My Experiments with Time

This note is dedicated to all Dominicans- teachers and students. “For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be” said John Connolly in "The Book of Lost things" .  Each one of us has a child within us. As we grow up, we lose much of our innocence and naughtiness, leaving back traces that shows up once in a while. With every growing year, we carry with us memories of our childhood, which is undeniably the most carefree part of our life. Think of your childhood days; and I’m certain it will bring a smile on your lips or a tear in your eyes. We were happier as children as we found joy in little things. Gone are the days when the sight of a butterfly, a new movie on television, the idea of a picnic, a rain holiday, a new dress, a chocolate or a small gift would make our day. All we had to worry about were the exams and surprise class tests and record books to be completed. Today is children’s day, and it n...

The alarm sounded unusually at 3.45 on Monday morning; and as usual I continued sleeping while my over-anxious husband woke up just to make sure I was out of bed. I managed to lazily creep out of bed at 4 am, obviously cursing for the nth time the mastermind behind the early morning plan.  For the first time in my life, I was in my kitchen even before dawn making idli-chutney as we didn’t expect to find any good hotels enroute the Oman-Dubai border. Making idli had never been such a mammoth task. Like a bird in the wall clock, my husband kept reminding me that we would be late if I didn’t rush. We had promised to join our friend and family at their place at 5 am, and I knew right away that it was mission impossible. We finally managed to push through and reached our car at 5.10, only to find that we had missed one precious bag that contained the passport and resident cards. My superstitious husband was annoyed at having to return when we were about to go on a long journey; and ap...

I recently realized, rather shamefully and sadly that the art of hand-writing is nearing extinction. I belong to the generation that proudly quit hand-writing at the time of exit from college, thanks to the advent of computers and mobile phones. Since then my fingers have enjoyed the luxury of just choosing from the many keys on electronic devices. With the exception of a few documents that require my signature, I have seldom picked the pen to write. I call it an art because good hand-writing is not something that comes easily to all of us. I remember the days when teachers used to pick out the answer sheets of students with neat hand-writing and exhibit them in class. Occasionally I have enjoyed the privilege myself, though not always, as my hand-writing goes from good to bad and bad to worse towards the end of the exam.  My sister still treasures the answer sheet in which her teacher had marveled at her neat hand-writing . May be she will have to frame it for the benefit of...

The largest democracy in the world,.. That is how the country and the leaders boast of themselves! But do we understand the true meaning of democracy? The term is derived from the Greek word ‘ demokratia’ meaning ‘rule of the people’ . But in our country the people play a role only during the election campaigns and while casting their votes, thereafter they are forgotten, until the next elections. The so-called leaders of the nation seem to know what their people need and when these needs have to be met. They treat the country like a natural mine which is so rich in resources, the only change is in the political party that mines it. I wonder what will be the plight when the mine is completely depleted! India is a rich country, which is evident from the umpteem scams that are being exposed each day. The Prime Minister was so right when he said there is no magic wand to end corruption in the country, but are we asking him to put an end to it overnight? As citizens of the largest...

After almost a month of repetitive packing, travelling and unpacking, I have finally settled in my new abode. Now that it’s been a week of staring at the ceiling and appreciating the craftsmanship of the person who designed the lights and door handles in my flat, I ponder over the many things that happened during the past two months. As I have anyway decided to run a flash back, let me go deeper into the whirls of flashback like in old Indian movies!……. It’s November of 2009 and my wedding has been fixed to ‘the NRI from Dubai’. Till then Dubai was just another country in the ‘Gelf’ that I get to hear a lot on my vacations to Kerala. As a kid I had always thought that as a rule, at least one person in each Malayali family had to be in ‘Gelf’. Suddenly Dubai became the most important word in my life with anyone and everyone I came across talking only about Dubai. From the aunty next door to the CEO of Saint Gobain, everyone had their comments to offer on Dubai. ‘How do you feel abo...

I would say it is another of those “ Days ” which holds very little relevance in our country. Corporates and institutions celebrate the day with competitions and parties for their female employees, women who consider themselves free and independent may indulge in partying too to celebrate womanhood. But can you actually look around and swear that India is a safe country for women? I quote Jawaharlal Nehru who said you can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women. If that is the case, India is in a very sad state. I don’t deny that a large percentage of women have actually achieved economic and social independence over these years, and most of you women reading this note belong to that fortunate category. I am not writing here about the unfortunate unborn females or the illiterate women in our villages or the many other injustices that are meted out to women. I write here about an issue that concerns all women, for the simple reason that you are one....

As I step out of my house, I find that there is a festive mood all around and I am flooded with offers wherever I go, be it a hotel or a department store. There are heart-shaped cushions and balloons, all in red hanging everywhere, and I realize the Valentine’s Season has begun. I wouldn’t call it Valentine’s Day, it’s rather the Valentine’s Season, as the preparations for the D day begin almost as soon as the New Year celebrations die out. Valentine’s Day means a lot; I mean it means different things to different people. If you are to classify people on what Valentine’s Day means to them, here is what it will look like. To some it is a very Special day; the day that symbolizes love, the auspicious day to propose to their loved one(s!), a reason to hang-out with their sweethearts and shower gifts. To yet others who are fond of surprises, it is another day to express their love in the form of gifts and cards. To some, it is just another day in their life. Either because they lo...