The Soundtrack of Our Earliest Memories

 

One of the things that never ceases to amaze me about music is how it reaches places within us that we didn't even know existed. It has an extraordinary ability to unlock memories, emotions, and sensations long after we've forgotten the events themselves.

I don't remember much of my childhood before the age of ten, but I remember the songs that drifted into my sleep. Perhaps that is why some of my earliest childhood memories are not visual at all. They are musical.

Speaking of sleep, my earliest memories through music are lullabies.

In India, many lullabies are passed down through generations, not because they are written down, but because they are remembered. Their soothing rhythm, familiar melodies, and gentle words become a part of our nervous system. Years later, as adults, we find ourselves humming the very same songs to a little baby who slowly falls asleep to our voice.

There is something profoundly healing about that moment.

It is a feeling that is meant to be lived, more than it can ever be told.

These are some of the lullabies I keep returning to. They've become an important part of my own winding down routine, gently reminding me that rest, too, can have a soundtrack. Bollywood has truly made these songs immortal!

1. Dheere Dheere Aa Re O Baadal
2. Ahista Ahista Nindiya
3. Pyara Sa Gaon
4. Dheere Se Aa Ri Akhiyan Mein Nindiya
5. Do Naina Aur Ek Kahani
6. Nanhi Kali Sone Chali
7. Surmayee Ankhiyon Mein
8. Luka Chuppi
9. Jaage Hain Der Se
10. Chadariya Jhini Re Jhini
11. Chanda Hai Tu Mera Suraj Hai Tu
12. Meri Laadli Ri, Meri Laadli Ri Bani Hai

Perhaps someday, I'd love to travel across India collecting lullabies from different regions and languages. It would be a beautiful way to preserve a small but precious part of our cultural heritage, one gentle song at a time.

Coffee Lover's Stop

Can you smell the coffee yet?? :-)

Language

Who is better than Stephen Fry to write and read it himself about a subject so vast??? Sharing one of my favorite artists at his best!! :-)

मन वढाय वढाय - बहिणा बाई चौधरी

 

सुशिक्षित अणि ज्ञानी ह्या दोन भिन्न गोष्टी आहेत ही वस्तुस्थिति बहिणा बाई दाखवून जातात. निसर्ग अनेक प्रकारे आपल्याला धडे शिकवत असतो, आपणंच ते बघण्यात कमी पडतो. कही गोष्टी अजरामर का होतात हे अशा ओळी वाचल्यावरच कळु शकतं.

मन वढाय वढाय, उभ्या पीकातलं ढोर । 

किती हकला हकला, फिरी येतं पिकांवर ।।

मन मोकाट मोकाट, त्याले ठायी ठायी वाटा ।
जशा वाऱ्यानं चालल्या, पानावर्हल्यारे लाटा ।।

मन लहरी लहरी, त्याले हाती धरे कोन ।
उंडारलं उंडारलं जसं वारा वाहादन ।।

मन जह्यरी जह्यरी, याचं न्यारं रे तंतर ।
आरे इचू साप बरा, त्याले उतारे मंतर  ।।

मन पाखरू पाखरु, त्याची काय सांगू मात? ।
आता व्हतं भुईवर, गेलं गेलं आभायात ।।

मन चप्पय चप्पय, त्याले नही जरा धीर ।
तठे व्हयीसनी ईज, आलं आलं धर्तीवर ।।

मन एवढं एवढं, जसा खाकसचा दाना ।
मन केवढं केवढं? आभायात बी मायेना ।।

देवा, कसं देलं मन आसं नही दुनियात ।
आसा कसा रे तू योगी काय तुझी करामत? ।।

देवा, आसं कसं मन? आसं कसं रे घडलं? ।
कुठे जागेपनी तूले असं सपनं पडलं ।। 

इस मोड़ से जातें हैं

The magic that can be created by this Golden Pair of Gulzar and R. D. Burman is simply unbelievable! By the time you are still figuring out how can simple words make so profound expressions, the music will drag you to your heart touching memories! And the ultimate effect is that you just wait there, bask in those memories and thank them big time for making you realize that "Its always about those precious things you have that money can't buy!"

इस मोड़ से जातें हैं, कुछ सुस्त कदम रस्ते 

कुछ तेज कदम राहे

पत्थर की  हवेली को, शीशे के घरोंदो मैं 

तिनकों के नशेमन तक 

इस मोड़ से जातें हैं ...

आंधी की तरह उड़कर, एक राह गुजरती हैं 

शरमाती हुई कोई, कदमों से उतरती हैं 

इन रेशमी राहों में, एक राह तो वो होगी 

तुम तक जो पहुंचती हैं

इस मोड़ से जाती हैं ...

एक दूर से आती है, पास आके पलटती है 

एक राह अकेली सी, रुकती है न चलती हैं 

ये सोच के बैठी हूँ, एक राह तो वो होगी 

तुम तक जो पहुंचती हैं

इस मोड़ से जाती हैं ...

The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost

A very powerful poem I always quote to myself in the times of confusion. It always makes my opinion of conventions seldom lead to greatness! You have to be path breaking to make a difference! 

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way, 

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Who Moved My Cheese

p.s: One of the very few good renditions of books I have seen. A very inspiring story!

जन पळभर म्हणतिल हाय हाय

जन पळभर म्हणतिल हाय हाय !

मी जाता राहिल कार्य काय?

सूर्य तळपतिल, चंद्र झळकतिल, 

तारे आपुला क्रम आचरतिल, 

असेच वारे पुढे वहतिल

होईल काही का अंतराय?

मेघ वर्षतिल, शेते पिकतिल, 

गर्वाने या नदया वाहतिल,

पुन्हा कळजि की न उमटतिल,

पुन्हा तटावर हेच पाय?

सखेसोयरे डोले पुसतिल, 

पुन्हा आपुल्या कामी लगतिला,

उठतिल, बसतिल, हसुनी खिदळतिल,

मी जाता त्यांचे काय जाय?

अशा जगस्तव काय कुढावे,

मोही कुणाच्या का गुंतावे?

हरिदुता का विन्मुख व्हावे?

का जिरावुनाये शांतित काय?

Working Women

My mother worked for 40 years. My wife is the COO at an international bank. It makes me proud. She doesn't make phulkas for me. We outsource that work to our help, and it doesn't really bother me. If my wife had spent her life in the kitchen, it would have bothered me more.

One,

a man who marries a career woman gets a partner to discuss his own career with. A working woman may be able to relate better to organizational issues than a housewife. A spouse who understands office politics and can give you good advice can be an asset.

Two,

a working woman diversifies the family income streams. In the era of expensive apartments and frequent lay-offs, a working spouse can help you afford a decent house and feel more secure about finances.

Three,

a working woman is better exposed to the world. She brings back knowledge and information that can be useful to the family. Whether it's the latest deals or the best mutual fund to invest in, or even new holiday destinations, a working woman can add to the quality of life.

Four,

the children of a working woman learn to be more independent and will do better than mollycoddled children.

Five,

working women often find some fulfillment in their jobs, apart from home. Hence, they may have better life satisfaction, and feel less dependent on the man. This in turn can lead to more harmony.

Please choose your partner carefully.

Don't just tolerate, but accept and even celebrate our successful women. They take our homes ahead and our country forward. We may have less hot phulkas, but we will have a better nation. 

— Chetan Bhagat

ती गेली तेव्हा रिमझिम... - ग्रेस

माझ्या सर्वाधिक आवडत्या गाण्यांपैकी हे एक गाणं. कविता अणि चाल ह्या अश्या काही एकरूप झाल्या आहेत की आपण नेमक कश्यानी धुंद होतो, तेच कळेनासं होत.

ती गेली तेव्हा रिमझिम, पाउस निनादत होता

मेघांत अडकली किरणे, हा सूर्य सोडवित होता 

ती आई होती म्हणुनी, घन व्याकुळ मी ही रडलो 

त्या वेळी वारा सावध, पचोळा उडवित होता 

अंगणात गमले मजला, संपले बालपण माझे 

खिडकीवर धुरकट तेव्हा, कंदील एकटा होता 

Tea

This is one of my favorite posts from "The Salmon of Doubt" by "Douglas Adams". It is so brilliant that I do not wish to spoil its spontaneity by explaining why I like it... Go ahead and enjoy simple pure genius!! :-)

Tea

One or two Americans have asked me why the English like tea so much, which never seems to them to be a very good drink. To understand, you have to make it properly.
There is a very simple principle to the making of tea, and it’s this—to get the proper flavour of tea, the water has to be boilING (Not boilED) when it hits the tea leaves. If it’s merely hot, then the tea will be insipid. That’s why we English have these odd rituals, such as warming the teapot first (so as no to cause the boiling water to cool down too fast as it hits the pot). And that’s why American habit of bringing a teacup, a tea bag, and a pot of hot water to the table is merely the perfect way of making a tin, pale, watery cup of tea that nobody in their right mind would want to drink. The Americans are all mystified about why the English make such a big thing out of tea because most Americans HAVE NEVER HAD A GOOD CUP OF TEA. That’s why they don’t understand. In fact, the truth of the matter is that most English people don’t know how to make tea anymore either, and most people drink cheap instant coffee instead, which is a pity, and gives Americans the impression that the English are just generally clueless about hot stimulants.
So the best advice I can give to an American arriving in England is this: Go to Marks and Spencer and buy a packet of Earl Grey tea. Go back to where you’re staying and boil a kettle of water. While it is coming to the boil, open the sealed packet and sniff. Careful---you may feel a bit dizzy, but this is in fact perfectly legal. When the kettle has boiled, pour a little of it into a teapot, swirl it around, and tip it out again. Put a couple (or three, depending on the size of the pot) of tea bags into the pot. (If I was really trying to lead you into the paths of righteousness, I would tell you to use free leaves rather than bags, but let’s just take this in easy stages.) Bring the kettle back up to the boil, and then pour the boiling water as quickly as you can into the pot. Let is stand for two or three minutes, and then pour it into a cup. Some people will tell you that you shouldn’t have milk with Earl Grey, just a slice of lemon. Screw them. I like it with milk. If you think you will like it with milk, then it’s probably best to put some milk into the bottom of the cup before you pour in the tea.* If you pour milk into a cup of hot tea, you will scald the milk. If you think you will prefer it with a slice of lemon, then, well, add a slice of lemon.
Drink it. After a few moments you will begin to think that the place you’ve come to isn’t maybe quite so strange and crazy after all.

* This is socially incorrect. The socially correct way of pouring tea is to put the milk in after the tea. Social correctness has traditionally had nothing whatever to do with reason, logic or physics. In fact, in England it is generally considered socially incorrect to know stuff or think about things. It's worth bearing this in mind when visiting.