A day of stories and

More music. Getting carried away on You Tube. 

Remembering all my favorite songs over the years. Some of them came to me as faint tunes, still bring a smile to my face, even though in some instances, I recalled just the artist. How we change over time. 

Since I’m starting so late, it’s best I do t go down that path, because that meanders and is long. And it’s already late. Instead I will let the story tell itself. It’s about a song, which I have realized is universally loved amongst singers. I’m talking about Deewana Hua Badal. 

Today I was listening to Main Pyaar ka Raahi hoon, by as new duo, being attracted to them because they had a live orchestra of 25 artists. Now that’s certainly enticing, compared to five or six people with a couple of instruments and mostly keyboards. Piano like keys mimicking a violin can really be off putting. Unfortunately, the duo was a bit lacking in the enthusiasm and vivacity of the song. 

You Tube meanwhile, kept thrusting Versions of Deewana Hua Badal at me. So I obliged and listened to SPB (SP Balasubramanyam) sing the song. He clearly loves the song, and I couldn’t understand why someone from the South has sung this with several different female voices including Sangeeta Melekar, who is a very gifted artist. Here it is: https://youtu.be/Uy9u3leyyNs

One thing led to another and I came across this video which is in essence a tribute to Mohammad Rafi, and SPB is the last speaker. While every speaker’s tribute is worth listening to, SPB’s tribute will surprise you. It answers the question, as to why this song is universally loved. Even some one like me with un untrained ear for music, has liked it for so long. https://youtu.be/x5a-U783bV8

Hope you think it was worth your while!

Veenu Banga

April2-3, 2020

1:00 am. 

A blast from the past

 My sunflowers: 

They were hurtful and humiliating, 

Most of all they were unkind, 

If they derided my lack of domestic skill,

Why could they not love me for my mind? 

Veenu Banga

30th January 2022.

But written a long time ago! 

11:21 pm.

KB makes every woman feel beautiful

 And every man perfect! 

The joy of watching KB sing to his small audience with a handful of musicians is just such a pleasure to watch. It’s a great experience of inclusivity in the performance itself, as if one were in a private concert. 

In the few minutes that his voice brings the TV program to a close, every heart is moved by his soulful singing. 

Women of all ages, weather blossoming with the beauty that only youth can boast of, or middle aged women with generously endowed bodies, some with old fashioned glasses, and others of varying appearance, are all seen glowing and many sing along with him. There’s a lot of head nodding, and toes tapping. 

The men too have a soft wistfulness about them, something that happens only when they’re either in the privacy of their bedrooms, or unawares that they’re been observed. With KB’s singing their emotions are also caught off guard, and can be seen involuntarily expressed on their softened faces. That’s quite amusing to watch, because guys prefer to display their tough exteriors, and don’t like to be seen as romantics. 

And KB carries on, sometimes solo, sometimes with a female singer. With his contrived perfections, the imperfections are a clear giveaway to the observant eye. But who’s looking, all are mesmerized by his voice. 

There’s backslapping by the men and amidst their wah-wah’s, it’s clearly obvious they’ve immersed themselves in the music, as much as the women, who have been more expressive about it. 

So go on, KB, keep going on. Here’s the adulation of one more fan, you don’t know exists. As ABBA said, “Thank you for the music, for giving it to me” 

Thank you KB for the joy you bring with your songs, a few minutes can change one’s whole day! 

Veenu Banga

30th January 2022

11:11 pm.

The Body keeps track

 If we think we can get away with abusing our body, taking it for granted, it will sooner or later let you know who the boss really is. 

We presume we are our bodies, and that our actions are separated from any effects on our physical and emotional selves. Intellectually, we all know this is not true, and we, and I speak for myself, need to be reminded from time to time. Though I’m getting better. I was not always like this. 

Late nights and holiday indulgences have taken some toll and my body has clearly let me know that’s not acceptable. So I’ve slept most of the last 24 hours. 

Besides, I’m all wintered out. Wearing layers of clothing and cap and scarf  and a coat over all of that, plus struggling to keep the mask on is not my style- at least not for prolonged periods of time. 

I thought I could keep up my daily gratitude writing habit permanently. That would have been easy, except that one break can have a domino effect and threw me off course. 

Ended up writing other stuff which, let’s just say I thought should wait. 

Grateful today, or rather tonight for feeling better now, after my foolishness of not wearing a coat and the accompanying paraphernalia when we had to go for our COVID tests after a 5 days quarantine since arriving in NL. Ended up getting sick with catching cold. Not the sneezing kind, but the wind blast headache and chills. Soon found myself with a full blown migraine type horror which kept me in bed. Lesson learned. I hope. Oh, and the test results were negative. Thank God for that too. 

Was constantly sipping hot water, most of which I couldn’t keep down. That’s my style of being really sick when I do something wrong. A hot water bottle always helps. Finally I think it may have been the one ounce of ginger ale that came to the rescue. Such a pretty can, called Gingerella! 

Woke up to drink water, again! Thought I’d check on something on my phone, and then decided I miss not having written. So here I am , and headed to the kitchen to refill my hot water bottle. They are such a comfort. 

For the hot water bottle, and for safe passage across the air and the seas, and on trams and trains and on roads, thank you God. 

Veenu Banga

30th January 2022. 

2:07 am

Leaving me humbled!

 The wind thrashed around all night. We could hear through the double panes of windows and doors and through the walls of the house, battering away all night, at what I could not see. It’s always pitch dark outside. The lights are so far in the distance, and while one can make out the outlines, you couldn’t see any effects of the wind on structures, because they are so far away.

This landscape is not unused to wind, in fact they seem to be old pals and partners. There’s evidence of this partnership everywhere the eye wanders. From the windswept grasses to the craggy chiseled shorelines, and the stone ruins of the many castles. 

In this rough landscape, how do the birds manage, I thought. Vain, vain man, or in this instance, woman. I had soaked some rice for the birds, and thought, softened it will be easier to eat and digest, and I could add it as a small treat for the birds. By 10:15 am, they were still not here. Usually they’re on cue after sunrise which has been hovering around 9:00 am. Never mind, I thought and put some out anyway. No takers. They did not show up at all. I did see them flying about further BBC afield, but none came near me. 

Ditto the sheep. They’re usually hanging around about the house and looking in now and then. Today, even they weren’t interested in us. They were further away, possibly at the furthest field. So far away, I’ve never seen them go such distance before. 

We had work to do, the car to load and head out, so I left it at that. No photos today. To be honest I was quite disappointed. I think they knew we were leaving. That’s how life goes, we’re all travelers. All animals have a strong sixth sense, that’s a fact of nature. It was a well deserved snub for me. How vain of me to think that I have to provide for them. My mother used to say God looks after the ants and why won’t he look after you? Another friend who was a little older to me, had once told me that I shouldn’t concern myself with the welfare of others as much as I do. That I take away from myself when I do. That I underestimate the grand design of the divine. That everyone is going through what they need to at any given time. And I am reminded of her words often. Old habits die hard. However, with age and maturity, and with some effort they can be reined in somewhat. 

So that’s what happened today, a well deserved humbling of my ego, if I that’s the right word? Definitely self importance. The audacity to think I was indispensable? A visitor to the homeland or others and already making assumptions, micromanaging, and all those words that are used for people who think…or people who assume, like I did. As if I know it all. 

In a way, it’s nice to know that I don’t. Don’t know it all. It’s not my responsibility. That’s liberating to know. For someone who is supposed to be at that place in life, where we look inwards, and have accumulated some wisdom, (which btw I have not) I should have know better. It was a good lesson. All my romanticizing of the birds and the sheep, was just that. The creatures of the wild are more pragmatic than us humans, though not without emotion. They know when to move on. From that I should learn a valuable lesson. Now I know, and for that I am grateful. Grateful for the experience and grateful for the realization. That’s a good thing to be thankful for! 

Approaching Orkney, and looking ahead to the journey.

Veenu Banga

12/27/21

10:08 pm. 

Two Nuns-1.

We will uphold you, we will light your way,

Till we drive out all negativity, we will stay, they say. 

They light my way, they ease my path,

They save me from self inflicted wrath

Like two headlights of a car, 

they shine their lights on my path.

Look forward, always the way ahead see

What’s gone cannot be corrected,

Erase it from memory.

They hold my hand, they opine

And in relentless thirst I long, I pine

For what is lost, what once was mine.

Mine in me, now eroded over time,

Trapped as I was in hostile climes.

We will uphold you, we will light your way,

Drive out the negative, bring positives to stay.

I have no first family, to fall back upon,

A girl adrift at sea; lonely, forlorn.

Parted from what was really mine,

They come and a light they shine.

We will uphold you we will light the way,

Drive out the negative, till positives are here to stay.

I know it in my heart, they are 

Well wishers of mine.

We will uphold you we will 

Restore your shine.

Just go ahead and show up,

Know clearly your path,

Don’t look back, forever forward

Steadfast, with clear intentions march. 

I heave my self up, it’s been far too long

That I’ve stood up for myself, not swayed

Seek not a crutch, no external touch

Dust off the past, pain cannot be allowed to stay.

We will uphold you, we will light a shine on your way,

Now you’re up and you’re strong,

We must carry on and go our way. 

Veenu Banga

Copyright July 16th 2021. 

 Sometimes I wish there was an App, which if you would point to a star the sky, will tell you which star it is. I think I must have seen Venus, it was so brilliant. I like to imagine it’s a spaceship, with people inside, coming to visit us- us as in all of humanity. They’re coming to Earth. How excited they must be! We have everything. Lots of water in our oceans and rivers, and streams. Good soil in large parts. We have the Amazon basin, and we have Hollywood (and Bollywood) and the internet, etc. Etc. Oh dear, if they only knew! We’re making a mess of this beautiful planet. 

However, I digress. We were out walking after dinner, and as always I was looking skywards and saw the moon. I love watching the moon, and the sky, especially at sunrise and set. Now my friends and family know to tell me if they see a beautiful sky. 

So here we were, just past nine. The sun had long gone to bed, being an early riser these days. However, the sky was still a beautiful blue hue. Oh, and I also wish there was an App, that if you pointed it to a color, it would tell you which color it was, what ones were predominantly in that and etc. Because the sky was the bluest I’ve seen at that time of night. And, yes, I took pictures, and yes, I will share them. Now, without further ado. Enjoy, as I did!