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Showing posts from June, 2010

#5 Love Life's Longing!

LuiFei had taken Wu under her wing, gladly. So along with 9 other girls in about the same age group as hers, Wu began her training. The first morning after Wu had been taken in LuiFei introduced YinHe as Wu's own consort and companion during her stay at the harem. Wu was initially taken aback by YinHe's broad structure. Wu soon realised that along with the hoards of the trainee concubines and veterans there were an equal number of Eunuchs living in the Emperor's harem. In the war that had ensued between the Mongols and The Emperor's army during the Mutiny, the adult offenders were brutally butchered but the young Mongol boys were only castrated and brought home as prisoners of war. As many as 70, 000 sexless mongol boys had been taken in. Thousands of these Mongol boys who had lost their penis and testicles before puberty were sent to the Emperor's harem.  These eunuchs maintained strict vigilance over the imperial ladies acting as the harem watch dogs. The irony wa

#4 The Concubine!

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Wu Zhung turned at the sound of feet scampering around the garden hedge. She seemed to have been out too long and the maids had discovered her absence. Her Black Sik lined Lotus Shoes in hand, the maid had now spotted her. She hurried towards her with a bowed head and placed the shoes at her feet, urging her to step into them. Meanwhile her personal favourite YinHe, a little elderly and very matronly servant stood sulking, about how she could catch a cold walking barefoot on the lawn like that. She bore with her complaints for she could feel the well-concealed concern and love in her scolding. Everybody who had seen Wu Zhung from close quarters knew that hidden behind those sultry looks there was still a child longing for attention and love. As she reluctantly let them lead her within, Wu Zhung couldn't resist thinking back about that day when she had just arrived here. The peasant's daughter Wu had arrived with hope in her eyes to be the source of relief to her ailing mother

# 3- What Women Want...

Wu Zhung pulled herself out of her reverie and back onto her feet. She was so absorbed in her trip into the past that she never realised that she had slumped down to the ground between the dewy flowers. She had lain there for quite some time. Her hair was all tousled now, the hem of her dress slightly stained a darker crimson with mud, but she didnt care. She had to get a grip on her emotions. They were running wild! What was it that her heart yearned for? What did she want? Wu Zhung wondered. She was the Emperor's favourite concubine. She had servants at her beck and call. The best of the silk and the rarest of gems in her treasury. The world's finest Ivory was used in making her comb and even her feet knew only the brightest and prettiest Silk coated Lotus Shoes. She bathed in the most heavenly aromas and rested her head on very soft and plush Futon. These luxuries were not known to her when she was just another peassant's daughter. Then, she had never dreamed of half th

WTF- Whom They Feared....

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This post has been published by me as a team member of The Blue Ink Society for the SUPER 4 round of Bloggers Premier League (BPL) – The first ever unique, elite team blogging of blog world. To catch the BPL action and also be part of future editions and other contests, visit and register at Cafe GingerChai Cover Story at The Blue Ink Society's E-mag WTF!- Where Time Flies.. Click to read more

#2 The gift from Kunming

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karenswhimsy.com The Mongol tyranny had reached its pinnacle. After decades of peace however they had grown used to taking the peasants for granted and had rested their swords. The once vicious and aggressive Mongol warriors were lying dormant. Taking advantage of this laid back attitude Lao Zhung strategized his next attack on the Mongolian Overlords. He had fought many a battles on the Pearl River Delta against the Mongols but never returned victorious. This time he had it all crystal clear in his mind. Lao Zhung’s men mingled with the peasants in the different provinces of the Delta and gained their confidence. They ribbed the local peasants who were tired of the Mongol tyranny. Soon meetings were being conducted in the dark of the night to plan their moves. Within no time, the peasants had risen in revolt. Lao Zhung seized this opportunity and backed the rebels against the Mongol overlords with his army. With his keen foresight and sharp mind Lao Zhung emerged as their leader,

#1 The Bed of Peonies

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The peonies were looking exceptionally beautiful this morning. She stood bare foot on the neatly trimmed lawns, her dainty feet sinking slightly in the soft earth. A single pearl hairpin kept her long and lustrous black locks in place. Her silken crimson robe also had Poenies profusely and intricately embroidered on it with the finest golden threads. She made such a dramatic sight, looking like the queen of the flowers herself. On this Chinese New Year’s day kings and envoys from the length and breadth of Asia would assemble to pay homage to their Emperor Lao Zhung. Inside, it was hustling with activity. Preparation for the grand welcome ceremony for so many guests was afoot. Sound of laughter and excited chatter between the ladies trickled to Wu Zhung’s ears. Outside, she stood wearing a look of disdain on her face. Her eyes lacked the gleam and her drooping shoulders said something was amiss. Wu Zhung was a vision of exquisite beauty. But her steps were slow and measured. From be

Shutter Island

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If you are a movie buff and long for movies with fantastic storylines then Shutter Island is your bite. This is one movie that keeps you glued, thinking and on the edge all throughout. This is certainly not a movie for those who believe that movies should be watched purely for relaxation and entertainment. Martin Scorsese has done it again! I was floored by his crime genre movie The Departed and he has left me speechless with Shutter Island. Leonardo Di Caprio and he have worked wonders again. The script is flawless and can’t be reviewed unless the movie is discussed at length. Set in the post World War II era, in 1954 U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels (Leonardo Di Caprio) and his comrade Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are investigating the escape of a patient from the federal maximum security hospital/ prison for the criminally insane called Ashcliffe Hospital. Rachel Solando seems to have just “evaporated through the walls” of her secure cell. This patient is a young woman who drowned all th

55 Fiction #6

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She had found the best escape from her pain, isolation, helplessness &  shame. She would KILL the voice that tormented her from within! Her baby wailed for milk but she had to help herself first. Her heart beat faster and faster as she swallowed it. …..And it was sheer ECSTACY!

A miniature painting

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MEERABAI What you see here is a watercolour painting on mount board in its actual size, about 3" width X 5" length So you can imagine how tiny it is. Quite tedious job it is, to work on the detailing in a miniature painting. She appears on the cover of Sandalwood Agarbattis. Thats why have used only pastel shades! Completed this assignment within a day, somewhere in 2002, at college. This is one of my fav artworks, for you'll to review brought out of the archives.  

Simply Naisaiku

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http://www.deviantart.com/ Et tu Brute You were back biting? Friend of Foe! Et tu Brute Friend of Foe! You were back biting? Et tu Brute Have tried the strict 3-5-3 syllable count Naisaiku this time. :D This fun form of  poetry celebrates its 60th week of The Naisaiku Challenge

A Wedding Idea

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When my pen rests, my pencil is at work. This a cartoon from the archives. Am considering a change in profession. How about turning a wedding planner? :P

De' fine Eductaion

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This post has been published by me as a team member of The Blue Ink Society for the SUPER 5 round of Bloggers Premier League (BPL) – The first ever unique, elite team blogging of blog world. To catch the BPL action and also be part of future editions and other contests, visit and register at Cafe GingerChai 18 year old Champa had arrived to work as a Nanny for me when I was a 10 year old. A Gujrati high school drop-out, she had confessed time and again that she found it extremely difficult to survive in Mumbai where life was getting increasingly influenced by the English language, with each passing day. I soon realized that my proactive mother had dutifully taken up her cause without further dilly-dally. She could play Nanny the rest of the time but that one hour every evening, she’d take up my homework and also sit Champa down for her lessons. Many lessons in numbers, alphabets and building of words later, progress was still very slow but my mother in all perseverance had gon

Palindrome Naisaiku #3

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Phot courtesy http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ Pitter patter pitter Big and beautiful Down pour raindrops Pitter Patter Pitter Raindrops pour down Beautiful and big Pitter patter pitter Its the 69th week of the Naisaiku Challenge !

The Blogger's Block!

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  A nother day, another time,   B egan I, a verse to rhyme C ould only think of lines a few,   D are I say I was very blue?   E very time I’d picked my pen,   F airly well I’d written then,   G enerous praises came to me.   H ad I then this ominous day to see?   I n utter despair I was lost,   J ilted lover, heart in frost.   K nelt at the altar,   L amenting in prayer,   M ake my pen mine again   N othing could be the same till then.   O ne and only love of mine,   P en of poetry divine.   Q uill of mighty praises earned   R espite only when you’ve returned.   S o I waited for words to come   T ill they flowed and I could hum.   U ntil then what could I do?   V ehemently pleaded forgiveness to   W ords of rhyme and reasons right   X me not, for I promise to write,   Z ealously , from the heart , when the mind’s blocked!     Learn more about  ABC poems here

Revisiting Naisaiku

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http://workoutmommy.com/ Jitterbugs Going to school The first time Jitterbugs The first time Going to school Jitterbugs This is a 3 line Naisaiku with the title in the centre. Had fun writing it 'coz I read somewhere NaiSaiKu is a just for fun form of poetry. Not to be taken seriously by my veteran  fellow bloggers.

HIDDEN

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This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 11 ; the eleventh edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton .                                                            [I] Short in stature, balding egg-shaped head, cherub faced with a stiff, thin upward-curled moustache made his Frenchman’s persona stand conspicuously out in the English crowd. Hercules Poiret in his early 50s’, flicked an imaginary speck of dirt off the sleeve of his dandy suit as he stepped down onto the tarmac at London Airport. Back in Paris a body of a young English man had been found at a secluded spot under the bridge on the bank of the river Seine. Shot in the head, the man lay in a pool of blood with the door of his Sedan thrown open and him spilling out of the car like a sand bag. Hercules Poiret was investigating the case and had scrutinized the crime scene, in his trademark orderly ma

The Asian Koel

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Had spotted the beautiful black male Asian Koel quite many days ago and you can know more about the cuckoo in the post I'd done then titled 'Two in the Bush' Yesterday after th epre-monsoon showers I was standing on the terrace and my little 1 year old spots this bird hidden between the branches. It also appeared as if it was shivering in the cold winds.. We blew her lots of flying kissys ..:) but only God can do something to keep her warm...:( Observe the beautiful pattern on her body, the spots are complemented by the striped tail. The Female Asian Koel   (Eudynamys scolopacea)