Gerald D'Cunha

  “Lord, we don't need another mountain There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb There are oceans and rivers enough to cross Enough to last until the end of time.” From the song ‘What the world needs now’   by Dionne Warwick S ome days ago, I messaged to a young mother: “Ma’am, Noyonika (daughter) has to attend a workshop tomorrow from 4 to 6 pm. The topic of the work shop will be ‘Effective use of time.” Then, I added, “Ma’am, even you can join the workshop… You know, it’s a useful subject.” It's was 10.30 in the night when I sent this message. “Noyonika will attend the workshop, Sir. I won’t be able to attend as it would be a working day.”   She added, “Sir, I am still on my way home.” And, here at our home, we were set to go off to bed. I told my wife about the conversation I just had. A couple of days later, during the Public Speaking session, Noyomika was on stage. I told everyone about the conversation I had with her mother a few days earlier...

  “Eating together is an act of mutual vulnerability and surrender.” Barbara Brown Taylor   M other Mary’s birthday is celebrated as Nativity feast by the Catholics. In Konkani, we would call it ‘Monthy Fest’. For Catholic   families, in and around Mangalore, it was a big festival, and we celebrate it on every Sept 8. The most important part of the celebration, for every household, has, always, been eating together the feast meal, known as ‘Novem’… While growing up, we had no dining tables. So, we had to sit together on the floor and a fare of half-a-dozen veggies, rice, paysam and the new grains of rice ground into coconut milk was savoured with prayers. Our grandpa (dad’s dad), always, choked while saying the prayers, remembering the family members who were away from home… and, it’s for my mom to continue with it! The banana leaf had so many items of vegetarian fare, which, as children, we never appreciated… I remember eating it half-heartedly. Our mom’s at...

S ome of the things that make us happiest are the simplest. Like the TV serial ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah  Chashmah’. Let me confess at the outset: I haven’t watched even a single episode of ‘Taarak Mehta ka…’ fully. In bits and pieces – yes, I have. When and where was that? Whenever I visited my younger-brother Vivek’s house … My little niece, Alisha, would be watching it, all glued… So, if I happened to be there, I had better show some interest. In fact, the first time I heard that name – ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ – was from Alisha… I remember reacting, “Kiska chashmah?” And, yes, “Ooltah kyun?” We have no TV at home, you see. So, I was blissfully ignorant about it. But, in today’s world, ‘No-TV’ makes no difference… You get to know and get to see everything on your handset! The man who wrote, for years, the original stories in daily newspapers was Mr. Taarak Mehta. And, I did not know that, either. It was only a couple of days ago, when Mr. Mehta...