Till Death Do Us Part

Going through my mom’s stationery drawer the other day, I found a card that was meant for Aja. There is a little cartoon of a girl with a ponytail, and three banana peels… you open up the card and the title is “Happy Birthday to a grandpa who sent me into peals of laughter”… I remember looking at it almost 5 years ago, and thinking that I wouldn’t find a more perfect card for Aja… That was when they were still in Delhi, and I had just missed his birthday. So I thought to myself, there’s always next year! That entire year, I kept the card safely in my room…and in the process of keeping it so safe, forgot that I had it, and missed the next birthday too. This happened SO many times, but every time I rediscovered it, I thought, “next time, but I HAVE to give it to him! It’s just too perfect for words…” I didn’t think that I would postpone it one time too many.

Today would have been his birthday. We spent the day with Dida so she wouldn’t have to be alone. We even had ice cream where we used to go with him once in a while. I know it sounds silly, but I really missed him today. I think about him everyday. But sometimes, it hits me harder than other times, that I will really never see him again. Today was one of those times…

However corny it may sound, it must be said, that if you want to do something special for someone, do it now. And make sure that the people you love, know that you love them.

Sight For My-Sore Eyes!

This is the most gorgeous picture we saw at the art gallery in Mysore! Ravi Verma's "Lady In The Moonlight". The most exciting thing about this painting, is that its perspective is 3-dimensional! Look at the painting from the left angle and the sea looks like it is behind her towards our right... Look at it from the right, and the sea looks like it is behind her towards our left! I don't know if one can see this over the net, but the effect is awesome in real life! Real sight for sore eyes!

Palatial Disappointment!

My family and I just got back from a weekend in Mysore! Dad had a conference there, so we tagged along and stayed at new spa that has recently opened there! Talk about fancy! Most of the time, we lolled around at the hotel, ate, swam…etc, etc… but on Sunday, we went to see the Mysore palace and the art gallery.

The palace was really disappointing though… The building itself was clearly grand! Exorbitant really! A mixture of Hindu, Muslim and European architecture… there were these beautiful motifs, exquisitely made, that are beautiful on their own, but looked like such a mess when put together! Mom and I kept picking these little things to admire. Like a peacock motif, or a particular stained glass, or the inlay in a lovely doorway. But we both agreed that when it was all put together, it really looked a bit confused…

What was most disappointing though, was to see how badly the government seems to have maintained the place. There are badly cut out pieces of plywood that are just stuck in the wall… electrical wires sticking out of a skilfully carved tiger… wire meshes that block people from entering a courtyard… there even are these strong wires, that LEAD you through the court room, like they are trying to guide sheep in a queue!! It completely ruins the romance of the place.

Considering that it is supposed to be a heritage centre of India, it is really sad to see how badly the government maintains it! The place would really be better off in the hands of the descendants of the royal family!

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On a brighter note, the art gallery was awesome! I will post a picture of this GORGEOUS painting by Ravi Verma we saw soon!!