Hi fellas !!
The last Bombay movie which made me want to watch it all over again was Rang de Basanti and I couldn't get bored of it any given day.
The last Hollywood movie I saw was The Dark Knight, that I can repeatedly watch, not just 'cos of Heath Ledger's stellar performance, but also for the story, the making, the direction, the music. Basically, the works.
Till about last night, Clint Eastwood was just a father figure in Hollywood, whose last few movies (barring the Letters from Iwo Jima) I have watched and made a point never to miss. Year after year, starting from when I first caught Mystic River, to Million Dollar Baby to Flags of our Father, to Changeling and now Invictus, he has been nominated for the Academy Awards for almost every movie of his and is a definite tour-de-force for his choice of topics and his range of movies he makes.
For people who have watched his directed movies, you cannot miss the emotional twist in the end in each of his movie. Although, I haven't been an ardent fanboy of his genre of movies till now, his latest work makes me count him as amongst the rarest filmmakers who I enjoy and look forward to watch. His is a simple type of cinema, never-heard of a story, punch-me-in-the-gut direction and makes you wanna sit up and notice. He has captured the essence of America till now, like probably no one I have seen (with the exception of Sam Mendes, for his American suburban sweet stories) on celluloid.
His latest venture, INVICTUS, is one such film which blends a lot of fact with very little fiction. As is the trend with most of his films, they are usually real-life stories glorified on screen for the make benefit of the lay cinema-goer.
Invictus, for what this post is about, is a simple story (yet again) of how Nelson Mandela took reins of post-apartheid South Africa and converted the racism (most of it) through the valiant efforts of a South African National Rugby Team. It is a story of inspiration, of true determination, of chance, of courage, of leadership, of sport, of politics, of strategy, of elimination of apartheid, of nationalism (without the jingoism), of a Man who has changed the way the World views South Africa until now, and for many years to come.
Hollywood, to us, was only USA with exotic locations around the world representing either fantasy stories (LOTR, Harry Potter etc.), Action movies (007, XXX etc.), Romance (usually within USA) and Comedies and Dramas set in most USA by American directors. The rare loci-based stories have stamps of either Migrants to the USA (Steven Speilberg, Baz Luhrmann, Brian de Palma, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorcese etc.) themselves or their forefathers before them.
The two best movies of last year were District 9 (directed by a South Africa, Neill Blomkamp under the banner of Peter Jackson) and now, Invictus, according to me, of course, and surprisingly both were directed in South Africa. (btw, I have not seen The Hurt Locker..itching to see it). Somehow, it makes me wonder what South Africa has promised to the World in the past decade for it to prosper so willingly and so endearingly, inspite of its most decadent past. The Man behind this is, of course, Mr. Nelson Mandela (or Madiba, as he is fondly called in this movie).
Invictus allows us to visit this personality as soon as he assumes office after a particular revolution, which has truly changed the political landscape of the Republic of South Africa. The Blacks now enjoy freedom as much as the Whites in the country and the Revolution is here to stay. The beginning sequence of the movie shows how Mandela came to power (through the biggest election the country had seen in decades), and which allowed a Black President in an African country, predominated by Whites (Take that, USA!!!).
His stint at the Robben Island prison for 27 years for his fight against racism and apartheid had changed the man into a gentle giant of unassuming proportions. Morgan Freeman has captured the essence of the personality almost perfectly. A few minutes into the movie and it is easy to assume Morgan Freeman is the real face of Nelson Mandela, till you are shown clips of Mr. Mandela during the credits in the end.
South Africa (RSA), as you may all know, before Nelson Mandela's election, was barred from participating in any international sport, including Cricket and most importantly, Rugby - which was the White Man's sport, which dominated the RSA. One interesting article I read after the movie was about how a White man was voting for Nelson Mandela during the historic election on the premises that the Rugby team shall only be allowed to play once the Revolution was over and Nelson Mandela was elected President of the RSA. Rugby was the lifeblood of the Whites in RSA and the Green-and-Gold uniform was their emblem of supremacy over the Blacks, who were more interested in Football. It is said tongue-in-cheek by one of Madiba's White bodyguards about Rugby: "Football is a Gentleman's game played by Ruffians, while Rugby is a Ruffian game, played by Gentlemen".
The Springboks (the Bokke) as the Rugby team was known was in RSA, was supported by only the Whites and the Blacks in the stadium supported any other team which played against them. To make matters worse, after the Revolution, once the Springboks were allowed back on the International stage, due to their long-resting period, the team had become rusty and it was impossible to get them to win. It was no wonder then that the newly formed Sport Association of RSA wanted to eliminate the name "Springboks" and form a new unit called the "Proteas" (as any RSA international sport team is now called).
The premise of the movie is how Mandela re-affirmed his faith in the Springboks, wanted to give Hope and Courage to his fellow countrymen, leading by example and converting the hopeless Springbok team into a winning team. He shared the Poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley, which kept him sane during his stint at the Robben Island Prison. The movie beautifully gives us a glimpse of the Island prison and the Room in which he was kept captive for 27 long years. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Francois Pienaar (the captain of the Rugby team), played excellently by Matt Damon, the President shares his vision for the country and how winning the Rugby World Cup, to be held in RSA, would unite the Whites and the Blacks and give Hope and Courage and Brotherhood to a country torn by apartheid.
In a sport story, we usually know the end, it is the execution and the drama, which is captured beautifully by Eastwood, which makes this film worth a second watch.
I urge you all to catch this film. It may not be the best film you have even seen, but it surely is a good film you have seen in a very long time.
The result of this extraordinary story is for everyone to see. RSA is arguably the no. 1 tourist destination for people from developing countries. It's political, economical and ecological landscape has changed drastically and all thanks to the man, Nelson Mandela.
I read in the Autobiography of Sir Richard Branson, how he has started a group called "The Elders", which comprises of the best of humanitarian leaders, political and businessmen alike, who have got together to solve the World's problems. It is a spinoff of the UN and handles successfully matters of minor importance to the UN (but of wholesome importance to the World, nonetheless) like Elders in a family do. Nelson Mandela, not surprisingly, and his wife, Mrs. Winnie Mandela, are a part of The Elders. I hope India can learn a lesson or two from RSA.
I am sure we can eliminate the rampant discrimation, the racism like RSA did. We can learn a bit or more from the economic model, the tourism model (when, in fact, we have more to offer in terms of diversity than probably any other country in the world) and grow exponentially.
To each country, its own !!
Watch the movie if you can. I don't know if you will earn anything out of it, but am sure you won't lose anything if you watch it.
The Wall
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Soooooooooooo..its been a while !!
Soooooooo...its been a while !!!
Another guy kicks the proverbial bachelorhood bucket, on his way to the noose we all are scared of, MARRIAGE. The most eligible bachelor of our class, after Vignesh / Chandran Tiruvattar (yeaa riteeeee..u wish!!), is getting hooked to one of the most vivacious and life-of-the-party, sought after girls from our class.
Congratulations Pranav and Pooja!! May the Force be with you both.
I am sorry I could not be a part of the Party last evening..but gonna b there for the rest of them for sure mate.
Now, I have nothing against the Institution, it's just the post-marriage blues which scares me. Ahhh!! that commends a different blog altogether. Someday, y'all will be on the receiving end.
Meanwhile, life's been routine. Writing right now from my Office Desk (btw..yea..we do work the full day on Saturdays!!), not in any particular mood to work at all. Was thinking about contributing to our group since a while now. Just checked the stats and there is just a single entry in the entire year of 2009 (in Sept), which makes it all the more unbelievable for a group which used to post a dime-a-dozen write-ups through the past 5 years.
Oh hell, its been 5 (FIVE) years !!!!
5 years since I last clicked anyone in class
5 years since I last pinched the girls on their arms
5 years since I last was called THE WALL (affectionately, of course)
5 years since I last went to Baban with Chandran
5 years since I last was in a mopey mood over someone who everyone knows
5 years since I had an argument with MJ and not finding her crying over it
5 years since I heard Bum-Blast from P Kumar C or was a part of his fiendish schemes
5 years since I had an intelligent and thought-provoking talk with Pattani
5 years since I was in a Laboratory, most of the times whose brunt my Partner bore due to my absence
5 years since I bunked a damn examination (P'cology, for the unitiated)
5 years since Pooja R scolded me for my childish behaviour and made up for it with her winsome smile
5 years since I called her "Jagi" in person
5 years since I was on the ramp with Vidya, the crowd cheering and the sheer audacity of being there in a black tee and jeans with a skull cap
5 years since Chandran and me sang on that stage, with the crowd asking for an encore
5 years since I escorted Vazir to a bus-stop and made her miss umpteen of those just to spend a few moments more
5 years since
5 years since I washed those lab apparatus after Rachana's sincere work
5 years since I ran to the lab to be one of the first ones in the weighing queue
5 years since I peered down a microscope, hunting for the damn trichomes (hope i got that rite..) and the stomata on the C-S of something as light as a human hair
5 years since I was intuitive for the examinations
5 years since I ran-in with the Central gang and enjoyed the Misal pav uninhibitedly in the Canteen
5 years since I was part of any Gang, for that matter (Central, Gujju, Townie..to name a few)
5 years since I was called "Mr. Shah" in that nasal twang by Dr. Phadnis
5 years since I was reprimanded for "That Ether Episode" in the OC Lab by Dr. Amin
5 years since I bumped my head onto the window of the BEST Bus en route to our college
5 years since I was pushed back by that Maharashtrian lady on whose shoulders my head kept slipping upon, when it wasnt bumping on the window on the other side
5 years since I have been to Ooty and Coonoor to relive those amazing moments
5 years since I rushed to a Xerox machine before an exam and inwardly thanking God (and Rachana) for those notes
5 years since I picked up that GRE book and rammed my puny brain into mugging the damn dictionary
5 years since I held that guinea pig ileum or frog rectus abdominus in front of me and drew their pulses on that smoked drum
5 years since I smelled Ammonia and that rotten H2S egg smell
5 years since I made those pathetic 'ceutics and cosmetics labels with all kinds of wierd coloured pens
5 years since I had a smart-aleck Junior
5 years since I held a textbook in my hand to cram for an exam
5 years since Pranav and me held that Business Maths class late evening, just before an examination for everyone's benefit
5 years since I heard Shivani "whisper" (Actually..thats been never!!)
5 years since I almost had a broken nose by our class boxer, Roma. A swipe of that and I was sure to land a broken heart as well (Rite, Honey??)
5 years since I was accidentally 3rd in the class and that 1 week of pure unadulterated happiness flowing through me. It was the most sincere I was, during my entire tenure at our college. Ask Chech!!
5 years since I have played Baddy (singles or doubles)on court
5 years since those Spiderman underpants
5 years since I got glared by "Chucha" and hit on by the Class babes "Renuka and Shraddha"
5 years since Swapnali and Pallavi first pointed out that I am losing hair
5 years since those funny quips by "Dhirubhai" and "Nilya"
5 years since I heard a word from "Sandeep" (which was usually never in any case)
5 years since I ran outta the bathroom in Matheran because of that silly cockroach
5 years since I participated in that Mock Baaraat, for the benefit of a lotta couples in our class. Hell, at last count there's atleast 3 of those
5 years since the IPA Cell meetings and the best food served in those
5 years since that India-Pak match at the World Cup at Pranav's house
5 years since that Farewell Party and the 2.5 hours it took to reach it
5 years since I interacted with our free-spirited and the best ever bunch of Seniors you could ask for
It's been 5 years since I had the best time of my life !!!
I could probably go on and never finish this blog. It's the best nostalgic trip I am having so far. There's so much more I could add to that list.
In the recent CPhI India, I happened to chance upon a few fellow mates from UICT, none from our class though. A few of our seniors and some from the M.Pharm.-Ph.D. batchmates.
I was aghast to know that Dr. Phadnis has been diagnosed with Cancer, mostly due to her posting next to the Poisons cabinet in her office, I was told. Unfortunately, I have not been able to get in touch with her yet, but sure plan to do so soon. I am sure a trip to her would make her happy. Perhaps, we should all plan for it soon.
Which makes me think, we do not usually plan for Life. Life's what happens, when you are looking the other side.
Any hatchets between friends, erstwhile friends should be buried and long done away with. Misunderstandings and mistakes were a part of our lives back then. It din't take much to spark off a controversy, but it sure did take a hell lotta time to extinguish that.
We aren't all much in touch now, except for a few selected close friends we made in our times at the UICT. In the meantime, we lost many, we made many. It still doesn't justify the fact that many of us lost friends at some points of time only because of those misunderstandings and did not bother to keep in touch with them, in spite of them trying to bury the past.
I am personally sorry for not keeping in touch with most of you and probably all of you and I hope its not misconstrued as a sign of high-headedness or some wierd complex. I have the excuse of lack of time, but once in a while, when I do have the time, I make myself happy just reminiscing about the glorious past all of us have had in our college.
Please let us remain that way and retain that innocence.
Let's bury our past and start afresh. This is the best time for everyone to get in touch with everyone once again and that can happen only when we wish.
(Holy crap, that's a lot of philosophy..is it the Office Desk??)
Anyway, good luck to everyone embarking on a new voyage of self-discovery and happily married life !!!
Let's keep in touch.
Best regards
Dhawal
(The Wall to all of you, still)
Another guy kicks the proverbial bachelorhood bucket, on his way to the noose we all are scared of, MARRIAGE. The most eligible bachelor of our class, after Vignesh / Chandran Tiruvattar (yeaa riteeeee..u wish!!), is getting hooked to one of the most vivacious and life-of-the-party, sought after girls from our class.
Congratulations Pranav and Pooja!! May the Force be with you both.
I am sorry I could not be a part of the Party last evening..but gonna b there for the rest of them for sure mate.
Now, I have nothing against the Institution, it's just the post-marriage blues which scares me. Ahhh!! that commends a different blog altogether. Someday, y'all will be on the receiving end.
Meanwhile, life's been routine. Writing right now from my Office Desk (btw..yea..we do work the full day on Saturdays!!), not in any particular mood to work at all. Was thinking about contributing to our group since a while now. Just checked the stats and there is just a single entry in the entire year of 2009 (in Sept), which makes it all the more unbelievable for a group which used to post a dime-a-dozen write-ups through the past 5 years.
Oh hell, its been 5 (FIVE) years !!!!
5 years since I last clicked anyone in class
5 years since I last pinched the girls on their arms
5 years since I last was called THE WALL (affectionately, of course)
5 years since I last went to Baban with Chandran
5 years since I last was in a mopey mood over someone who everyone knows
5 years since I had an argument with MJ and not finding her crying over it
5 years since I heard Bum-Blast from P Kumar C or was a part of his fiendish schemes
5 years since I had an intelligent and thought-provoking talk with Pattani
5 years since I was in a Laboratory, most of the times whose brunt my Partner bore due to my absence
5 years since I bunked a damn examination (P'cology, for the unitiated)
5 years since Pooja R scolded me for my childish behaviour and made up for it with her winsome smile
5 years since I called her "Jagi" in person
5 years since I was on the ramp with Vidya, the crowd cheering and the sheer audacity of being there in a black tee and jeans with a skull cap
5 years since Chandran and me sang on that stage, with the crowd asking for an encore
5 years since I escorted Vazir to a bus-stop and made her miss umpteen of those just to spend a few moments more
5 years since
5 years since I washed those lab apparatus after Rachana's sincere work
5 years since I ran to the lab to be one of the first ones in the weighing queue
5 years since I peered down a microscope, hunting for the damn trichomes (hope i got that rite..) and the stomata on the C-S of something as light as a human hair
5 years since I was intuitive for the examinations
5 years since I ran-in with the Central gang and enjoyed the Misal pav uninhibitedly in the Canteen
5 years since I was part of any Gang, for that matter (Central, Gujju, Townie..to name a few)
5 years since I was called "Mr. Shah" in that nasal twang by Dr. Phadnis
5 years since I was reprimanded for "That Ether Episode" in the OC Lab by Dr. Amin
5 years since I bumped my head onto the window of the BEST Bus en route to our college
5 years since I was pushed back by that Maharashtrian lady on whose shoulders my head kept slipping upon, when it wasnt bumping on the window on the other side
5 years since I have been to Ooty and Coonoor to relive those amazing moments
5 years since I rushed to a Xerox machine before an exam and inwardly thanking God (and Rachana) for those notes
5 years since I picked up that GRE book and rammed my puny brain into mugging the damn dictionary
5 years since I held that guinea pig ileum or frog rectus abdominus in front of me and drew their pulses on that smoked drum
5 years since I smelled Ammonia and that rotten H2S egg smell
5 years since I made those pathetic 'ceutics and cosmetics labels with all kinds of wierd coloured pens
5 years since I had a smart-aleck Junior
5 years since I held a textbook in my hand to cram for an exam
5 years since Pranav and me held that Business Maths class late evening, just before an examination for everyone's benefit
5 years since I heard Shivani "whisper" (Actually..thats been never!!)
5 years since I almost had a broken nose by our class boxer, Roma. A swipe of that and I was sure to land a broken heart as well (Rite, Honey??)
5 years since I was accidentally 3rd in the class and that 1 week of pure unadulterated happiness flowing through me. It was the most sincere I was, during my entire tenure at our college. Ask Chech!!
5 years since I have played Baddy (singles or doubles)on court
5 years since those Spiderman underpants
5 years since I got glared by "Chucha" and hit on by the Class babes "Renuka and Shraddha"
5 years since Swapnali and Pallavi first pointed out that I am losing hair
5 years since those funny quips by "Dhirubhai" and "Nilya"
5 years since I heard a word from "Sandeep" (which was usually never in any case)
5 years since I ran outta the bathroom in Matheran because of that silly cockroach
5 years since I participated in that Mock Baaraat, for the benefit of a lotta couples in our class. Hell, at last count there's atleast 3 of those
5 years since the IPA Cell meetings and the best food served in those
5 years since that India-Pak match at the World Cup at Pranav's house
5 years since that Farewell Party and the 2.5 hours it took to reach it
5 years since I interacted with our free-spirited and the best ever bunch of Seniors you could ask for
It's been 5 years since I had the best time of my life !!!
I could probably go on and never finish this blog. It's the best nostalgic trip I am having so far. There's so much more I could add to that list.
In the recent CPhI India, I happened to chance upon a few fellow mates from UICT, none from our class though. A few of our seniors and some from the M.Pharm.-Ph.D. batchmates.
I was aghast to know that Dr. Phadnis has been diagnosed with Cancer, mostly due to her posting next to the Poisons cabinet in her office, I was told. Unfortunately, I have not been able to get in touch with her yet, but sure plan to do so soon. I am sure a trip to her would make her happy. Perhaps, we should all plan for it soon.
Which makes me think, we do not usually plan for Life. Life's what happens, when you are looking the other side.
Any hatchets between friends, erstwhile friends should be buried and long done away with. Misunderstandings and mistakes were a part of our lives back then. It din't take much to spark off a controversy, but it sure did take a hell lotta time to extinguish that.
We aren't all much in touch now, except for a few selected close friends we made in our times at the UICT. In the meantime, we lost many, we made many. It still doesn't justify the fact that many of us lost friends at some points of time only because of those misunderstandings and did not bother to keep in touch with them, in spite of them trying to bury the past.
I am personally sorry for not keeping in touch with most of you and probably all of you and I hope its not misconstrued as a sign of high-headedness or some wierd complex. I have the excuse of lack of time, but once in a while, when I do have the time, I make myself happy just reminiscing about the glorious past all of us have had in our college.
Please let us remain that way and retain that innocence.
Let's bury our past and start afresh. This is the best time for everyone to get in touch with everyone once again and that can happen only when we wish.
(Holy crap, that's a lot of philosophy..is it the Office Desk??)
Anyway, good luck to everyone embarking on a new voyage of self-discovery and happily married life !!!
Let's keep in touch.
Best regards
Dhawal
(The Wall to all of you, still)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Self
25 random things about me.
Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.
To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, copy/paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.
1. I am writing this the second time .. after reaching no. 11 (arrrghhhh)..I pressed some dumb key..the whole thing jus disappeared.
anyway..here goes again..hope i m able to do justice the 2nd time 'round (I just noticed the Save Draft key below)... booo hooooooooo
2. Once upon a time, there was this wild, careless, happy-go-lucky big guy, reduced now to a not-so-wild, still careless and still big guy following his routine in a family-owned business (Its prob not so bad as it sounds)
3. Ppl affectionately call me 'The Wall" or "Wall" (shorter version of a big guy)
4. I intend to fund research for 'Inhibiting Hair Loss AND Regeneration of new Hair' for affected ppl below 28 (that includes me..for another 2 years atleast)..Any Takers??
5. I wish I could lose weight the easy way..widout much of hassles..i even joined VLCC for some weight loss program. All was good till I lost all the excess water (abt 2.5 kgs) and then they asked me to go on a diet and jog and exercise to lose more (They promised passive weight loss..i swear) !! I gave them the boot and they are now enjoying the balance money I paid for the entire thing
6. I joined a gym last year..paid for the whole year..went exactly 4 times (last one was in Sept.) and then will go again next Monday (:)))
7. I m a huuuuuuuuuuuge fan of Batman. The Dark Knight happens to be in the top 10 best movies ever for me..after 300 of cos !! I have this 2.5 feet action figure of Batman which I display in the hall and I jus bought this the year before last (yayyy..i m in touch with my kiddiness)
8. I ask Batman figurine to look over my sister in the nites, when she sleeps (Telepathically. of cos !!)
9. Superficially, I have studies in the best institutions in bombay - St. Xavier's Boys' Academy, Jai Hind College, UDCT and NMIMS..but i m lackin this one thing which makes a person of my constitution click !! Still lookin for it .. any help?? anyone ??
10. I am a voracious reader.. and need to read immediately as soon as I get up..however hazy i am..in the loo.. before sleeping...en route somewhr..wherever !!
11. My sister is my Raison d'Etre and I simple cant be widout her. I don miss opportunities to harass her atleast once a day..I thnk she likes it as well !!
12. I fell in love more than once..though the second time, I m not sure yet !!
13. Once I had this huge entourage of friends, School Friends, College Friends, Grad Friends, Post-Grad Friends, Building and Society Friends and random ppl i knew..I think from about 140 ppl I knew at a time, I m in touch with a grand total of possibly 5 on a routine basis..such is life !!
14. I m in love with amateur photography..and try my hand wherever possible. I hv got some beautiful pictures i hv taken and thn some by others..i hv a good collection of those
15. I think i m getting hard of hearing !! it reminds me of Trigeminal Neuralgia, the dread disease my UDCT classmates used to warn me about .. all thanks to my phone shenanigans thru the day
16. I trip on comics..and absolutely love readin all types..I used to stick to the usual Asterix, tintin, archies, Amar chitra katha in the childhood..recent reads are graphic novels of the 300 types..NYC Dayender series, Buddha series..first ever reads of Action comics from DC universe and Marvel comics. I own this extremely awesome 1000+ page bound volume of Batman and the complete Calvin & Hobbes gifted to me
17. I like watching Oscar nominated movies and try to watch movies in different languages..its fun..i like recommendations..they are welcome anytime !!
18. I love Italian food..its the only thing we survive on during our trips abroad..pizzas, pastas, fries, risottos !! yummmmmmmm.. Indian-type Chinese food comes a close second
19. I think some people work hard, some people work smart..but Dad says..most ppl work smart, few ppl work hard..theres less competition in the hard-workin segment..i think i shud focus and try to be lk them !!
20. Family, Work, Friends, Self in that order
21. I am scared shit of ghouls, ghosts, spirits and evil things!! I love watchin them horror movies in the theatres (recently started)..but am more scared of goin across the corridor at nites (even when its fully lit)!! The immediate nites after these kinda movies is a terror (and fun) - filled experience for my family
22. I would love to travel and see more of the world I have already seen. Experiences in Egypt, Australia, NZ, USA, Africa, UAE would be terrific. I m no armchair traveller though
23. Long hair, Beautiful eyes, witty intelligence (none of which I have!!) are the qualities I look for in a girl
24. I am very close to my extended family as well..at last count acc. to this Family Tree i m designing, I am very close to 140 people, whose names I remember very well
25. I think 25 is too less a number to know the real me !! Ask anyone who claims to know me well..really ???
Signing off,
The Wall
Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.
To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, copy/paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.
1. I am writing this the second time .. after reaching no. 11 (arrrghhhh)..I pressed some dumb key..the whole thing jus disappeared.
anyway..here goes again..hope i m able to do justice the 2nd time 'round (I just noticed the Save Draft key below)... booo hooooooooo
2. Once upon a time, there was this wild, careless, happy-go-lucky big guy, reduced now to a not-so-wild, still careless and still big guy following his routine in a family-owned business (Its prob not so bad as it sounds)
3. Ppl affectionately call me 'The Wall" or "Wall" (shorter version of a big guy)
4. I intend to fund research for 'Inhibiting Hair Loss AND Regeneration of new Hair' for affected ppl below 28 (that includes me..for another 2 years atleast)..Any Takers??
5. I wish I could lose weight the easy way..widout much of hassles..i even joined VLCC for some weight loss program. All was good till I lost all the excess water (abt 2.5 kgs) and then they asked me to go on a diet and jog and exercise to lose more (They promised passive weight loss..i swear) !! I gave them the boot and they are now enjoying the balance money I paid for the entire thing
6. I joined a gym last year..paid for the whole year..went exactly 4 times (last one was in Sept.) and then will go again next Monday (:)))
7. I m a huuuuuuuuuuuge fan of Batman. The Dark Knight happens to be in the top 10 best movies ever for me..after 300 of cos !! I have this 2.5 feet action figure of Batman which I display in the hall and I jus bought this the year before last (yayyy..i m in touch with my kiddiness)
8. I ask Batman figurine to look over my sister in the nites, when she sleeps (Telepathically. of cos !!)
9. Superficially, I have studies in the best institutions in bombay - St. Xavier's Boys' Academy, Jai Hind College, UDCT and NMIMS..but i m lackin this one thing which makes a person of my constitution click !! Still lookin for it .. any help?? anyone ??
10. I am a voracious reader.. and need to read immediately as soon as I get up..however hazy i am..in the loo.. before sleeping...en route somewhr..wherever !!
11. My sister is my Raison d'Etre and I simple cant be widout her. I don miss opportunities to harass her atleast once a day..I thnk she likes it as well !!
12. I fell in love more than once..though the second time, I m not sure yet !!
13. Once I had this huge entourage of friends, School Friends, College Friends, Grad Friends, Post-Grad Friends, Building and Society Friends and random ppl i knew..I think from about 140 ppl I knew at a time, I m in touch with a grand total of possibly 5 on a routine basis..such is life !!
14. I m in love with amateur photography..and try my hand wherever possible. I hv got some beautiful pictures i hv taken and thn some by others..i hv a good collection of those
15. I think i m getting hard of hearing !! it reminds me of Trigeminal Neuralgia, the dread disease my UDCT classmates used to warn me about .. all thanks to my phone shenanigans thru the day
16. I trip on comics..and absolutely love readin all types..I used to stick to the usual Asterix, tintin, archies, Amar chitra katha in the childhood..recent reads are graphic novels of the 300 types..NYC Dayender series, Buddha series..first ever reads of Action comics from DC universe and Marvel comics. I own this extremely awesome 1000+ page bound volume of Batman and the complete Calvin & Hobbes gifted to me
17. I like watching Oscar nominated movies and try to watch movies in different languages..its fun..i like recommendations..they are welcome anytime !!
18. I love Italian food..its the only thing we survive on during our trips abroad..pizzas, pastas, fries, risottos !! yummmmmmmm.. Indian-type Chinese food comes a close second
19. I think some people work hard, some people work smart..but Dad says..most ppl work smart, few ppl work hard..theres less competition in the hard-workin segment..i think i shud focus and try to be lk them !!
20. Family, Work, Friends, Self in that order
21. I am scared shit of ghouls, ghosts, spirits and evil things!! I love watchin them horror movies in the theatres (recently started)..but am more scared of goin across the corridor at nites (even when its fully lit)!! The immediate nites after these kinda movies is a terror (and fun) - filled experience for my family
22. I would love to travel and see more of the world I have already seen. Experiences in Egypt, Australia, NZ, USA, Africa, UAE would be terrific. I m no armchair traveller though
23. Long hair, Beautiful eyes, witty intelligence (none of which I have!!) are the qualities I look for in a girl
24. I am very close to my extended family as well..at last count acc. to this Family Tree i m designing, I am very close to 140 people, whose names I remember very well
25. I think 25 is too less a number to know the real me !! Ask anyone who claims to know me well..really ???
Signing off,
The Wall
Monday, March 10, 2008
My Travel Map
- Goa, IndiaMumbai (Bombay), India
- http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g298184-Tokyo_Kanto-Vacations.html">Tokyo, Japan
- http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g186338-London_England-Vacations.html">London, England
- Coonoor, India
- Create your own travel map or travel blog
- http://www.tripadvisor.com/">Visit TripAdvisor.com
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Beyond the Fringe !!
Fringe /frɪndʒ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[frinj] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation noun, verb, fringed, fring‧ing.
–noun-
1. a decorative border of thread, cord, or the like, usually hanging loosely from a raveled edge or separate strip.
2. anything resembling or suggesting this: a fringe of grass around a swimming pool.
3. an outer edge; margin; periphery: on the fringe of the art world.
4. something regarded as peripheral, marginal, secondary, or extreme in relation to something else: the lunatic fringe of a strong political party.
5. Optics. one of the alternate light and dark bands produced by diffraction or interference.
–noun-
1. a decorative border of thread, cord, or the like, usually hanging loosely from a raveled edge or separate strip.
2. anything resembling or suggesting this: a fringe of grass around a swimming pool.
3. an outer edge; margin; periphery: on the fringe of the art world.
4. something regarded as peripheral, marginal, secondary, or extreme in relation to something else: the lunatic fringe of a strong political party.
5. Optics. one of the alternate light and dark bands produced by diffraction or interference.
This definition and various meanings of the word FRINGE jus complicate matters more.
When i heard about : BEYOND THE FRINGE, two thoughts came to my mind:
a. Either it has something to do with the mental hospital, where patients are BEYOND the FRINGE, ie. out of bounds, irrational, crazy, wierd or jus plain mad.
b. Or it has something to with that cute little fringe, which chicks have on their hair, u knw something lk the hanging hair on the forehead, somewhat like the yesteryears' Sadhana.
I was relieved, much to my chagrin, to find out that Beyond the Fringe was associated with the second (part B) of my thots.
In a moment of rare metrosexuality, I entered the beauty salon, Beyond the Fringe at Altamount Road. Regularly the domain of mom and Karishma, when it came to those parloury treatments which ladies are accustomed to, I was forced into submission to visit Beyond the Fringe (now BTF).
Alrite, so I admit, my soles and my fingers were maligned horribly and I looked like one of those junglee adivasis, if someone were to judge me frm my extremities.
Still, thats no reason for a GUY to visit a BEAUTY SALON. That, usually is reserved for the signoras, the ladies in my life.
Kari was pestering me to visit BTF since she became a fan of tht place, which is more than 2 years now. I obviously kept on avoiding it all the while, for numerous reasons, the plain one being i was embarassed.
Well, wot do ya expect?? Despite my well-maintained macho image (ok ok ..jus a little macho though), I decided to swallow the embarrasment and caved in to my sis' request.
I visited a BEAUTY SALON.
Shit, this is embarassing, heheee...
Now, I expected BTF to be this swarming place with sexy chicks and loud girly music, with loads of magazines on one table, and a mean Baawi aunty sitting at the manager's desk, making the chicks slave and paying zilch to them.
To an extent, this was true, except for the sexy chicks (of course..hehee. The Baawi aunty is the truth but..seriously..It was exactly as i had imagined.
Anyway, Kari had booked an appointment for me at 6 pm, so it was the perfect excuse to get off work earlier than usual. Trundling along, I reached the shining gates of BTF. Looked fantastic from the exterior. But, as wisdom prevailed, I thot it better not to judge, yet.
hmm..so..without my permission, payment towards my treatment was already done. All i had to do was jus grace them wid my presence..hahaa..easier said than done.
Man, I was embarrased pehle se...on top of that..women on the road wr staring at me as i was entering that place..felt damn guilty yaar..i thot i was performing a criminal act. Bloody hell !!
Andar aaya, found Kari and Ma there already, glowing frm their treatments. Kari had a wicked, triumphant grin on her face as i entered. Mom was perplexed noticing my expressions of disappointment (no sexy chicks naa..thts why !!) and the embarassment, which i was tryin to hide desperately. I mean, so what ??? Guys do this al da time..see Beckham, see Luis figo, see SRK...but i wasnt any of those yaaa...meri to fatti padi thi...
That Baawi aunty smiled warmly at me and showed me to the person who was gonna treat me ( I will call him Treater). Beknownst to me, I was booked for MANI-PEDI...shittttttt...ok guys..pls don judge me..and stop laughing !!! come onnnn!!!
My sister fooled me..i was told only somethng for my nails..which i keep biting constantly...I was duped...and this jus added to the embarrasment doubly.
Umesh was a fav amongst the ladies for this job..and dint flinch on operating upon a guy..bt i flinched...but to tell ya the truth..he did a fine job...heheee
We started by makin me sit into one of those big, comfy chairs, thankfully facing away frm the crowd and the mirror. Umesh examined my fingernails and gave me a killin look...like wotta perpetrator i am to bite my nails..He sensed a challenge, he liked it. I hated it.
He started filing those nails at first..and man..it hurt a bit..then u get used to it...my other hand was unceremoniously dumped in a bowl (sort of) of hot, soapy water, i guess to soften the nails. After filing them, he applied some cream and did the same wid the other hand, with the first hand in another hot, soapy bowl. This went on for a good 15 min. Finally, he started pluckin the crap outta my nails...near the crescent...o god!! save me..wot pain !! The result: shiny, half-eaten, human-like (now) fingernails.
All this while, my feet wr immersed into this vibrating tub of hot, soapy water. Umesh sighed as he took the feet, one by one, on the lap and started rubbing them with some sorta foot-spiky-thing...which looks like one those hand held oblong mirrors, except that there is hard cold steel there in the mirror's place. He went on rubbing with glee, cutting thru the fat layers of skin on my soles...It dint pain at all...probably cos of no place for nerves down there...wot with all the kachra !! hehee..
Then, toe nails. This one was relatively relaxing and easy. Dint even know wot happened.
Result: Shiny, not-at-all-eaten, human-like toenails.
Iona, this lady in green, happened to visit me while Umesh was doing me (pls dont misunderstand me here !!). Kari had pointed out my bald pate frm far and Iona had come to take a look. After finding it as not-so-horrible-as-Kari-had-explained, she suddenly instructed this fancy dude (who looked to me like Edward Scissorhands) to suddenly come and gimme a trim.... A TRIM !!!!! i dont have HAIR..dudeeeee..whr the hell is he gonna trim....wots he gonnna trim...shittttttt !!!!! She went so far as to suggest me to HIGHLIGHT my crown....wud u belive that>?? HIGHLIGHT ???? hahahahaaaa..that did it...i was storming wid fury inside..and gave Kari a contemptous look...as hard as i cud..o man !! she ran away out for some other work...leaving me at the mercy of those jackasses...by the way..she even made me purchase a Volume-builder shampoo-conditioner.
Anyway, Javed trimmed my hair..and to my irritation, GELLED them...i god !! baal nahi aur upar se gel..mummmmy...he tried his best to cover up the baldnesss...hey bhagwan..i gave up..and jus tried to relax myself...I dunno if u guys have heard this one: (though its cheap) When u know ur getting ****ed, rather sit back and enjoy !!
I did jus that...After that, nothng cud hurt me...I had turned into a GIRL, well..almost !!
Result: Shiny, round, gelled head with spikes with baldness concealed
Hmmm....after a relaxing massage on the feet and on the hands by Umesh...i got up jus in time to see Kari entering back into the parlour..and excitedly askin Umesh to finish everythng in a hurry...
So..1600 bucks lighter, feeling like a girl and a jackass...duped by my own troop...tipping those "guys" at the Salon...I finally squirmed myself out of BTF...wot an ordeal!!!...trust me...no hot-blooded guy shd go thru what i went thru.
Would u belive it..they expect me to come backkk...i mean...wotta nerve !!! rather unjudicious, I say !!
Kari had another surprise up her sleeve...and i was wary of her now..I cudnt bring myself to trust her anymore..not today atleast..
The day ended with a perfect note...I was the proud owner of the PSP...man..did i deserve tht or wot...I mean..what else cud make a guy feel more macho than a video game of cops in full pursuit of gangs...hahaaa..Kari gifted me the PlayStation Portable...one of ma dreams come true...its beautiful...and jus wot i wanted...really fantastic!!!!
Ohh..i frgot to mention one thing
My dad was blissfully unaware of all this..my appointment...my schedule..my ordeal..after telling him, so to make things as they were...he called me a WUSS and ended the nite.
Wall
When i heard about : BEYOND THE FRINGE, two thoughts came to my mind:
a. Either it has something to do with the mental hospital, where patients are BEYOND the FRINGE, ie. out of bounds, irrational, crazy, wierd or jus plain mad.
b. Or it has something to with that cute little fringe, which chicks have on their hair, u knw something lk the hanging hair on the forehead, somewhat like the yesteryears' Sadhana.
I was relieved, much to my chagrin, to find out that Beyond the Fringe was associated with the second (part B) of my thots.
In a moment of rare metrosexuality, I entered the beauty salon, Beyond the Fringe at Altamount Road. Regularly the domain of mom and Karishma, when it came to those parloury treatments which ladies are accustomed to, I was forced into submission to visit Beyond the Fringe (now BTF).
Alrite, so I admit, my soles and my fingers were maligned horribly and I looked like one of those junglee adivasis, if someone were to judge me frm my extremities.
Still, thats no reason for a GUY to visit a BEAUTY SALON. That, usually is reserved for the signoras, the ladies in my life.
Kari was pestering me to visit BTF since she became a fan of tht place, which is more than 2 years now. I obviously kept on avoiding it all the while, for numerous reasons, the plain one being i was embarassed.
Well, wot do ya expect?? Despite my well-maintained macho image (ok ok ..jus a little macho though), I decided to swallow the embarrasment and caved in to my sis' request.
I visited a BEAUTY SALON.
Shit, this is embarassing, heheee...
Now, I expected BTF to be this swarming place with sexy chicks and loud girly music, with loads of magazines on one table, and a mean Baawi aunty sitting at the manager's desk, making the chicks slave and paying zilch to them.
To an extent, this was true, except for the sexy chicks (of course..hehee. The Baawi aunty is the truth but..seriously..It was exactly as i had imagined.
Anyway, Kari had booked an appointment for me at 6 pm, so it was the perfect excuse to get off work earlier than usual. Trundling along, I reached the shining gates of BTF. Looked fantastic from the exterior. But, as wisdom prevailed, I thot it better not to judge, yet.
hmm..so..without my permission, payment towards my treatment was already done. All i had to do was jus grace them wid my presence..hahaa..easier said than done.
Man, I was embarrased pehle se...on top of that..women on the road wr staring at me as i was entering that place..felt damn guilty yaar..i thot i was performing a criminal act. Bloody hell !!
Andar aaya, found Kari and Ma there already, glowing frm their treatments. Kari had a wicked, triumphant grin on her face as i entered. Mom was perplexed noticing my expressions of disappointment (no sexy chicks naa..thts why !!) and the embarassment, which i was tryin to hide desperately. I mean, so what ??? Guys do this al da time..see Beckham, see Luis figo, see SRK...but i wasnt any of those yaaa...meri to fatti padi thi...
That Baawi aunty smiled warmly at me and showed me to the person who was gonna treat me ( I will call him Treater). Beknownst to me, I was booked for MANI-PEDI...shittttttt...ok guys..pls don judge me..and stop laughing !!! come onnnn!!!
My sister fooled me..i was told only somethng for my nails..which i keep biting constantly...I was duped...and this jus added to the embarrasment doubly.
Umesh was a fav amongst the ladies for this job..and dint flinch on operating upon a guy..bt i flinched...but to tell ya the truth..he did a fine job...heheee
We started by makin me sit into one of those big, comfy chairs, thankfully facing away frm the crowd and the mirror. Umesh examined my fingernails and gave me a killin look...like wotta perpetrator i am to bite my nails..He sensed a challenge, he liked it. I hated it.
He started filing those nails at first..and man..it hurt a bit..then u get used to it...my other hand was unceremoniously dumped in a bowl (sort of) of hot, soapy water, i guess to soften the nails. After filing them, he applied some cream and did the same wid the other hand, with the first hand in another hot, soapy bowl. This went on for a good 15 min. Finally, he started pluckin the crap outta my nails...near the crescent...o god!! save me..wot pain !! The result: shiny, half-eaten, human-like (now) fingernails.
All this while, my feet wr immersed into this vibrating tub of hot, soapy water. Umesh sighed as he took the feet, one by one, on the lap and started rubbing them with some sorta foot-spiky-thing...which looks like one those hand held oblong mirrors, except that there is hard cold steel there in the mirror's place. He went on rubbing with glee, cutting thru the fat layers of skin on my soles...It dint pain at all...probably cos of no place for nerves down there...wot with all the kachra !! hehee..
Then, toe nails. This one was relatively relaxing and easy. Dint even know wot happened.
Result: Shiny, not-at-all-eaten, human-like toenails.
Iona, this lady in green, happened to visit me while Umesh was doing me (pls dont misunderstand me here !!). Kari had pointed out my bald pate frm far and Iona had come to take a look. After finding it as not-so-horrible-as-Kari-had-explained, she suddenly instructed this fancy dude (who looked to me like Edward Scissorhands) to suddenly come and gimme a trim.... A TRIM !!!!! i dont have HAIR..dudeeeee..whr the hell is he gonna trim....wots he gonnna trim...shittttttt !!!!! She went so far as to suggest me to HIGHLIGHT my crown....wud u belive that>?? HIGHLIGHT ???? hahahahaaaa..that did it...i was storming wid fury inside..and gave Kari a contemptous look...as hard as i cud..o man !! she ran away out for some other work...leaving me at the mercy of those jackasses...by the way..she even made me purchase a Volume-builder shampoo-conditioner.
Anyway, Javed trimmed my hair..and to my irritation, GELLED them...i god !! baal nahi aur upar se gel..mummmmy...he tried his best to cover up the baldnesss...hey bhagwan..i gave up..and jus tried to relax myself...I dunno if u guys have heard this one: (though its cheap) When u know ur getting ****ed, rather sit back and enjoy !!
I did jus that...After that, nothng cud hurt me...I had turned into a GIRL, well..almost !!
Result: Shiny, round, gelled head with spikes with baldness concealed
Hmmm....after a relaxing massage on the feet and on the hands by Umesh...i got up jus in time to see Kari entering back into the parlour..and excitedly askin Umesh to finish everythng in a hurry...
So..1600 bucks lighter, feeling like a girl and a jackass...duped by my own troop...tipping those "guys" at the Salon...I finally squirmed myself out of BTF...wot an ordeal!!!...trust me...no hot-blooded guy shd go thru what i went thru.
Would u belive it..they expect me to come backkk...i mean...wotta nerve !!! rather unjudicious, I say !!
Kari had another surprise up her sleeve...and i was wary of her now..I cudnt bring myself to trust her anymore..not today atleast..
The day ended with a perfect note...I was the proud owner of the PSP...man..did i deserve tht or wot...I mean..what else cud make a guy feel more macho than a video game of cops in full pursuit of gangs...hahaaa..Kari gifted me the PlayStation Portable...one of ma dreams come true...its beautiful...and jus wot i wanted...really fantastic!!!!
Ohh..i frgot to mention one thing
My dad was blissfully unaware of all this..my appointment...my schedule..my ordeal..after telling him, so to make things as they were...he called me a WUSS and ended the nite.
Wall
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Bombay dying !!!
BOMBAY DYING !!!
This has nothing to do with the dead company. The pun is intended.
This has nothing to do with the dead company. The pun is intended.
I am a staunch Bombayiite (note - not Mumbaiite) sheltering myself inthe "town" part of good ol' Bombay, often ridiculed for wanting tostay back in town and not "shift" to the 'burbs, come what may. Andinspite of the residentialization of the rest of B'bay and withClass I amenities being provided to the rest of the Mumbaiites, Irefrain myself from even looking down upon them.
Anyway, I fail to comprehend why B'bay is being bombarded withsudden rules and regulations by the same politicians for whom wecast our votes. The "khaas" are turning against the "aam janta".It all started with the re-naming of Bombay to Mumbai, which led toeven more confusion in my teenage years. There were various otherthings to keep me occupied at that time, but this renaming ceremonyby some "religious" fanatics grabbed the attention of the teenagemind, which had, at that time, vowed to rename it back to Bombay,juvenile that it was. I still harbour those thoughts of somehowconvincing our dear members of the State Parliament to "re-rename"my city.I entered JaiHind college and thoughts of conquesting the Parliamenttook a convincing and convenient backseat. I focused my attentionelsewhere with the thoughts, for instance - "Charity begins at Home"and many more. Not that i surpassed myself in education (I stillcall myself an above-average student) during those formative years,but I fell into some really bad company, which pitfalled my secondambition of becoming a "healer" (I jus love that word, sounds somuch more cooler than doctor). I cannot really blame my pals thattime, because I got a little carried away. But Good ol' God was watching me and inferred I deserved another chance.MH-CET - for many it might be an evil, but for me, (and people like me)it was a Godsend. This was another variation, which shook thepillars of the education system of our State. HSC results took anosedive and students and colleges now looked forward to the CETresults. Little did they know (they includes ME too), how costlythis decision by the Governance would be, in terms of not onlymoney, but also time. HSC lost its power. Students were no more inawe of the State Toppers, but were more in awe of the CET Toppers,because thats what mattered now. One more dent to the spirit ofBombay. One more nail on the coffin. The current crop of teachersand students are rooting to revert back to the old system. Afterall, a student who slogs throughout the year studying forthe HSC, but unfortunately, cannot score in the CET (since themuggers haven’t been taught to apply what they have been taught), isbound to suffer from the fallacies of the system.That apart, I managed to get admission into one of the premierinstitutes in our country, and probably our continent, thanks tothat guy who gave up his seat only to secure admission into amedical college (that too by political pressure). I doff my hat tohim. Thank you again stranger. (It's not Salil I am talkingabout).
Since then, not much has changed, except for the beautification ofour vibrant city. 55 flyovers in a span of 5 years and at least 10multiplexes (with 23 more expected in New Bombay alone - would youbelieve that ??????) adorning the cityscape. There was a period ofconfusion within the government, because they were doing good work.There was a cleanliness drive inititated by our Famous Cultureminister, Pramod Navalkar, of that time. BMC had gone berserk,giving permission to every Tommy, Dick and Hariharan to buildflyovers along the arteries of the city. Protest galore by theresidents fell on deaf ears, and the city was witness to the zeal ofthe contruction powerhouses. Not only flyovers, new buildings, newtownships, new entertainment complexes and so on mushroomedthoughout the city. Suddenly, Crossroads was the "IN" place to "BE".I had attended one of the days during the month-long openingceremony of the First Mall of Mumbai. I was surprised to find myschool principal , Mrs. Shirley D'Silva in Ofran, with her husbandin tow. Poor guy, I felt kinda Bad for him. Audi or Toyota se petnahi bhara, Madam shopped for more than 2 lacs that nite. Wot afield day she must have had. The point I am trying to make is "therich bourgeouis class was slowly opening upto the commoners". Thosewho were considered "out of reach" were now withing spittingdistance. In fact, on that nite, I had the opportunity to ogle atsome of the best bodies in show-biz (Basu, Dino morea, ArjunRampal, Mehr Jessia, my principal(hehehe) and many more).
Enough of the past, now Back to The Future.Bombay (I will always call it that- let them stone my house orblacken my Maharaj's face) hadn't seen so many activities since the17th century when the whole island of Bombay was gifted by the Kingof Portugal, as a wedding gift to his daughter (I swear).Young politicians are now on the mantle manning the posts once heldby their fathers, in fact they were voted into power by the citizens.Now, these very guardians of our interests are turning their back tothe culture of this city, for which it has been renowned since timeimmemorial.
Let me unfold some recent events :-
- Deadlines for pubs and bars and lounges (not beyond 1...thoughsome maal-pani could ensure beyond)
- Closure of dance bars by government (which led to protests, noneby social activists though- those girls have actually startedoperating sex bars on the outskirts of the city)
- Rape of a teenage girl by a police hawaldar at marine drive chowky(the legal eagles- the direct result of the above mentionedregulations)
- Hawkers removed from the sea facing promenade at Nariman Point(where will all us kids go yaar ?)
- Nana-Nani Park planning to be used as a storage ground for statuesof national (irrational) leaders
- The last one which i am mentioning, which actually prompted me towrite this blog, was the removal of the book-sellers along thefootpath leading from VT (not CST) station to Churchgate. CAN UBELIEVE THE GALL THESE GUYS HAVE ???????? I mean, that’s the limit.All the above would have been unnoticed or even shooed away as aresult of bad governance. But THIS....This is absolutelyunpardonable. The books these guys sell will probably not bavailable anywhere else in the world, at unmentionably low prices.The bargains we struck were what dreams were made of.
I bid aterribly sad farewell to the dear hawkers, who in spite of beingnasty to most, were doing for a good cause.
Is this the beginning of THE END ?
Is Bombay Dying ?
I would like toend with this rhetoric....think about it.
Let me know ur comments.
The Wall
Anyway, I fail to comprehend why B'bay is being bombarded withsudden rules and regulations by the same politicians for whom wecast our votes. The "khaas" are turning against the "aam janta".It all started with the re-naming of Bombay to Mumbai, which led toeven more confusion in my teenage years. There were various otherthings to keep me occupied at that time, but this renaming ceremonyby some "religious" fanatics grabbed the attention of the teenagemind, which had, at that time, vowed to rename it back to Bombay,juvenile that it was. I still harbour those thoughts of somehowconvincing our dear members of the State Parliament to "re-rename"my city.I entered JaiHind college and thoughts of conquesting the Parliamenttook a convincing and convenient backseat. I focused my attentionelsewhere with the thoughts, for instance - "Charity begins at Home"and many more. Not that i surpassed myself in education (I stillcall myself an above-average student) during those formative years,but I fell into some really bad company, which pitfalled my secondambition of becoming a "healer" (I jus love that word, sounds somuch more cooler than doctor). I cannot really blame my pals thattime, because I got a little carried away. But Good ol' God was watching me and inferred I deserved another chance.MH-CET - for many it might be an evil, but for me, (and people like me)it was a Godsend. This was another variation, which shook thepillars of the education system of our State. HSC results took anosedive and students and colleges now looked forward to the CETresults. Little did they know (they includes ME too), how costlythis decision by the Governance would be, in terms of not onlymoney, but also time. HSC lost its power. Students were no more inawe of the State Toppers, but were more in awe of the CET Toppers,because thats what mattered now. One more dent to the spirit ofBombay. One more nail on the coffin. The current crop of teachersand students are rooting to revert back to the old system. Afterall, a student who slogs throughout the year studying forthe HSC, but unfortunately, cannot score in the CET (since themuggers haven’t been taught to apply what they have been taught), isbound to suffer from the fallacies of the system.That apart, I managed to get admission into one of the premierinstitutes in our country, and probably our continent, thanks tothat guy who gave up his seat only to secure admission into amedical college (that too by political pressure). I doff my hat tohim. Thank you again stranger. (It's not Salil I am talkingabout).
Since then, not much has changed, except for the beautification ofour vibrant city. 55 flyovers in a span of 5 years and at least 10multiplexes (with 23 more expected in New Bombay alone - would youbelieve that ??????) adorning the cityscape. There was a period ofconfusion within the government, because they were doing good work.There was a cleanliness drive inititated by our Famous Cultureminister, Pramod Navalkar, of that time. BMC had gone berserk,giving permission to every Tommy, Dick and Hariharan to buildflyovers along the arteries of the city. Protest galore by theresidents fell on deaf ears, and the city was witness to the zeal ofthe contruction powerhouses. Not only flyovers, new buildings, newtownships, new entertainment complexes and so on mushroomedthoughout the city. Suddenly, Crossroads was the "IN" place to "BE".I had attended one of the days during the month-long openingceremony of the First Mall of Mumbai. I was surprised to find myschool principal , Mrs. Shirley D'Silva in Ofran, with her husbandin tow. Poor guy, I felt kinda Bad for him. Audi or Toyota se petnahi bhara, Madam shopped for more than 2 lacs that nite. Wot afield day she must have had. The point I am trying to make is "therich bourgeouis class was slowly opening upto the commoners". Thosewho were considered "out of reach" were now withing spittingdistance. In fact, on that nite, I had the opportunity to ogle atsome of the best bodies in show-biz (Basu, Dino morea, ArjunRampal, Mehr Jessia, my principal(hehehe) and many more).
Enough of the past, now Back to The Future.Bombay (I will always call it that- let them stone my house orblacken my Maharaj's face) hadn't seen so many activities since the17th century when the whole island of Bombay was gifted by the Kingof Portugal, as a wedding gift to his daughter (I swear).Young politicians are now on the mantle manning the posts once heldby their fathers, in fact they were voted into power by the citizens.Now, these very guardians of our interests are turning their back tothe culture of this city, for which it has been renowned since timeimmemorial.
Let me unfold some recent events :-
- Deadlines for pubs and bars and lounges (not beyond 1...thoughsome maal-pani could ensure beyond)
- Closure of dance bars by government (which led to protests, noneby social activists though- those girls have actually startedoperating sex bars on the outskirts of the city)
- Rape of a teenage girl by a police hawaldar at marine drive chowky(the legal eagles- the direct result of the above mentionedregulations)
- Hawkers removed from the sea facing promenade at Nariman Point(where will all us kids go yaar ?)
- Nana-Nani Park planning to be used as a storage ground for statuesof national (irrational) leaders
- The last one which i am mentioning, which actually prompted me towrite this blog, was the removal of the book-sellers along thefootpath leading from VT (not CST) station to Churchgate. CAN UBELIEVE THE GALL THESE GUYS HAVE ???????? I mean, that’s the limit.All the above would have been unnoticed or even shooed away as aresult of bad governance. But THIS....This is absolutelyunpardonable. The books these guys sell will probably not bavailable anywhere else in the world, at unmentionably low prices.The bargains we struck were what dreams were made of.
I bid aterribly sad farewell to the dear hawkers, who in spite of beingnasty to most, were doing for a good cause.
Is this the beginning of THE END ?
Is Bombay Dying ?
I would like toend with this rhetoric....think about it.
Let me know ur comments.
The Wall
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