Another sky? Another horizon?

There is another sky



There is another sky,

Ever serene and fair,

And there is another sunshine,

Though it be darkness there;

Never mind faded forests, Austin,

Never mind silent fields -

Here is a little forest,

Whose leaf is ever green;

Here is a brighter garden,

Where not a frost has been;

In its unfading flowers

I hear the bright bee hum:

Prithee, my brother,

Into my garden come!

    ~ Emily Dickinson


I wish I could write poetry too. I mean REAL poetry (not that we postmodernists believe anything is "real" anymore ) !!! The few lines I churn out are too Modernist to be poetry. In other words they are highly symbolic pieces of writing with a profound subtext and with encoded meanings which only make sense to me.

I always feel the urge to write when I get emotional about something. Old Will Wordsworth did get something right when he called poetry the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings". Unfortunately my "feelings" are not as idyllic as his.

I generally consider the 13th of any month a good day for me (since I am born on Friday the 13th), but today has been an exception. Today has inspired me to write an epic, or maybe direct a reality show (I am sure that would be more politically correct in 2010). To cut a long story short, today has been a tragedy.

What is literature made up of, but conflict? And washing particularly dirty linen that assualts the olfactory senses is the stuff that reality shows thrive on. I have all the ingredients for a New York Times' Best Seller. The TRPs would be great too. Any takers?

To be honest, I don't want any. I want to go into hibernation. I want to repress ugly memories. I want to forget. I want to explore another sky. Gaze endlessly at a less begrimed horizon. I want to set sail for new lands. I want my ideals back. I want idols too, and without clay feet. I want scintillating ideas. I want devotion unsullied by incertitude. Hope, compassion, understanding, forgiveness - I want it all !!! I want T.S. Eliot's "Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata./Shantih shantih shanti".

***

January is the cruellest month, breeding
Depression out of dead resolutions
Newspaper headlines heralding student hangings
Accusing three well meaning idiots
Hope faces the gallows

"Hurry ! Hurry !
You will miss the rat race
The show must go on"

The burial of the breathing
Multiple games of chess...

The horror! the horror!

***

Another sky, another horizon? Please !!!!

Amen !!!




Poem Courtesy : http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/5212

Saline Water

Drops wend their way.
It is loss of hope.

Can you stop this nautanki? People can hear you wail.

The deluge continues.
Stormy sighs. Gulped down gulps.

And then that long silence...

SOS.SOS. No response.

Indifference hurts more than one can imagine.

My Experiments with Tea

After savouring tea which costs more than gold in Darjeeling, I seem to have found myself a new obsession. It is 2.00 am in the morning, and I have brewed myself a cup of "Masala Chai" with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger.

The phrase "storm in a teacup" has taken on new meaning. This brew does have potential.

Cheers !!!!

Mirroring my Mind

Despondency - Matthew Arnold

The thoughts that rain their steady glow
Like stars on life's cold sea,
Which others know, or say they know--
They never shone for me.

Thoughts light, like gleams, my spirit's sky,
But they will not remain.
They light me once, they hurry by;
And never come again.

A Beautiful Mind..

It’s all in the mind. Or so they say. I only wish mine were not so full of chaff. Pessimism seems to be choc- a-block. I am so tired. I wish I could put mine on autopilot at times. Friends, family, fiancé – with a mind like mine, I’m a bane to them all.

A sabbatical is what I really require. I need a mental break. I need time to rejuvenate my fatigued grey cells. Why else would migraines attack me so? I need time to think about what I want. I need good books, and I need good company. Paradoxically, I also need solitude.

The bottom line is that I need help. SOS. SOS. SOS.

Our Car

Ivan Aivazovsky - Landing at Subashi

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (Russian: Иван Константинович Айвазовский, Armenian: Հովհաննես Այվազովսկի - Hovhannes Aivazovsky July 29, 1817 – May 5, 1900) was a Russian painter of Armenian descent, most famous for his seascapes, which constitute more than half of his paintings.

Aivazovsky was born in the town of Feodosiya, Crimea, to a poor Armenian family. His parents family name was Aivazian. Some of artist's paintings bear a signature, in Armenian letters, "Hovhannes Aivazian" (Յովհաննէս Այվազեան). His talent as an artist earned him sponsorship and entry to the Simferopol gymnasium №1 and later the St.Petersburg Academy of Arts, from which he graduated with the gold medal. Earning awards for his early landscapes and seascapes, he went on to paint a series of portraits of Crimean coastal towns before traveling throughout Europe. In later life, his paintings of naval scenes earned him a longstanding commission from the Russian Navy.

In 1845, Aivazovsky went to Istanbul upon the invitation of Sultan Abdülmecid, a city he was to travel to eight times between 1845-1890. During his long sojourn in Istanbul, Aivazovsky was commissioned for a number of paintings as a court painter by the Ottoman Sultans Abdülmecid, Abdulaziz and Abdulhamid, 30 of which are currently on display in the Ottoman Imperial Palace, the Dolmabahce Museum and many others at various other museums in Turkey.

Due to his long life in art, Aivazovsky became the most prolific Russian painter of his time. He left over 6,000 works at his death in 1900. With funds earned during his successful career as an artist he opened an art school and gallery in his home town of Feodosiya.

As of 2006[update], Aivazovsky's works have been auctioned for as much as $3,200,000, and his international reputation continues to grow. On June 14, 2007 his painting "American Shipping off the Rock of Gibraltar" sold for 2,710,000 pounds, "the highest price paid at auction for Aivazovsky". He is also said to be the most forged of all Russian painters.

A minor planet 3787 Aivazovskij, discovered by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh in 1977 is named after him.

Aivazovsky is referenced in Anton Chekhov's play Uncle Vanya.


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

***

I am tempted to reproduce this artist on my wedding card. I don't want a typical gaudy one. I was something simple and elegant. And Aivazovsky seems to be a very good idea. And the best part is that the copyright has expired !! Yay !! View of Kerch (1839) is my selection.

Once the venue has been booked, I can contact the printer. Sigh. I seem to be getting old. It's time to get married now. Am I happy, am I sad? Am I looking forward to it? I don't know. If only life were stereotypical, I would not have to indulge in this catechism.

Gratitude

Being grateful is the key to happiness. Or so say a number of self help books. Hmm hmm hmm...so here goes..

1) I am grateful that everything is alright now.
2) I am grateful for the 28th of March. It was one of the best days ever.
3) I am grateful that I can now pat dogs without cringing.
4) I am grateful for the love that dogs can bestow.

Hmm..hmm...rather canine, is it not? But then again Cleopatra is the loveliest bitch I came across. I am quite reconciled to dogs now.

Else, all is ok with my humdrum life. It goes on as usual, and yes I am grateful for that as well.

Such a long journey...

I've come a long long way since the last post. I have one hospital trip, and a surgery whose details are too gory to share behind me. On the other hand, December 2008 ended cheerfully. 21 December was a joyous day. Praise the lord.

New year was good too, and today is the new year according to the Hindu calendar.Hmm...a day for new resolutions? I don't think so. But definitely a day for being grateful. My life seems to be so much happier than that of those around me.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. :)

Barium Meals : Medieval Torture

Who says medieval torture is only medieval? Barium meals are just as bad. I should know having ingested 5 glasses of flavoured chalky stuff recently. Arrrrrrrrrgh !!!

Humiliation

Besides the n number of things I need to confess, this is the one that humiliates me the most. David Lodge just made the confession a little easier.

***

He taught them a game ... in which each person had to think of a well-known book he hadn't read, and scored a point for every person present who had read it.

**
'What d'you call the game?' Melanie asked Philip.

'Humiliation'

***

Now how difficult is that? There is no time. No leisure. I feel intellectually redundant. All this must change, and soon.

I am making a bid at amelioration by "Changing Places" with Lodge, but I hope I don't end up on square one what with the holidays coming to an end. Boo hoo. Where did Diwali go ?

Otherwise, I wait (not so patiently) for good friends to return. Come back, will you? Patience is an expensive commodity, and I cannot afford to run out of it.

Arbeit Macht Frie ? I sincerely doubt it !!

Mushroom Fried Rice

Yippee....it succeeded !!!

The President is Coming

Written by Anubav Pal, and directed by Kunaal(numerology anyone?) Roy Kapoor, The President is Coming is a superlative theatre experience. One of the best performances I have come across to date. The script was scintillating and investigated all the cliches our culture imbibes. It was critical, yet sympathetic. Profound, yet comic. It truly makes you laugh at 'us'.

* * * * *

Belling Bell Pepper Rice

My latest culinary triumph is Bell Pepper Rice. Apparently, this is of Thai origin, but its claim to fame is its simplicity. A few spices, a few bell peppers, and some rice....and voila, you have a meal !! I fear I shall subject my poor husband to this on a daily basis once my infatuation with food wears off.

My Experiments with Food !!

I don't really know what has come over me, but I do find that I am spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

Chocolate Coffee Cake, Chocolate Coffee Mousse Cake, Walnut Cake, the one and only Black Forest soaked in oodles of rum, Chhole Bhature, Sambar, Chilli Paneer,Schezwan Paneer, Rum Chocolates, Mysore Masala Dosa, Sada Dosa etc. etc.

The downside is that at the end of one of my cooking sprees, I am so tired that I rarely taste what I cook or bake. So much for my experiments with food....

Dosa

Golden brown and ever so crisp, this Dosa recipe beats any restaurant preparation.

Ingredients : Boiled rice 2 cups, Normal rice 2 cups, Cooked rice 1 cup, Urad Dal/Black gram beans 1 cup, Toor Dal/Yellow lentils 2 tbps, Sago 2 tbps, Methi seeds 1 tsp, Salt 2 flat tbps or to taste.

Method of preparation :

Clean, wash and soak the boiled and normal rice. Soak the urad dal, toor dal, sago and methi seeds together. It is important to soak the dal and rice separately. Soak for eight to twelve hours.

Finely grind the urad dal, toor dal, sago and methi seeds.Do not add too much water. If a drop of the urad dal batter floats in water, then it is done.

Coarsely grind the rice along with a cup of cooked leftover rice. You may need to add some water while grinding the rice.

Mix the rice and dal batter. Add two flat tbps of salt (or to taste). Beat vigorously till you see bubbles rising. Cover the batter and let it ferment for ten to twelve hours.

Post fermentation, the batter more than doubles in volume, and is light and frothy. Use this batter to make the dosas.

To make the dosa, heat a non stick pan and spread a big spoonful of batter on it. Add some ghee. Cover the dosa for about fifteen to twenty five seconds using a pan lid. Remove the lid, fold the dosa, and serve hot.

* Refrigerate the batter if it is not to be used immediately.

Paneer !!!

A simple and quick cottage cheese recipe that my mother relies on when she is short of time.

Ingredients : Paneer 200 gms, 2 small tomatoes, 2 small onions, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp garam masala, 2 tbps chilli powder, 1 tsp Corn/Rice flour mixed with a little water (optional), 2 tbps chopped coriander (optional), 1 tbps oil, salt to taste.

Method of preparation : Soak the paneer in salt water (warm water if the paneer has been refrigerated) for a few minutes and drain. Grind the tomatoes and onions to a smooth paste and keep aside. Heat the oil in a vessel and add the tomato, onion, ginger and garlic paste to it. Stir and let it cook for a few minutes. Add the garam masala and chilli powder. Add the corn/rice flour mixture and some water if the gravy is too thick. Now add the paneer and stir well. Add salt to taste. Mix well, and let it simmer for a few minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.

* You may vary the quantity of the spices to suit your palate
* You may substitue tofu for the paneer
* You may add boiled peas to the above recipe to give you Mutter Paneer

My Life and Hard Times

To whomsoever it may or may not concern

Ho hum....life has been more or less hectic. A ton of tests and a good friend's leaving for Vizag....it feels like I've weathered a storm. And after the storm came the fall. A rather rough one on Colaba Causeway which has resulted in three painkillers a day besides a torn chudidar. One moment I was perfectly alright, and the next I was kneeling as if in prayer, and my left knee took all the brunt. Sir (Capt. S. Raj...I call him Sir) and Caro literally picked me off the pavement and bundled me into a cab after I had rested some on a stool provided by the kindly neighbourhood paan wala.(Pssst....Sir seems to be acquainted with some rather weird people, useful though they may be). All protests of "I am alright, and the torn part is not visible, and we can make it to Churchgate" were shot down with alacrity. Sir saw me to my door lest I manage to damage myself further. A good thing too considering that the swelling and pain are yet to abate.

Ever since I have been suggesting potential PhD topics for psychology enthusiasts. What do you say to a study of the correlation between the way you tumble and the level of embarrassment? You could create your own made to order tumbles with orange/banana/apple peels/other things more or less rotten + your choice of public/private places + incredibly embarrassing post trauma questionnaires. e.g. "How do you feel about the fact that your b** was sticking out when you fell?" Generally horrified when I disgrace myself in public, I seem to be untouched by the tragedy on Saturday. It was just too neat. Hence this train of rather non productive ratiocination. Sadly, it has no takers.

Else, I've been doing a "Rudali" over the answer scripts that my students have presented me. In response to "The lawyer was five and twenty" a student writes, "It means that he was twenty five, or it could also mean that the lawyer was five years old before he was twenty years old". Argggggggggggggggggggh......I need a mental asylum. The horror...the horror !!!

Otherwise, I am perfectly happy with my life and its hard times....

Love,

Pallavi

P.S. - Do not forget to wish me on the 13th as I turn old and grey and remain as unwise as ever. I hope my 43" Plasma T.V. is on its way.

What next?

It looks like I am caught between the devil and the deep sea. And no, I do not plan to explain. What next? Que sera sera....???

SOS

9.113.2091854.156.2965. .. 9.239198.9.235185.4514. .. !!