Usha seems to place hopes on me by tagging me. I do hope that I haven’t let her down. After weeks spent in depression this was a welcome change.
Last Movie You Saw In A Theater:
Theatre?? What’s that??
What Book Are You Reading:
’The Better Man by Anita Nair. I should have finished it long ago but the summer heat has disrupted my concentration.
Favorite Board Game:
Would you call Ludo a board game? I loved it as a child and would love a game even now.
Favourite Magazine:
Reader’s Digest any day.
Favorite Smells:
Smell of gram flour after a baby’s bath, smell of asafetida when rasam simmers, smell of powdered cardamom and of course my favorite kadambam and jasmine flowers that I get to smell when I visit temples in the south.
Favorite Sound:
Birds chirping at dawn, the silence that follows a torrential rainfall, the merry laughter of a 3 month old baby.
Worst Feeling In The World:
The feeling that sooner rather than later we humans may not find time for others in distress.
Favorite Fast Food Place:
Never relished fast food except golgappa from a vendor in college.
Future Child's Name:
I did not name my own children and don’t entertain hopes of naming my grandchildren. That is the privilege of the parents. A privilege that was denied to me.
Finish This Statement. "If I Had A Lot Of Money I'd...”
…….. contribute towards ensuring two square meals for at least for growing children.
Do You Drive Fast?
No. I do not dare to.
Do You Sleep With A Stuffed Animal?
No.
Storms-Cool Or Scary
Neither. They are part of life whether actual or figurative.
What Was Your First Car?
Maruti Alto in pearl grey. Likely to be my only car.
Favourite drink:
Buttermilk, lemon tea.
Finish This Statement, "If I Had The Time I Would .....”
I don’t want to have time. How then would I find excuses for unfinished jobs. I’d always like to need ‘just 10 minutes.
Do You Eat The Stems On Broccoli?
I don’t know about broccoli but cauliflower stems taste good.
If You Could Dye Your Hair Any Color, What Would Be Your Choice?
Black of course.
Name All The Different Cities/Towns You Have Lived In.
Chennai as a baby, Coimbatore when I started school, Mumbai, Meerut(middle school), Coonoor(High School), Tiruchi (college) Gobichettipalayam before marriage and finally Jamshedpur since 1973.
Favorite Sports To Watch:
One day Cricket when India is winning.
One Nice Thing About The Person Who Sent This To You:Words fail me.
What's Under Your Bed?
3 wooden doors dismantled when we replaced them with syntax ones. No takers. Just gathering dust. Offered to donate them to a Nursing home. People won’t even take it for free. :–((
Would You Like To Be Born As Yourself Again?
I consulted a ‘naadi josiyan’ who reads one’s past from palm leaves and he said that I was born to rich parents in Sri Lanka in my previous birth. My brother consulted a different person who said the same about him. Looks as if we are destined to be born as ourselves. So I think I have no choice. Jokes apart I don’t believe in rebirth.
Morning Person Or Night Owl?
Morning person.Can’t remain awake after 11 at night.
Over Easy Or Sunny Side Up?
I don't think I understan the question
Favorite Place To Relax:
The park near my house.
Favorite Pie:
Never tried. May be I did but I don’t remember the taste.
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
Strawberry,Chocolate ummm……..all flavors really.
Of All The People You Tagged This To, Who's Most Likely To Respond First?
I’ve disappointed Usha by taking this much of time. So I cannot really say. But I tag eve’s lung and dipali and want to see who’d do it first. My guess is………… I’ll keep it for later.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Random musings
Here's wishing all of you a happy Ram Navami, Poila Baishak, Tamil,Punjabi New year and wonderful days ahead for every good reason one can think of. The last two months haven't been good with my sister in law falling sick and my colleague and friend's husband being victim of rash driving and finally succumbing to his head injury despite the best efforts of his treating doctors.
Jamshedpur being a small town it was wonderful to see so many joining the family in their moment of grief with each one treating his death as a personal loss. It is quite another thing that Dr. N....., fondly referred to as 'doctor sahib' has been good to everyone around him and if the family knew 25% of his good deeds the remaining 75% was revealed when he was in a coma in CCU. Strangers walked up to his wife and recounted the manner in which they were helped by him. Among them were rickshaw pullers, washermen, teastall owners and so many others from the lower rungs of society for whom he had a kind word and pleasant smile. He never charged them for treatment and they considered him an incarnation of God.A power cut in their neighborhood? Water scarcity in the medical college hostel? Mess food not being relished by the students? Our doctor sahib was there to tackle the problem.The list is endless.My faith in the prevalence and dominance of good over evil is reinforced and death being the only certainity in the world each one of us should try to rise above trivial matters since we cannot take with us anything more valuable than the good will of people nor can we leave behind anything worthier than pleasant memories of kindness and compassion shown during our lifetime.
While I feel lousy about doctor sahib's death and how upsetting it is going to be for his wife and family to cope with the loss I am equally annoyed with the manner in which our youngsters drive - particularly those who drive high speed motorcycles.
Young man in a hurry, did you for a moment realize what you have done due to your reckless driving? The doctor was returning from his morning walk happily chatting with his friends. It was a routine that he followed religiously and encouraged in his patients including me. It was only 06:15 in the morning and ours is a sleepy town. You banged into a second motorcyclist and he dashed into an unsuspecting victim. Eye witnesses claim that it took you a second to escape but you've caused the death of a man so useful to society depriving his wife of the many years of togetherness that they might have shared.
Parents of teenagers why are you in a hurry to buy that brat of yours a motorized vehicle? Can you not wait till he becomes responsible enough to handle the pressure of safe driving? Why do you let him drive a geared vehicle even if it means that his licence had to be obtained by greasing palms and he thinks that the hero in the Hindi movie that he watched actually performs the stunts when they are nothing but camera tricks.
Finally civil servants who issue licences, policemen who ought to keep a check on these teenagers as well as people like you and me who are silent spectators are all responsible for every life that is lost in this manner. It is easy to say that it was his destiny. Was it? Will this explanation satisfy his children who would have wanted him to see them reach for the skies?
I am sorry if I have put you off. My sister in law is improving and I thank each of you for including her in you prayers. I was hoping to be able to say the same about doctor sahib. Unfortunately the injury was massive and nothing could be done. Be careful each one of you I want all of you in tact. Whether behind the steering or before it there is truth in what my husband says - "Never mind what the other person does. It is your duty to watch out." Take care and God bless you all.
Jamshedpur being a small town it was wonderful to see so many joining the family in their moment of grief with each one treating his death as a personal loss. It is quite another thing that Dr. N....., fondly referred to as 'doctor sahib' has been good to everyone around him and if the family knew 25% of his good deeds the remaining 75% was revealed when he was in a coma in CCU. Strangers walked up to his wife and recounted the manner in which they were helped by him. Among them were rickshaw pullers, washermen, teastall owners and so many others from the lower rungs of society for whom he had a kind word and pleasant smile. He never charged them for treatment and they considered him an incarnation of God.A power cut in their neighborhood? Water scarcity in the medical college hostel? Mess food not being relished by the students? Our doctor sahib was there to tackle the problem.The list is endless.My faith in the prevalence and dominance of good over evil is reinforced and death being the only certainity in the world each one of us should try to rise above trivial matters since we cannot take with us anything more valuable than the good will of people nor can we leave behind anything worthier than pleasant memories of kindness and compassion shown during our lifetime.
While I feel lousy about doctor sahib's death and how upsetting it is going to be for his wife and family to cope with the loss I am equally annoyed with the manner in which our youngsters drive - particularly those who drive high speed motorcycles.
Young man in a hurry, did you for a moment realize what you have done due to your reckless driving? The doctor was returning from his morning walk happily chatting with his friends. It was a routine that he followed religiously and encouraged in his patients including me. It was only 06:15 in the morning and ours is a sleepy town. You banged into a second motorcyclist and he dashed into an unsuspecting victim. Eye witnesses claim that it took you a second to escape but you've caused the death of a man so useful to society depriving his wife of the many years of togetherness that they might have shared.
Parents of teenagers why are you in a hurry to buy that brat of yours a motorized vehicle? Can you not wait till he becomes responsible enough to handle the pressure of safe driving? Why do you let him drive a geared vehicle even if it means that his licence had to be obtained by greasing palms and he thinks that the hero in the Hindi movie that he watched actually performs the stunts when they are nothing but camera tricks.
Finally civil servants who issue licences, policemen who ought to keep a check on these teenagers as well as people like you and me who are silent spectators are all responsible for every life that is lost in this manner. It is easy to say that it was his destiny. Was it? Will this explanation satisfy his children who would have wanted him to see them reach for the skies?
I am sorry if I have put you off. My sister in law is improving and I thank each of you for including her in you prayers. I was hoping to be able to say the same about doctor sahib. Unfortunately the injury was massive and nothing could be done. Be careful each one of you I want all of you in tact. Whether behind the steering or before it there is truth in what my husband says - "Never mind what the other person does. It is your duty to watch out." Take care and God bless you all.
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