Footloose - Oldies goldies

I think I came across this song for the first time on the 30 min English songs program aired every Sunday at 12.30pm on the radio during 80's. At that time, I was slowly getting into listening to English songs. I must admit that the initiation happened with Michael Jackson's 'Beat it'. :) 

The first time I heard this song, I was trying to understand the accent, the words, trying decipher what the song was all about and I thought Kenny Loggins was saying 'Full loose'! I remember wondering why anyone would want to sing that someone or everybody is totally mad (loose = mad / crazy in Kannada slang) :) Only later on did I understand it to be 'Foot loose' and that meant carefree. :)

But the peppy number had already grabbed my attention ad later on my interest.

Here it is, if you haven't heard it already and to those who know Kannada slang, pay close attention to how he says 'Footloose' :)

For A-Z Challenge 2016

Ehsaan tere hoga - Oldies goldies

The very mention of Shammi Kapoor brings to my mind a personality with unrestrained energy and unpredictable dance moves. Very difficult to associate soberness and restrained emotions with him. More so when the movie is named 'Junglee' (1961) where he lets loose his high energy dance moves in the the iconic "yahoooooo" song. 

The beautiful 'Ehsaan tera hoga' song in this movie, shows with Shammi at his restrained best. For me, the songs themselves in this movie are enough to depict his transformation from a junglee to a human! 

Such versatility!

Which song of Shammi's do you like best?

For A-Z Challenge 2016

Dil ka diya - Oldies goldies

One of the best songs I have come across which really helps unwind after a long day is this one. For me, the best way is to make oneself comfortable in a quiet place, switch off the lights, close your eyes and let the song flow over you. It has this soothing non-intrusive quality to it which relaxes you in no time.

The song I am talking about is  'Dil ka diya' from the movie Akashdeep (1968). Mellifluous indeed.

Here's the instrumental version if you prefer this.

Which song helps you unwind?


For A-Z Challenge 2016

Chandan sa badan - Oldies goldies

There was a time when Mukesh's songs were a constant fixture around me, by choice. My choice. Call me crazy if you like. 

Contrary to the widely held belief that he has sung only sad songs, there are several beautiful non-sad songs too from him. Surprised? You don't believe me? Then you have to listen to this. I too was surprised and couldn't believe the first time I heard this song.  

Google Images

The lyrics of this song are so simple (unlike the complicated plot of the movie) & lovely and the singing just effortless. The result is a classic. The line 'kisi aur ko shaayad kam hogi, mujhe teri bahut zaroorat hain' makes me come back to this song time and again. 

Yes, I am talking about  'Chandan sa badan' from the film 'Saraswathichandra' (1968). Incidentally, there was a Star TV series with the same name and storyline directed by Sanjay Leela Bansali.

With very little background music where the singing parts are in the song, it is refreshingly pleasing to listen.

Chandan sa badan

Which non-sad songs of Mukesh do you like?

For A-Z Challenge 2016

Bekarar karkey - Oldies goldies

I used to hear my mum and aunt talk about the movie 'Bees Saal Baad'(1962) a lot, saying how scary it is, how hauntingly melodious the rendering of "kahin deep jaley kahin dil" is, how handsome Biswajeet is, etc etc. As I did not have access to video tapes or player nor were CDs in vogue then, there was no opportunity to watch this movie. Not that I am a big movie buff or horror movie buff for that matter.  But somehow this movie intrigued me, esp after listening to my mum and aunt wax eloquent about it. 

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A few years later, an opportunity presented itself to watch this movie on our black and white television. And I was hooked & was indeed s**t scared every time THE hand appeared suddenly in the movie! It being a B&W movie only added that extra edge to the horror with the dense fog, dilapidated buildings, dense foliage, night times, anklets and what not. Brrrrrrrr!

Google Images

Thankfully, in between bouts of trembling in terror, to my delight & relief, I found that all the songs were indeed mellifluous.  More than 'kahin deep jaley kahin dil', for me it was Hemant Kumar's sonorous rendering of 'Bekaraar karke hamein' that caught my fancy and made me into a lifelong fan of Hemant Kumar's singing. The way he has sung the line 'aap ko hamari kasam laut aayiye' just tugs the heart strings every single time.  

Loved the movie and loved the songs! A wonderful experience.

Here's the song for you. 

Bekaraar Karke Humain

Hope you  enjoy it as much as I did and do. :)


For A-Z Challenge 2016

Aa chal ke tujhe - Oldies goldies

As part of AtoZ 2016 challenge, it gives me great pleasure to share with you some timeless melodies, shot in the black and white era of cinema, which have made some impact on me one way or the other. The black and white picturization has a charm of its own. 

For today's post - the opening post - I present to you this song which for me, contains much positivity and hope. Kishore Kumar's voice and the simple background music makes listening to this tune so pleasurable.

(Courtesy : Google Images)

Every time I listen to it, I feel as if a strong, powerful hand is clasping my hand, to take me on a journey of cheer and joy! Never fails to cheer me up when I need it.

This melody is from the movie Door Gagan ki Chhaon Main (1964)

Aa chal ke tujhe main leke chalu

Enjoy the classic! And would love to know if you too have such a favourite song which lifts your mood and infuses hope.

For A-Z Challenge 2016

A dicey situation - What's the solution?

One evening, while waiting on the platform to get into the train home, I noticed a lady waiting for the same train. Since it was only two of us in that section of the platform and with nothing much to do, I thought of striking a conversation with her as is my usual habit with fellow passengers. The look she gave when she saw me smile was a tad forbidding and immediately with my smile wiped off, I decided to keep to myself. From where I stood on the platform, I could see that she was physically challenged as she had a stick with an arm-brace to support her while walking and standing, However, I could not figure out the extent of her condition.

A train soon came by and she got in. I hopped into the next train, found a place to stand, pulled out the book I was carrying and was completely absorbed in reading it. 

Image courtesy : Google

At one of the stops, I heard a female voice nearby, scolding someone loudly. I looked up and was surprised to see the same lady in the carriage I was in. She had got in at that stop and that voice belonged to her. She was scolding a fellow passenger - a gentleman who was standing right next to me. It appeared from the tirade that when the train had jerked forward after the doors closure, he had extended his hand instinctively to steady this lady. Apparently the lady had not received this gesture all that well. Someone vacated a seat for her and immediately upon sitting down, she even whipped out her phone and took pictures of this gentleman and threatened to sue him for molestation.

Image courtesy : Google

I say gentleman because, if he was a molester he had plenty of chances to molest me or another girl who was standing right in front of him. But he didn't, and he certainly wasn't waiting for this lady. I felt sad for him because he was unnecessarily getting berated for his instinctive kind gesture. After apologizing profusely to her, he just stood there silently allowing her to berate him & take his pictures too!

This entire incident shocked me because people giving & receiving a steadying hand is quite common as the trains do lurch sporadically and I just could not understand her intense anger. During such lurches, I have seen people shooting out their arms instinctively to protect a child from falling down from his seat if she/he is not holding onto the guard rail; same with adults who are standing without holding onto the grab pole or are about to settle down in their seats. Why was this gesture misconstrued by the lady!

Tried my best to understand the lady's reaction. Maybe she thought that he was really molesting her or that he was showing pity on her (which no one wants). Maybe she just didn't want that steadying hand and could have managed to steady herself. Maybe she had a bad day or maybe her self respect dictated her reaction. At the same time, felt that instead of the tongue lashing she gave him, maybe if she had just said, "Thanks, but I can manage by myself", the situation would have been managed well. Also, that especially after this incident, he might think twice or thrice before he lends a helping hand or he may even look the other way when someone is genuinely in need of support.

It's been months since this incident took place and it's unforgettable. Even to this day I wonder what is the right thing to do in such situations, so that the sensibilities of a physically challenged person are not offended and a person's instinctive kind gesture towards him/her is not misconstrued.

Kill with kindness or kill the kindness? What is the middle path? Would love to know.

Have a heart #hearthealth

The news of a quite young cousin hospitalized for a by-pass surgery came as a shock, as he had been healthy. It's one thing to hear or read about these things happening to someone whom we don't know, but when it happens to a dear one or ourselves, it can hit really hard.

Once I got over the initial shock, I turned to the Internet to gain some understanding of his condition. I was also interested to know more about the procedure that would be performed. Wiki and Youtube came to my rescue. 

I read up on and watched videos of double bypass, triple bypass surgeries. Brought home the point that ANYONE is susceptible, age be damned! It was interesting to note the causes of the blocking of the arteries, how some of these surgeries are performed with the stopping of the heart (and later restarted) and some without stopping the heart. Saw just how delicate the arteries supplying blood to the heart muscles were and how deftly the procedure was performed. Wondered how super confident the surgeons must be of their knowledge and surgical skills; how rock steady their hands must be in order to perform successfully such a complex, intense, delicate, life-saving procedure with such precision; how well co-ordinated the surgical team must be; how immensely satisfied the surgical & care giving teams must be, once they see their patients alive & back on their feet. Wondered if they felt like God for giving a fresh lease of life to their patients!

Image courtesy : Google

Image courtesy : Google

As the surgery videos progressed, I watched with growing fascination the fist sized organ beating away industriously as if - it was afraid to stop lest that human dies; it knew just how high the stakes were on its continued functioning; it was saying, "You make whatever repairs you need to while I continue my job". This little vital engine starts its function when the foetus is 4 weeks old and keeps on working tirelessly ever since. Had a lump in my throat and for the first time, felt ever so grateful to my heart for keeping me alive, without even one little complaint. 

This incident made me see in a state of greater awareness & different perspective, the health of my own heart. Felt ashamed that I hadn’t paid much attention earlier. It was time to take a real hard look on the changes I needed to make sure that my heart stays healthy and started taking action. Started with eating healthy, having an exercise regimen, regular health checks. It is a work in progress.

 There are advertisements of health food, healthy oils saying "your heart will say thank you to you". I would say that we should say "Thank you" not only to our hearts, but to other organs too!

I implore you to make a conscious effort towards a healthy lifestyle. That would be so worth it. Why wait till something untoward happens?  

Have a heart.  Dil dadhakne do. Without any problems.

Please note : Written for the Blogging Community: An initiative by The Book Club

Kindred souls

Nisha and Asha sat at a table in the restaurant. Both had so much to share with each other as their meetings did not take place often. Even phone calls were not that frequent. However, they shared a close bond. Nisha looked at Asha’s cheerful and laughter filled face and felt happy.

She went back to the days when things were very different.

Google Images

It all began when Asha had called Nisha one afternoon and sobbed her heart out. A major turbulence had Asha’s life in its vice like grip and Asha was struggling to keep afloat. Nisha though shaken thoroughly, decided to do whatever she could to help her dear friend. There were frequent phone calls and regular chat sessions, to provide Asha with strength and courage to face her fears & the situation. Though it was Asha who more or less used to initiate these talk sessions, often times Nisha initiated them, in order to keep tabs on her friend’s well-being.

Google Images

It was during one such call from Nisha that Asha had blurted out without preamble. 

“You are a lifeline Nisha. I was thinking of you and was just about to call you. I don’t know how you come to know that I need to talk to you. You always call exactly at those moments without fail. How do you know Nisha? Tell me, tell me please. And thank you so much.”

Nisha just said “Whenever I get a strong feeling that I have to call you, I do. That’s it.”

Neither could explain this phenomenon. Could they be that they were connected at some higher levels undecipherable to man?

After several months, the Sun began to shine once again in Asha’s life with plenty of support from Nisha as usual. 

She had held Asha’s hand all through because Nisha understood the pain and the support required. Nisha understood all that because she herself had undergone similar turbulence in her life, several years before Asha did.

Kindred souls after all.

Google Images

For A-Z Challenge 2015

Jilted

He was shocked beyond belief. 

"How could this ever happen?!"

That morning had dawned just like others had. Bright and sunny, full of promise and energy. He had quickly dressed and left for office looking forward to hand over the completed project he had so painstakingly nurtured for years. 

He had been looking forward to celebrations that would take place for his long and loyal service. The completion of his pet project and his completion of 15 years in the company, all dovetailed nicely. He had felt on top of the world. The company had been through several ups and downs during those years. But he had stuck through. 

He had shared all this with his wife of 15 years. He fleetingly noticed that she wasn't her usual chirpy self. From the past few days he had noticed that she had been a bit quiet. He had had decided to have a chat with her that evening about it. Their marriage too had gone through many ups and downs, mimicking the company's fortunes. But he had stuck through.

Their relationship had begun when they both joined the same company. She had progressed faster than he had and was now his boss. However, there was no ego issues between them and he had actually enjoyed working in her team.

At his desk in office, there had been a note to meet the boss.

She had smiled a bit nervously while handing him a sealed envelope.

He had picked it up with a smile and opened it slowly. The smile had been immediately wiped off and his face had gone white. He certainly had not seen this coming.

He had been jilted. Big time.

It was a letter terminating his services in the company, with immediate effect. He had believed in loyalty. Obviously,  the company didn't.



For A-Z Challenge 2015

Idiosyncrasies - A few of them here

Am sure you have come across something typical of a particular country or people or race or have it pointed out by someone. Here are some that I have come across. 

Google Images

Google Images

We are known outside of India for the typical way in which we nod our head to questions asked of us. This nod is termed the Indian nod by non-Indians. This nod has spawned several communications related debates, whether it means "yes" or "no". People asking the question gets confused. So far, I am yet to come across anyone other than Indians indulging in this nod.

We also don't belong to the tissue culture much, preferring handkerchiefs instead. Then comes the IST, also known as not being or starting things on time. Our clothing is full of colours and cheerful prints, unlike in some of the countries I have seen. Most of their clothing are in only so many colours and that too without any prints. Maybe this is the reason why so many non-Indians say that India is so full of colours and vibrant too.

Malaysia has its own version of IST and it is called elastic time. 

Google Images

In Singapore, one of the typical sights would be people sipping through a straw, a brownish liquid in little transparent plastic bags with a plastic thread. On closer observation, one can see that it is hot coffee. Another typical sight would be people (mostly women) pushing or dragging personal shopping carts to do their grocery shopping. It is also heartening to see men and women dressed in complete business formals but wearing hawaii slippers or flip flops for convenient commuting and then change into formal shoes just before they enter the office building. No qualms there about wearing chappals though dressed in full formals.

In Australia, women are referred to as Sheela. The ladies' rest rooms mention "Sheela" instead of "Ladies". 

In Europe, and maybe in other countries too, I could never understand why winter coats are predominantly black in colour. One does spot a red coat or a white coat but it's a very rare sight.

Care to share the idiosyncrasies you have observed?

For A-Z Challenge 2015

Hinduism, History and Holiday in an Islamic country

A very short holiday in Jogjakarta in Indonesia gave me an experience I was a bit unprepared for. Jogja as it is known locally, is renowned for Jawanese fine art, Batik, silver filigree work, etc. This city is also famous for two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Candi Prambanan and Candi Borobudur, both dating between 8th  & 10th Centuries. 

The main structures of Candi Prambanan complex

Candi Prambanan is a Hindu Temple complex of 240 temples of varying sizes, built by King Sanjaya for the holy trinity of Hinduism and their vehicles or vaahana. The entire complex is located close to the still active Mount Merapi. The temple complex has been damaged due to neglect in the past as well as shaken, stirred, ash spewed upon. Restored significantly in 19^th century, it stands tall and magnificent. This follows the Hindu temple architecture (including vaastu). Not all the sculptures are intact.

Candi Borobudur is a majestic Mahayana Buddhist temple built around & over a hillock, with the hillock  forming the core. The open temple has 9 levels symbolizing the spiritual evolution of human from the lowest levels towards Moksha depicted by the empty big sealed stupa at the summit. This temple apart from plenty of relief panels has 504 Buddha statues. Each group of these statues facing a particular direction have a specific hand mudra. Structurally and architecturally it is indeed a wonderful case study allowing for perfect water drainage during rains, prevention of the structure crumbling due to erosion of the underlying hillock and so on..

A few details caught my attention at these two historical sites.

Candi Borobudur

Every single person belonging to any race, be it child or adult, entering the temple complex premises has to comply with the clothing requirement of having a sarong tied around the waist. No excuses accepted. The extent of cleanliness that is maintained within the entire temple complex is commendable. The guides, who showed me around the temple complexes with so much pride and respect for the places, were Indonesians and Muslims. The relief panels are based on Ramayana, Bhaagavatha and the life of Siddhartha. So, the guides narrated stories from our scriptures perfectly by way of explaining these relief panels. It was fascinating to observe the extent of knowledge about our scriptures these people who were non-Indian and non-Hindus had. There are some variations in the way some names are pronounced and written in Indonesia, like Sita for instance is called Cinta. The degree of influence of Ramayana in an Islamic country was evident in the popularity of a ballet based on this epic, by the way the tickets sold out quickly.

This experience brought me up close and personal to the strong reach of Hinduism & Buddhism in a predominantly Islamic state thousands of miles away from India, more so during an era when technology, communication and transportation were not as advanced as it is today. Also, it was heartwarming how these two temples are respected and held sacred by the people of this city, named after Ayodhya, irrespective of their race and religious leanings.

A truly enriching experience. 

For A-Z Challenge 2015

Guru

What is the image that comes to your mind when you hear the word “Guru”?

Google Images

For foreigners, it could be an Indian spiritual leader clad in saffron or an expert on something. For Indians, it could be a teacher (spiritual or otherwise) or an expert or someone named “Guru” or a slang especially for Kannadigas who use it to address anyone and everyone as in “yen guru?” means “What guru?”

Here I refer to the teacher. There is a saying which translates as “A person who teaches even a single letter is a guru”. I agree with this.

On the flip side, it has often made for very interesting & entertaining observations at some spiritual meets in which the Guru also participates. The disciples get worked up into such a blind frenzy about the Guru! Whatever the guru does is praised irrespective of whether it is praiseworthy or not. I guess many people religiously follow our scriptures which say that teacher is God and accord the status of God to these very human spiritual gurus. 

The best part is that those Gurus seem to relish and thrive on this status accorded to them. They also build up their own tight little circle of very obedient disciples or sevaks around them into which only a privileged few are allowed. There is also plenty of gimmickry and buildup of hype. To top it all, if they happen to teach any techniques for spiritual development, they will charge exorbitant fees citing commitment of students as a reason to charge such high fees.

Does a true guru really care for such adulation, flashy lifestyle and vulgar opulence? Wouldn't he or she be more concerned about the students learning, assimilating and putting to good use the knowledge imparted?

And when will people learn to use their discerning powers to separate the grain from the chaff?

What’s your take on this?


For A-Z Challenge 2015

Foreboding

The past few days she has been weeping without rhyme or reason.

“That can mean only one thing. Oh God!! Who will it be this time?”

A couple of days passed. The weeping reduced. 

She was very sure that those bouts of bawling her eyes out were telling her something. Every little thing was setting her off.

The first couple of times of such weeping bouts did not attract much attention from her. But when a pattern started to emerge, she took serious note of it. It was as if her very soul was mourning some impending profound loss.

And from then on, every such instance filled her with deep dread and immense frustration.

Last night was very restive; waking up in cold sweat in the wee hours of the morning. She had had nightmares of people being chased and bombed. She could sense that things were coming to a head.

“Oh Sweet Lord! Who would it be this time? If only I could know who. If only I could warn them somehow. But then, who do I warn and about what?"

The frustration and foreboding only mounted.

Dread lasted for a few hours more.

She got the news.

The pattern had repeated without fail.



For A-Z Challenge 2015

Elephants in the room - For Mosha

During a recent trip, the hotel I had stayed in had figurines and sculptures of elephants everywhere. That was not very surprising since the hotel is situated in the land known for elephants. Each of the sculptures and figurines was interesting in its own way.

However, several of them were unusual. They piqued my interest big time. Each piece is unique, vibrant and eye catching. Here, have a look at some of the unusual ones.

When I dug further into these unusual & vibrant depictions of elephants, I came to know that they were part of a world wide initiative called Elephant Parade. This initiative through its open air exhibitions and other activities, brings the attention of the world on the conservation of Asian elephants.

Mosha image courtesy : Internet 

These colorful elephants are created by artists and celebrities world over. There are workshops held for general public too.

A father and son duo, Marc Spits and Mike, founded this movement after they came across a 7 month old baby elephant named Mosha in Thailand, at an elephant hospital which constructs prosthetic limbs for elephants.

Mosha had lost one of her legs after stepping on a land mine during logging in Myanmar. Being the first elephant to receive such a limb, she now walks with a prosthetic leg which needs to be replaced every year and she needs to learn afresh to walk with the prosthetic limb, every single time.

Close to home, in India, we have an elephant who has received a prosthetic tusk.

Gladdens the heart to know that the animals are getting medical care on a equal footing as humans, though the problems they are/ were facing are created by humans in the first place..

Do you have any such story to share?

For A-Z Challenge 2015

Date with destiny. Can anyone stop it?

We talk about fate, providence, destiny. Does something like that actually exist? Maybe.

Do we kind of drift along in our lives or does everything happen for a reason? Are we fated to meet the people we meet, do the work we do, read the stuff we read? Is everything predestined? I wonder. All the time.

Here's an interesting little story I came across on the net a while ago, while searching for something. It enthrals me every time I read it. Wanted to share it with you. I do not know who wrote it or what the title is. The story seems to say that if something is bound to happen at a given time & place, it surely will. 

This is how the story goes....

A mighty Persian king went walking in his pleasure gardens one day and heard a great cry, and he was immediately set upon by a panicked servant.

Google Images

"Mighty king," said the servant, "I have need of your aid! I was working in the garden and came upon Death here, who threatened me. I managed to escape from him, but I fear now for my life. Give me your fastest horse and I know I can make it to the city of Tehran by nightfall, and there I will get away from him."

The king considered for a moment, weighing the good servant's years of loyal help, and assented, providing him with the horse and silver. The king continued to walk in his gardens, and amid the sound of the horse and servant riding off together, the king himself came upon Death.

"Why have you threatened my servant?" the king asked.

Google Images

Death shook his head. "A thousand apologies, sir, but I did not threaten the man. I merely expressed my surprise at finding him here in your gardens today."

"And why should my servant's presence here be a surprise to you?" the king asked.

And Death replied with a smile, "I was surprised to find him here, good king, because I know that we have an appointment to meet tonight in Tehran." 

This story has certainly left its impression on me. 

Do you think our lives are "ruled" by fate or destiny? Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

For A-Z Challenge 2015

Cab driver wisdom

During several of my cab trips in several cities, I have come across many kinds of cab drivers - talkative, silent, grumpy, cheerful, helpful, rude and some truly inspirational.

The cheerful talkative ones are the best. They give rare insights about the city one is visiting, about the government there, the current affairs, schools, people, places to visit, food to eat and so on. They have an opinion on everything under the Sun and are very willing to share it with anyone who is listening. Just like anyone else. It makes the commute interesting though.

Here are some interesting interactions I have had over the years.

Image Courtesy : Google Images

One cab driver extolled the merits of using a sincere & open "Really?" to keep a conversation going and encouraged me to use it and see the results for myself. I have actually tried it several times and it works!

Another shared his wisdom on how to keep a marriage happy and working well. He said that whatever wisdom he shared was from his own experience.

Another time in a foreign land, on the way to the airport to catch a flight, an Algerian lady cab driver and I had exchanged only a few words due to the language barrier. All we had talked about the Algerian song that was playing on her radio, the singer,  our countries of origin and my flight details. With minutes to spare for my flight, I discovered to my utter dismay that my wallet was missing. When I was frantically searching for it and had almost given up, who should show up but this lady. She had driven all the way back to the airport for over an hour, after dropping off her fare just to hand over my wallet which I had dropped in her cab. She did not accept anything from me except a grateful tearful hug. Wished me a safe flight and left. Yes! Such people do exist. I was really fortunate to meet her.


In another instance, an elderly gentleman of 61yrs who has been doing only night shifts for over 5 years shared his exercise regimen. About how he goes for jogging for not less than 3km under 30mins, at 12noonish everyday without fail, under the blazing hot Sun of a country very close to the equator; How he has to exercise given the nature of his job and how he has no other choice about the timing of his exercise regimen due to his work schedule. For me, it was truly inspirational and I told him so. He was happy and said that most of his friends thought he was mad to jog at 12noon.

Some cab drivers also have shared how commuters cheat & trouble them - commuters quickly getting out at a traffic light close to their destination without paying the cab for the ride,  drunk commuters throwing up all over in the cab and passing out, commuters talking about the cab driver in a derogatory manner in another language thinking that they would not understand.

Yes, it takes all kinds to make up this world!

Care to share some of your experiences?


For A-Z Challenge 2015

Bridge to the Past

Resurrecting an old post for today!


Sort of creating a bridge to the past.. Read on Bridge to the Past ..


For A-Z Challenge 2015

April it is! And it begins all over again.

Just two evenings back, I was recollecting how hectic it was in April last year.

My dear friend Janu, at that time had urged, cajoled, encouraged and almost bullied me into registering for a blogging challenge.  The A-Z Challenge 2014. She had waxed eloquent about it; saying that it would provide the perfect platform for me to explore this new world of blogging.

I deep dived into the challenge with no regrets and with a few take aways including some new good friends. A few posts after the challenge, blogging took a back seat, though Janu used to urge me to write posts on some of my experiences.

And without fail, this year too exactly around the same time Janu reminded me about the A-Z Challenge 2015.  However this year, it did not take any cajoling or bullying on her part. I very much wanted to be part of it and immediately registered.

And so here I am to see what this year's challenge will bring in its wake.

So let the fun and anxious times begin...

Image courtesy : Google Images

Yes.. How can we be calm when we are expected to write & read posts after posts !

Here's wishing all the very best to those taking part in this year's challenge.

Amen!

For A-Z Challenge 2015

Bridge to the past

Just the other day, I was looking at some childhood photographs, as I do from time to time. And without question, such viewing always brings forth a few chuckles and awakens many fond memories. 

While I was happily cruising down memory lane, my friend asked me if those pictures I was looking at, were my childhood pictures. When I replied in the affirmative, she mentioned rather wistfully that she did not have any pictures of her childhood and of her growing-up years.

Source : Google Images

My cruise braked to a sudden screeching halt. Having been fortunate enough to have always had several childhood clicks (thanks to a very enthusiastic click-happy Uncle and some cousins), hers was a completely unimaginable situation for me.

Took me a while to really appreciate what she was saying. It then hit me right in the gut that, for this person there was absolutely no way of knowing who and how she or her siblings (& cousins) were as kids or in their growing-up years. Not even one single image of those times. She said that all she had were the vague descriptions given by her family and the rest were left to her imagination. For me, it felt as if a big part of her identity had been snatched away, forever. Now, is that a big deal for her?  Maybe. Maybe not. 

Source : Google Images

While it is gladdening to hear stories from our families about us, it is a different ballgame when those stories are reinforced with pictures. 

It gives a certain unadulterated pleasure or satisfaction to actually see how cute (or monkey-like) we used to look when we were kids, how atrociously or cutely we were dressed or had our hair styled or cut (oh yes!), whether we had all our milk teeth intact at that time or those top two or bottom two teeth were missing with gaping-hole shy grins, whether some of us had just started to sprout pimples, whether the little girls had their "moggina jaDe-reshme lehnga" moment and so on. 

For me, such pictures form a bridge connecting our (and sometimes our kids' and/or grandkids') present to our misty past, giving a sense of both continuity & identity. They show how & who we were, long after that moment has passed; They bring back to life our moments already lived, allowing us to savour them over and over again till we die or to pester others with, or maybe both!

Source: Google Images

Having my own such bridge makes me wish that I could somehow help my friend find her bridge.

What do the pictures of your childhood & growing-up years mean to you and why?