Hey You !

In search of a happy blog :-) ! Many reasons to feel happy- a passed test, prayers answered and Mainak's most eligible bachelor getting married ( breaking hearts?)  Chibu is a tad unhappy , though I am sure pretty excited about his 'guru' tying the knot- unhappy cos the time is divided now !  Bhaskar seemed happy that "shitkaal" has finally arrived in Kolkata and I am sure the mellow sunlight and the blankets are casting their magic. The fleeting charm, thus much loved.  Kochi is still warm, though the evenings are pleasant and I have enough of me- time watching movies, developing content and reading. Bhaskar asks how I pass my time without anything to dust?  Well my OCD is phenomenal! Coming back to happiness - a lot is speculated and defined and debated.  What makes you happy ? - A moment , an event , a surprise , a fulfillment factor , the divine or the myriad mystical magical moorings of life ?  Bhaskar always tells me to look beneath when I cr

Failure like success is relative.I see the youngsters in the office talking about appraisals, about moving up and moving on- and I feel aloof. It must be age that takes  that sting from the achievements - it humbles you and also numbs you from the successes and the failures. You are more involved with your child's achievements and the non -achievements.The perspectives changed and the prayers. In many ways it is difficult to console - it's difficult for them to understand there will be better times and better phases in life. The Maya factor .... along with luck Of being the Buddha and realising it is so important to be healthy and in peace to be successful and unhappy....If only I could explain.... That  one day you will take pride in the fact that you have failed and won..And that will be a story for your grandchildren....Heads you win...

Athirapally Waterfalls  With so many of my old pictures of Kochi making rounds on the FB , I thought I would post a short compilation. Since 2010 Kerala has been a revelation- the greenery and the waterbodies all have a way of soothing the eyes. Like the rains that lash in, it cleanses the toxins that we carry within ourselves. Or like the Athirapally waterfalls that meanders across the plains to fall with a force to create the spray and mist- I have memories of sitting with my feet dipped in the water one rainy afternoon before we trekked down the slush for a breathtaking view- and of course there is the memory of that monkey who just grabbed my ice-cream and ate it while I watched ..... Vellarpadam Oil Terminal  And Kochi is never complete without the Sunset through the Chinese fishing nets at Sunset Point in Fort Kochi. The dusk, the sea, the ships and the sun all create their magical memory for a wanderer, a sailor and even a cynic. There is also the Vellarpadam term

Cherai Beach -November 2014 Leave footprints on sand. And the next minute  Where are they? Gone with the waves Like some memory  Of  long ago. Do footprints last?  On sand - in life ? Age and waves  remove the traces of imprints on time  and sand.....

I came back home to a "retired" husband ....Bhaskar retired for the second time in the 30 years that I have known him. And is in no hurry to look for something concrete to do. The languid mornings are perfect- tea with the autumn sun streaming into our room, the sparrows chirping in and around the box window and the morning papers strewn all over the bed....till my eyes fall on the clock at 8.10 and mayhem begins for me.... Of late I have been getting this feeling of quitting work. My friends say I will be bored after 4 months , my father says I will miss the paycheque and the freedom to spend at will and some of my son's friends are amazed- why quit such a "cool' job that just take you places ? But looking at Bhaskar I feel jealous - he can read all the books he wants to read and just stay in or go out- the race is over - and it's time to relax. This time while collecting my luggage from the belt at the airport there was this couple standing next to me- th

When Chibu called up one afternoon to say he would like to visit me in Kochi , my first reaction was- "Really? Won't you be bored?" I thought it was just a passing fancy and he will just let it be... But apparently he was serious , said he wanted a break from the city and promised he will not trouble me and can explore on his own. When he finally arrived I showed him the neighborhood and the eateries around and Reliance fresh- a of course ! I was glad but still was not sure how he would like the place . We live in the same city but live our own lives - we have a bond but do not bond so often as we are so engrossed in our day to day nitty-gritty. So it was a blessing in disguise to share some "we-time" ! To go away on a retreat at the backwaters and explore the islands . To watch the waves and the gulls and walk along the shore skirting the water sprays ! The tranquil back water was a perfect balm for our city tormented souls- be it the flight of the heron

Talk friends Talk ! Autumn is the new Spring - I read it somewhere in some other context and was fascinated how it applies in our lives if  I want to apply it , that is ! It is a season that makes me think of of my classmates of long ago- My school friends with whom I  chat whenever I can just like I did so many years back ! And then the freedom to be on my own without being told what not to do- to take off for a movie alone, eat at a restaurant alone and even travel alone! Autumn has it's own beauty - the mellow, the moderate , the mysterious- you do not quite know what kind of surprises the day will hold for you - sunshine , rain or a little nip in the air ! We have probably all reached the autumn of our lives - and like the fall colors our lives have taken many hues. You may call it complicated but I feel they  are more like  the shades  on a shade card ! Be it relationships or career or our personalities! The reflections that has honed us - the sadness that has made