Fun with Accents

Reflections and recollections continue as we prepare to leave 2013 in the rear view mirror. In this post Carolyn remembers the slight Canadian accent Akshay had and the way he would roll his eyes.

Akshay used to come to the office with us, and the poor boy would be quite bored on the days we were packed with work. One day, he sauntered up to Raj's table, and asked him, "What are you working on?" Raj told him we had to do a card for some client. So he said, "Why don't you do a poem? You can get them online" " A what?" I asked, because our Canadian boy pronounced it pome. "POME", he said pronouncing the word clearly to this half deaf Carolyn Auntie. "Oh A poyem!" I exclaimed in my best South Indian English. The little boy instantly gave me a very teenage eye-roll and walked away. The rest of the day, he kept teasing me, talking to me in his version of a South Indian accent. At which I would reply in his Canadian accent... We had good times - Akshay and I.

Here are Akshay's friends in his room on his second anniversary.

This is Roshan,grown bigger now. He and Akshay were about the same height.

A Boxful of Wrappers!

We all have been recollecting times spent with Akshay. Carolyn recalls one such naughty little anecdote about our cute little man.

When Babli had left Akshay with us in Bangalore, she had bought him a big stock of candies - Mentos of different flavours and some minty candies as well. Our boy would go rummaging in the dabba in which they were kept, and when I caught him digging just before a meal I would yell out "No sweets before dinner!" At which he would laugh mischievously and scurry off. The dabba always looked full, and I used to tease him about some other secret stash because this dabba was full all the time. He would giggle in reply, till one day I lifted the dabba while dusting, the damn thing was so light, but full! I opened it- the naughty boy had been putting the wrappers right back after stuffing the candy in his mouth, so that no one would find out how many he had eaten! We all had a big laugh!

Guru Pooja at home

Heaven in our Hearts

It is said that when you see someone in your dreams, it is because that person misses you and not the other way round.

Two years on ... it is not how long it has been but how much we have missed and remembered you Akshay. They say,when someone we love is in heaven a little bit of heaven is in our hearts... along with the heartache, I must add.

Arithmetically Amusing

Today's date is special-a once in a lifetime date - 11.12.13 because the numbers come in a sequential order. Akshay would have found this so interesting. Many people are planning to do special things on this day as it is arithmetically amusing.In Dubai hotels will light up the sky with the numbers as the picture suggests. Why do people get excited over such dates - there was 11.11.11 two years back - it was kind of spooky and 12.12.12 had us all jittery with end of the world fears. But there is a sense of order and control with today's numbers as they come in a predictable sequence. I believe it will be the last date of this century to have sequential numbers. Tomorrow we mark Akshay's second anniversary.Wish 12.12.11 had never come.

Quick Response Code

Here is the QR Code for Akshay Sharma. QR code is the quick response code - a kind of barcode that can be read by a machine like a barcode reader or even a smartphone - there's an app available with which one can read this code. You can create the QR code for your own name too for free on the Internet. The QR code was invented by Toyota for tracking vehicles, but now it used everywhere in marketing. The most common is when you scan the QR code on a product for example, it converts it into the url of the website of that company, so that you don't have to type it into the web browser.

I am sure you love this Akshay!

Look into Archy's eyes

Archy has had a haircut and this is how he looks now. Akshay would tell his mom "Mummy look into Archy's eyes whenever you feel sad. Archy posed with unblinking eyes for this picture as if Akshay is telling him not to blink.

10 Facts about Comic Books

This information loaded graphic has amazing facts about the comic book industry. Akshay would have loved to read it. I am sure his friends will love going through it too.

Prepared by www.financesonline.com | See our Google+ and Vimeo

Raw Wrestlers

Akshay made this Powerpoint presentation with pictures and bios of his favourite wrestlers.

Vanya and the Plum

The Plum is a short story by Leo Tolstoy that I once related to Akshay on his visit to Hyderabad

Here is the illustration of that story. The little boy is Vanya who eats the plum without telling his mum. Everyone thinks he has swallowed the seed and get worried.

The Boat

Here is another lovable story from Vladimir Suteyeev- The Boat. Ekalavya Publications has reprinted this  book in Hindi. The Flip book is available on the web. Click on the link given below to read the book.  You will surely enjoy it. This story emphasises team work and cooperation to fight the odds.

Rediscovering the stories we read in our childhood for our children brings great joy, I discovered. 

http://www.eklavya.in/index.php/flip-books-2/book/20-nav-chalee/4-picture-story-books?tmpl=component

Childhood Memories

I stumbled upon the wonderful and witty world of Vladimir Suteyev yesterday on the Internet. It took me back to my childhood days. He was an amazing storyteller, and his picture books were an essential part of our childhood. I loved going through these pictures books as a four- five year old. These pictures are from a story called Uneven Wheels.

Five friends try to make wheels for a wagon but end up with different sized wheels which are useless for the wagon. But their hard work and efforts are not wasted as each one comes up with an inventive use for his wheel. Beautiful  illustrations bring out the theme of waste not, want not.

The cock uses the wheel for a watermill, the hedgehog makes a pushcart, the fly makes a spinning wheel...

What fun they all end up having!
Akshay would have loved it.

FoodWorld

Here are some pictures I would have loved to share with Akshay...veggie market and veggie cave... the creator of this art is a genius

12 Today

Akshay would have been twelve today. He would have grown taller and lankier, and would have been experiencing all the joys and challenges of a pre-teen.

I would have loved to give this adorable pen drive to him on his birthday. A Chinese company has made this special USB stick to mark the Chinese year of the snake. Looks more like a tubby teddy, though, but its cute nevertheless.
Today, Akshay's mum is doing what he would have wanted her to do - taking an aol course. Plan to give food in an orphanage today. This blog is a year old now. I feel happy after spending some time on the blog and hope the readers also feel the same. Miss you Akshay and we know you miss us too!

The Night of Awakening

Yesterday was Shivaratri - the great night of awakening for Lord Shiva who drank poison to save the world from death. There is a beautiful rendering of Adi Shakaracharya's Niravan Shatakam by Nandita Iyer. Used to listen to this soon after Akshay left us. It used to feel like a soothing balm on the intense pain. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2et8dAo344

The story behind this sloka is this. Eight year old Shankara was wandering in the Himalayas in search of a Guru. When asked by a sage who he was, he said I am a Soul and went on to describe the attributes of the soul. His introduction in these six stanzas captures the essence of the Vedanta.

Listen to Mritasanjeevani Stotram and Chandrashekara Ashtakam both alleviate pain and suffering and give solace to the heart and soul.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLQzJ92ZY4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTzhYWceIxk

Birth and Rebirth

Today is Nanaji's 12th death anniversary. Akshay has not seen him. He was born 23 days after Nanaji passed away. Nanima used to say that he will be reborn in Bahrain - she believed that truly. In fact, from the time he was born Akshay filled the void left behind by Nanaji - we were all so focussed on him.
Today all three of them are not with us in physical form. But their energy forms are with us, in spirit, in thoughts, day and night.

Captain Cool

Here's Akshay holding an Iguana and a snake during his holiday in Malaysia.

Notice how matter-of-fact he looks, as if he was holding a box of chocolates! Akshay has recounted this in his travel diary and mentioned it in passing - as if it was a matter of routine! Captain Cool!

That green iguana looks scary doesn't it, with its spiky back and striped tail. But I believe it is an animal with a calm nature and it's a herbivore and grows to about 5 feet in length.. The bright colours are only to scare away any potential  predator. It makes a very demanding pet and needs the right amount of light and heat. I sure hope that was snake a friendly one. Incidentally 2013 is the Year of the Snake according to the Chinese calender.

Pigeon Shower Day

Today is Pigeon Shower Day. Pigeon is an urban bird mostly found in residential buildings and our apartment has its fair share of these birds. Being large in size comparatively they don’t let the smaller birds like sparrows live in their surroundings. 

It’s a cool and refreshing morning,. A light breeze is blowing. There is a nip in the air and the water is cool but the pigeons seem to find it the perfect time for a shower.

At about 8- 8.30 in the morning, they came down in a swoop onto the lawn where the gardener had left the lawn sprinkler on. It is an oscillating sprinkler and makes little pools of water in the lawn.  The pigeon enjoy getting wet, feet, wings and all. In fact they do a thorough job of their shower, they lift up one wing make sure they get their wing pits nice and wet, now the other one very good – a quick shake to get rid of excess water. Now the pigeon is cool and fresh. So nice and so funny to watch!

Akshay would have really enjoyed this.  

For Akshay's Friends

I know some friends of Akshay have looked forwarded to the updates on this blog. So I will continue and post stuff that I would have loved to share with Akshay.
In South India during Sankranti some communities have a display of dolls just like the Kollu of Dusshera. Here are a few traditional toys depicting daily life of the common man in India. Akshay would have loved the little men- the potter at work, the shoemaker and the vegetable seller.