Sunday 31 March 2013

81. "All the world's a stage"...... "and tears exhibit my tongue". (As you like it and Merchant of Venice-Shakespeare)


         Laughter undoubtedly, without an iota of competition is the recipe for a healthy body, mind and spirit. And when it comes in a package of two hours of entertainment and flawless acting, then we have hardly anything to complain about.
The evening of 31st March saw the ITA auditorium packed to capacity as Stage Fusion with yet another excellent production this season almost brought the roof down with their effortless delivery and colossal performance.  
I had a brush with Rupa Hazarika Som during one of her previous productions when she thought I would fit into one of the roles. But going by her strict rules and dedicated timings, I decided I was still not prepared to be a part of her act. Well, her blunt sincerity for the stage shows, as every time she has literally driven her actors to outperform their expectations. 
Bollywood Dreams was riotous to the core. I especially loved Nayantara Sharma's (Sonia) performance. The body-language of her character and her histrionics were perfect to a T. Dr. Bijoy Choudhury had us all bursting at the seams. I found him very stiff when he first started his acting skills on Stage Fusion but in Bollywood Dreams, he sailed through the act and there was absolutely no doubt that he was enjoying his every move. Neetali Milli Das, with her double act of Zoya and Maryann assured us that she is an actor par excellence. Way to go Stage Fusion! 
(I loved dressing up for the show though! A non-branded skirt I picked up many years back, a top with lace details on the smock from Forvever New and a clutch from the same company, a tousled bed-look for my hair with a faux flower from Accessorize got me in the perfect mood for the play!)



Saturday 30 March 2013

80. Hailstorm!


As a little girl growing up in Shillong, I was so used to hailstorms. The minute the huge rounded stones pelted down on the tin-roofs, my cousins and I would run out with tin mugs in our hands. The excitement would get the better of us, as there was a vicious competitive war amongst us as to who would get the hugest booty.  We would wait for the rain to lessen and then rush out to the corners of the garden where the hail stones heaped into small white mounds. Our little fingers would be frozen numb by the time we gathered mug fulls of small white almost-melting ice balls. We had so much fun and would giggle for no particular reason as we pressed them together into shapeless moulds and slipped them into the backs of unsuspecting neighbours, uncles and aunts. The angry shouts that follow would make us run for our lives in glee. Granny would be screaming herself hoarse with her concern for us lest we catch severe colds. But we would carry on with this mad spree anyway! And why not? No wonder I have such lovely memories now!
Yesterday evening, after a round of ice-creams and then chasing the sun-set, Tirus and I went down to the river and watched the boats. The Brahmaputra was looking calm and serene, not for once letting us know of the impending rain in the evening. 
I could see Tirus' excitement late last night when a few hail stones pelted down. I so wished he could have  done what I had done as a kid! Even though these days kids have so many diversions, it's important that they have their usual brush with nature, just to make them realise how important it is to conserve the environment for their future! (Although all this has nothing to do with what I wore yesterday!)





Friday 29 March 2013

79. Awards Night!


The fragrance of poetry is like mannah for the soul. And when it comes from deep within the cores of the heart, it does more than just making us close our eyes and touch it. 
Samir Tanti, the poet laureate, has given us some soul-stirring poems, with a freshness incomparable to any other. His tribute to humanity and his land is indelibly etched in each of his poems which are more visual than vocal. They are like paintings on water. They make us want to see, hear and feel more of them. 
And the evening of 29th March was dedicated to this poet par excellence when he was awarded with the Assam Valley Literary Award 2012 by Padmashree Pratibha Ray and the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi. 















Thursday 28 March 2013



78. Fashion faux pas and a tired kid


Sometimes, take that as most often, I just want to take my car keys and whizz away to work or otherwise in my home clothes. It's tiring to think what to wear and what not to, especially if it's a day of rehearsals before the actual function. And if it’s a day when I am in the mood for pink, yellow, blue and green, then there is a situation. You would say I rather don the jumper of a clown if I am in such a random mood. But then I have never been serious in my life ever, about anything. Na, na..not me! I am in the mood for mischief and read that as all the time.

So in the evening of 28th March, I pulled out an anciently bought baby-pink, low-rise, bell-bottomed corduroy trousers and tried teaming it with an ochre-yellow tee with butterfly sleeves, printed with royal-blue colour butterflies on the smock. I accessorized with one short and two long neck-pieces.  I thought the green belt and shoes complimented the look. However, after clicking around 12 pictures in various different trying-to-look-good poses, Tirus became disgustingly vocal about how obnoxiously ‘fat’ I was looking and said I should change into something else. I felt so defeated! 


Yes, my journey from 84 kilos to 70 kilos has been a long and arduous one, but it looks like I have to work out harder to look leaner and meaner for Tirus’ lenses.
So I did change!But the something else I changed into was another major fashion faux pas. A large woman should never wear horizontal stripes. It makes her look broader. So, a few clicks later, Tirus became vicious and told me I was not going to look any thinner and reminded me we should start from home as there were a whole lot of people waiting at the auditorium to start the rehearsals. 




With a sigh, I resigned and told myself that some days just don’t happen. But Mom used to tell me, “No matter what you wear but if you carry yourself with grace and élan, you will look better than the best.” Thank you Mom for the piece of advice. I decided to do just that and I felt great!!

Wednesday 27 March 2013

77. Holi is RED!

A RED Holi and the rest like they say, need not to be explained.  When my day starts with RED, I have little to complain and if it is during HOLI, nobody else can be happier than me. It's like I am transformed to a little girl gamboling with colours and love.











Tuesday 26 March 2013

76. Random thoughts



The late evening drive around a lonely stretch has nothing to do with any of the events during the day, though often, my random thoughts play havoc and create something totally uncalled for. In 2009, my suicidal streak forced me to read a book called "Stop worrying and start living". And since the 1st of January, 2010, I have neither looked back nor worried a tuppance. What's the use anyway? Everyday seems like magic for me now; every little thing is a beauty to behold, to enjoy. Forgiving and then to move on has been the mantra to my new life. Every micro second of life is RED; I just can't miss it for something as miniscule as 'worry'!







Sunday 24 March 2013

75. Of Prose, Poetry and a Crocodile

How much better can a Sunday get when I have the opportunity to share seat with Padmashree Mamang Dai, one of my favourite writers from the Northeast? It's better than the best. And when the entire morning is dedicated to a reading session of prose, poetry, Haiku and cerebrally eloquent writers from the whole of the Northeast, there is little much I could think of but to just merge into the luminosity of the luminaries and thank my lucky stars that I am a part of the Northeast Writers' Forum.


















Singing entails a lot of deep breathing between each sentence unlike an anchoring session, which involves only short intakes of oxygen. But after my decision to take up singing as a hobby, I have little chances of going back to short-paced thinking, obviously understanding that my teacher is going at a wildly break-neck speed. Keeping pace is difficult but not impossible 'cause for me impossible is nothing, even while "The Crocodile" furtively watches my every strain, making me wonder at times if it might 'snap' at me lest I falter at the lyrics.


The Crocodile

If you were to stand on the banks of the Nile
In the sweltering Sun and with sand in the air,
You'd have to beware of the bold crocodile,
For he and his friends would surely be there.

With a lashing and thrashing of terrible tail, 
And a snapping and clapping of horrible jaws,
He searches for food and should he find your trail,
He wouldn't say no to a body like yours.

They say he can live for a great many years
With his crocodile skin like an armoured car
Because of his teeth there is nothing he fears;
When he's seen in a zoo, you are safer by far.

And now that my story is nearly complete,
Of the crocodile's habits I'm sure you might dream;
But remember, the only one you'll chance to meet
Is the lizard who lives on the banks of a stream.

The words and music are both by Peter Jenkyns (1921-96)

Saturday 23 March 2013

74. The Show must go on

After a bout of a viral attack for more than four days, during which I simply couldn't keep track of whether I was reading or I was writing more, I decided to get back on stage to keep the show going. And it went pretty well, with my RED angel promising to be with me all the time! What strength I get, is for only me to perceive!





Friday 22 March 2013

73. Dear God!

         I thank you for this beautiful life You have given me. If You ever give me another life, I would again choose the one that I am living in now and wish to be me. You have given me more than I have asked for and have surprised me with some unusual and rare gifts on this journey uptil now. 
          Everyday, I wake up only to realise that You have a lot of magic in store for me. What would I have done without You? I don't ever want to lose You 'cause You are the only Best Friend I have who loves me unconditionally; loves me for who I am; loves me inspite of all the stupid mistakes I have made and oft told harmless lies (yes, I have, you know it!) I know that when everyone else leaves me, You will be the only one to stand next to me! You know what, I would like You to know that I too love You unconditionally and would keep doing so till I meet You in the spirit world!

Thursday 21 March 2013

72Christina Perri - A Thousand Years 


Songwriters: David Hodges/ Christina Perri,
Heartbeats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I love you for a thousand more

Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this
One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you

Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I love you for a thousand more

One step closer
One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I love you for a thousand more

How much more romantic and beautiful can the lyrics  and the tune of a song get than the one which is sung by Christina Perri from the mega-movie, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part I. This song will gradually hit your face like a soft cotton candy once you hear the lyrics from your heart and make you wonder why you haven't been loving someone for more than a thousand years. But I would say, Love is infinity!

Tuesday 19 March 2013

71. One for the dusty road


      Early morning of 19th of March saw the mountains white with a raging dust storm. I had little to contemplate about. I knew we desperately need the rain. But this happens every year and it wasn't anything new to write home about.
     I had a RED meeting and lots of work to be discussed. I couldn't let a dust storm cower me down. So, I got dressed the usual way, put on my smile and favourite deo and set off for work. The rest like they say is history!







When you decide to chase your dreams, don't let anything get in your way to reach the one goal you have set your eyes on. Remember, Arjuna from Mahabharata? He had nothing but the eyes of the fish, which was placed above him, as his target to shoot with his arrow even while he was looking at its reflection in the water below. Be passionate and be sure about what you want! And before you realise, you will be there!