Eventful afternoon

It began with a game of badminton played with [against really] my regular partner Suresh James. Normally we play two games of singles and lately he has been winning. Getting beaten by a better and younger player is no shame if the games are well fought.But surprisingly this noon the story was different in that I played such a nice game that I ended up winning the two closely fought games lasting wellover 45 minutes.

Soaked to the skin with honest sweat and on a high [happens after a gruelling bout of excercise],I came home and casually switched on the sports channel,just in time to see Saina Nehwal playing against an Irish girl in the world Badminton championships.In two superlative games she comprehensively beat her opponent.This added to my high.

Went upstairs to the room to have a shower and change. Heard a rather strange fluty song. My bay window over looks a slender flowering tree with a crown of leaves and branches laden with flowers.This provides me with a daily dose of pleasure and today on it sat the singer, a Bulbul. I had written on an earlier occassion of my sighting and hearing the song of a Bulbul.But this one was different both in song and appearence. It had side red whiskers and a red vent with black brackets below the whiskers. This veriety of Bulbul is called the Red Whiskered Bulbul not ordinarily seen in urban areas.What a pleasnt surprise! My wife has been telling me that she has been seing a multicolored small bird hopping around and wanted to know it's name. Thinking that this was the one, I went down and called her to come up quietly and have a look. The bird was still there preening himself. Though fascinated, she said this was not the one she had seen.[I wonder if it is the common warbler that becomes coloured during breeding season, that she had seen?]. All of a sudden his mate [less colourful] appeared and both of them flew away.

Savouring this fantastic sight which added to my already high mood we went out and sat on the terrace to watch a display by a flock of pegeons which had landed on the terrace.She said,'there is so much we humans can learn from birds'. In one sentance she summarised the essence of bird watching.

This done, I did the set of muscle streches to ease the aches in the tired muscles and had the much awaited hot bath.

Topping it all, fixed a large single malt Scotch and listened to Bhimsen Joshi singing Rag Kedar for an hour.

Who is that fool who said life is not good?