Mouthpiece #36

Skill of doing nothing...

Recently I was advised to do nothing for sometime to give complete rest to my elbows which quite surprisingly got inflicted with tennis elbow, in spite of not having played this sport ever in my life. As I tried desperately to do nothing, I seriously wondered how hard it is to practice, more so, when it comes as an instruction. While I forced myself into this complete rest regimen for a few days, I appreciated the idea behind training oneself to doing nothing from time to time. continue here... अनोखा समन्वय कल-कल बहता पानी आज का संगीत गुनगुनाए सन-सन बहती हवा चाल मद्धम कर जाए डाल से टूटी पाती नवजीवन का संकेत बन जाए चुरमुराते सूखे पत्ते शांत भाव जगाएँ शीतल बूँदें मन में गर्माहट भर जाएँ  अटल खड़े परबत क्षणभुंगरता को दर्शाएँ सागर की गहराइयाँ ऊंचाई का बोध कराए यह है विरोधाभास या एक समन्वय एक के रहते दूसरा दूर कहाँ रह पाए ? Kitchen tales ... in anticipation of winters I have always preferred closed cozy interiors during winters than fiery summers. After having spent fourteen years away from the extreme climate of North, it took me a while to get readjusted to this variation once we came back to Chandigarh. But I can say that a chilly day still attracts all my votes over heat blazing days of summer. It somehow gives a feeling that I am hibernating in the cosy confines of the home.  I used to look forward to winters for many things. One of Gulzar’s songs just keeps coming to my mind when I picture a perfect winter day - जाड़ों की सर्द धुप और आँगन में लेट कर… (jaadon ki sard dhoop aur aangan mein late kar…) continue here...

Mouthpiece #35

मैं और बादलों की दुनिया...

बादलों में बसती है एक अनोखी दुनिया दूर आसमान में, खुलता है एक झरोखा कभी, कहीं, किसी एक बादल में!  कभी कहीं पहुँचने की जल्दी में गतिमान लगते हैं, मालूम होता है कहते हों- अभी लौट कर मिलते हैं| और कभी समय की गति को जैसे भुला ही देते हैं, इत्मिनान कैसा होता है जैसे अभिनय कर के बताते हैं|

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Shhhhhhh....

It is quite an interesting observation that when we wake up in the morning, we feel like sitting quietly for some time and if possible in an open place, closer to nature. While I read it somewhere, it made me introspect, why does it happen? Perhaps, this is what our natural instinct is - to remain calm and to be at peace. But as the day’s activities take us in their fold, the noise around us keeps increasing, so does the din inside us and they work mysteriously together to drown our innate peaceful self which doesn’t get to make its presence felt any time soon after that.  continue here... What's baking in the kitchen?  Banana Bread All purpose flour (maida) : 1 ½ cups Cinnamon powder : 1 tsp Baking Soda : ½ tsp Salt : ½ tsp Nutmeg : ½ tsp Baking powder : ¼ tsp Powdered sugar : 1 cup Ripe Banana : 1 cup (mashed with a fork) Egg : 1 Oil : ¼ cup Walnuts : 1/ cup (chopped) recipe here...