Writing expedition in India

18 December, 2010
Hello to all Scribble-ing team mates.  First I must congratulate Neha for choosing such a unique name – Scribble for us!  Just what we all do, only now on the computer and this scribbling fetches money. Amazing!

Honestly, I’ve been balking at the idea of introducing myself to you all.  58 years of living on this planet and I still feel there is so much to know and learn.  Yet I see all you young people are so accomplished and talented in such a short time. Cheers to you all!

I am from a Brahmo Samaj background, studied in a convent in Calcutta, played hockey, marbles, guli-danda with my late brother and his friends.  I was pretty quick with a meccano set but never played with dolls.  So I made it a point to give dolls to my daughters – they enjoyed taking off the hands, legs and eyes and if possible the mouth too, just to see where is it talking from!?  My sons have been less devastatingly inquisitive.

My first major job was as a cabin crew in an airline.  I loved and still love flying, but life teaches you to reset your priorities all the time.  The most important thing in my life has been my kids for the past several years now.  Recently my designation changed to “grandmother” - I have 3 granddaughters.  They are delightful, pesky, utterly innocent in their mischief and so adorable.  I am also “mother” to a 3 year-old Labrador – a darling and a pest.

My parents taught me to learn any language properly and as a result my essays in Bengali, Hindi or English were posted on the school board, quite often.  I never took it seriously then but I understand now.  Reading aloud “The Statesman” every morning was a religious ritual we kids had to observe.  I detest newspapers nowadays – revolting news. 

I have travelled a lot due to my work with hotels and resorts.  I enjoyed most when I was posted in the jungles of Nepal and MP and the best when in Leh, Ladakh. 

I enjoy good food (sweets), good music (both now and past), getting to know people; am passionate about yoga and am blessed with the capacity to cure many ailments through yoga, love spirituality

and yearn to know more and more.  The sky makes me feel humble and there is so much out there, waiting to be revealed.

I warned you it is a long story and mind you it is not even a fraction of my story.

Yes dears, thank you for your kindness if you reached so far.

Be good. Keep smiling.

God bless you all.

Chitralekha Shalom

Today,22/2/2017 I was going through my sent files-above 2000 of them and came across the above.This is something I wrote then.
It is 20/3/2017 and I am a grandmother to 4 grandchildren. I wrote the above seems ages back. My first expedition into freelance writing was through a young law student in New York. I am still grateful to Leo. He and his secretary, Mary, held my hand into this world of writing in 2008. Thank you. God bless.