Gerald D'Cunha

  “The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep.” – Rumi   H ave the stories dried up? Come on… They can never be. There are a hundred stories unfolding before my eyes throughout my day… I want to tell them all in my daily posts. In fact, since I posted my last blog on June 15, so many wonderful things have happened in my life… So many things –- both wonderful and awful –- have happened in the outside world… The football world-cup had some underdog heroes… I started writing stories about them; but, gave up… The deadly earthquake in Venezuela deeply moved me… Tried writing something around it; then, gave up… My first blog book (of the ten-book series) was released at a grand function on June 21… My well-wishers shared images, videos and heaped praises; but, I didn’t post a single image or a word… It’s a mystery, quite frankly, as to what makes me write… A dear old student of mine (62), called some days ago… She was shattered… words wer...

  “All human miseries derive from not being able to sit quiet in a room alone.” Blaise Pascal   S ome days’ ago, I had attended the wedding nuptials of my nephew, Wendel in one of the churches is Thane. The bride, Olivia, looked beautiful in her wedding gown. My wife, having undergone two angioplasties lately, had opted to bless the young couple from home... Thus, I sat alone among several guests and witnessed the solemn event... You see, in today’s hi-tech and social media world, we get to see several guests busy clicking pictures of everything that unfolds, both at the nuptials as well as the reception venue. The work done by the official photographers and videographers may take days and weeks to reach us. But, the pictures and videos captured by these guests do reach wide and far instantly – mostly in family groups... I am bad in clicking pictures. I, also, have this bad habit of involving in what is going on at present... One such moment, at the nuptials, has a...

  “Don’t use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word would do.” Mark Twain   O ne of the advantages of being with young college-students – and also having a young son and daughter-in-law around – is, that I get to know many English words and expressions which are in vogue. I will not call them as some great vocabulary, but something that makes one feel like belonging to today’s world. Whether that word makes any sense or not is not at all important. Important thing seems to be this: Sound modern! Chalo , one such word, which I have stated ‘receiving’ from young lot is - ‘Heads-up’! I did not know at all what this word meant till quite recent days. Obviously, I first heard it from my son and some of my students… “I am giving you heads-up”… I slowly realized, that it meant: “I am telling you/informing you/warning you in advance.” Giving an advance notice, that is. For instance, while leaving for work in a hurry, this morning, my dear wife said calmly, “I have to ...