Dedicated to my Daughter :-)

March is the B'day month of my dearest, darling daughter

She'll be 10 years old this month.

Time flies....just the other day she was born in 2004....and now she's gonna be 10.

However old she grows....for me, she'll always be my little baby.

Wanted to dedicate this lovely song to her for her B'day as all the words of this song keep reminding me of her :-)

I've listened to it umpteen times and keep humming it....sometimes with her, sometimes without her.

Even she has loved the song very much and of course, the visuals are wonderful, so is the music by R.D. Burman

I came across this song while compiling a playlist on Harihar Jethalal Zariwala also known to us as Haribhai

Who's he?!

Don't you know?!

He's the extremely talented actor Sanjeev Kumar who gave us movies like Mausam (1977), Aandhi (1976), Koshish (1974) and many more....

Now let me tell you a bit more about the song. It is Chaandni Re Jhoom

Sung by Kishore / Lata in 3 separate versions; enacted by Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bachchan with a child artist, lyrics are by the one and only Majrooh Sultanpuri and the movie is Naukar (1979)

Here's how all the 3 versions play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twlqZGbeoDU&list=PLAP2Wr4O1Jan9Pnhla_Z_ntzkHDDqeAyp

You can also see this song in the playlist that I made on Sanjeev Kumar

Here's how this Playlist runs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq_vWD4lTcw&list=PLAP2Wr4O1JamCuhMwfAMVkH5ZnXAJcCSv

And if you are looking for the super hit comedy movie Naukar (1979) from which this beautiful song has been taken

It is here in this Films playlist that has movies old and new, some I've watched, some I've yet to view.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAP2Wr4O1Jan4GnLnFn0IlaZZcH2G01dI

That's a lot of sharing for now.

Have a Happy Holi that is on March 17th, this year.

Cheers
Aparna

This has been long pending....

What?

My thanksgiving

To whom?

Shri Mahila Griha Udyog

For what?

My all-time Favourite Lijjat Black Pepper Papad

I've been having this savoury for over a decade now.

I've tried the other varieties (jeera, plain, green chilli, red chilli, garlic, etc) but always keep coming back to this one as its taste simply suits me :-)

It goes very well with rice and you can even munch it with tea or coffee.

I don't fry it. I simply microwave it for 40-50 secs and enjoy its nice, healthy taste.

Mine is a Category E Microwave (900W), so your heating time would vary if your microwave is of a different specification.

Try this snack if you haven't yet snacked ;-)

Bye for Now,
APARNA :-)

Thursday March 6th 2014 was World Book Day

Thought of sharing with you this book on that day

But I could only finish reading it day before yesterday

So here it is for you today

Voices of Alzheimer's

This was judged as the Best Consumer Health Book of 2007 by the Library Journal.

It's got a compilation of real life stories of people who have been thru the painful process of Alzheimer's amidst their kith and kin, friends and family and how they coped with this debilitating disease.

This book has been edited by The Healing Project and all proceeds from the sale of this book would be donated to them. They are a non-profit organization founded in 2005 to support those challenged with chronic and life-threatening illnesses.

I bought this book from The Book Depository who give free worldwide delivery.

This book offers us a lot to learn about Alzheimer's - its various stages, symptoms, therapy and palliative care and how we should treat every Alzheimer's case based on the individual's life experiences as every person has a different set of memories to relate to, and it will be a method of trial and error before we see what care plan is the most optimal for the patient. It will never be a case of one shoe that fits all....what will succeed is a person-centred approach, as a treatment that may work well for person A may not be at all working for person B even though both may be suffering from Alzheimer's. Why? Because both of them come from different backgrounds having different lifestyles and an entirely different set of memories related to their upbringing, family, career, relationships, jobs, environment, culture, society, etc.

I've gained some precious insights going thru this book. Hope it also inspires you to become a good carer or caregiver.

That's all I had to share for now.

Cheers
Aparna

Immeasurable

Immeasurable

My daughter
I love you,
More than
You know

How much
Of love...??
Even I don't
Know ;-)

Love is
Immeasurable
As we all know





Moods

You blossom
And you
Wither

You
Blossom
And you
Wither

Where?

From
Hither
To
Thither

(pertaining to our changing moods through the journey of life; wherever we are....sometimes we feel high, sometimes low, sometimes sad, sometimes happy and sometimes neutral - neither happy nor sad; our changing moods influence our thoughts and actions)

From hither to thither in the above poem signifies - from here (the beginning of life) to there (the end of life)

I've perceived our various moods as the various flowers which blossom and wither in the course of their life.





The Sports Channel

So
You're
Watching
TV :-)
And you
Don't
Want me
To see..?
;-)

OK

Switch
Over to
The
Sports
Channel
And I'll
Go back
To my
Poetry

As Sports
Has never
Interested
Me ;-)


(though I enjoy walking, gyming and cycling but viewing any type of TV Sports is just beyond me, I just cannot sit there watching games on the Telly; I find it very boring.)





Beautiful

There she
Goes
Looking for
Love
Draping
Herself
In a
Beautiful
Saree,
Not knowing
That men
Are not
Interested in
Love

They are
More interested
In what she's
Wearing
Beneath her
Beautiful Saree

(Theme: Satire)





Killing

Killing time
And killing
Loneliness
Both take
A lot of
Perseverance

(Theme: Retirement)





Some

Some feelings
You feel, you
Can never
Write about
Them - for,
Those
Feelings
You feel,
None can
Relate -
To them

(Theme: Feelings)





I Felt Free

When was
The last time
I felt free...??

When I was
In heaven
Asking to be
Reborn
To realize
The worth
Of feeling
Free

(based on the fact that life is full of bondage)





Eureka

Every poem
Is a Eureka
In our mind's
Meditating
Mecca

(relating to the sudden influx of poems in our contemplating mind)





Live

I want to
Live my
Life thru
You

So
Whatever
You think
Feel and
View....
I’ll write
To you

Life in all its
Colours, in
Every hue
Be it the
Misty
Moonlight
Or the
Morning dew

Whatever
Makes you
Happy or
Leaves you
Feeling blue
Whatever
You think
Feel and
View....
I'll write to you

At times,
I might overdo
But later on,
As you review
You'll realise...
Nothing went in
Vain...it all turned
Out to be so true :-)

So, till life bids you
Adieu, I'll be there
With you, and keep
Writing to you
Whatever you
Think, Feel and View
:-)


(Theme could be Telepathy or ESP)





Style

Tighten
And constrict
Your clothes
So much
That Guys
Can see your
Assets

Doesn't matter
If your body
Gasps and
Suffocates

Don't prioritise
Your health,
Prioritise the
High ratings
You'll get
For fetching
Prospective
Dudes for Dates

(Theme: Compromise)





Facebook

Facebook
Is all about
Catching
Attention

Look closely
And you'll know
Who's trying to
Catch -
Whose attention
;-)

(Theme: Flirting)





Take A Break

Take a
Break

Take a
Breather

Smoke a
Cig =~

Oh, what a
Breather...!

(Theme: Satire)

Written after observing many men and women taking breaks from their busy work schedules by standing outside their homes and offices to smoke cigarettes as many UK properties are fitted with smoke alarms.





Who's He?

Let me
Not take
Credit
For all
What I
Write, as
He's the one
Who dictates
All what I write

Who's He?

The devil
Or the god
In me who
Holds my
Copyright!

;-)


(I've always felt an invisible force that makes me write my poems because there are times when my mind draws a complete blank - nothing comes out however hard I try but sometimes with just a little effort, words start flowing....and then I realize that 'invisible' one is at work - whether he is the devil or the god - that depends on whether people find my pieces of writing devilish or godly :)






Disabled

Physically
Disabled
Mentally
Disabled
Emotionally
Disabled

Disabled
We all are
In some way
Or the other

(Theme: Weakness)





Living

Living
In a
Culture
Of formalities
You become
So formal,
That if someone
Interacts with you
Informally, you think
He's abnormal ;-)

(Theme: Culture)





Fresh

Fresh
Morning air
He thinks
He'll choke

That's why
He surrounds
Himself with
Cigarette
Smoke...

(Theme: Satire)

Written after observing a man lighting up his cigarette on his morning walk

Bollywood

Nowadays
Bollywood
Songs
Are all about
Falling on
Each other's
Bodies
As if
That is what
Love is all about
Falling on each
Other's bodies...





Society

If you keep
Thinking of
What will
Society say,
You'll never be
Able to write freely

Try thinking of
Yourself without
The society's say,
Your words will
Start flowing freely

(Themes could be Inhibition / Expression)





Rebirth

This new
Lease
Of life
Will be
Taken
Away

So might
As well
Make the
Most of
Every day

Till
Death
Decides
Our final
Day

(Theme: Purpose)





Something

There's
Something
About his
Writing...
That touches
Me so deep...
That my
Eyes try
Hard not
To weep

(dedicated to our Dear Hafeez Ji)





Your Eyes

Your eyes
Take me
To a world,
Where I get
Lost in your
World, becoming
Blind to the world,
I see you and only
You

(Theme: Love)





They Know

Chronicling
Our lives
Wherever
We go

So that
After death
Us they know

(thinking of all the blogging and confessional writing that goes on around the world, leaving bits 'n' pieces of us for posterity to remember us)





Women

Women
Are tired
Of showing
Their bodies

But I'm
Wondering

If men
Are tired
Of seeing
Their bodies

;-)

Seems Impossible

(Theme: Show)





Pester

Don't
Pester
Me with
Cooking

I won't
Cook !

As I'm
Busy
Making
Friends
On
Facebook
;-)

LOL :D

(based on the observation that nowadays Housewives spend more time on Facebook and have less time to cook ;)



Virtual

All these
Virtual
Friends
Of yours
Disappear
In their
Virtual
Worlds
When you
Need help
With the
Real problems
In your world

(pertaining to the 'convenience' of social networking wherein we make lots of convenient friendships, to make ourselves seem popular, but in times of need, many of these virtual friends desert us and then we get to know our real friends who stand by us)

All Poems - Copyright © Aparna Chatterjee 2014

Photo of Rupashri clicked by Aparna Chatterjee

Bollywood Image sourced from Santa Banta dot Com

Two

Two
Precious
Hearts
Walking
On the
Road...

My daughter
And her
Father :)
Walking...
On the road

(Wrote this today after seeing my husband taking my daughter to School. My son's school opens tomorrow. Last week they were having their 1/2 term holidays.)





My Son

My son
Talks like
An adult
Now

Listening
To his
Sermons
I've become
A child now

LOL :D

(thinking of all the talking that my adolescent son does)

Esho

Esho
Aador
Koredi
Esho

Saying thus
He gave me
Such a long
Loving massage

The Vibes
Lasted me
All thru the
Week
And I kept
Blessing him
All thru the
Week for
Having
Given me
Such a long
Loving massage

I look forward
To his aador
Every week
Through his
Long, loving
Massage...

(dedicated to my hubby's weekly massages)

Esho means Come
Aador means Love






Dawn

Just as
Every
Dawn
Shows a
New day

Every day
I feel love for you
In a new way

(Theme: Renewal)





World

I feel like
Running
Away
From
This
World
To
My world,
Where I can
Happily lose
Myself into
Your world

(Theme: Love)





Stifling

What is that
Stifling thing
Clinging to my
Chest?

No,
It's not a
Chesty
Cough

It's the
Bra
That
Stifles
My
Breast

I've never liked Bras. They are so constricting and don't make me feel relaxed and free. I always thought they are meant to give shape to women's bosoms and so even if women felt stifled, suffocated or compressed by tight, close-fitting bras, they would still wear it to maintain the shape of their precious bosoms. Now I know it is all a Myth as New Research has shown that Bras in fact, weaken the muscles, ligaments and tendons supporting the breasts, reduce the amount of blood flow volume to their tissues, hence making them sag early in life though other factors such as breast-feeding, obesity and aging can also lead to sagging. Bras can also block lymph nodes, and if lymphatic drainage remains obstructed due to prolonged periods of wearing bras, toxic chemicals can get trapped in the breast, thereby causing cancer. Bras have now been labelled as a 'false necessity'. Going braless fosters healthy blood circulation and reduces the symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease.

Here is one of the many research findings I've been studying on the Net.

Bras Make Breasts Sag, 15-Year Study Concludes

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/259073.php

Share this Health News with the women in your house so that they are well-informed.

As they say: Prevention is Better than Cure :-)






Strong Scents

Strong Scents
Give me
Headaches

So if you
Want to
Keep me
Away ;-)
Use
Strong
Scents
And I'll
Stay
Away ;-)

I abhor
Using
Perfumes
Except
When I
Go out
Lest my
Natural
Real
Body
Scents
Give
Others
Spurious
Headaches

(Theme: Humour)





He Says 

He says
I don't
Talk much

After all the
Talking
I do thru my
Writing

What is there
Left to say...?

Not much ;-)

(Theme: Grudge)





Reborn

Won't you
Be reborn?

I miss you,
And I'm sure
Many of us do,
And I'm specially
Waiting for the
Speciality in You


(dedicated to Kishore Kumar as I miss his voice and wish many of today's songs could have been sung by him. There is 1 old song which I really wish he had sung. Mone Pore Ruby Rai - it's got good lyrics, good music and R.D. Burman has sung it well but I'm sure Kishore would have rendered it better...)





Simply

He's macho
He's good-looking
He's got charisma

So...?? Should I
Be falling for him?

No,
He may be
Having
Many
Endearing
Qualities
But
He's
Simply
Not
Him.

(Theme: Devotion)





Relaxing

Relaxing
With my hands
On his chest
In some
Blissful
Moments
Of rest,
I think of
All the men
I've met,
And realise
That he's
Better
Than the
Best :-)





Listens

Every week
He listens
Intently
To his
Daughter's
Voice
Fearing that
He would
Miss her
If he doesn't
Live to see
The following
Week

(thinking of aged fathers living away from their daughters)





Long

He has a
Long
Driveway

Longer
Than
Ours

Yet he
Keeps
His car
On the
Road,
For he
Finds it
Hard to
Reverse

'Cause
For him
Old Age
Will never
Reverse





Terms

He said
He's always
Lived life
On his
Own terms

Now
With
His
Failing
Health
He's
Trying
To come
To terms

(Theme: Compromise)





Aging

When the
Youngest
Of your
Aunts
Gets Old

You know
It is time
For you
To grow
Old

(Theme: Relations)





Time Flies

His father
Died when
He was just
One year old

Son of a
Single
Mother

Now
He's
A doting
Grandfather

Time Flies...

(Theme: Life)





Walk

With a
Walking
Stick
And a
Stooping
Posture,
The Widow
Goes for a
Walk on her
Own,
Wondering
Where is her
Husband
Who had
Always
Regarded her
As his own...

Why did Death
Make him disown?


(pertaining to thoughts after death, written after seeing our bereaved neighbour)


All Poems - Copyright © Aparna Chatterjee 2014

Dawn Image sourced from Deviant Art dot Com

Snowman

He stands
And stays
But doesn't
Walk

He tries
To move
But doesn't
Talk

He does
The things
That no one
Would

He likes
The things
That no one
Could

And
Finally,
At night
He melts
Away...

When
Kids
Wake up,
He's gone
By day !!




Relief

The only relief
A very refreshing spring
In a hot desert

(Theme: Haiku)

The above Poems written by Rupashri Chatterjee (Age 9)

Snowman Image © DragoArt dot Com

Thunderstorm

“BOOM! BOOM!” said Thunder.

 It wasn’t all right.

The thunderstorm had struck with all its might.

All the little children were crying out of fright.

Gobsmacked adults were saying, “What a sight!”

Some people wonder about the thundercloud’s height.

Lightning looked ever so bright and some infants were ever so scared,

That some toys were held never so tight !!!
___________________

The above poem written by Rupashri Chatterjee, Age 9

Stop Racism

We don’t mind what country you are from

America, India, Australia

What colour is your skin

What religion you are

Christianity, Islam, Hinduism

We don’t mind what language you speak

What place you were born

England, Romania, Nigeria

What accent you have

But one thing we’ll not tolerate

Whether in or outside school

Whether verbal or physical

And that is

Racism
___________________

The above poem written by Rajarshi Chatterjee, Age 13

Achievement has no colour. ― Abraham Lincoln

Thunderstorm image sourced from Ann's wordplay

Stop Racism image sourced from Religion News Service