Contemplations and Ruminations

Another year, 2020, how fast the years roll by... the transition from 2019 to 2020 was fun enough, surrounded by family, friends and  an influx of angels. I saw a paper doily angel online and since then this is what I have been making in December, an army of paper doily angels... To be placed in the crib, a t last count there were about 23 angels in the crib in my hometown... Ah, Christmas is fun even though I couldn't get into the whole giddy Christmas mood this year. I don't know why, I kept listening to Winter Song by Fernando Ortega and My Favourite Time of the Year by The Florin Street Band , to get into the high spirited mood of Christmas... and though that helped a bit, everything was kinda subdued and serene. I guess Christmas as a festival just isn't appealing anymore, but Christmas as a time where love comes to stay in the form of family and friends who travel home for the holidays is more meaningful. Christmas is more than the lights on the tree, ...

So this happened...      I presented and defended my doctoral thesis titled "An Exploration into the Resilience of the Human Soul and Evolution of the Human Self: A Study of Select Autobiographies of Artists and Statesmen"  at the university and I can't believe it's over. It's actually... overwhelming to think of how I got into it in the first place. I had to quit my job cause I was in and out of the hospital, those were the dark years as I call them. I wanted something to do, and since I'm in the habit of devouring books, I thought why not get a Ph.D. in it. So started foraging for a university, a guide and after all that fell in place, the topic had to be decided. I remember Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt was quite fascinating in its various aspects and I thought why not work on such real-life stories that make you feel... that pull at your heartstrings. So got together with my guide and her guide who is a colossal giant in this field and we discu...

The special school I used to work in released their Silver jubilee souvenir this year and here's something I penned down for it.      Hues of Warm Sunshine      Shanthi Nilayam, School for the Mentally Challenged in Paruthivilai, is one of my favourite places on earth, I loved working here. I remember waking up in the morning and wondering, ‘what is going to happen today?’. Every day was exciting, you never knew what was in store – the kids were so unpredictable, the teachers were a hilarious bunch, and the sisters were always welcoming. My tenure in Shanthi Nilayam was an immeasurable learning experience, filled with joy, fun and togetherness. There is a quaint little chapel in the convent, one only has to enter it and spend a few minutes; the calmness and serenity of that simple chapel fills you with an inexplicable peace. Those were the days when I didn't mind working extra hours or even during Sundays, cause work there never really felt like w...

Videos of our 2017 trip... looking back at them now, I'm speechless and filled with wonder. Let's see how it all feels when I scroll through these pages when I'm sixty years old... gratitude filling every fibre of my being. From Pisa, to Rome to Florence... exploring Italy. Road trip to France... Our trip to Barcelona, Spain.. In Geneva... 

After exploring Coppet , we took the train back to Geneva and then bus 8 to Old Town, and walked a bit to reach the Geneva Street Food Festival. My brother met us here, and we spent the evening strolling around trying out different kinds of food... Cute food trucks... One of my favourite foods here, crepes... A cheesy spinach crepe...  The pie truck... The Churros truck... Eating under the trees... Pizza... See, how they take care of their surroundings... nobody dares dirty the place. I wish we, in India, could cultivate a culture of cleanliness... in thought, word and deed. It was nice... just strolling around, watching friends and families having a great time. The goodlife indeed...  Some Japanese food... Which tasted pretty good... We picked up a Lobster roll here... My sister loves lobster and prawns... An Aperol , got a nice buzz with this... Always fond of seafood, my brother picked up this fish and chips... ...