Finally, a reason to smile

I've been quite down and out the last few days -- no specific reason like I said earlier, but there's been this feeling of utter sadness and despair. To top it, my attempts at cheering myself up haven't worked. I found that my favourite bookshop has moved and I still can't decide on a new mobile phone!!! Anyway, last night seemed to bring back some cheer with me watching a friend's recommendation -- The Bee Movie, an animation film about bees (what else!). It was so cute, the emotions were so real, I loved it. It was about a bee suing humans for stealing their honey !! Another reason was Shahid Kapur's appearance on this week's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. He was so cute with the kids.

However, what made my day really nice was a visit to my mother's best friend's home. They live close by but we haven't been able to visit in months for some reason or the other.. life in a big city!!! Anyway, I quite enjoy aunty and uncle's company. They are very nice, intelligent and witty people and it's a real pleasure to spend time with them. Uncle, who I believe is quite fond of me, starting telling me stories about his garden. It's very well maintained, by the way. He told me how it attracts loads of birds (not bees ;)). His excitement was visible when he started taking photographs on his mobile of a group of sparrows which had just descended on the scene and were happily pecking on tiny pieces of roti. I haven't seen sparrows in ages! We discussed some of the other birds which grace his garden regularly, the most memorable of them being bulbuls. He showed me photos of bulbuls perched on top of the trees, one having posed for the camera on the clothes' line. If you looked closely through the trees, you could see at least five nests where the birds had made their home. It was quite fascinating. He narrated stories of how he has often fended off cats to save the birds. I think the garden has been landscaped in such as way that it resembles a forest, hence I guess the birds feel 'at home'. :)

It was fun to hear Uncle's stories about the birds (I told them about the Bee movie). Just before leaving, he showed me a gulmohar tree on which he said he had seen a huge white owl some days ago. He was gazing at the tree, purely by chance, and there it was, a great white owl, on a moonlight night! He immediately went to check on the internet and realised it was a rare species. Now what a sight that would have been, don't you think?

All in all, an evening well spent. Thank you Uncle, for bringing back my smile!