Klishmaklaver

This is my 50th Post and I really am very happy with the response I have received to my writing! Thankyou All for making this a pleasurable experience... All your complements, criticism and comments has made me want to write more. With each response I could feel myself get better at what I had taken up, blogging with a purpose! After 50 posts I wish to go a rung higher! At the same time I was missing all the fun I had with some silly posting I used to do at my personal blog... There it was more of informal writing and blogging about my other personal interests like cooking and fashion SO to commemorate the 50th post at this blog I am announcing the revival of my old blogspot - Raison d'etre Please feel free to go ahead and savour some of my old posts there...

Come summer and one longs for a break from the sweltering heat! The lesser beings like me don’t always get a chance to escape to some exotic locale but where I went it was no less beautiful. Mahabaleshwar is aptly referred to as the queen of all hill-stations. Nestled in the lush greenery of evergreen forests, Mahabaleshwar is a cool hill-station located in the heart of the Sahyadri hills in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. I call this pet summer destination MahaB and it takes about an hour and a half to reach there by road (located about 120 km (75 mi) southwest of Pune and 285 km (177 mi) from Mumbai to be precise). Being a complete foody uppermost on my agenda were Strawberries and Mulberries. MahaB provides for almost 85%of the Strawberry cultivation in India. As soon as we arrived at the toll Naka we were flocked by hawkers and we readily bought off small baskets  full of fresh, ripe and humongous sized strawberries and lovely rich purple Mulberries. I found the fruits tas...

I just finished reading Kunal Basu’s Japanese wife.  It’s a short story that revolves around a shy Snehamoy Chatterjee, a methematics teacher at a secondary school & his Japanese pen pal Miyage. With the progressing number of letters and increased frequency in the exchange of gifts between them, they eventually fall in love with each other. What unfolds is an unreal love story. I just couldn’t bring myself to accept that it is possible that a Sneha ( as the Bengali BabuMoshai  is referred to) in reality could maintain a long-distance relationship over a decade. Especially that he goes to the extent of even considering Miyage his betrothed wife and vice versa when they’ve never met each other in person. When in real life, we are seeing, scores of real husbands and wives can’t resist from cheating on their spouse when he/she is away, this piece of fiction is about Sneha & Miyage who preserve a chaste relationship despite the distance and passage of time. Their love, l...

Almost a meter tall, the big cat was looking formidable and imposing in its rich, orange coat with the bold and clear stripes running at right angles to its bodyline. The feline was poised in a stealthy stance as if readying to pounce on its prey. I could almost feel the sharp claws waiting, retracted within the bulbous toes of the huge paws, lest it should blunt from the scraping on the ground, to shoot out. The Tiger’s tail appeared to be half as long as its entire body. Maybe it provides just the right balance to the sleek structure during the hunting chase. No wonder so many writers wax lyrical over the tiger’s round yellow eyes. Those keen eyes did instill fear and spell-binding awe in your heart, both at the same time. I was looking right into the eyes of the Tiger and they seemed to be boring into mine. The yawning mouth revealed large razor-sharp canines threatening to tear flesh in minutes. One growl and I would have pissed my pants but now I could stand so close, so fearl...

  Are you the type who reads a book you’d liked the second time over again? I am. And it almost always opens a whole new vista for me each time. “How could I have skipped that exquisite piece the last time I read it?” is what I find myself thinking after the 2 nd spin through the same pages. I just finished reading ‘the Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne. This book has thoughts and ideas that kept me glued to it like no other book ever did. I kept turning page after page and never felt like putting this wonderful book down for a second. Lest I should miss out even a single of those valuable words that all seemed to be weaving a magic carpet for me! That which could take me to all my dreams! Every thread was certainly important. The ‘secret’ was being revealed. It wrapped me, enveloped me, ensconced me, and absorbed me in its wake, to the core. Bob Proctor had put it out loud and clear, “ If you see it in your mind, you’re going to hold it in your hand.” And Mike Dooley sums it up in jus...

My Pa is still an avid stamp collector but sadly its a rarity to be able to lay your hand on a good stamp (unless you go and buy them yourself)due to this E-mail era ! The huge albums full of international stamps was just an inheritance to me until a few days ago, since childhood. However since I recognised  that bird printed on the face of a stamp. It was the Eurasian Golden Oriole that I'd spotted on the branches of the tree in my garden! You can check the photo' out, again, here . Its thrilling to know that I own a vintage stamp of Hungary on its fauna, that I've managed to see in our very own city, Pune! This is the 40filler with the   Eurasian Golden Oriole ( Oriolus oriolus)  Another interesting Vintage Hungarian stamp has the Kentish Plover ( Charadrius alexandrinus).  Will I spot this bird too some day? I also wish to progress from just simple stamp collection to informed Philately. Anyone who can guide me with this is most welcome to share some tips an...

This story is my entry for FINISH THE STORY contest conducted by Cafe GingerChai where we sip thoughts!To get updated on future contests,register at Cafe GingerChai . < It was a warm night, neither humid nor too hot- in fact just right for a stroll. But it was 11.30 pm, not late by metro standards. But in the suburbs where the company township was situated, it was way too late. The highway was about ½ km away  and occasionally the hum of heavy vehicles passing by, could be heard but other than that , it was quiet with only the chirping of the cicadas in the background. Ranjan hurried along the small lanes of the VIP quarters, isolated and further away, in the moonless night, frequently giving furtive glances around him. He seemed tense but strode ahead with purposeful steps, until he reached a particular bungalow. He stopped in front of it and stared at it for a few minutes. The senior level executives were issued spacious bungalows with lawns while the junior and the mi...

This flower blooming on the Bombax  (Ceiba) Malabaricum or the Red Kapok Tree is a rare and refreshing sight! This photograph is of the first bud on the giant tropical tree in my garden commonly known as the 'Silk Cotton Tree' or Semal in Hindi.The tree has a straight, heavily buttressed trunk and there are spikes on the trunk to deter attacks from animals. The woody capsule-like fruits when ripe contain silky floss or white fibers like cotton which are used in pillows, etc. The large, lobed leaves are deciduous in winter and and then the tree is absolutely bare. Large orange/red flowers with 5 petals appear in the spring before the new foliage. This tree flower is the flower emblem of Guangzhou, China!

He had an ominous contraption wrapped around his chest. The twin cylinders mounted on his back were attached to a long gun. She cowered behind the car, pressing against the wall but he had spotted her! He came up, his finger poised over the trigger, put the gun in her face and screamed "Holi Hai!"