Encounters of the Pleasant Kind

Yesterday was hectic - it involved a police station, a stamp vendor and a magistrate. Are you thinking what I think you're thinking? Nah, not even close. It wasn't anything dramatic - just the loss of my degree certificate. Indian red tape can be mind-numbingly frustrating. And when I was told that I had to file a complaint over the lost certificate with the police, I almost gave up. The police then had to issue a statement after verifying that the loss is genuine. This statement has to be attached to the application and a magistrate has to sign. But the bright spot in my day was the stamp vendor. When I stepped into the unprepossessing little cubby hole, I looked at all the debris and wondered why I was there. I needed a letter/affidavit on Government stamped/franked paper. Could the lady who looked like an unlettered rustic help me out? The next few minutes were a revelation. She not only understood immediately but took out the correct proforma / template and typed out the whole affidavit flawlessly. She then printed it, told me where to sign and zip, zap, zoom - I was out. Her efficiency and wonderful attitude impressed me and I was amazed to find that in spite of her slap-dash attire, she was more professional than a lot of so-called professionals I know.

Here's to you , dear unknown stamp-vendor! You made my day.

Have been reading: Venetia, by Georgette Heyer and The Clicking of Cuthbert by P.G. Wodehouse

Saturday Night Out

[Picture Courtesy:www.nicedogs.net/dog_breeds/Pugs/index.html]

The sound of wine glasses clinking decorously, the sound of unbridled laughter, attentive hosts hovering to make sure you're comfortable.....we had a great time last Saturday. There's nothing like a get-together with friends, who you've been to college with, and who understand the arcane code words of those days, is there? A feast of reason and flow of soul? Not likely. Just a lot of ribald laughter, some good-natured ribbing and oh, lest I forget, the most adorable pug dog nosing his way into the chicken.

I got to sample a Sula Shiraz/Merlot - not too sweet, very refreshing. Not that I know much about wines. Most of the time, I was badgering the pug - who was remarkably good-natured about it, I might add! Our hosts were throwing this small, intimate party to introduce us to their new house - which was magnificently done up in a combination of Indo-Colonial styles. I loved the number of French windows that gave out on the lawns - the house must be beautiful in the daytime, I imagine, with all the sunlight and greenery. Seen at night, the house was very decorous but with a lot of intimate spaces for the family to lounge around when they feel like it. A piano brought in the Victorian touch and a Chola bronze copy accentuated the Indian in the spacious hall.

All in all, an evening to remember! Thanks D and S!

Winter is here!

It's colder in the mornings and there's condensation on the glass windows - sure signs of the onset of winter. Also, the maidservant comes in late - another sure sign! Though it doesn't really get cold in Hyderabad (temperatures rarely go below 10 degrees C), the change in season is welcome.
The days are brilliant with sunshine, dusk sets in by 5 PM with the mingled smells of exhaust, wood fires and of dusty,decaying leaves. The streets are quieter, emptier and the shadows seem darker around the streetlights as they cast orange pools on the roads.
But the upside : there are more birds on the pomegranate , guava and mango trees in my backyard. The din they set up in the mornings is a welcome marker to the start of the day. They quarrel noisily over the fruit or while foraging in the dead leaves for insects. The Plumeria (champa) tree loves the sun and starts to shed leaves and will turn bare by the end of December. The Poinciana (gulmohar) tree luckily doesn't lose all its leaves but keeps shedding them like yellow confetti throughout the season.The skies seem bluer and the clouds mere puffs of cotton wool.
It's so hard to get my family out of bed and going in this season. They will groan and burrow deeper into their pillows to get me to stop pestering them to wake up. The sound of the alarm clock is the most hated thing in the house during these months:-)
Winter is the season for craft fairs and exhibitions in Hyderabad - perfect weather for shopping till you drop! This is also the season that we get to flaunt our sweaters and shawls, caps and scarves.
When I was a student in engineering college, I remember being amazed at the plethora of woollens available in Delhi. The women I knew thought nothing of wearing sweaters, pullovers or woollen stoles to match the outfits they wore! As a South Indian, my limit was a neutral colored sweater bought once every two years. After all, you got to use the sweater only for two months in the year.
I buy my sweaters at Bulchand's (which has now opened in Banjara Hills too) in Abids and at Monte Carlo, if I can find my size. Thanks to the craft fairs, we now have access to Kashmiri shawls and Nagaland/Manipuri shawls of bewildering variety.

Image courtesy: www.kohimaeducationaltrust.net

Have been reading: Loves Music, Loves to Dance by Mary Higgins Clark, some book by Lee Child that's putting me to sleep.

A Historic Win!

THE COLOR PURPLE

Watching the Presidential race for most of this year,2008, was very interesting. As an Indian, I'm not going to pretend that I understood it all - but I have to say this: no Presidential tussle generated the kind of suspense and expectation that this one did. I remember being vaguely interested in John Kerry and Ross Perot and other such Pretenders to the Throne - but Obama galvanized the world's attention and I've been watching the campaign closely. Since I'm neither Democrat nor Republican, this victory makes no difference to me. But as a world citizen, I'm compelled by the event itself to see that America has truly come a long way in terms of prejudice and color. Obama is probably not the silver bullet to right all wrongs but, hey! He got there, didn't he? That makes it possible for all non-white communities to dream. I wonder if Martin Luther King is up there, watching. As are the shades of all those African-Americans from the past.

Whether he can fulfil his campaign promises will be another story..um..post.

All power to you, Mr. President!

My Birthday and Assorted Impressions

It was my birthday last Saturday and I had a great time ushering in the big four-oh. My Mom and DH gave me presents - clothes and jewellery, loads of friends mailed or called, my daughter wished me and helped me cut a cake in spite of her busy schedule. It was a bright, sunny day - typical of the onset of winter. A slight nip in the breeze, yellowing leaves and bright, blue sky - perfect! The chocolate cake was just right and Mom cooked me a few of my favorites.

So, what's it actually like? Being 40? Not much changes, really:-) A few more aches than I would like but I'm essentially the same. It's been a good year - I managed to make up my mind about certain things that I want to do and I have my family's support. Excised a few toxic relationships that were wearing me out with their shallowness and lack of true warmth. My health is miles better and I did manage to keep my New Year resolutions of eating well and exercising regularly. My pigeons now eat out of my hand when I feed them. The turtle doves come waddling by to ask for their grain. My daughter is settled into a groove and seems better at handling stuff now. DH is going through a paradigm shift in terms of responsibility - life's good!

Have been reading: Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln, Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie (for the nth time!), Where are you now? by Mary Higgins Clark (pulse-pounding suspense)