Drawing Competition

It is with great pride and joy that I narrate my experience about a 'Drawing Competition' that my daughter participated in Pune that truly drew the crowds to her work. The competition, organized by Maharashtra Times in five different venues at Pune, saw a large gathering of enthusiastic children of various age groups between 8 to 13 years. All children were engrossed in their artistic skill while the parents kept an eye on their ward and chatting with other parents.

The appointed photographer had a great landscape to capture; with innocent faces, concentrated eyes and busy hands, the children provided him with a perfect blend of emotions to be clicked. Though, I noticed the photographer quite away from my daughter to notice her work, which I otherwise would have loved to be clicked.

Anyway, after about an hour to spare, my daughter had nearly completed her painting when one good observant lady pointed her out to others, mentioning the beauty of the painting. A group of people soon started to notice her and her work. I was an observer to this; all the while feeling very proud and happy; I resisted from mentioning our mother daughter relation, for I wanted to soak in each and every compliment given to her. At last, when the people had settled and nothing more was to be said, I mentioned casually that the girl they were talking about is my daughter. All mentioned that indeed my daughter has exceptional talent. Parent who were into similar area, even pointed out that the techniques used by her are quite difficult to learn and implement.

At the end of the drawing competition, I realised that one participant had succeeded in drawing not only a beautiful picture but also had drawn together all strangers in their admiration of her drawing. 

Cartoon Footprint

The current times have seen a tremendous growth, effect and implications of the animation industry. No wonder that then I felt it absolutely necessary to understand the impact of this in our daily life. I am talking about the CARTOONS in all its forms and the joy it has brought or taken away from us. A baby is first introduced to the cartoon characters in the first few days itself. All baby things like clothes, bottles, nappies, toys etc have atleast one cartoon character on it. Not to forget that even we admire such designs. The craze for the cartoons is thus set because not only is it attractive for its colours, but it also means that the baby has been introduced to a friendly version of the animal kingdom. As a child, we will realize that all kids things like pencil, eraser, pencil box, lunch box, watter bottles etc have the cartoons imprinted. Over a few years, this cycle is repeated, very much like 'History repeats itself'.

The animation industry too has bloomed through its advanced techniques as shown in motion pictures, serials etc so much so that at times it takes an effort in identifying the real world from the animated version. The concept of being kind to animals is cleverly shown through the introduction of talking animals. No wonder that kids expect animals to do the talking !! Movies like Lion King, Happy Feet, Madagascar etc have indeed brought out the problems and difficulties faced by the flora and fauna; which is an eye opener for us all, but at the same time the younger generation is mislead from the hard realities of the jungle life that the animals face.

The amount of effort put in by various technical and non technical people in coming up with innovative ideas, is huge. At the same time, the resources developed and utilized for maintaining such ideas on animation; is large. A rampant use of resources has increased the carbon foot print all over the world. A recent news about a giant balloon on a minion (cartoon character) interested me. The huge balloon had collapsed on a busy road and had brought the entire traffic to a stand still till the balloon could be removed. Such a huge cartoon footprint surely needed a mention in the daily worldly reporting. And this makes me wonder about the enormity of the situation that we have actually initiated and developed.       

Stealing Time

I enjoy reading literature, novels, science fiction etc. which at times makes me so much engrossed in the book that I am oblivious to my surrounding. This hobby of mine was though kept in the closet as the demands from the job and family grew and continue still, though their nature has changed. Now with a teenage daughter, I have found myself with some time to pursue this hobby of mine during 'my' time which I manage to find when either all are watching TV or I am not in the kitchen. Frankly speaking, I also enjoy watching TV but I am not a couch potato. So I am gifted with 45 minutes or so when I engross myself in the book.

I have read many books on / by Three Investigators, Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Agatha Christie, Sidney Sheldon, Sudha Murthy, Dan Brown, Chetan Bhagat etc.
I also remember the school library where things used to be proper and books were revered. We used to have a library class when the books had to be selected as per our roll numbers. The last of the number students got less popular books. It was one such day when I was left with a book titled 'Scarlet Pimpernel'. The name and author were not known to me but anyways, reading came naturally to me and by the time I had finished reading it, I was glad that I was given the book. Till date the book still remains in my memory and I enjoyed reading it.

The same situation now presents itself these days, when my daughter gets such lovely books from the school library that I read them within a week. In fact, I have started looking forward to Mondays when a new book will reveal to me and I will steal some time from my daily routine to enjoy this hobby of mine.

Along with the reading habit, I have also explored my writing abilities through this blog. Expressing views and opinions and experiences has become so easy and far reachable that indeed one gets heard. But at the same time, the truth is that all want to say, speak and talk but none wants to hear, listen and converse. Blogging is a way out of this and I am glad to be a blogger.

Happiness

My job in academics has given me ample scope to explore, develop and take pride in myself as a teacher, researcher,  instructor, colleague, friend and many more roles that get intermittently demanded when there are events, hectic schedule, examinations etc. As a result of these demands and situations, I have learnt to rely on my patience which in turn has given me opportunity to be a good observer of human nature and actions. The insight into the nature of people from different walks of life, reveals very interesting dimensions to mundane problems. I recall one such experience about a young woman who would sweep and clean our college department. All in the department would call her Alka Tai, though she is very young.

Alka Tai, a very vibrant and smiling woman is not more than 25 years of age. Her tragedy, that she is a widow; is completely hidden by her eager talk and confident exterior. She has a 6 year old son who is the sole purpose in her life. She stays with her in laws and works from morning till evening to keep her home on running wheels. Recently, she mentioned that her brother in law got married and his bride would be like a good friend to her in the house. In fact, after a couple of months, Alka Tai did mention that she now has less work at home and it feels good to talk to another woman of similar age. We all were very happy to know about the developments in Alka's life.

One day, though, Alka Tai was sweeping the floor without her warm smile. We all asked her the reason for her being so glum. Alka was more than eager to talk about her feelings. She mentioned that she had all along wanted to go to see the Ganpati pendals in Pune city since 3-4 years. But she had to suppress all her wishes because being a widow she did not want to ask her then unmarried brother in law and nor her in laws, who were growing old and would have found the long walk trouble some. And though after welcoming her sister in law with all her heart, she found that she would not be able to accompany the newly weds. We all tried to cheer her up and mentioned that the new couple needs to spend time with each other; she might as well take her son with her. But Alka Tai was not to be pacified as she went on that her sister in law would not agree to go for she needed to study for her coming examinations. This was a surprise to us all as a couple of hours of family time would not have made a dent in the examination schedule which was in fact 15 days later. Anyway, we all did our best and suggested that she plan the outing with her few women friends.

The next day, Alka Tai was her radiant self again. Her effervescence prompted the obvious question from all of us. To this Alka Tai replied that indeed she had visited all the Ganpati pendals in the vicinity with all her women friends who all got together and had made plans. The dinner had been simple to give ample time to each woman to utilize time for herself. The best part was that Alka Tai's sister in law had taken a keen interest in the gathering of 'all girl group' and had decided to join them. The sudden shift from family to women friends had been a big boost for every woman. The need to find mutual solution to their individual problems had given each woman a sense of independence as well as a sense of belonging in the crowd.

With this Alka Tai narrated all the happenings and a detailed description of all Ganpati idols and their decoration. I could only smile at her new found happiness and freedom.

Blood : A Murderer it does not Reveal

The recent movie, 'Talvar' on Arushi Murder case, created a lot of flutter once again in the minds of the audience who were already tired of discussing the fate of the unlucky girl, her parents, their servant; the modus operandi of the law and the attitude of the media. The release of the movie followed with the opinion polls of the public on the safety standards to be followed in case of households having servants; has only added to the on going discussion on the actual murder of two unlucky persons.

What actually happened on the fateful day, one cannot say; but what transpired afterwards is for all to see and analyse. Sure there was blood, but no murderer has been captured ! Sure there is a case of chaos and nobody to blame !

Two souls lost their lives and the culprit(s) is (or are) yet to admit the guilt or are waiting to be captured. Isn't it strange that the human conscience would not permit the concealment of such ghastly deed and yet none would dare come forward to admit the crime that would haunt the soul till death made the escape more easier ? Has the society moved to such a brink that there is no conscience left ? As a citizen of this world, we all witness the plight of refugees. The photograph of a motionless baby boy on the beach did evoke a huge world response but who is to blame for the tragedy ? We are mute spectators when the carnivores devour the herbivores; calling it an act of nature. Surely, the humans being done away with by the humans, is not an act of nature. Is it then something to do with the individual fate ? If so fate gave an equal chance to all, those who helped others lose lives are content with the fact that blood spilled does not reveal the murderer at times. Those who sacrifice themselves for others are contented with the fact that they were of help to someone. The feeling of contentment and discontentment is what distinguishes the good from the bad. This quality of the human nature does not need to reveal, it can only be felt and believed.

It is aptly said that 'Truth is stranger than Fiction'

Gods love contemporary

The 10 day Ganesh Festival in Pune brings with itself lot of planning, arrangements, processions, dhol tasha preparation, decoration etc. Having a darshan of the elephant God or its display results in a crowded street with people jostling past each other and shouting at the top of their voice even when there is a loud music system. The same fervor can be seen in festivities across the country where traditions and culture are on full display.

In this gaiety, it is worth to mention the enjoyment as well as distress caused due to the loud music system. The occasion may be any, but the songs being played out are keeping in tune with the public choice and not as per the suitability of the festival. So whether it is Ganesh festival, Navratri festival or any other, you would normally find God being entertained to disco songs, rock music etc. which is a pain for the human ear (medically proven fact).

It was one such occasion that I saw one such over enthusiastic crowd dancing to the tunes of latest songs. God had no say in this except for watching the people. The serenity on God's face and the happiness of the crowd in a ear tearing loud sound, was contradictory and confusing to me. My eyes were now fixed on a young boy of not more than seven years who was in his own world trying to mimic the dancing steps of famous Bollywood heroes. His accomplishments were lauded by the onlookers and other dancers. Their cheering was only too drowned in the loud sound system. The boy's dance and his energy kept on building with every new song. The smile on God's face also made me see that indeed He loves contemporary. 

Watching a movie in theater ...

Watching 'Jungle Book' at the age of eight, along with my mother and her friend and her children; is the earliest of my memories on watching a movie. I vividly remember that we all were treated to Gold Spot, a soft drink; which provided a cartoon character as a stamp behind the soft drink's cap. Each of us were happy to receive a character each which also invited discussion on their individual traits. The movie itself is a distant memory but the entire experience of selecting one of the three frocks, dressing with care, hiring a rickshaw, standing in a queue to buy the movie tickets, enjoying the treats, crying at the slightest discomfort to the hero and finally returning home in a rickshaw; is what is my earliest memory of watching a movie in a theater.

This experience was even more enhanced after attending college. Instead of the theater and the treats, the general issue was elaborate planning, forming a group, arranging for transport, pooling pocket money, bunking classes and then finally going to the theater where comments and teasing were the accepted norms. It is even more interesting to mention the fact that every year the 'Traditional Day' was celebrated in the college which saw everybody in their best attire, looking their best. Our class used to go to the movie on such days where we all would be cynosure of all eyes. The important aspect of this situation is not the movie or the treats but managing your traditional dress, trying to look your best, asserting your individuality in a group and finally bringing your personality out into the world. The entire experience was retold to the family with lot of excitement.

After completing education, individuals who later took up jobs, would plan for movies along with their colleagues strictly after office hours. Here the concept of bunking office is nearly non existent. People in such situations go for enjoying the movie; the concept of elaborate planning, managing yourself etc, takes a backseat. Buying the luxuries offered by a multiplex is more lucrative than the actual story of the movie. The fun part of the movie shifts the focus to the point where situations or people get associated with the central characters of the movie. Couples visiting such places are more into imagining themselves as hero or heroines and spinning their own yarn.

The entire individual focused experience takes a tumble after the birth of kid(s). Watching movie becomes more of an ordeal when the kid(s) are of kindergarten age. The constant nagging fear as to when a kid may start bawling, completely smashes the silence of the mind and the movie hall. A more comfortable situation is when your kid allows you to watch the movie provided you answer all their questions. So the focus now shifts to more of a question answer round for the kids and parents where at times you feel happy when the movie ends. Having enjoyed (or got traumatized) all these forms of movie watching, I have now shifted to another gear altogether where I am watching children's films like Minions, ice age etc. or sci fi films like Gravity, Interstellar etc.

My teenage daughter now makes plan for movies along with her friends which is appreciated by me and my husband. The difficult part is in understanding how my daughter and her friends spent the three hours at the theater. Her narrative of the film's story and of their group is jumbled up to the point that we almost lose track of who is who in the entire experience. So, after watching 'Welcome Back', my daughter took to narrating the story; in between trying to tell about herself and her friends. Till date, I neither felt the need to watch the same movie nor have I understood the movie; not because its confusing, but because I could make neither head nor tail of my daughter's narrative. One thing that I am happy and content about is the fact that I enjoyed the entire experience of watching movie through the eyes and perspective of a new generation.

Soft to touch

Anika was busy planning summer vacations for her two children aged 9 and 4 years old, when the shrill voice of her maid jolted her from her thoughts and brought her to the present where the advertisement on 'Mahindra Holidays' was being played. "Kai ga bai, apla desh kiti chhan distoe !" Indeed, Anika agreed, with the diversity of flora and fauna, the assimilation of Indian traditions and festivals into the local people and the presence of tours & travels to cater to the customers' needs; the places to visit kept on their marching stride. The advertisement beautifully captured the feel of sand for the bare feet and the exclamation of amusement at watching the conch shell moving and tumbling towards the sea.

The pleasing visual and her energy channelized into planning the summer vacation, Anika drifted back the memory into her childhood; that always cropped up now and then while watching her children grow. The cooker's sharp whistle followed by the hot steam jet, brought Anika as a nine year old visiting her grandparents during the hot summer season of Nagpur; which is known for its heat, oranges and the zero mile stone. The vacations spent along with cousin brothers and sisters and most importantly eating mangoes and plucking guavas from the tree, added excitement, jubilation and contentment in spending the day, carefree. The wait for getting a sweet cigarette (a sweet mint chocolate) from grandfather was always fulfilled on arriving at the big house and brushing teeth. All kids would love the pampering shown by grandmother who prepared delicacies ranging from 'sheera', laddoos, chivada, etc.

The afternoons would invite lot of imagination and innovation from Anika and her cousins in whiling away time. Their favorite activity was to water the guava tree first for it was their best source of interest and then they would water the lemon tree that grandma instructed to water. The watering activity itself invited lot of fun and frolic which ensured that all would get a second bath. At times, instead of watering the plants, the kids found it thrilling to burn papers and dig up stones from the garden; which was big and full of promise of providing nature's surprises. The garden also was home to a litter of puppies, a month old.

The evenings saw friends getting together and playing outdoor games; where boys and girls played various games in different groups. The nights; at 8:00 pm were interesting for grandpa would tell engrossing stories which all children listened with rapt attention. Grandpa ensured that the characters in the story were named after his grand children so that all would learn the good manners and behavior. After the story telling, it would be the duty of all kids to make arrangements for sleeping outside below the open starlit sky where cots were already laid out; mattresses and covers had to be put. This was the best experience as the exhaustion of the day, heat of summers and the breeze of the night would ensure a sound sleep for the kids. Anika would sleep near to her grandpa as her sister was small and would be near to their mother. Grandpa would not let his grandson to sleep near him as they would be playing football in their sleep and kick him really bad. And so Anika would be snug near her grandpa. The early morning light would always wake her up and one day, she found herself listening to the sound of the puppies. Excited, she went towards them and brought them to her cot, placing them between herself and grandpa. The comfort and warmth of the bed, ensured more sleep for Anika and the puppies. In the morning, grandpa would wake up touching the soft fur of the puppies and he would be surprised as to how they got there. He was very loving and caring towards the animals and he would be pleased to see his grand daughter behind the mischief and would proudly say that he wakes up in the morning after touching something soft.

Anika remembers her grandpa's way of informing everyone of getting pleasantly surprised and the memory touches a chord in her heart that reminds her that it is now she who has touched something soft.

I am my maid's maid !!

It is a luxury for any working woman to have a house help at home. There is a symbiotic relationship between the woman of the house and the maid servant, that develops over a period of time and bonds the two women together. Though it is a boss employee association, I think we all agree that in a short span of time the two women welcome this association for their mutual interest and eventually respect each other. Maybe, at times, there are misunderstandings or ill feelings due to employee boss issue but finally, no one can do without the other. 

I am no exception to the above universal rule. My maid whom we call 'maushi'; is an elderly lady who amazes me with her energy and dedication. She has always helped me out whenever there have been adjustments related to her and my working hours or taking a day off for taking care of other problems. In turn, I have to follow her instructions on the resources she uses or demands. At times she also treats us by bringing fresh vegetables grown in her farm. Must say there is nothing more relishing than eating vegetables that have been hand picked and also a rarity in most cities. The taste and feel is heavenly. From my side, I gift her with a few necessities to make her living more easier. She is a part of our family and we all are polite and friendly with her. 

We all cherish such a gem of a person and especially try to adjust to any inconvenience caused due to her absence. So, when a few days back, Maushi informed us that she will not be coming for a week as she needs to work in her fields, we all distributed the tasks among ourselves. The distributed tasks were not much of a bother as we did them as per our schedule, though at the end of the week, I must say that our enthusiasm dwindled and we got bored. The next day our maushi was to resume her duty so all thoughts were diverted to her and her hard labour in the fields. We all wondered how tiring it must be to work in the fields after doing household chores. Her tired and rough hands in our imagination had a big impact; we all did the dishes and other things so that our maushi would not have to put in much effort. 

This practice of not burdening our maushi has resulted in us doing the household chores and I feel that I am my maushi's maid. This thought at times amuses me and at times it gives me a sense of satisfaction. 

Transition and Transformation

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The winter morning in Pune and a nice warm bed with a blanket is a sure shot bad combination for getting up and preparing tiffin for your kid and then rushing yourself to your office or through the daily chores. But duty calls and so with a mild reluctance, I got up, refreshed myself with a cup of piping hot ginger tea and woke up my teenage daughter. She too begged for another five minutes and finally got up mumbling something about mother and God being unfair to school children. A thought crossed my mind as to when my daughter would grow up and would get ready to face the new day as per her schedule on her own terms. Anyway, my thinking was cut short with the sound of the doorbell. "Ah, the milkman !", I said and brought the milk packets inside and kept it for boiling. At the same time, I had put the green chilies and fresh coriander in the idli batter for making 'appa'  or 'appe' which my daughter loved.

"Where is my uniform?, I can't find it .... ", my daughter's shrill voice brought an abrupt end to my routine kitchen work and I started in the direction of her room. "Oh, don't bother, I found it, why did you keep it in the upper shelf ? I have told you to keep it here not there, see now I am getting late...", her excuses and suggestions were left unanswered when the door of the bathroom closed. I hurried with a sigh of relief for my precious time would have been wasted in searching what at times is impossible for me to find, it being the handiwork of skilled craftsman at meddling things. The milk was now boiled and the appes were ready and packed in the lunch box along with the water bottle.

With this, we both sat down for plaiting my daughter's hair into nice two pigtails. This time is when my daughter enjoys the light massage and combing and feels comfortable only in her mother's style of plaiting. This is the time when she is the best child in the world and I am the best mother.

Waving good bye, we smile at each other and I remember the time 8 years back, when my five year old would wave good byes with prim and proper uniform, polished shoes and two well tied pony tails. At times, I had to help her climb into the van as there would be a heavy school bag on her delicate shoulders. How I admired all the children neatly seated with their spirit still trying to adjust to the new day ! A sense of deep love and admiration envelops the mother while watching the child learning to grow up in the world. This same situation is contradictory for a mother while receiving her nursery child back from school. Who would believe that this is the same group of school children seen in the morning ? With tempers soaring and hands going in all direction, not to mention few kids bawling and others looking with anticipation at their van uncle for some comfort. The girls would have their hair all flying in the air, their ribbons in their hand (that is better than losing the ribbons completely) and their face covered at times with tears or mud or paints (depends on their games and activities) ; the boys would look worse with their shirt buttons either undone or lost, their face and hands showing signs of some scuffle. 

Every mother literally scans her child coming out of the van to assess the mood and accordingly calm the fiery nerves; which at times is difficult. Most mothers wonder at whether the child is the same as the one who left for school in the morning ! Such a transformation is very difficult to digest indeed. The physical appearance along with the temperamental behavior is a big change to handle; but which after a good lunch which should mainly consist of their favorite snacks; again reverts back to the same gentle behavior. 

After a couple of years, the same child grows into a teenager with different set of problems where instead of the transformation taking dominance, it is more of a transition to a mature and responsible person. The two words have their own usage but in personal life, we exhibit both ie transformation and transition which is instrumental in defining and developing us in all facets and realities of life.