Kshema's 7 Quick Takes Friday (Volume 20)

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This week, though it has been calm at work place due to Dusshera holidays, I had been too tied up with work. So much occupied that I had been going home late almost every day. Still I think there's a lot more to do.

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The older I grow in age, the younger I feel at heart!

Yes, I am one less to step into forties today. Just cannot believe this figure! At times I feel I still act childish. Last night when my family wished me, the first thing that caught my attention was a banana lying on the dining table. Bananas were my life saviours itseems, my dad quips. As an infant I refused to have milk and food. Due to their not so good financial condition, my parents could not afford rich food for me. But they soon found out that I was liking bananas. They used to feed me with this humble fruit and I survived. But to my misfortune, I had to give up my choicest food upon developing high blood sugar levels. But last night I did indulge in the world's greatest luxury (for me), devouring a banana. My angel daughter played a prank of recording me do this. I was annoyed for a while but when she replayed the video I felt I still cherish the child inside me.

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"God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well."

-- Voltaire 

Yes, I agree. I thank God for this life and I would certainly like to lead my life well. For different people, the meaning of the word "well" differs, with time and circumstances. For me also it has transformed over so many years. When I introspected and retrospected the time until now, I could roughly identify chunks of ten years each in the entire period that held some kind of priorities. If academics were my priority till I graduated, then fulfilling my partner's dreams were my priority in my twenties; followed by community service and my job, which I construed as an extension of the community activity due to the workplace I was in, became my priority. Thirties saw my priorities drifting slowly towards my child. She became the centre of all my activities and reason for my choices and the decisions that I took. It also lead to a positive change in my professional and official life. I wonder what the forties have in store for me as a decan of changed/renewed priority. I have certainly lived well until now. Tried to include all aspects of living well in my life. But there is still much more to life. If time permits, I would like to include things like caring more for my health and myself, doing those things that I like and could not do until now for certain reasons, undertaking short trips to some good places, writing more etc.

 

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The birthday gift

As a child I was very fond of celebrating my birthday. Like any other kid I was also excited about gifts. Dad bought me many toys in my childhood. Growing up, I used to ask him, well before my birthday, about what present he would give me for my coming birthday. He used to laugh it off. One year, I remember, I pestered him for gift very much and I stood at the gate waiting for him to arrive from office thinking that he would certainly bring" me a gift. I lingered around him till late evening and kept on troubling him. Finally he got up, went inside and brought a pair of keys and gave it to me and said "here's your gift". I did not understand. I knew that they looked like the scooter keys. Bewildered, I asked him what they were and why they are my gift. He said, "these are the spare keys of my scooter; you can have my scooter as your birthday gift." I did not know to ride a scooter then. Another year he made a small musical instrument with the musical door bell circuit and fixed it inside a plastic box of name cards with a push button that would produce musical tones one after the other. That was my birthday gift. Could never really understand him and his gifts. Today when he asked me what I wanted, I had no answer. I told him I have everything. What I could not say is at their age, they themselves as healthy, satisfied and happy parents are a gift to their children!

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This week's recipe

This week I need suggestions for making my otherwise bland food interesting. I am tired of eating the same roti-subzi-dal. I cannot expect my cooking help to experiment. Thinking of giving her an off for some time. I perspire a lot. Due to this problem, I do not venture into kitchen much, except for weekends. The place we stay is also hot for ten months almost. Winters last for a couple of months, hardly. Thinking of changing the dinner menu to single item preparations. Easy, less time consuming, healthy, vegetarian recipes are welcome.

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This week's book(s)

Being a librarian I am supposed to be surrounded by books. I am indeed. My colleague's absence has transferred almost all of his work to me. I did try to take a peek into his work - technical processing of new books that arrived in my library. But because of multifarious nature of my work, I could not yet justify that piece of job. Presently my table is full of books; most of them on engineering subjects, but some on psychology and cognition. From their covers and titles, they looked like they would hold my interest. Let's see if I can do something in the coming week.

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This week's media clip 

Glenn Medeiros! His one song that I have been listening to since years. Very lovely.

Have happy weekend & stay tuned!

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