Organising Chimi’s parade in the Panna forest- wonderful experience ! / September 14th, 2011

Chimi’s Parade in Panna 28/29 August 2011

WWF and Sarva Shiksha Abhyan Kendra ( Gov of Madhya Pradesh) have a 9 month residential facility for the children of poachers of the Behelia tribe living in the Panna Tiger reserve forests. Prithvi Media and Praanah had been invited to conduct a 2 day ‘Art for Nature’ workshop for the 150 children of this residential programme. Even today the Behelias – nomadic tribals poach the Panna forests in search of wildlife. Apparently the population of larger animals in Panna has decreased drastically and even the number of tigers are in single digits ! Today wild boar and pheasant are caught and sold in markets in nearby towns such as Satna and Khajuraho.

The principle behind the initiative organised by WWF (India) and the MP Government is to rehabilitate the children of these poachers, by offering them residential facilities and educate them with skills to survive in villages and towns. All this with aim to dissuade them from resorting to the traditional occupation of their forefathers and improve their lives!

WWF (India) representatives along with the Prithvi Media and Praanah teams organised a 2 two day workshop in Panna on 28th/29th August 2011. Prithvi Media, a platform for environmental awareness in education believes that it can spread its message of wildlife and nature conservation by organising workshops, movies and publications. It has recently launched ‘Chimi’s Dream’ an animated film (dubbed both in English and Hindi) based on the story of a young boys dream about animals in a forest who are about to embark on a green parade to protest against man for spoiling their environment . The movie was shown to the 150 children at their residential centre . They understood the message loud and clear – animals too have a right to a clean environment clean air fresh water and pure air! The children were then given musical instruments and divided into groups and along with their teachers coined a slogan

“ Lets go forward ,lets go forward .

We the children of the forests have pledged to save our jungles.

We the children of the towns have pledged to save our jungles!”

The children dressed in white ‘Chimi’ T shirts marched in two lines outside their centre beating on their drums and other instruments, cheering whilst repeating the slogan and having fun. The hot afternoon sun beating down did not deter their enthusiasm and joy !

Over the two days various activities were done with the entire group of 150 children such as reciting of Hindi poems with actions, visualisation with actions such as enacting of wildlife and the growth of a tree, drawing environmental themes on hand cutouts and building a ‘Globe of Joy’ etc.

Sangita Saxena , Mita Nangia Goswamy and Soji James from WWF India supported Laxmi Dhaul from Prithvimedia in all these activities. Bhaktiveda Dhaul from Pranaah and her team Tarunima Sengupta, Kamia Sharma and Jyotika Katyal led the activities.

On the second day wonderful wildlife films made by musician and film maker Chinmay Dunster were watched by the children with avid interest . Each child related to the movements of animals and birds and clapped loudly ! The children performed plays one of them based on the story of Brave Amrita from the Bishnoi tribals in Rajasthan based on the Chipko movement.

It was a rewarding experience and it was decided that several Chimi Parades would be organised in various centres all over India.

Made in Isreal / August 22nd, 2011

Made in Israel

Travelling with me to Israel was  Veda, my 24 year old daughter. Charming, lots of fun and inspite of our generation gap someone who would occasionally allow me to be on ‘her’ side of the age barrier.  We were exemplary tourists on the  first few days of our trip. We lapped up the history, got up at dawn , diligently listened to our guide as  he took us from one ancient site to the next .  We went to Jerusalem and visited several  Churches, the Wailing Wall and the museum of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We went to Bethlehem to the birthplace of Jesus Christ and visited the church built  built to commemorate his birth and genuflected at the site of the ‘manger’. We visited the Sea of Galilee near the town of Nazareth which was famous for the first sermon where Jesus distributed bread and wine to all his followers. We went to the Church of the Beatitudes and read the words “ He who is meek shall inherit the kingdom of God”  and made the sign of the cross – our early education in Roman Catholic missionary school had trained us well. It was our first trip to Israel and we had gone with open and enthusiastic minds.

Veda discovered what a Sabbath ‘elevator’  was in a slightly embarrassing manner as we had never experienced a  Sabbath ( Friday )  which was a day of total rest and reflection. She followed me into the elevator  , one hand clutching her many recently acquired souvenirs and the other her life line – her cell phone. She persistently pressed the 7th floor button and yet the lift stopped on every floor. No one got in or out and she looked confused until someone politely told her that this was a Sabbath lift and would stop on each floor, irrespective of being empty or full . Guests  could get in and exit on their floors without pressing any buttons, and ….“would she please shut her phone ? “ Neither of us were familiar that during Sabbath no work was done and no gadgets or machines were used. Even pressing the lift buttons was unacceptable especially in Jerusalem which had a huge population of ultra orthodox Jews. The hotel that we were staying in had several lifts and the particular one that we were in was dedicated as the ‘Sabbath lift.’

After visiting the remnants of the port of Caesarea built by King Herod we finally landed up  in the beautiful city of Tel Aviv . We had heard much of the night life, the sea and shopping and were looking forward to enjoy the cosmopolitan side of Israel . Shopping in Tel Aviv was exciting with its vast variety of shops!  You had the option of going to the ultra modern  ‘Up market’  Malls with international designer labels, or  choose to go the traditional areas and visit dusty curio shops for tourists  in the old town of Jaffa with quaint handcrafted items . Interesting items we picked up were beautiful metallic Menorahs – traditional  candle stand lit on ceremonious occasions  and artistically crafted Mesusas ( sacred door  handles) . The young shopkeeper was quite smitten by my daughters dark curly locks and eyelashes and jokingly offered to marry her. I bundled her out of the shop super fast!

You could stroll through the bazaars, the  open markets and feast your senses on the  bright colours and the crisp smell of fresh vegetables, fruits , sweets and meats. There were also many open shops that sold other necessary items from clothes to suitcases, hangars to perfumes.  It was like being back in a Indian market  haggling with the shop keeper. Somehow whenever I was with Veda , we would always gravitate to shops that specialised in cosmetics, shoes,  junk jewellery and clothes . She enjoyed shopping and bought a lot of stuff, sandals and clothes and caps and a whole lot of makeup. One of the more interesting items she picked up was a novel mascara bottle. The moment you took the mascara brush out of its bottle the brush would start to vibrate vigorously till it was put back into the container, becoming still only once the brush was twisted tightly into place. The sales man reassured us that this vibrating action enhanced the thickness of the eye lashes on application!  Veda was amused with it and found the results quite satisfactory!

Our trip to Israel soon became a memory with its vibrant images immortalised on the ‘facebook’, and on our return home more mundane matters became important on a day to day level. Soon after  our visit, on a sultry hot evening, the family was getting ready to go out on a family function.  I walked into Veda’s room to ask her for some make up . Veda as usual was talking on her cell phone, combing her long locks with her other hand . She said to me hurriedly

“Mum here take this vibrator. I  brought it in Israel . Try it ,you will like the effect”  and handed me  the mascara bottle that she had brought in Tel Aviv and resumed her conversation on the mobile. Having showed me its effect several times I quietly took it from her and returned to my room.

A few days later suddenly Veda rushed into my room., she was very agitated.

“The silly people in this city – they are all talking about me!” she complained.

I looked at her , “ Now what have you done”

“ Done .. done nothing ,  that silly ……”  (she named her friend )

“He has gone and told all my friends that I share the same ‘vibrator’  with my Mom. “

I looked at her surprised not quite sure how I was to react to her remark. Then suddenly it dawned upon me – the vibrating mascara brush  – I mean the mascara ‘contraption’ with the vibrating mechanism that is what the buzz in town was about !  I reminded her of the incident when she had handed it to me and had hurriedly called it a vibrator  and we both had a good laugh. If only we had brought a few more mascara brushes with vibrating handles, made in Israel  and shared them with our friends back home !

 

 

 

Strangers in the night exchanging glances / August 21st, 2011

Strangers in the night exchanging glances

One of the most beautiful sunsets I have witnessed recently was in the city of Tbilisi . The breeze wafted across us as we watched the sun set on a warm balmy evening whilst we were dining in a restaurant situated on a cliff . Below we could see the  Mtkvari river as it passed us having meandered through the city. We were in the heart of Tbilissi – the capital of Georgia,  a country famous for vineyards, folk dancing, banquets and sulfur baths. Infact the name Tbilisi is derived from the ancient Georgian word ‘Tbili’ meaning warm. Numerous sulphuric hot springs that dot the city give it its name!

Through the centuries Georgias famous hospitality and warmth has withstood attacks from numerous invaders – from the Mongols and Persians to the Ottoman Turks. The Georgians maintained their culture and identity even though their country was incorporated into both the Russian empire and the Soviet Union. Say the word “Russia” today and the Georgians do not smile, they have fought for their independence valiantly. We were told by our hosts that ‘after various attempts (some of them violent)  Georgia got independence  as recently as 1990’. Inspite of its violent history, Georgia as a nation has held  on to its unique cultural traditions.  Today Tbilisi its capital is a beautiful city bustling with restaurants, clubs, shops and galleries.

From our table we had a breathtaking view of  several churches built in the Greek orthodox style and the mountains of Georgia. It was a little dark inside the restaurant but the stage at the end was brightly lit up and  we soon witnessed several Georgian traditional folk dances. Beautifully dressed dancers in their traditional Georgian regional dress swayed to the accompaniment of live folk music , each dance lasting eight to ten minutes.

This was our first trip to Georgia and our group of 12 were seated on a long table which was almost groaning with the food laden on it . Large bowls of beautiful fresh fruit were surrounded by an assortment of atleast 10 different salads. If I remember correctly there must have been Assorted pickles (cherries, green tomatoes, pickles, peppers), Marinated mushrooms, Black Olives,Georgian salad, Greek Salad (with cheese and olives), Eggplant with walnut, Green Beans with walnut, Spinach with walnut, Cabbage rolls with walnut, a large variety of cheeses and delicious red caviar.

We were served Georgian wine and soon after whilst we were feasting on the several salads, the host of the evening got up to give a toast. He thanked us for being there  that evening and hoped that we would enjoy their hospitality and we all raised our glasses ! My husband the leader of our group also offered an appropriate toast on our behalf. Having arrived that day, hungry  and new to the Georgian banquet traditions we immediately wolfed down our salad with the local bread . We tasted everything, thinking that this was a remarkable meal where everything was laid upfront.  This was our first day in the country and we soon realised that what we were witnessing was no normal meal. We had not known that we were to witness the Georgian ceremonial dinner known as the ‘supra’ – a highly ritualized event  where rounds of standardized and improvised toasts alternated with the serving of warm dishes well into the early morning !

The first warm course was the traditional Khachapuri, which was like a pizza made out of dough, cheese and butter. This was accompanied by Red Beans in pots, similar to an Indian curry Rajma made out of kidney beans. Dolma (stuffed grape leaves),  Chakhokhbili (chicken in tomato sauce) , Chanakhi (lamb with vegetables, eggplant, potato, tomato) and roast chicken. Our Indian palates relished the  delicate sauces and sharp spices of the Georgian cuisine. We were also entertained by our local friends who willingly furnished us with snippets of information such as – “ The  Soviet dictator Joseph  Stalin was born in Georgia but he gave no support to Georgias attempts to win  national independence from the USSR ” or “ George Bush visited Georgia and had a sulphur bath and the nearby restaurant he visited is now named after him !”

This was followed by another toast. By this time our host and  toast master Mr Baker,  knew all our names and had something nice to say about each of us . The lovely wine and grape brandy that we were toasting with and all delicious food in our stomachs put us in great spirits ! We all swore total allegiance to Georgia and promised to foster close ties with the country. Luckily we had amongst us a fellow guest who was familiar with the customs and rituals of the ‘supra’ feast. He told us tactfully that it was not necessary that we eat all the food presented in front of us. To the contrary it was considered a mark of dishonour if the table appeared empty after a guest had eaten , as that signified there was not enough food on the table! That was an important snippet of information – what a relief  !

Another dance, more toasting this time on the popularity of Indian (Hindi) cinema and a special mention that all the pretty young Indian girls  present in our group looked like Hindi cinestars  and those not so young ( such as me ) vaguely resembled the Bollywood ( Bombay equivalent of Hollywood) heroines of yesteryear! It was interesting to observe that many of the senior  Georgians  loved Hindi cinema and the Indian culture. “We all love Raj Kapoor” they said. Raj Kapoor our beloved fair complexioned, blue eyed doyen  of hindi cinema, who had made several movies featuring Russian heroines in the 70’s .

More wine, more food , this time mushrooms with sour cream and mozzarella, Fried Trout, Fried potatoes with mushroom, Chicken shish-kebab and Lamb shish-kebab.

Finally our host rose up to give his final toast. He said ‘This time, this toast was going to be a toast with a difference” , he was going to “sing” the toast  to us. So the very charming and charismatic Mr Baker rose , walked up to the stage , took the mike and started singing Frank Sinatras

“Strangers in the night, exchanging glances, strangers in the night wondering what their chances ……doo be doo be doo….” . An old favourite with my husband, the song lured him on the stage as he joined our host Mr Baker. Their voices blended beautifully with each other. Everyone clapped and this was followed by much embracing and back slapping. To our relief no more food was served to us.

Finally our host sat down and informed us that as a special surprise for us the DJ for the evening  was going to play an Indian song that we would all enjoy. We waited  expectantly , confident that he would play a contemporary  movie song . We waited in pin drop silence waiting whilst the  DJ searched on  his laptop.  In the mean while another round of food – this time our dessert was served to us, ice cream and a special custard . Finally the DJ found the song he was searching for. The lights were dimmed, and we waited.

To our utter surprise we heard   the sounds of our Indian national anthem being played!  The DJ was not aware that the song he was playing  was the Indian  national anthem! “ Jana gana mana…..” He had only read the name of the artist “ A R Rehman” , the famous Indian music composer and artist who had recently shot to international fame when he  won an Oscar for the music he composed in the film ‘Slum Dog Millionaire’. Once  the  beautiful stylised version of the Indian national anthem started all the Indians in the restaurant  stood to attention. Gradually other diners followed suite and everyone stood up in respect. The DJ was totally bewildered , what he thought would be lively music to finish the party had actually turned out to be the Indian National anthem!  It was a joyous occasion and another reason for more vodka – the  final toast!  This time our generous host Mr Baker thanked us for our patience , acceptance of their hospitality, and understanding !

It was a special and wonderful evening in Tbilisi, a cherished memory we brought back to India with us !

***

 

 

 

Marine Drive / May 22nd, 2008

Marine Drive in South Mumbai on the Arabian Sea. Ever since I can remember, evening walks there have served me as relaxation, exercise and recreation, and sometimes I find it hard to imagine that Mumbai, India’s Manhattan, was once a beautiful tropical archipelago of seven islands. Until the sun sets on Marine Drive. Then you can watch the magnificent sky change color from an array of oranges and purples to the dull steel blue of night. ‘Queens necklace’ transforms itself instantly, as thousands of lights flood the night sky in Marine Drive’s circular bay.
No wonder we call it the Pride of Mumbai.


Rotate 180 degrees, and turn your back to the Arabian sea – the ferocity of the city overwhelms you. The traffic, the people and the noise. First time visitors to Mumbai often ask “How can you call your city beautiful?”. Diehard Mumbai lovers shrug their shoulders. “The sounds, the smells, the sea , the colours , the festivals and the friendliness of the Mumbai people – we love it all !.” Foreigners are not aware of a secret guarded ferociously by Indians . The secret being that Indians are still evolving in the Darwinian sense – survival of the fittest. They have developed a special survival tool – it is known as “selective sight”. We only see what we want to! But there is not much to selectively discard in Marine Drive as it is quite a beautiful oasis in the crowded city!

Marine Drive ends in a plush area known as Nariman Point an explosion of high rise buildings, five star hotels and offices – the heart of business in Mumbai. Reclaimed extensively from the sea, Nariman Point is named after Mr. Khurshid Nariman a Muncipal Corporator, who in the 40’s reclaimed the entire area and filled in the shallows by using debris from various parts of the city. Eventually he was sacked for using reinforced concrete cement and imported steel obtained from the “black” market at exorbitant prices due to outbreak of World War 2. Today real estate prices in this area are said to be the highest in the world and what Mr Nariman spent was a pittance compared to todays value. He will never know this…it is said he committed suicide !

Most people who live in South Mumbai drive through Marine Drive at least once a day but only a privileged few actually experience Marine Drive at 7.30 am in the morning. The cobble stoned promenade between the road and the Arabian see is transformed into a ‘Walking path’ and nearby residents pursue their morning recreations with regularity and seriousness. Numerous residents walk in their regular groups, others walk with their friends and spouses or their pets. Nodding, waving and acknowledging each other is common. Drenched by the morning sun, all have a fixed glaze and look forward to the prospect of going home to their morning tea. Armed with their ipods the young run or jog, children often cycle or skate and dogs sniff each other. Sweepers gather ‘yesterdays evening’ garbage into wheelbarrows, pigeons alight on the parapet at will cooing their good mornings.

Of the hundreds of people and various groups one passes on Marine Drive one notices a prominent group comprising of retired stock brokers. God fearing and religious they greet each other by saying ‘Jai Sri Krishna’ . Many of them are from Gujarat, a state in India that has produced India’s best traders and businessmen. All wear traditional long shirts and traditional muslin ‘Dhotis’ , ankle socks and the latest Nike shoes. They walk and then sit down on the cement ledge and share home cooked savouries in steel tiffin carriers. Appearances can be deceptive and you would not believe that the networth of each person runs into millions of rupees in stocks and shares. A simple discussion or a heated argument on Marine Drive on a gusty morning at 7.30 am can change the stock market index for the day!

Short story created from a random newsclip / May 22nd, 2008

Bold Headline ” Man steals to finance Carnal Desire”

First para in the newspaper ” Gochan Bahadur Tapa’s dream of making it big in Mumbai came crashing down when he was arrested for allegedly stealing Rs 19,000 ( about $500) from a restaurant in a Mumbai suburb ”

I thought that the day that I walked into ” Uncle Chinese Restaurant” was the best day of my life. I soon realized it was my worst! I had come from Nepal in search of work. I had been roaming the streets of Mumbai for the last two weeks and had barely eaten a proper meal since I left home.

” Go to Mumbai… you will make your fortunes there ” everyone told me . Without thinking I woke up one day packed a few clothes and left for Mumbai. I didnt realise that it would be such a heartless city ! Smelly and dirty..

One day I walked past the Uncle Chinese Restaurant and saw a fat middle aged man sitting at the cash counter .

” You looking for a job?” he growled at me ” Want to be a waiter ?”

I nodded , the sweet sour smell of soya and frying wantons invading my mind like a narcotic. Realising that I would get food as much as I wanted I hastily agreed. The proprietor was good to me and soon I knew all the items in the menu from top to bottom and then bottom to top within 45 seconds. No one asked for menu cards anymore , they just called for me to take their orders. I was known as the friendly waiter and everyone tipped me generously. I was happy.

The problem started one day when I was strolling in the streets one day . I suddenly heard someone call my name and when I turned I saw a Nepali girl wearing a short skirt high heels and a slinky top. Not wanting to show interest I ignored her

” Gochan come here…”

” Gochan its me , Meena don’t you recognize me ?”

I turned . It was Meena . We were related , but all the Nepalis in the village were related with each other anyway . Meena had been clever , she was the first amongst us to learn to read and write. We had grown up together and then she disappeared from the village. I went up to her and then we embraced. We laughed and she took me to a park where we sat and discussed our lives. When I asked her what she did she burst out into tears. Then only did I notice the glares of passersby. Their raw naked desire evident in their half opened mouths and their gestures answered my question. I noticed the red lipstick, the cheap perfume and her eye shadow . Meena had become a prostitute! I was furious .

” Gochu don’t be angry what could I do . I had no job and no where to stay .”

I looked at her and deep within her eyes I saw the same sweet innocent girl I grew up with . We spoke and she promised that she would stop doing her trade and look for something decent to do. Suddenly whilst we were talking she started vomiting. She rushed behind the tree and wretched . Meena was pregnant!

” I want to have an abortion Gochu help me please .”

I promised her I would meet her again and would help her. I had loyalty to the people of my village and more so to a friend I grew up with . We started meeting and people started talking that I was frequenting a brothel and had got ‘hooked by a hooker’. They made fun of me and joked about me ..what did they know ?

” Gochu loan me money , I have found a doctor who will help me” she pleaded.

I promised Meena I would meet her the next day in her house with money .That morning I went to work and swept and swabbed the restaurant floor . I looked at the cash box .. It was open. I saw the money . A pulse started beating in my head, my breath was quick and short . Without thinking I took the money and ran to Meena’s house. I didn’t tell her where I got it from. I think she knew. She put the money in her purse and went to get me some food to eat. She didn’t come back. I waited all day. I was a thief, but it was so easy.

Suddenly I could hear the steps outside the staircase. It sounded like a battalion. I hid under the bed, nervous. “God help me..God save me” I whispered hoarsely . The door came crashing open and the head constable started searching the room and turning everything upside down! They found me and took me to the police station. I was put behind bars. Meena was missing.

The next day I read my name in the papers it said ” Man steals to finance Carnal Desire”. What did they know !

The newspaper : DNA , Mumbai dated 20.5.2008