More fishy tales

Yesterday I witnessed the miracle of birth. Our pregnant fish delivered nine babies. It was awesome to see the babies drop as mama fish lazily swam in the separate bowl that we had prepared for her ..(at least her pain was not apparent). So we have nine new fishes....unfortunately mama fish leaped out of the bowl, having done her job, and we lost her. Guess the pain was excruciating. The other pregnant fish delivered in the tank and the bigger fishes ate the smaller ones even before we could blink...sounds familiar...much like what's happening in the economy today (lol!)

Spring has sprung

March 21st was the day. Here in Zenica, the locals all converged to the river bank, as they traditionally do and put up tents and cooked yaya (eggs) and drank pivo (beer) and sang songs. They were officially heralding the onset of spring. The joy was palpable. It was altogether a different matter that it was snowing and raining and miserably cold. The sun did not grace the occasion. But then that's what I love about the spirit of the people here..their never say die attitude.
And then there was the inauguration of the sports arena ..their very first, built despite many obstacles...the war being one of them.....the whole town was there and the sports men were cheered...the contingent of the disabled men in their wheelchairs evoked the loudest cheer...many of them were men who had lost their limbs in the war. The spring is truly here, more on the inside than the outside.

Chaplin Vs Swami

In Karnataka, the keepers of our culture objected to a statue of Charlie Chaplin being erected for a film set. They found it toooo Christian...They wanted a statue of Swami Vivekananda. Never mind if it did not suit the film script. And to boot the Karnataka Chief Minister said that the public had a right to voice their opinion... !! God knows....now we have verily lost our sense of humour. Both Chaplin and the Swami may be cringing up there somewhere.

Still to be fair not all is lost..Somewhere some politicians are still trying their best to do good. No smoking in public places, ban on plastic bags, no Honking Zones....etc.
If only they are equally over zealous about implementing these as they are about defending our culture......we might see a better India.

Fossilised!

Eeeeks!!! I am a fossil...so I learnt this morning...and to think I actually woke up feeling peppy and energetic. The TOI report says that a new study has found that you peak at 22 and start aging at 27!! It is the result of a 7 year study. And I thought I was pretty sharp for a 50+. But then come to think of it why dint I find myself peaking at 22?

I better warn my son who is 22. He is at his peak and like me he does not know!! Because like any indulgent mother I still keep saying "he is still young". But now its not so! The therapies designed to prevent or even reverse age-related conditions may need to start earlier, long before people become pensioners, the researchers said. He better start early.

Viva La Femme

Women's Day 2008, I had a wonderful time travelling to Venice, Nice, Monaco, Monte Carlo and Verona, with a bus load of Bosnian women and two Indian women. It was fun and crazy. The long hours of sitting did take its toll on the bum but the spirit was joyous. I guess women all over the world are the same...the Bosnian women sang, ate and cackled right through the journey.

This March 8th I had a quieter ride with spouse. We went to a small town here called Fonica. Small but beautiful in the typical east European way. March 8th in Zenica is very gay. You see the men purposefully walking with flowers in hand. I guess its an indication that there is a woman in their lives. Small kiosks selling fresh flowers and stuffed heart pillows spring overnight and the pedestrian street looks charming.

I hope the moral police in India had no problems about people celebrating Women's Day back home. After all it is just one day in 365 days. The remaining days, it is probably about men in most families.

Happy Birthday

Tomorrow is my Happy Birthday. I am going to be all of 51. The earliest memories of my happy birthday are that of being dressed in a nice frock (stitched by mom), carrying a box of sweets to school.
Everybody knew it was your birthday because you were not in uniform. The day began (after prayers) by being called to the front of the class and 60 odd children sang "Happy Birthday to you". Well some sang, some just moved their lips, some yelled off key..still there were 60 odd kids singing for you. And it was bliss if you did not share the day with another kid...at least you alone were the star. Then of course, it was distribution time, the first offer was to the class miss (Mam please take one more).. For the children it was always "No you cant take two" (thats because there was always the exact amount to go around). Then perhaps your best friend gave you a card saying ..To my bestest, dearest, darlingest friend...etc.
At home of course, while there were no rituals like cake cutting, there was the customary sweet made and then a visit to the temple. You went to bed happy for a day well spent.

Now I am going to be all of 51. I still receive wishes though the numbers have vastly dwindled. There will be no temple visit (as there are none here) and there will be no sweet made (spouse can barely cook and who wants to make a sweet for one's own birthday). Still tomorrow is my happy birthday and at the end of the day I will go to bed happy and content.

Never Again

It was distressing to watch "Scream Bloody Murder" on CNN. It was all about genocides...by the Germans, by the pol pot regime, in Rwanda, in Bosnia and in Dafur. When I travelled to Munich I went to Dachau, the first concentration camp for Jews in Germany. It was agonising. I have seen the Holocaust Museum in Washington. There was not a single dry eye. Today I live in a country where such genocide has occurred. As I see people around me and I wonder how it is that they can show a will to go on and live a normal life after experiencing genocide first hand. But I guess a normal life is what they want most. In Dachau there is a memorial which says "Never Again". But I guess its just that. A memorial. Nobody has learned any lessons from it. Genocides will continue as the world stands by and watches.

Vote for Fishes

Arguments for fishes (from one piscean to another)
You dont have to take them for a walk. Their constant motion ensures that they get enough excercise
You dont have to pick up their poo..I mean you cant even see the poo
No cleaning of teeth, no bath, no removing ticks.
You dont have to pay them any attention if you dont want to. Even when you gaze at them unblinkingly they ignore you.
They dont lick or bite. Infact there is no equivalent of a bark emanating from them
You can have more of them and still not feel a dent in the pocket.
If you lose one of them you dont feel so emotionally stirred as when you lose a dog...i.e. not unless you start christening them teddy etc.
Anybody who reads this can add to the list

Fishy Tale

We have a fish tank again. Our very first fish many years ago, was a blue fighter fish in a glass bowl. It was christened Teddy for some reason. I spent many lonely hours talking to Teddy but I think Teddy got bored to death. Many other fishes followed ...but none of them survived for some reason or the other. One lot died because of my ignorance...I generously sprayed a mosquito repellent around the house only to later read on the can, a caveat: "Do not spray near fishes" !!!

Anyways in the new lot we have 12 fishes. Yesterday when we brought them home for the first time, two of them jumped out of the container, in protest, I think, against the change of residence. Luckily we have 12 for now. I hope they are there with me for a long time. Though if my children had a say in the matter they would have said buy a dog.