3WW?

This is India's WTC?..3rd World War?..

Last night a friend sent an SMS which had content like.. saluting the brave soldiers who died fighting the terrorists. Jai Hind! Pass on this message..At least we can do this much..

Yeah, we can forward a text message so that mobile operators can cash in on the SMSs sent.
At least we can do that..

We can allow businesses in most parts of the city to go on as usual, even in this situation, so that our clients elsewhere in the world do not get affected. We can later claim to be "the Mumbaiites", from a city that has an undying spirit..
At least we can do that..

We can allow news channels like India TV to show any crap they can get their hands on.Of course, we are a democracy, we can claim to have an independent media which can run after victims for bites on the terror they'd have faced..
At least we can do that..

We can create websites and portals for webbies to light virtual candles, to pray, for peace, for souls who lost their lives, for those who lost their loved ones..
At least we can do that..

Give me a break..
We need to grow up..At least we can do that..

27th Nov 2008

The other day..one of my neighbours wanted me to change the keeping place of my dustbin, and I fought for my space rights..I accused him of invading my privacy..After all I have the right to
decide where I keep my things and who's he? An outsider? Who gave him the authority?

Today, I feel helpless, restless, sleepless..

Yesterday, someone invaded my home.. "Mumbai" has been my home for three years now..Someone ruthlessly..killed my family, my friends, held captive my fellow citizens..snatched my peace of mind..trampled the serenity around me...took my freedom away....

I cried..but that does not make me feel any better..because thats so unlike me..I feel like holding each one who is responsible for this by their collar..okie frankly..by their hair..and beating them black and blue..till they say they wont dare to do this again to my country..to my India.

But..where do I go? whom do I accuse? The terrorists, who have ambiguous identities? or the politicians, who are more interested in Vada Pav business? The State police, who is not even equipped to fight what is actually, international terrorism? The Center, who calls an EMERGENCY CABINET MEET 14 hrs after the attack? The Maritime Security? The ATS?

Please tell me where should I go? Whom should I ask? Listen to?

Can anyone answer my questions, please?

Through all this mayhem, I remember a song I learnt during my schooling, ( Paloma Blanca was a country fighting from freedom)

Ooola Paloma Blanca....I am just a bird in the sky...
Ooola paloma blanca....over the mountains I fly..
NO ONE CAN TAKE MY FREEDOM AWAY.....

But,

Is anyone listening?

19th Nov 2008

Since last 1 week, I have hardly slept. Not that I watched a horror flick.

I had my encounters with the "genus rattus".
Of course, my roomie was party to the party.
One pretty moonlit-sunlit dawn was "rattled" by my roomie's scream.She was so convinced that a frog had just jumped over her leg and leaped to the other room. I, the brave one, was so convinced that she had a bad dream.
In any case, "the frog" had leaped to another room, we decided to close the door of our room and sleep.
Then, I saw the "genus rattus" right beside my clothes pile, and let out the most hysterical vocal noise one can produce, which scared the creature to death, and it refused to come out of the closet till morning!

Barely two days later, I was accused of suffering from hallucinations by my
roomie, for, from every eerie noise to a flutter of paper, I felt we were in for another encounter.
And yes!! there it was. Dancing merrily upon my CDs collection. This time
there was no screaming. We dealt the situation so professionally, called
the watchman and sent the creature away hastily.

Now, we keep the sliding doors, shut tight to suffocation to avoid any more disturbances. And I hate that so much!! I need some fresh air!!

17th Nov 2008

Here's an excerpt from an article published in the Guardian, and I am so disappointed with it.

"Democracy in India is too immature to produce a President Obama. Although the country has had a Muslim nuclear scientist as president, a Sikh economist as prime minister and a Roman Catholic woman as leader of the biggest party, these are merely outcomes of patronage. All were picked to be leaders, and only Sonia Gandhi enjoyed a popular mandate to be prime minister, one she could not accept, as the Hindu nationalist party threatened to campaign against her on the basis of religion. It would be like white American politicians saying they could not co-operate with Obama because he was black.

Indians love the symbolism of Obama, and many compare their impressive Dalit politician Mayawati with him. In politics, symbols are important. A black man in the White House is powerful stuff, just as a Dalit woman as prime minister would be in India."

I wish the writer had chosen a neater and better premise for comparisons between Obama and Mayawati.

Obama is a Harvard Law School pass out. Mayawati may be does not even know what Harvard is. He is fully qualified to lead an influential country such as the US.

Only being Black, for a change(that too after 200 years of independence) , or being a dalit is no qualification for ushering in a "Change".

ITC Dakshin

14th Nov 2008

Hey everyone..just in case you are hungry, just in case you feel a little southie in your tongue,..check out ITC Grand Maratha's restaurant "ITC Dakshin"..completely authentic south indian food..heaven!!!

Mr X and Me

13th Nov 2008

Long Long ago, once upon a time there was a Russian traveller. Forget about the name because we will take another century and high level hybrid genetic mutation to be able to spell that russian's name.
Lets call him "X".
So, this X landed in India to explore the country, at that time more densely populated with trees, tigers, leopards. Yet, India, minus the Cyber giant tag, intrigued him very much, or so he says. His account made him go into history books. So,what did he like about India?
Thats the point I tried to explore.

X was very fascinated by "Paan". He happened to meet an English lady whose husband was with East India Company. So he asked her, "What is this red-blood like thing that every man and woman seems to be chewing all the time?"
The lady explained, "It is 'the paan'. Its not red in colour. Its actually beetle leaf wrapped inwards 4-5 times with some nuts/tobacco, and some limestone to give the red colour". Very impressed with the description, X asked if he could have one.
The lady wrapped 2 paans and gave one to X. What he felt, in his own words, "My head jolted and swirled.It was spinning.My tongue felt dry, bitter. Everything around me zoomed. I felt nauseated and felt I would collapse."

I dont know what the English lady gave him, but this seems more like describing an indigestion problem. Ironically, paan is good for digestion.

Anyways, I too feel the same way about paan with a difference though. I feel the same way for the "paan spittle". My feelings are worse than X's. Sometimes I think all these spitters are an organization out to terrorize others who dont spit. On the face of it, schizophrenia is more serious than indigestion. Its time they put my name in current affairs.

Its a mystery why X did not include paan spittle in his account. May be, he got used to it. I will never buy the story that people did not spit in erstwhile India. Worse, may be he too started to spit. You know, be a roman in rome kind of stuff..

Next time somebody asks you what you are likely find in all corners if India, you can be safe from being labelled ignorant. Just say 'paan spittle'. Tell them, everywhere, from staircases to lifts, from buildings to monuments, from trains to train stations, from autos to buses, from every old hoarding to a new one, 'Spit' rules!! So much for our colourful culture and traditions!!

MTI

3rd Nov 2008
MTI
You know Engliss is a bhery dipphicult langubhage. Looks very Zimblle though.Should go to an
engliss medium isskool to learn it.It is the bijiness langubhage of the wurald.I am lerrning.Yee,Bee,Cee,Dee...Yen,Yum, yand all.BHat?? bhat did you say jest now? bhat is MTI?
MOTHER TONGUE INFLUENCE

Sporty Enough R U?

2nd Nov 2008
I was looking at this pic of this woman..Sarah Palin..and somebody was telling me she is a hockey mom.That set me thinking.
Mom who plays hockey..mom who can teach her kids how to play hockey..mom who watches hockey
on TV..mom who..ok..wow..

But,
what has hockey or mommys or hockey mommys got to do with elections? , I fail to understand.
But,
my being a so dumb will not affect the American Presidential Elections.Lucky guys they are
:-)

Back home in India, I found a serious problem. The President of India, Pratibha Patil's life
was under threat from some anti-national elements, while she was visiting Pune recently.
Aww, with all due respect to the Jai Maharashtra spirit, Pune is in Maharashtra and Pratibha
Patil is quite the Marathi Manoos, but thats a different story.

So, as I was reading this piece posted on a news website, I happened to scroll down to
comments section, where a reader cheekily commented, "Who knows her(Pratibha Patil)??
hahaha".
Well, of course, she is not cricket mom or crickety mom or whatever.

And then, may be Mrs Gandhi can be the "hide n seek mom", and Mr Raj Thakerey can be the
"Catch me if you can dad".
Mr Advani and Mr Chiranjeevi can be the "marathon (read Rath yatra) dads", although
Chiranjeevi needs some real practice.
Mr Somnath Chaterjee can be the "dog in the (wrong) bone dad". Mr Laloo can be the "cricket
dad", given the fact that he has the honour of having a cricket team right inside his house.
Mr Modi and Ms Banerjee can be the "Catch-Throw Dad-Mom" respectively.
Ms Mayawati can take the title of the "refree mom". I coudnt find anything else for her :-).
Add to this list we have a whole Lok Sabha of circus dads and moms.

One of my dear friends is pregnant and has me worried. She wants to be a "Tennis mom", and I
dont want her to be the next president !!!