Blue Boat Home

  To Go Through Fire and Water I had earlier written about a man who had almost lost his wife to fire this Diwali. The family encountered and overcame hurdles to save her life. He has decided to start training as a firefighter in 2022. This is a reasonably well paid albeit risky job. However, this gentleman has decided not to be a bystander when flames devour a place or take away lives. I’m proud of him and wish him success in his career. His wife has almost healed. She has been recovering in her parents’ home and will return to her matrimonial abode in January. She’s longing to be a hands-on mother to her baby boy again. I’d suggest we avoid crackers and fireworks when the New Year sets in. Not only does the risk of fire accidents increase but we need to stay home and stay safe. #nocrackers, #inspirational, #recovery, #firefighterlife, #fire, #firerescue, #silentnewyear, #welcome2022peacefully, #stayhomestaysafe, #fireproof Pictures: https://pixabay.com/photos/fire-e...

  Temperate Grasslands CONTINENT PLACES Africa The veld in South Africa Eurasia The steppes in Mongolia, Russia and Ukraine South America The pampas in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina North America The prairies in the USA and Canada   1.                  Grasslands are vast tracts of land where grasses and wildflowers bloom. 2.                 They have just handfuls of trees. 3.                The rainfall in this region is inadequate to nurture a forest. 4.                There’s enough rain to prevent desertification though. 5.      ...

  Chilly Christmas Cockcrow A seemingly prophetic dream woke me up on Christmas dawn, it was more powerful than any alarm clock to hark me into wakefulness. While walking early this morning, I saw: 1.      An adolescent snail slowly nibbling a dry leaf. 2.     Neem leaves on trees with pin-prick pores. 3.    A woman preparing breakfast in the kitchen. 4.    Various kinds of milk being delivered to houses, some in a pail and others in packages. 5.    The newspaperman halting his bike at the various blocks to deliver mostly Marathi newspapers. 6.    Some money plants are lush green and the tendrils are reaching the balconies of other houses. 7.    Another money plant is yellowing. 8.    A money plant is planted in a golden coloured pot. 9.    My cat Bhutu shivering when he saw his rival feline wake up. 10.         ...

  Summer Christmas I write this as I tune in to the Bengali news channels to view Christmas celebrations in West Bengal. A channel is now showing the glittering streets of Park Street. I’m sharing the Christmas corner of my living room, dimly illumed with both artificial and real candles. You’ll also get more sneak peeks into what I look like in this infographic. As the clock chimes to midnight in India, I’m pondering over Christmas around the globe, more so in the southern hemisphere. The archetypal card image that many conjure of Christmas is of a snowy white landscape. Many countries enjoy a Christmas of sunshine, sun, sand, fun and frolic. There sandmen and women are carved out on the beach instead of Frosty the Snowman. People go camping and hold open-air barbeque s . There are Xmas parades in the sun. You’ll see people surfing the warm seas, snorkelling, diving and sun tanning. Jungle safaris are organized. People cycle, rollerblade and walk by promenades instead of ...

  A Rear Window morning In the Alfred Hitchcock film Rear Window, the protagonist who was healing from a broken leg would peek into the matchbox apartments of his building with a binocular. This morning, the sounds and sights of our society’s flats interested me similarly. Our home may be the most dramatic as Mashi screams loud on phone with her family members. Some of the windows were decorated with cribs, stars and Christmas finery. It is the morn of Christmas Eve. This isn’t the jubilant Christmas morning that Scrooge saw when he woke up in Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol.   In other homes, Hindu bhajans and morning ragas were being played. A tulsi [basil] plant was being worshipped with an oil lamp. This plant is to ease stress and repel mosquitoes. After the sun rose, sinister news was put on at this house. The money plant is another favourite plant of this building. It is to remove financial obstacles and create wealth. However, if socialism isn’t spread era...