My Father's Time"less" Piece

This is my Atha's (Father's) Watch. A watch is also called a timepiece- but in Atha's case it is a time"less" piece. The predecessor of this elegant HMT watch was destroyed by me when I was 6 years old. Atha replaced an expensive and broken(!) Omega with this chronicler of time.This watch kept time through my youth. It woke me up when I was in school, It witnessed my return from college.It ensured that I never broke the curfew and it was the time keeper that set the moment for my wedding muhurtham.

When I left Cochin after my marriage, I would always envision Atha looking at the time on his wrist on Sunday and sitting down to call me. For over 18 years this watch reminded him every Sunday at 8:30 am to call me . It never failed him and me!!

The watch has now stopped ticking- and Atha has replaced it with a gift from me...penitence for the one I broke 34 years ago!!

This "timepiece" now sits with my jewellery-- more precious than any jewel I own- it is the timeless bond with my Atha.

HMT advertised it's watches with the byline "Timekeeper to the nation"- This piece has certainly been my "timekeeper".

Is every day a Biriyani Day?

This afternoon I decided to make Biriyani for dinner. While cooking I wondered why we eat Biriyani so rarely. Obviously there is the effort I have to make to cook it and the fact that it is not the healthiest of food. But the pleasure of eating Biriyani and the satisfaction on the faces of a well fed family makes it worth it.

Life is one long diet- we tend to save the best for tomorrow, we tend to save the best for our children , in short we live today so we may have a better tomorrow. Let me invert that philosophy and say that we need to live in full today - all 24 hours so that the joy of living today carries us happily into tomorrow.

There are so many people I know and I have heard of who regret their unfulfilled past-when you regret it is already too late. I do not advocate that we take life easy, on the contrary I espouse that we work hard, play hard , everyday starting from today. No wonder today is called the "present" .

Live life king size everyday like a Biryani Day!

Bon Appetit

Parking with Pippo !!!

Let me introduce you to Pippo, a self appointed car Parking assistant at our local shopping Centre.An African by birth, but an Italian at Heart. Everytime I visit the shopping centre with my car, I am greeted with a big smile, and no matter how crowded the parking area is, Pippo always manages to find me a slot. Many a times,with my pathetic sense of judgement,I would have been on the verge of giving up parking in that tiny slot, But Pippo always comes to my rescue,guiding me and convincing me that i would be able to make that tough maneuver and to be fair to him,I have never let him down.

Although he assists us in parking, When he sees u coming out of the supermarket struggling with big bags,he dashes forward and grabs the bags from you and loads it into your car.On another occassion he has also held on to my 3 year old Beagle, Snoopy on a leash,while i went in to get his medicines and on my return I found my Snoopy dragging poor Pippo all around the car park.I am yet to find a person who is not indebted to him for these small acts of kindness and all that he gets is a few cents or at the most a Euro.Yet another time, I was waiting behind an array of cars waiting for parking and I was on the verge of tears as I would have missed the doctor's appointment for my daughter due to a traffic jam, and seeing my distressed state Pippo let me park right in the middle of the parking area after having ensured that i was not blocking traffic, and he told me "Calma, Calma..Tu Vai" and eternally grateful was I to him after this incident.On my return shortly afterwards,he even enquired how my daughter was and advised me not to get stressed out!!

Pouring Rain or Blazing Sun., Pippo is there with his Smile ,ever ready to assist u find a slot to park your car. Now, Here is a man Living life everyday,not knowing how much money he will have at the end of each day. His asset.....His 100 watt smile!

A Happy Mind, A Healthy Body

I wonder why a person like me enjoys going to the Gym? Initially I went to lose weight, but now that I have lost weight , what is it that still drives me to go back day after day? Is it the fear of gaining the lost weight or something beyond?

Over the months, it has become a way of life for me. Every morning when I wake up , I am motivated to go to the gym to fulfill an urge which I suspect is what people feel when they are in an enriching regular job. This is where I want to be every morning… exercising. I love the energizing atmosphere of the gym, seeing a lot of lively people for whom age has never been a barrier.

Initially the only communication was a “Buon Giorno” or a “ Ciao”. Now after a year it has progressed to a “Come Stai? and even “ What happened to you yesterday?, Didn’t see you here the last 2 days?” etc. Now we even have a café/cappuccino together at the bar just before leaving the gym. I guess this is the one place I see a set of people who are keen to be fit and to live a healthy life,--- people with a positive attitude .

When I return home, I feel rejuvenated and infused with energy that lasts me for the rest of the day. I now realize that by looking at life with a positive approach even a mundane task like exercising can be enjoyable while it does good for my body…..so here's to all my friends who shun the gym, cheers to a new healthy beginning.

Pramila

Happy Women' s Day!

Ladies....

I wonder whether you have seen a movie called " Motherhood" - Uma Thurman playing a harried mother and housewife who has given up her career to look after her children. In her words life had become a series of mindless tasks - which "fill" her day but offer her no ful"fill"ment. It took an emotional upheaval and some soul searching for her to realize that the problem was not the world but herself and the looking glass with which she looked at the world . Through this colored glass she was the victim and all others the problem.

However as she realised in the movie and all of us need to realize that being a mother and wife is as fulfilling as we want it to be. We can worry that our careers have taken a back seat and we are no more intellectually stimulated - but pause and think again.

It is as fulfilling to watch a child grow and watch her smile widen at the rainbow as it is to make that next rung in the endless strife for success.

Let us enjoy and stretch today .

For we can be sure of one thing- today will be tomorrow very soon- So enjoy the gift that is today - that is why it is called the "present"

Happy Women's Day

Pramila

A full life ! I see No bunkers only the Green!

This morning Vinod and myself went to play Golf. A beautiful day - bright sunshine and roman blue skies - and the beginning of spring in the air

We played a few holes and then decided to cut across the course . At the ninth hole we met 78 year old Signor Padula - 78 years of life behind him but an attitude which made us feel that he had more than 78 years ahead of him!

We asked whether we could play with him and he replied " Si Si.... Prego" - and gave us a smile brighter than the sunshine around us.

At that point I was filled with a sense of wonder for an old gentleman who lives life everyday - enjoys it everyday - playing a game for the joy of it- not competing - not cursing his luck that he was in the bunker - but just enjoying the sun and the air !

Living everyday ... enjoying every moment- seeing only the green and not the bunker- that is what I truly believe in and wish that we all would do the same.

Ciao Buona Giornata !

Pramila