Lucky Every Day

Trial Headlines

2010-05-03T13:33:00.004+05:30

"Lucky's trial was no big deal, and it received no coverage in the press. But the morning after, the front page of the New York Times featured a five-by eight photo of Captain Perkins in handcuffs on his way to jail" ( P 280)

Trials make headlines when crimes concern celebrities, or if the crime is heinous or sensational , These past few months, the trial of Ajmal Kasab, the sole person caught in the Terrorist attack in Mumbai has been making headlines. Today, particularly, has every newspaper screaming out the fact that this is his day of judgement. His crime is quite obvious as is his involvement in it, and the people of Mumbai have already pronounced his judgement. What waits to be seen is how the court views his actions and how it judges him.

Ivy League Colleges

2010-04-28T12:33:00.000+05:30

"Black arrived shortly after, surrounded by6 a phalanx of young lawyers, recent graduates from Harvard, Yale and Columbia, aggressive and eager to prove themselves." (p274)

Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale , eight top

private colleges situated on the East Coast of the US constitute what is know as the

IVY LEAGUE.

These colleges are known for the excellent education they provide and the doors that

open to those graduating from these institutions. The name Ivy League comes from

ivy that normally grows on the walls of these colleges.

Joining the Dots

2010-04-24T12:29:00.000+05:30

"But this has to be solved right now! she shouted to herself. "I need some evidence.but......."

That's when she heard Shanti's voice : "Think. They are all there. Connect them." (p269)

Children love puzzles. Joining the dots one by one and seeing the entire picture emerge is something of a magical experience. Apart from the thrill of seeing something meaningful emerge out of the dots, this simple puzzle helps us to understand how things are inter-connected........often, all we have to really do to understand life's mysteries is to join the dots

Perfect endings.

2010-04-20T12:20:00.000+05:30

"She untied the ribbon and unwrapped the box . Inside was a glass dish of chocolate mousse, still cold , and a note with a single word on it : DESSERT. It was signed ML." ( p. 266)

A chocolate mousse especially a perfectly light and fluffy one is the perfect end to a perfect meal. However, most recipes are made of egg. This is a delightful and easy recipe made without egg. Try it!

Unfortunately for Lucky, though, receiving the mousse from Mike Lockwood was hardly a perfect ending.

ET or Aliens?

2010-04-18T12:02:00.000+05:30

"But that-by itself- is not likely to happen. I can document a thousand cases where aliens - Canadians, Peurto Ricans, Mexicans Haitians, Guatemalans, Somalis, Cubans, Italians, Israelis, Pakistanis even other Indians - have been arrested with illegal handguns and deported." (P257)

According to the official definition of an alien as per the US Government, anyone who is not a citizen of America is considered an alien.

By this definition, aliens seem almost normal human beings unlike the Extra terrestrial beings we consider to be aliens.

2010-04-14T17:40:00.000+05:30

"How about the thousand a month you're putting in a Swiss bank account?'

'I don't have a Swiss bank account." (P.252)

Swiss Banks are known to be the safest banks in the world largely because Switzerland is one of those rare countries that have never really waged a war. But apart from their safety, they are also valued for their secrecy .

Sometimes, the banks' obsession with privacy can have undesired results as displayed in this video clip by Michael Moore.

New England's Dutch Connection

2010-04-10T16:33:00.004+05:30

'Perkins scratched his neck."Actually," he said," I'm and old fashioned kind of guy. My old man , he was like twelfth-generation New England sailor in the merchant marine." (p.249)

New England is in the north east corner of the United States and one of the earliest European settlements in the New World. It was named so by the English pilgrims who landed there from England.

Everybody knows that the Pilgrim Fathers who landed at Plymouth sailed across the Atlantic on the Mayflower, but how many people know that several of the original English separatists also set sail from Leiden, Holland on the Speedwell?

The English separatists left England and had settled in Leiden for almost 11 years before they set sail for the New World to practice their faith without fear of persecution.

Saying what you mean and meaning what you say

2010-03-28T11:12:00.000+05:30

'How often did people say "I see" when they meant "I understand"? (P.246)

Words are expressions of thoughts and proper usage is extremely important. For instance people assume that you are educated when you have a degree, but actually an education goes beyond a college degree:that actually only attests the fact that you are literate.

Similarly, when you are searching for something, it is quite different from looking for it, the difference being really very subtle and hard to define.

One evening, when the boys were little, we were sitting in the garden while the light was fading. My young son opened the gate and came inside the compound, forgetting to shut it . His grandfather gently rebuked him and asked him to shut it after him.

"But dadaji , " he protested, "You told us to shut the gatewhile leaving the compound, not while coming in."

Impressed by his logic, grandfather replied, "hmm, I see."

With the brashness of youth, my son went on to challenge him " Oh , you can see in the dark?"

Luckily for him, his grandfather had a great sense of humour and smiled indulgently rather than scold him for impertinence!

Walking through the mountains

2010-03-26T10:47:00.000+05:30

'He told the pilgrim of a spring he had once found on his travels, high in the mountains to the north, in the vicinity of Kedarnath, at the headwaters of the Ganga.' (p246)

http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/11/21/river-pollution-control-strategy-ganga-declared-the-national-river-of-india/

This image taken from the website mentioned above, captures the essence of the Himalayas.

Craggy, unfriendly and challenging, mountains have always tempted humans to go that extra mile, to walk the rough terrain through thin air, to brace the cold and biting winds and achieve that one step closer to the sky.

What is it about mountains? Their call seems irresistible, seductive almost. And those who succumb to that siren call, experience an undeniable peace and calm, a feeling of walking in God's loving presence.

The many faces of the Buddha

2010-03-24T10:11:00.000+05:30

' However, for one who had been blind from birth, and had not even seen his mother's face, seeing the Buddha's face would certainly have a special significance."If there was one thing I could see in this world," the pilgrim said, "let it be your face." ' ( p.245)

This statue of the Buddha in Bodhgaya, the place where Prince Siddharth actually attained enlightenment is quite different from the version of the Buddha in Thailand

Or yet again quite different from the fat, happy, Laughing Buddha we find in China.

But essentially, we find that all Buddhas, no matter how they are represented, in stone, metal or wood, as Indian, Chinese or Thai, radiate an inner calm and wisdom of a truly enlightened soul.

Making choices

2010-03-21T10:00:00.000+05:30

"One does not choose this kind of life. This kind of life chooses you." (p. 245)

This is one of the most profound statements in my book. There are times in my life when I wonder why I am doing what I am doing, why certain things are happening to me and then I realise that I really have no choice in the matter. I am sure most of you will agree that things happen and we really have little part to play in the way our lives turn out. There seems to be some kind of cosmic force that decides which way our lives will turn. So why then, do I feel guilty when I reach out to that chocolate cake? Hasn't it chosen me?

Making paper .

2010-03-19T15:42:00.000+05:30

"One afternoon a package from India arrived at the cottage by courier. It was from Shanti. It container a letter and a manuscript entitled The Story of My Life. The book was written in a diary made out of homemade paper." (P244)

I love handmade paper, particularly the ones with flower petals interspersed. Apart from the fact that this paper is aesthetically beautiful, it is also eco-friendly since it is made out of recycled paper pulp. All you need is paper, water, a large tub, a frame with a sieve and some plastic sheets.

The waster paper has to be soaked in water and then blended into a smooth paste. This is then put in a tub of water for at least two days. Then a frame with a net is lowered into the water and the resulting cloudy viscous fluid is drained off, leaving the tray covered with waste paper cellulose.

A plastic sheet is then placed on the cellulose and the frame is tipped upside down rather like a cake tin and the sheet is allowed to dry. When the cellulose dries, the plastic sheet comes off easily and you have your own hand made paper!

Saving for an education

2010-03-18T15:24:00.000+05:30

"Impending motherhood gave Lucky a fresh perspective on life. Sean would need a stable home to grow up in and money for his education. Lucky remembered how her mother had paid for her education - selling family heirlooms a little at a time until, when her mother died, the house was practically bare." (P. 244)

Tuition and fees account for 67% of the average estimated budget for students living on-campus at private four-year colleges, but only 18% for students not living with parents and commuting to public two-year colleges

According to the report prepared in October 2009 by the College Board, college education in the US is definitely not cheap. Even a basic degree from a public two year community college costs just under $15,000.

It is no wonder then that Lucky has to save:not for a rainy day but to give her child an education

Lucky's Adoption option

2010-03-09T10:15:00.004+05:30

'Now me, I come from a good Catholic family, and while I ain't in no position to raise a kid, I'm not in favour of abortion. So I asked Katie to give me a couple of weeks to find a good home, and for her to think about having the kid and giving it up for adoption.'

Lucky put her hands palm down on the table to steady herself. She leaned towards Steve. 'You.....you want me to adopt your child?' (P.241)

Truly my heroine's life is one roller coaster. After finding out that she was pregnant when she believed she could never be pregnant, Lucky has to unfortunately abort the child because it was not developing properly. So, it would seem a stroke of luck that Steve wants to give up his own child in adoption to Lucky!!!

Adoption is a complicated process which involves a lot of background check on the prospective adoptive parents. So Lucky is indeed very fortunate that this tiring and tedious procedure has already been taken care of.

Adopted children, it is observed, somehow manage to look and acquire the mannerisms of their adopted parents. Perhaps it lends credence to the theory of nurture over nature where man is moulded by his circumstances and not by his genetic disposition.

Do you think Steve's child will be more like his natural parents or will he somehow acquire Lucky's traits?

Hair today, Gone tomorrow!

2010-03-09T09:52:00.005+05:30

'Steve arrived, his quiet self again. He looked much the same except that he was no longer shaving his head: a thin, brown stubble covered his scalp. Lucky noted with some amusement that he had a pronounced bald spot on the top of his head.' ( P. 238)

Hair is truly a person's crowning glory. Both men and women spend a lot of time obsessing about their hair : is it too dry?is it too long? is it too thick or is it too thin?

While it would seem that most men just have a quick shower and rush off to work just running a brush or even their fingers through their hair, it is not true. I have seen several young men spending a lot of time and hair products on trying to get their hair just right.

The reason for this is basically primordial:to attract the opposite sex. A full head of hair implies the person is young and aggressive while a receding forehead implies social maturity.

However, all men will eventually lose their hair and if it helps, a man can predict his pattern of baldness by looking more closely at his maternal grand father than his own father since this genetic characteristic is passed on from the mother!

Uncle Jal and the Cadillac

2010-03-03T09:52:00.003+05:30

'A few weeks earlier Alec had been in a chain reaction pile-up on the freeway. He wasn't hurt, but the Cadillac, his pride and joy, had been damaged in the front and the rear.' (P237)

The Cadillac has always been one of my favourite luxury marques. I will always associate it with the long rides Uncle Jal used to take us for in his prized Cady. Like all Parsis, this car was meticulously kept and even his driver had to wear gloves while steering the car! Every now and then as a special treat, Uncle Jal would take my sisters and me for a ride and we felt like princesses as we cruised along the road with the our hair blowing in the breeze.

When his old driver died, Uncle Jal wanted to sell the car because he felt no driver was worthy enough to drive it. Yet, selling it was a difficult proposition. Each prospective client was interviewed, his credentials examined and even the Cady's potential garage inspected. Finally, Uncle Jal found the perfect customer for his perfect car.

"Careful, dikra, "he said, "Be really careful. I'm giving you my jaan," and he quietly wiped a tear as he handed over the keys.

p.s. dikra is an endearment for son while jaan means life.

God's Glorious Blessing

2010-02-27T11:08:00.004+05:30

"Lucky," she said,'the foetus has a problem.' She opened Lucky's folder and spread the images on her desk. She singled one out and said, 'In the normal course of things, the baby's head develops first. In the second trimester, the baby is all head and no body. But from what I'm seeing so far, the foetus's head is small, almost what you would call proportional in a full-term pregnancy. This usually signals a brain-development disorder.' (P231)

When Lucky goes to visit Dr. Kapadia for her routine pre-natal examination, she is confronted with a new problem: the possibility of having a child with a brain development disorder.

For Lucky, being pregnant itself was miraculous, so one can imagine the devastation she must have felt on hearing this news. All parents want the most perfect child and any kind of imperfection is hard to bear and even harder to deal with. Having a baby is one of the most fulfilling of human experiences, an experience that evokes awe and admiration in the glory of God and his creation. Truly a child is a gift from God and all of us who have 'perfect' children are blessed indeed.

I can never forget the amazement that I felt when I first saw my own little baby wriggling around on the screen. Was this really happening inside me?

This video I came across on YouTube captures the wonderment of seeing a new life developing in the womb.

Broadening horizons

2010-02-25T12:02:00.004+05:30

Shanti's constant refrain to her had been :'One must know oneself and one's place in the world before one can know the world'

'And how do I know myself?' Lucky asked.

'Look around,' Shanti replied.'Know the world and you will know yourself.' (P229)

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

Truly, the more one travels the more one learns. With every new journey of mine I come back refreshed, thinking of things a different way. No matter how many times I visit a place, with each visit I discover something new .

Meeting new people, seeing new things, experiencing new experiences ; all add up to a lifetime of learning about myself and the people around me.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

Con Women

2010-02-24T09:46:00.003+05:30

'Hell, I might be a con, but I ain't stupid. I might have smacked him around a little, just to make my point, you know, but then I started thinking about all what you said before I got out.' ( P226)

While thieves are essentially out to get your stuff if not you, they do have a Code of Conduct. I found this out quite by accident when our cook was pick-pocketed one Saturday afternoon when he took the day off to go to the Bandra Fair.

Deciding to go by bus rather than the train, he went to the bus stop at the end of the road and was surprised to find the normally quiet bus stop over crowded. He particularly noticed a group of unruly women, something rather strange in our area. This rang some alarm bells in his head which he ignored as the bus rumbled up to the stop. As usual it was quite a struggle to get in and he just about managed to hang on to the moving bus. Pushing his way in, he found himself surrounded by the gaggle of women but he held on to the overhead strap, keep his balance and take out the bus fare from his wallet.

A few minutes later, as the bus approached the next stop, the women made their way to the front of the bus and Bahadur quickly grabbed the empty seat next to him. Just then his mobile rang and he put his hand in his pocket to find that his wallet was missing!

Ignoring the ringing phone, Bahadur looked around for the missing wallet and then realised that it had been pinched. He also realised that the gang of women had vanished - really strange considering that they had used the bus for a one stop ride - and figured that they had made off with his money! He got off the bus and tried to chase them but they were too quick for him. Upset and annoyed, he retraced his steps and to his surprise found his wallet lying on the footpath by the bus stop. Perhaps the women had dropped it in panic, he thought , as he picked it up. Alas! He was wrong: the money was gone. However, his personal photographs were intact as were his train pass and the photos of his Gods.

But all was not lost. The thieves had left the loose change intact so Bahadur could afford the bus fare back home!

Creatures of Habit

2010-02-21T15:46:00.000+05:30

'He heard I got out. He had some China white he wanted to offload. He thought I might want some but I told him no way.'

'So you're clean, you didn't test dirty?' (P222)

Man has always been known to have taken mind altering or performance enhancing substances since time immemorial. While substances like tea and coffee have gained acceptability despite their addictive nature, they are considered harmless . In the course of time tobacco and alcohol too have become accepted. However, hard drugs like narcotics are banned and their use is closely monitored.

Despite the penalties involved and the tight security measures employed, drug smuggling is still a very lucrative trade and in an effort to track down this illegal substance, man has enlisted the help of his best friend to help stop this activity.

Every time I go through the airport, I see these handsome dogs waiting by the side - some to sniff out bombs and some to sniff out drugs. But while I know they are essential to catch the crooks, as a dog lover, I am horrified that the dogs who sniff out drugs actually become junkies themselves!

What can be more cruel than to make these wonderful creatures into creatures of habit?

Capital Punishment and the Hanged Man

2010-02-18T14:26:00.006+05:30

"Lucky bit her lip. Until now, she hadn't given a thought to things from Steve's perspective. For her this was an inconvenience - for Steve it could mean death." ( p.222)

An eye for an eye , a tooth for a tooth:the basic tenet of justice which would seem fair because you should be prepared to pay for your crime.

But in reality, this extreme form of justice has several people shouting themselves hoarse in defense of the perpetrator. Sometimes the excuse is that the murderer was unaware of what he was doing as in the case of several crimes committed by persons of unsound mind; sometimes the excuse is that the life was taken in a fit of passion hence the person was temporarily insane; sometimes the evidence is just circumstantial and there is no positive proof that the murder was indeed the murderer. So very often the murder gets off with just a life imprisonment.

Is this real justice?

On the other hand, a person is killed under Capital Punishment can never be brought back if it is later proved that he was wrongly indicted and sentenced.

Finally, after killing the perpetrator of the crime, can the murdered or killed person be brought back to life?

The Twelfth trump card in the Tarot is the Hanged Man :a person hanging upside-down by one foot, often suspended from a wooden beam (as in a cross or gallows) or a tree. While this card has several meanings it essentially asks one simple question: Is the man or the world upside-down?

This hanged man seems free and liberated, almost at peace with himself. So in the end, a man receiving corporal punishment would essentially be freed of the guilt and remorse that he would have to live with the rest of his life.

Without a care in the world

2010-02-14T07:00:00.000+05:30

"There is a tradition in India of great sages renouncing the world in order to find enlightenment. But that is only one path. There is nothing that says we must give up our things, only our attachment to things." ( P220)

Materialism is frowned upon all religions and every body condemns the pursuit of pleasure for the sake of sheer indulgence. The only people who would be opposed to this theory would be of course capitalists who believe that consumerism is the only way to expand an economy or those in the show business who would go broke if no one wanted to be entertained!

But while it is easy to condemn materialism, what people fail to realise is that looking after things does require time and energy. Maintaining a good home, maintaining a car, maintaining a life style requires a lot of effort.

Half naked fakirs smoking up outside temples are a common sight in Mumbai. With matted hair, unkempt emaciated bodies they wait patiently for handouts as they watch the world go by, oblivious to their surroundings. I wonder if they are truly happy with not a care in the world?

Magical transformation

2010-02-10T08:30:00.000+05:30

"Change does not cause pain.Resistance to change causes pain." (P 219)

We are all creatures of habit and we crave the familiar because it is comforting and reassuring. But change is like day and night or the changing of the seasons. Because these are natural occurrences with a rhythmic constancy, this change is not seen as threatening and disruptive. But there are times when we wonder why our Universe is being challenged: times when change causes us pain and anguish. We are troubled. We are upset. After a lot of introspection we finally realize that it is our resistance to accept change that causes all the chaos : not the actual change itself!

That was rather heavy!

To lighten this rather sombre mood, I would like to share this incredible magic trick of change and transformation. Enjoy!

Salad Days

2010-02-08T07:41:00.001+05:30

After the meeting, Alec took Lucky to the village for a late lunch. Over a Waldorf salad she told Alec that she was pregnant and there might be complications. (p.218)

Like my heroine Lucky, I love salads. Nothing can be better than the Waldforf Salad a perennial favourite. At this time of year, when Mumbai is still pleasant, when the apples are still crisp and tart and the grapes are just beginning to come into the market, February seems the perfect time to enjoy this salad.

I would like to share this quick recipe I found on the net with my readers. Just grab the freshest of fresh ingredients listed in this recipe and enjoy!

Head in the Sand

2010-02-05T09:20:00.000+05:30

Black said,'Everybody's opposed to violence until they need to protect themselves. It's a god-given tool, like any other. It can be right or wrong.'

'Yes, but taking a life is not like taking a loan- once you've done it, it can't be repaid.'

'I don't believe in "turning the other cheek",' Black said. 'You can't bury your head in the sand' (p.216)

According to Black, the only way you can solve a problem is by tackling it, not burying your head in the sand.

This expression of lying low till the problems blows over or hiding from the truth lies in the misplaced belief that Ostriches bury their heads in sand when they sense danger. Actually male ostriches dig deep holes in the sand to make a nest for the eggs. Both male and female birds take turns sitting on the eggs and from time to time use their beaks to turn the eggs during incubation. This makes it seem like the head is buried in the sand! In actual fact ,when ostriches sense danger they actually run like crazy hoping to distract the predator from the eggs. So contrary to popular belief, ostriches are aware of the dangers their eggs face and do not bury their heads in the sand!

Decorating spaces

2010-02-02T09:05:00.005+05:30

Black's office was huge, cavernous, with windows looking east, towards the Statue of Liberty. The walls were lined with bookshelves, floor-to-ceiling. The chairs and sofas were upholstered in red silk with Chinese motifs. The floors were marble, though covered with a long, dark blue oriental carpet that led from the door to the receptionist's desk. ( P.214)

Fours walls and a roof are all that are really required to provide man shelter. However, geographic and climatic considerations affect the construction of each dwelling which is further modified according to the use of space - a kitchen for cooking, a family room , a bedroom for sleeping etc. etc. While personal space depends on personal taste, money also has a lot to do with it.

For instance, the latest kid on the block, Antilla, the world's most expensive home is supposed to have it all. According to Forbes who first featured this home on the Internet, every space and material used on each is different. While space can be differently decorated, I find it hard to believe that material cannot be repeated in a home that is definitely not small : 27 floors and with lots and lots of rooms!

This lounge which is supposed to be one of the many to be found in Antilla seems an oasis of calm and peace : something which our neighbourhood has not seen for the last two years since this mansion in the sky has been under construction.

Pigeon's Nest

2010-01-31T07:49:00.001+05:30

"Lucky looked out, towards the Statue of Liberty. Beyond it a cluster of jets were circling and stacking up for landing at La Guardia. There was a nest on the ledge outside Black's window, and a pigeon - presumably one of a pair - was minding it. She remembered the pigeons outside her window at the Fairdeal office in Bombay acting this way." ( p. 217)

Pigeons have been cooing outside my window for as long as I remember. While birds are essential creatures, they can be quite annoying, especially when they gurgle incessantly all day long, make nests in the air -conditioners positioned outside and more importantly cast off their feathers which get tangled up in the houseplants sunning themselves in my balcony.

This is largely because there are several spots in Mumbai which are reserved for feeding pigeons like the famous "Kabutarkhana" at Dadar.

Crime of Passion

2010-01-29T18:26:00.002+05:30

"I mean, Ms. Boyce, let's face it:the criminal mind is an oxymoron. Most of these guys are not thinking when they commint a crime. If they were smart they either wouldn't do it in the first place, or they wouldn't get caught. They act impulsively - "crime of passion" people call it - or they think they've got all their bases covered, which they never do. That's why they get caught." (P212)

For some strange reason man has been fascinated by crime and crimes of passion somehow grab the imagination even more. Shakespeare that ever green playwright of the Elizabethan era has captured our imagination with stories of "Romeo & Juliet" and 'Hamlet" where the mind is gripped by a sensless passion that drives the characters in the play to perform mindless acts.

However, this "Crime of Passion" a song by Mike Oldfield is different. Hope you enjoy it!

A jail house that really rocks.

2010-01-26T17:09:00.004+05:30

The state wasted no time in going after Steve and within no time he landed up in jail (P210).

Poor Steve, in a strange turn of events, finds himself back in prison for the alleged killing of Rizzo, the thug who assaulted Lucky.

The grey sombre buildings of the Charles Street Jail in Boston is one prison that people would love to visit repeatedly. This is because the buildings have now been converted into the swanky Liberty Hotel.

In its latest avatar, this building is simply amazing! I can never forget the awe I felt when I entered its central lobby to go to its famous restaurant CLINK for a quick bite when I was visiting my friends in Boston. Its slick, clean lines kept to the original theme but the obvious luxury transformed it from the cold, penitentiary where Steve found himself.

Can you feel the love?

2010-01-24T12:34:00.005+05:30

"I love you , Lucky,' Amay said. 'Please remember that ' (p.203)

One of the most beautiful love songs I've heard is Elton John's "Can you feel the love tonight" from my all time favourite "The Lion King".

Love, that very complex of all emotions is extremely hard to define. How often do we bandy that word around, sometimes almost reflexively without real feeling?

I can never forget the time my young son came up to me and gave me a big hug, suddenly and out of the blue. I asked him what brought that on and he replied, "Nothing mama, I just love you."

"Really?How much?" I asked him impishly, the accountant in me somehow getting out.

Without batting an eyelid he replied " I love you 5."

"Only 5 ?" I asked him.

"But that's my whole hand," he said as he showed me his outstretched palm.

A Dangerous house break- in

2010-01-20T07:54:00.005+05:30

'Who's there?' Lucky asked, louder now. Instinctively she shot out her hand and threw the deadbolt, a split second before whoever was outside kicked at the door. Lucky screamed and threw her weight against it. The person outside kicked it again and she felt the frame giving.' (p197)

Lucky had decided to leave Amay and had packed her bag but just as she left the apartment, she remembered Mike's pistol on the night stand so she returned only to find that someone was waiting outside trying to break in.

Having your house broken into is a horrid experience but sometimes it can become a worse experience for the intruder! In newspaper article I read long ago a cat burgler in rural Orissa was stunned to find himself at the receiving end. Ramu, the cat burgler had scaled the wall of the local landlord's home and jumped into the compound. He began to walk towards the house when the landlord's pet leopard leapt at him and grabbed him by the throat! Wondering whether he was about to breathe his last, he was relieved at seeing the gardeners and house boys come to his rescue. The cat burgler was taken to the hospital instead of the police station.

The ultimate irony was that Ramu made a police complaint against the landlord for keeping a wild animal in his home. The land lord had no option but to pay a compensation to the cat burgler for breaking into his home and facing bodily harm.

Upside Down reality

2010-01-14T10:19:00.004+05:30

'And then she remembered something else Shanti had said."When the world turns upside down, stand on your head." ( P195)

Though the Shirshasan is the King of all Poses, I myself love doing the hand stand.

Like any yogic inversion, this requires intense concentration while getting into the pose so that a perfect balance is maintained.

Infact I've always been fascinated by Circus clowns walking on their hands and have wondered what the world would look like if I really stood on my head.

Is this our reality?

Fears are Illusions

2010-01-09T11:16:00.001+05:30

'Let go of your fears. They too are illusions, a self-imposed slavery.' ( P195)

Completely thrown by the news that she is pregnant, Lucky has a disturbed sleep in which Shanti her mentor comes to her in her dream. Shanti advises Lucky to let go of her fears because according to her they are just imaginary. So often we find ourselves gripped by irrational fears which when we work through somehow just vanish!

I would like to share some amazing examples of optical illusions that I came across on About.com:Puzzles. These examples of metamorphic art are by Mexican artist Octavio Ocampo

Nasik - India's Wine Country

2010-01-06T11:14:00.006+05:30

'She thought of Shanti, who she knew was now in Nasik, living with her granddaughter. Her seemingly ageless body had finally let her down...........Lucky closed her eyes and pictured Shanti lying on a bed in a sunny, well-lit room. Outside her window were the green and fertile rolling hills of central Maharastra.' ( P.192)

Situated 180 km away from Mumbai, on the banks of the Godavari, the second most important river in India, Nasik is an ancient temple town. With pleasant climate all year round and rich fertile soil, it has always been known for its agricultural produce. In the recent past, however, it has emerged as a major wine manufacturing area in India with at least three important wineries in its environs and many more grape farmers.

While discussing the anomaly of Wine making, a distinctly Occidental industry, thriving in a typical Oriental town, my Uncle Jal came up with this theory which I still have not been able to verify or establish. Perhaps it was just one of his imaginary tales or perhaps there is some inkling of truth:

"You see, Baps," he told me, " the British had established a Prisoner of War Camp in Deolali during World War 2 where they kept a lot of Italian POW's . And they say that one of these prisoners had smuggled a stem of a grape vine in his jacket to remind him of home and when he came to Deolali, he planted it in the compound. That is how Nasik had its first European grape which of course multiplied and multiplied till it became a full fledged vineyard!"

Seeing my look of utter disbelief he went on: "Honestly, I know you don't believe me but it's true. In fact, Mussolini's army had a unique tag line to attract potential recruits : Join the Italian Army and see India."

Do you believe this story? I still don't.

Pregnant pause

2009-12-30T06:58:00.004+05:30

'That afternoon she got a call from the doctor while at work. "We have a firm diagnosis. You've not contacted anything contagious, nor are you suffering from any reaction.'

'What's it then?' Lucky asked.

'You're pregnant. Congratulations!" ( P.192-193)

You, dear reader, must be as shocked as Lucky was when she found out that she was pregnant! After all , one of the main reasons for her failed marriage was the fact that she was barren (p.112). Her mother-in-law insisted that the marriage be annulled because the Singhs needed an heir that Lucky was unable to provide.

Finding out that you are pregnant always comes as a shock whether you plan for a baby or not. Those who are planning are shocked that their efforts have paid off while those who aren't are shocked that things have turned out differently.

Around ten years ago, I was travelling down South I decided to visit to my friend Gita who lived on a remote tea estate. We were old school friends and I was looking forward to some peace and quiet from my own hectic life in Mumbai. As the car drove up to the rambling bungalow, I could see Gita's kids playing around.

I got out and asked them where their mother was. They pointed to the inside of the house so I climbed up the steps to the verandah.

Then I saw her, my tiny little Gita, pregnant and ready to pop lugging a tiny tote in her hand.

"Gosh Bapsy!" she said clutching on to her huge belly. "Thank God you've come. The pains are just beginning and there's no one to leave the kids with. Please look after them while I just go down to the hospital ."

I was simply aghast! I had no idea that Gita was even remotely pregnant. After all her youngest was all of ten and I was sure she was done with having babies.

Looking at my shock, Gita began to shake. I was getting even more worried and quickly grabbed her before she fell.

"Don't, don't," she said with tears streaming down her face." I must sit down" as she eased herself into a chair.

"Gosh Bapsy," she said, " that was simply fantastic! I will never forget the look on your face," and she whipped out the pillow from under her dress.

For a moment I got another shock. And then I kicked myself ; how could I forget Gita the Class Prankster? I gave her a big hug and began to laugh myself.

Uncle Jal and the Air Gun Incident

2009-12-28T06:33:00.003+05:30

'He insisted on taking her to a gun club. There he explained to her how the pistol worked. It was a .40 Smith and Wesson semi-automatic with a four inch barrel. Since Lucky couldn't hold it and chamber a shell at the same time, Mike said she should carry it 'hot', that is with a shell already loaded.' (p189)

Since Lucky's assailant was untraceable and her cottage had been broken into, Mike thought she should protect herself. Hence takes her to a shooting range to learn how to wield a pistol.But how safe is it really to use a pistol in self defence?

My Uncle Jal was extremely proud of his air gun that he got as a sixteen year old from all the money he had collected for his birthday. His mother of course was most upset and told her son that it was sheer folly to have such a dangerous weapon at home.

"Nonsense, Ma," he pooh-poohed her assuring her that it was harmless. Besides, as he reminded her, he was such a poor shot that he never managed to hit a bull's eye even once. Gradually, Jal's passion for guns died out and the gun was brought out on occasion to frighten away the boys who used to used to encroach on his property to knock off the mangoes from his orchard. It soon became a David and Goliath contest with the local lads and their catapults, who loved seeing Jal's red face getting redder as he squinted and took aim, and getting even more florid when he completely missed.

However, one Sunday afternoon, Uncle Jal, totally lost in a post-Dhansak snooze made all the sweeter by the fact that he actually managed to finish the Sunday crossword, was enraged when he saw a group of boys giggling as they took shots at the ripe mangos just outside his window!! This time he got his gun and began firing aimlessly like a crazy coot. The boys ran away as soon as they saw him red-faced and screaming ........all but one who fell down clutching his leg.

The gardener and watchman went running to the young boy who it turned out had been hit by a stray slug! Needless to say, it was the last time my uncle Jal fired his gun for as his mother pointed out : the only time you didn't aim, you actually shot someone - so you'd really better stop!

The C-Food Diet

2009-12-23T07:28:00.003+05:30

'No, I'm on a diet.'

'Me too. I'm on a see-food diet.I see food I eat it." (p185)

Steve eagerly grabs the half eaten sandwich on Lucky's plate which she has abandoned because of her diet. All of us women at some time or the other are on some kind of a diet. Particularly after a spot of binge eating like the holidays when good food is hard to resist.

Yesterday evening while walking round the Race Course to pre-empt the calories that we are bound to be piling on, my friend Monica came up with this unique diet : The Chopstick Diet. You can eat all you want, anything you like as many times as you want. But you must do it with ONE chopstick.

Try it. I'm sure it'll work!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-22T18:54:00.003+05:30

You know it's Christmas when boys at traffic lights pester you to buy Red felt Santa hats with white pig tails or when all the window displays have cotton wool snow and Santa's reindeer pulling sleigh loads of goodies. With thermacole snow flakes dangling from ceilings and green and red buntings all over the place, radio stations playing Christmas songs, it is hard to miss the fact that Christmas is just two days away.

I love going around town seeing the elaborate Christmas trees and decorations in the shops and hotels in my city. I love going down to the garden to listen to the the Salvation Army's Christmas Carols. I love visiting friends and sharing a glass of wine and Christmas cake or pudding.

Perhaps it is the end of the year which makes Christmas universally appealing or perhaps happiness and joy are just contagious.

Whatever it may be, I'd like to share this joke that I got in the email last week and wish all of you a happy festive season :

FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: Nov. 1, 2009
RE: Gala Christmas Party

I'm happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on December 23rd, starting at noon in the private function room at the Grill House. There will be a cash bar and plenty of drinks! We'll have a small band playing traditional carols... feel free to sing along. And don't be surprised if our CEO shows up dressed as Santa Claus! A Christmas tree will be lit at 1:00 PM. Exchanges of gifts among employees can be done at that time; however, no gift should be over $10.00 to make the giving of gifts easy for everyone's pockets. This gathering is only for employees!
Our CEO will make a special announcement at that time!
Merry Christmas to you and your family,
Patty
Company Memo

FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: Nov. 2, 2009
RE: Gala Holiday Party

In no way was yesterday's memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We recognize that Hanukkah is an important holiday, which often coincides with Christmas, though unfortunately not this year. However, from now on, we're calling it our "Holiday Party." The same policy applies to any other employees who are not Christians and to those still celebrating Reconciliation Day. There will be no Christmas tree and no Christmas carols will be sung. We will have other types of music for your enjoyment.
Happy now?
Happy Holidays to you and your family,
Patty
Company Memo

FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: Nov 3, 2009
RE: Holiday Party

Regarding the note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous requesting a non-drinking table, you didn't sign your name. I'm happy to accommodate this request, but if I put a sign on a table that reads, "AA Only", you wouldn't be anonymous anymore. How am I supposed to handle this?
Somebody?
And sorry, but forget about the gift exchange, no gifts are allowed since the union members feel that $10.00 is too much money and the executives believe $10.00 is a little chintzy.
REMEMBER: NO GIFTS EXCHANGE WILL BE ALLOWED..

Company Memo

FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
To: All Employees
DATE: Nov 4, 2009
RE: Generic Holiday Party

What a diverse group we are! I had no idea that December 20th begins the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating and drinking during daylight hours. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a luncheon at this time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees' beliefs. Perhaps the Grill House can hold off on serving your meal until the end of the party or else package everything for you to take it home in little foil doggy baggy. Will that work?
Meanwhile, I've arranged for members of Weight Watchers to sit farthest from the dessert buffet, and pregnant women will get the table closest to the restrooms.

Gays are allowed to sit with each other. Lesbians do not have to sit with Gay men, each group will have their own table.
Yes, there will be flower arrangement for the Gay men's table.

To the person asking permission to cross dress, the Grill House asks that no cross-dressing be allowed, apparently because of concerns about confusion in the restrooms. Sorry.

We will have booster seats for short people.

Low-fat food will be available for those on a diet.

I am sorry to report that we cannot control the amount of salt used in the food . The Grill House suggests that people with high blood pressure taste a bite first.

There will be fresh "low sugar" fruits as dessert for diabetics, but the restaurant cannot supply "no sugar" desserts. Sorry!

Did I miss anything?!?!?

Patty
Company Memo

FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All F*%^ing Employees
DATE: Nov 5, 2009
RE: The F*%^ing Holiday Party

I've had it with you vegetarian pricks!!! We're going to keep this party at the Grill House whether you like it or not, so you can sit quietly at the table furthest from the "grill of death," as you so quaintly put it, and you'll get your f*%^ing salad bar, including organic tomatoes. But you know, tomatoes have feelings, too.. They scream when you slice them. I've heard them scream. I'm hearing them scream right NOW!
The rest of you f*%^ing wierdos can kiss my *ss. I hope you all have a rotten holiday!

Drive drunk and die,

The B*tch from H*ll!!!

Company Memo
FROM: Joan Bishop, Acting Human Resources Director
DATE: Nov 6, 2009

RE: Patty Lewis and Holiday Party

I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Patty Lewis a speedy recovery and I'll continue to forward your cards to her.
In the meantime, management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party and give everyone the afternoon of the 23rd off with full pay.
Happy Holidays!
Joan

HAPPY HOLIDAYS !

Dining with Grandpa

2009-12-20T07:20:00.006+05:30

'Four bucks for a cup of f---ing cup of coffee? What the hell? He looked the menu up and down. 'I'll have a glass of water,' he said. Lucky laughed as she ordered two cappuccinos."(P.183)

Steve is not the only one who has been faced with the dilemma of paying an arm and a leg for a cup of coffee.

For most people Starbucks is "Coffee" . There are some die hard fans who actually pick up a cup every single day. When analysed into its bare ingredients, it would seem decadent to pay for just coffee, sugar, milk and some toppings but then, who bothers to go to town when making coffee at home? One cannot deny the joy of having the most extravagant coffees at Starbucks or any other coffee chain that takes coffee to another level.

However, several people ( my own darling indulgent grandfather included) find paying humongous amounts of money for water, cold drinks and simple teas and coffee a bit hard to swallow. I can never forget those occasions when my sister and I would walk into a fancy restaurant every once in a while, dressed in our best, proudly escorted by a beaming Grandpa.

As we settled down at the best table, he would grandly announce to the waiter that we were allowed to order whatever we wanted . Most times we went for our favourite fish and chips with a plain old Coke. While Grandpa sanctioned the food he balked at the price of the cola on the menu. "You can go home and have ten Cokes if you want!" he would bellow , as he proceeded to instruct the waiter to make the freshest fries and get an extra serving of tartar sauce with an ice cold bottle of mineral water !

Clothes maketh the man

2009-12-15T11:36:00.004+05:30

"Steve kept his appointment on Wednesday and Lucky laughed when she saw him. It was the first time she had seen him in anything other than prison wear." (P182)

Steve is out on parole and Lucky finds it hard to associate this tough nosed, tattoo artist in"civilised" attire. While clothes are only the extraneous elements of a man's personality, they are a very important means of assessing him . Just as we wear different garments for different occasions ( beach wear for the beach, black tie for a formal event) the style and manner with which they are worn are telling signs of one's personality: an immaculately turned out person reveals a person who likes the good things in life, who is particular about things.

I would like to share some proverbs on clothes and their imortance in judging a man.

Euer maner and clothyng makyth man.
[a 1400 Prov. Wisdom l. 59 in Archiv (1893) XC. 245]

Ffor clothyng oft maketh man.
[c 1445 Peter Idley's Instructions to his Son (1935) i. 82]

Though manners makes, yet apparell shapes.
[1591 J. Florio Second Fruits 115]

The Hood makes not the Monke, nor the apparrell the man.
[1617 R. Greene Alcida B3]

Clothes gave us individuality, distinctions, social polity. Clothes have made men of us.
[1836 Carlyle Sartor i. v.]

Still, it did happen—and it goes some way to show that clothes make the man, doesn't it?
[1933 J. Hilton Lost Horizon 3]

Gem of the day (credit Mark Twain): Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
[2001 Washington Post 17 Dec. C12]

Tiger's Travails - Pedestal to Pillory

2009-12-11T12:35:00.006+05:30

Poor Tiger. He is really being taken to the cleaners by the Press and one feels really sorry that he has to face a public that is as eager to tie him to the Pillory as they are to raise him on a Pedestal.

I have received several emails making jokes at Tiger's expense :

"Crouching Tiger, hidden hydrant"

What does Tiger Woods have in common with a baby seals?
They both get clubbed by Norwegians.

That’s the first time Tiger Woods has failed to drive 300 yards

Tiger Woods crashed into a fire hydrant and a tree ... he couldn't decide between a wood and an iron.
Perhaps Tiger should have used a driver

I find it's a nightmare driving at 2.05am: sometimes you can't see the Woods for the trees.

Tiger's wife went for him over a birdie.

What was the second worst part of Tiger's car accident?

The police found the driver in the trunk.

What were Tiger Woods and his wife doing out at 2.30 in the morning?

They went clubbing.

What’s the difference between a car and a golf ball?

Tiger can drive a ball 400 yards.

Don't you think he deserves some privacy if not sympathy? Having flown with him just last month, I feel I "know" him more than I did when I had just read about him.

So strangely enough, I actually empathize with him and hope that he is left alone!

Excuse me ?

2009-12-03T14:30:00.014+05:30

"I sometimes stay at the office if I have a late meeting, or if the commute is going to be bad. She doesn't ask and she won't suspect." (P.182)

Staying late at the office is the lamest excuse a cheating spouse can give to their partner. Amay had better watch out or he may find his things on the sidewalk like this cheating husband did:

CHEATING HUSBAND

It doesn't pay to cheat on your wife. Straying husbands take note, look what happened to this one. Now the world knows he's a rat. Stay faithful, if you know what's good for you.

p.s On the 18th of last month, I was flying into LA to meet with John Burnham of ICM to discuss the possibility of making "Lucky Everyday" into a film. While boarding the aircraft at Dubai, I was surprised to find TIGER WOODS walking ahead of me! Instinctively, I gave him a hesitant smile of recognition and he politely smiled back. We got talking and I was impressed by how charming, unassuming and gentlemanly he was. He even autographed my book. So, when the news broke last week that he was a cheating husband, I was shocked beyond belief that he was the Casanova he confessed to being.

An Indian in America

2009-12-01T11:15:00.002+05:30

With Lucky settled into a new apartment, she begins a new phase of her life. One which surprisingly enough leads her into an adulterous relationship with Amay.

Do you think she is any different from Viki?

While you ponder, I would like to share this joke I received in my mail today.

An Indian migrated to America, and moved into an American neighborhood; His American neighbor went next door to wish him welcome.
He was shocked to see the man from India in his nice backyard chasing ten chickens around like mad.

"Must be an Indian custom," he thought to himself. Deciding he could put off the welcome till a later date, he went home.
The next day, he decided he was going to welcome the Indian man again.

When he looked through his window, he saw the Indian man urinate into a cup and drink it. "Must be an Indian custom," he thought to himself.

Deciding he could put off the welcome till tomorrow, he went on with other stuff.
The third day, he was determined he had to welcome the Indian man. At his gate, he saw the Indian man with his ear pressed against a cow's big fat butt.

Seeing this, he became angry and went up to the Indian man. "I'm sorry sir, I did want to wish you a warm welcome, but I cannot stand your crazy Indian customs!" He yelled in the Indian man's face.

The Indian man looked confused and answered. "Sorry sir, I think you are mistaken.
These are actually American customs. I was told that in order to be a true American, you have to chase chicks, get piss drunk, and listen to bullshit."

Tea time at the hospital

2009-11-26T13:22:00.003+05:30

'Have you seen how they cut casts? Millions of dollars of expensive medical equipment and they use a thing that looks like an electric pizza cutter.' (P.173)

A young medical student doing her internship at the local government hospital told me an amazing story. Last week there was a commotion going on at the Nurses station in the Female ward. Being the doctor on duty she asked what the matter was and was told that the expensive autoclave machine was used to make tea.

"What?" she asked aghast. "How could that be?"

"You see that old lady in the last bed?" Well, it seems that she was dissatisfied with the hospital tea and decided to make her own. So just as the nurses shift changed, she got out of bed, removed all the instruments from the autoclave and put her own tea leaves and gave them a good boil!"

So if Lucky thought the plaster cutter looked like a pizza cutter, was the uneducated old lady in thinking that the autoclave was an industrial tea maker???

It just goes to prove the point that one man's meat is truly another man's poison.

A Disengagement Dilemma

2009-11-24T10:18:00.007+05:30

'I always knew what you deserved,' Amay said, finally looking up. 'You were the one who went chasing after other things.'

Colour drained from Lucky's cheeks.'You're right,'she said, 'and I deserved what I got. But if it makes any difference, I kept the note you left for me. And I still have the ring.' (p170)

Earlier in the book, we find Lucky looking at the ring that Amay had given her. Hurting from a broken marriage, she is obviously regretful of this decision. But youth often clouds our judgement and sometimes the staid, steady and comfortable love is given up for an exotic, unknown and exciting passion.

Getting cold feet before a wedding is not unknown and there have even been unfortunate cases of people being ditched at the altar. However, in this instance, where Lucky just walks away from Amay, was she correct in keeping the ring? Even though it was just a chip of a stone and not the 4 carat dazzler that Viki dazzled her with, don't you think that apart from breaking his heart, she also pinched Amay's pocket? - After all he was just starting out life when he proposed to Lucky.

So you, dear reader, would you advise Lucky to return the ring to Amay at least now?

Weighty matters : facts and figures

2009-11-19T09:51:00.006+05:30

"She told me that there were three illusions and the third was "position". She said that our bodies were apparitions and one day we would lose them." (P169)

In today's world we spend a lot of time obsessing about our bodies, weight, self image and the like.

What does a 320 pound woman look like? (Nearly 23 Stone!)

Now, before you scroll down to look at her pictures, get a mental image of what you think a woman who weighs 320 looks like...

GOT IT?

V
V

V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V

I'm sure you thought that a woman weighing 320 lbs would be one humoungous lady.

Obviously you were wrong!

This lady is over 7 feet tall which makes her weight proportionate to her height.

So very often, facts can be misleading and the truth is very often different from what we imagine it to be.

The corollary to this : the problem that most of us have is not our weight but our height ! So for an instant slim look, all that is required is a pair of higher heels.

The Secret ot Life

2009-11-17T09:28:00.000+05:30

"Some time back a friend of mine, Shanti, explained to me that the secret of life was to focus on ourselves. It is about dealing with our emotions, by controlling our thoughts, not hurting others. It is about you, Steve." (P162)

Angered at seeing Lucky hurt, Steve is all ready to take care of the person who mugged her. But Lucky tries to talk him out of it, telling him that he would only land up back in prison. Steve responds by saying that perhaps it is his destiny to be in prison and Lucky tells him that he has the power to change his life.

So, even though Lucky believes that life chooses you, she also believes that you can choose your response to it and make your life the way you want it to be.

There are several gurus through the ages who have unveiled the secrets of life.

Wise Men and Elephants

2009-11-15T07:31:00.004+05:30

"The truth is like blind men feeling an elephant. Never assume that someone else sees the same thing you do" (P.159)

In the ancient Indian folk lore, there were six blind men who came upon an elephant. One of them touched the ear and thought it was a fan, the other touched the side and thought it was a wall, yet another touched the tail and thought it was a rope, another feeling the tusk thought it was a sharp spear, the fourth who happened to grab the trunk thought it was a snake, and the last one who came upon the leg thought it was a tree.

This parable has been captured for all time by the American poet John Godfrey Saxe and memorised by many an Indian school child as "The Six Wise Men of Hindoostan". Every culture has such stories which illustrate how biased truth can be - our opinions of the world are dependent on our perceptions. So in the ultimate analysis what is the truth?

Managing life singlehandedly

2009-11-14T07:40:00.000+05:30

"Her right arm was immobilized and in a sling. Dr. Pauling's instructions were terse and clear: the less she moved the better. Any disruption might prevent the nerve from regenerating. She also warned Lucky that the first month was crucial in the healing process. For lucky everything became more complicated - opening and closing the car door, using the telephone, bathing, eating." (P154)

Strangely enough, like my heroine Lucky, I find that life always has people come in to help. Somehow, somewhere that good Samaritan comes to the rescue. But it cannot be denied that a broken arm particularly if it is the one you normally use literally brings your life to a stand still. The simplest of tasks becomes monumental as you learn to you manage life single handedly!

Warding off the evil eye

2009-11-13T11:19:00.003+05:30

Just as good luck is necessary for things to happen, bad luck should also be kept away!

Different cultures have different ways of warding off the evil eye.

The Turks have a NAZAR Boncugu an amulet made of glass that wards off the "Evil Eye"

In my city of Mumbai, particularly on the crossroads, little children come up with green chillies, a lemon and a piece of coal strung together so that it can be hung from the cars or near the entrance to your home so that all evil spirits are kept at bay.

The fierce looking mask that will definitely drive away evil spirits that dare enter any home bearing this

The Hamsa or Hand of Miriam protects Jewish children from the Evil eye. The Muslims in this region have a similar Hand of Fatima with inscriptions in Arabic to ward off the evil eye.

Wishful thinking

2009-11-10T12:11:00.004+05:30

When Amay comes to meet Lucky after her mugging, he asks if he could be the first to sign her cast.

"Sign my cast?'

'It's an American thing. For good luck.' ( P.154)

To re-phrase a popular saying, one can never be too lucky or too rich.

All of us have our special symbols or signs that we look for in our daily lives that will assure us success in our work. An actor going on stage, is wished good luck before a performance by advising him "to break a leg"!

Many people believe that finding a penny on the street or a safety pin means some good news is on the way while walking over a crack in the pavement or having a black cat cross your path means something bad is going to happen.

The Irish believe that finding a four leaf clover signifies good luck while the Dutch believe that finding a spotted beetle will bring good luck.

People also make a wish on a fallen eye lash, blowing it away after making the wish. If it flies off, the wish comes true and if it stays stuck on your wrist, you can be sure that your wish will not be granted!

Some people believe that walking under a ladder is bad luck and walking over a crack in a pavement is not very lucky!

A Lucky Escape

2009-11-08T15:12:00.004+05:30

"Funny how the smallest decisions can change your life. What if I'd stayed for dessert? What if I'd just gone home instead of shopping?" (P.153)

Time and time again, I've noticed that a spur of the moment decision can indeed alter life's course. Last year for instance, my friends and I made a last minute dinner plan. I was all set to go when suddenly my young son grabbed me round the waist and told me to stay home with him.

"But why?I'll be back soon, " I promised him.

"Please ma, just tonight don't go, na?"

My boys are very independent and never make such demands on my time so I thought I'd indulge the younger one and humour him a bit. I called my friends and cancelled. They were none too happy and teased me that I was becoming a typical Indian mother - pandering to my son's whims. I laughed off the jibe and proceeded to go ahead with whatever plans my son had planned to spend the evening.

Later on in the evening, the servants came rushing into the den and asked me to put on the TV News. What unfolded, is now familiar to all those who watched the terror attack unleashed on an unsuspecting Mumbai on 26th November 2008.

A chill went down my spine as I recognised one spot as our familiar watering hole. With trembling hands, I punched in the number on my cell phone and was relieved to hear that they were all right.

I hugged my son in relief and thanked God for looking out for my friends.

" Since you cancelled,"they told me, " we decided not to go along to the Oberoi but to hang out at the Club instead."

What a lucky escape then! I kept thanking my stars that I'd decided to stay at home! I couldn't stop hugging my son as I realised how close I was to losing everything! Not only me, but my friends too !If we had gone on with our dinner plans, I may well have been running away, petrified or worse still, holed up in absolute fear.

So, it would seem that my one decision saved all our lives!

Code of Thieves

2009-10-26T13:26:00.002+05:30

An hour or so after the doctor left, two policemen came in. They wanted a brief statement. Had lucky seen her assailant? Yes. Did she want to sign a complaint? Yes. ( P.152)

Lucky had been assaulted and her bag had been taken away from her. Unfortunately in this day and age, bag snatching is quite a common urban crime . I too once had my bag snatched from me in the middle of a crowded street and was left shocked and standing helplessly looking at the thief run away.

Fortunately, I didn't have much stuff in my purse but I knew that my driver's licence , a few credit cards , club membership cards and loyalty cards were in the wallet. After I reported the crime to the local police station, a friend told me that within days my purse would be returned to me without the cash but with all other things intact.

Seeing my look of disbelief she told me that she had had a similar experience and eventually her purse did come back minus the cash. "It is the code of thieves," she explained to me. "They don't really want to inconvenience you. They just want the cash!"

Hardly expecting to get back my purse let alone the contents, I proceeded with cancelling the cards and getting a new drivers' licence and new identity cards made for the various clubs and organisations I belonged to.

Just when my new credit card arrived, I found a funny looking envelope in my mail box. I opened it and found all my stolen credit cards and licence returned to me!!!

Bedside manners

2009-10-23T13:10:00.003+05:30

Dr. Pauling sighed, looked at her clipboard and said, Well, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that the break severed a nerve in your hand. The good news is that we reattached it and there is a good chance that it will regenerate and you will regain the use of your hand." (P151)

Bedside manners are important in dealing with patients. There are several instances of patients relatives attacking doctors particularly in our government hospitals which are understaffed and overworked. Very often these irate relatives not only get violent but also vandalise the hospital. This has led to a special class being introduced in Medical colleges : How to handle patients and their relatives. Young medical students are taught the importance of being empathetic and breaking the news gently.

Discussing the relevance of this new subject in Medical education a doctor friend narrated a funny story:

One day while making rounds in the ICU, the nurse told me that old man who was in the bed wasn't doing too well and that I should break the news to his young wife.I asked his wife to step outside the room and told her straight off that I didn't like how her husband looks. I was shocked when she replied,

"Well, neither did I. But he's rich, and he's really good with the children."

Nursing story

2009-10-21T12:17:00.004+05:30

At the hospital, following a quick x-ray, Lucky was rushed into surgery. When she awoke it was morning and Alec and Susan were sitting on chairs by the window, sound asleep. She drifted back to sleep and later a nurse woke her up to give her medication for the pain. Lucky said she didn't need it, but the nurse insisted and injected Lucky with a shot of morphine." (p.150)

Several years ago when I was hospitalised for a minor surgery, I used to get annoyed by my nurse who insisted on waking me up for my pills.

"Why can't you give them to me when I am awake?" I asked.

"Madam," she told me in all earnestness, " I can't fool around with the dose. Doctor says you must take your sleeping tablet!"

Nomenclature

2009-10-19T12:16:00.001+05:30

My heroine Lucky Boyce is fortunate to have a name that can be pronounced easily in America. Many Americans have a problem with Indian names that are not only unfamiliar but difficult to pronounce. It is no wonder then that Harinder becomes Harry, or Vikram becomes Vik.

But sometimes our names can present a problem.

I remember the time I was sitting out in the garden of my cousin's house when the neighbour came by the fence. In a typically friendly American way, she called out to my cousin and they began exchanging pleasantries across the fence.

Suddenly she tells my friend :

"You know I'm having problems addressing the guy next door. He's the new Indian who moved in last week. I don't know how you say his name"

"Why," said my cousin," its simple enough! Mr. Dixit ( dick - shit)."

"That's just it!" she commented. " I can't bring my self to say it."

"Then call him by his first name."

"That's worse," she replied, " Can I go say Hi Gopi ( go- pee) ?"

"Well, he can't help it can he?" asked my cousin and we wondered whether he was going to change it to something that would be more American.

Happy Diwali

2009-10-17T09:33:00.000+05:30

On this Festival of Lights, Lucky wishes all her readers a very Happy Diwali. This traditional Hindu festival which marks the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom of Ayodhya after a long and eventful fourteen year exile signifies the triumph of good over evil.

May all of you enjoy the festive season!

A proverbial Quiz

2009-10-15T10:54:00.002+05:30

"I guess you really can't judge what's inside a person by how he is on the outside." (P.143)

Here are some common proverbs that are missing a word. Can you complete them?

Look before ___ leap
Make hay while the ___ shines.
Money is the root of ___ evil
Nothing succeeds ___ success.
The bigger they are, the ___ they fall.
Opportunity seldom knocks ___.
Rats desert a sinking ___.
The early bird ___ the worm.
Still waters run ___.
The best things in life are ___.

Exercising Officially

2009-10-13T12:04:00.000+05:30

"Mike's atorneys drew up the papers very quickly and Lucky arrived at the office late on a Friday morning to sign them. Mike had refurbished a small private office for her and they met there. Lucky tried out the ergonomically designed chair and the new teak desk Mike had imported from Thailand. She turned on the computer and was pleased to see that it was the latest Dell professional desktop edition." (P.143)

Like Lucky, many of us spend long hours at the computer whether in the office or at home. What starts out as an hour at work, soon becomes another and yet another till we find that we have not moved out of our seat for even a bit!

Before we know it, we have problems like carpal tunnel syndrome, spondylitis, slipped disc, eye strain or just plain and simple pins and needles.

These simple exercises ( stretches actually) will help in making your computer time less stressful!

Comparing Yoga and drinking - what a joke !

2009-10-11T11:28:00.001+05:30

Yoga plays a major role in Lucky's life as it helps her find not only peace but also a vocation. I received a mail message on the benefits of Yoga by drinking ( obviously a joke) which might bring a smile to your face, especially when you are struggling with a body contorting twist or trying to stand on your head!

Research confirms that drinking gives you the same benefits as yoga

Savasana
Position of total relaxation.

Balasana
Position that brings the sensation of peace and calm.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
This position calms the brain and heals tired legs.

Marjayasana
Position stimulates the midirift area and the spinal comumn.

Halasana
Excelent for back pain and imsomnia.

Dolphin
Excelent for the shoulder area, thorax, legs, and arms.

Salambhasana
Great excersice to stimulate the lumbar area, legs, and arms.

Ananda Balasana
This position is great for masaging the hip area.

Malasana
This position, for ankles and back muscles.

Pigeon
Tones the body, and builds flexibility and helps get rid of 'stress'.

Of course, I'd much rather advocate YOGA to drinking and would recommend several of the Yoga websites I follow on this blog.

The Parsi Sari

2009-10-09T11:55:00.000+05:30

"While Lucky was trying on the boots, she noticed a pretty young Indian woman in a red and white sari with an armload of packages struggling to keep track of her bags and her children while arguing with a salesman who had obviously not understood what she was looking for. What caught Lucky's attention was not just the saree but the particular style of sari the woman was wearing. It was a gara, a Parsi sari." ( P. 137)

Garas are traditional silk saris worn by Parsis on special occasions like weddings and Navjotes ( similar to the Christian Confirmation). These six yards of chamois silk are exquisitely hand embroidered in silken thread. What distinguishes this sari from other saris is the heavy embroidery

in which birds,weeping willows, tendrils and cranes twist and bend with infinite grace and fields studded with roses and peonies, jasmine and chrysanthemums. Within their folds the Parsi gara(as the sari is known), jhabla or jackets and kor or borders carry not just aesthetic images and cameos “painted with a needle” but tales and legends, myths and journeys of the Parsis, even the mystery of theKhakha or “forbidden stitch”, an embroidery stitch of such complexity that, according to legend, its execution can make the practitioner go blind

Traditionally, these saris were brought home by Parsi men travelling to China on business and who would bring home these treasures for their womenfolk. Garas were India’s first “fashion sari” in which “Anglicised” Parsi ladies stepped out to meet British memsahibs. Soon the gara became a must at all Navjots and a part of every Parsi girl’s trousseau, as well as a badge of Parsi identity.

The original gara had silk floss embroidery in white and occasionally in pastel shades on sal gajji silk, which was generally purple, red and black in colour. The embroidery was delicate and colour nuanced; often as many as 20-30 shades of a single colour thread were used to express one flower! The stitches were satin stitch with variations of extended, bound, voided and embossed as well as French knots. The Gujarat mochi stitch and zardosi from the Deccan were also incorporated while ari is now being used. A gara can take up to a year to create with many embroiderers working on one frame. Each is a “specialist” in one motif, which could be floral, a butterfly, bird…

However the symbols and motifs of each gara tell a story. The fleeing Parsis brought Persian symbols like the cypress tree, chakla chakli or contradictory birds, represented with delicacy. The Zoroastrian culture’s reverence for nature represented by trees and flowers, plant and fish life, the divine fungus, the bird of paradise and 30 flowers representing as many angels are other significant motifs while the lotus and peacock brings the fragrance of the Indian soil in which Parsi culture blossomed. While the Raj flavour incorporated floral baskets, the Chinese pheria stitched in vignettes of Chinese court life, beautiful gardens and flowers such as peony, rose, chrysanthemum... Some or all these motifs fill up a typical gara or jhablawith an overriding feel of harmony, richness, grandeur and delicacy.

Being in someone's shoes

2009-10-07T12:03:00.001+05:30

'The finest Moroccan hand-tooled leather,'the salesman assured them. 'The shoes are manufactured in Italy, but the leather comes from a very small village. The leather is cured by local artisans according to an ancient family tradition. The process takes three years. And there are no chemicals involved- the process is wholly organic. This is why there are only four colours available. The manufacturer has an exclusive contract. They are very expensive.' (p.138)

Lucky was quite surprised when the stranger in the shop unhesitatingly bought these expensive shoes. Shoes do serve a greater purpose than just protecting one's feet - they also enhance an outfit.Which is why, when people travel, they always carry a special pair to wear for formal occasions.

This reminds me of the time when my friend Ann was coming to Mumbai for just 24 hours to attend a very formal function. Because her best shoes came in a very fancy box, she had to carry a check-in bag instead of a normal carry-on bag. Unfortunately, for her the bag, was checked onto the wrong flight and the poor lady had not only no shoes to wear but no clothes either!!

Since the function was slated to start much before the shops opened and it was too late in the night for her to shop for anything, she had no option but to make do with my stuff..........

So all for the sake of her fancy, formal shoes, the poor lady had to suffer the ignominy of being on stage in someone else's clothes and shoes

Shopping at Mangaldas Market.

2009-10-04T11:52:00.000+05:30

"The streets were packed with last-minute Christmas shoppers. The stores had slashed prices and harried salespeople were rushing to and fro trying to appease multiple shoppers at the same time. The thronging crowds and the steamy heat of the stores suddenly reminded Lucky of the Mangaldas fabric market and the raucous stalls on Fashion Street in Bombay. True they were different in appearance but the atmosphere was the same - the frantic impatience of the shoppers , the hurried, terse sales pitches, the general chaos." ( P.137)

Mangaldas Market is the largest indoor cloth and dress material market in Mumbai. There are hundreds of stalls where you can buy beautiful material from the finest silk saris to raw cotton. Open Monday to Saturday 11.30 am to 8 pm

While the convenience of shopping in an organised store cannot be denied, there is an undeniable charm of shopping in the local markets of Mumbai. Mangaldas Market, is one of the most fascinating wholesale textile markets I have visited. Right in the heart of this bustling city, the merchants have tiny stalls set up in a space which has textiles specific to the lane. Thus you have one end of the market where you can get furnishing fabrics, another where you get sarees, and another that specialises in "Uniform" material ( i.e. fabric for making uniforms for schools , policemen etc) , lanes which have "fancy material" for making fashionable garments for women, Shirting for men, undyed fabric, pure cotton, bales and bales of fabric almost every conceivable texture and count.

The shop keepers sit on mattresses, covered with clean white sheets, leaning against fat bolsters, and call out to you while you pass through the narrow lanes , " Sister, what you want? saree? dress material? " If you do happen to stop, they will tempt you with a hot cup of tea which is delivered by the tea boys running through the market, or a "cole drink" as they call any fizzy soda..........

One can literally spend hours in this fascinating maze of colour and organised chaos.

How to Make Butter Chicken

2009-10-01T14:14:00.001+05:30

(p.136) As a special treat Mike took Lucky to a recently opened Indian restaurant just off Broadway.

Since Indian food is so popular the world over, especially the famous Butter Chicken , I thought I'd share this special recipe with you. I have taken this recipe from VIDEOJUG which has the most amazing easy to cook recipes.

To Make Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken Recipe. A delicious chicken dish that can be made as hot or as mild as you wish - a perfect meal for curry lovers who want to keep it simple. Taste our Butter Chicken recipe.
Weights & Measures:

Serves:
4
Preparation Time:
20 minutes
Cooking Time:
20 minutes
You will need…
2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, crushed
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp ground almonds
220 g can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp natural yoghurt
2 tbsp fresh coriander or spinach, chopped
salt
pepper
1 large frying pan
1 spoon
1 tray
Step 1:
Season the chicken.
Begin by seasoning the chicken with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.
Step 2:
Heat the oil and begin to fry the chicken.
Using a large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil and add the chicken.
Step 3:
Fry for 3-4 minutes.
Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes until it turns a golden-brown colour.
Step 4:
Remove the chicken.
Take the chicken out of the frying pan and put it aside.
Step 5:
Melt the butter.
Use the same frying pan to melt the butter.
Step 6:
Fry the onion with the cinnamon.
Now add the onion and cinnamon and fry together in the pan.
Step 7:
Add the remaining ingredients.
At this point add the crushed garlic, crushed ginger, turmeric, chilli powder, almonds, peeled tomatoes, tomato paste and the natural yoghurt. Stir all of the ingredients together and mix thoroughly.
Step 8:
Bring to the boil and cook.
Bring the ingredients to a boil and stir for 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 9:
Add the chicken.
Put the chicken back into the pan and combine with the other ingredients.
Step 10:
Add the fresh coriander.
To compliment the dish, add the coriander (or fresh spinach if you prefer) and mix with the sauce.
Step 11:
Serve while streaming and eat up!
Spoon the chicken and the sauce onto a large serving dish and serve with rice and naan bread. A perfect curry dish that goes down well with an icy Asian beer.
Please do follow this link for other yummy recipes :
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-butter-chicken

Life is a series of Ups and Downs

2009-09-29T11:15:00.000+05:30

"I can pay you some,but not all- not now. The truth is that we've had a bad year. A bad run of several years, but you know how it is. Cycles, up and down' ( P.135)

Twisting Mike's arm with a threat to file a law suit which would cost her beans, Lucky manages to get some money out of Mike. But of course, he specifies that he is unable to pay her all at once attributing this to business cycles.

This has been echoed by Bikram Choudhury the great Yoga Guru of Bikram Yoga who while endorsing my book has shared the wisdom of his own guru who said " When you go through bad times - don't cry because good times are coming soon. Life is like waves in the ocean: one up, one down and two up and two down create two up."

To BLuff or not to Bluff

2009-09-28T14:04:00.000+05:30

Mike set the glass down and smacked his lips.

'Lucky,Lucky,Lucky, I seem to remember you giving me a lecture once about playing poker.'

'Poker?'

'Yes,poker. You said the best part of the game was the bluffing. And now you come to me empty- handed, asking for money. Lnowing that, why should I pay you?' (P.133)

Even though my grandmother forbade cards at home ( or perhaps because she did) I loved playing cards with my friends - especially on days when it was raining hard and it was impossible to go out. Of course in those days we didn't play Poker but - the childhood game of Bluff. I remember one particular rainy afternoon when the children were also getting bored, I suggested we all play Bluff. Immediately, my older boy rushed to the drawer where he had secretly hidden the cards. Half way through the game when I saw my younger boy's pile of cards growing higher and higher as he tried bravely to keep away the tears that threatened to spill......... I decided to come to his rescue. Since I had long since finished my cards and was technically out of the game, I took his side and quietly whispered in his ear : 5 Tens. The little one was shocked. He looked up and said 'But mom, that's a lie. And you said you should never tell a lie."

That was the end of Bluff as far as my son was concerned...................

Good luck and bad luck

2009-09-23T09:42:00.000+05:30

While looking out for Mike Lockwood's office in New York, Lucky comes across a used syringe.

Hardly an auspicious omen, she thought ( P.131).

Lucky is not the only one who looks out for signs that portend good or evil. Even the most rational of us tend to believe in superstitions especially when we are stepping out for that special deal to happen. For instance, I have a particular superstition : whenever I see Mr. Shroff step into the elevator, I know for a fact that my day will go wrong or whatever it was that I set out to do won't get done. I tried not blaming him for my mishaps but was it coincidence that the first time I saw him my flight was cancelled, the second time I saw him my son missed his first prize at the competition we were going to? I can go on and on about how Mr. Shroff is my albatross - or perhaps it is just God's sign that things will not go well and I should thank Mr. Shroff for warning me in advance.

Of course there are good signs too! For instance when my hand itches, I almost always get some money and whenever I hear Cliff Richard's song "Congratulations" playing on the radio ( which is very, very rare these days!!!) I know I am going to really get lucky!

Souvenirs or kitsch?

2009-09-22T13:59:00.006+05:30

Behind him on the wall was a bookshelf with price catalogues, dictionaries for translating various foreign languages to English and vice-versa, and a variety of oddities, no doubt accumulated during Mike's numerous travels : a teak wood Buddha, a happy scene from a Chinese fishing village carved in ivory; a mural of a Polynesian wedding ceremony made from bits of coloured feathers;....................... ( P131)

It has been a tradition among travelers to bring home mementos of their trips abroad. So many people feel it is imperative to bring back bric a brac , handicrafts, souvenirs or giveaways for their friends and relatives back home. Most common are of course mugs or tee shirts proclaiming " I was in......" or" I Love......"

Sometimes these quirky reminders of their holidays which reflect their own interests are well well crafted traditional handicrafts but one has to choose carefully because it is quite easy to cross the line from art to crass.

What kind of mementos do you bring home?

Prop-er Yoga?

2009-09-19T17:10:00.006+05:30

'What belts?'

'My yoga belts. I bought them with my own money abd brought them in for my students.'

'Told you, they're a no-go. Read the denial tehy're non-essential; too much liability potential. Seems to me you're doing fine without them, anyway.'

'No, they are essential to our practice. Can't we keep them locked up?' (p.128)

Like most Yoga teachers Lucky uses props to make sure that the pose can be held for a longer time and she tries her best to convince Warden Capps that belts were essential to Yoga practice. Naturally, being a potential weapon, the use of belts is denied and Lucky wonders how she can go ahead with the class.

Nowadays, with all the props floating around : belts, bricks, chairs, benches, ropes, sticky mats, bolsters,blankets, wedges, bars, and a list getting longer by the day, yoga class is almost beginning to resemble a workshop of sadists with people stretched out over back benches, or people in sarvangasan with hips resting on chair seats with arms clenched tight to the chair legs, bodies contorted in impossible twists made possible with belts and of course the good old shirsana practitioners who hang upside down on ropes!

Honestly,I miss those good old days when all that was required was a plain old towel.

A towel which doubled up as a mat for the head and shoulder stands and supported knees in a camel pose, or a roll under the knees for a virasan and finally spread out into a carpet for the shavasan.

The new girl in yoga class

2009-09-19T10:02:00.005+05:30

Lucky grinned. From the second week on her class had been full and it had remained that way ever since. Most of the inmates were making progress-clumsy progress, but progress nonetheless. They no longer confused the striking cobra pose with push-ups, or turned the proper names of the asanas into sexual innuendos or bickered like high-school boys at recess. (P.123)

While all the asanas or poses are basically the same, there are various schools of Yoga practice. Yoga class seems simple especially when you are on the sidelines watching. Over the years, I have been to several yoga classes beginning with the simple gentle ones and gradually going on to more vigorous, dynamic yoga.

I can never forget my first class ever at the Iyengar school. Bright and early, I went inside the class which was waiting for the teacher to arrive. There was pin drop silence and all the students were busy doing some pose or the other. Some of them were sitting in a meditative pose, others were lying down in the corpse pose, a few were standing on their heads, while yet some more were hanging upside down like lemurs from the ropes suspended on the walls. I was quite intimidated by their proficiency! Despite my years of practice, I seemed like a novice.

After the class began, I realised that the method of instruction in this class was simply to observe the person in front of you and get into the pose. Then, our master, Kobad, would come around randomly and either correct the errant pupil or praise someone's exceptional pose. I quite liked this system and I was enjoying the class, till I saw him approach me from the corner of my eye. My heart began to pound . What would he do? Would he yank my arm into position, kick my leg back or simply praise me for my perfect pose?

I found out soon enough. He grabbed my upper arm and began kneading it while he yelled gleefully to the class : "Look at this butter ball - a perfect example of Porbandar's Pure Ghee!"

While the class snickered, I died a hundred deaths and tried hard to keep the pose without burning up in embarrassment.

The Indian Parliament

2009-09-15T11:24:00.003+05:30

"Many years ago," she said, "I was the first woman to be elected to the Indian Parliament." (P 121)

This magnificent building in New Delhi, houses the Indian Parliament which consists of the Representatives of the people ( Lok Sabha or Lower House) and the Council of States ( Upper house). Our Parliamentary system draws heavily from the Westminster model but our representatives' behaviour is often far from Parliamentary.

We actually have a TV channel that broadcasts live the proceedings of Parliament. Sometimes, when I am bored with the mundane stuff I see on television, I watch the Parliamentary proceedings - I am amazed at the stuff our MP's come out with. During one session last year, there was actually a group of MPs who brought along a sack and took out huge sums of money claiming that these sums were used to buy votes!!!

In yet another session, the representatives actually got violent and threw around tables and chairs.

Is this freedom of speech or sheer boorishness?

Hope dawns anew every morning

2009-09-15T11:15:00.004+05:30

"Our country's independence didn't come without a price. My husband's estates were seized by the British and much of our land was across the border in Pakistan. All of that was lost. My husband was murdered by rivals in the riots and my sons- my small sons were burned alive in our home. I, too, had many questions about life. Why do things happen the say they do?" P. 122-122)

Sensing Lucky's hesitation in accepting her theory of renouncing all desires for the material world, Shanti shares her tragic personal story where she lost all that was dearest to her. The Indian freedom struggle, like all social and political revolutions demanded a price. It may sound harsh, but it is nature's law : every new morning comes after the darkness of night, however dark it may be.

Is Lucky the original Material Girl?

2009-09-15T09:54:00.006+05:30

We are not human beings undergoing a spiritual experience but spiritual beings undergoing a human experience. Let go of the material world. Let go of these illusions. It's then that you will attain the wisdom of the sages" ( Pgs.120-121).

Shanti's words of advice somehow ring hollow in Lucky's ears becuse she is a thoroughly modern miss, with all the aspirations of an educated young lady. Infact, she exemplifies Madonna's "Material Girl" completely :

Living in a material world
And I am a material girl
You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl

After all, if it weren't for human desires and aspirations there would be no motivation to work would there?

What goes round comes round

2009-09-11T12:45:00.002+05:30

Everything that you do will come back to you. It sounded like cosmic revenge (p118).

Completely at a loss at how her life was unravelling before her very eyes, Shanti consoles Lucky by saying that

"According to the laws of karma, we reap what we sow in this or in another of our past lives. In other words eventually the books must balance."

Lucky is not alone in this world wondering how some people literally get away with murder. One such person who comes to mind is Hitler who got away with the holocaust , killing thousands of innocents in cold blood, destroying millions of lives and yet getting away with a cyanide pill. In the face of such instances from history, I wonder how the theory of karma fits in.

Any answers anyone?

However, on a lighter note, I'd like to share a joke I got in the mail about life completing a full circle.

At age 4 success is . . . not piddling in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . having friends.
At age 17 success is . . having a driver licence.
At age 35 success is . having money.
At age 50 success is . . . having money.
At age 70 success is . .. . having a driver licence.
At age 75 success is . . . having friends.
At age 80 success is . .. . not piddling in your pants.

Ships that pass at night

2009-09-09T12:44:00.002+05:30

Modern day students of English will find it strange that we actually had to learn the basics of the language brick by brick. Starting out with simple verbs and nouns we graduated to adjectives and adverbs, learning to parse each sentence into subject object and predicate etc.etc. In the course of this education, we also had to learn figures of speech, phrases, idioms, metaphors and proverbs.

So thorough was this grounding that there are some idioms that remained indelible, one of them being "Ships that pass at night", signifying two strangers that meet in passing, acknowledging one another by a sign , never to meet again.

Very often, one tends to unburden oneself to a stranger knowing full well that one's secrets will remain well hidden. Which is why Lucky opens her heart to Shanti (P.119)

But are Shanti and Lucky ships that pass at night? Or do they have more interactions?

Mentoring

2009-09-08T12:42:00.001+05:30

It is amazing how the Lord opens a window when one door shuts. At the depths of despair, Lucky is at her wits end when she meets Shanti, the person who not only offers her comfort but helps her rebuild her life with her wisdom.

All of us need mentors , an older person whose experience we can draw from. The original "Mentor" was a form that Athena took to counsel Penelope's son during the Trojan war encouraging him to go out and find out what happened to his father Odysseus.

Walking 10,000 steps every day

2009-09-05T10:52:00.007+05:30

They walked for a few yards, till Shanti stopped to check the device round her neck.'Heart rate monitor, she said apologetically. 'I try to keep my hear working , but not too hard. You don't mind, do you?' ( p117)

Shanti's device reminds me of the step counter that was gifted to me several years ago.It was a step counter which you are supposed to hook onto your trouser belt . This then proceeds to count the steps that you've taken the whole day, the target being 10,000 steps every day.

Walking a 10,000 steps doesn't seem too hard does it? After all, if you answer the door bell, you have to walk, if you need to get water from the fridge , you have to walk, so on and so forth.

I happily hooked it on to my belt and began the day. I tried hard to resist peeking at the counter but made an extra effort to walk more than I normally did. After lunch, when I cleared the table and walked to the kitchen sink with them ( something I normally never do!) to have those extra stepts registered on the counter, I couldn't help but have a look. I was amazed to find that I had only done 1,000 steps!!!

I took off the counter in disgust and decided to only use it to count the steps when I walked round the Race Course.

The next evening, I put on the counter as soon as I reached the Race Course and briskly did my two rounds. Once again, I looked at the counter and was sadly disappointed to find that I was 3000 steps short of the required 10,000 mark. Never mind, I thought, I should increase my rounds to two more and that should meet my goal.

I re-set the counter to zero and kept the counter in my bag. When I took it out of the bag to keep in my cupboard, I realised that the counter had moved! I shook it and found that it moved even more! So that's how the steps were counted and I could easily get to 10,000 steps without moving one foot in front of the other but just shaking the counter in my hand!

p.s. This image is just representational of the step counter that I actually have. I am in no way alleging that this gadget is not useful

Microwaves and the birds.

2009-09-04T11:45:00.005+05:30

On P114. Lucky climbed up the staircase to the top of Malabar Hill. She paused in the shade of the Pipal tree to watch a small, brightly coloured bird perched on a limb. The bird was tiny like a sparrow, brown with a long orange beak, a splash of white on its chest and bright blue and black markings on its wings.

Despite being a truly urban space, Mumbai used to have a substantial bird population. Malabar Hill was in fact home to several exotic Indian Peacocks that would come flying into the gardens of nearby homes , dancing merrily in the misty drizzle .

A few years ago, though, flycatchers and sparrows almost disappeared from Mumbai's skies and the only birds we could see were the ugly House Crow. This fall in small bird population was not due to the depleting green cover as one would imagine, but strangely enough attributable to the microwaves in the sky! It seems that these poor birds had not yet figured how to avoid these waves and were literally falling out of the sky, stunned to death. Of course, I can't vouch for the veracity of this fact but this was the reason given by ornithologists.

Since then, the number of mobile operators in this city have not diminished but the bird population has increased. Perhaps the sparrows have learnt to dodge the waves after all!

Millionaire cities

2009-09-02T13:07:00.005+05:30

Lucky's nightmare seems to get worse on P.109-110 where she meets with Dr. Das Gupta the family physician .

The doctor fidgeted in his chair. 'I'm afraid I have some bad news for you.'

Lucky sat up. 'What's wrong?' she asked

'I'm really sorry...You cannot have children."

Being told that she couldn't have children was a big blow to Lucky yet somehow While she manages to gather her wits about her and suggested some treatment. Unfortunately for her, even that option was not possible because she actually was deemed sterile.

Every woman can empathise with Lucky because motherhood is almost a given . Yet, it is amazing to know that though our population numbers are going through the roof, one in four couples has problems in conceiving.

In this map reproduced below there are over 20 Indian cities with a population of over a million according to the 1991 census. I am sure there are more cities joining the millionaire club today!

Sex determination Indian style

2009-08-30T12:05:00.008+05:30

'The gods would not punish us with childlessness,' Geeta said.'You must go and see the doctor. It is already more than three years since you've been married.' (P.108)

Childlessness in India is a big issue. The minute a girl gets married, people glance slyly at her stomach hoping to see it get bigger within days of the wedding! A year of Sneaky Glances later, the stares become quite obvious and after a year of Obvious Stares, people don't hesitate in asking The Question outright: How come you have no children?

It is strange how no one seems to think it inappropriate, rude, intrusive or even hurtful - the probing questions that a childless young woman is put through. Very often complete strangers come up to you and ask you this question and worse still give you unsolicited advice on how to put things right!!!!

They recommend doctors and charlatans without hesitation. Give you their own homespun advice on how to go about getting pregnant. They fix appointments with astrologers and soothsayers who will be able to predict your future and tell you how to get that longed for child and more specifically that Golden Boy who will carry your family name forth into the future.

So obsessed are Indians with the boy child that they automatically assume that every woman is desperate for one. I remember once visiting a shadow reader with a friend of mine. This person could foretell your future after measuring your shadow and we had visited him just for a lark.

After measuring out her shadow, the shadow reader made some calculations and picked out a sheet of parchment from a heap of papers.

"This is your whole life," he told her, " your past, your present and your future. And not onlyis this your present life but all the lives you've had so far!"

After telling her a whole load of stuff, he asked about her children in this life. My friend told him that she had two girls.

"Tsk,tsk,tsk," tutted the shadow reader."See you have some bad karma. Your second child was actually a boy but in the seventh month someone cast a spell and your boy became a girl."

By now, we both knew that this man was an absolute humbug and were about to leave when he said, "The next time, if you want a boy, you should tie a lime and three green chillies above your bed so that all the evil spirits are kept away. And then, when you conceive, you should go to the seaside in the moonlight and put three drops of sea water in your left nostril. That's how you will get a boy!"

Needless to say, we ran out before he came out with more mumbo jumbo.

Hutoxi's Stroke of luck?

2009-08-28T14:12:00.003+05:30

The next morning Lucky got a call from Abdul. ........Lucky called for an ambulance and she and Viki rushed to the

Breach Candy Hospital

( P.106)

Lucky finally confronted Viki about his infidelity and predictably, he denied it. Hutoxi''s sudden and fatal Stroke

proves to be a blessing in disguise for Viki because before Lucky could take things to another level, she has to cope

with her mother's death.While one feels sorry that Lucky had no time to be with her mother or have time to deal her

emotions, one cannot feel happy that for Hutoxi at least her end was quick and painless.

A paralytic stroke is not only debilitating but can also finish off an entire family both in terms of money as well as

physically. And while the days go by, there is the ethical question of Euthanasia. Do you think it should be permitted?

Or will it be abused?

Do let me know your views on this.

Is Lucky a hopeless romantic?

2009-08-26T08:43:00.003+05:30

Lucky was feeling exhausted - but when she heard this she sat up and asked him how he knew. He shrugged his shoulders and said,'My cousin works in the house now. He saw her. Geeta-memsaab had called Mandira-ji to the house and when she left, she was crying. They say she was accompanying Viki-saab in all his travels. Apparently, memsaab gave her some money and offered her another job.' ( P.104)

Why is it that wives are almost always the last to know about their straying husbands? Is it because we are foolishly trusting? Or is it because we are hopelessly romantic?

Most women are like Lucky : hopelessly romantic, whose hearts are swayed by "Viki" and all that he represents - strong, romantic, mysterious and quickly pass up "Amay", the old, trusted buddy of their childhood.

Find out if you are a hopeless romantic by taking the Quiz I've posted below. This is taken from Quizilla.com

)

The Perfect Husband

2009-08-24T10:35:00.007+05:30

Lucky stayed by the window, trembling. What's happening here? What is this all about? Why should I have to choose between my job and my husband?(P.101)

Women have always had it tough: the choices they have had to make. No matter how well qualified professionally, no matter how well placed financially, they have often had to make a choice between a job and a husband.

But why does this have to be so? Why can't a man help around the house and make life easier for his wife like this husband in the video attached below?

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

2009-08-23T15:53:00.007+05:30

A year into her marriage and Lucky begins to feel restless. With the novelty of being a new bride wearing off, she is itching to get her hands on to some real work. So Vicki gives her one of the lame duck family companies to run hoping that she would soon get bored of it. Unfortunately for him, Lucky is made of sterner stuff and actually wants to get the business up and running. But Lucky runs into stiff opposition from Vicki and finally it is Arun, her father- in- law who gives her the support she wants ( P.90-92). So Lucky begins a new stage in her life..........the revival of Fairdeal, a company dealing in gems and jewelry. Karsan Kaka, one of the suppliers helps her with the supply of diamonds from a unit in Khandesh.(p.95)

Diamonds have been mined in India since time immemorial:in fact, it is one of the earliest places in the world to have mines. Golconda near Hyderabad has long been famous for its diamonds particularly the Koh-i-Noor, a humongous oval cut gem which is now found in the Monarch's State Crown kept with the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London.

There are several other famous diamonds from India - the Nassak which was originally adorned Shiva's statue at the Trimbakeshwar Temple near Nasik ( hence its name)

The Orloff which was a whopping 300 carats when it was originally found also came from India and somehow found its way to the imperial crown of Russia via Amsterdam!

Another famous Indian diamond is the Regent which found its way to the Crown of France. Once again this was discovered by a slave in the Golconda mines who took it out of the mine by hiding it in the bandages of a self inflicted wound on his leg! Hoping to buy his way to freedom, the slave sold it to a seafaring captain. Unfortunately greed got the better of the captain who ultimately killed the slave and sold the gemstone to a diamond dealer. Eventually this stone was sold to Governor Pitt in Madras who sent it off to London to be cut into smaller stones. One of these stones was sold to Phillip II Duke of Orleans, then known as Regent of France ( hence the name). Today this diamond can be seen at the Louvre.

There are several superstitions associated with diamonds and jewelers sometimes advise a prospective client to keep the stone under his/her pillow for a week to see the effects of the stone.

But there is no denying that diamonds are a girl's best friend.

All photos have been taken off the web

My Mumbai - My City

2009-08-23T14:47:00.007+05:30

Day break from my window

Lucky begins her married life in Bombay where Vicki has his family business. (Chapter 6)

Bombay aka as Mumbai has captured the imagination of several people thanks to the recent Oscar winner "Slumdog Millionaire".

Unfortunately for my city, its darker aspect has been romanticised and publicised and very few people actually know that it has a beautiful, more gracious side.

Starting out as seven mosquito ridden islands, it has developed into a modern metropolis. Of course it has its drawbacks like the hot, sweltering summer and wet, squishy monsoons but driving past Marine Drive, watching the sunset from Malabar Hill, sitting on the lush green lawns of one of its spiffy private clubs, walking briskly round the race track at the splendid old Race Course.......there is nothing in the world that can compare with all of this.

A vintage beauty to cruise down Mumbai's coastal roads

City life has a special feel to it and my city has a special feel.

Dinner on Sunday night

2009-08-18T13:54:00.004+05:30

The wedding was held on a hot August evening at the Bombay Turf Club. The podium overflowed with exotic orchids flown in from around the world. Nearly five thousand invitations were handed out. The guest list included actors, actresses and film-makers, politicians, bankers, industrialists, senior officers from the army and the navy, foreign dignitaries, businessmen and their wives, poets and writers and an assortment of priests and holy men. ( P78)

This wedding reception is a not imaginary nor is it singular. All Indians save to have that one big block buster of a wedding reception and the Bombay Turf Club or Royal Western India Turf Club is one of the larger and posher wedding reception venues in Mumbai. Particularly on a winter evening, a reception here is almost magical especially if there are twinkling fairly lights and a live band playing in the back ground.

But there are several other locations for such lavish celebrations : hotels, clubs, wedding halls and even open playing fields . One very popular venue in Mumbai is one of the gymkhanas on Marine Drive, a scenic road along the coast line . These large open spaces which are normally used for cricket are let out during the wedding season for receptions. Within hours, these barren fields are transformed into fairy tale settings - with fountains, ice sculptures, tented pavillions, grecian pillars, exotic flowers, carpeted walkways and lights creating rock temples, tropical islands, Disneyland magic, simple elegance or gaudy kitsch- each setting unique and beautiful. Standing at the entrance would be a reception committee welcoming the hundreds of guests streaming in.

I have often wondered how gate crashers are identified at such functions because the guests are never asked for an invitation card . Discussing this with some friends, one of them told me that during his college days, he and a group of friends were frequent gate crashers especially on the last Sunday of the month......

At the end of the road are two student hostels which give their cooks the night off on Sunday leaving the residents to fend for themselves. So, my friend ( who was a boarder at one of the hostels during our college days) told me, the whole week they tried hard to get a dinner invitation to a friend's home for Sunday night, failing which they had no option but to try out the tiny restaurants in the neighbourhood. But on those Sunday nights when their desire for gourmet food was particularly strong and when their pockets were particularly empty ( the last Sunday before pay day) , they couldn't help but get into their suits and walk down to one of the wedding receptions at Marine Drive!

Hands folded in greeting and bending forward ever so slightly, they would flash their best smiles and be warmly welcomed by both sides (each assuming that they were invited by the other party!).Then, they would casually stroll in and swiftly make their way to the buffet tables , grab a quick bite and make a hasty exit before anyone caught on that they were uninvited and unwanted guests!

How I got my first computer

2009-08-14T11:06:00.006+05:30

I can never forget a small piece of card with punched holes, almost like a bit of Braille that my friend got back as a souvenir for me from a Defence establishment at Kanpur. In those days only big offices and Government departments had computers - big, bulky machines that hummed and hawed in cold airconditioned rooms, designated as out of bounds for "unauthorised personnel" and access to which was closely monitored.

How different things are today when almost every Tom, Dick and Harry has one.

I remember the first time ever that I got a computer, it was purely by accident. I was actually looking at writing my great novel and wanted an electric typewriter. My first electric typewriter was a cute little Brother that had a small display unit where I could read about 20 words at a time. When I wanted to upgrade to a model that would let me read at least a paragraph at a time, the salesman suggested I go in for a PC or Personal Computer.

"What do you want a computer for?" I remember my five year old niece from America asking me in her nasal drawl.

"To write a book, " I replied defensively.

" Duh -uh , " she went in her American way and rolled her eyes the way she'd seen her mother do.

Knowing that this little twit had her own computer made me even more determined to get one!At that time I didn't know what a computer really was, and tried to sound knowledgeable when I went to a shop even though I thought Apple was a fruit and IBM a ballistic missile! But when my computer guy told me that he could make one specially for me, I began to get a bit interested. Wow! This was like getting a dress tailor made, something I could understand.

"Madam," he told me, " see, you can get the best mother board, the best monitor, the best tower, the best hard dick ( yes, it's true all computer guys call them hard dicks) and then you get the best computer!"

Of course when I told my Dutch friend who was a computer geek and was doubling up as my unofficial consultant ( second opinion) about this, he laughed his head off : Listen he told me, if you get the machine of a Mercedes, the body of an Alpha Romeo, the tyres from Michelin what kind of a car would you get? I'm telling you, go for a regular company piece from a reputed company. Decide what features matter to you and go ahead and buy it.

What stupid advice, I thought. I didn't even really want a computer. I just wanted an electric typewriter!

Nonetheless, I decided to go ahead with the assembled piece and when it was delivered home, we didn't even know how to put it on. For the first few hours we just gaped at it in wonderment, hoping it would start on its own. Finally, when nothing happened, I pressed the round knob in and watched the screen light up. Then, I was stuck. I called up a teen aged nephew and went through the drill of what to do next running from the phone in the next room to the computer on my desk. ( This was in the days before the mobile / cordless phone).

All this running between phone and computer left me pretty exhausted and I realised that key to operating a computer is a teen aged boy. Somehow these young and reckless people are born with the knowledge of what to do when the screen goes blank, when the computer gets infected with a virus and above all who to call and from where to buy which part !

I also finally understood what Indian mothers meant when they lovingly referred to their sons as being into computers. It is no wonder then that so many Indians went into software and developed all kinds of wonderful stuff that made them tons of money in the Silicon Valley Boom like Amay did( P.48).

The evolution of the Arranged Indian Marriage.

2009-08-14T11:04:00.003+05:30

In Chapter 4 of my book, we meet yet another character Viki, Lucky's future husband. Lucky doesn't really know why Viki wants to meet her but none the less agrees to do so and with one thing leading to another gets married to him in the end...........

I don't know if this is true the world over but definitely in India, there is a subtle pressure to get married the moment one is "settled". The concept of settled has changed from the age of 16-18 for girls in pre-Independent India to a post doctoral degree for both boys and girls in modern times. In fact, the whole Arranged Marriage scene itself has evolved.

Arranged marriage pre-Independence:

Village barber would bring news about potential groom or bride to father/uncle or head of household while cutting hair or giving an oil massage. Both sets of elder statesmen would meet to discuss details about wedding ceremony etc etc and marriage would be solemnised. Bride and groom would only get a glimpse of each other (if lucky) prior to marriage.

Arranged marriage post-Independence:

Village barber, community busybody or any well placed relative would suggest potential groom or bride and once again family elders would decide details of wedding etc. Groom and bride may/may not be allowed to meet each other before the wedding. This largely depended on the level of education of both families.

Arranged marriage post-60's:

With more and more girls going to college, potential grooms/brides would be suggested by larger network consisting of family, friends, employers, community busybodies and even marriage bureaus. More interaction between potential spouses was allowed but still with adequate chaperoning.

Arranged marriage in the 80's:

After both sets of parents checked out compatibility etc, groom and bride were allowed to meet alone from the first meeting itself!

Arranged marriage in present times:

Grooms and brides both register themselves on Internet websites and arrange to meet each other after several Internet exchanges. Then if they like each other and find each other compatible, they get the parents involved and go ahead with the wedding details etc etc.

My people - the Parsis

2009-08-13T17:27:00.005+05:30

I am a Parsi, part of a unique Indian community who trace our ancestry to a ship load of Zoroastrian refugees from far off Persia. Thse people landed on the shores of Gujerat over 1000 years ago, seeking a safe haven to practice their faith. The Hindu king Jadi Rana was at first reluctant to give shelter as there was just no place in his land for more people but one of the Parsi refugees asked the king for a bowl of milk filled right to the brim. He then stirred a spoonful of sugar without spilling a drop!

He explained to the king that this was the way his people would co-exist with their new neighbours - seamlessly and in complete harmony.

The king was impressed by this analogy and allowed the Parsis to settle down in a place they called Sanjan, on condition that they adopted the dress, language and customs of the local people allowing us to retain and practice our ancient religion. This is how we became one more part of the beautiful rainbow that is my country - India.

Parsis have been loved and admired for their contribution to India, a feeling that is captured so well by Jerry Pinto, a well known Mumbai journalist.

Pinto on Parsis

By Jerry Pinto

In the 1970s, Victoria High School, Mahim, was a melting pot as state-aided Roman Catholic schools tended to be. The majority of the students were Hindu, the second largest group was the Christians, then came the Muslims. So far, so ordinary. But we had some Parsis and three Jewish boys too.

I didn't think much of the heterogeneity of the school. It was a fact of life, like knowing that the class would split up for religion period, with the Roman Catholics going in one direction and the others, including our Protestants, going off to learn Moral Science. I think I realised who the Parsis were when I got to college.

I went to Elphinstone College as a way of getting away from Mahim, where I had been born and raised and where I felt familiarity was blocking out the sky. St Xavier's had fourteen boys from Victoria High School; I would never get to meet anyone else or talk to anyone else. At Elphinstone, I made my first friend, Jehangir Palkhivala. It occurred to me that he was Parsi but then everyone seemed to be. There was the delectably named Tehmtan Ookherjee and the delicious Lyla Lalkaka. There was Goolrukh Damania, who sang 'Cherry-ripe' at our farewell party. The principal was a battleship called HMS Homai Shroff and the head of the English department was an even more magnificent battleship called HMS Mehroo Jussawalla.

The English department, and a star department it was in those days, seemed dominated by Parsis. The college heart-throb was Shireen Vakil; but those who liked legs swore by Zarine Mirocher-Homji Pinto. There was also the utterly delightful Soonu Kapadia who loved the Romantics with a deep and lonely passion in an age where the Modernists had crowded them out and the Post-modernists were beginning to bay at the text.

Parsis getting extinct? The tribe vanishing? I laughed incredulously whenever I heard that. My life was saturated with Parsis. I was even studying in a building that had been donated to the Elphinstone College by Sir Cawasji Jehangir. Across the road, the same gentleman had donated the space for the Jehangir Art Gallery. The area was riddled with his donations or the donations of his kind. If you started from Colaba, there was the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the Homi Bhabha auditorium. (This auditorium is a class conspiracy; I do not own a car so I cannot go there unless someone promises me a ride home.) You come out of the Colaba Causeway and there's the Taj Mahal Hotel which was started by a Parsi who was refused admission into a British hotel. You walk down a little and you'll come to the Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy School of Art where almost everybody who matters in India's art world has learnt their technique or rebelled against learning technique. Further down there's what was once called the largest hospital in Asia, the Sir J J Hospital, same man. I had visited it when many family members had been there and watched as people lit agarbattis and prayed in front of the large stone statue of the old entrepreneur.

Across the city, I had friends studying at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences or sitting with family members at the cancer hospital or applying for Parsi-owned and driven scholarships or jobs. And when I wanted the budget decoded, I went to listen to nani Palkivala do it for me. Across the street Jehangir Sabavala showed his paintings. I couldn't believe we didn't have enough Parsis. Every European consulate in town had a Parsi trying to stop you from going abroad. The British Council Library was guarded by a ferocious old bat whom we called, 'No please' because that was what she snarled at you all the time, whatever your request was. All the pursers in Air India were gay or Parsi or both. All the lawyers in Mumbai were Parsi. All the old cars were owned by Parsis. There were Parsi baugs almost as frequently as there were Roman Catholic churches. You could go to the Ratan Tata Institute and watch the old ladies have food fights—I swear, they used to throw things at each other, small things, dhokla-sized. The poets were Parsi: Adil Jussawalla and Keki Daruwalla and Gieve Patel. The theatre was overrun by Parsis: Hosi Vasunia and Adi Marzban and Shernaz Patel and Nosherwan Jehangir and Khodaai, you mean to say Alyque Padamsee is not a Parsi? The journalists were Parsi: Bachi Karkaria and Hutokshi Doctor and Behram Contractor. The Tatas made our trucks, the Godrejs made out tana-tan cupboards and lived in Vikhroli where my aunt, Celine Coelho, taught in the Godrej school. There is an old joke about Parsis and RCs but I have forgotten it.

One year, in the early 1980s, a tall figure began to stalk the corridors of Elphinstone. He had the look of intelligent life but he wore his kurtas tucked into his jeans. Shiraz Rustomjee had come from Sri Lanka.

'There are Parsis in Sri Lanka?' I asked. I had thought of Parsis as a Bombay thing like, like, like, Bombay ducks and Goan coors where boys from Goa's villages could doss down.

'Just fifty of us,' he said, 'But mark you, it's an influential community.'

'Forty-nine, now,' I said.

'Forty-eight,' he returned evenly. 'My mother's here too.'

It was the first time I ever thought about their numbers.

I was freelancing for The Free Press Journal when its editor Janardhan Thakur asked me if I would do a story on the Parsi Sena. Delicious, I thought. The Parsi Sena? Like the Shiv Sena? Where the Shiv Sena would destroy the property of the South Indian restaurateurs they saw as outsiders, the Parsi Sena would…would…take Victrolas and play Debussy loudly under the windows of the enemy. Where the Shiv Sena would badmouth the Muslims, the Parsis, who share some of this antipathy, would ask for Persia to be returned to them so that they could all marry Irun girls.

I never did the story because the Parsi Sena disappeared from the news but it still fascinated me as an idea.

What would a Parsi Sena do?

Well, for one, if they wanted to emulate the rightwinginess of their namesake and get the Parsi community all worked up, they would have to concern themselves with racial purity. This is one of the ugliest things about a community that we have all learned to love thanks to films like Pestonjee, Baaton Baaton Mein, and Being Cyrus. There is a deep streak of otherness that some of the less bigoted ones say, reaches back to the time when they escaped Islamic persecution and came to India in a boat in the 11th century AD. The king of Gujarat would have none of them. He did not want to turn his guests away rudely so he sent them, so legend maintains, a glass of milk that was filled to the brim. The community fathers put their heads together, added sugar to the milk and sent it back. They were saying they would improve the community, they would sweeten it, but they would take no space. They also promised they would not try to convert people and would learn to speak the language. This they have done.

But from an innocent story—and no one has shown me convincing proof that it is anything but a story—a strange obsession with race has begun. It's an ugly thing but there are many Parsis who think that there is something called the pure Parsi and that this should be maintained at all costs. I once talked to a fairly lunatic dastur. He said to me, 'We are the true Aryans.'

He also said, 'How can anyone say all Gods are one? His God says don't eat beef and his God says don't eat pork and my God says you can eat what you like. How can that be one God speaking?'

This was a completely new spin on the whole divinity thing: God the dietician.

You'd think this was a harmless thing that does nothing more than cause many slammed doors and spilt tears. But in a rich community with huge assets that are held in common for the good of the community, it translates into discrimination.

Thus the Parsi Panchayat will sponsor the education of a third child as long as both father and mother are Parsi. Parsi women who marry outside the community and have children cannot bring up their children as Parsis, nor can they be offered to the vultures (none of whom care to dine these days, anyway) at the towers of silence. There are things one can forgive. None of them like to be reminded that the bulk of the great fortunes came out of the opium trade. But then the drug trade funded even the great colonial enterprise that was the Raj. Nearly 30 per cent of its gross came from pushing opium at China. And who were the guys who built the ships and went to Shanghai and made pots of money and brought home chinoiserie and carved screens and Ming vases? That they'd like to forget is understandable. That they want to inbreed until they die out?

You can say what you like. I think it's ugly.

At the end of my third year in college, the aforementioned literary delight, Dr Soonu Kapadia threw a party for the students of the English department. She invited me although I wasn't an Englitcritter, on grounds that I had attended almost as many lectures as any of the students. She also invited the head of department, the aforementioned Dr Mehroo Jussawalla.

This was kind.

Mehroo, as everyone knew, was a wonderful scholar. Her notes on the Faerie Queen were being used in Oxford. She was also a barking loon, who was paranoid. Just three months earlier, she had failed everyone in the class in her paper. Then she had returned to class and said that an impostor had taken her papers, corrected them, and handed them back to the class. She would now correct the papers and return them.

Into the startled silence that greeted this announcement, she said that it was all of a piece from the time she had been a scholar in Oxford and ambulances had chased her around the town, with young dons in them waving fig leaves at her.

No one laughed. You didn't if you knew Mehroo and you wanted to live.

But Mehroo was also sure that the teachers in her department were also aligned with the fig-leaf-bearers. Soonu Kapadia, she was sure, was the head of this conspiracy. And here she was, dining at Soonu's table. Lunch passed quietly with only Phiroze Palkhivala disturbing the peace a little by telling Mehroo that there was no proof that God existed. Phiroze was much younger but he had put in a sterling performance as the junior secretary of the MacDougall Literary and Debating Society of which I was the senior secretary for an unchallenged three years.

'In Jewish belief, Phiroze,' said Mehroo, 'The angel of the Lord takes the soul of the faithful to be weighed in the scale and if it is found wanting…'

'Whatever that angel does, it's still not proof,' said Phiroze.

Mehroo began to fulminate.

Soonu said, 'Dessert anyone?'

The combatants disengaged and everyone went off to scoff some sweets.

'Is it a felicitous combination, young Jeronimo?' Mehroo asked me. 'Lemon soufflé and strawberry fool?'

'Love it,' I said, aware as ever of my Roman Catholic Goan pao accent. She served herself and turned to go back.

'Did you come by car, Miss Jussawalla?' Monaesha Pinto asked. She was a girl with an accent so refined it had to be bad for you to even listen to her speak.

The storm broke.

'No, I did not come by car,' said Miss Jussawalla. 'I could not come by car. I cannot use my car. I will not use it. Someone has broken into it and despoiled it most horribly.'

My mind began to whirl. I put down the plate. Surely, no one had broken into Miuss Jussawalla's magisterial old Ambassador and…

But Mehroo was not going to give us details. 'I will not use it until the miscreants are brought to book.'

'So you know who the miscreants are,' Phiroze said. He was very young and he had the fearlessness of the very young.

Mehroo exploded. It was a quiet explosion but it was a venomous one. She set her plate down. She said her bit. She never looked at Soonu Kapadia though she implied her each time she said, 'some people.' Soonu Kapadia stood as if made of stone, her lower lip clenched between her teeth.

When it was time to go, they bade each other farewell as if nothing had happened. It was a perfect pas de deux of paranoia and politeness.

Many years later, I met Dr Soonu Kapadia on the bus. She lived on Nepean Sea Road but she took the bus. She was putting the finishing touches on her thesis.

'Ah Jerry,' she said, looking relieved. 'What do you think of monophysitism?'

I wondered what it was but Dr Kapadia was already away on the nature of heresies in the Catholic Church. After she had told me all about it, she cracked a small joke about Gnostic-Docets. I determinedly turned the conversation to old MCJ.

'How did you bear it?' I asked.

'She was a very fine scholar,' she said. 'I would have you remember that, Jerry.'

Two weeks later, I was in a taxi going up Altamount Road. And sitting on a heap of rubble that had a plastic chair on it was Dr (Miss) Mehroo C Jussawalla. I ordered my taxi to a halt and leapt out.

'Miss Jussawalla?' I asked. 'What happened?'

'Jerry,' she said. 'How very pleasant to see you.'

'Miss Jussawalla?' I said. I wondered if the shock had not broken her.

'One takes one's cue from Richard Sheridan,' she said and laughed, inviting me in to the joke.

'Miss Jussawalla?' I asked again.

'Oh don't you know? When Richard Sheridan's theatre, The Drury Lane, burnt down, his friends knew that he would be a pauper. But they found him sitting by the blaze, stretching his legs out to the fire with a glass of wine in his hand. They asked him what he was doing there and he said, 'A man may surely take a glass of wine by his own fireside?' I ask you now, 'A woman may surely take a cup of tea by the ruins of her home?''

I wished I could think up some apposite literary allusion. I could only ask again, 'What happened?'

'I was on the telephone, explaining the nature of Shakespeare's hero to a student, when suddenly, KABOOM,' and here like Father William, she shook her greying locks, 'one side of the building came down. Luckily no one was hurt but we cannot stay there until we are assured that it is structurally sound.'

When Dr (Miss) M C Jussawalla's sister turned up, I left. And I knew then that whatever else they were or they were not, whatever they are or they are not, there is something to this bunch, a tenth of whom are the most civil and intelligent people you can encounter on the plane, half of whom are apolitical fun-loving people who run schools and colleges and banks and everything else with considerable devotion to duty, a tenth of whom want to go abroad and leave this ratthead country called India, (my god, so filthy these people, no etiquette, when you Go There, my so clean and everyone so polite); and the rest of whom are lunatics.

I think it's called class but you didn't hear it from me.

A Parsi Wife

2009-08-13T06:18:00.003+05:30

On p.42 we are introduced to yet another character - Amay, Lucky's childhood friend . Amay had once proposed to Lucky but since she had declined, had moved on and, as he qualified,was now happily married to Laila, a Parsi girl . This reminds me of a joke which I once heard .

Three men were sitting together bragging about how they had given house-duties to their new wives.

The first man had married a Bengali girl, and bragged that he had told his wife she was going to do all the dishes and house cleaning. He said it took a couple days but on the third day he came home to a clean house and the dishes were done.

The second man had married a Tamil girl. He bragged that he had given his wife orders that she was to do all the cleaning, dishes and the cooking. On the first day he didn't see any results, but the next day it was better. By the third day, his house was clean, the dishes were done and he had a huge dinner on the table.

The third man had married a Parsi girl. He boasted that he told her that her duties were to keep the house cleaned, dishes washed, lawn mowed, laundry washed and hot meals on the table for every meal. He said the first day he didn't see anything, the second day he didn't see anything but by the third day most of the swelling had gone down and he could see little out of his left eye!
Of course this is not exactly the case! Parsi women make wonderful wives - they are good home makers as they are known for their organisation, hard work, diligence and above all a fierce loyalty to their families.

Ticket woes

2009-08-11T15:00:00.002+05:30

On the way home from prison Lucky takes the wrong turn and gets lost. Hoping to right things, she finds an opening in the traffic and takes the road only to find that she had made a left from "NO LEFT TURN" lane. Consequently , she was caught by a policeman and

she tried to talk her way out by attributing this to her being in New York only a month, but the policeman hands her a ticket "welcoming her to New York!" ( p.42)

This reminds me of the many times I've been caught by the policemen in Mumbai for skipping the signal. Of course, this was never done intentionally - for instance the first time I was ever caught was because the signal changed just as I took the turn and the cop who was hiding behind a bush came up and asked for my licence. I gave him the licence and wondered why he looked at all the pages and then at me and then again at the licence !I wondered what he wanted but before he could do anything, I prodded my four year old in the car( who was already gripped by panic) and he prompty threw up on demand! Happy to get rid of me and my stinking car, the cop forgot about the ticket and let me off.

But another time I was not so lucky. This time, I didn't see the signal change and when the cop pulled me over to the side, I promptly handed my licence. This time he didn't so much glance at the licence but at the Pollution certificate stuck on the wind screen. He pointed out that my environmental pollution check was long over due and made me pay up the fine for both offences - jumping the signal and not getting my car's pollution checked.

Yet another time, I was in a rush and was stopped by the cop for speeding. Once again he asked for my licence and he looked at it carefully, page by page. Then when I explained to him why I was speeding ( I had to deliver some birth announcements and chocolates on behalf of my sister) I was let off. That night while talking over dinner, when I mentioned that the cops seemed to bequite eager to inspect every page in the licence given to them, I was told that when one hands over the licence, one is supposed to slip in a suitable denomination of currency which would then be discreetly taken over and the ticket and offence happily forgotten!

Tattoo Art

2009-08-07T18:56:00.006+05:30

Steve, one of the main characters in my book sports a tattoo ( p.10).

The Tattoo as a form of body decoration has been around for centuries now and especially in rural India you can still come across women have squiggly blue tattoos of their names inked in unlearned letters or religious symbols like snakes, swastikas, dots, lotuses or crosses to keep away the evil eye drawn out on their forearms or feet. So I find it amusing that this art form once considered primitive and tribal is accepted as "uber" cool by modern day celebrities!

And going by the artists and their designs featured on Nat Geo, it does seem to be a fascinating art form. Be that as it may, I still can't understand why anyone would want to subject oneself to the torture of getting one's body prodded and poked!

Probably this queasiness is due to the wizened old slave, woman I saw during a visit to my mother's friend in Hyderabad when I was just a little girl. Even now I can never forget the liveried chauffeur who jumped to open the door of the car sent to pick us up from the hotel we were staying in. My eyes became bigger and bigger as I saw the huge rambling palace, the immaculately kept gardens, the well appointed rooms with their carpets, paintings and fascinating bric a brac. Marium was the consummate story teller and I was enthralled by her tales of her family's opulence and grandeur. What finally made my jaw drop was the story of the twenty palace maids that came as part of her grandmother's dowry.

When my mother protested that this couldn't be true Marium clapped her hands and out stepped an old lady who came forward doing the traditional salute. When Marium asked her to lift up her her sleeve, I saw on her forearm, her name and the same palace insignia that was inscribed on the tea set!

Are we really free?

2009-08-07T18:48:00.003+05:30

"Really , does all this ruuning around like a hamster in a cage get you anywhere? See things as they are, Lucky. Look at the bigger picture. For you, life is a prison. You're always responding to things, never directing them. Learn to live free. When you give other people the power to do what you ought to do yourself, you make them your jailor."( P.31)

Just before she had left Bombay, Lucky's friend Shanti had told her these words. It would seem that by leaving Bombay, Lucky was running away from her old life and breaking free of the prison that it had become. But was she really free? Are we ever "free" of all the shackles that bind us?

Pure freedom is an illusion because there are societal pressures, filial pressures, personal attitudes and experiences that make it hard to really live life without any accountability or responsibility to anyone.

Shanti tells Lucky to direct things but is this really possible? Aren't we all living creatures essentially responding to external stimuli?

An arm and a leg

2009-08-06T07:32:00.003+05:30

Lucky returns to her room in the cottage and while looking around in the Yellow pages, is distracted by a jewellery box on the bedside table. Opening it, she finds a slender platinum ring set with a gaudy heart shaped diamon surrounded by smaller, glittering rubies arranged along its edges..

When her hostess Susan comes in, she tries to slip it on but finds the ring too small for her. She advises Lucky to get a safe-deposit box. When Lucky asks her why she replies :

"This will cost you an arm and a leg to insure".( P.30)

How strange is it that this morning, I get a mail message about how this expression came about. I would like to share it with you.

In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are 'limbs,' therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, 'Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg.' (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint)

How far fetched do you think this story is? Well, it makes for a good read at any rate!

Yoga

2009-08-05T10:01:00.005+05:30

In the second chapter of my book, Lucky introduces the inmates of the prison to the fundamentals of Yoga. Like most people, they are ignorant of this ancient Indian practice and imagine it to be a series of poses where people either stand on their heads or on one leg, with arms folded and eyes closed.

Last week I got an email which said that there are two kinds of Yoga ................

The Indian one which requires a lots of patience, practice and dedication. This was

demonstrated by the great Indian Yoga Guru doing a perfect setubandhasan - or a backward bend pose, with the help of a prop.

The second kind of Yoga is the Irish one, went the mail and had the picture of a drunk Irishman doing the same pose, flopped dead drunk on a chair!

Find out what kind of Yoga Lucky teaches the inmates!

Reaching out to the light

2009-08-04T16:52:00.004+05:30

Water lily reaching out to the light

Light in my life. It's always there. Only, she had to find it.(p20)

Unlike Lucky, most of us don't realise that the answers to our questions are out there in the Universe. We just have to be aware that we are looking and only then we will stumble upon the truths we are seeking.

Marriage and Divorce

2009-08-03T11:28:00.003+05:30

'Are you married" Rooster asked

"Why?"

"Just wondering."

"I'm divorced."

"Bummer. For him. I mean. Any children?"

"No........no children,"

"What happened?"Rob queried.

"Nothing".

Rooster's eyes opened a little wider as he leaned closer to Lucky. "Nothing? People don't divorce for nothing. Was he fooling around on you?" (P.14)

In this preliminary exchange between two very important characters in my book, Lucky reveals that she is divorced. Coming from an Indian background, this fact is pertinent because so far at least, the Indian divorce rates lag behind the divorce rates of the developed world.

This is not to say that there are no unhappy marriages in India - there are lots and lots of them at various levels. Some women actually walk out, especially in abusive relationships but a large majority simply stick on stoically, either for the sake of the children or because they have no option but to stick it out.

So what made Lucky actually walk out on her husband? Or did he walk out on her?

Find out why Lucky divorced her husband.........Find out how she married him in the first place!