Never
expect returns for what you do
My darling daughter,
I am sorry I could not write to you for so long. I was not too well
and I did not want to worry you with my pain. But yesterday when Aunty
Seela came to see me I was thinking that pain could be caused by different
things.
Aunt Seela's only son is migrating with his family and she will be left
alone. 'I just can't understand it,' she cried, 'I did so much for him,
educated him and gave him everything he wanted and now he is willing to
forget all that and go to some strange land. Does he not realise,' she
wailed, 'how much I have sacrificed? There is no sense of gratitude in
this world."
I thought it's sad that she should have expected gratitude. I often
think that the happiness we give another by doing something, is gratitude
enough. Why parents expect children to be grateful and talk of sacrifices
surprise me. We do for a child not because we have to, but because we want
to. You never asked me to spend for your education. I did so because I
wanted to, and if I were to talk of sacrifice and expect gratitude, my
action has not been of love.
Really daughter, I often think we should not expect returns for what
we give. If we do, our love is not selfless. Would you agree daughter?
So many thoughts come to my mind regarding this, but I will write to you
later. I will end, quoting a little verse I read which I think expresses
my thoughts well. "Courage is bringing a child into the world, feeding
him, caring for him, worrying about him, and preparing him to the best
of your ability for the life he is going to lead and then letting him go,
to live it." How many of us can do so? Let go of those whom we claim to
love, to lead their own lives?
Ammi
kenny's
world
It started with a bang
I walked in on an argument the other day. No, that's not really true –
I listened as two people argued at the next table in a restaurant while
I was waiting for my friends to arrive. Anyway, it was one of those arguments
that you'd really like to get involved in but can't because you don't know
the people. Now I find this situation extremely frustrating. Because quite
often I come up with some really good points.
The two people were arguing about how humankind came into existence
and history. One argued that humankind had been created and that everything
in history had a definite purpose, while the other argued that it was all
a huge cosmic accident. I was astounded – where were these theories coming
from? Had these people never heard of science? Weren't they taught how
everything came about in school? Science and history are so clear about
how everything happened that I don't see how anyone can argue about it
anymore.
It all started with a bang. A rather big bang as far as bangs go. After
that there was a big mess for a few billion years until the cosmos decided
to clean up and do a bit of renovating. For the sake of convenience everything
red was put on to Mars, everything orange went to Jupiter and the blues
were distributed evenly and tastefully amongst the others by a gay interior
decorator named Phillipe.
The first signs of life to make an appearance on earth were micro-organisms.
They were very small. Eventually they ate other micro-organisms and evolved
into not-so-micro-organisms. Later these became known to us as the dinosaurs.
They then promptly died to confuse paleontologists. By then no one really
cared – somewhat like the Jurassic Park craze, there's only so much one
can take of big lizards.
The first people started to show up along the river banks (These days
that's the last place they show up). The most prolific of these riverbank
civilizations were the Egyptians. Although they worshipped cats, had long
pointy beards and always looked over one shoulder, they weren't a bad sort.
The Egyptians are most famous for their pyramids. And the most famous pyramid
is that of Cheops in Giza (which is Egyptian for old man). His great pyramid
for over five thousand years was the tallest man-made structure on Earth.
He also built several small pyramids all around – for his favourite
wives. But I think Cheops had this figured wrong. Building a really cool
tomb for her is not always the best way to attract a woman.
Next came the Greeks. Now they were an exceptional people. They thought
of almost every concept that has screwed up our world – democracy, politics
and the theatre(which one might argue is no different from the previous
one). The greatest Greek of them all was Socrates. He had some radical
views and so they killed him (much the same way governments still deal
with people who don't agree with them.) Although he had rather interesting
things to say, not many people were really sorry to see him go. He was
a disgusting man. He never took a bath. This would have spoiled his chances
with women, but history has it that women didn't interest him either. He
was so repulsive that they made him drink the poison himself because no
one wanted to get close enough to actually give it to him.
The next interesting part of history also has an Egyptian connection.
Cleopatra, an Egyptian princess was a very career-minded woman. She was
also quite a babe. Julius Caesar was the ruler of quite a chunk of the
known world and was known to be somewhat of a player. They struck a pretty
good business deal which made Cleo the queen of Egypt. This business relationship
also produced a few kids. This made Caesar's wife mad. So she hired Mark
Antony as her lawyer and filed for a divorce and half the empire.
After Caesar's death, the Roman Empire was never the same. It went from
emperor to emperor without much aim or purpose. Nero was one such emperor.
He was quite mad. And unlike today, back then (around 50AD) people didn't
expect it of their leaders. He played the merry devil and it was rumoured
even back then that he was responsible for setting fire to Rome (64AD).
He also played the fiddle.
This as far as I can remember from what I learned in school, is exactly
how history has played itself out. There was one other great moment in
history that was about king Blah, who Bladi blahed blah. But I don't remember
him because I wasn't really paying much attention in class. This is the
first of a three -part series on how the world came to be this way. Next
week – the Middle Ages.
Black Comedy
By Nilika de Silva
Hey guys once again it's that time of year ! No, no, not Valentine's Day,
it's Comedy time a la Performing
Arts Company. The people who gave you Run For Your Wife, Don't Dress for
Dinner and Funny Money are ready to present ... ... .... Black Comedy!
Ever watched the Wimbledon Finals - Men's and Women's simultaneously.
Well the pace is strikingly reminiscent, but I guess I'd better keep you
in the dark.
The casting is perfect. The fusion of veterans and new comers promises
you an evening of fun, shocks and laughs. As producer Mohamed Adamaly says,
"Our strength has been in the pace and the timing - the
time it takes to open a door, the time it takes to climb a step, it's all
rehearsed. That's what timing is about."
All the players have an equally important role to play in this comedy
which depends very much, as Dayan Candappa says on, "trusting your co-players".
Dayan's role as perhaps a father-in-law, but firstly a military man is
indeed very different from the more vulnerable characters we have seen
him portray.
The very appealing and super-sensitive character of Harold Gorringer
is brought to life by Jerome de Silva.
Neidra Williams keeps up a superb performance as a Bohemian ex-lover,
who arrives more or less in the capacity of a Deus Ex Machina to sort things
out the way she knows best.
As the youngest in the cast Shanuki de Alwis says, "It's fun, but it's
terrible because they all bully me. They say dirty jokes but never tell
me what they're laughing over." Last year's Best Actress at the Shakespeare
Competition, Shanuki who's on the threshold of a blossoming career does
a very good portrayal of a love-struck, yet only human, young woman.
Ian Herft another newcomer to the troupe plays the enjoyable role of
a young German working for the London Electric Company. Perhaps sometimes
he feels his role in this world is not fully understood or appreciated
by all, yet his gentle tolerance is a scream.
The Parson's daughter played by Wanda Holsinger is colourfully portrayed.
And Michael Holsinger plays the much awaited art collector.
Brindsley Miller, the young unknown artist, the protagonist of Black
Comedy is played by Mohamed Adamaly. Torn between his new life and his
old, budding romance and blossoming desire, drawn towards grace yet jostling
with necessity, Brindsley is in a spot.
Nadira, my wife is co-producer and a pillar of strength says Adamaly.
Yasmine and Sakina Akberally handle the costumes and set decor. The play
is on from February 19 – 21 and 25 – 28, at the Lionel Wendt Ttheatre
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