Funral - Movie

 Marathi. Loved it. A superb take on death, on the celebration of life, on looking at death and not avoiding it as something bad. I am so glad that movies like 'Balagam' and 'Funral' are bringing these discussions into the family.

Must watch.

  

Akela Gets Badly Bitten!

 Akela survived the four days that we were away in Pune well and soon as we got back got into some fight with some dog. We did not notice anything until Anjali came and told me that she had a bad cut under her throat which was bleeding. I thought it was just another ordinary wound because she was quiet. Then Anjali showed me the cotton with which she dabbed the wound - it was full of blood.

Another day!

I went outside to check what might have happened and was horrified to see a trail of blood coming in from the side gate. I followed it inside - thick and frequent, and at one spot she seemed to have tried to fix herself because there was a pool of blood there - and then she walked in to the backyard.

I followed the trail outside and it led to her usual tryst with her boyfriend a couple of houses away. It looked like it started bleeding heavily when she started coming closer home. Anyway, we quickly bundled her in the car and took her to AllVet which was open at that time (unlike CanFel). Luckily the vet just dressed her, gave her some shots, medicines and told us to get her back for a few more visits since she most likely got bitten by a stray.

Anjali said - she makes such a fuss to be let out of the house and not a whimper when she has such deep wounds. Yes, Akela holds her pain well, not a peep at the vet, just her eyes going big and scared but not a word from her as if she is not supposed to make a noise in this space. I see the same way she does not touch her food until it is given to her and she is left alone, or the way she lets us into the house and lets us let her in.

Come on Akela, you own the world baby. It's nobody's. Just be yourself.

Now we are waiting for her visits to get done. Unfortunately she is grounded till then which is causing her much agony.

While at the vet I saw this guy, a menial worker from the looks of it, and his stray pet which had some infection in the eye. When the doctor suggested a collar he protested - but what about its freedom? Doc said, she might lose an eye if he does not put the collar. The man was so loving to the dog and apologised to it, kissing it, hugging it and telling her it would be ok. Such a lovely sight!       

Day Care for Delinquent Writers - Gouri Dange

 I love Gouri's writing and all her different ventures. This one is delightful. 

Daycare for Delinquent Writers ✍️

Have you been wanting to write but been struggling with creativity, structure, discipline, focus, deadlines and scheduling?

Writer-Editor Gouri Dange offers writers (budding as well as established, fiction or non-fiction) space and time to harness and channel your writing energies in this twice-weekly 'Daycare'.

A blend of ideating and writing in the real-world company of fellow-writers in quiet surroundings. 

Timings: Every Tuesday and Thursday of April starting 4 April 2023; 

11.00 to 3.00 pm 

Venue: Bavdhan, Pune.

Message on WhatsApp 9822407232, or Insta gouri_dange, or email gouri.dange@gmail.com for the structure, options and other details.

Prakash Deshmukh Awarded Lifetime Achievement Award

This is a big award. Congratulations Prakash! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fog2sHdLsjM

Coaching Stories No 23 - The Three Levels of Coaching

 What are the different levels of coaching? What if we do not benefit from coaching at all?

Vetal Tekdi, Pune. Pic courtesy Mansi

The three levels of coaching are

1) The student does not know she does not know

Here the student/coachee does not know what is going wrong and is clueless. The coachee cannot even figure what is going wrong. But if the coachee approaches the coach and asks what the problem is, the coach can diagnose the problem and suggest how to correct it. 

2)  The student knows the problem but does not know how to correct it

Here the student can identify the problem but does not know how to correct it. Here the coachee comes to the coach with a specific issue and the coach corrects it. Clearly there is some amount of process orientation here and the coachee is thinking on what the problem is and how to solve it.

3) The coachee has learnt enough of the process to correct herself

Here the coachee has learned enough of the process to know what is going wrong and how to fix it and can fix it on the fly. The coach has taught the coachee well and the coachee has learned well. In such cases the coachee only needs to check once in a while as in a maintenance mode to check if all is well and no minor problems are showing.

The entire process of learning and improving only works when the coachee has a learning mindset. The coachee knows that there is a problem, wants to improve and asks questions which can be coached. But if the coachee feels that there is no problem and behaves like everything is fine, then no one can help her. Learning happens only when the theory is put into practice and any gaps discussed and covered.

Learning happens when there are questions.

So many people with talent and the wrong mindset waste their talents because of their mindset. But if they can get into a learning mindset, they can do justice to their talents.   

Trip to Pune - Day 4

 Parth was right on the money - he was waiting at 645 am for a 7 am appointment. A, M and I piled on into his car with Maria and we headed off to Vetal Tekdi. 

We started the gentle climb and took pictures of the brilliant sky and the grass and the walks and spent close to two hours up there. There are many people who come to walk their dogs there. Lots of people who come mainly for the exercise. Pune that way has a healthy outdoor lifestyle for all ages. Schoolkids to old people, every age group comes.

We headed back to Kothrud for a bite at Irani Cafe. Kheema, brun, and masala omelette. Lousy service. Puts you off like crazy when we pay a premium. I love the normal Irani Cafes where the service is quick, accurate and businesslike - not this put-on stuff like this franchise. Who would get a masala omelette and forget to get toast or a bun I cannot understand.

Anyway we went back and met two crazy guys who drove us nuts at home until the magnificent Shambhavee came and rescued us from their technicalities. We begged off and went to Konkan Express to enjoy some fine sea food and headed back in the hot afternoon sun. 

The evening was more of a recovery thing after a hectic few days. The girls went off for a walk, we went for a cold coffee, and then Shambhavee came and explained certain things about way forward. We told her we were in no hurry and we will wait until things get more clearer.

Packed up for the trip.

Early morning train tomorrow. Mahesh said he would pick us up. Good trip!      

Trip to Pune - Day 3

 If all had gone right and everyone woke up on time we would have gone to Simhagad fort, Khadakvasla lake, the Zapurza Museum of Art and Culture near Khadakvasla and such stuff. But since the waking times moved from 7 am to 1230 pm, we set out to lunch. And it struck me that we could very well check out an old favorite - The Place - which was famous for its steak. Mahesh got his car to drive us around and we were happy to go with him - he was disappointed that the big plans to show us the musuem had fallen off - and made up by driving us past Shaniwarwada which offered us scope for a couple of been-there pics. There was a scary cop out there who was threatening young kids who came there for some harmless flirting - go inside the fort of go to jail was his threat!

Shaniwarwada

The Place

Then we headed to The Place and found some place. Anjali smartly ordered a Kobe steak, Mansi went for a chicekn sizzler and we tried some mix chicken sizzler. The chicken stuff was bad. Kobe was good. Anyway we did it more for memories than anything else - three decades ago when we were young and wild and free, Chhaya, the connoisseur in the group, led us to these places. 

Marz-O-Rin

Steak ticked off, we headed out to Main Street where A and M shopped for some street clothes in Pune's version of Fashion Street. We passed the Aurora Towers building which has been a huge landmark over the years and continued shopping until we hit Marz-O-Rin which was pretty much on the list. Chiecken sandwiches were packed, drinks consumed, Budhani chips bought and we called Mahesh and headed right back home.

The Metro and the flowers

The girls went off for another walk while I napped. The evening meal was to be at Jyo's new house at Baner and we went there. They have this beautiful terrace that Kalpak designed which should look really beautiful once the plants grow. Dinner done, had a long chat with Asha maushi, fixed up with Part and Maria for a morning walk at Vetal Tekdi and headed home. I read Paulo Coelho's 'By the River..' and had started on Gouri Dange's '3 Zakia Mansion'. 

Hectic day. Off to lala land.