Prying on the paparazzi

01 July 2008 - Another day in the history of Bombay when 80-90% people got a week day off thanks to the rains or the inefficient Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The rain kept pouring all night long to stop traffic, delay trains, and flood almost all of Bombay. A tight slap in the face of the thick-skinned BMC officials who had proudly claimed that they have the situation under control.
I happened to watch a lot of TV thanks to the fact that my VNC was conking off every other minute making it impossible for me to work from home.
Here are some observations:

• Reporters from Aaj Tak channel were promptly questioning some Sati Devi from the weather department on how long the rains will last. The poor lady (God bless her ignorant soul) quickly fore casted 48 hours of heavy rainfall. Beyond that, she said she wouldn't know and I don't want to punish her for that. It is a different story though that the rain stopped at 11 am itself. So much for warnings like 'Don't step out of your house unless your work is really urgent'. Besides, she was quick to point out that she is not responsible for the high tide warnings, 'It is not our department's job, please ask concerned department' to the hapless reporter.
• Meanwhile, these news channels not only keep following celebrities, they don't leave our Gods and saints in peace too. They actually have the guts to come up with new mythological, theological, actually illogical theories about everyone and anyone even remotely famous (or infamous). Be it film stars and starlets like the media's dahling Rakhi Sawant or Mika, saints like Saibaba, Gods like Hanuman, they seem to do some research on all of these. Sometimes they come up with UFO theories or with weird stuff like flying women spotted and all that rot! Then there is this whole madness about Supposed Real Horror Stories, they go to every other eerie looking haveli and awake ghosts there. But what is most upsetting is the way they portray little kids like Arushi. (The unfortunate 14 year old who was murdered along with her house help in Noida, near Delhi.) These people actually managed to get her SMSes and discussed the girl's boyfriends, love life and even made speculations of a possible incest like situation in the family. I don't know how true the allegation of her parents being her murderers is but like my brother said the other day, 'Her soul must be so tormented and scarred with all the nuisance that has been carried on in the name of coverage by the media.' God bless her soul and may justice prevail but I do feel that the media is crossing limits and trying to be a higher court and police system than the existing one in the country.
  Methinks, we need to have a law that should bar them from making irresponsible statements. But then they would all be looking for new jobs, won't they?
• In the evening, some channel was busy showing a live cat fight between an Indian cricketer's, Goni's wife and mother. The two were accusing each other of being gold-diggers, opportunistic women with lowly backgrounds.... . And you really had to watch the glow on the face of the newsreader who was dishing out this daily soap material to the viewers. My brother asked me if this reporter jerk would be just as happy if he were to report his own wife and mom fighting like this on national Television. And then, a gem of an idea was born.

Conclusion: Methinks, I should gather anyone and everyone despising these new channels and come up with my own channel. This channel and its employees will have only one goal in life - to make the lives of all other news channels readers and reporters miserable. As sadistic as it may sound, we need to understand here that for once the focus will be on the dark karmas of these air-brained souls and their affairs. Let's see how well they answer when we question them on their dirty secrets or better still just follow their every move. Any takers for this business idea of the year? :-P

Bring in the hues to fight away the blues!

There's been no time to sit and ponder since I've been back from my Europe tour. I'm yet to write a detailed post on those unforgettable days of my life. Staying back in office to meet deadlines and rushing back home to finish household chores would have really bogged me down. Until, I discovered the new love of my life, Sketching, currently the biggest stress buster of my life.I'm a firm believer that the simplest things in life give you more joy than you have the capacity to take in. And how true it is!

It happened all of a sudden, I just saw some kids drawing in the neighbourhood and felt I should give it a try. That same evening, I bought a sketchbook, some crayons, and colour pencils. Let me warn you, my drawing skills are even worse than amateur,if you will. The only thing I draw well is the typical Home and tree next to it that I was taught in Standard I. But trust me on this, even when I just scribble and make inexplicable patterns I'm as happy and excited as a school girl. It really makes me forget the many pressures of grown up life. (No, I don't mean sketching or painting is only meant for kids but it really transcends me into my childhood world).

Initially, my mom laughed it away saying that this would be like one my millions of hobbies I grew wary of and forgot. But it's been over a month and I do sketch on an almost daily basis. Since I really can't draw human faces that well, I do a lot of landscapes.

These colours have a calming, an almost therapeutic effect on me. Each sunset orange and yellow brightens me up, all my blues get washed away by the many tints of of the skies and waters I paint. The green in the grass and leaves rejuvenates me, and the simple red, pink, purple flowers make my heart sing with joy at the end of the day. Reading, sketching, writing, music, playing any musical instrument - just try any one of these or similar activities in your free time and see how happy the these simple pleasures of life can make you.

Europe—The Final Countdown!

I am finally going to realize one of the biggest dreams of my life in a few days from now. Going to Europe with friends is on the wish list of every person who is not born on that continent. After all who can resist the many temptations on offer! Ergo, all my savings will be put to some good use on this pleasure trip (So what if it is a cost saver, eh? - I will still have the time of my life!). If you’d like to know the places we’re going, have a look at the SOTC link, http://www.sotc.co.in/CSEurope/CSAllEuropeHigh.html.

Now that we (Chandana, Philomena, and me) have announced our trip to family and friends, lots of tips and travel suggestions seem to be pouring from all directions. Initially, we were surprised at the mixed responses by way of bitter-sweet comments. Some friends and family were thrilled to no extent and happy that we are actually fulfilling our travel plans, while others were skeptical. Some people even asked us why we are bothering to go to Europe by ourselves as the propah time to travel is after one is married. Three single girls traveling to a different continent itself was a fact hard to swallow for them and of course, there were also those who thought we are probably eloping away with boyfriends!

When we signed up for the trip, we had no clue that this vacation would require us to fill in so many forms, visa applications, et al. In fact, we started looking travel brochures in December and it is almost 4 months now. Anyone who is planning a similar trip, one word of advice—Patience! It is this virtue that you shall require the most. From sweet talking travel agents to loan agents (in case you are applying for a personal loan, that is). It is truly a test of the human spirit!
By the way, one thing that struck me the most was that if you are a single woman, you need to provide No Objection Letters (NOC) from your parents to ensure visa authorities that you have sought their authorization for travel. However, men do not have to fuss around with such menial things. In this day and age, I find this discrimination totally unnecessary. All these hurdles are a thing of the past now and hopefully, once the final payments are done we would have at least a few pleasant things to remember of this entire ordeal.

God willing we shall have a great trip and come back with the happiest memories of our lives! The magnificent cathedrals of Rome and Vatican, the amazing Eurotunnel experience, the snow-filled glaciers of Mt. Titlis, the renaissance art of Florence, the romance of Paris and Venice, here we come!

Who is the real Mumbaikar?

It all started with Raj Thakarey criticizing and mocking the North Indian festival of 'Chath puja'. He then went on with his regular violent language demanding explanations from the Bacchans for their contribution to Uttar Pradesh (The new school named after Aishwarya Rai, et al). If that was not enough, he later provoked young minds further to retaliate against the North Indians who have plundered his 'Mumbai' and robbed them off jobs.



Now we all know that the Shivsena has always flagged the 'Mee Marathi' card for years, first to gain a foothold amongst the Marathi population and then to better their election results. Evidently, Raj Thakarey, who has broken all ties with the Sena, has followed his uncle's (Shivsena supremo Bal Thakarey's) footsteps to relaunch his own fast-finishing political career



And then, to add to all the venom, we required another equally power-hungry Samajwadi Party leader, who made dramatic statements and provided lathis to his North Indian supporters (Read - people who were hired to act like they are his North Indian supporters) to take revenge against Raj Thakarey.



Taxis were burnt by the MNS people in protest, they targetted every single North Indian driver, hawker, or passerby to fight for their land. (Read - gain political mileage). Early morning reports confirm that the Bacchans 'Prateeksha' bungalow was attacked by two 'unidentified' men. Of course, the cops continue to deny these reports even when journalists have photo proofs.



Bombay has always been such a beautiful, accomodating and cosmopolitan city. I sometimes don't understand why such lovely, adjusting people ever let ugly incidents such as the '91-'92 riots, '93 blasts, and so on to happen. I am the third generation of my family to be born and brought up in Bombay and I ask myself, do I really consider the North Indians, South Indians, East Indians, international citizens outsiders? NO!



A true Bombayiite can never consider anyone an outsider. All who love Bombay, would tell you that anyone contributes to the city's well-being, economy, and entertainment quotient has, is and will always be considered as much a part of the city as themselves. Yes, maybe continuous entry of people into the city for work can get too taxing on the infrastructure, maybe that's why there are thrice as much slums as 10 years back but then aren't we too be blamed for all this? The government and municipal authorities need to ensure all this doesn't happen in the first place. Bombay was always a land of opportunity and how exactly is Mr. Thakarey proposing to stop millions of people coming to Bombay with hope in their eyes to make it big? KILL THEM ALL, ofcourse. Today he is after the UP and Bihar folks and manage to win a few seats for his party. Next elections, he might protest against all the Punjabis.....



I think we all need to stand up and for once shoo away such scatterbrained or highly manipulative political wannabes and tell them all we want to do is to live in peace.

Are we really safe in Mumbai?

I hope you are aware of the disgusting molestation incident at Juhu on New Year's Eve. I was always convinced that Bombay IS the safest city in the world. And, I had reason to believe that too. I've worked late nights to meet deadlines, I've done night shifts as well. Very rarely, have I felt uncomfortable or eerie while commuting between work and home. Which is why, what I experienced in an Andheri local last night has shocked me completely!

I boarded a local train at Andheri at about 8.45 pm only to find a couple of girls in the first class compartment. Well, we were travelling peacefully, until, two dangerously suspicious guys got in at Khar. Mind you, I was travelling in a First Class compartment that is only for ladies till 10 or 11 pm in the night. We three girls were witness to their antics as they strolled the compartment as if they were kings, and changed their seating every minute or so, observing us all the time. They were humming songs and what not. Finally, we girls decided we'll ask them to leave. Of course, it wasn't easy to do so. They were strong, stocky men and three of us together were no match for them. For all we knew, they could possess knives or other weapons too. Still, we gathered courage, we signalled a cop as the train stopped at Mahim station.

And to our greatest disappointment, the cop said, 'It's okay, they are allowed to travel after 9.' He really didn't seem to be bothered about our safety or the reason for our complaint at all. Infact, I could even see him frowning for wasting his precious time. After all, we weren't really related to him, how does it matter if the last girl to get off the train would've been mugged or killed? We finally decided to get down at the next station and get into the second class compartment.

When I discussed this incident with family and friends, they all agreed that none of us should be travelling in First Class after 9 and we should be more careful. Everybody asks girls to be more careful always. But I think, that's besides the point. Why can't the cop be reprimanded for not doing his duty? He could've simply asked the guys to get down and reassured us, right?
Why should we get so afraid while travelling alone in the night? We can't just stop working late nights to avoid such frightful events all the time. Why can't Bombay, the most independent and populated city in this country not have a security plan to ensure the safety of women in general?