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Declaration!!!!!

Declaration!!!!

 

I, hereby, with a very solemn face and utmost sincerity ' soberly declare ' that I have never in my entire lifetime ' violated ' any law ' let alone terms and conditions. I always cross the road at the zebra crossing. If there is no zebra crossing ' I keep walking and walking and walking and walking ' till I find one. I always drive on the left hand side of the road ' never overtake anyone ' hence am on the road most of the time.

 

Now ' look at a simpleton like me ' this utterly ' simple simon- the rediff people have blocked my blog as I have violated their terms and conditions. Poor poor me ' I did not even have the sense to read them in the first place ' and I had just settled down so nicely ' and was making such good friends ..sob sob hey buddy ' the bucket is full now ' can't shed more crocodile tears ' no drama for simpletons ..

 

PLEASE WRITE YOUR COMMENTS IN MY GUEST BOOK AND PRAY FOR MY BLOG .HEY ' I WAS REALLY HAVING A GREAT TIME .HOPE ALL WILL BE WELL .HAVE A NICE DAY BUDDIES

Posted in Humour.

1 comment

By brinda shah – September 5, 2009


Honesty - first hand experience!!!

The city is plagued with viral fever. One day you are fit and fine and the next day ' to your utter shock ' you are unable to get up. I had two such patients to take care of at home. The doctor had to be visited right away. Since there were three of us ' we had to hire an auto ' which is a very very rare affair ' given that we had our separate modes of transport. We hailed an auto. The doctor's clinic was in the centre of the city ' and he was asking for Rs. 30/-. I said I will pay him Rs. 25/- which was also too much. He did not say anything. The clinic turned out to be further down the chowk ' but he took us there anyway. We handed him Rs.25/-. He said ' Didi ' please ' pay me Rs. 30/-. He said it quietly, with a lot of dignity ' and without a word ' I paid him Rs. 5/-. I then asked him if he would wait for half an hour ' and take us back home. He nodded and showed us the place where he would wait.


 


Half an hour later ' after consulting the doctor and getting the medicines we got into the auto. We started to pay him Rs. 30/-. Again ' quietly, simply and with a lot of dignity ' he said ' Didi ' pay me only Rs. 25/-.The incident  lingered with me for long enough ' to want to start writing about it ' the minute I was free. Such simple things have a lasting impact on one's pshyche. I experienced a similar one in the market about a couple of days back ' but then that will happen in another post ' it's soup time , kichdi time followed by medication time. I'm sure all will be well in a day or two ' but if I want to hire an auto ' I will surely atleast look out for this person ' what say you ' fellow bloggers???? It feels good isn't it ' to know that goodness still exists???? Have a nice day


 


 


 

Posted in Good things!!!!.

2 comments

By brinda shah – September 4, 2009


The 360 degree vision!

It was a normal enough day, and the class was full ' no absentees. As usual I insisted that they interact with me during the class. "Keep making mistakes ' so that the learning is more. When you make a mistake all the other students learn from it ' so keep talking." I said.

 

A particular boy did start answering in the class ' I applauded his efforts ' but every time ' he would look sideways ' to see if it made any impression or impact on that cute girl sitting in the first row. I ignored him ' such things are normal ' I said to myself and continued teaching. Other boys took the cue and started replying in the class and it turned out to be a very interactive session. Now ' this boy wanted to impress her with his intellect ' and while I was writing on the board ' he started discussing the cutie pie and the answer with his friend.

 

"You know what?" I asked the class. "There are two categories of people who are blessed with a 360 degree vision. Mothers and teachers. And my dear students ' I happen to be both -a mother and a teacher. We know what is happening behind our backs - but choose to keep quiet - because we prefer that you learn from your own mistakes. It doesn’t mean that we are ignorant of what is happening around us - we pretend to not know -hoping that your good sense will previal.So please confine your vision to what is happening on the board and don't get distracted." The boy laughed out loud and got the message immediately. On our way out ' he smiled at me ..and after that whenever he sees me ' he wishes me with a twinkle in his eye. Nice boy have a nice day friend!!!!

Posted in Good things happen!!!!.

9 comments

By brinda shah – September 1, 2009


The silent prayer

A SILENT PRAYER

 

I know you are there God ' Ganapati for me ,

For you were the one who set me free.

 

A small Dushera flower that was to you offered ,

Showed me the silent hand that you proferred.

 

The times were many , when I questioned your presence,

When I , broken hearted , demanded my character's credence.

 

But I lost not my faith in you my Lord '

Though I often waited for your silent nod .

 

But ' Tell me O Lord!-How can I go against my grain?

When to mould me and change me was the world's sole aim.

 

You then gave me the power to suffer in silence ,

Despite cutting words used to show the difference .

 

Yours is the Earth ' Lord! And all that's in it ,

I can only do what You deem fit .

 

You taught me to live one day at a time ,

And showed me the price one paid for a crime .

 

You were always there ' when I sought you Ganesh ,

Smiling benignly ' O son of Mahesh!

 

A single dream ' a lonely hope ' I nurtured ,

With your blessings ' has become a garden well-cultured .

 

I need to show  you ' Oh Vinayak ' gratitude ,

For showering me with faith ,love, strength and fortitude .

 

Where would I be ? ' what would I do ? '

If I didn't have you as my friend and Guru ?

 

I seek no revenge ' grant me this one last wish '

But  I hope the flowers of my garden bloom before I perish .

 

And as I bow down to pay you my respects '

Let me continue to seek you in all life's aspects .

 

Posted in Poetry.

6 comments

By brinda shah – August 31, 2009


Laugh a little, smile a lot……..

It was Saturday and the evening session was just about to begin. The weekend mood had already set in and to be very honest ' even I had to drag myself to deliver the lecture. But I couldn't say so to my students ' who had had a tough working day ' so I waited for a few minutes for them to trickle in. It was a new concept and I didn't want anyone to miss the basics ' so we were just discussing what had been done in the previous classes and I mentioned that it might bore the students ' to listen to the same thing again - when ' out of the blue ' came a remark!!!! Completely off the cuff ' but we never suffer in your lectures ' they are quite interesting even a repeat session is different .and I was taken aback ' by the suddenness of the compliment ' smilingly ' I replied '"Vipul ' I don't set the paper ' so what do you want from me? Why all the maska?" He smiled and started to reply  "No, ma'm " Without waiting for him to reply, I said,"I'm sure you say that to all the lecturers .just like I do to all the classes that I take you know what ' I tell class B that class A is the best ' just look at how they respond with alacrity then I go to class A and tell them the same thing about class B."  The class started laughing and the session progressed quite normally ' but the class was now alert and smiling ..and I enjoyed teaching them ' completely forgetting it was a Saturday evening ..


 


On my way home ' there was a smile on my face ' though I had brushed aside the indirect compliment ' it had affected me ' it felt good to know that the students found the lecture interesting and that made all my efforts worthwhile .we feel happy if our work and effort is acknowledged by others/superiors/colleagues but getting complimented on our work ' is a rarity ' and certainly it was a moment to treasure .probably that is why ' all the bloggers are so eager to read the comments on their latest posts on the blog ' it makes the effort worthwhile ' what say you ' fellow blogger????? Have a good working week

Posted in Good things do happen!.

6 comments

By brinda shah – August 31, 2009


Blue Riding hood………….

We experienced a heavy down pour last night and like small children stood by the balcony for a long while just enjoying the rains ..


 


We experienced a different kind of monsoon season about two years back. It started raining cats and dogs suddenly ' and on reaching home ' we realized that it was raining directly inside our house too ' directly from the terrace onto our mattresses in our bedroom ..we had a massive seepage ' hey no ' a leakage problem to deal with ..we started off by putting a pail under the leaky area ' with the rains not letting up ' one pail rapidly multiplied into four pretty soon we had a flood to deal with we cordoned off the room and shifted the furniture .I had a small debate with my family I said with the floods in the house' I will need stilettos to walk around the house ..they decided that gumboots were cheaper and preferred a practical mommy to a fashionable one ' I asked for a new windcheater to wear inside the house ' how smart I would look ' I said ' a red windcheater with matching stilettos ' they decided that my old musty raincoat would serve as ample protection for me against the rains inside the house.


 


Poor me- I had no choice ' so I went around the house ' looking like blue riding hood with black gumboots ' (my rain coat is blue in colour ' buddy).  I saw my neighbours having a very serious discussion ' I decided to join them ' and to my great amusement ' they whispered hurriedly amongst themselves ' and dispersed before I could say ' Hello!!!!!! Funny folks ' all I wanted was -to share my woes with them ' but they had decided that I needed a psychiatrist?


 


Well ..a couple of days later it was raining kittens and puppies .so there was no need for us to learn swimming or buy inflatable tyres (for people like me ). A month later things were back to normal .


 


What do you think???? I asked my spouse ..should we arm ourselves with our ammunition to combat the rain???? We changed our house ' nutto .can't you see .it's raining outside the house .then where is that drip .drip drip sound coming from?????  Thank the lord and much to our relief it turned out to be a leaky tap but you know what .I really enjoyed playing the part of blue riding hood .hey .I got noticed for once .JJJJJJ

Posted in Humour.

8 comments

By brinda shah – August 26, 2009


Happy Sundaying………

There is this feeling of celebration that envelopes us on Sundays. I don't mean the grand festivity like Diwali or Ganpati it's the feeling that we get up with. It seems to say - I am going to do my best to enjoy this Sunday. The entire family is in a relaxed frame of mind. Outings are a must in the evenings and they are discussed with great fervour by the entire family.

 

The lady of the house cooks with pleasure because she does not have a time limit to adhere to. The entire family is there to pitch in with the house hold chores ' so even if we wake up late ' we can wind up early ' perhaps take in a movie ' some ' like me prefer to spend an entire afternoon reading the newspapers quietly ' kids can catch up on their email or orkutting ' whatever that is supposed to be ' generally ' everyone is doing what they are unable to do for the whole week. I love the evenings the best ' we have our coffee in a very leisurely manner and then go out.

 

That is why perhaps even on a Monday morning ' we start planning about all that we are going to next Sunday. It is precious family time ' and it gears us up for the forthcoming week 'but I bet none of us would complain about having two Sundays in a week ..well ' it's just a thought ' a dream perhaps ' but then there is no harm in dreaming .not all dreams come true ' and so now buddy ' stop day dreaming ' it's Monday ' and you better start working ' else you will have no bread, butter or jam ' next Sunday Smile folks .. And Happy Sundaying …………………

Posted in Family and fun.

7 comments

By brinda shah – August 24, 2009


Heaven on earth is possible

For all the back breaking work we do ' we sometimes are allowed to take a break. It was certainly something that we looked forward to ' and after a lot of surfing and enquiries we decided to go to Panchagani and Mahabaleshwar right in the middle of the week. And we did not regret the decision.


 


Panchgani was heaven on earth. The long winding silvery roads, the crystal clear water falls on the shiny, black rocky terrain. How cool the spray felt. I have always loved nature ' but the sheer greenery ' all possible hues of green ' the palest of pale ' almost yellow .. to the deepest olive green leaves .how much can one feast one's eyes on ..I almost felt as if I was dreaming the whole thing.  The yellow chandelier kind of flowers that added such a rich colour to the contrasting green leaves ' and this is what I call nature ' at its very best. It is always at its best ' but we are so caught up in our own lives that we seldom see its beauty. The softness and delicate feel of the petals, the fragrance of mogra and roses and the freshness of air around the flower vendors close to my house always make me feel so happy now we would be living in the lap of nature for 5 days I felt truly blessed.


 


There was a light drizzle sometimes ' but mostly we experienced very pleasant weather. I would wake up early and go out for a walk all by myself. Standing by the green hills and watching the calm, tranquil river with the crisp fresh gentle cool breeze against my cheeks was a feeling that I would cherish for a long time. Break fast was a simple affair, brunch was corn on the cob ' butta ' hot from the burning logs of wood- so succulent so fresh and juicy ' we could never stop with one. We would go off for a long walk again and watch the people taking boat rides near Venna lake in Mahabaleshwar. One moment the lake was crystal clear ' the next minute ' a thick layer of fog covered it .we could not see anything .beyond our noses .We snuggled into our windcheaters and with our hands in our pockets continued to walk .at 12 in the afternoon it was so pleasant that we did not even know we had walked for an hour. Late lunch was at Mapro ' one tall milkshake with ice cream chocolate flavoured my favourite and a sandwich toast .such a huge one. We were in no hurry to eat it  - we relished it and savoured it ' as much as we cherished eating it together in this unhurried manner together as a family. I was so glad that my son and spouse were with me ..I realized that I could enjoy the whole experience so much only because my loved ones were with me .we were greeted with thick layers of fog every so often we felt as we were walking in the clouds ..I was certainly on cloud nine .. table land and Sydney point were my favourite points .the horse cart ride jostled us so much that we ended up giggling like kids


 


Mapro was a daily affair and we really really splurged there ..bought a carton full of ice cream toppings and so so many jelly sweets .now we experience a bit of Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar every day ..whenever we make ourselves a thick cold yummy chocolaty milk shake ..we feel as if Panchgani happened just yesterday


 


Life is but a fleeting affair our time on this earth is limited ..we need to create /carve out time for ourselves and experience such beautiful things like nature every now and then Well ' I certainly can't force you to take a break like us but you can drop in anytime to our house a thick, chilled, yummy, chocolaty milk shake awaits you .topped with jelly sweets and a big scoop of nutty chocolate ice cream. What's stopping you??????

Posted in Family and fun.

3 comments

By brinda shah – August 24, 2009


Happy Birthday Ganpati Bappa!!!

My day today would be incomplete without talking about Ganpati Bappa I do not normally feel the urge to visit a temple to acknowledge my faith in God .but we decided to do so today ..because we normally did so every year and did not want to break a pattern.


 


The idol had been painted afresh, and there was a calm and peaceful feeling around the temple it was having quite a few people in it yet everyone was quiet .the idol radiated peace and serenity ..and HE looked so kindly at all his devotees I felt a deep sense of gratitude ..last year at this time you protected me from doing the wrong thing Bappa I know you are there to look after me and my family ..that faith is enough for me ..this faith gives me the strength to take all that is in store for me in the future .beginning the next minute ..I prayed for my entire family and asked for peace of mind


 


Normally I get irritated with the constant honking and screeching of tyres. It never seems to stop ..but today ..I hear only the cymbals  and the drums they do not seem to disturb me ..in fact they seem to tell the world .don't worry I AM THERE TO LOOK AFTER ALL OF YOU That's my Ganpati Bappa and that is why he is so great ..and I am sure He will bless all of us ..


 


Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all of you

Posted in God and Faith.

6 comments

By brinda shah – August 23, 2009


Buttered fingers

BUTTERED FINGERS


 


I finally managed to bully my family into buying me a small flower pot. If 'She' could have a whole parapet of lovely looking flower pots  - I'm sure no one would mind my having one pot. I sowed roasted dhania seeds in it in the hope that I would get fresh coriander regularly. But the plant refused to grow. Probably it needed more water. So I dug up the soil, armed myself with a hose pipe and watered it lavishly from my second floor balcony ' spraying  'Her' liberally with muddy water. I bent down to tell her sorry and accidentally dropped the flower pot right on her foot. I raced down the stairs ' two at a time ' expertly dodging the contents of her dust bin which the cat had strewed all over the staircase. Oozing apologies, I hurriedly cleaned her immaculate sari with my muddy fingers and marveled aloud at the marbled effect her sari suddenly seemed to have got.


 


She was clutching her foot and hopping wildly. On seeing my antics she turned a brilliant tomato red, and desperately tried to call her daughter but was no match against the stiff competition against her own T.V. and tape  recorder both of which were busy screaming their lungs out. She had no option  - but to take my help. I slowly led her upstairs all the time cursing my reputed butter fingers when she suddenly slipped right out of my hands. I genuinely wondered where she was and found her lying flat like a  masala dosa with a squashed rotten banana (which had materialized out of her dustbin) lying right below her left foot.


 


The next day was a Sunday.  Amazingly I heard the telephone ringing and even had a long audible talk with my parents. I went to the balcony and was relieved to note that the parapet of 'Her' balcony no longer sported any dangerous flower pots. To my delight I found the children playing happily and safely in the play area below her flat. We spent a noise-free  Sunday and decided to celebrate  our new found peace by going out for dinner. We confidently dressed up in our Sunday best because we intuitively knew we were in no danger of being subjected to anymore sprays of muddy water. It was such a pleasure to climb down the spic and span staircase. As we placed our order we raised a silent toast and said in unison "Here's to your buttered fingers."


 

Posted in Humour.

4 comments

By brinda shah – August 21, 2009