I am back!

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by Arundhati Basu

With news of my book release. Would you save the date for the upcoming Friday, the 12th of March, dear readers? The book is privately printed and due to be released on the portal that is every man’s friend, Amazon. First up is the e-book version, but I cannot hold back on a paperback, can I? There is hardly any sensory pleasure to be had when you do not have a book to hold, a cute bookmark to mark where you left off the book, or maybe dog ear pages. The paperback should be released shortly after the e-book.

If you had told me as a teenager that I would write a book someday, I would’ve said, you were hopped up on spliffs. The latter ref. connects up with our current living conditions in the apartment building, we moved into last year. The odour of marijuana hangs in thick veils around the corners of the corridors and has even started seeping into our apartment. The entire affair odious. So yes, we live in Weed Central, and nothing can be done about it except for us waiting on our own house that should be ready to move into, in a few months from now.

Are you reassured now that I have not lost my rambling ways during my long absence from the world of blogging?

What a strange time it still is though. My mind seems like it has been stretched beyond its call, to fit in the memories of last year and the beginning of this. It is all too much for the brains to handle. As for all the years preceding the last one, they seem to have faded into a Before Covid compartment.

I want Before Covid life back. More than anything, now that spring is here. Isn’t there a feeling of hope and joy in the air? The birdsong, the sun without its hat, the flawlessly blue skies, the children in the park, the starlings with their iridescent colours that have started arriving in flocks. I want to put on a flowery dress and go dance in a meadow filled with long grass and wildflowers. I have been struggling with fits of low phases — as I imagine have many of you — and bursts of happiness. But then I suppose it is okay to be low, for without it could I appreciate the highs?

In all of this, getting the book ready to be out has probably kept me sane. That and my art. Without the twain, I might as well have pulled all my hair out. Which reminds me, in an aside, about my husband yanking almost all my hair out (but with great love) of late. What happened is this. Adi wanted to oil my hair. He took out a massive Costco jar of coconut oil from the pantry, extracted fistfuls and steeped my hair in it. Then I was rewarded with a solid “massage” that by the end of the session had resulted in clumps of my hair all over the floor, in my hand, and all over Adi’s tee.

It was a revelation. It made me realise two important things in my life. One, that I have much less hair on my head today than I did before. And two, my husband is not going to be allowed anywhere near my hair in the future.

Anyway, before I send you scurrying for cover, for fear of having to read a sinfully long post, I will keep coming back with more. About the book, the entire process of privately printing books, the people one needs to make it happen, and more about my life. In particular, I have to tell you stories of a snowy owl who came visiting us in Bayonne.

Now tell me your news, dear friend. And I shall find my way to your blog to update myself with accounts of your life. I have missed you all way too much. My conversations with you have been the water to my soul.

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Arundhati Basu

The great affair in my life is to travel. I count myself immensely fortunate that my partner shares this passion. We are a team that likes to spend time planning and plotting out places to go. Destination check, flights check, accommodation check, cheesy grins check. Off we go.

19 thoughts on “I am back!”

  1. Hi Arundhati,
    I was looking for that new blog, but I’m not sure this is it? You want your ‘Before Covid-19’-life back?! Yes, don’t we all?!
    But – I am really afraid that I have some bad news for you (and I hope I’m wrong!): It seems that the door to the virus world has been left open too long?
    And nobody seems to find the key anymore! The Virus will be the new element of our future life on the ‘planet Earth’. Too deadly to overlook, and too small to fight!
    Vaccinations will most certainly be a continuous thing and some people will die whilst others become billionaires! And – the ‘moving about’ will be restricted!
    In the days of sailships, it would take a virus years to infect the world. With the airlines of today, it would happen in a week!
    Yes, we have a vaccine – at the moment – but the virus mutates to new forms where ever it happens to be, and the new forms spread over the world alongside
    the first ones. And the world must use all its strength in order to stay ahead of the attack.
    The good news is that we will no longer have the time – nor the capacity – to fight each other over trivialities?! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That is a cogent thought, Svein. I know what you mean. The virus is with us for good. A constant presence and reminder that things could go wrong just so easily. I will take the assurance of the vaccination though and unCovid myself in any way I can. This is intolerable. Though I think I might have anxiety about exiting this life of lockdown too! Strange are the ways of humans. 🙂

      You have stumbled into the blog and this is indeed it. I am happy to have you back here.

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  4. “Hopped on spliffs”? What on earth is that? 🤣
    Congrats on the book. Do let me know how I can get a hold of it. I’m am slowly getting to buing the books of my E-friends. An interesting endeavour. Some may take onths to arrive. But it’s all right.
    (I am increasingly wondering about publishing some of my stuff… Some of it is in Spanish which can be an issue. And I’m not keen on translating it. It would be like re-writing it. We’ll see)
    Welcome back.🤗

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Marijuana. 🙂

      Thank you! It will be on Amazon. Both the e-book (kindle) and the paperback. You can send brickbats after or send me your criticism -and I will be most open to it.

      You can get a translator to do the job for you, no? Then you could just get them published. It would be a start. Yes, it involves a lot of work, but it is an exciting process.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Pot alley then? 😉
        A translator would cost me an arm and a leg, and I still would have to review it all… TOC, you know? 😉
        I’ve been doing a few tests with Word translator. It gets part of the job done. But then you do have to revise everything. A particular phrase, or word. We’ll see.

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      5. I can imagine. Now one advantage of this crazy situation is that Time actually goes round fast. We’re in March already. We need to plan a house warming party.

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  7. I seem to have missed your blogs till now. Maybe it’s the name change. My wife was cutting my hair too, but this summer saw the first trip back to a very shocked hairdresser! Good to see you writing again. I haven’t written for ages, but will resume this autumn.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hallooo, so good to hear from you again! 🙂 I have been very tardy with posting on the blog. Now I am trying to pick up where I left. Yes, I changed the blog and made it part of my website. I gave lost almost everyone in the process but glad to see a few familiar faces.

      I bet the hairdresser had a good time with his/her scissors. Your wife must be feeling brand new. I remember how my first cut felt. Like a drop of the finest wine. Looking forward to dropping by your blog soon! And yes, welcome back. 🙂 🙂

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