State of nothingness

I wonder if like my idol AB Sr., I should blog everyday…but then our lives are so very different. There is so much happening in his and so little in mine. Like I told a friend today, I have perfected the art of doing nothing.
When I look back I am amazed at the pace of life that was once mine. The day began early and was a whirlwind till night. At night I slipped into sleep as soon as my head touched the pillow, for weariness took over, with little energy even for thoughts, leave alone action.
These days I spend in leisure. Sometimes a feeling of guilt takes over for I am able to do what is considered a luxury to most, to stand beneath the bough and stare as long as sheep or cows (Thanks WH Davies). I even stop to see the squirrels darting in the garden as I go for walks.
When I analyze the activity which tired me most then, it was the physical strain of getting from here to there. Today my mind travels even further and there is no tiredness. In fact I have never felt so alert in my life as I do now, in my state of nothingness! I saw Big B looking extremely tired and weary on the Filmfare Awards Show. He needs to do nothing now…... like me, i.e. nothing but blog.

Hinni???

I swear I heard the Delhi Chief Minister talk about the "hinni" virus!!! Her version of H1N1. The indianised word! Will anybody tell me if all over the world now they are referring to it as 'Hinni'? I hope that the measures to counter the virus are more accurate!

Oh for the Days gone by!

The sounds and smells of the past are fast fading.
The bhajiwala would pull his cart from building to building yelling 'bhajjjjeeeeeeeeeee wala' and soon enough heads would pop out of windows with orders. Each individual bhajiwala had developed his own style of shrieking his arrival, so you knew exactly which one was at your door.
The salt man would bring the sea salt in a gunny bag on a hand cart and yell 'namak le lo'. All the mamis of the building would run down with containers to stock up for it would be some time before he made his appearance again. It also allowed for a small impromptu get-together, for that quick gossip etc ...

Then there was the guy who polished your copper and the guy who sharpened your knives. It was fascinating to see the sparks fly as he ran the knife along the stone wheel.

Like the ubiquitous 'bai' today (your house help), those days we had a 'Rama'. These guys were from Andhra. Nobody thought it fit to ask them their names. They were just addressed as Rama. I remember our Rama was a very quiet, expressionless fellow whose voice we never heard. The one only response we got from him was by the shake of a head to indicate a yes or a no. But this very same rama would be transformed one day of the year when he came in a group to perform what we called the 'rama dance'. At the end of it they would be rewarded with money. If I recall right this was generally during diwali. The one year wait was worth it to watch him go through the energetic gyrations albeit with the same expressionless face

Then again, the end of every eclipse was heralded by 'De Dan Sute Grahan'. You took great pleasure in tossing a coin or a shirt down two floors to see it eagerly collected by the less fortunate.

Those days are gone.

These days you use your mobile to call for vegetables, you just throw aways your blunt knife buy a new one and you use only microwave friendly containers. Salt is iodized. As for the eclipse, you have god men telling the Librans they need to chant hanuman chalisa and wear a diamond ring on the index finger, the Arian to chant Shiva chalisa and wear a ruby on the little finger, the Pisceans to chant whatyoucall it and wear whateveritis........
Where has simplicity gone?

Birdie

This is before India went global. On my very first trip abroad, my most coveted acquisition was an umbrella from James Smith and Sons, all for a princely sum of eleven pounds. I loved the unique wooden bird head it had for a handle. I held it with great pride and in a way which ensured that it was noticed. Everybody and anybody who travelled in the "ladies special" local had at one time or another commented on it. It was almost like holding a pet/baby in my arms which was coochicooed by others.

The umbrella served me well. Its just that the Mumbai rains took its toll. The umbrella itself is no longer functional but the bird head handle still fascinates me. This time round at the mall I observed many fancy umbrellas, mostly from China. But nothing to beat the bird head...

God's own

This week I went for the inauguration of a gym in a school for the mentally challenged, the initiative of a friend. He has taken his volunteering activities to his heart. He even teaches the challenged children to swim and it was emotional to hear some of the parents talk about the difference in the children because of this. The children put up a show for the visitors and as they performed I could feel the prick of tears.

While the parents of these children clapped and cheered them on, I could only silently shed my tears on the inside. I think we all need to be reminded, every now and then, just how blessed we are. I came away humbled by their strength.