NLP 96 Practice Group

Last week, Simon Hedley interviewed me for his Pause, Stop, Reset Podcast. We had a lot of fun, shared a few insights.

This is the first podcast I've done since deciding to reenter the world of business, so there is lots about the difference between change instigated by and change imposed on you.

I talk a lot about what I've learned in the last few years and how that is changing how I will step forward into a bright new future, reinventing myself as well as some of the stuff I've used to stay sane while the world crumbled around me.

This episode of Simon's podcast isn't out for a while. He's only just launched, and he already has a battery of amazing people recorded. So you could do yourself a favour and have a listen to the couple that are already published.

I've listened to the first one, and it is just gold (and I am saying this as a person who doesn't routinely listen to podcasts.

Podcast – Pause Stop Reset™ Now live the first season of Simon Hedley’s Pause Stop Reset Podcast. We have extraordinary friends, experts and guests sharing their insights and more as they answer the Key Questions and Simon helps them help you Pause Stop Reset.

Dad versus the Funeral - Rintu Basu - Author, Trainer, Geek & Role-player I decided I would write something about my father on the first anniversary of his funeral. Just a little something to mark the event. It is my way of spending some time in remembrance. Then I realised that I have not properly written the events leading up to his death…

Happy Diwali Everyone

Bhaji Project - Rintu Basu - Author, Trainer, Geek & Role-player Categories Bhaji Project Books New to the Bhaji Book? Post author By Rintu Post date 29 September 2020 5 Comments on New to the Bhaji Book? Sticky post Then start here The Bhaji Book is my latest book project. It is so new that it doesn’t have a proper name yet. But we do know it will have the wor...

Chapter 5: City of Joy, Copy of Errors

Will my father survive Kolkata?

Spoiler Alert: Of course he will. The better question might be will Kolkata survive my father. Click through to find out.

Chapter 05 - Rintu Basu - Author, Trainer, Geek & Role-player City of Joy, Copy of Errors In this chapter, we find that cultural differences make coffee impossible, accidentally form a menage a trois with old and new maids and their mother and drink tea with my father. Monday 8th Feb 2016, 08:32 Reading That was a bit of a struggle…

Will my mother get to the end of the episode of Coronation Street before my father discovers the identity of the mysterious phone caller?

Will I get to Reading before it rains or will my father be forced into the expense of an umbrella and some Lemsips?

Is there a worldwide conspiracy to inflate the price of posh meals by using smaller eggs and homemade mustards?

Find the answers to some, all or possibly none of these unedifying questions in the latest chapter of Two Funerals and an Onion Bhaji: Life Lessons from Bengali Parents

Click through the link in the comments to find out.

If you enjoy this chapter leave a comment to let me know and ensure that I will another one.

On a connected note, now that I have a few chapters written I am considering collecting them up into an eBook. That would mean you could download it onto your eReader or Kindle instead of having to be connected to the internet. And it will mean you can read at your own pace without having to keep coming back to the website.

You could also share it with people that you think might enjoy the story. And that will help me spread the word.

It takes some effort to put this together, so I am only going to do it if there is enough demand. If you would find this idea useful then let me know here or on the website. If I get enough demand I will collate the first six or seven chapters together into an eBook/pdf/kindle

Let me know your thoughts.

Will my mother get to the end of the episode of Coronation Street before my father discovers the identity of the mysterious phone caller?

Will I get to Reading before it rains or will my father be forced into the expense of an umbrella and some Lemsips?

Is there a worldwide conspiracy to inflate the price of posh meals by using smaller eggs and homemade mustards?

Find the answers to some, all or possibly none of these unedifying questions in the latest chapter of Two Funerals and an Onion Bhaji: Life Lessons from Bengali Parents

Click through the link in the comments to find out.

If you enjoy this chapter leave a comment to let me know and ensure that I will another one.

On a connected note, now that I have a few chapters written I am considering collecting them up into an eBook. That would mean you could download it onto your eReader or Kindle instead of having to be connected to the internet. And it will mean you can read at your own pace without having to keep coming back to the website.

You could also share it with people that you think might enjoy the story. And that will help me spread the word.

It takes some effort to put this together, so I am only going to do it if there is enough demand. If you would find this idea useful then let me know here or on the website. If I get enough demand I will collate the first six or seven chapters together into an eBook/pdf/kindle

Let me know your thoughts.

My father used to read me stories. One of the most enduring were about Brer Rabbit using his intelligence to survive against very powerful adversaries.

I didn't realise it at the time, I doubt he did either, but he set up preframes with me that I've used over the rest of my life.

Have a think about the empowering preframes that you have in your life that were set in your early childhood. You might be surprised by the resources you have available.

My thinking about this has led me, recently, to sleep far more soundly than I have for a long time.

the link to Chapter three of the is below. Click through, have a read and let us know about the preframes you have that help you.

The describes my father in the later part of his life. This was at the stage where he had honed his comedy genius into a superhero feat. But he was always a superhero. I was just too young to properly realise.

My father spent time reading to me when I was a child. I think one of the reasons I have such a passion for stories, science and engineering is because from before I can remember my father and I read together a lot.

Look and Learn was a children’s magazine that had articles, stories and cartoons about everything a young lad could ever be interested in. But one of my favourites at bedtime were the stories about Brer Rabbit.

Mythologically these stories were about a trickster using his skills to survive against a much more powerful adversary. At the time, although I wouldn’t realise it for years to come, had a deep significance to me.

For years I went to sleep to the calming voice of my father telling me stories about how Brer Rabbit would save himself and often his family against Brer Fox, Bear and Wolf using just his guile, wit and intelligence.

Even for years after my father stopped reading to me in bed I still fell asleep to my memories of him reading those stories to me in bed. They made me feel safe. Not just because my father was close and looking over me but because the stories he told were teaching me how I can overcome larger, predatory threats just using my smarts.

Recently I've been thinking back over these memories.

I can remember my father’s voice as he read these stories to me. But much more importantly I could remember how I felt and how it made me fall asleep. The last few nights have been the best night's sleep that I have had for an age.

I think the idea of protecting his son was huge in my father although in later life it manifested in calling out roundabouts and ensuring I have an umbrella with me. Or Lemsips if I had forgotten the umbrella.

The link to Chapter Three of the is below.

Click through and find out more. And if this brings up memories of the people that made you feel warm, secure, safe or empowered to take on life using your wits, guile and intelligence then tell them.

If they are anything like my father it will confuse and irritate them. But it is an experience worth having.

Click through the link below to read about my father in later life when he has replaced the trickster rabbit with umbrellas and Lemsips.

My mother loved this time of year. It's right around the time of the Durga Puja. This is a major Hindu festival. Hindu religious ceremonies are a joy to be involved in.

There is laughter, family, companionship, great food and joy. And my mother was like a force of nature whirling her way through all of it laughing, singing, just enjoying herself being with people.

Anyway, the second chapter of the project is published. It features my mother wedging herself into a toilet so securely that took two guards and a shop assistant an hour to get her out.

The link to the chapter is in the comments below. If you missed the first chapter you can find it easily from the website.

Let me know what you think. And if you enjoyed it please share using the hashtag

My mother loved this time of year. It's right around the time of the Durga Puja. This is a major Hindu festival. Hindu religious ceremonies are a joy to be involved in.

There is laughter, family, companionship, great food and joy. And my mother was like a force of nature whirling her way through all of it laughing, singing, just enjoying herself being with people.

Anyway, the second chapter of the project is published. It features my mother wedging herself into a toilet so securely that took two guards and a shop assistant an hour to get her out.

The link to the chapter is in the comments below. If you missed the first chapter you can find it easily from the website.

Let me know what you think. And if you enjoyed it please share using the hashtag

Chapter Two of When Life Hands You a Bhaji, Give It Back You Don't Know Who's Touched It: Life Lessons From Bengali Parents is now published.

We take a peek into the fridge, get sworn at by a small child and discover aiming problems in the toilet of a tilting train all while my father practices his telephone etiquette.

Content advisory: A small child genuinely uses sweary words and there are juvenile takes on adult themes. Should you be affected by these themes then call the Channel 4 careline.

Chapter 02 - Rintu Basu - Author, Trainer, Geek & Role-player Inside the Fridge In this chapter, we discover the worst family in the universe, the dangers of tilting trains, a criminal gang of ballet dancing dwarves and find out if Santa Clause finally gives in and presents me with a long wished for Christmas gift. Wednesday 2nd December 2015 13:25…

Chapter 01

The Bhaji Book Project

It’s my father’s birthday today, the first since he died. And I am so packed full of daddy issues I could be an American superhero. But dressing up in spangly tights and punching bad guys seemed an inappropriate way of celebrating my father’s birthday

Dad hated being the focus of attention, so I thought the best way to celebrate would be to publish the first chapter of a book that features his comedy genius. I intend to publish a chapter a week. My outline currently has 27 chapters, but I’ve never done this before, so I have no idea how close I will get to target. I think I will over run, but who knows.

And knowing me, if I get a chance I will publish much faster than that if I can. But let me decide that as I get into a writing routine. The book is a memoir of my last few years told through a series of Facebook posts. All the incidents are real although some of the posts I have added to tell the story better and some things have been moved around a bit because real life is sometimes not observant of the rules of drama or comedy.

The link in the comments is to the home page. If you have seen the beginning already just scroll down and you will find chapter one. It is the page called Chapter One. And it has sound advice on how to tell if it is raining, the dangers of physiotherapy and how to taunt the homeless. No swans were hurt in the writing of this chapter.

Click through, have a read and let me know what you think. Through the magic of electrickery you can leave comments on the chapter direct through Facebook. I would love to know your thoughts.

Cheers

R