Wishful thinking

For the past week the sky has been putting up a fabulous show of colors, especially during sunrise & sunset. I feel handicapped without my camera which has traveled all the way back to the States for some repairs...…

The monsoons are here, almost, so this transition period from summer to monsoon is when nature shows her versatility and grandeur. The sky is crystal blue interspersed with white fluffy clouds of all shapes imaginable that turn into grey in a heartbeat… The sun behind then benevolently shines through these gray clouds casting the proverbial silver lining… around sunset, the drab grey gives way to golden yellows, fuchsias, magentas, reds…. You name it, nature’s got it. I can only imagine the reflections it is casting on the sea, the mountains and paddy fields…. All I have around me are the concrete buildings, some thatched roofs, trees, muddy puddles from the rains…. Wish I was sitting atop a mountain watching this spectacular show….hmmmmmm

Travels

My travels took me to several places these past 6 months...... some were undertaken under pressure, some were mandatory, some I chose to preserve my sanity. All, though turned out interesting, beautiful and inspiring. Here is the list in no particular order:

Udupi, Karnataka
Innanje, Karnataka
Siddapur, Karnataka
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Bangalore, Karnataka
Karad, Maharashtra
Mumbai, Maharashtra
Nashik, Maharashtra
Vadodara, Gujrat
Muscat, Oman
Cancona, Goa
Margoa, Goa
Mantralaya, Andhra Pradesh
Haveri, Karnataka
Kallur, Karnataka

I could write travelogues about some of these, but sheer laziness maybe or the inability to pen down the unseemingly mad rush of thoughts that my mind churns out .... feel I should buy a recorder or a Dictaphone.... and see if I can speak out as fast as my mind thinks :-)
futile exercise it may be, but well.....

Kitchen comfort

For the past 2-3 months I've been in Mum's kitchen a lot, cooking quite a bit, and observing her cook more. You'll find me sitting at the table a lot, with my diary out, penning furiously the recipes that she is either making or talking about at break-neck speed. It doesn't help that Mum is one of those whose measuring device is her hand..... forget the measuring spoons/cups/weigh scales. It's all about 'just this much', 'about that much', 'about one fistful' or 'just a pinch'.

Now agreed I picked up the same skills in the kitchen from her, and my hand is my best measuring device, but writing recipes is a pain with no indications like '1 Cup' or '2 Tbsp'. Ahhhh well, I take solace in the fact that I will understand her measurements which I write down verbatim, 2 or 5 or 10 yrs down the lane.... If it does come down to the day when I might want to publish those recipes or create a food blog, I will just have to standardize the formulation and process.... more R&D in my personal kitchen.

Authentic Udupi rasams, curries, desserts, pickles, chutney powders, with a few blends of Udupi-Maharashtrian, Udupi-North Karnataka recipes might some day soon make it to my new food blog.... will have to just wait and see :-)

Conversations with Daddy

Dear Appa,

Ayi... its been almost a year (is has hasn't it) since you died, but just feels like yesterday that I laughed at Arun, thinking it was joke played on me, to get me to visit India ASAP. You know how berfit I felt when I came back to really find you gone without a trace... four long years since I'd seen you, hugged you, kissed you or laid in your lap.

I miss you. I don't think about you all the time anymore, but when you do sneak into my thoughts, you always manage to tear me apart a bit, inside. The past year has taught me yet again, that change is the only constant in life, that as humans we are very adaptable (I've never understood the concept of '5 things you can't live without' kind of questions... When it comes down to surviving we all can make do without a lot of things... I mean don't we go on living and move on without our loved ones around?), that time is irrelevant when you grieve for a loss. Time sure heals... not by taking away your grief or stemming your sense of loss, but by helping build the coping mechanism to face the loss, hurt and grief...

All around me, I hear stories of what a great professor, husband, father, brother etc you were.... All who knew you or knew of you, don't hesitate to put in their few cents...
All fail to acknowledge that you were a fantastic person by yourself.. you were human too with flaws like any of us..... I see those flaws Appa, and I accept them as a part of you, but I also realize that I don't want to incorporate them into my life... You might not have been the perfect man, but you were the perfect dad and I wouldn't have it any other way. I learnt a lot from you about life, about principles, about everyday things, about silence, about respect... and there is a lot more I need to learn. You are not around unfortunately to educate me anymore, but I find myself looking back into your life to glean some more lessons....

I am not yet at peace about your absence, nor am I willing to totally let you go yet. I do though hope you are happy, and at peace wherever you are at present. Continue to guide me and be my star Appa, because even in your absence I need you. I miss your silent support, when I think of the future I want, and know that from now on I'll be quite by myself. Not many are willing to cheer me on or understand my dreams. I miss your quite and steady stream of love and affection even more. I love you.

Time of the mad atom

This is the age
Of the half-read page.
And the quick hash
And the mad dash.
The bright night
With the nerves tight.
The plane hop
With the brief stop.
The lamp tan
In a short span.
The Big Shot
In a good spot.
And the brain strain
The heart pain.
And the cat naps
Till the spring snaps-
And the fun's done!

The Saturday Evening Post (1949)

Guess people were rushed then as they are now!

Khalil's work- an inspiration

It was a while ago, when I was first introduced to Khalil Gibran's works. No doubt my first impression was that of amazement and wonder at such inspiring and beautifully penned poetry & writing. but I realize that as I revisit his works over time, I take away different perspectives, new understanding of his wordplay along with the absolute sense of beauty his writings evoke in me.
This below excerpt is from his famous work 'The Prophet' (1923)

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

Universal attraction

Fascinated with the sand between his toes

Omanis enjoying an evening walk along the shore

Taking a respite from surfing

Basking in the mid-morning sun

Hunting for food

Fishing into the evening

What is the attraction living beings have for the Ocean? No matter where you are, what your nationality, what your intention, the ocean never fails to deliver what you seek.

I go into her lap to seek solitude, to feel one with nature, to let her power & strength seep into me, and to lift my spirits. I love walking her shores at dawn, absorbing the salty aroma and sense of peace she exudes; slowly watching the sun rise over the horizon, I am always rewarded with a brilliant show of colors both over the water and sky. The feelings are indescribable (wonder, gratitude, happiness.... all that and much more). You have to experience it to feel it.....

I almost forget to breathe, awe-struck