MY WALK ON SONGS THROUGH CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK

Thousands of people go to the Central Park in New York every day: walkers, runners, strollers, cyclers, picnickers, sightseers, lovers and all. Add one more whenever I am in New York, me. 

Ruchir's apartment being just across the road on the south-west corner of the Park makes it ideal for my evening walk. And I have another reason to do so: the many attractions in the Park make me recall some lovely songs which I hum as I walk by.

What better way to start than entering the Park from 72 W. Street and immediately sight the lovely circular 'Imagine Mosaic' created by masons in Naples as a memorial to The Beatles' John Lennon who was shot dead by a crazy man just 100 yards away. 'Imagine', as everyone knows, was Lennon's most popular song  wistfully dreaming of 'One World'-

"Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too....

Imagine all the people, sharing all the world,

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one."

Imagine Mosaic is part of the 2.5 acre 'Strawberry Fields' which was given that name from The Beatles' number "Strawberry Fields Forever". Walking through the trees and shrubs with beautiful flowers, I hum-

"Let me take you down 'cause I'm going to strawberry fields'

Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about

Strawberry fields forever."

I reach a road, turn left, and soon hear joyful sounds of children enjoying themselves in 'Diana Ross Playground.' Diana Ross and The Supremes were big hits in 1960s and the song I remember, though admittedly not quite matching the mood of the Playground, is "You Keep Me Hanging On", perhaps because it was also sung by my favorite, Tom Jones. "Set me free, why don't you babe, get out of my life, why don't you babe, 'cause you don't really love me, you just keep me hangin' on"!

I reverse direction and on my left is 'Shakespeare Garden' which brings to mind the troubadour singing "What is Youth" in Franco Zeferelli's classic "Romeo and Juliet". And then the 'Cherry Hill Fountain' appears leading to the 'Cherry Park' where Cherry trees blossom in the spring. It is time to recall the 'King of Mambo', Perez Prado and his "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - 'when your true lover  comes your way'"- with the exceptional undulating trumpet of Billy Regis. 

From Cherry Park and past Bethesda Fountain thronging with visitors playing music and dancing, I reach Conservatory Water and a bronze sculpture depicting characters from the Lewis Carroll classic "Alice in Wonderland". Nearby is a statue of Hans Christian Andersen with his hat by his side and reading his story "The Ugly Duckling" to, who else, a duckling! I remember the movie with Danny Kaye playing the main part and singing "I'm Hans Christian Andersen" and "Thumbelina-'What's the difference if you're very small, when your heart is full of love, you're nine feet tall.'"

Time to turn South and head for 'The Mall'. Though it is also called a 'Literary Walk', The Mall has a musical beginning from this end. On the right is a bust of Beethoven and I think of a light, short piece "Fur Elise" or, in a more serious mood, "Ode To Joy" which is the highlight of his 9th Symphony. 

Right opposite is 'Naumburg Bandshell' which provides the stage for concerts throughout the year. It has also featured in many movies, notably in the sweet "Breakfast At Tiffany's". And so I launch into-

"Moon River, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style someday....

Two drifters off to see the world, there's such a lovely world to see,

We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting 'round the bend....

Moon river and me."

At the end of The Mall is a statue of the Scottish poet, Robert Burns. Whether familiar with his poems or not, all of us know his famous work “Auld Lang Syne" which we unfailingly sing to bring in every new year.

Across the road and at the southern end of the Park, there is 'Wollman Rink', a popular venue for ice skating in winter and currently, in summer, for a new game I see for the first time, 'Pickleball', which seems akin to Tennis on a smaller and Table-Tennis on a larger scale. But I will always remember the Rink for its featuring in the heart-rending movie, "Love Story". The scene showed the two young lovers having fun in the ice rink with Francis Lai's 'Skating Theme' playing in the background. And if you think of "Love Story", would you be able to resist humming its beautiful theme, "Where Do I Begin"?

A turnaround to the interior of the Park brings me to the kids' favorite, 'Carousel', with beautifully painted handmade horses. I recall the Broadway musical of the same name with the unforgettable song "If I Loved You" and the emotional theme, ‘The Carousel Waltz’, which, like a carousel, goes round and round and up and down in my head.. 

A little further up, in the "Sheep Meadow" is the "Nell Singer Lilac Walk" which is a narrow path through a small grove of lilac trees with varieties from all over the world. At the height of its popularity in mid-1950s, there were many nice versions of the song "When the White Lilacs Bloom Again" and the best for me was by Lawrence Welk And His Sparkling Strings which invoked visions of bubbly champagne while admiring the lilacs.

It's been quite a walk and near the exit is "Tavern On The Green". I sit down and order a drink thinking of Mary Hopkin and her nostalgic "Those Were The Days":

"Once upon a time there was a tavern, where we used to raise a glass or two,

Remember how we laughed away the hours, think of all the great things we would do.

Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end, we'd sing and dance forever and a day

We'd live the life we choose, we'd fight and never lose, for we were young and sure to have our way...

Just tonight I stood before the tavern, nothing seemed the way it used to be,

In the glass I saw a strange reflection, was that lonely woman really me?"

And finally, a really old song which had its origin in 1883, "There's A Tavern In The Town "- 

"....where my true love sits him down, sits him down,

 And drinks his wine as merry as can be, and never, never thinks of me.

Fare thee well for I must leave thee, do not let this parting grieve thee

And remember that the best of friends must part, must part.

Adieu, adieu kind friends adieu, adieu, adieu,

I can no longer stay with you, stay with you

I will hang my harp on a weeping willow tree,

And may the world go well with thee."

ZURICH 2.0

A second trip to Zurich wasn't really on the cards; it just worked out that way. 

Akhila and I had ticked off Zurich on our list of travel destinations after a visit, albeit a short one, in 1987. Then this year, Shiven qualified for a 3-week Creative Writing course in Columbia University, New York, and Shumita made plans to visit US with her two boys. She wanted us to come and Ruchir insisted that we should also be in New York with them. He said he would book us by Swissair via Zurich and that tempted us to take a  break there. Ruchir, who loves Switzerland and has made a number of business trips there, has a good friend, Natasha, in Zurich and organised a car driven by Mahu-ud-Din, originally from Pakistan, for our stay.

Mahu-ud-Din met us at the airport on our arrival on a Sunday morning and drove us to our hotel, Mandarin Oriental, centrally located near the south-west bank of Limmat river which starts from Lake Zurich on the southern side of the city and flows northwards. That afternoon, Natasha met us and took us on a short walking tour by the bank of Limmat. It reminded us of our '87 visit when we had roamed around the same area and seen the (same?!) white swans swimming in Limmat. Our tour ended with a climb up to the hilltop park, Lindenhof, from where we could get a panoramic view of the old town of Altstadt, the 12th century twin-towered Grossmunster Church and the Limmat River. On that Sunday afternoon, Lindenhof was crowded as it is a favourite meeting point of people particularly chess players who flock to play the game in the serene surroundings.

We walked back to the hotel and as it was early enough, Natasha said we could do some out-of-town sightseeing that evening. So Mahu-ud-Din drove the three of us to the famous Rhine Falls, just over an hour away from Zurich. The Falls are the most powerful waterfalls in Europe with a height of 75 feet and width 490 feet near the border with Germany. The river flow is spectacular from a viewing platform accessed from the Laufen Castle which also houses a restaurant where we sat down to have a much needed Cappuccino.

On the way back, we took a detour to visit the ancient village, Stein am Rhine. Unfortunately, it started raining and became dark, so we headed back to Zurich and I made a mental note to visit the village on a later date if we had the time.

Natasha's Swiss husband, Adrian, joined us on our return to Zurich and they took us out to a lavish all-vegetarian buffet dinner which had the largest number of vegetarian dishes I have ever seen. Incidentally, Natasha has a Swiss mother and an Indian father and I was reminded of one Group Captain Sabhaney who did the NDC course in 1966 when I was there. The Group Captain had a Swiss wife and I wondered if there was any connection but there wasn't.

It had been raining a lot but we woke up in the morning to a fairly clear day. Mahu-ud-Din suggested we go to Engelberg for a cable car trip up Mount Titlis. We reached Engelberg in just over an hour and got into the cable car which took us to Trubsee, Stand and finally the summit of Klein Titlis above the glacier at an altitude of 10000 feet. We got out of the enclosed area where it was freezing cold at -5 degrees C. Fortunately, Mahu-ud-Din had lent me a jacket and Akhila had prudently rented one at a shop while buying the tickets. We then got into a rotating cable car, the first in the world, for a fascinating panoramic view of the peaks, glaciers and valleys. Back at the cable car station, we got into an illuminated glacier cave, actually inside a glacier, which was a unique but a shivering and slippery experience!

Outside the station there is a lifesize cardboard cutout of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol from their popular old movie "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge". This was Yash Chopra's favourite film shooting site and there is a shop selling souvenirs from his films. In fact, the place seems to have been taken over by Indians with restaurants and cafes serving Indian fare and many visitors from homeland.

We too had a bite there and then got into the cable car for the trip back. We took a break at Trubsee for a walk along the tranquil lake before returning to Engleberg.

Lucerne was not too far out of the way so I requested Mahu-ud-Din to take a little detour. We drove around the town looking at some traditional frescoed buildings and came to the big 'Welcome' gate opposite the train station. We walked to the Lucerne lake and the wooden Chapel Bridge dating back to the 14th century repeating what we had done in 1987. Once again, we were greeted by many graceful and friendly swans swimming in the lake.  

Having got our money's worth, happy but exhausted, we headed back to Zurich. 

The next day, Natasha advised us to go to Liechtenstein, again about an hour's drive from Zurich. Sound advice as it satisfied my ego of a self-styled traveller ticking off a new country. Officially named Principality of Liechtenstein, the country is the fourth smallest in Europe after the Vatican City, Monaco and San Marino, and the sixth smallest, after Nauru and Tuvalu, of all recognized countries in the world. It is just 25 kms long and 160 sq. kms. in area with a population of 39790. It is also the smallest country in the world to share a border with two countries, Switzerland and Austria. Boasting of the highest GDP per person in the world when adjusted for purchasing power parity, it is no wonder that its citizens are quite content with their independence and the tiny size of their country.

We visited its capital Vaduz which has as its landmark a medieval castle on top of a mountain peak overlooking the city. The head of state, Prince of Liechtenstein. resides here. With its origin dating back to the 12th century, it was expanded in the 17th century and underwent a major restoration in the early 20th century. We also saw the beautiful St. Florin Cathedral and the Planken municipality before bidding goodbye to Liechtenstein. In three hours including a break for lunch, we probably covered more than half of the country!

On the way back, we had decided to see the Lindt chocolate factory in Zurich but, en route, Mahu-ud-Din first took us to another famous one, Laderach. We did a quick round, tasting and buying before landing up at Lindt. It was a fascinating tour starting at a big chocolate fountain in the main hall. More tasting and buying and our tour was complete.

I don't think I had ever visited a chocolate factory till December 2022. Since then, in the last 1 1/2 years, we have done four: two small ones in Puducherry and Munnar, and now the giants, Lindt and Laderach. 

On the final day of our stay, we took the toy train, reminiscent of Simla and Darjeeling, for a 20-minute ride to Uetilberg mountain, which is the highest point in Zurich 451 metres above the city. To get to the top from the railway station, it is a 68 m. climb but worth the effort for a spectacular panoramic view of the whole of Zurich and its lake. To take in the scenery at leisure, there is enough seating all around and a hotel and restaurant for refreshments.

We were finished with Uetilberg early in the afternoon so I seized the opportunity to fulfill my desire to go back to Stein am Rhein and am glad we did. The small village, all of 6 sq kms with more than 75% of land used for agricultural purposes and forestry, lies by the banks of River Rhine.  The main street is like a fairyland with beautifully painted buildings dating back to the 12th century. No vehicles are permitted on the street and the river bank and the frescoes adorning the facade of the buildings are cute and lovable. The river bank is lined up with restaurants and cafes filled with tourists. And, of course, the white swans are here too!

Reluctantly, we left the village and drove back to Zurich. With the late summer sunset, there was time enough for a farewell stroll on the streets seeing the 853 A.D. Fraumunster Church distinguished by its green clocktower and famous for stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall added in 1970, the imposing Zurich Opera House, the high-end shopping street Bahnhofstrasse, and more swans in the Limmat.

Next morning, Mahu-ud-Din took us to the airport for our flight to Miami. He had been good company for the last 4 days keeping us entertained during the long drives with stories of his own adventurous life, three wives though not at the same time, and his views on the political situation in Pakistan. Right till he saw us off checking in at the airport, he was insistent that we stop over in Zurich on our way back to India with him making all arrangements. 

There surely is a lot more to Zurich than had met our eye at first sight.

LES SAVEURS DE LA FRANCE (THE FLAVOURS OF FRANCE)

Geography in school taught me that there was a country called France. Then I studied European history in which France played a major role. Two famous quotes from my history book are still fresh in my mind. Louis XV famously declared, "Apres moi, le deluge." Yes, I give a damn what happens after I'm gone!

The other one is probably even more famous- Marie Antoinette, the queen of France during the French Revolution, when apprised of the fact that the peasants had no bread to eat, is supposed to have said, "Let them eat cake." Nobody is certain whether she actually said so or not, but the words have been attributed to her to highlight the ignorance of the royalty of the hardships faced by ordinary French citizens of those times.

In the National Defence Academy, I studied French in my final year. I remember Mr. Paul, our teacher, acquainting us with the finer nuances of the language such as every noun having a gender and that the last consonant of a word is not pronounced unless the next word begins with a vowel in which case the consonant is conjoined with the vowel- 'Voulez vous?' 'Mais oui!' After the NDA, I lost touch with the language but can recognise some words and phrases to make sense of a written piece. I am glad that Shumita achieved a high level in French by studying at the Alliance Francaise in Delhi and can be my translator when required.

The radio introduced me to French songs. Among the earliest I remember are "La Mer" by Charles Tenet composed in 1943 during a train journey in South of France and Edith Piaf's "La Vie En Rose" written in 1945 to alleviate the mood of the French during World War II.

Originally a French hit, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and all well-known singers of those days, recorded their own version of the sweet, chic number, "Mademoiselle de Paris", aptly describing a French maiden-

"She's so chic and adorable

No one thinks it deplorable

When men all turn around just to see

Mademoiselle de Paree.

Ooh la la, oui oui oui

She's the spirit of spring in Paree."

Another French song, "Les Feuilles Morte" was popularised by Nat King Cole as "Autumn Leaves." Over the years, I have been enjoying Michel Legrand's compositions such as the sweet "I Love Paris", the haunting "I Will Wait For You" from "The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg" and "Windmills Of Your Mind", the theme from "The Thomas Crown Affair." Then there are Francis Lai's enchanting themes from "Un Homme Et Une Femme" and "Love Story", and Paul Mauriat's brilliant instrumental rendition of "L'amour Est Bleu."

I read some French fiction, translated into English, of course, but it gave me an insight into French history as well as their way of life and customs including the dreaded guillotine! I loved Alexandre Dumas' classics "The Three Musketeers", "The Count Of Monte Cristo" and "The Black Tulip". Victor Hugo was another favourite with "Les Miserables" and "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame." Jules Verne, 'father of science fiction', was ahead of his time with "Around The World In 80 Days" and "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea." "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Edmond Rostand was a heart-rending romance of a man in love but too shy to reveal his identity to his lover because of his extraordinarily long nose.

Movies and musical plays based on these books have been big hits too. 

Two Francoises grabbed my attention in late 1950s-'60s.  The first was an 18-year old author, Francoise Sagan, who made waves with her first book, "Bonjour Tristesse". The book was controversial but a gripping portrait of a coming-of-age girl aged 17 and her complex relationship with her father. It made Sagan famous and she followed it up with other popular books including "A Certain Smile" which was adapted into a film starring Rossano Brazzi and Christine Carere, an actress little known outside France. The story was of a teenage girl falling for a much older man. The theme song by Johnny Mathis went to the top of all music charts and was a personal favourite of mine.

The second Francoise was a young singer, Francoise Hardy. I was on Trishul when we visited Kuwait. We were invited to a party hosted by some young Palestinians who had a huge collection of music. There I heard Hardy for the first time and was enchanted by her voice. She also sang in English and I bought an LP with the unforgettable song "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" that keeps constantly reverberating in my ears.

In 1963, my ship Khukri visited Pondicherry. A visit to the French Quarter gave some idea of life in a French city. It was also my first introduction to the famous French bread, the long 'baguette'!

Still, it was only through movies that I could see France. "The Last Time I Saw Paris" starring two budding actors in Elizabeth Taylor and Roger Moore along with Van Jonson was a heart-rending tragedy with the haunting theme song sung by Odette. Another hit movie was the musical, "An American In Paris" with six Oscars to its credit including Best Picture. Gene Kelly was super with his tap dancing ably accompanied by Leslie Caron. A few years later came "Gigi", another superb musical winning the Best Picture award and 8 other Oscars. Its cast was mainly French with Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan and the one and only Maurice Chevalier. Who can forget his lovely song, "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Any More"?

Meanwhile two young stars were earning enormous popularity in France and beyond. Alain Delon with his striking good looks was winning female hearts. For men, there was Brigitte Bardot, the ultimate oomph girl. In "Doctor At Sea", she was brilliant, charming Dirk Bogarde with"Je Ne Sais Pas", 'there are many things I don't know but I do know this, that I love you love you love you, je ne sais.'

My first visit to France took place in 1982. I had been sent by NHQ to the Italian Naval Exhibition in Genoa, Italy. Our stay included a weekend and a local Indian friend offered to take me on a car drive to Cote d'Azur, the French Riviera. So we travelled through Monte Carlo and Nice to Cannes and St. Tropez and looked to spend the night there. It was the peak of summer and we could not find a hotel with a vacant room and kept driving on to Toulon and Marseilles. Still no luck, so we turned back and went inland a bit and soon found two rooms. 

The next day, it was a drive back with a few hours on the beaches of St. Tropez, Cannes and Monte Carlo. The drive along the sea coast was beautiful and reminded me of the car scenes in Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch A Thief" with the difference that the car in the movie had Cary Grant and Grace Kelly with a love interest whereas we were just two males, simply friends! I made a mental note to correct that in the future. 

A visit to Paris materialised only in 1987. I was posted in Singapore as the Defence Attache and Akhila and I embarked on a trip to UK and Europe. Our 3-day stay in Paris was hectic as we wanted to cover all the famous tourist spots, Eiffel Tower and River Seine, Arc de Triomphe, a walk up and down Champs Elysees looking at famous designer shops such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Prada and many more, Louvre Museum with the sculpture 'Venus de Milo', and perhaps the most famous painting in the world, Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa', Notre-Dame Cathedral, Moulin Rouge, and Versailles Palace and Garden. Phew!!!

The promised corrective action during the earlier trip to the French Riviera was executed with Ruchir organising a trip for Akhila and me in 2018. We spent four days based in Monte Carlo and going around Nice, Cannes and St. Tropez along with some smaller towns like Antibes, inland villages and vineyards.

Vive la France and hopefully, au revoir.

Tailpiece or pieces: During our stay in Paris, our host accompanied us for shopping. On return to his small car, we found two big limousines, one in front and one at the back, with almost no space for our host to manoeuvre his car out. Unperturbed, he started the car, put full wheel on one side and reversed till he hit the rear car. Then he put the wheel on the other side and drove forward hitting the front vehicle. He repeated these manoeuvres 4-5 times till he managed to eke his car out of the parking. Content, he drove on quite unconcerned at the damage and the hanging tailpiece of the car ahead.

 

Was that a typical French way of muscling out of tight spots? Maybe or maybe not. Our host was an Indian!

 

GOLDEN OLDIES FOR GROWING OLDIES

I love The Beatles and Paul McCartney's "Yesterday" is one of my top favourites. I am in good company; the song had been voted as the Best Song of the 20th century in a 1999 BBC Radio2 poll of music experts and listeners and number one Pop Song of all time by MTV and Rolling Stone magazine in 2000.

One particular line from the song plays a lot in my mind these days: 'I'm not half the man I used to be.' Of course, in the song it is used in a different context but I find it an apt description of the aged me. Where is the man who was bold, full of optimism and energy, always seeking adventure and on the go? I look in the mirror and see a reflection of a haggard, gray-haired and balding man with wrinkles, puffy eyes and white eyebrows- yes, half the man at best even with lengthening nose and ears!

One thought leads to another and I started remembering songs about old age and times. I harked back to my school days and songs Father Mackessack taught us in his after school singing class. One was of 1860 vintage by the famous composer Stephen Foster with a stirring version by Paul Robeson in 1930s, "Old Black Joe" -

"Gone are the days when my heart was young and gay,

Gone are the friends from the cotton fields away,

Gone from the earth to a better land, I know,

I hear their gentle voices calling, Old Black Joe.

I'm coming, I'm coming, for my head is bending low,

I hear their gentle voices calling, Old Black Joe."

Another treasure from Foster/Mackessack was "Old Folks At Home". For the singer "all de world am sad and dreary ebry where I roam...all up and down de whole creation sadly I roam, still longing for de old plantation, and for de old folks at home." Similar to The Beach Boys in "Sloop John B" who sang, "I feel so broke up, I wanna go home." Well, for me, home is Jaipur and that's where I wanna go though most old folks are no longer at home and have gone to a 'better place'.

A song that touchingly described melancholy and consolation over lost youth was "When You And I Were Young, Maggie". It owed its origin to a 1864 poem and had many versions including one by Bing Crosby and his son Gary. Some bittersweet lyrics-

"Oh they say that I'm feeble with age Maggie, my steps are much slower than then

My face is a well written page Maggie, and time all along was the pen.

Oh they say we have outlived our time Maggie, as dated as songs that we've sung

But to me you're as fair as you were Maggie, when you and I were young."

Time marches on relentlessly and we are busy with our lives till one day we suddenly look back and wonder how fast it has flown by. "Sunrise Sunset" from the popular musical "Fiddler on the Roof" captures this beautifully:-

"Is this the little girl I carried?

Is this the little boy at play?

I don't remember growing older, when did they?

When did she get to be a beauty?

When did he get to be so tall?

Wasn't it yesterday when they were so small?

Sunrise, sunset, swiftly flow the days

Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers, blossoming even as we gaze,

Sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years

One season following another, laden with happiness and tears.

What words of wisdom can I give them, how can I help to ease their way?

Now they must learn from one another, day by day."

Well, I must accept my ageing happily and look at the brighter side of getting old. Remember Maurice Chevalier in "Gigi" observing the lovestruck, bewitched and bewildered character played by Louis Jourdan? Chevalier sings contentedly, "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore"-

"Poor boy, poor boy, downhearted and depressed and in a spin,

Poor boy, poor boy, oh, youth can really do a fellow in,

How lovely to sit here in the shade with none of the woes of man and maid,

I'm glad that I'm not young anymore."

Frank Sinatra though, advises one to remain "Young At Heart" regardless of age-

"And if you should survive to a hundred and five

Look at all you'll derive out of being alive

And here is the best part, you've had a head start,

If you are among the very young at heart."

And, I must be content and happy to have lived my life "My Way" as sang good old Frank Sinatra in his signature song-

"I've lived a life that's full, I've travelled each and every highway,

And more, much more than this, I did it my way.

Regrets, I've had a few, but again too few to mention....

I've loved, I've laughed and cried, I've had my fill, my share of losing,

And now as tears subside, I find it all so amusing,

To think I did all that, and may I say not in a shy way,

I did it my way."

SAILOR SONGS

 "In her hair, she wore a yellow ribbon,

She wore it in the springtime and the merry month of May,

Hey, hey, and if you asked her why the hell she wore it,

She wore it for a sailor who is far, far away."

These lines have been going around in my head for some days now. Maybe because it is the month of May which, however, is not very merry in India though real summer heat has still to set in Delhi this year. But the song brings on nostalgia with sweet memories for me.

It was in late 1940s during his first leave after joining the Navy that I heard Vinnie Mama sing this shanty and learnt it from him. I didn't know nor inquired about the significance of the girl wearing a 'yellow ribbon' and took it that it was her or her sailor's favourite colour. But now that we have internet and the know-all Dr./Prof. Google, I thought of checking and discovered that it is believed that the tradition had its origins in the US Civil War when a yellow ribbon in a woman's hair indicated that she was "taken" by a man who was absent due to service in the US Army Cavalry.

There is another popular shanty, "Ship Ahoy", which is an English music hall song dating back to 1908. Its chorus goes-

"All the nice girls love a sailor, all the nice girls love a tar,

For there's something about a sailor, well, you know what sailors are,

Bright and breezy, free and easy, he's the ladies' pride and joy,

Falls in love with Kate and Jane, then he's off to sea again!"

I have an issue with the last line; it echoes the saying which much maligns a sailor by stating that he has a girl in every port. Having been a sailor, I know that's not true. Let alone every port, I didn't have a girl in any, not even in my home port. If at all I had a girl, she was in a town far inland though a river runs through it. Actually, a sailor pines to quickly get done with the sailing and return home hoping his girl is waiting for him and that absence has made her heart grow fonder for him and not somebody else! Remember the 1956 Eddie Fisher song-

"Cindy, Oh Cindy, Cindy don't let me down'

Write me a letter soon and I"ll be homeward bound.... 

I know my Cindy is waiting, as I walk the decks alone,

Her loving arms reach out to me, soon I"ll be heading home,

Then my sailing days will be over, and no more will I roam...."

At times the sailor falls in love with a girl in a visiting port but, heartbroken, has to leave her. Listen to Harry Belafonte in "Jamaican Farewell":

"But I'm sad to say I'm on my way, won't be back for many a day,

My heart is down my head is turning around,

I had to leave a little girl in Kingston town."

If the sailor can't go back, he wishes that somehow the girl is brought to him as in an old Scottish shanty-

"My Bonnie lies over the ocean, my Bonnie lies over the sea.

My Bonnie lies over the ocean, oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

Bring back, bring back, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me...."

Or better still, bring her back along with himself as many Indian naval officers who went for training to UK in the early days did though sometimes the unsuspecting parents were shocked out of their wits to get a cable out of the blue saying "Coming home with Dorothy!"

I must confess one sin most sailors are guilty of and that is their fondness for a drink, particularly Rum. In his famous novel "Treasure Island", Robert Louis Stevenson invented a song, "Dead Man's Chest", for his pirate characters and wrote the chorus: 

"Fifteen men on the dead man's chest.

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

Drink and the devil had done for the rest,

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum."

The chorus with added lyrics has been used in many songs in subsequent plays, TV serials and movies and the phrase "Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum" is universally popular. 

Traditionally in the British Navy, a 'tot' of rum was given to sailors as a morale booster and reward for hard work as also a medicine with the rum mixed with lime juice to keep scurvy at bay. One drink leads to another particularly for a lonely sailor far away from his home and girl. So we have the shanty, "Drunken Sailor":

"What shall we do with a drunken sailor, what shall we do with a drunken sailor,

What shall we do with a drunken sailor early in the morning?

Shave his belly with a rusty razor....

Put him in a long boat till he's sober....

Stick him in a scupper with a hosepipe bottom...."

And naughtily or nautically'

"Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter....

Early in the morning!"

Fondness for drink could get sailors, young and old, in trouble. The Beach Boys described it in "Sloop John B"-

"We come on the sloop John B, my grandfather and me,

Around Nassau town we did roam,

Drinking all night, got into a fight,

Well, I feel so broke up, I wanna go home."

Yes, all said and done, a sailor's life is a lonely one with him looking forward to return home to his loved ones. He eagerly awaits the words "Anchors Aweigh" as in the marching song we were first introduced to in our NDA days:

"Anchors aweigh, my boys, anchors aweigh,

Farewell to foreign shores, we sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay,

Through our last night ashore, drink to the foam,

Until we meet once more.

Here's wishing you a happy voyage home."

And now that we have girl sailors, they'll sing similar tunes and know that ‘a girl in every port’ is as much a myth as would be ‘a boy in every port.’

BHUTAN - DRUKYUL

 Bing Crosby sang, "Those far away places with strange sounding names...are calling, calling me".

A place, not far away albeit with strange sounding names, had been calling me for quite some time: Bhutan or Drukyul as the Bhutanese call it. Druk means 'thunder dragon' and Yul means 'country', so it is the country of the thunder dragon. Strange because its people are so peaceful and content! It is just two hours' flight away from Delhi; it takes longer to get to, say, Kochi. A visit was always at the back of my mind but somehow, never materialised. 

At our Course lunch in March this year, some of us were chatting away when I aired my thoughts about wanting to visit Bhutan. General Ved Malik, former Army Chief, immediately offered to help out in organising with the support of the Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) based there. He asked me to make air bookings and give him the dates.

So I booked seats for Akhila and myself departing Delhi on the 18th and returning on 23rd April and informed Ved. Thereafter, officers from IMTRAT got in touch with me and finalised our programme.

The only direct flight to Paro, international airport of Bhutan, is by Drukair, Bhutanese National Airline, leaving Delhi at 4.10 in the morning. A night of no sleep, but the flight is worth the sacrifice as it skirts the Himalayan range at close quarters. Weather was clear and we saw one snow-capped peak after another including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga. 

Paro airport is nestled between mountain ranges named Three Brothers and the pilot announced that the visibility was low and not safe for landing. We circled the airport for about an hour when the pilot announced that he was now low on fuel and would attempt to land before it got worse. So he banked to the left and flew tilted for some distance before levelling out just before landing with a thud and applying brakes to the full. I was reminded of a landing on an aircraft carrier and it was quite an experience but apparently, business as usual. I learnt later that pilots have to be specially certified to land at Paro airport.

We were met by the IMTRAT personnel and after a quick immigration process, proceeded to the Mess overlooking the airport and Paro chhu (river) flowing beside it. Over the next two days, we were to get many close views of aircraft taking off and landing at the airport.

In the afternoon, we drove to Paro market for shopping and coffee at the popular Mountain Cafe. Immediately, we were struck by the exemplary discipline of the people of Bhutan. There was total silence on the roads and over the next five days, we didn't hear a car horn even once. There were no traffic lights or policemen in sight. The driver would keep his eyes wide open for pedestrians and if he saw anyone intending to cross the road, he would stop and wave at the individual to carry on. No one seemed to be in a rush and there were smiles and courteous bows all around.

The local men are always in the national dress of Gho and Kera. Gho is a knee-length cloth tied at the waist with Kera which is a woven cloth belt. Women wear an apron like long ankle-length dress called Kira. Bright colours, intricate patterns and embroideries add to the charm and grace of the ladies. People are proud of the national dress and I don't remember seeing any local wearing anything else like shirt and trousers.

Another striking feature is the construction of the buildings. Wood is the main material and traditionally, no nails or iron bars are used. The sloping roofs are brightly coloured, similar for a particular cluster of buildings. Multiple small windows with spiritual paintings from one end to the other adorn the exterior walls.

All these factors along with courtesy, smile and pride contribute towards making Bhutan a happy country and, according to many, the happiest in the world. In 1972, the 4th King of Bhutan coined a term 'Gross National Happiness' (GNH) and declared it more important than Gross Domestic Product. The main domains of GNH are Psychological Wellbeing, Health and Good Governance. By these measures, Bhutan ranks on top of the world and many countries have been known to seek its counsel on how to achieve 'happiness'.

Back to sightseeing, I must confess that we gave perhaps the most famous site of Paro, Taktsang Dzong or Tiger's Nest Monastery built in 1692, a miss. Too much climbing and not recommended for old folks! So we were content glimpsing it from a distance. 'Dzong' means a fortress-monastery which due to its high location and architecture served as a stronghold against enemies in the past. Presently, most Dzongs play a combined role as monasteries and administrative offices. We were able to visit Paro Dzong, a high point of Bhutanese architecture, as it is more accessible located comfortably below Taktsang. At night, the building is brilliantly lit and is visible all over Paro.

Ta Dzong built as a watchtower in 1649 was next. It now houses the National Museum including displays of famous Bhutanese masks and natural wild life of the country.

Drukgyel Dzong, a half hour drive from Paro, is another monument on a height. Again, it is difficult to climb but we could go fairly close up to its steps where there is a small hutment housing a giant prayer wheel with 'mantras' written on it. The wheels called 'Lakhor' are an integral feature of Buddhist temples and are meant to be rotated by hand which as you know is one of the traditional ways of praying in Buddhism. 

Devotees also carry small hand-held wheels named 'Mani' while walking around Buddhist relics or temples and on long journeys.

Our Paro sightseeing was completed with a visit to Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest and most beautiful temples. 'Lhakhang' means 'the house of gods' and Bhutan boasts of more than a thousand of them, one for almost every village and mountain top. The one at Kyichu dates back to the 7th century with additions over the years, the last one a golden roof in 1839. Apart from idols and Lakhors, temples display multi-coloured prayer flags, blue for sky and space, red for fire, green for water, yellow for earth and white for air. 

White flags on clusters of tall poles can frequently be seen in open spaces as it is believed that their fluttering by the wind spreads blessings and happiness all over the countryside.

On 20th morning, we took the road from Paro to Thimphu, a distance of 50 kms and about an hour's drive. The road is good but narrow and typically mountainous with hairpin bends and steep slopes. An artistic wooden gate heralds the entry to Thimphu, capital of Bhutan. We proceeded to the IMTRAT Mess situated in the centre of town.

That evening we visited the famous Buddha Point which has one of the largest Buddha statues in the world measuring 51.5 metres in height. Installed on top of one of the highest mountain ranges around Thimphu, it overlooks the city with the sitting Buddha in golden bronze benevolently seeming to convey his blessings of peace and happiness to all. 

The view from Buddha Point is fascinating as one can see the whole city, the river Thimphu chhu and the extensive valley. The statue is hollow and one can enter it. The inside holds 125000 miniature Buddhas 8 to 12 inches tall. As someone commented, the Buddhas far outnumber the 100,000 residents of Thimphu!

Our driver then took us to Devi Panchayan Mandir close to Buddha Point. It is the only public Hindu temple in Thimphu and is a fairly recent gift from the Bhutan King to the Hindu community.

The next day we embarked on a long trip to Punakha about 85 kms away. Our first stop was Dochu La pass, the highest point at 3100 metres. The view from there is supposed to be exceptional but as happens with these heights, there was fog and mist obscuring the view. There is also a Dzong there but difficult to climb, so wiser counsels prevailed. But there is a beautiful cafe just below the Dzong where we had a welcome cup of coffee. On the other side of the road, is a Memorial with 108 Chorten (Buddhist shrine) stupas built by the Queen Mother to honour the Bhutanese soldiers who were killed fighting rebels in 2003. 

We resumed our journey down the long and winding road to Punakha and its Dzong which is located at the confluence of two rivers, Mo and Po, which then merge to form the Punakha chhu. The Dzong is accessible from two sides, a road or an ancient wooden bridge, and we chose the latter. Punakha Dzong is an imposing citadel and one of the oldest built in 1637. It has had its share of fires and earthquakes the latest being a quake in 1897. Rebuilt, it looks strong and pretty. Punakha was the capital of Bhutan till 1955 when the seat of government moved to Thimphu. After a good look at the Dzong, we were on the road back to Thimphu enjoying the scenic drive.

On our final day in Thimphu, we started off with a visit to the oldest Dzong which has survived in its original form in Bhutan, Simtokha. It was built in 1629 and is just 5 kms from Thimphu. Located on a prominent ridge, we had been sighting it frequently on the road to Paro and Punakha. It is now home to the Dzongkha Language Learning Institute.

Closer to the city, we saw the Tashichho Dzong originally built in 1641 but vastly redesigned in 1965 as the Main Secratariat building and the Throne Room of the King. Next on our list was Changangkha Lhakhang, a 12th century fortress like temple where the priest asks you to throw a pair of dice and nods in approval when you do but does not tell what your numbers signify! We then went to the Takin Zoo, home to Takin, the national animal which has the body of an antelope and a goat's head. Our final stop was the National Memorial Chorten built in 1974 to honour the third King, as a monument of peace and prosperity. The stupa with a high pyramidal pillar crowned by a crescent moon and sun is brilliantly lit at night and visible at long distances.

A good night's sleep and we headed back to Paro airport to catch our flight back to Delhi. As Akhila had the window seat on the flight to Paro, I claimed it this time to get a ringside view of the Himalayas but the aircraft took an inner route and my effort went in vain.

And guess what was the first sound we heard on getting out of the Delhi airport- shrieking car horns!

It was an unforgettable visit and Akhila and I will always cherish its memories. Our sincere thanks to the IMTRAT team of Lt Col Dharmendra Yadav, Major Ankit Agarwal and Subedar Vikram Singh Negi for organising and guiding us to see the beautiful country. And, of course, how can we ever thank enough Ved, the General, the driving force behind this wonderful trip which was like bringing heaven on earth.

Tailpiece: On our return to Delhi, we were going through the immigration process with a middle-aged official. I have always found these people to be very officious and curt and was expecting the same treatment with the guy mumbling something which, with my hard hearing, I was unable to understand. Finally, I figured he was saying 38-38 and I guessed he was talking about my year of birth. I nodded and said, yes, it is 1938. He stamped my passport, extended it to me and as I was leaving the counter, said, "Sir, any advice for young people?" I was stumped by the question but somehow the words that tumbled out of my mouth were, "Keep faith in God...Stay happy!”

Bhutan effect?

OF ADMIRALS AND AN AIR MARSHAL

 

On the date of my permanent commission, 01 January 1960, the Indian Navy was a small service. The head of the Navy, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), held the rank of a Vice Admiral. There were just 5 Rear Admirals, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet, Flag Officer Bombay, Comptroller General Ordnance Factories and, because it was the Navy’s turn in the rotational inter-service appointment, Commandant National Defence Academy.

Navy got its second Vice Admiral for two years in 1964 thanks again to the rotational requirement for the Commandant National Defence College (NDC). The service had to wait till 1967 to get a full Admiral after which the door was opened for further promotions. While the pyramid structure of the Navy permits only one full Admiral, it now has around 25 Vice Admirals and 60 Rear Admirals. 

The increase in the number of Admirals is, of course, justified due to the significant expansion of the Navy in men and material. But the larger the number, the less the rarity.

In 1960s, it was great to be promoted to the rank of Commander and earn a brass hat which is the addition of golden braid on the peak of the cap. That was the first step towards achieving greater laurels. With promotion to Rear Admiral, the braid is doubled to invite enhanced respect and reverence. The brass hat seems to have lost its unique status now not only because of large numbers but with all kinds of security personnel wearing it as part of their uniform. Pity!

In 1965, when Vice Admiral AK Chatterji, then Commandant NDC, picked me up as his Flag Lieutenant or ADC, I felt highly elated to get a chance to be so close to a person with the same rank as the CNS. Admiral Chatterji went on to become the CNS and the first full Admiral in the Indian Navy. I regard him as the most intelligent Admiral ever. With his sharp foresight, he laid down plans for the modern Navy as early as late 1950s when he was Director Naval Plans in the NHQ. It is often forgotten that he was responsible for the acquisition of the missile boats which were so effectively deployed in the '71 war by his follower, Admiral Nanda. Indeed, the missile boats were known in the Indian Navy as AK boats after the initials of Admiral Chatterji.

I had the privilege of being close to some other senior Admirals. Rear Admiral SH Sarma was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet just before the 1971 war and I was on his operational staff during  the war. He led the Eastern Fleet boldly and capably in all operations during the war but was so unassuming that he was given less credit than he deserved.

Rear Admiral Ronnie Pereira succeeded him and I served on his staff for about eight months. He, as everyone knows, rose to the highest office in the Navy. I have written a post about him earlier and regard him as a naval icon.

Then there was Vice Admiral Russi Ghandhi who I came to know more after retirement than before. According to me, he shared the iconic personality status with Admiral Pereira.

Among all the senior officers that I knew and admired was an Air Marshal. I had taken over as Admiral Chatterji's Flag Lt in May 1965. In January 1966, it was announced that Admiral Chatterji would take over as CNS in March that year and as he wished to proceed on some leave, Air Vice Marshal R Rajaram, then Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command (AOC-in-C WAC), was appointed Commandant NDC in mid-January on promotion to Air Marshal (AM). 

By then, I had received orders to go for a specialisation course in Communications in Signal School, Cochin, mid-66. Admiral Chatterji had to look for a new Flag Lt and AM Rajaram would bring his own aide. I requested that since it was a matter of just a couple of months, could I remain in the NDC till my course commenced? Admiral Chatterji discussed this with AM Rajaram who graciously agreed with his aide remaining on the books of WAC.

That continued for a month or so when further communication was received from NHQ that my course was postponed by a year. I met the AM and told him that I was ready to go back to the Navy. To my surprise, he asked me to continue as his Flag Lt and sent the Air Force aide back to WAC. I held that appointment for about a year before AM Rajaram moved to the Air HQ as Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS).

AM Rajaram and his wife, Lakshmi, were simple, unpretentious people with no unusual demands. One did one's work and that was that. I felt not like just an aide but more like a companion. The AM always kept me next to him and it was fun going on private functions with the Rajarams in the AM's cute Volkswagen Beetle which he would drive himself.

The Rajarams were a lonely couple - they had no children. Perhaps that was the reason why they treated me like a son. After they got to know me a bit, the AM asked me if I could come over on a Sunday morning with some pending files to his 6 King George's Avenue residence. I told him there was nothing that couldn't wait but he said come anyway. So I picked up a few papers and went over. We sat on the sprawling lawn and attended to the official work which took all of 5-10 minutes. He then asked me to go inside and pick up a bottle of beer from the fridge and two glasses. After a while, Mrs Rajaram called us in for lunch and the three of us sat down for a typical vegetarian South Indian meal. That became a normal Sunday routine whenever the Rajarams were free and in Delhi.

The AM had a fine sense of humour and used to recount his experiences in a lighthearted way including the air operations overseen by him as AOC-in-C WAC during the '65 war. In my entire tenure, I never saw him and Mrs Rajaram lose their cool or even raise their voices.

Too soon, it all came to an end with the Air Marshal's move as VCAS. Shortly after, I went back to the Navy and was busy with my own work. On opening the newspaper one morning in June 1969, I was shocked to read of the Air Marshal's passing away; he was just 51 years old. On inquiring from my Air Force friends, I learnt that he was suddenly diagnosed with leukemia. While the Air Force did all it could for his treatment including sending him to Paris, his condition deteriorated rapidly leading to his end on 18 June 1969.

For some time following the AM's demise, Mrs Rajaram continued to stay in Delhi. Akhila and I visited her shortly after our marriage in March 1972. In time, we were to lose touch.

At the NDC, Lt Gen MM Khanna took over as the Commandant from the Air Marshal in December 1966. He asked me to continue as his aide but I told him that much as I would have liked to, it was time to for me to go back before the Navy forgot about me and vice versa. It took about a month to get a relief for me from the Army during which time I remained with him.

So I served as Flag Lt to a Vice Admiral, an Air Marshal and a Lt General. Is that some kind of a record because I am not aware of anyone who has matched that!

Tailpiece: When I was Director Naval Signals in NHQ, I was visited by a retired Rear Admiral who left his visiting card with me. His rank was printed as 'Rare Admiral.' They were indeed 'rare' in his serving days!