The caferatii at Horniman Circle listening avidly to someone read. From left are Shreeji Doshi, Jugal Mody, and Hemant Suthar.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Arnica, the compulsive blogger!
This Arrnica who is a compulsive blogger and my colleague at Lester. I clicked this photograph in the office on my Nikon Coolpix.
Monday, January 30, 2006
John
Shooting the shooter! Suniti and I engaged in a photographic duel at the Horniman Circle readmeet of Caferati. Guess I lost the duel as she shot me first! (Photo courtesy: Suniti Joshi)
ammachi last journey
An impromptu poem I composed for her:
Decked in flowers,
Swaddled in gold filigreed shrouds,
Smeared with perfume,
She travels to the world beyond,
A life of love lived,
A life of more giving than taking,
Living a life of choices,
Turnings, and crossing she had missed.
She lies besides father,
In a grave prearranged for her,
Knowing she would accompany him,
In this last stage of creation,
When we all must self destruct.
Decked in flowers,
Swaddled in gold filigreed shrouds,
Smeared with perfume,
She travels to the world beyond,
A life of love lived,
A life of more giving than taking,
Living a life of choices,
Turnings, and crossing she had missed.
She lies besides father,
In a grave prearranged for her,
Knowing she would accompany him,
In this last stage of creation,
When we all must self destruct.
ammachi with thoshapa
End of the journey! She was a teacher who sacrificed her career to look after her five children. In the process she became old, wrinkled, and lost her teeth and her eye sight. Her regret was that she didn't pursue her career as a teacher. If she had she would have been drawing a good pension, a fact she regretted all her life! Each time I used to phone her she would ask, "When are you coming?"
When she was grieveously ill and bed ridden she actually told me, "Why don't you lie down somewhere, you look tired." Guess mothers are always like that, sacrificing, giving up, letting go, releasing, and still willing to give unconditional love in spite of all the cruel neglect they receive from their children.
When she was grieveously ill and bed ridden she actually told me, "Why don't you lie down somewhere, you look tired." Guess mothers are always like that, sacrificing, giving up, letting go, releasing, and still willing to give unconditional love in spite of all the cruel neglect they receive from their children.
ammachi decked in a thoshapa and the coffin that I bought!
Ammachi's last journey to the world beyond. She died on 06/01/2006 and I was with her when she died. She was eighty-eight. A priest said during the funeral, "You are only prepared to live, if you are prepared to accept death." How true.
If this is the end - for which we all have to prepare - then we better start living, loving, celebrating, creating, sharing, revelling in this journey called life.
Are you prepared to die? Only then can you prepare to live, as our priest said.
If this is the end - for which we all have to prepare - then we better start living, loving, celebrating, creating, sharing, revelling in this journey called life.
Are you prepared to die? Only then can you prepare to live, as our priest said.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Me Reading at the Horniman Circle Readmeet of Caferati
This is me reading at the Horniman Circle readmeet of Caferati - The Network of Writers. It was dark and you can see me straining to put some feelings into my reading. To no effect. Except for Ravi who seems to be listening intensely, the rest were enjoying "soggy" sandwiches. What did I read? "William Wordsworth's Legacy" of course.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
DSC00642
From left: Pallavi, Rashmi, Jhumur, me, Jugal, Peter and Avi. (These and December Caferati meeting photos are courtesy Manisha Lakhe)
DSC00641
From left: Deepa, Pawan, Suniti, Preeti, Pallavi and Rashmi. Listening to the sounds of poetry!
J&J
This is me at the December Caferati readmeet. On my right Jhumur Ghosh who is a journalist with TOI. Behind us is a table laden with scrumptious snacks: samosas, corn cob, jalebis, rasgollas, cakes, and what not!
Me Reading!
This is me reading "Rina's Dog" at the readmeet in Menka's garden. I guess the paunch and bald pate are showing! (This and photographs of the Caferati December readmeet are courtesy Manisha Lakhe
DSC00656
Could you wish for a more rapt audience than this? This is at the Caferati readmeet at Menka Shivdasani's garden. From left are: Menka, Suniti, Deepa and Preeti. The overriding theme of the readmeet was morbid: death!
Rashmi's ear!
The owner of this ear is Rashmi. I guess the piercing helps in hearing better, even piercing screams!
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Avani & John
This is me reading at the Caferati readmeet at Hemant Suthar's place. beside me is Yati.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Saturday, November 19, 2005
The Caferati Team in Tehelka
This the picture that Tehelka published of the Caferati readmeet at Manisha's place. From left are: Arjun Bali, Runa D, Hema Nair (Sunil's wife), Unidentified (she came with Pranay), Max Babi, Peter (hidden), Sunil Nair, and yours truly!
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