New Creation

 

 

A new day dawns upon us,
Full of possibility;
The regal sun welcomes thus,
Washing away past history.

Never was a day so pure,
Ne'er of it was I so sure;
Shining through the wide window,
The sun left me in great awe.

All of me have wanted it,
Making worthy every bit;
Finally when it arrived,
It painted me all in white!

Waiting for the 24 roses

 

The only reason for my recrudescence, in the pages of this blog today, is to narrate the memoirs of a man, with whom I had chanced upon to meet early in my life. Weaving a story is not my forte and therefore I will stick to plain facts and will try to account the events properly. I will try not to form an opinion about this person myself, but will leave it to my readers to judge for themselves.


People say, relationships grow stronger with time...but our bond has grown firm along with the distance between us. Now, I feel as if I have reached the top of a hill from where I can see the past lie limpid before me. But as I try picking up events from there, time seems to slip out of the hand and I run back and forth in time, to catch a glimpse of his face in the afterglow of this past.

Delving into the depths of time, the first thing that I recall, is the myriads of bed-time stories he would tell me, putting me to sleep. Even today I can recollect some droll names from those yarns like 'Olin Brenda', 'Satish', 'Roshul' and 'Lalkankra'.

He used to love the moon - crescent, half, full, give him any shape. He didn't have a good camera, not even a mobile phone. He called it the "necessary evil"! I used to watch him, sometimes, make do with my mobile phone camera, capturing flowers - those in his garden and that of his neighbours', of the dawning sun, the moon, of streets, trees, ponds and practically everything under the sun. I knew that he was an average photographer, and his near and dear ones never appreciated the collages he would make out of these photos. But, then, it was definitely not a fad for him and there was no denying his passion for this art and for the rich and vibrant hues! He had joined Flickr and soon made friends out of hundreds of strangers. They gradually began to notice his uniqueness in creating collages, and the subtle touch in their captions. And voila! One day his pictures started 'exploring'. It is a term that the Flickrians use when a photo gets the highest appreciation in the site. Nothing could make him more happy but this appreciation. I sometimes visited his Flickr pages and noticed how his pictures were applauded by brilliant photographers, who themselves have captured some out-of-this-world photos with their expensive digital cameras. It was then that my heart swelled up in pride for him.

He was basically a man of ideas...he loved to dwell in them. By social standards, he would have been categorized as ordinary, but not by the standard of knowledge and 'creative' was the only word that would suffice for him for he always thought ahead of his time.

The two things which I saw him do most, during his lifetime, were read and write. Apart from writing blogs (he had five blogs to his credit, each of which was on a different subject), he loved reading juvenile story books, besides his usual ones. Even at 67, he was never old at heart. He was an adroit letter-writer too. Post-retirement he would go on scribing letters for each and everybody that came with a request. The biggest achievement, that came his way, was when he made a woman get her due share of insurance money by writing for her to the 'unwilling' insurance company.

He used to shower me with surprises every now and then...from small souvenirs to some of the expensive cell phones, when the earlier ones turned dead. The list cannot end without my mentioning the 'red roses' which he used to gift me on my birthdays, the same number of roses equal to my age each year.

Travelling with him was a real treat. Every time I went on a holiday with him, I was an eager concomitant, walking on the streets of a South-Indian city, whenever we visited the place and which was quite frequent. His favourite haunt was a roadside tea-stall, as he had grown a liking for the owner's son Raja. Once he captured a photo of this man and on his next visit, gifted it to him. Raja was so happy! His enthusiasm didn't stop short at that. He even took the photograph of a rickshaw puller called Lawrence with whom he had made an acquaintance a short while ago. But unfortunately, he was not available the next time we went there to gift him the photo. Later we came to know from another rickshaw wallah that this Lawrence had run away, on fearing that probably a policeman in camouflage was asking for his address. We had tired ourselves out that day laughing at this hilarious incident.

He always believed in making friends with the underdogs. His best friends were the van wallahs and the green grocers. There were so many incidents of his helping them out of the way, but that would be another story altogether. He found his contemporaries boring and could chat with the younger generation about any subject...from politics to spirituality, and from films to literature, over his favourite cup of tea any time of the day.

He had a particular liking for perfumes and good cigarettes. He believed that perfumes were made in heaven, though he never bought an expensive one for himself, neither perfumes nor costly cigarettes. I still remember him showing off a foreign-made perfume to everybody, which his son had brought him from abroad. That was his one and only luxury. He never liked shopping for himself but cherished everything his family bought for him.

In his roof-top garden he had a large collection of flowering plants. Though he didn't fancy gardening as a hobby, but he loved, no doubt, each of them as his own children. They loved their share of silent talks with him at dawn, everyday when he went up to water them. He told me how a particular pink rose at the corner of the garden had once greeted him!

However, at times, I couldn't say what turn his humour would take and we often had our share of scraps over the quelque chose. There were these tindery situations when I would think him to be corny and brash. You can well imagine what would happen when two completely different mind-sets collided. He always came around as the winner and I would find myself in one corner, crying and being vindictive. Much later, when I ponder over these heated dissertations, I feel somehow that he was sometimes right and I had failed to understand him then. He had only tried to make me understand how to accept things that may come along the way, and to face life as it is.

He had a queer fascination for trains. He sometimes joked that if he wasn't what he was, he would have been a 'Rajdhani Express' driver. Then he would try to impress upon me the majesty of being one and the adventures that one could have by being such a driver. One of his blogs, about which I had mentioned earlier, was completely devoted to a fictitious station called 'Sitarampur' and to the train 2115 UP which haulted at this station daily.

So long from what I have portrayed here, the readers must not think him to be a very sociable person. He mostly kept to himself, busy with his computer, and lived a kind of inner life which I think is probably a product of his introspection.

All the events subsumed here are a reminiscence of the time I spent with him and got to know him from close quarters. There are so many other bijou moments of his life that if I try to fill in all the minutiae here, it would surely make a novella out of it.

And then came a day, when he vanished from my sight, like a long dream which has given way to a harsh reality. He had always protected me from that reality, taking care to keep me far from the dealings with the outer world, covering me up in a cosy cocoon. The clock hasn't stopped counting the seconds since then, which eventually turned into minutes and finally into many hours, days and months...but I still see him through my mind's eye - a small branch of krishnachuda in hand, eagerly waiting to be photographed, and he smiling at me.

I have tried not to break anything since then, neither promises nor relationships because what once slips out of the hand, goes forever, never to return. And things never seem to be the same again.

He was many things to many people, but for me he was a friend, a philosopher and a guide...but most truly he was my father!

PS: I cannot conclude without acknowledging the inspiration behind my taking up the pen again, my mother.

The photograph of the krishnachuda blossoms above was taken by my father on May 4, 2009.

The dark horse

Tonight, I'm going to write an acrostic on, well this guy doesn't need any introduction to those who tune in to Star Sports on certain Sundays at about 5:15pm.

Vroom time is back and the first race is over. Fans are anxious as to who wins the 2010 crown, who is to become the next king of Formula1? Is it Schumi the most potential comeback, or is it Massa/Alonso?...They have got the best car.

However I'm going to write on the youngest and the first black driver who had become the world champion in 2008. What is my opinion on his potentiality? The following poem in free verse will bear testimony to it.

L: Lord thou art of the racing track
E: Ever on the move at race,
W: World champion 2008! racing is your only knack
I: Is this talent or simply God's grace?
S: Speeding cars take you to the ultimate chase.

H: Have the other drivers turned totally green?
A: Alonso, the Spanish saboteur
M: Massa, the Brazilian mean, (or)
I: Is it Button's rear diffuser?
L: O thou Jenson, involved in foul play
T: Totally devoid of any cunning and messenger of dark
O: Of all the drivers Hamilton will have his day!
N: Nevertheless with this prophecy, I end my work.

'Terminat hora diem, terminat Poet opus'.

Why Vote Earth?

 

 

 

WHY VOTE EARTH?

Put simply, because our future depends on it! It only takes a few minutes to vote, but it could help protect our planet forever. It's your chance to tell world leaders what kind of deal you want them to make at the climate summit in Copenhagen.

Earth Hour: A global vote for Earth

Since 2007, Earth Hour has gained worldwide support for positive action against global warming. It all began with 2.2 million people in one city using their light switches to have their say. By March 2009, hundreds of millions of people in over 4,000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to vote for Earth.

This monumental swell of support for the environment has been four years in the making. And it’s all building towards one decisive moment in history – the Copenhagen climate summit.

Copenhagen: a new direction

World leaders are set to discuss new ways to deal with climate change at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, 7-18 December 2009. This new deal will replace the Kyoto Protocol and set new standards for reducing harmful emissions and global warming.

Copenhagen is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to point our planet in a new direction. But if we don't urge world leaders to make things right now, it could all go very wrong for the future. Four possible outcomes from the talks could be:

• Foundation: leaders agree on ways to strengthen targets over the next five years, but it's only a slight improvement on current commitments.


• Greenwash: leaders pledge to review current arrangements and call it a success, but nothing really changes.


• Collapse: no agreement is reached and the problem is deferred indefinitely.


• Breakthrough: an agreement is reached with ambitious reduction targets to limit global warming to 2 degrees – the level scientists say will prevent dangerous climate change.

The more votes for Earth we get, the stronger our mandate will be to influence a 'breakthrough' result. It's the only outcome that will secure the long term sustainability for our environment and global economy.

The future can be bright

New economic modelling indicates the world has just five years to initiate a low carbon industrial revolution before runaway climate change becomes almost inevitable. But it can be done, and the long term benefits will be enormous.

So now's the time to give world leaders the mandate they need to make the right climate deal. It's time to Vote Earth!

A Hot Noon Somewhere

 

 

I was feeling tired and sleepy one afternoon watching my brother do some weeding in our garden. Suddenly I heard a soft but frightened tweet from the nearby curry leaves tree. It was at first hard to locate it amongst so many leaves. But finally my eye fell on it. A little birdie who had just lost its one leg in an accident. It was surely very frightened as well as in pain. Perched on a thin twig with its one leg it feared that the pinky-poo (the feline neighbour which has publicly declared our house as its permanent residency) might be waiting for it very hungrily, for her very cherished tea-time munch.

I felt sad at being unable to do anything for the poor chap. My brother suggested that we should try giving it some earthworms which he found in the earth while weeding. But it was too frightened to accept anything. It hopped on to another branch trying to camouflage itself from us as well as pinky-poo. I went to my room and brought my cell phone and took a snap, but couldn't get a clear picture as it was almost hidden from my view.

I prayed to God for its safety and quick recovery and left the place. My brother told me that he couldn't find it later. Perhaps it had flown away to another tree- probably a more safe place to her.

I don't know what had happened to her, whether it is still surviving or not, but surely it had made my day and helped me filling up some blank space in my blog after a long time. Now I'm thinking of giving a name to this short-time friend of mine though I may not see it anymore. I'll be very grateful if any reader comes out with an unique name for it. Please feel free to comment.

So long for now, lets see what else catches my imagination.

An universe to discover

On 19 December 2007, the United Nations’ 62^nd session took a colossal step, which said that the year 2009 would be celebrated as ‘International Year of Astronomy’. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) will jointly venture into this project.

Delving into the depths of time…some 400 years ago, we could visualize an Italian - an avant-garde, discovering the unknown and the unseen universe through his self-constructed telescope. He was Galileo Galilei, who definitely does not require an introduction here. He was the first man to let us know about the solar system and how vast the expanse of universe is. He was the pioneer of modern astronomy. To honour his contribution on the field, the UN has arranged this programme.

Based on Hans Lippershey's first telescope, Galileo constructed one about four centimetres in diametre. With the help of this instrument in 1609-10 he observed some conspicuous facts and compiled them in a book called 'The Starry Messenger'. Galileo's main discoveries were:

1. To observe the other side of the moon which is always hidden from Earth's view.

2. The waxing and waning of Venus.

3. Discovering the four main sattelites of Jupiter.

4. The rings of Saturn and

5. The existence of the Milky Way Galaxy.

The motto of the International Year of Astronomy is 'Universe - Yours to Discover'. The main idea behind this initiative is to make man more cognitive, and 140 nations and 38 astronomical research stations have come together hand in hand to make it successful.

An eleven-tier programme initiative has been considered.

Hundred hours of Astronomy: From 2^nd to 5^th April, people will have the advantage of observing the universe through telescopes for up to 100 hours. Various universities and research centres are coming forward for fulfilling this idea.

Galileoscope: Ten thousand high-end telescopes modeled on the one made by Galileo are to be distributed to children (One Telescope per Child) so that they can observe the universe properly.


 Cosmic Diary: Scientists and Astronomers will compile their findings in various books and will spread the word through various websites.

 
Portal to the Universe: A portal will be set up comprising the wherewithal recent findings by astronomers and observatories and will be published on the internet.






















She is an Astronomer: Special attention has been given to women who would otherwise remain involved in banal household chores and make them more conscious about astronomical inventions taking place all over the world. UNESCO has taken a step to inspire them take up astronomy as a career.


Dark Skies Awareness: People are not being able to watch the night sky because of the increasing pollution. The IAU will be taking a part to help people avoid this difficulty.


Astronomy and World Heritage Site: Plans are also in progress to preserve the ancient observatories and places of astronomical interest so that the future generation gets to know about them.




















 


Galileo Teacher’s Training Programme: By the end of 2012, about 5000 Galileo National Ambassadors will be appointed who would give proper astronomical training to the Galileo Master Teachers who would in their turn spread awareness.



Universe Awareness: UNESCO has promised to help financially those students who are interested in astronomical research work.

From Earth to the Universe: Good news for those who are not aware of this revolutionary initiative!
Now various parks, art galleries and kiosks will be embellished waith attractive photographs and paintings of the universe to help make people aware.


Developing Astronomy Globally: A three level concomitant programme has been taken, on the job-oriented front, the educational and the popular front where universities and research organizations will aid common people.

Last but not the least, let us all be aware of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 and help ourselves to be inspired by the man who will always be known as the father of astronomy.


Material collected on April 1, 2009