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

( Do post comments to reshmic@gmail.com) Cacophony ....  of electioneering should have the power to rattle,  then glide to sanity and ponder in silence. In Delhi after an expectant eight-month wait, a hectic period of electioneering followed all that unwanted and wanted noise that melted down to fine tuning and one voice emerged…AAP. That is poetic justice. Recalling a month that went by that was laden with apprehension about who would win the Delhi elections? Many kept ruminating like cattle, or forecasting that the party at the Centre will rule Delhi. Or pleasant longings and wishful thinking made an inactive Congress feel optimistic but the bristling Broom which kept feeling the city’s pulse reached the finishing line triumphant, puffing and panting to a thumping majority …. AAP win. They won and once again if etiquette permits, the Mango Man Party came out in flying colours to the dismay of a few who detest the term AAP, still walk with noses pointing to the sky. Yea...

Capital City The second fortnight of January was wrought with many developments, the most striking being the suspense of picking the right candidates for Delhi elections by the political parties. We seem to have a respectable lot but propaganda rings through every Delhiite’s mind whether any candidate can ever deliver. After all, quite well known outside Delhi that Delhi is a land of ‘thugs’ but now we can hopefully lay that to rest. Two Magsaysay awardees do make us feel proud. In the midst of all this we are also on guard for the Republic Day to be witnessed by no less a guest, a world leader, the US president. Of course do not fret over the fact that the President cannot sit with a national leader for more than twenty minutes - the protocol says so. The lax Indian will manipulate but will not let down President Obama. Literature Coming to the world of literature, very reluctantly the cream of  Delhi’s elite literary crowd, kept whispering about the Tamil ...

Flippant indulgences   A very Happy New Year -2015 to all my readers. At the outset I must mention about the political turnabout in Srilankan elections, Paris shootout at a media house, a pathetic but partially successful outcome as France apprehends future attacks. And the not- so- surprising an utterance from Sakshi Maharaj (India)---Hum do hamare chaar. Oh how I wish I was newly married and soon conceive twins in the first year then again a pair of twins next year. Wishful thinking, but age not being on my side I do wish many youngsters will think about it. A serious issue in Japan today where the birth rate is falling below par.  According to the Hindu scriptures if a man wishes to opt for Sanyasa yoga it is not wrong -but if he has gone through Grihaprastha yoga then a convenient escape from domestic responsibilities paves way to take up sanyas is a point to be noted.Once the man attains a self-imposed status in life whereby he dedicates himself to God then ...

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....