..............Good Bye......!!!!!!......Good Year.....!!!!!

......Good Lord, has been kind....!!!!....in tht the year slithered away with high spirits, hope, nd in fighting fitness.....children have been Happy, with Doel nd Nanu doing well under the tutelage of their Ma , who wrkd overtime to ensure our happiness nd focus.....being communicative helped, nd the hard grind of Service well matched.....everyday teaches u a lesson....nd year aft yr u r more learned....more receptive....more expert in ur interactions.....as Usman balanced himself precariously on the cornice to service the external Unit of the AC at home @10th flr.....I felt humbled nd dwarfed by the sheer performance of his abilities professionally....he refused a scaffold belt nd did his job professionally totally engrossed nd focussed.....I was horrified nd benumbed at his candour ....day in nd day out, he wud perform, smilingly....I thought dangerously......for 250 dollars a mth. nd hvin to support his fmly back home.....he didn't hv any options.....he showed me his kids pix in the mobile nd his wife....I told my children, whn they wr comfortable in the cool realms of the serviced machine,to thnk the Lord always, be modest nd humble....for in any gud` thing to come in their way Sacrifice is their somewhere or the other, by someone....!!!....sensitivity nd empathy towards ur environs r cardinal I explained....the whiff of fresh air in Delhi has touched the locals here too....in tht Majlis passed the RTI Bill for the first time.....Good cannot be suppressed for long.....to feel Good u hv to be innately Good thts the parting thought of the year I passed on to the Children....!!!...thnks to all fmly nd frnds for their companionship nd support, thru out the Yr....!!!!

.....Jingle Bells....!!!!

.....the grueling, focused, Annual Exams of Carmel Convent Madhupur, the formative yrs tutelage, would end on a high note always, with Socials organised by the Carmelite Sisters, for all the students standard wise....tht was exactly the time whn the thought wud hit upon an otherwise exam laden mind nd impending promotion to a higher class with new sets of books & stationeries, tht Christmas is in the Air....the Socials wud reflect tht, nd the short eats served wud also ring a familiar bell of impending festivity nd holidays....!!!!...how a school can influence a mindset nd behaviour nd mood is all the more relevant even after 40 yrs later....far far away...!!!...as told earlier ,my late father used to ensure tht we visit the Chapel nd Nunnery with a boquet nd Sandesh frm Bardhhaman Mistanna Bhandar :an established legendary sweet meat institution of the small town....on Christmas Day to wish our teachers.....the otherwise out of bounds parlour of the Mother in the Nunnery ;we wud gain entry,ushered in ,made to wait a trifle too long to look around :the wall hangings , artefacts nd victorian furniture.....Mother wud bless us , wish us gud health,a delicious plum cake nd a miniature cask laden with wine....this was our spl moment of Merry Christmas  as a child.....nd it was year aft yr  celebrating Infant Jesus & Christmas with these rituals.....!!!.....Wishing fmly, frnds a Very Merry Christmas.....!!!! 

......On this Spl. day....!!!

....9th Nov.1962 Morn.....as the ClockTower ticked feverishly in a busy Baidyanathdham Devghar four square.....my Ma, was having tough time negotiating with the labour pain & complications for my deliverance : her fourth child, in the nearby Civil Hospital.My elder brother nd two elder sister were at home having been taken care of my Pishima(Aunt frm Calcutta).....Dr Mrs Konar was pressing & working hard for a difficult situation enough to trigger the panic button of my father who loved his wife immensely....there in the hospital corridor our local Panda(Priest frm the BabaDham temple) comforted him with mantras of well being nd commitment frm my father for one maund of Rice,one Gold nd Silver Trishul each of 10gms in the name of Lord Shankar,the presiding deity in the famous temple ,stones throw frm the Hospital....my father prayed hard with the commitment chants of our fmly priest....as the clock tower Hr hand reached 9 nd the minute hand at 32 ...Lord Shankar...Baba Baidyanath heard his prayers....nd I was born healthy with minimal damage to my Ma....instantaneously I was christened as Shankar.....much to the joy of the fmly....nd tumultuous times it was with Indo China war of 1962 in progress with Ladakh nd NEFA(NorthEastFrontier Agency),now Arunachal under severe attack....a fledgling newly gained freedom under strain.....amidst this constraint there was a ripple of happiness.....my elder brother 5 1/2 yrs of age marched in with a stylish cap nd a customized coat nd pant, shook hands with the 'Lal Bhai' as my sisters called me but was not too amused for the uninterrupted attention he used to get, got divided nd his child like brain could quickly sense tht....he hving born in native place in our haveli nd being a son born was celebrated immeasurably by my Grand parents nd community....nd here I was born in tumultuous times in a civil hospital.....yet the attention frm my sisters peeved him....it took a long time for him to realise tht he was not the only one for whom Bapi nd ma wud get things.....even til date my obeisance to him is highly guarded nd his suzerainty still I accept....my early nascent years in the temple town with the Clock Tower, the narrow alleys,the fragrance of the peda shops the bel patri(wood apple leaves :3 leaves in one stalk)nd marigold scent in the sanctum sanctorum of the Lord,the rituals  engraved in my soul....the sublime clime of the Santhal parganas, my parents unflinching devotion to the fmly ,grew me well ....I salute nd Re salute thm for whtever I recd. in this Birth.....!!!!!!

......festival of lite nd hope....!!!!

As the year in its terminal stage, there is definitely a thaw, .....moments of recollection & evaluation......the system crash at home gets resurrected.....nd purposefully delayed , to hv a taste of having have to lose something so vital & important.....now tht we r in the know of importance of things ,we intend to appreciate nd utilise further nd not take anything for granted.....the remote land has taught us this.....!!....even the half chilly got saluted this brkfast nd not disposed....for 7yrs ago we learnt in Laam Fonadhoo...... far south....near Equator......how imp. it was..... for want of it....!!.....our appreciation of Gurgaon & Bangalore gets augmented year after year on annual leaves..... nd our unflinching love towards Homeland 1 remains intact, though ,Male', the Capital has no dearth of any thing nd u don't miss anything.....including Fish frm Riverine Bangladesh....Jamir wud call me aft the arrival of fresh consignment & diligently will I fetch for the fmly....Doel is wary of the fish bones, but Arnav is a cat....!!....the year has been fabulous with rain God's still showering....driving back home in the rains aft a long long day....with Kishore da in ful cry of his rendition "......RimJhim Girey Sawaan...Sulagh Sulagh Jaye Mann....Bhige aj is mausam mey ....laage kaise yeh agann....!!!!...."....the inexplicable balm over the tired self....!!!!....Archana arranged a fabulous Diwali for us with her Hand made Diyas nd Rangoli nd typical Bihari Diwali fud made us feel at home......we take this opportunity to wish fmly nd frnds a very prosperous Happy Diwali...!!!!!

......The Festive Month is here....!!!!

.....finally the air is rife with impending festivities...with us unable to make it this time to Homeland 1...we r doubly alert to be in touch with fmly nd frnds far flung lest we miss the essence of these festivities....Panchami today here is witnessing quintessential sprucing up of our home for Devi Durga's arrival in the Palanquin tomorrow @ MahaSasthi....whn the "KolaBou"(Banana Tree draped in Ritualistic Saree" Pujan will be held in Evening in the numerous pandals thruout India especially Bengal ,Bihar,Assam,Odisha states of the Union...being an Expat. its time to narrate the stories related to the Puja to the children whose lives r a bit difft. as to wht were ours during these days....!!!....both Nanu & Panu r well versed with mythological characters of the Mainland thnks to Archana's efforts...nd hv lot of interest in Pujan too,mimicking our daily practices nd efforts...."BangaliNet.com" is our service provider with all details available nd possibly ..e-Pujan also available as Anjali, Arati nd usual timings....above all the recipe is thr for Archana which will be difft. frm the routine this week....its the purity of thougths nd efforts tht count to make the festivities a success....with time now to re establiosh old contacts,exchanging of Greetings ....we surely will go on the overdrive.....with Chhoti's arrival frm Abu Dhabi today(Niece) its a truly icing for the kids who r waiting patiently for her...we hope to be in Diwali nd Chhath festivities nxt mth @India nd make gud any loss tht will be incurred here if at all any....!!!.....its gud feeling again to be back in business of writing this update...!!!...Till then "Happy Durga Puja Festivities"....

.......Come September.....!!!!!

......Sept is the month to watch here in terms of its huge significance of the Run off to Presidential Polls in mth.end......the formations of 7th instant now narrowing to a contest between the clear cut winner MDP(Maldivian Democratic Party) & Runners up PPM(People's Party of Maldives). Internationally the first round had been eulogized in the exercise though few allegations & complaints r thr, as it is in any part of the world.....Freedom is an attribute which has cut across countries, language, economics, nd however & whtever its the most cherished parameter of modern existence :... exercising ur vote.....the jauggernaut  of Democracy is rolling thruout the world nd this tiny nation is no exception.....the patient long serpentine ques nd nearly 90% turnout in the first round is indicative of the popular mood of Freedom, independence nd self reliance....Long Live Democracy....!!!!

........Festoon & Placard time here.....!!!!!

......1st week of Sept will witness Presidential Elections here, a huge step for a fledgling democracy.....all preparations r on the way nd 50% in First round will see a candidate win....or else 2nd round in 2 weeks time will be called for....there r four formations here with Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), The Peoples Party of Maldives (PPM),JumhooryParty(JP)& its Coalition & a Coalition of Current President including Dhivehi Raiyetunga Party (DRP)......multiparty elections were held for the first time in 2008....Maldives Islands have all relevant Institutions in place nd people by nd large r oriented nd excited to participate in the elections.....the gud thing here is all activities related to meetings nd rallies r in Evening aft. the days wrk for most people....it doesn't disrupt normal life...but the evenings r long hrs...often late nite.....tru 2 the Idyllic Island atmosphere of sea breeze nd cool atmosphere......!!!!!

....Eid Mubarik....!!!!

.....with festivity in the air....I can already sniff the winds of change,  as to the year,  with Eid in August & Durga Puja in October....these festivities r imp.for the huge subcontinent populace....transgresses all barriers....for the Current Golden moment :its Eid Mubarik frnds!!!.....the mth long obeisance culminating in the Celestial Crescent of hope, joy nd magnanimity....with traffic off the streets the age old practices of meeting nd congratulating each other....the laid back nd thread bare interactions on the way thru the streets...!!!...thru out childhood, my Father being a public figure, people used to visit us on the day with gifts, blessings nd Food packages deliciously prepared....nd my Mother equally reciprocating....being staunch Hindus, never deterred us frm mingling into the festivity a hallmark of our tru ancient civilization.....as the Indian railways of this part ,had a sizeable Muslim employee strength especially in the Operating side with the Loco Running Staff with its Drivers, Firemans, Foremans, Fitters, Shunters.....so whn Azim Driver used to call on us with an entourage ....nd a big "...Salaam walaikum....!!! " .....we r witnessing a regular scene of bonhomie, brotherhood ,mutual trust nd respect...the Trade Union Leader in my father was worshipped like a deity...& Das Babu was a household name in tht community....on Dussehra on Bijaya Dashmi day we wr witnessing the same scene at home with Azim nd his entourage well ensconed.....!!!!.....the Christian community was not far behind, with the likes of Peter Saheb,O'Neil Saheb, Anthony nd Paul Hansda all sr employees intermingling with us on many a festivity....the Church at Carmel Convent nd St.Columbas truly imparted a cosmopolitan culture to the Santhal Pargana Town known for its gud weather,water nd tourism in as many as numerous Resort like Villas dotted the landscape of Madhupur....!!!!....my compulsory invitation @ Panama House on Eid Day to meet Shahid, Sarfraz nd their parents....the sumptuous lunch, the mild mannered warm reception had already beginning to open newer vistas of acceptability,comradeship nd cosmopolitan character, a tool, which has come in so handy,....even far far away....... whn I think introspectively....!!!!

...Close encounter ......with a date......a date to remember....!!!!

.......my mother appeared cheerful today as I rang her up in the wee hrs as Arnav had to seek her blessings on account of his 4th B'Day......the little fellow a gushing rivulet now in terms of his narrative & exploits ...his current aquisition of Toys....Dirghojeevi  hou, Nikhut,Nirogi theko( meaning Long Life,unblemished nd Healthy Life) was her standard wish frm times immemorial percolating on us...!!!....when I spoke of my Late Father's Death Anniversary :also today.....she told me how strongly she feels of His presence in Arnav....reconciling death with birth....loss with gain....!!!....today being a Somwari of Sawan nd a wrkin day the In house celebration & rituals r performed....with coming Friday slated for the party....which he has accepted gracefully....both Archana & Me r Happy ......the Maldives Sun & Breeze in gud stead.....the Children growing up alarmingly.......We thank the Lord for his bounty....& giving us a reason to live.....!!!!

......a month......an action....!!!

.....as July slips out gradually, can't but adore its progress.....it's the Holy month of Ramaadan here, with people ritualistically fasting & there is this remarkable hurry in the daily chores with gr8 deal of alertness....as the Iru : Sun, makes its final lunge west.....there is a feeling of relaxation in the air.....with the Muezzin's call heralding giving up the fast for the day......the atmosphere is more laid back quite in contrast.....as the Bazaars look terribly busy these days nd people wrking overtime.....culture & religion & its way into life is probably never seen more in unison.....!!....I like this change in routine nd services adjusted & rendered accordingly.....the record downpour in Apr-May is yet to be surpassed in July....though occasional hold ups r thr....returning home in fine drizzle with the Golf cap as the umbrella is a soothing balm aft the skirmishes in the clinic....& I hv developed a penchant for it....!!!....the much needed exercise....!!....feel emboldened with lot of wrk at the table with discussions online nd regular exchange...ably supported by my long lost frnd with whom I hv bridged the gap....this is the best thing tht happened in July....& time is not far whn we meet......!!!....& repose the same confidence as we had before......time has not jaded our  frndly investment which we had started in 1985 frm Day 1....this is wht I call graduation & maturation of our contemporary evolution.....!!!.....needless to say again, tht  the Heart is on Cloud Nine......!!!!!  

......Monsoon & the Concert....!!!

.......June looked like a watershed mth professionally though the Ultra sound clinic remained closed for the better part of the mth for want of a part to be imported frm SGP.The Disease process sweeping the Clinic with all its hue nd varied forms often keeping me on the Tenterhooks.....the Acute, overshadowed, the Chronic....nd the gud run still continuing at least the 1st week proved......picked up a string whch I had left long time ago....nd surely its a pleasure.....my Science Blog forays nd the guidance frm my esteemed colleague frm Nottingham is a feeling of well being so close to the heart.....!!!!..with my shallow knowledge on a variety of subjects being honed & guided is the high point in recent yrs.....whn u get back the August company in whtever little measure, the feeling is of ........resurrection....rejuvenation .....redemption......!!!!....whn ur conviction for whtevr Gud is firm.....Gud Heaven's will shower its bounty.....!!!!.....the Heart on cloud Nine with the Children's Annual Concert on ......its time to take a seat in the hall watch them perform....remembering your own performances with .....Bapi & Ma.....as if still watching us ......our highs & lows monitored in tht comfort zone.....which is infinite nd Rock solid....!!!! 

.......of Pilgrimage & the Holy Month......!!!!

....the Holy month of Ramaadan is round the corner....as the community brace up for thanksgiving nd sacrifice...avoiding water&fud from dawn to dusk: undoubtedly a tough call...this is the mth of puritan,spartan thoughts & of reflection...hospital hrs r truncated...9 am to 2.30pm & 8pm to 11pm....the evening hrs will be a rush hr as people wud pour in after Iftaar...!!..I refer this session as a T20 match nd spot Dx will be the order of the day...also the dosage pattern changes as people would take medicine dawn & Dusk....with humidity nd rains the communicable element will make lives tougher...its a challenge nd functionality caring for sentiments...the homes will start adorning newer looks with old things discarded nd a shopping spree nd promotions already there...!!...the companies & Govt.will announce spl. Ramaadan allowances for the believer & follower....nd time will fly by in a wink....must say...!!....to believe in anything Good is Godliness & prayers r the forte of our existence...the Pilgrimages however trying it is have a spl.place in our hearts...unison with anything pure & Holy....!!...the thought process controlling one's basic instincts...for we r not infallible to temptations....with so many deaths & destruction at home....prayers will be on lips nd the path to India's spirit of Pilgrimage recarved....the indomitable Human Soul cannot be suppressed for long....!!!!

.......under the Monsoon sea who loves to lie with me ....Come hither.....come hither...come hither...!!!

......its a brisk march now....though the overcast condition continues....the sun a guest appearance..!!!.......Sagor Ahmed had a tough time last night chasing the Tunas in deep sea ; the fishing line injuring him..the Maldivian waters  ..... now,a record 16yrs...in Fishing Dhoni, as they call their boat here.....the Maldivian sun & breeze have converted his mane into a lustrous golden   akin to a bleach.....upon prodding :he attributed this to the Sun.....day in & day out in the sea, chasing the Yellow fin Tuna...Sagor would criss cross the atolls nd return back in a fortnight to see me,he being fond of me,narrating his deep sea venture....!!!...the Maldivian sunny mane,pitch black tan,& his get up can 100percent pass him as a local Islander....!!!...he speaks chaste Dhivehi nd he is not the only one..!!..Fulbadsha incapacitated temporarily by a swollen Knee .is a diver par excellence...only difference is: he is not equipped with Scuba Gear.....!!!!...his job is to fetch Coral sand frm a depth of 10 to 15 ft diving with a lungful of inhale, packing up his 2kg bag undersea nd resurfacing aft a couple of mts....he would collect @150 bags daily nd sell it to the bldrs for brick making, nd kuchaa pavements...the sparkling white chips strong enough...!!!!...the civilian gentry apart,the likes of Sagor & Fulbadsha generate lot of positivity nd enthusiasm...the hardship they endure : smilingly, in a foreign land to keep their home & hearth warm, far far away....in a remote Bangla village...!!!

.....Male': Maldives Islands Update : the Indian Ocean Diary...!!!

.....the Bali:(Disease in local parlance) mth, so far, has not swept us off our feet,as compared to year last.....thnks to incessant rain for the better part of the mth....with the sea rough nd travel risky...frm far flung Islands....!!!...pre monsoon showers nd local disturbance in the Bay of Bengal kept the temp. very cool....as compared to reports frm Homeland 1 @ Gurgaon : a stark contrast....it has been now 5yrs :  we have escaped the Northern Plains Summerly heat....though with all the heated Newsy action unfolding in India rt frm Bansal to Srini...nd Chattisgarh Kand(episode) have kept me glued to Arnab Goswami.....his panelist...nd the diaspora....!!!...we can't be untouched by all these...could we...??....the sudden demise of RituParno Ghosh a superb Dir. in Kolkata this morning was a shocker...!!!....the Canne festivity as far as India is concerned is a dampener and Centenary Celebration of Bollywood is pedestrian...upto now..expected more of celebration nd media coverage....!!!....the border dispute with China nd a research into its chronology of genesis as back  as late 19th -early 20th Century made good reading & understanding of the complex problem...of the huge undemarcated border with China.....skirmishes will be on with greater frequency take my word for it.....under the garb of ..Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai....!!!

.......11th May........!!!!

.....Archana,Nanu,Panu took a speedboat ride with me on 11th instant for a candle light dinner@Hulhule Island Hotel voted the best in the AsiaPacific region......10th anniversary had to be spl....the sunset deck was the perfect place nd could see the mainstreet of Male':BoduThakuruFanu Magu,named after a Bodu:Big, Thakurufan :Sultan, Magu: Marg/Street thru the terrestrial Telescope across the sea...the children were happy & their company heightened our enthusiasm,  called for, on such an occasion...we returned home late evening with gusty winds blowing ,& little Nanu taking the boat ride back to Male' cocooned ;with Doel incessantly chattering with Ma: extremely satiated aft the outing....needless to say the Eve.Clinic was a casualty but the occasion demanded....patients were amused to note tht I was in Dinner in another Island & Quizzed me about the Occasion...for the old faithful set rang incessantly in the interim period....!!!!

.....Bali nd Male'......

......the local word for disease is "Bali"....all set for a spurt.... as April draws to an end....the HFMD is here ....with children sick,.....the communicable element again overtaking the  NCD clinic though I thought tht this yr HTN, DLP, DM &LBA have reached epidemic proportions....with local factors including dietary &  disease import frm mainland subcontinent ,notably Bangladesh: hands r full....last two weeks the young among the working class reported astonishingly high numbers of STD with Pyuria nd UTI hogging the limelite....the co relation nd free co habitation nd a liberalised mixed society being the cause with sex workers frm abroad playing a significant role....the huge expat labor force being tapped nd exploited....long yrs of separation frm home as much as 5yrs at a stretch which is the minimum an expat will stay to clear off the financial strain incurred at home....the interactions are bound to occur....often with catastrophe....the drug menace in the local populace nd the foreign worker is a constant challenge nd threat to the community....the Robinson Crusoe  Islands at least some of them as safe haven...!!!.....providing service with limited resources is a challenge with the tertiary care scanty.....nd sometimes logistics will adamantly prevent patient referral....in this scenario the Physician in me have to don the mantle of one umbrella service provider nd surely it is gratifying nd a honor to serve these needy populace.....its like a practice of old world charm....one to one ...heart to heart...!!!!

......learning experience...!!!!

....little Nanu is indisposed for about a week now....his fascination for chicken,meat.& Eggs has let him down momentarily....recently his Mama visiting us with fmly frm Gurgaon dubbed him...Chicken Anda Singh....aft noticing his affinity for these....today fellow consultant Dr Singh of Pediatrics  was delighted to see his co operation level for his ailment of gastritis & urate crystals in urine...he has promised, to co operate with his ma, nd doctor of course, nd unwillingly accepted a less obnoxious diet plan...!....diligently playing an attendant humbled me to no extent,:....an hr ago, I was in the hot seat consulting with my patients nd now as the father opposite my fellow counterpart,for a service which I render day in & day out....!...I could realize how difficult its to be an attendant...!...with scores of medical Queries pertaining to the case nd anxiety for redressal...!...no sooner, as I bade my son 
goodbye,entering my own clinic with a swollen Q,which had gathered in the recess waiting patiently to be addressed by me...the reversal of the role had a dramatic sobering effect on me....I could understand the patient's & the attendant's view points better I thought...their queries ,anxiousness nd sentiments appeared palpable nd pushed my best abilities to its limits...I regretted my past actions of insensitivity,inaction nd lack of patience due to patient overload,fatigue or incessant phone calls....long wrk hrs...which I thought is in excusable,keeping in view the nature of the relationship...!!!...it was akin to the physical pain felt by the patient which could not be felt nd appreciated by the physician...!!...every nook & corner of life...there will be a "Learning Experience" for superlative performance nd Quality Life :not material......for the Physician...!!!

........Indians of the Coral Reef......!!!!

8pm.............Doel's B'day@SalsaRoyal kicked off sharply at with our community strongly behind us....meticulously both: Archana being active at the Male' chapter of ICCR nd being here for long, havemanaged to rally on whatever thts Indian...!!!....the oldest Bank, of Maldives Islands, is the State Bank of India in which we have many frnds,the Indian High Commission under whose aegis the ICC runs have our own share of frnds,the International School Billabong High,the multiple Resort managements all have Indians in imp.positions,not to forget about the Telecom major Dhiragu nd its rival Wataniya....Indian Teachers ,doctors & now professionals of IT nd Management & Accts.have played a major role here....hence the term Homeland 2 :tht of the Expat...!!!...our Maldivian counterpart look forward to India as the Big brother nd its a very successful partnership on the ground level....i.e one to one level.....!!!....living in a foreign land interacting with foreigners day in & day out....the opportunity for an Indian get together is always seized on any occasion...last eve was no different....!!!...the private fmly get together was a moment of joyous re union with Indian fud served thru Salsa kitchen whose majority staff  is frm Orissa.....!!!!

.......Doel Pakhi :the Humming Bird....!!!!

......this is dedicated to my daughter DOEL on her B'Day....1st Apr 2005 was a struggle for both  Ma & child,she struggling to get out frm her mother's womb...frm the wee hrs of 1st Apr till just past midnite into the 2nd she could breath the mundane....much to our relief....it heralded the advent of Laxmi as people put it...holding her head in my palm she was a world to me as my tired contour broke into a smile....Doel Pakhi(bird) as I fondly call her is a mute testimony of our Odyssey frm Homeland 1 to 2....the Maldivian sun & breeze in remoteness of her infancy stood by her in good stead....nd in her company we thrived.....!!!!....I still call her Panna+ Lall(Pannalal) nd 'Fonadhoo frnd' striking a spl.cord with her which is unique to our frndship....while walking on the desolate beaches of Laam Fonadhoo both father nd daughter were frnds chasing the hell out of crabs nd identifying various fish of different colors ,retracing the paths of thick columns of ants nd looking for bats....day in & day out the evenings were spent.....whn I felt tht her small self can't match her voracious appetite for the outdoor....I got a Mazda B323 sedan for her even in tht remote setting....tht opened a window of Island hopping as three Islands were linked together by Causeways across the sea....now she could access the Airport Island of Kadhdhoo utilising the park & the swing ....with Archana tasting some coffee, regularly, there, in the newly opened Elly Cafe chain....her regular trips to the Regional Hospital Island of GAN thru the dense coconut jungle of Mandhoo instilled in her the outdoors clung to her till date....!!!.....as usual I was distracted on the eve of her B'day,today, arranging the venue for her B'Day of 2nd Apr...changing & disliking menus of multiple venues...nd finally settling to the best of my abilities....rubbing it on to my pts.with whom I cracked too many jokes, I thought...the entire Evening Clinic as if on an arm chair.....!!!....but for a moment aft my return ,I thought Doel Pakhi is growing too fast....now tht she is a humming bird....singing numbers at random....!!!....GOD Bless her nd her family.....!!!!

.....Spiritual Orientation Days.....!!!!

......Gud Friday....Easter....rings a familiar bell in the Minds Eye....!!!!...the Serpentine Ganges on one side nd :with its ever changing routes.....to the lofty Rajmahal Hills on the other.....tucked in between lay our School St.Xavier's Sahibganj...!!!....as we sat in our respective designated desk for the Evening study @6pm....cursory glance thru the panes would reveal the silhouettes of the dark Hills with rows of bush fire twinkling like as if it was Diwali....the abode of the aborigines in the hills: bush fire were common :both man made or accidental...as I grappled with text books nd assignments it fired my imagination in no uncertain terms....!!....whilst the vision frm the Dormitory panes past 9.30pm atop my Double decker bunk bed was different with fire raging nd twinkling at a gr8 distance on the Holi River Bank of a funeral pyre..the final passage to oblivion & Eternity.....!!!...both these celestial occurence were regular features....the bush fire igniting my feel of an adventure nd the eternal fire stoked my formative feelings to abject surrender to the Lord...!!...the routined round the clock meticulously planned Days rolled by with us aspiring for the best in all deptts.....the break wud come frm the stipulated Retreat Days : of Spiritual Orientation....!!!!...wherein we stayed away frm the routine for a couple of days...huddled together in generating or focussing on all things thts Positive....Fr.Briffa SJ would motion us to different modules nd we enjoyed every bit of it nd came out of the Retreat ....to the mainstream fully rejuvenated......!!!!....rechurning of those thoughts of yester yrs ...its as effective and relevant as it were those days.....!!!!

......The Indian Ocean Diary....!!!!

.....9.30am...Ur name....?....Ghulam Mehdi....pat came the reply....frm Baltistan area of Baluchistan Ghulam hailed, now in front of me with acute back pain....Billal,hails frm Bangladesh nd Ghulam wrks with him in one of the Islands....for a moment the trio of Indian ,Pakistani nd Bangladeshi hobbled to find a solution to this pain.....whenever this happens ...I am forced to ponder of reports of beheading....torture across the border nd equally venemous rhetoric frm our side....!!!...here Ghulam Mehdi a Skardu resident of Pakistan was no different thn other Nationals  Sri Lankan, Maldivian ,Indonesian or European who represent the clientele.....with pain largely writ on his face he was honorable enough to thank me profusely nd his mannerism even in this painful hour was unblemished......this Maldivian Odyssey cutting across multiple Nationality nd the Sub continent bolsters my faith as to the Nationality called Humanity.....which is so evident.....nd omnipresent ....!!!...the colossal loss of time engaged by establishments bereft of the Human angle needs to be condemned....for the common people r innocent....the Sub continent got dismembered due to partisan nd selfish aspirations of a few.....I had no difficulty in relating to Skardu resident Ghulam Mehdi accompanied by Comuilla resident Billal...nd the entire border & delineation looked unreal.....!!!!

.....the Ide's of March.....passing very peacefully here as of date...as I pen down the latest.....this being the Election Year & a new found Democracy... there is jockeying & positioning for the Apple pie of Sept.instant...with a small community interspersed in 240 plus habitated Islands out of a nearly 1800,the demography concentration is in a handful few & the majority remotely & sparsely populated..its a logistic wonder & a nightmare in the same breath I must say....!....the undersea ridge extending frm far south of the Chagos Islands to India's Laccadives thru Maldives is the seat for these coral pearls of an archipelago.....so 8yrs.frm now,whn the Dash8 aircraft  flew frm Male' late eve with our 103kg of baggage load,flying low :the sea simmering over the moonlit nite,the moon appeared a handshake away as it was fulmoon,heading down south....220kms frm Male'....little Doel & Archana peered thru the panes to identify twinkling lites of a few Islands we flew past down south.....the moon menacingly near...as it is seen in the Doldrums : the latitude....!!!....shaking of all timidity we landed tht late evening in a Southern Atoll Island to be our abode in the nxt few mths....!!!...to chalk out a coarse of history....& tryst with Destiny.....!!(...to be Concluded...)

......taking guard once again....!!!

.......the yr holds promise ....the innings evenly poised.....taking guard  again ..... @5pm....the calcium carbonate pitch beckoning....of this Coral Island....!!...with cylinders fully charged nd blazing with the recipe of the hurricane tour frm 22nd till today.....with so much imbibed....soaked nd drenched to the tee frm the moisture frm the deeply embedded roots of Bihar nd Jharkhand....!!...as we climbed up the ramp in foggy conditions in the wee hrs frm BLR to PAT via CCU...the genetic predisposition of being an Eastern Indian ....not North or South Indian....weighed heavily....the touchdown at Netaji Subhash @ CCU with ultimate landing @JaiprakashNarain in PAT threw me in a spell of space nd time.....as I took my children down the ramp a gentle breeze was already blowing....I inhaled nd exhaled nd urged my fledgling team to do the same...tht of our homeland in truest sense....which nurtured & given me so much of building material of the formative years....Patna looked like a flooding populace:admixture of old & new.....people looked more or less the same as we had left them 14yrs ago.....it had to be tht way,sheerly for their uniqueness....savouries of SweetHome near HeeraPanna were delicious nd the Chinese Window:our favorite joint of Mauryalok is  where I hosted  Chinese for a core group of Barat Party for their supper in the train for TATA, having reached earlier thn them.....as I strolled past Tricel:our book shop still clinging on to its space....I could feel the change ....no wonder Patna & Hathwa mkts were visited du2 nostalgia....nd both Archana & Myself partook the Kachauri with dry Chana in tht corner shop at Hathwa mkt holding on to its legacy...!!...as the Indigo with Hariprasad at helm waded thru the street beside the area whr Rupak Cinema stood amidst thick traffic....I could feel the city bursting at its seam....remembered Anindya,Amita,VijaySingh many a times as we wr located in GINGER @ Bistupur for the most imp.task of solemnising & witnessing Kunal's marriage with Payal...& were bowled over by the sweets & savouries there.....!!!!.....missed a heart beat whn a call frm Dhanbad frm Baba ignited my spirit...frnds will always be frnds....however & whtevr...it felt as if it was yestday...& was touched by the warmth of BABA's spirit...!!!: our star striker of Futbol team....!!!....Nanu & Doel absorbed the tru Village spirit whn we went back with the bride to Kunal's native Village off MFP.....I ate lots of fried fish frm the local river with bhuja ,chana & Chura....as the cavalcade rolled over the dirt tracks in pleasant Feb.eve with cascading thoughts of oneness with one's own soil & serenity.......the Hurricane tour of Nativeland felt like a journey into Eternity.....!!!! 

.....Homeland 1 calling...!!!

........time flies by.....the opening session of the yr duly batted.....its Tea time now with the innings evenly poised...the distant call frm Homeland 1 for the 22nd Instant Dep for Kunal's marriage to be solemnised in Jamshedpur of 24th instant,sailing over the BLR-CCU-PAT sector crossing Laccadive Sea yet again....will keep the innings & match on hold....at least temporarily....with the mind ready to be geared up for the mega fmly event in our own home turf....Bihar/Jharkhand....!!!Feb is the rt season for marriage with mild weather conditions far cry frm wht we experienced in Dec end in Gurgaon....this opportunity will be seized to reload our bags with home products to be consumed for the better part of the yr....so,its handshake time here again with the clientele....though not jittery at all.... as I will dash back on the 1st of Mar.....Nanu's sherwani is ready at GGN nd Doel's Maldivian gown nearly ready here with Archana in overdrive...as usual the butterfly is doing the rounds...& I can't really wait for the old faithful A319 to take off frm Hulhule International.....bidding Homeland2 adieu....!!! 

......valuable Life called...' Trash...'...!!

....'...Mauni Amabasya...' a few days ago was an auspicious day of the MahaKumbh Mela now in Sangam.....a Holy Dip of Final Emancipation for the Mankind......with crores of HinduPilgrims thronging.....this is the Essence of India.....a Holy Dip,Pilgrims on foot,steadfast Fasting & Brats to observe...its unchanged for centuries now, for u cannot change the Soul of this Country....wht a solid support we have in the form of our Religious scriptures transcending all Religions nd we r the heirs to such a fortune......since the Physical & Spiritual r two distinct entities,with the former being shortlived....the latter assumes immense importance to guide our Spirits.....thts the reason ....call it blind faith or whatsoever..!!.....having born & lived in a Hindu Household.....I can say the string of our Heart is irrevocably linked to our Festivals....the average Indian is a simpleton....with simple aims & ambitions....the average Indian is friendly too nd accomodative....tru2 our Rich culture & Traditions...hence,it becomes all the more important for all those who hold Key positions be it Govt. Corporates,Industry,or society, to protect nd preserve our simpleton character.....the Colossal  tragedy at the Railway Stn,is a blur & blot  on our peaceful existence.....its,time keeping in view the huge Dynamics of our society we imbibe professionalism  in crowd mgmt & handling of Melas.We Indians r not Mosquitoes or cattle its to be kept in mind.....!!!...the hapless pilgrims who lost their lives....may their soul rest in peace....for those in charge of this huge Demography, they r to be made accountable nd a strong Crowd management on the lines of Disaster Mgmt be put in place.....there cannot be two India: cutting across all class we must unite put in our little bit nd sway Public Opinion....!!! 

@2 degree N calling.....!!!

.......sharply 5pm the the lucky mascot rang....it was Ahmed calling me nd wanted to meet me....my association with Ahmed Azim dates back to 2006 whn I was managing the Health Center at Laam Atoll Island of Fonadhoo......."....whr r u..? he chirped.......in the clinic I retorted......."...brought something for u...frm the Islands..."...."...most welcome...pl.come....":...I replied missing no time......whn Doel was a small kid she & Archana landed in their house in tht remote Island  of Laam Fonadhoo fully apprehensive.....little did we know tht the other house in the same campus is  of a very benevolent man Hussein yusuf....Mohammed & Ahmed were two brothers who took all the pains to see tht we were comfortable there........frm the urbane locales of Homeland 1 to Fonadhoo was a  a transition unparalled.....only we were proved wrong as the days wore on there....its people who matter most nd not the place  I believe....the following months I got down to the basic job of setting up the Health center to a secondary level nd a ward of 20 beds helped by the Swedes with a modern lab and a vibrant OPD were the major achievements....the Sun shine  at 2degree N close to the Equator saw Doel grow in leaps & bound nd the potable Rain water we drank kept us healthy nd fine....Rain water harvesting is very efficient in  these Islands.....so whn AhmedAzim called up I went into a spin of those past years of remoteness.....he would actively help us with his younger brother to take us on a boat ride in the shallow reef with crystal clear waters.....even the B323 Mazda we had there as a sedan exploring those quartet of Islands linked thru causeways in the sea was tinkered nd serviced whenever needed despite paucity of spares.....as usual the meeting was one of reposing confidence ...nd the gift was a package of home grown vegetables.....surely this gift is imp.nd it will remind us as always the hard days we faced for want of it there.....!!!!!

......the opening session....!!!

.......the opening session augered well in the month bygone, with the air relatively dry nd seldom overcast conditions....the sea farely stable with occasional gusty winds with sporadic events of difficult navigation....the tourist season in full bloom with more guests frm Asia mainland...now the new found mkt...little nanu enjoying his studentship with a beach party today for all the " Kangaroo Kids " students...yest'day being Holiday was a welcome relief for me nd spent quality time with fmly nd dined the Friday only "Indian Buffet.." in the "Traders : Lime "erstwhile the Holiday Inn...nd was surprised to find Shorshe Machch( Fish curry in Mustard:a bengali must fare..)in all its splendour nd grandeur....so whn Suleiman Khan introduced himself as the Hospitality manager frm Kolkata.....I could figure out the real reason....the Jetty front looked dazzling with steady breeze nd the brief walk to the parking was heartening....Male' looks grand in the Evening....nd the laid back nd carefree attitude is increased as the evening wears on....!!...Doel nd Archana r busy planning for another rendezvous with Homeland 1 in the last week whn we air dash over BLR-CCU-PAT,across Laccadive sea to attend a nephew marriage to be solemnised in Jamshedpur wherein we join the 'Baarat' frm PAT....returning back to wrk desk asap.Visiting the land of our origin nd hoping to take lot of snaps there with Nanu,Panu & Archana in tow their 2nd visit since 2010,when we had a stopover frm Madhupur enroute to GGN....eating those Silao Khaja nd anarsa nd plans to visit Hathwa nd Patna Mkts surely is very high on agenda for this short trip......!!!!

.....the old faithful bird A 319 of AI 265 landed safely at Hulhule Airport on time bringing with us sweet memories of Homeland1....a short but memorable trip....short nd sweet....!!!...frm the chilly Northern plains to the balmy clime of Maldives soared our spirits....nothing had changed in 3weeks time except for a few hoardings of a cheap Dubai flt....in every nook nd corner now.....Nanu joined his maiden studentship nd Doel in grade3 in Billabong High her new school :stones throw frm our abode.....post monsoon Male' is cleaner dry nd pleasant...with temp to soar moderately in the dry mths till Apr.....the Nissan felt like a truck aft my recent camaraderie with the Wagon R in Gurgaon....nd had tough time with the reflexes nd control.....negotiating the alleys of Male'.....then there starts the incessant call rt frm the landing on tht base model of Nokia...the lucky mascot over the years......there r smiles nd cheers for many....or probably relief.....nd its back to usual in no time.....!!!....the New Year has begun robustly with me harnessed frm morn 9am to late eve 10.30pm....so would like to apologise to frnds nd fmly of late information....!!!....the India sojourn has given us enough impetus for a scintillating display for the year.....Inshallah.....!!!!