfortably settled under the table. The rope had got entangled on my toe, so as I moved my leg, the net too had moved to and fro.
Even now, this incident is narrated to children and they have a good laugh.

An apt example for the proverb- Look before you leap.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. T is for Terrifying Night

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Shades of life now and then

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Shades of life now and then. 
In olden days, there was less crime and criminals. People worked hard, so there were less diseases.
Housewives did all work like grinding. pounding and washing manually. So childbirths were normal and cesarean birth were unheard of.
Woman lead healthy and happy lives.

In the modern age, thanks to technology, everyone finds life easy, but with a spate of ill health due to various diseases brought about by Man's reckless lifestyle. 

Regarding the spate of rapes in the modern age, rapists and criminals are not born, but made. Parents, schools and society are to be blamed more than the criminals and rapists themselves. It brings to mind the saying in The Merchant of Venice - More sinned against than sinning.

Giving capital punishment or life imprisonment is not the solution.
Such people need counselling and given a new lease of life to see whether they improve especially juvenile offenders.

Inspite of the Nirbhaya incident, there is no improvement in rape cases.
People worship Shakthi, but some miscreants insult her in various abominable ways.

Children are asked to read newspapers to improve their knowledge, but I believe that newspapers today are not meant for children.
Technology is no doubt useful but has opened Pandora's Box.

The olden days without technology seems to have been much better and healthy.
Technology is a boon as well as bane in modern life.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. S is for Shades of life now and then.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/
Shades of life now and then

Queer snaky experience

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Q for queer.

The queer happening  took place in the early 60s. I used to spend my vacation in a small town called Chittur, a district in Palakkad in Kerala. I was staying in my father's ancestral home. My aunts used to go to the river for bathing. One day, I went with my aunts, but sat on the riverbank as I was not very keen to bathe in full view of everyone.
As I sat there, admiring the thick green vegetation, I chanced to see a snake, a foot long, appear suddenly and disappearing into a hole.
I don't know what prompted me to go behind the poor thing and before it could get into the hole, I stamped on its tail that was the only part visible. It wriggled and disappeared.
It would have sent an SOS to its species because within moments, the whole riverbank was filled with its kith and kin. What unity! Humans ignore a wounded person on the street and here were the reptiles showing brotherhood. I have seen such things with birds especially crows. I stood rooted with fright.
The snakes were getting to be too many. Seeing this, my frightened aunt  told me to leave the place immediately.
I ran as fast as I could thinking hell was let loose. I ran till I reached home. I heaved a sigh of relief to see that there was no army of revengeful snakes slithering behind me.
Later, I heard that Nagaraga was pacified with milk, some pooja etc. Because I was not haunted by any Nagin, I believe Nagaraja was pacified.
But I am really very sorry even now for my ignorant action. Forgive me Lord Najaraja!!!

Linking this to A-Z challenge. Q is for Queer Snaky Experience Snaky experience

Sorry sent post on R by mistake

Rickshaw puller

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Rickshaws are a very popular transport in Kolkatta. I get onto a rickshaw not because I love to save time but to provide some money to the hardworking rickshawpullers whose livehood are the rickshaws.

One day along with my mom-in-law, I decided to go to my parents' house. We got into a tram and got down at the stop.
From the stop, we got into a rickshaw to reach our destination.
While nearing my parents' house, I got down from the rickshaw to buy some sweets.
To my horror, I found that I had lost my wallet. I was at a loss how to pay the sweetmonger when the tired rickshaw puler came up and offered to pay saying I could pay him back when I reached my parents' house.
It was indeed kind of him.

I will ever remain grateful to the kindhearted rickshaw puller.
http//wwa-a-z-challengeRicks haw puller
I used to stay in an area where rickshaw pullers had their dwellings.
Every night from the adjacent dwelling, I could hear their revelry till late night. Maybe dancing away their blues pulling human loads.


Rickshaw puller

Linking this to A-Z challenge. R is for Rikshaw puller.

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Poiizon Studio

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 Linking this to A-Z challenge. P for Poiizon studio.

Poiizon Studio in Chennai catered to dances for corporates and programmes. Amateurs practiced to shake a leg and people who knew how to dance came to brush up their skills.
My husband who was the president of a Rotary club in the year 12-13 and I participated in a program Happy India for a district conference where a dozen other couples were enacting couples from the different states of India..
My husband and I were a Bengali couple.
The complete week of rehearsal was full of fun, frolic and feast.
A few husbands used to get mouth watering snacks from a hotel nearby and serve the snacks with coffee/tea.
The ladies then decided to have pot luck and brought lunch from home (including me).
There was an array of delicious veg and non-veg items.
A wonderful week that will  be cherished for ever.
The outcome of our hectic practice was a brilliant success.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.comPoiizen Studio

                                                               The Bengali couple snap

Orange Peels

                                                               

Orange peels remind me of my dad who was insistent that he squeezed the juice into everyone's eyes.
He used to have a tough time with me as I always dodged him, but he used to have his way in the end. May be that is the reason I have a good eyesight. I really miss his pranks now.
I am also reminded of the short story Seventeen Oranges by Bill Naughton.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. O is for orange.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/Orange Peels





                                                    

Nepal elephant ride

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Nepal elephant ride
The unforgettable ride  took took place in the early 80s.
Along with my mom, husband and son, we went for an elephant ride in a safari park in Nepal.
It was the monsoon weather, so everyone talked to us against taking the ride on such a bad weather.
Since we thought that the elephant was going to make a simple circle around the park, we decided to take the ride.
Much to everyone's chagrin, the elephant started climbing a hill where there was a temple dedicated to a goddess- Vanadevata.
As the elephant started climbing the steep hill, its feet were slipping on the loosened mud. I noticed that the elephant had climbed a long way and the gorge below was frightening. I was expecting the elephant to slip and hurtle down.
I closed my eyes praying fervently while my mom who had given up praying after the death of my father was calling out to Lord Ganesha.
The mahout was  hitting the elephant occasionally to make it walk faster much to my shock.
After a long time, the elephant halted in front of the temple. We offered our prayers and soon it was the return journey down. With thumping hearts, we sat on the elephant which managed to bring us down in one piece.
My husband enquired if there was any untoward happening during the monsoon season.
It was heartening to know that there were no frightening cases.
He offered the mahout double the amount that was quoted for bringing us back safely.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. N is for Nepal.


http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/Nepal Elephant Ride

Monkey menace.

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Monkeys ruled the roost in our society when we were staying in Delhi in the mid 90s.
Groups of monkeys used to bask in the sun at the back side of the building during peak winter months.
They used to terrorize adults and children, snatch shopping bags and snarl at people.
Once a  relative who had come for a wedding was going out with her husband when a huge monkey tugged at the husband's belt and stood up equal to him in height (the man was over six feet).
The wife seeing this let out a scream and brandished her handbag at the monkey thinking of saving her husband.
The infuriated monkey turned towards her and bit deeply on her thigh.
She had to be administered rabies injection.
The monkeys used to shift places as per their convenience.
One day thinking that the monkeys would'be at the back side. I decided to take the front entrance to avoid coming in contact with them.
To my chagrin, I walked straight into a circle of monkeys behind a bush at the front entrance.
I stood rooted with shock. A big monkey came up to me and knocked off my shopping bag and started searching the contents.
I let out a piercing shriek which frightened the monkey, and it fled along with the other monkeys.

When my relative came to know of the incident, she was upset saying that she recited Hanuman Chalisa everyday, and in spite of it got bitten by a monkey. Wonder what made the monkey leave me unharmed! Maybe, Lord Hanuman was watching and took pity on me.

Linking this to A-Z challenge.

M is for Monkeys.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/
Monkey menace

Learning and teaching is not anymore traditional.

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Learning and teaching is not traditional anymore.
There was a saying Spare the rod and spoil the child.
Caning a child for misbehavior is tolerable, but teachers in the modern age have become tormentors. There is physical abuse by sadist teachers, mental torment where a student studying in class 10 committed suicide, bones broken, eyes damaged with the wooden duster being thrown at the student and lots more. There are cases of girl students eloping with male teachers and even a lady teacher luring a male student.
There was a case of a student stabbing his teacher to death. There are cases in the US where students shoot down everyone at random.
I think rather than burying students in books, they should be given training on how to conduct themselves in society.
Like charity begins at home, good ethics too must start from home.
It is the duty of the parents especially mothers to train their daughters on how to behave before marriage and after marriage.
Couples should keep their fights and uncivilized talks and behavior away from their children. Not be over possessive about themselves as well as their children.
Give each other space and be free of doubts. It is a knowledgeable couple who can bring forth responsible children.
Only when human behavior changes for the better can we think of a civilized society or else there won't be any difference between humans and animals.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. L is for Learning.


http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/
Learning

Knowledge is power

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Knowledge is power is an apt saying.
These days all efforts are being put in to educate women.
Empowerment of women is the new mantra.
Female infanticides have reduced and girl children being welcomed.
A doctor in Gujarat took a vow to take care of the expenses of the girl child delivered in his hospital.

Girls are essential agents of change in breaking the cycle of poverty and deprivation: By investing in their economic potential through education and by delaying child marriage, multiple issues such as maternal mortality, child survival, gender-based violence and HIV can be resolved and the cycle of poverty can be broken.
Shared from

DASRA PHILANTHROPY WEEK

An educated woman educates entire society.

In modern days, women are not confined to the four walls, cook and clean and rear children.

She is at par with a man whether it be as a pilot, in the army, in the police force or as a collector.
Nowadays, there are women pilots, woman police officers (how can one forget Kiren Bedi) ( bus drivers, auto drivers  and they work at petrol bunks.

Now there is no need to differentiate between a boy child and a girl child since both are capable.

So parents with girl children, please be proud of your girl children. and educate them as you would educate your sons.

Education will help them to avoid being dormats and live with heads held high.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. K is for knowledge.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/Knowledge