Post-colonial literature frightens me. When I think of it, I wonder whether I have to read it closely and carefully, and then pretend to the whole world that I understood it perfectly. I have to talk about how good it was, and what I felt and thought. More than anything else, with great literature, it becomes important to have an opinion. And that is why I avoided reading Wide Sargasso Sea for so long.The greatest famous book is one that makes you forget about what you are going to say about the book. Sometimes, when I read famous literature, I plan my opinion as I read, page by page. I feel stupid doing that, but sometimes, I have no choice.Wide Sargasso Sea was a world away from that. From the very first page, I forgot about the world. I forgot about the 'post-colonial' tag. I forgot about the careful formulation of opinion. I even forgot that I was reading it to teach it.I … [Read more...]
Getting Lost
Sometimes, I look back and think, "What a foolish, foolish child I was."We lived in Vashi when I was very young, and like all children, I was always happier playing outside than being indoors. Unlike most other children, though, little Varsha loved to go and check that Mamma was still there. Just a little peek and a little hug were enough to keep me going for a long time.Once, my mother took my sister and me with her to visit friends of hers. As usual, my sister and I went down to play. We were inattentive little children and did not notice that even though we lived on the first floor, these friends were different - they lived on the second floor.After playing for a while, little Varsha decided to check on mamma. She went up to the first floor and saw that all four doors were locked. I still remember my heart thumping in my head with fear. I went down and told my sister. She came … [Read more...]
On the Expressway
Driving to Mumbai last evening, I noticed all kinds of things that bewildered me. People do the strangest things, and make my imagination soar.In the middle of nowhere, there was a man walking on the divider, in the direction of Mumbai. I wonder, was he walking all the way?On the ghats, returning in the middle of the night, trucks groaned their way up, blocking all three lanes. Below us was the valley, which we could not see. Sitting on the wall that guards the road and separates it from the drop in the valley, was a man playing with his cell phone. It was close to midnight. Did he think a truck would do better with one person less in it? Did he have a bet - let's see who gets to the top first, groaning truck or me? Or was he just taking a break, hoping to hitch a ride a little later?Someone driving from Mumbai towards Pune suddenly took a U-turn, with no regard for traffic in … [Read more...]
Not Just a Witch
I sometimes feel that a book that is easily read and easily forgotten cannot be a great book. Easy to read is always an important factor, but when it's also easy to forget, I begin to wonder...Not Just a Witch by Eva Ibbotson is simply charming. It's old-fashioned in its 'moral' idea of doing good and ending wickedness. I know that many people find a story with a moral a little same-old-same-old, but not I. I don't need morality to be cunningly woven into the plot. I can read about goodness and kindness without feeling the social need to roll my eyes at impracticality. I enjoyed the idea of a school for good witches, where powers are used for good, and witches are miserable when they do things that are not all good. Not once did the writing seem self-conscious while discussing ideas of wickedness and goodness, and I think that's where the beauty of the book lies. I loved the … [Read more...]
Another School, Another Life
I began another life today. I am to teach English at MIT Pune's Vishwashanti Gurukul.I felt awkward listening to staff room gossip.How funny it is that I had to open yet another bank account in the same bank.What a beautiful campus!What an awful bus journey.What a lovely library! (I want to see my book there very soon.)I'm excited. … [Read more...]
Will I ever call it junk?
How do teachers throw away cards they receive? The children I read to gave me so many cards. Some were beautiful; some were thoughtful; some were sweet. How can I throw any away?Just a sample of those gems... THANK-YOU FOR SHARING SO MANY THINGS I LOVED THOSE THINGS A LOTDear,: Mrs Varsha ShSeshan Thankyou for giving a leacture of reading and writing stories, I loved itThankyou for encouraging us to write, you are a star thankyou because of you we learn't some important thingsThankyou fotelling us nice stories of your book. Congratulations. The story was wonderful. I loved it. It was superyou are so kind. Even I will become an author one day. I will come to you to show my Book.THANK YOU FOR Reading the WONDERFUL + Beautiful STORY I Loved it very, very, very much I loved the story Like anything … [Read more...]
The Dame who Hated Plants
Another original story by seven-year-old Varsha. This one won the first prize in a story-writing competition and was published on my mother's birthday in 1994. The word 'dame', for those who have not read Enid Blyton, meant nothing to me except 'woman' (often magical/ evil). I wonder if this story could be psycho-analysed.There was once a witch whose name was Dame Rock About. She hated flowers and plants.We don't know why she hated plants but she hated flowers because she wanted the honey and the honey-bees were taking it.She had a son called Shaggy. He loved plants and flowers.One day the old Dame put stones on the flowers. She was making a spell that who ever goes into it would turn into an ant. Just as she finished her spell a bee came and stung her and in fright she jumped into the spell. The bee ate her up, because she had turned into an ant.The boy had not liked his … [Read more...]
Surprise Farewell Party
A new life begins for me on the 1st of March. I'm going to stop all my hundreds of classes here and there and teach full-time in a school. Last evening, the girls from one of my classes gave me a surprise farewell party that was truly heart-warming. Thanks to their excited whispered planning, there was no element of surprise, but that took nothing away from the celebration."A party," the girls insisted, "must have cake and cold-drinks and chips." The mothers apparently tried to convince the girls that they were too close to dinnertime to have snacks like that, but the girls were adamant. A party is not a party without cake and cold drinks and chips. I tend to agree with that, at least with the cake and chips. Part I of the party was successful.I always tell the girls that beautiful dance is the best possible gift they can give me. They practised all afternoon yesterday and last … [Read more...]
The Oberon Trio
Wow...In class III, I learned a poem about five kittens in a basket. There was one line that said 'Each one when I pet it seems surely the best'. As The Oberon Trio played, each piece as they played it seemed surely the best.At the end of their Haydn, I could not decide which movement I enjoyed the most. I have no idea how long or short the piece was.At the end of their Brahms, I could not decide which of the instruments I enjoyed most. I wanted to keep listening to all of them.At the end of their Shostakovich, I did not want an encore because I was just so moved by the piece and its emotions. My eyes were filled; I could not say a word. P.S. 1: The violinist's eyes made me think of what Georgette Heyer always describes as 'fine grey eyes'.P.S. 2: Needless to say, The Oberon Trio made me contribute far more than I've ever put into a donation box before. … [Read more...]
Gulaal – a festival of expression
Day one of Indian Rhythm and Arts Association's Gulaal was wonderful. We went essentially for Alarmel Valli's performance, but were blown away by the second part of the evening - Nandita Das's Between the Lines.Valli, in keeping with the season, performed two pieces on spring and concluded with a Nritta Lahiri. The upper part of her body was magnificent. Her adherence to the symmetry of Bharatanatyam with the precision of each movement was fabulous, as far as her torso went. What I truly enjoyed was the subtlety of her expression. Many great dancers today seem to me to be moving away from the Natyadharmi towards the Lokadharmi, making a perfectly beautiful dance distasteful to me. Valli's portrayal of the ten rasas was beautifully done, with a gentle but distinguishable flow from one rasa to the next. Her shringara did not cross the limit (my idea of the limit) even once! Yet, her … [Read more...]