Author’s note: Last year, when we shifted to our new house, a welcoming party of six Jungle Babblers came for a visit.This is the tale straight from the horse’s mouth.
I was sitting on that wire when I realised the window was open…finally! I was so excited to meet the new neighbours, so, I just hopped on the ledge. And what did I see? All asleep!
Lazy bones!
It was 6 o’clock. My bretheren and I had been awake for the past two hours already–had breakfast and a flight across the river…
These city people must understand this is not how things work in our countryside.
But you can’t really go around delivering sermons to new people…the best way is to welcome them and then, politely, show them how things are done.
So, I decided to begin our association by giving them a song of welcome–the best way to introduce them to the delights of the early morning country music. I began with my favourite: The Aeroplane. My bretheren joined me as well.
It came out so wonderfully refreshing that the woman woke up right away, jumping to the window where I sat. Her eyes were wide and looked at the street in bewilderment. I was amused. She must be wondering where all that energy came from.
Smiling, I introduced myself. She looked me with her jaw dropped open. A fan already!
Her daughter was stirring, roused by sound of music.
I decided to give them a special piece that the child would surely love: The Chainsaw. I started with the highest notes I could pick, followed by my bretheren.
The child stirred further and the mother said something–I couldn’t really hear her over our music. But she was flapping her wings. These humans have never really learnt to use their wings but I could see my music was making her wish she could fly. So I added more vigour, urging my brothers to give it their best.
Alas, humans are unpredictable like cloudy skies. You never know what they would do next. The woman swung a broom at me!
Now, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s sentiments. I would have accepted a rose but broom is certainly not my style. Firstly, they are too heavy. Secondly, so many twigs of the broom wouldn’t have fit into my nest.
I tried to continue singing but when the broom came too close, I decided it was time to say a rushed goodbye.
After that I tried a few more times of different occasions but with the same results. After the fifth time she offered the broom, I decided it was better to keep my distance.
I think I have hurt her feelings . But I really can’t go building another nest for every fan! What would my wife think?
Surely she would know if her shadow was still her part…
.
She would feel it
Sticking to her shoe…
Certainly there would be something…a slight cue?
.
Unknown, unreasonable,
Fear crept in.
Panic filled up empty crevices within.
.
She rushed back
To the streak of light.
Her shadow was there the other night.
.
Travellers swear,
In car headlight,
A phantom dives under their speeding cars. Every night…
Author’s note: Some people working in graveyard shift in Gurgaon back in 2014 used to say that a phantom woman would dive under their car’s front wheels. Every night. Scary! 😨
My daughter has done it again. She has surprised me and given me chance to showcase her creativity 😊. Sometimes I wonder if I am taking advantage of her creativity…that doesn’t stop me though 😁.
This time it is a doll dress👗. Lately my daughter has acquired three new dolls 🎎 and is facing a sudden dearth of dresses. She has recruited both me and her new aunt for dress designing and got 10 new dresses 💃👘👗 from her father but you know how a woman can never have too many clothes?!
And we have 6 dolls 💃💃💃💃💃💃here.
So, she has started helping herself. She created this one out of a shiny plastic balloon–the kind that doesn’t stretch–and cello tape. Can you believe it?
I love how she has created the complete diva look by sticking three pieces together. It would have taken me hours to create a body hugging dress. Add to it the accessories her father has got her!
I wonder if I should retire and let her take up dress designing for dolls🥰
What happens when you realise that world is invaded by an alien species that can detach its body parts at will…and the government is trying to cover it up?
Please! Please! Please! Read this book–it is a short story no more than 10 minutes (A 3-minute read for me) but it had me rolling on the floor laughing! It is available for free on Project Gutenberg Library. Here is the link:
I have a bone to pick with Leonardo da Vinci–why did he chose to present Monalisa in such a way: all black, pulled back hair, receding hairline, black veil?
Every time I see that portrait in a photo (I don’t have the money to go to France to see the painting in person.), I think of a new widow. The mysterious smile makes me wonder if she murdered her husband 🔪 and got away with it. The roaming eyes 👀 just add to the story, like she is watching everyone wondering when someone 🕵️♂️will figure it out.
Why couldn’t he have made her laughing like a real person. And he could have given her more hair! He knew enough art to pull that off without causing offence! My little maestro managed to create it in 5 seconds!
Of you wondering about mistaken identity, my daughter has assured me the this is The Monalisa (see hands). 😂
This painting is currently hanging in the bathroom of her newest little doll house, this time made of paper. Why bathroom? Because that was the only room with enough wall space. The little paper doll looks extremely comfortable showing us around all the rooms.
The house is 3D with a door 🚪that opens into the curtained room, with the bedroom on the other side. The doll can get inside the bed🛌, and the two-door almirah opens to show various dresses 👗👘💃which the doll can wear (my contribution is the kimono she is wearing).
The doll can slide inside the bath tub 🛀 and toilet 🚽 has a door for privacy 😁The dining room fridge is stacked with cakes 🎂 and icecreams 🍦and the wall cabinets 🗄️can be opened to put in stuff (I don’t think the doll has learnt cooking yet, so they are still empty.). She eats at the dining table after sliding comfortably in the chair🪑. She has also created a supermarket but it is not sufficiently stacked so retraining from sharing. So far, a satisfactory arrangement for a two-inch doll.
I just noticed that my blog now has 548 followers. I was overjoyed! 😃
I have been out so much in the past two years, sometimes due to life taking over, other times because of the books I was writing (and no one was reading 🤣)…
I feel like an ingrate for not noticing when it happened. I can only say that I was so lost 😵 in life that I missed it.
So, I want to say “Thank you!” ☺️
Over and over. ☺️
For staying with me while I wandered 🧳 mentally.
For not “unsubscribing” me, “un-liking” my posts and “uncommenting” your comments 💬 (not sure if it is possible but I don’t want to risking it in case you actually considered the option 🤣).
I will try to be more regular–it makes me super happy to write ✍️. I am just taking a lot longer–the perfectionist in me doesn’t let me post until I am satisfied and since I never have enough time write AND read, I am never satisfied… Moving on, I hope to write regularly, which will help me flex my mental muscles 💪 and help me write faster as I was doing earlier.
Thank you again for subscribing and staying with me! 🥰
This book is one of the classics that don’t really need an introduction, but I read recently and I couldn’t help but appreciate it out loud.
A Room With A View by E. M. Forster is a book about a girl who has lived a very shielded life so far. So, when she travels to Italy with a chaperone, in absence of her mother, she begins to notice the world with a different perspective, and questions her hard-held beliefs from all her growing-up years so far. The book gives you an insight into a society where everyone single person is shades of gray.
Beautifully written from an innocent girl’s perspective, the book is worth reading next to a fire with a mug of hot chocolate in hand. I am doing that a second time now. 😊
My daughter has done it again. She has amazed me with her idea and I couldn’t help but join her scheme. She has built a doll house for herself out of waste cardboard.
This one specially struck me because it looks so much like the wooden dollhouse I had loved so much. It is several stories high and, yet, it doesn’t take much space. She can simply put the lid on and slide it in a narrow space.
Note the kitchen at the bottom with open stove top and fridge. The bedroom has a 3D bed (my idea), a soft pillow and blanket. The 3D step ladder leads to a large bathroom with a toilet, bathtub and a 3D shower.
Another step ladder leads to working room with laptop and a playroom with a teddy bear and coconut tree (not sure why). The 3D stairs on the left is going up to the roof garden with miniature plants–which is my favourite place. The cardboard doll is happily sitting there among the plants.
Next to the stairs is the 3D almirah that holds dresses for the cardboard doll (my doll insisted on having a cardboard doll and cardboard detachable dresses).
So far, it is one of her best creations because it has a lot of 3D elements and because it has the potential to add so much more–door, windows, curtains, better toys, more cardboard dolls and their dresses.
The best part is that it makes my daughter proud. She lead this whole initiative. I did only bare minimum, doing as I was told. She has been bragging about it non-stop and it will push her to be even more resourceful in the future.
When a client asks me to do something that, I feel, would kill what I am building for them, I have to say No, of course, but you can’t bite the hand that feeds you.
Being a 24/7-foot-in-mouth, I try not to respond on call. In fact my managers ensure I am never alone on call with clients, so that there is someone to change the topic when I put my foot-in-mouth. They also sense when I am invariably going to say ‘No’ with no cushioning and they immediately ask for time to respond.
Which means, I write back to the client later once I have thought it over. The mail begins like this:
Hi [client],
Good morning!
Regarding the topic we were discussing the other day, my final answer is No… (The direct route)
…the idea is stupid… (The true-feelings route)
…it is so hilarious even to think about it… (The sarcasm route)
…I can’t believe you suggested that… (The disbelief route)
…it will really kill the whole thing…(An artist’s disbelief route)
…do you really think it would work… (The professional disbelief route)
…it is a good idea but not practical… (The ‘I-sympathize-but’ route)
…I will try to accommodate… (The servile agreement route)
…we strongly disapprove the idea since it is sure to cause problems like… (The worried professional route)
Having decided that I have done my best, I send it to my senior who checks if it would cause any offence and makes “minor” edits: 🤣
Hi [client],
Good morning!
I hope you are doing well. Regarding the topic we were discussing the other day,Thank you for attending our last call and the thought-provoking idea. We have discussed the idea internally and concluded that it is technically possible. However, we stronglydisapprovesuggest against the idea since it is sure to likely to cause problems like… (The expert professional route)
Please let us know if you wish us to continue on your idea.
Thank you!
With the cushioning in place, my manager forwards the mail to me, so that I can drop the bomb on the client knowing they won’t take it well anyway but, now, at least they might forgive us for being human.
I also know that I will never be able to write emails like that on my own 🤣
How do you manage to say No to your clients/spouse/in-laws?
