BABSKA'S JOURNEY

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Mornings

My days on a general basis begin at a pretty unearthly hour. And now that we're heading towards winter with shorter days and longer nights, I wake up to dark mornings and they feel terrible. For I'm the one who would love to spend some extra time in bed, toes cuddled in my quilt ready to finish the dream that was playing on my mind. If only... But then, when did we ever get everything we wanted?

So to make up for the dreary cold and oh-so blah mornings, my journey to college somewhat compensates for everything else. I guess it's always the start that taxes me but as the morning progresses, I prefer it to any other part of the day - travel-wise at least. And here are some reasons why...

It's a brand new start, and a sari clad me loves a no-crowd no-traffic road while I head to the bus stop.
The buses are superbly empty and it's all peaceful and quiet (no horns or screeching brakes or abuses hurled anywhere).
There's a sense of calm, a sense of peace and of course, there's a sense of ease minus a rush. There's no jostling, pushing or anything of that sort.
The sun is just the right amount of warmth, there's a cool breeze afloat the entire bus and everything feels fresh.
Traffic signals don't work till about 8am so there's no concept of long signals or motorists going crazy sitting on their horns at that hour.
There's no 'office rush'.
The platforms are not too crowded, buses come in clean and washed most often, drivers go grab a newspaper to keep them company while conductors get accounts and tickets checked.
There are students ALL over the place and there's something lovely about having students (in uniform and otherwise) around - running towards their bus while buses ease out of their respective platforms, talking, laughing, listening to music, reading novels, worrying about assignments not done, breathing a sigh of relief over assignments done, dreading upcoming tests/exams... it's a very very invigorating feeling to be around students.
The highlight of my morning is boarding my bus to college, the 'Hanumanji bus' as I call it. It's been my (and many others') saviour for the number of years they've studied at college. Aboard the bus, I'm all settled, music on and I know that I'm going to be in college well in time, which is a very very comforting feeling :)

And as my bus leaves the bus stand, the best part of my morning ensues. As we turn towards MG road, and stop at the signal, my bus is surrounded by students galore. Students of all ages and sizes. Baby students huddled in autos with their colourful bags hanging from the auto mirrors; BMTC buses filled with students from start to finish - eating, talking, sleeping, jumping, looking outside, playing, reading, singing or just being - taking students to their respective schools; children cuddled with their mother at the back of a car; children rehearsing lessons with their parents; big, small, long, sleek, box-ey yellow school buses saying 'Children Aboard' driving past; matador vans in all colours taking children to school, carpools, siblings fighting, girls adjusting their clips and hair; boys their belts and ties; mums instructing their kids - ALL converge at this signal for those few seconds.

And as the signal turns green, we all diverge at a gathering speed, going our own way for the day. Till we meet again, tomorrow and every other day, at this signal, doing what we do. And so it goes. Every morning. Children have a way of making everything better.

I couldn't ask for a more exhilarating start to my mornings. :)

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Of Romantics and Cynics

You've Got Mail

It's showing on WB as I write this post. This movie has more to it than its romantic, cute, awwww feel that a romantic comedy usually does. To me at least. I remember watching this movie on a summer's day when I was what? 11 years old. Keeping aside feelings a nascent adolescent goes through, this movie is one that spoke to me and stuck with me ever since. It wasn't even an epic movie or a much awaited sequel one would await eagerly. It was just its concept, its simplicity and its feel that appealed to me.

I loved the movie and still do. And very much so. It awakened the romantic in me, it made me dream, it made me believe and it made me hope. As the movie played along I conjectured and hoped for a similar plot to feature in my life.

I wanted the enigma of chatting with a random stranger to happen with me.

I wanted that random stranger to actually be someone I knew.

I wanted someone who I hated so badly to gnaw his way into my life. In a good and not so in-my-face way.
I wanted him to love me over and above his ego.

I wanted him to become my coffee pal, my friend and my confidant.

I wanted him to fall in love with me.

I wanted to fall in love with him eventually.

I wanted to be ShopGirl.

I wanted to get back home and have someone to talk to.

I wanted to have someone who got exactly what I was saying minus those many words.

I wanted him to force his way with me just so he could take care of me when I was ill. With ease at that.

I wanted him to read to me, to bring me my favorite flowers, to laugh with me, to go for walks together, to eat together, to meet in between work... to do sunshiney things together.
I wanted to meet him at a park with 'Somewhere over the rainbow' playing in the background.
I wanted my random stranger to be the one who was my best friend, my confidant and my everything.
I wanted the Joe and Kathleen story.

I wanted so many things and more.

I still do.

I dreamt. I made friends with random strangers online, one of whom I will never forget. I hoped. I wished. I even prayed.

But somewhere at the back of my mind the realist in me never let me cross a point. I knew that at the end of the day, You've Got Mail was just a movie and when did our lives ever really become movie-ish? When did such sweet sugary things ever happen? I for sure had never seen any of it in reality, so why expect or hope for it all?

So with that, I let the movie be. I let myself enjoy and soak in the movie, but from a distance. I loved it minus dreams.

I don't know when the romantic in me gave way to the cynic, as many people say. I very honestly believe that the romantic is still there in me, somewhere. Perhaps hidden till required. I am cynical for sure not because I'm against all things sweet and dreams but because anything else leads to expectations which can become such heart-breakers. I firmly believe that it's not always the person but what you expect from a person that guide the way we see relationships. And so I prefer donning the cynic's costume over anything else.

I know the romantic is still alive in me but is in hiding, like I said. Someday, somewhere when it is time, the romantic in me will flourish, and how!

I still hope and that's all I wish to do. I guess it's all a part of growing up. For me at least.

And that's the realist speaking, because when did our lives ever really become movie-ish?

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Happiness is more than just an emotion. It is a state of mind, it is a state of being and it is the joy of everything.

Teaching is also more than just a job or a career. It is a way of living, a way of delivering and it is most definitely, a way of believing.

Teaching is more than just a job or a career. It is a very very close approximation of happiness. And it most definitely is the exact approximation of a full circle.

And today, after a lull, I felt a part of that complete circle again. Not in class, but after a full day on my way back home.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Elvis Aaron Presley

There's not much I can say about this man simply because my words wouldn't even do justice to what he means to me.

I don't need to talk about his life or biography or music or even the fact that he was ultimately THE King. And I won't. Google does more than the needful.

To me he surpassed just being the King of Rock 'n Roll. In fact, all those details really don't matter to me. I'm not what you would call his die-hard fan. I'm just a lover of his music and a piece of this mosaic. Nothing more. And nothing less.

Why I choose to mention him today, in this post, is because he encapsulates all my adolescent memories. Memories of hot, sticky summers in Calcutta which were spent entirely in his presence, be it morning, dusk or midnight. I was just remembering dusks spent on the tree house with us humming Hound Dog or Heartbreak Hotel or Jailhouse Rock or Welcome To My World or Can't Help Falling In Love or Return To Sender or Suspicious Minds or The Girl Of My Best Friend or Always On My Mind or Are You Lonesome Tonight or Love Me Tender... I could go on and on and on. We even spent ages practicing and then eventually recording a karaoke version of In The Ghetto. Man did it feel good! :D And those were summers well spent.

Before I move on I need to mention how I got introduced to him. I owe it to my cousin sister entirely. Now she is a die-hard fan. She had all his cassettes back then in the 90s. She had the posters, the books, the heritage from her family, she had the faith, she had the love, she had the awe, she had the respect, she had it all. And more. And I think a tinge of it rubbed on to me.

The King needs a special mention because I spent all those years listening to him with his songs keeping me company all the time. And he was there with me through all those raging emotions and states of mind a teen could possibly go through. And for that, I am happy. I love the baritone, the pout, the panache and the entire get up. I love his earlier days though...the rustic boyishness to him.

Anyway, my teenage years onwards = Elvis Aaron Presley.

The King needs no special mention otherwise.

Here's leaving you with a few favorites

And finally...

Enjoy the King :)

Friday, November 5, 2010

I love the concept of washing the front of the house that takes place over here. I hate to differentiate but this is something I see only here, i.e. South India. In the north people do wash their houses but it's a different feel altogether which deserves a separate post.

What I love is how everything is fussed over in a non-fussy way, how it's just a part of every day life. The sweeping, then the washing and then the rangoli. I've always been fascinated by these designs and have tried my hand at them back when I had the enthusiasm to do it all. I love the simple every day designs, the complex festive designs, the colours, the combinations and everything!

So because today is Diwali and because I live here, this is what is outside my house today thanks to my mum who always wants one on a festival and thanks to my cook who takes the initiative on every festival.

Happy Diwali :)

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Rain and Church Street

So, continuing with the Diwali and festive spirit, here's another scoop from today!

I absolutely despise having the rains appear at this time of the year. Yes, it's supposed to be refreshing and cleansing and blah blah, but if we were to remove ourselves from that poetic and ideal world and come back to our reality - so called roads in potholes, slush and muck, drains overflowing, wading through godknowswhosespitandcrap, uncouth motorists who think the roads are theirs', missing pavements (wait, roads in potholes would automatically imply no footpaths), sleeping civic authorities (I could go on and we know how never-ending this list is) - having rains at this time (or any time as it were) SUCKS.

Also, since it's time for Diwali, I really hope the clouds clear away for just these 2 days to not dampen spirits, so that the diyas stay lit and the entire show doesn't get washed out.

However, amidst all this rain and thunderstorm that was enforced upon us, today afternoon was hugely rewarding. Tucked away on Church Street is where we sought shelter from the downpour, and because I was here, I lost track of time. Rain, namesake sunshine, thunder, storm and blah blue bleh, I chose to drown myself here...

And this here happened to be none other than Blossoms. Our Beloved Blossoms! Sorry the picture is a little blurred because I was a) so excited by the stacks of books, b) I was shivering from the cold, and lastly, c) I was trying not to catch the eye of the many cameras they have hidden all over the place! I after all didn't want to be thrown out on suspicious grounds from this haven, back into the horribly cold stormy afternoon on stinky Church Street.

Yes, so where were we? Ah, stacks of books *drool*
And yes, I lost track of time. As is always the case, I had already managed to load my arms with a few (ok fine, 5!) books, and it was just the beginning! *excitement*
I LOVE this store. And Bookworm as well.
I LOVE seeing 2 price tags - the original one and the Blossoms one - and flipping (mentally) at the discount.
I LOVE the variety, the volume and the range of books they have! I could pull all those books down and just dive in them.
Or have an American Beauty moment by just lying down on the floor watching books fall at me in slo-mo (and gently).
I LOVE the character this place has! No other fancier store can ever ever replace it (though I am a sucker for Crossword as well)
I LOVE this book paradise and this readers' haven! It is just so beautiful! And marvelous. And awe-inspiring. And so much more.

So much later, at the risk of maxing out my card, I walked out with my three prized possessions: Jhumpa Lahiri's 'The Interpreter of Maladies' (been waiting ages for this one!), 'Tales by Hans Christian Anderson' (the graphics are so so gorgeous!!) and 'Mahatma' by D.G Tendulkar (which looks so frayed as though someone from the 50s owned it). I cannot wait to dig in.

Oh wait, I have D.H Lawrence's 'Sons and Lovers' and two huge collections of novels by R.K Narayan... So yeah, hallelujah! :)

So yes, I am feeling forgiving because such an afternoon couldn't have had a better silver lining, that too tucked away in books.

Blissed Out.

My life the past few months has been a colossal attempt to study for an exam. And I've FAILED miserably. Anyway, this post is not meant to be about how less I have studied and how I haven't gotten anywhere with them.

What this post is about is that it's DIWALI time and it's time for me to gear up and welcome everything that this festival offers with open arms.

So, basically what I imply is that it's time to keep my books away away and head out to paint the town red! Bye bye books and exam worries and hello diyas, food, mehendi, sweets, fireworks and more!

Weeeehaaaa, it's Diwali time! :)

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Of festivals and newness

This is one of my favoritest times of the year. Diwali time.

It's the time of brightness, colour, festivities, food, togetherness, light, piety, celebration, thanksgiving, love, joy and so so much more. Dhanteras, the time to buy jewelery and new utensils, Narakchaturdashi, the time to celebrate and commemorate good's triumph over evil and of course, Diwali, the time to light up and welcome back splendor in all its glory.

I cannot begin to describe how much I love this festival and everything it brings with it. With all the cleaning and decorating, the pujas and diya lighting, the sweets and food - it's such a gorgeous time for celebrations to take place! The house just smells beautiful - the smell of ghee in diyas meant for the puja room mixed with the wafting freshness of burnt kapoor (camphor) to the smell of flowers, leaves and agarbattis... it truly feels like a place for the Divine.

Shift to the kitchen and its another ambiance altogether with smells from gudd ki kheer, ladoos, mithais, pooris, sabzi, fruits making it a gastronomically never-ending wait. Of course once the food has been given as bhog (or graced by God) do we get to dig in, and man is the wait worth every moment!

With the diyas placed all around the house (even in rooms and the bathrooms) and outside, switching off all the electrical lights and just marveling at the splendor of their beauty is what I look forward to the most. I love fussing over the diyas, bathing them with oil, filling them to the brim, lighting them and watching them glitter in the dark.

The day ends with fireworks of course - with phuljadis and anars and chakras... and sometimes standing on one's terrace and watching everyone celebrate this festival in all its glory. I could however do without the pollution and the noise.

And last but not the least, it's a time to look back, remember and be thankful for everything we've been graced with. It's a time to think of all my elders and seek their blessings. It's time to keep everyone in my prayers. It's a time to remember those who couldn't be there with us. It's a time to remember those who have passed on. It's a time to make phone calls and scream out in joy. It's a time to be grateful. It's a time to let go. It's a time to have friends over. It's a time to just celebrate.

And now that we have new additions to our family who will be celebrating their first Diwali with us, it's also a time to welcome them by making them feel safe and comfortable minus the noise.

Here's wishing all of you a wonderful, peaceful and gorgeous Diwali. May all your dreams come true and may you let go of all your diets and inhibitions! It's after all, a time to CELEBRATE!