Green is suddenly my favorite color!

I am so glad I said yes to a quick plan to visit a friend at Pune. I was blessed with some long awaited scenic views of Mother Nature during the journey and at Mahabaleshwar and Sinhagad.

A refreshing blanket of lush greenery spread across a generous spread of mountains. Systematic square patches of fields and tiny blocks of cement that we humans call home cozily resting in the valleys beneath. Everything about the view was breathtaking and grand and all this is just in the neighborhood of Mumbai.

The trip was just a reminder that I have so many beautiful places to visit and revisit…..

Beautiful morning

Today morning was the most beautiful I have experienced in Bangalore. I had gone out to throw garbage J and I liked the atmosphere so much that I decided to continue walking and enjoy the morning air. There was a pleasant chill, some birds chirping in the background, the ones that we get to hear when we are in forest areas and silence. There were dry leaves now wet because of rain strewn all over the roads and it felt nice to walk crunch crunch crunch over them. J There were lively people taking morning walks with their dogs and the lone santro driving school car moving precariously around the block like a toy car that’s losing its battery. I got to see a few scenic views and I missed my camera. Let me describe one. On the backdrop of a bright blue sky, perched atop a leafless tree was a kite/eagle/hawk, with a white head and he was drying his brown wings. Somehow only the top of this tree was highlighted by sunlight so the fair branches were shining against the blue sky. It was awesome. Some couple of days back, I think Friday, the evening skies were very scenic, the clouds looked artistically spread out. Its all been captured in my memory, I guess I should get a film soon. Like last year and the year before that, its that season when Bangalore really looks beautiful with its colourful flower laden trees and clouds that look like color dropped into water. Appreciate it whenever you find time…

-Y.

Reality framed.

Do we really like to watch other adult individuals cry on TV? Do we really like to watch people talk about their personal lives on TV? Do people really enjoy crying on TV? Do people really like talking about some very private issues or moments of their lives in public? I think they do. Why else would we have reality TV and why the hell would it get so popular?!

To give you examples, why does Indian Idol contest show have to wait till their contestants break down and cant endure the pressure anymore? Why cant they edit some of that part and say 'Take a quick break and we will be right back...'? Why does the game show host of Deal Ya No Deal have to literally wait to make the participant realise that he/she has lost a big amount (although there isnt much to be done to get or lose these big amounts)? Why do they ask questions like what are you going to do with that kind of money? Thats none of their business. And we as spectators do not wish to know.

I dont want to know why a person needs money and what he/she is going to do about it. I dont want to know what a contestant is going through when he/she gets voted out from a competition, I can imagine it myself. I am sensitive enough. Yes I love the interaction between viewers and the actual game, but I do not want to witness excessive emotional dramas at the expense of the privacy of the participants on the show.

Yes, these shows have been a huge success in other developed countries. Do we have to resort to the same cheap entertainment in our country too? Reality TV is interesting but then it can do away with these uncomfortable moments. They are not required. It makes the shows look cheap.

It makes me wonder whether any of their participants ever feel their privacy has been violated ever.

Kaun banegaa crorepati seems to be well-edited on this front.

There is another kind of media blunder that I just read about which makes you reflect even more whether there is something basically wrong here. Capturing the death of a live human being on camera and broadcasted it as exclusive coverage on the channel. Are these reporters not humans and dont they realise that it is as much their duty to save a life as any one else standing there? Since they are supposed to be aware of the wrong from right, shouldnt they be the first to help rather than commenting on how others around werent helping?? War reporters can be excused on this front, since there isnt much they can do to help. But what about reporters who watch a man die in front of their eyes during some demonstration?

weird.

-y.

Do we help ourselves?

We have Inner Voice in Symphony which helps make a little contribution to the huge efforts made by voluntary organisations in catering to the needs of the needy and helpless.

But everytime I read the words Inner Voice, it reminds me of something else. The first question that my inner voice pops up with is 'Do we help ourselves?'. There are numerous issues that we face in our day to day life. Do we fix them or crib about them? And why do we need others like us to fix them for us? While we go around helping others? Let me explain my point by giving a few examples of the problems we know exist and tend to ignore or workaround.

We rent a house to stay. The house does not meet some basic standards of living, the owner demands an exhorbitant rent for the same, expects to be paid in cash, does not provide any receipt for it, takes deposit and makes agreement on a stamp paper that has no legal standing. Again if you intend to leave the place there is definitely going to be a deduction in the deposit amount returned. This is all very understood, right? Usual, right? Thats the way here, right? But why? We know its wrong. We know that we are paying tax and someone else is not. Do we try doing anything about it? Yet we find it necessary to do a walkathon for someone else.

We pay taxes to the government to provide us basic facilities, like water, electricity, roads, services. (We dont really pay, we are forced to pay, I wouldve probably stopped paying taxes a long time ago, if I knew I had to live in such a world, again why am I not doing anything about it? hmmm)Coming back to where i started, although we have already paid for these services, we still buy water cans, we still drive or commute on pathetic roads. Why dont we do anything about it? Oh but we still did not forget to donate to tsunami victims.

Once, my friend and me had got very late and were not finding an auto. The autos that did oblige were ready to do so for a price that was 6 times more than the normal rate. The attitude was so infuriating that we decided to walk down the way (short distance). Suddenly out of the blue comes a man on a scooter yelling at us to be walking on the road alone. "Are you crazy? Are you from a different city? Let me find an auto for you? Wait there! You should not travel on Bangalore roads alone in the night!" We told the person please do not try and find an auto. He failed to understand why. I told him, "How do we know whether we can trust you?" At that point of time I would have not trusted even a policeman. Made we wonder, who is going to help me bring about that trust, that faith in law and order? Who will change the unruly behaviour of the autodrivers? When will the day come when a Bangalorean will feel ashamed of having to say that the city is not safe in the night. But then is it safe in the day? And am I doing anything about it? Nope. Its easier to help give some money to homes for abandadoned children.

These are just some examples of what is wrong in our lives. I feel, we need to bring about a change in our lives first before showing the guts to change the lives of others. When we dont have proper roads, how can we expect facilities for the disabled? When we dont even follow basic traffic rules, how can we expect any special provisions for the blind to cross the same roads? When we dont feel safe walking on the roads at 10 pm in the heart of the city, how can we expect protection for street children? When we are letting politicians create unrest and rifts between states over issues like water and language, how can we expect our neighbouring country to talk about peace with us? What about issues like tackling corrupt politicians? Its our money they are eating. Are we doing anything about it? What about world politics? Do we understand how the decisions made by world leaders to serve their own interests could make an impact in our day to day lives?

Hey arent we the ones who are well informed? People who have to fight from grassroots level are trying their bit. What about us? If there is a Medha Patkar for the poor, there has to be a Narayan Murthy for us. We need to look into more complex matters. We need to question those who can get away from the clutches of common people. We need to spearhead a crusade against injustice. Injustice towards lesser mortals? We are those lesser mortals. We have to help ourselves first!!

Contributing in a small way to people who are helping other living beings is not enough. We must simultaneously also tackle the issues that we face in our day to day life. Lead by example.

-Y.

Mangal Pandey -

Definitely watch it, but just once.

I won’t say the movie was a let down coz I know why I was going there. Aamir Khan. If you love this guy, for old times sakes, you must go and watch the movie. Considering the expectations it has generated the movie is not able to live up to them. My reaction was ‘BAS, ITNAHICH?’

Merits:

* Aamir Khan’s different look (he was even looking cute when he smiled thru those mooch)

* Aamir Khan’s acting (wasn’t much scope to act, he had to just give a flared up joshila look no matter wot the scene)

* The song – Mangala mangala

* Om puri’s narration gave us the hope that there is someone to guide thru the non-story and that we wont be lost

DeMerits:

* Ketan Mehta has failed to generate, maintain, accelerate any momentum to the movie. Everytime he reaches there and then diffuses the effect with some silly scene.

* There are those moments which you wish would be the hi-lite of the whole patriotic drama, but they are hesitantly missed everytime by the director.

* Unnecessary characters – Rani M, Amisha Patel, KirrrrronKher, if they needed to be, then their portrayal was very bad, some meaningful purpose could’ve been cooked up for those characters. Their clothes were not at all like those times, all the more they were vulgar.

* Silly dialogues at times.

* Unnecessary songs – tawaif song, dargaa song, gypsy song, holi song……and many more!!!! Sooooo many songs!! :( :( :(

* There was no flow to the movie, just some good patches put together.

-Y.

Jimpu

i had few friends when at school. i was looking for company. i was looking for a true friend. dont remember how and when i got the idea that the solution to my loneliness lied in getting myself a pet dog. except for dad no one was in favor of this idea.

but we did it. on 15th august 1986, dad read a newspaper ad about dashchund pups for sale. and we went. to seven bungalows in andheri. there he was! the most black and fattest pup in the whole litter. the only one who was independently snooping around the drawing room while the rest of the pups followed their mother in a bunch. he came to me sniffing my feet. i picked him up and placed him on the hand bag i had brought. and mr.investigator continued sniffing the hand bag. he was just about little bigger than a hand palm. i had made my choice. his mother came following us upto the elevator and was looking at me holding him. i can never forget the look in her eyes.

well her son was not really affected much by her absense. he was all over the taxi seat once again engrossed in his one and only activity - sniffing new smells. i was so excited when we reached home with him in my hands. i watched the neighbours' kids gaping at me. my mom was sarcastic as ever. she kept saying look 1100 rupees are walking on our floor. she had no idea then how this one little life was going to change everyone's perspective towards animals and life in general.

that night was a night that everyone would remember in my family. this little being made it very clear to us that he was not going to sleep alone. he had quietly managed to clamber out of his new cosy bed made of a tub and mom's old sari. he had taken a trip around the house and ensured that he had marked his route with little round puddles of susu, just in case he got lost. along with the puddles was the siren...uh..uh..uh..uh... This is a sound puppies make when they are searching for something or when they are upset about something. we were a bit apprehensive that the siren doesnt change into shrill puppy-cries. my sister, who was in mom's team of dog haters, picked jimpu up and kept him on her lap and started singing..zo..zo...gai... she was definitely in her sleep! but it worked! it did! the sound of someone being there, the rocking and the assuring pat of the head soon comforted the little devil and he cosily went off to sleep. that was for about two hours and then the cycle repeated. that night we knew we dont have a puppy at home but a little baby that needs constant comfort and assurance and full attention at all times of day and night.

life begun once again with a new entrant in our house. everybody took turns in cleaning and also in avoiding cleaning the young one's susu and shishi. he was too small to be taken out. so then came the time to toilet train this little devil. i remember the days when one of us would keep him in the bathroom and line the entrance with buckets so that he doesnt escape. and then waiting patiently for him to do his job. that was probably the only basic discipline we ever managed to teach our dog.

naming him didnt look very easy first, with me coming up with complex rather stupid names to pronounce like snoopy, snuffy, etc. finally we did decide on an extremely common name, jimmy. what began as jimmy soon ended up with too many variations to it, jimpi, jimpu, jimya, jimaN. my sis used to say this when jimpu used to come to greet her, 'hey jimmu, u lagaving maska to who who?' it rhymed so well. then there was another one she came up with, 'shlightly mad, but shimply clever'. it used to sound so hilarious when you would associate this phrase with the little black badmaash with a misfit tail that wagged at the speed of...you know...at the speed of a dog's tail!

jimpu started growing into an adult dog pretty soon. i remember how excited i had got when he raised his leg while marking his territory! as months went by, jimpu got bolder and naughtier. his favourite games

Mumbai....

In reply to my friend's blog - http://vijayendrad.blogspot.com

The character of a city is not determined and distinguished by just the media, but also by the people who live and experience it.

Imagine all cities as individuals. Each individual has its own identify, its own place, its own importance. So do cities. Each individual is a mixture of good and bad qualities but there are some qualities in the individual, good or bad, which tend to be more prominent and hence end up being the epitome of that personality. The same happens in case of cities. We look up to certain individuals and derive inspiration from them, but we dont end up aping them. We use their experiences as valuable lessons to us. The same applies to cities.

Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai are metro cities and been around for a very long time. They have survived for hundreds of years. The volume of problems that these cities experience is far beyond your imagination. You have to live in such a city and experience it to realise why it gets the importance.

Dont tell me that Mumbai acquired the status of being the commercial capital of our country just out of some bloated self created glittery image. Dont tell me that Mumbai was one of the first and probably only cities from India known to the foreign lands long long ago when probably Pune was still an upcoming town. And didnt Pune exist even when Mumbai was so popular years ago? Didnt it have its chances? Couldnt it have crossed all limits and been more progressive than Mumbai if it wanted to? What was stopping it? (Pune, Just an example) Check out Bangalore. My first reaction was 'bandar ke haath me sone ki chain', its true as of now. But then I feel atleast they have a dream of being the IT capital. Some day their attitudes will change and people here will gain Mumbai-like professionalism in every field. Good for them!

Again, Mumbai talks about its sore wounds like increasing population, slums, uncleanliness, violence, terrorists attacks, communally volatile status, etc, as much as it talks about its glossy, classy image, its revenue generating capacity, its professionalism and its 'resilience'...etc..Has anyone denied anything?

There has to be something in the city that is different than other cities. There is no aura of star and glitter. And if there is, it is earned over the years. ***The city works for its status.*** I would suggest you come and live in Mumbai for a couple of years and tell me then whether you agree with your own views in this blog.

My neighbour who is from Nagpur (Aunty) was so happy yesterday. She was gleeful while saying that Mumbai couldnt survive a day of highest ever rainfall in the entire indian history of 100 years! I couldnt believe she was smiling so much and i couldnt understand what made her so happy about the situation?! When Kanchan spoke about the goodness of Nagpur, my first reaction was, oh is it? Itni kyun taarif karte rehte ho tum log! I must visit your city, i want to see those roads. She has promised to take me some day. How many non-Mumbaikars give the same reaction towards Mumbai?

Have you heard the song 'Turn, turn, turn' by The Byrds? Mumbai has been used, abused and now people will slowly leave it for greener pastures. Its only then that the true mumbaikars will stay back and nurse her back to good health. Mumbai is in a complete different phase of her life, dont compare her with other cities. She has grown and matured over the years.

Lastly....Be proud of who you are but do not fail to appreciate the person in front of you. To do that you really need to keep aside your first opinions and experience the person in front of you, what the person has been through, the person's history, the person's reactions to events, seek those answers, dont believe what people say, dont take a bird's eye. And then decide for yourself. This applies to cities too!

We all have the potential to be a hero, we all have it in us to perform. Do it! Show it! Thats what seperates you from the hero. Only that.

Y