One can never believe that a person like Dr Manmohan Sigh will be surreptitously working for the American President and is infact busy selling this country to the US. As soon as Prakash Karat stated this, he lost his credibility, at least in my eyes. Now by defending Somnath Chatterji's ouster from the Communist Party, he has made a complete ass of himself. Frankly when he became head of the Politbureau I was very excited, he seemed to be a comparatively young and fresh face of the Communists. I have always had a soft spot for Sitaram Yechury but Karat was not bad either. However the way they have handled their differences with their political ally is disgusting. Instead of levelling accusitions and issuing ultimatums they could have discussed the exact points which they disagreed with with the concerned government department after all they were allies and not the opposition! I have always believed that socialism in its milder form is good for there should be a force to curb the spiralling rise of capitalistic profit making. Socialism emphasises the fact the all men are essentially equal and abject poverty, the result of filling up of the coffers of the rich, should be prevented. Look at the anomaly in this country, Mukesh Ambani is building a 27 storey house complete with a private theatre and on the other hand children in Orissa and Bihar are going without food. This disparity can only happen in a capitalistic society. I am sure Mukesh has worked hard for is success but how hard, does that work deserve so much more than the toil of the farmers who are compelled to commit suicide after their crops fail?
Does Mukesh have the nerve to give up a year's profit to adopt a village in Orissa? Afterall he is making a profit because the people of India are paying for his products and services. Anyhow, I was glad when the CPM decided to support the Govt, it would give them some power I thought. But the fiasco that has just occured have caused great doubt in my mind. Lalu Yadav has rightly said that ..".. abhi sirf Jyoti Babu ko Party se nikaalna baki hai.." or something to that affect. The act of expulsion was vindictive to say the least. In this respect the BJP's response is similar to that of the CPM, goons breaking desenting MP's homes and our own CM yeddyurappa being summoned to Delhi to explain why his MPs were missing! I as the citizen of India know that we have reached a position where agreements like the civilian neuclear deal will not make us dependent on another power. Even former president APJ Abdul Kalam is in favour of the agreement. We have to have the latest technology for our people and the US is the hub of state of the art technology, so what is the harm of getting it from them? I completely fail to understand the alarmist war cries of the CPM and the opposition.
Another group of people I fail to understand is the terrorists- today there is a photograph on the first page of the newspaper showing the body of a child being taken away after the Srinagar grenade attack in which four children were killed. I hope the terrorists are happy and so is their God for this great work! Congratulation fellows your souls will rest in peace! It is heart wrenching to see the destruction of humans by humans. For this all our religions have preached love and brotherhood. We are on this boat together and we have to make it livable. There is injustice but there is also always scope for dialogue and communication of understanding and hope for the future.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Woe is me, its class test time
The brat is having her class tests and my life is a veritable hell. It is near impossible to make her sit down to study. Actually she never studies, she will ask for a test paper right away. If I tell her to look at the chapters and the class work before attempting the test paper I have set for her, she will pretend to go through them and will be done in five minutes. Thereafter she will write the mock test any which way and wash her hands off the whole affair. Then while I explain all the little mistakes that she has made she will look here and there and finally I leave it in God's hands!
The mite is asking loads of questions- Mamma ki korsho? (mother what are you doing) is the most common followed by -Eta ki mamma- (what is this mother, pointing his little grimy finger at a picture in one of his innumerable books, and knowing very well what it is as it has been told to him a hundred times before in response to the same question). He will roll his truck, bus, car, auto, engine, and Popeye on a skateboard and ask- Mamma ei truck/car/bus/...Popeye ta kothai jachhe?- Where are these guys going and I have to answer Lalbagh, Madiwala market, Forum Mall, Star Bazaar or whatever comes to me in my absentmindedness. He has become quite friendly and agreed to go to the landlord's grandson which was unthinkable a few months ago.
After the test I want to see Kung Fu Panda with the babies badly need some chilling.
The mite is asking loads of questions- Mamma ki korsho? (mother what are you doing) is the most common followed by -Eta ki mamma- (what is this mother, pointing his little grimy finger at a picture in one of his innumerable books, and knowing very well what it is as it has been told to him a hundred times before in response to the same question). He will roll his truck, bus, car, auto, engine, and Popeye on a skateboard and ask- Mamma ei truck/car/bus/...Popeye ta kothai jachhe?- Where are these guys going and I have to answer Lalbagh, Madiwala market, Forum Mall, Star Bazaar or whatever comes to me in my absentmindedness. He has become quite friendly and agreed to go to the landlord's grandson which was unthinkable a few months ago.
After the test I want to see Kung Fu Panda with the babies badly need some chilling.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Meanwhile......
Have been meaning to write, but what with one thing and another did not get to . Then, 2b's momma wakes me again from the stupor with a comment. No momma, have not started school for the mite yet because firstly right after my parents left he was down with a bad bout of food poisoning resulting in lose motions for what seemed like eternity with me hearing plaintive cries of "mamma potty" even in my sleep and now the poor mite's nose is running! I was responsible for his state, firstly I did not check the noodles before giving it to him as I always do. Later when I tasted it something in it seemed to have gone bad. The shop next doors generally makes good stuff but it is monsoon time and I should have checked. Then later, I should have made him wear socks and full sleeved Ts as soon as I saw dark clouds looming in the evenings. The weather here is something we have to get used to. Everyone sprouts jackets and wind cheaters by evening. I was under the impression that Bengalis have a monopoly on wearing the 'monkey cap' but people in Bangalore are equally adept at whipping it out! Infact I have seen kids in monkey caps and a T with nothing under the waist! On the street you can see someone in a sleeveless top followed by a sweater clad individual, so irratic is the weather condition here. My daughter goes to school in a full sleeve sweater and I wear shorts all day and in the evening it is advisable to wear long sleeves as there is a nip in the air. I was never fond of the heat and this weather is like heaven for me. In February there was an article talking of how the Bangaloreans should prepare for a hot summer! The truth is that Bangalore does not know what 'summer' means! The relentless heat and torrid winds in Delhi will give them a taste of REAL summer.
Meanwhile we have also seen a film and been to the Shankey Lake. The lake was beautiful. We spent Saturday evening lolling on its bank! My elder one found a touch- me- not plant, actually several tufts of this grass like plant which closed its leaves when touched. The mite found dry leaves that were shaped like boats and the Mr and I found tranquility. We saw several snake birds and a kingfisher diving for fish. Come sun down we saw the mass exodous of bats from a section of wooded land on the other side of the lake to our side. A family sitting next to us took pictures of the creatures against the now shining moon, quite eerie. We took pictures of ourselves for we had what the Mr calls an outdated camera, which will not be able to catch the more 'artistic' stuff. It was an evening well spent.
We also went to see the latest 'hit' 'Jaane tu....' in spite of the cliches it still charms. What I liked most was the group of artistes who played the moms and dads of the kids. They were so unhindi film mom and dad like and I think that more than anything, that makes the film different. The best of the lot is ofcourse Ratna Pathak, her character is exactly what a mom should be like- caring but not possessive, understanding without being judgemental, passionate in her beliefs she tries to instill her principles in her son but relents when she sees that he needs to be agressive under the circumstances. Her acting was perfect but the guy who created this character should also be congratulated. Nasiruddin Shah as the zestful ghost/ potrait was delightful. Anuradha Patel and her hubby, I forget his name though I used to love him when he acted in the comedy serials of yore, was great too, and so was Kitu Gidwani and Rajat Kapoor. I like the young hero but he can't hold a candle to his uncle. The heroine is sweet and I liked the explosive brother sister relationship that was shown between her and Prateek who I think is really good. I could not see the last half hour because the mite started bawling, he had not been well for a week before that, so can't blame him. Of what I heard from the Mr, the end was also cliched with the mandatory chaos before the hero gets to woo the lady love...predictable all.
Thats all that happened in the meanwhile folks, now the mite is addicted to a morning kids show on Australia TV. I have decided to defer his school going till the next month when he will turn 2 and a half. Till then he can chill at home.
Meanwhile we have also seen a film and been to the Shankey Lake. The lake was beautiful. We spent Saturday evening lolling on its bank! My elder one found a touch- me- not plant, actually several tufts of this grass like plant which closed its leaves when touched. The mite found dry leaves that were shaped like boats and the Mr and I found tranquility. We saw several snake birds and a kingfisher diving for fish. Come sun down we saw the mass exodous of bats from a section of wooded land on the other side of the lake to our side. A family sitting next to us took pictures of the creatures against the now shining moon, quite eerie. We took pictures of ourselves for we had what the Mr calls an outdated camera, which will not be able to catch the more 'artistic' stuff. It was an evening well spent.
We also went to see the latest 'hit' 'Jaane tu....' in spite of the cliches it still charms. What I liked most was the group of artistes who played the moms and dads of the kids. They were so unhindi film mom and dad like and I think that more than anything, that makes the film different. The best of the lot is ofcourse Ratna Pathak, her character is exactly what a mom should be like- caring but not possessive, understanding without being judgemental, passionate in her beliefs she tries to instill her principles in her son but relents when she sees that he needs to be agressive under the circumstances. Her acting was perfect but the guy who created this character should also be congratulated. Nasiruddin Shah as the zestful ghost/ potrait was delightful. Anuradha Patel and her hubby, I forget his name though I used to love him when he acted in the comedy serials of yore, was great too, and so was Kitu Gidwani and Rajat Kapoor. I like the young hero but he can't hold a candle to his uncle. The heroine is sweet and I liked the explosive brother sister relationship that was shown between her and Prateek who I think is really good. I could not see the last half hour because the mite started bawling, he had not been well for a week before that, so can't blame him. Of what I heard from the Mr, the end was also cliched with the mandatory chaos before the hero gets to woo the lady love...predictable all.
Thats all that happened in the meanwhile folks, now the mite is addicted to a morning kids show on Australia TV. I have decided to defer his school going till the next month when he will turn 2 and a half. Till then he can chill at home.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Bits and Pieces
The mite has found a captive audience in Baba, he realised soon enough that Dadan cannot move about freely and occupies specific chairs and other seats at specific times. Baba embodies the discipline of the army. In the morning he is up by 6 and waits patiently on the bed till it is time for his eye drops at 7 when he wakes Ma up. Thereafter he can be found on our balcony reading the newspaper. Then after breakfast he is in the balcony and then he sits inside before lunch. That is when the mite tells him stories and sings songs for him and shows him his handiwork. Yesterday the mite came to me displeasure writ large on his face- " Dadan ta shuye gechhe." (Dadan is asleep, in our Hindi-bengali lingo, as it a direct translation of "Dadan sso gaye" in Bengali we would say 'ghumiye porechhe' for sleep and 'shuye aachhe' for lying down). Clearly he did not take it sportingly when Baba fell asleep in the middle of his narration of a story!The mite got over it as he found me and showed me how Dadan was sleeping with his head bent and then went on to feed me imaginary food which he has cooked.
Ma is helping my daughter with her homework, which is a relief for me and for her too because I have very little patience with her. She is very slow and not steady either. I have always had trouble getting her to do her studies. Even the slightest bit of effort from her gets good results as she is intelligent but even that is too much of an effort for her. She is a bit spoilt I guess, for she has been an only child for long always having four adults at her beck and call. However now I have put my foot down. Actually I had put my foot down long back but only now there are some positive results coming off it. Till last year I was packing her bag! She would find some excuse or other to dodge this chore (she is in class III now and we used to pack our bags from classI). She still does not wear her own uniform, she does not dry herself after her bath, she does not comb her hair, she never puts her play things away without a short skirmish and sometimes a shouting. In short she is quite impossible. But there is hope still, atleast I hope so, before she reaches her teens.
The mite is ready for school for he is not content hovering around the house anymore. He has become friendlier and more outgoing. I have visited a play school near our house and am thinking of putting him there. We are trying to get him mentally prepared for the change in his status, from a stay at home toddler to a school going boy.
Ma is helping my daughter with her homework, which is a relief for me and for her too because I have very little patience with her. She is very slow and not steady either. I have always had trouble getting her to do her studies. Even the slightest bit of effort from her gets good results as she is intelligent but even that is too much of an effort for her. She is a bit spoilt I guess, for she has been an only child for long always having four adults at her beck and call. However now I have put my foot down. Actually I had put my foot down long back but only now there are some positive results coming off it. Till last year I was packing her bag! She would find some excuse or other to dodge this chore (she is in class III now and we used to pack our bags from classI). She still does not wear her own uniform, she does not dry herself after her bath, she does not comb her hair, she never puts her play things away without a short skirmish and sometimes a shouting. In short she is quite impossible. But there is hope still, atleast I hope so, before she reaches her teens.
The mite is ready for school for he is not content hovering around the house anymore. He has become friendlier and more outgoing. I have visited a play school near our house and am thinking of putting him there. We are trying to get him mentally prepared for the change in his status, from a stay at home toddler to a school going boy.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Guluda Mall: The Place After Our Hearts
Although we live close to The Forum, we all like Garuda Mall better in some ways. Firstly Inox there has a 100Rs ticket on Sunday morning, the Fabindia store there is good, there is a fengshui knick knack shop which we like, the Mr likes a handmade soap shop, and the food court stuff is more reasonably priced than the Forum. The mite calls it Guluda Mall, and he loves the small doggie we bought from the Archie's Store.We spent two Sundays at Garuda with Ma and Baba. The first time we were spread out in three theatres Ma-baba watching Woodstock Villa, the kids and I went for Narnia, and the Mr catching up on some action in Indiana Jones. Thereafter we made a beeline for Beijing the Chinese and Thai outlet at the Food Court for a soul satisfying meal. Baba is very difficult to please but he liked this morning excersice so much that he expressed a desire to watch Sarkar Raj there. We warned him that the reviews were bad but to no avail. This time the Mr gave the film a miss because he did not get the tickets for the Night Shyamalan movie and the kids and I went for Mere Baap Pehle Aap! Having no expectation from the movie we quite enjoyed it, there was no sleazy humour like in some recent hits, Paresh Rawal was good and Om Puri as the desparate old man was not vulgar. Good for a few laughs and I just love to watch Shobhana even though she does not have much to do. The heroine was raw, but she can go on to be good with the proper polishing. Ma-Baba came out with hair standing on end, but their nerves were calmed after another delicious meal at Beijing.
On Saturday the Mr and I discovered a wonderful spot in Lal Bagh- the Lal Bagh Tank, a wonderful soothing lake where frayed nerves can be healed. If you enter by the East gate then all you have to do is walk straight down to the lake. It is a beautiful, serene water body with ducks floating around, some islands in the middle of the lake had some large water birds. You can take a walk along the bank of the lake or sit on the benches lining it. It is truely theraputic. We found out that entry is free at LalBagh till 5:30 am! I wish I were a dedicated morning walker!
On Saturday the Mr and I discovered a wonderful spot in Lal Bagh- the Lal Bagh Tank, a wonderful soothing lake where frayed nerves can be healed. If you enter by the East gate then all you have to do is walk straight down to the lake. It is a beautiful, serene water body with ducks floating around, some islands in the middle of the lake had some large water birds. You can take a walk along the bank of the lake or sit on the benches lining it. It is truely theraputic. We found out that entry is free at LalBagh till 5:30 am! I wish I were a dedicated morning walker!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)