One of my frens on the Iland (Neetha Nair) suggested that i write something about my new home....i was seriously thinking on those lines when the Radio FM played this wonderful song from yesteryear.....this song says it all....it is from the movie Saath Saath released in 1982 with Farooq Shaik and Deepti Naval playing the lead roles....a timeless melody composed by Kuldip Singh and Javed Akhtar's beautiful poetry.  I could'nt have put the feelings in a better way, so heres the lyrics for u.

Ye Tera Ghar Ye Mera Ghar Kisi Ko Dekhna Ho Gar
To Pehle Aake Maang Le Meri Nazar Teri Nazar
Ye Tera Ghar Ye Mera Ghar Ye Ghar Bahut Haseen Hai
Ye Ghar Bahut Haseen Hai Ye Ghar Bahut Haseen Hai

Na Baadlon Ke Chhaon Mein Na Chandni Ke Gaaon Mein
Na Phool Jaise Raaste Bane Hain Iske Vaaste
Magar Ye Ghar Ajeeb Hai Zameen Ke Kareeb Hai
Ye Eent-Pattharon Ka Ghar Hamaari Hasraton Ka Ghar
Ye Tera Ghar......

Jo Chaandni Nahin To Kya Ye Roshni Hai Pyaar Ki
Dilon Ke Phool Khil Gaye To Fikr Kya Bahaar Ki
Hamaare Ghar Na Aayegi Kabhi Khushi Udhaar Ki
Hamaari Raahaton Ka Ghar Hamaari Chaahaton Ka Ghar
Ye Tera Ghar.......

Yahan Mahak Wafaaon Ki Mohabbaton Ka Rang Hai
Ye Ghar Tumhara Khwaab Hai Ye Ghar Meri Umang Hai
Na Aarzoo Pe Qaid Hai Na Hausle Pe Jung Hai
Hamaare Hauslon Ka Ghar Hamaari Himmaton Ka Ghar
Ye Tera Ghar........

This post is inspired by one of Kush’s post that brought back memories of the good old days to me.  Thank you Kush for that “Ek chidiya anek chidiya” video.

It was the year 1982 when my dad decided he has to watch the Asian Games in the comforts of our home and brought home our very first TV (an Uptron B&W version…..the Ad for this brand went like….”What’s on?? It Uptron.” With a boxing glove punch on the face asking the question!!)  I guess they have stopped making this brand anymore….it now rests in the home of one of the guy who used to run errands for us, and boy…was he trilled!!

So my first brush with television began with “Appu,” the elephant mascot for the Asiad that year.  I still am a big fan of “appu.”  I used to feel hypnotized by the Yin-Yang symbol of DoorDarshan with its accompanying music.  Then began a list of endless programmes on Doordarshan (the only channel those days!)…..lemme list a few as I can’t remember all of em….for adults it was Hum Log, Udaan, Fauji, Buniyaad, Khandaan, Circus, etc….and we kids would be all eyes and ears for Star Trek, Karamchand, Giant Robot, He-Man & the Masters of the Universe, Vikram Aur Betaal, Spiderman, Mowgli…and the like.

Thank god there was no Ekta Kapoor back then….or all serials would start with the letter “K” and would invariably be about the saas bahu dramas!!  We had so much varieties back then.

I had a crush on Sharukh who stole the little girl’s heart in me with his portrayal of a soldier in “Fauji” and a circus crew in “Circus.”  Btw, I had an even major crush on He-Man!!!

Current events were in their own league then.  Every Fridays, we were captivated by Pronnoy Roy taking us around 'The World This Week.'  Then there was Renuka Sahane in Surabhi with her 100 watt smile constantly throughout the program.

Does anyone remember 'Oshin'???  I used to love this.  Wish they telecast it all over again! My mom used to wait for that one “Malayalam” movie of the month with bated breaths on every Sunday afternoon following the NEWS for the hearing impaired (which by the way, we all sat and watched in spite of our clear hearing abilities)!!  Chitrahaar was our only dheko into new hindi movies unlike today when stars are all over television going ga-ga over their new movies with the standard “this is very different from all my previous films that I have done” routine.

The DD NEWS was entertaining too…..no, not for the scandalous “breaking news” like today but for the pretty news readers and their English….gosh, I used to admire them (I actually believed they wrote the whole thing up themselves….how intelligent I thought!!).  There was Gitanjali Iyer, Rini Khanna, Manjari Joshi…..don’t remember any of the guys, for obvious reasons!  My mom was in awe of their dressing sense.  She used to keep track of the sarees worn by them and that was her basic interest in “News,” nothing else mattered unless it was a catastrophe being reported!

The commercials….I remember the Rasna Ads….it was a beautiful jingle with a pretty girl.  Then there was this Amul Chocholate ad that had the catch line “a gift for someone you love” (and I thought this was the boyfriend-girlfriend love….and was longing for a boyfriend who would give me this….sniff…sniff… but my idea of a boyfriend was He-Man….suffices to say that I never got the chocolate!!).

Rukaawat ke liye khed hai!!

Hi All,

Am still busy here and unable to post a blog on the iland.  Pls bear with me.

But there is one more very good news that I wish to share with all my frenz on the iland.  Since yesterday, I have officially become an "aunty."  Yes, am a proud aunt to my brother's little angel (a beautiful baby girl) who was born on May 2, 2007, weighing 3.4 kg at 9.15 am, Wednesday in Bhadravati, Karnataka.  It was a C section.  Both mom and child are doing good.  My brother has already fallen head-over-heels in love with his bundle of joy! The little one's first reaction on seeing her father was a beautiful smile, which my brother says he will never ever forget in his lifetime!  We are hoping to join em soon.

Here's wishing a wonderful future for the little one.....and hoping all of u will join me in wishing the newborn and the family!

Luv u all,
Suni

Hi friends,
Sorry, i was away for sometime.  Tx all for ur concern.   I was keenly reading most of ur posts.  Will post my comments soon.  Was busy with things out here....hey theres a good news....we purchased a flat this last month and had housewarming ceremony on Akshaya tritiya day.  That is the reason for my hiatus from the iland.  Will come back soon with a post.

luvya all,
Suni

These lines are for a beloved who is no more.

I knew her since I was 9.  I don’t know her actual age.  There she stood, tall and majestic….even at that age I was in awe of her.  When my parents moved here, she was young and tall.  My parents built our dream home next to her.  As me and my siblings grew in our new surroundings, so did she.  She spread her branches wildly.  And oh…. were they beautiful.  They would make patterns that spoke to a careful observer.

We didn’t know the harsh summer heat, we didn’t know the great winds, we didn’t know the bad rains, all thanks to her.  She gave shelter to many a bird and squirrels who found her so loving and affectionate that they built their homes in her.

She has seen us grow……no, she grew with us.  She has seen me take my first bicycle ride, the falls, the success, etc.  We hid behind her during our “hide n seek” adventures.  She has seen me grow from a little girl into a woman and been witness to my bidaai....May be she shed a tear too that day....I dont know. Yes, she did see our bundle of joy!!!

She had beautiful leaves…sometimes they look like they were asleep….all falling downward.  Her spreading crown formed a green carpet against a blue sky.  And in the spring, this carpet was dotted with pink puffs of flowers that were lovely, soft (almost feather like), which as a young girl I adored, but they were short lived, as they would soon give rise to a pungent bean-like pods.  We used to make odd stuffs beating these pods with something hard and giving shape with our bare hands….one of the things we loved to make was a ball (easy to give shape to, ah!?), which my brother and the other guys in the locality used to play cricket, for they were of real good quality…they were quite hard and much better than the rubber balls…and so ideal for cricket.  Hmm…the joys of home‑made toys!!

No more such joys….not because I have outgrown that innocent age, but because she is no more….she fell prey to the evil axe today….in the name of infrastructure development.  And many more from her family are heading the same way……. soon. :(  Goodbye my dear Rain Tree.

Am seriously considering bubble-packing my son as I have successfully failed babyproofing my house….its high time, I guess.
He thinks he can run, but in all reality, he can't and often it becomes highly precarious.
Just yesterday this happened…. I watched him as he walked excitedly towards the diwan to reach me, and opened my mouth helplessly as I realized that he was coming too fast.  I reached out helplessly as he tripped on the rug and his eye met the edge of the diwan with a horrifying sound…..most definitely a cracking sound!  My heart ached and I braced for the howl.  I really didn’t know how to manage the situation….actually started crying seeing him bleed, but all thanks to my mother-in-law, she managed the situation so well (experience u c!)….the little fella was easily distracted with a bunch of dogs on the street and given first aid at the earliest!  Thanks mamma.
So little Sahishnu has added a new scrape to his never-ending list of bruises and scrapes adorning his otherwise pretty face.  The learning-to-walk phase is so painful.  I love the cuteness of the unsteady gait, the way he walks giddy headed with a naughty glint in his eyes….Sudheer (his father) even feels he walks like an astronaut in outer space!!
All said and done, I'm really looking forward to the crash-free days ahead.  Hope they are not too far off.
Veteran moms and dads on the island, any suggestions to help the little one?

Date:  December 24, 2006

THE BARBER SHOP

A day, a day, a bright and sunny day.
Appu (granpa) took me to barbershop, to cut my hair short.
When I reached there, I saw people.
They were not family.
They were not friends.
They had strange instruments in their hands - a scissor, a blade, and a knife.
I have seen them before in Ammama’s kitchen.
But she used them to cut vegetables and chop the chicken.
So I got scared and began to cry.
Appu tried his best to pacify
But all in vain…..
They tried their best to clean shave my head.
But I tried my best to save my head!!

Finally, all gave up and sent me home……so here am back to the safest place on the planet – MY HOME!!

Date:  February 7, 2007

hi guys,

just check this out....lemme kno if it came right...

http://www.mysticalball.com

now, how wud mischelle (played by the olsen twins in full house) respond to this?

any guesses???

hey.....i did it finally....i did wat all grown ups do....i walked on my own today.....from ammama's kitchen to her bedroom and looked straight into the mirror to just make sure that it indeed was me who was walking!!!

it was very difficult to keep me down after that....for i was on a walkathon people.....i was my own boss finally....i could go where i desired...to things that intrested me....not of my parents!!....wat a bliss...

i should say i thoroughly enjoyed reaching this milestone....dunno y i was so hesitant before....this is so much fun....hey u all babies out there.....u better start walking quick if u have' nt already....u r missing something !!

alas ammama's desire of having me run behind her came true!!!

surprised kunjamma and maami when they came home that day by walking all the way to the door to welcome them in.....ohhhhh....i was smothered by kisses and warm hugs....ahh....IT WAS MY DAY!!!

i was all of 1 year and 3.5 months old this day.....hv heard its quite late for babies....but i hv also heard this one...."slow and steady wins the race"....so wat if am a bit slow in catching up with my peers.....right people???

Witnesses:  Amma and Ammamma
Date:  December 11, 2006