Watching Squirrels @Wynnstay

Wynnstay was my home in the calm, quiet neighborhood of Burgess Hill in England. Just in front of my balcony stood a big ash tree. (I could never remember the name ash and the word ‘shy tree’ would come to me every time. For some reason the name ‘Ash’ is still a mental blocker). The branches of this Shy err Ash tree almost touch my balcony rails. Every morning I get visitors tapping their little wings and feet on those branches. Black and white magpie, tiny yellow tits and blue tits are pretty regular. A fluffy black cat is seen pottering around the tree too.

Among other regular visitors, the most energetic ones are the squirrels. Four of them run up and down the tree and all over its branches. They do acrobatics against the apartment walls taking help of any edge and corner that they can find.

We drive back home after a fine day, park our car in front of the ash tree facing my flat and sit there for half an hour watching these brown energetic rodents. They are always up to some menace, as if a big game is on or a big plot in play. Looks like this one is chasing the other to get his nuts. They climb around the trees in circles, pause and sprint, pause again, very still and then shoot off. Whilst these two carry on their find and fight, the other two are busy foraging the ground in search of nuts, busy and alert and extremely flexible!

It's such a bliss to take a break from your own rat race and watch the wonders of nature. 

"Hindu meal" in a home-bound flight

Recently, I was flying from London to Kolkata in one of the well known global airlines. I had opted for Hindu meal. Now, I'm not a very religious person and there was no religious intention behind this choice. I was simply curious.

So, there I was sitting in my preferred aisle seat and the flight attendant arrives with my Hindu meal. Curious, I unwrap the little plates and bowls and uncover some pulao rice, paneer with peas, bread, salad, sweets - a sumptuous meal but all veg. Fair enough.

It just dawned on me how we always related Hindu meal with vegetarianism. And how flawed that stereotyped thinking is. Can I not be a Hindu if I eat non-veg? There is no mandate on food habits in our holy Gita. Then why the presumption? I have spoken to many friends of mine from different parts of the world and they are also victims of this misconception. Hindus are believed to be vegetarians all over the world. But Hindus in different parts of India eat meat and fish everyday. These are even treated as bearers of good luck and used in multiple religious occasions. Then how come we Indians (or someone else) are spreading wrong notions?

Its like when we know only a little bit of the big picture and breed a global misconception that gets reflected in silliest manners.

Maybe the option in the food chart should read - Hindu meal (veg) / Hindu meal (non veg). 

I agree, I'm a bit over the top but I do have a point.

I'm a born Hindu and this thought in my over-critical mind makes me chuckle whilst I sit with my family and crunch on a fish head and chew the last chicken leg on my plate.