Hey You !

Soul's Kitchen reminded me so much of the Doors song - and Archana said she wants to stay some time and take in the ambiance. Well it was the usual coffee shop for the hip and the young with lovely collection of plants in unusual planters and good lighting ! My soul was craving for some good steak and the place delivered a reasonably good one. ..... Ended up spending  a wonderfully restfully boring day after a long time. Didn't go out at all except for my evening stroll to buys the customary grocery. Watched movies , corrected papers and did all that I will miss once I am back in my "dauda dauda bhaaga bhaaga sa life"! Ode to tranquility...

What will go down in history about this weekend is Sachin's retirement ! I am sure all hell has broken lose in my household ......Chibu will mourn openly and Bhaskar covertly. Chibu's hero worship goes back to 1997 or maybe even before that ! Bhaskar had taken him to take a look at the Indian test cricketers who were practicing at the Palam Cricket ground .Sachin  apparently had walked out of the dressing room and ruffled his head- and  I wish Chibu's excitement could be documented for posterity - and I wish someone had taken a photograph of Chibu with Sachin - but then the best memories remain in the heart ! Life out here is peaceful so far - I visited Kumarkom with my students - the back-to-nature experience is always good - a sight for the sore eyes! The green reflecting on the water - the setting sun on the horizon - the birds and the flowers all make a hash like me into a good photographer ! My batch this time is a mixed one - but yes despite the diverse backgroun...

Loved the word play - the visualization - maybe tomorrow I shall find a photograph that will go with this ! Delight Add caption There did I know a delight beyond all delight, And it came to pass upon the Sabbath day As tree boughs reached for the sky with all their might. Round and round like a river streamed the light, And the wheel of the eye craved the sun-wheel that day. Then did I know a delight beyond all delight. The heads of the bushes blazed, insatiable bright Sunlight striking the waves, igniting the spray. It would swallow my head like a golden orange, that light. Water lilies were gaping their yellow bright Mouths to swallow the ripples and reeds in their way. And indeed it came to pass on the Sabbath day As tree boughs lusted for the sky with all their might, And then did I know a delight beyond all delight. Dahlia Ravikovitch 16.11.13 And the photos that I found in the backw aters today . Traversing through Kumarkom and Allepey...

Savoring the sunrise , waiting for an early morning flight , with a cup of coffee it was an ideal time to mull over, reflect and retrospect ! Leaving home and city is something I look at with mixed feelings now - I look forward to the solo time , the distance ( hoping always that it will make the heart grow fonder) but  also worry about Baba , who is  deteriorating health-wise and missed meeting Chibu and savoring that yahoo moment of clearing his first placement experience - getting there in a rat race of 900 ! Well it's only just begun for him ! The sunrise in many ways was symbolic - a new beginning , the end of the night , whatever ! Loved the way Abhishikta commented " chele tomar layek hoye gelo!" way to go :) ! Well time for me to bask in the reflected glory - feel sentimental the way Baba hugged me goodbye.... Watch the Twilight series that I am never allowed to see back home and read poetry  ..... [ Recollect the Face of me ] Remember me as an elephant fi...

Diwali always reminds me of Benaras , because I used to spend all my early Diwalis there. I was used to theDhanteras culture long before is became a rage in Kolkata for the people to buy gold ! the D-day meant going to the market with Didi and buying steel utensils for the kitchen. And buying a shopping bag full of baji and diyas for rupees 10 ! That was my Diwali high! I never really liked the noisy ones but our house helper at Benaras AmarSingh used to revel in them.The kali pataka would go into the jam tin to make the most ear -splitting noise. I remember burning a hole in Dada's dressing gown cos i tried to run away with a phuljhuri in my hand !  And I loved decorating my grand-parents bunglow with diyas and candles and enjoying that nip in the air ! I remember Kaku once taking me to Mallick bari  in Kolkata and we were treated to some amazing home made Tubris !  Over the years I have traveled through states from Gujarat to Delhi to Kochi during Diwali ...but...

When Mita's call came in the morning with "Khobor shunish ni?" My heart sank and I was mentally prepared for the worst! It was a shock indeed to read about a dear colleague taking her own life ! She was smart,attractive, tech savvy and a good human being ....so why this desperate measure? Life had thrown many challenges at her- her restauranter husband left her, daughter had a rare medical problem - but  she faced the numerous challenges on her own - but she was gutsy and we admired the fact that she was so meticulous with her work despite everything! Back at school when we were colleagues she would talk about her life as a rich man's unloved wife and how her world revolved around her daughter- and then the daughter  suddenly developed this medical problem. She left the school for an office job and gradually we lost touch with each other.But today despite everything else I went back time and again to remember her face- what made her take the final painful step on t...