Monday, January 28, 2008

Gaining Perspective

Found out on Sunday that my cousin's daughter has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. She is 12 years old.
This morning I heard that my mum's sister is in the hospital. The doctor's need to take some ovarian tissue samples to send for a biopsy. We won't know anything until Friday - if we're lucky.
Also heard that my mum's brother (who was diagnosed with cancer last month) was rushed to hospital as he was experiencing difficulty breathing.
Then we hear that a close friend back in Bombay was the victim of a hit and run and died due to her severe injuries. 2 other people who were crossing the road alongside her also died. 4 others are in hospital with various injuries.


Somehow a lost bag of books seems inconsequential when someone could potentially loose a father, a husband, a mother, a daughter, an aunt, a grandchild...... a friend.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Things I Lost in the Taxicab

H had organized karaoke night on Friday to meet up with a friend (who we shall call Dandylion) from out of town after a long long while. It had been simply ages since we'd done karaoke and it was also nice to meet new people - friend's of the Dandylion. Didn't do a whole lotta drinking that night as now thanks to the mess in my tummy it just makes me really ill, so was quite content with 2 pints.
Guess everyone else was making up for me as when we finally left the bar, I ended piling into a cab with a drunk Dandylion, a very drunk H and a drunk out of his mind friend of the Dandylion. After some argument over whether or not we were dropping off drunk friend of D's, we made the decision to take him back to H's with us as dude would not have been able to find the board side of a barge in his present condition. Also, he made a pathetic face and whimpered "I don't want to go home."
Barely did we pull up to H's house did drunk dude bolt out of the cab and hurl all over neighbour's dive way. I gave my bag to the girls and told them to head in while I paid off the cab and scrapped the boy off the sidewalk. Boy was sending conflicting messages such as "I'm fine, I'm fine... just leave me alone." And then when I started to walk away "Where are you going? Don't leave me!!" I had just sent off the cab when boy declared "I want to go home", which meant that I then had to walk/drag/ support him to the main road and flag down a cabbie. Then spend persuading cabbie to take him home when cabbie realized that I wasn't going too.
In all this confusion it wasn't until the next morning that I realized that a bag with books - that I had JUST bought that evening had been left behind in the cab.
I was even MORE upset when I remembered that the bag also contained my fav red shawl and new sweater. I was devastated when I realized that I'm probably not going to see any of those items ever again.

I called the cab company, but they told me to call the police coz they just hand over found items to them. Filed a report with the police, but really am quite sure that in the food chain of police follow ups "missing bag of books" falls very very low on list.

Farewell to:

  • The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith
  • The Penelopaid - Margaret Atwood
  • Parker Pyne Investigates - Agatha Christie
  • Can you keep a Secret? - Sophie Kinsella
  • Playing for the Ashes - Elizabeth George
Am currently in mopey condition.
Yes Yes... I know... "Perspective" you say to me. I realize that things could have been way worse and that I could have lost purse or money or credit cards or other "valuable" items. But to me - books ARE valuable items, and I think I'm even more upset because I had gotten all of them for such a good price!

H did try to cheer me up with comfort food and apple-cinnamon tea and we all watched Dirty Dancing together and hooted and hollered every time we saw Patrick Swayze's nipples! But *sigh* I will give a tiny sob on Monday morning when I have to leave for work and cannot wear my beautiful red scarf.







Saturday, January 26, 2008

Book Review - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series

If ever you are looking for a book that is guaranteed to make you feel upbeat and cheerful, then look no further than McCall Smith’s series about Precious Ramotswe and her detective agency. Set in the arid dust bowl of the Kalahari in Botswana, the series follows Mma Ramotswe as she goes about fulfilling a life long dream by setting up a detective agency in her town.


Peppered with colourful characters like the serious but sensible assistant, the steady dependable fiancĂ©, the bossy matron who runs the nearby “Orphan Farm” and many many more, the series gives us a good insight into the home and heart of the African way of life. The author’s love for Africa and Botswana in particular is very evident by his portrayal of the people and the country through a series of interconnected short storylines.


The pace of the book matches the pace of traditional Botswana – slow and steady, mixed with the company of good friends and family. So make time for a cup of bush tea on a shady veranda and doing this like Mma Ramotswe you will find that life’s problems present answers to themselves and in the process you will find out just what you wanted to find out about your new next door neighbour!

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

First Memory

When I think back, the very farthest back that I can remember is of a time when I'm sitting at the table in my grandparent's house and my grandmother is feeding me. And as she spoons the food into my mouth she's crooning something in Konkani.
Probably saying "Lord, this child is a fussy eater!"

Anyway, that's my first memory - what's yours??

Friday, January 11, 2008

New Year Blues

2008 has started off on quite an upsetting note. Several family members have been affected with ill health and the general mood is one of somber recollections.

My mum's estranged brother was diagnosed with cancer in early December and his prognosis is not good.
My dad's brother (ironically also estranged) had a minor heart attack on New Year's day shovelling snow.

And just when we thought that we had no more "estranged" relatives that could be affected - my grandfather; my darling wonderful grandfather - had a little "episode" that the doctor termed as early cardiac failure and what he so eloquently describes as "the lights going out, then coming back on".
He's had 3 attacks so far since last Friday, each increasingly intensive than the first.

The weirdest part is that he seems quite OK in between these attacks. When I last spoke with him a few days ago, he was quite chipper and started off the conversation with "Baba, where in the world are you right now???"

Sense of humour - check!
Awareness of surroundings - check!
Awareness of persons and who they are - check!

Most Bizarre.
And Most Worrying!






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