Life is easy kya karein

The swimming pool has repaired their brand new music system.  Brand new is a very Indian way of saying it is New.Today while I was swimming, I heard a song from Premrog called Ab Hum toh ho gaye Pardesi, Ke tera yahan koi nahin. Awwww, that was so depressing. Actually all these funny songs of the eighties, I get irritated with. No joy in them for me. I shudder to think how it will be to swim to Dum Dum Digha digha, Oh mere sona re, Kranti. Sorry, these are songs which people born in late sixties or early seventies would have heard blaring on loudspeaker in their towns. The swim  coach said if we do not use the speakers, they will get spoilt. I heard a shloka going on at a Ganpati Pandal. I started singing along and was later surprised how I knew it so well.  Shani Mantra was my cousin's mobile ring tone for years. He passed away this year and the Shani Mantra still remains. All reminders which shake our equilibrium. Music has such a strong association with our lives. S...

We start planning our Ganpati at home months in advance. I am planning and me and the help are executing it. The first time it started with joy, love, bhakti/belief. Then it was once h,appy,so let us do it again. The years passed and the confidence grew. I learnt from my earlier Ganpatis. So we improvised each year. Years back, a friend had heard all my apprehensions and asked me what I wanted from the Ganpati. What I wanted the guests to experience? How did I want my family to experience during and post the event? The apprehensions were never about the work involved for the Puja, they were always about the people. People means the ones who are family really. The bro, sis and sis in law are the biggest support system. My parents are the rock solid support who are there through out to be, to advise and to handle should anything need handling. The friends and relatives who visit for the Ganpati have been coming for years. The numbers have increased. We now have children's friends an...

I have 2 wind chimes on the terrace. With the night sea breeze, they clang a lot and wake us up. On some nights, I remember to put them on the red tiled terrace before I sleep.On some nights we sleep thru howling winds and clanging chimes, too sleepy to get out of bed. Last night, I spent a good hour untangling one of the wind chimes. I had to hold the chime straight by the small ring on top. Then look at all threads and metal cylinders to figure who is caught up in what. During the whole process, it kept giving its musical notes. It was so relaxing and happy. I managed to untangle the first two very easily.The beautiful symphony continued as I tried to unravel the mysteries of threads,metal and wood. The husband thought I was angry, so he let go of his telewatching ritual to check what I was up to. I was completely lost in it. Could not get my eyes off the black threads and the silver metal in my hands. Eeeks !I am sounding like fifty shades of grey:)  For me, it w...

I read the first book by E L James called Fifty Shades of Grey. I am not doing a book review because I am not that well read a person nor an authority on English Literature. I have not even studied English as a subject in college. I am not a sex Goddess to qualify to make judgements about the sex in the book. I am so imp[acted by the book where the author calls her conscience as her Inner Goddess that even I have got the audacity to use the word Goddess. The author is one hell of a lucky woman. I am jealous of her fame and the way her book is doing so well. Not the Booker prize material but it is selling like hot cakes. My 5 year old saw the book and said "Mom, it is selling at all traffic signals." Book sellers at traffic signals is a typical Mumbai phenomena. And before I start rambling about Mumbai, let me tell you about the book. We have Cheryl Cole saying Prince Harry could be a Christian Grey. So Grey is the hero and Anastasia Steele is the 21 year old heroine. I sho...

After the anger outburst and simmering, there is a lot of self introspection. I go through every thought and strategy to justify myself. My righteousness seems the only thing that matters. I wrote the earlier post after simmering for a week but the anger was still evident. I cursed and I cussed.  Then the question was why am I still here in this place, if I have so many grudges? Apart from the husband's work being here. The anger continued in all areas of my life till my body. I had a catch in the back. Louise Hay confirmed that it was the message: Get off my back.  I went to the family Doctor and he just said that back ache is always due to stress. When did it start? I knew exactly the moment on Monday, I experienced pain. I smiled. He said that I will not give you medicines. Please continue doing your yoga with full awareness. I paid the fee and stepped out feeling better . Doc had insisted I join the Yoga class and he is a regular there for last 15 years. Next day at Yog...

I have been dealing with a lot of disappointment and anger. Expectations not being met seems to have become the done thing. Whether it is family or friends or retailers. Same story everywhere. I simmer in the rains. Walked into a local exhibition of handmade goods at a small wedding hall. Bought some local pickles from a vendor and some unpolished poha from another guy. Came home very excited that my next day's breakfast was taken care of. When I washed the poha  before cooking, all chocolate brown colour started coming out. I saw this was not dust but colour. That evening I was passing by the exhibition, I decided to go and tell the vendor about the colour in the poha. As soon as I said that and in a calm manner I may add, all hell broke loose. This vendor , a man of  50 started screaming at me. He said I have never eaten village poha and I do not know what it is all about. I told him that I can make out the difference between colour and dust but he started getting very agg...

Mumbai people believe in bragging that they have no time. All over the world and in Delhi, people brag about the things they have. Mumbai is different. Here the people love saying that "They have no time." The local Marathis have an amazing sentence 'Ushir zaala' which means it has become late or I am running late or you have come late, depending on the punctuation mark after the two words. Having no time and I am busy are words of the nouveau rich. They want to show that the world runs on their shoulders or something equally ridiculous. Apart from I am busy is the biggest snub you can give someone. People can be busy some days or some hours. How can it be an everyday affair. Everyone is working and most are fulfilling their responsibilities too. But this whole thing about being busy, having no time and running late, irritate me no end. I have an over weight friend who is only running after her two children including dropping picking up from school and tuition , te...