Die-hard dreamer

As a kid, I dreamt of a world without animosity; and I have brought along the thought in my growing years. This thought took a back-seat with me getting busy with my life. While I had stopped giving it much thought, I almost lived by the theory that one smile or good word could trigger a chain reaction of smiles. In spite of having the occasional temper spasms, I have tried not to be rude or mean to people. Friends and acquaintances have often advised me to become practical or cracked jokes on me, all in good spirit. Some have also attributed my behaviour to weakness, and there have been times I have believed them and cursed myself. But the kid in me always managed to take over and tend to the optimist in me. One of the areas my attitude has been a bone of contention is in the way I handled my maid while in Bangalore. In the five years she worked at our place, I shouted at her once. A smiled when I told him I gave the maid - Parashakti - a piece of my mind. He had overh...

Impromptu events are usually the most cherished. Today was such a day. Today being a holiday in Japan, A and I had planned to visit the Showa Kinen park in Tachikawa, with the intention of spending the day cycling and boating. However, we woke up utterly confused some time around noon. After a few minutes of complete bewilderment, we decided to go ahead with our plan. An hour later, while we were on our way to the railway station, we wondered if it was any point going that late to a place that closed early. The scorching sun helped give the extra push to our confusion and we dropped our plan. Instead, we reached our usual destination, the Kawasaki station. After an hour or so of shopping and eating at the big mall near the station, I felt exhausted and wanted to return home. A, however, showed his displeasure over the way we were spending the day. I was unhappy too (I hate visiting malls!) but did not know what else to do. He asked if I would be comfortable walking a little more. So ...

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How many people can claim that they taught a foreigner a language? I am writing this post to claim that I did. Well, I did not teach a language but helped someone with it. The only change I need to make in the claim is that in this case, I was the foreigner who taught a native. I spent an hour and a half with a Japanese lady today, correcting her English grammar. She volunteered to learn from me, and I was flattered. I would have planned the teaching session properly and in a civilized way but it wasn’t going to be that way. Yesterday, Hayashi Aunty, as we call her, proposed that I help her with a letter she is writing. I was more than willing. I was flattered because I haven’t known her for too long and she thought it fit to ask me. After all, watashi wa Eigoga wakarimas. It means: I understand English. As I was saying, I had thought of making the session proper but it wasn’t meant to be. I woke up this morning to bid my husband bye and thought that I wouldn’t go back to bed after tha...

It's snowing outside. It's the first time I am experiencing snow. Surprisingly, I woke up before six today, and a little while later, found small white feathers gazing through the windshield. I stood in the snow in my backyard and felt warm. A bit of warm sunshine seemed to have invaded into my day with the snow all over me. I find myself humming Don William's 'Lord, I hope this day is good.' Listen Readers, I hope your day is good, even if you are reading this a year after it has been written.