Bollywood

You haven't lived until you have seen an Indian soap opera. Words may be entirely in Hindi, but the expressions and music so perfectly accentuate the melodrama that you understand every word spoken. As a big plot device builds to its crescendo, the filming slows down, facial shots increase, eyebrows raise, and sparkling, heavily made up eyes drip with emotion. Inevitably, the evil lady of the hour stands out as beautifully as the heroine, however an arched and perfectly plucked eyebrow lifts, the eyes squint, and music thunders with pounding warnings. I once watched this scene:

Good lady is ironing in her room as her toddler is in the crib next to her.
Phone rings in other room, good lady unplugs iron, puts it out of reach of the baby
Next shot is of bad lady putting her cell phone down
Bad lady enters room, plugs in iron, places it next to baby, leaves room.

This scene lasted over 15 minutes as the camera flipped from face to iron to face to wicked smile to innocent baby, back to face, etc. Unbelievable. So here the motto can be less plot, more emotion.

I can't wait to see a movie in the theater. I don't care that I won't understand it ... I just want to see the film!

Christmas Celebrations

Yesterday my daughter sang in the choir for an end of semester Christmas show. The lyrics my daughter has been practicing were for songs, written by the school music teachers. I was a bit grumpy about this, since a Christmas show for me should be traditional songs of the season. How wonderful a surprise to discover that the older children sang the same old good songs that I adore ... O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night, Frosty the Snowman, etc.

This is my big bugaboo about the schools in the US - our children are no longer able to celebrate Christmas at school like this - no more carols, no more nativity plays, nothing that hints at Christianity in any way. I am no believer in God, but even so I love the plays and songs and celebrations this time of year. What's more, the children love it! But no, we mustn't tread on some poor sensitive soul's toes so we remove the fun for 90% of the class in order that no one gets their feelings hurt. Because that's the way life really is, isn't it? When you are all grown up and on your own expect no challenges to your own ideas, expect no differences of opinion, expect everyone to think as one ... right?

By the way, my husband and I are obviously meant for each other --- in the Christmas plays at our respective schools we both played the ass.

Five days ago ...

Monday draws to a close and I reflect on all that has happened in the last 4 days. Five days ago I walked around heedless to my surroundings, today I hunch and look down at the ground, trying desperately to act inconspicuous. Five days ago I would run out to the little shop across the street to find my groceries, today I prefer to call down and have someone deliver them. Five days ago my daughter practiced singing her songs for the Christmas concert, today the concert is postponed indefinitely. Five days ago my daughter's friend enjoyed playing the guitar, today he and his 2 siblings mourn the loss of their parents. Five days ago my daughter didn't know what a terrorist was. Five days ago ...

I feel the same melancholy that strangled the US on September 11 ... the scale may be very different, but the emotions play the same - a sadness that colors everything shades of grey, an anger that rages scarlet in intensity, a yellow fear lurking beneath, and, of course, the deep blues.

I have no need to fear, no need to cancel the highlight of the month - my family's visit to Mumbai. What better way to overcome this than to have family nearby and a plan to visit the beauty of India? What better way to show defiance than to continue our enjoyment of life and appreciation of this great country? So I'll spare no more words on this but to quote the country's most amazing pacifist ...

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.
- Mahatma Gandhi