Tagore Song:Akaash jurhey posted and translated by Ranu

I hear the musical note

all over the sky

your name is ringing

in the middle of the stars

I know not when it came down

and touched my fate

its peaceful shower washed my pain!

On that dark night

my mind merged

with the star-filled sky.

This is how I want

my heart to unite with your name

and be busy with my life’s work!

: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/tagore-songakaash-jurhey

DP Daily Prompt: Handmade Tales

Automation has made it possible to produce so many objects—from bread to shoes—without the intervention of hands(assuming that pressing a button doesn’t count). What things do you still prefer in their traditional, handmade version?

Automation has its place in our lives, we are living in an age when time is of utmost importance, some of us leave one job to go to  another, if that’s the case who has time to cook . This is when ready made food comes in handy. Assembly line products are welcome most of the time.

Having said that, I do like to cook food from scratch when time permits, no matter how easy it is to buy a TV dinner that we can stick in the microwave oven and within minutes we get a hot meal.

There is a certain charm of cooking  food by hand,for starters it won’t smell the same or will have the same flavor.After a while one gets tired of ready made food. I know I will. When I cook I have the privilege of making it spicy or use less spices according to how I feel that particular day.

While automation gives us freedom to do other things that require our immediate attention, when we cook food ourselves we make sure it is something tasty and not harmful for our well-being.

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/dp-daily-prompt-handmade-tales/

365 Writing Prompts: Pat on the back

Tell someone you’re proud of, how proud you are.

It is difficult to describe just how proud I am of you. Your remarkable dedication to your family, your work  and the students you teach is matchless.

You meet deadlines after deadlines with such calmness, makes me think you cannot belong to an ordinary class of human beings.

When God created you He knew why He sent you down among us, He equipped you with tolerance for the people you’ll come into contact with, brilliance, to deal with humans like us who lack the gift you possess to help us understand the complexities of life  that we face from day to day.

I needed to know someone like you to realize there are good people like you who care and that not everyone is unreliable. I am truly thankful to know you!

ttp://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/365-writing-pr…at-on-the-back/

 

DP Daily Prompt:190 days later

Back on January 21st we asked you to predict what day #211 would be like.Well July 30th is that day — how have your predictions held up so far? If you didn’t reply to the prompt at the time, is this year turning out to be as you’d expected?

I wasn’t certain whether I was required to reply about that particular day or the days and months leading up to day #211. Today is day# 211, nothing has changed, except it’s a hotter day than I had imagined on the 21st January. In St. John’s all the years  that I have spent here, it was not this hot, we had hot days but they were very short, and we were back to rain, drizzle and fog as usual. This year it is entirely different, the days are much hotter. I was afraid on June 28th when the fasting month started I’d be unable to fast when it was so hot and eighteen hours of fasting, did not seem I could accomplish. I surprised myself, I carried on my fasting all thirty days, I feel so happy.

I am hoping to pray, it will be by myself, I had some caring friends but they left the city and moved on. This year is not quite what I predicted, some of it is true, others are not!

k: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/dp-daily-prompt190-days-later/

365 Writing Prompts: Drawing a blank

When was the last time you walked away from a discussion, only to think of a Perfect Come back hours later? Recreate the scene for us, and use your winning line.

I remember once my friend Mini and my classmate Hasina were discussing different ways chicken can be cooked. That day we invited our Provost to dinner, Mini volunteered to cook, we let her I didn’t want to cook, I was not sure how good my cooking skill was,I only cooked simple things when I was seven, I was fascinated by my mother’s cooking, I used to imitate   my mother’s famous pound cake, it was miniature cake I only ever tried,my mother praised me every time I  tried to cook anything. I probably was too confident about my skills.

When Mini said she’d cook korma I was thrilled it happened to be my favorite dish. I watched the spices she was adding in the pot to fry before she added the chicken. When she put whole red peppers with the rest of the spices, I objected, “My mother does not use peppers in this recipe”, I said.

Both looked up and started laughing,”this is the only way korma is cooked, you don’t know anything”, I was offended with this remark, I stomped out of the kitchen and went to the common room to read the  newspapers which was my way of cooling off.

All this time I was burning with anger, I told myself they didn’t have to be so mean. Then the thought maybe this recipe is used differently, my mother I knew did not use peppers, perhaps some people do to make it hot and spicy.

I went back to the kitchen to see what the girls were doing, Mini looked up and quipped, “so do you still think peppers are not used in this recipe?”

I was a bit annoyed at this remark, rather than have a shouting match with her, I calmed down,looked at  them and replied, ” There is more than one way of cooking this particular recipe with and without peppers, I like my mom’s recipe better”, I left the kitchen with the thought I’m glad I stood my ground!

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/365-writing-pr…rawing-a-blank

Relics in Agra India – Akbar’s Tomb Reblogged by Ranu from ,Practicing Simplicity by rfljenksy

rfljenksy - Practicing Simplicity

I was fortunate enough this past holiday weekend to be able to take a quick trip to India.  It feels a little surreal to even be able to say that last sentence.  “A quick trip to India”.  Wow!! I had a 4 day weekend, it was a two hour cheap flight and I even had a place to stay in New Delhi.  So why not!!

Due to the fact it was a very quick trip, it was decided we would focus solely on the city of Agra.  It sounds so cliche but India is truly a country steeped in remarkable history and it abounds with ancient relics and monuments that are surrounded by some very passionate stories.

We visited Akbar’s Tomb, Fort Agra, Jodhbai’s Palace and of course the Taj Majal.  I hope you enjoy the photos.

Our first stop was Akbar’s Tomb.

The mausoleum was just outside of Agra City…

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DP Daily Prompts: Back to Life

After an exceptionally long and exhausting drive or flight, a gruelling week at work, or a mind-numbing exam period–what’s the one thing you do to feel human again.

I actually experienced this in 2010, I was flying from Dhaka Bangladesh, to St. John’s, Canada.

We boarded the flight at 6  am on our way to Doha as soon as we landed and came into the building we were called to board the flight to Heathrow, London,UK , once again we were hardly in the building the video at the airport was showing “Air Canada” boarding, it’s a long walk from the lounge to the building. This time we  were on our way to Montreal,Canada.

After twenty hours of flying I waited to catch another flight to St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. I sat on one of the benches, to catch my breath, everything seemed to be too fast for my tired body. I tried to stay awake but fell asleep the moment I sat on the bench. I felt someone trying to wake me up gently, I opened my eyes and saw the concerned look of the flight attendant, “Are you okay?” she said.

I straightened up and apologized for falling asleep, she was very kind she took me to board the flight immediately. There was another two and a half hours of flight time for me. When the flight took off I felt relieved this would be the last time taking off and landing and I’d be home safely.

When I reached home, I took a shower first to feel better oh it was heavenly, after my shower, I ate something and went to bed, knowing I would not take another flight in the near future and it will only be a short flight if I go anywhere!

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/dp-daily-prompts/

 

365 Writing Prompts: State of your year

Write a mid-year , “State of My Year”, post.

“State of My Year”: I went back to January 1st 2014, to find out all the prompts I’ve done so far. I know it’s not possible to include all of them. I have therefore picked one prompt for 1st of each month.

On January 1st our Prompt was : Do you believe in Magic?” : I’m only including a sentence, I’d like to have the power to cure certain incurable disease;, wipe out hunger; transform evil people and so on. If you are interested you can go back to January 1st to read the whole thing.

February 1st the writing prompt was ‘Flangiprop”: How I  can invent something to rein in kids who are too active.

March 1st: Tagore song: I ask my mind can you remember who you left behind?

April 1st: Daily Prompt: If I Could Turn Back Time; I want to go back to my past when my father was alive and we were happy.

May 1st 2014: Five Minute Fiction: Freedom : it is a story about how they got their freedom.

June 1st, Tagore song: Aguner Pososhmoni : Oh God for the sake of gain lead us to the right path.

July 1st: Daily Prompt: Back of the Queue, I’m thinking of writing a book since last year.

The above are some of the prompts I wrote about. When I look back I’m happy to note I’ve written about varied topics, it makes me feel good.

: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/365-writing-pr…e-of-your-year/

 

DP Daily Prompt: Sudden Downpour

It was sunny when you left home, so you didn’t carry an umbrella.An hour later, you’re caught in a torrential downpour. You run into the first store you can find– it happens to be a dark, slightly shabby antique store, full of old artifacts,books and dust. The shop’s ancient proprietor walks out of the backroom to greet you. Tell us what happens next!

To avoid getting drenched I walked into the first store I saw, it was an old shabby antique store, I didn’t feel comfortable, I did not intend to stay there too long, I thought when the rain comes suddenly it stops quickly too, keeping that thought maybe it’s the passing clouds,I wouldn’t have to wait in this place too long, I ventured to look for the owner, suddenly I heard the words, “Good day what brings you here?”

I was so startled I thought I’d have a heart attack, I tried to stay calm and turned around what I saw was a man who looked older than his antique store, for a moment a fleeting notion grasped me, “could he be a ghost of this antique store, making sure there are no intruders?”

My imagination went wild, in despair, I made an attempt to run towards the door, before I could move he grabbed my shoulders and said, “Where do you think you’re going, once you’re in you’re stranded, no one can and will rescue you, so take it easy and do as I tell you.”

Hearing these words I trembled with apprehension. He lowered his voice and uttered, “I always keep a bottle of potion to calm the nerves of my visitors.”

Then to my horror I saw him pouring the so called potion into a tiny antique cup which seemed to collect all the dust and then some, “will he force me to drink it?” I thought.

Yes he was determined to calm my nerves, he came close to me forcefully opened my mouth and poured the disgusting liquid into my mouth, I tried to spit it out but he held my mouth until I ingested it.

The potion not only calmed me,it made me fall asleep, I had no idea how long I slept, I woke up hearing some noise, I opened my eyes and found a very cute little girl smiling at me, “did my grandpa scare you too, oh no I hope he didn’t make you drink  his potion, it’s disgusting isn’t it?”

Before I answered her barrage of questions, I  asked her who she was, she remarked, “it’s a long story I’ll tell you when you come here again.

Do I have the heart to revisit this ghostly place I’m afraid not!

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/dp-daily-prompt-5/

365 days Writing Prompts: Life after blogs

Your life without a computer: What does it look like?

There was a time when I wasn’t able to figure out how a computer works, it was due to my lack of interest. now that I have some knowledge, I feel my life without this wonderful gadget called the computer will be pretty dismal.

These are some of the things I’d miss, all the tips about cooking and baking; the sunset and sunrise times; all about famous people who made a  difference to our world;  and how something works if I lose the manual. There are so many things I’ll have to do without.

The emails, it costs no money to send them and how quickly they are received. The online course I’m doing.

My life would be dull without this amazing technology, I’d probably sit in my room twiddling my thumbs, and wonder how did I ever do without a computer.

So dear WordPress my life without a computer does not look good at all!

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/365-days-writi…fe-after-blogs