Party time (Part II)

When the lady in white was invited to a New Year’s Eve party, her new dress was not ready.

She regretfully wore her second best dress as there was a prize for the Best Dressed Lady. But she proudly wore her new mother-of-pearl-glazed shoes.

As she arrived at the venue that evening, the air was crisp and cool.

She noticed the mermaid sculpture in the corner, the enormous pool, the giant cake, and the pretty dresses of other ladies.

“Hello! Welcome to the party!” said a little girl who was at the entrance handing out flowers to the guests as they arrived.

The lady gently tucked the flower into her hair while thanking the girl.

“Your dress is so pretty!” the girl exclaimed “It’s almost as pretty as the peacock-blue dress of the lady over there.”

The lady looked to where the girl was pointing and noticed the amazing azure dress of the lady who sat with her friends near the poolside.

Catching the attention of the girl, the lady in white said, “I bet her shoes aren’t as good as mine.” So saying, she raised her dress and flung one foot up for the girl to see. Unfortunately, the shoe was loose and went flying in the air.

It landed on the head of an important-looking gentleman who was having an early dinner. His head sank into his dinner plate. He slowly lifted up his curry-stained face and looked around to see where the shoe came from, only to stare right at the welcoming girl. She, in turn, caught a fright and ran away, screaming.

She wasn’t looking where she was going and dashed right into the clay mermaid whose head broke away. Everybody looked up to see who was screaming so the little girl put her own face in place of the mermaid’s. The guests soon went about doing what they were doing as if nothing happened.

The girl threw the head away and it landed on the electric switch button that controlled the lights at the party. Immediately there was darkness all around and women shrieked, “EEEEeee”.

A bald butler, wearing a wig, carried a ladder and a torch to climb up to the switch button to set it right. When he did so, the “EEEeee” shrieks become a relaxed “AHHhh”.

The butler liked this effect so much that he switched the button off and on a couple of times and the women went
“EEEeee......AHHhh”
“EEEeee......AHHhh!”

The butler got so excited with the effect of the screams that he jumped off the ladder right into the big trampoline behind him. His wig bounced up and down on his head as he bounced up and down on the trampoline much to the amusement of the guests who stood around him and clapped.

Meanwhile, another butler was carefully carrying a cake with a candle outside. He bumped against the mermaid’s head and the burning candle fell on a lady’s peacock-blue dress. The lady was animatedly talking to a group of friends in lovely dresses near the pool. Her friends noticed the fire and pushed her into the pool immediately. The water that splashed out of the pool drenched the beautiful dresses of all her friends.

In the dining room, the lady in white was limping around looking for her lost shoe. There were so many people in there that she found it difficult to get around without bumping into someone. “How I wish everybody would leave this room so I can find where my shoe has gone!” she said to herself.

“FIRE!” someone outside shouted. There was a mad rush to leave the dining room.

“Now that is wishful thinking, isn’t it?” the lady in white said to herself.

Much to her relief, she found her shoe on a dinner plate on one of the tables. She wiped it on a napkin and walked out proudly to see what the fuss was all about.

It was then that they announced that it was time to crown the Best Dressed Lady.

The lady in white grandiosely walked up to the stage only to find herself among water-drenched beauties with soggy hairstyles.

Our lady in white won the competition with her unruffled hairdo, her second best dress, and of course, her mother-of-pearl shoes.

(Picture courtesy: Google Images)

(The Lady in White is Anna's creation. If you are in the mood for humour, do look up the label on top for more such stories.)

Of Kings and Babies

Have you ever wondered what heads of state talk about when they are not discussing the important matters concerning their respective nations?

Do they talk about their families, their own finances, their growing-up years, their interests and hobbies?

I always had a hunch that somewhere between those meetings and speeches, they do get time to discuss personal things.

This week, when Barrack Obama visited India, he asked Narendra Modi a question which is quite endearing. It made people want to pray for their leaders. It made them seem so human.

Obama asked Modi how much sleep he got each day. He seemed to be pleased with Modi’s answer which proved that he, Obama, slept more!

Well, kings are known to have uneasy heads because of their crowns, after all.

...

At the Diamond Museum in the heart of Amsterdam, there are exquisite crowns studded with jewels which display highly skilled craftsmanship. At the same museum, there is a gem of a quote by a famous king who says, “A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in!”

It did rain on Obama and Modi and they had to take the shelter of umbrellas in the absence of bejewelled crowns.

Oh yes, the rain rains on the poor and the rich too.  

...

In our little town of Vasai, there is a baker called Kamal who works day and night. He kneads the dough for bread late at night, bakes bread at the break of dawn, jumps on his bicycle loaded with loaves of bread, and delivers them to the sleepy homes of the villagers while announcing his presence with a loud “ Kamal Pav wala!” accompanied by the familiar bell of his bicycle.

Sometimes, during the day, when we pass by his bakery, we see him fast asleep with a whistle on his lips. Just like a child.

...

To watch your child sleeping peacefully is one of the most precious sights in the world. Without a care in this world, no thought of possessions or property or politics... only the existence of an imagination where fairies love to dwell.

Sleep, many of you would agree, is one of the things in this world that money cannot buy.

 

(Picture courtesy: Google images)

 

Party time (Part I)

"No, these are simply not the right ones" thought the Lady in White as she flung the peep-toe shoes back into the shoe rack.
"I need new shoes, if not a new dress to wear tonight" she thought.
She was disappointed to wear an old dress for the New Year's Party at the Ritz. She had worn that dress before for a movie star's wedding and although it was quite trendy, it was beneath her standards to wear it again for a party where there would be a prize for the best-dressed. The dress that she had planned to wear was still at the dressmakers shop - the embroiderer was sick and couldn't complete his work on time.
"Well, just this once, I will make an exception and wear the same dress twice" she decided "but I must get new shoes at any cost."
...
After dressing up for the party, she went to the elite mall downtown.
To get to the shoe shops, she had to pass by the extensive perfume and make-up section. It was then that she saw the following sign:
FREE MAKE-UP DEMO TODAY
It was a leading cosmetics company promoting their latest make-up products. The make-up would be done by experts in the make-up industry. The Lady in White signed up for the demo and was instantly put on the high make-up chair set on a platform in the middle of the section. The make-up artist carefully wiped away the previous make-up that the lady had applied at home. Then with deft strokes of her brush she applied the concealer and lustrous foundation. Skilfully,  she turned the lady's eyes into completely unrecognisable cat-like eyes with impossibly long eyelashes. After putting on a rosy blush, she sculpted the lady's lips into a luscious red bow.
"Well, what do you think?" she asked handing the lady a mirror.
The Lady in White looked into the mirror in disbelief and fluttered her eyelashes in Marilyn Monroe style.
"Oh la la, is that really me?"
The audience of young women who were filled with awe, gleefully clapped in appreciation.
The make-up artist took a bow and our Lady in White walked away like a fairy-tale princess.
On her way out, she came across, the nail colour counter. Its palette of testers had a particularly bright silver. The lady quickly put it on and finished off all that was left in the tester bottle.
When she was done, she spotted the most expensive perfume on the opposite shelf. Spraying herself generously with the tester perfume, she floated along into the shoe shop.
"Wow, isn't that mother of pearl?" the lady exclaimed as she felt the glaze on the shoes.
"Yes, madam" agreed the polite salesman "We just have one pair of these so they are special. For a special lady like you."
Slipping on the pair of shoes, our Lady in White was ready to rock the party.

(Watch this space for Part II to find out what happened at the party.)

(Photo courtesy: Google images)

 

(The Lady in White is Anna's creation. If you are in the mood for humour, do look up the label on top for more such stories.)

Small Talk

Sometimes people just need to be alone and allow time for reflection.

Aradhana came to Sakhi's house today.

"Hey, where have you been? Haven't met you for a long time" Aradhana asked.
"Yes, I have been playing hide and seek"  Sakhi smiled.

After talking about the recent social scene, Aradhana turned to Sakhi.

"So, how are things with you?"

"Nothing special - just the usual."

"Oh, you must have plenty of time now after resigning from your job."

"Well, I have things planned. Twenty four hours are not enough in a day."

Aradhana meant well and was eager to tell Sakhi who said what.

"You know, Rita was so critical yesterday. She said that you made a wrong decision. You shouldn't have quit your job. She also ..."

"Yes, Rita likes to talk like that. I bet she doesn't not know about all my other flaws. Or else she would blow the trumpet about all of those too" Sakhi laughed mischievously.

"Oh, come on yaar..." said Aradhana with a pat on Sakhi's back.

Then they had tea and chatted about other interesting things.

 

(Picture courtesy: Google images)

 

 

 

To JC

It’s not easy to be your friend

In earlier births, I had known Durga and others.

Befriending you was a fairly recent trend

Just after Mohammed’s tall orders.

 

They were all difficult, perhaps.

(I don’t recollect much from my previous birth)

Sermons, scriptures, rituals – devotional traps

Vague promises of heaven on earth.

 

You, JC, have made me meek

Unwillingly, unwisely, uneasily,

I always turn the other cheek.

Your will rules in me, see?

 

Durga would have inspired me

To dance in destructive frenzy.

Instead, I give up lamely

And let evil feed on victory.

 

Battered and bruised, yet bold,

To my humble hill-top house I return.

And finding you waiting at its threshold

Into your comforting arms I run.

 

 

JC, your faithful friendship I withstand

This journey seems long, please hold my hand.


 

(Picture courtesy: Google images)

 

 

A Warm Welcome

A tall Omani gentleman welcomed us with a bouquet of flowers when we landed in Muscat seven years ago.

“As salaam aleykum! Welcome to Oman” he greeted.

We had never been so warmly welcomed in any other country.

The gentleman escorted us to our transit accommodation. It was a modest two-bedroom furnished apartment with a great view. The fridge was stocked with eggs, bread, and milk. On the dining table was a box of Omani dates and a stiff white envelope from Outpost which is an expatriate support network in Muscat. It had a welcome message and a request to get in touch with Sudatta from the Welcome Team at Outpost.

Sudatta answered my call immediately. “I would like to come to your transit accommodation to welcome you formally” she said.

She presented me with a welcome gift – a piece of cut-work Omani pottery. It was the only thing of beauty and art that graced our living room while we waited for our shipment to arrive from the UK.

After exchanging pleasantries, Sudatta handed me an invitation for a coffee morning at 5, Sahma Street.

“Please come” she said “You will get to meet other ladies who have recently arrived in Oman.”

“Can I bring my little daughter who is not yet at school?”

“Yes, she is welcome too.”

“But I don’t drive.”

Sudatta gave me a phone number.

“Call this number on the day before the coffee morning and they will make your transport arrangements” she said.

“Who are you? A fairy? You seem to have ready solutions for every problem.”

Sudatta smiled and waved goodbye.

On the day of the coffee morning, a courteous elderly Omani gentleman ushered us into his SUV. After making sure we wore our seatbelts, he smoothly drove us to 5, Sahma Street.

The hostess, Norma Malcolm, and the other ladies from Outpost showed us around. There were also several ‘new’ ladies from different nationalities. While my daughter rode a toy bike, I made enquiries about schools and driving lessons.

***

Soon after I got my driving license, I got involved with Outpost as one of the Welcome Team Members. It was a joy to do volunteer work with Sudatta, Nicole, and others.

My assignments took me to the transit houses of several families.

When I visited Madhu, her house was full of the aroma of South Indian breakfast snacks. Her parents were visiting and it turned out that they all knew Muscat very well because they had lived here before and they hailed from Kerala. Any Keralite would feel at home in Muscat because it has been the favourite city of Keralite expats for decades. Everything they needed was either available at Lulu or was soon made available by someone who was visiting their homeland.

I gave Madhu the Welcome gift from Outpost, told her about Outpost’s activities, and left with the impression that I might have to call her for information sometime instead of expecting her to call me!

My last assignment as a Welcome Team volunteer was at Naella’s Marjan Beach-facing transit flat. The view was magnificent. It turned out that Naella too knew Muscat well as she had been here before.

“I’m interested in cake decoration” she answered passionately when I enquired about her hobbies. I provided her with information about some well-known shops in Muscat which sold cake tins and other accessories essential to specialised baking.  I knew her venture would be a successful one because of the deep conviction in her voice as she talked about her pastry projects and experience.

Presently, Naella bakes the best cakes in town and has made special cakes for once-in-a-lifetime celebrations

As my circle of friends widened, I found other activities to interest me and left the Welcome Team.

Then one day, I saw Naella’s name in the Outpost Team list. She was the Welcome Team Coordinator!

***

As expats, our families come to Oman for a few years, breathe in the beauty of this place, and absorb its culture. Some of us even begin calling it home. Then one day, it’s time to move on.

While here, if you look and ask around, each of you is sure to find something interesting to do – be it photography, painting, gardening, writing, or something else.

Oman has always provided a fertile platform for budding creativity.

 

 

(This article was also published in Outpost Newsletter, January 2015)

Life goes on

On New Year's Day, last year, we met Uncle Patrick who told us something important.
He was a cancer survivor.

"You know, I think of this disease as something like an ordinary fever. It came and it has gone. It may come again. Life goes on, nevertheless."

We did not meet him this New Year's Day. He did not survive.
The important thing is that whatever he told us lives on and gives strength in hard times.