Bijoy and the Big River

I think most of you know that I contribute (albeit erratically) to the Saffron Tree blog. It’s a privilege to be part of a group that loves children’s literature so much. And no founder Praba and ex-contributor Meera have a new book! Yes, it’s called Bijoy and the Big River. I love the way Praba and Meera take children on a trip, exploring unusual parts of the country and educating them about wildlife. I can’t wait to get my own copy!

But for now, I have a guest reviewer on my blog. And it is, my dear friend Lavanya’s son, Pratik. After all, who better to review a children’s book, than a child himself?

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This book is about a young boy named Bijoy. He is a very adventurous and curious boy. He likes to swim and draw on wet mud. He once saw a rare animal called Xihu or Gangetic River Dolphin. His father or Deuta said he was very lucky.Deuta raises Eri or castor silkworms while Bijoy’s mom spins yarn from the cocoons.

One day, Deuta and Bijoy decide to explore the Brahmaputra. They canoe to Guwahati, before going on a steam boat. They see the wildlife near the Kaziranga National Park. They see a yarn house and the beautiful designs all around them.

They set off home only to come across some Xihus. Bijoy gets very excited and enjoys seeing the Xihus play. Soon, Bijoy and Deuta reach home.

Bijoy and The Big River is a very interesting book, filled with lots of facts on each page about the life in Assam. The accompanying photographs are very good! I give this book 4.5 stars.

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The book has been reviewed by a few others too.

Vibha 

Arthi 

Introductions

Brat: Mamma, why do some of your friends call you the mad momma? And I think I saw it written on a page in your laptop too.

Me: Because the moment I had you and became a mamma, I went a little mad. Mad with happiness, mad with all the work I now had to do, mad because you’re such a handful. Don’t you think I’m a little mad?

Some thought and then a nod. ‘Yes, just a little. But I like you that way.’

… and then he walked off.

Seven years of being The Mad Momma and the lead actors are slowly piecing the puzzle together.

All about books and CROCUS 2012

I’m late, I’m late, cried the White Hare. And so am I. Late for what? For my CROCUS 2012 announcement post of course!

After a lifetime of being scared of math and science I broke free a couple of years ago. I’m free and I now believe I can fly. Getting to the point, this year we’re focusing on Math and Eco-Science. To my surprise I had loads of books I could have reviewed and actually had to struggle to keep it down to two. So go ahead, and knock yourselves out. Enjoy!

Once you’re done enjoying the reviews, here’s a request. Can you support this collaboration with Kranti that we at Saffrontree are working on? Kranti helps trafficked women and sex workers get back on track. All we want is for you to donate some books to them. Think you can do that? Please do – there is nothing better than sharing the joy of reading.

And finally, our very own Art’s book Have you seen this? Quirky, funny, easy to read and most importantly, in Hindi as well as English, we love it at the mad house and are sure you will too. Go buy your copy today!

34

The years are creeping up and the first indicator is the fact that I didn’t even care to get this post ready in time and am three days late! But I’m cheating and backdating it!

If you’re wondering how I celebrated, it was good fun. My parents showed up to surprise me – revenge for us surprising them on the 9th of September which was their 35th anniversary. It has now reached a stage where we start to worry if no surprises pop up every couple of months. They brought me a beautiful white chikankari, kalidaar kurta and I can’t wait to wear it and feel all Anarkali-ish. My Salim took me out to dinner on the 24th to bring in the birthday and the 25th, to see it out. Dad felt his beloved daughter deserved more than a kurta and some shoes so he bought me an old handpainted book shelf I’d been eyeing for a while. I feel rather grown up, collecting my own vintage, antique bits of mismatched furniture. The Salim in my life also asked me what I’d like for my birthday and I unwisely only asked for red velvet cupcakes. Which he bought me in dozens from Cakeaway (forgetting altogether that we knew the nice guy who runs it and frantically corresponding only via email) and decorated the dining table with at midnight, surrounded by an odd collection of candles collected from around the house. I wish I’d asked for a Ferrari! The picture below was taken just before we stepped out for dinner.

It’s been a strange year. I’ve built some relationships I didn’t think I would and have seen cracks in some that I had not expected. And I’ve taken them in my stride surprisingly calmly. What is important is that in each tough situation I’ve spoken my mind, held nothing back and now am building each relationship on my own terms. I’ve never believed this possible, but it is and I’m feeling a strange sense of exhilaration as it happens, weirdly peaceful too. Yes, even you readers can see a newer, calmer me.

The last year has taught me that you’re never out of the job market no matter how long you  stay off fulltime work. Maybe what I’ve learnt this year is to let go of fear. To remember that I obviously have something special to offer if I’m still getting the odd company pick up the phone and call an old retired has-been and ask her if she’d like to come back to work. I may not make pots of money but at least I’m not knocking on doors with my resume as I’d feared. I’ve regretfully turned them down.

The Bean still comes home too early for me to leave her alone and I’m not comfortable with her going to daycare, yet. Maybe another year for her? But the few extra hours I spend with her show up brilliantly and every time she uses a big word, everytime she uses a kind word or every time she does something just essentially Bean-ish, I feel a shiver of satisfaction run through me and I can’t wait to see the explosion she will grow up to be. It’s going to be totally worth it.

But more than that, I’ve been getting my physiotherapy done and I don’t see myself being fully fit for another year. The OA has been watching me dither and is amused. At other times, not so much. He’d like to set off on his own journey of self discovery but he can’t while I am freelancing. And he knows how much pain I’ve been in so he is monitoring me with an eagle eye – am I wearing heels under that saree? Did the physiotherapist come today? Why did you bunk a session? And he’s very keen that I spend the year focusing on health and not on rushing off to make money.

I find it easier to be a work from home mother although over the last year I’ve worked even less than I ever have before. I find myself tired and fatigued and am wondering what new mineral or vitamin I might be lacking in. On the other hand, I spend hours outdoors, I make crafts with the kids and am frantically backpaddling. A far cry from the days when the Brat was two months old, strapped into a carrier on my chest and being bundled around in Madras autos while I conducted interviews for magazines. I now feel that work can wait, my children can’t. And as times goes by, I feel less and less apologetic when people ask what I do at home. I don’t bother to correct them and tell them that I work from home. Instead, I love messing with their heads and saying that I spend the day sleeping, watching daytime TV and going to the spa. The OA shakes his head ruefully and pretends he doesn’t know me.

My relationship with my parents has undergone a change too. I’m far less harsh with them. Frank, yes, but more tender. I’ve recently seen them begin to grey slightly and what on the OA is stylish, on them, brings out the worrier and mother hen in me.

I’ve also got for more comfortable with my body this year. Begun to wear more dresses, crazy pajamas and a lot more sarees instead of the ubiquitous salwar kameez. My streak of conservation and recycling is growing and I find myself more annoyed by people who do something ridiculously token  like attending a tree planting or turning the lights off for earth hour, while doing nothing concrete and consistent otherwise. Yep, getting more and more protective of both, my birth mother as well as earth mother.

At the beginning of this post I decided to read last year’s birthday post and see if I’ve kept any of my resolutions. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I have! First, the biggest of my resolutions – I’ve learnt to be still. This one is an achievement because I do have a bit of a hyperactive nature and fighting it has not been easy. I still find my hands itching to stitch on a button as I watch TV, my eyes itching for a book as I sit in the park and let the kids play, but I have forced myself to unwind, to stop seeing multitasking as an accomplishment and recognise it for the overworking of body and mind that it is. The mind is at rest and so much else has fallen into place.

Two – The OA called to say he had invited a few people over for dinner and I of course had a nervous breakdown for three minutes. And then I did manage to organise a good menu, clean up the house, arrange potted plants, snacks, shift furniture to another room (Sometimes I’m idiotic) and get rid of all the muck created by two carpenters I had working. Clean up smashed glass (don’t ask) and get the Tata Sky guys to rewire a room and clean up after them. My knees were shot to pieces and by the time the guests came I was fading on the carpet, but I was proud of myself. We all have our personal goals and I’m getting there on mine.

Three – Didn’t join any club for pool membership this year, but we went to Corbett over the Independence day weekend and I did a lot of good swimming. Given a proper 2-3 month session, I think I’ll be decent.

Four – The house. I’m afraid I’ll jinx it but I’m even more afraid of becoming one of those superstitious people I hate. So here it is, I love this place. It’s just the right size, I love the garden, I love walking barefoot in the grass and watering my plants, I love my fishpond, I love the terrace in winter and it makes me want to roll out papads and churn out chilli pickle. I love the way we wave goodbye to people from our front door and don’t have to take the lift back up. I love how I can sit in my bedroom, hear the beep beep of the car locking and know that my husband is home. I love how the kids around the neighbourhood drop in to play and sit around my table having milk and cupcakes. I love how I’ve planted my massive plants into the ground and given them a hope. I love how I’ve added to the greenery and have creepers growing on to the house from 3 different sides. Even if we have to move out of here sometime, I’ll have had beautiful experience, it has changed me for life, and nothing can take that away from me.

Five – I no longer qualify as a teetotaller. Don’t get excited. I’ve not exactly turned into a lush either, but I have the odd Sangria when we’re out for dinner and might accept a Breezer when we’re entertaining at home. Invariably I don’t finish it, but hey, it’s a start!

Six – I planned to wean off the net and I’ve done a fairly good job of staying offline and reading. I know you guys are complaining but I’m very much at peace. I don’t take phone calls anymore either and most friends are going nuts but I’d rather meet them than have a phone chat. End of matter.

Seven – I am now volunteering left, right and centre. This is a big deal for a journalist who works for a byline. I don’t get any credit for what I do and what is more, I’m working myself into a place where I’ll soon be doing only free work and have no time left to earn money. And no will to leave those volunteer jobs and get a paying one because I’ve invested emotion in them.

All in all it’s been a good year and I’m feeling age creep up on me in the pleasantest way. I can’t complain. Goodnight folks!

Kitnay Aadmi Thay?

Guess what! I was one of the lucky few, invited to lunch with Diptakirti of Calcutta Chromosome fame (or should that be the other way around?) for the launch of his book Kitnay Aadmi Thay along with the winners of the contest.

If you don’t know that his book about absolutely useless Bollywood trivia is out, then you’ve probably just got back from a space mission or been hibernating under a rock.  Lunch was a lovely sit down affair at Zura, a bistro bar in Gurgaon’s Leisure Valley area and we spent a pleasant afternoon ribbing the author and harassing him to make a speech. He didn’t. Oh well, at least the food was good There was also an impromptu quiz in the middle of it that was great fun.

At some point though, I’ve got to put aside my rather sibling-ish irreverence aside and admit that the book is fantastic even if I’d never say that to his face. I may not be as Bollywood as some, but I do love my Hindi cinema. So it’s very convenient to have someone else put in a lifetime of research and produce a handy book that you can flip through each time you just NEED to know which film had animated versions of the protagonists running around through the credits. Or the most expensive film that didn’t get made. The ultimate handbook for anyone who lays claim to loving Hindi cinema, I’m buying and handing them out to all my friends.

Dipta’s trademark wry humour ties it all up into a neat package and it’s now on my bedside table. I’ve been trying to space it out and read a chapter a night, like a well loved blog, instead of greedily gobbling it up. If you love Bollywood, you just HAVE to own a copy. Feel free to order off Flipkart, Indiaplaza, Bookadda and a dozen other joints if you don’t find it at a store next to you. And when he’s rich(er) and famous(er) I’ll sell the autographed copy I have and it can be the Brat’s college fund.

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Next up is Priya Narendra’s You Never Know When You’ll Get Lucky. Kajal is a curvy, zany, spirited copywriter who fortunately, never seems to have a dry spell in her love life. And yet, Mr Right has not turned up – yet. Hunky researcher, suave investment banker (yes, we all seem to have one of those ) and jholawala neighbour are just some of the love interest options she has. Definitely a frothy romance, it is also an interesting peek into the world of advertising. Witty, pacy and a fun, fast read, this is one of those books that makes you stop and rush to check out the meaning of bathetic and enbonpoint. Possessor of a wonderful turn of phrase, Priya is not a first time author. Her Two Chalet School Girls in India is a book I am itching to get my hands on and sooner or later am going to click that buy button on Amazon.

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And while we’re on the topic of pals writing books, you do know that our very own Yashodhara Lal of  Y on Earth Not has a book out too, don’t you? Even if you don’t know, it’s best not to admit to such ignorance in public. Just nod along and then head off here for the book launch event (Epicentre, July 19th, 6.30 pm). Just Married, Please Excuse, promises to be a laugh riot like her blog so I’m quite looking forward to it.

Now excuse me while I get back to my library corner.

PS: With this, I also go into the has-the-most-number-of-published-friends category.