The Missing Piece Meets The Big O

A must watch for kids ,grown ups and not so grown ups !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCmZ2jrQooE

Time for introspection!

My sincere advise to Team Anna is that they should now go for a long long walk. May be they could ask a few top BJP leaders, some chief ministers and cabinet ministers ( those who are still not been arrested ), ,some industrialists, even some media persons to keep them company . They should carry with them a copy of the Bible and occasionally refer to that famous story. Alternatively they can take a print out of this story which I am giving below for their easy access ( I am doing this out of sheer respect for Anna ):

"And early in the morning He came again into the Temple and all the people came unto Him; and He sat down, and taught them."

"And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the Law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou?"
"This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him."
"But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not. So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up Himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground."
"And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst."
"When Jesus had lifted up Himself, and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?"
"She said, No man, Lord."
"And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." (John 8:2-11 KJV)

Is there still  hope for us ,Indians ?

Original gems from nature !

 Intoxicating colours .....the breath taking beauty of  the North Carolina Autumn !

Out of the mouths of little children.........

                                                                  


We sat down for a lazy Sunday breakfast. My daughter -in-law had baked some exotic dish . Its very sight was tickling my taste buds. As I started to pick up one piece, I heard a small voice from the chair next to me " Achamma, can we save one piece for my daddy ?"
That was my 6 year old grandson thinking of his father who was away on work.

I just remembered the psalm " Out of the mouths of little children.....". Amen !

The Only Link Now........

This was Babuchetten's last sms to me :

"Never blame any day in your life..
Good days give you happiness,
Bad days give you experience,
And worst days give you a lesson…”


It ended with his signature line :
“Good morning and have a great day!”.

And then  he left without even saying a good bye...

I wonder how many' good days' he has seen in his life! Certainly not many . Born with the proverbial silver spoon in the mouth, he was soon thrown out of that comfort zone when fate cruelly snatched away his father. Growing up in a joint family with a widowed mother , that too in the shadow of an almost perfect sister must have been tough for this intelligent but rebellious boy. And it showed in more ways than one. Dropped out of college ,gave up a well paying bank job and did all that we would shudder to even think of. He couldn’t careless, not for him the so-called social norms. In that process he rubbed many people on the wrong side.
But ,for some of us at least , Babuchetten was affection personified. All that he had stored up in his heart were showered generously on my two sisters and my niece .( He was always at logger heads with me ,often bullying me to tears)Perhaps even the gods must have been moved by his extravagant emotions and so gave him a daughter. He doted on her, lived and breathed for her. Everything was picture perfect for him, or so he thought till things started falling apart. He put on a brave front as usual. Never complained. But the pain and agony took its toll . It looks as though he lost the will to live and gave up!
Many images are flashing through my mind... that naughty teasing smile, his trade mark habit of twisting a strand of hair at the top of the head with the forefinger whenever he is in a thoughtful mood, the defensive stammer when confronted….
Memories ,however sad,is our only link to you now, dear brother ! We will treasure them. You will forever live in our hearts ! 

Gift of July !

      A grandmother all over again and enjoying every moment of it !

कोई लौटा दे मेरे बीते हुए दिन....

Sun shine or rains, schools reopened on June 1st. These girls are ready for the new session with brand new uniforms ,bags and books. Nostalgia ! Nostalgia !  कोई लौटा दे मेरे बीते हुए दिन....

What I Enjoyed Most about Bangaluru!

The changing face of the city.Ever expanding. Like a mother’s bosom…willing to embrace whoever comes within her fold.

Catching up with relatives and old friends. That was what originally the holiday was meant to be. But it turned out to be much more than that..

A totally unexpected darshan of Shree Shree Ravishankar in his ashram….. the ever so gentle, ever smiling Guruji of millions. He surveyed the scene with a sweeping glance that does not miss a single detail as he stepped into the hall where all devotees were waiting. Then as the devotees bow down one by one, he has a nod, a smile, a kind enquiry, an encouraging remark for each one….and a blessing with the touch of a rose..

The delicious mango curry prepared by my sister-in-law……










And meeting him in the crowded Commercial Street ! He was there,in his impeccable white suit,red tie and the poker face all intact ! That famous “couldn’t careless” look ! I swooped down on him . “55 rupees ,ma’am,” said the shop keeper. I handed over the money .Took home my own Zu Zu ,dangling on a key chain !

Silly ? Childish ? Who knows ? And who cares ?

An unforgettable holiday !

The Original Jhumkaas !

What to expect in Ajmeer & Pushkar .

The Dargah Shariff of Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chisty,although a bit dirty,over crowded, with pick-pocketeers roaming around.

The Brahma temple at Pushkar , the only one in the world dedicated to Lord Brahma with guides telling all sorts of cooked up stories, and a most unimaginative temple structure .

Colourful shops which has nothing much to offer unlike other cities of Rajasthan.

The cafeteria at the railway station. They have an interesting menu to offer.

Enjoy the trip. We did !

God’s own country ?

The euphoria is still on…..India is shining in the true sense. I am talking about the World Cup . The entire nation kept waiting till mid night – nails biting,,,,cursing Mallinga… crying for Sehwag and Sachin. Feeling sorry for Gambhir…. Till finally our men snatched the cup from right under Sri Lanka’s nose…..The hysteria still hasn’t died down. Gifts and appreciation for our team are pouring in from every corner of the country.

While one state is sleeping……

Remember how we forgot to recommend Resul Pookutty for a Padma award ? Pookutty made the country proud by winning Oscar in sound-mixing for the film Slumdog Millionaire

Remember the Sandeep Unnikrishnan fiasco ? Maj Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Ashok Chakra who was killed at the NSG operations at the Taj during 26/11 while trying to rescue two injured colleagues. The whole world watched with horror, as well armed terrorists were shooting down innocent people and our men were trying to put up a brave front. No less than an actual war.

“Do not come up, I will handle them.” were probably the last words which Major Unnikrishnan told his men as he was hit by bullets while engaging the terrorists inside the Taj Hotel and later succumbed to his injuries.

The Kerala government did not send any representative to attend Major Unnikrishnan's funeral. The Chief Minister took his own sweet time ( after much criticicm in the media) and visited Sandeep’s parents and received a well deserved welcome .

The same fate awaited Sri Santh who came home after the World Cup. No announcement of a gift for him ( leave alone other players ) from our government….because our government has other things to worry about.

Our heroes can wait……They better wait. After all they have the privilege of belonging to God’s Own Country , don’t they ?

Some privilege ,indeed !

Whispers......

And then my love whispered to the departing spring "बहारो ,फूल बर्सावो मेरा महबूब आयाहे .....Spring laughed and there on the green lawns lay the golden showers..........

I Got a Learner’s Licence !

My driving license had to be renewed. I did not feel enthused as I considered the hassles involved in the process.

“Go to the RTO office and talk to the inspector there” said my husband, not in a mood to cooperate. So I went to the RTO office. The inspector looked at my existing license and said. “The simple way is to get an NOC from Delhi ( I had a license from Delhi) and then we can renew this one”.

He is asking me to do an impossible task. I blurted out “ You know it is impossible to get an NOC from Delhi. You know how govt. dept works “ As soon as I said this, I bit my tongue. The inspector was not amused . “In that case you apply for a learner’s license, appear for a test and get a new license”. I couldn’t believe my ears. Here have I been driving for the last 30 years in the crowded streets of Delhi and a test now ? Surely there must be some other method ? The inspector shrugged his shoulders . Rules are rules. He cannot do anything about it. He gave me some forms to be filled up and submit along with a medical certificate ( that I am fit to drive a car ) and the required fees.

Frustrated I walked towards the corridor. A man stood there smiling at me. I thought he must be an ‘agent’. May be he could help. After listening to me he said “ What to do,madam.” ,and lowering his tone,he whispered “ This inspector doesn’t take money”.What a time to meet an honest officer !

The next day I submitted the form duly filled, medical certificates and the fees. I was asked to appear for the test on Saturday at 9 am. (This is Thursday, so I have time to brush up my lessons! )

Saturday morning and I was as nervous as a 10^th standard student going for her board exams. “ This is just a formality. There will not be any test for you”, my husband assured me optimistically ( read uncharacteristically )

I reached the office at sharp 9 am.The inspector took me to a room next to his cabin. A number of computer terminals stared at me. So this is serious business, I told myself. “Which language, madam, Malayalm or English ? “ some one asked me. “ Malayalam“, I said. (I still donot know why I said that) He switched on the computer , clicked on some keys and my name and address appeared on the screen. “Sit down ,please. Your test will start now.” He said and left the room.

The first question appeared on the screen . There were 3 options for an answer and I selected one of them. ‘ Click on the green button now’ said the comp. I couldn’t find any green button. On the screen I could see that time was ticking away. I looked around for some help. One woman ( probably a sweeper or peon ) was watching me with an amused look . I asked her “ Where is the green button ? “ She pointed towards the ‘enter’ key. I struck it and lo and behold, there flashed on the screen “ You have got one mark” !

“ Good job !” I patted myself and continued with more confidence. At the end of the 10^th question the comp. announced “ You have successfully completed the test “. I felt jubilant and went to the inspector’s cabin. At last there was a flicker of smile on his face. 5 minutes more….he handed over the LEARNER’S LICENSE to me. As I walked out of his office I felt as if I have won a bumper lottery .

Ps. The inspector called out “ Madam,you have to come for the actual driving test after a month “. Who cares?

A Brush With Nature

Their numbers increased. Colours changed , white, green, pink, yellow ,the list became endless. Slowly and steadily allopathic tablets have gained more and more access to my body without much improvement in my condition. I was feeling thoroughly frustrated and depressed. Then one friend, who works for Gandhiji Naturopathy Hospital

suggested, why not try naturopathy ? Perhaps it was the right moment. I packed up and left for this place in a nearby town .

10 days of disciplined stay and my whole life style changed. No tea,no coffee. On the first day by evening my head was splitting. I was itching to have an aspirin .The doctor laughed but consoled me “ Withdrawal symptoms !Your body is reacting . You will be alright by tomorrow.” He prescribed a wet towel for my forehead ! And I slept like a baby.

The actual treatment started the next day. Various packs, massages ,baths,concoctions and medicines made from herbs, ……

Food was anything but imaginative. Rice/chappati/wheat puttu/,dosa , were served with boiled vegetables, dal,tomato chutney and salads with minimum salt, totally oil-free .No red chilies ,no tamarind . Even to think of sugar or pickles was blasphemy . Occasionally a concession was to given a tiny bit of jaggery.

Initially I found the whole exercise exciting. But the novelty wore off after a couple of days . I grew restless and started looking for that famous light at the end of the tunnel.

But after a week, when the blood test results came I realized the wisdom behind this age old medical practice. My body and mind started cooperating with the treatment. And it started giving better results . The dosages of tablets were reduced .A healthier, happier me came home, rejuvenated and relaxed.

But the real challenge has just started. Away from the watchful eyes of the doctors it is easy to get succumbed to temptations. Remember, it is a life- long vigil. But let me not think about it now. As Cardinal Newman said :

“ I do not ask to see the distant scene, one step is enough for me .”

Meeting With Amma

The first gift of the New Year…a hug from Amma ! Before I knew what was happening I was standing in front of Amma. I was engulfed in a warm embrace and I heard her whispering in my ears “molootty, molootty “. It is nothing short of a miracle, this meeting .

A chance ‘encounter ‘with G, an old class mate and friend of my son, on FB. Knowing his closeness to Amma, my hesitant request if he could arrange a meeting with Her. His willingness to help. A few clicks of the mouse ,an SMS and everything was arranged. And in that hot afternoon I found myself face to face with the ‘Hugging Saint”. I was in a daze as I walked out of the hall. I hugged myself wanting to have that moment forever etched in my memory. Skeptics are free to chuckle and cynics can sneer. All I want now is to bask in this euphoria….

Welcome 2011 !