Slices of my daily life

It’s strange how I never noticed it before…the guard standing at the entrance of the office parking area saluting me as I entered and left each day on my bike. I guess he salutes everyone, every day. Last week I suddenly noticed it and felt some odd feeling arise in me…a niggling feeling. I couldn’t put my finger on it but it stayed with me the next day too, enforced by that day’s salutes. From the second day I started acknowledging the salute by a nod and smile. The third evening as I left office, as I nodded and smiled at him when he saluted me, it struck me what had been bothering me.   It bothered me that he salutes me as if I were superior to him. Just because I work at a better paying job than him or am better educated than him doesn’t automatically make him inferior or me superior. One could argue that it is a part of his job. I don’t think so. His job as a Security Guard for the parking lot is to watch over our vehicles and ensure that they remain safe at all times. Perhaps...

Call me old-fashioned, foolish or sentimental...but that's how I am. I have just returned from a multiplex after watching a delightful movie (Peepli [Live] but more about that some other time). Just before the movie, as is the practice, the national anthem is played. This morning this was shown: As I saw it, my eyes were filled with tears and till the end they slowly trickled down my cheeks. It was an indescribable emotion. They say so little and convey so much. Not a single word and yet so intense. Happy Independence Day All !

  Reading this reminded me of a long-suppressed traumatic memory… err… OK… * drama-queen stops right in her tracks * … a not-so-suppressed, no-so-traumatic memory. In college I would forever be suffering from a cold (and no, I have no idea why , and I do not wish to discuss theories of why it could have been so…sheesh ! can’t a girl complete her story in peace ?) So, I would usually wait it out. You know what they say…a cold will be cured in a week with medicines and in seven days without ! As it happened, in one such bout of cold, I had to attend a wedding in the family. So there I was, decked up in finery and sniffling away to glory with a cherry-red nose-tip ! Wedding = A thousand random relatives you haven’t met in ages and who want to know what you are up to in the finest details.   There’s only one conversation I had that day. Just multiply it by 1000 – once for each random relative - RR for short:   RR: So, how are you ? How’s your college going ? ME: I’m fine...

Heart shaped ditch on a construction site next to our office building ! Closer view of the 'heart' ! You can find love in the most unusual places ! :)

Hindsight is always 20/20 :)

Well, I was happy to experience this in the last week…figuratively as well as literally ! T he first experience was on Friday. For many many years now, my theatre organisation presents a historical play on the Parvati hill on the death anniversary of Nanasaheb Peshwe . 14th January 2011 is the 250th anniversary of the last battle of Panipat . So this year we presented a play based on this battle. TH wrote the play including the songs, composed the music and directed the play. The format was Song+narration--Scene--Song+narration--Scene. So SP SS and I were the three story-tellers. We sang some and narrated some, and then a scene was enacted by other actors and so on so forth. I have had no training in singing whatsoever. However I listen to music a lot…and of all kinds. Over the years I have developed a good ear for music. Also, I sing a bit…you know the kind where you sing in a small gathering of close relatives…who will generally praise you no matter how you sing :) Of course, I’...

It’s been raining continuously since last night. The rains began since day-before yesterday and the weather is so beautiful ! Overcast skies, a cool breeze blowing and ‘raindrops falling on my face’ :) This morning, on my way to office, I was singing loudly on the bike, as I usually do in the rains. I was happily singing rain songs :) I remembered that long ago I had written about the images that such weather brings. I dug it up, re-read it and felt so refreshed. I felt I had to share it again…with some additions. So here are the images conjured by the rains... Rushing out in the garden to get drenched in the first rain.... Leaving the sit-out door open, sitting in the door, with a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other with music in the background... Sudden burst of excitement in office as somebody shouts while running out, “There’s a hail-storm…lets go to the terrace”…running to the terrace with friends in office, gathering hailstones and eating them gleefully like child...