Ghar Ek Langhar

(There’s no typo there. I indeed mean to say Ghar - Ek Langhar, similar to the movie of yesteryear by the name Ghar Ek Mandir.)

The reasons are pretty obvious: just like a “langhar” in a Gurudwara (Sikh place of worship) serves free food to all that enter, my mum feeds people the same way. Be it the vegetable seller who slips her a few free chillies coz she gives him cool aam-panna in the sweltering heat, or dad’s friend who makes a halt at our place for a few minutes and cant help dozing off coz mum offered him lunch and fed him much more than he could handle, or my outstation friends who yearn for home-made food as they live in hostels.

The other day mum invited my neighbor (the one who got married recently) for what is called “kelwan” in Marathi. It is a party given to the soon-to-be-wedded-bride/groom. Not only did mummy make 4-5 different chat dishes and snacks, but made sure that after having her fill, the neighbor carried back overflowing dishes to feed her entire family back home. Crazy woman, I tell ya!

Anyways, I’m not complaining. She enjoys inviting people to eat, and people love to eat what she cooks. What bothers me is the fact that she gets too tired at the end of the day, and nobody returns her favor... (I hope people don’t expect me to walk in her footsteps!!)

By the way, Sunday is Mother's Day, so don't forget to give your darling mommy a peck and oodles of pampering. I shan't be able to celebrate it with my mum coz I’m going to Goa next week. (I mean the coming week.)

I shall be in Madgaon between May 10-16 for the Indian Society for Applied Behavioral Science (ISABS)’s human process lab – the basic one, which is for personal growth. I have been recommended for the same by almost everybody at work, and I’m hoping it will do a fat lot of good to the way I perceive myself and others, my interactions with people and my behavioral development. You can read more about the event on this page : http://www.isabs.org/a.shtml

The program is happening in Goa, which is a reason to rejoice in itself! The venue is a 5 star resort called Dona Sylvia (check out their website : http://www.donasylvia.com/index1.html ) which modestly conveys that it is spread over 26 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens on the southern coast of Goa, has 181 rooms and nestles on the soft white sands of the Cavelossim Beach... Sounds superb!! Bet you're jealous ;-)

I shan’t be blogging from there, as they have a tight schedule laid out for us. I will be attending sessions from 8am to 6 pm, (and I’m going to be gallivanting the Goan streets after that) so I will return to tell you about my experiences and adventures only after Monday the 18th.

Packing starts today, and I'm mighty excited at the prospect of travelling and staying alone (away from people I know, I mean) for an entire week.

Someone very sensible told me something extremely wise yesterday - That I should learn to forgive myself for making mistakes... coz I'm not God... A perfectionist like me will sure find this thought profound and difficult to execute.

But hey, you know what?? Even God isn't liked/admired by all. Nope, I'm not referring to atheists; I'm speaking about how some folks hated the resourceful and witty Krishna and criticised him. (Click here for stories in the Mahabharata) So, you see, noone can hope to be adored and appreciated by every single person in this wide world. Food for thought.

Oh, by the way, I finished Anatomy of Deception two days ago. The book wasn't as thrilling as I'd expected it to be. The suspense was pretty dry, and I'm hoping Twilight (which I'm saving for the train journey to Goa) will be more enjoyable.

Wish me luck!!

Love all,
Princess

P.S : Hey, the rickshaw strike is off... However, Baba Adhav wins again as fares are not majorly slashed. The fare for the first kilometer is now Rs. 10 and 7 bucks for every km thereafter. Sad, eh? That's the way democracy functions, my friend...