A Hobo's Life

by

Barnali Saha 

The drifting soul at dawn awakes

A new journey everyday he makes

Climbing the heavy breast of the sleeping watchmen

The gypsy goes on a new quest yet again

The undulating tail of the morning train

Its whistle mellow, a new hope again

A vagabond life-bound he has no plight

He is a happy lark enjoying the ride

From Wyoming to Mississippi his train runs fast

While he stands there smelling the smoking dust

Hallelujah, Hallelujah his heart cries

The cold air his tainted lips bite

And as dusk sets in and evening yawns

In the heaving train his heart beckons

A home like others, a mortal shade

Love for his consort his bones abrade

The gentle soul croons and chimes

To send-off the mourning railroad climes

But as morning comes around hard and stale

The hobo bids adieu to his nightly wail

He sweeps the street and fixes the road

Wiping his sweat with his raggedy cloth

A piece of bread is all he wants

Singing the hobo song of daring swans

The peripatetic spirit to the whistle bound

Climbs on the train embracing a land lost and found

Roaming the wide world taking a ride

The train is his soulmate, his only pride

The mounts and valleys pass and end

From winter to spring the seasons bend

But his journey goes from station next

To a new destination his heart behest

The cage of life is a deathbed for him

For he is a traveler a wandering beam.

Image Taken From Internet:http://www.nps.gov/archive/gosp/research/hobo.gif

Thougths on MNK with a little belaboring

Certainly, My Name is Khan will sing the goodnight lullaby in our ears and strike the right chords of emotionalism in our heart. With a heart wrenching story and beautiful acting by the starlets of Bollywood, this moving drama is nothing short of an award winning masterpiece. However, I am not here to sing gracious paeans to the odyssey of Rizwan khan, I am here to talk of a rather unpleasant subject of Bollywood overtaking our nation. From IPL to ad-world we see the face of Bollywood poking its nose everywhere. Be it politics or aesthetics, interiors or fashion designing you are sure to find one King Khan or one Queen Sheba everywhere. In the hands of these super heroic thespians India is morphing into a filmdom driven nation.  A country that was once led by luminaries like Netaji Subhas Bose, Gandhi-ji, Rabindra Nath Tagore has been demoted to a lovedriven kingdom helmed by the sweethearts of Bollywood. Who is Sharukh Khan or Amitabh Bachan by the way, who are they? Did they ever do anything heroic in real life like taking good care of our country, speaking about the challenges India faces every other day. No, they did not. They are the couch potatoes of modern India living in glass houses writing sweet sounding blogs about their happy gee life of amplitude. While people, their till-death-do-us-part followers, shout and tear away their shirts in the hope of an autograph outside their palaces. Poor fellows! Why blame them, blame their heroes. They are the ones who never miss an opportunity of media exposure. Take the Indian Premier League for example. The whole thing would have gone quite well for the Knight Riders had it not been for Sharukh Khan jumping around the stage, dancing and even advising players as to how they should hold the bat. The same goes for Kings XI Punjab, their downfall might be the result of the overexposure the team got in the hands of their dainty darling owner, Preity Zinta. Zinta was Miss Goody two shoes kissing and encouraging her players asking them to get her the chalice of victory. But the affection, I believe, went a wee bit over the top resulting in the collapse of the team back in the last two seasons. I wish them a speedy recovery this time. Now, let's get back to My Name is Khan, shall we? Ah, it was indeed a nice movie only that I think the United States of America should confer active citizenship to Karan Johar very soon. Well, they should since all his movies from Kal Ho Na Ho to My Name Is Khan are based on USA. Look out chaps, here comes Karan the Desi-boy! Truly he is an American in soul making his hero go through the ordeal of meeting the American President, even though he has a noble cause or erasing the stigma cast on people due to their religious backgrounds. A commendable effort I must say.  But is such stigma of racial deformation unavailable in the Indian soil? Or is it talking about India and telling the Indian Prime Minister the same dramatic line Rizwan Khan wanted to say to the American leader not worth it? Look at the situation of Dalits in India, look at the utter helpless scenario of racial hostility that still lurks in several Indian states and more than that look at the terrorist activities searing the Indian soil. Are they not material for an Indianized version of My Name Is Khan? Does Rizwan really have to come to USA to talk about the social troubles following a terrorist activity when the same thing is happening in India almost every year? Did we all forget 26/11 and remember only the horrors of 9/11? It seems that USA has recovered from the shock of the holocaust but India hasn’t. 9/11 is a banal subject now, sorry to say that but that is the truth. We have had enough of 9/11 stories, Karan.  

On a different note, the movie is a good guide to American life for some would be American Indians (still Indian citizens though) teaching them the nooks and corners of American politics. 'The charismatic guy with a teleprompter' does steal the show in the end. A shout of joy for the Democrats, I think I can hear itJ

Have a good one!

© Barnali Banerjee., all rights reserved.

A Big Dream Coming True

A Big Dream Coming True: An article on the good works of the Shri Aurobindo Institution of Kalyani, West Bengal.

by

Barnali Saha

I have always felt that there is a wall between us and the world. It is as if some might drapery is shutting down our complete view of the other side. In our warmly lit, fire place rolling sumptuous world we live in one glass house of comfort while the landscape on the other side faces drastic tectonic shifts everyday. In the other world existence is a struggle in itself and paucity is the only procession that its inmates have. On my last visit to India, I had a microscopic view of the pain and the sullen current of despair that flows in the other world, And what I found strange is that most people talk about this other world at length, they write, they are vociferous but when it comes to changing the condition that persists, only a handful of men come to the forefront. I was lucky to have come across a galaxy of such wonderful men and women struggling hard to make the other world a better place to dwell.

Shri. Aurobondo Bhavan, Kalyani, West Bengal

The Shri. Aurobindo Institution in Kalyani is a sanctum sanctorum where a group of local residents are relentlessly trying to set up a proper educational institution for the underprivileged children dwelling in the area. The active volunteers of this community have wonderfully built the initial structure and I was amazed to see the decorum and eagerness that prevailed in the different makeshift classrooms of the institution. There were children from the lower strata of society who are otherwise denied the privilege of education seeking the goal of knowledge. It was a respite to the eyes to see these children trying to learn the 3'Rs (Reading, writing, Rithmatic), their bright eyes shinning with enthusiasm as the teacher (a young volunteer) recited the various lessons. Dr. Namita Dutta, the principal of the children's school said that the main aim of the education provided in the institution is the all round development of the students and the direction of detrimental influences that might fall on them into socially active channels. Following the ideals and the philosophy of Shri. Aurobindo, this small institution is weaving big dreams in the heart of society. Currently, they have almost a hundred students under their threshold and they intend to carry on the project to a major scale. At present they have classes from kindergarten to standard five, and each class has almost twenty to twenty-five pupils. Apart from education, the institution also does a rainbow of charitable works including free medical checkup for the poor, providing relief to people impacted by several tragedies etc

The Students

A Classroom in Session at The Shri. Aurobindo Institute, Kalyani

As tradition and contemporary puritans parley over new-millennium gadgetry, they turn a blind eye to the necessity of the upliftment of the Indian society. The newfangled ideas should be fortified with suitable action and Shri. Aurobindo Institute of Kalyani seems to do just that. Here the children of the Below Poverty Level are learning the cannons of society, the proper ways of developing their characters and the importance of physical education. The parlance, ‘Spare the rod and spoil the child’ is defunct here as students learn to imbibe the lessons naturally and without pressure. The teacher is the guide helping them unfold their latent interests. Such ideals of education have long been available in Indian education system, but sadly no major institution has embraced them so freely. I was impressed by the broadminded approach of this institution. The helmsman of the institute, Mr. G.L.Saha believes in the prospect of free mind devoid of all kinds of prejudices. The foundation is the brainchild of his philosophical and spiritual mind. Even at the age of seventy five this man is a tireless activist of the novel cause of the betterment of society. While talking to me he discussed his ideas about education that he intends to uphold for the future generation. I was told that the institution needs a proper school building with modern amenities and a proper team of teachers to carry on functioning. There is a serious dearth of funds and the institution seeks donation to flourish its ideal of creating a wonderful future for the downtrodden children of society. I urge all my readers to go ahead and spread the good word about this institution and dedicate a small amount of money to this wonderful institution and help it bloom to its fullest. Those of you who are in West Bengal should visit the wonderful organization and see for yourselves the good work that they are doing.

I wish this organization all the best and hope to see it touch the zenith very soon.

For more information contact: Shri. G.L Saha at +91-2582-7720 or email him at glsaha1@yahoo.co.in

The Global Problem of Weightloss

Weight, Weight Everywhere

Ever wondered what is the aspiration of the new millennium? Well, those of you who are about to start rodomontading about your career and the importance of being a careerist, I tell you that I don’t care. What I am talking about is the absurd weight loss syndrome that had hit the globe like some pandemic. Look around and you will notice a train of well defined individuals rushing toward an anorexic goal. Everywhere you see you are reminded that you ought to eat whole foods and all those crap and turn a blind eye to your delectable dessert. Open your email, browse the internet and you will see hundreds of thousands of weight loss tricks and stupid diets just staring at you from the webpages. Follow this diet and you would be Angelina Jolie in a week, I mean think guys, is that really possible? And even it is possible what good is it doing to you? I am sure not many of us are born with Jolie skills. I was forced to think about this weight loss and gain charade the other day when somebody misinterpreted the happy few winter pounds that I gave gained as being a sign of pregnancy.  I was shocked to death to learn that these days eating right and maintaining a healthy weight will be interpreted as being depressed or pregnant. What if you are neither? What if you refuse to follow the mortal millions brainlessly eating wrong to just hit size 4? Then you may beome a pariah of the society. We have calorie counters and stuff that constantly remind us that a 250 calorie donut is unhealthy for you while the insipid Acai berry juice is the elixir. One may say that the new-fangled fashion industry is giving due respect to plus sized women. I say that how many plus sizes do you see in those Cosmos and Stars? It is just a fleeting do-good attention intended for women who either cannot lose weight and need to see people having the same problem like them or women who just laugh at them. I mean the muffin top bulges and love handles are ugly, and we all know that. But if I am happy with them why does the world bother? Why is the importance of weight suddenly a universal problem like Global Warming?

All I feel is that instead of being deluded by emails from Spark People one should pay attention to learning better things like traveling with Micheal Palin (just a suggestion). There is no end to the weight loss syndrome and the more you intend to delve into its crux of nothingness the more out of whack you would become. So, just throw away those weekly reminders and tasteless foods and eat right. Avoid excessive eating and be happy. In a month you will feel and look healthy.

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes

"It was very superficial, my dear Watson, I assure you"



Remember this line from 'The Cardboard Box'? This seems to be the most pertinent and to the point review of the new movie Sherlock Holmes. The quick witted and masterful Holmes breaks all the shackles of his past and is reincarnated as the new Holmes, the Dark Knight of the future. He is eccentric, enigmatic and visually too cinematic to be the pipe smoking, aquiline nosed detective we all read about. The inhabitant of 221B Baker Street turns all clichéd notions upside down with his fist fights and his potent love interest in his enemy turned ally, Irene Adler. Holmes is the Iron Man who like all superheroes fights and kills his adversaries. The intriguing plot meanders heroically as its protagonists; the brave-heart Holmes and the overpowered Watson try to outwit the dark lord, Lord Blackwood whose malicious and occult crimes threaten to annihilate the peace of London.



Robert Downey Junior is brilliant in his role, he is funny and entertaining. His accent is masterful and his gait dainty. He is however a little more disheveled than expected, lurking around his room catching flies and anaesthetizing Watson's dog. But his mental acumen is strong, his reflective brain, his ability to deduce a person's character from the minuscule details brings to mind the character of the dear old Holmes. However his colleague Dr. Watson seemed at times more potent than him, solving riddles in a jiffy, romanticizing and even overshadowing Holmes at some parts. Jude Law is an actor par excellence and he has used his skill to the best of his ability thereby creating a made over Dr. Watson whom I simply loved. The colleagues share a fantastic bond; they are the ideal made for each other couple. In those grimy and grumpy scenes of slaughterhouse blood, dirty alleys and soiled laboratory, it is obviously the fantastic bond between these two that win over audiences with its charm.



Irene Adler who is first mentioned in 'The Scandal in Bohemia' and who is possibly the love interest of our old Holmes is resurrected here. She is a charming young lady of style, class and brawn. We never know if Mr. Holmes really loved her since "All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind." But in the cinema the emotion of love is more potent and discreet. They kiss and hug yet they always engage in a battle of wits. Holmes has the picture of Adler (the one mentioned in 'The Scandal in Bohemia') and he seems to adore and admire the lady. Rachel McAdams looks good in all the scenes but there is a missing ingredient in her chemistry with Holmes. They don’t look like a great match, even though they try hard to portray the perfection, they just don’t seem to hit it. As for the other characters, Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood is both sinister and perfect. He combined the villainous instincts of a gentleman with great dexterity.



The storyline of the movie is admirable. The plot is fabulous and will leave you agog. One will definitely not find the flair of Conan Doyle, but he will surely enjoy the twists and turns. The cinematography is brilliant. The gloomy London skies cast a gray shadow in the movie. The movie has a dearth of color and the sequences are frenetic, fast and slow paced at the same time. The soundtrack is soothing, a little Irish but good to ears.



Overall, the movie was a brilliant and innovative experiment for director Guy Richie. The peppy Sherlock Holmes does look marvelous on screen yet somehow he lacks the appeal and the wisdom of the stereotyped Holmes and becomes a usual Guy Richie creation, perhaps just another extraordinary antihero.