JD'S UNKNOWN PROVERBS - 1

J.D.'s UNKNOWN PROVERBS - 1

You can put anyone into a suit and boots,

                                                   But that doesn't make him a Gentleman!

                                         

*

Dreams of One Country, Ms Jagjit Daniel's MovieScopic India Novel. Now listed in GoodReads, the book my wife Jagjit and I worked on together also has some memorable scenes of Bombay and India in British times and World War II. It's now available for Print Copy delivered to you by Amazon - apart from e-download. Dreams is a story set in the midst of historic national upheavals like the Emergency, of a Love-lit youth campaign that launches India's delayed, talent-led ascent...to join the world's most progressive nations.

***

The Girls Who Saved Kerala!

The Girls Who Saved Kerala!

In south-western corner of India is the state of Kerala. It's evergreen, densely populated. It was one of the poorest states (though with the highest literacy rate) at Independence. The men who got some education and managed to get jobs in the Gulf States brought in money they had earned abroad. But the real saviors of the state were the girls. After school they went for nursing as they wouldn't have to spend more on education. After qualifying as nurses they applied for jobs abroad. There was great demand for qualified nurses around the world. And Kerala's nurses went to work all over the world, including Europe and America. They came home to marry, but settled down abroad. Wherever they went they had to learn the local local language. And they spoke it with a distinct Malayali (Malayalam is their native language) accent!
The credit for saving India's poorest state from poverty must mainly go to the amazing nurses from Kerala 

*

Dreams of One Country, Ms Jagjit Daniel's MovieScopic India Novel. Now listed in GoodReads, the book my wife Jagjit and I worked on together has some memorable scenes of Bombay and India in British times and World War II. It's now available for Print Copy delivered to you by Amazon - apart from e-download. Dreams is a story set in the midst of historic national upheavals like the Emergency, of a Love-lit youth campaign, based on the country's true talent potential, that launches India's ascent...to join the world's progressive nations.

***

Army Ants: The Bravest of the Brave!

Army Ants: The Bravest of the Brave!

Here and there - in the kitchen, bathroom and elsewhere - you'll see a single, small dull black ant going back and forth - seemingly aimless.  It's not aimless. It's the army ant - on a mission, a reconnaissance mission for his compatriots. He is looking for safe areas where food (esp. sugar) is available. And once he goes back with his report, the ant battalions will march in, an orderly line of them, heading for the area recommended by the brave army ant. The army ant risks his life for his brothers and sisters! I know. because I squash them on sight! 

*

Dreams of One Country, Ms Jagjit Daniel's MovieScopic India Novel. Now listed in GoodReads, the book my wife Jagjit and I worked on together has some memorable scenes of Bombay and India in British times and World War II. It's now available for Print Copy delivered to you by Amazon - apart from e-download. Dreams is a story set in the midst of historic national upheavals like the Emergency, of a Love-lit youth campaign that launches India's talent-led ascent...to join the world's elite, progressive nations.

***

Rail Travel from Bombay in British Times

Rail Travel from Bombay in British Times

Two or three times in my childhood my mother took me by train from Bombay to visit our hometowns in Kerala - which was then a kingdom called Travancore. There was no direct train. We first went south-east to Madras (now known as Chennai) and then changed from Madras Central to Egmore Station some distance away to get the train to go south-west to reach Travancore. We had to wait a whole day. On one occasion I I was 5 or 6 and my sister, a toddler, was ill all the way. Like other railway stations Egmore had an exclusive European waiting room and Indian waiting-rooms. Luckily, the Station Master at Egmore was my mother's relation. Though we had only second class passes - which my father got working for Bombay Port Trust - the Station Master put us in the 1st Class waiting room where my mother could take better care of my sister.

Then came the scenic journey to Travancore, cutting through the eastern ghats and then the western ghats to reach Punalur. There we got off to take a public bus home, another half day's journey.

*

Dreams of One Country, Ms. Jagjit Daniel's MovieScopic India Novel. Now listed in GoodReads, the book my wife Jagjit and I worked on together has some memorable scenes of Bombay and India in British times and World War II. It's now available for Print Copy delivered to you by Amazon - apart from e-download. Dreams is a story set in the midst of historic national upheavals like the Emergency, of a Love-lit youth campaign that launches India's talent-led ascent...to join the world's progressive nations.

***

WHY BIRDS GIVE UP TWITTERING!!!

WHY BIRDS GIVE UP TWITTERING!!!

Twittering came naturally to birds. Part of their lifestyle! It was always a united sharing of high-spirits, the joy of being alive, of seeing another day! By twittering they spread happiness through the clan!

Then humans got into the act. And man began twittering all kinds of messages, too often spreading neither high spirits nor joy. Too often spreading the opposites of high spirits and good natured rejoicing!

Since man took over twittering in his own style, the birds are giving up! All they can do now is watch man in aghast silence!

Sad, sad birds!

*

Now listed in GoodReads: Ms. Jagjit Daniel's Dreams of One Country (Amazon): A tender love story launches the India Novel of your lifetime!

***

Football Days in Old Bombay

Football Days in Old Bombay

As a schoolboy, on weekends or holidays, I would go from Dadar (by train or tram) to town and walk from Museum or past the Oval to Cooperage to see a football match. Senior league games were played there and - most important - the all-India Rovers Cup. The big teams those days was Trades which, I think, was later known as the India Culture League. The crowd's favorite player was sharp-shooter Thomas. When he got the ball within range of the goal the crowd would roar: 'Thomas!' Those days Thomas and most of the Indian players played bare-feet. Anglo-Indian and British players - like Leslie Woodcock and Burma Shell's Albert Middlecoat wore football shoes. 
For me as a schoolkid it was great fun watching those games, and I did not realize then that Indian football standards were poor.

*

Dreams of One Country, Ms Jagjit Daniel's MovieScopic India Novel. The book my wife Jagjit and I worked on together also has some memorable scenes of Bombay and India in British times and World War II. It's now available for Print Copy delivered to you by Amazon - apart from e-download. Dreams is a story set in the midst of historic national upheavals like the Emergency, of a Love-lit youth campaign that launches India's long delayed, talent-led ascent...to join the world's progressive nations.

***

Velyamachi: My Gutsy Grandma - 2

 Velyamachi: My Gutsy Grandma - 2

I want to add a short footnote to the story of my courageous Grandma.

On my few childhood visits to Kerala a big event was my Kerala-halwa making session with Velyamachi. Inevitably, on the day before we left Velyamachi would ask me to help her. I would sit beside her on a low stool and my job  was to go on stirring the halwa batter with a long ladle. I was of course delighted. Adding to the delight was the smell of the halwa and the fun of sampling it every few minutes to test the taste.
   
And her visit to Bombay was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Every bit of it must have astonished her. She had never traveled in a train before. The long rail journey! The stations! The views! The strangely-dressed new passengers, talking in languages she didn't understand, who came in as the train crossed other states. And in Bombay the amazing streets and multistorey buildings! Indeed, everything!

My memories of her - my brave Grandma - have not faded away.

*

Dreams of One Country, Ms Jagjit's MovieScopic India Novel. The book my wife Jagjit and I worked on together is now available for Print Copy delivery worldwide by Amazon - apart from e-download. Dreams is a story, set in the midst of national upheavals, on India's transformation: of the country's thrilling ascent to join the world's most progressive nations.

***