19th April – 25th April 2015 [Move On]

 

Sunday: Akshay and myself attended important meeting of General Body at Ashoka Hall, near Neelayam. JV was discussed and debated. Practically all stack holders were present for the first time. After due deliberation votes were taken, 65 said yes, 4 said no. Builder, we hope will start the process and we all are crossing our figures and hoping this will be done on fast track, hopeful are saying 4 years, practical people commit 5 years and cynics say anything between 7-10 years.

At this meeting I met Mr Chandan Chwala from Bangkok. It turns out that he used to live opposite 1306, Shukerwar Peth and is Girish Dodeja’s friend. He knew about our family in detail and spoke of those days with fondness. He remembered Bansider, Dada, Manu, and Bharat Kagad Bhandar. Wow. This type of connection raised few question in my mind.

Are we meant to meet people like this?

What is aim of these chance meeting?

Do they have any objective?

Thursday: This guy, called Gurav is a bundle of talent. He writes his lyrics, composes his creation, plays guitar and to top it, sings those line with feeling! In the short span of life, he has faced lot of hurt, gone through emotional turmoil. This reflects in his work. A sensitive guy. In one song, he brings lot of variation, tastes. Kashyap – Dhwani have become his friends. He gives live performance in posh restaurants for hour or two on weekdays. So Muskan – Kashyap – Dhwani – Sharat all visited restaurant just to enjoyed his singing. After stand up comedy, this new trend has started in Pune, Live music. Few other restaurants are also taking up this trend, live band, informal sitting, good food. [You can even sit on floor!].

 

Friday: Man proposes and God disposes. In 2006, when we shifted to Pune, plan was to stay together, enjoy life. We are staying together and enjoying life but there is hidden agenda of God. Staying together part has huge wholes, gaps. In last 9 years, Kashyap had stayed away from Pune for various period of time, in London for one year or so, then Malaysia for his TV show, then in Andheri (W)  for few years, struggling to get toehold as free lancer.  After marriage he shifted his base to Pune, but his few days in a week stay in Mumbai continued for some time. Just recently, he had given up that practice.

To compliment it, Akshay has started living in Mumbai for few days a week.

This is irony of life.  

Saturday: Rinky's movie evening was skipped this Saturday. House shifting process can be enjoyed if you are not attached to particular location. I firmly believe that four walls do not make home, but the family members attachment towards each other make home. So this whole process of shifting is kind of fun. You come across many lost things, open up old memories in this process.

Life has settled itself in a groove, on an edge, on a major crossing, in twilight zone. Like Budha, we have taken what life throws at us and need to continue in same mode. One moment the sights are filled with un foreseen good and very pleasant surprises and next moment is filled with worry, tension, uncertainty about future. This process has being going on for quite some time. Hope this gets settled in our favor before ‘Chutki’ arrives.

 

And please do not ask who is ‘Chutki’.   

Click on following ........ enjoy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmQxdSNFigw

by P G Dodeja

12th April – 18th April 2015 [Education Quiz]

 

 

I need to change the heading of this blog.

From “WEEK THAT WAS” to the “WEEK THAT WAS NOT”.

Yes, this week will count as the week which was not there in my life. No, this was not in any way very stressful, very forgetful, extremely exciting or difficult week. It just vanished from my time line. How it came, stayed and went, is beyond me. I must be getting old.

So what now?

Why not play a quiz, based on all family members, education.

1: Mummy has studied in convent school, what is the name of that school. It is still a landmark and huge school with excellent ground in Santacruze (West). Most of the Bajaj girls have studied there.

2: Lali & Myself did our primary schooling in Ahemdabad. What was the language of that school? Hindi – English – Sindhi or Gujarati?

3: Bindiya was the student of National College, Bandra. But she wanted to be in a profession, which was, a> Chef b> Nurse c> Teacher or d> Fashion Designer?

4: What is educational qualification of Manju?

5: Pinky was very good sport person during her school / college days and was captain of her team. She was captain for which game? How many trophies she had won?

6: Avi passed his SSC due to being DODEJA. He was helped in big way by other Dodeja sitting behind him in SSC examination. Without that help he would have flunked SSC. Who was that savior?

7: Akshay was never interested in studies and hated to go to school. But he loves his college life. Was it for making friends like Naresh and Dheeraj? Was it for enjoying ‘mauj masti’? Was it for bunking and doing time pass? Or was it for some other reason?

8:Neha had studied in Mary’s. But she has being a teacher / instructor in local school. What is the name of school?

9: From where Sharat has done his MBA? Easy, well to make is difficult, what were his subjects?

10: Dad wanted to do journalism, but grandfather forced him to do Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from college in Pune. Grand Father had plans to open a glass factory, and for that he needed a technical person to take care of factory production. What is name of this world famous college, kind of exclusive in its time?  

School days Muskan

11: Muskan loves her college life and fondly remembers those days. Those days were more filled with tension then joy, but still for her those days are priceless. Why? and follow up question, Why she still loves her college life?

12: Kashyap’s first editing experience was in, “College of Arts, London”, “Lallus”, “Babloo classes”, “Join it” Classes?

13: Dhwani has huge (a) number of school friends, (b) she had made profession with help of studies, enjoyed freedom and (c) visited many cities at young age in school trips. What is most precious for her?

 

Jumbled up Some Answer are: Engeenering Collge, Lallus, School Trips, Symbiosis, Meeting with Akshay, St Tressa, Gujrati, Nurse, Inter, Cricket, Pappan, Meeting with Muskan.

by P G Dodeja

5th April – 11th April 2015 [Chinky - Rinky]

 

House Hunting: It is easy and at the same time very difficult also. If one had very limited options, it becomes easy to make decision. But if in same budget, you have many options, you try to compare and weigh the options and you fall in trap of ‘not able to make decision’. We have following options, and I have stopped looking for more options. This weekend was target date, if nothing else make decision by throwing a dice! And still waiting for fate to intervene and decide.

Option one, ‘Very near to office, but on two levels.’

Option two, ‘Exclusive and posh Bunglow costly by 5k, but near to office.’

Option three, ‘Spacious and cheaper, but no lift, stand alone building.’

Option four, ‘Excellent society, spacious but for 11 months only’

Option five, ‘Brand New flat, spacious, lift, society but 3 km from office’.

Sharat with his best buddy.

11^th Sat: Sharat’s birthday is today. And believe me, when I say, ‘Sharat will give us best gift ever on this birthday.’ What, how, where is to be replied in confines of the family walls. I am very much in ‘masti’ mood hence this gogglii for all readers. I will be heavy critized for this statement alone, but can I stop myself? Ha….Ha….Ha…..Sharat had very creative birthday celebration with his office friends and Dhwani+Kashyap from family. For location, he arraigned a Bunglow in Koregaon park, planned some group games, with snacks and biryani as food choice.

Lot of things are going to change in next month or so, I am talking from the point of view of Business, Money, Relationships, Life approach, Spirituality etc. Big change is expected. Life keeps changing, yes, but the pace, the implication of change, the reach of change in next 30 days in going to be talked about for years to come maybe decades.

Why I am saying this? I will put my neck on block and say ‘Pure intuition’. Hope ‘Chutki is hearing this.

Sat: I took all the ‘beties’ of the family, to Seasons mall for window shopping. Next trip will be of actual shopping. Insha-allah. Muskan – Dhwani – Chinky – Rinky - Chutki. Malls have become like modern gardens. Earlier evening out was spent at local garden, enjoying fresh air, giving kids horse or ‘Cheekla’ ride and eating Bhel – Singhdana etc with Golla. It was relaxing time for few hours in lap of nature. The same is now a day’s done at posh malls in lap of man made luxury items. As working parents have less time for family life, they combine the relaxing time with grocery or other necessary and pocket permitting, unnecessary shopping. I see the same mixture of crowd of as in earlier time gardens and today's mall i.e newly wed’s looking at each other coyly, couples with baby in pram or in arms, few scattered grandparents with grand children, dragging themselves, few modern 'topories' boys and girls. However, attire has changed dramatically, today you see few traditional suits, very few saris, many jeans and T shirts, some adults in shorts and frocks also. For men, it is same as always, pant/jean and shirt. The noise level of earlier gardens and today's malls is same, loud. As dinner time approaches, crowd starts getting thin.

Rinky has set likes dislikes. Likes to eat Donuts, want to hear only English songs, gives daily minimum five kisses to her mum, one instruction each, every hour to Chinky etc is must for her. One dislike which I regret is she just can not stay in front of camera for long enough to click picture. Whereas Chinky is typically Dodeja, chilled out and relaxed. whereas Rinky has by nature Dodeja trait.     

Akshay – Muskan’s routine is being set as work in Mumbai from Monday to Thursday/Friday. Come and relax, visit doctor for ailments, chill out, spend some time with family during weekends. All in all, precursor week indicating to major change in scenery of in L G Dodeja family.

  

Waiting anxiously for 3^rd May.  

 

by P G Dodeja

29th March 2015 – 4th April 2015 [Fears]

 

Mon: The day started with Sunday hangover. The office was routine. After dinner, I sat with Dhwani and Chutki. We discussed this and that. Dhwani is very good communicator, and she has deep interest in human nature and psychology. Today we focused on various kinds of fears. I have heard about different kind of fears. In English language all kind of fears have peculiar sounding names. But I have limited knowledge and first hand experience of fear. I am fearless! Ha, Ha, Ha.

What about family members?

Muskan will win award in this category, hands down. She is afraid of using lift; she must turn of Gas cylinder every night. She claims this as childhood habit, but I put this under fear. Then she has mortal fear of needles. She goes to extremes and stays away from needle. She does not eat so many items, this must be result of some kind of fear only.

Moni has fear of dark, Dad had fear of missing train, Bindiya has fear of putting on weight. Kashyap had fear of dogs, Akshay whereas has fear of losing Muskan! Gulu shrinks from travelling, which is manifestation of fear of traveling. Rinky has aversion for cameras. Avi hates heights. Pinky cannot sleep, if she is all alone! I am not counting fears of creepy creatures like cockroach, snakes, bugs etc, as many people fall in this category.

There are many deep fears which affect the life in big way. Some are such that they control us and our behavior. It is imperative to overcome those fear to live life. Then there are deep rooted fears with huge implications, effecting oneself and people around you. I think our life process is nothing else then over coming fears, remember the tag line of mountain dew drink.

“Daar Ke aghe Jeet Hai”    

Dhwani feels that she is brave simply because her father allowed her or pushed her for school trips without family when she was very young at the age of 14 years in school trips. Then she also travelled to USA at young age, all alone! I feel some substance in it. One of the advantages we had in our childhood was intensive traveling. Lali – Myself - Sanjay are fearless because of those travels. Also a secure, emotional bounding with family helps a lot.

Sat: I once again thank Rinky. The trend of spending weekend together, started by her continues. We had dinner at B7, with Avi family present. Lali and family are in Mumbai, at Peddar road, as Manju’s parents are visiting India. After dinner, we sat down for ‘Gup Shup’. As no good movie was available for viewing, again at request of Rinky we started playing ‘Dum-Sharaz’ with variation. This weekend Akshay was also present, making this as complete family gathering. Few hours just slipped away, and soon it was 11 O'clock. Sleeping time.

Before putting my head on pillow, this simple wise line from ‘Bharachi’ directed by Hrishikesh Mukerjee rang in my head.

‘हम बड़ी खुशी के pechah Bhagte hain,

छोटी सी खुशी भूल.

जीवन उन छोटे खुशी में है’     

 
The Choti word reminds me of 'Chutki' and our 'bhachpan'. So one more gem from late 50's.

by P G Dodeja