Slices of my daily life

I've gone ahead and joined the   BlogHer Network   and signed up for   NaBloPoMo   for June 2012. This essentially means that no matter what, I shall post once each day throughout the month of June. Easier said than done...but then a life without challenges is merely a peaceful existence ;) So   here is the post I wrote today   on BlogHer since I joined the network today. Like I have said in that post, here I reiterate: With my day-job and theatre work, I haven't the faintest idea how I shall be able to write daily and yet I'm going to make an effort, taking one day at a time because I'm excited by the theme "Jump". So yes, I'm jumping right in.  See you tomorrow ! :)

The recent petrol price hike is actually a good thing. I think the hidden motive of our Government behind the constant and big hikes in the petrol prices is concern for this country's citizen and their environment. Their ultimate goal is, I believe, world peace. They want us to eventually stop consuming petrol altogether thus saving a precious, non-renewable resource. No vehicles on the roads = no pollution and no accidents. It will also mean the end of corruption in traffic policemen since, no traffic means no traffic policemen. In fact, for want of get-away vehicles, many crimes won't be committed at all. We will have a nearly crime-free society. Without any means of transport, all produce will have to be sold locally. So the choicest of mangoes will not go abroad. Prices of all produce, including mangoes, will not rise due to rise in petrol prices. All produce will be sold at affordable prices. People will need to walk everywhere. This will make them h...

I give excellent colour suggestions…for homes, clothes, etc. I have a good eye for colour. When my parents were getting their house painted a couple of years ago, I insisted on painting one drawing room wall (the largest) a bright red and all other walls in an extremely light shade of pink. Also, I made them paint the bookshelves fixed on that wall (three decently large ones) stark white. Initially they were reluctant but I managed to bully convince them into listening to me. The struggle to convince the painter was an altogether different business, but I managed it. All were sceptical. But when they saw the beautiful white bookshelves against the bright red wall which was offset by the other light pink walls, they felt relief more than anything else. Of course, my stand was redeemed only when visitors to the house started praising the drawing room’s colours. I routinely “help” out other people with the colours they should be wearing. What can I do ? I  strongly feel, j...

Recently the newspaper Lokmat ran a campaign called HBKB  - Horn Bajane Ki Beemari - to create awareness about the ill-effects of excessive honking on the roads. They created a teaser campaign wherein they put up posters asking if people had heard of the HBKB disease. That really piqued people's interest. I think it was a fabulous teaser :) I can't talk enough about people's incessant honking on the roads. There are types and types of honking (and horns, but more about that some other time) and consequently 'honkers'. Sample a few - The Worry Wart - S/he constantly worries about which vehicle is  going to hit them next. They have an anxious expression and keep darting looks to the left and to the right to protect themselves from all others in the traffic. They honk in short spurts at equal intervals for the entire length of time they are driving. Methinks instead of being scared / annoyed and keeping away from them, somebody in the traffic ( don't look...

एक वाट  ... पुसट  पाउलखुणांची. एक वीण ... विसविशीत धाग्यांची.  एक घाव ... मिटून गेलेल्या व्रणाचा.  एक डोह ... भेगाळलेल्या तळाचा. आठवणी ! Fading footprints. Threadbare fabric. A parched lake. A cracked mirror. Memories ! I wrote it in Marathi first and then thought of the English version which I'm calling an adaptation since I changed the third and fourth line :)

It has been excruciatingly hot for the last couple of days. Last evening, all of a sudden it started raining heavily and rained for quite a while.  Here's a free-form poem I wrote...in Hindi for the first time ever :) मोटी मोटी बूँदें, और कुछ नन्ही भी... दौडती हुई निकल पडी आसमान से... जैसे के जल्दी हो किसीसे मिलने की... भाग के आ गयी ज़मीन पर... प्यासी मिट्टी में समा गयी... अब बस खुशबू बची है...यादों की.   Here's a loose translation of it in English: Big fat drops...and some tiny ones too Rushed forth from the skies As if in a hurry to meet somebody Quickly ran to the earth Got absorbed in the parched land What remains now is just the fragrance...of memories.

It is official now. I am addicted to Sudoku. There, I said it ! How do I know it ? Well, My eyes are red, Can’t get out of bed, I've been up all night, Imagine my plight ! On my new phone Each night I hone, My logic and skill With infinite will. I pity them all Who give in to the call, To embrace food and sleep, While awake I keep. I cut no slack, I can’t hold back, I heed Sudoku’s call, I WILL crack them all ! So many puzzles, so little time ! When I solve them all, only then I’ll feel fine !