Audio cassettes are obsolete and are never going to make a comeback, I think. But, there are so many memories attached to those cassettes. Most of us have grown up listening to music on cassettes. Since recording music from one cassette to another was easy, many of us had our own personalised music albums.
With the newer technology for listening to music there is just no use of cassettes in our lives anymore, but to throw away such memories really hurts. I still have some of the cassettes that contain the compilations I had made several years ago. In fact, I threw away a few just a few months ago, and my heart broke!
Just yesterday I was reading something on the Goonj site and while going through their recycles products catalogue I found that purses and folders that are made out of audio cassettes. What a lovely idea!
This is how a folder made from audio cassettes looks like! There are other products, such as, pouches, wallets available as well. Find them at:
My Anushka completed 21 months today! 18 months to now have been such a lovely journey, so many 1st times to add to the baby book! She started walking rather late, and while we were still worrying if there was some problem in her muscle development or anything else she almost started running the day she turned 18 months. And from that day on, I am running after her! She dances every time she listens to her favourite melodies; hums along with me when she is in a mood; but most importantly, she always identifies any video or ad film she likes on tv or the computer!
Her (vocal) vocabulary improved quite a bit, but her gestures improved drastically! With about 16-17 words she can utter she explains almost everything to us with her hand gestures! She has a very strong mind of her own already! Her naw (no) can be heard quite distinctly every time she doesn't want to do something! Her yes is usually an 'uh' or a 'haan'. Her 'didu', Bengali for maternal grand mom is 'dzoo', and my mother just doesn't have a choice but respond to that!
I am trying to remember all that happened through these 3 months, but it's so difficult to list so many things. Oh yes, she can solve jigsaw puzzles that are recommended for children who are 2+. She can't completely insert the puzzle pieces inside the slot, but she never puts any wrong piece in any slot. If I am sounding a little proud I must be excused; I am just too excited... mothers with young children will understand me for sure!
She ate her first pasta in tomato base, half moon-shaped chicken cutlets, fish-shaped fish cutlets; her favourite was a fish cutlet that looked like a face that had eyes made with peas and the nose and mouth were made using tomato slices! Well, I cooked all these especially for her. I never took much interest in cooking before!
Though there are many new developments some of the old habits still exist. She very strongly dislikes her pediatrician, though he is one of the nicest doctors I have met; she still takes several hours to have her dinner, the sleep time is as bad as ever no matter how hard I try. But in spite of all the crazy things she does that makes me sometimes want to just give up and cry 'cause my body and mind just can't take the stress, she still keeps me going. Becoming a mother at 35 is not always an easy thing if one is not physically fit, and I am not. I have quite a few health problems, body ache being the worst of them all. But after becoming Anushka's mother I think I can run a marathon someday!
P.S. Anushka's father got her a book and a set of puzzles for her 21st 'monthly' birthday! :)
Here's the video where she works on her puzzles!
Saturday, 5 May 2012
It was a lovely evening of music, dance and poetry at the Lokhandwala Garden to celebrate Poila Baishakh and Rabindra Jayanti; two very special days for Bengalis. Many Bengalis from Andheri to Kandivali gathered here to be a part of this 'Bonghomie'!
It's been 16 years since I last performed Rabindrasangeet on stage, and I thoroughly enjoyed singing. Also, I wore a Dhakai saree, a first-time ever! This evening was special as I have missed not singing all these years, plus I performed with my father for the first time!
My father, Ranjan Mitra, was the first Bengali, if not the first Indian, to have cut western music albums (in 33 rpm) with HMV back in the early 70's. He was a regular performer back in the day, and sang with many prominent musicians including Louiz Banks! Besides singing he loves playing the harmonica. It was wonderful accompanying him on stage today!
Another high this evening - my daughter Anushka sang 'tata-tata' the moment she heard 'Mamo Chitte Niti Nritte'! We were pleasantly surprised as to how she instantly recognised the song that she occasionally heard at home, and she is only 20 months!
One of the youngest in the audience!
It'll be great if all 3 of us perform together one day. It's not very common to see 3 generations performing together!
