Mama Mia!

If you haven't already, you should!That is, if you have grown up listening to the Abba songs and you don't mind singing your heart/throat out as you watch the movie. Else it'll be no fun. Make sure you go with someone who knows the songs and won't mind making a fool of herself/himself, otherwise just go on your own!

I remember listening to Abba tapes in my school days, on our Blue Sanyo two-in-one, as they were called in those days. Sometimes when J would be in town too we would break into spontaneous jigs and I'm sure my mom will have pictures of us dancing away in my room. Moreover, I really wanted to watch Mama Mia! - the musical, I remember seeing the posters at Broadway as Amit and I walked around in Time square; but some other show was on those days and anyway we didn't have the time. What I'm trying to get at is that I was thrilled when I came to know about the movie and I'm ecstatic now that I have watched it :)

The Mama Mia! movie is realllllly well made. (BTW that's a nice movie website, though Flash heavy) Each person in the cast fits the part perfectly and every one of them have sung beautifully. Meryl Streep needs no honor roll from me and is more than fantastic, I didn't know she could carry a tune this well! Especially 'The winner takes it all'. The girl playing her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is incredibly beautiful with luminous eyes and looks like a cross between an angel and a Greek goddess in the wedding dress. The two women playing Tanya and Rosie are so distinct in their characters and completely full of energy. THEN there are Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth, both of whom I completely adore (you don't grow out school day crushes, do you?). Pierce Brosnan being good looking in a middle aged way that ONLY he can and Colin Firth being the eternal Mr. Darcy. The third dude (Skellen Skarsgard) is also quite nice but with these two gentlemen around, we can't pay much attention to him now, can we?

The overall look and feel of the movie is awesome. The location is to die for - its been shot on the Greek Island of Skopelos, you will see parts of it in the trailer. The green and blue Aegean sea, the typical white Greek architecture, the Mediterranean light - its beautiful. I of course knew about the islands, having done the touristy research on Greece but what drew me to the country was only History and now I'm beyond captivated. I could marry S all over again just to get married at that church!

I watched the sing along version, which is great because it spurred the less enthu people in the movie hall to sing as well. The friend I went with was embarrassed and shy as I started singing at the top of my voice but soon joined in. It was kind of a hen party though and there was spontaneous bonding. During the intermission a girl smiled at me broadly in the loo mirror and asked me if I was there for Mama Mia! Before I could rely she went in to say, "I should have come with friends and left my stupid brother at home."

There isn't a moment in the movie when you feel that it should get on with it. I had a blast watching it, so as I said you must go if you haven't. If you are in Bombay and don't have anyone you can go with and don't fancy watching movies alone like I do, you can always invite me. I absolutely won't mind going again, I will however not be responsible for any damage to your ear drums that my beautiful voice may cause. :)

P.S. You can shut off the volume to the trailer if it gets to you after a while.

I Believe I Can Fly

I have always been ambitious, never happy with just what's within reach. I need to try for the best available and if I do reach that its of course fantastic, but even if I don't I need to know that I gave it all I had. This may even be an extension of my obsession with doing everything to ensure that whenever I look back I should not have any regrets for what I did and didn't do in life. I have often gone to crazy lengths and insane actions to ensure this but hey, it works for me!

As a result, I have a lot of respect for people with a fire that drives them. What that simply means is that they are always striving for more. May not necessarily mean lofty aims or flashy achievements; just the desire to keep giving their best. It simply means not being afraid to put yourself out there and giving it a shot. Today I met Bablu Singh after a very long time and it was refreshing talking to him and recognizing that drive. Just makes me happy every time I come across it.

Bablu is a veggie vendor with a stall near my house. He would be about 22-24 years old, is always well dressed, speaks good Hindi, Marathi and English, is a charmer and hence a fantastic salesman. He would say friendly things in a fun manner which you know are a part of his charm yet make you like him for it. He keeps vanishing for months every once in a while. I hadn't seen him for many months now and today as I walked back from the DVD store I saw him grin at me, wave and run towards his stall inviting me for a chat and to buy stuff. I asked him where has he been and he launched into his story, just after he gave me his mobile number for veggie, fruit home deliveries and telling me that now that he's back its obvious that I will buy them from him :)

He went back to his village to prepare for and take his B.Sc first year exams, he has cleared them with good grades and even got an award of Rs.20 k from his college, which he deposited back as his fee for the next year! He went on to tell me that he spent about Rs.25k last year to put himself through tutions for Maths and English. Maths because he wasn't good at it and English because it lets him read and understand books which could help him further with Maths and also enables him to write his answers better; its anyway helpful to know English, he says. I congratulated him and said that it was worth the investment then and he replied,"Of course, paise to maine waapis jeet hi liye lekin dimaag to khul gaya na, ab aage ka raasta dekhna hai!" (Of course, I won back the money anyway but its about the widening of my mind, now I need to find my way ahead)

I have to agree with him, widening of your mind and the way ahead, what else is there to worry about?

Down that Lane

There are places I remember all my life,
Though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain.
All these places have their moments
Of lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I loved them all.

And I know I'll never lose affection ...


A mail from J has put me in this really nostalgic mood which I can't seem to shake off and the Beatles have been singing this song in my head constantly. I'll wrote more about this once I have an OK from the girls :)


P.S. I deleted the last post as I published it incomplete by mistake and I don't know how long it might take me to complete that one.

The head and the heart, they work together to protect us in their own conniving ways. When you come across happy, exciting stuff these two scheming b******s fill you with a hope that such things are within your reach and you can touch them, even have them for yourself. When you watch a romantic movie they let you feel that the magical stuff you saw exists and that keeps you going till you actually find it in your life OR (for some) till you settle for something resembling it. A friend shares an awesome experience with you and you get hopeful of having similar experiences in life; and so on.

The reverse, however, is not true. You see or hear about something bad that happened to someone and suddenly a sticky protective layer covers your thoughts and you never think that that could happen to you. You come across newspaper articles or email forwards that warn you against unknown dangers - how to recognize them, avert them, deal with them - you read them thinking it isn't for you, better still you forward them to others so that they can benefit from it. And when that something bad does happen to you, you are left bewildered because it just wasn't supposed to happen to you. Even more bewildering when those you sent all the forwards to DID do everything to prevent the disaster!

I think about this and may be its right that they (the head-heart duo) should so operate. The something bad comes along and you find the strength to handle it and to carry those around you who may not always have the strength; what is the point in that case to live in fear of every disaster? What is the point in worrying and living those horrible events even before they happen? You will anyway have no escape when they do. Why not keep living with the warm sunny feeling of the good days and the dreams and hopes of those still to come; why not let the fears lie hidden in those remote corners? Who knows if this is what keeps us going, if this is what keeps us afloat.

Whoaaa!!

It matters.So much!! I see him getting onto the podium, receiving the Gold medal for men's 10 m air rifle event, our National Anthem playing in the background and the Tricolor hoisting slowly - in the top spot. India wins its first ever Olympic Gold for an individual, courtesy Abhinav Bindra.I got goosebumps.

Notwithstanding the news channels going in a tizzy over a news item they know they can play non-stop for a minimum of 48 hours OR the fact that some of them are playing 'yeh desh hai veer jawanon ka' as they gush over Bindra OR that now they will trip over each other to interview everyone from the man himself to his maali (gardener) and may be even his dog. It is a big moment. The dude has won himself and the country many golds in world championships already over the years but there's nothing like an Olympics gold. And one that makes us feel like less of a loser nation? May be even a winner? Priceless.

(Some more pictures of him over the years here.)

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

It was my mommy's birthday yesterday! And this sunny, bright cake is just right for her! Happy Birthday, Mom!

She had a fantastic day though every time I talked to her she said I should have been there, which I wanted to this year but my plan to go to Jaipur got postponed. My dad has been planning her b'day for some time and GET THIS, he gifted her a Blushing Read Hyundai I10!!

They have a Ford currently but my mom has been saying for some years that she wanted a new small car and that a 'red car' was her dream since she was a little girl (every time she said that I told her she's still a lil girl!), so dad decided it was time to fulfill her wish. They got the delivery of the vehicle about a week back and every time I asked if they had taken it out Dad would say 'oh its raining' 'weather isn't good' 'we were going only around the corner' etc. and yesterday it dawned on stupid me that of course he was saving it for yesterday! So they took it out yesterday to go and buy desserts and last minute stuff for the b'day party.

Incidentally, my youngest bua (dad's sis), who is my favorite aunt and also my mom's best friend, shares her birthday (Happy Birthday to you too, Bua!!). So mom dad picked her up and the two birthday girls had a fun ride in the red car :)

From what I hear the party was a hit, with people who came for tea staying for dinner as well!My mom refused to cut the cake so poor dad got pastries instead. They told me it was nearly perfect, I believe them. I also wish that J and I were there.

After you, Sir

A few days back while traveling on the airport bus from the terminal to the craft, an old lady climbed in after me and as she was trying to balance her handbag and hold on to the rails, I offered her my seat. She smiled at me with a hint of grattitude and surprise. Considering that the gesture was not really grand or exceptional, I mean you would offer your seat to an older person or a pregnant woman (right?); it made me think that may be the older people in our country and not used to being treated nicely.

In most of the other countries I have been to, especially US and Australia, the way old people are treated is really great. They are given the rights and are given those without any hassle, its their right after all. A bus driver would lower the platform and would even get off to assist an old lady into the bus, still keeping to the schedule. They don't look pained doing that, its in their attitude and habit. I cannot understand why should it be different for us. And we claim to be a country seeped in traditions and values that have lasted over centuries.

The reason for me re-visiting this thought is an incident that happened yesterday. My dad went to the rail ticket reservation center to book tickets . Like every other time he stood in the senior citizen's line which had only 3-4 people ahead of him while the regular queue was a long one. When he reached the counter the clerk at the window asked him rudely,"Can't you see there's a long line, how did you come in the front?" My dad explained that he is a senior citizen and so he stood in this line. The guy went on to say that its a 'facility' and not a 'right' and my dad should stand in the queue rightfully. He went to say some rude stuff to people in general, humiliating my dad. I am so angry as I write this that my skin crawls, I could happily murder that guy. But my dad just told him that he's not going to say anything to him and he would know better when he turns 60. He gave my dad the ticket - my dad checked it and said he's given him for the Cantt Station while his form says he wanted one for the City Station. The clerk just looked at him and said that he's made a mistake and dad should stand in the line again to get it corrected. My dad came back with the ticket. He just sat quietly in his office room at home. He walked about from room to room not saying anything. My mom was so sad but she just told him to not worry about it, the clerks tend to behave this way to show off the little power they have and that he should just book online from now on. He was worried about the ticket but S told him that we could just buy a ticket from City to Cantt which is a 4-5 minute ride anyway. Its not a big problem but he has been deeply hurt, so much so that he just told mom what happened and that he should have checked the ticket himself, not a word more.


I need to tell a few things to explain why this makes me so mad and in a way sad at this. My dad is a very simple man, my friends, S' relatives - they meet him for a while and tell me how easy it is to see what a good and simple man he is. I will tell you more about him. He has been the center of the family, the one who took on the responsibility while he was still in 10th standard. Married off all his sisters, with mum by his side of course. And so our household has been the nanihal and the place of countless summer holiday memories to no less than 16 kids over the years and continues to be for their kids. He's in them as the doting guy who ensured everybody had what they needed to have fun. He still carries that responsibility not like a weight but like a precious jewel.

He worked with the Govt. and was at very senior and influential posts. He was in a position of power but never behaved like a powerful man. While he was working he was respected by everyone for his work, for his rare trait of honesty in a civil servant and for the way he was with people. I remember countless examples ... like when a villager would come with his hand folded and a tin of homemade ghee as he had no money to give and be surprised to tears when his work got done without the ghee or the money; or when my dad would get transferred for not pleasing the ministers and be transferred back due to the public outcry over the mess the succeeding officer created. I remember that when he got transferred out of an area he worked in for more than 20 years, all of us were eating out every single meal for about 20 days to fit in as many invitations for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. The invitations were from dad's colleagues, bosses, juniors (even a few who he would leave to scamper and follow in another car if they were more than 5 mins. late for an inspection tour - but would never say a rude word to), the farmers impacted by his work, even our driver sahib. He's too modest to ever say it but that's his legacy, that's what he has earned. He's retired now but is still frequently called upon for his expertise and knowledge as a consultant to various projects or when the same ministers have explanatory meetings with the CM or the PM and know that the data they need will have to be researched for days while dad will be able to give from memory. Mom-dad are also as frequently called upon by countless people they have befriended over those years. At my engagement, which we wanted to be a close affair we had a guest list of over 450 'close' people including relatives, household-helps who were around as J and I grew up, old friends, colleagues etc. who all turned up from various places my parents stayed at. It might sound like boasting, after all every daughter would adore her mom-dad (ok, may be not always) but believe me its more that that.

To me? My dad is a softie, as I guess most dads are when it comes to their little girls. He's the one who would hide in the car after a quick hug when I'm being dropped to the boarding school. He's the one who would happily drive 10 kms. to take me to my favorite ice-cream parlor at 10 in the night. He's the one who told me I could do whatever i wanted to but never took my decisions for me. He's the one who would not ask me 'why' even once when I say I want to marry S, only if I'm happy. He's the one with the softest hands, a title now shared by S. He's the one who would take flak from relatives but let us do the outlandish things J and I want to do. He's always there, always loving, always smiling. And you have to see the way he takes care of my mum, I could love him for just that.

To me he's a man who came from a humble background, achieved much by god's grace and his capability, is a dude at what he does, loves his family and shows it, is the greatest dad, is ALWAYS nice to people, always goes out of his way every time to help people, had and still has a lot of clout due to his reputation but is always a polite guy. And he's my dad, I couldn't be more proud. I have lived the life of a princess in a way and have seen him only as this man I describe here.


So, you have no clue how it makes my blood boil that there is this reservation clerk who is so drunk on his power to be able to tell people off that he just humiliates my dad for no reason. Just because he sits behind this counter he thinks he has the right to behave the way he pleases. This clerk obviously doesn't and needn't know the details I tell you about my dad but he could be expected to know how to behave with people older than him. He IS expected to know how to treat a senior citizen. I'm sure every senior citizen in that queue has a story their children can tell. He should know that a facility has not been given out of charity, its a right our senior citizens have earned having done their jobs, raised their families and having made their individual contributions. He should know that he will indeed, like my dad said, would stand in that queue one day and will hope that the person on the counter will treat him with dignity and respect he deserves. I hope the one manning the counter would be a better man than him.