Friday, September 16, 2005

Success to a good trip - No Planning

It was a long weekend and time for a trip. We booked the ticket to NJ 2 months back and did not decide what we were going to do until the last week before departure. Who do you think did the planning? Obviously, it was me !!!!

Friends Vs Relatives

It was very difficult to decide between "X" and "Y". "X" wanted us to stay all the three days at their place and "Y" wanted to see P's choice (that's me). In the end, we stayed the first day and half at X's place and the next day at Y's place. We had lots of fun in both places as we got to meet new people.


Act 1:

X: I am really angry !!! Why dont you stay all the 3 days here? Tell your friend that you both will be staying here. Edison is only 5 min away from my place. Meet them (refering to Y) for 3 hours and come back here for dinner.

me: he he he (sheepish smile). I dont know what our friends have planned. I will call you and let you know.

X: That means 99.9 % you are not going to come back. We have to cook a feast for you two as you are coming for the first time to our place. SO stay here.

We had lot of people to meet and we had tough time convincing X. Atlast they understood that we had lots of people to meet.

Act 2:

Y (to P):From the time I moved to NJ, I have been calling you but you never made to my house till now. Is it because you had to visit X you came here or you wanted to be on my daughter's Bday?

P: No. No. I will spend more time in your house the next time, okay. When are you coming to Lexington?

They had big conversation about how Y had seen P grow up. All this while I was talking in Marathi to Y's daughter making good progress. I had the freedom to say anything I wanted to Y's daughter in Marathi because she was celebrating her second birthday next day.


All through this blog, I have talked about "X" and "Y". Can somebody identify which one is a "Relative" and which one is a "Friend"?

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Shwaas!



I have to write about this!

Yesterday I saw "Shwaas", a Marathi movie. It was a story about a village boy, 7 year old Parashuram, his grandfather, and their tryst with destiny. Parashuram is diagnosed with cancer of the retina in both eyes. The only way to save the cancer from spreading in his body is to remove the retina.

The movie is about how the grandfather comes to terms with Parashuram's condition, his decision to go ahead with the operation, Parashuram's perception of his own condition and his impending loss of vision, and their experiences.

The grandfather's journey from his unwillingness to sign on an MRI request form that states that life endangering activities can happen during the MRI scan, to his acceptance of Parashuram's condition and decision to go ahead with the operation, his inability to tell Parashuram about his condition, his frustration with the operation being cancelled on the day it is scheduled to take place and his harmless escape from the hospital to make most of the last day his grandson has his sight has been handled with beautiful sensitivity.

Perhaps the movie reminded me of MY grandfather, his temperament, strength of mind, love for his me and my brother, reactions, even his words. Hats off to Arun Nalawade, who played the role of the grandfather!

The doctor and the medical social worker play their roles with finesse.

A must see!