Year In Retrospect

Manju & Vinayak…

If not for the above two names, the year which is about to pass would be a fairly uneventful, dull one for me. The 1st name shall remain a beacon and I shall remember him, anytime I feel weak in the knees. So what if NDTV chose Sonia! The 2nd brought some much needed focus and action in life. I have now taught for approximately 4 months in a government school on Saturdays.

and spent the early part of the day today with my class. Again, thanks to Siva & ASHA for the opportunity. The excited kids are now able to wish everyone a Happy New Year, write and understand what it means. We had our first session on trying to find words in the newspaper today that we could read. When I suggested that they buy a newspaper atleast once a week, if it was not possible to buy everyday (since the class consists of students whose parents are painters, masons, plumbers, drivers, etc) one of the smart kids in the class said that we could get them from the gujari guy for free anyways! Anyway, we were not trying to read the news, all we needed was a source of words from some source which was not a book, but still held some fascination for the kids. And currently, reading the newspaper holds immense value as an aspiration object.

What would you do if I sang out of tune, Would you stand up and walk out on me

The above is what runs through my mind as I think of my favourite manifestation of God aka Sachin, while I look forward to the new year. Would he perform as well as the billion wants him to… Would I still love him as much…

Where were you when we were getting high…

The new year's eve parties are here and I can't even get a table at a decent restaurant. So while I have dinner at home and read my book, see my movie and sip my nth coffee, loads of junta are getting high on alcohol and doing the in thing!
As one of my sane friends suggested, why drive across half of Bangalore to get stuck in a traffic jam! We could not agree more.

I have my books and my poetry to protect me!

Lately, my mum has taken to trying nightmarish visions to get me married, which include, Who will take care of you when you are old and retired.

Will you still need me, Will you still feed me, When I am sixty four

I tell her that you don’t need to get married to have kids! And she looks at me with eyes, that could melt down all the steel in Gustav's creation. And like Robbie has sung,

And all the best women are married, All the handsome men are gay

Most of the day has been spent in calling friends, near & dear
and wishing them a happy new year.

We do not like sms. Much rather talk to our buddies.

I hear the sound of drums and a melody …

Of course, one of the big things in the new year is a shifting of base camp to Madras from baby Bangalore!
The hammer of the gods, Will drive our ships to new lands,

The quizzing is there, maybe the running can also be managed. A couple of bookshops are also there! But what are we going to do about the weather, Honey?! And Lalbagh…?!

All my memories gather round her…To the place, I belong…

The style of the post is influenced by the way our dear friend, Sweety writes, but then I have always had music running through my mind, except that I don’t usually write about it.

The lunatic is on the grass. Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs
Got to keep the loonies on the path.