7 November
2020
7 November
2020
The 2 Honda CTX 700s
7 November
2020
What goes best with a cup of cappuccino?
Sometimes it is sitting down to write a letter with a fountain pen!! There is something about the way a fountain pen’s nib glides over paper that just cannot be replicated by a ballpoint pen or a pencil. There is enough friction to slow you down but not too much to make it jerky irritating. Sometimes though, the flow of ink can be a problem. This is mainly due to the paper quality (and sometimes the brand of ink). There are very few brands of paper I have found in the US that have the right texture to neither bleed nor blot. If you know of any that you have been happy with, do let me know.
Meanwhile, if you are stuck at home with Covid, have you thought of giving going retro a shot? Like paper, pen and ink writing. The good old way? No auto-correct though. You have to scratch it over!!
7 November
2020
Covid did not stop this intersection point!!
To help understand this intersection point, I have to pull three strings together. Let’s see how well I can do that.
Last evening, Avi, Sharmila and myself were out at a cigar bar and one of the topics that came up was all the moments of serendipity I go thru. In fact, we talked about that one time I had taken my family to Bombay and how in that one stay, I had experienced one intersection point after another.
First, at the breakfast table, I ran into somebody from Shanghai who I had met only once before – in a running trail in Atlanta. Later, met a co-worker from twelve years prior on the beach – who was visiting from Hong Kong with her own family. And then as we settled down in the lounge at the airport to fly back, I spotted a junior from my Engineering college (used to be a few doors down from me in my hostel) sitting at a chair nearby poring over his laptop. (he did not recognize me but that was because he had no idea I had shaved my head off two years back). The day itself had started with a breakfast with a friend rom MBA days who has backpacked to over 100 countries in the world. The topic de jure that morning? “Serendipity”!! Go figure.
I was lamenting to Avi how Covid has stopped to all my travel and that I am not being able to create those intersection points any more.
Okay. Let’s stop the thread there. Let’s start with a completely unknown person. Ashwin Ramani is his name. Turns out he had run into my blog sometime back and has been following me ever since. I had noticed that name when I saw it in a list of emails added to subscribe to my blog. Eventually, I got an email from him too. He talked about some of the posts on music and that apparently, he enjoys the blog in general. That was very nice of him. Thru emails, I go to know him a little more. Turns out he is a musician himself and has a band. We had a great chat over it.
To start yet another thread, day before yesterday, I had a fairly long day. Office meetings, board meetings, budget meetings and all that. Another thing about Covid – I used to see my face only once a day in the mirror while shaving. Now, like a glutton for punishment, I keep seeing myself in those Zoom windows. Too tiring, I tell you.
In any case, Dipanjan, Parijat, Sharmila and I had stepped out to grab a quick drink late that evening at our favorite Alpharetta down town spot – Truck and Tap. In fact, I posted a picture from that meeting too.
Now time to put all the threads together.
So, this morning, I sat down at my coffee spot with my favorite cup of cappuccino and woke up to my first message from the previous night.
It was Ashwin – he had written to me (after seeing the picture) to say that Parijat is his high school classmate from India!
Mind. Blown.
7 November
2020
The best start to a morning..
6 November
2020
One more evening at the local cigar bar
6 November
2020
Sitting idle in the parking lot
5 November
2020
Truck and Tap with the Dynamic Duo
4 November
2020
Tested out the calf muscles again…
4 November
2020
Jhorna!! (Bengali alert)
This morning mom reported that amidst the continuous pain my dad is going thru (he is having a real rough time), he had a bright spot when my sister came over and talked about his recitations. My dad used to enjoy reciting Bengali poems – mostly Rabindranath Tagore’s poems. (as in any self-respecting reciter born in the early to mid 1900s Bengal would do).
Looks like he gave it a shot at reciting when my sister brought up the topic.
I asked mom “Which poem did he recite?”
“Nirjhorer swapnobhongo”, she said referring to one of his old time favorites.
Just to engage mom, I asked “What does Nirjhor mean?” After a couple of minutes she gave up. And I let her know the meaning of that Bengali word is a “waterfall” (cataract, cascade).
She immediately asked me “Onno jhorna-r kabita ta mon-e aachhey?”. She enquired if I remembered another famous Bengali poem describing a waterfall. I did remember the one she was referring to. My dad used to recite that one too.
Written by Satyendranath Dutta – often referred to as the Wizard of Rhythm – it is an absolute masterpiece. Each and every word is golden. But the cadence/tempo of the words as you recite them is impossible to forget. There is no amount of translation that can do justice to the words. Certainly there is no way of carrying the rhythm in any translation.
I did remember the first paragraph. It has been impossible to forget ever since our Bengali teacher in eighth grade – Mrs. Gita Mitra – had taught this poem. Such lilting and catchy is the tempo.
Later looked up the whole poem. Turns out I had forgotten most of the rest of the poem. Which is a shame. It is an absolute gem of a poetic talent. Here is the whole poem for my Bengali friends…
—
ঝর্ণা ! ঝর্ণা ! সুন্দরী ঝর্ণা !
তরলিত চন্দ্রিকা ! চন্দন-বর্ণা !
অঞ্চল সিঞ্চিত গৈরিকে স্বর্ণে,
গিরি-মল্লিকা দোলে কুন্তলে কর্ণে,
তনু ভরি’ যৌবন, তাপসী অপর্ণা !
ঝর্ণা !
পাষাণের স্নেহধারা ! তুষারের বিন্দু !
ডাকে তোরে চিত-লোল উতরোল সিন্ধু |
মেঘ হানে জুঁইফুলী বৃষ্টি ও-অঙ্গে,
চুমা-চুম্ কীর হারে চাঁদ ঘেরে রঙ্গে,
ধূলা-ভরা দ্যায় ধরা তোর লাগি ধর্ণা !
ঝর্ণা !
এস তৃষার দেশে এস কলহাস্যে-
গিরি-দরী-বিহীরিনী হরিনীর লাস্যে,
ধূসরের ঊষরের কর তুমি অন্ত,
শ্যামলিয়া ও পরশে কর গো শ্রীমন্ত;
ভরা ঘট এস নিয়ে ভরসায় ভর্ণা;
ঝর্ণা !
শৈলের পৈঠৈয় এস তনুগত্রী !
পাহাড়ে বুক-চেরা এস প্রেমদাত্রী !
পান্নার অঞ্জলি দিতে দিতে আয় গো,
হরিচরণ-চ্যুতা গঙ্গার প্রায় গো,
স্বর্গের সুধা আনো মর্ত্যে সুপর্ণা !
ঝর্ণা !
মঞ্জুল ও-হাসির বেলোয়ারি আওয়াজে
ওলো চঞ্চলা ! তোর পথ হল ছাওয়া যে !
মোতিয়া মোতির কুঁড়ি মূরছে ও-অলকে;
মেখলায়, মরি মরি, রামধনু ঝলকে
তুমি স্বপ্নের সখী বিদ্যুত্পর্ণা
ঝর্ণা !
—-
