I m rather un-compassionate kinds, I am one of those who might not be the first one to help in case of accident. May be its lack of sensitivity or the grossness of splurged blood, so my point here is that I am neither expert nor even the right person to comment on it.
As a normal workday I was in an auto , stuck in traffic , following traffic lights/policemen etc. Saw the Morgue Van ahead of me. Trying to take left. And there were numerous cars pushing n blaring so as to go first. I wonder at the irony.
I mean however bad my Monday mornings are I wouldn’t like to make it better by stealing a second from a morgue van.
Once upon a time, after 5 days being confined to the 2BHK nursing my injured toe (why and how ...read the hapless story below) I got an opportunity to go to south Bombay. Which in those circumstances was very exciting. More so there was a car (we call it Sax-O-4) in which I can comfortable rest my ass on the back seat and can get driven like a king. So I opened the door and ventured inside in all regality.
10 minutes onto that auspicious ride I discovered that there’s only 1 slipper in the car. which if translated means that I happen to drop my right leg slipper while entering the car and I did not even realized it.
I repeat. Forgot the bloddy chappal while entering the CAR. Ever heard such a story. Ask me I have lived it.
My ever-helpful friends refused to turn back and took me to an urbane footwear store in Colaba, good 30 km from where the slipper was last seen.
PS: we did happen to come back from the same route (obviously coz I had forgotten it in my colony and I wouldn’t let go my house in embarrassment of losing a slipper like dt.) and my slipper dearest was lying all-alone there unattended after 8 hours.
Some things are just meant to be part of your life. They will wait for you even if you have been wandering in search of better slippers.
I mean yeah the url of the blog says about life in its intricacies the appended stories are also to be based on life only. Of course I do want to cover life stories of rich and famous but my life itself is so funny that I get no time to take a dig at other people’s life.
So what did I do this time?
I actually am rather lazy and most of the pain is not really self-inflicted. But then somehow the gates of the heaven search me from remote corners and put me at epicenter of activity. I was lazing at home watching T20, cursing some unknown bowler who was getting belted by some unknown batsman. Then at 11.45 pm I was told to accompany the gang which was going to celebrate our other friends birthday at his place. Nothing wrong till here. Cake throwing ceremonies were completed and we went to the nearby restaurant to order some beer and of course. B`Day bumps.(see all very usual till here)
With my frail figure I am usually in the kicking party rather than holding-the-guy-party.
So when 2 people try and kick the bday boy what you think will happen.The boy will scream in pain? Incorrect. We had an under his but collision and the other guy who has helping me in kicking the day lights out of the bday boy landed his foot right on my right toe. Result : a minor crack in my bone. I mean what was my fault dude. It wasn’t even my bday so why such present.
So this describes my past 1-week. Have been at house arrest from past 5 days. Jailed at home with nobody and I cant move beyond 10-15 spaces.
Sandip tell me 1 good thing that has happened after you were born I mean seriously even ur birthdays are a threat to mankind.
PS: pls try this at home. I really want a reassurance that such a thing can actually happen.
I was out on the weekend try to gather some stuff to write juicy stories in the dearest weblog. But I guess that should wait for no. 101. Let the century run be an acknowledgement post who made such a score possible.
So is the 100th post any special…besides it being of statistical value?
I think more important was the fact that I stayed with it. People who know me will vouch for the fact how fast I get bored. My restlessness index has been quite high since childhood so sticking it out for so long with it is a task. So let’s cut the chase and go to the list which made it all happen:-
Corp-comm: My colleagues at the esteemed society ensure that I produce article after article in least possible time. Which made me write more and more and more.
My Symbi Roommate: the poor thing had to read all the abstract unabridged versions and to make sense out of it.
Simanti: when all my weird ideas got over she told me how to transform the blog from white paper on abstract writing to something more personal, something more connectable. Then she continued with barrage of comments to keep the motivation going .Thanks.
Work life: The sacred Induction then promises about faraway lands, then confusion on the broken promises, struggle in searching for new me for new profile and still being left with enough time to write. Sure what more you can ask from the… oh so helpful employers.
The Relationship Lab: the summary of fragile relationships is always a good topic to write and as luck has it I had plenty to pen them.
My Flat mates: we kept the past 10 months so happening that every week I had an incident to describe. Even though people did not understood what half of the things meant but who cares it was still so much fun and so much to write
Mumbai: the weekend parties, the weekday parties, the traffic, the food, the trains and everything connected with all of these.
Anonymous and Not so anonymous Comment Writers: thanks
So I offer my heartfelt gratitude to all who supported and motivated me in this journey.
Hope I shall continue to dish you your dose of cheap affordable humor.
I was born when extreme boredom mated with strange times in his life and he conceived me besides other gross mistakes. In my early days I was neither breastfed nor dipped in baby oil. Those were hard times with him combating distractions and laziness. Though he was equally weird back then, but he intentionally ignored me stating that he has more hobbies like walking around the campus with anybody, later with somebody and sometimes with nobody. But I stood behind him like a trustworthy rock coz I knew after every such perimeter he will come back to me and weep his heart out.(actually with a wry smile coz I knew you can keep running but cannot run away)
But still I was malnutrition and my daily dosage of garbage literature was missing. He has ambitions to be a writer and make money by writing (Both hilarious objectives I tell you).And I waited. His erratic ideas were few and far in between. Most of the brainy shit was outsourced to make the “Random” girl laugh and I so suffered silently.(women troubles ….they are all the same always).
So gradually all those hobbies died, those ambitions subsided, all the pacts of locational convenience were broken once out of college and I again hogged the limelight as his sole companion.
Then the unexpected happened. He had time in a plentiful and was suddenly fancied with identity on the blogosphere. It rained posts. When in the heat of the moment he had joined the Pharma industry and the torturous ways of medical induction. Which is definitely has since been forgotten…he had lots to write and I as a helpful slate embraced him with open arms.
The activities started flowing. All the beaches in 200km peripheral were covered. From Goa to Daman to Malpe. More stories few Ex`s and few valentines and more abstract art later I managed to became his weekend summary sheet and complex emotion matrix. The over hyped Mumbai life, work life, Saki Naka life all coming together post after post.
The year passed by. And so are the no. of dreams, salsa and Portuguese and all the lit up eyes which went wasted in preparation. In lieu I got a new look, lots n lots of photos, travel journals and what not. Forced followings and super forced comments later I am happy with what I have managed to achieve.
Some drunk Murphy blabbered those golden words in his drunken state. May world be damned!! He may have fallen into open Mumbai manhole or may be fallen off from a running local train. But he managed to curse the world in a manner only he could. I can curse him and my stars. But with high smog Stars I am unable to see and Murphy might not be good to look at while cursing.
Considering my snapshot memory and photographic experiences there’s never a dearth of things that can go wrong. A quick recap will explain to you my genuine desperation and concern.
Last weekend I shifted into a new House.(Its actually a old house in an old building in an old colony and my friend is already been living there from past 1 year …but for my sake we`ll still call it the new house)
Monday: Experienced the new side of the city. Traffic n people. Though I am not new to that but this time it seemed endless and at 12 KMs away from workplace I had no idea how many hours it would take. God help the colleague who gave me a ride to office and we both reached 3 min later then the stipulated time. While going back waited for the bus for 30mins. And eventually reached back home in 1 hr 30 minutes for 12 Km.
Tuesday: With such an adventure yesterday the floodgates of my nose opened and throat clogged. So preferred to stay at home. Find out about the borrowed bike. Realized it’s a better jugad than waiting till eternity and wasting the most exciting years of adolescence at a bus stop for the super crowded BEST.
Wednesday: (Here comes the borrowed Splendor). So I told myself “it’s a Wednesday” and blasted start the 1964 Aston Martin aka Splendor full 125cc of pure testosterone since 2003.by Km no. 5 Had a flat tyre.The day passed peacefully in office. While reaching back had a small quarrel with the “jai Maharashtra” autowala. Dilly-dollied on the uneven gravel of powai vihar road and somehow reached home in 1 piece.
Thursday : It’s a new day ..Its a new start ..from Old singer shre shre Celine dion running in my head I decided to retake the plunge. This time at km no. 9. Petrol died. I mean god`s greatest machine HH Splendor couldn’t make it to 36KM in a liter L.so I pushed, scuffed, grumped and carried it around for 3 kms and somehow reached office. Deep fried in the summer sun this was an over bright morning from all standards. And ain’t over yet. Somewhere in a deep hidden corner it was written no right turn. next to that hidden corner was there sitting camouflaged terrorist bashing Mumbai police and me like a rabbit took the bait. So he embarrassed me with the UP no. of my bike., And ethics of safe driving. We cleared the ethics issue with transfer of some green paper from my wallet to his polyester underpants later. No its nt over yet. In barney`s lines..wait for it wait for it...and keep waiting as the jam on the flyover was at least 2 Kms long making it a 1.30 hrs horse ride for a 12 kms.
Sometimes we get so used to of the daily life that we forget the small-small things happening all around you. Thanks to recession and general boringness of my life which is marked by acute shortage of passion I am more so oblivious to the changing environment.
But then need is the mother of all “Invention” (actually kind of drunk women getting banged and by the time she got up the man was gone…as till now we don’t know who was the father of “Invention”) So yours truly decided amidst the bankruptcy of ideas/new topics for the post to make a conscious effort to do some random observation so as to generate the random listings for your random amusement.
Economical Rickshaw driver… (I think the meter was defected and probably he dint knew about it: P...)
More KKR`s Deshdrohi posters still on the BEST buses…( I think he traded guts with brains with God…fair choice)(observed from inside the auto in a traffic jam with Gracy Singh fat face staring right across)
Mercedes C Class getting towed (Mumbai police is indifferent …who would disagree now..temme)
The Pink Phone Guy… He was sitting cross-legged having a fluorescent Pink phone. Hmmmmm
Mr. Clean Mumbai: The rickshaw-wala scolded poor peasants on spitting on the road. Shouted for making roads a municipal pit. And then joined the club of “fun-in-spitting-on-the-road “ in exactly 60 seconds
The Schumacher`s distant cousin: I have a certain respect for this guy coz he had amazing disrespect for the lane driving. Fastest, riskiest and scariest ever.
PS: please add more interesting auto stories..I am sure all of us ve got few :)
I had read so many reviews and mostly contrasting that I thought i`ll give SM a miss. I hate bad movies and after Chandni Chowk to China my appetite has taken a huge blow. Dev D restored it but only a little. But then as an emotional Indian when I saw it sweeping all Academy people and bagging awards in bagful I finally decided to watch it.
I have seen couple of Novel Adaptations…namesakes (no connection between movie and the book), Horse whisperer, Lord of the rings, Da Vinci code...etc...And not all movies have done justice to the book. So I had my apprehensions.
So my point of view on the 8 Oscars winner is:
Is it the Best Film: No I have Seen better, May be TZP was better but then TZP was not nominated SM was
Is it the worst Film: Definitely not. We have had Dilli6, CC2C, Billu Barber, Singh Is King, Hey Baby, Kismat Konnection , Tashan...
Does it Sell Poverty Porn: May be but I am again unsure. If I accept that it sells India in Bad light then I should be calling it a realistic depiction. And if it’s not India then it’s purely creative depiction then there no issue of selling my country short.
What I don’t understand the sudden hysteria and pseudo intellectualism. I mean we essentially are a country of dumb cinema. our highest grosser are Ghajni & OSO (definitely not intelligent…unless you also ve short term memory loss) and sorry to say Mr. Amitabh you have also done movies like Lal Badshah and we have seen them so the whole point of view of selling my country short is invalid cause our films have been categorized as circus and that’s been the reputation whatever you may feel.
Does it worth an Oscar: who knows…when SRK can win filmfare for Ramjane, or Kareena for Jab we met… I wonder do we even have a case.
Another Debatable issue: Rehman`s best work? Not really …I also believe the best work was in Bombay(funnily it too was a love story based on the same city) but we never bothered about Oscar then. So why bother now. Rehman`s been phenomenal from a decade.
Child Artists have been excellent, Cinematography is beyond words and couple of dialogues is defining. (like when Jamal tells Lathika “ I love you” and she says So!! ) What I didn’t like , the Movie was trying to stretch the scope. Story making amends to include slums, communal riots, prostitution, auctioning virginity, organized begging all via 1 common chord makes the life of the protagonist extremely interesting and less believable. But then as I said if you don’t think it’s realistic, arty Oscar type cinema it makes the whole thing worth watching.
So is it an Indian Film or is it still westerner`s view? Considering Maharashtra Congress seeking credit for its Oscars then who can question otherwise. I think film has intelligent use of wit and what it has managed to do is to put countries intellectuals and politicians made to use unintelligent ridicule. But yes I think movie is Indian. Not just the technicians and cast but also in treatment, use of laud background score, lauder characters, song and dance ritual, the over dramatic love story.
I am not overboard or anything with its Indian-ness. Like when every second NRI kid wins the spelling bee contest you just feels nice about his/her Indian roots despite being nothing Indian about it. It will not increase any remittance to India or FDI in Indian Schools or colleges. So just feel nice about Movie`s Indian roots and be happy.
Considering It at least did changed the slum-dog/life of the child artists involved in it :- “ Jai- Ho”
There are millions of blogs on biking and zillion blog posts. Those endless roads, vrooming on them at high speeds and fresh wind on your face. The pure ecstasy of biking is addictive and mesmerizing.
But then we are talking the cruise biking here. The highways, the bike trips, amidst Himalayas and hills, between green & yellow fields and small roads adorned with Palm trees.
For most of the unfortunate ones the aforesaid things happen at max 1nce a year and that too if we are lucky. For most part of our existence we huff-puff our Street Hawks fighting the menace of city traffic.
But something I ve noticed from sometime now :
For cities like Mumbai, Delhi ,Bangalore…where one is compelled to force your way through Trucks, State Buses, Pick Up vans and pedestrians alike Bikers are joined with 1 most important thread of EMPATHY. Its quite strange but you`ll find bikers doing serpentine formations on the traffic signals , or while surviving non-existent roads on patchy shockers give each other breather , support, motivation and sometime side too.
Its somewhat pleasant to find more people facing Bus`s exhaust blower on their faces , screaming on the pedestrians and exchanging pleasantries to the auto drivers. Kudos to the passion for Biking and comforting Bro-Hood
I don't know what social phenomenon it is called but i suddenly feel good about my self and the country.I know more than 200 people lost their lives and My country has been called as Big Fat Sitting Duck in international circles but all this has made me feel more patriotic then ever before.More then when India won T20 or Pokharan nuclear test. The Public outrage which has followed suddenly made me feel so alive and determined that no levels of election promises can denounce it.
I am so happy that elections are not so far away and wasteful regional and religion issues will not be able to compromise things like National Security
Its easier to say that enough is enough but dont forget one thing outrage is turning out to be a little urban in nature.Public discontent should not stay confined to learned or literate.I am saying if you want the corrupt politicians to stay away then we must think like them.Kill the concept of vote banks.No point generating outcry among 5% of the total voters.We must ensure the rural and poor of this country should also know how their lives are being kept for mortgauge by the politicians.How vulnerable we are to any terror attacks and how apathatic our representative lot has became.
Its not just a matter of holding playcards or lightining candles.I m not against it though but my plea is make each citizen of teh country aware how the corrupt politicians has made the country so porus and any body from any side of teh country can come and attack us.And how the choices we make now will decide the development, economics but also also our lives in literal sense of the word.
Somebody said it correctly: Politicians are like diapers.Must be changed when soiled else it will give rashes and discomfort.
60 hours of high Octane action thriller with the bloodshed which can put Quentin Tarentino to shame? But how I wish it to be just a movie where I would have appreciated American visual effects and gadgetry, SWAT commandos and Navy seals. But unfortunately it was the real blood of my brethren. The images filled with gory incident and political hollow speak makes me angry, dazed and embarrassed at the same time.
Sometimes I feel that the whole India should be termed as Heritage site. Not just we have Old forts and ruins but also prehistoric policies, self sustaining Infrastructure and really antique Politicians as artifacts.
I was really angry when I started to write the post, but it’s easy to be angry and curse but irony here is nobody will listen. I mean we are so foolhardily proud that it’s downright stupid. We don’t want help Israel`s Help nor FBI `s help..Why just coz we are the second most populated country in the world and can afford to let some 1000 people die in last 6 months.
So what is our defense? Commandos being commuted in BEST buses. Helicopters arriving after 14 hours of the incident. I am not saying pull all the politicians in a line and shoot them. Coz that is easy to say. I know people crying we won’t tolerate it and Let India Not be scarred again and again. But why is public memory in India so short? I want the Burnt TAJ to be there for a while to remind me this is my country. I want those horrific photos to be framed and put at all train stations to keep reminding that among those dead could have been anybody.
Mumbai Spirit. Called once again for the rescue. I just fear for the day when it will just get tired and refuse to come. Sensibilities are stretched and personal loss of land and lives is higher magnitude than anything it has borne before.
We are like this only” it’s not just a famous book but Indians favorite tag line. But I guess it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy where sometimes we take ignorance is bliss far too seriously. So the Mumbai will fight back..like Ahmadabad did, Like Jaipur did then why can’t we have only these spirits as security in charge why waste money on paying petty salaries to security personnel who will at the end of the day will save Mayawati from here Dalit followers rather than the country from the terrorist Attacks. Or why waste tax payer`s money on Intelligence Agencies which end up spying for One political party on another. I mean the average IQ of an Indian is high and average IQ of the Politician is low so who needs Intelligence Agencies rite?
I appreciate the news channels pledge to not to let people forget. I know making news is there bread and butter and may be the programming is filled with vested interests but even unintentionally they are doing a big help to the country. We proved in the case of Jessica Lal and we can prove again if required this bottoms up approach to democracy can be more rewarding on long run. Suddenly Politicians boycotting media and media happy to oblige. I don’t know if this is good or bad for the country but definitely a pleasant change from watching elected clowns making callous statements
Mumbai`s Skyshot is one of my favourite sights.Some times more soothing then standing at gateaway of India and looking towards Taj. Or lets say whats remain of it.I had earlier written post by the Title : Who`s war is it anyway...I guess freash attacks have answered my questions.If not completely but has simplifid it to a resonable degree.Its very clear now..Take your Pick.Which of the photos of the country are more applealing to you.Coz the war is not for money nor for terror..Its for the PRIDE.
For they dont want acceptability..nor they want a different nation.who wants to manage things.They are the Mongolian Army of Medevial periods.Trained only in warcraft not in humanity.They need nothin neihter history nor culture.They are the looters they will just take your pride and march off. So dear Indus Valley Civilisation so what Chengez Khan spared you 500 years back...Survival is still as crucial ...those Mongol tormentors were called Ghosts of the East. And So is these freash blood of terrorists.20 somethings ready to attack in commndo type operation after minimum 5 years of Army training. So please drop legacy of Gandhi and Non-Alignment of Nehru now..nobody cares for your Buddist mannerism and axioms of humanity in the jungle.
Killing Animals is always better then teaching them Ahimsa.
Cant it be a half circle I mean then what will be semi circle.huh no but seriously what exactly will happen if life would be just half circle. You wouldn’t worry about Karma, you wouldn’t try to be in good books always..actually it’s just hypotheticsat least I can’t worry about all these issues.
I mean I live in Mumbai. Thinking about how to commute, what to wear, where to eat and weekend plans aren’t enough things to worry about already that I would worry about Karma and next life.
So whats the fuss about it being full circle. I spoke to my Ex yesterday.( Ex!!! it’s so funny like the X factor in your life or like the X files with some strange scary past or something).Neways speaking to Ex is like a concoction of various emotion rather a hotch potch of them. I mean so much time has passed it will b funny if I say that it bothers me and when I say that it doesn’t its also a half truth.
And actually it was not even about the relationship (which din wrked out of course ) either. Its just about being there as a friend. Not that I am an advocate of lets be friends philosophy but if the whole thing has not been so acrimonious you can’t say no I won’t talk coz my head is so fuqed up still. So… you talk.
And talk like there has been nothing lost in the translation. But you cant be sarcastic (that too I guess is by habit not that I really mean it anymore ) you can`t be what you were ..(rem its ur Ex nt ur future).
But then it weighs too much on the head so you have to define where it goes from here. Why this conversation…why am I still talking…whether it should affect me or not
So you decides that you can’t compromise the respect coz once you were part of it and you cant stop respecting yourself. No you are not part of her life neither is she in yours this respect is strictly only for that decision in the past only.
Lets drop the heavy stuff there is no end to it without getting tired of concentric circles of argument and self defined mental regulations for moral hypocrisy.
So I will end it (My dear Ex if your still reading it J )by saying that it was pleasure talking to you. Relive that spark of how good friends we were in the past was a nice feeling.
So you wanna know wat have been my escapades, adventures, tales of bravely and fables of legends and knights. Quite obviously we no longer live in medieval ages and not knowing how to ride a horse and swordsmanship is not a deterrent in "learning ".so being a dumb lazy kid I learned nothing. As explained in the earlier posts..watever offerd on the learning platter was so constipating anyways.
Alrite so wat have been my city analysis.(those who ve read Moscow diaries they`ll swear I m nt bad at city observationsJ )
Food: I love my cook. And I love my company for providing him. City food otherwise is extremely cosmopolitan and doesn't really impress too much my conservative north Indian tongueJ
Rentals: I have start saving money so that I mite be able to buy 1BHK in next 35 years. Rentals are crazy. Cost of my office building would be close to half of the total buildings in Ajmer.
Transport: Whoever said Mumbai public transport is most efficient was just being politically correct. It is actually most efficient provided u actually manage to board it. After being stuck in traffic jam at 3.30am.I have no nice word to appreciate. So far have spent more money on commuting than food, beverage and clothing put together.
Neighbours: who are they ?
Bandra Bandstand : The whole city can be famous for just this. I happened to be walking alone there in the evening and for obvious reasons felt more miserable in life:)
Hard-Rock café: Really some place to go. Awesome ambiance mixed with brilliant crowd. not bad for the first month
Nitelife: City has some crazy nitelife. Though I could cover only Red Box, Shiros, Hawain Shack and Mumbai Times café in the first month but the places are happening with chic crowd , good food but returning late in the auto is a pain.
Time: It is at its fastest best here. Everybody is running somewhere. I have not tried to be different but if somebody askes me dude like really whats the rush I have no answer.
The whole month had flied and vanished without trace. Now induction is over. Outbound learning is done. Stay at the company guest house is over.
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