Promises Promises!

Suddenly, October seems to be a terrible month to agree to do something. After deciding to stop rambling through this media several months ago, I had taken a very hard decision on myself and killed all inspiration to write. It’s hard to believe more than a year has gone by since I last wrote anything sensible. While that takes time to sink in, I am still coming to terms with my husband who wants me to focus and start writing more.

During the time that I was away from my blog, I traveled a lot, didn’t change jobs, fell madly in love, got married, and have had the best time of my life. Oh and my sister had a baby boy!

But then again, October still seems like a tough time to agree to do something like starting to write again! With my husband’s insistence, I have decided to write one teeny post at a time. “You have until October the 15^th,” he said in that calm, composed manner he usually speaks to me. Wide-eyed I asked why? He said “Because you need to set a target for everything. This time it’s before our little vacation.” He also offered to help if I needed. But I’m a fairly impulsive woman and can’t really think of a topic to write on; much less take help from someone. So here it is. I've convinced myself to churn out one new post before we go away to Goa.

Oh and also because I am insanely romantic and absolutely adore my husband! *smiles*

Before I started writing, I visited some blogger friends’ pages for inspiration and was surprised to learn that most of them seem to have neglected their space for quite sometime now. Only moments after I started writing this morning, I realized how much I missed blog-hopping and answering to comments left by fellow bloggers. So I’m going to welcome my baby back with a fresh new start and a refreshing look. I’m going to be serious, thoughtful, curious, dorky, funny, and everything that I was on this page.

This new step is my way of telling the world how much I value my husband’s views and how much I care for the best thing that has ever happened to me!

Thanks everyone for reading!

It's about time I put her to sleep. Since her birth over two years ago, she has been the sole and most imaginative outlet for me. The way I spend time for myself was through this medium. By simply by writing, publishing, watching it float around far and wide, and looking forward to the comments that shoot back at me. Some consolations, some differing opinions, some others in total agreement.

Now it wouldn't be fair to this page, if I let her sit and rot in her own words dating back to August 2008, would it? With absolute lack of inspiration to write I know I'm not getting any closer to the next post or the one following it. If only I continued to read the posts that you guys come up with; that would be enough inspiration!

Before I digress, this blog will be closed for readership at the end of this year. Thanks to everyone that gave me a pat in the back to get me to continue writing. I owe you a lot. Have a great New Year. It is but inevitable that you have a good one. After all, it is us who make our new year a good one, right?

cotton candy and white noise

I am way behind on my reading. Also way behind on updating my blog. Also way behind on following some (most) of them. But first of all, I have for you this.

Today has been an absolutely delightful day. The weather outside was oh-so-perfect this morning. In fact, we’ve had pleasant weather for over two weeks now. But I’m not going to bore you with the details of the weather we experience on this side of the world.

I haven’t written in a while, that’s probably why I’m talking gibberish. Of late so many things have been happening around me. My friends are migrating. Most of them are married or getting married. Some of them have lil angels and dolls to play with. Some are expecting. Some others are changing jobs. I’m spending less and less time with my sister ‘cos she’s getting busier with her life. AND it’s frustrating to know that I’m getting no where. I promise I won’t sulk because none of this is life altering.

Here’s a little story for you.

A little girl lives with her 8-something-member family that serves as domestic help for a large house right next door. She sings her heart away every morning to the not-so-prefect tune of Dhoom machale. By the looks of her, I can bet she can’t be a year older than seven. I would even say she’s just about six. But you’ll never know how deceptive looks can be when children her age are malnourished. She’s probably older than that… I’m not going to venture into that subject though.

Coming back to the song she sings every morning. She probably knows only those two words, or she prefers to sing away only those two, but she definitely doesn’t feel the need to go any further. While I sit in my third floor balcony, the morning news on one hand and a mug of steaming hot tea on the other, she is already at work. She has to fill a large empty tub with water that she pumps out of a hand pump into a smaller manageable bucket. She carries this around to where the tub is kept, a few feet away, and pours into the tub which can hold about 400 liters. I can’t begin to imagine how many trips she would have to make to fill the tub which is little taller than she is.

All this I watch from my third floor apartment balcony and feel ashamed to wonder about the incomplete song. Why didn’t I ever ponder about her homework? Did she complete it? Isn’t she’s supposed to get ready to go to school in a couple of hours? Wouldn’t her school bus come over to pick her up soon? Why didn’t any of that thought enter my mind? Here I am wondering why she sings only two words of a song. The irony of it being, I conveniently considered her to continue her family tradition of performing menial work for well-off homes.

Oh did I mention she chirps away happily while doing her tasks? Not one morning have I seen her feel remorseful of what she did. That is unquestionably some lesson I must learn!

Not so long ago, with a little push from Times of India’s powerful campaign Teach India, I decided to do my bit to help the thousands of little girls like her to sing. Make noise. Or squeal in joy upon riding a merry-go-round in a school playground. Even if her school is run by an NGO and taught by an amateur like myself. TeachIndia isn’t a new concept, but I’m insanely excited about it.

So as soon as TOI contacts me with more information, I’m going to be spending 4 hours a week changing the face of our nation. Are you interested to give the country a little of what your parents gave you? Do you live in one of the metros with a little time to spare this 2008? I’m a Teach India volunteer! You could be too.

India is a unique song. But it desperately needs people like us to change the way the world hears it. Now, it wouldn’t hurt to shriek a little to help bring tens of thousands of voices together, would it?

While we’re on that topic, here’s a wonderful song for you. Added advantage if you understood Hindi. And this time, I promise to be back sooner to attend to those meme’s.

Happy National Day everybody!

Exploration of Democracy

When she asks me "May I open your bag ma'am?" in her godforsaken monotone, I'm oh-so-tempted to say "You know, each time you guys do that, I want to say NOOOO! But in a strangely weird way, you have more power than me!!! So yeah, go on. It's a free country (At least for you)." :|

Each time I pass through security check I realize a tad too late that I may have a bottle of coke or water in my hand baggage. Phew!

angels climb down

persistent precaution
in nurturing fertile thoughts
preciously preserved clandestine events
visions called nightmares
twisting into realism

musing upon a futile art
an art called camo
mulling over an action
an action fortunately called illusion

redolent of the inevitable truth, that
it’s nice to stay together
but sometimes
nicer to be away

and then, they came by
or must I say, flew by
with invisible wings
and the invisible cure
to pour in a little perseverance
and to pour out a little

a dimpled smile
or a child-like hug
cheered up some more
for the best days to come

When God begins to test the power of forbearance, he sends an angel right behind to pull it off with ease. In a much better way than you thought you could. The best deal about this being, the angel won’t expect a tinker’s damn worth in return for the favour.

On this day I am especially grateful for some of the best people that happened in my life. Thank you for everything!

I owe an apology for being away for so long. Thanks to everyone that asked about my silence. Oh and do check out my photo blog.

Drafted on June 11, 2008.