The Sun Magazine

The Sun Magazine

Since moving to Coimbatore I have made quite a few friends. Apart from the fellow residence in the Home, people living in the neighbourhood and the doctors and staff in the Ayurveda hospital, I have had the opportunity to meet quite a few of the clients who come to the hospital for treatment. Though the interactions are few during their short stay for a week or two, the impact of these people on me and the happiness I derive from them is substantial.

There was gentle Saratha from Singapore with whom I visited the Esha yoga centre, joyful Maria from US who shared with me the magic she found under the big banyan tree and on top of the Pathanjali rock, bubbly and happy Robin Ali, from US, with whom I visited the Hare Krishna temple, and Donna Russell from US, who made it so easy for me to share my thoughts and feelings about various aspects of my life. Today I met Divya, from US, who would be here for another couple of weeks. All these people have been my energy boosters and motivators. I have exchanged mail ids with them and we have promised to keep in touch.

Knowing I enjoy reading, before leaving, Donna gave me one of the magazines she had – The October 2011 issue of The Sun.

I read all the articles in it. But what impressed me the most was the Sun Interview. Wanting to pass on the article to my son Rajan, I googled - Pirate with a Cause - Paul Watson's Crusade to protect Marine Wildlife. And I was amazed that I immediately got the link.

http://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/430/pirate_with_a_cause

Not only that I can get any issue I want from the net just by changing the issue number

http://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/436/the_butterfly_effect

I read the butterfly effect too. I wrote to Donna thanking her for introducing me to this Journal.

On need to know basis

On need to know basis

I have a feeling that I am not good with gadgets. I have used grinders and blenders in the kitchen. But I would say I never got to use the pressure cooker efficiently. I have used it more as a steamer.

Even in a small simple pocket calculator I have not used all the functions. I did not learn to use all the attachments in my sewing machine. Now my cell phone has camera, facility to download songs, and I know not what else, but I am yet to put it to use fully. In the computer I learnt to send mail, do blog, search the web, do publication work, and do a bit of photo editing. I have a digital camera for the past 5-6 years, I hardly use. When I learnt to drive and had a car of my own all I did was drive to work and to do my Sunday shopping in the farmers market.

I feel inadequate, incompetent sometimes.

But I am confident that I could learn anything when the need arises. In the mobil phone I learnt to send sms, forward contact details and update my contacts and set the alarm and add reminders.

I use the computer to connect with people by chat, through facebook and skype. I learnt to plan my travel, book my tickets and pay for it. I pay my mobil bill and net-connect bill online. Recently I learnt about internet banking. I can monitor my Bank account. Two days ago I transferred money from an account in one Bank to another Bank. There was a warning that ‘if the details are incorrect the money can be transferred to a wrong account and the bank is in no way responsible for it’. It was scary to transfer a large amount knowing I can’t even write a cheque without making a mistake. But when it was transferred to the right Bank the relief was immense.

I have come a long way.

Happiness is in small things

Happiness is in small things

I have a sewing machine that is over 40 years old. It is the Swiss make ‘elna’. It is a compact, light weight electrical one. Initially, in Australia, I have used it very regularly. I have done lots of children’s dresses for my sons using readymade patterns. I have also stitched few of my blouses and all my petticoats.

But lately I have been doing only binding of edges, or attaching falls in the sarees, or some repair work. Today I did a unique repair work in a saree that made me so happy. I felt I have achieved something for the day.

In some saree’s the elaborate thread-work in the pallov leaves the back of it vulnerable to getting caught in any rough edges, making the thread to get pulled. Today I stitched a lining for the pallov. The best part of it is that I had enough extra material in the saree itself to do the job, as I have not cut off the additional blouse material that came with it.

I painstakingly pinned the lining all-around and then machine stitched it patiently. It turned out perfectly, so evenly, without puckering. It was so satisfying.

It is not a joke

I read a book - Laughter the best medicine – a collection of humorous anecdotes. Of the entire 200 or so entries only a few made any impact on me. And going through these I didn’t even see any humour in it, it didn’t even bring a smile to my face.

I felt what it expresses is some profound truth, I can’t even explain, but I can relate with it. I wonder what it reveals about me. Here are the ‘jokes’-

1. The patient in the mental hospital said to the psychiatrist, “It is a lucky thing my name is Charlie”.
   “Why”, asked the psychiatrist.
   “Because everybody around here insists on calling me Charlie.”
   
   
2. A Scott complains that he can never get his coffee to the right sweetness.
   “Why?”
   “Because at home I take one lump of sugar and when I am visiting I take four. But I really like my coffee best with two.”
3. An actor swept into his psychiatrist’s office.
   “Doc, you have got to help me”, he shouted. “I am developing a terrible inferiority complex.”
   “Tell me about it”, the analyst invited.
   “It is awful”, the actor said. “I am beginning to think that the other people are just as ­­good as I am.
   (In this one I would replace, “I am developing a terrible superiority complex, because I am beginning to see that the other people are only just as ­­good as I am”.)