The Bridge

A few pictures taken last weekend at the Stone Arch bridge.

A Day to Toast For

Today is a day to toast for! I was awarded Competent Communicator in the Toastmasters club this morning. I joined Toastmasters in May, 2005 and started off by giving at least 1 speech per month. But since I took a break from attending the club meetings last year, it took me quite a while to complete the total 10 speeches required for the Competent Communicator program, but I finally did it! And Toastmasters has become an integral part of my life. Going forward, I will work on achieving the Advanced Communicator award and continue to strive to become a better speaker. A lot to look forward to!

相望泰姬陵

终于，我见到了她。2007年圣诞节的清晨，我站在泰姬陵面前，长久的凝望。这一刻，我忘记了一路长途旅行的奔波，忘记了转身之间喧嚣拥挤的街道，忘记了陵门外空气中弥漫的莫名烟雾和灰尘。这一刻，我忘了语言，无法呼吸。

我看着她，却也分明感受到来自她的注视，穿越时空，沉默，美丽，波澜不惊。没有任何词语可以形容。能表达出来的感受对比她的魅力都是那么苍白无力。

走在从陵门到主殿长长的甬道上，每一秒看她，都忍不住举起相机拍照，可总是遗憾的发现任何照片都无法完全传达出她真实的震撼人心的美丽。想起电影“The Namesake”，Ashok和Ashima带着一双儿女从美国回到印度。他们俩在泰姬陵旁漫步，Ashok问Ashima，“你当时为什么会选择我？” Ashima笑而不答，转而说“你还从来没有像美国人那样说过我爱你。。。” 扮演Ashima的Tabu，是我心目中最有魅力的女演员之一。她的笑容和这段温暖的对话，曾让我无限向往能亲眼看到泰姬陵的浪漫。

泰姬陵，Taj Mahal，Mahal在印地语里是宫殿的意思, Taj 则是Mumtaz的简称。Mumtaz Mahal是古印度莫卧尔帝国第五任国王Shah Jahan最宠爱的妻子。Mumtaz在他们结婚第十三年时因难产去世。传说她死之前，请求Shah Jahan为他修一座世界上最美丽的宫殿作纪念, 这就是Taj Mahal.

来自印度，巴基斯坦，波斯的２万工匠用了整整２２年时间建成泰姬陵。有种说法，Shah Jahan在泰姬陵建成后，砍掉了所有工匠的双手，因为他不想泰姬陵的美丽有机会被重复。而这被历史学家证明并不真实，只是谣传。我从来也不愿相信这种说法，不愿相信这样深情的国王会如此残暴冷血。历史上，泰姬陵修成后, Shah Jahan重病不起，他的王位也被儿子Aurangzeb推翻，他被囚禁在与泰姬陵遥遥相望的Agra城堡中, 度过余生。据说, 透过囚室的小窗户，他可以远远的看到泰姬陵。走在泰姬陵身边，我想象, ３６０年前, 被囚的Shah Jahan在Agra城堡中遥望泰姬陵: 永失所爱的痛苦绝望，对爱人的诺言得以永恒的欣慰，那该是怎样的一种凝视!

离开的时候，我看着她一点一点消失在视野里。奢望时间停滞，不想这个画面变成回忆。过两年还会来印度，可不确定什么时候才能再来看泰姬陵。她在Yamuna河边静静的矗立，我只是她永恒的生命里的一个匆匆过客，而我是多么庆幸自己曾来到这里，庆幸自己的生命曾与她有这样相交的轨迹。

India Map

Before I come up with another post on the India trip, here is a map showing the route we took: Pune -> Mumbai - Kolkata -> Jaipur/Fatehpur -> Agra -> Delhi -> Varanasi/Jaunpur -> Pune.

It is quite amazing how much ground we covered in the short 2 weeks. My in-laws planned the trip so that we reached Agra on Christmas Eve, which happened to be a full-moon night. The Taj Mahal is said to be the most beautiful under the moonlight. Well, we ended up not being able to see the Taj Mahal on that night since there was a 2-hour wait at the gate. Fortunately, I had my moment the next morning. Looking at the Taj, I was left speechless. My eyes welled up and I could not breathe. It was so stunning yet quietly charming. How can I not write about it next...

想起姥姥的话

今天回家路上，和Vivek争论一个问题，他说不过我了，就直目瞪眼儿一言不发。我看着他，忽然想起一个表达：“嘴肿得像包子”（陕西话发音），忍不住笑出声来。这个话妈妈常说，形容人紧闭着嘴说不出话的样子，据说是从姥姥那儿学的。我也搞不清这是姥姥的发明呢还是陕北人都说的俗话儿。姥姥在陕北农村过了一辈子，没什么文化，可她的这些说法儿都是那么言简意赅，生动形象。

类似的话姥姥还说过“歪得像唐三藏”，“歪”在陕北话里是“训斥，责备”的意思，还有点儿“顶嘴”的意味，这句话是说把人训斥得像唐僧一样老实，大气儿都不敢出。大概姥姥认为西游记里唐僧总被孙悟空欺负吧。还有“队伍开差了~~”，形容折腾得动静儿很大，像军队开拔一样。“老爷敲钟”形容做事情不上心，想起来了动一下，想不起来就撂那儿不管。还有每次想到都让我大笑的感叹句：“心上蹲狗着咧！”，意思和“脑子进水”差不多吧，心上蹲了一只狗，可见愚钝迷糊不开窍的程度！

姥姥去世已经六年了。最后一次见她是我大学毕业后来美国之前，我和妈妈专程回陕北看望她和姥爷。姥姥那时知道我要去美国上学，兴高采烈得跟亲戚邻居们说，“我外孙女儿要去外国流浪去了！”，妈妈听到后马上纠正，不是“流浪”，是“留洋”！要离开的时候，我拉着姥姥的手，告诉她好好保重身体，我过两年回来看她，她叹气说，“只怕等不到你回来。。。”我走后一年，她病情恶化，真的没有等到。。。

想起姥姥说过的这些俏皮话儿，却好像她从来没有离开过一样。

补记：朋友老白看到这个帖子后，补充了几个陕北方言词汇。有几个我以前都没听说过。。。

“难活呢” － 生病了
“嗨哈嗨不哈？” － 听懂了吗？
“倭儿” － 小孩儿
“憨着呢” － 不懂事
“婆姨” － 媳妇儿
“游玩” － 串门

迷上“青花瓷”

在春晚上第一次听到这首歌，相比周杰伦以前中国风的歌曲，“发如雪”，“东风破”，“菊花台”等等，这首“青花瓷”更打动我。曲调飘逸清新，歌词婉转柔美，字字珠玑，很有画面感。“天青色等烟雨，而我在等妳，炊烟袅袅升起，隔江千万里”，让我想起高中时读柳永的“念去去，千里烟波，暮霭沉沉楚天阔”的感觉，手不释卷。

青花瓷 词/方文山 曲/周杰伦

素胚勾勒出青花笔锋浓转淡
瓶身描绘的牡丹一如妳初妆
冉冉檀香透过窗心事我了然
宣纸上 走笔至此搁一半

釉色渲染仕女图韵味被私藏
而妳嫣然的一笑如含苞待放
妳的美一缕飘散 去到我去不了的地方

天青色等烟雨 而我在等妳
炊烟袅袅升起 隔江千万里
在瓶底书汉隶仿前朝的飘逸
就当我 为遇见妳伏笔

天青色等烟雨 而我在等妳
月色被打捞起 晕开了结局
如传世的青花瓷自顾自美丽
妳眼带笑意

色白花青的锦鲤跃然于碗底
临摹宋体落款时却惦记着妳
妳隐藏在窑烧里千年的秘密
极细腻 犹如绣花针落地

帘外芭蕉惹骤雨门环惹铜绿
而我路过那江南小镇惹了妳
在泼墨山水画里 妳从墨色深处被隐去

天青色等烟雨 而我在等妳
炊烟袅袅升起 隔江千万里
在瓶底书汉隶仿前朝的飘逸
就当我 为遇见妳伏笔

天青色等烟雨 而我在等妳
月色被打捞起 晕开了结局
如传世的青花瓷自顾自美丽
妳眼带笑意

A Girl's Best Friend

The day before our long-overdue wedding reception in Calcutta, Vivek and I went out shopping for my outfit for the reception party with his parents and Singhal aunty.

The sari store we shopped at was on the upbeat Park Street in the city center of Calcutta. Shelves were built along all 3 walls around the room. In front of each shelf, there was a platform covered in white clothe elevated about 1 foot above the ground, on which two or three salesmen were sitting cross-legged waiting for customers. The shelves, platforms, and counter tops were filled and splashed with saris in all possible colors: peacock green, ocean blue, fiery red, soft peach, turquoise, lilac…rich and luminous. The sari fabrics were also versatile: heavenly silk, airy chiffon, smooth crepe, comforting cotton…On top of all these, intricate embroideries and patterns with golden or silver threads, sparkling beads, and glittering stones. Sari shopping is definitely a true "pick-me-up" for women who are heavily gravitated towards beautiful clothes and fancy fabrics.

In fact, shopping for saris was quite relaxing as well. We were seated in a sofa in front of one of the platforms, sipping tea served by the store. The sales man opened up the 6-yard fabrics one by one as we were browsing through them. I was so taken away by all the colors, textures, and patterns that it was quite tough to stay focused and make a decision. A couple of rounds of tea later, we happily finalized on a deep-magenta silk sari with sparsely weaved-in stars and golden border, which was perfect for the occasion.

However, our shopping was not done yet. A sari outfit consists of the sari itself, a blouse, and a petticoat, but sari stores do not sell blouses or petticoats along with saris. The store offered to stitch a blouse using matching fabrics that came with the sari, but the petticoat had to be purchased from somewhere else. Singhal aunty took us to the New Market and found a matching petticoat quite easily. Matching jewelries: necklace, bangles, earrings, and bindi, are also essential to complete a sari outfit. The next evening when I was all dressed up in my party look, I felt like a bride again. Who says only diamond is a girl's best friend? To me, saris are equally amazing!