I had a dream of becoming a farmer, growing my own organic vegetables and fruits; and a beautiful garden in which flowers bloom throughout the year; of sipping high tea under the shadow of a mango tree; and walking hand-in-hand with hubby by the gorgeous pond under moonlight. I'm talking in past tense because that dream was shattered to pieces.
Flashback to year 2012. My father was building a house in his native, so he made sure to monitor the work-in progress twice or thrice a week. I had accompanied him only once or twice just to make him happy. I was against the idea of building a house in the native. First, it was very remote, 25 kilometers away from the town. Dad might have been born and brought up there, but he wasn't the same man residing in towns for almost 40 years. His lifestyle is different now and I wasn't sure he could cope up with the country life. And what about my mother? She isn't accustomed to that way of life either. Once I asked my Ammamma why she married my mother off to village that lacks basic amenities. Her answer was simple, your father has a transferable, government job, so she never has to stay there. Now his decision will impact her life drastically as well. Second, he is a retired man. This is his time to relax and enjoy, not to become a farmer. How can I not know, he is stubborn old coot much to my dismay. Now I don't wonder where did I get it from.
It was around Deepavali (festival of lights) time. Housewarming and nephew's naming ceremony was scheduled just a week later. So, one day I tagged along to watch the latest development of the housing. People were working fervently to meet the deadline. I wandered around the estate for a bit, throwing stones into the pond, hearing chirping of birds and crickets, and some phone photographing leaving my father behind with the workers. What I see when I return? My father was in work clothes, chopping the unwanted bushes and plants to make a clear walkway. I berated him for a long time about this menial job plonking my ass on a rock under a tree. He smiled and continued his work. After 30 minutes or so I started feeling guilty. What kind of a daughter I'm who sits idly while her old father does the hard labor? I picked a spare machete and started cutting the woods into pieces. It was cathartic and exhilarating in the beginning. Add another 15 minutes to it, I was completely drenched in sweat, panting like a dog, head spinning, and I couldn't feel my hand. Seeing my plight father ordered me to sit and sip some water. While I was trying to regain my composure and balance, dad resumed his activity without a break.
That is the exact zen moment where realization dawned upon me that I'm unfit to be a farmer now or forever, and my 60-year-old father can be and well at it. And he is to be blamed for my delicate and fragile strength. If he hasn't provided the cushioned life for us I would have toughened up. If he wasn't such a great father I wouldn't be this spoiled brat.
Film: The Blind Side
Year: 2009
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Lily Collins, Kathy Bates
Genre: Biographical Sports Drama
Direction: John Lee Hancock
I knew Sandra Bullock won academy award for best actress for this movie and the movie is vaguely related to football. I'm not a sports fan. I can be completely blind and deaf to the game on any screens without much effort. Why I'm saying this because if a film is based on some sport, I'm reluctant to go ahead with it. Last week after Sunday brunch we started watching it on a whim. Just 10 minutes into it and we are hooked. That same evening we had to attend a family friend's Mohiniyattam performance and we had leave the house in an hour to make it in time. We neither wanted to abandon the film in between nor cancel the performance. We toss a coin in a situation like these to make a decision and it was in favor of the program. So, with a heavy heart we decided to continue it once we return from the show and continue we did.
In a Nutshell: Michale Oher had been in-and-out of foster care as his mother is a drug addict. One day one of his friend's father enrolls him into Wingate Christian School in Memphis, Tennessee with the help of coach who is taken in by Mike's enormous built and sturdiness. He had to convince school principal and other teachers because Mike's academic records are very poor.
Leigh Ann Touhy (Bullock) discovers Mike walking on the road in a cold night without proper clothing. She is an interior designer by profession and two of her children study in the same school. Her husband is a rich businessman When she realizes Mike doesn't have a place to stay she asks him to sleep on the couch for that night. From then onwards she decides to take him under her wing and her whole family is nothing but supportive. They nurture Mike's athletic gift and set him on the path of football.
My Take: A feel-good drama, which is a sure shot tearjerker. This biographical sports drama is based on the book of same name "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. Almost all characters in the movie are too good to be true. For a cynic like me it is difficult to digest. Having said that I'm always up to appreciate goodness in people, even a fraction of it. Ms. Touhy treating Mike just like her own kids made me fall in love with the story. In this cut-throat competitive world such a quality is rare and unique. Bullock is without a doubt heart and soul of the movie. She carries the high society woman's role with such an aplomb. She is self-assured, confidant, energetic, with a heart of gold. And her wardrobe is to die for. Quinton Aaron as Big Mike's performance is praiseworthy as well as all the rest of characters.
The best scene for me is when Leigh Ann comes down to check on Mike the next morning only to find neatly folded blankets on the couch that makes her smile. And that was the precise moment she decides on adopting him. How many of us can be like Ms. Touhy. Okay, it is given she has a truckload of money. Even so, I don't think anybody will go the extent of opening their heart and home to a grown-up African-American boy without a second thought. The social economic status and racial bias is what make the story more distinct and believable. If you're not too judgmental this one is for you all.
The last season of GOT (Game of Thrones) we saw was a year ago. If rumors are to be believed we have to wait another year for the final season, which will consists of only six episodes. Arghhh!! That it so unfair. They will make us wait for two solids years for six? I want more. Do they have any idea how difficult it is for people like me? What if I die within a year? What about my salvation? And my only regret in life would be not watching finale of GOT for no mistake of mine? Compared to other fanatics my extremism is mild, extremist nonetheless. There are few dialogues that I've adapted in daily conversations in the household.
-You know nothing **** (hubby's pet name). I expect hubby to know everything as he does most of the time. On rare occasions when he says he doesn't know something, I'm right on his face to say the above sentence.
-I address him "my sun and stars" and insists to be called "Moon of my life" in return in total Drogo style.
-When he asks me to accompany him to any boring family functions I agree to do that in the end, not before rolling my eyes and saying "Things I do for Love".
-In the next one there isn't much drama. I use it only when the real season approaches, "Winter is coming".
-As we stay in the first floor some evenings mosquitoes will enter the home if I forget to close the windows. I go for them with a bat before they could suck my sweet blood. However, sometimes I'm so lazy to move my ass, so I relegate the task to Hubby. When he is at it, I say calmly "Burn them all".
-During financial discussions I never forget to add "A ****ar (my last name) always pays her debts" just like a true Lannister, followed by "****ar shits gold". I know very unladylike. That leads to the next one.
-When I use the foul language or tell a really nasty joke hubby is quick to say "don't forget you're a lady". Any my reply would be "I'm not a lady" in a classic Arya Stark way.
-In the late evenings we open the main door for some fresh air and twilight, chatting away about the our respective days. If its windy the door slams shut as it doesn't have a door closer. Most of the time we keep something on door's way to prevent the swinging. Sometimes when I see the swing, unable to stop the slamming, I just scream "Hodor". Yeah, better than doing nothing, right?
-If I be haughty and pompous in a talk, hubby asks "who do you think you are?'. This one is lengthy and takes a little time to recollect and recite "Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons". It sure makes him laugh, and he says a very reproachable sentence, which I would rather not mention here. It goes without saying he calls me Khaleesi and I call him Khal.
Yes, we're a bit quirky and weird like that. The credit to our this idiosyncrasy goes to GOT. Probably the time has come to rerun all the seven seasons before we could watch the finale. And we're guilty of staring pitily at people who haven't watched this epic.
And lastly "My husband is my king and my king is my husband". He surely is the king of my heart and my castle.
PS: Hubby is even bigger devote of GOT than me.
All of us need motivation in life to keep going. I have read somewhere life will be vibrant and colourful if we keep painting it with different splash of colours, i.e., experiences and moments. I'm not a person who could be described as ambitious. I'm a happy person most my life with little things, that I turn into magical memories. The purpose that drives me everyday to wake up in the morning is couple of things that I enjoy immensely and the quench is insatiable. To get a better perspective of life I'm trying to jot down few things that motivates me.
To Travel the World: I haven't done any traveling per se until I met Hubby (then boyfriend). We had many things in common like love for the history, art and architecture, nature, wild life. I was happy reading about them in the big fat books. It was he who greatly inspired me look beyond books and experience things for real. And I was hooked and now travel is a drug of choice for both of us. There are 195 countries in the world. I know it is an unattainable dream, but a woman can dream, right? Diamond isn't my best friend neither any jewelry. I don't fancy big cars. I don't want to own a house or property. I don't yearn for branded gadgets or vintage stuff. I don't desire any worldly procession, but for what is necessary for basic comfortable life. I know the basic comfortable varies from people to people, but I'm a very low maintenance. I want to travel until the day I die. To keep a journal of our travel trails hubby and I started a travel blog www.milesandtrails.com.
To Read Books: If you read my earlier posts you must be well aware that I read at least 4 to 5 books every month. I have been an avid reader all my life. That is why maybe I'm jostling between 2 to 3 books at a time. There are millions books out there and given an option I will do nothing but read. I wish I have more time to read. I would love to quote George RR Martin here "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, the man who never reads lives only one". How aptly he puts the significance of reading in one sentence. Because while reading the reader is in the story, he/she follows the different characters, go where they go, see what they see, hear what they hear, feel what they feel, experience all the emotions they go through. As books are my constant companions I never get lonely and need daily doses of reading to keep me going.
To Be Continued........
After the small success of finding, locating, and rekindling with three friends I'm bustling with energy and enthusiasm. To continue the zeal and spirit I have decided to write few posts about my stint with an important bond called friendship and friends. So, without much ado;
C: A friend in class 1 and only in class 1. I don't remember anything about her, but for her name. That mainly could be because her mother was our class teacher and my mother remembered her well and often mentioned her name in later years. Once my father got transferred we moved to another town and I was too young to understand the concept of letter writing.
S: One year junior to me in class one and my father and her father were friends. After class she used to hang out in my home until her father comes and picks her up. She even accompanied my mother and me to a few all night Yakshagana shows. According to my mother, tyrant of my younger brother (YB) used to beat her up as well. So most of those memories were kept alive by my mother. And during my college days I got to know she joined the same campus for other professional degree. I asked my roommate who was her classmate to ask about me. Irony is she doesn't remember me. I don't blame her. At 5 years of age you can hardly remember anything.
M: She was my friend in class II and III. She was staying with distant relatives as her parents couldn't afford her education. The arrangements at the relatives' place isn't hunky dory. She had to play the role of domestic help without payment because they were gracious and big-hearted (pun unintended) enough to take care of her food, accommodation, and schooling. She was drowsy and sleepy during most of the classes. All the teachers were aware of her situation, so they never gave her any hard-time. I read Cinderella story in those days and I nicknamed her Cinderella and her foster parents' (couldn't find any equivalent word) evil step-parents. She was happy with the name and that was our little secret. We constantly discussed about running away from home to escape the misery and live happily ever after. No, I never had any trouble at home but for my father making me do tables and copy writing as a way of punishment. We were always together, doing stuff together, playing together, going around together. I was smuggling my comic books to school, so she could read them at lunch hours. I used to go home for lunch as I stayed very close to school. The private school was run by a charitable trust that provided free meals for the school kids. I very much wanted to have those meals, but my father was against the proposal as he believed that meal should go to a deserving kid. The third standard school year ended in April and I'm off to grandmother's place for summer holidays. That last school day was the last time I saw M. My father got transferred again and we were admitted to a new school for the upcoming academic year. I don't to know what happened to her after that. I wish I never called her Cinderella because life isn't a fairy tale. I wish I tried hard to keep in touch with her. I don't think I'll ever be able to locate her as I know only her first name. I don't know her parents or their last name or her foster parent's name.
If it was a movie I would be set on a journey to find these three people, but it isn't and I have my priorities. However, I'm hopeful to meet these friends of mine who were once essential part of my life. They might be very different, we may not have anything in common, they may not even remember me. It's just my innate desire to know they're all happy in their life, doing whatever suits them best.
July was interesting, busy, and fun. Fun because the first weekend we have gone on a day trip to Sangama and Mekedatu. Ruefully I have to acknowledge its has been more than a decade staying in Bangalore and this is our first visit to the coveted place. We had been planning and cancelling this trip from the past eight years. On a whim we decided to embark upon this journey with cousin M2. Now this girl is leg-eye coordination-challenged and can fall flat on her face without any obstacles. And I call it a successful journey because no such mishaps happened. I would like to take credit for it as I was screaming like banshee every time she dashes off. I'm sure she felt I'm a real pain in the you know where. I couldn't care less. My advice is learn to take care of yourself and I'll be off your back. The coracle ride across river, bone rattling bus journey, and the beautiful gorge and gushing Kaveri was a beautiful experience altogether. And the real credit goes to Hubby who is the planner and executor of all the travelling we do together.
The books I read this month were "Body of Evidence-Patricia Cromwell, Thirteen Reasons Why-Jay Fisher, 40 Charles Street-Danielle Steele, Chances-Jackie Collins, and Rebecca-Dame Daphne du Maurier. This is the month I decided to read at least one classic a month, hence I gave a try to Rebecca, a highly acclaimed one. I wasn't very much hopeful about this Gothic classic novel and to my surprise I loved every bit of it and I still can't believe it took me so long to pick this one.
And did fairly well in movie department too, 12 films. The Imitation Games, Lust Stories, Rampage, Red Sparrow, Death Wish, Escape Plan, Ugly, Trouble is my business, Blackmail, Paramanu, Angamaly Diaries, and Samsaram Arogyathinu Hanikaram.
We were into the fourth season of How to get away with a murder, but had to take a 3 days break to make way for the Netflix's "Sacred Game". Yes, we binged 8 episodes in three days (weekdays mind you). I was eager to watch this since its inception and who wouldn't want to see the powerful combination of Anurag Kashyap and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. I'm in a fix now as I hate to wait for another season. After that we resumed with "How to get away with a murder", season 4.
YB is excited, nervous, worried a little to the arrival of the baby. As I'm a constant worrier he passed on his stress and strain a little over to me. Even I can't believe I'll be an aunt for the second time. Cousin M1 is back from three-week road trip to Leh, Ladak safely with loads and loads of memories. It is always fun to here the traveling stories. From what I could gather it was adventurous, fun, memorable filled with life-time experience. I'm happy that she found the joy of traveling at such a young age.
I got reconnected with three of my childhood friends whom I have been searching for a long time. It was pure joyous as we picked up from where we left many many years ago. We surely have a lot of catching up to do. Once upon a time they were an integral part of my life, the life that they enriched with beautiful memories.
July was great with work, family, social life, traveling, books, movies, television series, music, love and laughter. July, you have been kind and hope August will be like you.
