Song 87:
Asha and Lata together are a delight in this song. What is it about sisters singing in unison? Lends a song a special sweetness. It's almost like music sung by mysterious, mystical 'gene-ies' with a special dna code that connects with your soul.
What I love even more in this song is the ambience, some picturesque hill station. My guess is it is somewhere in the North East of India with a stunning view of Kanchenjunga as I saw recently in the Darjeeling area. Each state and region in India welcomes visitors with a special flavour and style. I had not seen much of North East until recently. I had heard a lot about it from my father who was posted in very treacherous areas way back in the 80s and 90s. Often due to our school, we had to stay put with Mom in some more hospitable and comfortable city.
But Papa would write us long letters regularly and really motivate us to do well in studies and other activities. Perhaps it was the distance that made my relationship with Papa even more special than it already was. He was always close, yet had to go away when he had to. Fathers have to be gone to places unimaginable but the time they do spend with kids is precious and worthwhile. There was this adventurous and very sturdy streak in him. I for one have never seen him tired or ever saying that something is tough. I have never seen him wanting anything for himself. He would always bring us very exotic gifts from these faraway places. We would imagine days in advance what his bag full of goodies for us would contain.
Once he was posted in Arunachal Pradesh which is almost the Eastern-most tip of India. It was a snow covered, tough terrain. A Himalayan Red Panda that was slightly unwell and injured started coming to him. Papa started giving it some food and tending to him. Soon the panda was healed and some time later Papa got posted out. He had got so attached to the panda that he got him along and we moved to Ahmedabad which was a bustling metro.
Soon our house became full of inquisitive visitors who would walk in to have a look at a Himalayan Red Panda. We would boast about it in school and feel very nice if that gave us extra attention from people we wanted to get it from. The panda would eat bamboo shoots and feel very warm in summer months. We had coolers that time, no a/cs. Soon my brother and I let him have our cooler also so that he was comfortable, we were so enamoured by our special and precious guest from the North-East. Then one day Papa learnt that WWF was getting particularly active in India and any endangered species could not be kept at home as a pet. He firmly told us we had to let the panda go. So very tearfully we donated it to a wild life sanctuary nearby. But the official looking after that place was so touched by our gesture, he gifted us a beautiful Labrador Retriever pup that stayed with us for many years.
Thus at every step, life with Papa was and is exciting. It is to him that I owe whatever little wanderlust I have. The vagabond in me is routed in Papa's thrilling tales. Nothing gives me more pleasure than exploring an all new place with it's cultural diversities, flora, fauna, food and typical lifestyle. No wonder my recent trip to North-East was especially pleasurable as I almost saw it again, recollecting each detail as I had heard from Papa but seeing for myself this time round. Not even for a moment I felt as if I was in a new place as I had heard it all from Papa. Thank you for being you, Papa. Happy Birthday Papa! :)
Asha and Lata together are a delight in this song. What is it about sisters singing in unison? Lends a song a special sweetness. It's almost like music sung by mysterious, mystical 'gene-ies' with a special dna code that connects with your soul.
What I love even more in this song is the ambience, some picturesque hill station. My guess is it is somewhere in the North East of India with a stunning view of Kanchenjunga as I saw recently in the Darjeeling area. Each state and region in India welcomes visitors with a special flavour and style. I had not seen much of North East until recently. I had heard a lot about it from my father who was posted in very treacherous areas way back in the 80s and 90s. Often due to our school, we had to stay put with Mom in some more hospitable and comfortable city.
But Papa would write us long letters regularly and really motivate us to do well in studies and other activities. Perhaps it was the distance that made my relationship with Papa even more special than it already was. He was always close, yet had to go away when he had to. Fathers have to be gone to places unimaginable but the time they do spend with kids is precious and worthwhile. There was this adventurous and very sturdy streak in him. I for one have never seen him tired or ever saying that something is tough. I have never seen him wanting anything for himself. He would always bring us very exotic gifts from these faraway places. We would imagine days in advance what his bag full of goodies for us would contain.
Once he was posted in Arunachal Pradesh which is almost the Eastern-most tip of India. It was a snow covered, tough terrain. A Himalayan Red Panda that was slightly unwell and injured started coming to him. Papa started giving it some food and tending to him. Soon the panda was healed and some time later Papa got posted out. He had got so attached to the panda that he got him along and we moved to Ahmedabad which was a bustling metro.
Soon our house became full of inquisitive visitors who would walk in to have a look at a Himalayan Red Panda. We would boast about it in school and feel very nice if that gave us extra attention from people we wanted to get it from. The panda would eat bamboo shoots and feel very warm in summer months. We had coolers that time, no a/cs. Soon my brother and I let him have our cooler also so that he was comfortable, we were so enamoured by our special and precious guest from the North-East. Then one day Papa learnt that WWF was getting particularly active in India and any endangered species could not be kept at home as a pet. He firmly told us we had to let the panda go. So very tearfully we donated it to a wild life sanctuary nearby. But the official looking after that place was so touched by our gesture, he gifted us a beautiful Labrador Retriever pup that stayed with us for many years.
Thus at every step, life with Papa was and is exciting. It is to him that I owe whatever little wanderlust I have. The vagabond in me is routed in Papa's thrilling tales. Nothing gives me more pleasure than exploring an all new place with it's cultural diversities, flora, fauna, food and typical lifestyle. No wonder my recent trip to North-East was especially pleasurable as I almost saw it again, recollecting each detail as I had heard from Papa but seeing for myself this time round. Not even for a moment I felt as if I was in a new place as I had heard it all from Papa. Thank you for being you, Papa. Happy Birthday Papa! :)
Many Many Happy Returns of Day Uncle.... Aap Jiyo Hazaro Saal.. :) :)
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