Deepavali was yesterday.
And I'm sure I haven't lost my hearing (or what I'm hearing are just echoes).
Anyway, Happy Shabdavali !!
--'I like the sound of that,' said Mrs Palm.
'I like the echoes,' said Dr Downey.
-- Terry Pratchett, "Feet of Clay"
Happy Vishu to everyone ! For those of us that follow the Malayalam calendar, this marks the birth of the new year. Vishu has like, totally been my favourite festival for so many reasons - it is bang in the middle of the summer vacation, being a kid means you cash in with Vishukkaineetam from all your elders and lastly *FIRECRACKERS* !!.
Because I'm in mourning, I'm not actually celebrating Vishu this year, but that doesn't really stop me from being carried away by the old sounds and smells remembered from the days of my childhood. Ah, nostalgia ... the consolation prize of a loss. For the last 15 years, I've never missed a year in spending this particular day with most of my extended family.
Well, I guess this makes it sixteen in a row ... :)
--We used to call him April Showers, because he brought May flowers.
-- P.G Wodehouse, The Small Bachelor
I admit it, my eyes are a bit more sensitive to dust. But mostly on my left eye, which got hit with an infection couple of years back and still carries the blood shot look which makes me look like a dope pusher of uncertain sobrierity. But my right eye, that was in perfect condition. At least till, something from someone's holi celeberation found its way in. I don't live in a very upmarket location, few cheap accomodations are, and the crowd throwing gulal at each other hardly would understand what the term carcinogen meant. But that is not their fault, it is completely due to an ivory tower form of education that seems to persist here.
Anyway, so something got into my eye and I did not actually stop to wonder what the irritant might be. Automatically you reach up and rub it across your entire eyeball. You rush back to your house and try to insert the right key into the door - but it just won't be found. At last having got through the key in a door puzzle, you wash your eyes under the shower. Pain abates, only to be replaced with the mild irritation whenever you blink. So I should probably head off and see a doctor. Anyway let's say that I wasted an entire day like that.
Though I am not going to go into a typical adult " I could've lost an eye" rants, but this practically has cost me a sleepless night and still feels a bit sore. Oh, how things have changed since the first gulal was thrown at holi, now you can rest assured it was impure talc coloured in heavy metal colours.
--TV is chewing gum for the eyes.
-- Frank Lloyd Wright