The effect of staying with a Sikh family is slowly BUT steadily showing off in me!
“Chak – de - Phatte”
I stay in Hounslow and the centre of attraction of the area is this massive and beautiful gurudwara – a Sikh place of worship.
Harry goes there daily and I love the desi ghee ka halwa she gets for me … absolutely sumptuous
Yesterday after a long wait I called Harry to find her whereabouts as she was not back from office and it was way past her regular time. The lady was in the gurudwara doing the voluntary service of serving food to the people – langar
Oh and yes our gurdwara serves 3 meals a day, every day of the year, free for anyone and everyone – and you do see a lot of Europeans in our Gurudwara!
Coming back to my dear Harry, chunni over her head, was busy serving food, flashing that gorgeous smile of hers which increased when she saw me (I required a lot of convincing over the phone to get out of my night dress and come out of the house when it was pouring heavily - She thought I will never make it)
All that Hello and Hi was enough to make us start one of our long chatty sessions – the never ending ones.
She served me langar which needless to say tastes next to what a mother can cook … nothing can beat it!
Once I was over with my dinner, I took over from her to do the service while she eats her dinner. Yes, I did service in the gurudwara …
I REPEAT: I stay with a Sikh family …
I have done community service before but this was a very different experience in itself. It is not easy to serve food into someone’s plate especially when you don’t know the persons taste and appetite.
You have to name the dish being served, then serve as requested (quantity and the exact place in the plate :-) ), remember the rules of quantity management and you should always be polite - inspite of who is on the other side being served.
I also served people who understood only Punjabi or a strange dialect they called English … Sign language comes to aid then ;-)
* Other Option: Start talking real fast n loud with a big gleaming smile on your face … serve everything then
I slept peacefully yesterday … No, not because of what you are thinking but because I was quite tired after those hrs of standing to serve food ;-)
Thursday 16 August 2007
Wednesday 15 August 2007
Happy 60th Independence Day
It’s the 60th anniversary to our independence and here we are busy voting for “Whether the Independence day holds any importance to the youths as it held for our forefathers?”
And then when I get over my initial agitation to the question, I sit back and think: “DO I?”
Till a week back, all I thought to do on this 15 August is to take the Pearson Language Assessment English Field test 2007, to report to the centre on time and to carry all the required documents. Yes, I now know the importance of the poll question … so what will be my answer to it …… Yes, No, Can’t Say ……
I remember when we were kids; it was one of my favourite days … dressed up in that crisp white uniform, standing infront of the proud fluttering Indian Flag, hoisted by our principal, and singing our national anthem in one voice, trying to grasp each and every word of it!
I remember when I saw the movie on Gandhi and the struggle for Independence I had wept; I remember my father humming a few of those patriotic songs for us and we trying to copy him
I remember the proud glint in my eyes when I used to see dad hoisting the National flag in his unit in his wonderful OG uniform (Olive Green).
I have grown up now and my work has taken me away from my parents and away from my country many a times. But yes I still do remember … remember that 15th August was more than a holiday for me.
The Independence Day held its importance when I was young and now when I am not a young girl, my priorities have changed and so has my enthusiasm for the day ….
But does that really mean than the day holds no importance for me and the youth of the country in general?
And then when I get over my initial agitation to the question, I sit back and think: “DO I?”
Till a week back, all I thought to do on this 15 August is to take the Pearson Language Assessment English Field test 2007, to report to the centre on time and to carry all the required documents. Yes, I now know the importance of the poll question … so what will be my answer to it …… Yes, No, Can’t Say ……
I remember when we were kids; it was one of my favourite days … dressed up in that crisp white uniform, standing infront of the proud fluttering Indian Flag, hoisted by our principal, and singing our national anthem in one voice, trying to grasp each and every word of it!
I remember when I saw the movie on Gandhi and the struggle for Independence I had wept; I remember my father humming a few of those patriotic songs for us and we trying to copy him
I remember the proud glint in my eyes when I used to see dad hoisting the National flag in his unit in his wonderful OG uniform (Olive Green).
I have grown up now and my work has taken me away from my parents and away from my country many a times. But yes I still do remember … remember that 15th August was more than a holiday for me.
The Independence Day held its importance when I was young and now when I am not a young girl, my priorities have changed and so has my enthusiasm for the day ….
But does that really mean than the day holds no importance for me and the youth of the country in general?
Tuesday 14 August 2007
Proud to be an Indian
"Every baby step India takes in achieving anything enhances my identity"
Former Miss Universe (India) Sushmita Sen
in Times of India 14 Aug 2007
Former Miss Universe (India) Sushmita Sen
in Times of India 14 Aug 2007
Monday 13 August 2007
Perseid Meteor Shower - 13 Aug 2007 0300hrs
10:30 on a Sunday night when you are all set to jump into your bed because it’s Monday morning the next day, suddenly you remember – hey! When is that meteor shower supposed to happen? … after numerous futile attempts on the internet you assume you missed it the last night .. How does it feel if you get to know you can actually see the meteor shower!
It goes Balle Balle ...
Oye Hoye Shava Shava
Oye Hoye Balle Balle
(I am staying with a Sikh family these days )
My dear flatmate Harpreet (aka Harry) and I switched on the tele in the last hope of catching some glimpse of the shower in the news telecast and Ho Ho Ho there it says … “The meteor shower will be at its peak at 3:00 am and visible to the naked eye. One does not need a telescope to view the wonderfully clear night sky, showering us with its own crackers”
All decided we both set our alarms to 2:30 am and promise to make sure we wake each other ….. an EXTREMELY difficult task !
Zzzzzzzzz …. Zzzzzzzzzzzz …. Trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ….. Trrrrrrrrrrrrr and the alarm goes off …
Beat this, both of us have never jumped out of our beds without snoozing the alarm for atleast 4-5 times and here all armed with r jumpers and shawls we made r way quietly to our little garden to view the shooting stars at the first sound of the alarm … enthusiasm makes u do wonderfully strange things!
Quietly because our landlady is a very light sleeper and we never wanted her to get up for all obvious reasons!
Hell! Did u check the direction … NO and you .. ;-(
Hmmm … now … you look this side and I will check the other side … 2:35 … 2:40 … 2:45 … hey hey Harry I saw one there … where which direction ….. Pause … 2:50 … 2:55
Sorry, may be it was my imagination or was it a plane (we stay very close to Heathrow)
Hey there see one more and another and yet another … and then suddenly a beautiful big spark goes across the sky and we both were mesmerized …. The frequency was like 1-2 per minute but the moonless clear sky made sure we didn’t miss even a single one of those beautiful shooting stars which could fulfil all r wishes. I actually didn’t miss any opportunity and made a different wish on every shooting star I saw … If I believe the myth then, I should be a happy content girl this whole year even if half of them come true ;-)
Well after straining r necks for what seemed like a decade we decided to retire in r respective rooms … it was 3:25 already and I was supposed to get up at 5:30 to make it to the office in time .. PHEW !
I enter my room and there out of my window I see another of those bright streaks across the sky and then what … both of us were at the window once again straining r necks to get few remaining wishes fulfilled as well !!
Ladies … can they be ever satisfied … huh!
Anyways, after numerous tries to convince each other to sleep both of us fell on the bed there itself and dozed off to sleep, with a smile on r face, as quickly as we got up .. not to forget the pillow and duvet fights because Harry was feeling too lazy to leave my room and climb into her bed … so both of us slept on my queen size bed !
Oh! She is a sweetheart … just a bit LAZY like me ;-)
It goes Balle Balle ...
Oye Hoye Shava Shava
Oye Hoye Balle Balle
(I am staying with a Sikh family these days )
My dear flatmate Harpreet (aka Harry) and I switched on the tele in the last hope of catching some glimpse of the shower in the news telecast and Ho Ho Ho there it says … “The meteor shower will be at its peak at 3:00 am and visible to the naked eye. One does not need a telescope to view the wonderfully clear night sky, showering us with its own crackers”
All decided we both set our alarms to 2:30 am and promise to make sure we wake each other ….. an EXTREMELY difficult task !
Zzzzzzzzz …. Zzzzzzzzzzzz …. Trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ….. Trrrrrrrrrrrrr and the alarm goes off …
Beat this, both of us have never jumped out of our beds without snoozing the alarm for atleast 4-5 times and here all armed with r jumpers and shawls we made r way quietly to our little garden to view the shooting stars at the first sound of the alarm … enthusiasm makes u do wonderfully strange things!
Quietly because our landlady is a very light sleeper and we never wanted her to get up for all obvious reasons!
Hell! Did u check the direction … NO and you .. ;-(
Hmmm … now … you look this side and I will check the other side … 2:35 … 2:40 … 2:45 … hey hey Harry I saw one there … where which direction ….. Pause … 2:50 … 2:55
Sorry, may be it was my imagination or was it a plane (we stay very close to Heathrow)
Hey there see one more and another and yet another … and then suddenly a beautiful big spark goes across the sky and we both were mesmerized …. The frequency was like 1-2 per minute but the moonless clear sky made sure we didn’t miss even a single one of those beautiful shooting stars which could fulfil all r wishes. I actually didn’t miss any opportunity and made a different wish on every shooting star I saw … If I believe the myth then, I should be a happy content girl this whole year even if half of them come true ;-)
Well after straining r necks for what seemed like a decade we decided to retire in r respective rooms … it was 3:25 already and I was supposed to get up at 5:30 to make it to the office in time .. PHEW !
I enter my room and there out of my window I see another of those bright streaks across the sky and then what … both of us were at the window once again straining r necks to get few remaining wishes fulfilled as well !!
Ladies … can they be ever satisfied … huh!
Anyways, after numerous tries to convince each other to sleep both of us fell on the bed there itself and dozed off to sleep, with a smile on r face, as quickly as we got up .. not to forget the pillow and duvet fights because Harry was feeling too lazy to leave my room and climb into her bed … so both of us slept on my queen size bed !
Oh! She is a sweetheart … just a bit LAZY like me ;-)
Friday 3 August 2007
Its Summers at Last
After months of those cold breezy days, continuous rains and cloudy skies, finally we get to see the sun … Hurray! Summers are here … its August and we have a week of sunshine as per the UK forecast (a mysterious department which manages to forecast incorrectly majority of the time … not this time PLEASE)
So there you go you see sale everywhere and people out without those bulky jackets and shawls …. Shoes are a passé and flip flops are in vogue!
I so hate to cover my toes … they need to breathe a little ... Don’t they?
The hair saloons are busy … blonde is the new black …. Hair are getting short
And yes those gorgeous dresses are back …. I absolutely love wearing skirts … they make you look so feminine
Oh! And I so wish that the forecast is wrong about the next week … let the summers continue
Rain Rain go away
Come again another day
The whole Britain wants to play
Rain Rain go away!
So there you go you see sale everywhere and people out without those bulky jackets and shawls …. Shoes are a passé and flip flops are in vogue!
I so hate to cover my toes … they need to breathe a little ... Don’t they?
The hair saloons are busy … blonde is the new black …. Hair are getting short
And yes those gorgeous dresses are back …. I absolutely love wearing skirts … they make you look so feminine
Oh! And I so wish that the forecast is wrong about the next week … let the summers continue
Rain Rain go away
Come again another day
The whole Britain wants to play
Rain Rain go away!
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