Mental Excursions

Hello winter! Those who were grumbling about winter not arriving, have now no reason to find faults with nature. The snowfall in the upper regions of the country and the hills last week, has caused the temperatures to nosedive. Time to embrace the chill and turn your mental computers to winter mode! It is not that we north Indians have tundra-like temperatures of Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavian or arctic regions, but the rollercoaster from 45 degrees Celsius in summer to 6-10 degrees in winter demands a lot of adjustment from the body and make us wonder how our ancestors bore this cold without the modern-day gadgets. Taken out your hot water bottles? Most of you have experienced winter for a few decades and are experts by now, but what is the harm in ticking off this checklist for the next one month? Dress in layers : Gone are the days when one thick overcoat was advocated as ample protection. It is safer to wear lightweight, loose-fitting, warm clothing in lay...

Drama in your sleep ‘Dream is not that which you see while sleeping, it is something that does not let you sleep,’ so said Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, a scientist and one of everyone’s favourite Presidents of India. By this, he meant dreams which motivate, spur you on, give you a purpose in life. That must apply to good, positive dreams. But have you ever had a bizarre or scary dream that drives you into an agonized search for information if what you saw had a meaning or was a premonition? Sant Tulsidas wrote jyon sapne sir kaate koyi, bin jaage na door dukh hoyi . (If somebody cuts off the head in a dream, the pain does not go away without waking up). That is sound logic, but Tulsidas was a saint who had reached great spiritual heights and probably had God on speed dial. Perhaps he did not give a bad dream much thought unlike us humans who ruin our next day and many days after that worrying over the reason we had that dream. Dreams can be like art films with one story, or Bollywo...

The Matter of  ‘Happy Holidays’ ! Only nine days left for 2024 to end, but the good thing, they bring Christmas with them. Whether Christian or just a Christmas enthusiast, we all flow with the spirit of Christmas - rewarding the good, giving and sharing, lots of bright lights and decorations, great food and drinks, not to forget presents? I remember how as a child I looked forward to my parents’ Christian friends including Bishop Rego, bringing square, round or loaf-sized rich fruity plum cakes with that distinct fading smell of alcohol. Even now most people I know, and non-Christians at that, get scraggly green plastic decorations, tie bits and baubles on them, call them Christmas trees, and place brightly packed packages under them as gifts. Clubs, offices and residential societies organize variety programmes and lunches. Office parties end with Secret Santa-a ritual that can either bring joy or dismay to the recipient when they open the gift. Like Diwali, Christmas has al...

Pause for a smile! The string of festivals has come and gone, there is a nip in the air in the early morning, the days are getting shorter, it is time to take a breather and smile at some things we notice around us before we lock ourselves indoors to avoid the cold.   Very clear instructions indeed, I must say.  Top photo:  Those who do not trust scans and doctors' scalpels cutting open their precious cranial box, can perhaps visit this shop. Isn't he claiming that he repairs all kinds of heads? Photo: Hansel Aubert I have yet to understand if these are two different pieces of advice. Is it that one should generally stay away from God who lives beyond this wall or simply that God is watching, so one should not park their vehicle there? Why? I do not see God's chariot parked there. One thing is clear that the bravehearts whose  scooters are parked there,  like an open challenge either way. Is going to the loo otherwise a public event? Was the applicant shipped f...

  Awesome? I hope not! I hope all of you celebrated Diwali with your family and friends- you lighted diyas, candles and strings of shining tiny electric lights, ate your favourite mithai, symbolically fired some crackers, shared your blessings with the others, exchanged thoughtful gifts and prayed to Goddess Lakshmi to visit your house. Did you have a great time? Did Diwali bring happiness and satisfaction for everyone? Did it reignite old memories? Will the festival qualify as ‘awesome’ for you? Let me tell you why I am asking this. I do not consider myself a language prude, but sometimes the wrong/strange use of some words annoys me and awesome is among the most dreadful ones on this list. Yes, you read it right, awesome is now the cliche used inappropriately in almost all situations unworthy of any measure of awesomeness. The dictionary explains awesome as something inspiring awe, something extremely impressive or daunting . Awesome is what generates among one dre...