Arrival delayed exactly by an year

I landed up on this post while I was rummaging through my drafts and realized it is good to be posted, except that is exactly an year late.

Better late than never, don't they say?

Publishing this post, without any edits!

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I will start this new year with an interesting post.   Ahem. 

I know this is not new year, we are almost done with the month of January and I have stopped writing interesting posts.   Self check – so did you ever write an interesting post ? okay lets swipe these questions under the carpet.  Of late, the best I am getting at is swiping stuff under the carpet.

Yep.

Okay now back to my blog post topic.

I just completed 23 years in marriage last Marty’s day.  Don’t ask me the connection, but my parents were those humorous people who hid an uncanny riddle to all those who attended our wedding on 30^th January 1995.   None got it though, then.  Who will be the martyr among-st us was the riddle.  Dawned on the bride and groom later and they are still deciding who it is.

So this anniversary I was in Kochi, where the hubby now works and spent a beautiful weekend with my paternal cousins celebrating a church feast which is an absolutely fantabulous event in the parts where my cousins live. Kalparamba in Thrissur to be specific. The entire family jing bang around, hubby dear was the chief guest of the day. The son-in laws always get special treatment. With atleast 50 of them from my dads family, food, drinks and fireworks ( the real ones at church) there was a frenzy  at my dad’s paternal home to which our own anniversary added a dash of spirits.

Dennu had come halfheartedly and was loitering around  without actually being recognized by some of the family members.   His hair and beard covered his face and he had grown beyond recognition to most of my ageing uncles, aunts and cousins.  Most people kept their doubts to themselves and kept smiling at him wondering who he was.

One of the aunts though, couldn’t hold her curiosity at the way he was talking to me, and blurted out – silencing even the sounds of fireworks going on in the church. 

Are you her brother or her husband? ( surely her eyesight was on the decline and it was late into the night.  So, blame it on the lack of illumination)

You should have seen Dennu’s face.  The cheeks that were visible, just a bit of them through those untamed beard,  went crimson red. For no reason he looked at me, opened his mouth in awe, and then collected himself and said, No I am her son.   2 minutes silence – that was for the martyrs day.  I could see Dennu was not amused.

Couple of more instances where we had to go silent, this time, they checked if he was my brother.    After that, anyone coming close to Dennu got an explanation of how he is related to J and me even before they asked.  Every one bemused how the naughty child has grown up to a nice young man and showered him with all their love.

After the feast Dennu left for Chennai, as he is preparing for his GRE exams and wanted J and me to have a day for ourselves on our anniversary.

I come back home this morning on 31^st January, after a fun day of loafing and movie and lots of talking to J and Dennu opens the door.

My turn to get startled!

A clean shaven face.   Elated, shocked at his transformation, I ask Dennu Why Baby, why?  I had told you an umpteen number of times to look civilized and how come you have done this now?

Dennu gives me an intense look and a meaningful smile and says,  Maa, the brother bit was okay, but I couldn’t take the husband part.

ROFLing

I know it’s a bit too late to wish you guys a happy new year.

Magic

The mesmerizing voice slowly

Builds up the adrenaline rush and

Gets her heady

Burst of magic comes alive in her

The walls built over a period of time

Sluggishly cease to exist

And she pours out all that is in her heart and soul

Working up the charm of a little girl that once she was

The voice has dwindled

She only has the letters now, and scarce

Pieces of her heart tucked into words

That she could never say out aloud

The summery perfumes of March pained her

Made her feel like an infinitesimal being

Drunk with a starry void

Dark and tormented, furor of passion.

Ray was what she was called

She was a ray of sunshine with a radiating smile

Her love was pure, golden, but limited

Always doomed, to expire

Vincy Joseph

Bragging about my Theatre ventures

The theatre group that I am part of, called Theatre Brats, when we  came up with our first ever show “ 7 tales at 7 “ as part of our graduation mandate from a Theatre workshop that I attended through EVAM at Chennai, had an amazing response and our show ran a full house at Alliance Francaise.

I can’t believe I told you the story about how I got into theatre so crisply.  😊

That reminds me, I had done something similar to a Monologue of a middle class woman, who suffers at the hand of her husband and how she solves her problems – by killing her husband in the end. J came down to watch our show and my play was titled “The final blow”.  After the show, he came up and asked me, if he should come back home with me or he has to leave to Kochi the same night. 

Our first show was on December 9^th 2017 and exactly after 6 months, on June 9^th 2018, the group got together yet again, with the same director, Hari Ramakrishnan, aka the brat tamer with a bigger and a better show titled “Six fable cart”   with 6 short plays.   This time we were doing 2 shows one at 4 and  the other at 7 pm on the same day.   I was playing the role of a TV show anchor, which actually is a spoof of a Vijay TV serial and the first time I was trying out humour.  And the best was Dennu, got into Theatre along with me, after all those rehearsals that happened at home and we both did the play together.

Infact, Dennu was definitely a much better actor than me.  You see it is difficult to teach a old dog new tricks.

On June 9^th, Indian Express carried this article about our group and Ta-Da, my picture came in the papers! Yes. I am going to flaunt it here to you all 😊

That's me as Lalitha, in Final blow, after killing my husband Vikram.

This time for the Veshadaris show, I was only one invited from Theatre brats group, and on 5^th January, as usual after my morning walk, on my way back, my friend Kuttan’s wife, Nancy calls up and asks, Is that your picture in the paper?  I hadn’t even looked at the papers then.

This time, The Hindu carried, my picture and was talking about the show. Wonder why, they chose my picture over the other 6 actors, I thought this was a very hastily put together picture of the psycho!

January 5^th, Theatre brats were putting up a show at IITM park for the corporates and I could not join them due to this commitment. I was so excited and showed Dennu the paper and saw him taking a picture of it.  I almost thought he was so proud, and here is his Instagram status for that day.   

Grief

After the initial brutal shock of loss

It creeps in slowly

In waves, maybe

And in the most unsuspecting ways

Ambushes while driving alone in the car

While in the shower engulfing the soul 

While getting ready to work

Amidst all the people around you

A picture, a place, a scent and some memories

Or a voice

All of a sudden hits you

How so very much you miss someone

Your breath catches

Tears roll down the cheeks

The sadness is so humungous

That its almost physically painful

Grief is living two lives

On the outside you pretend all is well

In the other, in solitude

the heart screams in pain

Vincy Joseph

5^th Jan 2019

Caught in Action !!

This is a photo blog, aka Plog :-)

In the last post I had elaborated on my theatre venture as Leonarda Cianciulli, an Italian Serial killer at Allinace Francaise, Chennai on 5th of January 2019.  5.30 pm.

Sharing some pictures with you all before my own excitement dies down and will let the pictures do the talking for a change!

Finally the Curtain call

My Gangsta girls

The year started with a Theatre show on 5^th of January 2019 for which I have been on rehearsals during the holiday season.

I was trying out a completely new genre of Theatre, which resembles a monologue, but really is a Soliloquy, laced with physical theatre, a form of theatre which uses physical movements to convey the expressions and story.  The play was titled “Heroes and Psychos” where six theatre artists, were showcasing the real life stories  of 3 unsung heroes and 3 weird pyscho’s.

There you go.  No prizes for guessing that I got to do the role of a Psycho. 

Yes. Leanarda Cianciulli,  An Italian serial killer, famously known as the soap killer. You can read up about her here..

I had to pinch myself when the director Chandrasekhar, called me and said, Madam, when I wrote the script for this play, I had you in mind and knew you will fit this role really well.  I refused initially, saying I cannot take demanding rehearsal schedules, but he managed to persuade me to take it up.  Apparently Chandru and Sudharsan (both from the theatre fraternity and from a group called Veshadharis in Chennai) had seen one of my shows and wanted to work with me.   

After reading the script, I wasn’t sure if they meant to compliment me by that.  That’s another point of discussion.

After the first rehearsal, Chandru told me you sound like a anchor / Trainer and need to overact.  Overact 200 percent!!!  Really?  For heaven sake, yes I am in the Learning industry more than I have been in Theatre, and I am going to sound like a trainer!!

J told me “just be yourself Vincy”  merciless pun indeed.

Once I was committed, there was no turning back.  Rehearsals, practice at home, writing the lines down to get them really into my aging brain. Yeah I do all of that stuff.  The most interesting part is I keep practicing my lines while I am driving, and at a signal, scared the hell out of a guy who was staring at me, by the elaborate use of my hands.  Was I embarrassed?  No!!

I, Once went  to the rehearsals late and it was closing time at AF ( Alliance Franciase at Chennai) and the director wanted to wrap it up.  I wouldn’t budge, I wanted a rehearsal and did it in the open Amphitheatre at AF.  The whole place was crowded with people, and as part of physical theatre, I had to act like picking up an imaginary axe and kill a woman..  There was a mother and a 6 – 7 year old son sitting at the far end of one of rows I was acting, and I walked upto them and bent down to pick up the imaginary axe and swung it.  They looked perplexed and walked away from there much to the amusement of the audience who were watching me perform.  

It was hard work, but I was enjoying it, most importantly it gave me the most important distraction I needed.

The other 5 artists were all much senior to me in theatre experience and one of the guys had a 20 year experience in theatre.   I even stopped watching other’s rehearsals, so I wouldn’t get petrified looking at their performances.

I wasn’t marketing the play much, as I wasn’t sure of myself.  Anyway on the show day, my loyal gang of girls, Jay and Sudha came in, on their own, without any bit of persuasion.  Same was the case with Anita, my seafarer friend, who is on her short vacation from her work in a Cruise ship at Royal Caribbean,  yeah can you believe I have friend who works in a cruise ship as a learning consultant, a three stripe officer?

Onstage, it is a different story -  I forget myself and turn into Leonarda.

The curtain call over, I walked upto the girls, Jay and Sudha and the look on their eyes said it all.  Worth all the hard work.  Full of praises, they said I was convincing as a serial killer and really looked like one too on stage.  Then they added, next girls trip Vincy, we don’t want to share room with you.  We don’t want to be turned into teacakes and soaps.

Ashwani, a co-artiste and probably the best of all I have seen so far, came up to me and said, by the second killing I started hating you Vincy. That’s an amazing recognition of the role I played. I actually had a few girls who wanted a picture with me, after appreciating my performance.

I had to drop off Anita on my return and she explained how she always looked upto me about how I managed multiple stuff at home and office,  and asked me, how did you do that acting bit Vincy?  Visibly shaken by the act of Psychos, she told me she is so proud of me. The adrenaline rush after the show during the curtain call, and while these appreciations pour in, is worth every bit of hard work. 

The next day morning there was messages / calls from the Gangsta again.   Jay says she woke up in the middle of the night and remembered my murderous face.  Sudha elaborated on how I transitioned from expressions of happiness, anger, love, sadness and being a pyscho. I was on Anita’s WhatsApp status mentioning, she is in awe of me.

That’s when I realized how important it is to have your own Gang of Girls and this MEME made more sense than ever !!!!

Ushering in 2019

First things first. Happy New Year folks !!

Considering the fact that last year I actually came up with a new year wish in April,  I have gotten better. Hopefully.

Here is a wish that I have for all of you, from the bottom of my heart. 

May this year be filled with magic, dreams, health, joy, peace and love.  I hope you get to read some fine books, make some art or capture brilliant moments in photos and memories. And I truly hope each of you get to Carpe Diem – Seize the day, enjoy every moment in a distracted world and make your lives extraordinary.

What  an year 2018 was !!! Phew!!

It was thrilling to begin with, and then the shockers came by.  The unbelievable and the most unexpected stuff happened in my life.  Glad, I am done with it. The year I mean and not the pain, yet.

From a virtual space where I came by to share all that was happening in my life, to look back and cherish, this blog space to me, is transforming into something that is going to be part of my therapy.  

This year, more than all these years I look forward to coming here and spending time with you all.  I am going to do that for selfish reasons. 

You would be there for me, Wont you?