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....

3 September 2010

Small, contained, fragile, intent.

That is how I would describe my friend the snail, met in a leaf in Sheogh.


And on seeing her, I was reminded of this John Bunyan poem:
She goes but softly, but she goeth sure,
She stumbles not, as stronger creatures do.
Her journey's shorter, so she may endure
Better than they ehich do much farther go.
She makes no noise, but stilly seizeth on
The flower or herb appointed for her food,
That which she quietly doth feed upon
While others range and glare, but find no good.
And though she doth but very softly go,
However, 'tis not fast nor slow, but sure;
And certainly they that do travel so,
The prize they do aim at they do procure.


3 comments:

Mdas said...

Maam
Not sure whethr you remember me. Iam mohan from mumbai. Blog was, what i must say, something different. But that was expected. Hope you ok. H a n t

Kamal Sharma said...

Snail. WoW! never though a humble snail could be pictured and extolled so beautifully. I have been a snail watcher. Delighted to see the post.

Geetali said...

Thank you, Mohan, for stopping by :)

Kamal, you are unfailingly kind. Thank you, it s comments such as yours which keep the little effort going.

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