Kochi Trip - April 2019

As the Uber zips through the lanes of cars,
I look out at this city I have come to love.
Memories zip by as fast as the events,
So many to remember, relish, replay, recast even.
Two nieces and a nephew who make us laugh aloud,
Stubborn, affectionate, outgoing, they do us proud.
Cousins, sisters born
But as friends I do them now count.
More and more members warmly greet,
A gathering of this many no mean feat.
Music, laughter, and so much food,
The very best combo for times good.
Friends and family time is a treat,
Worth many, many a repeat,
Worth any effort
To realise the worth
Of shared values despite many a difference,
Of knowing the bond survives across generations.
To many more such meetings and soon,
For now I relive being over the moon.

- Written on 29 Apri 2019.
- A nephew's poonal was 28-29 April and this was one huge family meet. One gifting so many a cherished moment.

Why Friends Meet

When you are down in the dumps
It helps to have friends.

The ones who know what you feel,
And ones who still have your layers to peel.
The ones who always have your back,
And the ones you simply smile at.

They are all fun as you lose your worries
In the news, the gossip, the good ole days memories.
You make more memories too,
The ones that lend you vigour anew.

The hugs, the smiles, the quiet asides,
Are ever worth the travelled miles,
Are ever worth rejuggled times,
Are ever worth 'Unchecked To-Dos' and such crimes.

The new friends you make,
The new perspectives you gain,
The laughter, the fun, the eats
This is why friends need meet.

- Written on 30 December 2018.
- Self-explanatory. 

Thank You Blood Donors!

A loved one for 11 days in the ICU,
With kidney and heart problems, diabetes, gangrene, what have you,
7 different teams of doctors working on her case,
Everything slips by in a daze.

One hopes for the best, but fears always loom,
As the graphs spike and plummet, there is so much gloom:
12 units of blood and counting,
Multiple tests that lead to just the next thing.

More questions, fewer answers,
The game called life requires trust:
Trust in strangers to do their best,
Trust that what does the trick is rest,
Trust that doctors know what they are doing,
Trust that the medicines and surgeries are working.

Hospitals teach you so much each time,
There are more days yet to learn lessons prime.
For now, we take a deep breath and recharge,
With gratitude for all who gave blood that helped her death thwart.

~Anusha Ramanathan

#BloodDonation #Gratitude #KindStrangers

Mayank Mrinal Akanksha Sharma Kritarth Chaudhary Thank you so very much. And all the other unknowns and non Facebook friends too. The road to recovery would not have been possible without you.

- As posted on Facebook on 6 Jan 2019.
- Written on 6 Jan 2019.
- Self Explanatory  (Mom unwell). 

Goodbye 2018, Wecome 2019

Wish you all a wonderful 2019!

For the annual torture, read ahead if you will. I have definitely NOT been exhaustive in my recollection of 2018 events. There are just so very many.... 😱🤔😂

Goodbye 2018, Welcome 2019 :) 

2018 you have been tumultuous,
You have stressed us and stretched us,
In an era of memories outsourced to Google,
With moments and emotions too many to juggle.

Disasters from Kerala floods to Indonesian quakes,
From Hurricane Michael to the ongoing Syrian outrage,
From Californian fires to Indonesia's second tsunami
From tax benefits for the rich to a sluggish worldwide economy,
From Brexit's tragicomedy to Paris' Yellow Vest protestors,
From the Putin-Trump nexus, to Saudi's blatant Khashoggi murder,
From climate change naysayers to migration haters,
From gun violence to MeToo complaints increase
From the Trump-Kim love affair to Sridevi's decease.

Yet there have been ups galore
The kind that become folklore.
From Mary Kom to Hima Das, to Harmanpreet to Phogat to Manika to Sindhu,
The women in Indian sports shone this year too.
Science also won India glory,
The thinnest material from Gandhinagar IIT.
The Congress showed it is not yet out,
As it did in 2018 end the BJP rout.
India won the Champions of the Earth Award at the UN
Our country is the second best place for Unicorns (startups) to burgeon.
100 years since Armistice saw the world united
As did March for Our Lives, the biggest event to be student-led.
India decriminalised homosexuality,
And in Canada one can use cannabis legally.

Some events I know not how to react to:
The Sabrimala saga with so much ado,
The Patel Statue of Unity admist such dire poverty,
The weddings such as the extravaganza by Ambani
All while lakhs of farmers are dying
And education and health Indians are lacking.
Imran Khan's rebuff from Modi and his cronies,
Or China's gene-edited twin babies.

So much to let go, so much to take in,
So very much more somewhat forgotten:
2018 what a year you have been
With messages ranging from isolation to unity.

May 2019 be an oasis of calm and peace
May rationale win, may wisdom be appeased,
May emotions be positive and love triumph,
May divisions give way to unity's cries,
May the plenty we have be multiplied,
May everyone's dreams be realised,
May justice be served, may truth emerge,
May the youth find their voices and be heard.
May we all work to celebrate nature and its beauty,
May the economy too celebrate the values of humanity.
May globalism and oneness defeat isolationism,
May equality for all be made most welcome.

Happy 2019 everyone!

- Written on 31 December 2018.
- Self explanatory. 

Happy Diwali 2018

Diwali's origin is a mystery
Folklore has versions many

Is it Ram's return to Ayodhya?
Is it Krishna's defeat of Narkasura?

Is it Bali's defeat by Vamana?
Is it Mahavir Jain attaining Nirvana?

Is it to do with Lakshmi or Kubera?
Is it to do with Saraswati or Durga?

Whatever the legend be
All celebrate good's victory.

The darkest, the night of Amavas
Is lit bright with light bursts.

Ignorance, like darkness, is defeated
As the lights of knowledge are ignited.

The ones with plenty share merrily
For the whole world is a family.

What matters the symbol,
When the thought is crystal?

What matters the language
When humanity we celebrate?

Worldviews expressed differently,
Yet are the same essentially.

Diwali equalises us as human
Perfectly balancing reason and emotion.

Happy Deepavali!
May the lights of the season brighten your and your loved ones' lives forever.

- Written on 5 November 2018 night.
- Diwali is on 6 Nov for South Indians and on 7 Nov for the North. But what matters is the season of festivities continue. :)
- Also a friend and colleague is coteaching a paper on Language Pedagogy and yesterday's session inspired me to think of origins of stories and symbols and signs in language.

Facebook Link to the rhyme and responses:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155535214786230&id=692626229

Chirantan Ami wrote on Facebook on 6 Nov 2018 in response to the above:


We light up the streets, our lives to push away the evil,
Why don't we push away the darkness inside us,
Why don't we light ourselves everyday
Why do we wait for some occasion to celebrate humanity,
Why don't we do it everyday
May from this deepavali onwards we re-think the meaning of our being.
May souls like you save
Us from pulling in the darkness inside.
May the lights today
Light up our existence and illuminate our perspective
Happy deepavali to youAnusha Ramanathan, and to all of us still searching for our guiding lights!

My response to him on 6 Nov 2018 also on Facebook:

Chirantan S:

The idea of Diwali is good over evil,
It is the thought that our minds should fill.

The day is just a reminder
Of the path we hold dear.

The day is like a signpost
Of what we achieved and how much further to go.

The day is to inspire us anew
To make us goodness with fresh vigour to pursue.

No we should not wait for an occasion to celebrate humanity,
But we need to celebrate our endeavour, our unity.

It is not to be just symbolic,
That is worse than words and actions vitriolic.

But as we march ahead in our serious quest,
We do need respite, some joy, some jest.

That is how I see this fest,
On the onward journey, a rejuvenating rest. :)

My Facebook Responses on 3 October 2018

Facebook Responses to brilliant posts calling out the ignorance and/or the hypocrisy of people in responding to stories of sexual abuse survivors.

In response to Harrish Iyer: 
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156823622040452&id=786145451 

I totally agree. The analogies you give are brilliant. What is more, the witnesses will not remember the incident in the same way either. That is why investigators piece together the incident by listening to the various narratives.

Not just that, as one begins to articulate and tries to remember the traumatic incident as one is questioned repeatedly, one does begin to recollect more details and sometimes they lead to seemingly contradictory statements. That is another piece to add to your explanation of the trauma.

The brain protects us from some recounting some memories day in and day out till another incident triggers the rememberance of horror.

BTW is this is also a result of what is unfolding in the USA in addition to all that is happening here? It seems to me like a systemic epidemic across the world and the more powerful the accused, the less powerful the accuser, the less credible the accusation. It seems that we believe that power and only power should speak up. Not justice. And definitely not truth.

There may be many, many sides to a story. Perspectives differ. But to discount a narrative altogether is unfair. We do not have to agree with another to respect their point of view and definitely their right to have their opinion.


In response to Meghnand Bose on Bollywood's (especially Amitabh Bachchan's comments) hypocrisy in responding to Tanushree Dutta's accusations. 
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156079830037607&id=566742606

This is a very good articulation of what is unfolding right now.

I think it is about power vs power. The person who is less powerful is less likely tk be believed. Unfolding all around the world. See the USA nomination for a Supreme Court justice.

Another thing many of us forget is that one can be good most all times and still be bad at times. And the bad behaviour needs to be called out.

And for those who say why one did not speak up earlier and call out the incident (as publicly as now), let's not even go outside our homes. How many family and friends gatherings have we been a part of when an old grudge, an old slight, seemingly insignificant to all but the person feeling the pain, have been laid out bare?


When someone dies in our families certain incidents and thoughts that we never knew of emerge painting that person in a different hue. Ditto for weddings or graduations and so on. Parents recount incidents about our childhood to us that we have no recollection of. We accuse our parents of unfairness at times based on an incident a long time ago that they do not recollect off hand. But then therein the story is not termed to be fiction because the narrative's underlying theme is not about power. When it is, then the story that preserves status quo is more often believed.

- On 3 October 2018.
- Self-explanatory.

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi (2018)

Today is Ganesh Chathurthi
But somehow this morning no lines flowed miraculously,
Perhaps this year (I thought) it was not meant to be.

And then right now it struck me
Not about Ganesh per se, but about my locality,
The neighbourhood has never celebrated so silently.

The lights are on in the pandal in which the murti is residing,
But no loud bells are ringing, no speakers are chants and bhajans blaring,
The silence has a message resounding.

'... times, they are a-changing"
It is so very becoming.
Slow, steady, the fires have been long burning.

Not to burn, but to resuscitate
Not to exclude, but to equity inculcate,
The laws, the people all out to humanity celebrate.

There resides a  vignaharta in each of us,
The fight to fight or give up is up to us,
It is not about an idol but an ideal that deserves the fuss.

Yes, this month we overcame ignorance, overcame fear,
But more causes are yet to be fought dear,
And so, let go, reinvigorate, to again herald cheer.

For now rest, take a break from the drill,
"Imagine" "a world that's for everyone"; it's brill,
"Change is gonna come, oh yes it will".

- Written on 13 September 2018.
- Today is Ganesh Chathurthi. On 6 Sep Section 377 in the Indian Constitution changed to allow for gay rights finally. Then, of course, over the weekend we had the Serena Williams match triggering yet again the controversy of rampant sexism in tennis and elsewhere. So here is to another fight, another day. :)
- The quotes are taken from some of my favourite songs Bob Dylan's 'Times They Are A-Changing', John Lennon's 'Imagine'  Colonial Cousins' 'Krishna Nee', and Seal's rendition of Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come'. 

Happy Teacher's Day (2018)

Teacher's day is here again,
A chance to 'Thank You' for all that we have gained.
Here is my list for this year:
To completion it is nowhere near.

Thank you gardener uncle for patiently
Teaching me to use the spade gently.
Thank you Anil bhaiya for teaching me the milking art,
Thank you goat for being the patient guinea to help me start.
Thank you conductor of 505 on blurry mornings,
Teaching me the art of cheering up with quirky greetings.
Thank you earthworm for teaching me
To dig in the mud with so much glee.
Thank you squirrel for coaching me
To spot mangoes through you on our tree.
Thank you Suresh for tutoring
On the art of to great heights swinging.
Thank you friends for preparing me endlessly
For the art of failing hopelessly.
Thank you brother for enlightening me
Ever and ever on embracing humility.
Thank you doctors for upskilling me
On medicines and procedures though I have no degree.
Thank you transport in Mumbai for disciplining me
For every instance of my rush reach anywhere in a hurry.
Thank you bed for showing me
How to forget worries to gain new energy.

Thank you is not enough for all the ongoing learning
And teachers are not found in just a school building.

This not to say I respect not teachers in schools or colleges,
My gratitude to mine is boundless.
They are the ones who taught me after all
To appreciate teachers in all their forms.
They began by making me see
That I will learn only when the message and messenger I believe.

Thank you world for so many stalwarts of humanity,
To grow with and learn from to become a better me.


- Written on 5 September 2018.
- Self-explanatory.

An exchange on FB and WhatsApp each is something I will cherish always and hence am posting.

Dharam (who for years has been trying to get me to Dubai) on FB commented:
Thank you Emirates/jet/indigo/air india/air Arabia for being options for my impending Dubai trip.

Ramesh on WhatsApp said:
[9/5, 3:38 PM] Ramesh Dorai: ...Thank you for teaching  how " _just_ words" can teach  those that cannot be taught by just words...

 Happy teachers day
😉👍🏼

That poem  of yours, was wonderful 👏👏

My response:
You are one of the stalwarts in my life.

From you I learn how sacrifice is not martyrdom, how navy toughness can coexist with artistic softness much like the seas you traverse, how giving can be generous and how living means reaching out to many and yes, how words can be woven into poetry.

His Response
[9/5, 4:14 PM] Ramesh Dorai: It's an honour to be called so by a Super genius stalwart I know😉

I just linked sails. It's sea which taught it can be  waved

I just linked words. It's you who taught it can be woven

😜

Friendships: Happy and Happening

Friendships are about tears as much as laughter,
About teasing and cribbing as much as a wet shoulder.
Strength comes from knowing that no matter how apart
The love and relationships will survive no matter what.
Each fresh beginning comes from an ending,
But an ending is just a path that could again be intersecting.

Dream, thrive, reach for the stars,
Here's to success with no bars.
A birthday and a new beginning
L... and M... may your lives ever be happy and happening.

- 18 June 2018
- Self explanatory. One's birthday and one's new job. :) 

What is in a word?

'What is in a word?' ask many
Is a word ever a stable entity?
Do actions matter or names?
Is ever a word all it claims?

Then we see the effect of one
A word choice can others stun
Into euphoria or despair as the case may be
It often depends on what is perceived.

A poem by Imtiaz Dharker speaks of a person
A rebel to some, a terrorist even,
A martyr to some, a neighbor frightened,
Perhaps one's own son.

The descriptor changed with each perspective,
The words guided readers to be reflective,
But there is also the emphasis
That words capture not the spirit.

Yet each time wars are fought
On whether one is left or right or not,
Whether one deems oneself privileged,
Whether a word a community humiliates.

A film banned, a book burned, a post lost,
A single word, a career foul, a heavy cost.
Yet do words convey just one sense?
Do opposite not reside on the same fence?

The sun sets
The batter sets
The cement sets
And so change sets.

Yet when a word has power immense,
To hurt or uplift sentiments,
It behooves to be judicious
To save, to enrich relations precious.

- Written on 20 March 2018.
- A hurried, unintentional use of a word, 'core', for a team led to debates on hierarchy. Hence...
- Also, if you want to read the poem I refer to bybone of my fav poets, Imtiaz Dharker's The Right Word can be found at http://www.imtiazdharker.com/poems_7-the-right-word 

Death Scares

Death, I am told is scary,
To me life is the tragedy,
I pray the end have dignity,
Be absolutely pain free
But to prolong life seems a travesty
Though I do believe in fighting spiritedly.

I am told I am a cynic,
I seem detached when others panic,
I shrug off the events chaotic
Go with the flow, even if arrhythmic,
Why become depressed manic
Though I do shout out against the injustice chronic.

I wonder when I stopped fearing death,
When did it become almost a friend instead?
Because I know 72 hours of bated breath
When to know my brother's future we waited and waited.
I know too of the vigil at mother's hospital bed
When a miniscule time frame was on what our faith we fed.

Tears help not in crises,
Let go of them, weep, but persist.
Fear chokes throat, thought, hope,
Sharpen senses on it, but hang on to faith's rope.
Know, no matter what, someone L.I.V.E.D,
Never let this life before its time be stripped.

Time and time again death flirts
For friends, for family, it thirsts,
Yet time and again many have managed
To continue their earthly vantage,
Those who could not are not to be regretted,
That they existed should be celebrated.

Death scares perhaps teach us best,
That we can withstand any test.
Perhaps they make us be grateful
For what we have in life's push and pull.
For now just immerse in all that is comforting,
Reading-escaping, writing-purging, sleeping-energising.

- Written on 13 Jan 2018.
- Hmm... A lot of scares this past year. 02 aunts fighting cancer. Another friend fighting the battle too...and so on.

2017. The year that was...

2017. The year that was...

For me, personally, total chaos.

I kickstarted it professionally with new developments, 

Then periodically halted to take stock of health. 

I fulfilled a dream and went to the Biennale in Kochi,

But more I connected better with family.

The professional scene changed hues galore, 

The old, the new, together but did not fit in a complete core. 

On a personal front, I claim 02 beauties, 

Two wonderful nieces added to my blessings bounties. 

Friends and family found new trajectories, 

Some got married, some awards, transfers, PhDs, some babies. :) 

Missed opportunities to bond better, 

Some relationships changed, with others I became closer. 

Goals and deadlines have more often been not met, 

There is happiness tinged with sadness and a tiredness relentless. 

It has been exhilarating, confounding and debilitating,

I still am not sure of the path I am treading.

But 2017 you have had me introspecting, 

I think this has been a year of metamorphing. 

The process is not yet complete, I feel I am in stasis, 

But then this too is a part of chrysalis. 

2017, you have me perplexed yet grateful, 

Your largesse has been nebulous yet bountiful. 

- 1 January 2018

- Self-explanatory. 

Happy New Year, Happy 2018!

Happy New Year, Happy 2018!

May you fulfill all your dreams.

_________________________

Now my annual spam. 

Caution:Reading may be injurious to eyes at the very least. 😜

Note: Much that I wanted to add, but didn't out of consideration! :D

__________________________

Adieu 2017!

What a year you have been!

We saw Trump actually take up presidency, 

Be it Little Rocket Man, or Colin Kaepernick's knee, or the Puerto Rican tragedy, 

From Climate, to the tax bill, to sex scandals,  everything a mockery. 

But the 128 UN votes maybe the beginning of a new US trajectory. 

In South Africa, Guptas and Zuma rocked in the corruption scandal,

But despite Sierra Leone and such there was much that deserved approval :

Ghana joined the Sat launch space; Mugabe was ousted,

Boko Haram released the 'Chikbok girls'; peace was boosted. 

In Europe despite British, French or Catalan election, 

And proof of fake news from Russia tension,  

There was still much to make merry, 

Merkel retained the majority, and Prince Harry is set to marry.

The Middle East began a brand new story,

With Qatar and its allies versus Egypt, Bahrain, UAE and the leader, the Saudi, 

The ISIS is down, but not the crisis, 

Assad's reign portends more stasis. 

Down Under we saw shooting stars memes hold sway, 

Natural disasters were battled even as 'Same Love' conservativism outplayed. 

Even with cyclones, hurricanes and earthquakes' dominion, 

Latin America and the Caribbean began recovering from recession. 

Asia was dominated by threat of North Korea, 

And the horror of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya. 

Pakistan reeled under Panama Papers, 

Doklam raised afresh the issue of borders. 

Yet admist mayhem we have rejoiced, 

While the world became insular, many have unification voiced. 

As the world went topsy turvy, 

Art and Humanities, mainly comedians, were our link to sanity. 

In India we had Aadhaar and GST chaos, 

No matter what, we had to 'obey' the 'Big Boss'. 

The saffron regime swept more states, 

Yet the Government had to bow down to changed deadlines and tax rates. 

PV Sindhu, Kidambi made us proud, 

Rohit Sharma set ablaze a new record, 

ISRO again shone brightly with its PSLV-C37,

And the Supreme Court with its 'Right to Privacy' judgement.

A win, a loss or a lesson is a matter of perspective,

2017 was some ride, irrespective.

No matter what, humanity can't be denied,

The stories of hope help us turn for the better the tide.

2018 we await,

New stories that you will create. 

We hope for better scripts to cast our lot;

We hope the bad endings of now you will replot.

2018 we look to work with you

To uphold all that makes us humans true, 

Sustainable success for all,

Hosting Harmonious Happiness' neverending ball. 

Help usher in well-being for persons and nations bar none,

2018, be our THE ONE. :) 

Happy New Year!

- 31 December 2017

- Self explanatory. 

Happy Diwali 2017!! Part b :)

The light of wisdom dispelling the darkness of bigotry,
The light of action dispelling climate change calamity,
The light of forgiveness dispelling hatred and clannishness,
The light of empathy dispelling intolerance,
The light of imagination dispelling fear of aspiration's 'travesty',
The light of generosity dispelling boundaries between 'have nots' and 'have plenty',
The light of friendship and love dispelling gloom that life does our way bring,
The light of happiness dispelling hopelessness to which we sometimes cling,

These lights I wish you this Diwali,
May the lights usher in true prosperity.

Happy Diwali!

- 18 October 2017
- Because a season must be celebrated, even if I do not agree with the celebratory style as given in my first attempt of the day.

________________________________________

A Student's response to the above on Facebook. 

Are these those drops of light which allure us into darkness
Where we find peace and peace which
The lights shatter through
Oh the lights,the lights
Of dissonance,the light of love,
the bending lights.

__________________________________________________

My response to Chirantan's Response. 

The bending lights serve a purpose,
They make us question the truth of our senses,
Diwali is triumph of good over evil,
But it a constant fight, we cannot sit still.

The lights cast shadows and shadows merge into darkness,
We can flip the discourse and argues that darkness is best.
From space the most developed economies are those best light at night,
We prefer starlight while no moon stories make us shiver in fright.

But the point of progress is what we want most
It is peace and prosperity that is core, not whether they be in light or darkness clothed.
Bending lights, refractions, shadows,
Let's towards inclusion and joy march in force.
Let's remember that without darkness, light is soulless,

Together they make us life's beauty's witness. :)

- 19 October 2017
- Self-explanatory.

Happy Diwali 2017! Part A :(

A dawn that begins with the burst of loud crackers,
No matter what pollution levels state we need to meet traditional standards,
If sound decibels were a criterion, would not drums do?
If lights the need, do not lamps their mettle prove?

This need to follow 'rules' during festivals,
Traditionalists stating we do all things 'cultural'
Pray why use gunpowder in albeit peaceful ways,
It still kills, you know, just slower as it the environment stains.

The makers killed with the poisonous 'pepper',
Not just gun powder, but the gum resin for the firecracker paper,
The users killed with the with burns, deafness and lung infectors,
The protestors silenced by sentimental clamour.

The trite old phrases of traditions linger,
But the advertiser may trot out ready-to-eats for us to savour,
Life is easier if we just need to burst crackers,
Or gift 'goodies' boxes in 'traditional' colours.

Yes, life is easier if we can feel assured
New clothes and savouries have alike our pockets lured,
The joy of gifting made easy by companies,
Yes, life is easier if follow rituals while ignoring 'out of our periphery' beings.

Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil,
But we dare not liberate our minds and practices of rituals,
Diwali is supposed to be the festival of lights,
But to preserve a less than 500 year old display, we get into fights.

God hears a gentle whisper,
The devil can be shamed by a do-gooder,
Gracious humility not show-off mark true leaders,
Then pray why do we still herald Diwali with crackers?

To know the short version fo the firecracker history in India read http://indianexpress.com/article/research/a-crackling-history-of-fireworks-in-india-4890178/

- 18 October 2017
- The Tamil Diwali is today and not tomorrow. I live in a South Indian locality. Says it all.
- Well not all. While the first one I wrote today was actually this one :), I did manage a more celebratory one just minutes later. :)

Standing on the Kerb

Standing on the kerb waiting for my Uber,

Who knew could spell danger:

A bike swerved to avoid a child, 

Hitting an adult was the option wise.

As the tyre over the feet gently stepped, 

Despite the breaks applied by the biker deft,

Gravel and stones crunched into the feet,

The pain actually increased with the bike's retreat. 

Though the knees had given way to the gravel's pounding, 

The hands miraculously had just gravel patterns impressing. 

Even as the biker apologised seeing me bleeding, 

As someone helped me up, others began him berating. 

What fault his to have swerved to avoid a kid? 

What fault his to have into me skid? 

The tyre ad of idiots on road is now frustrating, 

Just as the sprain and deep cuts are irritating. 

Sense does not always beget safety, 

Fortune, indeed, sometimes favours the foolhardy, 

But even with all the restrictions and dire warnings, 

I cannot but feel grateful for my blessings.

- Written on 2 August 2017. 

- I got hit by a bike and I am thankful I do not have a fracture or worse thanks to breaks and sensible bikers. I am even more grateful that a greater tragedy was averted. 

I do so regret my footwear though. It has to be replaced :( 

My Views on India as on 28 May 2017

Yesterday, I was asked a series of questions that got me pondering. One was do I share my thoughts on Social Media and I realised it had been sometime before I stuck my neck out. :)

So FB asks me each time I log in `What's on your mind?` and I am answering that question today here :) 

Softly goes the day, 

Fading sun rays, 

Birds chirping merrily, 

Celebrating the cool night's incoming. 

Friends touch base

With all the news and paintings, it's tough to keep pace. 

Lectures enlighten and students delight, 

One does wish, one were more able and bright. 

Yet a thought haunts

'Of India, for India, what are your wants?'

Is it the ad that promotes financial advancement

Saving in mutual funds will lead to betterment? 

Is it the one with the transgender mother

The one in which the daughter decides her own future? 

Is it the self-congratulatory tone of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan

Having achieved a sense of unity, even if cleanliness needs way more "dhyan".

Is India my fear of poverty of food and water, of basic amenities? 

Is India my fear of bias againt groups, against minorities (or majorities)? 

Is India my fear of ignorance of new ideas, of valid concerns? 

Is India my fear of obstinacy to stick to path no matter the outcomes? 

Or is India the resilient idea not limited by a nation's boundary? 

Is India the youth that accept no restrictions real or imaginary? 

Is India the people bound by values of only humanity? 

Is India the home of the free, of beauty? 

Happy Holi 2017

Sometimes colours are all grey, 

No matter what you do, there seems no way. 

It all seems a hopeless struggle,

To go ahead you work hard to find a will.

At times like these when there is no zest

There sometimes comes a colourful fest. 

And no, you are NOT happy, 

But how with all the wishes can you depressed be? 

And you return the wishes with a smile fake, 

Till at somepoint you no longer feel on a coal rake. 

Thank God for friends and family, 

Who might not understand, but still support faithfully. 

Colours of so many hues arranged wonderfully, 

At the end of the day they merge joyously. 

One from the other so hard to distinguish, 

But they all in each other exist. 

Perhaps that is the lesson taught by Holi,

That even washed away we could live on in memory.

- Written on 12 March 2017.

- Happy Holi to all on 13 March 2017.

Self-explanatory. 

Resist, Exist

Throbbing, debilitating, relentless, 

Rendering one almost senseless. 

Over time one learns to move, 

To smile, to work, to slip into a groove. 

One tires, but pushes, what else to do, 

To retire from life or to trudge - these the only choices two. 

One seeks solace in fruitless hope, 

Somewhere, somehow one will find the dope, 

To cure the ailment, to cease the pain, 

Perhaps then one can truly live again. 

Then one day the pain eases, 

One should be pleased one supposes, 

But no! A habit, even a bad one, comforts, 

The lack of it actually disconcerts. 

What, how, should one do anything now? 

For so long the ache made one bow, 

Walking with a lesser burden even more deadens,

Why is it that is when one is near the destination? 

It tempts to let go of all there is, 

It tempts to cease to resist, to exist.

- Written on 27 February 2017.

- Because I am stupid and in a bad mood, perhaps. Though I often wonder why pain is missed so when it seems to wane, is it because after so long one knows not how else to be, or is it that the tiredness finally takes over when all that resistance that gave one energy is no longer as needed? 

I dunno. I do know that I sometimes am the weakest when recovering, not suffering. Why? Coz. So? 

The Kochi 2017 Trip

Plotting, prodding, for 02 whole years, 

Planning, failing, replanning visits, 

The Kochi-Muzaris Biennale Art Fest beckons for sure, 

But also the chance to connect with another family treasure, 

Finally,  finally, the rebooked tickets are stamped, 

Finally, finally, in my holiday destination I land. 

- Written on 18 February 2017.

[25/02 7:51 am] Anusha Ramanathan: 

The planning for over 2 years sporadically shared, 

The ever eager partner in you had me even more snared. 

The flight delayed as I wait eagerly, 

To finally begin vacationing in Kochi.

I finally land to be greeted so warmly, 

Your family circle including me so easily. 

The Sunday with all the travel snippets, 

The Jew Synagogue, shopping, browsing, the beach, the Chinese nets... 

The picture sessions, the lunch with a view, 

The Church, David Hall, Students' Corner, the drive too.

Then Monday, us girls' day out largely, 

The Second Wife meal, the amazing company.

The ferry ride on Kerala waters at last, 

The walk through the park,

The awe of Basilica still resounds, 

Each moment with joy abounds.

Then lazy Tuesday with a visit to the doc, 

That V... paid for!!!! 

Kerala Folklore Musuem experience I culled, 

The Sacred Heart tour and an ex-student's company minor inconveniences lulled.

Wednesday was again a day for lazing about, 

As Amma says, I used your home as a resort!

Thursday, most Biennale haunts completed, 

A lazy evening, catching up, was exactly what I needed. 

Then Friday, the last day, that you all made awesome, 

From morning tea to the pizza party, each moment was with fun fulsome.

The kids have been such exuberant fun,

Their foibles negligible, they are human! 

Even with the long visit some things we skipped, 

Reading your chapters, for instance, I missed. 🤔🙈

I also cannot possibly capture, 

The amazing moments of sharing, of many a conversation bender. 

The care, the patience you each showed me, 🤗

Makes me want to repeat this trip already! 

I hope I can soon return this hospitality, 

Though I know I can't measure up to Your Excellency!

Thank you ALL. Each of you made my trip special.

[25/02 7:56 am] Anusha Ramanathan: 

I missed writing about so many cherished memories,

But each adds to my riches' repository, 

It all boils down to finally, 

The stupedofantasticallymagical company.

- Written on 25 February 2017.

- It was a holiday. I have this wonderful cousin who has this super family and it was an awesome holiday all in all even with all the doc visits I had to undertake being me.  :)