Jesus is regarded as a messenger of God among Hindus and so we were all able to join in celebrating the Birthday of Jesus. We began on Christmas Eve with the decoration and lighting  of our fir tree in the courtyard. The decorations were all hand made by residents and me.  After a short speech we all had a substitute for mince pies and mulled wine in the form of fruit samosas and warm pomegranate juice laced with spices. My idea of having music from You Tube on the TV was not successful as it was not audible in the courtyard. I  went to Midnight Mass in the local town, courtesy of a parishioner, who collected me in his car and deposited me at a convent where the sisters had offered me a bed for the remainder of the night. I returned to Awaas in time to start off the various competitions in Scrabble, Carom, and Snakes and Ladders. At lunchtime we had a nice meal with a special mango desert. Christmas cake The highlight of the day wa...

My Father  by Sainath Raorane   When I remember my father I think about his gardening, his discipline, and his courage when facing difficulties. He was in the military so he was a very disciplined man and this showed in his daily life. He used to wake up at 6am and brush his teeth in a particular way as recommended by his dentist. He ate only a small breakfast. He was of medium height and build. I had a photograph of him in his uniform. In that photo he looked very handsome, wearing a coat. I liked that photo very much. I kept that photo with me for many years and used to show it to my friends with pride. Later father was labour officer in an industrial company in Worli. When he came home from his office work he would bring many things from Dadar Market. He used to get vegetables and sometimes big fish and crabs. He would arrive in our chawl around 6,30pm, which was my playtime. When I saw him I used to run and pick up his bag filled with all sorts of materials. He...

 November/December Events Since Divali some of the resident’s rooms have been repainted. Their walls are all being done in a soft yellow colour but they have a choice of lilac, mushroom, sky blue and pista for the interior doors and wardrobes. I remarked that in Bihar I had noticed that many kirana shops painted their shelves lilac and was told that it is a colour that is reputed to keep mosquitoes and flies away. I was also informed that lilac is the colour of the goddess Laxmi so is associated with prosperity   - useful if you have a shop! We have a new resident in the Awaas goshalla. A girl calf was born at 1.30am   on 28 th November. She is creamy white and very pretty. When I walk around the track in the mornings I say hello to her and she turns to me, moving her ears at the sound of my voice, which is higher pitched than her usual male visitors. I have called her Anandi. I mislaid my ATM card one day, between the badminton court and t...

Prakash Gupte's photos Brilliant colours  Two regular walkers on track Sainath took pictures of Anandi and flowers in the new garden  Its a long way down to my food!