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April 11 Bangla Rock Band Cactus' ever enchanting "Bodhu Re " Live under a beautiful full moon night
April 08 "Picasso ? Who is that ?"            Today is the 36th death anniversary of Pablo Picasso. http://picasso.tamu.edu/picasso/
I still remember the day when the news of his death was announced.... That was a long, long time ago. (8th April, 1973). the Govt. College of Art and Craft. Calcutta.
That particular morning , I was, as usual, late for the classes.
I was rushing up the wooden stairs as fast as I could, in an attempt to reach my classroom before our professor came in for the roll-call.
I could see the big clock  on the 1st floor wall showing it was well past 9.30 am!When I entered the classroom, which was on the 2nd floor of the building, I found that our professor had not yet come to the class.
I heaved a sigh of relief.. "Good that I made it!"
My classmates and I settled down and tried to concentrate on our unfinished paintings. In a few weeks time, we'd be having our final exam. While we were arranging our colours and brushes, suddenly we heard quite a bit of noise coming from the 1st floor. My classmates and I went out to find out what all the commotion was about. We leaned on the wooden railings and saw many students talking to our principal Shri. Chintamoni Kar http://www.asianart.com/exhibitions/antwerp/alphen.html
whose official residence was on the first floor of the building. As I did not speak Bengali, and did not understand the language too. The first few things that rushed to my mind were , "What happened again?... is it another Student Union agitation? ....not again!!.. Please, no Strikes or Bandhs... Final exams are just around the corner... "
(In fact, during the early '70s, the movement of all the Union strikes and bandhs were just taking shape like a strong wave. Which, later, became one of the main factors for seeing the state of West Bengal losing out many industries.
Of course, that's a different story which I am not going to indulge in here!! )
While I was still wondering what was happening, I saw one of my close friends , who was also my Rakhi brother, http://hinduism.about.com/od/rakhi/a/rakshabandhan.htm,
the final year, commercial art section student, Xitij Joshi, was actively negotiating with the principal too. I went down to the first floor. I asked Joshi why he and the rest of the students were arguing with the principal? I gathered the news from him that Pablo Picasso had died just some time ago.... Joshi and his group of friends were demanding that the principal should announce a holiday on that day to honour Picasso's death. I heard our principal in his usual gentle manner, " Why don't you honour Picasso by working harder today as a true artist like him, instead of taking a day off from your creative work? And Picasso did express he would prefer no holiday to be decleared on behalf of his death."
"Every great man's death we declear a holiday! And when it is Picasso's death, why a holiday should not be called?! ... We don't meet a Picasso in our life that often...!!"
Those were the students' answers to the principal... And the loudest voice was from my friend Joshi.
"Wow, I did not know Joshi is a great admirer of Picasso!" I was thinking... Honestly, at that age, while we were in an academic institute, we were encouraged to concentrate on straight lines, curves, light and shade... We were trying hard to find inspirations from artists like ... Titian, Raphael, Velazquez, Botticelli etc., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Masters .... and the impressionists .. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/imml/hd_imml.htm Picasso !!!  http://www.artchive.com/artchive/P/picasso.htmlHe was a living legend!! His works were far too deep and complex for us to even dare to imitate!! I was really envying that Joshi was deeper than us...!
Anyway, the arguments went on between the Principal and the students for quite a while. At last our Principal came up with a wise decision. He said, " Alright, those who want to honour Picasso by believing one should work hard, especially today, may go back to the classrooms and carry on with the classworks. And those want to honour Picasso with a day off can go home,
he or she will not be marked absent."
Many of us opted going back to class and work harder on that day. And Joshi and his other group of friends were happy that they could take a day off . Before we went back to the classrooms. Joshi got me on the side , laughingly, he asked me "Sandy, tell me who is this Picasso?"
I thought he was joking!!! "You don't know who is Picasso????" I asked.  " No! I heard about him only this morning . " "Joshi!! You don't know Picasso???" I could not believe what he had just said. "He is the greatest living legend of the modern art. " "I thought you are a great admirer of him!.. that's why you insisted so hard to honor him with a holiday!! But then why ??"
Cheekily  he said otherwise why so much fuss?... Honestly I actually did not know he is an artist too....! I thought he is some politician from India...."
I simply could not believe Joshi could be this crazy!! Later on the day, I noticed he did not go home. I found him in the college compound/ canteen area whole day happily sipping tea and whiling away the day.
After the classes were over, I met him again and I asked him " Joshi, why didn't you go home? I thought you fought so hard for a holiday today!... .What is the difference between inside the classroom and outside the classroom?"
He had no answer!! Instead he gave a laugh and shrugged his shoulders... And then he just could not stop laughing ....
 !!P.S. Joshi had never participated in any Union movement, neither in his college days nor after that.
He went off to America after he finished his final year in the Art College.
We lost contact with him. Anyway, this crazy friend of ours, definitely added colours in our lives when we were in the college.
Those days when we were dreaming to be
a Van Gogh, a Rembrandt, a Monet, a Cezanne,...
and later, dare to dream of being a Picasso.....
 (another crazy idea of Joshi's, here with his guitar,
he did not know any chord and did not play the guitar,
but he said keeping the guitar was to win the admiring looks
especially from the girls!!!)
( These black and white pictures are all Joshi's photographs )
 (L-R: Mukta, me, Subroto and *Bendang, my three senior friends who guided me especially in sketches )  (with my fresco painting. Final year in College)
 (me holding *Bendang's painting: Life Study- a portrait).
 (L-R: * Bendang, Subroto, me, Joshi and Jyotsna, the other two senior friends who helped me especially in sketches) * Bendang was the best student amongst us..
and he is still the best artist among us...He still paints seriouly...
And the rest of us ? most probably are taking a holiday like Joshi did on 8/4/1973
8th April 2009 April 04 First day to school and big step in life.                 It's hard to believe
that it is time for our little girl to start her school !Time has changed so much, in our time we started school when we were eight years old. When it was our son's time, he started school when he was four years old. But today's children start school as early as 18 months old! As a matter of fact, these are not exactly regular schools, rather play schools where children learn how to inter-react with their own age-group. The concept of this could be for the reasons, that there have been great changes in our society. Firstly, the mothers, especially the urban mothers have the oppotunity to pursue their careers even after they become mothers. Secondly, especially in the metro cities, the nuclear family system has taken over the age-old joint family system. Thirdly, the urban couple no longer desires to have more than one or two children. And, the most important change will be, a female  baby is being loved/valued as much as a male  baby in the family!In old conservative systems like ours, these changes have taken roots with positive results, which have helped us move on. Opps... I almost got out of track with all these changes in this page! I am supposed to share here our little girl's first day of her pre-school, isn't it?! Well, when she turned two years old, we were all mentally prepared to get her addmitted to a pre-school. We started introducing the idea of school to her, weeks ahead of her actually going to school. Of how to share her toys with others, no agressiveness with others and how to share her tiffins with others....etc She seems to be happiest with the idea of the tiffin box, as it will contain some cakes, fruits and a small bit of chocolate!! At last, this morning her Mummy drops her to school with her Spiderman school bag. (Oh she loves to imagine that she is the Spiderman- http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/spider-man3/ and she likes to be addressed, "Hey, Peter Parker!" There, this is what I mean by changes... http://spiderman.sonypictures.com/downloads/wallpapers/spiderman3/images/800x600/peter_sm7_800.jpg Girls no loger need to play with her dolls anymore! They are allowed to imagine they can be a hero like superman/spiderman.. fly around to save the needy and the world) And from her sketchy answers, we guess, she has not cried P.S. "Our baby girl, your papa is on his musical tour, and this page is especially for him to share your first day in school !"
2nd April 2009. March 15 Phantoms' visit.Last Friday, like any other calm evening after sunset.
I had given our little girl a bottle of milk. After that, she woke up from her afternoon nap and started playing with her grandpa out there in the balcony.
I decided to go for a bath, but before that, I sat down for my habitual daily crossword puzzle. I was trying hard to catch the eight letter word for "detective story" ..... Suddenly, I heard my husband calling me with excitement... and in the midst of his excitement I heard my little girl joining in " come, come! see ..."
 Woh... I heard lots of "'Caw...Caw.." the Crows and the Kites'..."Eeek..." "What's this going on in our backyard? Someone trying to harm the birds? The cats? Snakes? Human?....?" I was musing. Anyway, when I rushed out to the backyard balcony, my husband had the camera ready for me!!! And he said "There is something in the bush..the crows are attacking it..."
YES! I see some light!   Again my husband excitedly said
"Look there is something up on that pipal tree...do you see it?!"
 Yes! I see it, it went off in such a speed...like Phantom!!
 More noise from the crows ...
Our little girl was excited like the crows, "Big eyes... big eyes..." she was saying.
And I was trying my best to catch a perfect picture of this "big eyes"  My husband was prompting me...
" Sandy. there are three of them! Here... there...!"
  'Wait!! give me a second...' I was desperate to capture them with the camera ..it was too dark ...
' I need flash ...' and the flashlights took such long time to be recharged...!
 "I'd rather try with out the flash !'     I don't know who were more excited that evening?
The "big eyes"? My husband? Our little girl? me? The Crows ? The Kites? I had no time to notice whether our neighbours were watching all these commotions going on at the backyard and were excited like us?! Whew!! Very soon the night came, these "big eyes" took shelter in the dark Money plant http://www.jaycjayc.com/epipremnum-aureum-pothos/ I went on clicking till I no longer was able to get any sight of them in the darkness.   Actually, both my husband and our little girl were trying to flash torchlight on them
to help me get the pictures of these three "Big eyes"
[ honestly, though none of these torchlights are good at all!! but thank you, my sweeties.. these are the results of your great help!!]
 Anyway, it had become dark in the balcony, the mosquitoes started swarming around us..
So we decided to give up looking for those "big eyes" and came inside the room.
We were still excited... but with no clue as to what those three animals were.. My husband guessed those three must be of one family.. parents and the baby. Are they Koate? Loris? Panda?... I went on asking my husband "... suggest more names please!!!" He came up with "What about Civets?" Search....search..
Yes!! He is right again!! They are Palm Civets!!
When Allan and Mahua came home, our little girl excitedly told her parents "Papa.. mummy... Mmm ... big eyes!!" She would insist me to show her favorite picture of this "big eyes"  to her parents!
Till the other day, I thought I was happy to have this backyard with all my songbirds  ... with a few lazy cats and the noisy crows...Never thought we would have these "Phantom Civets" in and around here at this metro city of Kolkata! http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061023/asp/opinion/story_6883901.asp Wonder where they move about during the daytime? And whether we should feel good that, although Kolkata is such a congested city with so many humans, we are still able to find such wild animals like these civets?
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/common_palm_civet.htm Next morning, I asked the watchman about these civets. He said "They are notorious. They come almost every evening... They enter the flats and eat whatever food are there in the house. They like fish and meat-mutton... they catch birds..etc.,... they are pest actually..!"
Sounds scary.... Must remember to lock the windows and the doors well after dark!! What an experience for us... and what an amazing phantoms visit for us.. .through this backyard we learnt so many things which,
otherwise, we, in our wildest dream would never have thought of knowing , espeically, about Civets!
http://www.thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Carnivora/Viverridae/Paradoxurus/Paradoxurus-hermaphroditus.html Exciting yet scary... Well, I guess, I better take this whole episode to be a fairy tale... and see through the whole thing from our little girl's point of view....
" Wow! Big eyes!!.. they have all gone to sleep..
 " she says.P.S.
I I could not think of that eight letter word for " detective story"
after all the excitement...
but my husband filled it up for me
" Whodunit"!
you are always there for me!!!  March 11 I love birds and their sweet songs You may think where have I been all these days http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_little_indians ...Actually, I am so enchanted by all the birds, insects, trees and few cats... that are in the backyard around the complex where Allan http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=212711002
Some common ones I can identify, the rest I have no knowledge of their names...
Nevertheless, the songs these birds sing, especailly early in the morning and during dusk... can bring so much of joy and comfort to the mind. the sweet songs form the birds are indeed a rare treat for a change!
As you know, in Kolkata, crows are the only birds that hate any human holding anything in hand while looking upward! http://sandyao.blogspot.com/2007/06/crows-dare-to-stand-up-for-their-rights.html they think we human are holding
Aside the crows, the rest of the birds enjoy the space and the harmony in this small backyard.
while the cat
This particular picture of the Indian Minah bird is projected with some beautiful stories by Julie Ardery in her wonderful Humanflowerproject!
and along with her, my fond songs September 30 Sunflowers -my painting!     Without knowing another Moon Festival  is gone! I have missed the moon-cake  this year too...!!We have music
 and music for the last few weeks in Sandy's space...May be we will have a break  for awhile!!Here I am sharing a post not with music but with few of my water colour painting...
As usual in my style... rather messy  .. but it's okay as I am still insisting "I paint for myself..." With that excuse, I think I should be comfortable to keep painting...  "Bodhuree...(friend)"
   I feel I should share here "Bodhure" -(friend)
is at his best in this song!!
Hear his calling... "Bodhuree..." The daily call that we hear from the fisherman, the farmer in the open air around Bengal countryside... This is almost a perfect "Baul" song of Bengal in contemporary music performed by the amazing Bangla Rock Band of Kolkata- "Cactus"... Need I say more? YouTube - A unique Cactus' "Bodhuree" live - Swabhumi
September 23 Talking about YouTube - "Nothing but Trouble"2 live- Five Little Indians. Kolkata.
Allan and and his other buddies Neel, Sayak Dodo and Sandip... A song where I missed the beginning.. But it is almost like not being noticed. This Alternative Rock Band had impressed us all in this Interface 2008 festival which was held in Kolkata recently.... very Soulful and contemporary performance..
"Nothing but Trouble"2 live- Five Little Indians. Kolkata.
September 19 Feel the power of Cactus live 2008 Tuchho Ami
Hey, all you die-hard Cactus Fans... This is Cactus live "Tuchho Ami" -the "Insignificant me" which is the cover song from their new album that is to be released today in Music World Note the unmistkable powerful voice of Sidhu interlocking with Sayak's melodious soprano... along with Allan's delicate yet powerful guitaring supported by Sandip's heavy bass... and the relentless drums from Baji with Buti's haunting keyboard... I think this "Tuchho Ami" cannot be taken lightly!! And I think all you Cactus fans will agree with me and dig "Tuchho Ami " as a "must hear" song from Cactus... If you do not agree with me... Meantime, enjoy this video and feel the power of the "Insignificant"... September 16 Bangla Rock Band- Cactus live..By the way, Allan, Am I one of the fairy tale creatures?
             Check up this live recording of Allan and his talented buddies...Bengali rock band "Cactus"
One of Cactus fans' all time favorites  .... "Shudhu Tumi.." (Everyone came... except you...)Watch out for more of such music videos from Sandy's space..... As I have become one of the most faithful fans of Allan and his buddies...  Actually,  I must confess that, it was my mother who was encouraging Allan all the way to do what he loves to do in life... That's music!!My mother http://sandyao.blogspot.com/2007/06/happy-birthday-dearest-mother_27.html would insist that, me, being a parent, should attend all Allan's stage performances...!!  So, my husband and myself make it point to be in most of his and his budddies live shows.... Which my husband says we are almost like. ....."Fairy tale creatures " in Shrek.http://www.solarnavigator.net/films_movies_actors/cartoons/shrek.htm Fortunately, Allan never tells us like Shrek says to one of his fairy tale creatures... "Why are you following me....!?"  YouTube - Bangla rock band- Cactus live P.S. Have you noticed my blue teeth after eating Ayin's birthday's cake!! I guess I must be one of the fairy tale creatures in Shrek...! September 01 Baby Ayin, let's sing your most favorite song.."Happy Birthday to Ayinla..."                              ( Wow, At last!.... For the last one year, we have been asked to sing the "Birthday" song again and again daily by our little girl, Imtiyinla.)Baby Ayin, let's celebrate!! For today's your second birthday...
one of the most wonderful moments for us to sing the song that you love most....
"Happy birthday
dear Ayinla...happy birthday to you"!I guess you loved the moment of your first birthday most during the last one year that it seems you remember all the happenings around you one year later too.Your must have cherished the love that everyone bestowed upon you on your 1st birthday, and you seem to love every body's birthday thereafter! In fact we learnt from you that "birthday" is actually the happiest moment in every one's life! What great joy you bring us daily...your every new word, every new behaviour, every new expression, every new discovery and your annoyance with us when we are unreasonable to you...You have made us live our lives again through your innocence... otherwise, we almost have taken life for granted! It's been a wonderful year to see you grown into a perfect two year old child... No doubt in between we get worn out  with your energy!! But when you give us your sweetest smile/song/dance  ....all our weariness simply disappear! My birthday girl, as you have practiced your birthday song to perfection... So today, come,   all Ayin's friends -Winnie the Pooh and friends, http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/pooh/
Mickey Mouse,Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto http://disney.go.com/mickey/index.html
Also Papa's two bands
"Cactus" http://cactusmusic.com/ and
"Five Little Indians" http://www.myspace.com/fivelittleindians
members can join us here to sing aloud...
"Happy birthday dear Ayinla,
 happy birthday to you .."!!Lots of
love to you Baby Ayin...May God be always with you and bless you with all the wisdom... And you'll keep bringing love and joy to your parents..      31st August 2008.August 28 For all you die-hard fans, here is your Bae Yong Joon.     .jpg)        
For a start, here is a Happy Birthday wish for you... Bae Yong joon! Two years ago when I wished you a happy birthday in Sandy's space. http://theaospace.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!EC8F2329F08E7C65!270.entry Honestly, I did not imagined that this page will become a very fond page for your fans across the world. In fact, this is the most visited page in Sandy's space. And it makes me feel that time has almost stood still to believe that all your fans want to keep wishing you a happy birthday every day in the last two years!!! (It's just like after celebrating our little girl's 1st birthday (31.8.07) , Last time when I wished you a happy birthday, I had only the Asian fans here with me to wish you the happiness . This time I am sure I have fans all over the world ( Europe, South America/Africa, Middle East...) who want to wish you the best. As well to know more about the magic of your charm!! Truely, in your official web says http://www.byj.co.kr/ ( in this link we will find few of Bae Yong Joon's own photographs) "Don't they say while all other stars move around in the night sky...." Yes ! you are like the "Polaris " http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/skytellers/polaris/activities/still_polaris.shtml as in "Winter Love Song" http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=paMdEBXqLck&feature=related, and stay firmly for all the " Jung Yu Jins" in this real world! I am sure with your forthcoming book, with your own photographs on Korea http://www.worldisround.com/articles/170/index.html
You will make every one want to know more about your beautiful country, your country men / women. With which you will create a further magic link between you and your fans... !! No wonder you are forever the true "Polaris" http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/polaris/thenorthstar.html to all your Oops Mmmm Bae Yong joon...Happy Birthday Thank you for being a dream maker in Sandy's space .....
Amazing *( A birthday gift Cheers...
Many "Thanks" 29th August 2008 August 01 The beautiful tuberose crown for the bride           Last year in the month of May, there was a post about tube-rose crown for the bride in
Human flower project. That was about the tuberose crown makers in the Mullickghat flower
market, Kolkata.http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rls=GZEZ,GZEZ:2008-30,GZEZ:en-GB&q=howrah+bridge+kolkata&um=1&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title (A fond place where I love to go and spend my day in taking pictures).Find out how beautiful these brides are with thier tuberose crowns in the recent Human Flower Project : http://www.humanflowerproject.com/index.php/weblog/bengali_weddings_whats_the_rush/ http://www.humanflowerproject.com/index.php/weblog/comments/bou_bhaat_beauty/ I don't think I need to add any further words in this page... Except, perhaps, India is the only place on earth, where flowers are lovingly associated to the gods/goddesses.  Which also makes me hope  , I will be able to get some pictures depicting the gods/goddesses adorned with these beautiful tuberose crowns.May 22 The Twigs that cure in City of Joy!
                   (hi Jessica, this is for you and your family!)
In Kolkata city, we find many amazing things to make us think
silently. Often we will wonder whether such practices are a way of life/culture?!Anyway, today I am uploading the man-( many more like him around the city) who sits on the pavement with big bunches of different kinds of twigs and roots. I walk past them all the time. Never bother to find out what all these twigs are for... recently a friend of ours came to visit us from other part of India. With humour , he mentioned that these twigs are meant for removing one's mistake/misfortune/woe...etc.,The other day, as I was in and around our neighbourhood, St. John's Church http://www.indian-cemeteries.org/cemetery_details.asp?town=Calcutta&cem=St%20Johns%20Church near Raj Bhavan http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLJ_enIN272IN273&q=raj+bhavan+calcutta&um=1&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title I saw a man with his bunches of twigs. I decided to find out what exactly are all these twigs for. They look like some wild simple shrubs, and I can only identify "Touch me not" ( mimosa pudica ) among these twigs. I began to ask this man questions after questions. Oh...  we have language problems from both ends.Fortunately, many customers came for their twigs, and with their help and the explanations, I found that behind these simple twigs, there are many amazing 'remedies'. It goes like this, these men -I guess I'll call them the medicine men- will have a board hung on the wall of a building. It is like a table, showing the individual plant's name and its purpose. Almost like a medicine guide book!! This is especially helpful to the customers, who can not decide which twig to buy. Otherwise, the regular customers can simply instruct the medicine man to give the required twigs that they need. It is like going to a drugstore, and asking the druggist to give an aspirin! I noticed that someone even came with a description,that too with a contact mobile number,this must have come from some more senior medicine man!! Now the interesting part happens! After the customers mention the twig/twigs, the medicine man will take out the plant from the bunch. He will remove the bark, and with his knife he cuts 1" or 2" inches of it from the root/twig; swiftly tie the cut piece with some thread of different colours, though the colour has got nothing to do with the root. And with expert hand he will make it like a talisman which is to be worn around the belly. ( some customer does not know how to tie this talisman, but don't worry, the helpful medicine man will give a hand to tie it for him!) I began to ask questions again... the purpose of these talismans! I was told, except that thorny twig, which is to be consumed (for diabetics ), the rest of the twigs/root/branch are used as amulet/talisman. And these talismans/amulets are for guarding against jealousy/ ill feeling... and even help to win a quarrel!! Hmmm.... I am not surprised by such answers! The reason is, I see some very educated customers coming for these amulets!! After all, getting a promotion and the like can create jealousy! Right?! And petty Pickering do take place in our daily life.No wonder, we see more of such medicine men sitting in the busy offices/ business thoroughfares than in a quiet lane. But does it really work? I have no clue. But again,looking at the brisk business this medicine man has, I must believe it helps. I asked this medicine man the last question... or is it my own thinking aloud!? ..."To me, these twigs are more of a medicine for mental peace than they are for physical ailment?!" ... Smilingly this medicine man nodded his head to agree to my guessing .Well...I am amazed how our human brains create amazing imaginations and simultaneously, able to find the cure to calm it too! Or, is it one of our ancient cultures making us preserve nature like the way we are made to preserve flowers? For in India, each and every flower is linked to different gods/goddesses...
If it is true, to my believe, I wish these twigs will begin to heal the world !!Amazing indeed.....!
By the way, I still haven't asked
what ailment does the "Touch me not" cure..... !
P.s. check this up the amazing- Michael wood "The Story of India" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diqQfJcYKcc&feature=related April 14 Mullickghat Flower Market, I join you here to pick up the broken pieces
                        To day I am here to share the tragedy of Mullickghat Flower Market.
http://www.humanflowerproject.com/index.php/weblog/marigolds_of_mullickghat/ This amazing flower market was almost burnt to ashes on night of 11th April 2008. http://www.humanflowerproject.com/index.php/weblog/comments/mullickghat_flower_market_burns/ http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080412/jsp/frontpage/story_9129093.jsp This is one particular place where I love to visit whenever I find my self down in spirit. I was first taken to this market by a close friend, to purchase some flowers to decorate the church for our son's marriage, Febuary. 2004. After two years when I first learnt how to use the camera , I took my husband with me to visit this flower market : 30 July 2006. We were so amazed by the market scene, especially me, like a child finding a new ground to explore.I went on clicking my handycam... when we came home, I found I had taken more than a thousand photographs in Mullickghat that day!!... Yes, the market looks so old and broken... but the basic human feeling for supporting each other to survive through flowers is very much in this market, and it makes one feel so fresh and ageless. It's a very, very crowded place, yet you'll neither find your pokect being pinched nor you being cheated or mugged. They keep their cool when they find a transport vehicle breaking down in the midst of their stalls, patiently they will hope the mechanic repairs the truck fast... When they saw me with great enthusiasm with my camera, they would smile for me and even offer me a flower!! At one point of time, it started drizzling... and I lost sight of my husband in this sea of human..I, being so small and tiny, it was not possible for me to locate him or he to see me, though I tried to stretch my neck as long as I could... I must have looked very helpless, therefore, one flower seller offered me his stool and allowed me to stand on it to locate my husband!! I had added 3 ft. to my 5ft. height, that had enabled me to be tall enough for my husband to see me!! In the meantime, I was getting so much encouragement from my dear friend Julie Ardery http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://humanflowerproject.com/images/uploads/on-the-road-to-lautrec.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.humanflowerproject.com/index.php/weblog/about/&h=398&w=400&sz=88&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=4-7QXW7Qp2j7CM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djulie%2Bardery%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGLR,GGLR:2006-02,GGLR:en%26sa%3DN
and the great support from my husband Bendangnungsang Ao http://morungexpress.com/index.php?news=3866 I went on visiting Mullickghat , and each time I visited this place I'd come back home feeling so fullfilled. I learnt so many things that I had never bothered to learn, be it flowers, custome, or human behaviour....
And Mullickghat has become a healing touch for me ever since... I love to see the madness with which the flowers are being valued by the sellers, growers and the buyers. I try to get drunk with the perfume from the flowers that's floating in the market air. Each season has its special scent, during winter the marigolds smell so sweet, that it makes you turn your head to search for the flowers. I guess that's exactly how this sweet smell works on the insects to locate the flowers. Once in a while I'd peep through the shoulders of the humans to get the beautiful sight of the faithful Hoogly with its beautiful Howrah Bridge.. This place is like a complete community living in hormony. With the tea makers offering a good cup of tea in a small terracota cup; the locally made ice cream/lemonade to cool oneself in the summer heat; the coconut flesh to quell the rumbling tummy ; the sweet water melon to refresh the dry throat; the blacksmith to sharpen the knife in his cycle stone grinder... This is the only place where one never hears of anyone complaining of the summer heat! In fact, it is the most eco- friendly place ...
If one can afford, there will be a small table fan near his stall, or else, a palm/plastic fan is good enough to keep oneself cool... who needs the air conditioners? The gods/goddesses never ask flowers that need to be kept in the air coditioner! Only the exotic flowers sellers need an air condition stall.. but then when it is too comfortable, the owner goes off to sleep!!! For cold storage? There are men who sell ice in plastic bags, and this packet of ice can be kept amidst the flowers to prevent them from wilting in the summer heat!!
Who says we need a modern building for the flowers? We do not need to become multi- millionaire through flowers... we need only the faithful devotees to come and collect the right flowers for the right gods/goddesses... The way Mullickghat has been doing for the last 125 years....
Dirty? But they are only waste from the flowers... it's organic dirt... why not turn around and look at the river bank and see the dirt that has been ignored!!
But then, the mystery fire did take place on this weekend... Every one was speechless.... I was speechless too.. I went and visited all the familiar faces....Yes, there is sadness in the eyes..there is the smell of burnt wood in the air but the devotees still have the faith; the sweet smells of the flowers make them know the gods/goddesses will bless them ever more nevertherless... I came back home feeling stronger, and I believe Mullickghat will rise again like the phoenix- come alive from the ashes again and again... There will be a modern facilities for the flower market in Mullickghat very soon, but the people will continuously selling the flowers abundantly in the same old fashion to please the gods/ goddesses . For that's the only way they know. I know Mullickghat will be my healing touch once again, I will pick up my own broken pieces within me as the way the humans in Mullickghat are doing now! (The first 7 pictures - Mullickghat after the fire. The remaining pictures - taken during my earlier tirps to the market) January 17 My birthdayWednesday, January 16, 2008My Birthday
I think I am like my little granddaughter, how she loves birthdays. But to be honest, physically, I do feel every bone of mine is 60 years old, otherwise, I feel I am as young as my one year old girl! I guess I'll have to start singing "when I am 84".... not 64...!! December 26 Merry Christmas and a Happy New YearMerry Christmas and a Happy New Year
October 06 My Moon
         I do not know if it is because I am not active with my blog or time flies off faster than I thought?
And it appears most of my writeup are of "Birthday".
Well, for a change today I will share here with you:"My Moon".
 In the past few years , after the Chinese Moon Festival, the urge to paint would always take place in me. And I would be painting for a while in this season.
May be this is one of the most romantic seasons in the Chinese calendar....
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLR,GGLR:2006-02,GGLR:en&q=moon+festival+china With the crisp air and the clear night sky one tends to calm down and wants to dream away one's fantasy...
But, this year without knowing, The Moon Festival was over and I haven't eaten any Moon Cakes!!
Fortunately the romantic air is there and the urge to paint is still there...
But,
 before I seriously start painting, come join me in "My Moon" in Sandy's Space.I guess every one loves gazing up to see
The azure sky,
The clouds,
The rain and its rainbow,
The rising, and the setting sun.
In the twilight we will try to search out
The morning star,
The evening star, the Polaris and
The moon.
Of course not wanting to miss any shooting stars that streak across
The universe.
And this season ( Autumn) to see the milky way
With the faint light of the moving satellite and the jet airplane adding extra
Twinkle in the dark night sky...
Endless imaginations and wonders,
These heavenly bodies offer to us. Especially
the moon and the stars...
Here are few pictures of "My Moon".
I used the simplest digital cameras, (Sony handy cam, Sony digital cam and Olympus) and experimented my mood with the Moody moon.
Third and the last four pictures were taken during one Live concert where Allan and his group played one of their best performances.
With their sweet music in the air and the gentle wind moving the leaves,
the moon looked so beautiful and abstract...
I guess I need not write more than this,
as the most versatile object is on the centre stage of
Sandy's Space...
Enjoy her eternal performance...  September 23 supposed to be a floating museum
           (Actually this was one of my fond blogs in Sandy's Backyard : http://sandyao.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.htmlAt that time, I was just learning how to take photographs from my husband--Bendangnungsang Ao.(The first picture is his).
I guess as a beginner , one always come up with fresh views in everything one does.
And to be honest, these pictures bring lots of satisfaction to me... mainly seeing how the simple bomboo stumps
and the pond transformed into some abstract pictures....
May be my urge for taking up the brushes to start painting was not happenig due to travelling oft., at that point of time, and able to get some images that similiar to a painting compensated the urge!)
I wonder if everyone has a 'Penny lane' and 'Strawberry Fields Forever' in one's backyard.
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Penny-Lane-lyrics-The-Beatles/E3F5C9971741CE6148256BC20014277E http://www.youtube.com/v/YHBKAyn17vw http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Strawberry-Fields-Forever-lyrics-The-Beatles/D9A941B443BA338B48256BC200142A40 http://www.noolmusic.com/blogs/YouTube_Music_Videos_60s_70s_-_Beatles_-_Strawberry_Fields_Forever.shtml This is my 'Penny lane', situated at the backyard of the Government College of Arts and Crafts ,Calcutta. It's a place where we used to hang out and dream of becoming a Picasso, Van Gough or a Monet... Wow ... Once in a while, there would be a fish popping up to greet us and add some beautiful ripples on the surface of the water making our dreams so much like Salvador Dali's world... Well , many years back, The Indian Museum of Calcutta planned to build a floating museum on this pond, but somehow the project did not take off, leaving behind these bamboo stumps in the pond. During the rainy seasons, with the reflections of the bamboo stumps, buildings and plants around the pond, we see the pond transformed into a beautiful piece of art ... we must say God is the greatest artist and Nature is his masterpiece. Recently, I noticed that my little granddaughter was aware of her shadows when she was 7 months old... and she was crawling after her shadow! May be we all love to see the mystery of the shadows?!
So, come and share with me these almost like Chinese Brush Art painting pictures of my 'Penny lane'... September 02 Happy birthday to our little Ayinla
                   It sure is a good season for me for I've just finished wishing my mother on her 81st birthday. And today I am here wishing our little grand daughter Ayin on her first birthday! " HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you, Ayin.(31/8) It seems it was only yesterday that you were born. I remember the boundless joy you brought to us when we saw the first sight of your delicate life coming into this world, tenderly holding you in our arms and frightened of hurting you.. I remember our excitement of watching your smiles , your cries and your movements.. The sleepless night on the first day of your birth, pitying on how you tried to adjust to the strange surroundings which was going to be your world thereafter. The endless changing of nappies, rocking and cleaning, the nursery rhymes, your seasonal illness... The excitement of your first sucking on your mother's breast, your first tooth, your first turning, your first sitting, your first crawling, your first word "Papa", your first standing, your first step.. Today when you turn one year old, you are running around calling us our respective names. Singing along with us and dancing along with the music... In fact you have turned into a perfect one year old child.. Your father and mother are both rather quiet persons. Before you came into their life, their house used to be so neat and tidy but silent. The only life we saw were those fish swiming around your father's three aquariums! Today I am glad, with you around, their house has turned into a makeshift house, with books, toys, cloths, milk bottles, clips, ribbons, spoons etc lying everywhere! The most welcome sight would be the laughter and the noises you make. And your father has forgotten his famous three aquariums! You brought life into your parents lives...Also ours. The other day your father asked me "what is the difference between a child and the grandchild?" Well, I told him that, to me, he is like a guitar and whereas his daughter ( you) is like music... Your father understood what I meant. For he is a musician. I felt the tremendous joy when my mother ( your great grand mother ) told me tenderly that , you are the image of me when I was a baby of your age ... Actually we all see part of us in You...! My Birthday girl, may you grow into a wonderful human being and bring lots of happiness to your parents. May God be with you always and bless you with many wonderful Birthdays in your life. Happy Birthday, our sweet little Ayin, we love you..." p.s. remember the blog in sandy's space- welcome to miss Imtiyinla Teresa Pongen ? It was just like yesterday she was born!
or am I too lazy with this Space? |
sling/stick/or even gun to aim at the birds to harm them!
taking a nap 
again.
!
It seems we are going to have a birthday season in Sandy's space!...
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