Birthday Party With Special Children

This year, I celebrated my birthday at school with 14 mentally challenged students who share my birthday month of June.

All the children who were celebrating sat on a plastic chair in one row facing eighty more children who sat on the mat opposite them. Children had prepared a small poem/talk/word of appreciation/song, each according to his ability to express their happiness. There was cake cutting session, dance, music, snacks and laughter.

I sat on the far left side of the row and watched them enjoy. Not everybody smiled. Some had blank looks, deeply lost into their own world. Some had to be helped to walk and take their birthday gift. Some looked curiously at the gift for few minutes, then tossed them on floor and some just refused to take their gifts.

My eyes rested on Jesal who suffers from ‘Dandy Walkers Syndrome’. He celebrated his eleventh birthday. He sat curled, sunk in the chair; his head drooped due to poor muscular support. The handkerchief pinned to his shirt collar was wet, soaked in drool. When his turn came to be greeted by his friend, an assistant lifted his chin to make him look up, helped him receive the gift and shake his friend’s hand.

Birthday is the day when they are made to feel like a royalty. It is difficult to understand what thoughts are running in their mind. Are they feeling sorry for themselves? Are they feeling unloved? Or do they have no feelings at all?

Later in the evening I made a home visit to Jesal’s house.

Jesal has a very caring and doting family. His parents, grandparents and his twin sister are his universe. His twin sister sometimes wishes on a star to make her brother as normal and intelligent as she is. She wonders how different her life would be, had she to share a room with him? She would have loved to play with his toys and sometimes have a pillow fight with him.

Jesal lay curled up on a small bed in fetus position, playing with his fingers. There was no acknowledgement of my presence or my greeting. I sat down closer to him on a chair. I tried making conversation with him, but there was no response. While chatting with his mom, I stretched my hand and placed my finger on his palm. His finger curled tightly around my finger and the contact was made. I held his hand, took it up in the air and down again, repeating it several times. I returned my attention back to the conversation with his family. Jesal continued to play with my hands, gripping my fingers, rubbing my palm and lifting my hand.

Although he made no conversation, nor made any eye contact with me, I think I saw his teeny-Minnie smile from the corner of his mouth when I said goodbye.

Mumbai Rains

Every morning, since last ten days, I am dressed to go out to complete some errands like marketing and a visit to the bank. Before stepping out, I look up in the sky, the thick dark clouds are very discouraging, I change my mind. 

I am restless.

It is raining non-stop. I am not very brave to venture out in heavy rains. The recent fracture was very inconvenient and had me home bound for three months. The memory of pain has not yet faded away. I am afraid to go out on wet streets. The roads in Mumbai are slippery. There is puddle everywhere. I am always afraid of losing my balance. 

My errands can wait. But how long? 

This Sunday I decided to go to my sister’s place for lunch. Sundays is family time. I am too lazy to cook and spending time with my sister’s family is always a better option. 

It was raining heavily. I could have called my nephew to come and fetch me but then ruled out against it. I decided to hail an auto-rickshaw instead. Walking slowly at snail’s pace, puffing at every step, I reached down to the gate, and was surprised to see stream of water running closer to the footpaths. I stood at curb, waving at every auto-rickshaw. None was willing to go in the direction that I wished to go.

I decided to walk. Taking each step slowly, under heavy rains, balancing an umbrella and my handbag I waded through water. “Go back home, go back home” my inner voice prompted me. Many times I was tempted to turn back to the comfort of my home. The umbrella served no support against strong winds and rain. Soon I was drenched from head to toe by passing vehicles that splashed water from the puddle on my clothes.

Cool, wet breeze blew against my face. Suddenly I realized that I was enjoying the walk in the rain.

Memories of childhood cascaded in my mind. I love rain and have walked in the rain many times. During my growing up years, I never missed school if it was raining.  Many times have run down the steps into building compound to get drenched in the first showers of the rain.  There have been long bike rides with my friends under dark skies to the lakes. The sound of the rain is music to my ears. Mumbai city gets paralyzed during monsoon, it’s nothing new but I have walked in heavy rains in the past and have enjoyed every moment of it.

The same wave of pleasure enveloped me once again.

I walked in the rain for quite a distance till I found an auto-rickshaw.

Finally I saw Venice on the linking road.

People continued to go about their business, rain scares nobody

A common sight of vehicles that refuse to cooperate.

The little time I spent walking in the rain is the moment that remains etched in my mind. Maybe I should walk again.

Architecture in Barcelona

The first time I drove around the city of Barcelona, I was fascinated with the architecture in the city. While Gaudi’s influence is not always visible in modern architecture, the colors and the styles are prominent and spectacular. The risk has been taken in designing the city and in using bright colors.

Natural shapes inspired Gaudi that can be seen at Sagrada Familia basilica that has different architectural style on its four sides.

But other architects have also been brave in designing the building which are now the tourist delight.

It was amazing to see that building at corners had flat edges, thus making the street corners big enough to have terraces for communal and sociable atmosphere.

Traditional Catalan Gothic style is seen in many of the old buildings that are a feast to the eyes.

One can spend hours touring round the city, in the comfort of the car, just admiring the beauty of the architecture everywhere.

Marathon Bloggers Prompt 5- Spicy

Inviting a Brahmakumari follower for meals is very tricky. I was sitting in a restaurant when BK followers called to inform that they will be coming for tea. I decided to pick up something from the south Indian restaurant. It is difficult to decide what to pack, it should not be spicy and must not have onion and garlic.

I just ordered Vada Sambar and Idli Chutney.

My guests did not touch the Sambar (because it was spicy) and just nibbled on dry Idlis and Vadas.

How do they eat such dry and tasteless food? They said that their religion does not allow them to eat certain kind of food. It affects their behavior and disturbs them during meditation.

They believe that eating habits steers behavior of a person.

Choice of food has lot to do for people who follow some Gurus or cult. They believe what they eat interferes with their concentration during meditation, a ritual which compulsory for every follower. They follow a strict diet to calm their nerves.

Basically there are three kinds of food.

Sattvic food, which is light and easy to digest, it brings clarity and perception and has potential to unfold love and compassion in the individual. It is supposed to promote the qualities of forgiveness and austerities.

Eating spicy food is Rajasic that stimulates the senses, making the mind more agitated and susceptible to temptation. The mind becomes more rajasic, which means that it tends towards anger, hate and manipulations.

Eating Tamasic food is strictly prohibited because it is dull, heavy and depressing. Makes the person very lazy. Under this category comes dark meat, lamb, pork, beef as well as thick cheese.

I love spicy food. I will eat anything that is tasty. I am not sure if it is affecting my nature in any way. I don’t get agitated or sweat over small stuff, but then, I am not meditating during early hours in the morning, so I cannot tell whether I am Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic in nature.

My religion tells me to be kind and non-judgmental.