Bobo goes to a Party

It promised to be a wonderful day, the sun filtered into the little tree house, rays of gold, orange and red. Bobo, the baby panda burst into the room, shouting "Papa, Papa ! Its morning, wake up !". Lala, the mama panda woke up with a start and looked at the alarm clock by the bedside. "Oh!", said Lala, "its already seven !!". She jumped out of bed, and went straight into the bathroom, muttering to herself. Jango, the papa panda grunted, turned on his side and went back to sleep. However, Bobo was determined to wake his father up, and tugged Jango's pyjamas till Jango opened his eyes. The aroma of warm toast, laced with the slight sting of freshly squeezed oranges wafted in and woke Jango up completely.


"We will miss the train, Papa. We are late.", said Bobo. "Relax Bobo, we will reach in time.", assured Jango. They were going to visit Uncle Sikka, Lala's brother. Uncle Sikka lived at North Timberland, with his wife Bali Aunty and their daughter Ila. It was Ila's birthday and she was going to have a grand fancy-dress party. Bobo was going to dress up as a sailor. Jango brushed his teeth and joined Lala and Bobo at breakfast. Lala poured a steaming cup of coffee for him. Bobo drained his glass of milk at one go. Bobo was not allowed to drink coffee, Lala says coffee is for grown-ups. While Lala did the dishes, Jango took care of some last minute packing. Soon, they were ready to go.


Bobo looked very handsome in his all-white sailor's uniform. He even had a sailor's cap to go with it. The three of them set off towards the big banyan tree, where the jungle-train stopped to pick people up. They saw a peacock dancing under the banyan tree. It looked very beautiful, with its bright blue feathers spread out. "I hope it does not rain today. It will spoil the party", said Lala. You see, peacocks dance when it is about to rain. Suddenly they heard a whistle, it was the jungle-train. The jungle-train was green and yellow, with a red engine. It was driven by a monkey, who had a string with a blue whistle around his neck. The monkeys knew each and every corner of the forest, and were best to work on the jungle-train.


Soon they were on their way to the North. The monkey was pointing out interesting things to Bobo. "There, beyond the mulberry bush is the Anthill Colony", said the monkey. Bobo saw a lot of ants marching in a line towards a group of small mud hills. "And there is the rabbit patch", shouted the monkey, pointing at a patch full of carrots and cauliflowers. Bobo looked just in time to see a number of rabbits running into the many rabbit holes. "Do they always run away when they see other animals?", wondered Bobo. He was thinking about the white rabbit he had rescued from a big bird, by the lakeside.


"The North Station", the driver called out. Bobo saw Uncle Sikka, Bali Aunty and Ila at the station and waved to them. Jango and Lala said goodbye to the driver and were busy getting the presents they had got for Ila. Bobo was so excited at seeing Ila, that he didnot wait for Jango or Lala. He jumped right onto the wooden platform. That is a very dangerous thing to do. Bobo could have hurt himself. Uncle Sikka, Bali Aunty and Ila rushed to see if Bobo was alright. Luckily for Bobo, the train was low and he was not hurt. But, Bobo was in tears ! It had rained the night before and there was a muddy puddle on the platform. Bobo had jumped right into the puddle. Poor Bobo. His white sailor's uniform was ruined. The muddy water in the puddle had splashed all over his clothes. He was so disappointed, he had burst into tears. Jango and Lala joined the group and tried their best to console Bobo.


"It is alright, you can take a bath as soon as we are home", said Ila. "Yes, and I will wash your clothes and it will be as good as new", said Bali Aunty. "Meanwhile, you can wear the spare Kung-fu pants that I have brought for you", said Lala. "Will the uniform be ready for the party ? Can I still be a sailor for the fancy dress ?", asked Bobo. Lala said, "Oh ! I am sorry Bobo, but the clothes will not dry so soon". Bobo's face fell and he started crying again. "I have an idea!", exclaimed Jango, and whispered something in Bobo's ears. Bobo smiled and his eyes lit up. They went to Uncle Sikka's house. Bobo went to take a bath and get ready for the party. He did not tell Ila what he was going to dress up as. It was a secret between Jango and Bobo. They were planning to surprise the others.


Soon it was time for the party. Uncle Sikka had invited their neighbours to the party. The kids were all dressed up for the fancy dress. Ila was dressed up as Dora. Ila's best friend, Mini, came as Mini Mouse! There were two Mickey Mouses and a Donald Duck. There was Cinderella, Snow white and Goldilocks. Then there was the Kung-fu Panda. It was Bobo ! He was dressed as Kung-fu Panda in his Kung-fu pants! Bobo went around the hall, showing Kung-fu moves. Bobo's act was the best ever and everyone clapped. Bobo was so happy. So was Ila. What a lovely surprise it was !!


"Its time for lunch", announced Bali Aunty. Everyone had a good lunch of sandwiches, crisps, carrots in honey, blueberries and grape juice.After the lunch, it was time for the cake-cutting. Ila's birthday cake was pink in color. It had "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ILA" written on it with strawberries. It was her 3rd birthday, and so she had 3 candles on the cake. Everyone sang "happy birthday to Ila". They cut the cake and everyone ate big pieces of it. It was a wonderful party.One by one the guests left. Bali Aunty and Lala started cleaning up. Uncle Sikka and Jango went to collect honey from the bees. Bobo and Ila were in Ila's room, opening Ila's gifts one by one. There were a lot of dresses, a building block set and a train set.The most special gift was what Bobo gave Ila. It was a small flip book, which Bobo had made himself. When Ila flipped through the book, she saw a bright red bud blooming into a hibiscus flower. It was beautiful. "It is the most beautiful gift I have ever got. What a wonderful birthday I've had! Thank you, Bobo", said Ila. Bobo was very happy. It had been a wonderful day for him too.

Bobo and the White Rabbit

The Panda family lived in a tree house in the Forests of Timberland. The tree stood tall, with branches spread far and wide. Jango the papa panda, Lala the mama panda and Bobo the baby panda loved their house and were very proud of it. Every day Jango would go around the house, clearing the fallen leaves and dusting the window sills. Lala would scrub the floors until it squeaked. Bobo also did his bit in keeping the house neat and tidy. He kept his room clean. He kept his toys in the hole-in-the-wall, when he was not playing with them. He was careful not to drop any crumbs when he was eating biscuits or cake. Jango and Lala were very proud of their son.

One day Jango and Lala took Bobo to the lake side. The lake was very far away from the treehouse. This was the first time Bobo had seen the lake. The water was green and there were trees growing along the banks.There were swans and ducks, and when Bobo looked down, he could see fish swimming in the water. Bobo was very excited to be at the lake. He liked the flowing water and the cool breeze.

Jango and Bobo went swimming while Lala watched from the banks. Bobo did not know how to swim and this was his first time in the water. He was a bit scared in the beginning but soon was splashing alongside Jango.He became confident and began swimming in circles, taking care not to go too far out into the lake. After some time, Lala called from the bank. It was time for lunch. Lala had packed lunch - delicious sandwiches and strawberries with cream. She also had brought some orange juice.

They sat under a big tree, and were about to start eating, when Bobo heard a small squeal from above.He looked up and saw a big bird on a branch high above them, a small white rabbit in its clutches. The bird had HUGE wings, and a beak which looked very cruel. The rabbit was squealing with terror. Bobo acted quickly. He climbed the tree with amazing speed, and reached the bird in a jiffy.The bird saw the panda lunge at her, and with a loud screech, flew away into the sky. In its hurry, the bird dropped the rabbit, which fell all the way down to the ground, right into Lala's favourite pillow. It was a very soft, fluffy pillow, and the rabbit was not hurt at all. Lucky rabbit, don't you think?

Jango and Lala were still shocked at the turn of events. So was the rabbit. It couldn't believe its luck! The rabbit looked up at Bobo, squealed "Thank you", and scurried off into the bushes. "Hey, stop ! Wait !" shouted Bobo, but he was too late. The rabbit had disappeared down a hole. Bobo was about to run after the rabbit, when he realized he was high up on the tree ! He could see the forest stretch for miles and miles around him. There was greenery all around. Far away, he could see the green broken by the silver of a river. It was beautiful. For a moment, he wished their treehouse were on this tree. He looked down and saw Jango and Lala looking up at him, and carefully climbed down to join them.

Lala ran over and hugged him. "What a brave little thing to do!!", exclaimed Lala. Jango patted Bobo on his back, and ruffled his hair. "I am very proud of you, Bobo. You are a brave Panda", said Jango. Bobo glowed with pride. He was very happy, but he was also hungry. After a very delicious lunch of sandwiches and orange juice, they decided to take a siesta.While Jango and Lala lay asleep beside him, Bobo was still awake, wondering where the white rabbit had gone. Do you know where the white rabbit went? Do you think Bobo will see the white rabbit again ?Keep wondering, and while you are at it, keep smiling !

In Fond Memory Of - O&M

Once upon a time, in a faraway land… that would be about 4.5 years back, in Chennai… I joined Cognizant fresh out of college and had a blast of a time in the 2 months of training at Cognizant Academy. About 200 others joined with me, and the 40 strong MF004 batch was an absolutely delight to be a part of. Some of the friends I made then count among my best. They have been with me through thick and thin, and were always there when I needed them most. I will cherish their friendship forever.

So it was a very pleasant surprise when O pinged me the other day. O was not part of MF004, though a very dear friend all the same. He is married to M, and been in NJ for quite some time now. Its been more than 3 years since I met him, though we were in touch through the occasional scrap. He insisted I meet up with them the very next day. They were going to this Mallu family’s for a get-together. I was not so keen because I just had a very tiring Saturday, out shopping at the Garden State Plaza. Anyone who has been there will totally empathize with me. But not O. And I was smitten by his enthusiasm about driving all the way up to Hackensack from Jersey City to pick me up. I tell H I don’t feel so good about barging into homes of total strangers. H is more practical, and suggests it would be nice to make some new friends and get some good food in the bargain. At the cost of seeming most seedy, I admit it’s the thought of good mallu food that clinched the deal. H sure knows me well.

O picks me up sharp at 2.30 pm. There’s M and a friend of theirs, I forgot his name. We chit-chat all the way to Jersey City, where we pick up another friend of theirs. Must be quite a party, and I ask M if we oughtn’t to get a gift for the hosts. M says gifts are not necessary. And so we arrive at Woodbridge, and meet this lovely couple, K&D, and their cute little daughter. I discover P lives in the same Apartment Complex. (No, P is not famous. I just called him up to tell him I am in Woodbridge, and we discover I am at his place. A different door number though. He says he is in NY. I am not sure if he was in NY or he just chickened out at the thought of opening the front door to welcome me in).

People kept pouring in, and the house became a bit crowded, to say the least. K&D have the home theatre set up, along with a white board and markers. I brace myself for a game of Pictionary and a movie after dinner. Just that I couldn’t smell the dinner yet. And people were is groups of 4-5, whispering among themselves. Have they made the teams already? And then, K&D walk up, and call out for attention. They give a nice little speech, thanking everyone for coming and explaining that their business is doing really good. It is spread across 4 countries and they are planning to expand to Kerala in India. Wow, I thought, I would love to see their business plan. As if on cue, they pull up this presentation on DVD. Welcome to Q*, a network marketing company. I see red and alarm bells in a variety of frequencies are set off.

Just about everything falls into place. The enthusiasm to pick me up, the quite unlikely friends that O made (of the 2 guys he brought to the meeting today - he met one of them at Wal-Mart, the other at the Railway Station), the mutterings, K&D “expanding” business to India through their parents in Kerala and above all the mystery of the missing aroma of the non-existent dinner. The only thing that I still don’t quite comprehend – how could O do this to me?

I sat through the marketing gimmick of following my dreams and being “financially free” in a couple of years. I started off with smart aleck answers, which soon degraded into downright frosty stares and on-the-face sarcasm. I guess the speaker was smarter than I would like to give him credit for, because he soon stopped trying to get me involved in the session. Snacks were served. Q* products of breakfast bars and energy drinks. If only P was home, I would have given them a piece of my mind and walked out. O had to drop me back, so I had to sit through the rest of it too, even after the other newbies left after the "feast".

Once only the believers (and me) were remaining, the real picture was unveiled. The strategy of frequenting department stores and railway stations, of making friends with other Indians simply by starting off a conversation and getting their phone numbers, making use of social networking sites to get hold of “downlines”.. of using as much of their own products by themselves. There was this nutritionist who was selling vitamin supplements, a software engineer who was selling fuel additives, an investment banker who was selling breakfast bars. All in the name of “financial freedom” and “residual income”.

I reach back home by 10.30 pm, and just as I get out of the car, O&M ask me not to speak to H about the “business” yet. I spent half a day with them, and they expect me not to share it with my husband? How can they decide what I should share with my husband and what I shouldn’t? Not that I understand the logic behind that particular request, but it was the last nail on the coffin. Goodbye, O&M.

In Fond Memory Of - Mambu

Every family has their pet story. Some have more than one.Mine have loads. These have been told and re-told at all those family re-unions, where extended family get together to have biriyani and wash it down with Kawa. This is one of the all-time favs..

The Venue: "Mambu", Mamma's mayka
The cast:
Ikka @ 6 yrs - My brother, 9 years elder to me and the proud father of my 3 year old niece Ammu
Shameer Kaka @ 2 yrs- My most lovable cousin, who got engaged recently to an equally lovable girl
Baappa - My late grandfather, extremely loving but with a very short temper and a voice with a built-in amplifier.
Props - A dark green rotary dial telephone, on a wooden wall-mounted telephone stand

This story is set in the early 1980's when the family was still "joint". Long before cordless phones became a necessity, and phone numbers in Calicut were still in 5 digits, the single phone in Mambu was an object accorded great reverence by the residents. It was placed on a wooden wall-mounted telephone stand, high above the reach of mortals below 5 ft in height. It was a relatively calm evening, everyone was busy - Baappa in his office room, the ladies in the kitchen and the kids in the front yard. "CRASH"..!!

Time stood still, two tiny little hearts forgot their need of oxygen for a second and the entire family converged within seconds, to investigate the racket. Ikka, all of 6 yrs, was expecting a very important call from his friend Vijay at 5.00 pm sharp. In an effort to reach the phone, he had enlisted the services of Shameer kaka and the duo had dragged a chair in from the dining room. The phone being at a considerable height, they could not reach it and they ended up clinging to the stand. Out came the nails and thus the crash. Many a man has been surprised by the ingenuity shown by his offspring. So was Baappa, when he discovered his pet "potas" cowering in front of him, wishing the floor would split open and gobble them up.

Before Baappa could choose expletives suitable to their ages, tiny rivulets appreared on the floor. "Story" has it that no-one has heard Baappa laugh as loud and clear as he did that day. We still hear his laughter ring, whenever we recount stories, inspiring and challenging us to live life to its full, the way he did.

P.S: "Mambu" was sold and dismantled a few years ago, but the wooden telephone stand occupies place of honor in the prayer room of Ikka's new house, holding the Holy Quran.