SOULspace

New year is in! You know I am this nostalgia freak, so here I go again! New year eve, was a blast when growing up. We either went to someone's house, or we had people home, or if my father could not get people home because they were doing things at their home, then the family gathered together and that crowd is enough to fill a mini bus, I assure you. He would catch all cousins and relatives passing through, invite them over and make it an occasion ! Regardless of that fact that slightly grown up occupants in the house would like to make other plans...as in my Uncles or myself for that matter!! He would pout...and we would all tow the line, oblige him by pulling ourselves over to the drawing room for a fun filled New Year Bash. This Bash , ran along the same lines almost every year!! ( I am going to be pulled up for this post!! But hey, I realised today, Jan 1st 2011, that I have some more white hairs and that entails me to a bit more honesty!) Food...from my mothers ...

"Amma, he is putting his foot in my mouth!" "Amma, he is not letting me into the bathroom"! "Amma, he is kicking me" "Amma he has taken my pencil" "Amma he is trying to remove my panties!!!!!" "Amma she is calling me cheeky( as in chubby cheeks!!)!" "Amma she is staring at me" "Amma she is teasing me" "Amma she is irritating me" "Amma he is an idiot, pig, I hate him" "Amma ask her to get out of the house...." Hullo.....What do we have here??! They torment and trouble each other, they fuss and fight, they argue and crib...they are a circus pantomime with-all-the-sound-effects act. I wonder how and where we are heading with this. I am ineffectual as you can see. Poor disciplinarian. I am either pacifying one or the other. Or at other times, just plain give up and ask them to please take a knife and kill each other... Ok...I know that's rotten a...

The pathos and anguish in his voice will wring your heart. The depth of the loss is so deep...so heartfelt... How can a man show so much emotion...is it natural? I am touched and moved.. Nothing has moved him so...ateast I have not seen such deep set emotion in the man I am bewildered... "Is it real?" I ask him. "Are you capable of such emotion, can anything move you so?" "Oh, yes" came the reply, from nearly tear filled eyes and choked throat.... "India lost the match" ( I know India won the match against South Africa, but this display was for the previous one we lost!!!!!!!!!!!)

I am on the other side of 35 now. Past 36 as well.... Darn, and I don't know what happened the past 15 years!! So here I go looking back, the very thing many, many people tell you Not to do. Don't live in the past. Be in the present...Now! Is what they say. But hold on...memories are sweet to savour. Take me to those sweet moments with my Thatha and Paati. Paati (grandmum) who would tell me time and time again. "You are very good girl S, but you are very short tempered. You have to do something about that!" So after Art of Living and Landmark Forum, finally at this ripe old age I can say I am nearing that desire of controlling my temper. ( Near and Dear ones may beg to differ...still the sceptics know not what I have in store for them!) Thatha who would be waiting for me to come home after roaming the streets and visiting many possible friends, would be glad to see how many restrictions I impose on my off springs now that I am in the same position! As...

  (click on collage for enlarged view) Yes, finally got to put this post up!! It was carnival time at SSK, and I have been canvassing Pratham books for some time here. So decided to get a stall and sell the books!! I was so excited; so much so that when I sold 5 sets of books at one go, I got the addition all wrong! ( typical if I say so myself!!) The folks at Pratham Books were very sweet, not only did they support my eccentricity they had done a great job too. The books arrived all packed in sets of 5 to 6 books, costing 100 to 115 only! Thanks Sanjay! I really believe the low cost books are amazing in their simplicity of story, and classy in terms of paper quality. Ideal for children who are first time readers/learners of the English language. I also found a friend in need! Rajini, a Librarian with many years of experience and many more years of passion for books, sat with me at the stall. She too volunteers at the school as the resource room in charge (perfect don...

where do i belong? a soulless heart hanging in between i am neither here nor there the illusion around creates my reality a soul in search of dreams and destinies paralleling streams flowing somewhere they dare not meet except nowhere thoughts reach anywhere swirling spirals of self, eddies from the past cascade into the future time's fool un-determine your self

We play games. Thanks to the path breaking book authored by Dr.Eric Berne by the same name “Games People Play”, all of us, or at least most of us have some awareness of this. The blame game is one The victim game another. The martyr game is another. The high judge is another. So now that you have started thinking on these lines. I am sure you are telling yourself, “No way, I don’t play any game”. Or you could be saying “Ok I blame at times, but I am not a victim” Or you could be saying “Hey every one plays games” Oh Yes, we play games. And no matter what, these games run (and ruin) our lives and our thoughts. It is only that we don’t or can’t recognize the games that we play. Ok, so this is what happened. My daughter is in her preteens! She is the sweetest, mildest and most tolerant soul in the world. But she has her pet peeves and triggers (don’t we all?!). That’s where the father and daughter clash (I have different clashes with her!!). He openly mocks her, and p...

His favourite place is by my side. Peeping over my shoulders, peering from a gap betwixt my arms. How much? What next? What do I add now? Amma, Amma, Amma… Questions and queries are fired at me. Yes. He is my little helper! The kitchen is where he likes to be… with me. Giving me a helping hand whether I want it or not! He pulls up a stool and places it right where I need to stand near the stove! “Can we place this to the left a bit?” I ask politely. “Ammmmma…I can’t see then” he whines. I roll my eyes in exasperation, as I try to move the furniture to a spot mutually agreeable by us! Then the instructions start. You have to tell me what you want. I will bring it for you is his reasonable request. Which I promptly forget as I reach out for this or that. Not that my kitchen is so large I can’t just put my hand out or up, and get it for myself. But I must heed the little boss. Cut up with me, he upbraids me. “I want to get it for you, I want to get it for you” he repeat...

I was browsing for some stories about Karthigai, and found a very nice blog. Unfortunately I cant seem to leave comments on blogs which have disabled author verification. Can anyone tell me why and what I must do for that? Here is the link Here is another blog, that shares the story of Karthigai So to my understanding the general consensus is that Shiva took the form of a fire column, in order to show Brahma and Vishnu that God is limitless. Ok... Here is my question... Then Why do Vaishnavaites( followers of the Protector God/ Vishnu) celebrate this event as well? This is purely an academic question and does not reflect my religious or spiritual standing. I want to know the stories that Vaishnavaites are telling. All I know is that Shaivites and Vaishnavites light the lamp on 2 different days, and the first is called Annamalai Deepam and the second is Vishnu Deepam. If any body has a link/ story please do tell. Interestingly this festival is not only unique to Tamilnadu...

Weekends are my favouritest!! 1) Most Saturday's Husband is at home;). Though children go to school, I love to have that extra person at home...told you I am a people's person. 2) I schedule most of my story telling on weekends...that's when most children are free you see 3) We eat out at least once, its become a norm now. 4) Its the time I plan all creative, fun, out of the house things. 5) I clean the house. I don't know why I do this. Not that I work a full job on week days but I tend to keep my big cleaning for weekends, a habit I have from when I needed extra help and that would be available, I guess, only over the weekend! 6)Catch up with family. All long distance calls! 7) Make that new dish I've been wanting to for some time! Of course I tend to skip this when we eat that meal out! 8)Read the newspaper in a leisurely way. A lot of exchange of articles happen, as I point out what interests me and He points out his. Usually there is a pattern h...

Here are some more words that I carry with me... Very few thoughts spring from self produced data, much less self produced preferences. The mind is filled with reactive thought- thoughts that spring from the experience of others. For example ( he says, and I love this) is our root thought about money. That it is bad ( it's great to have money, how can you not benefit from it?!). So we run around and lie to ourself and tell yourself we don't like money which becomes rooted in our thoughts.Which in turn prevents us from honestly reaching for it. From early childhood I remember these words echoed in my ears and the negativity associated with money. Frankly money is not the root of any problem it is only how we use it that can cause problems. Unfortunately these very thoughts about money makes it difficult for me to turn into an entrepreneur and I have to deal with many internal issues when it comes to charging clients/people for my sessions. You see; we are raised thinkin...

Conversations.... Never do anything in a relationship out of a sense of obligation. Do whatever you do out of a sense of the glorious opportunity your relationship affords you to decide, and to be, Who You really Are. Can you feel the impact of these words? When we don a martyr role, or for that matter victim role, we are constantly telling ourselves we have no choice. But we do. We have a choice to Be, to Do and to Say, and in the saying being Understood. The reality in this is changing the want to a have. Take what you want from the world, don't leave it at a wanting, Have it! Thought- word- deed . You create a thought, express it and follow it up in action. Oh! How difficult this appears to be for me! Most of the time I have a thought, and I cant find the words to express it let alone follow it through with an action. Now the author says this is not the only way to do things. Another way is to commit the act, then say the words that you want to have new thoughts ab...

Ok, I've never done a book review before. Only shared my stories and thoughts. A book review you would or could point out is also a story, but, with the undiluted author in it. I am a questioner and most of my learning happens when I question, discuss, argue, express, debate, discuss. Yet I can clam up if I find my co-debater is not interested, has no opinion or is just not that type. That's when I go look for a book. I don't go much for self help books. There is a bit of a hypocrite in me. Its not that books don't have answers for me. Not at all, in fact as I have mentioned before I go to books for a lot of my inner wranglings. Yet I find it difficult to pick up a book under the "self help" category and stick through with it. Men are from Mars was one, Monk who sold his Ferrari (I did go back to this book recently and actually read it, back to back). That makes me understand myself and my reading habits: a) The books I read or I stick with is grea...

Children's Day The best time for storytellers! I got super busy doing back to back telling sessions for kids. Sunday and Monday were packed with 3 story sessions and a workshop! Telling a story where there is no defined space is a little tough. I feel a little vulnerable as I cannot guess or get a feel of who is watching me. Other wise it was great telling at the Bangalore Book Fair for Pratham books.The story was a lovely one about a Himalayan Bear called Bhabhloo Bear's Adventure. Check out the write up on the Pratham Blog My other super session was at an orphanage for which I was invited/sponsored by a friend who runs a library. Kannada not being my language for telling, I was not so sure, but my friend had done her homework well and it turned out the children could understand English very well. The children have switched to English medium just last year but I can tell you their understanding was excellent. It was a story called Mohini and Bhasmasura. A wonderful ta...

It was PTA time and my daughter had prepared me well. I know that Spellings and Handwriting are her nemesis. I keep telling myself, I need to work on her spellings. ...well...not done anything about that actively yet! I land up at school and march into her class. All the parents too are seated at the desks waiting like school children for their report card! I take my seat like a good Mom and start chatting with a fellow parent and friend. The usual cribs and complaints are exchanged and I wait expectantly to be called for (my) report card! Yes! My number is called, and I hop, leap and jump to take the report. A's and A+ flash at me. I smile and shake my head indulgently at the spellings and handwriting column. That is when the teacher points out a section of the card that needs to be filled out. A box that asks for strengths and achievements. Achievements; hmm...I contemplate on that. Children nowadays are Mini Achievers. Awards, Certificates, Prizes. Is that how I ...

Have you ever been there? When your mind is in panic and your thoughts are washing over you in one negative wave after another, when it seems as if the world is suffocating you, when every breathe is like a coiled snake around your chest, and that very chest will burst, explode with grief and pain? If you have, then I understand you and so read on... If you have not, then to understand read on... At these moments of pain and anger, or pain and despair, get out. Go out of the house, put some distance between you and that which is causing this reaction in you. and take yourself to a....bookshop... Yes a bookshop... Browse, look around, then pick up the first book that catches your attention, flip through it, stop at a page, read it... In all probability you will find the answer you are looking for... simple? sceptical? Try it. This is not the first time I have done it...but I must confess this is the first time I have noticed how I reach to books for solace. I notic...

* Storytelling is a human universal , and common themes appear in tales throughout history and all over the the world. * These characteristics of stories, and our natural affinity toward them, reveal clues about our evolutionary history and the roots of emotion and empathy in the mind. * By studying narrative’s power to influence beliefs, researchers are discovering how we analyze information and accept new ideas. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-secrets-of-storytelling I have reached a stage in life when I run from definitions and formulae. Do I want to define anything? Do I have formulas for anything? What does this have to do with the link and the points I have copied above? On the surface they may not be related, but to me while I run away from such boundaries and lines, I am still searching internally for a common thread that binds my scientific side to my irrational side. That's where I find storytelling. I find when we tell stories we can f...

Thich Nhat Hahn A beautiful book called A pebble for my Pocket by Thich Nhat Hahn. It holds some valuable thoughts and stories that we can share with our children. In fact it is meant to be read by kids. As it explores mindfulness and meditation. It also helps children observe the world around them and experience the gift that nature bestows on us. I picked out a story from this book, for our Ladies club event( a farewell once again!). A rich man is in despair with his lazy son. He tries to tell him to change his ways and also tells him to hone a talent to help him in his life. Yet the son does not heed his father's word. The father is not one to let things rest, after much thought he calls his tailor and asks him to stitch a coat lined with fur for his son. Once ready, he hands this coat to his son and says that whatever is lost or taken away from him the son should ensure that he does not loose nor give away this coat. The son is amused but accepts his father's reques...

    Went to meet this very warm and prolific story teller at a library called Hippocampus . What was memorable for me was the way she shared her involvement with story telling. Most tellers are passionate about what they do. Yet developing a unique technique and style is also the toughest part. This French Storyteller spoke with such ease in a language that she does Not use for story telling; English! That fascinated me. The other was the fact that she feels comfortable telling stories of Caucasian origin, from Russia. Yet she has no connection with this country. She also went on to say that when she first landed in Russia ( I dont remember which city she mentioned), she felt she knew the place before. That is the connection and identification that goes with story telling. One can travel to so many different worlds through a story. Isn't it amazing?! Her prolific collection of stories are gathered from every part of the world. The stories themselves published in Frenc...

            Here is my reason for not bringing you stories of my Navarathri. I was telling them!! Got to do both the stories this Navarathri at the same activity centre. Mahishasuramardini, this time was accompanied by some music and a cute introduction with my friend and favourite puppet; Sukhi. You know that makes me wonder why I have never told you about my pal Sukhi...I will surely dedicate one post to him...watch out for it! But the craziness was in preparing a story in 2 days. I had to plan and make my visuals(props) for Ramayana in that time. I tell you it was crazy. Where to begin, and how to make it worth listening to? Most Indian children have all the facts of the story, so I knew it has to be something different and interactive and fun. So we made a bridge! The Vanara Sena or Monkey brigade with their monkey masks( yes I made that too from scratch!), made stones and boulders with newspaper and then constructed a bridge on the oce...

        Here is my sequel. 3 steps as usual, with a small display on the side. The story U selected was so spontaneously done that I was quite impressed with her. It is the story of Narada, and his little pride! Narada asks Lord Vishnu to point out the most truthful devotee, expecting the Lord to acknowledge him as one. But Lord Vishnu points out a hard working and poor farmer, who takes the lord's name every morning and night. Narada is offended, as he believes he utters the Lord's name every second! Lord Vishnu then asks Narada to carry a cup of oil around the world without spilling a drop. Narada does so and is proud to return with not a drop spilt. Yet, when the Lord asks him, how many times he took His name, Narada was then able to see the truth behind His words! The farmer, in spite of all his troubles and worries could think of the Lord, but when employed in a similar manner Narada completely forgot to take His name. For me this story is si...

    Ok! folks! Its on! I know. Its time for Golu, Sundal, Sweets, Vethilai, Paaku, Gifts, Kumkum, Girls in pretty Pavadais, Maami's in Kanjeevaram silks,Diamonds and gold, Heaven on earth Jasmine, Agarbathis and Dhoop, Dolls and Stories, Creativity and Kolams, Carnatic music and Gossip, and not to miss out Wry faced husbands who find their pockets emptying fast!! I wonder how my mother and before her, my paternal grandmother and my maternal grandmother had the enthusiasm to do this year after year with unflagging happiness and joi de vivre?! Mine is almost non existent, blame it on the transfer I say! How long am I going to use this excuse....till new year I guess. From August onwards, Hindus take a nose dive into functions/festivals and general happiness. Starting from Ganesh Chathurthi till it hits Karthigai (karthik poornima)in the month of December, we are constantly challenging ourselves in the cullinary way, and every other way! Trying not to give up on age...

  Sunday Morning: Imagine lazing in bed...time just rolls by...breakfast merges into lunch..... Cut... Sunday Morning: Alarm blasts into your ears. You spring up with a smile on your face, brush and bathe. Not to beat your pace, even the kids are all excited. Brushed and bathed, jackets,walking shoes and water bottles ready. Yes, I decided to go on the Bangalore Walk with the family last Sunday. Luckily and Happily, my family too shares the same enthusiasm that I have to soak in flora and fauna early morning! We reached the huge megalithic rock that dominates Lal Bagh, to meet Mr.V. History, dates and facts poured out of him and we lapped it up like kittens. The megalithic stone is estimated to be at least half the age of the earth! Hyder Ali who started the Spruce and Cypress garden here, did so on an arid, barren land. Tipu Sultan was instrumental in importing many new species from all over the world. The diverse species of trees and plants grow here with no special i...

Vaguely having heard of this word, Dastangoi, and with a faint idea that it was related to story telling and oral tradition, I booked myself for the show at Chowdiah Memorial Hall. For those who have not lived in Bangalore, this hall at Malleswaram, Bangalore was and is the cultural hub of traditional art forms. Shaped like a violin, it is named after the erstwhile doyen of violin music, Sangeetha Kalanidhi Mysore T.Chowdiah. I’ll let you in on a secret. I went alone. Feeling quite liberated! This has nothing to do with any hang ups about traveling alone or going out at night alone…none at all. This is all what I had been doing before marriage. Yet there is that childish need to share every thing with the spouse, do things together….well other than watching TV (News /HBO) or having dinner/lunch together, my partner would never budge!! What I expected was storytellers and telling of course, so it was a moment of sheepishness when I realized I was going to spend the evening in th...

It is interesting that after a long hiatus, I choose this topic to start my second spell. Well it is none other than the ubiquitous maid/ paid help scenario…. Boring…C’mon…Don’t you have better things to write about? In Tamil we have a phrase; aracha maavu…to indicate a topic that has gone through the wet grinder of thought processes and has been pulverized infinitesimally!! I don’t intend to grind the same stone, but hope to show you another perspective. As all story tellers like to do, I now take you on a trip back to nostalgia. I vividly remember my childhood days in our sprawling suburban house, with its scarcity of neighbours. To maintain such a house, my mother surely needed help, and my earliest memories are of this family of 3 who stayed in the small outhouse that went with our house. Mother, father and a grown son, were employed. They came right out of the village, and I know for sure they disliked living in the city and the disconnect they felt with the job they were ...

Every episode leaves an impression in our lives. Some of these we cherish as they are, while some we wish we could reach back and change that moment. Kanpur leaves some memories with me The hot sultry summer when we landed here from a cooler clime was an unbearable ordeal in my mind...I remember sleeping, sleeping and sleeping and wondering what's wrong with me...Its the same this summer as far as the sleep is concerned, but I do feel I am better prepared...the air conditioner seems to be on constantly...I know I feel a wee bit guilty about contributing to global warming! Winter was lovely...though I was worried how we would get through the cold and not to disappoint, Kanpur saw some extremely low temperatures last winter. It is that winter when I had to fill in as substitute for a friend in her school. Boy, was that a challenge! Saree being compulsory, I struggled through thermals/ sweater/ jacket and scarf over and above the saree! Battling the steep stairs, holding on to pa...

This post like an entree, short and crisp. Another pet peeve of mine is regarding food. I love my rajma, chole, paratha, paneer, and peas pulao. I can unabashedly partake of such a meal, especially one that is the home cooked version. Yet...my crib is why is this the only menu on the table when one is invited for dinner? Menu planning in my house, I mean in the house I grew up, was done by my father much to my mother's dislike. Yet over the years she resigned herself to this, and inspite of her disapproval of some item on the menu she would make it with no compromise on quality. Ah, coming to the menu; well, my father would neatly balance couple of South Indian items with couple of North Indian ones, and throw in a Continental item number too ( a baked veggie, if he felt like it)! Complete in my mind...creative and loads of room for learning. But nowadays when we are invited to eat, be it a person from the South or the North, I find the chole/paneer/paratha platter glaring...

It's that time again, to move on.... Having a partner whose job entails a migratory shift every 2 or 3 years, sounds fun, especially if you like me, enjoy traveling...but I can assure you fun is something I have stopped associating with this any more. Yes, its time for us to move again...we have been recalled back by the same unit where my spouse was, one year and 3 months back, whose location is my second home, Bangalore. Happy ...Yes... Thrilled in fact...I attribute this entirely to 'Rhonda'esque thought waves that have been streaming forth from the time I landed here in Kanpur. ( For those who have not heard or read Rhonda Byron and her book Secrets...I can only say, read it/ listen to it....the audio book is worth listening to, as she huskily whispers her secret to you, making me wonder why make such a hoo-ha over it if in fact it is a secret. No, thats not the point, the point is that she says when we start thinking positive thoughts, then we surround oursel...

My Mother is 60....so what does that make me.... Yep...thats right...you got it...OLD!!! Now this is not about me, it's about her all the way. As I flash back, I remember many incidents...some funny, some sad, some thrilling, some mundane, and mostly that she was always there.... Most of my memories of my mother is of her diligently working at something or the other, either at the kitchen, or in the garden, or in our rooms. No wonder she could maintain our spacious house single handedly! I remember our first house, a huge sprawling one, with an even bigger garden. That's probably why she developed a passion for plants, perforce having to tend to such a big garden, the natural nurturer in her took over! I remember the wallop my sister and I got when we got wet in the rain one afternoon!! Now I have to constantly remind myself that, when my son insists on running into the rain.... I remember how my mother took one look at my brother and the hanging arm, broken while ...

Elif Shafak What a powerful speaker, sensuous, inspiring, and so rooted. The message she gives us is that of breaking barriers within our minds. Please do watch the entire presentation. It is mind blowing.

A few words spoken in consolation, a reassuring hand is all that I can extend. A stranger facing an extraneous situation. I observe the reddened eyes, misty with tears that refuse to fall. Head bowed down, a tremulous smile.... A smile on the face...I look closer. How does one smile through what she has borne? She left with Him on a holiday, but returned with only memories of Him. Like in a dream...or a nightmare... Heart Attack they said. They had barely boarded the train when he laid down in unease, never to open his eyes. Youth and age has no mercy with death. The inevitable hand does strike us as and when it pleases. The young boy who smiles shyly from the couch knows... yet does not know what has befell him. Does one really understand at any age? When age and time is sufficiently endured, the death knell doesn't sound so ominous. But what does one do when the youthful are snatched away? We see the pain in their loved ones. The smile on her face and her ready w...

Women... We must look good. We need to stand out. We need to be seen. We need to be different. Our clothes must be unique for the occasion, matching accessories. This doesn't "suit me", that outfit is not to "my taste". Stripes or vertical lines...("Oh, stripes make me look fat, vertical are so out of fashion...") I cant possibly wear "studs", I can only wear danglers. Colours.... Shades.... Fitting.... Texture.... Contrast.... Match.... Drape.... Fashion.... Looking Good... Feeling Good... Women... Being woman is so complicated. It's a serious occupation! And you realise that much more here in the forces. Every gathering is taken seriously and each person adds her bit in terms of quality and detailing. We have to do the back drop for the stage: there is some one who points out and insists that the banner should be lined with silver...??!! That makes it stand out you see. ...Ok.... We need to decide on accessory:...

I realised today how much I miss dancing. Flash back: Five years old...or six, I don't remember exactly but that's the time we, my sister (who is a year and a half older to me) and I started our formal training in dance. I have vague memories of this time. But I remember going to class, sometimes dad would drop us with mom in tow. Yet mostly we would walk to class that was a good 2/3km walk those days. Come to think of it, I really amaze at the ease with which we used to get every where by walk or by cycle, while now my car and I are inseparable (in-spite of the lectures I give my children on global warming...hmmmm that's another story!). I remember getting there on cycle, chauffeured by our all in one helper...Ramasamy, if I am not mistaken... We used to spend quite a lot of time in class. That was also because our teacher was a friend of my parents and she also really liked girls....having two boys herself. It was our second home. Sometimes we would even have our lun...

The unexpected happens unexpectedly!! We go through some parts of life thinking that some things are quite impossible or improbable, and then life goes right ahead and proves that anything can happen at any time, and we are not as much in control as we think. Mind waves or thought waves have immense power to change or alter the process of life. I may appear to be saying two completely different things. One talks about Indian attitude of fate/karma and inevitability of events and the other a Western attitude of ownership and accountability and the power in us to effect change. In my mind they co-exist. Many aspects of living doesn't occur on a unidimensional plane of activity. Every thing is a culmination or amalgam of different processes and life and living is about an individual effecting change in his environment consciously while at the same time investing immense unconscious energy as well. A unique spiral dimension where energies from within and without interact dyna...

This is surely an eye catching Blog theme, Tulika is looking for rhymes/songs in other languages for its 4th blogathon. Its interesting that I do things only when pushed... Yes..this galvanised me to ask my Father-in-law for some songs and rhymes that he has been chanting to the children from when they were small. This is one of his favourites...and the obvious reason for this partiality is the moral tone of the song! (what else!!) So I made him explain the entire song and its implication to me, and here goes: In a forest bordering a village lived some monkeys and birds. The two constantly argue with each other Birds Sing: Kurangare Oh Kurangare (2 times) Kudi Irukka Idam Illayo? Manidarai Pol Umakku Kai kaal Irundum Payan Illaiye? (Monkey oh Monkey Do you not have a house to live in? Inspite of having hands and legs like man They are of no use to yu?) The monkeys taunted by the birds, tear the birds nest apar...

(So if you did not catch the previous post, do check it out as this is the sequel!) Going on a vacation was not defined the way it is nowadays. My dad being a business man, taking off was a rarity. He kept travelling, so all he (probably!) wanted to do was pack us all off so that my mum would get some respite!. Packing us off meant that we headed either to Bombay ( yes i'd rather say that, as I have visited Bombay but never seen Mumbai!!), where his sister and youngest brother lived along with my grandparents. Or to Hyderabad where his other brother lived. But the crucial factor was where my grandparents were positioned at that time...they were the quintessential parents, moving from one offsprings house to another, depending on where their services were needed, but predominantly using their elder son's place(my dad's) in Chennai as their base camp. Travelling always excited me, it still does, and it probably goes back to those magical days. Train was the obvious mod...