THE SUNDAY BOOKCLUB On this occasion we will be discussing our members chosen book A ROOM WITH A VIEW by E M FORSTER. Should be a good discussion! This will be held on Sunday 29th July 2012 at Esquires Coffee Shop, Unit 12, St Georges Shopping Centre, St Ann's Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 1HS.
Monday, 23 July 2012
THE SUNDAY BOOKCLUB 29TH JULY 2012
THE SUNDAY BOOKCLUB On this occasion we will be discussing our members chosen book A ROOM WITH A VIEW by E M FORSTER. Should be a good discussion! This will be held on Sunday 29th July 2012 at Esquires Coffee Shop, Unit 12, St Georges Shopping Centre, St Ann's Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 1HS.
Monday, 2 July 2012
- Sunday 15 July 2012
- UNIT 12, ST GEORGE'S SHOPPING CENTRE, ST ANN'S ROAD,, Harrow (map) NEAREST TUBE STATION:HA
RROW ON THE HILL METROPOLIT AN LINE. HARROW BUS STATION ALSO PROVIDES BUS SERVICES AND IS LOCATED ON COLLEGE ROAD. - On Sunday 15th July 2012 The Sunday Bookclub will just be hosting book crossing. Please bring in your own books for swapping and discussion. We recommend this. We also recommend that you join BOOKCROSSING.COM which tells you how you can track a book that is being passed on and read. You may have left a book somewhere in London for someone to read and discover that it may have ended up in Sydney and read the reviews along the way. At the launch of the THE SUNDAY BOOKCLUB the members voted on reading THE ROOM WITH A VIEW by E M Forster about a young woman in the repressed culture of Edwardian England. This book will be discussed on Sunday 29th July 2012 , so it will give reader ample time to read the book. Also on Sunday 15th July 2012 members will vote what book to read and discuss again on Sunday 26th August 2012, so please think of some book titles. See you soon! Subrata and Srabonti. AT 1.30PM AT ESQUIRES COFFEE SHOP.
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
On Sunday 1st July 2012 at 1.30pm we are launching the THE SUNDAY BOOKCLUB. This club is open to everyone who loves books. We will be swapping books and discussing a book of a particular genre once a month. New potential members can bring their own books. Esquires Coffee Shop is warm, cosy and provides great refreshments. The organizers will provide refreshments for the first launch. It brings a whole new meaning to Sunday afternoons!! Venue details THE ESQUIRES COFFEE SHOP, UNIT 12, ST GEORGE'S SHOPPING CENTRE, ST ANN'S ROAD, HARROW-ON-THE-HILL, MIDDLESEX, HA1 1HS. Nearest tube station is Harrow-On-The-Hill ( Metropolitan Line). Harrow Bus Station on College Road provide many bus services.
Sunday, 20 May 2012
PINNER WRITNG PIECE
Rosie
looked out of hospital window trying to take in the news that the doctors had
just given her: - she was never going to walk again. SHE WAS NEVER GOING TO
WALK AGAIN. Seven simple words but at a stroke her life and her family’s life
had now changed forever.
How could
God be so unfair? If there was a God that is. She was going spend the rest of
her life in that damn wheelchair sitting by her bed. To say that she felt her
life was over was an understatement. It was the end of her world and everything
in it as far as she was concerned. She did not know how to go on with life
after receiving this devastating news.
As a
youngster Rosie was a child of the world. While other girls liked to do “girl
things” she just wanted to be like her brothers Lee and David.
She had no
time for wearing pretty frocks, jewellery or make-up as teenager. As a child
she had no time for dolls or their playhouses. She preferred her brother’s toy
cars and video games. She had little time for pyjama parties or “girl talk”
with other girls. She didn’t even have time for boyfriends or going to see boy
pop bands or read about the latest celeb gossip. Girly shopping was not one of
favourite her pastimes.
Like her
brothers she loved go-carting, fishing and riding her bike. She loved her jeans
and smudges on her white t-shirt. Her hair was cut into a short brown crop.
There was no way she would wear her hair long like the other sissy teenage age
girls at school. She loved to climb trees and go for a swim in the nearest
brook. She loved horse-riding. Outdoor life was always for her.
She loved
hanging around with her brother’s friends in their “secret hideout” by the
woods and playing cards. She loved to play football with her brothers.
Rosie was a
true tomboy to the fullest.
Her mother
use to say to, “Rosie I do wish you would be more of a girl”
Her dad use
to say, “I feel sometimes I have three sons instead of one daughter and two
sons!”
However her
family were loving and stable and they all lived in an Oxfordshire village on
their small farmstead.
Her parents
and brothers loved her unconditionally. All in all she had had a wonderful
childhood.
Rosie could
not wait to grow up fast. She wanted to be running athlete or at the very least
a P.E Sports Teacher. She couldn’t wait to travel the world and go backpacking.
She wanted to go canoeing in the Lake District, climbing in Mount Snowdonia
or go pony trekking in Ireland
As she
blossomed into teenage hood she felt she really could conquer the world. Her
whole life was ahead of her. And then suddenly at the age of 18 that terrible
accident had happened to her that would shatter all of her dreams in that one
terrible moment.
She was a
good driver. She use to ride her quad bikes with her brother around their
family farm and later when she passed her driving test in one go she was
absolutely thrilled.
On that
dark day she was travelling in her green Mini Metro (a birthday present from her
parents) waiting at a roundabout. Suddenly without warning a car had hit behind
her and all went black.
She later
found out that the other car had been speeding and when it hit her from behind,
her Mini smashed into the car in front. She had been badly injured and was in a
coma for a month.
After many
operations and her family’s support the doctors had given her the devastating
news: she was never going to walk again.
There would
be a police enquiry and the guy who had done this to her and family would
probably get a short jail term sentence and a heavy fine. But her family and she
had been given a life sentence. No she had
been given a life sentence and her dreams had been taken away from her. The
guy had shown remorse. He had written her endless letters and begged
forgiveness. He had wanted to see her and talk to her. His name was Chaim which
meant “new life”. How ironic. What life did she have to look forward to now?
She was in no mood to forgive or forget. She was an angry. Oh she was very,
very angry!!!
Today in
her hospital bedroom her mother had arranged Sally (a beautician and a family
friend) to come and see her. Her mother always believed that having a makeover
and doing “retail therapy” would lift a woman spirits. Rosie could not stand
all this “girly stuff” and fuss but she did not want to upset her mother
Sandra. Her mum was only doing what she thought was best and now that she could
not do what other normal able bodied people could do she might as well give
this makeover a try and do a bit of “retail therapy”.
Sally came
in. She looked bright and cheerful as always!!
“Hi Rosie.
I am here to help with your makeover. Nothing like having some beautiful
colours and shades on your beautiful skin and you have such a lovely
complexion”, said Sally
“I hope you
won’t make me look like a female clown”, said Rosie grumpily.
“No of course
I won’t. I am a professional and I am just using make-up to highlight your
already beautiful features. In no time at all you will have guys wanting to
date you”.
“What an
invalid like me?” said Rosie.
Sally
looked at the vase of flowers sitting besides Rosie’s bed. They were wonderful
arranged into a pretty bouquet.
“Pink roses
for our lovely Rosie eh?” said Sally.
Rosie
looked at them. She really hated her girly name and she certainly didn’t feel
“rosie” these days.
“My mum
arranged those flowers for me. She’s good at flower arranging. She does
flowering arranging for our local church. She wants me to learn this new skill. I think
now that she knows I can’t do anything with my useless legs I might as well do
something my hands. I am not artist. I want to be an athlete”, said Rosie
sadly.
“Ok I will
tell you what. Lets’ think positively ok? It’s not the end of the world.
Alright life is going to be different from now on but it’s not the end. When
God shuts the door, a window will always open.”
“Open a
window Sally? What window? Did you know in my dreams Sally I still see myself
walking?” said Rosie. “Sometimes I just want to wake up from this nightmare.
How can I be positive? I don’t think I even believe in God anymore. What did I
ever do to deserve this? I am never going to walk again”.
“I know
that my Rosie is fighter. I know she won’t give up”, said Sally. “This is the
little girl who once told me would love to wrestle with alligators. Now let’s
get your make-up on”.
With that
Sally began her work. Rosie did enjoyed being pampered in this way. Sally was
quick with her make-up brush and Rosie surprisingly enjoyed having her face
used as a canvas for Sally’s creative work. She gently touched Rosie’s cheek
with her make-up brush and mixed the different shades of make-up colours
together to create wonderful, warm colourful tones of pinks, browns and beige.
Rosie then
looked in the mirror and realised she did not look like a female clown at all.
In fact for the first time in her life she looked very feminine and she
surprising liked it! She liked the way the subtle colours seem to highlight her
cheekbones and the contours of her skin.
From then
on Sally would come into the hospital to put make-up on Rosie’s face and Rosie
looked forward to these visits and their afternoon chats. Later her mother
brought her books on flower arranging and she would go shopping with her mother
in her wheelchair. She never really done “retail therapy” that much with her
mother, but here again she now loved spending time with her mum trying on
different outfits, jewelleries, shoes and bags. She found it fun and found
fashion to be fun. She felt closer to her mother as she now felt closer to all
her family after her tragic accident.
Slowly
Rosie wanted to rethink her career. Her mother was right. Even though she could
not use her legs anymore, she could use her hands. So doing her daily physio
was given her upper body strength. But what could she do as a career and one
day Sally gave her the idea.
“I want to
be a make-up artist like you. I love it. I am developing a creative side and
feminine side that I have blocked out for years. I want to develop that. I want
to see where it will lead me. I still like doing “guy stuff” but I think I need
to accept I am a girl as well and there is no need for me to be ashamed of
that”.
“Of course
I will teach you! I can’t think of anything better and tonight I am going out
with the other girls from my salon. We are going out clubbing and I want you to
join us. Bloke pubs are fine but what we need is a “girl’s night out””, said
Sally.
Rosie
smiled. In time she learnt all about make-up artistry and she was good at it.
Also her hair began to grow out of its boyish crop and Rosie started to love
experimenting with different hairstyles and highlights. She took up art classes
and flower arranging classes and learnt to drive again. She felt that in the
darkness she could see a glimmer of hope. A glimmer of light. She felt she
could live her life again despite her disability. Sally had been right. Her
life was not over. It would be different for her and her family but it would be
a good life. She even began thinking of doing the other “tomboy” stuff again: -
like riding, swimming etc but she would have to relearn all of that as a person
with special needs. She would get her own flat, make- up business and go back
to college again. However this time she was acknowledging her feminine side as
well. She was young pretty woman and now she felt proud of that fact!
However as
much as she felt good about the future, she did wonder if men would be
interested in her. She did not care if guys liked her before and always assumed
she would marry a biker .But now she did care. Her family and friends said she
was beautiful and she knew that but would a man find her attractive now? She
also still felt great anger at the guy who had put her in this wheelchair.
She
received another letter from him. He was now out of jail and as predicted only
served a short sentence for diminished responsibility, paid a heavy fine and
was banned from driving for seven years. He said he needed to see her and that
he was “so very sorry”. He said he had been speeding with such madness that day
after he had lost everything: - his wife had left him and he was left with
nothing. His wife and her new lover had taken everything from him, their house,
money and cars. She had been having an affair. He also lost his job and felt
like his world had caved in after his divorce.
“Well at
least he doesn’t have to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of his life”, Rosie
told Sally.
“Why don’t
you see him? Just see what he has to say? I mean judging from his letters he
feels terrible guilt for what he did you and your family. He has lost
everything a lot as well”, said Sally.
“What? Am I meant to do forgive him? All
this stuff about him losing everything? It’s a joke. At lease he can start all
over again. At least he can walk!” said Rosie.
“This anger
is holding you back. Talk to him”, said Sally.
So Rosie
agreed to see Chaim. Their first meeting at her home felt so odd and cold. But
she discovered a man who had lost everything dear to him. He had also taken
responsibility for the accident and had shown guilt and remorse. He had been
suffering as much as her.
After his
first visit, Rosie asked him to come again. Soon he was visiting her often and
Rosie found they had a lot in common. He was gentleman at heart and knew how to
treat a woman properly. He was also handsome too. Soon she looked forward to
his visits and they grew close and became friends.
Then one
day he asked out on “a date” and for the first time in her life Rosie fell in
love and Chaim fell in love with her. His name “new life” really felt like
Rosie was beginning a new life. In time she was able to forgive him. She also
realised he loved her for her not because of her disability.
Ten years
after her accident Rosie’s life has changed beyond recognition. She is a
survivor as well as a fighter. She did
climb Mount Snowdonia ,
went canoeing in the Lake District and did go pony trekking in Ireland
She felt
that Sally was like her angel in her darkest hour who had given her HOPE and
that when God shuts a door he will always open a window.
By Subrata.
Saha.
30 -30 -30
DIALOGUE EXERCISE BETWEEN BENGALI MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
DIALOGUE
EXERCISE
“It’s a
shame that you won’t wear my red sari for your wedding. I thought it would suit
you very much”, said Anita’s mum Anu.
“I really
don’t wear to wear a sari Mum. I prefer a red Punjabi suit”, said Anita.
Her mum Anu
looked disappointed as she spread her wedding sari over the bed. Anita was at
her mum’s place to discuss the final details of her wedding to Michael.
“In my day
weddings were a huge affair in Calcutta
“Look
Michael and I don’t want a fuss”, Anita said. “Weddings are costly affairs. We
rather put the money towards our own flat deposit. You taught us to be
practical mum! Three days of wedding celebration – we will be bankrupt and
anyway half the people you wanted to invite we don’t even know them!! We just
want a small intimate ceremony, with intimate family and friends. Nothing
more”.
“Doesn’t
tradition mean anything to you? I know your father and I brought youyou’re your
brother up in the UK
“I haven’t!
I am proud to be a British born Asian. I do love Calcutta
and West Bengal . I love the food, the culture
and the language. But I have to follow
my own heart and my own destiny mum! Why can’t you see that? I have been
brought up with both cultures, I have taken the best from both and now I have
to follow my own path. I can’t live up to your society’s expectations all the
time!”
“Sometimes
I think you and your brother have deliberately rebelled against every virtue
your father and I ever held dear. I
thought your brother would be a doctor. No he went off and became a painter and
I thought you would want to be a lawyer like your grandfather. He was a good
Barrister. But no you went and studied Fashion and you are marrying Michael who
has no understanding of our culture or customs”.
“Michael is
South Indian mum and is a very good tailor with his own business. I thought
that would meet your approval at least! And Rahul has does very well as a
painter. You and dad did not even bother to go and see his first exhibition in New York
“Your
grandfather never forced me to marry your father. Who told you that? I was
always a dutiful daughter. We were introduced and then I married your father
the next day. I grew to love your
father in a caring way. These days you young women want passion, love and
romance!”
“Yes we do
mum and I that’s what I have with Michael!” said Anita.
“And how
long do you think that will last? He is not even a Brahmin”
“Michael
and I have been together for five years and we are going to spend the rest of our lives together”
“How could
you live with Michael without getting married first? Hmm? Your brother lives
“in sin” with that Chinese pot maker”, said Anu in disgust.
“Mum, Li
Ann is an artist as well and she makes beautiful pots. Anyway Michael and I
were engaged when we chose to live together. Its good to live together then one
knows what they are letting themselves in for”.
“But does
it not take away the excitement of getting to know one another? Its like now
that you and Michael are getting married you already know what its like to live
together. There is nothing to look forward to. Been there and done that comes
to mind”, said Anu.
“There is a
lot to look forward to!”.
“Yes like
what? And don’t tell me your bedroom secrets please!”
“I wasn’t going
to! Well we might have a child. You will be a grandmother how about that?”
“And when
will I become a grandmother? When I am gone? You and Michael are such high
flyers with your careers. Would you have time to raise a child? Or maybe I will
be a convenient baby-sitter. A woman should be there for her child, like I was
there for you and your brother!”
“Our
careers are important to us Mum! Yes of course I will be there for my child!
And like you and dad I won’t be hoping for boy! I don’t care as long as the
baby’s healthy. It took me years to come to terms with the fact that you and
dad favoured Rahul over me. That’s’ why I was determined to carve my own life
and make my own choices. Also mature mums do make good mums you know!! Michael
and I have an equal partnership and we will take turns in childcare. He just
won’t just leave me holding the baby!! He will do his fare share of nappy
duties!! ”
“Careers?
What careers? Being an accountant, a lawyer, scientist, doctors that is a
career! A son is important too! They carry the family name. They look after
their parents. A daughter leaves home with her husband. They go and live with
their in-laws. We have to pay out your dowry and that’s expensive!” said Anu.
“That’s
interesting! Because at the end of the day Rahul is in New York
“Yes I can
see that and you want your guest to give donations to your favourite charities
as a wedding present! I thought you would like a good set of pots or pan or
something for your flat to start married life off with”.
“We already
got everything mum. Remember we already live together!”
“Well I
guess I have to accept your point of view. In my day it was so different. But I
can see the generation divide is so huge. But you are my daughter and you are a
good daughter and yes I want you and your brother to be happy. If it means
living your own life with your own terms I can live with that. I am your mum. I
do have a right to share my opinions” said Anu.
“Yes you
do. I know you have unrealistic expectations of Rahul and me and I have
unrealistic expectations of you and dad as parents. I guess we just have to
respect one another’s viewpoints. I really want you and dad to be at my
wedding. I would hate if you weren’t there. This will be such an important day
for me and Michael. I want everyone that I love to be there”.
With that
Anu got up and hugged her daughter. “Of course we will be there. We love you
and you are our only daughter. How could we miss your wedding day?”
With that
Anu put away her wedding sari back into the wardrobe.
SPIRIT LOVER
Spirit Lover
Spirit Lover by my side,
You stand in my life,
Watching, guiding and loving me.
The veil of illusion divides us,
Your ghostly presence,
Embraces my side.
I reach out to touch your angelic face,
Your smile lights my being,
Your eyes are a window to my soul,
Our soul,
We are one.
The passion and intensity of your love,
I feel and yet cannot feel,
Together but yet apart ,
The sweet tenderness of your kiss,
Like a gentle feather brushing against my skin.
My heart breaks knowing you are the “one”,
No one can compare to you
Not in this life, not ever
The love I breathe in an out for you is only for you
A young death of a young heart,
Cut short too soon,
The birth of our love had only just begun,
In my womb there will be no incarnation of our love,
The child of you
Many earthly lives I will touch,
Your intense creativity will be with me forever,
I carry that intensity in the words I write,
The music we make,
The healing I do,
Spirit Lover,
By my side,
Guard and guide me in my life,
Never leave me,
Let you essence fill me,
When death releases me,
Sprit Lover together we will finally be.
SUBRATA SAHA ( COPYRIGHT 2010)
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