Day at the zoo

We had been to the zoo this past weekend and it was the first time at zoo for Akshara. She was excited to see the animals from her picture book. But the part that bothered her was that none of the animals said ‘hi’ as they usually do in all her cartoons! She waived at every animal and even fed some of them holding the animal feed in her hand at the animal feeding time. By late noon we were done visiting each of the animal enclosure in the zoo and decided to head home. Akshara waved good bye to the animals!

I wondered how the animals in the enclosure felt. We humans go into their homes(jungle) uninvited and put them at the zoos. We expect them to greet us or even do a trick for us while we are at the zoo. But if they ever come to our homes, we treat most of them as pests and hunt or run them out.

The excitement showed as she held close her animal toys;

For the trip to the zoo had been her first choice.

The lions and zebras were all long friends from the picture book;

And it was now time for a real close look.

The elephants were big and the giraffes were tall

But neither said hi as they did in the cartoon call.

She cheered at the lions and the zebras and the chimps

And tapped on the aquarium glass to call the sharks and the shrimps.

We were soon done and it was time to leave;

With the sun pushing the little shade the animals had moved to relieve.

She waived bye but they cared less for the uninvited guest

Just as we treat them when in our homes, as pest.

~Narendra V Joshi

The summer dream

The winter pretty much has ended dull and snowless this time. Setting aside any hopes of snow or ice, it’s now time to look forward for the spring and summer. The trees have already started blooming with the summer like weather for the last few days. Looks like maybe there might be no spring at all this time. But one thing in all this is that “wait”, the look forward for the new season; the changes we look for, in the things around us and the changes that we do in our everyday life. None of this has changed.

I had hoped to make a snowman with my daughter Akshara but that did not happen. At least the idea of teaching her swimming looks to happen sooner than expected.


The curtains are drawn and it’s almost an end
Of the winter which seems if it even begin
The clock that was put back has now been set
To invite the new season all over again.

The trees will blossom soon with flowers and leaves
With chirping birds busy with nests to weave
Butterflies and bees will feast on the floral rife
The arrival of spring will herald a new lease on life.

Shorts and flip flops will replace the winter wear
And the burning barbeque food will fill the evening air.
With kids on skate boards and bikes around the block
The swimming pools will be crowded round the clock.

We are just an audience in the big scheme of things
Cheering for the change as a new season takes wings.
Neither do we own nor can we control
These seemingly simple changes the changing season brings.

~Narendra V Joshi

Made in India

We had been to a Bollywood movie a couple of days back and had this on my mind since then. It is not that I liked the movie so much, rather something about the movie which stirred the thought. I just couldn’t put my thoughts together but it bothered so much that I even thought of going to the same movie again to find out. I did not go again but it just occurred to me what it was about the movie that I had been thinking of. The movie is completely made in India. “What’s up with that?” you ask? Well, can’t really explain, but this was bothering me the last few days.

Bollywood movie are very unusual if you think of. The movies will have Indian stars with typical Indian melodrama but mostly set in a foreign location. Some common guidelines they seem to abide are –

Ø  The neighborhood where the movie is set, will mostly have folks speaking Hindi; who dance to celebrate Diwali and Holi

Ø  There usually is a character who speaks Punjabi and who is fond of food

Ø  If there is a villain, he/she is either incredibly intelligent or amazingly stupid; beyond Gods comprehension; reason best known only to the film director.

Ø  The hero and heroine on their part drive a good car and do clown dance in a shopping mall or a parking lot. "Now, why do they want to dance nonsense in a shopping mall or a parking lot in a foreign country?" you ask? Hmm.. Question for the director.

If in a rare storyline, the hero and the heroine are shown struggling to make a living, say by begging, they still get to dance on a restaurant table in Europe, of course in a dream sequence. Very rarely a movie is made which breaks these set barriers, and the one I saw recently was one of those.

And all this doesn’t just stop at the movie halls. Even those dozen movie award ceremonies are starting to get hosted in a foreign country these days. The funniest part is when the host says “Namaste” to a supposedly foreign audience. From there on, every star who comes on stage to receive the award, thanks the foreign audience. And then we have the local cricket leagues who play each other,  but in a foreign country, citing security reasons. (This topic is the subject matter for a different discussion.)

Do not get me wrong here. I do not have a problem with our movies made in a foreign country. But let’s not overdo it please. We have hundreds of beautiful locations and spots within India where our heroes and heroines can dance. It’s only our fellow citizens who will laugh. That is still ok. Make movies in each of those states in eastern India, even names of which are not known to many within the country. I think our government could also do something here. If it can levy a huge tax for an imported good, say for a car or even petrol, why can’t it levy the same kind of a high tax for a Bollywood movie not made in India?

All said and done, finally it’s the film makers’ money and the actors’ pride. It’s their wish where they want to make a movie or which parking lot they want to create a scene at. Hope someone someday soon, puts some sense in our film makers and shows them what all in our country remains untapped.

~Narendra V Joshi

Where is the snow?

It has been rather an unusual lackluster (or should I say “snowluster”?) winter this year.  With the rains replacing the snow and the temperature hovering close to record highs, it’s more like spring or rainy season than winter. The snowman and all those wintery pleasures are still just memories.  

I woke up to yet another rain washing my dreams of snow this morning. Hopefully the prayer of all those people like me waiting for snow is answered soon.

It was fun with all those coats and socks

Making a snowman with snow and icy rocks

Day or night everything around looked all covered white

The snow and the cool breeze which all seemed so right

It has been anything unlike a cold season so far

For an occasional chill more like a winter scar

No snow or ice for skiers and skaters to sizzle

Just dark cloudy days with gloomy drizzle

Wonder where into hiding has the winter gone

The snow and those little joys are all but drawn

Hoping now at least to have the season set straight

Ending months of prayers and relentless wait.

~Narendra V Joshi

Papa, God is seeing you

We were at the dinner table with my daughter next to me. She was in her own blissful world playing with her toys totally uninterested in food. To make her eat, I said, “if you don’t eat, the ant will come and take your food”. She usually listens when I say the ant will come or a polar bear will come; but this time she did something new. She looked at me and said “Papa, God is seeing you”. For a moment I was so scared, I could not utter a word. I finished my dinner without looking at her or asking her to have food. She might have learnt this at her preschool but this was something I least expected.

A few days back she showed me the clock and said “Papa, look, Y”. The hour, minute and the second needle on the clock were in a position which looked like the alphabet Y. She is just 2 ½ year old and I am surprised how different her perspective is. I am sure every father will have his own share of learning’s from his kids; and it’s just amazing how much I am learning from her. Watching her play, I often feel like I am re-living my childhood in her steps.

To my daughter Akshara!

She looked tender, cute bundle of bliss

As I held her for the first time and blew a tiny kiss.

Looking through those sleepy beautiful eyes

Felt as if I had clinched to my own life. 

At home she was an instant star

Our lives evolved to her rhymes and the baby choirs.

She soon was the priority in every decision of our

A vacation break or a restaurant run were no more a quick get over.

Despite the changes that have happened in our lives

The joy she has brought is beyond every blessings and praise

Her actions and words often make my mind prep

Re-living my childhood in her every step.

~Narendra V Joshi

The lucky few

I like the rainy season and I like the smell that accompanies the rain especially after a dry spell. A long drive on an open road during a light drizzle is great;  and its best with a cup of hot coffee and hot spicy pakodes! It has been raining just the way I like it, for the last few months. Maybe the rains in the last few days might as well be the last rains for the season before it gets cold.

I had read about the drought in a nearby state, a couple of weeks back. It said this was the worst drought to hit some cities in more than a decade, putting thousands of people into grave hardship.

Couldn't stop thinking why it can't rain there too as here.

The cool wind struck as I stepped through the door
Rain laden clouds had started to pour
The water flowed; the aroma spread
And the sky above looked glaring red.

Months have passed with pouring treats
It will soon be time for the rains to retreat
Nectar or not but like bee buzzing around flower
This is the only place it always seemed shower.

People and cities quite a plenty
But the rain spread seems surprisingly scanty
Lucky as I said to myself
Letting empty answers speak for themselves.

~Narendra V Joshi

Big Kid now

Our daughter loves to play in the childrens play area of the mall. We usually head to the mall on the weekends and sit in the play area watching her play. The toy car, the slides and the bridge seems to be her favorite.  I remember, just 6-7 months back, she could even barely reach them, leave alone climb them. She would try to climb only to be pushed aside by the big kids. I would lift her and put her on the slide top once in a while for her to slide down. She would get bored in a few minutes and would want us to carry. Things have changed much in the recent months. She has grown tall and simply jumps on the toys.  She easily spends an hour or more playing and I no more have to help her with the slides. I just sit there happily for hours watching her play.

The slides were big and cars were tall
A climb on the rubber bridge meant a sure fall.
She would try nevertheless to climb on the toy
Hoping to slide like that big girl and boy.

Months have passed and she is a big girl now

A hop into the car is no more help from around;
The slides and the rubber bridge are just steps of fun
As she and the big kids play the toys they have won.

I wonder how long will all this last

The toys and the play area will soon be memories of past.
The envy, the efforts and the winnings will all fade
Only the play area stays looking for new memories to be made.

~Narendra V Joshi