charukesi August 28th, 2007
Another blog anniversary came and went - this blog completed four yesterday - what a great time this has been - for me, kind peoples, not you. Thank you, everyone I have met on this blog - the nice ones, the very nice ones and even the nasty ones. To think, but for this blog, I would never have heard of blogger meets. Or now get to hear of what happened in the last one.
charukesi August 7th, 2007
Mine is fursat ke raat din.Describes the mood of the moment perfectly.
Baithe rahen, tasavvurey, jaana kiye huey…
What’s yours?
charukesi June 12th, 2007
I am off to London tomorrow for two weeks for a much needed break. June has been a month of no work and sickness - after two weeks of (advised and attempted) bed rest with a terrible back, I am just recovering from a bout of throat infection and fever. Croak. Tired of sitting at home in Bombay and doing nothing, I have decided to shift the scene of action to London. That is not strictly true. I hope to do and see all that which I did not have the time and money to (mostly the latter) during my earlier stint as a student in London. From impoverished student to impoverished tourist in five years does not sound all that impressive. I know.
I did manage to see quite a bit of London, mostly by walking around aimlessly (or sitting on the upper deck of a double-decker bus - oh, the joy!) and finding things to do that were free - and London has countless such options. The parks, the museums, street performances… I spent a whole day a the Natural History Museum, mostly staring at the dinosaurs and the gorgeous interiors of the building.
I remember when Royal Opera House had the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ ballet on, with tickets at obnoxious rates. And British Petroleum (BP) had large screens all around Covent Garden, where anyne could sit on the ground and catch the ballet for free. And the good people at BP, I remember, had also provided sacks for sitting on (even free-loaders have delicate bottoms, you know) and a soft drink each. I confess that while I enjoyed the ballet immensely, what gave me more pleasure was the thought of the suckers who had paid a fortune to watch it live.
My greatest regret was not seeing the British Museum - I used to get off at Holborn station each morning and like a homing pigeon, turn left and walk towards the LSE. Not once did I make the effort to turn right and walk a few paces towards once of the world’s best museums, and free at that. Not this time, people, not this time.
I also scrimped and saved and caught a couple of plays, and a kind friend took me to watch ‘Swan Lake’ (the ballet) for my birthday. When I was depressed, which was all the time, what with the grey weather, and being alone and all those essay deadlines looming large in front of my eyes all the time, I headed to the Haagen Daz at Leicester Square (BELIEVE me, there is no depression on earth that Belgian Chocolate at Haagen Daz cannot cure). My friend and I also figured out weekend trips out of London, and got quite addicted to the idea of jai! coach from Victoria or hire a car and ho for the open spaces. I cannot honestly admit that I fully enjoyed all these activities since part of my mind was always occupied furioiusly converting pounds into rupees - and don’t snigger - I was a student on a loan. Heh! But as I said, there are enough things to do in London that come for free - and the conversion rate is easy - 0 rupees for 0 pounds.
I have a few photographs from long ago in London at my travel blog - Itchy Feet - go check them out. And while you are at it, do read a few of the other posts there! And if you are listening to me carefully, also make it a point to drop in at Itchy Feet regularly - I do write / post pics there from time to time. I will try to post a few from London - else expect lots of photographs when I am back end of the month. If you live in London and wish to meet up, goody! let’s - email me and we’ll catch up.
Head now to Itchy Feet for photographs of London oh London…
charukesi March 29th, 2007
So I am back in Bombay - after close to four weeks of being away in a world that was unreal, to say the very least. The doctors released me earlier than expected on account of my exemplary good behavior - and if you believe that, you will believe anything. I thought of the first day at the hospital when I was talking to the chief doctor there - I was telling her about all the other treatment systems I had tried earlier - allopathy - even surgery, accupressure, acupuncture - a few dozen needles stuck all over the body already in pain, ayurveda, Siddha, homeopathy - sometimes a combination of some of these… yoga… reiki and pranic healing. Healing with crystal and color and just prayer - the works. At some point during my “speech” I seemed to have stepped back a few paces - I listened to myself as an outsider. Have I really tried all that?
I thought about the motor-mouths who write off such systems of treatment as nonsense - think about it, it is not ignorance that leads people to try such things. It is desperation. Listening to myself, I was almost able to understand why quacks flourish all over the country… all over the world? Anything - anything to feel better.
Pain is a very very lonely place to be. I dread the questions and pearls of advice now as much as I used to dread them earlier… but you look so normal (oh, I am sorry, I just removed my pain-o-meter before you came in)… how are you feeling now (I am feeling terribly anxious and hopeless but you are never going to understand that because you see me smile now - and all the time)… you must learn to live with the pain (absolutely, I have just signed up for the course)…
Only my husband and parents, rock solid in their support. Waiting, with me, to see how this treatment works out… after continued rest and medication for a few months. I am hopeful - all those bottles of oil, the medicines, the care, the rest, the prayers….
charukesi March 18th, 2007
Now you see it, now you don’t - playing aorund with wordpress - for a strict trial-and-errorist as me, is somewhat like playing aorund with dangerous chemicals in a laboratory. Ok, not quite. I tentatively “save changes” and open the page with trepidation, each time to find something has completely disappeared, or new strange code has sprouted in the middle of it all. Slow and easy does it - the new theme is ‘fall season’ though I intend to change the header pic to something of my own soon. Now that the theme is on, I am hoping that the rough edges will get smoothened over the next few days.
And in the meanwhile, I have a new home page - and a photo gallery up too. Please to have a dekko and tell me how-it-ees. Suggestions and criticism welcome, but only if you can tell me clearly how to fix it, else only nice comments.
charukesi March 7th, 2007
It is the beginning of summer here, the humidity in the air is already unbearable, though the sea breeze sets in punctually at 3 every evening, bringing with it blessed relief from the heat of the day. And all those wonderful things associated with spring and summer… tiny things just beginning life… Color and life everywhere I see…
Flowers of all description in full bloom. Tiny bananas waiting to ripen, little green raw cashew soon to turn pink and plump, birds flying in and out of my vision in a flash of brilliant blue or yellow. Sounds that well, sound weird to my city ears - crickets at night, birds whistling and singing, and then the silence. The attenders and even doctors are now used to seeing me run (okay, walk really fast) behind a bird, gawk at flowers and go into raptures over exotic butterflies; startled looks have now given way to amused indulgent these city types smiles.
The Aryavaidyasala in Cochin - technically eight km from Aluva in semi-rural Kerala runs on rented premises belonging to the Shantigiri Ashram. The first thing they tell you when you come here is that they are building their own hospital and will shift there much within the end of the year. Working in a place that is not owned by them, the hospital administration has almost no control over food and other amenities provided by the ashram, a fact they are extremely apologetic about. For all that, the ayurvedic treatment here is the best one can get anywhere in the world.
The atmosphere at this campus is all about “wind-down” mode. No stress, no anxiety - the biggest deadline in my life is to ensure I do not miss mealtimes. I take long walks when possible, when it is cooler - the doctors advise as much rest as possible - and given that the treatment squeezes all energy out of a person, that is sound advice. Just outside the campus is this tiny stream? patch of water? along a narrow path that I discovered the first day - the sunlight passes through the tall trees, bent by the wind over many years, and falls on the water in a wonderful gleam of morningness.
In the mornings, I see kids walking to school, some of them waiting for the school bus along eith their mothers; while the younger ones just giggle at me, the older bolder ones practise their school english on me. Hullo! where going?. And in the evenings, it is time for the adults to meet and gossip - bunches of men sitting on the culverts, beedi in hand, lungis firmly above knee level, in strict accordance with prevailing dress codes. And the women, still in their nighties; again the older ones strike up conversation - where are you from? how many kids? where is husband? the questions flow in quick Malayalam that I barely manage to understand by picking up keywords.
[last minute homework]
And inside the campus, a total of eleven rooms and twenty or so residents - including spouses and children of people getting treated. Cut off from the real world, everyone is keen on being polite and friendly - ohmygod, this is the seventh time since morning I have smiled at this man from Malaysia and said hi. My favorite place inside the campus is this little hillock, perfectly called dhyanagiri - or the hill of meditation. Sitting here late in the evenings, watching the sun set, listening to the birds call it a day, life seems beautiful…
charukesi March 1st, 2007
I am going to be away in Kerala, seeking a cure for my back trouble of seven years. Over the next four weeks, I am expecting an ayurvedic miracle, well, certainly relief, if only in slight measure. Tomorrow morning, aryavaidyasala ho!
So wish me luck. Keep emailing. Wave a cheery hi if you see me online.
I am taking my laptop with me. and lots of movie cds and music. I will try to connect to the net whenever I can manage. And of course, I am taking my camera. And did I mention the books? I want to get away from it all, you see.
I will try to blog when I can. I owe this trip - and a lot of my current optimism - to blogging anyway (hugs, Reshma, Radhika - I never got around to it)
charukesi May 14th, 2006
Here is continuing right from where Sagnik left off in A friend when not in need…. Those samaritans who throng social (and business!) networking sites looking to “make friendship”. And then there are those who want 2 make franship. Or frndshp (depending on whether or not he is a txt msg addct) wid u.
So much for sexual networking. Social, I mean.
And then there are the hey-you-are-on-instant-messenger-so-will-you-have-sex-with-me types. The instant messenger - another place on the internet where these friend-ship-makers prowl.Their approach line, as I found out today is unbelievably direct.
smenon this morning pops up on my husband’s messenger with hi-asl.
Husband looks at the duh? writ large on my face and says - age, sex, location.
Pale-face speaks in strange tongue.
Duh? widens. Apparently strangers interested in chatting-friendship-sex (not at all in that order, believe me) pop up with alarming regularity on his instant messenger with request for asl. Someone remind me to get him to remove that mug shot from his messenger…
charukesi April 18th, 2006
Blogging could help prevent Alzheimer’s, expert says - says the social software weblog pointing to an article from USA Today on healthy habits that help you stay sharp.
Research on animals and humans suggests mentally challenging activities such as playing bridge, learning a new language or even blogging might help build new connections in the brain, says Molly Wagster at the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Hmmm, I wonder if this is true only of blogging (as in writing blogs) or does reading blogs regularly help in the same way? Or what about commenting on blogs?
charukesi April 11th, 2006
So here is the thing that has been puzzling me (for the last five minutes, to be honest) - a portal called Sulekha has been sending emails to a lot of bloggers - whom they have decided are popular - asking if they would like their blog posts to be parallelly posted on Sulekha. Sure, no altruism here, the blogger gets more readership (which is what bloggers want anyways?) and the portal more whatever…
I got the email too and I ignored it. And what has been puzzling me is the strong negative reaction from bloggers that this email has provoked. I first came across it on sambhar mafia and went on to read a few other blogs he had linked too. Chandru, for instance, has a very strongly worded post on this.
Sure, this is unsolicited. Spam, if that is what you want to call it. But why Sulekha alone? I did not see these reactions when desicritics wrote to bloggers asking for their presence on the new site. Or with the spate of metroblogging blogs that have sprung up in the last few months. Then what is Sulekha doing that is different? Take, for instance the questions about Sulekha’s intentions - what are the bloggers making out of say, desicritics? Other than wider readership?
I am, as I said, genuinely puzzled (that is the third time I am using this word, I know) - but I am… What am I missing here?