A rare selfie that I think was a really good shot (but not because of me)

[Recursion]

That's me and my jethu moni dida mashi. (How to translate that? Oy. My Bengali phrasebook has useful things like: "tea = cha" "meat = ghosht" "sugar = chini" "aunt = please see our 7-page insert on kinship terms". Roughly, it means "father's father's older brother's wife", but since I married into this family it's that "-in-law".)

Anyways, that was the day she turned 96.

I swear to God if I look that good at 60 I'll count myself fortunate.

[angstlessk]

1. A beautiful woman!

And who is that very handsome man behind her?

I love me some (whatever that hair on your face is called)

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Awesome pic!

She's a treasure much like my husband's Zio Nicola (turning 97 this year). Ask her lots and lots of questions - she's seen a ton in her lifetime!

[Recursion]

11. Oh yes

Every time I get to see her, I park my ass and listen for as long as I can.

[democrank]

3. Beautiful~

My best to you.

[Fairgo]

4. Thanks for sharing

Our only treasure is each other...

[bravenak]

5. Beautiful photo!!

[Lazy Daisy]

6. WOW

She looks fantastic. They say the love in your heart carries you in your old age. Her heart must be at full capacity.

[Recursion]

9. At the age of 28 she fled Dhaka during the Partition

She came to Kolkata with literally the shirt on her back in 1947, and spent the next 40 years working as a studio musician and music teacher.

When I married her grand-niece (or whatever it actually is) she gave me a traditional Indian drum. That had been autographed by Satyajit Ray. With whom she used to get tea, just as a thing.

[Surya Gayatri]

16. Tabla or dholki? Lucky you...

[Recursion]

17. Tabla, and the smaller one of those

She said once I earn the larger one she'll give it to me, and she'll be listening to my music so I can prove myself.

(I wrote the waltz for me and my wife's first dance at our wedding, which is why jethu moni dida mashi gave me this drum in the first place. Before she heard that she was going to just give us cash, but she ran home and came back with her own favorite smaller tabla. That's a huge responsibility to take, but I absolutely couldn't say no.)

[Surya Gayatri]

19. I hope she's passed on her priceless knowledge to many

"shisha" in her long life.

[Recursion]

21. She's had literally thousands of students, so I know she lives on in that way

And, hell, she's not just still alive but still teaching. A dozen 9-year-old girls in Kolkata are learning to believe in their own music like she does in hers.

[Surya Gayatri]

24. She'll probably live to 110! I love to see female percussionists anywhere, but

especially in India, where girls don't usually get a break.

[Recursion]

26. Totally!

Yet another way she's an amazing woman.

[florida08]

7. so this is your wife's aunt?

lol- that's what I gleaned. You sure you don't have those numbers backwards? Learn her secrets fast and pass them on.

[Recursion]

12. As I said below, we asked her

She said, "Turmeric, music, and sex".

Can't complain about any of those...

[Surya Gayatri]

8. Lovely lady. My mother is 96, too, but she doesn't look that good.

Seeing her here, I wouldn't give your "auntie" more than 80. Amazing.

Does she use a lot of ghee? It's supposed to be really, really good for the skin.

[Recursion]

10. We asked her:

"Turmeric, music, and sex".

She actually said that. Amazing woman.

[Surya Gayatri]

13. Yes, I forgot to ask about turmeric. Wonder spice, it is.

I ingest at least 2 or 3 teaspoons of "Curcuma" everyday. One of the best anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents in the cornucopia.

And, music of course. Does she sing sankeertan and bhajan? The mysterious resonances of raga have been proven to have healing properties.

Keep singing and listening for lifelong happiness and health.

[Recursion]

14. She's a percussionist

She'll sing background (she did at our wedding, in fact) but she gets her groove on by drumming.

That's why her gift to me of a tabla drum on our wedding was so meaningful.

[Surya Gayatri]

18. Taka dimi, taka dimi, taka dimi, taka dimi--Adi tal.

I studied a bit of Carnatic vocal music with a "Sangeetabushanam" about 20 years ago.

[Recursion]

27. I'd love to hear that some time :)

It's an awesome genre

[alfredo]

22. I use turmeric on minor cuts and abraisions for fast healing.

[Recursion]

28. It's quite good for that. I use it on sunburns now.

It does seem to prevent blistering.

[alfredo]

30. Do you make a tincture for that?

Last edited Sat Mar 19, 2016, 02:32 PM - Edit history (1)

[Ilsa]

15. Awesome, beautiful photo!

Thank you for sharing. She does, indeed, look much younger than 96. I bet she could end being one of the oldest people alive in 15 years.

[alfredo]

20. I noticed that the word for tea is similar in many languages.

In Tigraina, it is pronounced shai. Similar pronounciations are all over the Arab speaking world.

Lovely lady

[Recursion]

23. It's all from Sanskrit "che"

Which migrated amazingly quickly to Chinese "te" and Sinhalese "chai".

[alfredo]

29. I noticed the strong influence on Eritrea and Kenya.

[Triana]

25. Amazing!!!

And a fabulous photo.

[elleng]

31. WONDERFUL pic!

Happy to see both of you!

[brer cat]

32. What a beautiful woman

and handsome fella behind her. She doesn't remotely look 96! She has that inner glow that comes from a life lived with joy...no surprise that she is a musician. Thank you so much for sharing...she brought a smile to my face and a song to my heart.