If you want to get your clothes washed & dried while you are wearing them and if you are one of those lucky personalities who travel the lengths and breadths of mumbai (mumbaay as it popularly pronounced mostly by those who don’t get or don’t need to travel in trains!) ………
okay……. so i was on that ki how you can ‘wash & dry’……
its actually simple than one might think.
1) Just get in any train from suburbs like Dombivli, Thane, Borivli etc. going ‘up’ towards CST or Churchgate between 8.00am and 9.00am.(The timing is to be followed strictly to get best results)
2) Don’t go finding any seat because this not just another day’s journey towards your workplaces, its the ‘wash & dry’ outing. [if you sit then the washing machine may not be able to work to its best ability as not entire area of your clothing will be exposed to the 'washing system' of ''suburb special fully automatic EMU ('electro motive unit') washing machine''. ]
3) Now get in local train and stand in the main passage with all your determination and the belief that at the end of it you will be entirely different person! {i.e. with emu wash & dried clothes}.
4) Now entirely out of proportion number of wishful commuters with the same objective as yours will get poured in , carrying with them their luggage and baggage.
But don’t you hesitate because these thing are setting up the washing cycle.
5) Now the motorman will set the program for washing cycle to either prg 1 = multistage slow washing (slow train) or the prg2= few step quick wash (fast train) [note :its highly recommended for short distance commuters to go for prg1 since the get more whirlpools and wriggling movements due to 'population dynamics' when emu stops at all stations ].
For long dist commuters the prg2 will do because the lesser number of whirlpools and wriggling movements are compensated by the jerks and synchronized movements they go through during the emu passes from long distance of fast patch.
6) And finally now its the drying time.
Now the washing cycle bifurkates as most of the wishful commuter get down the dadar(w) and dadar central stations and they get the liberty of carrying out the ‘drying’ in the free open air.
Those who are left in emu have two options for drying; 1st:they have they whole blast of air coming in from emu washing machine door or then the automatic drying fans which are placed on the upper wall of emu machine compartment. The 20 minutes drying is good enough to complete the ‘washing & drying’ cycle as you get ready to get down at your work station (karma bhumi).
…………Not everybody needs to be the model who worked in the ad of ”livin” jeans to get their clothes washed this way!
N.B.- If unfortunately you are living in areas like dadar then don’t expect the quality results as mentioned in company booklet. Central Mumbaikars can go down side and then again travel ‘up‘ to get one cycle [Bandra to Dadar] in the fully automatic ‘emu’ washing machine.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Shaandar Hair Cutting Salon!
The name says it all! Its situated among one of the many boulevards that Thane boasts of.. This street near my place is full of such shops which some small time traders have set up. There are kutchis, Shettys, Guptas and Yadavs among others who have made this street what it is today.. Among all these shops is Shaandar Hair cutting salon
I have been going there since I can remember.. My dad used to take me there.. I always hated my long locks being cut.. I dunno why, but it felt bad...very bad...like... like someone died.. Maybe it was coz of the tajis* you get the next day at school, or maybe its coz your teacher wanted you to cut your hair short and threatened to tie you a pony tail if you didnt.. Somehow not doing what the grownups want you to do always seemed cool to me (i still find it cool!) By tht logic, cutting your hair was so UNcool..
tajis*- the ritual(?) tht involves slapping the back of the head of the guy whos got a fresh cut. Kids usually stop tht once they get into the 5th grade..Well, most kids do..
So the point is tht my dad used to take me to Shaandar Hair cutting salon every 5-6th Sunday.. I had to come up with like really silly excuses for not having my locks cut and my dad had to come up with like really silly anecdotes to get my dark long locks cut- "You look like a monkey with your falling on your face like tht" (Little did he know tht a few years down the line someone with the very same credentials will rock Bollywood.. yeah SRK! )
I have no idea why we went to Shandaar.. Maybe coz it was nearest from home about 5 mins walk and we still took our car..Yeah lazy we were!
So we would get into Mr.Yadav's (tht was his name if I rem correctly) salon. Mr.Yadav is this big paan chewing guy who has the mother of all beer bellies... His teeth were stained but tht didnt seem to embarass him coz he laughed heartily at any silly thing tht his "boys" said in their Bihari accent..
Shaandar cutting was a small place, you walked 6-7 steps inside and you would hit the wall & I am talking first grader steps. Once inside, it felt like a really cool place to be in with the blue coloured plastered walls, mirrors on the walls, hindi magzines like "Sulekha" or something, radio playing songs from the 60s.. Now I, like any other self respecting rap loving, eminem worshiping fan didnt like those songs, but there is something about tht place, you wanna sing along Rajesh Khanna when he goes "mere sapno ki rani kab aayigi tu..chalii aaaa tuu chaliii aaaa..."
Tht place had a weird smell.. The smell of henna, V-John shaving cream, pan parag (or whtever tht is tht he used to chew), Raj ratan red coloured hair oil, pan parag (did i mention tht already?). And thn all these smells amalgamated together to give your olfactory lobe a high of a lifetime..
Mr. Yadav's modus operandi was simple.. Get the scissors and get snapping.. "Sab Barik kar dena" ("Cut it all short"), was all my dad had to say.. and Yadav uncle would dutifully cut my hair short, real short.. But thankfully my hair grew at a rapid pace and there I was again after 6 sundays!
Then I got into the 8th grade, the grade when suddenly your appearence becomes important coz of tht girl you been eyeing and she probably likes you for your cool locks.. You cut your hair and all tht remains of you is, well, uncool.. And they call us "shallow"!
I started going to Shaandar solo, I noticed he had taken dad's "Sab Barik kar dena" very seriously.. It was time I made a few modifications to this statement..
"Uncle, Kaan ke upar ke barik kar dena, baki lamba rakhna" (Cut the hair around the ears short, and dont touch the others..)
He didnt seem to like this new "kaan ke upar..." thingy. I got this feeling that he loved the "Sab barik kar dena" thing.. That maybe coz he got more freedom to snap his scissors tht way..
"Arre garmi ke din hai, barik karva lo" (Its summer time, u better get a short crop), Yadav uncle used to say mid-January!!!
He kept cuttin my hair the way he wanted, which was real short, and I didnt like it too much... I just kept waiting for a better salon to come up near my place.
I stopped going to Shandaar once I got into engg. Another place had come up near my house. This place had an AC, and it didnt smell, it had english mags, it had lesser mirrors... And yes, no pan parag. The guy who worked there was all cool and stuff with highlights in his hair and used to speak broken english. V-John cream was replaced by Gillette foam gel, Hair gel had taken the place of Raj-Ratan oil, cable TV instead of the radio... In one word, this place was COOL..
The other day, the place where I go usually, was closed and I needed a haircut, so I decided to go to Shaandar..
The place still smelt weird. And yes, there was paan parag around.
Mr.Yadav wrapped a white cloth around my collar
"Kaisa hai?", Mr. Yadav asked.
The mother of all beer bellies had become even bigger, like when you felt there can be no one bigger than "undertaker" and then "Khali" walks in.. The teeth were stainier than ever.. He looked old, half the hair had gone grey, he looked weary too. The condition of the salon wasnt too good either, it looked like a whitewash would help.. Sumhow I got the feeling tht business wasnt too good..
I was taken back by Mr.Yadav's "Kaisa hai?". For two reasons- First, he still remembered me! Its been 3 years since I have been here.. Second, he asked "Kaisa hai?" insted of "Kaise hain?" (which imparts more respect). But this guy knew me since I was 3 feet above the ground, so I guess it was ok..
"Theek hoon.."
"Aaj kal aate nahi aap"
I realised he shifted to a more respectful form of addressing. Sumhow I didnt like it very much. I have been used to being called "tu" by this guy and then all of a sudden he shifts to "aap". It makes you realise tht on the outside you are a grown man to the world.
"er..er.. Bahar rehta hoon aajkal"
How could I come up with a lie tht unconvincing..
"Sahab (refering to my dad) aate hain kabhi-kabhi "
"hmm.."
"Aap bhi aaya karo.."
"hmm..aaonga.."
"Ab toh dadhi banvane bhi aa sakte ho!!! HA HA HA HA"
Stained teeth still didnt embarass him
"hmm..aaonga.."
"Kaisa katun baal? Kaan ke upar ke barik kar deneka, baki lamba rakhne ka na?"
He still remembered how I wanted my hair!!
"Nahi uncle, Sab barik kar do....."
I still remembered how he wanted my hair!!
I have been going there since I can remember.. My dad used to take me there.. I always hated my long locks being cut.. I dunno why, but it felt bad...very bad...like... like someone died.. Maybe it was coz of the tajis* you get the next day at school, or maybe its coz your teacher wanted you to cut your hair short and threatened to tie you a pony tail if you didnt.. Somehow not doing what the grownups want you to do always seemed cool to me (i still find it cool!) By tht logic, cutting your hair was so UNcool..
tajis*- the ritual(?) tht involves slapping the back of the head of the guy whos got a fresh cut. Kids usually stop tht once they get into the 5th grade..Well, most kids do..
So the point is tht my dad used to take me to Shaandar Hair cutting salon every 5-6th Sunday.. I had to come up with like really silly excuses for not having my locks cut and my dad had to come up with like really silly anecdotes to get my dark long locks cut- "You look like a monkey with your falling on your face like tht" (Little did he know tht a few years down the line someone with the very same credentials will rock Bollywood.. yeah SRK! )
I have no idea why we went to Shandaar.. Maybe coz it was nearest from home about 5 mins walk and we still took our car..Yeah lazy we were!
So we would get into Mr.Yadav's (tht was his name if I rem correctly) salon. Mr.Yadav is this big paan chewing guy who has the mother of all beer bellies... His teeth were stained but tht didnt seem to embarass him coz he laughed heartily at any silly thing tht his "boys" said in their Bihari accent..
Shaandar cutting was a small place, you walked 6-7 steps inside and you would hit the wall & I am talking first grader steps. Once inside, it felt like a really cool place to be in with the blue coloured plastered walls, mirrors on the walls, hindi magzines like "Sulekha" or something, radio playing songs from the 60s.. Now I, like any other self respecting rap loving, eminem worshiping fan didnt like those songs, but there is something about tht place, you wanna sing along Rajesh Khanna when he goes "mere sapno ki rani kab aayigi tu..chalii aaaa tuu chaliii aaaa..."
Tht place had a weird smell.. The smell of henna, V-John shaving cream, pan parag (or whtever tht is tht he used to chew), Raj ratan red coloured hair oil, pan parag (did i mention tht already?). And thn all these smells amalgamated together to give your olfactory lobe a high of a lifetime..
Mr. Yadav's modus operandi was simple.. Get the scissors and get snapping.. "Sab Barik kar dena" ("Cut it all short"), was all my dad had to say.. and Yadav uncle would dutifully cut my hair short, real short.. But thankfully my hair grew at a rapid pace and there I was again after 6 sundays!
Then I got into the 8th grade, the grade when suddenly your appearence becomes important coz of tht girl you been eyeing and she probably likes you for your cool locks.. You cut your hair and all tht remains of you is, well, uncool.. And they call us "shallow"!
I started going to Shaandar solo, I noticed he had taken dad's "Sab Barik kar dena" very seriously.. It was time I made a few modifications to this statement..
"Uncle, Kaan ke upar ke barik kar dena, baki lamba rakhna" (Cut the hair around the ears short, and dont touch the others..)
He didnt seem to like this new "kaan ke upar..." thingy. I got this feeling that he loved the "Sab barik kar dena" thing.. That maybe coz he got more freedom to snap his scissors tht way..
"Arre garmi ke din hai, barik karva lo" (Its summer time, u better get a short crop), Yadav uncle used to say mid-January!!!
He kept cuttin my hair the way he wanted, which was real short, and I didnt like it too much... I just kept waiting for a better salon to come up near my place.
I stopped going to Shandaar once I got into engg. Another place had come up near my house. This place had an AC, and it didnt smell, it had english mags, it had lesser mirrors... And yes, no pan parag. The guy who worked there was all cool and stuff with highlights in his hair and used to speak broken english. V-John cream was replaced by Gillette foam gel, Hair gel had taken the place of Raj-Ratan oil, cable TV instead of the radio... In one word, this place was COOL..
The other day, the place where I go usually, was closed and I needed a haircut, so I decided to go to Shaandar..
The place still smelt weird. And yes, there was paan parag around.
Mr.Yadav wrapped a white cloth around my collar
"Kaisa hai?", Mr. Yadav asked.
The mother of all beer bellies had become even bigger, like when you felt there can be no one bigger than "undertaker" and then "Khali" walks in.. The teeth were stainier than ever.. He looked old, half the hair had gone grey, he looked weary too. The condition of the salon wasnt too good either, it looked like a whitewash would help.. Sumhow I got the feeling tht business wasnt too good..
I was taken back by Mr.Yadav's "Kaisa hai?". For two reasons- First, he still remembered me! Its been 3 years since I have been here.. Second, he asked "Kaisa hai?" insted of "Kaise hain?" (which imparts more respect). But this guy knew me since I was 3 feet above the ground, so I guess it was ok..
"Theek hoon.."
"Aaj kal aate nahi aap"
I realised he shifted to a more respectful form of addressing. Sumhow I didnt like it very much. I have been used to being called "tu" by this guy and then all of a sudden he shifts to "aap". It makes you realise tht on the outside you are a grown man to the world.
"er..er.. Bahar rehta hoon aajkal"
How could I come up with a lie tht unconvincing..
"Sahab (refering to my dad) aate hain kabhi-kabhi "
"hmm.."
"Aap bhi aaya karo.."
"hmm..aaonga.."
"Ab toh dadhi banvane bhi aa sakte ho!!! HA HA HA HA"
Stained teeth still didnt embarass him
"hmm..aaonga.."
"Kaisa katun baal? Kaan ke upar ke barik kar deneka, baki lamba rakhne ka na?"
He still remembered how I wanted my hair!!
"Nahi uncle, Sab barik kar do....."
I still remembered how he wanted my hair!!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
You know you are from Mumbai when....
You know you are from Mumbai when.....
1. Stock market quotes are the only other thing besides cricket which you follow passionately.
2. You take fashion seriously.
3. You spend more time travelling than you send at home.
4. 9:47 fast, means something to you.
5. You think tht delhi copied INDIA GATE frm mumbai's GATEWAY OF INDIA...
6. You're suspicious of strangers who are actually nice to you.
7. You consider eye contact an act of overt aggression.
8. Amitabh Bachans house is a landmark
9. When there's no place to breathe in the trains but there's place to play cards and sing bhajans!
10. You refer to the city as Mumbai and not Bombay .
11. You say that Pani Puri is waayy better than Gol Gappa's even when they're the same thing
12. Every three months you look at your street and say "Why're the digging the road again?"
13. You actually pay for your rickshaws by the meter.
14. You know what the term "video coach" stands for in the local trains...
15. "Gheun Tak" is your life ideology.
16. You aren't surprised when somebody throws a water balloon at you while you're walking on the streets during March.
17. You can only smile forgivingly about the size of any other city in the world.
18. Every time you speak Hindi in front of a Delhitite they have the WTF expression on their face.
19. When while giving directions you say "Right MARO aur wahan pe ek bridge GIREGA"
20. You have hung on to dear life at the local door.
21. When you think everyone who lives to the south (Mumbai) of you is a snooty and to the north of you sucks
22. When u c movie names like "Shootout at Lokhandwala" & 'Ek chalis ki last local" & don't have to ask what the name means
23. You consider the local train "empty" when you find a spot for your two feet to stand on.
24. When "chalta hai" is the most commonly used word
25. Everything to the north of Mumbai is UP-Bihar and everything below is Madras
26. If someone calls u "aap"-- u start laughing on their faces...
27. When you call the BEST bus, BST, even though BEST is painted on every single public transport bus operational in Bombay... err.. Mumbai
28. It takes longer to get off from your house to the station than from one end of Mumbai to another by train.
29. Being truly alone makes you nervous.
30. Crorepati, Lakhpati, Hazarpati, Chillarpati all travel in local Trains daily-together!.
31. You have learnt how to stand in a queue
32. U treat mumbai as a country itself
33. When you actually see random people coming to help you when u have a problem
34. U want to get into the train already that is already in motion & u have 5 hands taking u in..
35. You are back to work next day after the city is bombed - Truly the spirit of Mumbai
36. When you allow complete strangers to spend the night in your house because its raining outside and half the city is submerged...
1. Stock market quotes are the only other thing besides cricket which you follow passionately.
2. You take fashion seriously.
3. You spend more time travelling than you send at home.
4. 9:47 fast, means something to you.
5. You think tht delhi copied INDIA GATE frm mumbai's GATEWAY OF INDIA...
6. You're suspicious of strangers who are actually nice to you.
7. You consider eye contact an act of overt aggression.
8. Amitabh Bachans house is a landmark
9. When there's no place to breathe in the trains but there's place to play cards and sing bhajans!
10. You refer to the city as Mumbai and not Bombay .
11. You say that Pani Puri is waayy better than Gol Gappa's even when they're the same thing
12. Every three months you look at your street and say "Why're the digging the road again?"
13. You actually pay for your rickshaws by the meter.
14. You know what the term "video coach" stands for in the local trains...
15. "Gheun Tak" is your life ideology.
16. You aren't surprised when somebody throws a water balloon at you while you're walking on the streets during March.
17. You can only smile forgivingly about the size of any other city in the world.
18. Every time you speak Hindi in front of a Delhitite they have the WTF expression on their face.
19. When while giving directions you say "Right MARO aur wahan pe ek bridge GIREGA"
20. You have hung on to dear life at the local door.
21. When you think everyone who lives to the south (Mumbai) of you is a snooty and to the north of you sucks
22. When u c movie names like "Shootout at Lokhandwala" & 'Ek chalis ki last local" & don't have to ask what the name means
23. You consider the local train "empty" when you find a spot for your two feet to stand on.
24. When "chalta hai" is the most commonly used word
25. Everything to the north of Mumbai is UP-Bihar and everything below is Madras
26. If someone calls u "aap"-- u start laughing on their faces...
27. When you call the BEST bus, BST, even though BEST is painted on every single public transport bus operational in Bombay... err.. Mumbai
28. It takes longer to get off from your house to the station than from one end of Mumbai to another by train.
29. Being truly alone makes you nervous.
30. Crorepati, Lakhpati, Hazarpati, Chillarpati all travel in local Trains daily-together!.
31. You have learnt how to stand in a queue
32. U treat mumbai as a country itself
33. When you actually see random people coming to help you when u have a problem
34. U want to get into the train already that is already in motion & u have 5 hands taking u in..
35. You are back to work next day after the city is bombed - Truly the spirit of Mumbai
36. When you allow complete strangers to spend the night in your house because its raining outside and half the city is submerged...
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A city called Pune..
I was at Pune some time back.. Now like every true blue Mumbaikar, I have been brought up to look down at every city other than Mumbai..
I wasnt expecting anything special from Pune..
I was pleasantly surprised...
Some musings...
*There r more colleges on one street of Pune than all of Mumbai.
*The rickshawalas are allowed to joke.. Rs.800 for a 6km ride at 1 am? hahahahaha... so funny..
Another time another day..
Me: Jagtap dairy? kitna?
Rick: meter+half or return
Me: Nahi re.. itna paisa nahi hai
Rick: okay.. 90
Me:nahi 30 (something I learnt from my bargainin pro female frds..)
Rick: kya sahab.. chalo aapke liye 60..
Me: nahi yaar 30(man!! i am good..)
Rick: okay 50..
Me: roz ana padta hai yaar.. 50 roz-roz bahut costly hai..
Rick: (shifting to may marathi) 20 rupayat tumcha kay jaanar..
Me:(sticking to matrubhasha hindi) nahi yaar.. bahut costly hai..
Rick: aacha baitho
In bold letters MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!
Btw, we got to be good friends at the end of the ride.. he told me what buses to take and what all places to visit in Pune.. I asked him if he was on orkut and what his name on his profile was but then he thought i was getting too personal.. But he did tell me that he had his Ricks pic on his profile.. I have been searching for it ever since..
*There are only two age groups in Pune less than 25 and more than 55...There is no middle aged uncles/aunties around here..You will not find anyone around 35-40 walking the streets on Pune..I dunno how they do it..But I gotta feeling that the Govt. secretly kidnaps guys who are more than 25 yrs and less than 55.. To me, it looks like a social experiment.. Someone's got a better theory?
*Darvin derived inspiration for his theory of "Survival of the fittest" from the the Pune traffic.. The driving skills possessed by Punekars would make a Andheri bred-SV road driving-foul mouthing-horn honking rickshaw driver envious.. Punekars drive like they are playing a PC game.. Its like they gain extra point for cutting lanes and overtaking on flyovers..
If you dont overtake someone from the wrong side in the first 3 mins of driving its considered a foul.. You are red carded and ejected from the game for 90 mins.. what? seriously!!!
*The girls here are pretty, or so you guess..coz all of them have scarves around their faces with only their eyes showing... A lil tid-bit- Men in Afghanistan can tell a burkha clad womans age and how beautiful she must be just by noticing the spring in her step..Infact there are stories about how these Afghani men caught burkha clad female Russian spies just by noticing their walk.. I have become pretty much the Afghan myself...
*There so many scarves sold here... Girls, you know!! they have like 7 diff scarves for 7 different days - (baby pink for Monday, green for Tuesday, turquoise for Wednesday etc.).. btw, turquoise is a female version of blue..
According to the last budget 07-08, the sale of scarves in Pune contributes 0.3% to the country's GDP.. Its the second biggest industry in Pune after IT..
*Rahul was driving me around the city one day when this scarf clad girl picked up a race against us.. She beat us for the first half of the race, but the male chauvinists that we are we werent ready to accept defeat from a lady rider.. Rahul revved up the engine and beat her to the Pune university (thts where she was going we figured out).. For the record, the girl had an Activa while we had a fully loaded 180cc Pulsar..
*Pune is one of the few places which has an ideal boy-girl ratio.. Apparently ever guy with a bike has a girl(scarf-clad ofcourse..) on the back seat.. In much anticipation I asked my frds if they had found someone special, they hadnt.. it turns out they didnt have bikes!! Two of them had cars though, but as it turns out, cars dont do the trick.. How do u spell l-o-s-e-r-s?
*The apartments that I stayed in Pune deserve a special mention.. I stayed near the IT park in the burbs.. Huge apartments they have.. I stay in a 3BHK here in mumbai but flats in Pune are wayyy bigger... and their balconies.. hugeee balconies (half the size of the my bedroom)..The living room is the size of Eden gardens.. You could actually play Test matches there..(one tappi out ofcourse)
*I cant do without mentioning the weather..The weather is pleasant..
There was this day when I went sight seeing, I walked around 7-8 kms that afternoon, and not a drop of sweat!!
It doesnt rain tht much, but the temperature drops a good 5 degrees every night...With balconies big enough for you to play golf in, the evening is the best time to sit out there and soak in the scenery..
Both the apartments that I stayed in during the visit were on the 7th floor and offered quite a view of the city.. One word - Beautiful.. Dont tell Mumbai, but this was the first time I thought of settling outside mumbai..
If I have to compare between Mumbai and Pune, I would say Mumbai is like a middleaged businesswoman.. (It has to be a woman, a man wont wear the queen's necklace now, would he?) Shes well established, respected and powerful.. She has worked hard to get where she is now.. shes always busy.. she never sleeps... shes enterprising.. shes colourful.. shes fantastic!
Pune on the other hand is a 15 yr old.. Shes fun loving.. Shes beautiful, just like most girls are when they are 15.. shes got a few pimples here and there, but they only add to her beauty.. Shes growing up.. shes busy, but not coz she has to attend business meetings, shes busy coz she has to meet her frds or go shopping or do other girlie stuff..
As different as they are, they both are special in their own way... For the first time I am finding it difficult to choose between Mumbai and some other city.. And I thought this day would never come..
I wasnt expecting anything special from Pune..
I was pleasantly surprised...
Some musings...
*There r more colleges on one street of Pune than all of Mumbai.
*The rickshawalas are allowed to joke.. Rs.800 for a 6km ride at 1 am? hahahahaha... so funny..
Another time another day..
Me: Jagtap dairy? kitna?
Rick: meter+half or return
Me: Nahi re.. itna paisa nahi hai
Rick: okay.. 90
Me:nahi 30 (something I learnt from my bargainin pro female frds..)
Rick: kya sahab.. chalo aapke liye 60..
Me: nahi yaar 30(man!! i am good..)
Rick: okay 50..
Me: roz ana padta hai yaar.. 50 roz-roz bahut costly hai..
Rick: (shifting to may marathi) 20 rupayat tumcha kay jaanar..
Me:(sticking to matrubhasha hindi) nahi yaar.. bahut costly hai..
Rick: aacha baitho
In bold letters MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!
Btw, we got to be good friends at the end of the ride.. he told me what buses to take and what all places to visit in Pune.. I asked him if he was on orkut and what his name on his profile was but then he thought i was getting too personal.. But he did tell me that he had his Ricks pic on his profile.. I have been searching for it ever since..
*There are only two age groups in Pune less than 25 and more than 55...There is no middle aged uncles/aunties around here..You will not find anyone around 35-40 walking the streets on Pune..I dunno how they do it..But I gotta feeling that the Govt. secretly kidnaps guys who are more than 25 yrs and less than 55.. To me, it looks like a social experiment.. Someone's got a better theory?
*Darvin derived inspiration for his theory of "Survival of the fittest" from the the Pune traffic.. The driving skills possessed by Punekars would make a Andheri bred-SV road driving-foul mouthing-horn honking rickshaw driver envious.. Punekars drive like they are playing a PC game.. Its like they gain extra point for cutting lanes and overtaking on flyovers..
If you dont overtake someone from the wrong side in the first 3 mins of driving its considered a foul.. You are red carded and ejected from the game for 90 mins.. what? seriously!!!
*The girls here are pretty, or so you guess..coz all of them have scarves around their faces with only their eyes showing... A lil tid-bit- Men in Afghanistan can tell a burkha clad womans age and how beautiful she must be just by noticing the spring in her step..Infact there are stories about how these Afghani men caught burkha clad female Russian spies just by noticing their walk.. I have become pretty much the Afghan myself...
*There so many scarves sold here... Girls, you know!! they have like 7 diff scarves for 7 different days - (baby pink for Monday, green for Tuesday, turquoise for Wednesday etc.).. btw, turquoise is a female version of blue..
According to the last budget 07-08, the sale of scarves in Pune contributes 0.3% to the country's GDP.. Its the second biggest industry in Pune after IT..
*Rahul was driving me around the city one day when this scarf clad girl picked up a race against us.. She beat us for the first half of the race, but the male chauvinists that we are we werent ready to accept defeat from a lady rider.. Rahul revved up the engine and beat her to the Pune university (thts where she was going we figured out).. For the record, the girl had an Activa while we had a fully loaded 180cc Pulsar..
*Pune is one of the few places which has an ideal boy-girl ratio.. Apparently ever guy with a bike has a girl(scarf-clad ofcourse..) on the back seat.. In much anticipation I asked my frds if they had found someone special, they hadnt.. it turns out they didnt have bikes!! Two of them had cars though, but as it turns out, cars dont do the trick.. How do u spell l-o-s-e-r-s?
*The apartments that I stayed in Pune deserve a special mention.. I stayed near the IT park in the burbs.. Huge apartments they have.. I stay in a 3BHK here in mumbai but flats in Pune are wayyy bigger... and their balconies.. hugeee balconies (half the size of the my bedroom)..The living room is the size of Eden gardens.. You could actually play Test matches there..(one tappi out ofcourse)
*I cant do without mentioning the weather..The weather is pleasant..
There was this day when I went sight seeing, I walked around 7-8 kms that afternoon, and not a drop of sweat!!
It doesnt rain tht much, but the temperature drops a good 5 degrees every night...With balconies big enough for you to play golf in, the evening is the best time to sit out there and soak in the scenery..
Both the apartments that I stayed in during the visit were on the 7th floor and offered quite a view of the city.. One word - Beautiful.. Dont tell Mumbai, but this was the first time I thought of settling outside mumbai..
If I have to compare between Mumbai and Pune, I would say Mumbai is like a middleaged businesswoman.. (It has to be a woman, a man wont wear the queen's necklace now, would he?) Shes well established, respected and powerful.. She has worked hard to get where she is now.. shes always busy.. she never sleeps... shes enterprising.. shes colourful.. shes fantastic!
Pune on the other hand is a 15 yr old.. Shes fun loving.. Shes beautiful, just like most girls are when they are 15.. shes got a few pimples here and there, but they only add to her beauty.. Shes growing up.. shes busy, but not coz she has to attend business meetings, shes busy coz she has to meet her frds or go shopping or do other girlie stuff..
As different as they are, they both are special in their own way... For the first time I am finding it difficult to choose between Mumbai and some other city.. And I thought this day would never come..
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Pho-chi-po aarthat Phod-Ni-Chi-Poli
China has just announced the aassal konkanastha brahmin's recipe, Phod-Ni- Chi-Poli to be one of their recipes which they would like the world to know as one of their greatest ever ancient recipes about which they showed enough generosity to let people change those recipes and thus this 'Pho-Chi-Po' always managed to avoid getting sidelined as it evolved with changing times which were also testing times ('taste'ting) to be able to meet the ever-changing demands of taste buds; and remained the bestseller at Fast-Food-stalls.
The Chinese historians also gave an explanation to answer for the claim of the IPR's of phodnichi poli by the very angry and disgusted Kobra mahasangh of akhil KONKAN; in which Chinese say that the far generousness and trustworthiness shown by the Chinese people in terms of not being much possessive about the IPR's of the pho chi po when it started its journey towards Indian subcontinent; was actually out of the fact that they being ignorant about the ability of kobra's to make some moves which generally seem to be far away from being legally illegal.
So, sharp intruding strategies need not always be from the people having sharp facial features.....since Chinese people managed doing it!!
The Chinese historians also gave an explanation to answer for the claim of the IPR's of phodnichi poli by the very angry and disgusted Kobra mahasangh of akhil KONKAN; in which Chinese say that the far generousness and trustworthiness shown by the Chinese people in terms of not being much possessive about the IPR's of the pho chi po when it started its journey towards Indian subcontinent; was actually out of the fact that they being ignorant about the ability of kobra's to make some moves which generally seem to be far away from being legally illegal.
So, sharp intruding strategies need not always be from the people having sharp facial features.....since Chinese people managed doing it!!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Goodbye Sourav : meet your destination..
This is a pretty long post.. Such a day comes in a players life only once, and I think he deserves the perfect farewell for all that he has done for the game. This is more than a farewell though.. This is about what Dada means to this blogger.
On the off side, first there is God then there is Ganguly!
- Rahul Dravid
There comes a time in everyones life when they want someone who could make everything right.. We look in different directions to find that one hero who makes us believe in ourselves.. some find the hero in their best friend, some in their teachers, some in themselves, I found him in Sourav Chandidas Ganguly..
I was 12 when he first hit that maiden century at Lords.. I don't think at that point I saw him as a hero.. He was just another bespectacled kid who had a moustache which looked like it had been pasted on.. Well, he was 23 back then, not so much a kid, but that age is adolescence in a cricketers life..
The reason why I feel so close to Dada is coz I have grown up with him.. Ofcourse there is a 12 year difference between our ages, but I have grown up seeing him evolve as a player and then as a Leader..
Dada became my hero when he became the captain of the Indian side. He changed the face of Indian cricket.. No, Sachin Tendulkar didn't change the face of Indian Cricket, with due respect to the batting maestro, piling up 15k runs doesn't amount to changing the face of Indian cricket.. If you saw India meekly surrender matches in the 1990s and then fight till the last ball in the 2000s, you will understand what a force Dada has been in this team and how he has changed the way we look at Indian cricket..
When you are a teenager theres nothing more important than proving that your hero kicks every other hero's ass... Mumbai is predominantly anti-dada. I remember spending hours arguing with my friends and family proving Dada's contribution to the game is unparalleled.. Now he might not be as good as batsman as Tendulkar, Dravid or Laxman. But his batting coupled with his captaincy, makes him as tall as the aforementioned.. perhaps taller..
Dada's arrogance is legendary but so is his trust in his players. His coming late for the toss, keeping Steve Waugh waiting showed that we were ready to give it back to them.. every glare was returned...every question answered..F words flying everywhere.. every player backed -from Yuvraj to Harbhajan.. barechested bonhomie on the Lords balcony as the English watched bewildered... thats passion..
If I am not wrong, in the last 10 years, no Indian cricketer has lost more percentage of his match fee to disciplinary action than Sourav... Every third match he lost 20 to 50% of his match fee! That brashness however brought something intangible to the team.. Something that was very untypical to Indians.. The freedom to do what they wanted to, if they felt it was right..
Sourav is a dreamer... a believer.. an administrator.. a motivator.. the perfect friend.. the honest foe.. He taught us to believe in ourselves, back the people we love, give it back to the men who bully you, kick butt, and above all do what you think is right..
Do what you think is right! This has been his philosophy all along, hasn't it? He married Dona (who for me is still among the most desirable women in the country) against his family's wishes.. Backed Bhajji when he wasn't among the wickets, backed Yuvraj when he wasn't a 6x6 force..
Then one day, admists allegations of sourav faking injuries, he was unceremoniously dropped..
Remember how a certain selector had declared that Ganguly wont get selected till hes in the selection committee..?
Dada was pushed into oblivion. The media spent precious air time to justify the move.. Everyone said Dadas time was up.. Dadas detractors were having the last laugh.. Back in college , I gave up on discussions with my friends.. There was nothing left to say... I was tired, of all the injustice being dealt to the man who had made the Indian team what it is today.. Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh did stand up for Dada, imagine such a thing happening in the politically driven BCCI.. They were very young back then, had the entire career ahead of them, still they stood up for their captain... that gesture summed up the importance of dada in the team.. it was his team..
Slowly everybody accepted the fact that Dada's chapter was over.. Even Sourav's family members thought so...
Here is what Sourav's father had to say - "I thought my son had gone mad. He would bat in the living room at 12 in the night. He would make the servant bowl. I wanted his mother to tell him that it cant be done... that he cant make it to the Indian team..."
I remember telling my dad (whos not much of a dada fan) that he ll make it... it will take him 1 yr..2 yrs.. 5 yrs.. but he will comeback..
He had to comeback.. for his fans.. for everyone who idolised him... It hurts when you realise the one you idolise are as human as you are.. Failure is as much a part of their lives as it is yours.. But still you want your hero to dust it off and give it a last try..
The selection committee changed.. Sourav returned.. and how!
I feel he still has a couple of years of cricket left in him.. But this statement from him says it all..
"I was tired of being humiliated again and again. I don't want to play cricket at the mercy of others," Sourav Ganguly said in an interview..
India's most successful captain ever! And this is how bitter he has gotten..! I have always felt India lacks good leaders and now I know why.. Coz anyone who tries to make a difference, work against the system is pushed and poked, screwed and humiliated..till he gives up..
Now that he is retiring from the game, I am reminded of this story..
Samrat Ashok travels through his empire dressed as a commoner when a monk asks him who he was..
Ashok: Me? - A traveller..
Monk: Your presence says you are not that ordinary..
Ashok: What does it say? -(smiling) That I am a prince?
Monk: Even Princes are ordinary.. You seem to be greater than them..
Ashok: (quizzically)Who's greater than a Prince?
Monk: A traveller- when he meets his destination..
This Thursday when he wears the Indian whites for the last time, I hope he meets his destination..
Dada, you have made us proud...
Goodbye dear friend.. It wont be the same without you....
Thank you for the memories....
On the off side, first there is God then there is Ganguly!
- Rahul Dravid
There comes a time in everyones life when they want someone who could make everything right.. We look in different directions to find that one hero who makes us believe in ourselves.. some find the hero in their best friend, some in their teachers, some in themselves, I found him in Sourav Chandidas Ganguly..
I was 12 when he first hit that maiden century at Lords.. I don't think at that point I saw him as a hero.. He was just another bespectacled kid who had a moustache which looked like it had been pasted on.. Well, he was 23 back then, not so much a kid, but that age is adolescence in a cricketers life..
The reason why I feel so close to Dada is coz I have grown up with him.. Ofcourse there is a 12 year difference between our ages, but I have grown up seeing him evolve as a player and then as a Leader..
Dada became my hero when he became the captain of the Indian side. He changed the face of Indian cricket.. No, Sachin Tendulkar didn't change the face of Indian Cricket, with due respect to the batting maestro, piling up 15k runs doesn't amount to changing the face of Indian cricket.. If you saw India meekly surrender matches in the 1990s and then fight till the last ball in the 2000s, you will understand what a force Dada has been in this team and how he has changed the way we look at Indian cricket..
When you are a teenager theres nothing more important than proving that your hero kicks every other hero's ass... Mumbai is predominantly anti-dada. I remember spending hours arguing with my friends and family proving Dada's contribution to the game is unparalleled.. Now he might not be as good as batsman as Tendulkar, Dravid or Laxman. But his batting coupled with his captaincy, makes him as tall as the aforementioned.. perhaps taller..
Dada's arrogance is legendary but so is his trust in his players. His coming late for the toss, keeping Steve Waugh waiting showed that we were ready to give it back to them.. every glare was returned...every question answered..F words flying everywhere.. every player backed -from Yuvraj to Harbhajan.. barechested bonhomie on the Lords balcony as the English watched bewildered... thats passion..
If I am not wrong, in the last 10 years, no Indian cricketer has lost more percentage of his match fee to disciplinary action than Sourav... Every third match he lost 20 to 50% of his match fee! That brashness however brought something intangible to the team.. Something that was very untypical to Indians.. The freedom to do what they wanted to, if they felt it was right..
Sourav is a dreamer... a believer.. an administrator.. a motivator.. the perfect friend.. the honest foe.. He taught us to believe in ourselves, back the people we love, give it back to the men who bully you, kick butt, and above all do what you think is right..
Do what you think is right! This has been his philosophy all along, hasn't it? He married Dona (who for me is still among the most desirable women in the country) against his family's wishes.. Backed Bhajji when he wasn't among the wickets, backed Yuvraj when he wasn't a 6x6 force..
Then one day, admists allegations of sourav faking injuries, he was unceremoniously dropped..
Remember how a certain selector had declared that Ganguly wont get selected till hes in the selection committee..?
Dada was pushed into oblivion. The media spent precious air time to justify the move.. Everyone said Dadas time was up.. Dadas detractors were having the last laugh.. Back in college , I gave up on discussions with my friends.. There was nothing left to say... I was tired, of all the injustice being dealt to the man who had made the Indian team what it is today.. Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh did stand up for Dada, imagine such a thing happening in the politically driven BCCI.. They were very young back then, had the entire career ahead of them, still they stood up for their captain... that gesture summed up the importance of dada in the team.. it was his team..
Slowly everybody accepted the fact that Dada's chapter was over.. Even Sourav's family members thought so...
Here is what Sourav's father had to say - "I thought my son had gone mad. He would bat in the living room at 12 in the night. He would make the servant bowl. I wanted his mother to tell him that it cant be done... that he cant make it to the Indian team..."
I remember telling my dad (whos not much of a dada fan) that he ll make it... it will take him 1 yr..2 yrs.. 5 yrs.. but he will comeback..
He had to comeback.. for his fans.. for everyone who idolised him... It hurts when you realise the one you idolise are as human as you are.. Failure is as much a part of their lives as it is yours.. But still you want your hero to dust it off and give it a last try..
The selection committee changed.. Sourav returned.. and how!
I feel he still has a couple of years of cricket left in him.. But this statement from him says it all..
"I was tired of being humiliated again and again. I don't want to play cricket at the mercy of others," Sourav Ganguly said in an interview..
India's most successful captain ever! And this is how bitter he has gotten..! I have always felt India lacks good leaders and now I know why.. Coz anyone who tries to make a difference, work against the system is pushed and poked, screwed and humiliated..till he gives up..
Now that he is retiring from the game, I am reminded of this story..
Samrat Ashok travels through his empire dressed as a commoner when a monk asks him who he was..
Ashok: Me? - A traveller..
Monk: Your presence says you are not that ordinary..
Ashok: What does it say? -(smiling) That I am a prince?
Monk: Even Princes are ordinary.. You seem to be greater than them..
Ashok: (quizzically)Who's greater than a Prince?
Monk: A traveller- when he meets his destination..
This Thursday when he wears the Indian whites for the last time, I hope he meets his destination..
Dada, you have made us proud...
Goodbye dear friend.. It wont be the same without you....
Thank you for the memories....
Saturday, November 1, 2008
My First Post!
Well...had to start my own blog!
However,readers should note tht it will not be a Daily blog...The reason? - I m godamn lazy, maybe not godamn lazy, but just plain lazy nevertheless!!
So spurred by my fav blogger - Gaurav Sabnis, im taking a plung into the blogger world. Bloggers of my region (Mulund, Thane, Bhandup, Ghatkopar) brace yourself... apun aa gaya hai!!!
However,readers should note tht it will not be a Daily blog...The reason? - I m godamn lazy, maybe not godamn lazy, but just plain lazy nevertheless!!
So spurred by my fav blogger - Gaurav Sabnis, im taking a plung into the blogger world. Bloggers of my region (Mulund, Thane, Bhandup, Ghatkopar) brace yourself... apun aa gaya hai!!!
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