Musings, ramblings whatever!! ~ From a nomad's diary

It has been two weeks already in the new place. The post vacation lag has not left yet. The old routine has started again and time seems to pace very slow. Maybe, I am missing the old days where I had someone to go talk to for tea or perhaps, see my son happy with his peers living nearby. For the present, I am physically exhausted, low and drained off mentally. The new place is yet to convince me about its niceness. Well, we have not got our permanent accommodation yet and so, we have settled down in a temporary one, a decently big one BHK with a beautiful lawn.

Talking about my son, he is taking his sweet time to accept the change as there is none near by to play with or socialize with. (My son is a social butterfly in the literal sense). Hubby is busier than busy and we rarely get to see him (the earlier place was more relaxing in terms of getting to spend quality time with him). Unit life is sure one hell of a change to look out for!! But then, I do not want to dwell in this ennui for long as acceptance is any day a better alternative to resistance. That said, the new place is picturesque and amazingly green. We have not set up our TV and the need is long gone as there is a moving National Geographic outside. Woodpeckers, kingfishers, cuckoos, parrots and  dozen varieties of sparrows and partridges flock in the garden and near by. I love feeding these birds with bread, chapattis and some fruits. The first two days, they did not touch the food in my presence (probably making sure that I was not a threat) and now, they sometimes perch next to me on lawn and seem unperturbed by my movements. It may not be a reciprocation to be precise, but perhaps an indifference borne out of an understanding that we both live and let live. Then, there are langoors and monkeys. It would be more correct if I said they are an army with all generations and all sizes living together. And, it is here I learnt that the two kinds of the same species do not see eye to eye and that, monkeys are the naughtier lot. One can also spot huge pigs that look like wart hogs. Not forgetting to mention, there are scorpions waiting to sneak out at least expected times. Meanwhile, did I tell you that we were warmly welcomed  at our temporary accommodation by a baby scorpion that held its tail quite high?? (for a second, I thought it was going to fly using that tail). I slowly responded by putting a shoe over it and then making sure that it left my home in peace. The fact, that I had never ever seen a scorpion and that, I saw this extremely poisonous brown one within a few steps, freaked me out for a while. That night, I do not remember having slept very peacefully with the images of the dead reptile blurring my dreams!

My son has already joined school here and he totally loves it, considering that, that is his only outing for the time being (It is freaking cold in this place. The sunlight comes in for a couple of hours only). And then imagine the plight of a hyper active toddler who doesn't get to go out (courtesy, the cold) and doesn't have a TV on which Nat Geo could be watched, or for that matter NO Internet from which rhymes could be downloaded. But then, we do have a lot to watch out for as I drive my son to school and back home. Sambahars, Barasinghas and a lot of peacocks can be seen tippy toeing on the roads. The fog factor is the only deterrent as it becomes difficult to watch out for these forest guys to cross the roads as and when they feel like. (Yes, we are the invaders in their world!!)

And, it had been tough for a week until we got the much desired Internet connection. Felt like suddenly, there is a light at the end of a long boring and endless tunnel. Things have slowly started to ease and so, this post!! However, my woes do not end as Murphy and I go a long way. I had purchased a new mobile from Flipkart earlier this month. A MOTO E. I have never been a fan of a technology inspired phone though, the idea of owning one was too hard to resist. Mail, Facebook, Twitter, whats app, Google and name it! All from a phone in your hand! And, I was glad to own it as the audio was too good and I could play the morning prayers in it. However, nothing gets easy for me in the first go. The battery melted and the phone has conked off. I had to ship it back to my hometown for a replacement as the time window of the purchase is less than a month.

I have often been blamed for not being in touch through whats app and all. But then, I fail to understand why people find that to be the only means of staying in touch. Can't one call once in a while?? And so, my fizz for the gizmo has left me for good and I am happy using my old Samsung (non smart) phone that does not decide for me on its own, which photos have to be photo shopped and which need to be backed up. In hindsight, I feel I need not have purchased one at all. (a thought in the fit of the moment) All said and done, I am going to take this easy and let this time pass till I shake those dormant brain cells of mine and make things happen in an interesting way.

And now, I have to grab my cuppa filter coffee……care to join?? ;)

PK ~ Movie Review

There were three movies that I watched in a row in this break at my hometown. Starting with PK, the movie ran for almost two weeks here, and was screened almost everyday for the morning, matinee, evening and late night shows. Aamir Khan did manage to keep a tab on all the theaters owing to his acting prowess and being the creatively eccentric one from the Khan club. And, I like him because he plays his cards cleverly as always (if you had noticed by any chance that none of the PK Promos gave away the slightest cue about the plot of the movie until the release date).

The movie is a satirical comedy drama film that gives strong underlying pointers at a hypocritical society with a mob mentality. Certain humorous instances on religion and sentiments were quite a punch, where boon for one becomes bane for the other. The movie is more on the lines of Paresh Rawal’s OMG which was more realistic and less controversial. That said, PK is mediocre, because the idea is not entirely indigenous. Yet, when it comes to acting, Aamir Khan stole the show as always by depicting an unsuspecting naive alien character with finesse, who learns the worldly ways of the earth and transforms into a perceptive earthling, unveiling the follies of many in the process.

I would perhaps watch it again just for a few comical bits in the movie. Other than that, it is just a one time watch.

Sushant Sing Rajput’s role is minuscule but that dude can act for sure!

Anushka Sharma, that look suits you well….But whatever have you done to your lips? You had a much prettier face in RNBJ!!

Aamir Khan, waiting for more meaningful movies from you J

Rating: 2.8/5

The train from 2014 end to 2015 start for us. ~ From a Nomad's diary

Packing and moving to a new place, once in every two years is fun and no fun. Of course, I know not at this moment, which one is more. But there is a certain amount of pressure and anxiety for a fauji wife when the next sojourn starts. And needless to say that, with a toddler who leaves no stone unturned in executing the chaos theory while packing. Well, all is well that ends well and we managed it pretty better than the last time. A nomadic life is fun of sorts!! At least, I can say that for now J

And that said, I am going to miss a lot about the place that has seen me in my best and worst times, Mhow!! If the year 2013 was challenging for me, year 2014 was no less as known to a few chosen people (people close to me shall know). No wonder, I can confidently proclaim my sense of maturity that has been borne out of an acceptance and resilience for situations I did not have much control on. And the big tree in front of my home at Mhow taught me a thing or two about life.

• Good times and bad times are a part of life. Neither of them are permanent.
• There will be a change, good or bad, whether or not you like it. And change is what keeps life going..

As I look back, the two years of my stay in the mofussil Mhow earned me great friends, admirers and a lot of unsaid respect from people I never knew. Considering I am gradual when it comes to socializing, I am elated to have made good friends who were also my neighbors. The fact that I could converse with them about anything and everything under the Sun, over cups of chai, biscuits and namkeen, makes me feel so emotional that I find it a little hard to digest that I shall be meeting new people again. Of course, change comes at a time least expected. Norm of nature, isn’t it?

 

As we were driving down towards our next destination, I suddenly felt like a veteran nomad. My navigation skills were apparently better than before, as I was keenly observing the villages and the milestones that popped more often. (My husband and I are more of ground learners as we do not follow gprs but a simple google map taken down on a paper .) As we took a few intermittent breaks like a scrumptious breakfast at Indore’s India Coffee House and a cuppa tea later at a road side stall on the state highway, we were well fueled up for the rest of the journey. 

There is a lot one can learn when driving down from one place to the other. The small changes like changing of the landscape, the attire of men and women and the weather that turned from cold to colder suddenly were conspicuous. There was a visible difference in the way vehicles such as tempos waddled around, brimming with people who were clinging to the vehicle in any which way. Besides, one could see the amount of shebang the drivers loved to incorporate in their vehicles. Those dangling braids and a lot of glam decorations explain how much the men love their vehicles (after their lugahis….of course).

The other apparent changes were the color of the soil that changed from a rustic brown to a desert red  with the beautiful zig zag roads with abrupt turns swarming with heavily made up trucks. And then, after a 6 hour drive we stopped by for tea again. We cooled the car tires with some water and by 7 in the evening, we reached our destination that was waiting to welcome the crazy trio!!

And before the new place gets us busier, we got a short break before joining the new unit. As of now, we are basking in the warmth of my hometown Bharuch that has quite unfolded beautifully. A town that was nowhere to be heard of in the past, now sports a Dominoes, A Subway, An INOX and ADLABS, A Big Bazaar and an upcoming mall with a CCDay, is surely going big! Well, effects of vibrant Gujarat perhaps!! That said, we made a short trip to Nashik and Mumbai to catch up with relatives we had not met in a long time and, that was surely therapeutic although the train journeys that frequent was physically exhausting. And it was this time, I saw Mumbai in a different light despite the fact I had visited it umpteen times since childhood. Perhaps, as a child I lacked the perspective. Having grown up in an alternative environment, I felt claustrophobic in the city as a child. However this time, I was intoxicated by the rabidly busy pulse of the city. Sitting on Marine Drive with hubby and child took me to a different world for a while. The overwhelmingly mystic waves of the Arabic Sea overpowered the seamless cacophony around us.  The trance sustained for a while until it was broken by a garam chana vendor passing by. While enjoying hot garam chana and bhel, we took a walk by the Queen’s necklace as it continued to mesmerize us with its beautifully lights that lit up the promenade. The Majestic Taj with its British styled architecture still stood masjestic post 26/11. And finally at 10:30 in the night, we had a lovely dinner at Girgaon chowpaty with family friends!! We also spotted a few Kongming lanterns that lit up the sky. The sight is surely unforgettable!

One of the other places we visited was Bandra (Bandstand as they call). Enjoyed the corn by the sea while the promenade continued to brim with people waiting to catch a glimpse of King Khan at his residence - Mannat! Also, rode over the Worli Sea Link which counts as an unforgettable experience. The next day, we headed back to Bharuch but not before breakfasting comfortably at Cafe Mondegar (An Iranian joint at Colaba Causeway). As we left for the station, the memories from my Mumbai diaries shall stay as fresh as ever). The city sure has a charm of its own that has continued to baffle many as to how this city continues to flourish despite its seamlessly growing cosmopolitan population. Of course, it is no surprise that is India’s New York!! (Not forgetting to mention, we also visited Nehru's Science Center and Planetarium at Worli)

And now, as the new year has already rolled in, what be the new year resolution? I dread making resolutions as I not only do not follow them but tend to do everything that I might have sworn not to. So let the resolutions be a surprise!! (Now that includes, for me as well!!)

And for all out there,

Let this year bring more peace, good will and tolerance.

Let this year bring more sanity, maturity and wisdom.

Let this year be one that starts on a good note.

Amen to that!!

And signing off for now.....

P.S: Watched three movies this year…..PK, Ugly and Tevar. Reviews coming soon….