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January 30. The day when the father of the nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was assassinated.

I remember this day from the school. At the assembly, on this day, we would be reminded to follow the silent standing ceremony at around 10 or 10.30 am. The bell would ring at an odd time in midst of the class period, and we would all stand for one single minute in silence to commemorate the assassination of Gandhiji. We considered this break a warm welcome to the same routine of the teaching. In those days, I don’t remember having a break in the morning session.

In the high school, we had to study full history and autobiography of Gandhiji, “My Experiments with Truth”, in the form of English-II subject. Though it was the edited or the simplified version, we had to study his whole life. It was interesting at some points, but from the point of view of exams, it was not. I even once wondered, if Gandhiji was not there, we would have escaped this subject etc!

When I was in school, I remember watching the film Gandhi, on either August 15th, January 26th or October 2nd. But I remember the school book rather than the film. Read the rest of this entry »

Its another Monday.  But its different. Its the first Monday of 2009.

The day when people have joined back their offices after their holidays. The day when they crib about being back to office working whole day. The day when they feel home sick. They think about their native, about their home, about their family. The pictures of the X’mas and New Year celebrations and parties flashes in your mind, in front of your eyes. The day when people start running in the rat race… again…

There are some who have made new year resolutions. Majority of the blogs have listed their resolutions along with new year wishes. And for me, I too had resolutions. I still have. To acquire the unfulfilled ones. Deep buried in the corner of the heart…
Read the rest of this entry »

Whenever I see tags in blogs, I think why am I not tagged often. Now, on second thoughts, I wonder whether its for good or worse. The following tag bestowed upon me by Sreeram, has set me thinking of my past, present and future. As I am writing down the answers, I realize how candid it is to accept a tag and dangerous to refresh the golden memoirs…

The tag:
Two questions in each category answer them and then tag your friends from the blog-o-sphere. (Simple enough right?)
Leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been tagged and you are all set.

Yesterday
Your oldest memories Read the rest of this entry »

Another birthday passing by.

Does it really matter to celebrate the birthdays?

I remember calling in the neighbour family to cut the cake n all, and singing “Happy Birthday to You” when I was young. I used to wear new “color dress” in school while others wore their school uniform. They sang the same song again, and I used to distribute the chocolates mostly “Eclairs” or “Lion King” carrying to each desk. I used to get fed up saying “Thank you” to each one of them.

Early that morning at dawn, when I wake up to mom’s call from Kitchen, its not any different. When she see me, she starts singing the wish song loud from the kitchen itself, while I brush my teeth!. As if proclaiming to the world and to the house, that its her daughter’s birthday. And then, in evening, when she comes from office at around 6- 6.30, we cut the cake and share it during the late tea session. If it comes on a holiday, “payasam” would be prepared.

In college, there was no color dress. But there was “new” dress. There was no group singing of “Happy Birthday”. Instead, it shortened to “treat”. Birthday treat. It started as Rs.5/- wala “munch” and “perk ” and went on to become lunch treats as we reached the graduation days. There were festive days combined with, mostly “Diwali” and “ThriKarthika”.

At office, the lunch treats, new dress, wishes continued along with the addition of gifts and birthday bumps. The only time my room mates could lift me up and kick my a** was last year. It was the first and I guess, the last time, I received them. At the end, I felt sorry for the huge effort by the kiddo’s to life the Gulliver’s sister!!! There were balloons, there was “payasam” again, the temple visits, birthday cards, dinners, and lots of gifts.

And now, as I hit the silver jubilee, I am at this home, trying to live the role of a housewife, sitting on the pc, holding in my hand, a plate of piece of cake, bought and cut yesterday night, and blogging with the other, replying to sms messages and attending calls, very few ones, wondering whether to get up and make the “payasam” for myself and being lazy, sitting back and recollecting the old memories…

I guess its a different kind of celebration….ain’t it?

Computers, gadgets, gizmos, toys etc are the keywords which entices geeks and techie freaks. I am not sure how I got attached to such crazy things. Whenever I saw a mobile in someone’s hand,  I would peek it wondering what model is it, if not the number, whether it is high end or low end, or whether mine is better than his or hers etc etc. And then I used to satisfy myself that its expensive and has that n this problems and would appreciate my mobile in the end. But now, with more and more new gadgets and smartphones available at cheaper prices than before, I have started drooling again!

Long back, in childhood, I remember Appa playing with his toolkit containing screwdrivers, variety of spanners, pipe wrench etc. He had his own ways of fixing household appliances which interested me. Being the youngest daughter and spoilt brat that I am, I was like a tomboy for him, helping hands in his maintenance works. I fascinated his calculators and his expertize in mathematics. I am not sure from where he bought them, but I remember using a manual calculator, rather a mechanical abacus kinda device (googled and found its called Addiator). Then there was the digital diary, where in I stored most of my known contact numbers and imagined that I was a serious businesswoman! Those were the times, when mobile phones were too expensive to be bought and when pagers and walkie talkies ruled the world. I used to envy my friend’s father’s pager when she used to talk about it. Read the rest of this entry »

“Lucky hote hai woh jinhe zindagi mein doosra mauka miltha hai…”

Yesterday, on the fly, we got tickets for Rock On!!! And it was absolutely rocking. I don’t want to review it. I couldn’t view it as a film. It portrayed characters with some shades of mine, rather you, or everyone.

The film spoke of the rock band, Magik, which did live performances and created wonders. It spoke of the drift in life, in which they are carried away with the compromises of life. I too, rather ,each one of us has created Magik in our yesteryears. I don’t mean live performances or great music. But some magic moments. At various phases in my life. There were KD, Joe and Rob, Tanya and Debbie in many of those whom I met. There was the reminiscent Tea stall in the form of restaurants and other hang outs. There was even Sakshi amongst us, who tried to bring out the real “us”  from inside. And there were the drift aparts too. It has not been 10 years as in the film, but time has taken its toll already, and is dominating. Are we gonna miss the 10 years? Are we really satisfied with the way we live? Are we really happy? Are we being the real? What is it that we are lacking? What if, we don’t get a second chance unlike in the film? Or did we miss the second chance? What if, we are not lucky as Rob in real life?  Do we need to wait for another Sakshi and Devika to sprung up in our lives and take us back once again to recreate Magik? What’s pulling us back to take the initiative???

“..kab woh mera peecha chodenge?..”
“…jab tum unse bhaagna bandh kar dhoge…“

Its been long that I watched television serials or rather followed them keenly.

I still remember the pre-engineering days or holidays when I had nothing to do at home apart from attending entrance tuitions. I was booming into or outta my adolescence age. My favourite channels were the top notch hindi channels, including Star Plus, Sony TV, Zee Tv, and few others. And if I ever got bored I used to skip to some English ones too but just for a break. The timings were late in the afternoon say, from 2 to 4, and after a while it started as early as 12.30 and extended upto 5pm..! All the K-serials were part of my daily routine, and prime time ones were favorites of mom too… But I alone could watch the re-telecast of the episodes in afternoon, if we ever missed them at night. Of the English ones, I rarely saw the kid-doctor series and the wonder years in Star World aired from 4.30 to 5.30pm. They were stories of boys and girls of my age and why shouldn’t I like them and their experiences retold in the form of a series. I have forgotten almost the English series names and I am trying hard to revive those memories through my various searches in youtube. I caught hold of The Wonder Years, but not the brilliant kid who became doc at 16. The addiction at that age to anything you are gifted with, was clear now when I look back at those years.

Now, being at home full time, I am bestowed upon the full opportunity to view any and all, I don’t feel that urge anymore. Its as if the excitement has worn out. In all the almost three years I lived away from home, I have gone accustomed not watching tv, or movies. And especially not alone. Almost a similar phase, but at different time of life and at a different place. And you find the passion is not there. Is it the same for most of the desires?

Its another new year. As usual, I was watching TV when the clock striked twelve, watching how people enjoyed new year all over the world. This had been my routine from my childhood. This habit had been guided by my own sister, who was a TV freak, and especially with the special new year programmes aired on the same, we were almost glued to it on new year’s eve.

Over the last two years, the routine had changed owing to my change in location to Chennai. But this year, it was refreshing to be at home again. As I sat along the sofa surfing the channels, the time was playing itself rewinding all the memories in front of me. How the times have changed.!

I was there, lying on my sis’ lap watching SRK’s latest movie climax. And Amma was preparing dinner, Appa watching the film over the dining table, and advising me to come and sit beside him, with the usual dose of advice that eyes will go kaput if I watch that idiot box at such a small distance.

I was there in the inner room, when my brother-in-law came to see my sister at Cochin. On the way back home, Amma and sis was talking about the groom. The engagement was decided on Jan 4th and I was in my 9th about to join my class after X’mas holidays. On Feb 14th, my bro-in-law had sent a red balloon heart to my sis. I don’t remember whether they had talked over phone, just as in the new generation where in they don’t wait for “ladki dekhna” function to start phoning each other.

I was there running around the tensed Amma and Appa during marriage preparations. The wedding card was plain and simple; the wedding had to be held in Cochin near the groom’s house; the sarees were brought from Nagercoil, for which we travelled in bus for 3 hours. I hated the saree and jewellery shops from childhood and the huge rampo revolving around it. And for the same reason I don’t remember any of the other preparations.

I was there, carrying the shoulder bag and purse of my parents nearby the wedding stage. I was about to enroll in my tenth standard when this happened. I still remember the wedding hall and the known faces present for the marriage. My sis was forced to wear saree as per the old tradition, which no one had ever worn in these days, and being the old-fashioned custom prevailing, my parents were eager not to say a word against the groom family, though it meant crushing sis’s wishes. And then when leaving sis at her new home, I saw the tiny drop at the corner of her eye and I wondered why…

Now I am here on another Jan 4th in Chennai after celebrating new year at my sweet home.

I still cannot believe that I had been living independently for two years and that too far at a metro city like Chennai! There had been many sweet and sour experiences over these years. Every year have one or the other memories or milestones which I came across. I have met so many friends, and I am happy that I could understand myself better through them. As my Amma says, there are lot many things I have to know in this world, and I prefer to learn it the hard way. As some one said, experience is the best teacher. But with all these happenings in these two years I am not able to segregate the thoughts together. Life is moving very fast without giving time to plan my present or the future, not that I am expert in it, but still.

I would be there, in the hall this Sunday Jan 6th at Kollam. All the eyes would be on me, on what I have worn, as if checking out, just as I had done at all the similar functions I attended. But very few of them would be knowing whats going on in my mind, when I would be walking across. The rest would be small kids roaming around wondering, why such a crowd here, collecting the memories to write another similar post after ten years…

Strange how some events repeat year after year…!

PS: I am getting engaged to R.K on Jan 6th 2008 at Swayamvara Auditorium, South Collectorate, Kollam. All are invited…

Happy New Year 2008!