A tale of two hills
In April-May 2011 I visited two hill resorts - the Nandi Hills near Bangalore and the Horsley Hills in AP. Here's an account of my experience at these places.

Horsley Hills
It was 7.00 AM and the sun was as reluctant to come of the clouds as I was from the cozy corner of my room. The cool breeze from the window was making me feel even more indulgent. The sight of gulmohurs and copperpods majestically swaying to the silent melody in the air was perfectly orchestrated by several chirping birds. I couldn't believe it was part of Andhra Pradesh in peak summer. Nick-named as the Ooty of AP, Horsley Hill Resort can be a quick weekend escape from the sweltering heat of Hyderabad, especially when we cannot plan a proper hill station holiday such as Shimla, Nainital, Ooty, Kodaikanal or Darjeeling.

The Fusion Tree

 The day breaks slowly, occasionally disturbed by the noise of a vehicle entering or leaving the premises. It's an enjoyable laziness, a welcoming lethargy that invites you to participate in the natural process of unwinding, away from the hectic and maddening crowds of the city. A walk in the green surroundings make you curious at the 'fusion gulmohar tree' with its joint branches from two different trees.
The view from the viewpoint is spectacular with bright gulmohars dotting the sloping hill sides while mauve jacarandas peep out vying for attention among the red hues. There is a tiny zoo with some monkeys, colorful birds, peacocks, rabbits and crocodiles. I enjoyed viewing the sunset with several hills at the backdrop, making it a perfect scene to be captured as a souvenir. The resort also organizes adventure games, yoga and trekking.

Horsley Hill resort is about 540 kms from Hyderabad. We took the Bangalore highway upto Ananthapur and then drove down the bypass road to Kadiri. Here, the drive gets tough with narrow road with several railway crossings and narrow bridges. Thankfully there weren't many vehicles on this stretch. The drive uphill has some sharp bends, after crossing a few you can suddenly feel the drop in temperature as you are greeted with fresh and sweet scented air.

We stayed at the Haritha and here APTDC seems to have accommodation to suit every budget. We also visited the Rishi Valley school which is 30 minutes drive, on the way to Madanapalle. On both sides of the road there are tomato farms and mango orchards. Since it was the mango season the sight was lovely as the trees were laden with a variety of mangoes. 

Nandi Hills
A short drive from Bangalore (about 2 hours) and you are at Nandi Hills. Ideally on such an altitude you'd expect it to be cool and pleasant. But, I found Nandi hills hot and humid. There are so many monkeys here that you'd want to call it 'Monkey hills'. The monkey can come and snatch anything from you, like it happened to us when I was holding a packet of Cadbury Bites. It was interesting to see the monkey climb the topmost branch of the tree and enjoy the chips by removing the 'masala' from it. Another monkey snatched the bhel puri cone from Shreya's hand. The viewpoint presented a breathtaking view of the surroundings. There wasn't much to explore. Here's something that caught my attention; an old cactus will the graffiti from different tourists! It was sad to see that people don't even spare trees and plants from the ugly habits of inscribing their names. There were guest rooms available on booking. The garden around the guest house had lovely seasonal flowers. The Karnataka tourism restaurant had very few items for lunch from that presented in the menu. After spending some time sitting under the trees we decided to get back to Bangalore. Perhaps, the visit would been better if we had started early in the morning. Also, we did not go around the hills, visiting the Tipu Sultan monuments and the temple.

Storm over a tea cup (how I can never be a tea totaler)

Here I am, creating a storm, no, no, a tsunami 'over' a tea cup, giving the proverb a quirky twist. Why not! Like today, for me missing my afternoon tea caused nothing short of a storm of sorts 'over' a tea cup, my 'forced' abstention from that healthy addiction. How can I describe that tea-deprived state of mind - when suddenly the mind goes blank, slowing down my reflexes, creating a drowsy feeling, craving for that missed cup... and important tasks that demand my complete attention and participation...before I get recharged for the rest of the week. In fact, missing my afternoon tea also triggers the dreadful migraine that I'm susceptible to.

If I were Keats or Shelley I would have definitely written an ode on this elixir of life. The wonderful leaves from the shrub Camellia Sinesis - tea has a story to tell in most of our lives. Sadly, the action between the cup, the lip and the sip is such a routine that we often forget to appreciate the magic of this 'mundane ritual'. The very thought of it arouses a fresh and active feeling that stimulates and energizes to catch up with life and the daily chores.

Many tea lovers and connoisseurs believe that preparing a good cup of tea is not everybody's cup of tea! Mainly because the taste of tea is so such a personal thing. Some like it with more milk and sugar, some others hate to see milk in their tea. The hardcore tea lovers like me, vouch for the taste of long leaves and light decoction unlike the extract prepared from popular CTC packs available all over the shops. There's the other type who like it in its Irani avatar served in most of the local cafes in Hyderabad.

For most of us, office-goers, tea breaks give us the much needed break to enjoy the fresh air outside the AC cubicles, with a hot cup, catching up with all the gossip. It's also the time for the dip-dip tea bags and conversations around the vending machines.

Yes, tea is something personal. Coming from a family of tea-lovers it's hard for me to accept anything that goes in the name of tea, especially the boiled and brewed sugary 'tea' that sticks to your tongue, leaving an unsavoury taste of milk and sugar, successfully wiping out the color, flavor and aroma. How can I not be  fussy or finicky about it. The magic of tea lies is in the quality of leaves and the way the decoction is prepared...in a kettle? Using tea bag? I like it best when I prepare it myself. Sometimes, my recipe includes a piece of ginger crushed and added to the boiling water when I need that extra kick to wake me up properly after deep sleep and feel charged-up, especially on a rainy day or cold winter mornings. In summers, cold tea is okay with a squeeze of lemon and  a dash of mint for added freshness. Green tea is the in thing, the new mantra for anti-oxidants and a craze among fitness freaks. Any supermarket gives you dozens of brands, organic variants, with all kinds of flavours mint, lemon, ginger, chamomile, jasmine, tulasi, masala, cardamom and what not.

But believe me, tea tastes best when it's enjoyed in its pure form - black or green- without any added flavors, savoured without any accompaniments like cookies, biscuits and pakodas, if possible while listening to this composition from Dr. Bhupen Hazarika from the land of tea...the songs goes: Ek kali do pattiyan, nazuk nazuk ungliyan, tod rahi hai...here it is.

Cricket in the time of Facebook

This is first World Cup Cricket (WCC) on Facebook and it's a different kind of excitement as we see the changing face of community viewing! The fact that Cricket is in the DNA of our country needs no better manifestation - you may love it or hate it but you cannot ignore it! You need not be following the all the matches and need not know who is in the team but it somehow enters your system because we all breathe the same air. Some interesting updates on Facebook during/after the India-Pakistan match which made the experience a different one, here's a random pick (with sporting spirit and in a lighter vein)

"2011WC is a study of modes of transport. Aussie sent home via flight, Pak via Road, and now Sri Lanka's turn on saturday to take the ship." Ashish Tiwari

"‎#IndvsPak #Mohali a good match. Terrific win and Thanks to invisible security people who kept it free of incidence." Ashish Tiwari
"yessssssssssssssssssssss, i wish there was a scream button on fb." Brunda Murthy
"Nehra Nehra Karo jeet ka rang gehra!!!" Rosemeen Khimani
"Spare a thought for the man behind the success of Team India- Gary Kirsten !!!" Vinod Sharma
"Joke of the Day- Team India has done what Indian Intelligence agencies couldnt do ........ Keep Pakistan out of Mumbai."Vinod Sharma
‎"2003 avenged! :) Australia knocked out! :D" Dhurjati Bhattacharyya
But then, Facebook also had those irritating ball-by-ball updates, which were more frustrating and less cheering and some comments disgraceful to the game itself and potentially harmful and ugly. However, what is interesting in the phenomenon is the 'virtual community' of 'friends' sharing updates and commenting though not watching together at the same time and in the same space...on the positive side.
Cut to the first world cup victory by India: I have vague memories of 1983 Prudential Cup won by Kapil Dev's men in white. Then, there was no blue, no merchandise and TV was just evolving as a 'virtual stadium'. We watched it on our first TV - a B/W Dyanora. And the game was less aggressive unlike the  terminators, destroyers and eliminators of today.
One reason why I remember that match was because it was important to know everything about it for any GK quiz. Memorably, the score was 183 and the year 1983 (some connection between the year and the score?) On a superstitious note, any clues for this year's final match? Ok, let me not link the year and score, using this equation/speculation this year the score could be 211 (from the year 2011)...and that's not an encouraging figure against Sri Lanka, assuming India bats first.
Now, I've another superstition, about this year's world cup: after I purchased the new TV and I was particular about buying it during the WCC, I was happy to see that India got three consecutive wins (against West Indies, Australia and Pakistan) and will it repeat against Sri Lanka?
Now move to 2015, the next WCC to be jointly hosted by Australia and Newzealand. It's difficult to imagine how Facebook or other such social tools would change the face of the game. Imagine with 4G and beyond, and Internet TV and all that. Would be all be watching the match on the Internet like a virtual stadium. I'm sure today's buttons on FB wil l be a thing of the past. How many other apps would be there to make the game a techno-gizmo-wonder? Till then, let's hope that 1983 repeats after 28 years!

Things and thoughts left behind

Some post cards, a diary (the last one)
Some black and white photographs
Some blank greeting cards that waited to be sent
Old books with papers turning into hues of brown, smelling so good
Some books 'spoilt' by my scribbles and drawings, when I was a kid
Some letters from relatives carefully preserved
Some scribbles on the diary methodically documenting the monthly expenses
Or recording the details of things done, places visited or visitors at home
Or visits to physicians, or details of personal savings
On some pages where the handwriting is barely legible
As if in a hurry to pen down a whole lot of things
Some newspaper cuttings with cricket match schedules
Some newspaper cuttings with interesting news and pictures
Like the one with a picture of the crow trying to drink water from a tap
That appeared in The Deccan Herald on 23rd May 2005

Somewhere in between all these things, time stands still
As I recollect the days when everything was in 'hard copy'
When everything had a physical existence, unlike today's virtual
When post cards, inland letters and greeting cards
Had to be 'posted' and not 'mailed' online
When collecting postage stamps was a popular hobby
When diaries were handwritten and remained truly personal
When everything had a meaning beyond its present form
When things were preserved, cared for and valued
Surprising isn't it! This was not too far away
Since it is still fresh in my memory
The speed of change ...wasn't it too quick
So quick that it sucks the recent past like quicksand!
These are some thoughts as I lay my hands on few things in the cupboard, left behind by my father. Though, not a single day passes without remembering him, it's on 22nd February 2006 that his condition worsened and he survived till 11th March 2006.

In gratitude...

If faith compels one to be a believer then I'm a believer, a firm believer in the voice of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi - the voice I grew up listening to, the voice that is eternally sublime, spiritual and soulful. The voice that evoked the divine in me - an evocation that left me in a trance. And of course, the voice that remains immortal, timeless and matchless. Filled with positive energy of the Sun, molded by the undulating waves of the rivers and softened by the calming moonlit evenings, this voice was a part of my everyday - especially my mornings - relaxing and peaceful, filling me with renewed energy and new hope to get started afresh.

Especially, Panditji's devotional music had everything that one could possibly look for. When I was confused it gave me direction, when I was disturbed I sought solace, when I wanted to give up it helped me persevere.
Listening to Panditji is a purifying experience. Like a tonic for the mind, it strengthens and purges at the same time - the raagas rendered by him in the form of khayals, bhajans and other compositions. Be it the devotional jaya jagadishwari mata saraswati or jo bhaje hari ko sadaa or  madhukar shyam hamaare chor or several of the similar numbers. I used to love the way he pronounces my name in madhukar shyam... I used to feel honoured when I heard him sing man har liyo madhuri moorat - the enchantingly magical quality of rendering it. Or the listening pleasure from the supremely divine Dasa keertanas in Kannada- Bhagyada lakshmi baaramma and Karuniso ranga karuniso.... that are my all time favorites.

It was an emotionally disturbing day since I heard the news about Panditji's demise. Back home from office, I waited for the news on Doordarshan especially Kannada and Marathi channels to catch a glimpse of his 'last' appearance. Then, listened to the albums that I usually hear in the morning. Then, quickly put together all the cassettes and CDs to 'secure' the precious memories. Then, listened to Babul mora naihar chooto jaye and with a heavy heart watched the opening sequence of the popular mile sur mera tumhara... that was being beamed on all TV channels.

Today this voice is silenced! But it will continue to live for ever, as long as there are believers on the earth, for art is immortal and so is faith. Panditji, I shall remain grateful that you are a part of my life!

Songs on the theme of maajhi - a thing of the past?

Let me admit once again, I'm a diehard fan of old Hindi movie songs and I shall remain so forever - seeking refuge in them in my highs and lows. While the lyrics guide and advise me, the music soothes me and the voice of the singer takes me to a different level! And what if the actor is my favorite - then I transcend into a different world. On one such late evening, I happened to listen to some songs - coincidentally some of them had references to maajhi, the symbolic saviour in most of the Hindi songs. I felt like recollecting all the songs I know with this theme and here they are. I hope you enjoy listening and viewing them as much as I did.

O re maajhi...mere saajan hai us paar... it is one of the classsics from S.D. Burman (from the movie Bandini) that set me thinking about the beautiful compositions on maajhi – the boatsman or yachtsman who sails a boat. The river flows steadily and the tranquil waves add to the mystical quality of this scene. The maajhi is the quintessential bard who sings eternal truths, sends inspirational messages and helps us cross the hurdles. Most maajhi songs are based in Bengali ethos, with remakes of popular Bangla folk songs.

Let’s take the song, Maajhi naiya dhoonde kinara, from the movie Uphaar.

Interestingly, like we see in this song, maajhi is rarely the protagonist in the movie or a participant in the events, he’s usually an objective onlooker, plays a crucial role when the male or female protagonist is caught in some problem. The songs indirectly express the thought processes of the protagonist rather impersonally giving advice, sharing knowledge on the significance of the event or the critical moment in their journey.

The song O maajhi re...apna kinaara nadiya ke dhaara hai from the movie (Khushboo, music R D Burman, lyrics Gulzar) is profoundly reflective in mood. The symbolism is obvious where life is compared to a journey in a boat - we neet to sail through it smoothly, reach the other end and not get caught midstream. Majhi ensures that the boat reaches safely and it is not left midstream or majhdhaar.

In songs like O maajhi chal... (from the movie Aaya Sawan Jhoom Ke.. sung by Mohd.Rafi  - lyrics by Anand Bakshi  and music by Lakshmikanth Pyarelal)  and Nadiya chale chale re dhaara  (from the movie Safar) we get to see the motivational aspects of a journey in a boat, the river that flows, the metaphor of waves, the undulating moments of life and so on.

Door hai kinara (from the movie Saudagar sung by Manna Dey, music and lyrics by Ravindra Jain) is about the difficult times in one’s life and how one should face them. How we should have a balanced outlook and carry on or even have a never-say-die attitude.

Though Chingari koi bhadke, to saawan use bujhaaye (from the movie Amar Prem) is not directly addressed to the maajhi the beautiful picturization of this song lends it a distinct identity.  The lyrics bring out several ironies of life as we can see in these lines Majdhaar mein naiyyaa doobe, to majhee paar lagaaye, maajhee jo naaw duboye use kaun bachaaye? And we start questionning on the same lines! The impact of the lyrics is hypnotic when they are sung by Kishore Kumar, Mukesh and Manna Dey.

 In fact, most of the maajhi songs evoke a benign feeling, almost equating the role of the ordinary boatsman to the role of the almighty in guiding, steering, leading and saving us from trouble.

Bangalore-Mysore-Nagarhole

This was my third rajyotsava (state formation day) in Karnataka in the last four years. It was my niece Maansi’s birthday in the last week of October.  Bangalore was chill with continuous drizzle and fog all over because of the cyclonic weather.  We packed our bags and started for Mysore without any clear itinerary. On top of our mind was the Mysore Palace which we wanted to Shreya to see, since she is reading about the kings in her history classes. The palace was extremely crowded with the post-Dussera vacation and tourists. Hence we decided to skip it. Instead, we moved on to the Karanji lake and spent some time watching the birds.

The evening was spent at Chittaranjan Palace Hotel (The Green Hotel). The gardens were tastefully lit up and everywhere we could smell the sweet scented flowers. Our over night stay at this hotel was pleasant and enjoyable.  The morning was spent photographing the colourful flowers – the end-of-the-season Zinnias , bright red Exoras and lillies were a sight to behold! The rooms were nice and cozy and decorated with ethnic paintings.

Next morning we drove to Nagarhole National Park. The refreshing drive amidst the green forest led us to a resort amidst coffee plantations in Coorg region. But we did not plan to stay at the resort so did not bother about accommodation. The sad part of the trip was there was no good eatery anywhere close to the park! We managed to get some rice and rotis at a small joint. We returned to the park in the afternoon for a safari ride and what a ride it was! The rickety bus was not only noisy but also gave us the experience of a jungle roller coaster, rattling all the way. Just imagine, with so much noise which animal would dare to come close and give us its ‘darshan’. The park seemed more like a deer park with hundreds of them all around. We did not get to spot many animals. Perhaps, if we entered the park from the Kabini, the experience would have been a better one.

A visit to Pochampally village

Pochampally is the land of exotic  Ikkat weaves and the historic Bhudaan movement.  This was an unplanned long drive with family on a Sunday. My Alto must have felt good to cross the city limits and feel the freshness of nature as we touched the highways. Pochampally is 50 kms from Hyderabad; driving on the busy Vijayawada highway was quite a thrill! The village is surrounded by scenic hills lending it a picturesque look.

As we entered the village, I felt excited about  meeting some weavers and spending some time with them. I drove past the narrow lanes of their colonies and found that almost all the houses were locked.  Then we got to know that they had come to the city since it was a Sunday. So we couldn’t meet any of them. Then we headed towards the APTDC guest house and found that the staff was ill-equipped with information about the place. In fact, the entire guest house and museum complex was deserted. However, we caught a glimpse of the lake while driving; the lake didn’t seem to have been maintained properly.

Later, we wanted to try our luck with the Handloom park. Even the park was closed. The security person told us that the best time to visit Pochampally is on a week-day! Added to these disappointments, we could not find any good eatery on the main road. So we ended up buying some stuff from a ‘mithai bhandar’ for the return to the city.

The trip would not have been so bad if the government's initiatives were well-thought out to promote eco-tourism on weekends too! Pochampally has tremendous potential for eco-tourism, hope it is optimized well for creating awareness about our weavers.

Pigeons – pests? nightmare?

Forget about all the romantic associations with this winged creature. Songs like kabutar jaa, jaa or the more recent masakali, masakali… must be for people who haven’t seen what a pain these apparently innocuous birds can actually be. Over the past one year or so, the open spaces between our flats have become home for these pests. I never imagined that the design of our flats (with no common walls) could actually land us in trouble with several birds perched on the most unimaginable spots – windowsills, drain pipes, balconies, AC units. 

Because of this menace, my flat is deprived of good ventilation. The doors and windows need to be closed all the time because leaving them open would mean inviting them to create more nuisance and dirty the place. The only way to keep away these birds would be covering the balconies with a mesh. And I don’t think I accept this as the solution, perhaps when all else fails, I might consider meshing it up.

But till then, I wanted to try other ways to shoo them away. Once I saw a note put up on the notice board of our apartments. It suggested a natural and harmless way of keeping away the pigeons. The idea was to keep some chillies, pepper and cinnamon in a plate where the birds usually perch. I followed the instructions only to find that the next minute the plate in which I kept the stuff and its contents were thrown down promptly by the birds. Next, my domestic help told me that she would catch at least one of them and then take it far away and leave it there. I thought this was a rather hurtful method so did not encourage her. But, one day she actually caught one of them and put it in a bag and carried it away. Her idea was that this would make other get scared and stop them from entering our house. Sadly, this didn’t work either! Now what? The other day I had left the bedroom window open and went to have my bath. When I was came out I was taken aback…there was a pigeon pecking on the neatly ironed dress which was on the bed. And when they enter inside they can be anywhere – on the cupboard, on the fan, on the paintings – how menacing! what a nightmare!

I was reminded of the “Durbar Hall” of the Kothi Women’s College where I studied. It had hundreds of pigeons. During our exams the pigeons would become such a nuisance - it was common to see pigeons dirtying the exam papers and making us rewrite on a fresh page!

A visit to Ramoji Film City (RFC)

The first time I visited Ramoji Film City was in 2000 and now, my second visit was exactly after 10 years. This time I went with my team in the office. Last time I accompanied my relatives from Bangalore who were here for my brother’s wedding reception.

We had a pleasant ride in the Tata Winger hired for this trip – taking pictures and having fun, good occasion for team bonding. The Vijayawada highway is one of the busy roads, especially with several district buses entering and leaving the city. The picturesque location  where the largest film city in the world is located, is a sight to behold as you enter the hotel Sitara. We had booked the Sitara entire day package for our tour. It included the bus rides, lunch, fun and games and snacks.

RFC has several gardens based on themes that are landscaped and maintained to perfection…the replica of Moghul gardens, the Japanese gardens or the maze…There are caves, interesting ‘sculptures’, statuettes etc. These would form the natural setting for picturizing a typical Indian film song. The sets take you to a world of make-believe where every structure transforms itself into a ‘real’ building or a setting when the camera rolls and the director says “Action!” You have the college, the jail, the airport, the railway station and whatever is needed for the scene.

The “Movie Magic” was the best part of the tour. I liked it because it conveys in an interesting and simple way the complex process of movie making for a lay person. The demo includes a ‘live’ movie making with some volunteers who bring out the importance of different aspects like light, sound, editing, sound mixing in making a movie. It is also like paying a tribute to those thousands who work behind the scenes while the main actors enjoy the stardom as it were. Once the movie process is demystified, you have a display of stunts performed by professionals.

Other attractions include the 4D theatre, the scary house, the fun and rides for kids etc. If you are lucky you may catch a glimpse of your favourite star in the shoot. 

The mirror as seen in some Hindi movie songs
I felt like keying down some random notes, when I thought over the imagery of mirror or aaina in some memorable songs. Often seen as a metaphor for reflection, I guess there may be many songs that refer to the many facets of aaina - existential and philosophical - literal and figurative. Here are some I could think of:
Kyaa koi nai baat nazar aati hai hum mein

Aainaa hamen dekh ke hairaan saa kyon hai

(Last two lines from the song "Seene mein jalan aakhon mein toofan sa kyon hai...")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyoKDxbbhIs

From the movie: Gaman ( lyrics- Sharyar, music - Jaidev, singer -Suresh Wadkar)

Such beautiful lyrics have become a thing of the past...Let me try translating them...Is there something new about me? The mirror and I - we both are the same, but why is it that the mirror is surprised looking at me? Some lyrical compositions, like this one, are difficult to translate as they do not retain the essence of the original, lose the magic. Perhaps, the newness in me is because of the way I look today. But, I couldn't have changed so much that the mirror finds me so very different. Now, lyrics from another song:

Aaina wohi reheta hai Chehere badal jaate hain

Aakhon mein rukte nahin jo aansoo nikal jaate hain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFsgQ2Hrg5o&feature=related

From the movie: Shalimar

How true! The mirror remains the same, and we change - mind, body and soul. We really change or we wear masks - a mask for every occasion. I looked back and pondered, "how often do I look into the mirror? how much time do I spend in front of the mirror?" Not more than few seconds in a day! In fact, the only time I get to see myself in the mirror is when I'm in the lift of my apartment that has mirrors on three sides. 

Does the mirror remember I how used to look earlier? Then why does it ask me for my 'previous' face as described beautifully in the lyrics below:

Aaina mujhse meri peheli si surat maange

Mere apne mere hone ki nishani maange

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGkmoCv4R6w

From the movie: Daddy (Singer- Talat Aziz)

Is that the reason my mirror finds something strange in me. It has seen me grow up and seen me go through changes at various stages of my life. Why does the mirror feel startled looking at me? Certainly not because of the way I look! For, I've looked more or less the same always. Is it because of my expression? Is it because of the things I've forgotten? Is it because of the things I remember? Which previous 'image' of mine is the mirror trying to match? How does the mirror remember so many of my them?

Isn't mirror a chronicler of  life - imprinting all the events as it were!

Nous ne sortirons qu'au printemps 

Feeling nostalgic about my French classes, especially thinking of Prof. Christian Asquaciati, Madame Rastogi and Madame Sishupal. I'm glad to find the lyrics of one of the songs taught in our Adv. Diploma.

Richard Anthony

Nous ne sortirons qu'au printemps

Non, ce n'est pas une hirondelle
Qui vient de déchirer le ciel
Les grives et les tourterelles
Dorment encore d'un profond sommeil

Ecoute, c'est le vent qui passe
Et qui recourbe nos sapins
Regarde, ce matin, la glace
Recouvre encore l'étang voisin

Pourquoi veux-tu aller dehors ?
L'hiver n'est pas tout à fait mort
Pour nous aimer, prenons le temps
Nous ne sortirons qu'au printemps
Autour de nous, tout est pareil
Tu n'as vu qu'un peu de soleil
Reste encore près du feu de bois
Tu vois, l'hiver est toujours là

Les fleurs n'ont pas percé la neige
Et je n'entends pas les ruisseaux
Le ciel est gris, le ciel est beige
Le givre est toujours aux carreaux

Pourquoi veux-tu aller dehors ?
L'hiver n'est pas tout à fait mort
Pour nous aimer, prenons le temps
Nous ne sortirons qu'au printemps
Autour de nous, tout est pareil
Tu n'as vu qu'un peu de soleil
Oublie le monde, oublie le temps
Nous ne sortirons qu'au printemps

Qu'au printemps.

Proof-reading my book...how I miss you!
It's a strange feeling these days, ever since I got to see, hold and feel all the chapters of my book together. This is hard to express. It's something that you feel when you are unable to share your happiness at reaching a milestone with your most loved ones. I missed my father at every little goal I accomplished in the last two years of my writing, re-writing and editing. And now, I remember him each time I look at the first proofs of the printed chapters; I'm sure he would have been more excited than I am and would have eagerly awaited to see it in final shape. I know he would have definitely helped me with at least one round of proof-reading using those standard 'proof-reading' symbols (like he had done for my dissertations).

Sometimes, I feel I've had imaginary conversations with him, telling him in detail about the subject of my book, updating him on the progress, my meetings with the publisher (Mr. Madhu Reddy), introducing him to the editor (Ms. Dharani. K), the difficulties I've been facing in managing my writing along with regular office, and every little thing to do with it...just like how I used to narrate things during my college days and take pride in telling him about any reward or recognition that I got. Or, how he would 'react' looking at any write-up of mine published in newspapers and magazines. I miss those words of encouragement and appreciation.

My father was not an academician but he was indirectly associated with academics throughout his career at CIEFL. I remember when I was pursuing my PGDTE at CIEFL, how he would get curious about me working on new ideas for textbooks and new ways of teaching English. He would often ask me if I was going to write textbooks after my research. Perhaps, that was not the way my career would take shape, as I bid adieu to college teaching after a brief stint and got into e-learning design and development in an MNC.

However the idea of writing/publishing a book (not a textbook) remained with me, and I explored several options. I wanted to publish my Ph.D dissertation, but that didn't seem practical as I 'changed' my career and my professional priorities were different. Later, I explored writing on 'Instructional Design' since most of my articles and presentations were well-received and I was asked by several professionals to write more on this subject. But, this didn't seem to work as the topic was too narrow and that was not how I wanted to project the area of content design for e-learning. Later, I toyed with the idea of working on a professional blog on the same subject but didn't pursue it further.

Then, one fine day, it was like a 'revelation' for me. In one of my invited talks on e-learning design at CDAC, some participants sought help in learning on their own about various aspects of e-learning.  I quoted some references from websites and mentioned my idea about blog to them. Immediately, I heard some of them saying that to access the blog or to refer to the web pages, they need the Internet and most of them do not have access to the Internet. Not that I wasn't aware of this fact, but this point was bothering me because I felt what they said was true about most of the teachers and trainers in India. That's when I felt that I should reconsider my book and start working on it again. This time, it was on e-learning design, development and delivery, specifically targeted at the Indian audience.

More about my book in the next blog.

An evening with Mukesh

I wanted this Sunday evening to be different, a really relaxing one with good music, something that is soulful and refreshing. Last weekend, Total Recall on Times Now channel paid a tribute to Mukesh on his 34th death anniversary. Ever since I watched this dedicated episode, I felt as if I was 'haunted' by Mukesh's songs, the episode was a neatly woven piece with archival info, pictures, interviews and songs classified decade-wise, his playback from Raj Kapoor to Rajesh Khanna. Like all other episodes of Total Recall this was informative and memorable, making it special to all the lovers of Hindi cinema and its immortal creators. Of all his songs, I've had some favorites like Kahin door jab din dhal jayen from Anand, Kai baar yunhi dekha hai from Rajnigandha, Jaane kahan gaye woh din from Mera Naam Joker and Sajan re jhoot mat bolo from Teesri kasam and so on...Let's look at the classic from Rajnigandha:
kai baar yunhi dekha hai, yeh jo man ki seema rekha hai
man todne lagta hai,
anjaani pyaas ke peeche, anjaani aas ke peeche
man daudne lagta hai...



Today, when I went to Ratnadeep for routine grocery and stuff, I couldn't resist picking up an MP3 compilation with some of the best songs of Mukesh. The CD has 40 songs, 30 of them are super hit numbers picturised on actors like Raj Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Kumar, Rajesh Khanna and others.

Incorrigibly romantic that I've always been, I was always in awe of the lyrics and the compositions in Kishore Kumar's immortal creations. And Mukesh did not fit into my perception of 'romantic' music. Hence, earlier I could never relate to Mukesh with such intensity, though my parents, especially, my father was a Mukesh fan more because of his renditions for Raj Kapoor. This time, after ages, I reconnected with Mukesh, and the experience was different, perhaps a sign of how such music fills a void in today's fastpaced life and meaningless stuff in the name of entertaiment. The philosophical strain in most of his songs had a cathartic effect, complementing those meaningful lyrics there was music by Shankar Jaikishan, Salil Chaudhary and Khayyam...it created an atmosphere that is kind of unearthly. I wondered how it must have been in the times of singers like Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar and Mohd. Rafi, music and singing must have been such a spiritual pursuit for all of them. How true, 'the sweetest songs really tell you of the saddest thoughts', the sadness from loss and betrayal or themes related to ultimate truth or the complex human relationship, Mukesh had an inimitable style and a flair for conveying the beautiful lyrics in a voice that touched our hearts and tranquilised our minds.

There's something mystical about the monsoon skies*

View from my balcony

The skyscapes with myriad hues
Symbolic colors expressing several emotions
Ranging from pure serenity to frightful fury
Clear blues quickly turn amber
Suddenly enveloped with shades of grey
As greys disappear into sombre black
The celestial spectacle leaves me spellbound
As if the stage is being set with a magical wand
For several scenes to be performed
And when the overcast skies open up
The scenes unfold in drops, downpour and deluge
Sometimes the clouds fooling you
With all the thunder and lightening
They fill you with an air of expectancy and hope
Of an impending shower or an incessant pour

The city seems to have become more unreal
And I get caught in the inevitable realities of urban living
I stop blaming the concrete structures
Find my own ways of connecting with nature
So what if I can't walk on the green grass
I have the privilege of looking at the sky
When every green patch is turned into a permanent dwelling
I'm left with nowhere to look, but to the sky for peace, solace or inspiration
Often thanking my stars for the view from my balcony
Though it limits the horizon
I try to look beyond with gratitude.

*Blogger tells me that this is my 100th blog post:)

I can relate to your experience Archana!
...Though not completely, but yes, the relationship of parents and attitude towards a single daughter, the taken-for-grantedness and much more.  How you and I, as kids, became crisis managers in our families, where was the childhood I wonder... how I had to grow up soon, there was no choice...I'm moved, touched, reading your blogs because it seemed so autobiographical, especially how I became a dedicated care giver when my father was suffering from a terminal disease...how I would weep alone whenever I looked at his medical reports and deteriorating conditions, how, on most occasions, I would go alone to get him tested in the hospital, collect the reports, again alone...all this while managing my work at office...and so on.
But, no regret at all! I'm glad to have owned and shown responsbility at the crucial moments without bothering too much about the dynamics of singlehood, relationship with siblings, etc etc and never once did I bow down to the 'social pressure' of changing my singlehood for reasons whatsoever. Perhaps that was how I could return all that my father gave me by not forcing me to do things that I never wanted to...and I do have my bit of fun because I take life the way it comes!
http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/archanajahagirdar/2770/61955/a-depressed-dad-being-single--life-in-between.html?from=tn

Bitter, sweet, sour... this new year

New life, new living, a fresh beginning
Like everything that blossoms in Spring
The season of rejuvenation
The season of mirth, joy and revelry
As the nature seems to blush like roses
As trees in full bloom turn yellow and pink
Gulmohurs waiting to spread cheer
With their bright orange and red hues
Hidden there would be some koel or myna
Waiting to break into a fresh morning song.

New thoughts, new ideas
Unfurling like the tender mango leaves
A whole bunch of tender mangoes
Green little, sour things reminding me
That sourness is a taste to savor.

I walk past the whiff of sweet scent of Neem flowers
The huge neem tree covered with delicate white flowers
Frail little bitter things reminding me
That bitterness is also a taste to savour.

Far away there seems to have been an early shower
The familiar smell of first showers on dry earth
The sweet smelling air reminding me
That sweetness is not just in sugar
It's an everlasting taste of all things pleasant.

The days get longer and warmer
Signs of impending summer
Perhaps a severe one, hotter than the previous one
Sweltering, scorching and sizzling
Forcing me to be indoors till the Sun goes down

The tender coconut vendor
Sits there around the corner
Under the shade of huge green tree
Quenching the thirst of a passer-by
Or selling the refreshing drink to as many

In the evening
The bazaars are graced by the divine Jasmine
The heavenly perfume fills the air
As the buds slowly bloom into flowers
Making every evening a special one
For the dame, adorning her long hair
Or as earnest offerings at places of worship.

Taking together
Sweet with bitter and sour
Just as the tastes of nature are many
A melange of several feelings and experiences
Isn't this true of us, as we step into another year.


Image courtesy: http://in.ygoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/ugadi.jpg

Our sweetest songs are those that tell you of ...

Our sweetest songs are those that tell you of sad thoughts, bitter-sweet realities, existential and profound truths- to extend Shelley's famous lines. Isn't this true of most of our movie songs? There's a mystical charm about songs that make us feel exalted, elevating our spirits while experiencing the lyrics, the music and the singer. The way these songs are composed brings out the best in the singer, making us feel the emotions vicariously - poignant and cathartic -intoxicating and liberating - existential and transcendental. The lyrics of each song, highly poetic, composed and rendered with utmost artistic appeal. Such sublime beauty is rare to find these days when songs have become 'musical' commodities, created, packaged and distributed - legal or pirated. Most of these songs have remained as masterpieces with everlasting listening pleasure for the discerning listener. Here are some of my eternal favorites:

Yaad kiya dil ne kahan ho tum jhoomti bahar hai kahan ho tum...
Ae dil-e-nadaan, arzoo kya, justaju kya hai...
Yun hasraton ke khwab mohabat main dho liye, khud dil se dil ke baat kahi aur ro liye...
Hasne ki chaah ne itna mujhe rulaya hai, koi hamdard and dard mera saya hai...
Chingaari koi bhadke to sawan use bhujhye, sawan jo agan lageye use kaun bujhaye ...
Main to ek khwab hun, is khwab se to pyaar na kar...
Suhani raat dhal chuki na jaane tum kab aaoge, hawa bhi rukh badal chuki...
Tujhse naraaz nahi zindagi hairan hun main, tere masoom sawalon se pareshan hun main...
Yeh jeevan hai is jeevan ka yahi hai , yahi hai rang roop..
Katra katra milti hai, katra katra jeene do zindagi hai, behene do pyasi hun main pyasi rehene do..
Tere bina zindagi se koi shikwa to nahin, shikwa nahin...
Aane wala pal jaane wala hai, ho sake to isme zindagi bitalo pal jo yeh jaane wala hai...
Jaane woh kaise log the jinke pyaar to pyaar mila, humne ne toh jab kaliyan maangi kaanton ka haar mila...

Kites

Thin sheets of coloured papers

Transformed into

Wondrous pieces of colourful craft

Purple, pink and pale green

Red, blue, white and yellow

Like pieces flying from the rainbow

A colour for each emotion

And a colour for each reason

Like my aspirations

Flying high, flying low, flying even

Blown by gentle breeze and strong winds
Gliding, sailing and soaring new heights.

Amazing artifacts!

Don’t they look like pictures of human imagination

Framed with thin bamboo strips

Fragile but strong with courage and determination

Shaped by hopes, desires, beliefs, convictions

As if telling stories

Of thoughts, actions, dreams, promises and failures

Of hits and misses striking a balance

As they rise higher and raise my hopes

Or plummet suddenly reminding me of a possible despair.

Look at the ones that are flying high

Rustling sound of crisp paper

Forming tiny specks of myriad hues

Some get tangled and some get cut

A flight cut short, perhaps a reminder

Of how we clash, win or lose

How we give in to ego, envy or other emotions

I let my ambitions soar as high as the kite I fly

The string that it’s tied to is as strong as my will

The sky is where I look for my limits

I hold it tightly

Then I loosen my grip

Alternating between…

Seeking control.

Ethereal creations!

Will you be my guide to fanciful flights?

In a new world beyond the clouds and cosmic realities

Where I become a child all over again

Fascinated by the world of fairies with magic wands

Excited about fulfilling my wishes and wants

As you carry my message

Beyond the bright blue and white clouds.

The year that was...

My motto in 2009: "I am my competition" and "Re-live and enjoy the intellectual waywardness all over again long after my doctoral studies"

Job, professional
New and pleasantly unexpected creative challenges, geared up to do my best
Exploring social media, its potential for learning, marketing B2B enterprise software
Completed 10 years in e-learning, new media and corporate training- glad that I followed my heart and quit teaching English
Discovery
The convenience and power of social networking, connecting through Facebook, touch base with old friends
Writing
Writing my book and working on a plan to market it
Writing, writing and writing...simply loved every bit of the slog
Movies I thoroughly enjoyed
Kaminey, Wake up Sid
Movies that could have been better
Kurbaan and 3 Idiots
Became a fan of
Ranbir Kapoor (doesn't mean I'm ditching Shah Rukh Khan)
Enjoyable moments
Listening to Sanjeev Abhayankar during those stress-filled days
Early morning 'Moonset' and catching it on my lens
The drive to airport on Expressway
The thrill of seeing 267pages in shape!
Regretted
Spending at Shoppers' Stop and Woodland and ending up with dresses that shrunk and got discolored and footwear that never lasted for more even 3 months.
Not checking the stepney of my car when the tyre got punctured and I ended up with two punctured tyres
Best buy and ownership
Replacing my kitchen chimney with Faber
Over with EMIs - now I own my car
Finally decided to own a vacuum cleaner as borrowing from Madhu was more of an excuse for not cleaning frequently...nothing much has changed even after owning one:)
Satisfying buy at Fabindia, Bangalore
Jewellery
Parting with my earrings (a collection of 100+) coz of problems with the piercing in the earlobe and for medical reasons... wasting money on a pair of diamond and gold earrings...imagine what a gold-hater like me had to go through, being unable to match my earrings with my dress:(
Not-so-pleasant
Several visits to the physician at Care clinic, diagnostic tests etc what with viral fever, swine flu, dengue all over the place
Seem to be on the verge of sleeping disorder because of my erratic sleeping habits to cope with my writing and office timelines
Kept postponing
Visit to L&M for eye check-up and new spects
Bravery or agony or endurance?
Underwent RCT for 3 teeth and one pending:)
Pleasant ones
Meeting Kavitha's kid Vaishnavi
Playing with Shreya's friends on her birthday and seeing her dress up as a fairy on the eve of Christmas
Maansi's surprise visit one morning in the month of May 
Shreya improves her sketching, she writes stories in English and attempts the same in Hindi
Maansi playing "air hostess" and offering us food and drinks while I was in Bangalore
Reading
Mostly work related- other than this, well nothing:(
In fact, my reading took a back seat because I concentrated more on my writing
Books and CDs
Books - none, CDs - some Hindi movies
Television
Convenience of ordering movies on Tatasky Showcase
Michael Jackson memorial service
50 years of Doordarshan - a documentary revisiting those serials, songs and sitcoms
Memorable
General and local elections - voted for the first time from my own house
My presentation at national e-learning event and the appreciation
Driving back home from office on my birthday in real heavy rain, late in the evening
Unable to get started with
My initiative on web based help and counselling for students to 'follow their heart'
Unfortunate
The Telangana turmoil and resultant impact on the lives of commoners in Hyderabad and other places in A.P