Maya and memories ....

The FB has gone viral with Maya Angelou posts - and why not ? She provided us with all our iconic quotes - for all seasons and reasons. For most of us she combined the traces of feminism and being feminine with aplomb and appealed to our collective spirit of being a Phenomenal Woman !

Coming back to Kolkata with the rains was a relief ! I escaped the heat - Kerala despite the humidity did not stifle us with the pressure cooker weather, thankfully. This time being a guide to B was fun - though he was a reluctant traveller - and was most unadventurous!! His constant query was how I travel alone all over the place without the language ..and everytime I said Reliance fresh-a...was a source of amusement ! But Kerala teaches me how to stress on the last syllable - right-a, left-a......:) "Jashmin deshe jadachar !"

For Chibu this is the last week in college - not that he has been there much ( caused me great distress at times ) , yet in many ways this is the end..officially he is going to be on his own - technically an adult ! Is he sad? I don't know- the transition is often a little difficult to accept...the lull before the storm , before being thrown into the deep blue sea, being accountable for your actions ...the price you pay to be independent !

I don't remember my last day of college surpisingly- but then I was not attached to my college either !School for me was so much more symbolic- whenever I dream , I dream I have gone back to school and many times to APS, a place that still remains so close tomy heart!

This has been an interesting week in many ways. I connected with my friends from the Naliya days ! Naliya seems like another era ! When I asked Chibu he said..the names seem familiar , but not the faces ! Connecting with Usha and Liz was great ! I still remember the temporary accomodation where we all stayed and how Liz took us around in her van ! Anna and Andy were around Chibu's age and Chibu just terrorized Anna :) ! Especially remember little Anna in a ghagra -choli and Chibu running after her yelling Choli k peeche ....and Anna running for her life !Anna told me how I taught her to write C with a cup ! Made me smile ! Memories at times are precious!

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Morning bells are ringing ......

Heidi lived in Alps with her Alms uncle - I read this story in a book that was called The Big Big Story Book and it had a compilation of amazing stories that were my first foray into the world of English story books. Recently on a long flight I watched the movie much to delight of the young steward who was our attendant that night. My first glimpse of the Alps was from our flight ...the dawn breaking to spread the orange hues over the snowy terrain...looked mesmerizing even to someone who is not too fond of the mountains. Switzerland was beautiful, with its manicured terrain and flowers like pretty maids all in a row, picture perfect setting and breathtaking, like a touch me not porcelain beauty. Coming from my "elo melo" city I wondered how people managed to keep a country so organized , I have trouble keeping my room in ship shape...... No, I would not like to live there ......it's too distant and too cold ,but what I will carry in my heart is the awesome time .......

The road may be narrow and dark

This write up came back with a note of regret – for not being able to make to the next round in the competition, to the editor's table. Well, this is the first time I competed , that is if I do not count the House Competition essay writing, where I came second after Champa. Actually I do not why I took part – chance, curiosity or plain gambling …..because writing for me has always been a catharsis – an expression that I can share …..So no regrets , really! The road may be narrow and dark…….. It was 1983 and life with Baba always veered on the unexpected and the adventurous. Like that road trip from Kolkata to Delhi via Agra. We had this faithful Ambassador that took us on this journey with Baba at the helm and our cleaner Kalipada as his first assistant. I was the official navigator and Giri uncle, my father’s friend, in charge of our ummm, let’s say security, since me and my cousin Dimpi, both all of 18, needed an escort , officially. Baba always liked the un-tr...

A holiday with self :)

A long overdue blog about the path that I was seeking , or did the path seek me out ? Over the years the sheen of belief was wearing off and I was beginning to question the master about the magic - about faith becoming commercial, about what Bhaskar stated, "This is all about money". Packing my bags off and going solo isn't very uncommon in my life, but this time I was not on work per se. Checking-in into the Ashram, was on my bucket-list for ever-since, and it was an amazing experience. Despite the crowd, the ambiance just reverberated with a mix of reverence, energy , faith, hope, prayer - and questions too ! Like I mentioned before meditation was not about spiritual pyrotechnics, but a metaphor connected to life. Like the corner I chose had a vantage view of the stage and despite a stench that started emanating from the corner, I just could not leave that place, for the view that corner offered got me stuck there. Life is like that, we are often stuck in the rut , ...

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