Thoughts and Dreams

Shifting !

Thoughts and dreams

Now shifting to www.vidhur.wordpress.com

Hope to see you there !

Thank you rediff!

Something Something

It is almost March! How time zips past! It is said as we grow older time seems to move faster, and it feels so true.

The other day my son stopped me with 'Don't keep on saying, Fast Fast Fast fast, OK?'. I remember the feeling when my parents hurried me, and I resolved to take time slowly, savoring it rather than let it threaten me. However, it seems impossible to not hurry my son when he has to leave for school, and he has his list of ' First, I have to play with my cars, no?, then I have to drive my bicycle.....trains,kitchen kitchen and all that, I can play after school, no?'. The best part being, he talks as if he is being reasonable. Ha! Another 23 days..then 'CHUTTI' ( Summer vacations.)

January was a wonderful way to begin the new year. An impromptu trip to Belur-Halebid. There is a lovely resort called the Hoysala Village.I have never seen a staff more good-natured and friendly. The two temples with their wonderful carvings just amazed me. Sometimes beauty just captures you. You can watch mesmerized, and forget the surroundings, time; this is just that kind of place. The intricately carved scenes from Mahabharata, the serene statues of gods, exquisitely beautiful goddess, the gorgeous dwarpals ornaments, the mischevious jokes carved in stone, were just out of this world. It seems like that to me. Out of this world because, I cant believe, that we (Indians) who had so much magic, have gone to a level where construction now means saleability, location, profit, high-rise buildings, strain on natural resources and even will-it-stand kind of attitude. Where is the beauty, the grace, the timelessness gone?

Timelessness, we found in Ooty. Third time there and still has not lost its charm. Bad roads, water poblem, yet people are sweet and welcoming. Must be the weather. Rolling tea-estates, same lake, viewpoint, toy train, calmness of a hill station. All can be covered in 2-3 days max. Staying 7 days was a time-kill, but exactly what we needed. Lazy breakfast, late lunch, daily trips to the Cafe coffee day, South indian meals ready places, darkness settling on the mountains with mist coming in waves.

Back in Bangalore, sonny boy performed in their school Annual day. Their class i.e nursery had 2 group dances. 'Rang de basanti' Bhangra, and 'chai - chai coffee- coffee' from karadi tales. such a sweet school. Each class has around 5-6 kids. Total school attendance when all present 21, that is including 3 teachers, a principal and a 'ayah'. Alongwith this 'chutkis' the teachers have managed to stage Independence day celebrations, Sports day , Annual day, Navarathri functions et al. Hats off to them. I have never heard them saying, 'Fast Fast' !

Next day KK left for his a-week-every-month trip to US. After the vacationing, back to the serious business of taking care of two kids single-handedly ! Of course, parents live close by, maid comes twice daily, vegetable available everymorning, milk delivered to the front door, newspapers...Ah Good to be in India!

Happy New Year 2007

Wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year !
Welcome 2007 !

It has been a long time. It is good to be back. 2006 was great and busy. Busy is an understatement. A lot happened, and some we did.

Most of what I write here in this blog, I notice is history. So it shall be, at least partly. I hope to write some fiction, poetry alongwith recounting 2006.

Does this thing still work ?

Test posting after 6 months.

FIRE!!

A forest fire, now called the Topanga fire, started yesterday. Even early in the morning, the weather felt funny. As I looked out of the window, and saw the strong breeze, I was sure it would be cold outside. But when I did venture out, the temperature was perfect. The autumn leaves swirled and formed waves in the wind. Little did I know, that all this, was the cause and effect of the fire raging in the moutains, some 30 miles north of where we live.

I called up my friend who stayed close to the scene and offered shelter. She was however excited to see the flames lining the mountains, from her balcony. Strange phenomena, it is, watching the fire. We know how dangerous it is, but yet stand mesmerized by it. But she did agree to come, in case they were ordered to evacuate.

Nature provides us with a night to rest, but she does not take a break. The morning saw the threat closer to our home than, my friends'. Today it is my turn to watch, the far mountains for the orange line. The sun shines with an eerie light. The clouds, we know is the smoke. The smoky smell permeates the air. It is raining ash. The news reports that, the firefighters are worried that the fire will leap across 101 and rage through the Malibu mountains. I feel like telling them 'Shub Shub Bolo'. For, that is where our home is. Sandwiched between the freeway that runs through the valley below and the said mountains.

The winds have slowed down.I think the fire is going to quieten down, after having run amok like an escaped wild animal. But the dark plume that rises from behind the hills before me, seem, closer and darker. I hope, the fire can be contained soon.

However, I have packed, and am alert.

Break - break post

The labor day weekend saw us at Big Bear lake. It is a huge lake ( well, what in US isn't?) with choppy water. The whole town buzzes around the lake. It is big bear this and big bear that. We had rented a house.The seven of us had fun cooking and generally enjoying the tidiness of such a situation. At least our home is whirlpooled by my son everyday. K and me try to put it back in order, every night. But frankly it has reached a stage where a major over-hauling is required. We are considering changing apartments as a sure-fire way to achieving each-thing-in-its-place perfection.

Today was the first day of the school. Well, actually it is still a mommy and me program. So he gets to play with lots of toys and make paint-mess in a new place. As he was playing scoop-dump with some sand toys, a garbage truck passed outside the compound. I thought he would hear it and I was waiting to catch his 'mommy-kacha-TRUCK' gleeful eyes. But he was busy and engrossed filling up a toy with sand, with his little classmates Kyle and Marissa. He has grown up, I need to move up with him, another notch.

Tommorrow he is turning two. My cheecku, biba, chiklis, baby-O, choovai...

Indian Canyon - by an Indian

As I gazed into the shallow hole on the enormous rock, I could see the orange-ish-brown stain inside. It was supposed to have been used by native Indians, to grind millet. It lay near a small creek which created this oasis in the middle of a mountainous desert, called the Palm desert. The life giving water still sustained the palm trees that provided shade to the area of around 2 km radius. The Indians, were supposed to have used this place during the hot summer months, to recuperate.

As I dipped my leg in the cold mountain stream, I got a whiff of smell. It smelled un- mistakably like cow-dung. Of course, there were no cows, just my imagination. It felt so much like a village back in India. Even the millet grinder seemed to beg, to be carved out and placed where it could be brought to life. I could visualize it being used for grinding idli-dough or for pounding red chillis.

However, we saw no native Indians. They lived in a reservation, some miles south of where we stood. No dances or rituals on display. Unlike India. There in the heart of Bangalore, in the center of a posh mall, I have witnessed tribals� dance with gay abandon.

It felt sad somehow. They, these red-indians as we know them, feel so similar in colour and culture to us. Even in history we share an occupation by the white people. But they are kind of invisible in their land. Restricted to areas, diffident about showing off their culture, merging into the common grey, hurt egos and generally forgotten as the earliest occupiers of this land. They lost the war. Actually, the war got lost. I mean, they could not sustain the war, till they could win it.

Thankfully, we did. Else, we would have remained as a primitive impression, of a fast paced world. However, now we can prove to the world that we can be as modern as we want, be it technology, or beer-culture. At the same time; be as un-understandable by the west steeped in our rituals and folk lore ; as we want.

What a state to be! Yipppeee!

The Indian canyon is located near Palm desert, California. The major attraction of the Palm desert is the Joshua tree national park.

The Rising-Ballad of Mangal Pandey

So our first war of independence was based on vegetarianism.

I would not have gone to see this movie, if Aamir Khan had not acted in it. A film by him after 4 years -that was enough to excite enough curiosity and hence we made the trip. I am glad to have seen it.

I have read about Mangal Pandey but it was definitely not more than half a page in my history book. He launched what was recorded as �Sepoy Mutiny� before 1947 and as �First war of Independence� after 1947.

The movie, captures the magic of the era. The songs, dances, elephants may or may not be true to those times, but the moment is. The moment where a young man, recognizes oppression (which I think is an immeasurable achievement in itself) and rises against it. What is amazing is that he is conscious of his inevitable failure as much as he is certain of his goals ultimate success.

The fact that, one person, with no supporters, stands up to the mighty British Raj, �.yeah we have read a lot about such people and there are more, you may say. Yes, there were others, so many of them, and they were all equal in courage and bravery. Mangal Pandey but holds the title of being the first. I cannot begin to imagine, the sheer will power and courage of conviction that he must have had.

Some people I think are destined, to come and single-handedly change the course of history.

So, do go and see the movie. Judge not the stage and talent, but take the opportunity to be awestruck by the real hero � Mangal Pandey. Of course, if it moves you to tears or a will to do something for your country��Mangal Mangal Mangal Mangal Mangal Mangal Ho!

I finally passed my driving test. Let me see...this was my fourth driving test. So Now I have the freedom to drive ! What a blessing it is. Driving is something I really enjoy.

I was in class 5 when I gave up public transport. I started going to school by cycle. In the small township where I grew up, it was sheer peer pressure. Children who went to school in 'Rcikshaws' met with comments like 'you still come by rickshaw'.

I started driving a scooter ( a Bajaj super) by graduation. As I grew up, I realised it also protected me from road side eve-teasers along with providing me independence. I drove that for almost 3 years even without applying for a learners license. Having beat a number of red lights and knowing traffic policemen positions, I had grown quite over-confident.One day I got caught, with a pillion rider to boot. I genrally turned off right before a particular traffic signal, but that day decided to go till the main intersection to take right. And there as I waited for the light to turn green, a policeman waved us to the pavement. The only license in the vehicle was my brothers'. The policeman took one look at it and said " I have seen this boy driving, he drives so well'. By this time he had realised, I had no papers. Then he said ' I will keep your brothers papers, ask your father to take it from the station'.That was like a hit, and took my breath away. Then he asked who and where my father worked. When I told him, he made a big surprise face.' Your father is in such a position, everybody knows him. Just think, if he has to come to the station...how bad he will feel'. That got me. I started crying and my pillion rider, Monisha, joined me. It was the policemans' turn to be taken aback. 'OK' he said, returning the papers 'In a month you should apply'. Then he came to the crux of the matter.'Chai paani..'. But I was so clueless, I said 'We don't drink tea, thanks' and drove off! It was then Monisha told me that, he probably wanted money...but it was just as well, I did not understand it. Because I hadn't any.

The driving test for scooter was actually hilarious. Eight of us were lined up for the test, on our scooters/motorcycles. Then the examiner came and told us to start the vehicle and make 8. Four started off in the clock wise direction and the rest in anti-clockwise. All were so terrified of hitting each other and some were really petrified. Seeing the others faces, I had a fit of uncontrollable laughter. I had tears streaming down my face, as I gave that test. It was so much fun, could have given it again. But that was not to be, I passed.

My driving test for car in Nagpur was quite uneventful. It was managed by our driver. Or rather mis-managed. I had to make three trips for the same. My third driving test, I failed.

And my fourth driving test, I PASSED!

Book-Tagged

I was tagged for this one by DJ (quite a while back)

Total Number of Books I Own

243. ( I counted..hence the delay �� )

The Last Book I Bought

Markers by Robin Cook
The closers by Michael Connelly

The Last Book I Read

Actually read two books together
Mila 18 by Leon Uris & Are you afraid of the Dark? By Sidney Sheldon

Five Books That Mean a Lot to Me

Panorama : It is a book of poems. It was in the syllabus, for ICSE. Although only 20 of its poems were in the course, every one of them (including those not in the course list) is a gem. My first book in my poetry collection.

Hindu View of life by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
It actually made me understand and appreciate other religions more or rather the freedom to do so. Read this when I was 16. It was impressive then, it still is, now.

Emma By Jane Austen
Initially found reading the book, written in an English of another era, very tedious. However, gradually, I sensed the nuances and subtleties of the language. Then it was enjoyable all the way through. I specifically like Emma among all her other books, of course because of Emma��s characterization.

Amar Chitra Katha
Do I really need to explain why? For the uninitiated�KOnce upon a time, the amar chitra kathas, that you see today in glossy covers, came in thin papercovers. Children all over the country would wait for it to be delivered along with the newspaper, at the beginning of the month. The first thing they would do, is open the cover, and read the next months title. Then began a fight with siblings as to who should read the current one first. Children actually fought to read, because they were so interesting with pictures and legends. They contained tales of far away places and times long gone. Another reason was, they did not have television at that time�K.

To the Far blue mountains by Louis L��Amor
I actually like all his books. It transforms one, to another time, when people were trying to make the west a habitable place. Adventurous, righteous is the underlying tone. (This place actually belongs to �V To kill a mocking Bird. But wanted to introduce a not yet written about book.)

Tag Five people

This is easy.All the authors below write very well. Of course all of you know that, this message was intended for newcomers :)

Ashtrix
Mohan
Hari Seema Chandu