HELLO!

 It's been months since I blogged! And boy...am I happy to be back!!! My work priorities kept me away for sometime..and I hope to be back...back with a bang, as they say! Let me begin at the beginning ...of my holiday!

Our Dushehra holiday-plan materialized all of a sudden..and just like that! I called up Praveen to wish her on her birthday and there she was, asking me to consider a trip to Delhi/Jalandhar /Vishnavo Devi/ Amritsar.

We had to get ourselves to New Delhi and Praveen volunteered to arrange the next  leg of the journey. It dawned on me that it would be the first of its kind…a holiday with friends, the joy of which we had started discovering recently. We have always traveled with family and this was something we eagerly looked forward to! It was an unforgettable trip, and Praveen’s two vivacious girls ensured that we remained happy and cheerful throughout the trip!

Our holiday was too good to be true! Our first halt was Greater Noida. The place has to be seen to be believed! International Schools, Degree Colleges, the expressway to Noida! We spent a wonderful weekend there!

Then on to the  army mess at Suranasi in the outskirts of Jallandar in Rural Punjab-the countryside was fascinating! 

From Jallandar, we went by road to Katra. We spent the night at Jindra, an army post in the foothills of the Himalayas, an hours' drive from Katra. The comfort of having people who care for you! Jindra post was amazing.....a pool table, hot home cooked dinner and a warm cozy room for bed and breakfast! 

Our faith was tested to the core on our visit to the shrine of Vaishnavo Devi. 

 












The next day was a lesson in patriotism – pages from our freedom struggle, when the innocent patriots were smothered by the British! A visit to Jalianwala Bagh is a must for all Indians......to realize that this freedom did not come easily!

 

and the Wagah Border. Finally, a few hours at The Harmandir sahib-serene spiritual moments in the Golden Halo!   

  

ONCE MORE!

          How happy I am…to be back after a short and sweet holiday! I missed you very much, dear blog, because you help me put words into my thoughts and feelings! As I sit down to write, my holiday seems to me, like the pomegranate….. You peel the tough leathery skin and lo and behold, you find about 600 seeds – the sweet, juicy, deep pink edible aril! And as you savor the fruit, the juice runs down your chin, leaving behind a sweet tingling sensation! That is how I felt - everyday of my holidays, which opened up new and exhilarating experiences, and I wished to share each one of those overpowering emotions with you!

          I looked upon the two commencement ceremonies with pride and joy! Both my daughters graduated this year, one received a Masters Degree in International Development from the School of International Service, American University; the other, a Masters Degree in Law from the Harvard Law School. The events were ceremonial, beginning with the traditional band, followed by staff and students marching in their academic Regalia-caps, gowns and hoods with tassels!   As they came up on the dais to receive their certificates, parents hugged one another and families burst into congratulatory cheers and claps to felicitate and celebrate the event. Both the schools honored their students, enumerating the achievements of each and every student award winner, thus proclaiming that it is the students and their body of work, which gives the school its distinct and special status! What a remarkable and inspiring thought! 

          I am happy to note that my daughters did not impose any limitations upon themselves in the pursuit of their dreams. One gave up a dream job, to follow her heart, and found a dream come true in the pursuit of her education. Another worked hard so that she could pursue her education in the college of her dreams! At this juncture, I could not but help make a comparison with two other sisters, my younger sister and I. We grew up in a small town in the seventy’s, and looking back, I feel, we were afraid to dream, binding ourselves to real and imagined limitations! How happy I am to see my daughters, young accomplished women, unafraid and confident! There is just one thing I am extremely happy about being born in the decade I did! No painful cosmetic waxing for me and no formal clothing either! To me, the sari has indeed proved to be very versatile, I just had to match it to the occasion and the weather!  

          Another unforgettable event was a trip to the Niagara Falls. We were lucky, the snow had just melted and the Maid of the Mist tour had commenced a week ago! What an imposing sight! The mist, the water, the birds, all together form an awesome sight, the thrill compounded by people watching stupefied!  As the cruise boat stood still, there appeared a rainbow below the falls! We seemed to be moving into a timeless chasm, into the spirit of an ancient age gone by! However the next day, the weather did not permit us for a walk round the caves but the tulips and the garden all round was an alleviative sight for every human soul!

         The sights and sounds leading to Niagara on our road trip were an indication of things to come. Our roads took us through rural Pennsylvania and life in the towns and villages made us envy the folks who lived in the quaint cottages amid sheer countryside! Elsewhere the rows of neatly laid homes, the flowery gardens, the parks and inns, presented another vignette of American Life, where speed and style did not hit you in the face.  

         Well, Washington DC watchers will tell you that the best times to visit would be in April when the white Sakura or Cherry tree is in bloom or during the fall, when all of nature is painted in red and gold! But I tell you this, April showers bring May flowers! All round Washington DC, at every street and every corner, the flowers were in bloom, in a multitude of colors! Their magnificent presence adds colour to the everyday life of people there! They infused in me a special longing, reminding me of gifts from a beloved! I would stop, stand and stare at them, again and again, relishing their beauty, so vivid, only to behold, but impossible to hold!

    
This second visit emboldened me and I did something unusual -- a salute and a shake of the hands with the Memorial Day bikers, veterans who roar across Washington DC on their thunderous motorcycles as a tribute to the American war heroes. I posed  happily at Madame Tussauds - with the wax idol of my Hollywood heart throb, Johnny Depp and the American Icon, Larry King! I did not have to reckon with any security problems nor heartburns!

           I also decided to be brave, to be friendly and say hello to the person sitting next to me! And the pleasure was all mine! The Afro- American clerk, the grandmother from Montana, the beautiful and smart lady who was a part of the Oprah Winfrey Farewell Show, the  primary school teacher from California, the Iyengar mami, who had retired from service in the India Postal Department, a young chatty fiancé from DC, a software engineer from India…… it was easy to connect! I found people warm and willing to share! What a learning experience it was for me! All these  wonderful moments made my second visit to Washington dc, an affair to cherish!    

Of blogs, bloggers and blogging!

I have been mulling over several inputs for this blog of mine, which will be the last, before I get into my summer vacation mode. Let me begin with something, which happened today. I went to Apollo Hospital for a routine medical check up and my 

gynecologist greeted me with this question, WHY HAVE YOU LET YOURSELF GO..? No one could have read my mind better! Yes, I have become lazy, my life style lackluster and my thoughts, listless. 

Why did I do it and how did I do it are simple questions, the difficult question is how could I allow myself to do it? I had drawn up an honest resolution on New Year, 2011, and hoped by bringing about some qualitative changes in my lifestyle, I could enjoy a healthy and happy 2011.  I am 53 and whatever the reasons, I can’t let my life pass me by.

I realize I am fortunate, I am looking forward to a second innings-I am going back to what I love doing, teaching. I am proud of the fact that both my daughters are graduating this year, in subjects of their choice. I am happy that my husband has at last accepted his superannuation from service and is settling down to a satisfying retired regime. I am hoping there will be other personal joys too!  What got me into this doldrums, I cannot say, but I must find a way out-that I know. Let me review my New Year blog and see whether I have kept up with all of my resolutions! 

Even before I started blogging regularly, I have been following various blogs on travel, art and craft, especially cooking, knitting, sewing and crocheting. I am amazed by the diligence of these enthusiasts to record their hobbies, make their blogs appealing with colorful photographs and post step-by-step procedures where required. I have enjoyed travel blogs, with photographs, directions and descriptions –I have found them to be very helpful. I have come to admire the bloggers, who make an effort to update their blogs, who take out precious time to fulfill a creative need. Most of the bloggers, I do not know, but like characters in a story, I just imagine how they would be, and build up their persona based on their blogs.

Two of the bloggers, I know personally. And I am surprised to find out how much of them I did not know; how the blogs opened up facets of their personalities I wish I had known! So blogging has been a meaningful exercise for me, a creative release for all those dormant thoughts and feelings. Like any craft or skill, I work upon it. The first few were factual, accompanied by photographs. Then I tired to write from my heart, next I tried to make it interesting, by working on the language and presentation. I tried to bring in an element of mystery or curiosity to capture my reader’s imagination. I have got very little feed back on this aspect of my blog; however, I write to express myself and as long as blogging fulfils that innate desire, I think it is going to be a fulfilling one for me!

So what does my first term report say? Let me check out my blog. I had resolved to work on simple everyday aspects, the first one of them being to get my health in order. I am sad to say that I have neglected my health. With great hopes of jogging along Connecticut Avenue during my holiday, I drew up a plan to shed some weight. I lost 2 kgs in a month after doing yoga, only to gain them back with an additional 2 kgs, in the last two months. I did go for a master health check up and that was about all. Now, I need to do my yoga daily and go for walks religiously. My gynecologist used inspiring words, she seemed to hint that I could be the person I wanted to be, if only I’d take care of my health!  In these times of stress and strain, we must look inwards for motivation and I think, to look good and feel good is going to be topmost on my mind.

The next bit was about bringing music into my Life! yes, I listen to lots of music on the net and on TV. Unfortunately, as I raided the large collection of cassettes and CDs, I was shocked to find it filled with favorite numbers of my husband and daughters! I had only myself to blame, I had never got anything of my choice! I think I will become a little more determined and pick up songs of my choice, the next time I go shopping!

The only resolution in which I have succeeded  is the one which says, Make my home a priority and Put friends and family first more often. Yes, the focus has shifted to my home and family and friends. With little changes, I have transformed my home into a warm and cozy haven. As regards friends and family, I have met them more often, gone out with them, bonded regularly and on that score, I am a very happy person.

Then comes the next two, Bring in novelty and Document real life more often. If that should translate into blog and blogging, yes, I have brought in novelty and documented real life. But honestly, I think I have kept it up in letter only, not in the spirit, it was meant to be.

So my first term report card says-FAIL, which is unacceptable to me, as an individual. As a teacher, report cards have meant a lot to me and when I used to prepare them, I would always make a note of the strengths in a child and areas where he/she could work harder.Two recent mails from my students have both, heartened me and humbled me. 

One wrote, Recently, I made it to the papers for my contribution to YOCee. Do you remember how you had encouraged me to sign up for the programme back in my 8th std? I just want to thank you ma'am, for pushing me then to pursue writing, when I didn't know nor understand the meaning of it. Thank you ma'am, for discovering the potential in me to write. 

Another had this to say: the GR8 NEWS IS I VE JOINED ANNA UNIVERSITY FOR MY BACHELORS DEGREE in INDUSTRIAL ENGNEERIN!!! n all this was possible oly cos of the xtraordinary amt of confidence u instilled in me durin my 8th GRADE!!  THANX A LOT MAM!!  

If I can be a source of inspiration to others, why not for myself? It has to be a healthy lifestyle for me, where I am able to knock off at least 20 pounds (my gynec hoped it will be 40!!) and when I look into the mirror, the person I see is the person I had always wanted to be! 

One who smiles more often and is the happiest she has ever been; one who is going to start teaching all over again, one who jogs everyday, one who has planned the outlines of two books she hopes to pen, one who can truly understand and appreciate the power of connecting with family and friends, one who can see the pride in her daughters' faces when they look at this confident, happy and unstoppable woman their mother has become! Signing off for my summer vacations and with a promise to be back in the first week of June, with news, views and reviews! Until then…adios!!!

MIRROR- into the future!

A DATE WITH KATE:

The wedding of Prince William to his sweetheart Kate on 29^th April, 2011, promises to be as spectacular and memorable as the wedding of his parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. However, it will be looked upon as another world event, not another fairy tale wedding, which can be viewed live on TV anywhere in the world. As more and more is written and said about it in the media, I remember two articles, both about Great Britain, which I had read almost forty years ago. I was young and impressionable and the articles aroused my curiosity. I have often thought about it over these years. How and where do I begin my story? Maybe with these words……

Once upon a time, long, long ago, when I used to live in Jamshedpur……

A DATE WITH FATE:

We stored most of our things in three huge caskets, before modernization hit my family. They were humongous wooden containers, a little more than 2 ft in width, 3 ft in length and 4 ft in height. We used it sometimes, as a settee, most of the times as a table, stacking up our books and other things on it. They were placed in three different rooms, and space was never a problem. In those days, we lived in a big house, surrounded by a huge garden, both of which we could hardly maintain. The ceilings were so high, that we required the services of attendants, who would come in once in two months to clean out the cobwebs, placing a chair on the wooden casket to reach the high walls.

One of the boxes would be opened twice a year, once before the arrival of winter and again, before the advent of summer. It contained all our woolens, thick blankets, quilts and  comforters, sweaters, shawls and socks. Winters were severe in our small town as were the summers! So around 3^rd March, which signaled the end of winter, all our warm clothing would be washed and dried in the sun. The quilts and blankets would be aired and sunned and all went into the monstrous casket, neatly packed, with a few moth balls thrown in, to keep away mold and moth larvae.

The second of these ugly huge painted boxes contained kitchen accessories, and gadgets, and extra utensils. During festive occasions, some of them would be brought out for making and storing traditional foods and home made eatables. So we were used to raiding this box, many times during the year and we knew what went into it! Because we were small, we were unable to open these boxes all by ourselves. But once we grew bigger, we could lift up the heavy lid and help our mother in getting the things she needed.

A DATE WITH ADVENTURE:

But there was a third one, which had never been opened, at least not to my knowledge. I always wondered what was in it. I asked my mother and she told me, it had some rubbish, papers and books which my father was not willing to discard. How she wished to throw it all out one day and put it to some good use Now that I could lift the heavy cover, I ventured to open the third box, all my self one day.

And I could not contain my joy! They were filled with books and magazines! Self help books by Dale Carnegie, murder mysteries by Erle Stanley Gardner, a few Law Books, old copies of Readers Digests and Readers Book Digests, and several issues of the informative magazine, Mirror. My father had been a voracious reader, although I had never seen him read anything more than a newspaper! My mother was not a book person! No wonder, she had called it a pile of rubbish! I think, my father would be with his books the whole time, and she used to be bothered with house work, two children, her own job as a teacher and my old grand parents who needed to be looked after. And maybe she nagged him to put his books away!!!

A DATE WITH JOY:

I still remember; that was my best Christmas vacation! I was all of thirteen, in class 7 or 8. I would complete my daily chores very quickly and with great enthusiasm. And then after lunch, I would drag a chair under the tree in my garden and in the soft and gentle warmth of the sun, devour those books. I would continue reading till late into the night. Of course, my mother would yell at me and my father would ask me to take it easy; he wore thick glasses and would tell me to take care of my eyes! I had discovered my greatest joy that day! I continue to read books with a voracious appetitie! I thank my father for introducing me to Perry Mason and Della Street, and to  the genres of detective stories, murder mysteries, crime fiction and mystery thrillers!

Among the lot, I remember one magazine, very vividly. It was called MIRROR and was very readable. I have not forgotten the two articles I read in there. Both were about Great Britain and both made an everlasting impression on me!

A DATE WITH DESTINY:

The first article was written by an Indian astrologer (even this science was new to me those days).  He had predicted that Kingship would pass by Prince Charles and that his son would inherit the throne. The astrologer went on to say that there was no Rajyog in his horoscope! Astrology says that the rare Rajyog in one’s horoscope  brings in kingly and royal status.  A person having this yog is extremely strong in his related profession, and is endowed with a lot of fame and wealth.

It was all so confusing for me….here was a prince, born into one of the most powerful monarchies of the world, who was destined to be king, yet who would not inherit his rightful place under the sun! Should I laugh, scoff or sneer at his prediction? I decided never to forget this piece of information and through all these years, have been following the life of Prince Charles. I can’t but help make  a comparison with the Badshah of Bollywood,  actor Shah Rukh Khan and the charismatic Captain Cool, cricketer MS Dhoni, who, I think,  have been born with the Rajyog. See how their actions have raised them to a position of power and prestige!  And see how the story of Prince Charles’ life has unfolded! We may have to wait a few more years to ascertain the astrologer’s predictions. Prince Charles’ son William is getting married and another royal chapter is about to unfold. I wanted to make a record of my thoughts on this occasion, and I have found my blog to be an apt platform!

A DATE WITH LIFE:

The other article which captured my imagination was about the legend of Nessie.  The author had written about Loch Ness, a large, deep, freshwater lake in the Scottish Highlands, southwest of Inverness and the sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, also known as ‘Nessie’. In 1933, a couple, George Spicer and his wife, and later another motorist Arthur Grant claimed to have allegedly seen the monster, lurch across the road towards the loch. They claimed to have seen ‘a most extraordinary form of animal’ with its large body, a long and narrow neck, with no limbs. The keen interest of the public was aroused 1963, when a grainy and hazy photograph of Nessie appeared, said to be shot in the lake from a distance of 4 kilometers.

I was intrigued…what if such a creature did really exist! I followed every detail. I saw her appearing hazily over the horizon, in other photographs. I saw the film made on her, and in my mind, she took the shape of a benevolent, kind living soul, a keeper of the Scottish highlands! I did not know that I was about to experience the joy of seeing her, a joy multiplied by a hundred times the joy when I lifted that heavy lid and discovered all the books to be read.

MY DATE WITH NESSIE:

Last year, we went to London, to visit our younger daughter, to see her  in her new surroundings and to visit the beautiful city of London. In the 2 months we were there, our daughter took us all over the UK, through the fascinating land of storybooks! She planned our trips meticulously and I came to understand and enjoy her love of travelling…from where might she have inherited those genes..perhaps from her father? 

And as we toured Scotland, she had a surprise for me on my birthday, the 18 th of  July. It was a visit to Lochness! I waited expectantly, like a child of thirteen, with awe and wonder! We passed by the lake in all  its glory, the cool blue large lake, the blue-green mountains all around, the mist engulfing it and the cool breeze…the green vision all round, the quiet mesmerizing breeze, which makes your senses go wild! You cannot see beyond the loch ness, yet you realize, nessie could live nowhere else, but within..not in those cool mysterious water but within you, in that magic of nature, in those realms of imagination, where Nessie moves, gently and silently! Well, when I opened this heavy cover, I was 52, not that innocent gawky wide eyed girl! Now I knew Nessie had lived within me…although I now know she never existed, yet she continues to live with me, in a child like wonderful land!   (The scientific community regards the Loch Ness Monster as a modern-day myth, and explains sightings as a mix of hoaxes and wishful thinking)

The magazine had truly been a mirror..a mirror to the future, a mirror of my  imagination! Reading has unfolded great joys, a joy which robs you of your self, a joy which is so selfish, that time, place and friends are all forgotten!  a joy which needs nothing more to complete and fulfill your life! A joy that continues to live and grow with my young daughters!

MUSE AND MUSIC!

..........................and words are all I have to take your heart away!

(SONG : Words; ALBUM : A Different Beat (1996); ARTIST : Boyzone-Irish vocal pop group)


The first change I noticed in my husband’s home was the presence of sound. All the members would talk animatedly; in fact, sometimes it was difficult for me to get a word in. The radio blared all day long, as if providing background music to all our chores. I wasn’t sure who was listening to what, but surely all did not sound music to my ears. That was because I had been used to the sound of silence in my home.

I had a severe and strict upbringing, sadly bereft of music and laughter. I suspect my grandfather carried the Aurangzeb gene, he abhorred song and dance. We possessed a sleek and stylish radio, but it could be switched on only at nine, every night for the news. However, during the Indo-Pak war, we were allowed to listen to all the news bulletins. My mother would wait for my grandfather to leave the house, either to the market or to the temple, and then she would switch on the radio and catch up with the cricket scores, or listen to Hindi film songs sung by Mukesh. On the rare occasions he went on holidays, we would listen to Binaca Geet Mala, telecast on Wednesdays and anchored by the golden voiced Amin Sayani.

So after marriage, I found that I could keep the radio on, almost the whole day. I became an expert on Hindi film songs, I could rattle off the names of the singers, the composers and of course, the films in which they featured.  But I yearned to hear other kinds of songs too, songs like the church music I heard in school……

                  The heavens are blue proclaiming to you!

                 The glory of God their creator!

                 At sunset or night they're a beautiful sight

                 Yes, they show forth the glory of God

                                The surging of seas, the wind in the trees!

                                Breathe the music of God in nature

                                In songs of a bird, nature's music is heard

                                Yes, they sing forth the glory of God!

Or the inspirational song..

      When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

     When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

               Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

               And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

       So, amid the conflict whether great or small,

       Do not be disheartened, God is over all;

                 Count your many blessings, angels will attend,

                  Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Or the sounds of The Baby Elephant Walk, which would be played while we marched to our respective class rooms. Who knew then that it was a hit number by Henry Mancini from the 1962 film, ‘Hatari” starring John Wayne?listen in..

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

I went to a girls’ school, and we had a tradition of electing our School Pupil Leader. We would campaign for our candidates, with placards and symbols, during the recess break and belt out these numbers till out throats went hoarse!

 For she's a jolly good fellow, for she's a jolly good fellow!

 For she's a jolly good fellow (pause), and so say all of us!

    And so say all of us, and so say all of us

For she's a jolly good fellow, for she's a jolly good fellow!

For she's a jolly good fellow (pause), and so say all of us!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MsKW84b-7E 


(They did take liberties with the gender!)

And our worthy opponents, not to be left behind, would shout in unison, “Vote for..Vote for..” and strike back, with this thriller…

She'll be Coming Round the Mountain

when she comes….when she comes!

She'll be coming 'round the mountain

when she comes ….when she comes!

 (Chorus)

Singing aye aye yipee yippee aye! Aye aye yippee yippe aye

Singing aye aye yippeeAye aye yippie! Aye aye yippie yippie 

aye....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghd-xL5gAjc

This was all I had heard of ‘English’ music; my knowledge was zilch. This much I knew, that vocal music was written in many different forms and styles and set to tune within a particular genre of music, including Art music and Popular music, Traditional, Regional and National music. I had yet to learn that Chart music, always contains songs from a variety of sources, including classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop, country, blues, hip hop, rap, reggae, heavy metal, hardcore, punk,  rock 'n' roll , soul, rhythm and blues -R & B,  gospel music, punk rock, disco, jump blues, club blues, doo wop, motown, funk…..!!!!!!

Towards the end of my school days, I would often visit my dear friend Shuntu, whose father had a collection of English records. She didn’t much care for them, but sometimes, she would play them for me and I got hooked. The words formed a picture in my mind, complete with color and location...

She was afraid to come out of the locker

She was as nervous as she could be

She was afraid to come out of the locker

She was afraid that somebody would see

Two three four tell the people what she wore…….

It was an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini..

That she wore for the first time today!

An Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini…

So in the locker, she wanted to stay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQN0zcGWpcg&NR=1

I had never heard of Brian Hyland and his ‘bubblegum music’ of 1960, but I was sure, the yellow polka dot bikini was revolutionizing beachwear in America!  Another favorite of mine was the ‘House of Bamboo’, which I learnt later, was released in 1959 by Andy Williams.  Imagine you went camping and there you found yourself at….

Number 54, the house with a bamboo door,

Bamboo roof and bamboo walls –

They've even got a bamboo floor

                       You must get to know (ah!) soho Joe ,

                       He runs an espresso

                      called the House of Bamboo

It's-a made of sticks, sticks and bricks,

But you can get your kicks

 in the House of Bamboo

                          I'm-a tellin' you, when you're blue,

                         Well, there's a lot to do

                       in the House of Bamboo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTIq5lm3Bi0

The songs had an element of youthfulness.  The simple everyday themes, the unorthodox music styles indicated a new and modern style of thinking. The charming songs seemed to reflect a freedom, which was at once appealing and endearing. 

In 1981, we got our Philips Record Player and slowly, we built up our small collection of records, which were quiet expensive those days. My husband would bring home a record and for several evenings there on, we’d do nothing, but listen to the songs and try to catch the lyrics. Some times we would dance to the disco numbers, and even play them for music- loving friends. I still vividly remember some of the record covers…

ABBA-Swedish pop music group, topped the charts worldwide 1972-1982

‘Baccara’: A female vocal duo formed in 1977 by Spanish artists





BONEY M-the Euro-disco group of four West Indian vocalists, a European phenomenon

Brotherhood of Man: A British pop group who won the Eurovision Song Contest for the song, ‘Save Your Kisses for Me’



 Michael Jackson: THE REIGNING KING OF POP!

The Sound of Music-our favorite American musical film.

A German friend presented us the record of 'The Shorts', a pop group from the Netherlands, which contained both, the English version and the original love song, sung in French.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x27mf3_the-shorts-comment-ca-va_music (english version)

We had become ardent fans of twentieth century music – a combination of amazing musical style and extraordinary orchestral technique.

Then in 1984, the Television came to our little town and then we got a glimpse into the life and times of cultures, different from ours. On one such Sunday, there was a live telecast of a band named, Scorpions, whose lead singer promised to fulfill a wish, deep within me.

Let me take you far away - You’d like a holiday

Let me take you far away - You’d like a holiday

Exchange the cold days for the sun - A good time and fun

Exchange your troubles for some love - Wherever you are

Longing for the sun you will come - 

To the island without name

Longing for the sun be welcome - 

On the island many miles away from home 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBzd79EGxng

And then.. Another evening, I watched an American film, Diamonds. Kirk Douglas was looking at me and I seemed to drown in his deep blue eyes!  

Are You Lonesome Tonight? Do you miss me tonight?

Are you sorry we drifted apart?

Does your memory stray  -  To a bright summer day

When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?

Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?

Do you gaze at your doorstep -And picture me there?

Is your heart filled with pain, Shall I come back again?

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrojFR7jM9E

It was Elvis Presley, the king of Jazz, and I had missed his songs as I was growing up.

Apart from being a foodie-family, we were music-mad too! My husband had to listen to the radio/tape recorder -  programme, language, songs - no bar - he heard them all, long and loud! The MTV came into my house only around 2000, when my elder daughter returned from Delhi. That was the only channel she would watch the whole time, she came down for her holidays. Together, with her younger sister, she would try to educate me, make me hear the songs, point out the artists and groups.

But I think, I failed even this primary education; For I could only remember snatches of the songs and could never connect them to the singers! But I grew to love some of the different feelings in my ears, and as before can reel off some names…Bryan Adams, Celine Deon, Boy Zone, Backstreet Boys, Venga Boys, the Spice Girls, Madonna, Prince, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, Ricky Martin,  …….!!! 

But my favorites remain the singers and songs from another era...gone by! 

I had gone to wish my good friends Broto and Marut on their 30^th wedding anniversary. Picking up a guitar, Marut strummed it and in his rich voice, dedicated this beautiful Jim Reeves song to his wife!

                     

                    From a jack to a king

                    From loneliness to a wedding ring

                   I played an ace and I won a queen

                  And walked away with your heart

From a jack to a king

With no regrets I stacked the cards last night

And lady luck played her hand just right

And made me king of your heart

               
                  For just a little while

                 I thought that I might lose the game

                 Then just in time

                 I saw the twinkle in your eye

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ujBjUriUjI

However, my husband was not a great fan of ‘English’ songs and he declared that he would meet our friends, on the condition that I would not request Marut to belt out any English number. There ended my second chance of getting another musical education!  

Thirty two years into our marriage, we were on our way back home, after a lavish dinner at Hotel Purple Grass. The night was cool, the roads silent, and the music playing in our Honda Car was invigorating!

Hey ladies drop it down

Just wanna see you touch the ground

Don't be shy girl go Bananza

shake ya body like a belly dancer

Listen to that! What is he singing....? I cried out to my husband.

You just listen to the beat..isn’t it catchy..? he replied.

Catchy… O no..it is positively raunchy! 

After the party- party

Grab a hottie- hottie

In the back seat of your Mazaratti-ratti

Jiggle jiggle it to the left (ah ah ah)

Jiggle jiggle it to the right (ah ah ah)

Jiggle it to the front then jiggle it to the back

                          And jiggle jiggle it all all night (ah ah ah)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9w9mQx7MN4

            

That was Akon, the Senegalese-American international rap star, who has crooned for Shah Ruk Khan in ‘Ra.One’.

Well you can’t fault a man for enjoying at 60 what he missed at 16, can you?

FROM DESPAIR TO HOPE

I am touched by what  Hip Hop Grandmom writes, in her blog, Teen Troubles-3. As a teacher, for more than 30 years, I have closely observed student life and found it to be rewarding and challenging. No doubt, there have been some very good moments in the class room environment, very special memories, which have sustained me as a teacher and motivated me, to do my best year after year. However, there are some other memories, so etched in my mind, that have filled me with despair. I wonder how much in despair these young ones might have been and wonder what goes on in the minds of their near and dear ones. Do they ever recover fully?

I remember two shocking instances, when pupils, two young girls, from my class took their own lives. Both were in their early teens, pretty, lively, smart kids. Both were studying in co-ed schools. One jumped down a high rise residential block of flats, in which she did not live. The other, an only child, just tied the noose tightly round her neck. Both were academically inclined and both managed to hide signs of trauma or stress from their large group of friends, teachers and parents. Soon, several stories made the rounds and most of them alluded to the fact that they might have got pregnant and were too afraid to confide or ask for help.

This incident took me back, almost 40years, to the time when I was studying in class 8. Our English teacher was a very kind lady, young and very approachable. During one of her classes, Misha, a classmate, excused herself to go to the restroom. As soon as she had left the class, the girl sitting beside her, Dina, stood up and told the teacher, Miss..Misha wants me to tell you something. The teacher answered, Yes..go on..what is it?  Dina appeared a little undecided, yet she spoke out, Misha says she is pregnant. The silence in the class was deafening and if our English teacher thought it was something extraordinary, she didn’t show it. She just said, Dina, why don’t you speak to me after class and we shall sort out her problem.

But thirty inquisitive pairs of ears had heard the unspeakable word, soon a buzz went about, but English teacher would have none of it. She just went on with her class and at the end, spoke to us all. She said, this is a personal matter and let us all respect it. Our class is like our family, and let us not go about discussing things which take place here. The teachers and the authorities handled the case very well and we got to hear very little about what had really happened. Just that Misha’s parents had been called, and it was  decided that Misha would be married off to the young man, who happened to be her neighbour. Of course, she did not attend school after that.

Last year, I met a classmate from those days. She told me, that she had met Misha at a pandal, during the Pooja festivities, who proudly introduced her to her family members. Misha had become a grandma and along with her daughter-in-law, was running a school. What a wonderful end to a story that could have resulted in tragedy.

As a teacher, I have been privy to many behaviour patterns, which eludes even the best of mothers. I learnt very young that I would have to deal with them, sincerely and effectively. During my first year as a teacher, in the primary section of my alma mater, I remember having to collect a rupee each, once a term, for charity. While doing so the first time, I noticed a small arm, pick up a coin from my collection and join the line to submit it as her contribution. She belonged to a wealthy family, well known in the steel city. At first I thought I had made a mistake. I grew alert and noticed that the act was repeated during the next term as well. Utterly shocked, I approached our Sister-in-charge and confided in her. She advised me to tell the class a story every day, especially those revolving around people, who stole from others and felt remorse at what they had done and were also punished by God for their act. The desired change did come about, the child got her contribution from home the next time and I was grateful to Sister for her kind ways.

Another incident which I have never forgotten took place when I was working in a school, especially for children of steel workers. The students, all from humble backgrounds had access to free quality education, yet very few of the pupils ever took their studies seriously. After a leisure period,  as I was preparing to go to class, a group of class six students burst into the staff room, with the information that their pencil boxes and bags had been raided and all notes and coins were missing. The class room was in a state of disarray. A thorough search was done, all the teachers joined in, even the headmistress, came in to speak to the class, but no leads were found. Over the next month, different sections, found their boxes and bags ransacked, and money went missing from teachers’ handbags. At the same time, some other teachers, got a complaint, that a student named Gudiya, was caught stealing money from commuters in the public bus they used to travel to and from school. And on their next vigil, the teachers caught Gudiya, in the empty classroom. She had left her class on the pretext of going to the restroom. Her parents were called and they were baffled to learn of their daughter’s deeds. The girl admitted that she had indeed stolen all the money from her friends and teachers. She blamed her aunt, who would regularly rob shopkeepers and grocery merchants. Children are quick to pick up bad habits, one doesn’t know whether it is the thrill or the power, but surely counseling is one way of overcoming these problems.

Another hilarious incident took place, when I was in the same school. One morning, we were preparing for the morning assembly and in walked a uniformed policeman, stomping loudly and purposefully. Refusing the entreaties of the Head Mistress to sit down and narrate his complain, he asked for a teacher by name. Where is Lata Madam? Where is she? I have come to arrest her, he shouted.  You should have seen the look on the face of the Head Mistress, yet she spoke calmly, Sir, what has she done? I shall reprimand her. Do not get so agitated. But he was not to be controlled. She slapped my daughter. How dare she! Do you know how lovingly we raise our children, No one raises their voice at them, leave alone lay a finger! And Lata madam  dare slap my daughter?Where is she? The girl in question was summoned and so was Lata ma’am, to verify the sequence of events. Tell your father what you did! Of course, you will keep mum now.  Then turning to the policeman-father, she said, Sir, your daughter was with a young man yesterday. They were holding hands and waiting for the bus.  I was also there with a whole lot of other girls waiting for the bus. As they entered the bus, it was so crowded, I saw them smooch each other...shameless!

The policeman never foresaw this reason, but had to defend his anger all the same. He asked, Does the young man belong to your family?  No! Then, what does it matter. You bring it to my notice, I shall deal with her..as he said these words, his demeanor changed, he left the room. Now it was the turn of the Head Mistress, Lata, these are young students and you are responsible for what happens inside the school  premises, once they are out, they are no longer our wards! Like Lata, I too learnt a valuable lesson that day.

I have great admiration for the Director of the next school I taught, in another city, where my husband was posted. The lady was the daughter of a freedom fighter, she valued nationalism and secularism above everything else. Those were the days of communal unrest in our country and she would make it a point to speak to her students regularly, during morning assembly, telling them how hatred and violence will always lead to evil and how empathy and understanding would enrich our lives and how we should pledge to live as Proud Indians, accepting and celebrating our diversity.

However, schools in the city were beset with unique problems! Here, it was my first encounter, with a group of students, who were adopted. For the first time, I was exposed to their pain and seclusion, how society still takes time to accept them in our midst. When I delved into the background of students with serious behavioural problems, I found that adoption was a major cause. I had dealt with students of separated and divorced parents, but this was altogether different. Some boards require verification of birth certificates and parents would come in after school hours, requesting teachers not to disclose to their children that they were adopted. I tried to advise these mothers that it would be better to reveal the facts to the child at some point of time but most of them were against it. Many had to overcome pressures from home, some had social issues but generally, the children seemed to have a rough time. In all my years, only one child has happily revealed that he was adopted and though he was a very naughty child, he was very endearing as well.

In our next posting, in Hospet, a small town, I taught English in a private college. I noticed that students were so bogged down by the education-examination system, that they had lost the joy of learning. They kept waiting for something magical to happen, they did not believe in helping themselves. I was shocked to find the student community so listless, that barring a few, learning was all about memorizing and appearing for the exam. They had all the modern gizmos, they knew how to enjoy themselves, but the future seemed to loom large in front of them.

After a two-year break, I am going back to being a teacher. Looking ahead, I hope to do my work with the same dedication and enthusiasm. I look forward to be in the company of children and wish the teaching-learning process will keep me young, agile, informed and happy! At the same time, I pray, it will make me a more understanding and tolerant human being, valuing mercy, patience, innocence and the human spirit!

A TIME TO WORK AND A TIME TO STRIKE

With civil activism at its height, how could I not devote a few moments to it? In India, we have been generally respectful of authority and this has its pluses and minuses. Activism has not been a transforming element of the social fabric, as it has been in many other parts of the world.

We have looked upon dharnas, bandhs, chakka jams, rail rokos as forms of protests and more often than not, it is always ‘their’ battle, the doctors, government employees, the truckers or the Jats, who from time to time have had their grievances addressed in such fashion. 

Our activism has never been channelized, as in campus reforms in Japan or opposition to the Vietnam war in America. Reforms in Education and Health, badly needed in India, have not yet been taken up by activists and voices are never raised for changes in curriculum, working conditions for teachers, youth issues and of course, affordable health care for all. We even don’t protest against unsuitable and imported changes in work culture and lifestyle!

Corruption, without doubt, has percolated to every walk of life and uprooting it is a daunting task. Stories of corruption in schools and offices, shops and stores are frightening! No wonder, it is difficult to even believe the degree of malpractices in high places! It is when power is hijacked that corruption raises its ugly head to benefit a few. In the process, everyone suffers, those who have to cough up huge sums and those who have to painstakingly hide their loot!

I was shocked to hear the government spokesperson say that Anna Hazare’s demand for a joint committee, with members from the government and civil society, on formulation of the Lok Pal Bill, was unconstitutional. In their view, civil society cannot be involved in bill formation as it is the duty of the parliament and legislature to initiate reforms! How much more dictatorial can an elected government get! Congress must tread carefully; else its statements may just fan the embers of the movement.

Corruption has to be tackled at all levels by all those who are affected by it. Yet again it is for the powerful to do it…you need power to change a system! So I wish Anna Hazare all the best and hope his band of social activists is able to deliver on their promise to the nation.

As one who lived in Bihar, during the tumultuous years, I cannot but draw comparisons to the student movement of 1974, and wait with trepidation, for the impact and result of the call given by Anna Hazare, on the public in general and students in particular.

Around, 1974, Jayaprakash Narayan gave a clarion call to all students in Bihar, to put on hold their their studies for a more important social cause, a peaceful total Revolution, against misrule and corruption in the government. Later it grew into a people’s movement and spread to other states of India. On the national level, after the infamous Emergency, the result was historical; the first non-congress government was formed in Delhi in 1977. It had altogether a different end in Bihar, one from which I feel, the state is yet to recover completely.

Before JP’s call, Bihar was caught in the throes of the Naxalite movement, which had its roots in rural Bihar- it began as a fight against the strong landlord-bureaucrat-politician nexus.  I lived in South Bihar, in  the steel city of Jamshedpur, and going by the events one read in the newspaper, a town which was comparatively, less affected. These naxals resorted to violence and some factions openly declared that  ‘If you kill one, we shall kill four’. Loot and kidnapping was the order of the day.

The state responded by putting its favourite machinery into action- the oppressive police force. Police atrocities were the talk of the town - frequent raids, destruction of household property, threats and intimidation, using abusive language towards women, arrests without warrants and then imprisonment without trial, and sometimes torture in prison. In towns like Jamshedpur, the innocents too paid a price.

Early one morning, the police came to the house of my neighbour and picked up their 19 yr old son, T. He was the eldest of four brothers, sons of a soft spoken and hardworking engineer. The family was shattered to learn that the arrest was a case of mistaken identity. The boy had been subject to third degree torture in police custody. No compensation was paid, no compensation could restore their normalcy. Another afternoon, we saw the  police at the house of another neighbour, with a truck in tow, for ‘kudki’ ie, confiscation of household items to bring an errant son down on his knees. No body bothered about the family.

However, life in remote villages continued to reel under much inequality, extreme poverty and oppression on a daily basis and these issues were not directly on the agenda of the 1974 movement, and as a result, there was little improvement in these aspects.

JP’s call brought out all the students, young men in large numbers and  even women  and girls from schools and colleges, small children, the common man on the street, and the teachers, and writers - all joined the campaign of chain fasting. When the movement intensified, in bigger towns, people stopped going to office to make the dharnas successful. 

Schools and colleges stopped functioning, and administration came to a grinding halt. Everyone identified themselves with JP’s cause. However, the political and social outcomes had far reaching effects.  The movement did not sustain Bihar’s government schools and colleges and the young activists had been left in the lurch. Colleges functioned in name only, not a single class was held for my post graduation course in English. I belonged to the 1985-87 M.A. Batch, but answered my exams in 1990, results were declared in 1991. Young men were left traumatized, the future they had envisaged was but a mirage.

As I write, I have just heard the news that the government has bowed to all four demands of Anna Hazare, who will call off his strike formally tomorrow. As for the commom man, on Monday he will go back to doing what he was doing, and hope for things to change. As for the Lok Pal bill and eradication of corruption, that will have to be an on going fight. Has the most corrupt political party in recent times come out trumps…as it showed its ‘sincerity’ to initiate changes in the system..? I am glad that Anna Hazare brought people together and knew when to let them off!