Wah Taj !!!

We have to decide on one thing before we start reading this. No one is going to ask whose idea it was. Whatever feelings it triggers, be it surprise, shock or utter disbelief, you have to promise to keep your question in your mouth. The idea was born, debated (a bit) and implemented. Its over and done. No questions. Deal?
So, where was I?

Wah Taj.....

So enroute to Calcutta during our yearly summer vacation we decided to visit Agra. (special emphasis on the "we").
To see the Taj Mahal.
The month was JULY and the plan was mine.  My intentions were good.
I had seen it when I was eleven. To be honest I did not remember much of it except for the fact that it was a moonlit night and we were sitting at the back of the magnificient tomb facing the river Yamuna enjoying the cool breeze of September. This picture was so vivid in my memory that I wanted to revisit it. I thought that this time I would look at the monument with different eyes since now I have more knowledge about a mans love for his wife than I had at eleven..hi hi......
;-)
Hence you would agree that the plan was made with noble intentions . The fact that it will be viewed in summer when there would be no cool breeze was not taken into consideration by the "usually-good-planner" lady. I know , I know..but the question stays in your mouth! We made a deal at the very beginning....

With the body still getting accustomed (or protesting in vain) to the temperature difference (it was 15 deg in Amsterdam and 38 in Delhi), we took a car from Delhi and got on the Delhi-Agra highway. 

The journey was actually very nice. It brought back many many memories from the past. I looked outside the car window - glimpses of India complete with paddy fields on both sides, unplastered houses, heavily loaded trucks overtaking from the wrong side with "drive slow" written on their bumpers, groups of cheerful school children crossing the roads with ice lollies in hand ,delicious roadside dhabas (restaurants) to choose from, women in colourful sarees and matching glass bangles, loudspeakers blaring hindi movie songs celebrating the month of Sravan (arrival of the monsoons even though it was super dry without a drop of rainfall)....amazing..India is such a diversity rich county..loved the trip.

Arno totally zapped by the heat... A warning saying "do not sit idle here"

 The heat however was a different story. We did crib about it a bit but very soon realized that there is nothing we can do about it. Hence hands up..total surrender to the power of nature. The look of surrender (Arnos face above) was very nicely caught on camera...
He waited for food at a roadside dhaba with complete oblivion to the surrounding. Just at that moment my eyes fell on a message on the wall where it said " Faltu baithna mana hai" [It is prohibited to sit idle here].
Interesting....
This historical monument was built by a king in loving memory of his queen after her death. The sheer size of the tomb built of pure white marble definitely has a "wow-factor" associated with it. By looking at it, I did not feel the romantic aura that it is supposed to generate as an emblem of love. Instead it feels a bit too large and a bit too white and a bit too cold. For me the wow-factor was more a realisation that hit when I stood infront of the gigantic structure. Reading about the minarets that are more than 40m high in a history book is so much different than standing underneath one and looking up to see them. The fact that this huge intricately carved structure was built so many years ago by real people who did not have autocad to design, google to search for stuff, emails to discuss or facebook to be "Like"-ed!!! is really amazing. The other amazing thing (now I switch on my sarcastic side) was how people could spit infront of this building or how a person (irrespective of caste, creed, culture, education, background ) can throw an empty pet bottle on the lawn infront (inspite of garbage cans marked with "throw pet bottles here" written on them).
After a few thoughts and discussions the conclusion which I can draw( again , my personal opinion) is that in India we are not TAUGHT to love our national property. Anything outside my home is just NOT MINE and hence it does not deserve the same care or attention that MY things need.
Honestly I did not enjoy my trip to the Taj at all. A big part of this I can blame on the scorching sun, But a small part of the blame also goes to the dirty environment we have created around this beautiful monument.
Enough.
I need to come back to my blog tradition now..which means some "elo-melo-kotha" [directionless banter] which needs to end with a food discussion.
I do not have a recipe this time but what I have is a mouthwatering picture of a delicious dosa which we enjoyed enroute to Agra. 
[O God, give me the strength and will power to continue writing without drooling saliva all over my key board]

I will post a very very interesting menu card  in my next post.........Stay tuned!!

End-of-vacation-blues

Coming back from vacation is always difficult. It requires tremendousssss (yes, extra s added to emphasize) mental strength, immense patience, limitless optimism.....and lots of other things to break off from the "vacation mode" and embrace the monotony of routine life (where basically the alarm goes off at EXACTLY 6:15 am and from then on the clock takes over YOUR life).
I am  in that difficult phase of life.

The first think I hate after coming back are the suitcases. They are like these big, mean, smirky monsters, lurking in the corners of the landing, full of stuff (have no clue what)...sneering at you whenever you pass by them or trip over them...a crooked smile saying .."Unnnn pack me!"

I hate them.
The second thing is...okok..I will not bore you with this endless list of what-i-dont-like-after-vacation. So let me proceed with some more details with number one.

So I summon  enough courage and enthusiasm to really open the suitcases. Uff..what a scene..like the Pandoras box..I should have left them untouched...because there can be almost ANYTHING in them. Did I, the practical me, pack all these in?

Clothes, shoes, toiletries..   ok.
Table mats, gift items, wall decorations...  ok.

Sweets, indian snacks, MUSTARD OIL????

Each of these items, at some point of time during the vacation was thought of as a necessity..hence bought and packed! But at that point of time the mood was different. In the current O-my-God-vacation-is-over mood, I do not need any of these things. Hmmm...

Brooding does not help. Regular life needs to go on. The washing machine needs to be loaded umpteen times, then the dryer, dry clothes to be folded and back to their normal places, empty suitcases to be stowed away till the next vacation (which is light years away), kitchen store to be checked, food to be prepared, dishes to be washed,etc etc..

Realization hits...Vacation is over.

Dadu-r scooter e  ki moja.....

Priyankar Bata Macher jhol

One of the best things about Kolkata is its collection of fish and  peoples obsession with buying the "right" fish every morning.My father or father-in-law, (actually their generation) love to go to the fish market early morning, scrutinizing the fish, lifting the gills to check some unknown parameter which reveals the freshness-quotient, chatting with the fish shopkeeper about fish prices and fish produces and the fish slices, coming back home the proud owner of a good buy in a "special" plastic bag which usually (according to my mom or mom-in-laws, actually their generations instructions) goes directly to the sink till the lady of the house has time to clean and cook them.

I hear (from my father-in-law) that times have changed. He complains how "our" generation does not bother to check the fish they buy, nor look at the prices. This makes them "better" customers for the shopkeeper and hence at times the "old careful" ones are totally ignored by him.

Anyway, I love fish. Every inch of every fish.

This time in Kolkata Priyanka cooked lovely fish everyday....slluuurrpppppp!

Priyanka cooking delicious macher jhol

How to cook:

1. Fry the fish with little salt and turmeric. They should look as glamorous as in the picture above.

2. Cut Potatoes and Potol (Pointed gourd) in slices which for some reason look good and taste better in oblique slices. Dice one tomato.

3.Heat 1 table spoon oil . As it heats up add one small spoon of kalojeere and one sliced green chillie.

4. Then add  the potatoes, and the Potol pieces. Fry for a while , add turmeric and salt to taste.

5. Add tomatoes, fry for a while and then add water.

6. Let it simmer for a while (cook covered so that potatoes get cooked).

7. Add the fish one by one into the gravy (carefully so as not to spoil their glamorous fried look).

8. Cover and cook in low heat (without stirring) for 2 mins.

9. Switch off and serve with white rice....

10. Get praised!!!!

355 days left to taste this delicious Bata-macher-jhol again...........

Diploma and Dim-curry

The parents sat with flushed faces, eager looks, focused cameras as their little children took the "Diploma exam" yesterday. The instructor guided the bunch of kids through different types of swimming techniques trying to make a good exhibition. The kids, like a group of dolphins followed her instructions, small hands and small legs making the perfect swimming moves. Then they dived one after the other, went through a ring underwater, popped up their heads from water, eyes searching the crowd to make eye contact with the respective parents just to confirm the "wow" looks in their eyes! The parents looked on with beaming faces, precariously holding cameras to capture the "right angle " for the "right " photograph, some clapping and cheering, some totally speechless with their kids actions.....all of them proud and happy.
At the end of this exercise, the A-diplomas were handed out to the beaming kids...ten smiling faces, glistening with water drops, shining with pride. 

                                                    Congratulations Arno!

As soon as I said this, I knew what was coming.
"Mama, will I get a gift?"
;-)

Kids these days are amazing. They do so many things. Parents are amazing-er. They want them to do so many things. I remember, in my childhood, just balancing studies with singing lessons was already a challenge. My son balances studies with swimming lessons with tennis lessons with guitar lessons. I know of kids who have basket ball and judo on top of this list, their parents currently talking to the piano teacher to book a date!!
The big question I sometimes ask myself is "Is this the way to go?"
At this point I still feel the answer is "yes" as long as I can hold on to this list of my son and not put more on top!
I have to admit that each achievement of the kid does make us extremely proud. And I think I am saying this on behalf of all parents. It is really not about HOW good the achievement is, it is all about the sheer disbelief and awe of HOW the tiny thing whom WE gave birth to is growing up to achieve anything.THAT is what makes us so proud! Did that make sense at all? or am I just blabbering in a happy mood?
Going back to my childhood, I have vivid memories of LOTS OF STUDIES--lots of classwork, lots of home work and lots of exams to test what we learnt during our classworks and homeworks. I also have vivid memories of my singing teacher coming at home to teach me indian classical music once a week in the evening. As it is Ma was very strict with the evening playtime.  Her voice still rings clear and loud in my ears. "Street light jole jabar age bari ashbe" [Be back home before the streetlights go on]. ..And there was no option for any negotiations. The first thing I had to do after coming back home was wash my hands and feet and sit with the harmonium to practise singing atleast for 45 mins. After that the whole homework thing started till mom called us for dinner!Honestly did not enjoy it AT ALL. I must have promised ten thousand times that I will not make MY children go through this. EVER! 

Times have changed. 
I am a mom now. 
I want Arno to practise guitar everyday.
 ..and I do not like to negotiate at all...

Lets change the subject. For everyones good.
;-)
Lets cook  Dim curry.
Dim curry, in my family is a major comfort food. It is easy to make after a tired day, it tastes  good after travel, add a bit more oil and its good for a full fledged party....its really a saviour!!anyday..anytime!!

Dim curry: Any day any time food.

1. First boil the eggs
2. Heat one table spoon of oil (mustard really gives the kick but you can use white oil)
3. Add a pinch of turmeric and fry the eggs. (make some sharp knife slashes on the eggs so that they do not sputter)

4. Keep the eggs aside. To the same oil add whole garam masala (cardamom & cinnamon).I also add a small spoon of sugar which caramelizes and give a colour.
5.Add chopped onions and fry for 5 mins at medium heat. Add chopped tomatoes and chopped green chillies.
6.Add some coriander powder and garam masala powder. 
7. Add turmeric and salt to taste.
8 .When fully cooked , add the fried eggs and add 5-6 spoons of water.
9. Cover and cook for 5 mins in medium heat.
10. Switch off the heat and add fresh chopped coriander.
11. Serve with rice or roti.

Enjoy....................

German roller coaster and New Zealand Lamb racks

Life is a roller coaster.

How many times have we all said that? Philosophical looks? Heads nodding? Eyebrows knitted together? Grave expression?

The LITERAL meaning hit me last week!!!

As the small carriage (with us poor human beings cramped together in it) made its sharp turns, hurling itself up and down the slopes, my hair flying wild, vocal chords bursting with intense shrieks, clutching the bar infront with a I-want-to-stay-alive desperation, mercilessly plunging us now and then into darkness or water or whatever, adrenalin pumping, absolutely no control on life whatsoever, cameras flashing ... ....I thought,

Why ? WHY am I doing this? Am I not past the stage where I want to "prove" something? I closed my eyes (they were closed already from fear) and said a  silent prayer.

O God save me from such ventures now and forever! 
Give me the wisdom to say NO to such rides. Let me be normal. 
.......many many hours later(thats how long it felt), we reached the safety of mother Earth..
I opened my eyes and looked at Arno beside me..his face was flushed...his eyes dancing with glee...his excited and happy smile made me want to do it again!!! Haha!

It was a short break at school. We thought of surprising A-junior by visiting "Movie Park" in Germany. Everything was nicely planned and we set out for our destination. A-junior was TOTALLY thrilled when I dropped a hint....ok ok a bit more than a hint. But what we did not take into account was the fact that MOST parents in this part of the world wanted to surprise THEIR kids, hence the park was very very crowded. Each ride had a long queue..so long that you start making friends in the queue...a wait of 40 minutes on average...
This did not bother the kids at all. For me, every time I finally got on a ride, it felt like an achievement. And after all that wait, the ride was just 2 or 3 mins! (I know some felt like hours!)

But Arno definitely had fun....lots of it....on ground and in air! Other than that one roller coaster ride, honestly I had fun too. So did A-senior...
;-)

Now for some food...No story is complete without some food...food that was really good.

After all the fun in moviepark , we came back home and needed to do groceries. The plan was to get the regular bread, milk, fruits routine but somehow A-senior got totally mesmerized by the rack that had New Zealand lamb rack!! And he refused to budge from its side ...almost with the same looks in his eyes that Arno has when he stands infront of the CARS rack in the toy store! So in went New Zealand lamb racks into our trolley..and we headed back home ....a wide and satisfied grin on the husbands face...wife knowing that the rest of the evening she will be unloading the groceries while the husband will be researching recipes!! ..and lo behold thats EXACTLY what happened..

Anyway, very soon I was also pulled into this research scheme , since this was the first time we were cooking lamb racks at home. After some research, some google and some mutual consultations .. some recipes made it to the shortlist...and this is what we had. It tasted super..try it!!!!

New Zealand lamb racks in honey mustard.

I think this is how he made it. (I think!!)

But offcourse  like most chefs do..HE did improvise here and there ....

;-)

Ingredients:

• 1  lamb rack
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
• 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil for the lamb
• 1 /2 Tbsp of honey
• 1 /2 Tbsp of Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp of rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 large potato, 1 large carrot
• 2 Tbsp of olive oil for the vegetables

Preparation:

1. Heat the oven to 350F.
2. Put 2 Tbsp of olive oil into a baking tray. Place the vegetables in the tray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the vegetables on the bottom oven rack for 20 minutes.
3. Mix the chopped garlic, breadcrumbs, 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil, rosemary, salt, honey and mustard into a mixing bowl. Make a paste.
4. Spread the paste evenly over the lamb rack. [see first photo] Cover the bones with aluminum foil so that they do not burn and change colour.Place lamb in the oven directly on the grill over the vegetables. This will allow for the drippings to collect with the vegetables and will enhance flavours. By now the vegetables should have been cooking for 25-30 minutes.
5. Roast the lamb for 20 minutes for rare meat or 30 minutes for well-done.

We enjoyed it with some simple pasta like below. Enjoy......

Alu Chochhori and highlights of 2011 summer vacation in India

I have been thinking of this post for quite sometime. To be honest, a very long time. I had promised stories which were never told. I can ramble on about how busy I am and all that but still the fact is that it skipped my mind. Two days back when I was booking our yearly flights to India (summer 2012), it all came back. I am sure I will come back with more stories and more promises to write about them but what happens to the "highlights" of Arno's visit last year?

Arno says:

I went to India last summer (July 2011)--my 7th visit to India. It was also the longest one till date. I was in India for 5 weeks!! Every time I visit India, there is something new. This time it was the heat. All my last six visits were in winter...this was the first time that I went in the summer. Man, THAT was some SUMMER! However, I did not have any problem with it at all. My parents were the ones (inspite of being born and brought up there) who were complaining about the heat, getting all agitated if the AC went off for a minute, drinking lots of cold drinks, taking 3-4 showers a day, grumpy looks and all that....
I was fine. I had fun.
OK, I could not do much outside home because of the intense heat...so I had to be kept busy indoors. I had no problem with THAT! I watched a lot of TV...which I loved . Plus there were so many different "new" things to try out..I did not mind the heat at all...

মামা বাড়ির মজা

গিয়েছিলাম এই ছুটিতে আমার মামাবাড়ি,

কেমন মজা সেথায়, শোন গল্প তার-ই |

মামার বাড়ি ভারী মজা , কিল চড় নাই,

যেটাই বলি চাই, সেটাই তখন পাই |

মা তাকায় কটমটিয়ে, ভীষণ রাগি মুখ, 

দিদা তখন মাকে বকে, দেখেও লাগে সুখ |

সকালবেলা নাইকো তাড়া, কেউ দেয় না ঠেলা,

কেউ করে না চেঁচামেচি, গড়িয়ে গেলেও বেলা |

উঠেই দেখি জলখাবার এ ফুলকো ফুলকো লুচি,

চনমনিয়ে ওঠে জেগে খেয়ে নেবার রুচি |

একটু বাদে বাটি করে রসগোল্লা খান চার,

এক নিশ্বাস এ পুরো বাটি করে দিতাম সাবার|

TV দেখো যখন তখন সোফায় আরাম কোরে,

নিজের হাথে খুশি মতন remoteখানি ধোরে |

তারপরেতে দাদুর সাথে দাবার চালের শুরু,

এই বুঝি দাদু খেলো রাজা, বুক কোরে দুরু দুরু |

আমার ঘোড়া, দাদুর হাথি, কে বা কাকে খায় ,

মাঝে মাঝে ইছে কোরে দাদুই হেরে যায় |

তারপরেতে চানের পালা, বালতি ভরা জল,

সাবান দিয়ে বানিয়ে ফেনা, খুলে দিতাম কল | 

খাবার পাতে মাছের বাহার, কাতলা ইলিশ রুই,

তবু সব ছাপিয়ে লাগলো ভালো, ভাত দিয়ে টক দই |

দেখতে দেখতে ফুরিয়ে গেল এই বছরের ছুটি,

"আসছে বছর আসব আবার" বলে ফিরলাম গুটি গুটি | 
 

It is difficult to put together the whole story of five weeks. So I will give you some of the highlights.

I learnt to cook
Abu(dida) gave me a REAL knife to chop potatoes and then she taught me how to cook the  potato curry which goes with "luchi". Its called "Alu Chochhori". She even made me a proper chef cap. Later on when we all sat down to eat together, everyone praised the chef...yes, me! the potato gravy was delicious. I will share the recipe at the end of this post.
I love to cook. I also cook at home now.

I went into the bucket . Again.
Ma asked me NOT TO go into the bucket when I took my shower.  You know how moms are..Not this..not that..etc. That why God made grandmothers. I had a secret agreement with Abu (dida) to enjoy "as I wish" . She later showed me some photos when I was small and was allowed to take a bath IN the bucket. Why not NOW? Just a few years does not make that much of a difference, does it?

 I played the Indian drums.
So much fun it is. Believe me. Its called a "Khol". You hang it around your neck and then beat both sides with your two hands. The sound it makes is very sweet..loved the experience. I have two options now. I can be the "cool" guitarist in Holland or the "traditional" Khol player in India!!

One thing that I immensely like about India is the amount of attention I get there. Everyone and everything revolves around me..I feel important all the time.
In my dada-r bari (papas parents in Kolkata), its a joint family so there are many people in the house. I love it! I roam around in the house eating chips at Moni Bou's place, watching  TV at RangaBou's place, eating luchi at Munna's place, playing Trominos at my thammis place..I walk up and down the stairs thousand times a day to be at the place which suits me best at that time!. People are constantly asking,
"Where is Arno?" . See how important it makes me feel.....

I had unlimited juicy mangoes properly cut and served with fulko fulko luchi
In summer there are lots of mangoes in India. Dada went to the market every morning to get fresh mangoes for me which was then cut by Thammi or Munna in  small equal cubes , nicely arranged on a dish with a fork and served to me infront of the TV!!Pure luxury!

One good philosophy my mother likes and practices is that she DOES NOT scold me in India..though from time to time she does give me the looks that say, "cholo Holland, tarpor dekhachi moja" (Lets go back to Holland and then you are in my hands again)..but those were rare moments. My father does not believe in any such philosophy, especially in the hot summer!! Hihi...Having said that, I have to admit that he is the one who took me to nice places like Nicco park and South city mall while my mom was having her grand get together with college friends![I live in Holland with my mama and papa..have to keep both happy, you see?]
 
Recipe of Alu-chochori
Warning: Have this with Luchi Only.

Potatoes: 4 (cut into small cubes)
Onion:      1/2   , cut into small cubes (optional)
Tomato:   1  (cut in small cubes)
Green chilli : 1 (cut into very small pieces)
Nigella seeds:  1 tsp
Salt                 : to taste
Oil:                    1 table spoon
Turmeric:      a pinch

Heat the oil in a pan. Add green chilli and the nigella seeds. Let them sizzle for a few seconds and add the onion. Add the potatoes. Cook and toss them for a min and then add the tomato, salt and turmeric. Cook for a few minutes, pour some water, cover and cook. The final texture should be "makha makha".

I repeat: Have this ONLY with luchi.

As the first bite of luchi with this potato-gravy enters your mouth, you experience "heaven"!

.....am preparing myself for more such fun in July......tickets are booked...the count down has just begun.............

Abol Tabol Shopno

Sukumar Ray, has always been one of my favourites. His Bengali "nonsense" literature is unparalleled in its innocence and imagery. Even today, his poems are capable of winning hearts of both young and old. 

We presented Abol Tabol Shopno based on his Abol tabol for the Bengali New Years program in Holland. The show being a hit proved how his work is truly "evergreen" and "generation independent".

Undoubtedly, the star of the  show were the kids...the kids of today....kids born and brought up in Holland..kids aged 5 to 12....kids who are not fluent in Bengali....kids who cannot spontaneously relate to "ram gorur-er chhana"  or "danpite chhele" or a "ahladi"....kids who took time out of their busy routine life to come for rehearsals...kids who tried their best....
Kids who are the best!!!!

These little artists did a fantastic show in a FUNtastic way! 

First of all to expect that they would enjoy performing  to this type of poetry was beyond my expectation, honestly. However, whether it was the week-end rehearsals (where they also got plenty of play time) or the skit around their poems  or the funny explanations or the "rewarding chocolates" after their performances...or Pondit moshais snoring...or Bholas dance steps....whatever....the final result was overwhelming.
I , as the director of the play, am really very proud of you., my kids.

Well done.

The second set of people who did very well were the adults. We, the adults belong to a generation where we grew up with Abol Tabol. Each of us had a copy of this book either recieved as a birthday present or for scoring 80 in maths or from an uncle visiting or some such reason..we all had it. I remember taking my copy to bed ...reading till late at night inspite of the lights being switched off by the strict mom...reading till the torch batteries dimmed inside my blanket. Such was the connection for most of us. This was very visible in the enthusiasm of the adults involved in the play. It felt like going back to our childhood ..aboltabol revisited!

My "Pondit moshai" S, did not have time to memorize the script but he made time to actually order his moustache from Amazon.com.How cool is that?

L ,as my Bhola, though quite subdued during the rehearsals , really blossomed on stage on the final day and showed some dance steps which would put Govinda to shame any day.

S actually hand painted the kids shirts in a matter of days and oh so beautifully. I give her this dress-making-contract for all my future ventures...

R ran around many Hema stores in Holland to get the right T-shirts. I got phone calls in the middle of the day saying, "dayeeta, I got two 122 and one 134 shirts...shall I try the HEMA in Den Haag now?".

T made this wonderful noodles during our rehearsals which was so tasty and so much that the director (in this case, me) offered to take the left overs home. Delicious !!!

K made and remade and re-re-made the music so many times on the CD each time asking, "Dayeeta di, is track 14 the snore or the laugh?".

S readily became the substitute for whoever was absent during rehearsals...dancing to Bholas tunes or snoring as Pondit Moshai....both with equal zeal.

T climbed the stairs to adjust the lights high up in the auditorium...cleverly playing with the colours to  make the class room even more glamorous.

I cannot name all of the team.....but the bottomline was that this was only because all of US related to abol tabol much more than our kids..
We had fun.

I had SUPER FUN writing and directing this play. Look at my beautiful cast below.

It all started as "Let the kids perform something this year for Poyla Boishakh (Bengali New year) ". Since the mention of Sukumar Ray already aroused enough interest, we jumped into this project. I thought instead of solo performances by the kids one by one, it  might be more interesting to weave them into a sort of drama to make it more compact. So the project began. One one hand , I tried to make a script..on the other the kids started memorizing the individual poems under strict supervision of the parents!!
Lets have a quick look at it.......
The setting is that of a village classroom with a "pondit moshai" (teacher) , eight students and a door keeper Bhola. Pondit is only bothered about studies, but also tries to squeeze in  moments of nap (accompanied by thunderous snoring) in between his lectures. The students take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy and do things "out-of-routine". They also slip into a dream mode from time to time thinking about "what-if?"....

We start with Little A who performed "Ram Gorur er Chhana". She has a sweet smile....started off on a shy mode..surprised us all with the final performance where even the actions came pouring out!!
যাঃ বাবা হাসতেও  মানা,
হাসা কত স্বাস্থকর, তাও নেইকো জানা ? 
আমরা কি রাম গরুর এর ছানা ? 
Then came on stage the "naughty boy" (Danpite Chele) A...He is actually not a naughty boy (relatively speaking). I know , hi hi ...I am the mom. Smartly recited the poem and on the final day did not forget to even pull P's hair (as per the script).
আমি দুষ্টু, ডানপিটে  আমি?
জানো তো কাকে বলে আসল দুষ্টামি , তবে শোনো...
Our  next little master A came on stage without a moustache but recited a very long poem 

"Gomph Churi"  about a moustach--amazing how a little kid could memorize it so well...This is when the moustache from Amazon.com glowed in all its glory under the nose of our Pondit moshai..
যাঃ বাবা, এ তো গেছেন ভীষণ রেগে,
ঘুমোছিলেন বেশ , কেন উঠলেন জেগে?
গোমফ জোড়া তার বড়ই প্রিয়, রেগে গেছেন তাই,
এ যে দেখি হেড অফিসের বড়ো বাবু র ভাই !
Aha! Who do we have here? Our little "Ahladi"..With his sweet kid-accent N won all hearts! He was also accompanied by two sweet ladies on both sides...so even more attention!!
মোরা আহ্লাদী , মোরা ফোকলা , মোদের জুড়ি নাই,
যখন পাবে হাসি , তখনই হাসব মোরা তাই 

Thats T --Our little student who tried to solve the mysterious ways of the king of Bombagor by reciting "Bombagor-er Raja"--absolutely fantastic!!

একটা গল্প শুনতে চাই,

যাতে কোনো ঝগড়া নাই,
হাসতে হাসতে পেটে ধরবে খিল,
রাজা রানীর হবে মিল 

Thats P --she flawlessly recited "Bhoy peo na". The tone with which she said "Ami achi ...Ginni achen" still rings in my ears!! - Somehow we all felt that her father T (our talented lightman )taught her the tone!! Super performance!!! 

প্রশ্ন বড়ই উদ্ভট,
এও কি নাকি হয়?
ছয় খানা নাক দেখেও
লাগবে নাকো ভয়? 

Our little man R . He sees good in all things...what a wonderful poem.."Bhalo re bhalo"

  Well done !

এই দুনিয়ার সকল ভাল,
আসল ভাল নকল ভাল, 

কিন্তু সবার চাইতে ভালো...পাউরুটি আর ঝোলা গুড়...

        
How can I forget the two most important people who helped to keep the stage under control?

Pondit moshai and Bhola.

Pondit won the audience with his moustache and his snores and his booming voice...

Bhola's kept the kids in place and his dance steps will be remembered by the audience in the years to come......
.............and last but not the least our tiny-smiley-face R , who did not recite  a solo poem but his presence in the stage added that mischievous feel to the classroom........(eyes closed just beside Bhola)

We enjoyed ourselves....A LOT...

Hope you can  imagine our little artists in action and enjoy too......

Vacation in Normandy.

How does a vacation LOOK like?
Something like this? 

or THIS?

Maybe THIS?

Vacations are made to feel you better. They take you away from home so that the regular dishwasher, cleaner, washing machine, alarm clock and many other such things are out of sight and hence out of mind! This leaves ample space in your mind to be either numb or excited or relaxed...whichever it chooses to do and not forcefully burdened with!

I had the luxury to be in this state of affair during the easter break..(Had planned a longer vacation story but never happened...)
A wonderful relaxed vacation in France.
Amidst grasslands and farm houses, pin drop silence broken from time to time by the chatter of some unknown birds, sunshine ( ok, short but still..) and sweet smelling flowers, kids looking for easter eggs in the garden laughing and running free from the bonds of school and impatient working parents, glasses of lovely french wine being refilled by the men (without even having to ask for it), matching collection of cheese to sooth and massage the taste buds in between sips of the red wine, discussions with friends on any and every topic under the sun without the pressure of coming to a conclusion,clicking away and trying to capture some of these moments in the camera......What MORE do you want from a vacation?
I love vacations. Really. 
I know, so do you.