Reshmi 's memoirs jotted as events- to be refreshed by the writer if required

Detective Mania ! Nipped in the bud The recent slingshots to nail the controversy about Bill Cosby and his romps with women seems to be dated almost two decades ago when women preferred to bury the shame under the carpet. I am neither a fan of this stand-up comedian nor a die-hard feminist but  when  humour reaches sublimation and the best outlet for some men is to try a hand at molestation. Since women who like ---men with a good sense of humour— is rare, soon the devil enters the man’s head and he leaps at his most vulnerable target. This controversy is getting sloppy as B.C.’s shows are being cancelled in the US. Such a controversy happened in India when the boss of a leading publishing house was caught on CCTV, so-called misbehaving with a colleague, which backfired on him and the man landed behind bars. Today he is out of jail but the case is not yet solved. How do people view such characters? Yes, through tinted glasses, but the tint gets darker if you are closer...

An agony aunt sweats herself out for others’ problems and often stinks of others’ dirty linen. Naw, No don’t get me wrong. She is respectable and loves her job of being a part time counsellor. She is proud  of her scorching ears that have buried umpteen unsavoury stories or emotional mishaps or snapped relationships.How should one define an agony aunt? She is a confession box that regularly gets filled  with garbage but is ever willing to offer advice or solution. What should be her qualification? A graduate in worldly private affairs,a post-graduate in Ways  to pass through a maze of complicated relationships laden with thorns.A doctorate in developing a duckback to shield herself from rotten eggs and stale tomatoes. Over and above she must lead a spotless, stainless personal life devoid of emotional entanglements. The art of making ‘glue’ has been(figuratively) the most wonderful discovery to help man be glued to man (means mankind).If man is a social animal...

How does a Vegan survive in the US If you are a vegan then it is better you land in the US in summer. At least Burger King is there where you can order a veg burger, The Indian store offers a variety of uncooked food from pulses to curry leaves. It is unnecessary to ask if these condiments are overpriced. I did manage to shop some Indian stuff like rice, lentils, clarified butter, fresh vegetables and skimmed milk. Though I am not a professional cook but my work place was different now. A bigger kitchen, that housed all modern & efficient appliances. The only snacks that one could think of for a ‘quick meal’ were a sandwich or a pizza. All the rest will hit your face with the ‘aroma’ of meat. Do-nuts draw out your nuts every morning We did taste them at Dunkin’s on a couple of occasions. But the snag was those pretty icings, so enticing that the devil ‘diabetes’ kept beckoning from all outlets. Muffins and cup cakes look cute on the shelves but the tummy may tur...

The jetlag dragged too long after visiting the US, partly genuine, partly lethargic whereby I had to post another piece on ”Abuses”. Okay back on the track to rewind about my trip that lasted hardly a month. The fifteen hour flight drilled a mighty block on the mind. Our focus was on how to reach the Delta Terminal when shoulders dropped and my face fell. Then out of nowhere came Ms X, can’t recall her name, who would be the next attendant to wheel out my husband on to the Delta flight. Today I can recall that cute face, who hails from Togo (West Africa). This part of Africa is lately in the news, due to the deadly Ebola virus. Ms X handled her job well and spoke of her family (a little son and her old mother) who depended on her income. She lives alone in New York & works here for a livelihood. Her job of leaving us at the terminal ended well when she very gladly accepted the tip we offered her. I queried “ How much would a meal cost in the city?”, She said $5 at least....

Does Masochism equate with Abuse recital (Not to abuse does not mean you are disciplined and all good) Is it plain masochism or that air of superiority which provokes you to choose an acerbic vocabulary in talk, texting or gesticulating. The vulgar habit of using abusive words, allusions or terms that can help you stand out in a crowd is deplorable. So far I feel that a limited vocabulary or the urge to vent out one’s anger or urgency of expression can make youngsters use abusive words like f**k, b******s, bl***y, w***e etc . Of late I came across (heard) an obsolete term-BANDICOOT- being used in sms jargon. Does sound creepy but which attribute is more apt for the blessed bandicoot other than age or aging? Pity the mammal(suggestions awaited). INDIAN EXPLETIVES I was shocked when my students used such colorful expressions to address the persons they disliked or feel light-hearted while doing so. Futichar—where the ‘u’ and ‘t’ are stressed to describe an old-fashioned t...

To recall a busy month that hardly left room for clear thinking so the actions that followed could be condoned and they fitted well fortunately. How does one rate a trip abroad, if it fell on your lap just like a ‘ladoo’? Well eat it and savour it..My sojourn can be termed as a fluke amidst muddled thoughts. Why muddled? When the family splits for convenience the abrasions take time to heal or rather smoothen. No arguments or ill feelings. All said and done we decided to visit that country that everyone longs to visit.Amrika.The U.S.A.   We means, my better half and I. We were to fly to Raleigh via New York.The flying hours had a tiring effect on our nerves. It is not exactly pleasant when your companion is physically challenged. For the world’s sake one has to look and feel pleasant though one is constantly haunted by the thought whether one’s companion is comfortable enough. The thought itself can adversely affect your appearance-how? Don’t ask you have to experience it...

My role in life today is to be an ideal ‘valeti’( the female of valet) to the members of my family in varying degrees. An inevitable exercise that I religiously and rigorously follow, not that I am exactly indispensable but for the family but I am inevitable. Forget the members and their eccentricities, the duties revolving around them makes me feel celestial, a satellite just revolving with no evolution. I must admit, the loosening of muscles and the fatigue that comes as bonus after dispensing my duties are a boon.By the way there is no term as valeti in any dictionary. Domestic Skulduggery Drudgery can be boring if you don’t involve the special skills of SDY- skulduggery.If your culinary skills have to be appreciated add some cloves of garlic and soup mix with a dash of ‘garam masala’, sweet cumin seeds  and Lo….the dish will give an exotic taste……..The wah-wah comes slow and steady. Not at this age one craves for compliments. In that respect I am not a woman, a tr...

Satchidanand Pillai born to parents who apparently looked affectionate to him. Both were dark, short and had smiling faces. The mother was not the biological one for Satchu. She was a step-mother and he called her "Chithi" means maternal aunt. His father told him that his real mother was dead and Satchu believed it. He had two step siblings, a brother and sister. All three were affectionate to each other and like all happy children, played and ate together. The reality was, she was not a mother for Satchu and his siblings???? Studious Satchu turned prankster. He was a hero among us children and as we were neighbours. Satchu was always there during a crisis. Be it an accident, a lost sibling or a broken toy  our dear Satchu was there. He was a hardworking student who was disallowed to play during exams. Once we had the good fortune to visit a nearby park which was unfortunately close to a canal. Satchu was keen on visiting the canal by crossing it and viewing it from th...

This does sound odd when youngsters sound philosophical about life. A more recent utterance by a student (Marina Keegan),  Yale student,who did not turn 23 but died in an accident in the US, she spoke about living a more meaningful life than aspire for a hefty paycheck. A similar case can be cited about an IIT student of Delhi who died prematurely while on vacation.No,hese girls did not have a queer family background but they did not live long to share their healthy views on life.  Are we raising children the right way? Parents who have been leading insecure lives do tend to pass on their emotional baggage to their children. And more such instances come from estranged parents on single parents. The mental make-up of the children of such individuals are introvert and reticent. Do not blame it on the genes. Neither can we opine that extrovert children hail from a happy parental background. Oh why should I sound like a psychologist when I am not.  An isolated example ...

Oh, does it sound political when the word 'emissary' is used. Here the country needs no direct reference, the emissary is brother-in-law, almost a familial accessory. He lives so far away that with every passing year it gets more and more difficult to relate with him about Indian culture and Indian life. I thought, with age, a person mellows down, gets more earthly and connects more warmly. But no, I am disappointed. Besides the goodies that he parted /disbursed, there is only a 'gel' like halo attached which disintegrates with the tropical climate . I mean the 'gel' of warmth. Many years ago, a family friend who could aspire to be as highly placed as in the CAG office in India, she left Indian shores to Uncle Sam's country which extricated the intellect of her. Today she is left fully zapped of energy and drive. Hit by an incurable disease, she is longing to be back in India. Must admire her husband who has borne her indisposition with tremendous courage...

Many years ago when I read 'The Thornbirds' by  Colleen McCullough-Robinson, a novel for those who loved to impose punishment on themselves, so to say, being penitent for misery caused to others, was a unique experience. Today we do see such persons (heroine of the novel) as Jain munis or cloister nuns? All for what? Is there a need to carry a cross or wear a crown of thorns just to invite sympathy.These days characters are not heavily laden with obligations towards society. The new rage is to be bare about your basic emotions be it a writer, a singer, a beggar or even a hand-cart puller as characters of your story. The last one is going extinct because in cities he needs a registered licence to pull a cart.He ought to sell his wares for little or no profit, then why the licence? So characters get defined by actions more not by words. Books - To read or view  Writers (sci-fi writers as well), struggle throughout their lives to churn out stuff that is read-worthy and even...

When does a person get emotionally extinct - when he lives in a 'box with just cardboard all around'. Forget it - only a piece of dialogue heard in a movie, yes it is true about people leading mundane lives with only activities to do, to sustain or to breathe. Then why not go on a holiday,  a vacation? What do vacations mean for a stick-in-the-mud antagonist. Not me but I know a few. Dia has it all.......bears it all Dia is someone one would like to associate with. She is not old or not too young, but an ideal partner for the man she married. Don't tell me marriages are made in heaven but Dia makes it look like. He, an ex-sailor, lived life to the hilt with water, friends and sailing all around. Just one swell of a time globe trotting and rich by any standard. Today he is holed up with hardly any friends, a chronic ailment that apparently has no trace of cure in the pancreas. Diabetes, a silent killer that drags its feet which drags the victim to death, slow and steady...