487: Food, cinema, and other assortments

Yesterday I saw a white flower and an orange flower on the same branch. The sun was setting and these two blooms nodding in the wind like happy siblings.

A pal and I went to CafĂ© Joshua in Aundh where I tried a hot chocolate called 'Nutty Affair'. It was made with Nutella and it was really hearty and nice. I'm not a fan of chocolate but I liked it a lot. My friend a slice of carrot cake which looked really tasty. You could see the generous gratings of carrots and smell the lovely cinnamon.

This morning I did yoga. It made me feel good and sore and disappointed at the same time. But no matter. I'm sure things will improve.

With another friend, I tried out Le Plaisir on Prabhat Road. Relished the pasta there and she recommended an expresso panacotta that was creamy and soothing. Oh, and a special mention to the cappuccino I had there. It was King. It reigned the meal. It reigned my mind. That coffee ought to have its own conversation.

We also got some more coffee at Peter Donuts on Bhandarkar Road. It's big and all but I didn't like it too much as a spot to actually go and work there. I definitely prefer the one at Aundh. There's a lot more light there and I follow the sun.

Things got a little difficult with a friend in the evening and I'm beginning to get a little hassled with the unpredictability of human relationships. I mean, things can change so quickly. You know, sometimes you go wanting the approval of your friends (even though it may be freely given, which is why the friendship exists.). Then somewhere, life situations happen and you may find yourself in the awkward position where your approval may be sought. I'm finding this more and more - at times with people at work, at times with relatives, and at times with friends. What they seek or expect from me...or why they feel I may even have anything to give them, I'm not very sure about. Harsh words get exchanged, they will play in the mind until very carefully and consciously, one forgives and does not take it personally. But well, I guess such things will happen. You just have to breathe through it. And maybe remind yourself to be kind and strong. Kind enough to let things go. And strong enough to let the friend go, if necessary. And of course, wise enough to know whether it is necessary or not.

Much later in the evening, another friend and I went to a movie, 'The Danish Girl'. It's a moving story of a painter in Denmark who is also married to an artist. One day, the wife asks this painter to try on the clothes of a ballerina who was modelling for her. The man obliges. Except that when he tries on the stockings and the shoes, something awakens within him and he's drawn to the life of being a woman. The couple moves to Paris. The man's immersion in the experience of being a woman becomes more pronounced and worrisome. Therapy is sought. Therapy doesn't work. There's anger, doubt, confusion. The marriage survives all this. The wife stands by him and ultimately, the man undergoes the operation to become a woman. With this wife on his side.

The painter dies in the end. But it is such an uplifting story. It's poignant and moving and those stunning vistas of Denmark, Paris, and artist studios strewn with large, opulent canvases.

In the end, there remains whatever you began with. And maybe it always begins with love and beauty.

That's the hope.
 

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