Why this blog is called "Gallimaufry".

gal-uh-MAW-free\, noun.

Originally meaning "a hash of various kinds of meats," "gallimaufry" comes from French galimafrée; in Old French, from the word galer, "to rejoice, to make merry"; in old English: gala + mafrer: "to eat much," and from Medieval Dutch maffelen: "to open one's mouth wide."

It's also a dish made by hashing up odds and ends of food; a heterogeneous mixture; a hodge-podge; a ragout; a confused jumble; a ridiculous medley; a promiscuous (!) assemblage of persons.

Those of you who know me, will, I’m sure, understand how well some of these phrases (barring the "promiscuous" bit!) fit me.

More importantly, this blog is an ode to my love for Shimla. I hope to show you this little town through my eyes. If you don't see too many people in it, forgive me, because I'm a little chary of turning this into a human zoo.

Stop by for a spell, look at my pictures, ask me questions about Shimla, if you wish. I shall try and answer them as best as I can. Let's be friends for a while....

2 July 2009

What would you ask for?

This was the question that one of my favourite bloggers, asked in her blog "My Topography".
It got me thinking, for I've always had a problem with asking for things. For some reason, I grew up quite deficient in a sense of entitlement - from my family, the man I loved, my friends, even from God. As a result of this not knowing what to ask for, I often settled for what I got. I do not blame the givers, for more often than not, they were unclear about what I wanted! This happened partly from my failure to articulate my "wants" and partly, because I myself did not know what I wanted!!!
But now that I'm older, have lived a life of my own making and one that resulted from choices I made - good and bad - I realise it's a good thing to ask for what you want! I am reminded of those cheesy (but fanstastically true) lines from the film "Om Shanti Om" "कहते हैं कि ...... अगर किसी चीज़ को दिल से चाहो तो पूरी कायनात उसे तुमसे मिलाने की कोशिश में लग जाती है ." (Rough translation: if you want something from your heart (i.e., really badly), the entire universe conspires to get that thing for you)

Here is my list:
  • Two to three years more in Shimla.
  • Good health for all my loved ones: family and friends.
  • Books of Sophie Hannah's poetry.
  • A reunion with the my classmates of KV, Srinagar.
  • A Tamron AF57N-700 72E SP90MM 1:1 Macro Lens.
  • A book of my Shimla photographs.
  • A pissup at Shimla with the WT girls.
  • More travels. And still more travels.


For all that I already have, I am grateful to whoever it is that's up there.


2 comments:

Ann said...

You are a poet yourself.

Now just where have you put your 100 strangers? I want to have a look (and link to it).

Geetali said...

Thank you, Ann. You're much too kind. As for the 100 Strangers project, you're my inspiration. I haven't created a separate place for those pictures, but will be posting one per day for the next 100 days on this blog itself.

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