Joint journals-Mumbai

Posted on July 15, 2012 by prashant bhatt

Keeping a joint journal has been a way of introducing some of the

younger persons of our family to the art of diary -journal writing.

So I went through the birthday of Jim Corbett with my nephew

Mayank – (See blogs Stuart Jasola,Writing workshops with Mayank)

and told him how the birthday of his father shares his birthday

with the legendary Corbett- (July 25)

History walks

Went to Vasai region where there is a Portuguese fort

Portuguese mariners exploring the north Konkan Coast, discovered the Arab Sultanate

of Khambat or Cambay, building or renovating or expanding the fort in the early 1400s

and attacked it in a failed effort to seize it.

Later, after more systematic efforts, the Sultanate of Cambay ceded the fort to Portugal

by the Treaty of Saint Matthew signed on the Portuguese brig Sao Matteus anchored in the

Bhayander Creek or Vasai Harbor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassein_Fort

We once went for an interesting walk on the ramparts of the fort. Sunset from the western

wall is beautiful though one has to be careful-

1. There are lot of plants, some with thorns

2. When you get on the wall, there are stairs but if you keep walking towards the

creek region the wall has no steps to go down. And if it is getting dark and you

cannot retrace your path back to the staircase..you will have to jump down from

the wall. (I did that and later helped two others who could not jump down ..catching

them in mid-air..helping to break their fall..every journey has its surprises)

Exploring spiritual traditions of Western India

In college days, I was introduced to Father Agnel Ashram-Bandra by a

Gujarati Hindu. The work here  has a spiritual influence beyond the

confines of a particular religion or sect.

Building raw material for our joint journal, I took my sons to the Ashram

Sea Breeze

The monsoon breeze is unique in many ways. Saw two children carrying

cups to the seafront and collecting water from the waves.

I smiled at them.They waved back. Friends of nature.

Eating Gola

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Stuart Jasola

Posted on July 12, 2012 by prashant bhatt

Dusk at Lodhi

What will the mouse Stuart Little do if he is in Delhi? This question sparked

an interesting journey with my nephew Mayank.

See previous blog of interest

Writing workshops with Mayank

Countering Writer’s block

As the young ten year old struggled to find things to write about, I gave

him a hint which he found useful. Name ten places Stuart went to and ten people he met.

The Stuart of Delhi soon visited Lodhi gardens at dusk,

saying hello to birds as they came home in the magic hour when

day turns into night. He saw the moon over the Sheesh and Bada Gumbad

of Lodhi and went to see the geese near the Athpula -the eight arched

bridge which is one of the few structures in present day Delhi of the time

of Emperor Akbar.

Smells and sounds

As he hit another ‘roadblock’ in his writing, I told him to write about

some sounds, smells he heard at Lodhi gardens and Khan market where

he went and had dinner at McDonald’s (No visit to Delhi will be complete

for me, unless I take him to McDonald’s).

Sounds-The barking of dogs at Lodhi

The sound of birds returning to their nests.

As the night matured-the sounds of crickets.

Smells- He got a sense of how the different pavements of

Khan market smell differently. Even different parts

of the same shop will smell differently -clothes have

a different scent than ornaments.

“My nose is blocked ” was one of the first comments which he made.

But slowly he got used to know the different scents of different

dishes.

Making notes

Stuart in Delhi is now being developed by my nephew, he does

not have any writer’s block and has a nice skeleton of places

his mouse went, persons he met, sounds and smells he experienced

in addition to the sights he saw. This skeleton serves Mayank

well to develop an article on the Stuart of Delhi whom he has

named “Stuart Jasola”

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Father’s day walk

Posted on June 19, 2012 by prashant bhatt

Every journey has its surprises.
This Father’s day was unique in many ways. Spending time at the community centre at San Gjwann, meeting participants of the Yoga workshops, a hypnotherapy session and some community discussions on road-rage and stress made for many rich lessons. Then there was a lovely lunch at Valletta.

Father’s Day Lunch…some beautiful conversations
on the spirit of the community, changes sweeping
the Mediterranean region  and Europe and times gone by

As we crossed Floriana one long time resident told of how she came to Malta when she was 8 years.

“I am revealing my age” she smiled graciously as she told of 1958,(how daddy brought us to Rome and gave us haircuts and new dresses….we became ‘Europeans’ ) showed us the houses that they stayed in and the ground near Paul Boffa hospital where they used to play. Many lovely memories.

It was an interesting day with many memories, talks about identity and the journeys taken by different community members in different phases of the past century.

But the best part of this unique Father’s Day was yet to come.

As we crossed Floriana she pointed out to the Non-Catholic cemetery.

Cemeteries are used in spiritual traditions for most unique prayers.
The Non-Catholic cemetery beyond Floriana on way to Msida

We spend some beautiful moments remembering some of the father figures of the Indian Maltese Community.
(I have a larger collection of photographs which interested persons can request for, which I am not posting publicly keeping in mind the privacy and sensibilities of community members. Those interested can contact me)

15 May 1941-Ramchand Khiloomal Vaswani. Died Age 60                                             Revisiting some unique precious memories

This was a most unique Father’s day, in which we paid homage to some father figures and remembered our legacy and heritage. Some senior members of the community guided us through the different parts and told beautiful intricate stories of the times gone by.

Father figures guiding us through a most unique
afternoon..a most memorable Father’s day

Reflections on Father’s day..a lovely afternoon paying
homage to founding fathers of the community

Every journey has its surprises.

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