CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR SEASON with Sammy and Seren here - DECEMBER 2011

Link http://deepakdemoninlove.multiply.com/photos/album/61/CHRISTMAS_AND_NEW_YEAR_SEASON_-_DECEMBER_2011
I just posted some photos of the Christmas and New Year Season on my blog - lots of old memories came alive and there was a wonderful re-connect with all our family and our friends - its Party Time!!!
Click on the little link above and share our moments
Sent with the very best wishes for a great New Year and blessings from the Gods for every one and hope that love surrounds you all
Deepak

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR SEASON - DECEMBER 2011

I thought that I should save some pictures of December 2011 for posterity - several parties, a lot of togetherness and it was a season to reconnect with friends and family - so these are random pictures of me and my family and some of our friends ... my heritage family party at home in Delhi, the visit to Hardwar for Abha's fathers birthday at Abha's brother Aloks house there, the wonderful Christmas celebration and dance and bonfire and the Christmas tree with all the presents at home in Dehradun like the good old days once more, the visit to Faridabad to Abha's sisters house and the fine very very tasty dinner at Kota House with Arvind as well as the slurp slurp dinner at Karim's in Delhi - every moment was special ... posted with love and affection to every one and wishes for a very very wonderful new year 2012

17TH DEC 2011 DEEPAKS FAMILY GET TOGETHER

I have posted all the picture of the party here and also posted a descriptive blog for everyone at http://deepakdemoninlove.multiply.com/journal/item/131/DEEPAKS_FAMILY_GET_TOGETHER_IN_DELHI_17TH_DEC_2011

DEEPAKS FAMILY GET TOGETHER IN DELHI 17TH DEC 2011

One day I thought that time and tide have resulted in a widening abyss between every one in our family - the children have no idea of our heritage - they have no knowledge of the sacrifices and bravery of our forebears who had to leave everything behind in Pakistan during the terrible days of India's partation and the creation of the new country 'Pakistan' in the Northwest of our country, of the massacres that took place - I had posted a blog on Jan 8, '08, especially for my Aunt Mrs. Promilla Ghose which will give an idea of what they all went through to give a secure new home and a new life after the partition of India - you can read it at End of an Era - An Eulogy dedicated to Mrs Promilla Ghose my Great aunt on my blog - http://deepakdemoninlove.multiply.com/journal/item/73/End_of_an_Era__An_Eulogy_dedicated_to_Mrs_Promilla_Ghose_my_Great_aunt .
So I planned a party and invited 35 people of my maternal side of the family - but again events often do not happen as they should -
1. Derek (Uncle Ozzie's son) and his family - wife and two children could not come because he was down with a heart problem
2. Dinky (Aruna Paul) my cousin along with Anil and their newly married son and bride could not attend because Anil had fixed a national level meet or something where they all had to go
3. Aunty Maureen - the last surviving of our older generation who were born in Quetta (Now in Pakistan) is over 80 years old and had to be brought by Derek and consequently could not come
4. Ronnie's son Kabir was not well and so his wife Sudha had to stay behind to care for him.
6. Tina (Vikrams wife Edna's sister with her husband and kids could not come because Eric was not well and Tina had her school function on that date itself - 4 Less sigh!
5. In addition, Abha's sisters from Jhansi and Muzaffarnagar had said that they would be with us - but only Gaurav arrived - so that made 6 less
So to finish the tally - finally there were only 15 of us left!
But we had a great party - and celebrated the day with lots of fun and laughter and reminiscences of the great times we had in the yesteryear filled with a little nostalgia and lots of laughter! There were Aunty Mano, Roma, Ronnie, Me, Abha, Gaurav, Percy and his wife Seema and kids Shalini and Mister Jerry, Jatin with his wife Meenu and kids
I am posting photos of the evening for every one to see in a separate album and the link is http://deepakdemoninlove.multiply.com/photos/album/60/17TH_DEC_2011_DEEPAKS_FAMILY_GET_TOGETHER_ -
Hope you all enjoy the pictures
Deepak

Yaadon ki Baraat Full Video Song

I remember when I saw this wonderful song a long long time ago,
and though the years have passed - its meanings are as clear and
nostalgia provoking as ever - the song is about the procession
of old memories as they pass through our minds and awaken that
deep nostalgia which never ever leaves us ..

"Candid Camera"

Elvis Presley - Besame mucho

This was Mashima's favourite song ... always loved it ...

Quantum Levitation

Have a look at this - I can imagine my self levitating with a song on my lips..
WOW and thank you Sammy for finding this link

Sanjay's star performance daughter Gauri, playiing the SITAR

Ravi Shankar was undeniably the king of the Sitar - and believe me the Sitar is one instrument which takes a lifetime to learn how to use - and of course it is very important that the person playing a Sitar is endowed with the skills to play it - such people are prodigies - and here is a sitar recital - my friend Sanjay is a Colonel in the Indian Army and his daughter Gauri is playing the Sitar on stage here - just hear the music on full volume and she is the Sitarist in the middle ...
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1456053924352 

AND THE REST, GENTLY TO SLEEP LAY-A Poem by me

AND THE REST, GENTLY TO SLEEP LAY-A Poem by me

AND THE REST, GENTLY TO SLEEP LAY-A Poem by me

AND THE REST, GENTLY TO SLEEP LAY

.                     By Deepak Menon

Can meanings, we, from words glean?

Words that are meant to let us know,

What we can never hear or dream,

Words meant to raise or lay us low,

What we can see, of intents unseen

From words uttered not to let us know,

Is but a fragment of a forgotten dream

Words wrapped in magic gowns of snow,

Lily white in nether worlds so dark

Showing glimmering rivers of feelings,

That words like crawling maggots park

In minds deep recesses,with meanings,

That silently reverberate with truths

We think we know but are not sure,

For words are carriers of those truths

And themselves the beckoning lure,

Concealing meanings in shimmering hazes

Compelling reason and ignorance,

To lose themselves in speakers mazes

Of meanings construed as deliverance,

For, meanings from words we do derive,

But in a parochial, limited way,

We hear what we need to survive

And the rest must always hidden stay,

So let's not peer too deeply into the meanings,

Of words we hear along life's way,

Lets glean what we desire to sooth our feelings!

And the rest? - Gently to sleep lay.

Wopswede, Germany - Deepak Mashinder and Abha visit

Link

Wopswede, Germany - Deepak Mashinder and Abha visit - July 2011

http://deepakdemoninlove.multiply.com/photos/album/59/Wopswede_Germany_-_Deepak_Mashinder_and_Abha_visit?utm_source=cp&utm_medium=facebook-cp&utm_campaign=deepakdemoninlove

Wopswede is a lovely little town near Bremen in Germany - I. Mashinder and Abha visited it and spent the entire day walking around it - savoring the flavor of the times and Abha bought lots of beautiful little souveniers from the quaint little old times shops there. It was a really very happy and satisfying day and reminded me of the good old days when things were beautiful and life was simple and uncomplicated. Good friends are really a gift from the Gods.

Wopswede, Germany - Deepak Mashinder and Abha visit

Wopswede is a lovely little town near Bremen in Germany - I. Mashinder and Abha visited it and spent the entire day walking around it - savoring the flavor of the times and Abha bought lots of beautiful little souveniers from the quaint little old times shops there. It was a really very happy and satisfying day and reminded me of the good old days when things were beautiful and life was simple and uncomplicated. Good friends are really a gift from the Gods.

BREMEN - ABHA MASHINDER DEEPAK - JULY 2011

http://deepakdemoninlove.multiply.com/photos/album/58   - YOU CAN SEE THE PHOTOS IN THE ALBUM ON THE SITE
Mashinder dove us in his car to Bremen - and on the way we enjoyed the impeccable German landscape - precision is the word that comes to mind when one thinks of Germany and we arrived at Bremen in good spirits. It is really a very fine city! We roamed all around the town area and savored the wonderful architecture of the buildings. many many wonderful statues, beautiful gardens and flowers, fascinating bylanes of old Bremen where there were quaint shops -each different from the next and each selling its own brand of goods. The cobble stones and the bicycle tracks were so nice to see. And the discipline amazing. No one - I repeat - No one every violated a traffic rule even though we seldom saw the traffic police!

BREMEN - GERMANY - DEEPAK ABHA MASHINDER JULY 2011

Mashinder dove us in his car to Bremen - and on the way we enjoyed the impeccable German landscape - precision is the word that comes to mind when one thinks of Germany and we arrived at Bremen in good spirits. It is really a very fine city! We roamed all around the town area and savored the wonderful architecture of the buildings. many many wonderful statues, beautiful gardens and flowers, fascinating bylanes of old Bremen where there were quaint shops -each different from the next and each selling its own brand of goods. The cobble stones and the bicycle tracks were so nice to see. And the discipline amazing. No one - I repeat - No one every violated a traffic rule even though we seldom saw the traffic police!

My Favorite Things - Julie Andrews

This is one of the most wonderful songs of the immortal Musical :-
The Sound of Music - and it is a lesson to all of us - always remember
your favourite things and you will never feel sad .....!

State Bank of India - Info | Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/State-Bank-of-India/109615492390053?sk=info
And this is something about the great bank where I have worked for over 30 Years!

Berlin, Germany - Abha Rumi, Mashinder, Karan and Deepak - July 2011

Mashinder with his wife Rumi and son Karan, drove us in their car to Berlin and it was really a wonderful city. The Autobahn ride was in itself an experience as always. They took turns driving and finally after driving through wonderful countryside all like paintings of the masters, we arrived at Berlin. We first walked through a wonderful park with beautiful flowers and a great Old Windmill right out of Cervantes. And then we took a bustop tour of the great city of Berlin! We saw the Berlin wall. We saw the beautiful buildings. We strolled through amazing Malls. We saw wonderful architecture, We walked all around the famous Checkpoint Charlie where the Russians and the Americans came face to face when Berlin fell during the Second World War. There are no ends to the wonders of Berlin steeped in History. I will try to add more to this blog as time passes - but one is well advised to read the History of Germany and the 2nd World War too and then go to Berlin and savour its flavor!

6 Degrees Warming - Global Dimming

6 Degrees Warming - Global Dimming

Deepak's Site - Neu Schwanstien - The Schloss - Abha Deepak Mrinal - our visit to Germany July 2011

http://deepakdemoninlove.multiply.com/photos/album/56/Neu_Schwanstien_-_The_Schloss_-_Abha_Deepak_Mrinal_-_our_visit_to_Germany_July_2011
This album has some photos of the most incredibly beautiful Schloss Neu Swanstein in Germany where we went with Mrinal. I have posted a description also on the photo album. Click on the link to go to the album!

Neu Schwanstien - The Schloss - Abha Deepak Mrinal - our visit to Germany July 2011

Mrinal drove us from Innsbruck, Ellbogen, Austria, to this beautiful Castle in Germany one day. The drive through the Austrian Alps was amazingly like a drive through the mountains of our dreams. Lush vegetation, beautiful villages and towns, incredible tunnels - one was 14 KM long, with lighting and superb roads and speeds of 80-90 KMPH even inside the tunnel - WOWEEEEE!
And then finally we had our first glimpse of this most beautiful of Castles of the world. In Germany they are called a Schloss - but I will use the word Castle. Lush meadows led us to the beautiful town at the base of the hills where it was built.
Everyone who has seen the great musical movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" must have been enthralled in the scene where the flying car flies over a castle and that castle was Neu Schawanstien! Find the You Tube link to the song - and enjoy the castle!
I will add to this blog in a while - but enjoy the photos till I manage to put in a more comprehensive description! We were not allowed to use the Flash in the Castle and it was not too brightly lit from inside to preserve the paintings and fresco in the Castle, so I am only posting the ones which were clear. Unfortunately the part of the movie where the car flies over the Neu Schwanstein Castle has been removed from You Tube due to some copyright infringement - but you all can see the movie all right when you get it.
AND ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, I saw a calender of the castle and was so impressed by its pristine beauty that I PAINTED THE NEU SCHWANSTIEN CASTLE WITH A ROCKY FACE, never having seen it and not knowing that one day I would actually be standing inside it.. I am posting that painting my me also in this album - albeit with a little artistic license ha ha
Deepak and Abha!!

SELIGENSTADT, GERMANY - ABHA DEEPAK VISIT WITH MRINAL PETRA ALBAN DANIEL

We went with Mrinal and Petra and their kids Alban and Daniel to SELIGENSTADT which is a beautiful Monastery near Frankfurt. We had great pastries at a cafe also. The most beautiful thing about that Monastery, aside from its beautiful medieval architecture, were the gardens. I am sure that the variety of plants and different variations of apples can not be found in any single garden anywhere, other then the Botanical Gardens of the Universities or the Government.
We were so happy there with the wonderful weather and the company of Petra and Alban and Daniel, that we remained smiles all the way. The Monks had cultivated an incredible assortment of rare medicinal herbs too. In a way it was like the Dream Garden that Abha carries close to her heart.!

REMBRANDT HOUSE MUSEUM - AMSTERDAM - MASHINDER ABHA DEEPAK JULY 2011

Mashinder drove us from his house at Hepstedt, Germany, to Amsterdam, which happens to be among the best and most wonderful cites in Europe we visited. Suffice it to say that it is "DIFFERENT" as I have described in the other album on Amsterdam.
The highlight of our visit to Amsterdam was the Wonderful Rembrant museum, which has been made in the very house he lived in.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɛmbrɑnt ˈɦɑrmə(n)soːn vɑn ˈrɛin], 15 July 1606[1] – 4 October 1669) was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art history and the most important in Dutch history.[2] His contributions to art came in a period that historians call the Dutch Golden Age.
Having achieved youthful success as a portrait painter, his later years were marked by personal tragedy and financial hardships. Yet his etchings and paintings were popular throughout his lifetime, his reputation as an artist remained high,[3] and for twenty years he taught many important Dutch painters.[4] Rembrandt's greatest creative triumphs are exemplified especially in his portraits of his contemporaries, self-portraits and illustrations of scenes from the Bible. His self-portraits form a unique and intimate biography, in which the artist surveyed himself without vanity and with the utmost sincerity.[2]
In his paintings and prints he exhibited knowledge of classical iconography, which he molded to fit the requirements of his own experience; thus, the depiction of a biblical scene was informed by Rembrandt's knowledge of the specific text, his assimilation of classical composition, and his observations of Amsterdam's Jewish population.[5] Because of his empathy for the human condition, he has been called "one of the great prophets of civilization."[6]
The tour of the museum was fantastic, and we were given Voice Recorders which gave a running commentry on each painting in each room we visited. Rembrandt also had a great collection of busts of the head including a skull which must have helped him to paint the human face in true perspective. His studio where he painted showed all the original tools and brushes and palates he used along with the original paints he mixed. Once one has seen any of his paintings, one can but understand why he has been the greatest of the Dutch Master School of Artists.
We took many photographs, but since the lighting was dim and flash lights were not allowed, some are not so clear. But still they are all precious memories of a wonderful unforgettable visit to Amsterdam, and testimonials to the power of friendship which brought Mashinder and us together after 35 years without any contact!
Thank you Internet and technology which made it all possible.

AMSTERDAM - DEEPAK ABHA MASHINDER - JULY 2011

Mashinder put us in his car and off we went to a drive of over 500 KM to Amsterdam. And what a wonderful city it was. Just when we finally parked the car and had walked a little way across a bridge, the rain clouds loomed over the sky. We took refuge in a little shop and were pleasantly surprised to find that besides souvenirs, chocolate, coffee and trinkets, they also sold tickets for a Canal Cruise. Soon the clouds receded after a slight drizzle and we were on the Cruise Ship, cruising along the canals of Amsterdam.
I was amazed to see the extent of canals which crisscrossed the city. We passed many monuments and other constructions along the way and covered a very large portion of Amsterdam. The cruise ship was completely covered with glass covering so we could get a great view on all sides. We admired the many bridges the most. At one point one could see 7 Bridges simultaneously while going down one of the canals. Amsterdam is a city meant for Tourists.
Everyone spoke English so we did not feel like strangers. The entire town was full of hundreds of shops selling an amazing variety of things ranging from dolls, postcards, paintings, do-it-yourself kits, coffee, great confectioneries, great food, and what not what not - not to forget the clothing stores. The roads were perfectly maintained. The whole local population of Amsterdam seemed to be riding on bicycles. No one ever crossed the road on a red traffic light, including the pedestrians. The architecture was enchanting. Mashinder had been there many years before, but he remembered the narrow by lanes of Amsterdam and took us across to that sector of the city.
Marijuana is allowed to be used in Amsterdam and there were shops selling reefers of Marijuana. We also bought one to smoke when we reached Hepstedt for the experience, but no one remembered it so it was never smoked ha ha.
The day was reaching a close, but we had time because Mashinder had booked us into one of the Hotels near the Schipol Airport, and we could get a train to town very easily from there. The hotel also had a bus which took passengers to Schipol and back, so we could roam all around Amsterdam till late night.
The next day we again went to town and saw new areas. In one of the lanes there is a house which has many many bells covering its walls and all the bells ring simultaneously at a particular time. Many tourists were waiting for the bells to ring. Amsterdam also has lots of famous places like Madame Taussads, and many museums where the Great Dutch Masters great paintings are displayed. Since we had only a two day stay there, I chose to see the Museum of one of the Greatest of the Dutch Masters - Rembrant!! I will write more about that museum which is in the original house where Rembrant lived. Suffice it to say that it was an experience like no other!!

Visit to Mashinder Rumi and Karan at Hepstedt North Germany - WONDERFUL11

Link

Visit to Mashinder Rumi and Karan at Hepstedt North Germany - WONDERFUL11

Our friend Mrinal put us on a train to Bremen via Hanover, in the nick of time after we arrived at the wrong station ha ha. The train was wonderful and so was the trip. I wonder how they manage to coordinate the entire system so efficiently. We passed through beautiful countryside, tunnels and little hamlets and towns on the way - they were all like one would see in a fairytale.
For the first time in many years, the trains were delayed due to some problem on a bridge but we were met at the station by Mashinder and he drove us the short distance of about 35 KM to Hepstedt where he and Rumi have a beautiful house.
This album is about them only and perhaps I may have to write a tome someday about this beautiful family. I am going to post some photos which will give every one an idea of this heaven on Earth.
AND CONTINUING NOW - the stay with Mashinder and Rumi was more and more enchanting hour by hour. Abha said that the couples marriage was so perfect that the marriage must have been arranged in Heaven. The days when we did not go out, they cooked up wonderful dishes including a PERFECT birthday party for me at Midnight on the 26th! Rumi had quietly baked a cake par excellence and they had the Champagne chilled to perfection - all done without me knowing about it!!
The day before we left, they made a wonderful Barbeque with coals in their beautiful garden .. I wish we were not going back to India ... and finally, just the two of them maintain that heavenly house as though some fairy waves a magic wand every day to keep it so perfect - imagine keeping a house with garden with 40 Trees and myriad other things so perfectly speck free ...

A short update of our Europe Trip

We landed at Frankfurt on the 4th of July, were met at the Airport by my old friend Mrinal - and over the next couple of weeks we have seen a lot of Frankfurt, Been to Paris, Zurich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Venice, Rottemburg, and so many other places including a wonderful Medevial Town, The Neuswanstien Castle with the incredible Mrinal - and will write in detail and post photos and descriptions of all the places by and by
We then came by train to Bremmen via Hanover and are now at my great mad friend Kundi's place in Hepstedt, North Germany. Mashinder is in a heaven built by himself here - I think that I will have to post a separate blog about his incredible house itself.
Today we drove with Mashinder and his very very wonderful wife Rumi to Hamburg, We walked around the beautiful city centre area, ate a great lunch at his favourite Chinese restraunt there and then took a City tour on the open top of a bus which showed us all the major attractions of this city of over 2 million people. The architecture is incredible and warrants a very detailed report which shall follow. Mashinder just booked rooms in a hotel and we shall be driving around 450 KM tomorrow to Amsterdam, Holland for a couple of days with him..
We hope all of our family and  friends are well and shining and happy and healthy
Adieu
Deepak and Abha 
 

PARIS - DEEPAK MRINAL ABHA JULY 2011

Details will follow - Mrinal drove us to Paris and we all had the time of our lives - This album is dedicated to Mrinal and Alban

PARIS - DEEPAK MRINAL ABHA JULY 2011

Descriptions will follow -these are some photos of our trip to Paris with our wonderful friend Mrinal

Winsor McCay's Little Nemo: The First True Animation, 1911 | Brain Pickings

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/06/30/winsor-mccay-little-nemo-first-animation-1911/comment-page-1/#comment-132562
This is the comment I just made on this site about Winsor Mckay :-
Quote :I just saw the incredible genius of Winsor Mckay in that great video on the making of “Little Nemo” and I was astounded at the greatness of the man – I am certain that no one in our present generation could possibly have conceived such a concept and even if they could have done it – I doubt that anyone would ever have the patience or the skills of imagination to break open the world of cartoons in this way – this is a Path breaking video and I think I have to salute Mckay as well as your website for this glorious experience!
Bow’s and exeunt
Deepak
Unquote

The Shakechilli in me says ....

There are so many things I want to do and so much has been left undone .. I think I shall be dabbling in many many things and they will include :
1. Completing my Science Fiction Novel - Lying dormant over the years - no time to think and complete it - around 100 Pages written
2. Getting my Children's Books Published - 4 Books completed and Copyrighted so far and lying dormant over the years because I never had the time to contact a publisher ha ha
3. Writing a sequel to "Lost Horizon" - still half done
4. Publishing two completed collections of Poetry
5. Writing another book of Quatrains - this time will get them published by an international publisher and also get my published book of poetry "Tamam Shudh" re-published (Tamam Shudh means 'All Pure' .
6. So far I have painted in water colour - rather difficult - so this time I shall paint one in "Oils" - lets see how it comes. And if I do manage to paint it reasonably well - I shall ask you to teach me how to paint in "Acrylic" too
7. Complete my book which is based on my own experiences when we ran away from home to Mumbai - in fact this one is the top priority because I promised my daughter that I will write it one day ..
8. Try to write articles for News Papers and Magazines - they need a new perspective to stop them from running down people all the time ha ha
And of course - Dance and sing and Make a CD too
They say that if wishes were horses - beggars would ride and of course there is also the story of the good Sheikh Chilli !!
Take care and keep writing - in fact because this is probably the first time I have actually put down on words what I think I will do after I retire .. I'll just post this link on my Face Book too
Take care everyone and keep dreaming ...
Deepak

Virginia Woolf’s late essays by Trev Broughton - TLS

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/article7176518.ece
And once I retire - I think I will study Virginia Woolf immediately and try to understand what exactly was the "Stream of Consciousness" which was the hallmark of her writing ...

A Blog by Varsh Nagpal on the institution of Marriage and Relationsships

http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=795214715895562973&postID=8391155975907476198&page=1&token=1308476423039

And that is a link to my friends blog which is about the institution of marriage. I placed a comment on it and hope I was not being stupid ha ha

Take care and have a great time

Deepak

neil diamond-if you go away

This is one of my all time favourite songs - and I think that

this version sung by Neil Diamond is the very best of the best.

I am posting this to let my dear wife, Abha, and all my friends

here and those from across the world, that without them life

will have lost its splendour for ever .......

Deepaks Site

Sense and Common sense

I read the Reserve Bank of India Bulletin today and was impressed by a speech given by Dr. K. C. Chakrabarty - and decided to blog a little excerpt from that speech. Perhaps this shows that the people who regulate the entire monetary policy and thence the Economy of our country - have a great depth to their knowledge - in fact it is clear that it is a mix of Talent and Common Sense that makes India a great country.

I am pasting that excerpt below for all of you to read and hope you find a lot of meaning in this little fable ..

Deepak

Talent Acquisition and

Management*

Dr. K. C. Chakrabarty

http://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/Bulletin/PDFs/03SP080611F.pdf

The Scholars and the Lion…

Four men grew up together in a little village in

India. Three of the men were scholars, but the fourth

man never studied anything. In fact, he had never read

a book in his life. He just got along as best as he could

on his own common sense. But the four men had been

friends as children, and they remained friends despite

their differences.

One day, the four friends were sitting under the

tree talking of this and that when one of the scholars

said,

‘Something has been bothering me. I have spent

all my life studying, and I know many things, but I

know them only from books. I don’t know if my

knowledge works, out in the world.’

‘You know,’ said another of the scholars, ‘the same

thing has been bothering me! But somehow, this little

village doesn’t seem to offer the scope for me to try

out my vast knowledge.’

‘Clearly,’ said the third scholar, ‘we must travel

out into the world and try out our knowledge there.’

The other scholars agreed, but then there was their

friend. They had always done everything together,

share and share alike, but suppose...suppose they

found some lost treasure by using their knowledge?

Suppose they solved a problem for a rajah and he

rewarded them with gold and jewels? They had studied

late into the night to prepare themselves for this work,

and their friend had done nothing. He only had

common sense, and which rajah would be impressed

with that? They argued this back and forth, as they so

enjoyed doing, but finally they decided to do as they

had always done, share and share alike.

And so they started on their journey. They walked

along for many days, and one day they saw some bones

scattered by the path. One of the scholars said, ‘I can

tell from my studies that these bones are the bones of

a lion. Now it so happens that I have learnt how to

arrange the bones as they would be in a living lion.’

‘ R e a l l y ? ’ s a i d t h e s e c o n d s c h o l a r , ‘ t h a t i s

interesting – for it so happens that from my studies I

know how to clothe the bones with flesh and blood

and skin and fur.’

‘Indeed?’ said the third scholar. ‘How curious ! It

so happens that I know the next step. Once the animal

is formed, I know how to breathe life into it. Clearly,

this is the place where we should try out our knowledge

to see if it works in the world.’ The others agreed.

The fourth man, the one who wasn’t a scholar,

was simply struck dumb by this display of learning and

didn’t say anything at all.

So the first scholar stepped forward and arranged

the bones as they would be in a living lion. Then he

stepped back, and the second scholar stepped forward

and clothed the bones with flesh, and blood, and skin,

and fur. Then he stepped back, and the third scholar

stepped forward, about to breathe life into the animal,

when the fourth man said “Wait! That’s a lion! That’s

a lion you are about to bring to life. It could eat us up!

Stop! Think what you’re doing!’

‘We know what we’re doing,’ said the scholars.

‘We have studied this all our lives. Don’t worry. Just

leave everything to us.’

‘Well, all right,’ said their friend, ‘but...could you

wait till I climb a tree?’ ‘Certainly,’ said the scholars,

and they waited till the fourth friend had climbed a

convenient tree. Then the third scholar went back to

the procedure of breathing life into the animal. And

sure enough, the lion started breathing, opened its

eyes, looked at the three scholars, sprang upon them,

and ate them up.

After the lion had gone away, the fourth man, the

one who wasn’t a scholar, climbed down from the tree

and made his way back to the village, taking with him

no great treasure of gold and jewels, but only his own

common sense.

Talent, to me, is indeed like common sense –

you have it, or you do not have it.

Those were the days my friend ... Mary Hopkins

I got this from You Tube - the link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyaTIXdN5fI&feature=related.

 Thie link to the song is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDVhB0jGP7I&NR=1

"You Look Familiar"
A new CD from Mary Hopkin and Morgan Visconti release date 25/10/2010
http://www.maryhopkin.com


The opening black and white film is from 1968 and the remaining film is from around 1982.

This song sung by Mary Hopkin called "those were the days" is not translated from the song "Дорогой длинною" "Dorogo Dlinnoyu".

The song "Dorogoy Dlinnoyu (Along a long road)" was written in the 1920's by "Boris Fomin" (music) and "Konstantin Podrevsky" (lyrics). An American called Gene Raskin in the early 60's wrote the lyrics "Those were the days" and put them to Fomin's music. The words have no similarity whatsoever with Podrevsky's

For more info on Mary and this song visit my website at http://www.maryhopkin.net

Born in Wales Mary began her musical career as a folk singer with a local group called the Selby Set and Mary. She released an EP of Welsh language songs for a local label called Cambrian before signing to the Beatles Apple Label, model Twiggy saw her winning a TV talent show and recommended her to Paul McCartney. She was one of the first artists to record on the Beatles record label Her debut single" Those Were the Days" got to number 1 in the UK and number 2 in the US. Selling over 8 million copies.

A little something more about Mary!
In September 2005 she released an album on her own label, "Mary Hopkin Music", called "Live at the Royal Festival Hal!" It was followed in December 2006 by a brand-new Christmas recording, "Snowed Under", released as an mp3 download via Disaudio.com
To celebrate her birthday in 2007, she released an album called "Valentine", on her new label uk It includes 12 previously unheard tracks dating from 1972 to 1980, three of which were written by Mary. Then in December 2008 the CD 'Recollections' was released again included songs written by Mary, And now May 2009 yet another new CD is released called 'Now and Then' all these wonderful recordings are available via Mary's own Website at MARY HOPKIN MUSIC http://www.maryhopkin.co.

Category:

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EL PASO

I heard this song just once when I was a young lad - decades ago

And then I looked for it all these years - could never find it because

I never remembered the singer or the Title of the song. And then

my great singer YouTube friend sang it on his YouTube page!!

It filled me with great wonder that today strangers from across

the world can be friends and touch others hearts - thanks to the

Internet. Hear it on full volume and dance to the song!!

Gandu - an article by Serena for the Hindustan Times "Cafe"

An article where sense and sensibilities of people are disturbed - specially the sensibilities of Indians ha ha

What's in a Kiss?

And this article written by Serena, my daughter who writes for the Hindustan Times, came this morning. And the thought came to me - what's in a Kiss? I never ever examined the issue all my life - so I throw it to you all to examine this CRITICALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE!!

EXAMINE THIS STRANGE Piece of NEWS

EXAMINE THIS STRANGE Piece of NEWS  http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Men_go_for_looks_women_profession-nid-84040.html?utm_source=Subscriber  

And what is the much touted "LOOK" ? In my opinion it is the "Look" given by the lady to the man - remember the song by Dean Martin - "The Look". The look could chip a heart of stone. And once the heart is chipped - Love pours out and creates the link which lasts for ever 

SO I AGREE MEN GO FOR LOOKS!!!!

Here is the link to the song "The Look" by Dean Martin - CHECK IT OUT ON YOUTUBE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57PN3CpOSS8 and I hope you all like it.

What do WOMEN go for? I think they go where their heart takes them! No one can ever know why!!

AND THATS THAT!!

FELLOWSHIP FOR SAMMY

This is just to inform everyone that our son Little Sammy has now grown into a Big Fellow. In fact Stanford University was so happy with the Little Fellow that they decided to always call him "Fellow" and so they have even awarded him with a FELLOWSHIP ha ha ha.
We are thrilled that the focus of his research and fellowship is "HEALTH". I think that one day he may own a Drug Store too ha ha
Stanford Univ wrote to him :-  QUOTE:-

Congratulations!  On behalf of the Bio-X Leadership Council, and the Graduate Fellowships Faculty Advisory Committee (GFFAC), we are delighted to inform you that you have been selected to receive a Bio-X Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship (SIGF) in Human Health. This award is one of the greatest honors Stanford gives to a doctoral student pursuing interdisciplinary research.   Your strong interdisciplinary approach is a perfect fit for the innovative work within Bio-X. You are one of seven students selected from a highly competitive pool, and to be chosen for this award shows your great potential for a successful future at the crossroads of biology and other sciences.  We welcome you to the community of Bio-X Fellows, and to the community of SIGFs from across the University.

 As part of the Bio-X community, you will be invited and expected to participate in the events that are sponsored by Bio-X.  Gabriella Martelino, Bio-X Education and Fellowship Coordinator and Heideh Fattaey, Executive Director of Bio-X Operations and Programs, will be in contact with you in regard to upcoming events for Bio-X Fellows.

 The Bio-X SIGF fellowships are co-administered by Bio-X and the Vice Provost for Graduate Education office. As a recipient of the Bio-X SIGF in Human Health, you will be invited to participate in activities with other SIGF fellows.

UNQUOTE

And it is now 00.30 AM here and to bed with me

CHEERS TO EVERYONE FROM ABHA and me

Deepak

David Icke - It`s Like a Canvas of Consciousness . . .

And truely life is a canvass of many hues .. this beautiful clip was posted

and shared by my friend Rose who is an extraordinary artist and delves

into the inner psyche within us all ....

Sonnet No 6 by me

SONNET NO 6

.                      by

.      Deepak Menon
.
The oceans be deep yet the Sea of Sorrow is deeper still

In which the lover from his love estranged, wallows
The mountains be high yet higher is the lonely tower still
From which the lover’s lonely gaze scans the hollows
Enervated by the calamity that knows no earthly parallel
Yet pervades the world of humanity in equal measure
The look or word that transforms heaven into fiery hell
Hurling into depths of sadness what once was pleasure
The sight of a vacuous smile upon the same upturned face
Now meaningless as it follows a vacant and empty look
The frantic nonchalance in the searching for just a trace
Of the raging storms that once his heart by force took
And in that fleeting moment, do stop the sands of time
Life losing its lustre, and the song of life – its rhyme.

Abha's Family Album

Abha's Family Album

Baar Baar Dekho - Shammi Kapoor & Shakila & Keshto Mukherjee - China Town

And this little clip of the great song - is still so enchanting - devoid

of all the embellishments of the modern world of high technology

where the real artistic skills of the actor are lost or overshadowed

by highlights or special effects - this song shows every thing as it

actually was ... and I love the song ...

HARDWAR - THE HOLY CITY - ABHA DEEPAK VISIT APRIL 2011

And Abha's younger brother Alok - recently got promoted to Inspector General Of Police - a big feather in the cap for all of us - and we went to Hardwar where he is at present and met Abha's father - as fine and fit as ever with the same sense of humour which my brother always liked - and we also saw the new born calf to their Cow - just a few hours old it was - and my friend Vinod Kala's daughter Ritvika really went bonkers over the calf! And we had also visited Abha's sister Sadhana and her wonderful husband Ravi at their Nursing Home in Muzaffarnagar - by the way Abha was born in Muzaffarnagar and for one thing - you get terrific Kebabs there .. and thence we went on to Dehradun and had a lovely short break with Kala and Kavita - we all kept waving our hands in the air ... but that is another story ha ha

Mary Hopkin - Those Were The Days

And those days ended - yet we keep the amazing voice and
beautiful lyrics always alive in our hearts and our souls and
so we never let those days ever end while we are alive .. yes
Those were the days my friend and we shall never let them end!
Deepak

Petula Clark ' This Is My Song' in Stereo

This is the original and best version of the immortal song
"This is my song - a Serenade to you" by Petula Clark which
went to the top of the charts in the late glorious dancing '60s
and it is this version of the song which I like the most .. and of
course this is a Serenade to you from me too ...
Deepak

The Seekers The Carnival Is Over ( With Lyrics)

Hold Me For A While - Rednex -

TEHRVI OF RAMESHWARI SHARMA AT VILLAGE ROOP VAAS IN INDIA

TEHRVI OF RAMESHWARI SHARMA AT VILLAGE ROOP VAAS IN INDIA

Why Indian CEO'S ARE SO MUCH IN DEMAND ..

http://prashant-therealtruth.blogspot.com/2011/04/another-indian-takes-over-as-ceo-of.html?showComment=1303030147977#c19223607273227117

THE SMILE THAT YOU KEPT FOR ME - a poem by me

THE SMILE THAT YOU KEPT FOR ME - a poem by me

How to Dance the Waltz : Basic Waltz Step With a Partner

Pixar: Up - Kevin: An Undiscovered Species featurette (HQ)

C.I.D. 'Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan'

Another great song from the old old Movie C.I D. sung by the

Great Comedian Johnny Walker - wonderful song about there

being every thing in Bombay except the "Heart" ....

Jaane kahan mera jigar gaya ji

This movie was one of the hits of the good old days and it was sung

in the movies Mr $ Mrs 55 when Black and White movies could

really provide all the beauties of shooting great films - the actor is

The great Comedian Johnny Walker and the song says that "Goodness

Knows where my heart has gone, it was here just some time ago" and the

actress sings the repartee "It had been lost in someones charms, and

some one's big big eyes" - Notice her big eyes and the expressions she

makes with them!!!! Unforgettable Music and Tunes ... La la la la...

Deepak

And my poem 'The Tamarind Tree' Came Alive ...

I received a mail and was asked permission to post my poem on the Blog of a New School - and so it came to be at http://sanctamariaschool.blogspot.com/2011/02/our-tamarind-tree.html?showComment=1296672493842#c5436772732737340317
And this is really thrilling and you can read it there in its rightful place
Deepak

Aaj Jane ki zeed na karo

Aaj jaane ki zid na karo - Farida Khanum

'Hindustan' (India) - Patriotic Song (early preview). Music: Abhaey Sing...

[Lyrics] Shirley Bassey - Love Story (Where Do I Begin?)

Yes, I Am Imperfect Blog! - KarenEng