tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68374410827831905942024-03-04T23:00:36.360-08:00Head in Clouds, Feet on GroundLakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-75169715483574032712022-01-20T09:59:00.002-08:002022-01-20T10:05:36.732-08:00Airavata 1: Elephant TalesThis blog post is part of the Airavata1microbloghop hosted by MeeraVBarath
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5eDSGuDl6BboVZd1JOS8lKqYwP7p2ijyOFnmS9DS9wMiUuYHSR7s0-OBI1PuOtUYyHFS9ufgXoR-J7A28nC0c7T73KTJYWifX8NL9B40suqTzh-nwfMPEbf23dQFqztp-o3gFqg481tdrQrPnwtxpbOmpzZgzYMatsb369FWgIlsoX8YL33GxFDxDFg=s300" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5eDSGuDl6BboVZd1JOS8lKqYwP7p2ijyOFnmS9DS9wMiUuYHSR7s0-OBI1PuOtUYyHFS9ufgXoR-J7A28nC0c7T73KTJYWifX8NL9B40suqTzh-nwfMPEbf23dQFqztp-o3gFqg481tdrQrPnwtxpbOmpzZgzYMatsb369FWgIlsoX8YL33GxFDxDFg=s320"/></a></div>
Serendipity is something I believe in. I am delighted each time things seem to align themselves to produce a desired result. One such event happened recently, culminating in the production of the book Airavata, by Mayaakatha, Where Stories Dance: the brainchild of Meera Bharath.
It so happened that I already had the germ of an idea for a story featuring a baby elephant. I had narrated this story to my children as a bedtime story, many many years ago. I had never written it down as such, spinning the yarn out of my imagination and embellishing it with different expressions as I narrated it. My children are grown up now, yet the story stayed with me all these years. I had planned to write it down properly at some point in time.
Well, the time was ripe, apparently. I came across a call for elephant stories, to be collected into a book. That spurred me into action, and the story took shape in its present form, “The Elephant and the Snail”.
The concept of living beings helping each other is very dear to my heart and in telling this story to my children (and now other children too), I hope to spread kindness all around. This is especially relevant in the context of humans causing harm to the delicate ecosystem around them. I also wanted to emphasize that no creature is too small to help and no creature is too big to need help. Animal stories have a special resonance with children and adults alike. I had never read any story with a snail as a character, so I wanted to explore that possibility too.
I hope everybody who reads this and other stories in the book takes away a smile and a thought to ponder on.
https://meerasoasis.com/airavata1-microblog-hop/
https://www.amazon.in/Airavata-Meera-Bharat/dp/9354903258/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2GVR7ZJZMXLKD&keywords=airavata&qid=1642700111&s=books&sprefix=airavata%2Cstripbooks%2C226&sr=1-1
<a href="https://meerasoasis.com/airavata1-microblog-hop/" target="_blank"></a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.in/Airavata-Meera-Bharat/dp/9354903258/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2GVR7ZJZMXLKD&keywords=airavata&qid=1642700111&s=books&sprefix=airavata%2Cstripbooks%2C226&sr=1-1" target="_blank"></a>
#AiravataAnthology
#StoriesWithMayakatha
#PachydermTales
#UkiyotoPublishers
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-61418542860101403352022-01-20T02:27:00.021-08:002022-01-20T09:48:21.664-08:00Airavata: Stories for Children & the child in you<a href="https://www.amazon.in/Airavata-Meera-Bharat/dp/9354903258/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2GVR7ZJZMXLKD&keywords=airavata&qid=1642700111&s=books&sprefix=airavata%2Cstripbooks%2C226&sr=1-1" target="_blank">
<a href="https://meerasoasis.com/airavata1-microblog-hop/" target="_blank"></a>
</a>This blog post is part of the Airavata1microbloghop hosted by MeeraVBarath
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBsg2hRvsTFossJ4BX6cHDudlC4BtulKdAqh77uqdMm_6sSH74o2toZ1YgKH5PPXYmGCDjXjpI4gX97vTiKI9v3O6x09FC3YvbXp3N0Ae8smbOYg6qMpc72Cczst0IsIAefgF4GlVtVsD_u4CqQOpVkP9Li9l2oFgxJUF_I1lXfnUFlPhpSan3DOu3qA=s300" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBsg2hRvsTFossJ4BX6cHDudlC4BtulKdAqh77uqdMm_6sSH74o2toZ1YgKH5PPXYmGCDjXjpI4gX97vTiKI9v3O6x09FC3YvbXp3N0Ae8smbOYg6qMpc72Cczst0IsIAefgF4GlVtVsD_u4CqQOpVkP9Li9l2oFgxJUF_I1lXfnUFlPhpSan3DOu3qA=s320"/></a></div>
Serendipity is something I believe in. I am delighted each time things seem to align themselves to produce a desired result. One such event happened recently, culminating in the production of the book Airavata, by Mayaakatha, Where Stories Dance: the brainchild of Meera Bharath.
It so happened that I already had the germ of an idea for a story featuring a baby elephant. I had narrated this story to my children as a bedtime story, many many years ago. I had never written it down as such, spinning the yarn out of my imagination and embellishing it with different expressions as I narrated it. My children are grown up now, yet the story stayed with me all these years. I had planned to write it down properly at some point in time.
Well, the time was ripe, apparently. I came across a call for elephant stories, to be collected into a book. That spurred me into action, and the story took shape in its present form, “The Elephant and the Snail”.
The concept of living beings helping each other is very dear to my heart and in telling this story to my children (and now other children too), I hope to spread kindness all around. This is especially relevant in the context of humans causing harm to the delicate ecosysytem around them. I also wanted to emphasize that no creature is too small to help and no creature is too big to need help. Animal stories have a special resonance with children and adults alike. I had never read any story with a snail as a character, so I wanted to explore that possibility too.
I hope everybody who reads this and other stories in the book takes away a smile and a thought to ponder
<a href="https://meerasoasis.com/airavata1-microblog-hop/" target="_blank"></a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.in/Airavata-Meera-Bharat/dp/9354903258/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2GVR7ZJZMXLKD&keywords=airavata&qid=1642700111&s=books&sprefix=airavata%2Cstripbooks%2C226&sr=1-1"></a>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-88213997135950055262020-07-28T10:53:00.000-07:002020-07-28T10:53:28.735-07:00Beauty be held<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A tiny tale<br />
<br />
He: I will love you as long as you are beautiful.<br />
She: I will be beautiful as long as you love me!</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-2988103110470401722020-04-21T11:21:00.002-07:002020-04-21T11:21:33.408-07:00THE CHORES CHORUS <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Dust bunnies skitter
merrily away</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I chase them with my broom</div>
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Though I did it just yesterday,</div>
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The laundry doth again loom.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The mop, I swear, has more hair</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Than was ever on my head,</div>
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Alas! I was not aware</div>
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That like a dog I shed.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The table has a carpet of dust</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The carpet, a table of contents</div>
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The iron wok wallows in rust</div>
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The plates have all got dents.</div>
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<br /></div>
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In the sink, with festive air</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The dishes doth get married</div>
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In no time, they come to bear</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The children they have carried.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The burns and cuts behoove me not</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For, no greenhorn am I</div>
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Yet I seem to have forgot</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The basics that apply.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I chop and cook and stir and bake</div>
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No sooner than ‘tis done,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dinner follows in lunch’s wake</div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I am back to square one!</span></div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-77389223276127774592019-10-06T10:28:00.002-07:002019-10-06T10:28:45.666-07:00Naked Beneath the Midnight Sun by Kamalini Natesan: A Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
This novel can be called a garden of the five senses. It reads at a languorous pace, taking the reader into sylvan surroundings, a pastoral paean as it were. We can "see" the scenes, so visual are the descriptions.</div>
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The novel is set in India and Norway, around the mid eighties. Suchareeta, or Suchu for short is a young adult straining to break away from parental bonds to find her feet in a foreign land . She gets the opportunity to study in Norway for a year and jumps at it, aided by her parents in their own ways.</div>
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In discovering Norway she also discovers herself. How it all comes about forms the rest of the story. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The relationship between Suchu's parents is delineated delicately. The author's grasp of human relationships is admirable. For example, attention is subtly drawn to secrets shared separately with each parent. </div>
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The author has her finger on the pulse of characters across countries and generations. She has got every character's accent or dialect down pat. The finely nuanced differences in cultures are highlighted by juxtaposition. </div>
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The story illustrates how distance can sometimes bring you closer. Letters can express emotions which cannot be shown face to face. The letters exchanged between Suchu and her parents, showcase the feelings of both generations. Suchu's need to prove herself deserving of independence in a letter to her mother, stands out beautifully, and is topical. Maybe parents whose children are straining at the leash, can get some perspective with this. In another instance,Bhuvan's letter is just right, mistakes and all!</div>
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<br /></div>
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The writing is peppered with unobtrusive homilies ("I dont fight, I simply resist the need to be right"; "The balm needed was in the listening of the tale")and unusual metaphors (" The wooden staircase accompanied her every step in the night, that went by unnoticed in the day.")</div>
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<br /></div>
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This is not a quick read, but one to be ruminated over. It is to be enjoyed like a symphony or an epicurean dish. The vocabulary is a delightful deviation from the usual frenetic, clipped, snappy, staccato reads, yet does not send the reader running to the dictionary. Rather, the reading is like meeting old, nearly forgotten yet dear friends.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I would like to have a little more insight into the secrets of Suchu's parents; here's hoping for a standalone book on their life too!</div>
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<br /></div>
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A few typos have crept in but nothing a round of editing cannot fix.</div>
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All in all an unusual, lyrical read. </div>
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</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-18745577633343879652018-12-25T08:40:00.001-08:002018-12-25T08:40:07.409-08:00Review of "From An-Other Land" by Tanushree Ghosh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friends! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am not addressing you, the readers, but remembering the
iconic sitcom from where many of us got our images of life in the USA. This and
other TV shows and books, of course, have been our window to the American way
of life. “From An-Other Land” by Tanushree Ghosh brings to us a view from
another window---- through the eyes of Indian immigrants to the Land of
Oppportunity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Laced with understated humour, this book of short stories throws
up the complex dynamics of relationships, between people and between people and
the country they have chosen as their own. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story of Tarun and Michelle slowly and poignantly unravels,
as the complicated emotions of Michelle lead us to wonder about Tarun, “Will
he, won’t he?” Then there is the unusual tale of a woman who marries her
brother-in-law for a green card, not only for herself but for her husband as
well!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The author puts a lot of thought into the naming of her
characters. For example, the sisters Asti and Tiyash are named like inverses of
each other, and their personalities are opposite too. The characters are
introspective. Tanushree showcases the dichotomy that immigrants must deal
with---- their Indian heritage and their American sensibilities. A perfectly
harmless question in India may be construed as an intrusion in America.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A couple of stories also bring up the other point of view---
that of American citizens who feel insecure about Indians taking away their
jobs. Yet, through this insecurity, an empathy prevails, with both sides
realising that the other is human too. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The development of each story and the delineation of the
characters bring to mind an iceberg: there is a lot more beneath the surface,
than what is seen at first glance. The author hints at many layers of emotions.
She also employs quirky turns of phrase. In the tale about the Biswas family,
she says of the forgetful mother, “--- some names had fallen into oblivion
through the cracks in her sixty-five year old memory.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In many of the stories, the underlying theme is loneliness,
yet the human spirit also shines through. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead of plunging straightaway into the stories, the
author has cleverly introduced her characters in the first story, as people in
line for Immigration. As we go through the book, we are compelled to turn back
to the first story, just to see where each character comes from, in terms of
their mental state, and their aspirations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The author is an observer and she gently brings to life the
myriad characters that people this book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-72926178628376524672018-12-12T00:18:00.001-08:002018-12-12T00:28:30.637-08:00Gurgaon Moms Book Club Meet: From An-Other Land<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An event attended for GurgaonMoms </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> .</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.gurgaonmoms.com&source=gmail&ust=1544688161395000&usg=AFQjCNFAbsPVVzw1Zn2s9wvvwXXKVITRCQ" href="http://www.gurgaonmoms.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">www.gurgaonmoms.com</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">#MomSureCan</b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
On a sunny winter morning, many of us from Gurgaon Moms Book
Club got together at the GreenR cafe, located in the 32<sup>nd</sup> Milestone
Complex. The cafe was sunlit and spacious, just right for an animated
discussion. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The philosophy behind GreenR
is to provide healthy and delicious alternatives to the regular fare available
at other cafes. Not only that, they are strong believers in the plant protein
revolution, which provides nutritious and sustainable alternatives to meat, for
both vegetarians and non- vegetarians.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were to meet two
authors: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rinku Paul, who has written
“Daughters of Legacy” and Tanushree Ghosh, author of “From An-Other Land”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tanushree is a multifaceted personality. She is an alumnus
of the Presidency College, Kolkata and IIT Kanpur. She holds a Doctorate in
Chemistry from Cornell University and works for the Intel Corporation in the
USA. Tanushree is also a social activist, working with the India Chapters of
ASHA and AID in the USA and is connected to many women’s and civic engagement
organisations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For many of us, our window to life in the USA has been
American TV shows, films and books. “From An-Other Land” brings to us a view
from another window --- through the eyes of Indian immigrants to the Land of
Opportunity. Laced with understated humour, Tanushree’s book throws up the
complex dynamics of relationships between people, and those between a person
and the country they have chosen as their own. For Tanu, her writing is linked
to her social activism as well, as can be seen by the dedication at the
beginning of the book. Instead of straightaway plunging into the stories, the
author has cleverly introduced the characters in the first story, as people in
line for Immigration.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for Rinku Paul,
the present book, Daughters of Legacy ( about heiresses to business houses) is
the third she has written, the other two being “Dare to Be” (about women who
gave up corporate careers to follow their passion) and “Millionaire Housewives”
( about housewives who started their own businesses and emerged successful)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I asked Tanushree Ghosh, if the Great American Dream is also
still the Great Indian Dream. She feels that this is true to a large extent. It
is not just the economy and infrastructure, which are conducive to development;
the work culture itself encourages excellence. At University, the quality of research
is something else, as it attracts the crème de la crème of brains. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A recurrent theme in her stories is loneliness. Asked about
this, Tanu said that as a society, the USA is a private one. So immigrants can
feel alone in a crowd. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a free ranging conversation with Upasana, both Tanu and
Rinku gave us insights into the fields of their interests. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When asked about what was common to the
protagonists in their stories, Tanu<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>felt
that it is a feeling of the identity suffering a blow. The country defines your
identity as well as makes you lose it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rinku felt that all the women she had spoken to, had a
secret formula: to outshout the naysayers. As women, we are prone to
second-guessing ourselves. This feeling of inadequacy is called the Imposter
syndrome. We have to overcome that, since there is no right time to start ---one
just has to take the plunge. We never negotiate for ourselves ---- for this, an
effective trick is to think one is negotiating for one’s child!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another discussion dealt with what changes when one becomes
a Mom. There is Mom guilt. This can be overcome by really spending quality time,
where the mother is totally with the child with no distractions whatsoever. She
also needs to accept herself as an individual and do something nice for
herself. The mother can prepare the child for the road, and not try to prepare
the road for the child.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Asked about the stories she wrote, Tanushree said that most
of them are based on true stories. She does not want to tell people what to do,
but just present life as it is. Thus her book is a mirror to society, and is
her way of reaching out, and turning the lens on to social problems. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rinku was asked why she chose to write only about women;
specifically why only those women. She feels that with the prevailing
patriarchy inherent in the system, women have had to face a different set of
challenges all together.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Each statement sparked a further discussion, until the
sunshine outside was reflected in the brightness of the conversation within
this cosy cafe!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></b></div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-9886779669171844342018-08-07T11:09:00.001-07:002018-08-07T11:09:31.607-07:00The Oak<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
What can the oak tree lean on?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What does the oak tree lean on? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Buffeted by winds on all sides</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Standing firm, but shaken too</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stirred from within</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A rustle through the leaves,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then silence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What can the oak tree lean on?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does it remember: it
was an acorn?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It came from an oak tree too</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That tree, now gnarled</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Knotted, withered</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yet standing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Roots entrenched deep,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Earth its anchor,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A little bent maybe</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still steadfast.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our oak stands up straighter,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Digs deep into its reserves</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Squares its branches</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A ripple shakes the leaves</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The oak straightens up,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ready for the storm.</div>
<br /></div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-26011238073782730762017-11-14T02:48:00.001-08:002017-11-14T02:49:17.752-08:00Grace<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Anita was late. Despite having
got up earlier than usual, she had not been able to get out at the time she had
aimed at. She had only herself to blame, of course. <i>Because </i>she had got up earlier, she had blithely taken up an extra
chore: neatening up her cupboard, if you please! How was that for ambition? Of
course that task could not be completed and of course, she had to listen to
Harish’s smug pronouncement on her “disorganised way of working”! It did not
help that she had had to stuff the rest of the clothes back into the cupboard,
unsorted. It seemed like she was proving him right.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Calming herself down and rushing
through the rest of her chores, she finally left for work. The high speed lift
of their building seemed rather slow today, with people getting in and out at almost
every floor. She finally reached the ground floor. Before she could step out
when the doors slid apart, a group of twenty-somethings started entering the
lift, laughing and talking. Something snapped in the usually cool and collected
Anita.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“Excuse me,” she said in a cold,
steely voice, “Can you let me exit please, before you get in?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“Sorry Ma’am!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“Sorry Auntie!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
At least the youngsters had the
grace to look abashed. She had half a mind to lecture them on lift etiquette
but let it go. Enough of a skirmish, already. As it was, she thought she saw a
smirk and an eye-roll bounce around the group, as if saying, “Irritable! So
early in the morning!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
She was miffed at being called
Auntie, but realised that in her early forties this was what she should expect
to be called by people twenty years younger than her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“I guess I should be glad that
one or two of them called me ma’am!” she sighed to herself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
The office day went by in a blur.
The frenetic pace was not new to her; she was used to taking multiple
challenges in her stride. However, she was like the proverbial swan: though she appeared to be gliding serenely on
the water, underneath the surface, she was swimming like mad! But a blip did
come up towards the evening ---- Harish had messaged, asking her to please,
please, pleeeease pick up a gift for his colleague’s housewarming party.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“Done! But you’ll have to get
home in time to drop Ankur to coaching class!” she messaged in reply.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“Sure!” came the text from
Harish.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Anita managed to leave a little
early, promising her team that she would come online just as soon as she
reached home. She then headed to the nearest mall, mentally running through
gift options. Half her mind was on the office task she would have to resume
from home. Preoccupied, Anita was just entering the doorway of a store when a
tart voice arrested her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“May I?” the voice said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Anita brought back her eyes to
focus on who had spoken. It was a lady of sixty five or so, who was exiting the
shop just then. Had Anita gone through the doorway, she would have collided
with the lady or at the very least, brushed past her. The elderly lady had
stepped back so as to avoid this, and added, “Excuse me!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anita caught a mocking look in the older
woman’s bespectacled eyes. She could almost read the thought running through
that lady’s mind---“Hmph! Look at the younger lot today----no manners!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Mortified, Anita was about to
protest----did the other lady really assume that she was so boorish as to brush
past a frail old woman on purpose? Then a picture rose in front of her eyes----
the scene at the lift in the morning. It was the same thing, except that this
time, she, Anita had been the unthinking one. And the younger one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“I am sorry Ma’am! I wasn’t
looking where I was going! After you!” she said pacifically, and stepped well
aside. The other lady, who had seemed ready to judge Anita, was instantly
mollified. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Smiling at each other, they both
went their ways.</div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
*******************</div>
</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-6214434132584851162017-05-02T11:05:00.002-07:002017-05-02T11:05:44.623-07:00A-Z Survivor!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIzwUuhqJJ36RiAs9ulQkqsDTcP4v2u38GvTHpCutWRcSEEKvR_2rm0UWrSYeWefm2MkcD4pLRvwjQ2cRXCV61VsjePwFrnLF1FyzJoLqZE42ui-qg7KCBeqpbIYQonUeI6kwSQ07IIbf/s320/survivor-atoz+%255B2017%255D+v1.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I did it! Somehow I managed, through a holiday in a resort with iffy wifi, through hectic preparations for my volunteer work, and towards the end of April, the ill health of a parent. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I learnt to prioritise a little, to let go a little, and if I seemed a little preoccupied to others, what of it?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It was a challenge and a stimulating experience. Ideas sometimes are reluctant to manifest themselves under pressure, but I clutched at them before they could get away. Some posts are dearer to me than others and I know I would like to expand some of them into more detailed, deeper articles.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm glad I took the challenge!</span></div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-46714995864990621142017-04-30T12:17:00.001-07:002017-04-30T12:17:35.008-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5FPHu3I5JW5aKTlisEPaOZKWJbWSCddCgVeWtg9nrc6rxLsgreIc5e9F6jAQ48OmR15qfvL4Dgs8TvjQXwX4WrgdW_ytvHeYZmqerwhjfpLNRxR51UDrdfsDIR9wSvu8BUpiY3U7N4yX/s1600/A2Z-BADGE-100+%255B2017%255D.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByx8XnQq1FO0auFmQ-atmQ2pR8TZE1F7L2gZebc0C5qzaNlgc5kRhqO1i3AOjAFuo_MPjqeQcAghi6ajZ2lonVX4oTlVF-zkeBv73ljwots8CEd1WAxqDJA-qrL4dXXFmnj1wpi9bnJt_/s1600/Z.jpg" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
#AtoZChallenge 4-30-2017 - Letter Z</h3>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Z for Zodiac</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Firebrand, the Ram; Honest and frank</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Stubborn, the Bull: Stoic and practical</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Twins mercurial; Chatty and versatile</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sensitive crab laughing well; crazy, nutty in its shell</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Commanding, the Lion so stately; leading others proudly</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Graceful, the Virgin restless and vain; All charm and perfection
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Scales going up and down; creative, pleasant, honest,
wholesome</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Composed, the Scorpion, totally fearless; The sting so
brutally honest</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Goofy, the Archer with bright eyes; warm and generous</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Serious, the Goat but surefooted; Intelligent yet camouflaged</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Tranquil, the Water bearer so kind; unexpected and
non-conformist</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Artistic, the Fish and so timid; Satirical and intuitive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Light years away, hot balls of gas; Nuclear powerhouses</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Can they dictate, are they sure; Of Man’s destiny and nature?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-22397512205100488542017-04-29T23:55:00.002-07:002017-04-30T00:52:10.843-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeC-jAdl4AJW6BmMp90ceLqY4YOO6Y9m7xyMIULh5Y88lwY1tWbE32-FbWhKkg8DHB_0JZEloh1Lmidyjfe6Skzbzm0aYyP0WicuPT_Ap6lFCz3c2Zb0gaZmfoZ5A2phgoDNWwm0q2l9o/s200/2017+Badge.jpg" /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwBJHGcsKFOlGB8qud0l3QoZLrm01JzPimIOJTjwD4ewF0ySmLsV8PwyVAeFyJ7bkslXURZSpPtWwUr6MA34WPSL2LQaj-tT1hGkBWJciDzWqWPN0qvfmnvKXva6dZh4yA7zmoyAjruEX/s1600/Y.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2017/04/atozchallenge-4-27-2016-letter-w.html" style="color: #666666;">#AtoZChallenge - 4-29-2017 - Letter</a> Y</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Y for Yodel</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yodelling is an intriguing element of music, where the singer
changes his pitch, going from low to high and back very fast. My first exposure
to this fun sound was in the song, “The lonely Goatherd” from The Sound of
Music. The yodel did originate in the Alps, as a means for shepherds and
farmers calling to identify themselves and each other.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Closer home, the consummate singer Kishore Kumar was well
known for his musical antics, and the skilful way he melded the yodel into
many songs. These songs went on to become iconic numbers not only in their own
time but also today, well into the twenty-first century. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Songs like “Main hoon Jhumroo” (Jhumroo), “Panch rupaiya
barah anna” (Chalti ka naam gaadi), “Zindagi ek safar hai suhana” (Andaz), “Good
Morning good morning”(Bawarchi) and “Tum bin Jaaoon kahaan” (Pyar ka mausam)
spring to mind immediately. The talent of Kishore Kumar’s yodelling lies in the
way it blended in so seamlessly with characteristically Indian sounds. The
eccentric genius made this intrinsically foreign sound his own.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yodel-ay-EEE-ooo!</span></div>
</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-67336853622746838952017-04-29T00:00:00.000-07:002017-04-30T00:59:54.381-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeC-jAdl4AJW6BmMp90ceLqY4YOO6Y9m7xyMIULh5Y88lwY1tWbE32-FbWhKkg8DHB_0JZEloh1Lmidyjfe6Skzbzm0aYyP0WicuPT_Ap6lFCz3c2Zb0gaZmfoZ5A2phgoDNWwm0q2l9o/s200/2017+Badge.jpg" /></h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCmowzBG9CEbf5eNs3H56D3nEv1l9w3EMX80l3FYd6m-Z3aZyNep8BSzmhXDNhNP7f1WgfPUpo4AiWCcxz-FgRhn4Ia9s2ZdjeZDf1C__M-SK8D9l_57C3B9gzpBniQU9YL4piCzcl7dO/s1600/X.jpg" /></div>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2017/04/atozchallenge-4-28-2017-letter-x.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration-line: none;">#AtoZChallenge - 4-28-2017 - Letter </a>X</h3>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">X for Xanadu</span><br />
<br />
Xanadu: a magical mystical land. The name conjures up visions of never-seen -before colours, dreaming spires, misty mountains and sparkling streams. A land where everything is possible. There is no chaos.<br />
I first came to know the word from the comic Mandrake the Magician by Lee Falk ( who is also the author of Phantom comics). This was in the early 1970's. Xanadu is the home of the powerful magician, Mandrake. It is built like a fortress, impregnable to all but a chosen few.<br />
Those who are allowed access enter through magically opening doors and perilous cliff roads. It is home to magic as well as technology. The comics are well worth a revisit, if only to check if the gadgetry imagined all those years ago, has actually come into being!<br />
I seem to remember a song too, called Xanadu. This too has a wistful feel to it, a sense of longing conveyed in the singer's throaty voice.<br />
The letter X has always stood for mystery, and Xanadu seems to be an apt manifestation of it.<br />
Xanadu! Xanadu!</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-3547264390667801262017-04-28T04:13:00.001-07:002017-04-28T04:13:11.047-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeC-jAdl4AJW6BmMp90ceLqY4YOO6Y9m7xyMIULh5Y88lwY1tWbE32-FbWhKkg8DHB_0JZEloh1Lmidyjfe6Skzbzm0aYyP0WicuPT_Ap6lFCz3c2Zb0gaZmfoZ5A2phgoDNWwm0q2l9o/s200/2017+Badge.jpg" /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3rtb3sGeN_U-0qO7j8hmx3PSiQhlQ7APBao8POgRreFjcSw9THogCOo_oZRI1_JPK-bs4oeGYw3WeZKy2UUUhn_gu0iLNwn2f1W_mTcaArIx-53pB3oN3RJ83Ftza8wxjduLJHV645_y/s1600/W.jpg" /></div>
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<div class="post-header" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2017/04/atozchallenge-4-27-2016-letter-w.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">#AtoZChallenge - 4-27-2016 - Letter W</a></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">W for Wodehouse</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Warning: This is going to be a gushy article!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As a child, growing up on a generous dose of Enid Blyton, I
used to wish I lived in that world. A world filled with children who had the
most wonderful adventures, went to the most exciting schools and had the most “scrumplicious”
food (I have since learnt that steak and kidney pie tastes horrible!) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then I discovered P.G. Wodehouse and I was smitten, and I am
to this day. Who wouldn’t want to live in a world populated by the affable but
bumbling Bertie Wooster and the omnipotent and omnipresent Jeeves? Or the
complete madhouse that is Blandings Castle (which has “Imposters like other
houses have mice”!) Don’t even get me started on the eccentric characters.
There is no single definition of eccentricity, if the characters who people
Wodehouse’s world are anything to go by. Those who come to mind, off the top of
the head are:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Gussie Finknottle: Keeps newts, is a teetotaller and is very
shy around girls. So if his orange juice
is laced with alcohol, the results are bound to be mindboggling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lord Emsworth: Wants to be left alone, draped over the rails
of his pigsty, which houses the three- time winner of the Fat Pigs contest,
Empress of Blandings. The absentminded peer is known to swallow his collar stud
and replace it with a paper clip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Anatole: Temperamental French chef who speaks in American
slang with a French accent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Roberta Wickham: Her idea of fun is to egg her suitors on to
take up perilous and downright idiotic missions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Constance: Emsworth’s sister, who rules the house with an
iron hand and can freeze anybody with a glance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Aunt Agatha: Wooster’s Aunt, whom Bertie Wooster freely
suspects of chewing on glass bottles and turning into a Vampire at any given
time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Aunt Dahlia: She is a good sort; employer of Anatole, who
doesn’t mind any sort of goings on as long as she gets a good laugh. Always
setting Bertie hair-raising tasks to do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A plethora of eccentrics!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then there are characters like Mr. Mulliner who tells
stories about his numerous nephews and nieces at the local pub. All the other
patrons of the pub are only known by the drinks they order. There is Ukridge
who never tires of coming up with money making schemes but is always getting
into scrapes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are so many stand-alone novels, the heroines of which
are pretty and plucky. The heroes are strong yet vulnerable. The villains
appear to win for a while, but there is nothing that a good biff with a
painting (so that the canvas tears over the head) can’t cure. Another effective
method to render anyone helpless is to simply steal all his clothes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wodehouse runs through the entire gamut of situational
comedy with practiced ease.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Americans and the British manage to tolerate each other
with a mixture of amusement and disdain. All is always well in this best of all
possible worlds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If I ever do a PH.D, it will be on Wodehouse.</span></div>
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Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-84881410269014303842017-04-26T22:43:00.000-07:002017-04-26T22:43:00.384-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2017/04/atozchallenge-4-26-2017-letter-v.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration-line: none;">#AtoZChallenge - 4-26-2017 - Letter V</a></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">V for Vaporub</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The change of season and the hasty switching on of
air-conditioners has had its effect. Noses are either running or blocked,
sneezes are heard everywhere and the head feels heavy, but it is not an ache,
so no painkillers are called for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is when I whip out my trusty Vicks Vaporub bottle, and
apply liberal amounts to the temples, around the nose and a little bit on the
throat. Just the sharp smell, familiar since childhood, is so comforting. It
may do me good, or it may not, but it is still the first line of defence
against the oncoming sniffles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">However, this is not a promotional post on the benefits of
this ointment. Rather, it set me thinking about how things become so much a
part of our lives; more so if they have been part of our childhood. This
particular bottle serves another purpose. I remember an aunt of mine was once
talking about a saree and she was struggling to describe its colour. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then her
face cleared, and she said, “It is the colour of Vicks!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Literal-minded me: <i>You
mean a translucent white?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Aunt<i>: No no, you know,
that particular blue-green shade----<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Me<i>: Oh ,you mean the
colour of the cap of a bottle of Vicks! <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">(That does sound like a French exercise, doesn’t it!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In those days, we did not know teal from aqua or cyan from
turquoise, so the next best thing was to compare the colour to a familiar one! One
can extend the pondering over colour to that of the bottle itself----navy,
indigo, cerulean, ultramarine?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> What rich words to
describe this humble bottle of comfort and soothing!</span></div>
</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-85984242001406363742017-04-25T11:04:00.000-07:002017-04-25T11:04:08.927-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2017/04/atozchallenge-4-25-2017-letter-u.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration-line: none;">#AtoZChallenge - 4-25-2017 - Letter U</a></h3>
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<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> <span style="font-size: large;">U for Ugly</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">Just as beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, so too does ugliness. However, the larger
issue is: our tendency in general, to associate one kind of beauty with
another. Or refusing to believe that Ugly is one facet of Beauty too. That tendency is only human-----and it is a direct result of the
imaginative chip in our brain circuits. </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">Literature and
cinema are full of this kind of lively imagination. There was a V.Shantaram
movie in which Sandhya is secretly a radio singer going by the name of Kokila (nightingale/
koel). Her everyday avatar is that of an ugly servant in a big household. (The
ugliness is symbolized by a liberal coating of boot polish on her face! That
topic is another subject by itself—why is melanin equated with ugliness?) The
younger son of the house listens to her songs on the radio, and paints a
wonderful picture of her and falls in love with her. She sees the painting and
is loath to reveal herself, because she doesn’t want to rudely awaken him from
his dreams. Another Shantaram movie, “Navrang” had a similar theme----the
poet’s muse is a beautiful woman---it is actually his wife but neither of them
realizes it and the wife is tormented by the thought of the poet being totally
enslaved by the muse. The husband is
disgusted by the ordinary, normal persona of the wife and has no time for her.
And of course the much-celebrated-and-ridiculed Satyam Shivam Sundaram, where
the hero assumes the heroine is beautiful because her voice is.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">In the legend of
Udayana and Vasavadatta (read your Amar Chitra Kathas!), Princess Vasavadatta’s
father arranges for her to learn a special musical mantra from King Udayana, to
charm elephants. Since Udayana is his enemy and he doesn’t want his daughter
falling for the enemy, he arranges for a curtain between them, telling Udayana
that his student is an old hunchback woman, and telling Vasavadatta that her
teacher is a leper. However during the course of a lesson, the princess keeps
making mistakes, which provokes the wrath of the royal guru. He reprimands her,
and calls her a hunchback. She retaliates by calling him a leper, they part the
curtains in anger, and of course the expected happens. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">While such a
premise is interesting material for literary purposes, all of us would do well
to steer clear of such filmi speculations in real life!</span></span></div>
</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-24723669684882173832017-04-24T20:23:00.003-07:002017-04-24T20:23:37.139-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2017/04/atozchallenge-4-24-2017-letter-t.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration-line: none;">#AtoZChallenge - 4-24-2017 - Letter T</a></h3>
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T for Twist in the
Tail</div>
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Short stories make enjoyable reading. Those with a surprise
ending are more delightful. Sometimes, the ending sneaks up on the reader and
sometimes it springs out at the reader in a sudden move.</div>
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H.H. Munro, who wrote under the pen name of Saki, was adept
at satire. However, some of his stories were also great examples of the twist
in the tail. “The Open Window” is one such. All along, the story builds up in
one direction, and suddenly with an adroit sleight of hand, the author makes it
double back on itself, as it were.</div>
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For a long time, the surprise ending also went by the name
of “the O’Henry Twist”. This was certainly apt, because the short stories of O’Henry
were bound to have an ending absolutely different from the obvious one. My
favourite stories are The Gift of the Magi and The Last Leaf. Both are touching
and moving. The fine skein of wry humour running through these tales is an
added treat. The unexpected turn of events is what makes the story stay with
you even years after you read it. </div>
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In modern times, Jeffrey Archer is the master craftsman who
deftly weaves a tale with a practised hand. So much so, that one collection of
short stories is actually called A Twist in the Tale! So the reader knows what
is coming, but is still surprised. What makes Archer an ace at his craft is his
masterly handling of full-length novels in the same vein. The older novels are
replete with the famous twist. Kane and Abel is a case in point. First Among
Equals is exemplary because the twist comes literally in the very last
sentence.</div>
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Any story is an interaction between the writer and the
reader. In stories with a twist, it becomes something like the former leading
on the latter, in a way. I personally indulge in this exercise because I want
to engage with the reader not only as a storyteller, but on another level also.
If I can make the reader turn back the pages to check for clues and hints about
the coming twist at the end----my job is done! That is why this is my favourite
writing technique.</div>
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Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-30846505355448242017-04-22T12:04:00.001-07:002017-04-22T12:04:44.467-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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#AtoZChallenge - 4-22-2017 - Letter S</h3>
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S for Secrets</div>
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One of the few things that separate man from animals is the
ability to keep secrets. Maybe some animals have secret hoards of food, but
that is probably how far they go. Even that can be put down to their survival
instincts.</div>
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What a sense of power it gives the secret keeper! To know
that he knows something that nobody else does is a heady feeling. Then the
issue becomes one of whether or not to give away the secret. For some, it is
enough just to have a secret. If one gives in to a baser nature, secrets become
ammunition for blackmail.</div>
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Traditionally, women have been said to be unable to keep a
secret, with jokes going so far as to assign a tummy ache until the beans have
been spilled! In Indian mythology, there is an interesting story about why
women cannot keep a secret (allegedly, of course!). In the epic, Mahabharata,
Queen Kunti was the mother of five heroic sons, the Pandavas (named after their
father, King Pandu). The Pandavas, were semi-celestial, each of them having been
born by the blessings of a different God. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Upon growing up, the Pandavas are locked in a bitter battle
with their cousins, the Kauravas, for the kingdom. Every king from the
surrounding areas takes sides and a terrible war ensues. Another great hero,
Karna, sides with the Kauravas even though he knows they are in the wrong. This
is because of his loyalty and gratitude towards the Kauravas. They had helped
him when the Pandavas had insulted him about his low birth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was ironic because Karna was actually the first born of
Kunti, and thus the eldest brother of the Pandavas. But Kunti had had to give
him up because she had not been married at the time. Given a boon by a sage,
she had invoked the Sun God, and had been blessed with Karna as a result.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the war, Karna is killed and Kunti mourns in private. But
when the vicorious Pandavas, are offering prayers for the dead, she asks her
eldest son to also offer prayers for Karna. Then she reveals that Karna had
been her son too. Moved by sorrow and anger at not having known such a
momentous secret, the eldest Pandava, Yudhishthira utters a curse, “Henceforth,
no woman will be able to keep a secret to herself, however big or small it may
be!”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
That is why women can never keep any secret to themselves,
they say!</div>
</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-50483462555461359022017-04-22T05:14:00.002-07:002017-04-22T05:14:50.316-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeC-jAdl4AJW6BmMp90ceLqY4YOO6Y9m7xyMIULh5Y88lwY1tWbE32-FbWhKkg8DHB_0JZEloh1Lmidyjfe6Skzbzm0aYyP0WicuPT_Ap6lFCz3c2Zb0gaZmfoZ5A2phgoDNWwm0q2l9o/s200/2017+Badge.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAhm1MiJLdD13JfRVI7s86AJwFLWeFQBbfn509SeSzz61LgNn6HV-tXLMihdWnr2L-5LdA_kmS8TQPsAi89G3-Lxr2dpEZ_p_GpvbmJXsXjepyv4O7gOzYuq78WtUMbKw9GYYsDDqUk1d/s1600/R.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2017/04/atozchallenge-4-21-2017-letter-r.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration-line: none;">#AtoZChallenge - 4-21-2017 - Letter R</a></h3>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
R for Roots</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It starts out as a radicle, anchoring the baby seed. Slowly
but surely, it finds its way into the ground. It senses gravity and is bound to
growing downwards, in search of water and nutrients for the seedling. They call
it geotropism, or gravitropism.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the plant grows, the root does too, or perhaps it is the
other way around. It puts out more roots, or finer ones, almost hair-like,
spreading over the area to pick up the minutest bits of minerals that the plant
can make use of. Its job is to stay
below ground (in most cases!) and provide a strong foundation for the plant. It
has to protect the plant against high winds and torrential rains. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We start out as radicals, asking, “Why?” and “Why not?” We
find our way in the world, putting out feelers. Sensing what is good for us, or
sometimes, finding out the hard way. Our
responsibilities grow, and we find our value system. These make us rooted. Then
we can weather storms with equanimity.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Roots may or may not tell us where we come from, but they
definitely point towards how we stand in this world. </div>
</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-33981670682891946982017-04-20T12:03:00.000-07:002017-04-20T12:06:38.441-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeC-jAdl4AJW6BmMp90ceLqY4YOO6Y9m7xyMIULh5Y88lwY1tWbE32-FbWhKkg8DHB_0JZEloh1Lmidyjfe6Skzbzm0aYyP0WicuPT_Ap6lFCz3c2Zb0gaZmfoZ5A2phgoDNWwm0q2l9o/s200/2017+Badge.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSzGxaIMm2Un6O1gwZrqeqIQmD0d9SN44L36XldhPGHCaidcKdIVpoOzpCPMJlfxVnd7hioIC1nPxKUBc5ZEBcd1H7ddy8rD8GnFBQlmiZCZKOYnA1V_10w3mfKm-6G2WvECg6c_D-ZAa/s1600/Q.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
#AtoZChallenge - 4-20-2017 - Letter Q</h3>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Q for Queues</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
(Or the lack of
them!)</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why, oh why can we not stand in queues? Is it because a queue
is associated with the foreign yoke, which we threw off not-so-long ago? The
other great democracy that freed itself from the British chose to repudiate the
spelling and pronunciation of the language that they had in common.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>We</i> seem to have
rejected this simple element of order, maybe out of ego, or an inherent dislike
of regulation! Even in posh high-rises there will be that one person who walks
into a lift when there are people trying to get out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At any shop, the counter is engulfed by customers eager to
get served first. If one stands in line, one will never reach the counter.
Sometimes, I protest when someone barges ahead of me, when it is clearly my
turn. At such times, the offender simply says, “OK, you can go first,” with a
condescending shrug, as if I am a tantrum-throwing child and he (or she) the
bigger person letting me have my way!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let a bus trundle to a halt at the bus stop, and one can see
Darwin’s “Survival of the fittest” theory demonstrated. I am sure the scene
would have been equally chaotic at airports as well, were it not for the grim
and unbending security staff. The same is true for trains too, but the
Metro Rail has contributed a lot to inculcate in us some boarding and alighting
etiquette.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, we may have a
long way to go, but we are getting there---sometimes swarming and sometimes
falling in line!<br />
Random thought: What is the purpose of that additional "u-e" in the spelling? Maybe the word itself indicates an orderly lining up of people or letters, for anything to make sense!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-86152285688735379052017-04-20T06:11:00.000-07:002017-04-20T06:24:29.869-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeC-jAdl4AJW6BmMp90ceLqY4YOO6Y9m7xyMIULh5Y88lwY1tWbE32-FbWhKkg8DHB_0JZEloh1Lmidyjfe6Skzbzm0aYyP0WicuPT_Ap6lFCz3c2Zb0gaZmfoZ5A2phgoDNWwm0q2l9o/s200/2017+Badge.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZs9UB00cOsVVADCCN6JxYQXf2HUxDTr938NpAGGanH36aTZxK7jhrlotGU9GzSqIyOuiZhLmDMmdU3_QIY8FmJIfpszpjZdRsJ8XQqSMmfDas4xLquP-OitFFly2TNCfXXmyb43mSepW/s1600/P.jpg" /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2017/04/atozchallenge-4-19-2017-letter-p.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration-line: none;">#AtoZChallenge - 4-19-2017 - Letter P</a></h3>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
P for Perfume</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Getting into the lift in the morning, I am assailed by a
whiff of perfume, left behind by an unseen previous occupant. For someone with
a sharp nose, literally and figuratively, a condominium at any time of the day
is a host of scents and smells---sometimes pleasant, and sometimes, not so
much! In the morning rush hour, there is a bouquet of perfume, aftershave and
deodorant. I am almost certain the regulars can name the floor by the scent! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are also appetising smells of breakfasts and packed
lunches. Invariably, there is the unmistakable aroma of <i>parathas</i> griddled in <i>ghee </i>---it
takes me back to my childhood when we would not know calories if they were
served up to us in tiffin boxes---which they were! Potato curry with tweaks
here and there seems to be a regular on our floor. Around lunch time, if I
leave home on an errand, I can follow the trail of fluffy <i>phulkas</i> ballooning up over a flame in the houses around mine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Funnily, when I am cooking, I am hardly aware of the tang
and flavour of my dishes, but people coming in from outside invariably ask, “What’s
cooking?” I guess the outside is more redolent with appetising odours, than the
inside of the house. Maybe the chimneys and exhaust fans are doing their job
too well!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sensitive nostrils are not a boon when the smells are
unpleasant---like the time when garbage is being collected. I swear, I could do
without unwillingly identifying coffee grounds and iffy milk packets! At such times,
I find my nose too sharp for comfort!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently came across a long forgotten fragrance: <i>sambraani.</i> It is a tree resin, which
comes in dried lumps. In the days before hair sprays and conditioners, <i>sambraani </i>was used to perfume freshly
washed hair with a spicy essence. The resin lumps were placed on smoking coal
embers and a reed or straw basket would be upturned over them. Then, one could
lie down with one’s long hair spread over the basket and the smoke would waft into
the hair, infusing it with that tantalising scent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fragrance plays a very large part in nostalgia!</div>
</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-73169922189298923392017-04-19T05:01:00.001-07:002017-04-19T05:01:33.638-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeC-jAdl4AJW6BmMp90ceLqY4YOO6Y9m7xyMIULh5Y88lwY1tWbE32-FbWhKkg8DHB_0JZEloh1Lmidyjfe6Skzbzm0aYyP0WicuPT_Ap6lFCz3c2Zb0gaZmfoZ5A2phgoDNWwm0q2l9o/s200/2017+Badge.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKee1e0jHtKrvg1Byjq-h3i_ajPQUMB78yLpm0uHAgi2fiIat8gjNjbI8sgVgC2y0ytgRQ-jqTW7eU150w_bjlNWEorLFXrCccCOgNh0jw5bGp4-05JYjkN2u-SJgQItvIZyrJ0T8-KuWy/s1600/O.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
#AtoZChallenge - 4-18-2017 - Letter O</h3>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
O for Oil</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For something that is so well known for easing things along,
as in oiling wheels, oil itself is a much- maligned component as far as food is
concerned. For decades it has been the bad guy in our diet. It has been charged
with giving us cholesterol and heart attacks. Its <b>rich </b>cousin, <i>ghee,</i> or
clarified butter was seen to be even more villainous. But now, redemption has
come in the form of a declaration by the FDA. Oil and the like have been taken
off the baddies list. Not least for the role cholesterol plays in the absorption
of the Sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D is so necessary for the health of our bones.
So, diet-wise, oil literally has been poured on troubled waters.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, this particular phrase brings to mind another type
of oil: spilling on the seas and slickly spelling trouble for marine fauna. The
images of whales, dolphins and turtles covered in petroleum are very chilling.
As for gulls and other sea birds, they seem to be actually tarred and feathered
by this aspect of human negligence. Still, it is termed black gold, influencing
world economics and politics ever since man struck oil.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Economics and politics may not always mix well; we could say
they are like oil and water! I would need to burn the midnight oil a lot, in
order to understand the intricacies of these games. Even then, it might sound
like pure banana oil. As it is, politicians are no oil paintings themselves!</div>
</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-46191889834281511382017-04-18T00:33:00.000-07:002017-04-18T00:33:06.084-07:00N for Nature<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5FPHu3I5JW5aKTlisEPaOZKWJbWSCddCgVeWtg9nrc6rxLsgreIc5e9F6jAQ48OmR15qfvL4Dgs8TvjQXwX4WrgdW_ytvHeYZmqerwhjfpLNRxR51UDrdfsDIR9wSvu8BUpiY3U7N4yX/s1600/A2Z-BADGE-100+%255B2017%255D.jpg" /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKk8nB4icxZRGs_6TzjKk5OvY4PpaqCLqW0qzPTR9xweCFor56IVAwBVLS_p3WLd1mDhneHzGqpyBkRE6BbKzDKG5CmiqbAiFsba_lEfb0W7hE5T-9XC2RPeAZs3qopv2-FxBBF4_dlt6V/s1600/N.jpg" /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
#AtoZChallenge - 4-17-2017 - Letter N</h3>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
N for Nature</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All around us, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pulsating with life</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nature surrounds us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sensing her unseen rhythms,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We march to her beat</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But we don’t know it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Puny humans, drunk with power:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Power that she herself gave.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bent upon cutting </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our umbilical cord,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sitting in her lap, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We kick out at her</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like a fractious child</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At its mother.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The forces of Nature</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Take some reckoning</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Slowly and steadily,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The forest takes over civilizations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Suddenly and violently,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The volcano turns cities to fossils.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ocean engulfs the land</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Washing away monstrosities.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The earth turns upon itself, quaking </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All in its wake breaking.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The abundance and the fury</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both are faces of Nature</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Respect one,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we may not face the other.</div>
<br /></div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-33978540235466803652017-04-16T06:43:00.000-07:002017-04-16T07:26:13.074-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5FPHu3I5JW5aKTlisEPaOZKWJbWSCddCgVeWtg9nrc6rxLsgreIc5e9F6jAQ48OmR15qfvL4Dgs8TvjQXwX4WrgdW_ytvHeYZmqerwhjfpLNRxR51UDrdfsDIR9wSvu8BUpiY3U7N4yX/s1600/A2Z-BADGE-100+%255B2017%255D.jpg" /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2MX884rVgS7k1ZLXNeHgrL4lci8uKhumPZiKPfFS88Qfs6iQwzagDNNpJPbtU-KTBtDnyJ00tA9SYQy7kPMMH-E64CKFwmw43NM9yQQXTwjuIe7942i7eO-AU3lHqUAvs3ZNoyOcxhMy/s1600/M.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2017/04/atozchallenge-4-15-2017-letter-m.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">#AtoZChallenge - 4-15-2017 - Letter M:</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
M for Mirage</div>
<br />
Isn't it fascinating that a phenomenon with a perfectly reasonable and scientific explanation can seem so magical?<br />
A mirage is simply an optical illusion caused by light rays getting reflected by heated up layers of air. Hence their preponderance in the desert. On overly warm days, mirages can even be seen on city roads, in the heat haze reflecting the sky to seem like pools of water.<br />
The mystique of a mirage has always been such as to drive men mad, even. Human nature being what it is, we just cannot accept the idea of something being there and then find that it is not, after all.<br />
No wonder fighter jets have been named Mirage----- for them it is imperative to be on "now -you -see- me -now -you -don't" mode.<br />
Much like myths. Interestingly, "mithya" is the Sanskrit word for falsehood. The Sanskrit for mirage is "mrigatrishna". The greats have always said that our hopes, aspirations and desires are like running after a mirage. If we pin our happiness on dreams and desires, we are chasing a shadow.<br />
A mirage serves to remind us that life itself is ethereal, fleeting. It is not always what it seems.</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837441082783190594.post-23567551755524637542017-04-14T23:57:00.000-07:002017-04-27T00:00:13.759-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2017/04/atozchallenge-4-14-2017-letter-l.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">#AtoZChallenge - 4-14-2017 - Letter L:</span></a><br />
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L for Lakshmi</div>
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Lakshmi is the much revered Goddess of prosperity. Commonly identified as the goddess of wealth, she is fervently propitiated so as to get material gains.<br />
But she is so much more than that. Prosperity is a many splendoured thing. It does not begin and end with mere wealth. It is said that where there is cleanliness and generosity, there resides Lakshmi. What it means is that for overall well-being, it is important to cultivate qualities that are conducive to success. <br />
Lakshmi is also the embodiment of grace and dignity. These intangible characteristics are actually the foundations of a successful person's life. <br />
The charm and mystique of this Goddess lends itself to paeans in her praise. Arising from the ocean of milk during the great churning, chosen by Vishnu the Preserver as his consort, she is worshipped in eight forms: the AshtaLakshmi.<br />
AadiLakshmi, the primeval Goddess, also called Mahalakshmi, the Great Goddess.<br />
Dhana Lakshmi or Aishwarya Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and prosperity.<br />
Dhaanya Lakshmi, the Goddess of food grains is worshipped as the goddess of plenty.<br />
Gaja Lakshmi is the elephant goddess. Elephants are associated with great wisdom.<br />
Santaana Lakshmi, the goddess of progeny.<br />
Veera Lakshmi or Dhairya Lakshmi, the goddess of valour and courage.<br />
Vidya Lakshmi the goddess of learning.<br />
Jaya Lakshmi or Vijaya Lakshmi, the goddess of victory.<br />
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She is depicted in images as seated on a lotus, showering gold upon her devotees. Yet she is also said to be flighty and fickle --- <i>chanchal</i> Lakshmi. That is to remind us that material wealth can come and go. What we should worship and emulate are her other facets. Then her grace and blessings will be always upon us.</div>
Lakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08092339855046926061noreply@blogger.com0