Yom Ha'Shoah

The International Holocaust Remembrance Day is the day designated by the United Nations Organisation to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. It falls on January 27^th on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, one of concentration camps for Jews in Poland under the Nazi rule. The UN wants every member state to pay their respect to the victims of the Nazi era and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.

The word ‘Holocaust’ originally meant the animal sacrifice offered to the Gods in burnt form but during the 1950s, it acquired a very specialised meaning of the genocide of the Jews under the Nazi rule. This mass extinction of Jews was initiated by Hitler’s belief in the superiority of the Aryan races. The Nazis were of the belief that their race, the Aryan race was superior and that all the other races had to be exterminated using different methods.

The Holocaust began in 1933 when Hitler came to power and ended only in 1945 with the defeat of Germany by the allied forces in the Second World War. Though the extermination of the Jews was happening at a huge scale, the other countries of the world did not come to know about the concentration camps until it was too late. 

The Nazis wanted to keep the fate of the Jews a secret and they destroyed all evidence pertaining to the mass killings such as the crematoria, gas chambers and people. But the truth is that the existence of concentration camps to annihilate the Jews was something hard for the allied powers to believe in.

When survivors who escaped described the Holocaust based on their experiences, most of listeners were full of disbelief at the cruelty of the Nazi soldiers. Many survivors went through this experience and were crestfallen when nobody wanted to believe them.

The Jews were subjected to unnameable acts of torture and many of the survivors are of the opinion that this enormity of their trauma made their memories and testimonies incoherent and unbelievable. Even sharing of these testimonials was a difficult act for many of the survivors.

The horrors of this historical event have been portrayed in historical documents, survivor testimonies and memoirs. But the Holocaust was a not single event but an annihilation process that had many locations across Europe and millions of victims who were tortured and killed. 

One common thread that runs through survivor testimonies and memoirs of the Holocaust is the hunger that the Jews suffered in the ghettoes and in the concentration camps. They were given soups that were more like vegetables in hot water. The physically weak, the old and children were immediately sent to the gas chambers.

Pensiamento Fantastico: Bibliophile

I have always wanted to read more about the craft of writing as my ambition during my college days was to become a writer. Earlier, the idea was to tell everyone of my dream books and plans about writing a novel. The novel never materialised nor do I hope to live by writing alone but I have managed to write in my blogs whatever I have wanted to write. One serious consequence of this hobby is that since 2006, I have managed to accumulate a pile of books on the art of writing. 

Many of these sit gathering dust on the bookshelves and I can’t find all of them but here are a list of books that have definitely had an impact on me. Rather than becoming a writer per se, I have become a bibliophile of books on writing. Here are a few of the books in my collection:

• Zen and the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury: From the author of The Martian Chronicles comes this beautiful book on writing published in 1990, where he highlights the importance of writing with Zest and Gusto. He is of the opinion that the greatest reward that a writer can have is a positive remark from an admiring reader. He advises that a writer has to practise frequently and work hard to learn the rules of the language yet find new ways of using them.

• Delighting the Heart: A Notebook by Women Writers edited by Susan Sellers is a book on writing by women writers who share their experiences- starting from the process of inspiration to publication. Susan Sellers shares in the Preface how she was inspired by a visit to Jane Austen’s writing space, which was a table tucked behind the main door to the family room. It is strange to note that she deliberately left the hinges of the door unoiled so that she could stop writing whenever someone came in and she could resume her role as the mistress of the house.

• Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul: Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit of Writers is a book that I really love except that I do nothing but read my favourite stories again and again without even thinking of writing one single word. The book has inspirational stories about writers who have managed to get published despite of getting rejected countless times.

• Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke are a collection of letters that the poet Rilke sent to a young soldier named Franz Kappus who wanted to be a poet. This book is a beautiful read as it offers much for a beginning writer. Read More!

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can  apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Pensiamento Fantastico: Coverstory

Dear Reader

This blog has always been a personal space for me and its contents have a mixed potpourri nature. This New year, (though we are almost into the second month), I have decided on entering the TataZica Blogging Marathon.  So, the intensely personal whine of a poetaster will be replaced by that of a breezy know-all who might authoritatively speak on a few topics that I know about. 

There are a few limitations to writing with an intention in mind as opposed to the wild and complete haphazard manner of gathering words for a blogpost. Anyway, one of the rules in TataZica Blogging Marathon is that it should focus on five keywords: Fantastico, Impact, Peppy, Music and Navigation.  I am not a fan of keywords but I guess if there is a prize to be won, I should give it a try. 

Another requirement is that a blogpost should have around 450 words. I think it is a challenge for anyone to write around 450 words a day and when I looked at the site, fellow Indibloggers are writing as much as 450X6 posts per day. So, I doubt whether I will ever write the much-required posts but then what’s the harm in trying! 

For anybody who is wondering about the title, I thought of choosing the word Fantastico as my keyword. The word is from Spanish and when used as an adjective it means fantastic or really great or unbelievable. When used as noun means a ridiculously fantastic individual (and though I could call myself that I have decided not to delve into dangerous terrains).

After a little googling, I have decided to add the noun thought to the adjective fantastico, thereby hitting upon the beautiful title Pensiamento Fantastico, which means "fantastic thought". Anyone who really knows Spanish, do forgive the liberties taken with the language. 

Not that I would have entered this contest but last night I could hardly sleep a wink after my one-track mind was trawling on possible topics for blogposts. Nor did it spare me in the morning, when I watched a woman with a long broom raking the dry leaves from the huge campus where I work. 

So in the year 2016, on this twenty-fifth day of the month of January, this blogger Maria has decided to embark on this writing marathon with the view of winning the contest and also of reviving a lost habit of writing a post a day. Though she doesn’t know how long she will be able to keep up the writing spree, off we go with the coverstory of the admirable venture known as Pensiamento Fantastico. 

Do wish me good luck and post a few comments,

Maria :-)

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can  apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Cat stories

My mother has never been a big fan of cats but since an year or two, she has been accosted by a family of cats. The mother cat is all white; one kitten resembles the mother; while the other is black and white. Anyway, these two can smell food from far off and I have never seen a cat eat cauliflower fry or chapathi or grated coconut with so much relish! 

May The Light Of Your Soul Guide You!

May the light of your soul guide you.
May the light of your soul bless the work
You do with the secret love and warmth of your heart.
May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul.
May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light and renewal to those
Who work with you and to those who see and receive your work.
May your work never weary you.
May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration and excitement.
May you be present in what you do.
May you never become lost in the bland absences.
May the day never burden you.
May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams,
Possibilities and promises.
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected.
May your soul calm, console and renew you

John O’Donohue

Musically Yours: 2015

At times, a very small change in thinking can bring about significant changes in life. For me, the most dramatic change last year was the acquisition of a Windows phone. Before that, I guess, I have been running somewhere in the Middle Ages of ignorance and darkness. Suddenly these observations shock me considerably:

·         That I can do so much with my phone

·         That I can leave so many chores unfinished and sit with my phone

·         That I can’t do without it any longer

·         That I can kill hours with it altogether

·         That I can listen to favourite songs endlessly

This year, the songs vary in theme and style, but they have managed to be a kind of foothold in a slightly confusing reality.

Most of these songs were accidentally stumbled upon but they have played in this habit of playing in the head so much that they have become part of yearly event calendar this year. The best of the English earworms are Ed Sheeran- Thinking Out Loud , Ellie Goulding- Love Me Like You Do, OMI- Cheerleader , Selena Gomez- The Heart Wants What It Wants and Alexandra Burke- Hallelujiah

Among the desi ones, the best song with each version vying with the other for its magic is Tere Bin; be it by Uzair Jaswal, or the song from Ek Paheli Leela sung by Tulsi Kumar that accompanies Sunny Leone’s assets or even the Bhojpuri version.  

So are the songs from Hamari Adhuri Kahani especially Yeh Kaisi Jagan Le Aaye Ho Tum, Samjawaan from Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya and Naina from Khoobsurat. However, the best cheer-up songs for me are Dheere Dheere recreated by Honey Singh and Gulabo from Shandaar. So are Vidya's remixes of Love Me Like U Do/Hosanna, Mere Sapnon Ki Rani/ Same Old Love and Balam Pichkari/ How Deep is Your Love. 

So, this post celebrates a year of songs played, replayed, lost, found or forgotten, just like every single year. 

A bad day

I mean everyone has those days when nothing really seems to work. It is hard to get out of bed and when you finally manage to pull yourself together, you find that you are terribly late.Then you dress down so that you can make up for the time lost but the moment you reach work things go topsy-turvy. 

Then you decide to go to the library and read but on coming back you get struck by the exhibition nearby. You get befuddled by what you see and end up buying a few trinkets. But when you get out it's drizzling heavily and you are caught wishing wipers for your glasses.Then something strikes you as it rains heavily and you decide to go home. Looks like the entire day should have been spent on bed succumbing to your demons.

But then it turns out to be a really bad day because the auto driver hears some other location and tadang! You are right in front of a very famous school in town and suddenly you realise that you might have to try hard and count to ten not to lose your temper.Finally when you reach home paying the prize, the first thought is that may be you should have bought a few lacquer bangles from the exhibition. Those looked so enticing but then they were sold in dozens and  may be that was too much.

May be there isn't a day like today when I had to trace back four routes just because the auto driver said he knew a shortcut that never really existed and because of me who should just have stayed at home lazily curled up reading brand new books that smell fresh that have dream worlds postponed to tomorrow. May be tomorrow might turn out to be a good hair day!

Sacred Space

Dark, dark, dark, scarecrows from past,
May stand in green fields of delight,
Appearing like a witch out of nowhere,
Showing their graceless faces filled with paint,
Casting shadows on our bliss,
Tearing at it with sharp paws and long nails.

When a shadow falls, run, run, run,
Come home before it gets too dark,
And take delight in our sweet talk,
By the hearth, sit in comfort idly,
For the little lamp of hope,
That I put along with our prayers,
Will shine bright, brighter,
Scaring away all shadows,

There are no shadows, my dear
You are at home, beside me,
In our minute but perfect sacred space.

happiness

The art of living

You were the obsession of my young years; the one who taught me much, with encouraging words; the one who listened to the secrets of this heart; you were the little that I had to give away in a season of silence.

You took time to listen; never saying a word even when you were bored. It was real, I know, your interest was not feigned because your heart was big enough to keep people in.

I was naïve pouring out my dreams of being a writer and you said in jest to dedicate my first book to you. When you went away, I was lost, for it was in your absence that I understood that I made a mistake in letting you go.  

You were no love; but a mentor; yet the songs speak otherwise; for in your absence, the heart grieved for you, made you its monarch, mulled over the alchemy of a bond that needed no words. All the songs were a way of coming to terms with a sad reality without you.

Yet you are an epic moment in my evolution; one who taught me an art of living in the moment and holding a mind like an open cup; so much that

I feel that I thank you more for what you were, in an amazing season of silence.

Reading between the lines

You felt strong when he was around; as if you could break down every rule and do whatever you please as long he was with you.

You never saw with what tenderness I had built up a dream adding years for detail across those moments of togetherness, more valuable than anything in this world.

Yet you broke my world, calling a devil of a decision, an Angel and pretended indifference to enforce what you wanted. You valued faith in god and what people thought of you.

You read too much between the lines based on the wreck that you were. But in a way, some of what you understood were misreadings, assumptions of events that never existed.

And I like the fool that I am listen to your words, looking at what might have happened if I had chosen my happiness rather than obedience.