Nice poem about rains
Beautiful river, down from the sky
Beauty, as the clouds do cry
The sacred bringer of all life
Water does calm all strife
Rain, quencher of the flame
Rain, Rain, I shout the name
Rain Rain, Beautiful rain.
-Aidan Ross
Labels: Rains
Memories of Rain
It is raining here in Bombay and it brings back a gush of memories. My childhood memories are often about rain - the magic, innocence and the fun of it. Words are not enough to describe those feelings, and now, when I look back I have nothing but gratitude for the "showers of blessings". Sparkling raindrops lingering on the flowers, the lightness in the air and the fresh smell of the earth. Faraway, in the misty distance, so many shades of green. And closer, watching droplets racing down the windows.
The thought of school days at Shillong always brings back special memories. I remember being drenched from head to toe on the way to school because it poured with such ferociousness. I remember stomping through puddles while wearing our gumboots and splashing the water all around. I remember taking an umbrella to school and popping it open and shut in the classroom to get everyone wet. I remember putting on bright yellow rain coats and running in the rain. And during the breaks, I remember making paper boats and setting them to sail on the rainwater and look on as to whose boat went the farthest. I remember watching the dark pines wet with rain and the streets washed clean. I remember running to the college canteen and gorging on hot, steamy momos. I remember sliding and slipping in the wet corridors of the school. I remember wading in puddles after a shower in down field ('dhobi' field). I remember running to the down field with friends to catch fishes and tadpoles. I remember giving term exams in the study hall as it rained heavily, pounding away on the roof.
I remember the unpredictable weather. Sometimes it would start as a bright sunny day but by mid day the sky would be over cast with dark clouds and the rains would come pouring down, just when we were leaving school. I remember people used to say it's only in Shillong that we get to see all the four seasons in a single day. I also remember times when it rained and rained and rained for weeks on end without a break.
I have special memories of the joy of playing football with my friends who came out in utter joy to play every time it rained. Sliding around on the slippery grounds with droplets beating down on our faces was great fun. Particularly, I have great memories of playing in an inter-class football final in class 8 which unfortunately, we eventually lost.
Today, I miss the sound of raindrops falling on the tin roofs. I wish I was a school kid again so that I could enjoy the rains and life with the same carefree fervor all over again !
Labels: Rains, Shillong, St Edmunds
North East India
Northeastern India is made up of the states commonly known as the “Seven Sisters” comprising Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland.
The lushness of its landscape, the range of communities and geographical and ecological diversity makes the North East quite different from other parts of the subcontinent.
It is connected to the rest of India by a narrow 20 km wide corridor of land called the Chicken's Neck. Due to this the states have been away from the Indian mainstream.
It is unfortunate that this region is neglected within our own country. I hope people will visit this beautiful part of the country and dispel their prejudices about the people of this region. The media is helping spread some awareness about the region now but a lot remains to be done.
Happy New Year
A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everybody!
May the season bring you joy and good cheer!
Here's looking forward to a great 2006!
Loneliness Quotes
There is no greater sorrow than to recall in misery the time when we were happy. - Dante
I know the night is not the same as the day: that all things are different, that the things of the night cannot be explained in the day, because they do not then exist, and the night can be a dreadful time for lonely people once their loneliness has started. - Ernest Hemingway
Loneliness the clearest of crystal insight into your own soul, its the fear of one's own self that haunts the lonely. - Keith Haynie
Life dies inside a person when there are no others willing to be-friend him. He thus gets filled with emptiness and a non-existent sense of self-worth. - Mark Lavoie
Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the spaces between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. - Maya Angelou
Confused Lines
Do I know you?
I really cannot!
I do not even know
The person that is me!
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Head Left
Head Right
Go straight
Take the bait!
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I remember you
I need you
I have a dream
But you are too far away
And who has time anyway!
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Strangers, we stare
Size each other up
Realign our prejudices
And simply move on!
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Happiness and grief
Everything is brief
I have nothing to give
All I do is take and live
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I distrust my senses
They fool my mind
They push me into traps
Leaving me writhing
In despair and pain!
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Feminists are dangerous
No, I am not a male chauvanist. The problem with feminists is that they genaralize all men as their enemies. Something as simple as "You men are all the same!" tell you that these women are prejudiced. I have heard these words repeated often. One should not judge people because they belong to a certain sex, religion or colour. Everyone is different and unique. And people do change if you give them good reason to. I find it disheartening to see that women these days are always competing with the men to prove themselves. What men do is not so difficult really! So what good does it do to prove that you can do what men can do!
I Love Walking
I love to walk. I've enjoyed walking and running in the hills for as long as I can remember.I've lived in Shillong most of my life, and love her verdant green hills. Shillong is a great place to walk and my father has always been an inspiration as far as walking is concerned. He enjoyed his walks and still does. The feeling of freedom, independence, and of being at one with nature is very special. It refreshes the soul - you remember to laugh again and enjoy life. And it is great for your health !
Pune is not a great place to walk. Most cities aren't. But there are places in the outskirts of Pune where one can enjoy a walk in solitude. I try to walk as much as possible and avoid using vehicles, which most people cannot quite understand in this day and age! Everyone is in a hurry these days. I like to take things easy and notice life around me as a million things keep going on inside my head! I intend to keep walking and enjoying it for as long as I can.
