Mindless Musings

Feeling at home

2011-07-30T22:10:00.003+02:00

Stranger in the strange land!

That's what I always feel like when I move places, and this time was no different. The cold grey weather had added to my woes.

And then, one sad evening, while walking down the street, I smelled a familiar smell. The world just stopped existing for me! The time stood still! And all that mattered was that smell. The walk to that small eatery was just 5 minutes from where I was standing. And in those five minutes I remembered all the good times spent with my friends...especially when low on cash; the times when I was drenched to bone on my way home from a long day, and this smell-- how it revived my spirits! And now again. Despite the biting cold I was sure that I was going to have a big smile on my face. I started walking towards the place sniffing in the air like a starved puppy!

As I reached the place that was the source...all I could see was happy, smiling, contented people leaving the place. From the big window, I saw friends chatting with each other over cutting chai [half a cup filled with strong tea], couples in their own dreamy land, sharing their wada-pavs and dabelis.

Jai Shree Krishna! Thats what I really felt!

It was the smell of hot, spicy and fresh batata wadas [deep fired blobs of mashed potato mixed with spices and dipped in batter]. The next hour was complete food heaven. My husband joined me at the place and we relished all those platefuls of our life back in Mumbai--wada pav with spicy lasoon chutney and green chilly, dabeli, spicy misal, gulachi poli [chapati bread made with jaggery filling] and cutting chai!

This eatery, Shree Krishna Wada Pav, is located on the Highstreet in Hounslow [close to ASDA] and dishes out authentic Mumbai food. Reasonably priced and modest in ambience, Shree Krishna Wada Pav will surely impress you with its service, friendly staff and quality of fare.

Whats more! For those from Mumbai...the place will surely make you nostalgic and you are sure to go back home thinking about the good ol' days....and a big smile on your face that says "Wow!!!!! Authentic wada pav in UK??!!"

Bon Appetit Folks!

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Name of the eatery- Shree Krishna Vada Pav, Location- Hounslow High Street TW31QT,

Cuisine Served- Maharashtrian

Would I go back? Again and again...in fact I was there a few days back

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Note: Pictures taken from a google search

Hidden here and hidden there

2011-05-19T13:10:00.000+02:00

The other day, I was playing a Hidden Objects PC game-Samantha Swift Trilogy. I am a big fan of all the hidden object games and can spend hours playing them without getting bored.

But then, that got me thinking....isn't our life a big, real time hidden object game?

Like the computer game...in life, we too get a set of hints...we call intution; like the game...we have different modes-- our childhood, the casual/novice mode; our youth like the adventure mode and our relatively older selves playing the expert mode.

And it just doesn't get dull for even a second. Helping us succeed in each level are various tools that we unearth.....there might be a pick axe or pliers or crowbars in virtual games. But in this life's game, we have education, we have hobbies, we have friends, family and enemies too! Our energy meters get charged with love and dis-charged with hate or frustration.

And like all the games, there are the between-level puzzles. So while virtually, you might have to join sets of three similar colours or crack codes to open locks, in life, you may just have to clear exams or interviews or pass that driving test...the more difficult the puzzle, the really simple solution will it have.

And then, the most important aspect of these games--time!

Puzzles are timed!Levels may be timed....this means that all that you do, is relevant in a particular time period. so very true! And our actions give us brownie points or deflate our scores too. for instance, if we manage to solve the puzzles or help characters, it adds to our hints or scores or energies...meaning, we get benefitted all through the game in a manner that might not be so apparent. So it is in life! Good deeds and bad deed, or as they fashionable say, our Karma impacts our game.

Step-by-step, at paces we are comfortable with, we go on playing these games, go on moving ahead in our lives...till we get a proper conclusion or a prize or till we solve the mystery of the same.

Guess thats where Grantland Rice came up with the line:
For when the One Great Scorer comes
To write against your name,
He marks-not that you won or lost-
But how you played the game.

See you in the next level!!!! Till then, enjoy your play!!

2011-05-16T11:38:00.005+02:00

This is a poetic version of a Varsha Usgaonkar-Ashok Saraf movie.

Any resemblances with living or dead is purely co-incidental.

गजर वाजला,

चटुक उठला,

चटकन दात घासायला गेला.

अंघोळ केली, दाढी झाली,

कामाची ही घटिका आली.

संध्या येता चटुक येई,

नाश्ता करून पाय पसरी.

रात्रौ होता पोटोबा बोले,

भरपूर जेवून मिटुया डोळे.

चटुक ची होती एक बायको,

म्हणायचे तिला आय्गो-बाय्गो.

गजर वाजे,

आय्गो उठे,

सकाळपासून धांदल उडे.

चहा, जेवण, नाश्ता करी,

पण संपे ना काही चटुकची यादी.

चटुक म्हणे, "काय असते घरी काम?

थोडासा स्वयंपाक, मग तर आराम."

दिसे ना त्याला घर टाप-टीप,

इस्त्रीचे कपडे पण घडी केलेले नीट.

आय्गो बाय्गो त्याला सांगे,

"जो गावभर फिरतो तो काय समजे?"

"कामाच्या नावाखालि काय बाई करतो,

ना घाम, ना त्रास तुझ्या चेहऱ्यावर दिसतो".

हैराण होऊन आय्गो म्हणाली,

कळूदे चटुकला घरातली कहाणी.

स्वप्नातल्या परीने काडी फिरवली,

चटुक झाला आय्गो, न बाय्गो चटुक झाली.

सकाळ झाली, गजरानेही हाक मारली,

अन चटुकच्या आधी आय्गो उठली.

स्वप्नं आठवून खुदकन हसली,

बाहेर जायची संधी मिळाली.

अंघोळ केली दाढी झाली,

कामाची ही घटिका आली.

काम नव्हते सोपे ते,

शेतावरती नंगारायचे.

दम लागे , त्रास होई,

दुपारला तर घामहि येई.

संध्या होता चटुक आली,

आल्या-आल्या झोपून गेली.

ही तर बाजू आय्गो-ची,

अशीच कशी गोष्ट चटुकची.

आय्गो म्हणून चटुक उठला,

चहा करताना चटका लागला.

जेवण न्याहरी,

आवरा आवरी,

बझार हाट अन धुणी भांडी.

सारं काही जमेना,

सारं काही उमजेना,

पण दिवस सरता दमला बाई.

न आय्गो येता झोपला बाई.

स्वप्नात दोघांच्या परी आली...

दोघांनी ही क्षमा मागितली.

परी ने फीरवली जादू ची काडी,

अन झटकन-पटकन सकाळ झाली.

गजर वाजला,

चाटुक उठला,

आय्गो ने ही डोळा उघडला.

एक मेकास मदत केली,

अन दिवस चटकन निघून गेला.

आता थोडे बदल्ले होते,

दुसर्यांचे कष्ट समजत होते.

अशी ही छोटीशी गोष्ट,

सांगा सर्वांना स्पष्ट.

Mommie come back

2011-03-10T13:22:00.000+01:00

Hello,

I am back again. I have got an internet connection in place and that means I can blog more frequently now.

Since I had nothing much to do, I did what I like the best--watch Indian mythological movies on youtube. This time, it was the story of Satyawan-Savitri. And it got me thinking....How far can one go for the one he-she loves??

It can be for partners/spouses or even parents-children or siblings or even friends!

The following poem is inspired from this eternal love story of Satyawan-Savitri....here the protagonists are a toddler (baby girl) and her mother.

Please do leave comments (than email) if you like this one or if it touches your heart :)

A strange l’il girl with her strange parents,
Walking on a road that doesn’t seem to end.
Hand in hand they go on walking,
Talking to each other, happy and laughing.

And strangely then, the road does split,
One going left and other going right.
And soon enough the sweet kid knows,
Mom isn’t there, but Dad all alone.

"Mommiee! Mommiee!" cries our honeybun,
Tears in her eyes and ready to run.
Daddy stops baby with all his might,
But nothing can hold his cherub tight.

Run, she does, on and on,
"Mommiee-Mommiee!" singing the song.
And even though so much time has passed,
She hasn’t found Mommie in this world so vast.

And then she hears a booming voice,
"Look in your heart my dear child!"
As she remembers the good times spent,
Mommie's presence fills like a mystic scent.

And cries baby boo, tears lining her cheeks,
"Mommie come back to me for I can’t sleep.
And if you cannot come back to me,
Then please, just hear my plea."

"Don’t say no, but hold me to your bosom,
For I love you and with you I come.
Every moment without you is numbing pain,
Without you, its not sunshine but rain."

Mommie stands there as still as the silent night.
Though many daggers rip her with all their might.
A wide chasm of life and death makes sure,
Neither of them can cross over.

Both of them stand there in pain,
And suddenly things get clear again.
Back on the road that had split,
They find themselves holding each other tight.

And the happy family is one again,
Looking at sunshine after all the rains.

Ads I like

2011-01-07T13:05:00.000+01:00

This is the anti-discrimination campaign, Should you have to hide the real you to be accepted?, that was on in the Netherlands some time back. The Ad is simple to understand and makes its point, no need to even understand the language of the country.

Check out:

Beginning of a story

2010-12-19T18:38:00.003+01:00

Writing a post after a long break. This one has been on my mind for some time.

This is something abstract that I have written. My friend, Katya Naidu and my cousin, Aniket Herwadkar helped me work on this one and also gave me the confidence to publish the story so far.

Hope you guys enjoy reading it. And here's hoping that I overcome my block, and continue the story ahead.
“Have you experienced Death, Kring?” asked Niam. Krinka aka Kring was her best friend.

“Do you know what it is to die? I mean, how it feels?” persisted Niam, in a strangely calm and detached way.

Niam and Krinka had been friends from the time they had first met each other. Over the 10 years of knowing each other, their friendship had survived most of the storms—Boys, crushes and boyfriends, jealousy, possessiveness, personal losses and careers. And today, what mattered to them, more, was the fact that they are still together, at peace, understanding each other and helping out in tough tides while giving each other space otherwise.

Today, the weather was fine and they had gone trekking to this hill top close to home, the grassy path and flowers only encouraging them to do these treks more often. After a tiring hour and a half climb to the top… everything seemed worth it. There, sitting on a ledge and after chatting for some time, Krinka was taken aback when Niam asked this out of the blue.

Squinting her mischievous eyes, as if to look inside Niam’s mind, Krinka replied, “No man. I am alive. At least that’s what I think”.

“I know what it feels like,” replied Niam. “Every night…”

“Every night I experience death, only to live through it.”

“Too many supernatural serials, Drama Queen! You know that’s one reason why I ask you to stay away from these shows, movies and books. You need to chill. You need to be around positive things”.

“Maybe. But I dream this dream, every single night. I dream that I am all alone, by myself, sitting in some ski-cable-car kind of contraption, which is wayyyy high up in the dark black sky. As high, as the birds fly or even planes fly. It is just me….in my journey, to reach my destination. Everything is so still. Not even the pleasant warm breeze. The warmth keeps my nerves calm. Not a single soul in sight, not even birds, no noise, no stars. It is just I, me, myself, all alone in the so very still raven black night. There is just this drone—whrrrrrrrrrr--of the ski-cable-car-lift. The drone of the machine pierces the silence, but also soothes my anxiety, as I forget that I am alone.”

“Whrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…… I am going over land, and then a huge body of water. I don’t know if it is a sea, or a lake or an ocean. And I don’t know, if I have to cross the chasm to reach the land on the other side…or if I should just go with the flow. I can only feel, though I cannot see, the ripples of the water, in my mind. Seems like rippling black silk with flecks of mauve…….covering so many secrets and hungry for more.”

“Scary!” Krinka butted in, to stop Niam from talking more and getting uneasy about the conversation.

“My Heart skipped all the beats Kring, it does so, even as I think about it now. Anxious about crossing the eternal chasm of cold nothingness.”

“It happens then, I suddenly get tossed off my seat. I skip a beat…I am descending at such great speed...I know I will melt into the vast nothing, and then I hit the water, if that is what it is, and reach the bottom. But as I am falling and till the time I reach the bottom, I can see my life flash in front of my eyes….in a span of few moments.”

“And then I wake up with a start Kring, unsure if it was just a dream or some distant reality…every time. And always shaken and stirred. It takes time to regain my composure, and to make sure, that I AM in my bed. Usually a glass of warm water helps. After that, I go back to sleep again……a peaceful, dreamless sleep.”

“Don’t worry Ni...it’s probably nothing”.....assured Kring, who herself was unsure of the situation.

“You don't think I need a shrink, right?”

“No way. You need to just chill”. But Krinka was unsure, herself, saying those things. And as the Sun set, both of them started walking towards their homes.....

Krinka went home after a long dinner at their favourite bistro. They had got over their philosophical thoughts and ended up talking about clothes, fashion, and the state of affairs.

But something was still bothering Krinka. It was Niam's question. Not only did Niam seem a lot more worried than she would like to admit, but it also seemed like something was suffocating her.

Krinka knew what it was. It was fear. “But what does she need to be afraid of?” That was one question she could not answer.

Niam had been to a fortune teller a few days back and had blackmailed Krinka to join in too. The lady had told Niam a lot about her future, and surprisingly, she also let Krinka in on a reading.

“Is something bothering you Niam?” asked the fortune teller, who sat silently, thinking, after she heard about Niam’s strange dreams and morbid thoughts of death and despair. Krinka too was as shocked to know that Niam keeps on thinking about death, day-in and out.

“You need to help your friend,” The lady said to Krinka, “and you need to help her fast. More than just for her, because both of you are bound together by destiny. What ails her can kill you as well”, she said in a warning tone.

“The sword of death looms on Niam’s head and it is just a matter of time, when it will go loose, if she dies, so do you. I cannot say why. But save yourself and your friend.”

Something about the lady did not make Krinka feel that she was joking.

While leaving, the fortune-teller handed Krinka a note. “How can I help her?” was the only question on Krinka’s mind. “Follow her fear, and once you help her fight it, she will be safe.” Ever since Krinka never let Niam do anything remotely dangerous. Niam was surprised with her over protective attitude but never complained of the eccentricities of her best friend.

But now, sitting all alone in her drawing room Krinka had a sinking feeling. She kept re-reading the note. But just didn’t understand what to do.

He who is wise, He who is brave,

He, who can see beyond the dark grave,

For mistakes of past, can today haunt too,

And consume in its fire, close ones and you.

The cycle of life and death shall continue, never to stop,

Until you have redeemed for sufferings that you have caused,

Pain and distress shall be unto you,

What you have done to others, shall be due to you,

Pay by your blood and do what you must,

To see a new dawn and a new dusk.

To be continued

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Image taken via google image search from planetearthdailyphoto.blogspot.com

Favourite videos: Fu bai Fu

2010-10-23T18:25:00.000+02:00

Fu bai Fu is a program on Zee mArathi, wherein various marathi actors present their comedy skits. Winner gets a prize. Sometimes, the skits are good, and sometimes they are really bad.

Following are my favourites:

Anand Ingle & Vishakha Subhedar

Anand Ingle Kshiti Jog

Anand Ingle & Kishori Godbole

Atul Todankar & Anshuman Vichare

Atul Todankar & Anshuman Vichare

Vaibhav Mangle & Kshiti Jog

Hope you have fun watching them

दमलेल्या नंदिनीची कहाणी

2010-10-17T20:48:00.004+02:00

The background: Balancing work and home is not an easy task.

Hats off to all the women, who manage the tight-rope walk.

Many people think that things are a little manageable out of India, what with frozen/semi cooked foods, 40 hours week, lower frustration levels, so on.

Well, the answer is no...its certainly not easy. Especially, if any one has the amount of travel like the way I have (more than an hour one way). After getting thoroughly exhausted in the office, it becomes difficult (though not impossible, as many of my friends here are excellent home makers/managers too) to come home and dish out a fresh square meal.

The story: So one fine day, tired after pasta, daal-khichadis, idli-sambhars, my husband, Aniket, said to me, after a particularly exhausting (my) day at work, one thing, he should not have......

"कांटाळ आला इडली-पिडली खाउन. किती दिवसात पोळी-भाजी नाही खाल्ली. तुला काय त्रास होतो गं...बाकीच्या तुझ्या मैत्रिणी तर बनवतात कि proper जेवण!"

Well, that is the inspiration, behind this विडंबन of a part of the song.

The song: दमलेल्या बाबाची कहाणी is one of my favorite songs, and I hope its creators don't take an offense at my humble remix. Read the lyrics and sing along.

पहाटेच उठलेली एक महाराणी,

गॅसवर ठेवलेले चहासाठी पाणी ||2||

ला ला लाला ला ला ला ला ssss

रोजचेच आहे सारे काही आज नाही,

लवकर-लवकर अवरायाला जमतच नाही,

घरातून निघताच असते पळत,

ट्राम सुटली तर जावे लागते चालत,

सांगायची आहे अरे नवर्या मुला
दमलेल्या नंदिनीची कहाणी तुला
ला ला ला ला ला ला ला ला ssss

Amsterdamच्या नगरात थंडी होती भारी

कुडकुडलेली नंदी करी बसेसची वारी ||2||

रोज सकाळीच नंदी निघतांना बोले,

जेवण करायचे काल राहुनिया गेले,

जमलीच नाही काल भाजी मला जरी,

आज तरी करणार खीर आणि पुरी.

कुकिंग बुक्सच्या जंगलामध्ये मारू मग फेरी,

रुचिराची* पाने अन इंटरनेटची करी,

नाहीतर जमेल फक्त वरण-भात मला,

दमलेल्या नंदिनीची कहाणी तुला.

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[The prose part] ऑफिसात उशिरा मी असते बसून,

भंडावले डोके, गेले कामात बुडून.

बॉस तर घरी कधिच गेला रे पळून,

काम सोडून कशी मी येऊ रे निघून.

अश्या वेळी काय सांगू काय-काय होते,

गरम चहा-पोह्याची आठवण येते.

वाटते कि काम टाकुन घरी परत यावे,

आरामात TV समोर सोफ्यावर बसावे.
थंड पाणी देत तू बोल जरा माझ्याशी,
नंतर जेवण बनवायला लागेन पटदिशी.

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भन्नाट एक फ़र्माइश करशील काही,
बनवतांना भान मला उरणार नाही. ||2||
घड्याळाचे ठोके मग बोलतील काही,
म्हणता-म्हणता संध्या सुद्धा सरणार बाई.
तरी सुद्धा दोघे जण खाऊ खाऊ असा,
मिसळीचा कट किंवा नुसताच रस्सा.

सांगायची आहे अरे नवर्या मुला
दमलेल्या नंदिनीची कहाणी तुला

THE ORIGINAL SONG

*Ruchira is an age old cooking book with recipes of every Maharashtrian recipe, starting from How to boil rice, to making Chirotes.

Favorite Dance videos

2010-10-10T19:59:00.000+02:00

Its been some time that I posted on the blog.
However, my back, shoulder and wrist are killing me. So typing long posts get tedious. And though I have been sleeping directly on the hard floor and doing arm-back exercises, I think I will take a week or more to recover.

So till then, I think, I will upload my favorite videos.

Today's videos are about Indian influence on dances over the world. Classical/traditional is merging with more modern styles, East is meeting the West, and following are the outcomes of creative brainstorming:

America's Best Dance Crew (This one is like Dance India dance or Boogie Woogie) had Bollywood/Indian as one of the theme for its participants. This one in particular had to work around Bharatnatyam--A traditional dance style from the South of India.

So you think you can dance:

Another one from So you think you can dance

And lastly, the most popular--US national dance champions performing to Indian songs

Heres hoping you have as much fun as I had viewing them.
:-D

Time for soul talk

2010-09-19T10:50:00.000+02:00

Listen to Mr Devdutt Patnaik, Chief Belief Officer at Future Group

Harsha Bhogle ace TV commentator in a lecture at IIM (A) ,very nicely points out that passion to perform, commitment and practice are far more important than talent alone.

Nithya Shanthi: Important lesson of life

Gnapati Bappa Moraya!!

2010-09-12T20:36:00.000+02:00

Ganapati Baappa!!!
Morayaa!!!

The city that never sleeps, goes in a trance of a kind during this time of the year...Everywhere you see, festivities and a general enthusiasm are in the air. And a day before the Ganesh Chaturthi, the city (and also the country) welcomes its beloved God, The Single-Tusked one, The Lord that removes all the obstacles from your path, The Lord of Knowledge, known as Ganpati Baappa to all its worshipers.

Ganpati Bappa/Ganesha/Vinayak/Vighnaharta, are all his names and his avataars. There are stories that talk about his birth andsing is praises, but other than that, little is known about this God. It is only the scholors and the those specialised in sanskrit and mythology, who might really know about him.

And today, just as we finished the puja and aarti, we came across a program on an Indian regional channel-Saam, wherein an eminent person was answering all those questions that I had about this Lord for so long....Isn't that really nice, than informing us about which celebrity celebrates this event and how!

For starters, does anyone know what the chant, "Ganapati Baappa!!! Moraaya!!!" means?
According to this person, a doctor, its regional accent of the marathi language....The villagers meant Mhoraa-Yaaa (come in front of me)....which over the years became Moraya!!

Also, what does the name Ganpati mean? Of course, the leader of the Gans who we might assume as worshippers? Well no, Ganpati means the one, who has conquered over the 5 forces of nature and their sub forces. There is a total of 360 natural forces (thats one reason why the circle is 360 degrees), and Ganpati is the conqueror of all. Hence the name. Well, I couldn't catch this entire interesting show and could only write about the teeny part that I could watch.

Today, after the visarjan (like a good bye), it feels that the house is missing the energy and positive vibrations that it was filled with for the past two days.

But like they say,

Ganpati Baappa !!!
Moraya!!
Pudhchya warshi (next year)!!!
Lavkar Ya (please visit us earlier)!!

Whose dress is it anyways!!

2010-09-05T13:59:00.000+02:00

Have any one of you ever been to a store, only to find that they don’t have your healthy size?

“Sorry M'am, we do not keep this size anymore.”

“Sorry M’am, we are out of stock on that one.”

It happens to all of us, all the time. Its an altogether different feeling to realize that you may not find stuff on the racks that fit you…maybe, because, you might be the plus size.............. or even a minus one
And then you check the stuff that is there for your size….nope! not at all flattering, I must say.

This has happened to me quite a lot of times even in my hometown (I still do not believe this…given that Indian women have always been a little healthier and curvier of the lot). The stuff, that was really available in my size….tsk tsk…was at times more gaudy. So I never felt like buying it.

And it drew me into a more viscious cycle, leading to depression, not leading to fat loss, and the size increases, harrowing shopping experiences.

And while wallowing in my sare-jahan-ka-shopping dard-mere-kaleje-mein state, I had this enlightenment!!!

One day...over a nice coffee and a gossip session, the topic moved to shopping. One of my dear freind said, " you know what! Shopping escapades have turned into shoc-a-pades for me. I am so thin, I can't find stuff in the regular racks, as I am thin, and not even in the petite sizes, coz I am fat for them...
oh!How I have come to hate shopping....
You know what! So I prefer to buy shoes and bags these days."

And trust me, she has a cupboard full of them....We knew about emotional eating...this is emotional shopping!

At work, shopping is one of our favorite topics. Which stores are offering discounts/deals, or which one is launching a new collection!!

And then, I relaized that there is the tall and the short to this story. Amongst the seven of us in the team, we make up the width and height sizes. Well, the tallest of my friends has a trouble finding clothes as they end up being short, and me....well, the necks are deeper and lengths wayyy to long....

Others have difficulty in finding clothes that hide their hips or make them look fuller.

huh!!!

“You know what!, I wanna reduce my flab,” wrote my already slim frend via email. There are these whole new collections of tube tops and strapless, n off shoulders that I want to wear” I was flabbergasted…I did not realize she had flab on her slim-to-thin frame.

N then I looked at myself…………………………

But its really incredible. Though I am not aware of the statistics, but I would love to believe that atleast a third of the world population might be suffering from I-can't-find-my-size syndrome. What is, however bothering, is the trend for skinnier clothes.

Do measure the waistlines of the trousers you buy, 8 out of the 10 times, will you notice, that while it mentions a particular waist size, that might not be entirely true; and the waist size may fall an inch short of it…… reducing the wearer to an unnecessary depressed state and a feeling of being flabby.

Another point, sizes for one brand may not be the same for other brands.

So the question, The dresses on the shops racks, "Whose dresses are these anyways?"

Models? Well they won't shop from stores that mass produce, would they?

Manequinns? Are they really bothered about what they are wearing?

Are they for us? regular working women, who love our food and would like to enjoy it to the last crumbs on the plate? I don't know.

But, what the heck, I am happy….having my cake and eating it too….in as much quantity as I desire.

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Note: Image taken from google search

In search of love

2010-08-29T12:22:00.000+02:00

Over a cup of coffee, over internet chats, me and my girly friends have been sharing with each other, our harrowing experiences in finding our Mr. Right Prince Charming. Katya Naidu, Correspondent with Business Standard, and a very close friend of mine, collaborated with me on compiling a major chunk of real-life experiences mentioned in this post. Happy reading......

Girls are born romantics. And what better way to fall out of the ‘I will fall in love with a handsome man dream’, than actually meeting a prospective husband.

Ever since houses changed into flats and windows of adjoining houses became archaic phenomenon, romance has become much tougher. Especially, in big cities. Many-an-office-romance, too has disappeared thanks to the long work hours and alcohol parties, which lead to 'something else' sooner than love. While many men and women seem to find their love's way before the normal age, things have changed for those women who seek love. Love or not love, age is catching up with most of them as they get busy achieving career dreams, and wedding websites and arranged coups--I mean match fixing, seems the only way for those who actually don’t get sloshed in drunken parties and sweet nothings.

And my! my! my! what happens in the process is anybody's guess. Here are some truths we (me and my friends) have discovered in our search (via website, matrimonial aunties and enthusiastic match-fixing relatives) for Mr. Right:

Hail Photoshop!
Beware of photoshop. They post ten year older photographs on their profiles. It happened to my friend. She fell for the handsome looks of this lean dimpled cheeked guy…When she met him, he was 60 pounds heavier and the dimples were hidden away in wrinkles. Made us think!!! Guys too need botox. :)

Sex, drinks and the software industry:
Well they have been to US, and have interacted with US-based clients on a daily basis, they have picked up a little bit of colloquial lingo...but dating like Americans is still a dream. The only way they can save their face in marriage meetings is by acting cooler than they are. For instance, there was this Marathi girl who met this Marathi guy in London, who is actually from Pune. He asked this lady a simple question: Hey do you like shopping?
Girl: Yes I like shopping
Guy: How do you shop for clothes. I mean, how do you choose them?
Girl: I try them on first
Guys: Well don't you think you should choose your husband the same way?

Hmmmm. What followed later was a Shauryagatha (story of courage/bravery) of how he hangs out with his friends over drinks, how he actually had sex with many strangers after meeting them over 'drinks'. In spite of these sexcapades he had never found a nice Indian girl who is the one he is looking for.
These men are generally dismissed with either a slap (if the girl is Marathi) or a boot (in case of Punjabi)

The disguised daters (only):
Well guys, and girls, repeat after me “A matrimonial site is not a dating portal!” please repeat till you have not just memorized, but also imbibed this. Many a gal-guy think of matrimonial websites as timepass business, a way to catch dates. My friend from college had this experience. After having more than one telephonic conversations with this guy, he says…well he has not thought of wedding now. It’s a sad way of saying Tata ByeBye to someone! seriously. And secondly, people who visit this site mean business…don’t waste their time.

Curious Toms:
These people are eager to know everything. They are enthusiastic even about atoms and molecules of life. They are not necessarily scientists. So conversations go like, "Isn't it wonderful to have Sun's rays over your face when you wake up? I stayed in that kind of a place once," said a curious Tom. "It was a wonderful feeling when I realised that I had to wake up when Sun is up. Ahaaaaaaaaa," he added.
In my instance, I had to answer these many questions from a guy, who was wayyyyyyyyyyy too curious about my work…How do you write? The inspiration, the text…the designing….printing…OOOOOfffffffff…by the end of it…I was tired.

Its not that its bad…but asking those questions as a questionnaire is bad. Kick on the ass for these guys. By the time you imagine something divine intervenes to save you and pray hard, the bill for dinner comes, you pay and run out.

Logic locusts:
“Actually the reason I chose an arranged marriage is because I always thought love affairs are very commercial. Girl friends expect us to buy them gifts, take them out. So I weighed my options and decided that bharatmatrimony paid service works out much cheaper….”
Very very true and very well analysed. No woman who does not get paid would go out with you. I hope there is a big figure there on the salary section, otherwise no one will marry you either.
Nothing is for free brother..oopss ..sisters too come with rakhi expenses
Well, we are women, we are not easy you see!
The most annoying of the lot are the late latifs and Miss-Manners-family
In this case, I have had two harrowing experiences, supposed to meet them at an hour, and these guys turned up hours late…Hello? N no Sir. No sorry…No phone call that they will be late…no no no.
Worse, one of them was a chewing gum chewing bull. Oh!!! How I wanted to strangle them at first sight.

Missed-Manners-family
Well, we had been to this place to meet a guy and his family…Place, 4 hrs drive from my home. Time to reach 10 am. We were there…but the parents hadn’t bathed….The waorst kinds are Moms in nighties and Dads in Shorts….and this guy had been to some family friend for breakfast…heloooooooooooooooooooooo Knock knock!!!
Worse, we were offered a glass of warm water and random tea after a question,”Do you really want some tea?”
Well kick on their butts tooo!!!

But that’s life….Searching for love, rather Mr right guy is a hilarious and an eye-opening process. And it is rather safe to assume that most men fall under this categories.

Anyone else is either a psychopath whose behaviour cannot be classified, or even Mr Right.

So Keep Looking!
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Note: This post is not intended to offend anyone, especially guys, who might have had similar experiences with women.

Images taken via a google search.

Funny videos

2010-08-24T22:54:00.000+02:00

These videos have been doing quite a few rounds on the social networks.

Some of my favorites:

Roger Federer knocks the can off a crew member's head during the Gillette ad shoot

Einstein, the South African, Talking Grey parrot

Chingey re Chingey

2010-08-17T18:32:00.007+02:00

Why does it so happen, that we understand the true value of anything only after it is no more with us? This can about anyone or any thing. Rarely, have I met a person who truly understands that he/she is blessed with all that is around him/her.

Well, I am no different either. I have always been a reactive person as far as understanding the value of any thing is concerned. And most of the time, I end up crying over the spilt milk, after it is spilt; rarely taking care to ensure that it is not going to spill, and is safe and sound in its tamper proof pot.

I had a lovely doll, one that could walk and talk and sing (a big thing in Indian homes in late eighties). It could sing nursery rhymes…Had lovely blonde piggy tails and deep blue eyes. My Atya (aunt) and my Grandmother had gifted this lovely cherub to me. I used to call her Chingey. I have a distant memory of making a small cradle for her from my Mum’s used sarees and singing her to sleep.

Over the years I grew up, and moved on to different things—Barbies, Enid Blyton books, Nancy Drew, music, make up, and much more. Chingey was never jealous of the Barbie I got for my Birthday, or the teddy that joined the Toy gang later. She was too content to stay in some dusty corner of my room; only to reappear, when one of my cousins had come home.

She was old…but there was no change in her adorable character. Well, boys will be boys, and Chingey suffered her leg fracture at his hands…only never to recover. Yet my one legged dolly was a model, or clothes horse as you might call her, for my mum’s tailoring assignments. She was a very patient and smiling patient for all my toddler neighbours with their doctor sets…always batting her baby blues at them, sleeping as they instructed her and waking up whenever they wanted.

Over the years, Chingey lost her ability to speak…but that never stopped her from showering her love on me. Her soothing smile made me forget my unfinished homework, crap assignments, my mum’s reprimands and Dad’s punishments. I used to talk to her about all my problems…friends bitching, bad grades, guilt feelings, anxiety and fear. Whenever I would cry (No, I am not female version of Norman Bates) to Chingey…her smile would somehow, make me believe that the world is indeed beautiful.

Then one day, she was no more…broken beyond repair that we had to give her away. It did not hit then….but slowly and steadily….it keeps (even after 12 years) coming on to me, that indeed I am all alone in this world and nobody understands me.

And that’s when you realize, that there are somethings which go away as we grow up. Most of them are lost in memories. But there are a few of those lost things, which always come back, to prove that we lived a life, which is such far off at times, that it seems unreal, even to us.

I actually miss her…my childhood, the games we played….My Chingey…Always in my heart!!!
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Note: Images taken from google image search

Friends in the Enchanted Woods

2010-08-08T18:12:00.005+02:00

The enchanted woods is one funny place to be in. It does strange things to your head.

So make sure that your pockets are full with chocolates and candy, and that you have your friends with you, before you venture in. I learnt it the hard way.

My first trip to the woods was so scary!!! It used to be dark all the time, and the winds used to howl. Whooooooooooooo!!!!I was so scared and cold.No one to talk to, no one to ask help from. I did not know if I was going on the right path! But I had to cross the woods and reach to the other end, to the Village of Eternal Happiness. I was tired, cold and hungry. But I persisted, continued to walk on, and explored my way through the forest.

And there it was!!! I stumbled upon it. Really!!! A bottle. with a small message, which I could not read in the dark. I had to build a fire. It was like playing a 'hidden objects' game. I had to find all that I needed - matches, wood, some grass (They say that, in the woods, you find all that you need, but not that you desire, maybe thats why its enchanted). The fire softly lighted the surroundings in its warm glow. Finally, I broke the bottle and read the message, out loud. Little did I know it was a spell.

O'howling winds, O'mighty Sun,

I call upon thee, do not stay mum.

I am all alone, cold and scared,

No one to share my joys with, or to calm me in despair.

Grant me a wish, give me this boon,

Angels by my side, morning, night and noon!

Well?
Nothing happened!
I continued my tired walk, and then I saw them.....
Unicorns!!!! one on each side of me, protecting me from the dangers and pointing me towards the right path to my destination. Unicorns! Their presence is overwhelming. They give you so much love.Wise men say that you commit the ultimate sin, one that cannot be redeemed, if you kill a unicorn.

Somewhere down the road, I also met a pair of sheep-dogs. Playful and naughty, making sure, I do not divert from my destination, they made my journey more exciting than ever. I also came across the wide-eyeded owl. Hooting for me...telling me, I am not alone and lonely.

I continued trotting on my route. But it was not so dark and gloomy anymore.The woods were bathed in soft glow. I could see the Robin's nest and the sleeping babies. There, near the roots of an old oak, was the home of the working ants. Some were having their meals, others carrying heavy loads of food. By the silver lake, were trees and flowers of almost all kinds, and ones never seen before. Some trees had leaves so long, you could hook them in other branches and have a nice hammock-cradle ready in minutes. Just jump in and sleep away. And there, in one of those hamradles (hammock+cradle) slept the prankster polly. She used to be with a pirate, not so long ago. But after the ship sank, she moved to different places, in search of her own little paradise. And now here she was, this one sharp tongued polly. We started off on a very good note, and decided to journey together. And as I continued on the road, I saw, that it was not dark anymore. My path was full of sunshine and the lazy breeze kissed my hair and cheeks. I could smell the fragrance of wild apples and also of the lavender from the jungle. The soft grass cushioned my steps and formed a soft mattresses whenever I was tired and in need of a nap.

And then I met the colourful-giraffe. He was a darling! n funniest co-incidences of all? He was travelling to the Village of Eternal Happiness too!!! We became the best of friends, the thickest of pals, and partners in many crimes, through my, rather our journey.

All my friends made my journey so beautiful. We talked and laughed...Now that I think about it, its so strange, that we could speak the same language, being so different. But we did have a good time.

I reached my destination in no time. Time really flies, when you are with your loved ones-friends, or whom I call, Angels.

And today, I take the journey to (not through) the woods, yet again. My pockets filled with candies and chocolates, cupcakes and sanwiches. Oh! Did I forget to tell you that we friends were having a tea party today to celebrate our friendship?

Well, you are invited!!!

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Note: Both the images are taken from google imagesearch. The first one belongs to the Holland-based artist, Nadia Karroue (http://www.vg-heart.com/index.html). Do visit her website if you are interested in art.The second one was taken through plain google image search.

The Very First

2010-08-01T13:20:00.002+02:00

Its always an anxious first time, isn't it?
Pounding heart, voozies in the stomach, sweaty palms, biting nails and most often, a nervous tick.

Why does it happen to us?

First day of the school, its starts when Mommie leaves us, the crying marthon begins thereafter
First day of college, It happens even when you are surrounded by friends,happens more, if you are all by yourself, scared of making any mistakes.
First date, first day of your work, and so many firsts that come later on.

The feeling never leaves.

And trust me, I have been in so many embarassing, foot-in-mouth, wish-I-was-invisible kind of situations, that I might just get a doctorate on the topic. It again happened to me recently at my work plce.
I normally travel by bus to work. On the first day, I was so freaked out, and a bundle of nerves, and wanting to make a good first impression, that when someone asked me as to how I travelled, I told them , I do so by train. :( Ooooooof. Thats not all, I even corrected myself, "Oh No! Did I mention train...no-no, I travel by Bus."

Now, when I think about it, I think that was funny at times weird too, and I have a good laugh at myself. But trust me, that moment, when it happened, it was not.

Like I said, I have a knack for embarassing myself. In another situation, my first tram travel, n the floors were slippery, n it was cold. So like every true Indian, travelling to phoren land for the very first time, I was wearing a sweater, a jacket, n sports shoes (road side ones...with no grip). And I fell in side the tram while walking down the only two stairs. Lol. That was funny.

Now that I think about it. First times are tough.

But then, we meet people, as nervous or goofy and weird, or even more. And like they say, "Birds of a feather...."

We make friends and the world turns into this amazingly wild and funny place to jump and skip around.

Don't be embarassed of your first time situations,even if you have ended up making a fool of yourself....if there are too many of those situations, maybe you can publish a book about them...If there are only a few, share them here.

Cheers

Know more about Abhijit Thite, author of the popular poem, तो एक बाप असतो...

2010-07-21T06:49:00.004+02:00

Recently, Abhijit Thite (AT), journalist with Sakal-Pune, was in news for his immensely popular, heart-touching poem तो एक बाप असतो... Mindless Musings (MM) and our readers are immensely grateful, that Abhijit found time from his busy schedule to talk to us.

MM: तुमच्या कवितेला (तो एक बाप असतो) खूप चांगला प्रतिसाद मिळाला. कसं वाटतं?

AT: खरंतर हा जो काही प्रतिसाद आला, तो मला अजिबात अपेक्षित नव्हता. म्हणजे प्रतिसाद चांगला मिळेल, अशी शक्यता वाटत होती, पण प्रतिसादाची जी लाट येऊन आपटली ती खरोखरच प्रचंड होती. एकतर कविता लिहितांना, ती काही छापण्यासाठी लिहिलेली नव्हती. माझ्या बाबांबद्दल मला काहीतरी सांगायचं होतं आणि ते मी सांगितलं, एवढंच. ते एवढ्या साऱ्या मुलांना आणि त्यांच्या आई-बाबांनाही आपलं वाटेल, ही कल्पना मी तरी कशी करणार... पण वाटलं खूप छान.

त्या दिवशी माझा फोन सकाळी १० च्या सुमाराला बंदच पडला. पहाटे सहापासून सुरू झाला होता बिचारा. चार तासांत त्यानं मान टाकली. मेल, ई-सकाळवरच्या प्रतिक्रिया सगळंच एकदम भाराऊन टाकणारं होतं. सकाळी माझ्या बाबांच्या डोळ्यांत पाणी होतं. पहाटेपासूनचे फोन तेच घेत होते ना... (आम्ही सूर्यवंशी असल्यामुळे) २० जून ते आजची १९ जुलै... परिस्थितीत फारसा फरक नाही. अजूनही फोन आणि मेल येतातच. आपण काहीतरी लिहून जातो आणि ते लोकांना एवढं भावतं, हे खूप आनंददायी आहे. फक्त वर म्हटल्याप्रमाणे जबाबदारीही वाटते. अनेकांनी सांगितलं, की तुमची कविता वाचून मी बाबांशी बोललो, काही बाबा म्हणाले, आमच्यातला दुरावा संपला. काही शाळांमध्ये ही कविता शिकवली गेली, काहींनी फ्रेम करून भिंतीवर लावली आणि मला फोटो पाठवले. एक बाबा काही न बोलता फक्त मनसोक्त रडत राहिले... या साऱ्या प्रतिक्रिया म्हणजे मोठी जबाबदारीच वाटते. या कवितेला साहित्यिक मूल्य वगैरे काहीही नाही, हे मला माहिती आहे. उगाच तो आव आणण्यातही अर्थ नाही. मला वाटतं मी एक अव्यक्त भावना व्यक्त केली आणि तिला हा भरभरून प्रतिसाद आला...

MM: अशी कोणती प्रतिक्रिया आहे, जी तुमच्या मना पर्यंत पोचली आणि जी तुम्ही आम्हाला सांगू शकाल?

AT: एकच अशी प्रतिक्रिया नाही सांगता येणार... मगाशी म्हटलं तसं, अनेक प्रतिक्रिया होत्या.... एक प्रतिक्रिया मात्र वेगळी होती. एका आजींनी फोन केला होता. त्या म्हणाल्या तुमच्या वडिलांचं अभिनंदन. ते तसे आहेत, म्हणून तुम्ही असे व्यक्त झालात. तुमची कविता वाचून मी खूप रडले, पण वेगळ्या अर्थानं. असा बाप आमच्या वाट्याला नाही आला. माझा बाप जाऊन ३० वर्ष होऊन गेली, तरीदेखील त्याचा राग येतो... असं सांगून त्यांचे वडिल नक्की कसे होते, हे सांगणारी एक कविता वाचून दाखवली. भयानक होती ती... प्रचंड भयानक. ती त्यांनी मोकळं होण्यासाठी लिहिली होती. आपल्याकडे मनातली प्रत्येक गोष्ट नाही ना बोलून दाखवता येत... त्या म्हणाल्या, कविता करूनही ४० वर्षं झाली असतील. आज पहिल्यांदा कोणालातरी वाचून दाखवली. मला तुमच्याच वयाचा नातू असेल... नवरा आहे, मुलं आहेत, पण कसं वाचून दाखवणार त्यांना, आणि कसं सांगणार माझं दुःख... तुम्हाला सांगावंसं वाटलं... इतक्या वर्षांनी आज मोकळी होतेय...
मी काय बोलणार अजून.

MM:तुम्ही नेहमीच कविता करता का? कोणत्या विषयावर कविता करायला आवडतं?

AT: मी कविता नाही करत फारश्या. अधेमधे करतो काहीतरी. विषय वगैरे पण नसतात ठरलेले. मध्ये गूगलच्या स्टेटस मेसेजवर ओळी टाकायचो नियमितपणे..........म्हटलं लोकं काही ना काही टाकत असतात, आपण आपल्याला जे सुचतं ते लिहू...

तेजाळत्या रविबिंबासही ग्रासे छाया एकदिनी,
सूर्यासही लागे पाहा, ग्रहण म्हणती लोक जनी,
महातपस्वी तेजोनिधीला कधी न छाया ग्रासू शके,
डोकाविते बिंब मग त्या छायेसही शोभित करे...

घेऊनी बसता तुझ्या स्मृतीचे मधुररम्य ते चांदतुकडे,
हलकेच आला मंद समीर तो पाहूनी सांगे चोहीकडे,
मम प्रीतीचे कौतुक रंगे अधरलोकी त्या इंद्रपुरी,
जाणूनी उत्कट त्या प्रीतीला इंद्राणीचे भान हरे,
नेत्रही झरते इंद्राणीचे अश्रु मौत्तिक खाली पडे,
जनही विस्मित म्हणती वेडे अवकाळी पाऊस पडे...

ही दोन उदाहरणं... अर्थात प्रेम हाच काही माझा लिहिण्याचा विषय नाही. ज्यावेळी जे वाटेल ते... मी काही कवी नसल्यामुळे बरं झालंय... जे मला वाटेल ते मी लिहू शकतो. हे सारं माझ्यापुरतंच असतं. मधे मी मृत्यू या विषयावर खूप विचार करत होतो. आत्महत्या का करत असतील माणसं, असं वाटत होतं. म्हणून त्यावरही लिहिलं

MM: ही एवढी सुंदर कविता लिहायला तुम्हाला इंसपिरेशन कुठून मिळालं?

AT: बाबांचा वाढदिवस... खरोखर हेच कारण. होतं काय, आपल्याकडे वडिल आणि मुलगा यांच्यात फारसा मोकळेपणा नसतो. उठलेत का महाराज ? असा त्यांचा प्रश्न आणि आई डॉन किंवा हिटलर किंवा जेलर कधी येणारेत? हा मुलाचा प्रश्न एवढ्यातच हा संवाद (?) थांबतो. त्यात मुलगा थोरला असेल, तर विचारायलाच नको. वरून कितीही आरडाओरडा झाला, तरी प्रेम असतंच. मी काही त्यांना कमी त्रास दिलेला नाही. मी किती मनःस्ताप दिला असेल त्यांना, ते आता जाणवतं.... खरं सांगायचं तर हे कन्फेशन आहे. ते करायला हवं असं मला वाटत होतं, म्हणून मी हे सारं लिहिलं......

MM: तुम्ही ब्लॉग लिहायचात ना? तुम्हाला कोणत्या विषयांवर लिहायला आवडतं?

AT: फकाणा बंद केला मी. आम्ही ऑफिसातले पाच मित्र ब्लॉगर होतो. मग लक्षात आलं की आपण पाचजण साईट चालवू शकतो, म्हणून ffive.in नावाची साईट सुरू केली. त्याच्यावर खूप वेगवेगळे विषय असतात. ही कविता पहिल्यांदा तिथंच टाकली होती. तिथं मी सुडोकू या नावानं लिहितो..

MM: तुमचे छंद काय आहेत? कामातून जरा वेळ मिळाला कि काय करता?

AT: वाचन आणि हिंडणं या दोन गोष्टी प्रचंड आवडतात. पूर्वी मित्रांबरोबर कट्ट्यावर बसायचो. लग्न झाल्यावर बायकोसोबत हिंडायचो. सध्या मात्र मी घरी गेलो की लेक आणि पुतण्या यांच्या तावडीत असतो. आम्ही प्रचंड दंगा, मारामाऱ्या करतो. (ती दोघं मला अक्षरशः धुतात...) मला वाचायला खूप आवडतं. जरा बरं नसल्यामुळे घरी झोपून होतो, तर शांताराम वाचून संपवलं. एकट्यानं फिरायलाही आवडतं मला. तेही उगाचच. कुठे जायचं वगैरे ठरवायचं नाही. बाहेर पडायचं आणि चालायला लागायचं.

MM: कोणते पुस्तक लिहित आहात का?

AT: पुस्तक तर लगेच नाही. मध्यंतरी दोन अनुवाद आणि एक पुस्तक धालं. दुसऱ्या महायुद्धात पोलंडच्या वॉरसॉ घेटोतून २,५०० ज्यू मुलांना वाचविणाऱ्या इरेना सेंडलर हिच्याविषयीचं ते पुस्तक आहे. बाकी सध्या एका पुस्तकाचा अनुवाद सुरू आहे.

MM: आपल्या चाहत्यांना काही संदेश?

AT: मेसेज वगैरे देण्यासारखा नाही मी. ती मोठ्यांची कामं. माझ्या अनुभवाच्या गोष्टी सांगतो... पहिली म्हणजे एक चूक आपल्याला आयुष्यातून उठवू शकते, ही गोष्ट कायम लक्षात असू दे... ती चूक कधी, कोणती वगैरे नाही सांगता येत, पण कमावलेलं सारं गमावण्याची वेळ येते. आणि दुसरी गोष्ट, अशी चूक झाल्याशिवाय शहाणपण येत नाही. त्यातून आपण तगून, पाय रोवून उभं राहिलो, की आयुष्य ही काय चीज आहे, ते पुरेपूर समजलेलं असतं.

आणखी एक... मित्रांनो, बोला. मनात असेल ते सरळ आणि बिनधास्त बोला. बोलायचं राहून गेलं, असं नको व्हायला.

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Click to read his poem, तो एक बाप असतो... on Mindless Musings.

English translation of this interview will soon be up.

Video from TED.com

2010-07-15T12:41:00.000+02:00

I came across this video long back....maybe around April. But never went ahead and published it.

Shashi Tharoor talks about "soft" power. Video on TED.com

Its a little long..but good one. Enjoy!!!

Save my dream!!

2010-07-03T18:04:00.025+02:00

O' Great Spirits! O' Great Lords, over us you tower tall,

Hear my cries and grant a favour to this gal.

Take me through my life that has past,

To learn from my mistakes at last,

And when I have seen what was unseen and must be known,

Bring me back to the present, confident and all alone.

I ain't no witch. I know not, any spell or if this one shall work. But everytime I say these lines, while embracing a deep deep sleep, I step into a strange land.

A gloomy land at that. No one but me. Clothes tattered as they get tangled in branches of the massive trees and shrubs that cut on my ankles; road full of dirt and murk, soiling my vintage shoes, and not just that, insects buzzing and scratching, giving me a huge headache.

I set out on a journey to achieve the unachievable, to attain the unattainable, on this very road. I am so tired, the road has no end. But I see the soft golden glow of my prize at the very end. There are so many milestones that I have passed, but I didn't waste another minute looking at them or at the earlier distractions. I run, and I run and I run towards my dream. Yet my dream! Seems so afar! With every milestone I pass, It just slips further away!

And I wake up with a scare, what if? I never get the prize?

Oh yes! The spell works!

It did show me the unseen, and that, which I should have known.

It showed me that I did not look at the boughs, that held beautiful fruit in their bosoms, for me to eat, and freshen my self. It showed me, that I did not bend, to nurse my feet. And I missed the lovely scent of the flowers, that were perched on them; those which also kissed and soothed my tired legs.

It showed me, had I seen the murk more closely, I would have seen that the insects, which I thought were scratchy were in fact fireflies, glowing for me, to light my path, so that I don't suffer a nasty fall. The milestones that I passed were important events in my life-academics, accolades and honours, friendly banters, beautiful relationships- were my early successes that I should have celebrated, with friends and family. And I just ignored them, restless for the bumper draw, a distant dream.

To answer the question, What if...

I haven't won the prize yet, but today I am at peace. The shrubs and the trees- my friends, rejuvinate me on my path of life. The glow worms-my family, softly show me the way in this big bad world. I am a daughter, a daughter-in-law, a sister and a wife, and I cherish all these roles. Now, I celebrate every milestone, personal, professional or academic, and this gives me energy and speed boosters to continue my journey.

My ultimate prize? Well I always wanted to be THE Career woman, who can balance responsibilities at home too.
I have not achieved it, but I am almost there on the latter half. And a belief that the former half will also be mine.

A big Thank you to my family and friends who have stood by me.

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Note: The image is taken from google imagesearch. It belongs to the Holland-based artist, Nadia Karroue (http://www.vg-heart.com/index.html). Do visit her website if you are interested in art.

Dutch Commercials and more

2010-06-26T15:08:00.009+02:00

I am back with a few commercials.

The first one, by Amstel beer is currently being aired on TV. I do not understand the dialogues...but here is my take.

The lady sees a tatoo in an oriental language on the guy's (maybe boyfriend) arm, and is touched by the gesture or the emotional dope given by him.

Cut to a cafe/pub/restaurant and the guy is with his friends. He calls out to the bartender and asks for 4 beers.
I think it subtly points to their earlier positioning--men will be men!

Amstel beer commercial

Heineken beer commercials

Jenifer Aniston Vs Heineken
I think this commercial came about in 2007 and was a banned one. I don't know the reason for it being banned.But its a cute one. The guy chooses (some might think he is a jerk, or stupid or even gay) his beer over the beautiful actress. Some bloggers recommend this one for its humor and use of a catchy song, Happy Together by The Turtles.

Walk in Fridge
According to information posted on viralblog.com, Heineken aired their video called Walk In Fridge early 2009. It was originally meant for the Dutch market but ended up going viral over the entire world with 1.500.000 views in the first week and millions in the period after the first week.

KitKat Ads
Nestle's Kitkat has been in news for sometime on account of its commercials. Even the new tennisball ad ran into controversies when a few viewers contacted the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to complain that they were worried the ad could cause children to copy the ad and end up choking on tennis balls if they put them in their mouths. However, the ad got cleared and the company must have breathed easy. This ad was in line with the latest Nestle campaign for KitKat, 'Working Like a Machine?'.

The ads are light-hearted and showcasemen re-enacting/imitating jobs normally handled by various machines that we all encounter in our everyday lives, thereyby demonstrating 'Working Like a Machine?' in the literal sense. One of the two launch adverts, 'Checkout' is set in a supermarket checkout.
See the video to know more.

Coke celebrates FIFA
Coke is one of the major 2010 FIFA World Cup sponsors, launched its biggest ever global ad campaign to support the game.The advert focuses on one of football’s most memorable moments -- when 1990 FIFA
World Cup™ hero, Roger Milla, scored a FIFA World Cup™ goal and then, in a display of
unbridled joy, danced his now legendary “corner dance” in front of a Coca-Cola perimeter
board (states the official release). His celebration became an icon for players and fans the world over, and Roger Milla became a Coca-Cola global football ambassador.

The “History of Celebration” TV commercial features a compilation of international teams and players showing off their celebratory moves.

The soundtrack featuring K’Naan's track-‘Wavin’ Flag – Coca-Cola Celebration Mix’, will be used as the music throughout the entire Coca-Cola campaign, and is already climbing up charts across the world.

The live, shorter version

Hope you enjoy watching the videos.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T13:34:00.000+02:00

I have come across this Marathi poem on Dad's. A very touching poem.

I do not know who the author is, so I am attibuting it to Anonymous. It would be really great if the author of this poem stood up. Kudos to this poet.

Read this poem, and you will understand why nothing else can be a better dedication/tribute to all the Dad's in this world!!

शाळेपासून बापाच्या धाकात तो राहात असतो,
कमी मार्क पडलेलं प्रगतीपुस्तक लपवत असतो.
आईच्या पाठी लपून, तो बापाशी बोलत असतो,
डोळा चुकवून बापाचा, तो हुंदडायला जात असतो.

शाळा संपते पाटी फुटते, नवं जग समोर येतं,
कॉलेज नावाच्या भूलभुलैयात, मन हरखून जात असतं.
हाती असलेले मार्क घेऊन, पायऱ्या झिजवत फिरत असतं,
बाप पाहतो स्वप्नं नवी, हे मुखडा शोधत असतं.

सुरु होतं कॉलेज नवं, दिवस भुर्रकन उडून जातात,
एटीकेटीच्या चक्रातून, वर्ष पुढे सरत जातात.
ग्रुप जमतो दोस्ती होते, मारामार्या दणाणतात,
"माझा बाप ठावूक नाही"! म्हणत धमक्या गाजत असतात.

परीक्षा संपते अभ्यास सरतो, डिग्री पडते हाती याच्या,
नोकरी मिळवत नोकरी टिकवत कमावू लागतो चार दिडक्या.
आरामात पसरणारे बाजीराव, मग घोड्यावरती स्वार होतात,
नोकरीच्या बाजारात मग नेमाने मोहिमा काढू लागतात.

नोकरी जमते छोकरी सापडते, बार मग उडतो जोरात,
एकट्याचे दोघे होतात, सुखी संसार करू लागतात.
दोघांच्या अंगणात मग बछडं तिसरं खेळू लागतं,
नव्याकोर्या बापाला मग मात्र, जुन्याचं मन कळू लागतं.

नवा कोरा बाप मग पोरा सवे खेळू लागतो,
जुना बाप आता नव्याने आजोबांच्या कायेत शिरतो.
पोराशी खेळता-खेळता दोघेही जातात भूतकाळात,
एकाला दिसतो दुसरा लहान, दुसरा पाहतो गोष्ट महान.

रंगलेल्या गोष्टीत या, मग शिरतो फ्लॅशबॅक,

बापाच्या भूमिकेतून पोर पाहतो भूतकाळ.

लेकरासाठी मग त्याला कळवळणाराबाप दिसतो,

त्याची लाल रेघ जो, उरात घेऊन फिरत असतो.

कडकपाणाच्या आवरणाखाली, झुळझुळणारं पाणी असतं,

भल्यासाठी लेकरांच्या, झगडणारं हाड असतं.

दोन घास कमी खाईल, पण पोरांना गोड देतो,

हट्टासाठी पोरांच्या, ओव्हरटाईम तो मारत असतो.

डोक्यावरती उन झेलत, सावली तो देत असतो,

दणाणत्या पावसापासून, कुटुंब आपलं जपत असतो.

घर नीट चालण्यासाठी स्वतः बाहेर फिरत असतो,

आईच्या मऊशार तळव्यामागचा, तोच राकट हात असतो.

बाप कधी रडत नाही, बाप कधी खचत नाही,

बाप कधी उतत नाही, नि बाप कधी मातत नाही.

पोरं सोडतात घरटं अन्, शोधू लागतात क्षितिजं नवी,

बाप मात्र धरून बसतो घरट्याची प्रत्येक काडी.

पोरांच्या याशासोबत त्याचं मन हसत असतं,

अपयश पचवताना ते आतून रडत असतं.

काही झालं, कितीही झालं, तरी कणा ताठ असतो.

खचलेल्या पोराला तोच तर उभारी देत असतो.

सारी कथा समजायला फार मोठं वहावं लागतं,

बापाचं मन कठीण फार, चटकन हाती लागत नसतं.

आकाशाहून भव्य अन्, सागराची खोली असते,

'बाप' या शब्दाची महतीच मोठी न्यारी असते.

कळत नाही बापाचं मन स्वतः बाप झाल्याशिवाय,

बाप माणूस असतो तो, बापाशिवाय कसं कळणार.

असतं न्यारंच रसायन, त्याची फोड उकलत नाही,

म्हणून तर बापावर कविता कोणी करत नाही.

करणार कशी कविता कोण, तो त्यात मावत नाही,

चार ओळीत सांगण्यासारखा, बाप काही छोटा नाही.

सोनचाफ्याचं फुल ते, सुगंध कुपीत मावणार नाही,

बाप नावाच्या देवाचा, थांग काही लागत नाही.

केला खरा आज गुन्हा, त्याला थोडं शोधण्याचा,

जमेल तेवढं सांगितलं, आधार आमच्या असण्याचा.

एक मात्र अगदी खरं, त्याच्याशिवाय जमत नाही,

आई मार्फत बोललं तरी, बोलल्याशिवाय राहवत नाही.

सांगतो आता शेवटचं, कान थोडा इकडे करा,

पृथ्वी तोलून धरण्यासाठी शेशाचाच लागतो फणा.

बाप नावाच्या पारिजातकाचं, असाच काहीसं जीणं असतं,

ते समजून घेण्यासाठी बापच असणं भाग असतं.

-Anonymous

This poem has made me realise how you have always been there for us Dad, and how you took it all in your stride, even when we used to get mad at you. You are the Best Daddy in this world!

With my heart
Dad

This is a small Pringoo gift for you, Dad!!

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मुकल्या आणि बुन्कुस go to Keukenhof

2010-06-09T12:46:00.033+02:00

Keukenhof Gardens of Holland are popular across the world for their flowers and beauty. One trip to this garden will revive your tired souls and freshen up your minds.

Click here to know more about the Keukenhof garden or click the logo to visit the official site.

दिवस सरला रात्र झाली,

खूप-खूप खेळून मुकल्या दमली.

खाऊन गरम वरण-भात-तूप,

मुकल्या-बुन्कुस झाले गुडुप.

पण एकाएकी काय झाले!

मुकल्याने डोळे उघडले.

उठवले पटकन बुन्कुसला,

घर नाही, ही तर बाग आहे, फुलेच-फुले आजुबाजूला.

पटकन उठून बघतात दोघे, बसले आहेत मऊ बिछान्यावर,

अन जवळ उभ्या छोटया बाहुल्या, नजर आहे त्यांच्यावर.

पण नाहीत या साध्या बाहुल्या, त्यांना आहेत दोन पंख,

निळे-निळे डोळे, अन गळ्यात घालतात शंख.

बाहुल्या म्हणती, "आम्ही पऱ्या, करतोय तुमचे स्वप्न खरे,

कालच पार्थना केलीतना, तुम्ही देवबाप्पा कडे"!

देवा..........मोठी बाग हवी ज्यात असतील न्यारी फुले,

झाडे असतील, जादू असेल अन असतील फुलपाखरे.

"तर आमच्या छोट्या बागेत या आणि आवडेल तिथे जा,

पण सूर्य उगवायच्या आत, इथे परत या".

मुकल्या-बुन्कुस प्रचंड खुश, उठले उड्या मारत,

बागेत भटकू लागले कधी चालत-कधी पळत.

"मोठी मोठी ही फुले कोणती"?, मुकल्या विचारे बून्कुसला,

"ह्यांना म्हणतात ट्युलिप मुकल्या, रंग यांचा खूपच न्यारा".

"आणि ही कोणती पिवळी फुले ज्यांच्या भोवती पाखरे करती किलबिल"?

"तलावात स्वतःचे रूप पाहणारी, नाव ह्यांचे डॅफ्फोडिल".

"बुन्कुस, ही फुले कोणती?, ह्यांना ठेवले का काचेच्या घरात"?

"ग्रीन हाउस आहे हे मुकल्या अन ऑर्किड येथे वाढतात".

किती छान फुले इथे, बागेत दुसरे दडले काय?

एक मोठा जूक बॉक्स, गाणी ज्याच्यात थांबत नाय.

आहेत घनदाट झाडे, जी देतात बागेला सावली,

याच सावलीत वावरतात ही परिलोकातील मंडळी.

आहे एक सुंदर तलाव, ज्याच्यात आहे भरपूर पाणी,

मासे, बेडूक, बदके, बगळे, सगळे मिळून गातात गाणी.

"एवढी मोठी बाग बुन्कुस, हे कसे संभाळतात"?
बुन्कुस म्हणे, "का नाही! रात्री जादू होते तलावात".

"बगळ्यांची राणी येते इथे माणसाच्या रुपात,
जादूची छडी फिरवत करते बाग स्वच्छ एका मिनिटात"

"एवढच नव्हे मुकल्या, जेव्हा पऱ्या आपला शंख वापरतात,
शिट्टी सारखा फुंकून पक्षी-प्राण्यांना रांगेत उभे करतात.
सगळे आपली-आपली कामे एकदम चोख बजावतात,
कोणी प्रार्थना केली, की आपल्या सारख्यांना येउन भेटतात".

सूर्य उगवायची झाली वेळ , दोघे लागले बिछान्याकडे परतायला,

विचार करत कि एक बाग अशी बनवूया आपल्याला खेळायला!

मउ बिछान्यावर झोपेपर्यंत त्यांचा प्लॅनही ठरला,

अन थोड्याच वेळात घड्याळाचा गजर वाजला.

आई आली उठवायला, अन मुकल्या म्हणाली "दोन मिंट,

उठायचं नाही आई मला! दमले इथे येई पर्यंत".

"अगं! काय झालं दमायला"? आई विचारी जवळ घेऊन,

"चटकन उठ अन पटकन दूध पी, दम जाईल पळून".

"नाही गं आई, काल गेले होते बुन्कुस सवे एका बागेत,

एवढी मोठी बाग बघून खुश झाली तब्बेत".

"अग्गो बाई! अश्या कुठल्या जादूच्या बागेत गेली होतीस आपल्याआप"?

"हॉलंड मधली सुंदर बाग ही आई, नाव तिचे क्युकेनहॉफ"!

The magic of flowers

2010-06-06T19:52:00.000+02:00

ॐ ssssssssssssssss

Don't be scared! Its time for me and Delulaa to do some soul searching and get some spiritual, mental cleansing and healing. Well, we watched too much of trash.....and then Prince--its show time had given us the final blow. So here we are trying to get some fresh air, and some calm, to get back to our former selves. Well, and what better place to have this than our dear kitchen garden,The Keukenhof? Keukenhof opens its gates for visitors only for a month every year to celebrate the Spring season.

So we packed our purses with debit cards and cash that was home, and hopped on to the bus to take us there. After a pleasant bus ride, we reached Keukenhof (which means The Kitchen Garden).

Just imagine, 32 hectares of land with the most amazing flower varieties--Tulips, Daffodils, orchids, and around 2500 varieties of trees!For once, me and Delulaa were in balance. It was like the garden of heaven. The walkways took us through a wide variety of flowers, a small zoo and general wait-and-pass-your-time areas. So many people around us...yet the noise does not bother you......We were at peace with ourselves.

The garden is so beautiful, that even the long walk did not tire us out. Birds chirping, butterflies, faint strains of music and delicious smells from the garden's kitchen, add on to the beauty of this magnificent Garden.

We are told that Keukenhof was literally a kitchen garden in the earlier days and the kitchen staff of the castle of Jacoba van Beieren used to come here to collect the herbs and spices required in daily cooking. It was after the death of Jacoba van Beieren that the Keukenhof changed ownership and with the assistance from landscape architects J.D. and L.P. Zocher, a foundation was laid for the garden of today.

Delulaa and me, we spent an entire day there, walking through the gardens, playing with the animals in the pet zoo, eating the most delicious of all the meals and finally ending with a desert fit for a Queen.

We came back all rejeuvinated and refreshed and are ready to sink our talons into all the possible oddities of this world.

मुकल्या आणि बुन्कुस

2010-05-29T11:13:00.013+02:00

This marathi poem is my very first attempt at writing my very own poem.

When I was a kid, we used to get these thin booklets (with very big fonts) that told the most imaginative marathi short stories and poems. Over the years I saw them decline. I do not know if these are still available. This poem is for all my nieces and nephews, who (I hope not) might be missing those stories and poems.

The characters, मुकल्या , is a three year old girl staying in a remote village in Maharashtra, and बुन्कुस is her stuffed toy Giraffe. She gets बुन्कुस when she is very lonely. For her, बुन्कुस represents everything, a friend, a play buddy, someone who will always be there for her, thereby making him more alive to her than to anyone else.

Heres hoping that you like the poem and crossed my fingers that I manage to pen down a few more on their exploits.

This poem, मुकल्या आणि बुन्कुस, is also a tribute to Bill Watterson's famous comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes.

Wiki states that the comic strip follows the exploits of a highly precocious and adventurous six-year-old boy, and Hobbes, his sardonic stuffed tiger.

परिक्षा संपली आणि सुट्टी झाली सुरु,

पण मी आहे एकटी, कोणाशी खेळू?

मंदा गेली गावी आणि चंदा गेली फिरायला,

आता नाही कोणी मैत्रिण राहिली इथे खेळायला.

बाबा गेले शेतावर, आई करे स्वयंपाक,

एकटी बसून, एकटे खेळून, खूप आलाय कंटाळ.

पण एके दिवशी काय झाले,

बाबांनी एक खेळणे आणले.

आणला छोटासा गोड जिराफ, रंग ज्याचा निळा,

आणि म्हणाले, "आता तुम्ही दोघे खेळा."

जिराफला आहेत हिरवे-हिरवे कान,

लाल लाल पाय अन लांब सडक मान.

काळे-काळे छोटे डोळे अन छोटीशी एक शेपटी,

इतका छान जिराफ माझा, जमली आमची गट्टी.

ऐका मी एक सिक्रेट सांगते, कुठे नका फोडू,

मी आणि जिराफ एकटे असलो, की होते एक जादू.

जिराफ होतो एकदम जागा माझ्या संगे खेळतो,

पण तिसरे कोणी आले की कोपर्यात जाऊन झोपतो.

छोटे काळे डोळे मिचकावत, कायम फिरतो माझ्या पाठी

समजू नका याला बावळट-सावळत, याला अक्कल आहे मोठी.

जिराफ मस्त प्लान बनवतो, पण होते कायम गोची,

अन सगळ्यांना वाटतं मी मस्ती करते भारी.

जिराफ आणि मी, आम्ही गमती खूप-खूप करतो,

आई होते हैराण अणि बाबा म्हणतात, "तुला आता चोप देतो".

जिराफ आणि मी, आम्ही खूप-खूप फिरतो,

खेळतो, बागडतो, आणि झोपळ्यावर झुलतो.

कधी जातो जवळच्या मोठ्या आंब्याच्या बागेत.

झाडावरती बसून आंबे खातो मजेत.

कधी जातो राना पलीकडल्या जादुच्या नगरीत,

जिथे भेटते आम्हाला परी-राणी हिरव्यागार झाडीत.

आता नाही एक्टि मी, मला मिळाला आहे नवा मित्र,

दोघे मिळून पुस्तक वाचतो, अन काढतो रंगित चित्र.

जिराफ बरोबर वेळ कसा पळतो काही कळत नाही,

जिराफ बरोबर असला की मला बोअर होत नाही.

नाव काय नाव काय म्हणून सारख नको विचारूस,

मी आहे मुकल्या अणि हा माझा बुन्कुस!

Movie Mania, the jinx is on

2010-05-19T10:03:00.010+02:00

Hello all,

After a loong time...Hic! My Queen's Day hangover just refuses to let go.
Guess what? After my failed manic attempt to watch something decent on TV, I tried the cinema.
Saw three recent releases. Housefull, Prince-its showtime (Vivek Oberoi ........aaaaaaa I dont have words) and The Clash of the Titans.

After watching this fool house of a movie, I forgot the spelling of the word.
Well that's how it has been for sometime now. With the weather playing the sometimes wind and sometimes rain game.....And Sun...guess hes on holiday.

So being cooped up at home for some time and not much to do, me and my sister in law decided to watch the latest movie-Housefull. Its about a loser Akshay kumar...and what all he does, first to get away from the jinx tag, and then to find true love....Some jokes are so bad, you don't even feel like twitching your lips, with the fear of what will form as a smile.

I won't go into the details of this movie because it is a senseless one. The only thing that got us laughing (more out of frustration) was Chunky Pandey as Aakhri Pasta, and his signature line for the film-- "Mamamiya, I was just joking"!!!! Oh man!!! I can still laugh remembering it. Deshmukh Junior is getting good at gay roles. That one had us smiling too.But wat was the whole suff about Ritesh Deshmukh jumping like a monkey yelping लिंगरी.

I was trying to find Chunky's videos on youtube. Snippets from the movie, that could be shared. Sadly....none.
I read somewhere that this movie is a hit back home.
Really?
This one?
Why?

Remember what Delula says: Movie not worth wasting ticket money on. Else YOU will become the biggest loser.

And then there was a chor with more.....more glamour, more gals, much more enemies and no memory..............And must I add.....no sense, no script.....bad casting. Good premise gone wrong with the subconscious inspiration from Bourne films...They never copy stuff intentionally Dearies.... So they get that benefit of doubt.
But lines like, "Its showtime", look good when blurted by glamour guys with great bods...and not not dear Vivek Oberoi, Bhaisaab bane Modern. Nandana Sen needs a stylist pronto, She has a good bosom....but she need not flash it out every second....Someone...please do her hair and change her eyemakeup!!!!!!!!! pleaseeeeeeeee.
Coz in the movie, she looks unflaterring and wannabe. Her acting, strictly okaz.The other two chicks are okays two...no one exemplary.

I did not understand why the villian had a robotic hand, and why he never shaved making him look constipated.....

Lastly Vivek Oberoi...There was nothing wrong with him/his acting...but he should stick to common man roles only. There were many moments where we friends had a great laugh..

Again did not understand why this movie went a hit back home. Do we really have a dearth of good movies?
Delulaa's verdict: Watch it with a group of friends so that you can find flaws, poke fun and have a great laugh.

Lastly: The clash of the Titans
Question: Why was this movie in 3D?
The special effects are no great shakes. And story is not great either.
Its about the hero, Perseus, who discovers that his real father is the king of the Gods-Zeus. But was raised by a family of mortals, whom he loses tragically. Perseus, then sets on a journey to save Argos from the fury of the Gods and fulfills his destiny.
We were so frustrated that while moving out of the theater, Delulaa, n I........as a single entity....combined our powers into a colossal mental force to block out any memories of this movie.
Aaaaaaaaah!!!!What a toll, this cinematic karash (have made up a new magical word for mess....similar to all thos jabaerwakees and ktrakens) took on the denizens of Chhatre Land, that the other two of the family were up in arms....a Mop and a air purifier....against moi for recommending this movie.
Delulaa says: STAY Away from the Kraken and the crackpot thing called Clash of the titans.

So here we are, idiot box (nothing to see), Film Factories: bad products.
Suggest a timepass, else Delulaa and I, we might combine forces and shop shop shop in Amsterdam

The Queen of good times

2010-05-07T09:13:00.000+02:00

Amsterdam has been hugely popular as the sex capital of the world, and is also known for its intoxicating moments thanks to the open sale of marijuana, making it THE place to have drop dead fun, especially for single revellers. But there are few (mostly Europeans and few from other parts of the world) who have attended the party of the year-Queen's Day Celebrations, or Koninginnedag (कोनिंखेंदाख) as is known in the Dutch Land.

The Queen's Birthday party begins early, starts a night before, much to the glee of party animals. There are the private house parties which are much more popular. Foot tapping music, dancing, beer and barbeque, dominate the scenes.

The next day, is even more lively. A concert at Museum plein grounds is the main stay where a number of people (around 500,000 to 800,000 visitors) can enjoy. In addition, makeshift arches of heights of a floor, where the DJs blast music or every possible genre (but the slow mushy numbers),cheap beer and good food dot the streets of Amsterdam. Whats more! The canals are dotted with private boats, with groups of people enjoying their own noise and tipple. The whole experience is out of the ordinary....few minutes on the road, and even a non-party person, will get up and dance.

The streets are filled with tourists and locals alike, all dressed in Orange, from head to toe. People wear orange clothes, and eccentric orange accesories........the funda being, the weirder, the better. They might also drink orange coloured drinks at times. This is known as the oranjegekte or orange craze, where the colour orange is a ubiquitous sight, and refers to the name of the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange.

Queens Day is also the day for vrijmarkt (the free market) and many of the streets, side walks, and parks are lined with a wide variety of stalls selling everything from second hand toys and discards to clothes, food and jewellery. Since the day being a Dutch Government holiday, sellers need not pay taxes on their sales.

(Only on Queen's Day will the cost of Beer be cheaper than the cost to pee)

The best way to enjoy this day is to dress in orange and walk across the streets of Amsterdam, drinking beer and soaking in the party weather. So make sure, you visit Amsterdam around April End next year.

Till then,
Cheers

A little bit of History:
According to information on wikipedia, the present-day celebration of Queen's Day started with the celebration of the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina on 31 August 1885. The day was not only the birthday of the Queen, but also the last day of the summer vacation, which made the celebrations popular with children. However, after Queen Juliana ascended to the Dutch throne, Queen's Day celebrations moved on to her birthday on 30th of April every year. When her daughter, Princess Beatrix succeeded her mother as the Queen on 30 April 1980, she decided to keep the holiday on 30 April as a tribute to her mother.

Education be dammned

2010-05-01T13:49:00.015+02:00

Well o' well!!! या शिक्षणाच्या आई चा घो!!! (Education be dammned)

The movie has got me thinking about the discussions on the Indian Education system. Before blaming it for all that is wrong, we should take a breath and realise that it is this very system that has produced one too many illuminated minds of the silicon valley, Biotech zones, etc. And it is this very system, at the same time, which pushed students to take their own lives. But is the education system alone to blame? What about the nagging parents and finger-pointing society who do not allow the kids to go ahead in the vocation of their choice?

I get nostalgic in the months of March and April.
Why????
Those are the times when the SSC and HSC examinations take place back home.

An anxious Mom, ready with soaked almonds and 2 tablespoons of Dabur's Shankapushpi tonic to increase her dear baby's memory, LMRs (For those who had a non-serious SSc, LMR stands for a book for algebra n' geometry-Last Minute Revision), self-study-books, navneet guides, solved papers.......hohohoho...we had a book that contained question papers of all the subjects (March and October) of past 10 years.

By-hearting text book pages...was the key to success, back then.

By heart: Give reasons for your answer, fill in the blanks, answer in one sentence, big questions, tables, formulae, theorms, equations, diagrams....ooooof!!!

One of the trends also back then was to solve as many papers as you can, before the actual examination, and get them corrected from teachers...Come October, and the parent-rush to get their kids corrected used to start....10-15-20-25.................these were the comparative numbers of papers solved and corrected. There were a few odd-ball parents, who were so involved with their kids, "I wake my kid at 6, he/she has saffron milk, then the paper solving for the morning, read balbharti-while shitting, school, the rote learning, tutions, paper, rote learning, sleep....and my Baby scored a whopping 90 percent in the prelims :D," used to beam the nothing-else-to-do-other than cook-mother.

My mom used to get a major complex. She was a practicing physiotherapist and balancing house and work was a big circus...add to that, a daughter, in 10th, who is not serious about the exams, and add to that these aunties. Poor thing, she always thought she was doing less for me. :(

But still, things were pretty much okay, and pressures were not much. Mostly (for me) because my Mom never expected me to be a topper. She was aware of my academic track record. But seriously, there were very rare cases of student suicides.

After a few years though, there were the citings. One of the students, from a famous merit-churner vernacular school from my city, had to drop out for a year. She was a shivering, nervous wreck because the poor thing, could not get in the Division 'A'. Please dont confuse this for grade..In India, we have 4-5 classes for each standard...like in 10thA, 10thB, 10thC and 10thD. In most schools toppers are in the 'A' Division, and losers in D.

Cut to 2010: This subject was talk of the town with the release of a Marathi movie, by the name-शिक्षणाच्या आई चा घो, which literally means Education be dammned. Everything about the movie, right from the title was controversial..But I guess, somehwere it just struck a chord with parents and school goers alike. So, after reading pages of reviews and PR pieces about the current situation; and watching some footage, we watched the movie.

An impactful movie that it was, it set me thinking that if this movie has touched a chord with the audience, does that mean, that the movie is depicting today's sorry state of affairs? And if the answer to this question is a big 'YES', then we seriously need to do some introspection, as to how we slid up to here, rather than blame the education system.

Most of you may not agree...but just remember one thing...our generation and the earlier one also went through the same grind. What is it that was different for us?A popular answer might be that the competition is more intense now, than in our times......But won't it always be that way? In our parents' time, the competition factor was much lower....almost not there... I believe, to a certain extent its we ourselves are to blame......... comparing ourselves with others.

Always trying to up our ante. I have come across many parents, talking about their kids as though some trophies. For God's sake, we even make our kids go to school (albeit a play one) earlier.We have a set notion of success and failure. How many parents can accept that their child is not a doctor/engineer/techie/writer/film-maker, or not a money churner in general?

Many kids might want to join the armed forces, or just paint, be a fashion designer or a documentary film-maker, or make a name in sports. Do we give them those options? Whats more, we rob them off their childhood, making them go to tutions and classes.

One of the experiences of my friend Richa, when she was in US: She used to teach part-time at kids school and found that Indian parents used to check and double check their sonny's homework. The kids never enjoyed studies. As against this, the other kids did their own homework, learnt from their own mistakes (without the fear of getting a low grade) and more importantly.....imagined and innovated, be it studies or exttra curricular activites. What is good?Or bad? right or wrong?

There is no answer to this situation. We have to remember that this is the very education system that has churned out some of the highly successful names in the Silicon Valley or in any other fields for that matter. So the education system alone, might not be to blame.

The movie in question, stared by quoting George Bernard Shaw, "The only time my education was interrupted was when I was in school."

I would like to end (in a weird way) through this calvin and hobbes strip and also by quoting Albert Einstein, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

timepass

2010-04-15T12:00:00.015+02:00

I have been watching Dutch television for sometime now. Though I do not understand stuff as much, I have come to like quite a few things, ads being one of them.
One of the supermarket chains, C1000, was having a promotion-Domino Mania. I do not know what it was all about, coz I never shop there, but they made a brilliant TVC. It just catches your attention.

As mentioned on Dominodomain.com: an eye-catching 45 seconds TV commercial promoting the marketing campaign Domino Mania of the C1000 supermarket chain. The commercial combines the main character of their commercials, who causes the domino effect, with several sensational chain reactions resulting in an attractive moving story with a little touch of magic and humour.
Launched on Dutch television: March 7th 2010.

KPN: KPN is one of the Cable, internet, digital TV service providers. They wanted to let people know that KPN is easy, fast and high quality. Guess they achieved it from this ad.

Then, there is this one....Cheering works.

This condom commercial is pretty old..everyone is seen it...but a good one.

And here is another one by Nespresso. What else!!!

Hope you have a fun time viewing these

The idiot box

2010-04-12T10:17:00.000+02:00

This long weekend was long due, a supposed-to-be vacation of sorts; but it turned out to be generally frustrating. First, we could not decide on a place to go to. Then we could not get last minute deals...and in the end, here we were...four days of chuttis and nowhere to go. The friday went off well, but the next three days were horrible. At home and nothing to do.

Our options were limited too....go for a walk when it is not raining, play scrabble or cards or else just talk. The last option was ruled out immediately after we started (seriously don't know why guys hate it). And after all this, we still had all the time in the world.

So?
We decided to watch the TV.................Indian serials/entertainment stuff.

Eeeyuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!bad decision!!!!!!

The three of us, we were so disgusted.
Yeah three of us, me, my husband and Delulaa.

Can you believe it!!!!
Indian Television has absolutely nothing to offer.
We tried the regular communities, forums and websites. Tried to hunt for decent movies/serials..............

All we could find, were news channels (hindi, marathi n english) broadcasting insane news in a gaudy and loud manner, serials with names like Mahek, Jyoti, Dahleez, Hum-Tum, Gutur-Gutur, Balika Vadhu, old episodes of Ekta Kapoor weepies, and some reality shows...all related to song and dance, which instantly made (and still continue to make me think) me think that:
(a) these either might be sobbies or
(b) Comedies, so bad, that you have tickle yourself to just about manage a giggle, and
(c) they would have a bunch of garishly dressed men-women scheming against one another and against a sad protagonist, hamming away to glory.

Absolutely nothing that would be entertaining enough. And the fact that these are thriving means, we have so many jobless idiots in our country and abroad watching them.................ooooff!

Frustrated...we again went out for a walk...leaving Delulaa at home. Guess she was not amused.

N worse, she had her drinks while she watched the old Ekta Kapoor's K saga episodes...by the time we came back, Delulaa had started contorting her face in what we thought was a fit and was bulging her eyes in a vain attempt to imitate the vamps in the serials. She even wore a weird costume,and even mumbled some vague hindi words.....as a tribute to sobbies. Oof!!!

Aniket, my husband, was speechless. He made her sit on the couch...n there she was rambling, "maine sharaab nahi pi hai. mere sanskar aise nahi hai." Poor chap....he was just so aghast.....n devastated....becuase from amongst the drinks that had been opened, was the last can of his favorite beer.

Never again, are we going to let her be on her own!!!!!

The only saving grace was the CID (they have a new title track...say..C, C, I, I, Jee (as in D said in a sopishticated manner), Jee). Daya's darwaza tod kick....got us out of the boredom. I mean. How ccan they manage to make such a serial....Sheer entertainment.....Oh ho ho.....Had a good laugh.

There was a time, when weddings used to be stopped for some time, till Ramayan/Mahabharat episode gets done and over with. The newer Kahani Mahabharat ki was a sad joke....n I heard some big designer had styled the artists....guys looked like they were suffering from constipation. Whats with the stubble...dont stylists understand that not all can carry'em off well...well thats a different topic altogether...do stylists in India actually know style?Am not a fashion person...but common sense can tell what looks good n what not. And the newer Ramayan had speial effects so outdated......It was not funny.

One of the shows that I do watch reruns of, is Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai...awesum show...kinda reminds you of 'Everybody loves Raymond'. they had all the elements saas-bahu fight, scheming, n stuff...but an awesumly hilarious twist to it...realistic characters, realistic clothes. Thumbs up to it. Also there was the Great Indian Comedy show on Star one, in its early days, which had awesum stuff. Will never forget Chutta man, makdi Babua, indi nursery rhymes, etc.

On a more serious note, well, gone are those days of Siddharth Basus's quiz shows (I guess now-a-days he's busy copying.....Oh sorry....adapting international best selling game shows to Indian formats), Britania quiz contest, Yeh jo Hai Zindagi...to...Kehne Mein kya harz hai (dont believe I mentioned the last one..........but it had all the laughs). Mr Sajid Khan...............we need you on Indian television. Forget your movies Sir!!

All we are left with is artificial crap......nothing thats entertaining enough.....everything that would make you wanna kill yourself with frustration. Isn't a nation with so many talented people, capable of coming up with something really unique? My question to all those in serials and television show production....does the teeny-tiny educated class n its tastes matter at all?

I am really waiting for and looking forward to a great Indian TV show, which can get me excited about watching the TV again.

---------------------------
PS: Those who might not have read my earlier posts: Delulaa is my split half...she is my mind.
PS: Have taken images of Clavin n Hobbes and CID from the internet visa google image search and they were already in public domain.

आठवणीतल्या गोष्टी: अगडमबगडम (भाग 1)

2010-04-04T20:22:00.004+02:00

शांताई, आम्हा नातवंडाना ही अगडमबगडमची गोष्ट बऱ्याचदा सांगायची. लहान असताना आमच्यासाठी ही होर्रोर गोष्टींमध्ये मोजली जायची. तसं पाहिल तर, ही गोष्ट, जर्मनीच्या 'रम्पलस्टिलस्कीन' नामक गोष्टीवर आधारित आहे. खरतर असं म्हणता येऊ शकेल, कि त्या गोष्टीचे, हा जणू मराठी अनुवाद आहे. थोडे फार बदल केले आहेत. पण ओव्हरऑल ही गोष्ट ब्रदर्स ग्रिम्म च्या रम्पलस्टिलस्कीन सारखीच आहे, जी त्यांने १८१२ मध्ये 'चिल्ड्रन & हाउसहोलड टेल्स' या पुस्तकात पहिल्यांदा प्रकाशित केली.

अगडमबगडम

फार फार पूर्वीची गोष्ट आहे ही. दूर देशाचा असतो एक राजा. तरुण, अन दिसायला जितका देखणा, तितकाच शूर-वीर. राजाला शोध असतो एका राणीचा. जी त्याच्या जोडीने राज्याचं कल्याण करू शकेल.

त्याच राज्याच्या, एका छोट्या गावात एक माणूस राहत असतो. त्याची स्वतःची गिरणी असते. त्याला एक सुंदर मुलगीही असते. ती त्याला गिरणी चालवण्यात मदत करत असते. पण या माणसाचे स्वप्नं असतं कि आपण खूप-खूप मोठ्ठ होयचं, खूप श्रीमंत बनायचं. पण त्या गिरणीवाल्याला एक वाईट सवय असते. तो खूप थापा मारत असे, बढाया मारत असे, आणि असे लोकांना दाखवत असे, कि आपण कोण मोठ्ठे!.

तो सगळ्यांना काय थापा मारत असतो माहित आहे का? "माझी मुलगी गवतातून सोन्याचे धागे बनवू शकते हो! आता मी श्रीमंत होणार हो," असं सांगत असतो लोकांना. आधी लोक हसतात त्याला, मग समजावतात, तरीही हा काही थापा बंद करीत नाही. हे पाहून ते चिडतात. त्याला व त्याच्या थापांना कंटाळून गावकरी राजाच्या वाझीरांना या गिरणीवाल्याबद्दल अन त्याच्या गोष्टी जणू काही खऱ्याच आहेत असे सांगतात. अश्या प्रकारे ही 'गवतातून सोन्याचे धाग्याची' गोष्ट राजा पर्यंत पोचते. आधी त्याचा विश्वास नाही बसत या गोष्टीवर. पण मग वाझीरांच्या सांगण्यावरून तो ठरवतो कि आपण या गिरणीवाल्याला भेटायचे. जर त्याची ही गोष्ट खोटी निघाली, तर खोटा बोलण्याचा गुन्हा केल्याबद्दल त्याला तुरुंगात टाकायचे, म्हणजे सगळ्यांना कळेल कि खोटे बोलायचे नाही.

या विचाराने, राजा अन त्याचे वझीर गावात येतात अन गिरणीवाल्याला भेटतात. राजा म्हणतो, "ऐक गिरणीवाल्या! आम्हाला असे कळले आहे कि तुझी मुलगी गवतामधून सोन्याचे धागे बनवू शकते. तर आम्ही हे पारखणार आहोत. आज रात्री तिने राजमहालात यावे अन तिला जे गवत दिले जाईल, त्याचा वापर करून तिने सोन्याचा धाग्याचे रीळ बनवून आम्हाला द्यावे. तिला या कामासाठी आख्खी रात्र आहे. तिला जर हे जमलं, तर तुला बक्षिस देऊ, नाहीतर तिला तुरुंगात टाकू आणि तुझी, खोटा सांगितल्याबद्दल जीभ छाटू!" हे ऐकून गिरणीवाला व त्याची मुलगी, दोघेही घाबरतात. राजाला नाही पण म्हणता येत नाही. तो आपल्यावर किती अन्याय करतोय, म्हणून रडताही येत नाही...कारण ही अफवा तर त्यानेच (गिरणीवाल्याने) पसरविलेली असते. करायचे तर काय आता? अशी चिंता दोघे बाप-लेकीला लागते.

शेवटी मुलगी म्हणते, "बाबा, मी आज रात्री महालात जाईन. तिथे रात्रभर देवाची प्रार्थना करेन.... दुसऱ्यादिवशी राजाला सगळं खरा सांगेन. मग पुढे पाहू काय होते ते. शिक्षा मिळेल ती मिळेल, पण तुमच्या या गोष्टी तरी थांबतील."

असं सांगून गिरणीवाल्याची मुलगी राजमहालाची वाट पकडते. महालात पोचताक्षणी दोन दास्या तिला एका खोलीत घेऊन जातात. दरवाजा उघडल्यावर ती बघते, पूर्ण खोली गवताने भरलेली अन एका बाजूला एक छोटासा चरखा...सोन्याचे सूत काढायला! ती बिचारी खूपच घाबरते. दास्या गेल्यानंतर ती एका कोपऱ्यात बसून रडू लागते.

एक फटाका फुटल्यासारखा आवाज ऐकू येतो येतो. ती एकदम दचकते अन वळून पाहते तर काय!! जणू आगीच्या चेंडू मधून एक बुटका बाहेर पडतो. अन हा बुटका दिसायला कसा असतो! जेमतेम तीन फुटाचा बुटला, मोठे मोठे कान त्याचे, गोल-गार-गरीत मोठे डोळे, लांब टोके दार नाक, आणि चेहऱ्यावर बेरकी हास्य. या बूटक्याला एक छोटी टोक वाली दाढी पण असते, व त्याने डोक्यावर एक हिरव्या रंगाची मोठी त्रिकोणी टोपी, व अंगात हिरवे कपडे. अन पायात लाल ठिपक्यांचे मोजे आणि ब्राउन बूट घातले असतात. बिचारी मुलगी त्याला पाहून आश्चर्यचकित होते. तिच्या तोंडातून एक शब्द निघत नाही. एकदम गप्प बसून त्याला बघू लागते.

Continued on the next post: आठवणीतल्या गोष्टी: अगडमबगडम (भाग 2)
**Please Note: images posted on the blog are in the public domain, and a result from image search on a search engine.

आठवणीतल्या गोष्टी: अगडमबगडम (भाग 2)

2010-04-04T20:21:00.002+02:00

Click here to read the previous part.

मग हा बुटका त्याच्या खरखरीत आवाजात तिला सांगतो, "मला माहित आहे तू संकटात आहेस! मी तुला मदत करू शकतो. मला सांग काय त्रास आहे तुला आणि मी तुझी मदत करतो."
मुलगी आणखीनच घाबरते अन म्हणते, "मला असं काही त्रास नाही कि मला तुझी मदत लागेल"
"विचार कर, मी गेलो निघून...तर मग तू जाशील तुरुंगात आणि तुझ्या बाबाची जीभ जाईल छाटली," अशी आठवण, बुटका करून देतो तिला. मुलगी विचारते, "तू कोण आहेस? तुला हे सर्व कसे ठाऊक?"
"ते तुला समजायची गरज नाही. ह्या गवतातून सोन्याचे धागे बनवणे गरजेचे आहे आत्ता"
"तू जादुगार आहेस का? मला तू मदत करशील का?"
बुटका म्हणतो, "मला जादू येते, होय. मी तुला मदत करेन, होय.....पण मला परत काय मिळणार होय?" "या संकटातून मला आणि बाबांना वाचाव. तुला पाहिजे ते देऊ, सोने, चांदी, कपडे, वाट्टेल ते," असे वचन मुलगी देते. "मी तुझी मदत करेन, आणि मला काय हवंय तुझ्याकडून, ते, मी, वेळ आली कि मागेन तुझ्याकडे. बघ, नीट विचार कर, नंतर 'नाही' म्हणता येणार नाही होय. नाही म्हणालीस तर जादू करेन आणि तुला त्रास देईन. खरं बोलतोय मी. ही थट्टा नाही होय. कि खोटं नाही होय."

"ठीक आहे. तुला पाहिजे तेव्हा, आणि पाहिजे ते, मी देईन. नाही म्हणणार नाही. आता मला या संकटातून सोडव".
हे ऐकल्यावर बुटका खिश्यातून एक जादूची पावडर काढतो अन तिच्यावर फुंकतो. वास येताच, मुलगी झोपून जाते. एकदम दुसऱ्या दिवशी उठते. तर पाहते काय. सोन्याच्या धाग्यांच्या रिळांचा ढीग. तिला समजत. काल जे झाले, ते स्वप्नं नसून, खरे होते. दास्या येतात अन तिला राजा समोर नेतात. राजा अन त्याचे वझीरही आश्चर्यचकित झाले असतात. पण आज्ञा पूर्ण केल्यामुळे ते तिला तुरुंगात नाही टाकू शकत आणि तिला घरी जायची परवानगी देतात. घरी तिचे बाबा काळजीत असतात. तिला सही-सलामत पाहिल्यावर ते खुश होतात. मुलगी आपल्या बाबांना बूटक्याचा सगळा प्रकार सांगते. थोडे दिवस जातात. बुटका काही येत नाही. म्हणून ते दोघे आणखी खुशीत राहतात.

पण काही दिवसांने, राजाचे शिपाई येतात, मुलीला महालात घेऊन जायला. ही मुलगी काही चेटूक तर नाही करत ना? हे पहावयास, राजा ने तिला परत बोलावले असते. तीच खोली...तेच गवत...तोच चरखा आणि रात्र. आता मात्र मुलगी बुटक्याचा विचार करू लागते. बराच वेळ होतो, तो काही येत नाही. तर ती हमसून रडू लागते. आणि मग एकदम, अचानक, हवेमधून बुटका येतो. परत तो-तिला काही हवं ते मागून घेईन या बोलीवर.....मदत करतो.
दुसऱ्या दिवशी राजा, वझीर आणि दरबारी आश्चर्यचकित होतात. पण कोणी काही बोलू शकत नाही. राजा गिरणीवाल्याला आता महालात बोलावतो, आणि म्हणतो "तू ज्या गोष्टी सांगायच्या, त्या तर खऱ्याच आहेत.बोल तुला काय बक्षिस हवंय"
"माझ्या मुलीला तुम्ही राणी बनवा....या शिवाय मला काही नको," असं गिरणीवाला राजाला आग्रह करतो.

"ठीक आहे," राजा म्हणतो, आणि गिरणीवाल्याच्या मुलीचं अन राजाचं लग्न होतं. राजाला जासी राणी हवी असते, तशी ही मुलगी असते. दिसायला सुरेख, आणि न्यायवादी. दोघेही राज्याला मोठे व छान करण्यामध्ये जुंपतात.

पण काही दिवसांपासून राणीला रात्री, नीट झोप लागत नसते....तिला बूटक्याचे स्वप्नं सारखे पडत असते, अन त्याचे शब्द, "मी, वेळ आली कि मागेन तुझ्याकडे. बघ, नीट विचार कर, नंतर 'नाही' म्हणता येणार नाही होय. नाही म्हणालीस तर जादू करेन आणि तुला त्रास देईन. खरं बोलतोय मी. ही थट्टा नाही होय. कि खोटं नाही होय" तिला सारखे आठवू लागतात. ती बेचैन होऊ लागते. अन एका रात्री, तिला आवाज येतो....फटाका फुटण्याचा आणि आगीच्या चेंडू मधून तोच बुटका बाहेर पडतो. राणी खूपच घाबरते. ती घाबरत त्याला विचारते, " काय हवंय तुला?"
बुटका हसतो, अन म्हणतो "राणी गं राणी, विसरली नाहीस ना गं मला?"
"नाही रे, नाही विसरले तुला. तुला काय हवंय, ते पटकन सांग. सोनं-चांदी-दागिने-पैसे-कपडे, काय हवय तुला?" बुटका नुसता हसतो, म्हणतो, "मला हे काही नको. पण तुला जे बाळ होईल त्याला मी घेऊन जाईन." राणी आणखीनच घाबरते..."असं काय म्हणतोयस? मी माझं बाळ नाही देणार तुला. तू दुसरा काही तरी माग". बुटका चिडतो, राणीला ओरडतो, "नाही म्हणू नकोस. मला राग आला तर तुलाच त्रास होईल. नीट विचार कर राणी, तू वचन दिले आहेस मला. मी काही दिवसांनी परत येईन आणि मग मला काय ते सांग."

राणी बऱ्याच दिवस विचार करते. काही दिवसांनी तिला कळते कि तिला एक छोटेसे बाळ होणार आहे. सारे राज्य आनंदाने वा उत्सुकतेने बाळाची वाट पाहू लागतो. पण राणी आणखीनच बेचैन होउ लागते. कोणाला काही काळात नाही काय चिंता राणीला सतावते.

एके रात्री, सगळे झोपल्यावर, बुटका परत येतो, अन राणीला सांगतो "मी तुझ्या बाळाला घेऊन जाईन. मी तुला त्याच खोलीत भेटेन जिथे तूला गवता मध्ये पूर्वी बसवलं होतं. तू मला थांबवू नकोस, नाहीतर मी जादू करून सगळं राज्य उध्वस्त करेन". राणी खूप मिन्नतवाऱ्या करते, पण बुटका नाही ऐकत आणि अद्रुष्य होऊन जातो. काही दिवसांनी राणीला बाळ होते. राजाला खूप आनंद होतो. सगळ्या राज्यात तो कौतुकाने बक्षिस वाटू लागतो.

अन एका रात्री, बुटका परत येतो. "राणी, मला माझं बक्षिस हवंय. काही झालं तरी, मी तुझा बाळ नेणार आहे".
"अरे, मी माझ्या बाळाला नीट पहिल पण नाही रे, आज नको नेउस त्याला".
"ठीक आहे. मी उद्या येतो."
राणी असते चतुर. ती विचार करते...कि आपण रात्री परत, बूटक्याशी बोलायचे अन त्याच्या डोक्यातून बाळाचे खूळ काढायचे. दुसऱ्या रात्री, बुटका त्याने सांगितलेल्या खोलीत येतो ,"राणी, मला माझं बक्षिस हवंय. काही झालं तरी, मी तुझा बाळ नेणार आहे".
राणी म्हणते, " माझ्या बाळाला नको नेउस. तुला पाहिजे ते दुसरा काहीही ने."
"नाही मला तुजे बाळच हवंय"
"तू दुसरा काही म्हणशील ते मी करेन...पण माझ्या बाळाला नको नेउस"
"ठीक आहे. मला विचार करू दे"
"बरं, तर राणी....माझं नाव सांग, आणि बाळ तुझ्याकडेच राहील. नाही सांगू शकलीस तर मी नेईन". राणी ला वाटतं, कि बरं झालं...नाव काय पटकन सांगता येईल.
ठरवलेल्या रात्री बुटका येतो...पण राणी काही त्याचं नाव नाही सांगता येत. मग भरपूर विनवण्या करून राणी एक रात्र घेते. तो बुटका तिथून अद्रुष्य झाल्यावर, राणी महालातून चूप-चाप बाहेर पडते. कुठे दिसतोय का बुटका, म्हणून त्याचा शोध घेउ लागते. तर तिला थोड्या दूर हालचाल दिसते....पुढे जून पाहते तर कोण तरी भराभर चालत जाताना दिसतं.

हा बुटका कि काय, हे पाहायला ती आणखी पुढे जाते...तर खरच....बुटका जवळच्या जंगलाच्या दिशेने पळत असतो.
जंगलात पोचल्यावर....एका जुन्या झाडाच्या खाली तो शेकोटी पेटवतो आणि त्या भोवती गाऊ अन नाचू लागतो.

"नाव कसे ममं गमतीचे, अगडमबगडम छान असे
ठावूक नाही कोणाला, कळेल कैसे राणीला
राणीचा त्या बाळाला आणीन मी येथे."

हे गाणे तो त्याच्या भयानक खरखरीत आवाजात गात असतो. राणी सगळं लांबून पहात असते अन ऐकत असते. बूटक्याचे नाव कळल्यावर ती खूप खुश होते. परत महालात जावून आरामात झोपते. दुसऱ्या रात्री बुटका परत येतो आणि ठरवलेल्या खोलीत भेटतो, आणि म्हणतो, "राणी गं राणी, सांग माझे नाव काय....नाहीतर तुझ्या बाळाला मी नेतो!"

राणी म्हणते "तुझा नाव.......रघु, कि बाळू कि राम कि श्याम कि राघव कि माधव?"
बुटका खूप खुश होतो. राणीला आपलं नाव ओळखता येत नाही, ह्याचा त्याला आनंद होत असतो, "यातलं एक पण नाही....दे तुझ्या बाळाला माझ्याजवळ"

मग राणी म्हणते, "थांब रे जरा अगडमबगडम! होय, तुझा नाव आहे ना ते-अगडमबगडम!"
राणीने आपलं नाव ओळखलं, हे समजल्यावर, अगडमबगडमला धक्काच बसतो.
अन त्याला खूप-खूप राग येतो. तो ओरडतो, "तू माझं नाव ओळखलस!!! तू माझं नाव ओळखलस!!!" असं म्हणता म्हणता तो तयाचा पाय जमिनीवर जोरात आपटतो आणि काय होतं!! अबबब एक मोठी दरी तयार होते, आणि त्यात अगडमबगडम पडतो....तो पडल्यावर, तो खड्डा एकदम बंद होतो....जणू काहीच झाले नाही असे.

राणी पण सुटकेचा श्वास सोडते आणि कानाला हात लावते...खोटे बोलायचे नाही, लपवायचे नाही, आणि अनोळखी लोकांकडून काद्धी मदत घ्यायची नाही.

General chit-chat

2010-03-27T11:43:00.000+01:00

Past few days have been crazy.
The weather here is getting better with each passing day, but back home, the heat is ever so powerful.
Add to that, the news that have been doing rounds.
The most popular one: Mayawati and her Rs 2 Crore worth money garland.......
Well, I had heard that diamonds are the girls' best friends........now I know.....money is the bosom buddy!!!
N then there was the talk about her statues.......
Well, thats narcissism at its peak, really.
A. She has really not achieved anything to get those (statue/s) done.
B. Secondly, she is not even presentable enough for anyone to look at them.
N yeah, she had to pay some compensation to people...guess she used the fund to build those statues (could be possible, dunno how political minds work)....so poor dear doesn't have it......money, I mean.

Another news that befuddled me was the Muslim-dalit quota approval.According to what I understood from a chat on the topic on IBN Lokmat channel...this quota was for the dalit category of Muslims in the country........Man, I was not aware that they too have castes.....
Its a sad joke for those few deserving.
What annoys me is the fact that even though we may say that castism is a thing of past today, it is not true.
Whn I was in junior college, I had a few so called friends who would use the words "तुम्ही ब्राम्हण, you used to do this and that". I was 16 then and I had this need to belong to a group. I sat quietly and took it all.
But it made me realise how dumb they were...so good thing.

Later on while taking admissions for a post graduate course, I came across so many quotas.....Man!It killed me. People with lesser grades than me, could get into a good colleges because of these caste/community specific quotas. I was a changed person after that.

But no issues....now I don't feel guilty for liking other countries better than my own homeland....why? simply because here, I am not denied opportunities.

N coming back to the news part.
Got to know some पाखंडी बाबा kidnapped a girl. Apparently, she was in depression and her mother took her to meet the Swami Baba........................Why? Did she not know of psycologists?or giving time to heal?
I mean there was one Sri Sai Baba....n then there are others....who are bogus. When will we realise this?

Coming to the lighter part,
We are so used to big publicity...Guess one IT guy was going to Chicago and his family ws ecstatic.
So what do they do...they ggive an ad.

(This one is on the internet...have no intention of offending anyone...but it IS hilarious)

LMAO

And then, there is the photo of supposed new jersey design for Pune IPL team doing rounds on the internet and social media pages. Truely laughable.

hehehehhehehehe.

Hopefully you enjoyed this post, and now hoping you have a wonderful day ahead.

Keep reading.

:-)

आठवणीतल्या गोष्टी: खडका कोथिंबीर (भाग 1)

2010-03-25T09:36:00.060+01:00

आजी कडून गोष्ट ऐकण्याची मज्जा वेगळीच आहे बुवा!! कधी घास भरवतांना, कधी रात्री थोपटत, कधी बागेत झोपाळ्याला झोका देतांना!

शांताईने (माझी आजी) मला बऱ्याच गोष्टी ऐकवल्या. गोष्टी सांगतांना शांताई मला एका वेगळ्याच दुनियेत, अडव्हेनचर ट्रीप वर, न्यायची. एक जादूची नागरी, राजा, त्याची आवडती राणी आणि नावडती राणी, प्रजा, राजकन्या-राजपुत्र, युद्ध, खजिना, आणि या सगळ्यांना बांधणारा एक अफलातून जादूचा धागा.

अशीच एक गोष्ट तिने सांगितलेली, मला अजून आठवते.

खडका कोथिंबीर

फार फार वर्षापूर्वीची गोष्ट आहे ही.

आटपाट नगरीचा एक राजा होता. राजा शूर-वीर अन दयाळू होता. त्याच्या प्रजेचेही त्याच्यावर खूप प्रेम होते. अश्या या राजाची एक सुंदर राणी होती. राणी दिसायला इतकी सुंदर, जणू एक परीच ती! जितकी दिसायला सुंदर, तितकीच स्वभावाने निर्मळ. त्यांना दोन गोड छोटी मुलं...मोठी राजकन्या आणि धाकटा राजकुमार!! दोघेही आई-बाबा आपल्या मुलांवर खूप प्रेम करीचे. राणी त्यांना बऱ्याच गोष्टी सांगायची, गाणी शिकवायची आणि भरपूर खेळायची त्यांच्याशी.

पण एके दिवस असे होते कि राणीला बरे नाहीसे होते. वैद्यबुवा येतात, औषधे देतात, काढे पाजतात, तरी राणी काही बरी होईना. महालात नैराश्य घर करून बसतं. राजकुमार आणि राजकन्या काय! कोणालाच काळात नव्ह्तं कि राणी ला काय झालय. अशेच कघी दिवस गेले. आणि एके दिवस राणी देवाघरी गेली. सारी आटपाट नगरी दुःखात बुडते. राजा तर तहान-भूकही विसरतो. नुसताच विचार करत बसायचा. राजकुमार आणि राजकन्येला समजेना कि आपली आई आपल्याला सोडून देवाकडे का गेली? बरेच दिवस असे गेले.

पण राज्याचा कार्यभार परत सुरळीत चालू व्हायलाच हवा! राजा आणि त्याच्या मुलाचं आयुष्यही पुढे नीट जावं म्हणूनच तर दरबारातल्या वझीरांनी राजाला दुसरा लग्न करायला सांगतात. आणि नवीन राणी राजमहालात येते. राजकुमार आणि राजकन्येला नवीन आई मिळते.

ही नवीन राणी देखील दिसायला सुरेख होती. पण स्वार्थी होती. तिला राजकुमार आणि राजकन्येचा उगाच खूप राग यायचा. सगळे दरबारी, राजकुमार आणि राजकन्येवर खूप माया करायचे. हे तिला सहन नाही व्हायचे. राजा समोर त्यांच्यावर माया करायची, पण मनातल्या मनात, त्यांना महालातून बाहेर कसं काढून टाकता येईल असा विचार करायची.

एके दिवशी राणीला समझते कि ती आई होणार आहे. मग तर तिला राजकुमार आणि राजकन्येचा आणखी राग येउ लागतो. काही दिवसातच राजा एक युद्ध लढायला निघून जातो. तर राणी छोट्या राजकुमार आणि राजकन्येला त्रास द्यायला सुरुवात करते. त्यांना उपाशी ठेवते, बरीच कामे करायला लावते....जणू ते राजकुमार व राजकन्या नसून, कोणी महालातले नोकर आहेत. आणि मग एके दिवशी राणी निश्चय करते, कि राजकुमार आणि राजकन्येला मारून टाकायचे. म्हणजे राणीला जे बाळ होईल, त्याला सगळ राज्य मिळेल ना! एके दिवशी ती राजकुमार आणि राज्कान्येसाठी खाउ बनवते...पण त्याच्यात विष मिसलावते. राजकुमाराला खूप भूक लागली असते, म्हणून तो ताई ला विचारतो, "मला कि नई खूप भूक लागली आहेय ती...मी खाउ का तुझा खाउ?". हे ऐकून राजकन्या आपलं वाटा त्याला देते....पण खातच, राजकुमार निपचित पडतो....ना हलत न चालत.

महाल परत दुःखात बुडतो....राजकन्या एकटी पडते...राजाही दूर देशी युद्ध-भूमीवर असतो.......पण राणीला बरच वाटत असतं. ती विचार करते कि आता राजकन्येला इतका त्रास देउया कि ती स्वतः पळून जाईल. राजकन्या आता दासी सारखी राहू लागते. कोणी तिच्या बाजूने काही बोलले, तर त्याला काळ-कोठडीत बंद करते. सगळे घाबरून असतात राणीला. एके दिवशी राणी फर्मान काढते कि राजकन्येचे जेवण बंद करायचे, कारण ती नीट काम करत नाही. राजकन्या खूप रडते. पण कोणी काही बोलू शकत नाही, व करू शकत नाही.

त्या रात्री राजकन्येच्या स्वप्नात येतो तिचा भाऊ.......छोटा राजकुमार!
तो म्हणतो, "ताई तुला भूक लागली कि आपल्या महालाजवळच्या तलावा कडे ये. तिथे एक मोठा खडक आहे....मी कोथिंबीर म्हणून उगवेन. तू खा."

राजकन्येला खूप भूक लागली असते...ती, भवानी सांगितल्या प्रमाणे दररोज खडका जवळ जाउ लागते....आणि खरचकी!!!! तिथे कोथिंबीर असते. ती खूप मनसोक्त खाते. बरेच दिवस होतात राजकान्येत काही बदल दिसत नाही म्हणून राणी तिच्या पाठी गुप्तहेर लावते...ती काय करते, कुठे इतका खाते कि अजून टुनटुणित आहे?

जेव्हा राणीला सगळा हा कोथिम्बीरीचा प्रकार कळतो, तेव्हा तिला खूप खूप राग येतो आणि ती सैनिकाना तो खडक व ती कोथिंबीर, दोन्ही जाळून टाकायचा आदेश देते. राजकन्या जेव्हा परत जाते तीठेय खायला तेव्हा तिला काहीच सापडत नाही. ती निराश होउन खूप रडते.

त्या रात्री राजकुमार परत तिच्या स्वप्नात येतो वा म्हणतो, "एss, ताई-बाई, मला तुझी खूप खूप काळजी वाटते ग. मला माहित आहे तुला त्रास होतोय किती ते. तुला भूक लागली ना, कि आपल्या महालाजवळच्या तलावा कडे ये. तिथे मी मासा बनून तुज्या कडे तलावातले खाद्य घेउन येईन....तू खा."

(Continued on to the next post)

आठवणीतल्या गोष्टी: खडका कोथिंबीर (भाग 2)

2010-03-25T09:36:00.058+01:00

(Continued from part 1......)

त्या रात्री राजकुमार परत तिच्या स्वप्नात येतो वा म्हणतो, "एss, ताई-बाई, मला तुझी खूप खूप काळजी वाटते ग. मला माहित आहे तुला त्रास होतोय किती ते. तुला भूक लागली ना, कि आपल्या महालाजवळच्या तलावा कडे ये. तिथे मी मासा बनून तुज्या कडे तलावातले खाद्य घेउन येईन....तू खा." ती, भवानी सांगितल्या प्रमाणे तलावा जवळ जाते....आणि खरच!!!! तीथे एक सोनेरी रंगाचा मासा तोंडात तलावातली वनस्पती घेउन काठाजवळ थांबला असतो. ती खूप मनसोक्त खाते. राजकन्येची ही तलावाची दररोजची वारी पाहून राणीला संशय येतो; आणि म्हणून राणी तिच्या (राजकन्येच्या) पाठी परत गुप्तहेर लावते...ती काय करते, कुठे इतके खाते कि अजून टुनटुणित आहे? जेव्हा राणीला सगळा हा माश्याचा प्रकार कळतो, तेव्हा तिला खूप-खूप राग येतो आणि ती सैनिकाना तो मासा पकडायला सांगते. राणी स्वतः मासा शिजवून लोकांना खायला घालते.

राजकन्या जेव्हा परत तलावा जवळ जाते तेव्हा तिला काहीच सापडत नाही. ती निराश होउन खूप रडते. त्या रात्री राजकुमार परत तिच्या स्वप्नात येतो वा म्हणतो, "एss, माझे गोड ताये, काळजी नको करूस ग. मला माहित आहे तुला त्रास होतोय किती ते. तुला भूक लागली ना, कि आपल्या महालाजवळच्या बागेत ये. तिथे एक मोठे आंब्याचे झाड आहेय. तीठेय खालच्या फांदीवर मी पोपट-रुपात असेन. तुला खायला फळं आणेन. तू खा."
राजकन्या, भावानी सांगितल्या प्रमाणे आंब्याच्या झाडाकडे जाते....आणि खरच!!!! तीथे एक सुंदर पोपट अपुल्या चोचीत फळं घेउन वात पाहत बसला असतो. ती खूप मनसोक्त खाते. बरेच दिवस होतात राजकान्येत परत काही बदल दिसत नाही म्हणून राणी तिच्या पाठी परत गुप्तहेर लावते...ती काय करते, कुठे इतका खाते कि अजून टुनटुणित आहे? जेव्हा राणीला ह्या पोपटाबद्दल समझतं, तेव्हा तिला खूप-खूप राग येतो आणि ती सैनिकाना तो पोपट पकडून मारायला सांगते.राजकन्या जेव्हा परत बागेत जाते तेव्हा तिला काहीच सापडत नाही. ती निराश होउन खूप रडते.

त्या रात्री राजकुमार परत तिच्या स्वप्नात येतो वा म्हणतो, "एss, माझे तायडे, रडू नकोस ग. मला माहित आहे तुला त्रास होतोय किती ते. तुला भूक लागली ना, कि आपल्या महालाजवळच्या देवळात ये. तिथे मी मोर बनून तुझ्याकडे मंदिरातला घेउन येईन....तू खा."
भावानी सांगितल्या प्रमाणे राजकन्या देवळात जाउ लागते.....आणि खरच!!!! तीथे एक सुंदर मोर अपुल्या चोचीत देवाचा प्रसाद घेउन राजकन्येची वाट पाहत बसला असतो. ती खूप मनसोक्त खाते. जेव्हा राणीला ह्या देवळाचे गुपित कळते, तेव्हा तिला खूप खूप राग येतो आणि ती सैनिकाना मोराला पकडून मारायला सांगते.राजकन्या जेव्हा परत देवळात जाते तेव्हा तिला काहीच सापडत नाही. ती निराश होउन खूप रडते.

त्या रात्री राजकुमार परत तिच्या स्वप्नात येतो वा म्हणतो, "अगं तायडे-मायडे, रडू नकोस ग. मला माहित आहे तुला त्रास होतोय किती ते. तुला राणी खूप छळते ना? आता नीट ऐक मी काय सांगतोय ते. आपल्या राणी-आईला बाळ होणार आहे, हे तुला ठाउक आहेच. पण तुला हे माहित नाही, कि बाळ होयच्या दोन दिवस आधी आपले बाबा महालात परतणार आहेत. त्यांच्या समोर, राणी तुला खूप प्रेम देइल. काही बोलू नकोस. मग राणीच्या पोटी मी जन्म घेउन परत तुझा भाऊ म्हणून येइन. बारश्याच्या दिवशी आजू-बाजू च्या नगरातले राजा-राणी वा बरेच नातेवाईक येतील. माझे नाव ठेवायच्या वेळी, जेव्हा मला पाळण्यात राणी ठेवेल, तेव्हा मी खूप जोर-जोरात रडेन आणि थांबणारच नाही. मग तू मला मांडीत घे आणि ही अंगाई गा. मी लगेच गप्प होईन आणि झोपेन. मग तुला सगळे विचारतील कि हे की गाणं आहे. आणि तेव्हा तू सगळ्याना आपली गोष्ट सांग. बाबा युद्धाला गेल्या पासून ते आजवर."
राजकन्या भावाला वाचन देते कि त्याने सांगितल्या प्रमाणे ती वागेल.

राजा परत येतो, राणीच राजकन्येसाठी खोट प्रेम ओतू जात. राजाला छोट्या राजकुमारच्या मृत्यूचे समझते, त्याला दुःख होत. पण येणाऱ्या बाळासाठी तो आतुर असतो. राजकुमाराने सांगितल्याप्रमाणे राणी ला राजपुत्र होतो. बारश्याच्या दिवस येतो...आजू-बाजू च्या नगरातले राजा-राणी वा बरेच नातेवाईक आले असतात. नाव ठेवायची वेळ येते आणि म्हणून राणी बाळाला पाळण्यात ठेवायला जाते...तर काय!!.....बाळ जोर-जोरात रडू लागता...काही केल्या शांत होत नाही. बराच वेळ रडत असतं...राणी जवळ घेते, राजा घेतो....काही केल्या बाळाचे रडणं थांबे ना. मग राजकन्या विचारते, " मी घेउ का बाळाला?".
"अगं आमच्या कडून नाही अवरत, तर तू की करणार?" असा राणी उत्तर देते...पण राजा बाळाला राजकन्येकडे देतो....नि म्हणतो, " बघ तुला त्याला शांत करता येतंय का?"
राजकन्या बाळाला मांडीवर झोपवते, व अंगाई गाउ लागते,

"खडका कोथिंबीर,
नदीतला मासा,
आंब्यावरी कीर,
देवादारी मोर,
झोप रे भौराया आता..........................."

आणि गम्मत म्हणजे अशी कि बाळ शांत होतं आणि मस्त झोपून जाता. सगळे आश्चर्यचकित होतात.... राणी तर म्हणते कि राज्कान्येनी जादू केली.....हे काय गाणं आहे, हा सगळ्यांनाच मोठा प्रश्न पडतो. राजा ही विचारतो कि हे अगळ-वेगळं की अंगाई गीत आहे?

तेव्हा राजकन्या सगळी गोष्ट सांगते.

राजाला खूप राग येतो..वाझीरांशी बोलून तो राणीसाठी शिक्षा ठरवतो...."आटपाट नगरीच्या एका चौकात, एक पिंजरा उभा करा आणि राणीला त्यात बंद करा. येणाऱ्या-जाणाऱ्यांनी राणी ला दगड, अंडी मारायची," असा फर्मान काढतो.

काही दिवसानंतर राजकन्या राजा कडे जाते व राणीला सोडून द्या अशी फिर्याद करते.....

राणीलाही तिची चूक समजते......ती सगळ्यांची माफी मागते...

आणि अश्याप्रकारे सगळे परत महालात सुखाने राहू लागतात.

Delulaa and I

2010-03-11T11:10:00.000+01:00

Guys, Ta da!!!!Meet Delulaa (to be pronounced as डलूला )!!!

What should I say about Delulaa?Delulaa is one hell of a chick!My close friend. Maybe we are joint at the hip. Kind of like Siamese Twins. Its a wonder how Delulaa understands my true feelings about everything. She understands what ticks me off the right or wrong way. And she is exactly opposite of what I am and what I stand for.
I don't like to voice my opinions and reactions untill extreemly necessary! And then there is Delulaa, having her say on everything....mostly a critique. The quieter I am on my thoughts.....the more vocal she is. There have been numerous occasions when I nod my head noiselessly and Delulaa does a verbal tandav.

Some months back, me and my friend Richa, we had been to this swimming pool near our house. Now we were in this small (4 people-long) queue for the entry-tickets. And the ticket-vending guy was in no mood to give the tickets soon.....
Why??? Coz he didn't know to operate the computer. So there came another elderly guy. He taught him the operations in 20 minutes of time and 10 minutes later, we got the ticket. All of us were waiting patiently in the line...All but Delulaa. By the time ticket vending actually started, Delulaa had a fit....so much of time wasted!! She was shrieking at the top of her voice, in Mumbaiyya Hindi," Arrey!!!Jaldi-Jaldi kar be!!!Akkha zindagi lagayegaa kya ticket dene mein???!!!"
Then in a softer note, "hajaam!!"

And this is not just one of the ocassions. There have been plenty.

Then once, when I was in the crowded tram, getting ready to get down at my stop. The crowd in front of me won't just budge. And they did not even want to get down....They were standing just there blocking the door...clucking like hens and roosters, thinking if they should move or not. Delulaa was hysterical.
"Abbe, hil na bey!"
"Utarnaa nahi hai toh kyun khada hai beech mein?"
And while alighting from the tram, Delulaa concluded aloud that Dutch lack civic sense, just becaue they have never really witnessed crowds.
I would have been mortified, if I would have done something like that.
But trust her to get away with something like this.

The other day in the grocery store.
There are three billing counters and even during the rush hour, they were operating on one. The other store guys were just moving around the store. After a wait of ten minutes, I got my time at the counter. All my take-away lunch goodies were packed in a frail paper bag, which did not have handles.
Delulaa wondered (again aloud) if she was supposed to carry all this, and if any store guys would help if the bag tore open.
She promptly got a carry bag. It all ended when Delulaa rolled her big eyes and quipped....in my mind....."why was he hiding those bags?"
All these incidents don't bother me because I have accepted that Amsterdam is a sleepy town. In fact, I have come to liking the sluggishness. But Delulaa, she wants to have the best of both worlds.
The slow pace of the Dutchland and the ability to poke fun at it like a true blue Mumbaiyya.

These are a few of my favourite things

2010-02-26T13:04:00.000+01:00

Sound of Music is one of my favourite movies.
Every time I see Julie Andrews and the kids singing and dancing to the tunes of Do Re Mi, favourite things and the goatherd song.....it makes me so happy.

It has inspired me to make my own 'These are a few of my favourite things' song

Sing along

Sweaters and sandals and long flowing dresses
Purses and perfumes and bands for my tresses
Expensive presents that are tied up in strings
These are a few of my favourite things

Ice creams and cakes and warm chocolate waffels
Hot tea on rainy days with chips and some waffers
Bbq ketchup with hot onion rings
These are a few of my favourite things

Magic and fairies with wands to grant wishes
Stories that end with princesses and kisses
Castles and brave knights and cuckoos that sing
These are a few of my favorite things

When I miss trams
When I fall down
And when I am feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad
----------------------
The original song
----------------------
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

If you love it, See the videoclips (found only some of it). Could not find sixteen going on 17. :( Do let me know if you have the link.

My favourite things

Do re mi

The lonely goatherd

How do you solve the problem like Maria

The magical market of Amsterdam

2010-02-16T09:13:00.000+01:00

One thing that I have absolutely come to love about Amsterdam now (and which I did not like earlier) is the speed of life in the city. Things move at a leisurely pace. A quite contrast to the life-by-nanoseconds in Mumbai! It helps me sit around; sip my coffee and smell the beans too...most importantly, appreciate the concoction that has just been served with a sweet cinnamon biscuit. Also, there is a touch of history and the ol’ country charm that I would really miss about Amsterdam, should I have to move anywhere else. This is a kind of place that would inspire story tellers from around the world to weave their most magical tales.

One of my favourite places in the city is its famous Albert Cuyp (AC) market. Situated bang in the city and accessible to anyone from anywhere; this is the busiest part of the city. Set your foot here, and you will feel as if you have stepped in the bazaar of Agrabah. Surely you will look around for Aladdin and the gang. Traders bustling around, finding a buyer for their wares, colourful stalls beckoning the shoppers with the eclectic goods and displays, and vendors selling fascinating merchandise ranging from party poppers—costumes, masks, balloons and confetti—to everyday items and also edibles like smoothies, (reminds me of falooda and juice & gola gaadis at beaches and at every nook and corner) fries and mayo, sandwiches and so on. Fries with Mayo is a favourite snack of the Dutch and the stall selling it in AC is equally famous, with people swarming in a queue to grab their share of the bite.

AC reminds me of yet another famous magical market—The Diagon Alley from the Harry Potter series. You can get everything in this one place, be it the Diagon Alley or the AC Market. Like the Alley, this place too is bursting with people and activity. There are the round-the-corner-cafes, eateries and grill rooms, serving the special of the day and also stalls that sell all-coloured juices. And while you may not get your wands and cauldrons in AC, but you sure will find regular clothes, shoes, jewelery, fabrics and textiles, cheese, bed linen, to lingerie, toys, pots and pans and furniture. etc.

The most fascinating of all are the sea food stalls. The freshest of clams, mussels, fish, shrimp...All placed so well in front of the buyers..........yum yum yum. The sellers are good people too. Eager to help out and make a sell, they encourage unsuspecting buyers like me to try new things. I bought some unknown variety of fish, which turned out well after cooking (the seller gave me cooking tipsJ). My old neighbour from Thane—Teja Kaku would have loved this place. She is known in our society for making the best sea food....be it bangda/bombil/paaplet/tisrya, so on. Then there are stalls that sell the freshest of all vegetables and fruits.

And how can a market be complete without the flower sellers and local musicians? You can hear the faint notes of an accordion while you are exploring this market, adding to its charm and charisma.

This amazing place, the Albert Cuyp market, makes me wonder, if Jack too came here to buy the beans for his bean stalk, or if Little Red Riding Hood bought her lovely crimson hood at one of the stalls here or whether the Pied Piper of Hamlin ever played his flute here? Whether Belle's (the heroine of Beauty and the Beast) father had tried checking this place out for his only Rose, or if Johnny tried his luck at buying a bunch of blue ribbons to tie up my bonny brown hair? For if they would have, they surely would have found it all here, in the hustle-bustle of the magical Albert Cuyp Market.

कणा

2010-02-09T10:18:00.000+01:00

This is one of my favourite marathi poems.It is one of those, that really help you bounce back on your feet. Do read.

"ओळखलत का सर मला?" पावसात आला कोणी,
कपडे होते कर्दमलेले, केसांवरती पाणी.

क्षणभर बसला नंतर हसला बोलला वरती पाहून,
"गंगामाई पाहुणी आली, गेली घरट्यात राहुन".

माहेरवाशिणीसारखी चार भिंतीत नाचली,
मोकळ्या हाती जाईल कशी, बायको मात्र वाचली.

भिंत खचली, चूल विझली, होते नव्हते नेले,
प्रसाद म्हणून पापण्यांवरती पाणी थोडे ठेवले.

कारभारणीला घेउन संगे सर आता लढतो आहे
पडकी भिंत बांधतो आहे, चिखलगाळ काढतो आहे.

खिशाकडे हात जाताच हसत हसत उठला
"पैसे नकोत सर, जरा एकटेपणा वाटला.

मोडून पडला संसार तरी मोडला नाही कणा,
पाठीवरती हात ठेउन, तुम्ही फक्‍त लढ म्हणा!"

कवी : कुसुमाग्रज

Memoirs of the search

2010-01-26T19:08:00.000+01:00

And all this time, I thought finding my life-partner was the most exhausting search of all.

No-No, I was wrong.

Finding a suitable house is even more difficult.

But, there are many many similarities.

Let me explain..

Firstly, both the searches (house hunt and groom hunt) squeeze you mentally and physically, to the point where you are open to the idea of being either homeless or single. Then you have the entire junta asking you to compromise.....

The best part comes, when there is a woman-woman talk, "Beta, even your Dad is not perfect!!!You know how I put up with him. He is rarely interested in what is happening IN the house. He is so happy with his friends......." and then you catch on to random bits n pieces, "no attention..................all my life......................no gifts............................no appreciation.....................my destiny.......................tired.......................I compromised".

Similarly during our house hunt, we got great advice from our family and well wishers "Compromise.........we did too.Even we wanted to stay closer to city, but we didn't get any good places. See even our house is not perfect.......no dishwasher.....no oven...............heater conks off.......................less connectivity...............We compromised".

So one thing I realized....quite late in my life that I have to compromise. It made me feel a lot less in control, something that I really don't like. So I decided to look at the value proposition that might be on offer.

In case of our new house, which we have eventually found and moved into, the value received was decrease in cost (travel, rent, utilities, etc), a sense of prestige as the area we have moved into is one of the most sought after addresses and a bigger apartment.

As far as my life partner is concerned, the value received was intangible.....a good looking, sensible and a hassle free guy, allowing me to continue with my mindless musings (at times coming close to rants).

What more can I ask for?

Gyanbaa-Tukaram

2009-12-09T15:41:00.000+01:00

न्यूजपेपर मधून अथवा टीव्ही channels मधून आपला देश प्रगती करतोय हे कळतं. आपली ८ तक्क्यानी growth होतेय, हे समझ्ता. आपल्या देशाची जनरल परिस्थिती पाहता, एकदम आश्चर्य वाटत. या सगळ्या chaos मध्ये आपण economic growth achieve करतोय, ही एक मोठी गोष्ट आहे, especially या दिवसांमध्ये. आपण असे काय करतोय की ही feat आपण manage केली??

असच एक दिवस मला फरीद ज़कारिया, यांचे भाषण ऐकायला मिळाले. ते 'प्रथम' नामक NGOच्या गाला इव्हेंट मध्ये की-नोट स्पीकर होते व प्रेक्षकाना contribution देण्याचे अवाहान करत होते. तर त्यांच्या भाषणात, एका pointवर त्यांनी China-India comparison केली आहे.ते म्हणतात, India is succeeding despite its government whereas China is succeeding because of its government. ते म्हणतात की कितीही problems (economic or otherwise) असले तरी त्यांना human response असतोच. Problems macro levelचे असले तरी response हा micro levelवर असतो आणि तो micro response हळू-हळू देशात बदल आणतो. खरच आहे, त्या शिवाय का आपली ग्रोथ झाली असती!

पण आता प्रश्न असा की त्याला उत्तर नाही.
लोकांनी मतदान करायचं.
लोकांनी सहनशीलता दर्शावाय्ची.
लोकांनी पुढाकार घेऊन सरकारला मदतीचा हात द्यायचा.
पण मग सरकारने काय करायचा?
HR च्या भाषेत म्हटले, तर आपल्या सरकारचे KRAs काय आहेत?

लहानपणी आमच्या society च्या मैदानात संत ज्ञानेश्वर उत्सव साजरा होयचा. वारकरी ठेक्यात नाचायचे. ग्यानबा-तुकाराम, ज्ञानोबा-तुकाराम. जसे लोक वाढत जायचे, तसा आवाज मोठा होत जायचा....पण वारकर्यांचा घोळका जागच्या जागीच नाचत असायचा....ग्यानबा-तुकाराम, ज्ञानोबा-तुकाराम.....त्यांचा घोळका कधी पुढे हललाच नाही, अथवा कधी हलला, तरी अगदी हळू-हळू.

ग्यानबा-तुकाराम, ज्ञानोबा-तुकाराम.....

तशी काहीशी आपली परिस्थिती झाली आहे का?
नेत्यांचा आवाज मोठा, आकडाही मोठा......पण जागच्याजागी चालूच आहे ग्यानबा-तुकाराम, ज्ञानोबा-तुकाराम!!
मुंबई ला शंघाई बनवणार
चोवीस तास पाणी आणि वीज मिळणार
मोठे रास्ते, better law and order.
ग्यानबा-तुकाराम, ज्ञानोबा-तुकाराम.........

बेधड़क आणि illegal constructions पाडणार.
वाढत्या महागयिला रोखणार
Bureaucracy आणि corruptionला लगाम लावणार.
ग्यानबा-तुकाराम, ज्ञानोबा-तुकाराम.....

आणि या सर्व गदारोळात जातीय वाद आहेतच.
ग्यानबा-तुकाराम, ज्ञानोबा-तुकाराम......

काहीच होत नाही असं वाटत. नैराश्य येतं. हो! देशाच्या बाहर राहून, आपली दुर्गति होत आहे आणि ती कशी होत आहे, हे चांगलच नीट दिसतं. जेव्हा इतर देशाचे नागरिक आपल्याला प्रश्न विचारतात की तुमच्या देशात सरकार basic सोयी देत नाही का? तेव्हा बोचतं, लाज वाटते आणि या सर्व politiciansना एक खाडकन भड्कावून द्यावीशी वाटते.
पण मग ज़करियांच आपल्या देशाबद्दलचे वाक्य आठवत. खरं आहे ते. India is succeeding despite its government . पण आता आपण कुठच्या बाजुनी पाहिचा ह्याच्याकड़े?

की वाह! Politiciansना न जुमानता लोकं प्रगति पथावर जात आहेत!!!
की आपला सरकार ineffective आहे अस आपणच आपलं समजून घेऊन दुसरीकडे migrate होयचा?
का आपण डोळे बंद करून आणि माना खाली घालून गप गुमान आपली कामं करत रहायची आणि नेत्यांचा ठेका चालू द्यायचा?
ग्यानबा-तुकाराम, ज्ञानोबा-तुकाराम.........
ग्यानबा-तुकाराम, ज्ञानोबा-तुकाराम.........

PS.
Please do hear Fareed Zakaria speak. Its a 25 mins speech.
http://ishare.rediff.com/video/news-politics/india-is-succeeding-despite-its-government-fareed-zakaria/930384

A time to think

2009-12-03T12:47:00.000+01:00

There are times when I think!

I think of how my life would have been, had I been born in some different place, amongst different people altogether. That's when I realize that though our Destiny decides our final destinations, it is the people around us who help us pick the right option to reach there. Our family and friends play an important role in making us the people we are.

All of who I am, all of who I can be,

Wouldn't have been possible if these particular people (my family and friends) wouldn't have been a part of my life.

There are times when I am out and beaten. Its that time, when all those who are close to me have stood by me. gently coaxing me to stand up again and to walk.

My family and friends have always motivated me to go ahead....it started from talking....and ended at reading passages on positive behavior. However, over the years there are two things that have touched my heart, mind and soul, and go back to these two things everytime I am feeling low and lost.

I am sharing these two things with you.

First is an inspirational poem, 'Don't Quit'. This was written many years ago by an unknown author. It was given to me by one of my friends, when I was struggling with all the competitive exams. My Mom too, shares quotes from this poem whenever I feel like giving up.

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
    When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
    When the funds are low and the debts are high,
    And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
    When care is pressing you down a bit,
    Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

    Life is queer with its twists and turns,
    As every one of us sometimes learns,
    And many a failure turns about,
    When he might have won had he stuck it out;
    Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
    You may succeed with another blow.

    Often the goal is nearer than,
    It seems to a faint and faltering man,
    Often the struggler has given up,
    When he might have captured the victor's cup,
    And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
    How close he was to the golden crown.

    Success is failure turned inside out--
    The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
    And you never can tell how close you are,
    It may be near when it seems so far,
    So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
    It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Then there us the story of the velveteen rabbit. It was passed on to me by my bestest friend Katya. Its a long story. It makes me understand that my dreams will realise...but it will take some time. It gives me hope to carry on. Here is a link to the story:

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/williams/rabbit/rabbit.html

There are many stories that my Dad tells me. Even today. All those that make sense. And that make me wonder.....what would have happened to me, if Dad-Mom, Dada-Bhabhi, my family, Uncles and Aunts and cousins and friends wouldn't have been there to guide me.

True, I would have reached the same place I am today...because maybe I was destined to do so.

But maybe I would have been a different person altogether.

Jar Aatya Baainaa Mishyaa astya tar....

2009-11-23T14:31:00.000+01:00

These days, my mind wanders aimlessly. Its just that, its not used to taking a vacation. टॉप गीयर मधून फर्स्ट गीयर मध्ये यायला त्याला फार वेळ लागतोय.
As you see, I was working for past few years in Mumbai. So my mind is conditioned to think 24*7 about the next step, the plan B, the issues that can crop up in a project, and so on.
So my dear mind does what it is (rather was habituated) supposed to....keep thinking and thinking and thinking….rather…it keeps on running non-stop just like the local trains in Mumbai do.

Some of the excerpts of my endless thinking:

“Hmmm its November...nothing much to do...Aniket's (Husband) at work...let me search for work too....जर मी Monster.com वर log in केल तर? (And I log in, and find a few job listings and I apply.)
Apply तर केलय. जर कॉल आला तर? सही Man!!!! I will crack this interview. म्हणजे माला ही जॉब लागेल. जर माला जॉब लागला तर!!!! सही होईल ना!! I will earn too and that would mean no dependence on Aniket. जर माझी salary, one-fourth spend केली and three-fourth save केली तर सही रे सही!!!! तर मी पण Kalverstraat (the shopping area of Amsterdam city......its home to some biggest domestic and International brands......the most expensive street to take your girlfriend/wife/daughter/mother too) ला जाईन n shop करीन.
But wait, do they have my size clothes here????Oh Shit Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Theres no place for mid-women (women who are not thin..but not obese either...and who don't fall in the slim category) in this world. I mean what the F*&# Man!!!!!
Why? why? why?...why? is this world promoting the idiotic size zero....Hah!!! That Kareena Kapoor...shes started looking like a stick after her size zero...Man and she eats everything yet shes so thin!!!!!!....That reminds me, I have made some pulav for lunch today...Okay.the pulav still looks good and smells great....Aniketला पण आवडला aahey...I can make it for his tiffin sometime...Maybe माझ्या tiffin साठी पण बंवेन.....................................जर माला जॉब लागला तर.

Whew!!! That was in a span of 30 seconds!!!!! I need to relax.......

“ॐओंsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss मॐ".

“Yeah yeah...I am relaxing, Mom says that we lose weight when we relax.....
ओंsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss म... जर मी 3 kgs a month...या रेटने वजन लूज केल तर probably, in the next six months I can lose 20 kgs (18 kgs plus 2 kgs of bargaining for doing all the hardwork)..Hmmm म्हणजे असा झाला तरच I will be a size that can be easily found in the stores here in Amsterdam and then maybe anywhere else...... छा Man!!! जर मी बारीक असते तर....."

This one took even less of my brain time.

The other day, I was looking at real estate prices for properties…
“Shit….a crore!!!!!That too in Mulund!!!!!!!What nonsense…..property prices have really escalated..आता Amsterdamच घ्या ना. Look at prices here…rentalsअच पहा ना…for that area outside the city….the rent (exclusive utilities) is Eu1500 per month…हट मेल्यान्नो!!!! त्यापेक्षा मी city मध्ये छोटया घरात राहेन. Atleast सगला कही जवळ आहे इथून.आता London आणि Sydney मध्ये पण पहा ना!!!घर घेणा मुश्किलच झाले!!!!!!!कायच्याकाय या किमती!!!! काय चाललय हे?? Middle class माणसानी चांगल घर घ्यायचाच नाही का??
जर माझ्याकड़े पैसे असते तर मी पण एक छान घर घेतला असता..….Furniture शोधून-शोधून त्याला decorate केला असता…..लोकांचा तोंड उघडा राहिला असता इतका झकास घर असता.....जर पैसे असते तर....."

आणखी बरेच विचार माझ्या डोक्यात ये-जा करत आहेत......
जर माला तीन wishes पूर्ण करणारे Angels भेटले तर.....
जर मी TV serial/Film Director असते तर...
जर माला आजचे कुठलेही नेते भेटले तर...
जर Harry Potterच्या गोष्टी आणि बाकीच्या fairytales पण खर्या असतील तर...

.......जर आत्याबाईना मिश्या असत्या तर!!!!....