CALENDERS

2010 has come and with it new Calenders are required. I remember when I was a kid Calenders used to have dates and photos of gods and goddesses. Very rarely kids used to be on photos - I remember the Murphy Baby on their calenders.

Then as the time passed and photograph and printing developed better and better quality calenders came. Some of the calenders were always in demand. Air India used to make and still makes great calenders. My co-brother-in-law was in Air India and used to give one calender without fail.

Then I was working in private firm which was distributor of Swiss Companies and came across beauty of Swiss Calenders - what scenes of Green and Icy Switzerland. The Boss was good enough to share the same with me in those times.

All the Barber shops used to have exotic calenders all inside their shops - you would find such calenders their or in college hostels! Both Barber shops and college hostels were Men only domains whose walls were doted with such calenders. Most of the Liquor Industry were providers of such calenders.

India Book House where I was working used to print big calenders only with dates - big dates were visible from far and three months current - past and future months were displayed. Even today I want to have such Big Calender.

Then three years I back I received a Calender which opened a new feeling and craving with which even PLAYBOY calender would go way down the desire list for me. M and A sent me the calender full of Cubby's photos of past year - and this tradition has continued.

When in last week of December my gift came in I was zapped with the selection,of photos quality of printing. All the birth dates of family members were also marked. Naturally it was on printed on photographic paper.



Lets hope more and more people will follow M & A's tradition and gift their personalised Calenders to their friends and foes. My son whose photography has taken a backseat - may it get revived so that we get vivid and varied calenders. I will be forwarding this mail to Parag whose camera works wonders - would love a calender from him too.

May 2011 have such gems that ordinary calenders are not needed.

My First Blog

Just yesterday night my self and Neela were talking how 2 years back we were all sad, nervous, happy and elated at same time. Our son Kunal was to go to University of California, Santa Barbara for his MS.

I remember we as a family all had gathered - myself, Neela, Abha, Mayunk, Ulhas, our Grandson in arms Kabir, and Kunal. Sad and nervous as Kunal was going away from all of us for the first time. Happy and elated as he was going to full fill his dream.

Neela my wife of more than 31 years has encyclopedic memory of dates and events and her comments made me aware that since last 2years our SECOND INNING has started. Our tiny ones grew bigger and bigger and naturally flew away to test their wings and skill they had accumulated.

So one day our Ist innings had to come to an end. So11.09.2007 saw our 2nd innings was to begin but our daughter Abha and grandson Kabir were still there. We went with her to Bangalore - her home in Oct 2007 and stayed few days till she settled with new born Kabir.

When we came back to Mumbai late Oct 2007 it suddenly hit us as we opend the lock that we are alone. We were together but spice had gone out of our life. No one can imagine how life will be without kids - their - laughter, youth, mistakes, demands, and so many other ingredients that makes our life interesting and full filling.

Now there was more time to sleep,read newspaper, work was less. Neela had to prepare food and breakfast in smaller proportions. While shopping care had to be taken to order less of everything - dals,rice,wheat,vegetables and all.

How to do away the silence was an issue. No chitter chatter - Neela and kids always talked more than me. Even phone and Mobile rings were less as friends of kids were not calling.I had now added responsibility - of talking more. Understanding the need was easy but its implementation difficult. I am sure I wont secure 35%(pass percentage) in this dept. but Neela can answer this better.

Phone, Mobile, Laptop have become our third arm. Talking, chatting and emailing to Abha, Mayunk and Kunal became the need of the hour. Neela also became more proficient - she used computers in office but at home she resisted. Now it was necessary to open an email a/c, add people to chat lists, load photos. She became an avid user of computer and it was nice to see her using Kunal's computer writing and reading mails. She even opened ORKUT and FACEBOOK a/cs

I am sure this wont be first and last Blog - many more will come. We are batting well and bye till next time keep smiling and chuckling.