Forever 21 GEMs (Invites Only) (Page 29)

Thank you so much for those very very kind words! Every kind word feels to me like a gift; I am always so grateful.

Your beautiful description of the "Life of Pi" film reminded me so of the line from "Mangal Bhavan Amangal Hari" (lovely bhajan from an older film, "Geet Ghata Chal") that says, "Jaaki rahi bhavna jaisi; Raghu murti dekhi tin taisi."  It always makes me think that, however one feels or sees the image of god in his or her soul, that is how god would appear.  So why not understand, as Pi does, that all faith is really the same, born from the same impulse, tracking the same path, leading to the same end?  It is a beautiful thought, hai na?

I did not see the film, but I have read the book.  I am very embarrassed to say how I have come to have this book!  If some of you live in Indian metros, then surely you will know of the young boys who sell books at the stoplights and crossroads? They sell the books extremely cheaply, usually just a few rupees apiece if the book is not much in demand.  Well, I used not to know anything about anything, a condition which is not much changed, but has improved slightly (not least because of all I learn here from all of you!)  as I understand now about book and film piracy and also about exploitation of children like these.  But before I knew these things, when I was walking out one day with my son, then a baby, I was approached by a book boy and what should he be holding (among other things) but an English language version of Life of Pi.  My little son caught hold of it, attracted by the colourful cover.  He bit into it and ate the corner!  The book boy shouted on me ki, "Now you must buy this book, madam, your son is eating it!" To make the long story short, I paid for the book, bought less sabzi, made more roti to fill out and got a tight slap from my MIL for being careless!  I was worried, too, that maybe the book boy would be in trouble for not selling it once it was bitten - maybe he might get slapped, too, and I did not want this. (If you get slapped a lot, which I do, you don't want this for others!)

So I am the embarrassed owner of a pirated edition of Life of Pi and, though it was a struggle at the time for me to read it, it was a beautiful, illuminating experience, completely raw.  I can only imagine how lovely it mist have looked onscreen!

thank you bhakti for your kind words. Right now, I am a full time mother only

All those other parts of me will surface gradually when my kids start full time school, I hope.

@BOLD -  Very true. 

Since I enjoy your talk about them and your worries...May be you know about it or may be you do not. So let me present you with a Studio Ghibli movie

http://vimeo.com/35445424

May be your kids and yourself would like it.

P.S: Vaani, I feel you would like it most.  Its animation.

Another Studio Ghibli movie...Whisper of the Heart. It got removed from Youtube and has become difficult for online viewing.

Shri, I wish I could express how, even you might not be their mother, you have affected the lives of my children in such a positive way.  Before I came to IF or had any of these "conversations", I spoke to almost no one except my family in the house.  I did not question the conditions of life; I just did my best to live each day and to develop my mind as best I could, but I recognise that my viewpoint was necessarily limited by circumstance.

Until I saw the opinions of other women here, or heard your strong and confident voice through your thoughts, I never thought to ask myself, how is this my life going to affect these children?  I thought nothing of being beaten right in front of them.  My husband has never raised his hand on me, and has always been loving, but others in his family are not so patient, and were disappointed when I became his wife, particularly due to the fact that I have dark skin tone.  His aunties, when they come, hit me a great deal and say how I had ruined his chances to have beautiful children.  My son also heard and understood this.

I am not relating this in complaint.  I am quite used to it; was hit also as a child by my father and brothers; it was simply a condition of life for me.  It is not so hard to become used to a life where one stays silent, does one's best, and just observes.

But then, once I came here, I realised that these things are laid before the next generation. What would my son think of watching his mother be slapped so much?  What will I tell my daughter? I would never in a million years want such a life for her.  Yet when she was born, my husband's family told me quite clearly I had failed, that I should have aborted her, that I was causing a weight on the family by having borne a girl.

Once Shri, you told me ki, tell your son behind closed doors - tell your daughter - there is another way to look at life.  I am not sure how to begin this, but I took those words very much to heart.  With everything going on right now all over India and the world, I know we must not let these patterns continue.

So I just wanted to say thanks ki, even you are halfway around the world, you have made the lives of my children better, and there is nothing on the earth that any mother can be more grateful for than that.

Thanks for the lovely Animation Shri.It was very touching.I watched it.

Have u seen the Grave of the fireflies?.Watching this animation.I cried a lot remembering again and again.