Smell the …Coffee bloom. A movie which brings Coorg alive

Dev a young man like any of us who keeps listening to spiritual talks has a coffee bean business of his own.
He is trying to be on a spiritual path to forget his past,
but he is not there either as he has never left his past.A perfectly etched character, he is a boy when he is angry at his mother, A man, when he respects and stands up for a woman.
Due to sudden turns in his life he has to go to coorg, as that was the only solution to lift his coffee business , his only source of income to pay his bankers.

Dev goes back to the coffee plantation, a place where he grew up, a place with memories, a place which he disowned.
Its all karma isn’t it when you run away from responsibilities it runs behind you.
The karma doesn’t leave him there, it confronts him in the form of Anika(Sugandha Garg) his long last lover,
for whom he was ready to give up his life like any other teenager but now she is his boss.
Anika married to Srinivas stands by her husband, but when confronted by her lost love gets on to trip of guilt, She is possessive about dev, but hates him as well, and thus the plot of coffee bloom is set.

In the backdrops of beautiful coorg, does Dev find what he wants, will Anika be able to give him? Is Shonda able to convince dev to do magic for Srinivas.

The blooming of coffee through the landscapes of coorg has been a fantastic experience.

I hated Dev for his anger, pitied him for his stupidity as a teenager, forgave him for his respect to woman, and loved him for his belief.Hats off to Arjun Mathur who played the role so convincingly that he brought out all the emotions.
He was well supported by Kapoor as Srinivas, a person who makes a fool of himself to make you laugh.
but at the same time a land owner, a husband who believes in the magic which is Dev.

A feel good film from bollywood After a long time, unlike others which have no story but makes lot of noise.
Kudos to the team of Coffee bloom, For giving life to such a beautiful story, and for bringing coorg alive.
The movie has covered coorg so beautifully that I wouldn’t be surprised if film-makers make it the Ooty of early 90s.

Passion Fruit – Someone like me would have named it so !

The first time I saw this fruit, was 10 years ago in my college hostel, a rich yellow fruit. It looked like a huge yellow bulb and left me wondering what kind of tree would have this.

Everybody was eating the fruit with sugar for which I thought oh not again a fruit which is edible only with sugar and my calorie conscious heart said I should not take it with sugar. I was requested(rather warned) multiple times by my friends that without sugar I will not be able to eat it.

Braving them I tasted, it felt sour, like licking lime I was taken a back and asked is this really a fruit. My friends convinced me take it with sugar, which I enjoyed eating (of course I have a sweet tooth)

Days and years went by, the taste of the fruit I had almost forgotten but the thrill of a wild fruit kept me yearning for it. I used to imagine going to my friend’s home directly and checking out. Finally the sun shined one day and my best half took me to an exotic fruit shop in Bangalore where I saw it and immediately got it.

Now 10 years later of knowing it, the love for the fruit still holds on, I have tried almost all varieties yellow, purple, red, the sweet the sour and also the tasteless all of which I enjoy. Sometimes I visit certain places just to buy this fruit, even if it’s like travelling for hours I convince myself that the trip is just for a fun. I have also mastered the skill of ensuring that the shops have it ready for me before I visit them ;-)

Now I know it composition and know its benefits too… More than the taste I think it’s the wildness of the fruit that still attracts me to it.

Call it the effect of genes I can see the passion in my 3 year old son too. sometimes leading to a fight between us on who will grab it first, leaving others to wonder who is the child between us.

Thank you An, for introducing me to this lovely fruit.

What's in a dress..

Yes we love to wear what we like, but do we want that at the cost of our life…
When there are so many assaults on women, and with none of the measures helping to reduce the crime rate, should’nt we be careful. I am a modern women, I have my career, manage a lovaly home, travel, be the way I want and my comparison with a mordern woman ends there.

With all the assaults over the last few years, I feel unsafe, I am scared to go after 10, scared for myself and my family. Under such situation I do not want to blame anyone, but act more responsibly if its not safe to travel around late, I do not want take the risk, I am not a super women.

Yes there are fanatics around, how do we know them, how does the law know them.
If simply wearing an “Indian Attire” and ensuring I don’t travel late will keep me safe, I want that safety. But does that ensure no one attacks my home?

If I stop my daughter from going to school out of fear, am I not being medivial. But being called a medivial mother is OK for the safety of my child.
But does that ensure she is safe at home?

I am not sure what will keep us safe but definitely the highest punishment will atleast instill a fear on fanatics.

I want the best for my daughter, isin’t that what every mother wants. I want her to fly and capture the skies. But do I want to take risks for that, and if I am ok to take risks then how many, and to what extent. Should I follow her in school, track her at her friends place, accompany her to the park and decide her dress. Now is she really flying or is she just a being a kite who is allowed to fly but the string (here its me) attached decides the direction, the duration and the destination…

Daughters are such a blessing but the world around me does not even allow me to enjoy that state of mind. Yes I can say I d’ont care about all this, afterall I am a modern woman. But by telling I do not care do I actually care…

Sunday @ Literacy India – JP Nagar

When I decided to be part of the joy of giving event, I was looking ahead to take part in the fun activities that the office would be organizing as part of the event. I got into the organizing committee so that I would have a change from my day today activities. The team had already identified 4 NGO’s and the organizing team needs to visit the NGO’s to get an understanding of their needs and how we can help them and whether they are really needing attention.

I was not looking forward for the visit but thank fully I was not feeling down that I may have to forgo my weekend afternoon sleep.

We reached the NGO at 1.45 Pm in the afternoon 15mts before our planned visit time, we were greeted by the care taker who explained to us that there are about 50 children and they have two houses where 1 was for girls and 1 for boys. We were taken to the 3rd floor were the tailoring classes are usually held. The house was quite small but well maintained. The kids were waiting in the second floor and gave us big hello when we entered.

I was not sure what to expect from them. I was also feeling little nervous for the fear that anything I do should not hurt them. We spoke in English as the local language was not our forte, to my surprise and relief the children were ready with a huge smile to converse in English. Their vibrant eyes and happy faces spoke a lot more that they intended to. The kids were receiving good education and were also part of good colleges and schools. 

The confidence in them definitely showed that they have been taken care well. Hats off to the caretaker and her two helpers. They manage 50 kids, sit with them for homework, guide them in this cruel world and take care of them. I could not end up but compare myself with my 4 year old son his homework, his school activities, his stories, his medicines, his complaints, his food habits, his friends and finally his day’s narration and questions. The whole comparison left me with a huge sense of what can be done, and what needs to be done.

I always had a thought that NGO’s may not spend money efficiently, But seeing the JP Nagar Literacy India kids I realized that the kids here were taken care well, given good education and had a special bonding among themselves and the caretaker. I am sure there are many such NGO’s.

They danced, sang and played with us. It was already 4 and we had to leave. Having spent 2 hours with them I left with a lighter heart and on a happier note that my Sunday was worthwhile.

Scientifically we are evolving, how about our mind?

The debate of evolving human features is a long one, from wisdom teethes being useless, to no more tail bone, from a bigger jaw line to an increase in average height. But is our mindset changing, I thought with probably increase in love marriage, increase in socialism we have evolved and have a higher acceptance level.

I want to narrate a incident which made me think, are our acceptance level really on the rise or are we just acting?

I had taken my son Gokul to doctor for vaccination, its not his regular doctor, but I thought its OK as I don’t have to go 1/10th of the distance. The clinic was crowded as a result of vacation and mango season. I did not have an appointment so of course had to wait and was given the last one.

Some of the children were jumping around, some crying and some sleeping.

A mother(M1) entered with two children, one about 5 years and the second one about 5 months, the younger one was not well. She also did not have an appointment, I was like OK there atleast someone like me.

One by one patients entered, while we waited outside for my turn. M1 wanted to enter next as her younger one started crying and asked for the lady(M2) next to allow her in. M2 could not agree and said she has been waiting for almost an hour, and asked her to wait for her turn.

I felt little sad for our M1, but I guess M2 was also helpless as I knew she has been there before me for quite sometime.

M1 got angry and started arguing that her daughter is just 5 months and crying and the elder one has not yet had her dinner, so how can you be so inconsiderate M2 agreed and asked M1 to go, that’s when I looked and M2 little closely, her daughter was about 5 years old, she was not lifting her head because of fever, and I am sure 6.30 pm, she definitely did not have dinner. The clinic assistant supported M2 and asked her why she agreed, but M2 said maybe her daughter is very sick and she was very tensed

. I felt happy because M2 did not take that opportunity to complain about M1. M1 took approximately 20 mts to come out with all of us sighing a relief, she went and thanked M2,

I felt happy that she appreciated M1’s deed.

M2 asked M1 to ensure that she takes appoint otherwise will be a problem and Our M1 is M1 you know…she overreacted and blasted M2 for arguing and stormed out, M2 stayed silent while the assistant and few others supported her. She just said M1’s child is sick and she is upset so lets leave the topic.

Both the mothers were upset over their children, but both reacted differently. Does it mean M2 loves her child less or M1 loves her child more… I would definitely not react like M1 but would I have the courage, patience to react like M2, maybe not earlier, but seeing her I think I have learnt a bigger lesson of acceptance. I had been there to vaccinate my Son, but I was vaccinated. :-)

I do not want check whether our fore fathers were considerate. With all history data on unacceptability, caste and untouchability, I had always assumed we have evolved, but have we evolved right?

Innocence

Innocence brim in them, fear of the unknown and longing for support evident in their eyes. The two little kittens less than a month in this brave bold world kept their eye contact intact.

Neither did they blink nor did they move, waiting for their mother under a small water pipe on the only road on Havelock. Neither the approaching wind nor the new entry in their territory scared them. They tried to glare and make noise and fight but never moved.

Their fighting spirit touched me. It’s definitely their innocence which will be lost as they grow. How many cats do we see around which do not move when they see a new person?

Any child is like that, be it kitten, a calf or our own. They cry, they smile, they talk, they imagine and fill our lives with joy.

Kids are an instant stress reliever. They neither understand money nor understand the fear of losing. If you are harsh on them they would fight back telling ‘when I grow up and you become child I will be harsh as well’, and if you show sad faces they will walk up to you and tell don’t worry ‘I will not do, I will take care when you are a child’.

Even though I scared the kittens… I could not resist myself from taking this pic.

KSRTC Hero

I am one of the people who is of the opinion that, bus drivers are rash, irrespective of where, when and who all of them are same. On numerous trips that I have had to Bandipur or Nagerhole national park, I always have experience of people honking in the middle of the forest ignoring the no horn zone board and scaring the animals.

This trip with 3 kids and 4 adults including my best half who along with myself becomes a kid when he spots animals in forest, was unusual from the beginning. In the Bandipur stretch one can usually spot monkeys and some trained elephants and rarely deer. We wanted the kids to enjoy the forest drive and it was almost 6 PM when we entered the forest gates. Sujesh was already feeling uncomfortable that it will get dark soon and not easy to spot wild animals.

A family of elephants welcomed us and my son was already screaming mama, papa and baby elephant. We spotted many such families, at times we saw peacock with their vibrant colors and wild buffalo staring at the passing vehicles leaving us stunned. There we many deer running and jumping near the roads some scared because of the lights, some casual as this just part of their life. This has been our first trip on Bandipur where we spotted so many animals, maybe it is evening returning home time for them.

The forest has no stopping sign even then people stop by to take quick snaps, and the vehicles behind start honking either to move ahead or to grab the spot for shooting, this is something like two salesman fighting to enter your house even at a time when both are not invited :-)

We were almost reaching the end of the forest stretch, suddenly we saw 2 cars standing behind a KSRTC bus, the road is narrow and almost dark, we have stopped the car and waiting for the vehicles to move, if it was in a city we would have definitely honked, but just as a precaution we decided not to honk or flash lights. I was thinking why the bus has stopped hoping its not a puncture, in fact I was almost ready to start complaining about the state the buses are.

Soon the anxiety to leave the place reduced but the fear of the forest started conquering, with no lights, and the unknown reason left us vulnerable. Sitting inside a closed Innova was definitely better than standing on a bike.

Soon the next fleet of vehicles arrived and started their honking, we are at least 10 vehicles in queue none of us honking or flashing light just trusting the bus driver who was moving very slowly. But there comes the 11th car which starts honking as if all 10 of us are partying in forest.

Finally we got a glimpse of him… The majestic elephant who had all of us behind him. He was walking slowly on the road with full control of the forest, Of course it is his forest and he has every reason to be on that track.

But the bus driver emerged an hero he turned my opinion of bus drivers, I have only respect for him for slowing down his huge vehicle and sticking to his principles by ignoring the honks and flashes from behind, Almost for 30 mts we all followed him, until the elephant moved out of the roads. We crossed the elephant when it again decided to come back to road but unfortunately there were no more KSTRC driver like our hero, so people started honking at the elephant…Since we already crossed before it came back on the roads I do not know what happened, but its likely the animal got scared and moved out..