Chez Chay

Raghu Dixit - About the album

2008-03-24T23:51:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer - This is not an objective review. It is my very subjective observation.

The album in question is Vishal & Shekar presents Raghu Dixit
The Artist – Raghu Dixit
The Band - The Raghu Dixit Project or RDP for short.

Enough has been said about the fact that it is Vishal & Shekar’s first album as a record label. Much more has been said about the Bollywood endorsement RDP has received. Btw, RDP is all over MTV India, which is great. And you can now hear RDP on KBCS - 91.3 FM if you are in the Seattle area or on the station website if you are in any other part of the world.
Shows most likely to be heard in:
Spice Route – Wed 2100-2300 PDT (which yours truly DJs every other week)
Daily Planet – Weekdays 1500 – 1700 PDT

Personally, I have enjoyed Raghu’s music from the time I first heard it. At that time, it was a welcome relief. Honestly RDP sounded too good to be true. It took me all of a day to believe that as an artist, Raghu was completely committed to creating his own style and niche.

For close to a decade, Raghu has performed in every major university, college, corporate house and music lounge in India. He has been interviewed on India’s national television and prominent magazines. The urban youth of the country has followed the trail Raghu has blazed and helped build momentum for the band and the brand. After all these years of toil and tears, promises and rejections, the album is finally a reality. And with the realization of his decade long dream, Raghu has become the poster boy of sorts for all those young Indian rock-star aspirants who perform at every given opportunity with a hairbrush for a microphone, head banging interrupted only by stellar air guitar work. But don’t be fooled. RDP is not just another rock band basking in its 15 minutes of fame, wearing itself out on one authentic set. This lungi wearing, anklet jangling, largely loved band might just have given a new dimension to the Indian music industry as a whole.

In India, the majority of people have no exposure or inclination towards musical styles other than Bollywood, traditional or classical music. For this vast majority, RDP opens an entire new world of sounds and possibilities. And the reason Raghu’s style works so well in this segment is because he makes the songs accessible and understandable. There is no over intellectualization or snobbishness in lyrics, music, delivery or the artist himself. He sings in all the languages he knows and if he learns a new one, he’ll probably sing in that language as well. For those people who are exposed to various music styles from around the world, there is sense of recognition and awe with each song. Raghu has perfectly described his style of music as ‘a seamless amalgamation of Indian ethnic music and sounds from around the world’. He calls the genre Indo-World-Folk-Rock. I believe it’s just a matter of time before more genres get strung to this existing set. As of now, I detect blues, jazz, Carnatic, dub, reggae…it is futile to put a check box in front of such music.

The poetry makes my heart swell with emotion and pride. There is the timeless poetry of Sishunala Sharief filled with ancient wisdom and wit. I have heard many people sing Sharief’s songs but the compositions and tunes have always been untouched over the decades. I suppose, no one wanted to even try and make them sound different. And then I heard Raghu’s version of Sorutihudu Maneya Maalige. When juxtaposed, the older and newer versions are completely different in style and intensity. Of course, I prefer Raghu’s version. Then there are younger contemporary poets such as Neeraj Singh and Aditya Dhar who write simple, attractive verses relevant to this day and generation. Raghu has found a way to not only bring together different sounds from around the world, but also balance the older and newer literatures. In doing so, he has started bridging the musical generation gap of India. The older people no longer consider all young artists as riff-raff and the younger people don’t crinkle their nose at older literature or wisdom. Raghu now has an assured audience from across all generations and sub cultures. Very smart indeed!!

And of course, his booming voice is unlike anything you have heard before. There is certain clarity and openness that takes you by surprise and holds your interest track after track. There are very few self trained musicians who can hold a note the way he does. His singing style has mellowed and matured over the years. But the intense organic emotion still takes me by surprise every now and then.

The band compliments Raghu’s music beautifully. I understand that as a band they are open to experimenting with new sounds and liaising with other artists from around the world. What a novel idea!!
Band members/ regular contributors–Gaurav Vaz, Anirban Chakravarthy, Darbuka Siva, Bruce Lee Mani, Vijay Joseph, Jithin Das, Sandeep, Keith Peters, Josy John, Manoj George, Dharma, Prakash Sontakke, Abhijeet, Rahool, Rzhude, Navin Iyer, Balaji, Bhavani Shankar and the loyal Bandappa. I think this list will keep growing over time.

About the album itself - the first thing that struck me was the album art. It’s a nice chunky booklet in an earthy shade of red. The album cover has a painted portrait of Raghu with guitar in hand. Bangalore based artist Manjunatha has done a fabulous job capturing all the intricate details down to the individual hairstyles of the band members and the necklace that Raghu wears at his concerts, in the traditional and tedious Indian miniature style of art. Apart from the paintings there are some very beautiful photographs from concerts as well as photo shoots in rural India. The concept and design is by Vasu Dixit, Raghu’s brother and a musician himself. The album art is an authentic representation of the music and the band. A lot of thought has been put into the details and it is all very charming indeed.

As a DJ, one of my nightmares is to flip open a CD jacket and find that there is no liner notes inside. This is particularly true of CDs that are from South Asia. CDS often come with no more that the track listing. At best you will find a booklet with lyrics or photographs. Usually, I am looking up the internet for album and track information seconds before I go on air and it’s not the most pleasant experience. While this album’s booklet has lovely pictures and paintings which I enjoy, I wish there was a little more information about each track. There are Hindi and English lyrics but there are no translations. Exceptions are the two Shishunala Sharief songs, with lyrics in Kannada, English and the translation as well.

The last page has Raghu’s thank you notes. It’s been a while since I enjoyed reading credits so much. His sense of humor and graciousness are apparent in those few lines.

Albeit, I think it is well worth applauding Raghu Dixit - the artist, the man, the album and his vision for RDP as a band.

There are several well written reviews I’d like to point out. Split Magazine’s Anand Varghese has done considerable justice. As has Vidya Pradhan of Water, No Ice. So, please take the time to read and then listen to the music If you like the artist and band, support them by buying their album. They are easier to find on the Indian market but will soon be available for sale in the US on www.CDbaby.com

Spring

2008-03-23T01:13:00.000-07:00

When the world lies dreamless
Floating in a timeless abyss
Pushing through rock and gravel
Inching upward they travel
Little forgotten miracles
Hyacinths, tulips, daffodils
Breaking the ground with life anew
Heralding beginnings in every hue

The Raghu Dixit Project.....

2008-03-07T14:32:00.002-08:00

Woohoo!! Finally...here it is. I have to credit this event for drawing me out of my self imposed hiatus and tend to my much neglected blog.

I have to share this with you. Take a listen to Raghu's music. After many years of blood, sweat and tears his first album has finally been released....and endorsed by the baadshahs and belles of bollywood . But honestly, the music is wonderful... His myspace page has samples...listen and order a copy of his CD.
The band blog

I am awaiting my first copy....and looking forward to introducing his voice to the airwaves of Seattle. :-)

Searching for you

2008-03-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

I strolled around taking pictures
with shaky restless fingers
trying to smother this new sight
with the crisp memories & old delight
when a man came by with a hop
from the nearby tea shop
bursting eagerly with questions
about possible transactions

“Do you work for the paper?”
“Will you buy this house?”
I spoke your name in reply
part question, part answer
he pondered and frowned
making the right sound
but he’d not heard of you
your name he never knew

This old house

2006-11-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

Jan 2006 - Pictures and Poem

I went by your house looking for you
Searching for a remnant of us
I expected to see smiles and tears
I thought of the questions and fears
I even expected accusations and jeers
But you were gone, you had moved on
You had faded even from the nameplate
That used to decorate your broken gate

The steps on which we sat and dreamt
Laughed back at me in bitter contempt
Tormenting, willing me to go back in time
to take a peek at this moment in its prime
A sepia picture of you bouncing out
A guitar, a grin and arms stretched out
I waved back, felt it was going to be okay,
But into distempered oblivion, you faded away

I went by your house looking for you
Searching for a remnant of us
All that’s left is a decrepit old carcass
of childhood stories and what once used to be us.
A broken castle with a lock old and rusty
Guarding scattered memories old and dusty
I came by your house looking for you
You are gone. You have moved on.

Frozen!!

2006-11-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

My last post was on 15 of August, 2006. Exactly 3 months ago.

I’ve comeback to my blog several times and I’ve sat in front of it for what always seems like several hours, just staring at the computer screen, wondering how to write. Its not that I find my mind emptied of content, just that I cannot bring myself to start committing my thoughts. Every sentence I want to type asks me the same question – What are you going to accomplish with me out there in the great world of sentences, vain and righteous? Will I touch someone’s life today and impact them, perhaps propel them towards some good? Will I be part of someone’s destiny? Am I the best that you can bring from within yourself? Am I the best representation of who you were or what you are? Do you really like me enough to represent you?

If I were to put it more simply, I find it hard to write something frivolous anymore. If it’s a piece of writing, then it has to be toward something, what’s the word…constructive?

I can write about my vacations or what I am doing now or any such thing….but what’s the point? The people who need to know are informed and those who read such things on a blog don’t really need to know what I am upto anyway. And then I can share my opinions….and accomplish what? Almost every blog site I used to write in or every group of people that I used to interact with have the same sort of issues. People argue endlessly and needlessly about things that don’t really make any sort of difference to anyone….unless it’s a momentary difference. So I’d only feel worse if I added more clutter and ended up making people snap and bite instead of ponder and respect, no?

I often wonder if it’s this strong thought is what should propel me towards writing more seriously – perhaps for a publication or something I can publish. But the co-ordinates seem off in my spirit. I am not talking about planets aligning and such, just that I don’t fell right about it in my gut. After all this time, after all the walking and progress, I still see that my fundamental questions are unanswered. Everything I do is a distraction from the gnawing question – what is the true purpose of my life?

I have almost 60 pieces of writing in various stages sitting in my computer. Some have been finished for close to a year now…but I hesitate. All I can do is sit here, in front of my screen, paralyzed and wondering. Frozen!!

Independence!!!

2006-08-15T00:11:00.000-07:00


National Anthem of India

During the 4th of July, someone stuck little American flags in everyone’s lawn; I let them be…they are still in some part of my yard. But, I don’t have the Indian flag flying in my yard. I have never drawn Rangolis or written messages on Independence Day. In fact, I have never been one to call myself patriotic. When I think of it, I guess I never really paid it much attention. I did not even engage in arguments about the state of our independent country. But this I know!! I have always loved my country.…

It seems like some old sentimental streak in me is getting more and more persistent. I started looking for videos and pictures of India. While on the net I noticed junta calling Jana Gana Mana the National Song of India…when did it become a song?? It’s the National Anthem for goodness’s sake!! An Anthem is very different from a song…Anyway, I found a few videos that I am celebrating this Independence Day with. Its 5 minutes to midnight and I am listening to Pandit Nehru’s ‘A Tryst with Destiny’ speech. And I am reminded of how the only time I liked wore flowers in my hair to school was during Independence Day – I made sure I wore Jasmine strung with very few orange flowers and green leaves. I suppose that does qualify for patriotism…

I don’t say it often enough…but I am so thankful to have the independence we do.
Happy Independence Day!!

The Speech -

http://www.harappa.com/sounds/nehru.html

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1947nehru1.html

Oh what a year!!

2006-06-27T23:52:00.000-07:00

I can’t remember when last I checked my blog or the associated mail ids. But I am overwhelmed by the number of comments/mails asking after me, wondering where I was etc. Thanks my friends!! I had no doubt that I was charming…but this loved!! Sniff sniff in joy!!

My hiatus has been eventful. Well, today is an event in itself. I turn 29 on the 28. The last year was the once in a life time 28 on 28th event!! Well…I feel it’s special to turn 29 on 28th…my birthday is always special to me. It makes me look back on my life and I always feel so grateful toward God not just for my life, but for all the people in my life, my family, friends, the twists and turns, the interesting lessons, the pain, the sorrow, the lack, the disappointments, the achievements, successes and victories, heck even the quiescence that I sometimes choose to call boredom. It’s all wonderful!! My life is wonderful!!

So what has happened in the past year of my life… the last 6 months specifically?

I traveled to India. Wow that was an awesome trip!! Meeting all the bloggers in Bangalore was one of the highlights of my trip. It was more than just putting faces to handles and names. It gave me an opportunity to understand relationships, myself, people and the beauty in them better. There are many many fun things we did…and no, I won’t write about them all here. I don’t know if I do want write everything…

India…Ah India!! What amazing things I did this time. I drove 800 Kms in 3 days with my parents. Stopping in over 6 different towns/cities, spending time with family and some old friends. I drove…by myself…and enjoyed it too. Mom and I drove down to Mysore, and met some of our oldest and dearest friends. People I have not seen since I last left Mysore in 1994. That was an emotionally overwhelming trip.

I managed to find some long lost friends. A childhood friend that I have not seen in 13 years. That was such a wonderful thing…The other was my best buddy in college. We parted ways after college and went separate ways. He was always on my mind but I did not know where to look for him. Eventually, I did track him down…That was so cool!! I also met my ex-boss in the airport on my way to Seattle…he was flying to SFO…I must write about this later on!!
I went down to my school in Mysore….Oh boy!! I will write about too that later…

I met the Bay area bloggers…that was fun too. We met up at a really nice restaurant for dinner…SSM, Peppo, Aditi and moi-self. We had spent the day at Berkeley and my family dropped me off for dinner near the restaurant and decided to grab a bit themselves in another restaurant. Then they walked around the area trying to stay close to where I was, while browsing the shops etc, and went past the restaurant a couple of times. They did not really see me, but my niece missed me so much that when she spotted me she ran up to the glass and tapped on it (we had a table by the street) Digressing, but remember that adorable scene from ‘A Perfect Day’ with Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney? Well she did not blow fish faces at me and I was looking away when she did come and tap the glass. Peppo got a good scare and we spoke about how kids could run around like that and what that was all about. Since I did not see the kid, I had no idea that this was my kid!! ...later on when we stepped out to go get some coffee and dessert, my niece spotted me again and ran towards me. Well…My family was embarrassed that they intruded on my time out with friends…but it was ok!! I can never forget the look on Peppy’s face!! Oh boy…that was totally worth it!!

I threw my husband a surprise birthday party. I managed to keep it a surprise…it took a lot of work; friends pitched in helped to keep him away on the day of the party. Poor guys, they went to play a game of golf, the weather turned out to be miserable…they played in the rain and sleet, finally gave up when the clubs started flying out of their hands, eventually they gave up and ended up playing board games at a friend’s house. But that was an awesome party. I managed to fit 30 of out closest friends in my small living room, and cook for all 30 of them. The orange cake with the orange curd glaze was a major hit; my almond cake was finished in minutes…as was the paneer tikka, the grilled shrimp, chicken samosas and veg puffs. I had also made rosemary pita chips, and some drinks as well…It was supposed to be a tea and cake party. It was a lot of planning…but it was totally worth the trouble!! Hubby dear was wowed and speechless for days.
After having lived in this country for over 3 years I finally got myself a driver’s permit!
I bought me a cool car…well an SUV actually! A Suzuki XL7 that I am enjoying thoroughly. I will not crib about the gas prices!!(so help me God!) I constantly fill the car with soil, mulch, plants and such things…It has a great sound system which I am enjoying very much!

I decided to give in to my darling dentist and finally went in for a check up. I have a phobia towards dentists. The more time they spend fixing my teeth, the more scared I am of them!!

I have grown a garden – I am still landscaping my back and front yard. It’s a lot of back breaking work…there is still a lot more to do. But I am determined to do it myself instead of hiring someone to do it…It makes the whole experience memorable. For instance the 375 lb sod cutting machine that my hubbs had to maneuver to remove some grass. More on that later...

I will be having another little niece in a few months!! That is just great!! We can now have our own little girlie gang in the family. Of course that means the pressure on us has quadrupled!!

It seems like I have given my camera a rest - temporarily!! This season on my life seems to have a lot of things packed in.

This will be my last year in the 20’s….the next year I turn 30 and my dad turns 60. I suddenly realized this the other day. It was humbling when I thought about how much more experienced and wise my father is than me…and how little credit I have given him. How much more he has to offer and how little I am willing to take.

This will be a good year….I know so!! I feel at peace with life, with myself and with my Maker….inspite of all the fears and doubts, I feel peace!!

Perhaps some I can say like Sinatra…

And now I think of my life as vintage wine

from fine old kegs
from the brim to the dregs
and it poured sweet and clear

It will be a very good year!! I know so!!

So much to tell

2006-02-17T09:36:00.000-08:00

I have so much to tell you
I don’t know how
I’ve brought stories anew
But I can’t speak now

Sweet effervescent desires
Bubble forth like a creek
Shades of crimson passion
Leave marks upon my cheek

I fumble and falter
While you coax and cajole
I stutter and mutter
Yet my heart feels whole

I have so much to tell you
I don’t know how
I have so much to tell you
But I can’t speak now

The Perfect Lover

2006-02-13T17:56:00.000-08:00

Meme for the moment - "8 qualities I want in a perfect lover"

First of all it is extremely cruel to ask happily married people to make up such lists. We (we insist) are happy with what we have, regardless of whether it is on the list or not. Those that are not happy are in the process of becoming happy. On the other hand, it causes us to revisit some of our ideas and notions about ‘the perfect partner’ as well as reevaluate our relationship/marriage. So I don’t mind writing this meme, although I must admit making this list was easy. But I had to be careful not to make this list too perfect, coz then I’d be subject to the perfection test and fail miserably!!

I got tagged several days ago…and I honestly forgot to write it up. Sorry Shpriya for the delay…but here goes.

1. If he cannot converse he cannot hold my interest. Must be able to make meaningful conversation. If we stop talking the romance is dying…

2. Can be as much of a guy (scratching, belching, chest thumping included) as he wants. I have no problem with him being who he is. In fact I’ll join him when he ogles at girls and even point out the few that he misses, engage in occasional belching contests and do as many guy things as I can. But when the time and place requires, he must be polished, suave and sexy!!

3. I want a man not a child and I don’t want a toy either. He must have a mind of his own and be able to think for himself. No room for imposition here, we are partners….and we are both allowed to make as many mistakes as it takes.

4. A great sense of humour, one that is not exclusively dependent on dirty stuff. If he cannot make me laugh I will forget to laugh and that will be a bad thing for this world. It is my man’s job to keep me entertained and vice versa. Either ways a lot of laughter is a must!!

5. Adventurous spirited chap. He has to be an outdoorsy kind of a guy, given to traveling, sports (since I know nothing of sports) and someone who will try most things that are new. Won’t include eating worms and things like that, but he must be able to bring in something new as I will.

6. Needless to say has to be well dressed and smell good and clean. Must have a sense of fashion…Goodness, I can’t think of being with a Govinda wannabe!! Or a garbage truck for that matter!!

7. He has to be passionate about life but balanced. Must be ambitious, energetic and driven but should also know how to kick back and smell the roses and violets and be spontaneous. Must have chutzpah!!

8. Books, music, good wine and good food, romance, chivalry, good taste, same wavelength, tuned to the inner me, quick to forgive and quicker to apologize etc etc…those go without saying, but hey, I’ll say it for the record anyway!!

To sum it up, James Bond will do!! But then what will I do with someone that’s that perfect? Everything will be so precisely tailored that I’d get bored. If he is perfect then I am expected to be perfect…so no thank you!! Besides, the moment we are perfect we die. Imperfection is what keeps us here on earth and connected to other imperfect souls.

And when I actually think about it, I have a better deal than I imagined. He gets 8 on 8 from my list!!

Heck I have someone even better than James the Bond!!

Am tagging - Vivek, Bharat, Nachi, Inter and Fizo

Tag Attack...7...?

2006-02-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

Man I got tagged!! And I shall have my revenge...muahhahhaaa!!

7 things I wish to do before I die

1.Live in Africa, Europe, South America and Australia for short durations of my life (yeah that’s most of the continents on the planet)
2.Own a boat and learn to sail (and fly as well…the tag says 7)
3.Start restaurants, many different kinds of restaurants in many different places.
4.Learn pottery (I’d add scuba diving, bungee jumping, sky diving, being in a rally, snowboarding and a whole bunch of other things…but again the tag says only 7)
5.Study more…a lot more.
6.Write one book and follow it with many books (don’t we all want that??)
7.Live one full day knowing that my life is complete and that I have fulfilled my purpose on earth. (a moment is not enough to bask in such divine knowledge) then I am ready to die!!

7 things I do not enjoy:

1.Being around obnoxiously loud and vulgar people or those that use a lot of cuss words needlessly.
2.Pretending (yeah I do it sometimes to get by) or tolerating pretense when subject to it.
3.Heavy Metal, Hard Rock and all its variants…acid, punk…blah!
4.Conversations where people say ‘like’ and ‘I don’t know’ excessively.
5.Getting up early in the morning.
6.Arguments with people I least expect to argue with.
7.Uncomfortable silences…not having anything to speak about.

7 things that attracted me to Blogging

1.I could write and share it without baggage and junk. I feel safe with my thoughts because I know there are others that think like me.
2.I get to witness amazing snapshots of people and their lives, stories and opinions and be a part of their life. The interaction is awesome!!
3.The blogososphere connects us all inexplicably. I love that!! The sense of déjà vu when you read something or know that someone across the world you never ever met is going thro the exact same thing at the exact same moment, or that they hold an answer to your question or vice versa. The entire 6 degrees of separation thing….I just love that!!
4.What I could learn….I find that addictive. There is tremendous wisdom to be gained…if we want it.
5.The possibility of new relationships, friendships beyond the comments and chats.
6.Blogging is a good way to channel my energy and restlessness. I sometimes have too much of both.
7.An effective way for me to chronicle my life and store memories. There are so many….and I want to remember everything.

7 things I say most often

1.Cool, neat, nice, awesome, wonderful…(depending on the season and various such peculiar aspects)
2.Correct, right
3.Thank You
4.Brilliant
5.Oh Man!!
6.For Goodness sake!!
7.Can you believe that!!
8.Bonus – When in India – Dear Lord, please help me find a parking spot…

7 Books I like (just 7 eh?)

1.The Bible (dont get spooked please!! I am normal!)
2.Crime and Punishment
3.Oliver Twist
4.Pride and Prejudice (actually all of Jane Austen)
5.To the Lighthouse
6.DHL (everything I have read that is)
7.Tintin and Asterix comics

7 Movies I want to watch (and have watched) again and again (Just 7..oh this is cruel!!)

1.Lawrence of Arabia
2.Gone with the Wind
3.The Apu trilogy, particularly Pather Panchali
4.Citizen Kane
5.Love Story (so not the Hindi one)
6.Before Sunset

7.Any movie that catches my fancy

7 pieces of Music I enjoy (just 7…this is really bad!! There are just too many genres and too many pieces. I’ll try, but…)

1.Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake
2.Handel – Messiah
3.Pancharatna Kritis – (particularly Jagadaananda karaka and Sadinchane O Manasa)
4.Jazz –for goodness sake, don’t ask for a single piece now!!
5.Fazal Qureshi and Shankar Mahadevan’s Tea Break – the whole darned album
6.Rabbi Shergill – Ishtihar from Bulla ki Jaana
7.Raghu Dixit – his rendition of Shishunala Sharifas’s songs – not yet released…look out for it

7 people I am tagging (muahhahhahaa!!)

1.Dooka

2.Doc Das

3.Vivek

4.Punds

5.Ano

6.Nithya

7.Parik/IW

RD Memories

2006-01-26T22:33:00.000-08:00

The date was 2nd Jan 2006.

The moment I drove past the big old Jacaranda tree with maroon and white stripes around its knotted midriff, I knew it. The tree has been standing strong for years, watching the years roll into decades, caching memories in its rings.

I wonder if the tree remembers a young gal running past it twice a day everyday for one whole year. She’d stop by the tree without fail, clutching her throbbing stomach while drawing loud raspy breaths of cold air into her heated lungs, squinting past the knotted trunk up towards the branches to see if there were flowers. She knew if there’d be flowers or not, but looked anyway. And all the while she’d count in her mind – 9, 10, 11…until one other girl ran past her. Then she’d reluctantly and silently bid adieu to the tree and start running again till she reached the designated post, to turn around and outrun the other girl. She never stopped by the tree on her way back.

I don’t know if the tree remembers me. But I remember everything…almost.

I remember how I loved the march-past at School. I absolutely loved being all stiff and angry looking, feeling important and patriotic, saluting Rev Fr D’Mello and Mrs Lobo, trying not to see the funny faces that the other girls from my class we pulling at me. My PT Master had selected just 3 girls from my class for the parade; the other girls were from the higher classes. I was so proud to be part of the team that I did not mind that I sometimes had to go to school a half an hour early or stay back late for practices. Come July, we’d start practice for the Independence Day march-past and come November we’d start practice for the Republic Day march-past. Republic Day was always more special, There were more activities, dances and such. The parade itself was longer and different, the band was bigger and we got motichur laddus instead of boring barfi. Once back at home, I’d watch the RD parade on TV wondering what fun the kids there might be having.

When in college I joined NCC. The first year was boring with identical drills and a camp with trenches for toilets, but the second year was an entirely different thing. Every morning my dad would drop me at this huge old bungalow at 5.00 am in the biting cold.

We were about 50 young girls and we had to run 6 kms every morning. We were timed every single day and each day missed was recorded, so you could not fall sick. Or you fell sick but still ran…like I did. My dad would time me as well, just to stay busy during the 45 minutes we were gone. Once back from the run/race we’d have drill practice.

Now when I look back its amazing that I even wanted to run like that. I cannot believe that I went through so much physical pain just to be part of the RD parade.

I never made it through the selections for the coveted RD parade inspite of being the first at that final selection race. Maybe I was lacking in some other important aspect …I always found those rifles too heavy to run with and could never get up fast enough with all the funny gear. The good thing is that I was not too disappointed. My dad was relieved because he did not have to deal with early mornings anymore and had just my late evening dance practices to endure.

It’s been many years since all this happened. It’s been many years since I watched the parade on TV. This year we called family back home. I forgot to ask, but I am sure Ma hoisted the Flag at her college and dad at his….

I feel like some Motichur laddu…Oh and a Happy belated Republic Day!!

A few days ago while still in India I saw this on CNN-IBN. http://www.ibnlive.com/article.php?id=3497&section_id=3 (watch the video as well)

Bengalooru Bloggers - An introduction to Ananthu

2006-01-24T01:24:00.000-08:00

After the initial 20 day euphoria of family and extended family, a very wonderful wedding (pictures of which you shall see later), I was suddenly left alone. Both mum and dad were at their respective colleges, I have no siblings to bicker and bond with and I was done with food and sleep. It almost seemed impossible!! How was I going to fill every day of the next 2 months of my stay in India with 12 hours with activities ? The activities had to be interesting too. But man was I worrying over nothing!!

The absolute first blogger I met was….(tatta da daa da ta daa da ta da – in the background plays the theme from Rocky)….ANANTHU. No prizes for guessing that!! So, here I was in the general area that he works in, running a few annoying errands and it happened to be lunch time and I was starving. We decided I’d park at his office and so that’s where we met - at the great big gate to his office building. He seemed to be completely at ease, he'd done this many times before with other people. Although I bet he was praying like mad that I was not this crazed junkie high on something other than coffee that was going to chop him up into tiny pieces and feed them to the goats right after lunch. Me…? Well I was more concerned about him. He was going to end up in pieces after all… ;-)

So he took me to this nice looking ‘new’ restaurant with sparkly lights and Italian marble flooring. As soon as we settled in, I mentioned to Ananthu this other restaurant in the same area that hubbs and I used to frequent years ago. He agreed they make great Oota (food). So, without wasting another hungry moment the two of us slid out of our seats and headed towards the noisier, more crowded, un-fancy Andhra style restaurant that serves amazing banana leaf food. (Sorry Ananthu, I still don’t remember the name of the ‘joint’, you will have to provide that) On the way there, Ananthu very nonchalantly said, “I actually thought of that place, but then thought you might not like it. I thought I’d take you to a more decent looking place at least the first time we met”. (gaaaawd, I feel deeply for the girls of Bengalooru!! He has every idea to impress them ladies minto-phress ishtyle, I am certain. Bechaari kudiyaan!!)

So we talked and joked and mentioned many times that we had to meet again and have a DSS meet as well. When back at the parking lot, Ananthu took me around to show me his new bike. And he could not find it because there were some 50 similar bikes in the same row. So after hunting it down, he eventually showed me the cool wheels and we discussed biking and such things and eventually focused on the uncomfortable looking seat. I asked if the pillion rider would be safe and Ananthu said, “who cares!” Double dang!! There went my hopes of a fun bike ride around the city with Ananthu! Apparently bikes like Ananthu’s are called bachelor bikes….I will let you draw your own conclusions about this, but just to point you in the right direction of my thoughts I will say that the term ‘Bachelor Bike’ has less to do with comfort for the pillion rider and more to do with the sudden brakes that the rider applies…..yeah you thought right!! Well, this is the age to play right??

After the vaahan darshan I quickly took down the mobile numbers of the other cool Bengalooru Bloggers and touched base with a few of them right there. I now recollect Pradz had a score to settle with Ananthu that first time I spoke with him…wonder if that was sorted out….Now that I have ‘bathhi hachhi-fied’ (lit the wick….hopefully to a new bomb…its a Kannada expression), my job for the first report is done…

There is still a lot more to say,
but for now ashte!! (ashte = That’s all/That’s it.)
Same time, some other day!!
Nimma preethiya Chay (Your loving Chay…. don’t gag on the corny stuff please!! Try and smile instead....) :-)

Nothing at all....

2006-01-20T00:56:00.000-08:00

Really it’s nothing!
Nothing at all!

A raised eyebrow,
the beginning of a smile.
An unfinished sonnet,
a number to dial.
Scraps of papers
with scratchy old songs.
Broken dreams of
absolutely nothing

All the tiny nothings
gather to make a little
something, that makes my
foolish heart long and
ache for a reflection
of an old wild emotion
that now is nothing,
but scraps of empty images..

Really it’s nothing!
Absolutely nothing!

Coffee shop stories

2006-01-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

Jan 6th 2006, Bangalore.

Late as expected….is anyone ever on time in this city?? I stood there muttering to myself. I was partly annoyed because there was not a single place within the city that was actually quiet and had good coffee, at least none that I knew of. And of the two requirements – quiet and coffee, coffee seemed to be more important. After all isn’t that what people do when they are seeing someone after a long time….meet for coffee?? Well, he was not to blame, I was 10 minutes early. I decided to stop pacing and forced myself to sit and concentrate on my white porcelain cup of filter coffee.

And there, in that street side café, tucked away in a little island of privacy, protected by potted palms and loud honking, stood a young boy with his head hanging. She sat facing away from him and trying to be unobvious wiped away a lonely tear that had managed to break loose from the taut dyke in her heart.

The tear from his eye splashed loudly on the hard concrete floor…it sounded like a perfect piece of crystal disintegrating into a million tiny pieces. He was brave! He did not hide his brokenness or his lack of comprehension. Instead he just held her hand…she had offered it as a handshake. The age old dialogue of, “Let’s remain friends”, had been abused once again.

He was shaken up badly; he was staring at her in disbelief, trying to shake off what was happening. She seemed so certain, so in control, so darned certain of everything she was doing!!

But she was the vulnerable one. On her face was a sheer veil of steel and glass, and he could see that it was fake.... The frail façade melted his heart yet again and he sat her down. He took her face in his hands tenderly and looked deeply into her eyes, willing her to stay. The pain he inflicted gave him a cruel satisfaction. The remorse of having made it difficult for her took him by surprise and he let her look away. Confused and angry, he sat at her feet and put his head in her lap.

His tears stained her skirt with his bleeding heart. Her fingers strolled through his locks and left hot trails of young passion. She let his burning tears sear her flesh with fragrant memories. And he let her fingers sear his mind with her unsung songs.

They sat there soaking in every emotion, every moment. Unable to speak, unable to leave, unable to do anything but grieve a premature death…. I sat there watching dumbfounded, unable to look away.

What is it with coffee shops and heartbreaks anyway?? There is a story in every cup of coffee. In one cup is a heartbreak and in another a reunion. I wonder how much coffee there is in this world.

From behind the foolish young couple that was letting go of life so easily, walked a familiar frame...a face that looked just a little different…and a smile that was absolutely exactly the same.

We stood there looking at each other and laughing for what seemed like the entire decade and a half that had lapsed between us. The hug assured us both that we would make up for the time we had lost…that nothing much had changed except time. The noises from the traffic and the radio were now lost in the laughter of childhood friends….We sat across the table, neither of us could speak. We just let the silence between us make new music…make our feet dance again…make us the same children once again….

Behind my friend in red and purple lettering was written, 'a lot can happen over coffee'

I love coffee shops!!!

Tu kaunsa machhi hain??

2005-12-27T09:18:00.000-08:00

IMO, 3 stars is gross injustice!! It deserves atleast 4…

I am talking of Bluffmaster. I did not yawn once, did not switch off once and laughed loads…I mean loads and came out wondering when I was going to see it again!! It was nothing that mainstream cinema is supposed to be. Haan bhai, isme drama hain, action hain, romance bhi hain, aur ekdum se hatke bhi hain. (yesss boss, its got drama and action, and romance and its different too) But really it’s different!! It’s light and entertaining and did not give me a headache. Trust me that says a lot!! :-))

I had been looking forward to this movie and so took my mom dearest to the much hyped ‘mall cinemas’…multiplexes I believe is the appropriate term. Pardon my lack of ezzucassan in such matters; I am known to be full of total ignosanse in such matters!! :-p

Abhishek was cute and all that he normally is, but he sure is a good rapper. J saala he can rap yaar!! I mean really rap and act/dance/move like he is a rapper and all. But cuter still was Hitesh. Priyanka can actually act and that was a real relief. Boman Irani as expected added liberal doses of good clean fun and was really good, but there was too little of him. But Nana Patekar was the one that stole the show….the guy is too good for words!!

No, I am not going to write another review with the plot and dialogue and everything in the movie….what reason will you have then to watch the picture?? But speaking of dialogue…it was good!! The smattering of advertisements was a bit annoying, but then Bollywood mein sab chalta hain, nee?? There were some witty lines that ‘I’d like to write so that I can use it some day’. The music…excellent!! The extreme close-ups were quite good too….would love to write more about such details, but am too darned tired to do that now. I called the bluff quite early on…lets see when you catch on… ;-)

Watch it!! Its good fun….ekdum time pass, the bakwaas is totally worth it!!

Gone Fishing!! ;-)
Chay

Road Safety Week....

2005-12-19T11:26:00.000-08:00

I have been driving around town like a taxi driver these past few days thanks to a family function that is coming up later this week. And each day on the road is interesting and by that I don’t mean just the madness of the traffic, but rather the sights that I have been observing….

For instance, today, I encountered a whole bunch of school kids on bicycles. They were all young teenage boys wearing T-shirts with ‘Road Safety Week’ in red. They were being ‘guided’ by a couple of men (teachers?) on bikes wearing similar clothes and carrying placards. I was driving in the same direction that they were riding and so could not quite see what was written on the placards that were placed in the front of each bicycle…but I gathered they were various messages, like ‘don’t drink and drive’, ‘obey traffic rules’, etc. I did manage to pull out my camera and shoot some pics at traffic signals.

But here’s what was happened….these kids were carrying these ‘be safe’ placards and weaving in and out of heavy traffic between cars and bikes and trucks and auto rickshaws like nobody’s business. They seemed to be in a hurry and were being instructed by the teachers to cut thru the traffic to gain speed. Just as I was thinking about how unsafe it actually was for them to proclaim safety in such a manner, one of the kids met with an accident. The boy was trying to squeeze thru a mo-bike and the curb/footpath and ended up in front of a moving auto and fell off his bicycle. The supposed ‘guide’ saw him falling and chose to drive on as though he were a total stranger and he knew nothing about the boy….

It’s bad enough that 13 and 14 year old kids have to ride thru such traffic to school and back…putting them thru such dangers in the name of safety, trusting that they are indeed being watched over by such teachers is outright stupidity!!

Road Safety indeed!!

Homeward Bound

2005-11-23T11:40:00.000-08:00

Nov 15th 2005

The ultimate late latif that I am, I ran towards the train when there was 5 minutes left for departure and no seats that could be found easily. Jam packed, the train slowly pulled out of ‘Majestic’…to slowly reveal the city that my home is around the outskirts. Filth filled, steeped in poverty, sheltering crime both big and small, guarding secrets and stories, untouched by the wealth that was right above it, shack after shack, drain after drain, settlement after settlement they passed by. Like the filthy rags covering an old jewel, the moving train removed all the things that make Bangalore the city she has become. I was surprised at how quickly my heartbeat dropped to a more normal pace as soon as we were outside the city. It felt like the beginning of life as I have known in India, sanity that I truly appreciate!!

The earth continues to be red and fiery at some places and unforgiving and dry at other places. Puddles were aplenty, lakes were full, all thanks to the unrelenting rains. The coconut plantations looked fuller and healthier. I hear the disease that wiped out plantations together is now almost gone. When I was younger one could not spot an areca tree near Bangalore. This time around, there were a few plantations far away from where they belong. The lush green fronds of the Areca trees tugged so strongly at my heart that the cords to a purse full of tears came undone. After being in the country for almost 2 weeks, I finally felt like I was home. Amazing!! The memories that I least treasured are those that are the strongest!!

I simply had to have a cup of railway ‘Kaaffey’. The child in the seat beside split his hot coffee on his lap, I instinctively tightened the grip on my paper cup. My butter fingers have burnt me quite a few times when I was a kid. The light brown watery concoction they call coffee is actually better than it used to be. The maddur vada that went with it was perfect. Railway snacking at its best!!

The lady opposite me wanted to sit in 2 seats instead of one, until someone bullied her right out of her selfishness, grudgingly though. After muttering under her breath for a few minutes her attention turned towards me. Where am I going? Do I live there? Do I work elsewhere? Why do I have a mangalsutra on my neck, but no bindi? What does my husband do? I looked out the window at the dogs barking and chasing the train. After a barrage of unanswered questions, finally the important one – whose family do I belong to in my hometown? That one I answered quickly and was never bothered again. This was the first of many times in this trip, that I was thankful for belonging to a certain family.

I usually don’t converse with people in trains. I keep to myself and my book, alas I had forgotten mine. The person next to me was only too happy that I was not exactly engaged in anything, so he turned on some movie on his mobile, half sharing it with me, perhaps hoping that I would lean over. Then he made a loud call on his mobile phone and mentioned words like ‘bhai’ and ‘khokha’. Mercifully another girl came and sat between us. At some point we all started conversing. Between the stream of blind and crippled beggars, to those that hand out cards with stories and pictures on them and then come again to collect money, the cups of coffee and packets of kurkure, I learnt that the man was Muslim, married to a Gujrati Jain, living in Mumbai and his family of 4 kids and wife were in another town. The girl next to me apparently has some physical ailment and suffers from the belief that she is not pretty. I told her I thought she was pretty. I don’t know if she heard me loud enough.

Halfway through, we were supposed to change trains. I learnt that some relatives were sitting right behind me and that they knew I was sitting there, but did not to speak with me, perhaps because the train was so crowded. Blessings of blessings they informed me that their son is also in Seattle and they will be visiting him about the same time I leave for home and hearth. Wondering about why they did not speak with me, I continued the journey with them. We made new conversation and caught up after what must have been a decade.

It was already dark when I arrived. My cousins were thrilled to see me, as were the many aunties and uncles. My nieces and nephews were overjoyed, shy and eager all at once. (my oldest niece is just 4 years younger than me!!) A quick cup of coffee and out came the Mehendi cones. Accusations about having ditched everyone for Mehendi and decorated my hands and feet got louder and louder along with demands for patterns on hands. I had gotten my hands and feet Hennaed a day before and was all set for the wedding. The Mehendi process went on for 3 or 4 hours and all my cousins and bhabhis/athiges and nieces and nephews were all satisfied.

When I finally hit the sack that night, it was well past bed time. But all that I could manage were tears…No fun is fun when your soul mate is not with you.

More later….

(The day is the 24th Nov, time is 1.15 am and it continues to rain outside. It might as well be Seattle!! Net connection here is pathetic, so please bear with me regarding replies and mails. Delays are unavoidable!!)

Bangalore Bits - 1

2005-11-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

Bangalore – The city that always was a dream. While growing up, a trip to the city with my dad was a treat that was more desired than a day off from school. An early morning train ride that was made more memorable by the fragrant masala dosas and maddur vadas which were ferried on the shoulders of many familiar vendors some of whom we knew by name and in turn we were known simply as sir or madam or amma. That was Bangalore - with its India Coffee House and British Council Library. What a city it was – Bangalore – the Garden city, wide roads, larger than life trees, great cinema, Kalakshetra and pubs . Bangalore – where life could be perfect…nearly perfect!!

That was then! This is now!

The first word that came to my mind as I went through the immigration when I arrived was ‘chaos’. Utter, absolute chaos. …The beginning of a vacation eh!!

The day after I landed I drove through the roads and have been driving since. One year is not a long time is it?? And yet, it seems like a very long time. The traffic was terrible this time last year. If that was terrible, what is this?? Maha terrible would be an understatement. It’s almost like every person is going around with his/her own personal escort screaming ‘hoshiyaar!! Here comes…so and so’ and blowing and banging loud trumpets and cymbals. Each horn is unique to its owner…but they are all the same – loud and ear shattering. Before I left Seattle a friend who was recently here for the very first time in his life said, ‘I can’t believe how noisy India is!’ and I had laughed. I’ve had a headache for a while now….everyone talks louder, people scream, the TV or music system is always on, people constantly interrupt conversations and I just keep looking at everyone like I have never seen them. I think everyone is going a wee bit deaf in the city.

I watched a couple of plays at the Rangashankara Theatre Festival. Watched ‘A Deep Friend Jam’ and like most of the audience came out wondering if I really am that dumb. The person on my left was yawning for most part of the play and the person on right was fidgeting through out. All of us were sighing deeply for lack of comprehension and checking our watches willing time to move faster. If someone here watched it and understood all the acts, please educate me…..Then there was Vijay Tendulkar’s Ghasiram Kotwal in Kannada. Directed by Jayshree, it was quite enjoyable. The last time I saw Jayashree on stage was when I was 14. The play was Kusumabale and the repertoire was Rangayana of Mysore. How time flies…it’s been almost 15 years!!

Ate Mum’s Biryani, and even better ate Nandhini’s Biryani…(I hope all the bengaloorians are shedding drool and tears…muahhahhahaaaaa!!!!) I have a long list of places to eat at…will be sure to keep the US parians well informed…I am a temporary ISparian, aren’t I??

The last 2 days have been phone call days. I am certain I have forgotten to call some important uncle or some favorite cousin and will have to put out fake fires in a while from now. ‘You never called me!!! What?? You have forgotten us or what??’ oh what joy there is in such nok jhok!!

The funniest call was also the first of what I believe is something I better prepare myself for. This person called and hung up when I answered. Then he called and I could not hear what he said. And I had no clue about who was making blank calls so soon after I landed here. Finally I thought I’d better find out who was trying to reach me (of course, secretly I hoped it was an old charmer) so I called back.

“Hi, I just received a call from your number and I was wondering who this might be.”
“Who did you give the number to”?
Pause “err…excuse me but I just received a call from your number and I was wondering if you just called me on my mobile”
“Yes, I did. But how many people have you given this number to?”
interrupted by MIL, so I say something in Kannada and step out of the house for a bit so I don’t have to pretend to be this nice goody girl who does not yell at strangers on the phone.
“this is so and so, did you just call me? (tone is a bit more business like)
“parvagilla nananna kannada dale maataadsa bahudu” (oh! that’s ok, you can speak with me kannada)
“Ananthu!!!!”
laughter
A few more sentences exchanged and then “Can I call you back?? I am at my in laws??”
A very apologetic Ananthu….
Much later I was driving back home and had a long talk with the (in)famous Ananthu. He was very worried that I might get distracted by his jokes and teasing while driving thru’ the Bangalore maze. I also learnt that Ananthu dear was good to me and that a certain Miss Aditi almost recruited a certain Bratz Pradz to some company on another galaxy. Boy was Ananthu good to me!!

Back home I watched a kannada movie – Aaptamithra which is a rip off from manichitrataazha (is that the right spelling??)….It is the first Kannada movie I have watched in several years. That call was interrupted by another blogger bud. Gosh I love bloggers!!!

Speaking of weddings…there’s one just around the corner. Can’t wait for banana leaf food and fun times with cousins.

Home sweet home!! More later!!

porn star for governor...??

2005-09-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

I suppose there are no laws that would prevent a porn star from running for Governor. Especially when her only agenda is to ensure that lap dances are tax deductible….makes me wonder, is she serious or joking?? Is she really as dumb as she looks? The giggle is sickening….as is the extreme boob job. Gosh this is frightening!! If a porn star thinks my state is too conservative then there is a good possibility that she plans to turn Seattle into Vegas…!! What will they have then…? Porn stars working day jobs as school teachers teaching teenagers that abstinence is the best way to avoid AIDS and pregnancy??

No Sir!! I am not tolerant of anyone who peddles sex in anyway!! Least of all a porn star who wants to run for Governor whose platform is more liberal adult entertainment laws and nothing else….

The story

The business of health...

2005-09-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

For a long time people in the US have discussed the ridiculous healthcare costs. Insurance companies, healthcare providers and hospitals have made the process of saving life and promoting health a joke, a very profitable one at that.

I had my wisdom teeth removed a few months ago. While I had my family dentist in India confirm the necessity to remove two of them, the other two had to go, or so insisted my dentist and orthodontist. After the surgery, I learnt that it would not have killed me if the other two teeth were left untouched. The doctor’s son was removing the stitches after a few days when he casually said, ‘We like to take out the wisdom teeth. You never know, they might cause problems’. Preventive medicine of sorts eh!! I must say I miss my wisdom teeth….

Another time I had to visit to a dermatologist because I had a sudden spurt of breakouts on my face. She prescribed 1200 mg of erythromycin for a period of 15 days before going back to see her. Naïve me, trusted her. I went ahead and took the meds without checking the strength, only to wake up hubbs in the middle of the night on the second dose on the first day. The following morning, I called the doctor up and asked why on earth she had prescribed 1200 mg of a strong antibiotic with a side effect of mild to severe heartburn to a patient with a history of hyperacidity. She curtly told me to cut the dose by a quarter and reminded me that she was a doctor of with considerable experience. I later figured out it was a new brand of moisturizer that was causing the problem. By then I had trashed the meds and the doctor.

But the funniest incident was when my husband had a case of tendonitis in one of his fingers. We are no doctors, but we needed no special skills to determine that what he suffered from was tendonitis. After some 5 days of tiger balm and massages, I got a bit worried and insisted that we go see a physician. The doctor had a beautiful office with stunning leather armchairs and imposing bookshelves with thick fat books. He also had a dog, right there in the examination room. Now I have many doctors in my family and a few of them have dogs. But I don’t recall having walked into any doctor’s office at any point of time and been greeted by their pets. Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs, but I really would feel a lot safer in a sterile super clean examination room that smells like dettol instead of a plush room with a pet dog that sheds enough hair with which you can weave a new carpet!! Anyway, after spending 15 minutes discussing the family history and such details on a form that we had already spent 15 minutes to fill out, he spent some 10 minutes observing the finger in question. He then walked to a book shelf and spent a couple of minutes looking for the appropriate book, thumbed thru one, put it back, looked for another, put it back, chose yet another, and finally came back to us with an open page. He showed us a picture of a swollen finger and told us it was a normal thing that was called….tendonitis. Hubbs and I exchanged a look that said ‘D’uh!!’, but he must have perceived us as ignorant fools, so he went on to explain what it was. By now my husband had crossed over from a state of amusement to one of irritation. After another 15 minutes we walked out with a sample sachet of something like tiger balm, instructions to massage and a list of tests which we had just done during a physical a month ago. Dr. L wanted all the vitals done again. By now we were too weary to argue or explain…so we nodded and never went back to him.

The bills these doctors sent me…the orthodontist charged me some $600 (the insurance covered the remainder of the $3000) , the stupid but experienced dermatologist charged me close to a $100 (plus some $ 150 for the prescription meds) and the physician that taught us what tendonitis was….well he charged us only the $10 copay. But he did send a very nice letter to us and all his other patients that he was now retiring. The brochure in his office said he was 36 years old. But he had obviously made enough money to retire…wonder if they teach that in Med school as well…how to charge patients effectively so that you can retire early!!

I now can imagine to a certain extent, as to how a person might feel when right after a 5 minute surgery they are sent a bill for an outrageous amount of money.
And I know now that it is best if you don’t trust your doctors 100%...And not just because of stories such as this one.

One of our dearest friends complained of back aches. She assumed she had hurt herself during a session of Pilates. The pain was so bad she could not move from her bed. Her chiropractor, a certain Dr. Ash Patel, gave her an appointment 2 weeks after she told him she had severe pain. 2 more weeks later they scheduled a series of tests for her, which gave them no clue about the problem. With no effective way to manage the pain (the pain killers did not workmuch) she resorted to lying on the floor for hours together to ease the pain. For some reason hubbs and I felt very strongly that she needed to get a second opinion and I was relentless in persuading her to go to someone else. By now 7 weeks were over and they had been to the ER once in the middle of the night because of the pain. The second doctor looks at her test results and asks her if she can go into surgery right away. On the way out they bump into Dear Dr. Ash Patel (with an office across Doctor No. 2) who says, ‘well, you could still have some back problems. Come see me after the surgery’ Can you believe that!! No apology…nothing…!! I swear I am going to sock that cocky guy’s jaw if I ever see him!! But anyway, what they thought was a gall bladder infection turned out to be something more serious. My friend came out of the OR after a gastric bypass surgery because the entire lower half of her stomach was damaged due to a ruptured ulcer. The second doctor thinks she could have died had they waited another week. Back problem indeed!!

I hear things like this and wonder where the real doctors are!! Or am I just not lucky enough to know them. Where are the good doctors, like that 100 year old homeopath in Jaynagar who was blind but heard my voice and told me I was drinking too much coffee? Or that doctor who went entirely by instinct and saved my husband’s life? Or that heart surgeon who had one look at my dad’s records and told us it was angina and not an MI like all the heart specialists had told us up until that minute?

It is sad that one has to be concerned about being fleeced even while getting medical care. I find myself at a loss of words. I can’t quite describe the disgust I feel or the anger that I feel. All I know is that I am not going to trust a doctor in the US easily….In India it’s a different story. I’d not go to a stranger and I feel safe with any of my doctors. I know their prime concern is my health, that I will only get tests that I need, that only parts of my body that really need to go will go. Yeah, we hear of the occasional scalpel or wad of gauze that was left inside the body after a surgery, but I’d rather take that risk than worry about being charged $129 for a mucous recovery system….in English that’s a box of Kleenex!!

Outrageous!!

New Orleans and Mumbai...

2005-09-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

this is a forward mail I recieved from a dear friend. i just had to blog it...

couldnt' stop making this comparison..

inches of rain in new orleans due to hurricane katrina... 18
inches of rain in mumbai (July 27th).... 37.1

population of new orleans... 484,674
population of mumbai.... 12,622,500

deaths in new orleans within 48 hours of katrina...100
deaths in mumbai within 48hours of rain.. 37.

number of people to be evacuated in new orleans... entire city..wohh
number of people evacuated in mumbai...10,000

Cases of shooting and violence in new orleans...Countless
Cases of shooting and violence in mumbai.. NONE

Time taken for US army to reach new orleans... 48hours
Time taken for Indian army and navy to reach mumbai...12hours

status 48hours later...new orleans is still waiting for relief, army and electricty
status 48hours later..mumbai is back on its feet and is business is as usual

USA...world's most developed nation
India...third world country..

oopss...did i get the last fact wrong???

while the last line does seem a bit cruel, the developed countries like the US have never really needed to cope by themselves in a long time. The people are so dependant on infrastructure and facilities that they find it hard to think on their feet and act accordingly. the people of poorer countries on the other hand are more resilient. for most of their lives, they've had to fend for themselves and when a disaster strikes, they just find a way to pick up and go....I am not sure how that makes me feel though - resilience! It somehow implies that just because a certain people are resilient and can handle more, its ok for them to be in extreme conditions for longer periods of time. In so many ways it dehumanizes the more developed countries simply because they cannot relate to life in say...Niger...perhaps Katrina has made some people more humane towards the tsunami struck areas....perhaps the levels of empathy will increase...no one should have to suffer such losses....perhaps it can make America look at its excesses and find ways to live better....just some thoughts!!

love...

2005-08-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

What would my life be if I had lived another way??
If instead of you, I had loved someone else?
Would I have been less wiser or any quieter?
Would I have laughed any less or cried more?

As I ponder the maybes and the maybe nots,
I watch the many strings that run between us,
Delicate, blood soaked threads
Lovingly arranged, intricately intertwined

We braved death and laughed at his face
We lived life and loved it
After the simplicity of life and death
Love, I see, holds no meaning anymore

....a poem i wrote many moons ago

welcome back....

2005-08-17T00:21:00.000-07:00

Was it a dream?
It must have been a dream…
but wait! It is not a dream…it is real!
Here you are, right in front of me.
As always the first thing I see
is your face
Your delicate eyelids
holding last minute dreams
that skittle around
for fear of being chased away
by the growing line of golden warmth
Your mouth – a child’s pout
Full of innocence
the same tenderness
that flows in your honey kisses
Your palms curled up
under your cheek
holding in them butterflies
and baggage tags
Your breathing steady and calm
Always the same
I took me a while
to remember how
you got here
For months
your pillow had been
untouched

Fishy Finds....

2005-08-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

Hubbs was at the conference and I had all the time to myself in a city I loved. I really enjoy exploring a new place on my own; I can do it at a pace that I and I alone set. I can do what I enjoy and I don’t have to make adjustments of any kind.

Yeah, the city is Vancouver, BC and this was earlier this spring. On one such day, I packed my camera and a book and headed out of my hotel without any plans. I walked for hours together, and took a lot of pictures, most of which I have uploaded onto my sites by now (still holding my faves…will eventually post it all).

My long walk led me to Sun Yat Sen Chinese Gardens. The China town was closed, it was some holiday I can’t remember. But the Garden was open. It’s a small little garden, but it’s always beautiful and inviting.

I sat there for a while watching lovers and children play games of different kinds. I saw some other things as well….

I saw - A Reflective Koi , a fish undergoing some serious psychological issues and a few gossip mongers. I am not kidding, go see for yourself....