Travel & Bengali nonsense rhymes...

Travel & Bengali nonsense rhymes...

Mumbai occupies a  special place in my heart. This great city shows an indomitable spirit and does not know how to lose heart in spite of all the hurdles it faces everyday. I love to visit Mumbai whenever an opportunity comes my way. I love travelling and I love to explore places.

This Blog contains four of my recent photographs shot in Mumbai during the early part of February (2014) with 7 Nos. Bengali nonsense rhymes and 1 No. Bengali  nonsense prose, all of whom showcase travel & movements in one form or the other, and not essentially based on pure travels. Please 'click' into the pics and view the enlarged versions. Any comments - good, bad or ugly, are welcome.

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Children in my rhymes - nonsense or not!

Children in my rhymes - nonsense or not!

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”,  said Margaret Mead in her famous quote about the cute little persons whom we ever love to love. And Khaled Hosseini once said : “Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors.” 

"I think that the best thing we can do for our children is to allow them to do things for themselves, allow them to be strong, allow them to experience life on their own terms, allow them to take the subway... let them be better people, let them believe more in themselves." -  C. JoyBell C.

This 105th Blog posting of mine is all about children and their deeds or misdeeds. A few poems/rhymes in Bengali  - nonsense or not , funny yet subtle, penned down by me and two photographs of children  taken by me a couple of years ago can be found in this posting. This Blog solicits your comments & criticisms. I conclude this Blog by expressing gratitude to Margaret Mead,  Khaled Hosseini and C. JoyBell C, whose quotes I have used here and to Shel Silverstein for the wonderful poem, with which I wish to conclude this session.

“I cannot go to school today"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.

My mouth is wet, my throat is dry.
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox.

And there's one more - that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue,
It might be the instamatic flu.

I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke.
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in.

My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My toes are cold, my toes are numb,

I have a sliver in my thumb.

My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,

I think my hair is falling out.

My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,

There's a hole inside my ear.

I have a hangnail, and my heart is ...
What? What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is .............. Saturday?

G'bye, I'm going out to play!” 
― Shel Silverstein

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Nonsense Rhymes : No... Celebrating old age : Yes.

Nonsense Rhymes : No... Celebrating old age : Yes.

I firmly believe that 'old age' and 'melancholy' are not synonymous terms, nor 'old age' and 'loneliness'. In fact, 'old age' does not mean anything 'negative' for me. I feel that that 'old age' can only be related with knowledge, experience and wisdom and the youth need to see 'old age' with compassion and love. Simultaneously, the old brigade should reciprocate the same to them.

I have seen old people calmly sitting alone by a sea beach, thinking who knows what. I have also seen my elders, who in spite of being  in the age bracket of 70's or 80's doing hard work and labor with full dedication and sincerity. I have seen what independence mean to them and how passionately they love to protect their grace and dignity! It's true that 'age' snatches mobility and reflexes from old people and they behave in their own way. Let's give our seniors the respect they deserve, the love they long for and the care they may need from us. Let's give them all our affection and attention and in turn, earn their love.

On this International Mother Language Day (21 February) today, this Blog posting is dedicated to our respected 'golden brigade' and I personally feel, no nonsense rhyme or poem in Bengali should go with it. I beg to be excused if I have disappointed any of you. All photographs in this Blog  have been shot by me.

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Do funny or nonsense rhymes fit into modern lifestyle?

Do funny or nonsense rhymes fit into modern lifestyle?

While coming back to Kolkata from India's commercial capital, Mumbai after having spent three weeks with my son, Ritam Banerjee, an ace commercial photographer, I was wondering why the modern lifestyle has been so ruthless to all and why everything is moving at such a fast pace!  I found everyone in that commercial capital busy, if not for 24x7, at least for 12-14 hours a day (including transit time). Well, I appreciate the need of every person to earn for survival & livelihood (and for luxury, if any), but what about their mental food? What about health? And what about 'quality time' for self and family?

You may call me conservative & slow and I might have not found the 'true' answer, but I admit, this is the real trend of modern times that one has to follow - somewhat similar to the great film by the great artist Charlie Chaplin - "Modern times"! Well. I just wanted to share my thoughts with you and that's all.

Coming to the lighter side of life, I am posting herewith six of my funny poems (nonsense or otherwise) in Bengali plus a 'night picture' of Mumbai's famous landmark, the Gateway of India by the Arabian Sea. This picture is one of my favorites. Please click the computer mouse on each poem/picture and see the enlarged versions and send your comments, if any.

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What a way to go!... Bengali nonsense rhymes, poems and limericks.

What a way to go!... Bengali nonsense rhymes, poems and limericks.

Having spent three weeks in Mumbai, it's time to go back to Kolkata. The 'business capital of India' - as is commonly known, Mumbai is a city where speed and business are the two main keywords that dominate people's life. And I too had to have the taste of those. I salute this great city for its dynamism and its beautiful people.

These nonsense rhymes in Bengali have been randomly selected from my stock, while the sunset photograph was shot by me during my leisurely evening walk at the Bandra Bandstand in Mumbai a week back. Bye bye, Mumbai!

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Bengali Nonsense poems on World Kiss day & Valentine's Day !

Bengali Nonsense poems on World Kiss Day & Valentine's Day !

In this present issue of my Blog (my 101st), I do not wish to post my conventional nonsense rhymes or poems in Bengali. Instead, I wish to celebrate 2 great days through this posting.  And one of my photographs.

Today is "World Kiss Day" and tomorrow - the much awaited "Valentine's Day"! Without going into much prose today, allow me to post two of my poems in this Blog. Here are they.

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