Mental Excursions

Handle her with caution If you have any plans for tomorrow, I would suggest - change them, postpone or cancel them because Sunday, October 27 is ‘Mother-in-law’ day. You might tell me it is not (yet) celebrated in India. But who knows with commercialisation of every relation, this could be the next one to catch the advertisers’ and sellers’ attention. Do not tell me later that I did not warn you. It is easy to remember too - the Sunday before Halloween. Forgive me for my ignorance but I have zero idea about who were the first in-laws on our planet. A friend says they differ from outlaws because most of them are not even wanted. They are a tricky relation, and mother-in-law tops the list. As early as in the first century Roman poet Juvenal had written in Satire VI, a collection of his poems: ‘ Give up all hope of peace as long as your mother-in-law is still alive. ’   Cartoons- Top L: Indian Art History Top R:Mythindia Bottom: Cartoon Genie A rather harsh Korean prover...

Making tea, coffee time special For a long time, I have collected mugs, those larger-than-cup containers with a handle, from which you drink your tea/coffee/hot chocolate. They are made of ceramic, steel, clay, glass, plastic and even a wooden and an enamel one. Some are hand washable only and others dishwasher and microwave-safe. They are monochromatic, multi-coloured or colour-blocked, some insulated or with lids, normal or odd in shape and appearance. Photos Left: Arquitecasa                     Right: Bunzlauwinkel.nl I am told the belief is that gifting a mug is a sign of love and friendship because the recipient would think of the giver whenever he/she uses it. I have been given mugs as gifts on my birthday or some other occasion, with hearts, flowers, cute animals, landscapes, cartoons, happy birthday/sentimental/motivational/funny messages printed in various fonts on them, or there are themed ones. Occasionally frien...

Georgia Diary 5 last Stalin - a saint or the Devil’s messenger L: Stalin's statue at Gori R: The house where he was born Last week I mentioned visiting Jvari monastery and Uplistsikhe rock town. It was evening and the sun was moving towards the west when enroute Tbilisi, we stopped in Gori, a small town marked on the world map because it was here that Joseph Stalin, Soviet politician and revolutionary, was born and spent the first few years of his life. There is a museum in the Central Square which was officially dedicated to Stalin in 1957. The complex consists of the main building with the exhibits and the two-storey-house where he was born. The railway carriage he used for travelling in his days as a leader, is parked outside. As you enter the large building, you see marble stairs with a red carpet and Stalin’s statue on the landing. On going up further you pass through six halls to watch a permanent display of the Bolshevik leader’s photographs, letters, battle plans...

Georgia Diary-4 Timeless Trails in Georgia Rock-cut town of Uplistsikhe Last Saturday I told you about our visit to Dashbashi canyon. The next day was our last day to visit places. Though it was not a very long list, it took up the whole day. We drove to Mtskheta, 20 km from Tbilisi, and one of the oldest ‘continuously’ inhabited cities in the world. Our first stop, sixth-century  Jvari Monastery, is situated on the top of Mount Jvari, close to Mtskheta and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Legend is that Saint Nino, known to have converted Iberian King Mirian III to Christianity, erected a huge cross where a pagan temple stood. Believing in the miraculous powers of the cross, people built a church on what was left over of the cross. Later, giving in to the needs of the time, a bigger church was built in the late sixth century. Like all other churches, it suffered damage during battles between kings. It was burnt by the Arabs in 914, but repaired later and the same was repeate...