myview

ME , MY MAID AND VIVIDH BHARATI

2011-06-06T11:04:00.007+05:30

Yesterday evening I was sitting at this very same spot looking out of the window and generally not thinking of anything. I happened to glance up and saw the fan in the room. It had blackened at the edges due to dust and moisture.I decided that the next day that is today I would be cleaning it before my help-the zadu-katkawali came for cleaning.

Today I got up early ,finished most of my work-breakfast and cooking and then began cleaning my room.I finished the roof and fan and the shelves.The floor now had a lot of dirt on it which my maid would clean.Suddenly I realised it was already five days in a row that my maid had come and done the work-she would probably not come today.I called her up.The phone was busy.I turned and walked towards my bedroom when the phone rang.I rushed towards it with hope in my heart and also a little doubt-it was the maid-her son was sick, she was taking him to the doctor and could not come. All thoughts crossed my mind.The doctor -delayed [ his maid had'nt come?] and hence a long queue at the doctors and therefore my maid could not come.She had already told me so!

Yesterday Aai had come back from her sisters' place .Her unwashed clothes,our clothes and a few extra pieces were already washed and sitting in the basket waiting to be put for drying.The scene at the kitchen sink was no different.All the food had been transferred to small vessels and the big ones were waiting to be cleaned.
I calmed myself and decided to think of all this differently-no anger -I could afford to be calm -I was a retired person sitting at home-nowhere to rush off.I remembered that some of my colleagues would take leave without any hesitation.The reason being that one had to be at a temple on an auspiciuos day [Thursday] to receive the Almighty's blessings!,another was just tired and felt like not going to work[tired doing housework or teaching?]My maid had a sick child -she definitely needed to take leave.Thinking of the conditions in which they live, the different responsibilities they handle and the superstitions that surround them they are still doing a good job!

Looking at all the work piled up I smiled and turned to the transistor radio.I am fond of listening to the radio[inherited from my parents]I switched it on and kept it next to me. To the lilting voice of Lata Mangeshkar-"Woh bhuli dastaan phir yaad aa gayi"and "Bairan neend na aaye" each cloth was put up on the line for drying.I was singing along with Latadidi-would she have ever dreamed that her singing would ease a very tedious job considerably? The clothes hanging was over in a jiffy -I thought.

Then I turned to the vessels .Vividh bharati had Mohd. Rafi singing "jaroorat hai jaroorat hai ek shrimati ki kalavati ki-jo seva kare pati ki"-wah! how appropriate-they had to play something so apt.The songs were accompanied by some talk-this time it was about eating Karela and its numerous benefits.It was about how joint pains were relieved by eating karela. I realised I didn't need to eat karela -my mouth had already had the kadva taste.Then a song- "dil hai ke manata nahin"-I wash ,clean,sing ,wash clean sing.

Then I turned to my room where it all began . I took the broom and cleaned up the mess I had created.

I also remembered "Hallo Farmaish" on Vividh bharati where people call in and ask them to play their favourite songs.The compere then talks to these people who say that "mein din bhar Vividh bharati soonta/soonti hoon kaam karte karte-tailoring,working in a garage, or a sipahi at the border-now I was one of them .I quite liked it all.

The clothes were hung to dry,vessels were now washed and the room was cleaned up

My thoughts could now be put into words.

Thanks Vividh Bharati!

aaghat

2011-01-05T18:21:00.002+05:30

This film directed by Mr. Vikram Gokhale[his first directorial venture]is a must see!

The film is sleek -that is ,there are no extra frills ,not a tear jerker or a comic riot but absolutely brilliant!

The actors have given a marvelous performance-each one of them and the credit goes to the director for keeping a tight leash on the acting -just as much as required by the script.The script is very good and it shows how a common person can be duped easily.The Hippocratic oath at the begining and the comment at the end were masterstrokes.

Thank you all for this great film and we would love to see more of Mr. Vikram Gokhale-both as an actor and a director.His faith in Ms. Mukta Barve is justified completely.All the actors have done a great job even in the smallest roles.Congratulations!

There is though one drawback- not many theaters are running the film and then those that are running it do so at odd times like 11.30 am or 12 noon.Still I could catch it and be happy that I have seen a great film!

The Play-Katkon -Trikon

2010-12-28T11:54:00.003+05:30

We saw a wonderfully written play Katkon Trikon. The writer is Dr. Vivek Bele ,the Director Mr. Girish Joshi and the Producer Mr. Ajit Bhure.
The play is about a young couple and an old man who is the man's father.The play is written in a very light banter kind of style.The actors are the very versatile Dr. Mohan Agashe, Mr. Sandesh Kulkarni and Ms. Ketki Thatte.The play makes one think about our own behaviour towards the old as also the thoughts and difficulties of the young.The play uses the same dialogues in different contexts and conveys an altogether different meaning. A wonderful use of language! The play also has humour though there are serious issues discussed and this takes the audience very delicately to the climax of the play,without it turning into a comedy or an over the top shouting ,screaming end.
All in all a superb coming together of an excellent writer ,a good director and a committed producer,par excellence actor Dr. Mohan Agashe,good acting by Mr. Sandesh Kulkarni and Ms. Ketki Thatte.
Thank you all for this wonderful gift.May we keep getting many such productions.

A visit to Leh June 19th to 26th

2010-07-04T16:20:00.033+05:30

A wonderful trip to the beautiful land of Leh! Leh needs a lot of preparation. The climate was not what one would expect -cold and colder. During the flight we could see the mountain ranges -snow covered and some grey. We landed in Leh at 7 am. It was cold -8 degrees celcius.It was also icy windy!. I had to keep myself completely covered in a shawl apart from the sweater, inners and cap.. The oxygen content being low also caused discomfort.The first day was spent in getting acclimatized. Any exertion caused tiredness.The hotel Leh Chan was a nice place away from the noise of vehicles and close to a tiny river..The next day we woke up early as the sunrise is early.What a wonderful sight we saw!

From our room we could see the sunrise ,the snow clad mountains, the palace at a distance and the magpie robin.It was a sight that I had never seen before and do not think will see again.21 st we went to Samkar gompha, Shanti Stupa the Hemis festival and the Leh palace.These are the photos of the Samkar gompha, the Shanti Stupa the Leh palace and the Hemis festival.
The next day 22nd we went to the Pangyong lake .It is a long drive through winding roads and snow covered mountains.The topmost point is Chang-La which is 17586 FEET .

The entire journey showed us a part of India we had never imagined.From there we proceeded to Pangyong lake. This photo does not do justice to the beauty of the vast lake which also spreads into China.We found some gulls in there brown headed and looking wonderful on the blue green waters of the lake.We passed through villages Shey and Thiksey.The route back was tiring as the low oxygen content causes some discomfort as also the winding roads.We reached Hotel Leh Chen around evening and then just flopped out. The 23 rd was a day of sight seeing at lower levels-the sangam of the zanskar and indus rivers, the magnetic hill, the patthar sahib-a gurudwara, the fabulous museum -a tribute to our brave soldiers of the army ,navy and air force.

The eveving was spent in shopping at Leh market.The market is full of woolens,silver jewellery ,bags of different leathers and stones of all kinds.
We had a good time there and also got to walk a little as we were all the time getting into the Qualis and driving off.We also visited the market and got a papaya and a mashmelon and were happy that we could eat some fruit after 4-5 days.
The next day was a trip to Nubra valley ,the highest motorable road in the world.We got off to an early start and the drive was amazing .The mountains were of all colours and the weather was bitterly cold.We reached the highest point Khardung-La.The oxygen content was low and quite a tiring time.The man in the picture is a tourist who is trying to show that the low temperature has no effect on him!Later on these people had to be hospitalised and given oxygen.One must pay attention to the instructions of the guides or the people living there.
The road went further towards the sand dunes -a cold desert . I had never imagined that it would be a desert with freezing temperatures and sand all around. There are many two-humped camels here. The sand is extremely fine and looks like miles and miles of it.The further journey brought us to Tirith camp -a wonderful place in the midst of nowhere.
The approach to the camp provided us with a view of a waterfall from the snow capped mountains.What can I say? all the adjectives fall short of the sight that we saw!.The camping was a superb experience .The food was good and we all could sit together and chat ,relax ,have a hot water bath .The tea place was a round area where we all sat together ,had tea, biscuits and snacks.We ladies played cards -a game called 7 of hearts.It was a lot of fun.We stayed overnight and left early as there was a chance of bad weather. Sure enough we experienced a blizzard on the way back.The trip gave us the complete package of what it can be in a place like Leh.Luckily we did not see the ugly side of the terrain or the weather.The mountains we saw were a varied colour-red- as you can see in this picture ,green yellow and of various textures-rocky but smooth like chocolate,sandy, gravelly ,stony sometimes forming shapes sometimes looking dangerous. The drive back was a bit frightening because there was mist and sometimes one could not see anything and suddenly the mist would go away and we could again see the beautiful snow laden mountains.The journey ended with us back at the Leh chen hotel in the evening. The next day was a rest day when we decided to go river rafting in the Zanskar river. River rafting is for the strong ones -who can use oars fast and for the brave hearts who will not lose their cool in case of a mishap.The entire stretch was a raw beauty that one never sees elsewhere. It is unspoilt by humans requiring all amenities and mollycoddling. The next day -26th we began the return journey with memories of an unforgettable trip to one of the most wonderful places in INDIA that one could see.

film on You Tube

2010-02-21T09:29:00.003+05:30

I saw a film by Jean-Jacques Annaud-The Bear.
What a film ! I am amazed at the way they have shot the film. As you watch the film you start experiencing the fear that must have gripped the bear and the way it tried to save itself from the lioness.
The fear slowly recedes and you now want the bear to escape -you run with him through the jungle,across the tree branch,into the river -but the lioness gets the better of him and bites him-the bear starts screaming and there is someone else screaming too- the lioness looks up ,turns tail and walks off-the bear runs towards its mother who licks off the wounds.The size of the mother is three times that of the baby! What A FILM -MUST WATCH!

REVISITING AMRAVATI

2010-02-10T19:47:00.005+05:30

I went to Amravati after 22 years.There is a drastic change in its appearance! There used to be large open spaces, fewer people and fewer vehicles.In that respect it has changed as every Indian city is changing.Modernisation has its drawbacks.The old charm is lost and as we saw the old house we were living in now changed completely ,we were saddened but it must have been sadder for Hemant and Anita who spent their childhood in that large house.They have memories of playing in the ground next to their house,of cycling down the lane,of neighbours,of friends, Ganpati festival and much more.They have moved on and so has Amravati!
Yet there are still large grounds attached to schools and colleges,facilities for playing every game which as a Mumbaikar I thought was fantastic.The local people say there are all facilities available but our children are not interested The idiot box is their attraction.Same as elsewhere!The place now boasts of a flyover and some shopping complexes.There aren't many eateries and cinema houses but whatever is there is enough for the population.The weather was fantastic and so many of us being together,it was fun.

A Trip to Umergaon

2010-01-25T10:37:00.004+05:30

The trip to Umergaon was a family get-together .We first visited Ushatai's garment factory.The first gala was where only cutting and cleaning of the garments was done .It was a large area divided into an upper area and a lower area.There were about 4-5 workers there .It was recently started.Next we went to the next gala where there were 100 sewing machines and as many workers.It was huge and the work being done was of excellent quality.Each garment goes through a lot of hands before it is finally finished as only one part of the garment is done by one person-eg.sleeves fitting done by one ,then the lace or embroidery by another and so on.I felt very proud of Ushatai who had started it all from a single sewing machine and a single tailor.The hard work by Rahul,Sushama and Ushatai has paid off.Today they are having100-125 workers What an achievement!

The place where we stayed -Choudhary farms was a nature resort .They had chickoo trees by the dozens ,papaya trees ,a few coconut trees a variety of Hibiscus-[shoe flowers]It was a huge area -cool ,green and very, very pleasant.The accomodation was also good. They have a dormitory with ten beds ,two bathrooms and two toilets.They also have a room with two beds and another dormitory where one can sleep on matresses on the floor.

As soon as we reached we told them that we would like to have coconut water. They immediately arranged for fresh water by getting coconuts down from the tree.Oh it was very filling and very fresh!Everyone was relaxed and enjoying the outdoors !The farmhouse had a ropeway -a small distance but great fun-Anuprita,myself,Ushatai,Hemant,Nikhil,Amod,Sonal -all of us walked across slowly,shakily and also with comments by the others waiting down.We went for walks and gossiped a little,discussed wedding of Medha.Sonal,Anuprita,Hemant all played badminton and got tired as it was ages ago when they had played.There were hammocks,swings and areas where all of us could sit together and eat,drink and be merry.
What a great time we had!

new happenings

2009-06-26T22:31:00.003+05:30

The rains are here at last.Humidity levels were at an all time high.Rain brought relief in spurts.

Yesterday I saw two of nature's correction techniques or Darwins theory of survival of the fittest.

The first incident occured at about twelve noon.A medium sized squirrel fell off an Ashoka tree on one of the large palm leaves of the palm tree beneath the tall Ashoka tree.A crow was sitting close by and was about to make a move when a cat pounced on the squirrel and carried it off in its mouth.

All this occured within a few seconds.At that point it seemed that the crow had actually managed to drop the squirrel from the tree but ultimately the cat got there first.Later on the cat was roaming around with the squirrel in its mouth searching for a place to eat it without disturbance from the crow.

The second incident also involved crows-- lots of them.Suddenly there were about 10-15 of them in the garden eating something.I thought may be some kind of worm that the rains had brought with them.I could not see what it was so I just went about my work and forgot all about it.Next morning as I was sitting at the window having tea I saw first, one crow descend on the ground and was followed by 10-12 of them .They were all eating a swarm of insects [winged ones that we see in the house during the rains]which were flying around.The crows were quick and would catch them in mid air.

This is the first time that I have seen such an occurence.What does it signify?

music programme

2008-10-06T10:20:00.002+05:30

On the 5th of October Hemant and myself went to the Village music club for a concert of classical music.

The singer was a Shri Anant Terdal from Belgaum. He sang very well specially the raag Maru Behag and the Thumri.He was an oldish ,thin man whose appearance did nothing to suggest that he would sing with such dedication and passion. It was a truly lovely experience, after the very many singers we have heard over a period of time..He studied the Gwalior gharana gayaki.Later being inspired by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi ,he now sings that style-Kirana gharana gayaki.
He has the sur, the taans and the bhaav-a difficult combination

.The atmosphere at the club is down to earth and the audience is an appreciative lot.

Truly a wonderful Sunday!

tailor bird

2008-07-02T09:42:00.004+05:30

On the 20th,a pair of tailor birds decided to build /construct their nest in a large leaf in my garden.They kept inspecting a croton plant for their abode.Finally after 2-3 days they chose a leaf that was quite big and pliant.They got very active and and after gathering material throughout the day they managed to form a cup .

This is 2 days later, there isn't much activity. Have they given up their idea ?Are they building somewhere else?Ihope not !Ihave a window seat from where I can watch their activity without being spotted.

10 days later I am now sure they have abandoned this nest as I see a part of the leaf is torn!Igot the leaf home to see the nest.What hard work for a pair of tiny birds gathering a particular kind of thread ,stitching the ends of the leaf and putting soft cottony material within!All of that work wasted-but no- not wasted- it gave me immense pleasure and got me involved in the pair. I would wait to see them come ,hear their sounds and run to the window ,sit quietly and watch ! WHAT PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE!Such pleasures are rare for Mumbaiites-I was the priviledged one!

So ---Cool!

2008-06-14T21:26:00.003+05:30

The tv show - so cool -was very educative and entertaining.How people look at life is amazing!Here was this Neelimkumar Khaire with all the lovely birds and animals he has rescued.How he must love them and how difficult to let them go once they are fit and healthy.He had a really small deer he had rescued and it is fed milk with a bottle!The sight was something one would never see.Also he had a small incubator where a really small bird is fed by a human wearing a glove with a beak to simulate the mother bird.The anchor Sonali Kulkarni was very genuine in her enthusiasm but her clothes were not to my liking.

aadipashya

2008-06-11T21:31:00.004+05:30

"Synopsis----'Kirtan', an ancient temple tradition, has it's origin in the Indian Mythology and Greek Tragedy dates back to 5th century B.C. Where Kirtan is oldest 'One-Man-Show', Greek Tragedy emphasises the 'Unity of time and Space', 'Aadipashya', in it's own way, attempts to strike the golden mean of both these traditions.'Aadipashya' a kirtan in free verse, is a transformation of the theme of 'Oedipus Rex', a classic by celebrated Greek dramatist, Sophocles."
I saw a marathi drama 'adipashya'.the writer tried to say a lot about today's politicians but i thought he was not able to put it across effectively! it could have been better if it were edited and the diction wasn't upto the mark.