Come summer, the "load" (demand) on the electricity usage in the city of Mumbai increases greatly. Over the years (due to the increasing urban population and maybe due to the lack of setting up of newer power generation plants), the demand outstripped supply completely. Multiple areas (mostly suburbs and Thane district) have to bear the brunt of the "load shedding". In some places, there is no power supply for more than 8 hours.
While Mumbai was largely unaffected, it might not get spared this year. As mentioned in this article, the MERC is deciding to "ration" the electricity usage. Anyone who uses more than 300 units in a month has to pay a heavy fine. Now that makes a bit of sense...in the short term, its a very good solution. Unless, people realise the situation, they are going to "use" electricity like anything. The BEST that supplies electicity to the southern parts of the city plans to implement the above scheme. It is fairly obvious that its meant to curb the usage of air-conditoners. In some homes as mentioned in this article, there are upto 3 air-conditoners installed. An air-condtioner is known to consume in 40 minutes as much power as a ceiling fan can in 24 hours.
It remains to be seen whether the fine will actually be implemented and if it is, then how effective it would be. Mumbai has got a fairly large population of people who can pay any amount (fine or no fine) for whatever they want. But, it might make some upper middle-class people sit up and take notice and work out ways to "save" electricity.
I feel this is a good short-term measure. Also, it should give a boost for research into alternative sources of energy. For example, hand wound mobile phone chargers as well as solar-powered phone chargers have made an appearance in foreign markets. However, they are a bit expensive and the hand-wound ones need a lot of winding to be useful on a daily basis. Maybe if we could reduce the cost and improve the performance of these, it would help save some electricity.
This article claims that a certain 7-storeyed "bungalow" in Juhu has been running on hybrid power (solar and wind) to reduce its dependency on the electric supply. Interestingly, the article mentions that this was the only bungalow that had power during the 26th July deluge.
Time for the appropriate engineers and scientists to start thinking and developing these things at an affordable price so that its usage becomes more common place. Instead of spending time worrying about some stupid payroll application, maybe they could concentrate in their own fields for a while and help India out of a difficult crisis.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Sunday, February 12, 2006
H. A. J. C.
HAJC is "Haji Ali Juice Centre". Ever since I recollect, I've seen this small shop just outside the way to the Haji Ali dargah. It specializes in fruit juices and milkshakes. It is run by Malayalee muslims (the same guys who also run the Cafe Noorani across the road). Though it may have begun as a "Juice Centre", it also serves some popular "fast food" snacks such as pizzas (grated cheese on top), sandwiches and burgers.
The place is fairly small and has about 8 very small tables. Most people prefer to stand outside and eat or drink. The place is almost always packed to capacity in the evenings where the people who come to visit the dargah and / or the Mahalaxmi temple drop in to have a snack and / or to quench their thirst.
The juices range from Rs. 20 (for plain lemon juice) to about Rs. 400 (for the imported pomegranate aka "Kabuli Anar").
Apart from the juices, the stall also has milkshakes and "fruit cream" (diced fruits in cream). The guy also gets orders from the "Gelf" and the "middil yeast". All items are also available as "parcel". The packing of this "fruit cream" is done very meticulously in thermocol boxes with dry ice to keep the thing cool.
I have seen the traffic police at the Haji Ali circle have tea at this stall, so I guess they might be making tea too.
It is supposed to be open until late hours in the night...maybe the shop "takes good care" of the cops.
The place is fairly small and has about 8 very small tables. Most people prefer to stand outside and eat or drink. The place is almost always packed to capacity in the evenings where the people who come to visit the dargah and / or the Mahalaxmi temple drop in to have a snack and / or to quench their thirst.
The juices range from Rs. 20 (for plain lemon juice) to about Rs. 400 (for the imported pomegranate aka "Kabuli Anar").
Apart from the juices, the stall also has milkshakes and "fruit cream" (diced fruits in cream). The guy also gets orders from the "Gelf" and the "middil yeast". All items are also available as "parcel". The packing of this "fruit cream" is done very meticulously in thermocol boxes with dry ice to keep the thing cool.
I have seen the traffic police at the Haji Ali circle have tea at this stall, so I guess they might be making tea too.
It is supposed to be open until late hours in the night...maybe the shop "takes good care" of the cops.
The Great GATE Grate
GATE 2006 was a nightmare for me. I had decided to take the exam again (after GATE 2005) in a bid to improve my score. Since the GATE scores are valid for a period of 2 years, the GATE 2005 score is still valid, but I thought I would try my luck again.
The prepraration to the exam was much below expectations (since I was busy with office work even on days that I had taken "leave" on). The exam itself was held today (12th Feb 2006) from 09:30 to 12:30. And, my performance is much below what I might have expected to be. However, not all is lost. GATE is a relative performance exam - it all depends on how poorly others fare. So, there is still hope.
Results will be out in a month...and if you do not hear about it on this site, you know that others have fared better.
The prepraration to the exam was much below expectations (since I was busy with office work even on days that I had taken "leave" on). The exam itself was held today (12th Feb 2006) from 09:30 to 12:30. And, my performance is much below what I might have expected to be. However, not all is lost. GATE is a relative performance exam - it all depends on how poorly others fare. So, there is still hope.
Results will be out in a month...and if you do not hear about it on this site, you know that others have fared better.
W/L
One of the favorite lines we often come across in English stories is this "The quiet of the valley was broken by the sharp toot of the train passing by". Most previous visits to Lonavala I could understand what the authors meant.
If one has ever stayed in Lonavala, one can hear numerous trains blowing their horns as they pass by. With small hillocks on either side of the tracks, the sound of the horn echoes throughout Lonavala and is clearly audible even in the day time (even across the busy highways).
On the last visit, the reason for this got cleared up. It so happened that a few of us (co-workers) had to stay in Lonavala to attend some sort of training programme. Since one of them was quite enthusiastic about morning walks, I would go along with the guy (it was rainy season and we had to wear some jacket to cover ourselves). On one of the days we wandered off and on our way back happened to cross the railway tracks. Right in front, there stood the board with the bold letters "W/L". Anyone (connected with the railways) knows what that means. "W/L" is an instruction to the loco pilot (drivers are called pilots in Indian Railway terminology) to "Whistle / Level crossing ahead".
That was the reason for all the trains going through Lonavala blowing their horns like mad. Since there is also a "blind curve" that leads into the railway level crossing, it is all the more important for the pilot to blow their horns. (Its a bit like the blind curve that leads into Grant Road station on the suburban local lines in Mumbai - one of the reason of multitudes of people being run over by trains near Grant Road).
This "W/L" also comes in a Hindi variant. It is pronounced "See / Pha" and is written in the Devnagiri script ("Seethi Bajao / Phatak aa raha hai").
If one has ever stayed in Lonavala, one can hear numerous trains blowing their horns as they pass by. With small hillocks on either side of the tracks, the sound of the horn echoes throughout Lonavala and is clearly audible even in the day time (even across the busy highways).
That was the reason for all the trains going through Lonavala blowing their horns like mad. Since there is also a "blind curve" that leads into the railway level crossing, it is all the more important for the pilot to blow their horns. (Its a bit like the blind curve that leads into Grant Road station on the suburban local lines in Mumbai - one of the reason of multitudes of people being run over by trains near Grant Road).
This "W/L" also comes in a Hindi variant. It is pronounced "See / Pha" and is written in the Devnagiri script ("Seethi Bajao / Phatak aa raha hai").
Sunday, January 29, 2006
RIP : Supriya
Although a bit late, this one is in memory of Supriya, the only tigress of the Byculla zoo that died end of December 2005. As can be seen from the reports (and here), she died of kidney failure.
As far as I could see during my visits to the zoo, she was very popular among all age groups of visitors. Indeed, she was aptly named "Supriya" (meaning the most beloved). She had a fairly large enclosure by Byculla-zoo standards and the enclosure had a couple of "small caves" and a water pond where she would laze about in the hot summer months.
Here is a photograph of Supriya that I had shot sometime in April 2005. Now only if I had that SLR instead of the stupid compact digital camera...
Vesave Koli Food Festival 2006
As part of the Mumbai Festival 2006, several events were held in various parts of the city. One among them was the "Vesave Koli Food Festival" at Versova. This "sub-festival" was held on January 20th to January 22nd. I decided to visit it on the last day. The timings were 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Being a Sunday, I expected some crowd, but as the time passed by, the crowd only increased multi-fold much beyond my expectations. I reached the Versova bus stop at about 6:45 p.m. and decided to walk the rest of the way. It took me some time (and the guidance of a native co-worker, whom I happened to meet by chance in the "village") to find the way to the actual place.
Versova (or Vesave as it is called by the natives) was a "real village" till some time ago. As time progressed by, the local fisherfolk have lost quite a bit of their business because of various reasons. Lack of carrying on the tradition by the new generation is also one of them. (I guess the reasoning is as follows: why would someone sweat it out on the rough seas, when one could be comfortable in a call-center office? Heh?). One could now see three to four-storeyed buildings where small houses once stood. Proliferation of other communities (noticably from the North of India) could also be seen.
But, the seniors are still around. One can see them wearing their tradtional attire (a lungi that forms a triangle near the ankles). Their skin tanned from the hot and UV-filled rays of the sun and those reflected off the water. These seniors, I guess, still go in to get the "catch". Typically, it is a night duty, since that is the time when the catch is more. These boats typically come in ashore at 5 a.m. or so.
Coming back to the festival, the Kolis (as the local fisherfolk are called), must have had it quite good. They were all smiles and why not. Looking at the crowd eating up everything they had to offer, they must've made quite a much-deserved fortune.
Being a Sunday, I expected some crowd, but as the time passed by, the crowd only increased multi-fold much beyond my expectations. I reached the Versova bus stop at about 6:45 p.m. and decided to walk the rest of the way. It took me some time (and the guidance of a native co-worker, whom I happened to meet by chance in the "village") to find the way to the actual place.
| Several stalls were put up where the local fishermen could cook and display their food items. (See the local church in the background. A temple was also present on the grounds, but I could not photograph it.) |  |
| The decoration was quite interesting with real boats, fish, nets and oars thrown in. |  |  |
| A stage had been decorated where dance performances by the local fisherfolk were to be held. |  |
Versova (or Vesave as it is called by the natives) was a "real village" till some time ago. As time progressed by, the local fisherfolk have lost quite a bit of their business because of various reasons. Lack of carrying on the tradition by the new generation is also one of them. (I guess the reasoning is as follows: why would someone sweat it out on the rough seas, when one could be comfortable in a call-center office? Heh?). One could now see three to four-storeyed buildings where small houses once stood. Proliferation of other communities (noticably from the North of India) could also be seen.
But, the seniors are still around. One can see them wearing their tradtional attire (a lungi that forms a triangle near the ankles). Their skin tanned from the hot and UV-filled rays of the sun and those reflected off the water. These seniors, I guess, still go in to get the "catch". Typically, it is a night duty, since that is the time when the catch is more. These boats typically come in ashore at 5 a.m. or so.
Coming back to the festival, the Kolis (as the local fisherfolk are called), must have had it quite good. They were all smiles and why not. Looking at the crowd eating up everything they had to offer, they must've made quite a much-deserved fortune.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Dr. Amar Bose @ Techfest
This year's Techfest at IITB featured a lecture series that included (among other luminaries) a lecture by Dr. Amar Bose. The lecture was held on Saturday 21st January at 08:00 a.m. Indian time.
Since I was keen to attend this lecture, I had to rush to attend the lecture. Nevertheless, I reached 10 minutes ahead of 08:00 a.m. and took my seat. It was only then that I realized that the lecture was not a "live" one, but a kind of "video conference" with Bose being seated in the U.S.A.
The lecture began on schedule and except for a discontinuation ("line drop") after half-an-hour into the lecture, it proceeded quite smoothly and went on for about 1hr and 45 minutes.
Dr. Bose began with a question to the co-ordinator (on the IITB side) as to what he must talk about. Finally, after asking about the composition of the audience, he said he would speak first about education (since the audience mostly comprised off under grad and post grad students).
Some key points from the lecture:
Since I was keen to attend this lecture, I had to rush to attend the lecture. Nevertheless, I reached 10 minutes ahead of 08:00 a.m. and took my seat. It was only then that I realized that the lecture was not a "live" one, but a kind of "video conference" with Bose being seated in the U.S.A.
The lecture began on schedule and except for a discontinuation ("line drop") after half-an-hour into the lecture, it proceeded quite smoothly and went on for about 1hr and 45 minutes.
Dr. Bose began with a question to the co-ordinator (on the IITB side) as to what he must talk about. Finally, after asking about the composition of the audience, he said he would speak first about education (since the audience mostly comprised off under grad and post grad students).
Some key points from the lecture:
- Dr. Bose was primarily a professor and mathematics seemed to be his core, but he got interested into acoustics because of a shoddy music system that he had obtained.
- He stressed that quality education was very important. Also important is the way in which education is being imparted.
- He pointed out that some of his research took place over a span of 25 years. In response to a question as to whether such long-term research made sense in today's past-paced world, he said that such research woud not be possible in a public company (because of the pressure of the stake holders). This was one reason for making Bose Corporation a private company.
- One of the reasons why he formed a separate company instead of continuing research at MIT, where he claimed to have a lot of freedom, was because of the lack of time and lack of long term people. Most people (students) in a university stay for a period of 2 to 4 years and hence, continuity of these people in the research project could not be guaranteed.
- He emphasized that Bose Corp does research only in areas that would result in a technology that common people (laymen) could understand being superior without getting into the technical details. As per his example, the new shock absorber technology from Bose Corp would make even one's mom feel that the car ride in such a car is much superior.
- Parents shape their children's character and influence them more than they think.
- According to Dr. Bose, one should work in a company where one feels like going to every day and not for the money. (Never choose a company by the money they offer!).
- He disappointed a few people in the audience when he stated that he was a core techie with no business skills or interest. He even went on to say that the salaries of everyone (including himself) at Bose Corp. are decided by a third-party (outside agency) purely based on that person's achievements in the past year.
- In response to a question on his biggest blunder, he said that he would rate the design and manufacture of a few pieces of a "spherical" loudspeaker that would occupy the corners of a room. The design of the technology was as per the acoustic theory, but when it came to selling these pieces, they realized that very few American homes had corners free of furniture. That meant that the speakers would have to be kept elsewhere and that was not what the speakers were designed for.
- Dr. Bose came close to talking about spirituality when he recalled an incident where he talked to a swami from the Ramakrishna mission. It seemed that he and his family had known the swami for some time and when Dr. Bose visited India, he made it a point to visit the swami. It was then that he asked the swami about the difference in the spiritual and academic sessions. According to Dr. Bose, academics and scientific research relied heavily on proofs, whereas the swami could not offer any proofs of the spiritual theories.
The swami asked him to recall any of his "discoveries" and patented technologies and asked him whether those came about by methodological proofs or was it just a flash in the mind. Indeed, Dr. Bose admitted that all of his patents came about without proofs. It was only later that he worked backward to prove the theory.
His key point was that irrational thoughts are usually at the forefront in leading to newer discoveries and ideas.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Pandharpur calling
Pandharpur beckons.
I feel I must visit it once, if only to see what inspired the saints to write so many beautiful songs (abhangs) about it. Something magical...something inspirational...definitely something too important to miss out.
When the time comes, I will go there. But, right now, I'm just trying to find out enough to plan a trip. I am being told that it is not the best of places to stay in (?). Its just a small village and (maybe) not yet commercialized. But, then it has always been said that Lord Vitthala was the "poor man's God". I am being told that this is one of the few places where ALL people could actually touch the Lord's feet. If poverty is judged by spiritual wealth, then definitely all of our types are below the poverty line.
Onto Solapur, by God's grace, we shall soon see what is special about this.
I feel I must visit it once, if only to see what inspired the saints to write so many beautiful songs (abhangs) about it. Something magical...something inspirational...definitely something too important to miss out.
When the time comes, I will go there. But, right now, I'm just trying to find out enough to plan a trip. I am being told that it is not the best of places to stay in (?). Its just a small village and (maybe) not yet commercialized. But, then it has always been said that Lord Vitthala was the "poor man's God". I am being told that this is one of the few places where ALL people could actually touch the Lord's feet. If poverty is judged by spiritual wealth, then definitely all of our types are below the poverty line.
Onto Solapur, by God's grace, we shall soon see what is special about this.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Stinging the stingers
Conducting sting operations is in vogue. Over the past few years, media (television in particular) have resorted to these to "expose" the alleged misdoings of some of the important people. Some people claim that the media is doing this to get audience attention. With so much competition, there might be some truth in it.
So how about "stinging the stingers"?
I was told about a few people connected with the media who were using their "clout" to run small illegal businesses. Also, some guys told me that during the July 2005 deluge, television news channels were asking a group of school-going kids to walk through the knee-deep water. This, inspite of the fact that they had other drier roads to travel on. It was just to film them and ask them how they felt walking through the water and other crap that these channels usually dish out. (Aap ko kya laga paani se chalne mein? Maaza aa raha tha ya darr lag raha tha? Thanda paani tha ke garam? )
Time to sting the stingers, I say.
So how about "stinging the stingers"?
I was told about a few people connected with the media who were using their "clout" to run small illegal businesses. Also, some guys told me that during the July 2005 deluge, television news channels were asking a group of school-going kids to walk through the knee-deep water. This, inspite of the fact that they had other drier roads to travel on. It was just to film them and ask them how they felt walking through the water and other crap that these channels usually dish out. (Aap ko kya laga paani se chalne mein? Maaza aa raha tha ya darr lag raha tha? Thanda paani tha ke garam? )
Time to sting the stingers, I say.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Confusion over Lord Ganesha's Shloka
I have not studied this matter in depth but these are some lingering thoughts in my mind that I should find out more about. Given that Lord Ganesha is Mumbai's "favorite" God and that half of Bollywood and even "telewood" go to the Siddhivinayak temple, I thought it might be time to pose this question.
I've heard at least 2 versions of the famous Lord Ganesha's shloka. Mind you, this is the same "mantra" that is recited at the beginning of every auspicious ceremony. The 2 versions differ by only a single word, but the change seems significant to me.
Here are the 2 versions, side by side:
These are 2 separate versions that I've heard or read. The difference is a single word. In one version, it is "Sarva", while in the other it is "Shubh". "Sarva" means all, while "Shubh" means auspicious.
Thus, the first mantra is probably meant for all tasks (auspicious or otherwise), whereas the second one seems to seek blessings before beginning an auspicous task.
I wonder which one is the original one and whether both mean the same. If you have to start a not-so-legal task, you now know which one to use.
I've heard at least 2 versions of the famous Lord Ganesha's shloka. Mind you, this is the same "mantra" that is recited at the beginning of every auspicious ceremony. The 2 versions differ by only a single word, but the change seems significant to me.
Here are the 2 versions, side by side:
| Vakratunda mahakaya Koti soorya samaprabha Nirvighnam kurume deva Sarva karyeshu sarvada | Vakratunda mahakaya Koti soorya samaprabha Nirvighnam kurume deva Shubh karyeshu sarvada |
Thus, the first mantra is probably meant for all tasks (auspicious or otherwise), whereas the second one seems to seek blessings before beginning an auspicous task.
I wonder which one is the original one and whether both mean the same. If you have to start a not-so-legal task, you now know which one to use.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Indian Mathematicians
I came across an article that outlines the contributions made to mathematics by Indian mathematicians. One of the things that caught my attention was a contribution by a mathematician called Kaprekar.
"Kaprekar Constant" is 6174 and works as follows:
"Kaprekar Constant" is 6174 and works as follows:
Take any four digit number in which all digits are not alike. Arrange its digits in descending order and subtract from it the number formed by arranging the digits in ascending order. If this process is repeated with reminders, ultimately number 6174 is obtained, which then generates itself.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Safety of Volvo buses
In the recent accident involving a Volvo bus, as many as 30 passengers were charred to death. It seems (from reading various reports) that the passengers who were occupying the front seats managed to escape death; those passengers who fled to the back of the bus were trapped in what became a "burning coffin".
It was also mentioned later that the emergency exit of the bus was jammed and therefore the people were trapped. (This jamming of the locking system had also happened earlier in the July 2005 deluge when some people died due to suffocation in their cars).
Volvo claims to have a high safety record and I was told by some people in the US of A that Volvo cars also get a better insurance rate there because the cars are very safe. When Volvo entered the Indian market, they also claimed that all the other Indian "buses" were in fact "trucks". Their contention was that the Indian "buses" were built on the same chasis as that meant for the trucks. So, the comfort level would be higher in a Volvo (which claimed to have a different chasis for the buses than the trucks).
Having experienced a Volvo ride myself, I thought the journey was quite comfortable. It also seemed to me that even the driver comfort had been thought of. The panels (dashboard) seemed to be designed quite well, the driver seemed to enjoy the power steering. The height and position of the driver seat seemed to offer the guy quite a nice view of the road. The driver also had the pleasure of enjoying driving in air-condioned comfort. The seats for the assistant ("cleaner") were thoughtfully foldable.
The Volvo bus is a rear-engine vehicle (probably to reduce the noise inside the bus). But, maybe that's the problem too. Indians are mostly accustomed to finding the emergency exit at the back of the bus. Since Volvo buses have rear-engines, I guess that's the reason they do not have an emergency exit at the back of the bus. Yes, that's true. Take a look at a Volvo bus the next time and compare it to a BEST bus.
I do not know if the Volvo bus has any emergency exit. The emergency exit does not seem to be located at the "usual" place. Maybe that's why the people got trapped - they thought the bus had to have an exit at the back. Maybe its time to do what is done in an aircraft flight - tell people about the various emergency exits at the start of the journey.
It was also mentioned later that the emergency exit of the bus was jammed and therefore the people were trapped. (This jamming of the locking system had also happened earlier in the July 2005 deluge when some people died due to suffocation in their cars).
Volvo claims to have a high safety record and I was told by some people in the US of A that Volvo cars also get a better insurance rate there because the cars are very safe. When Volvo entered the Indian market, they also claimed that all the other Indian "buses" were in fact "trucks". Their contention was that the Indian "buses" were built on the same chasis as that meant for the trucks. So, the comfort level would be higher in a Volvo (which claimed to have a different chasis for the buses than the trucks).
Having experienced a Volvo ride myself, I thought the journey was quite comfortable. It also seemed to me that even the driver comfort had been thought of. The panels (dashboard) seemed to be designed quite well, the driver seemed to enjoy the power steering. The height and position of the driver seat seemed to offer the guy quite a nice view of the road. The driver also had the pleasure of enjoying driving in air-condioned comfort. The seats for the assistant ("cleaner") were thoughtfully foldable.
The Volvo bus is a rear-engine vehicle (probably to reduce the noise inside the bus). But, maybe that's the problem too. Indians are mostly accustomed to finding the emergency exit at the back of the bus. Since Volvo buses have rear-engines, I guess that's the reason they do not have an emergency exit at the back of the bus. Yes, that's true. Take a look at a Volvo bus the next time and compare it to a BEST bus.
I do not know if the Volvo bus has any emergency exit. The emergency exit does not seem to be located at the "usual" place. Maybe that's why the people got trapped - they thought the bus had to have an exit at the back. Maybe its time to do what is done in an aircraft flight - tell people about the various emergency exits at the start of the journey.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Murthy takes on politicians
It seems like Murthy (the Murthy) has had enough of politicians and their (petty) politics. In today's article on rediff.com, it seems Murthy has "blasted" the policitians and the corruption prevalent. I am surprised he even went on to make comments about the "reservation".
Maybe it was the letting up of steam bottled up inside.
I have always felt that Murthy was doing things to Bangaloru which others could not do to Mumbai. At least from the newspaper reports, it seemed to me that Murthy was using his "industrial clout" to persuade ("threaten" would be a more appropriate word, but a bit harsh on the good intentioned man) the government and other agencies to get some good things developed at Bangaloru. The recent example was of the international airport.
I used to wonder why inspite of Mumbai having so many industrial heavy-weights ("youNameThemTheyLiveHere" types), these were not putting their foot down and getting things done for themselves and the city. I mean - at least they should do something for themselves. Just imagine being an Ambani and getting stuck in the city traffic along side BEST route no. 384 Ltd. (or whatever). Imagine the Benz being driven at 5 kmph...the beast would end up like a kitten. Okay, I hear you shout - Ambani-types don't travel by road, they only do so by air. A bit far-fetched, but not entirely ruled out. I had heard that some of those Tata people lived in Lonavla and flew in everyday to Mumbai. It takes only 0.5 hours by air to Bombay House from Lonavla compared to the 2 hours from Altamount to Fort. Okay, just a joke...but you get the idea.
Even if these guys do commute by air, they may still have to travel sometimes by road (and get stuck).
Back to Murthy - probably he got fed up of something - or maybe a series of negative events left some sort of impression on him. Maybe some of his interactions with various politicians left him wondering why those guys are so "dumb".
Time to float a new party Murthy - time to take them on - go right ahead. We are with you.
Maybe it was the letting up of steam bottled up inside.
I have always felt that Murthy was doing things to Bangaloru which others could not do to Mumbai. At least from the newspaper reports, it seemed to me that Murthy was using his "industrial clout" to persuade ("threaten" would be a more appropriate word, but a bit harsh on the good intentioned man) the government and other agencies to get some good things developed at Bangaloru. The recent example was of the international airport.
I used to wonder why inspite of Mumbai having so many industrial heavy-weights ("youNameThemTheyLiveHere" types), these were not putting their foot down and getting things done for themselves and the city. I mean - at least they should do something for themselves. Just imagine being an Ambani and getting stuck in the city traffic along side BEST route no. 384 Ltd. (or whatever). Imagine the Benz being driven at 5 kmph...the beast would end up like a kitten. Okay, I hear you shout - Ambani-types don't travel by road, they only do so by air. A bit far-fetched, but not entirely ruled out. I had heard that some of those Tata people lived in Lonavla and flew in everyday to Mumbai. It takes only 0.5 hours by air to Bombay House from Lonavla compared to the 2 hours from Altamount to Fort. Okay, just a joke...but you get the idea.
Even if these guys do commute by air, they may still have to travel sometimes by road (and get stuck).
Back to Murthy - probably he got fed up of something - or maybe a series of negative events left some sort of impression on him. Maybe some of his interactions with various politicians left him wondering why those guys are so "dumb".
Time to float a new party Murthy - time to take them on - go right ahead. We are with you.
The most dreaded/awaited time of the year
Depending on who you are and what you think, the fast-approaching(?) year end / new year is either the most awaited time of the year or the most dreaded one. The lighting is all around us and so is the "spirit" and the "spirits". Most restaurants and wine shops are "stocking" it up. I mean, you don't want to run out of it half-way into the new year celebration. I am told that even regular "Udipi" bars charge more on that day...I think they have a separate menu for the new year eve.
Many events are lined up everywhere...you could choose to spend the eve and the midnight (and the morning) in some top-class restaurant or in some shady joint or still better in the open. A few years ago, I had heard that several foreigners chose to ring in the new year in the heart of the Rajasthan desert.
Some bigger restaurants / "clubs" organize events where they invite various celebrities to do some acts. And the charges would no doubt be exhorbitant.
Some naive people think that the performing events are "the" place to be at. These (mostly newly wed or to be wed) make bookings and grand plans to go these places. Then, they realize that its not the same as they expected it to be. Most such places are "overbooked" and the people just dance and do whatever else they can in a crowded place. Maybe some of these types expected a "seated" show with the audience behaving like at a classical music performance. What they get is usually standing and the crowd behaving as if at a FIFA game or at a heavy metal rock show concert.
Some others prefer to be out in the "open". This could be any public place with the starry sky over one's head (okay, stars won't be visible in the Chembur area...instead one has nice illusionary effects courtesy of the refineries and other industries out there). The popular open spaces are the beaches (Juhu, Girgaon), the Gateway of India, the roads. I am also told that it is a tradition for people travelling in cars / other vehicles to blow their vehicle horns at the midnight hour. Drunken driving during the new year is a common occurence, but reports in the newspaper always mention that there would be strict vigils by the police.
The "other" people (probably the sensible lot), know that "outside" is a dangerous place to be on the eve of the new year. As a result, most of such people, leave their workplace at the regular time and head to their residence (buying whatever it is that they feel like keeping company with at midnight).
For these "other" people, this time of the year is the most dreaded one...the one to be at home and away from the crowd that goes berserk on the eve. Some of these "home" types tend to switch on the television and watch "an exciting array" of programmes broadcast. Among those programme types, one can be sure to see a programme with a title such as "Events of 2005" or whatever - where various important events that occurred in 2005 would be shown. Other programmes include mimicry shows and/or dance programmes and programmes that telecast live the on-goings in some "club" where the "celeberatory" types have gone.
For the people who celebrate it, they do so as if they might not live to see the next day.
Some of us are unfortunate to be working on the new year day (that is, 1st Jan). These people have to get up in the morning and go back to the grind as if there was nothing special the previous night. That's when one can see all the people who celebrated the eve going home...staggering instead of walking and needing a much desired and required rest/sleep. Happy New Year to them. Good morning to the others who stayed at home.
Many events are lined up everywhere...you could choose to spend the eve and the midnight (and the morning) in some top-class restaurant or in some shady joint or still better in the open. A few years ago, I had heard that several foreigners chose to ring in the new year in the heart of the Rajasthan desert.
Some bigger restaurants / "clubs" organize events where they invite various celebrities to do some acts. And the charges would no doubt be exhorbitant.
Some naive people think that the performing events are "the" place to be at. These (mostly newly wed or to be wed) make bookings and grand plans to go these places. Then, they realize that its not the same as they expected it to be. Most such places are "overbooked" and the people just dance and do whatever else they can in a crowded place. Maybe some of these types expected a "seated" show with the audience behaving like at a classical music performance. What they get is usually standing and the crowd behaving as if at a FIFA game or at a heavy metal rock show concert.
Some others prefer to be out in the "open". This could be any public place with the starry sky over one's head (okay, stars won't be visible in the Chembur area...instead one has nice illusionary effects courtesy of the refineries and other industries out there). The popular open spaces are the beaches (Juhu, Girgaon), the Gateway of India, the roads. I am also told that it is a tradition for people travelling in cars / other vehicles to blow their vehicle horns at the midnight hour. Drunken driving during the new year is a common occurence, but reports in the newspaper always mention that there would be strict vigils by the police.
The "other" people (probably the sensible lot), know that "outside" is a dangerous place to be on the eve of the new year. As a result, most of such people, leave their workplace at the regular time and head to their residence (buying whatever it is that they feel like keeping company with at midnight).
For these "other" people, this time of the year is the most dreaded one...the one to be at home and away from the crowd that goes berserk on the eve. Some of these "home" types tend to switch on the television and watch "an exciting array" of programmes broadcast. Among those programme types, one can be sure to see a programme with a title such as "Events of 2005" or whatever - where various important events that occurred in 2005 would be shown. Other programmes include mimicry shows and/or dance programmes and programmes that telecast live the on-goings in some "club" where the "celeberatory" types have gone.
For the people who celebrate it, they do so as if they might not live to see the next day.
Some of us are unfortunate to be working on the new year day (that is, 1st Jan). These people have to get up in the morning and go back to the grind as if there was nothing special the previous night. That's when one can see all the people who celebrated the eve going home...staggering instead of walking and needing a much desired and required rest/sleep. Happy New Year to them. Good morning to the others who stayed at home.
Monday, December 26, 2005
A ride on the new CR coaches
I had the opportunity to ride on the new CR (Central Railway) coaches this weekend. The shining steel insides and the polyurethane handles seemed quite nice. I was most pleasant surprised by the same smooth start and pickup as some of the WR (Western Railway) rakes. When this new rake starts up, one does not get a sound and a big jerk; the only way to tell the rake has started is to see outside the window or to hear the sound of the sleepers (the familiar sound of the wooden sleepers that goes tak-tak, tak-tak...you know what I mean). Extraordinary!
I had noticed this start-up mechanism in some of the WR locals. One can see an additional "box" near the pantograph and this usually makes a lot of noise (very audible when the rake is stationary at a platform). This same technology is probably in use in the CR new rakes.
Also, observed that the "stickers" displaying various notices such as "Alarm Chain", etc. were printed in neat "computerised" fonts as compared to the old hand-paint notices. These look so much better (probably at the cost of unemployment for the painters :( ).
I also observed the same disadvantages about the new rakes as pointed out by some readers in a newspaper recently: One guy had mentioned that the "wooden partition" that separated the entrance from the seats was no longer there and that would mean that the rain water would come in from the open doors onto the seats. (Probably, the designers thought that the commuters would keep the doors closed in the rains - ha! that's what happens if you do not have practical experience). Commuters standing at the door in the rains keep the doors closed, but have to open it up well before the rake arrives on the station platform. In the case of very crowded trains like the Virar fast, there is no option for the commuters but to get wet. (A true Mumbaikar is always one who would protect his umbrella from getting wet so that he wouldn't have to dry it later - even if that means that he has to get wet! And you thought the umbrellas were meant to keep the people from getting wet - silly you - Welcome to Mumbai).
The "jaali" or the "cage" that protected the windshields of the loco are now gone. The new single windshield is indeed very good looking, but one wonders if the fear of people pelting stones at the pilot's windows has gone away.
All in all - a definite welcome change.
I had noticed this start-up mechanism in some of the WR locals. One can see an additional "box" near the pantograph and this usually makes a lot of noise (very audible when the rake is stationary at a platform). This same technology is probably in use in the CR new rakes.
Also, observed that the "stickers" displaying various notices such as "Alarm Chain", etc. were printed in neat "computerised" fonts as compared to the old hand-paint notices. These look so much better (probably at the cost of unemployment for the painters :( ).
I also observed the same disadvantages about the new rakes as pointed out by some readers in a newspaper recently: One guy had mentioned that the "wooden partition" that separated the entrance from the seats was no longer there and that would mean that the rain water would come in from the open doors onto the seats. (Probably, the designers thought that the commuters would keep the doors closed in the rains - ha! that's what happens if you do not have practical experience). Commuters standing at the door in the rains keep the doors closed, but have to open it up well before the rake arrives on the station platform. In the case of very crowded trains like the Virar fast, there is no option for the commuters but to get wet. (A true Mumbaikar is always one who would protect his umbrella from getting wet so that he wouldn't have to dry it later - even if that means that he has to get wet! And you thought the umbrellas were meant to keep the people from getting wet - silly you - Welcome to Mumbai).
The "jaali" or the "cage" that protected the windshields of the loco are now gone. The new single windshield is indeed very good looking, but one wonders if the fear of people pelting stones at the pilot's windows has gone away.
All in all - a definite welcome change.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
"Purana Nikantu" - a Malayalam treatise on the Puranas
Very recently, I have managed to procure "Purana Nikantu" from God's own country, Kerala. This is supposed to be a wonderful treatise in Malayalam about the Puranas. The translation of the title ("Purana Nikantu") is "Encyclopedia of the Puranas".
Although I do not know Malayalam, I am looking out for translators to English (my father may be one, if he agrees - which is rare). I am made to understand that there is no English translation available (yet!).
I hope to update my knowledge with this book in the coming years...looking at its size, it does seem it will take a considerable time (years, not months).
Although I do not know Malayalam, I am looking out for translators to English (my father may be one, if he agrees - which is rare). I am made to understand that there is no English translation available (yet!).
I hope to update my knowledge with this book in the coming years...looking at its size, it does seem it will take a considerable time (years, not months).
Friday, December 23, 2005
The jigsaw puzzle metaphor
When we solve a complex jigsaw puzzle, most people try to fix some parts on the edge and then assuming that the piece is in its correct place, proceed to fix others relative to it. It may happen that the assumption was wrong and then one needs to backtrack and fix the error and proceed again. After all the pieces have fit in correctly, one can feel happy that the puzzle has been solved.
Actually, there are 2 ways to end the puzzle: The first way is one in which we have/know what the final solved puzzle should look like. In that case, we can simply compare the pieces and fit them in the appropriate places. Also, when all the pieces are fit in, one can cross check to see if the finished puzzle looks like what we wanted it to be. That would signal the solution of the puzzle.
There is a second way: In this, we do not know what the final finished puzzle should look like. So, we can only find out if we have solved the puzzle by cross-checking if all the pieces have fit in. Even in this, one has to assume that a certain piece belongs to a particular place. If that assumption turns out to be wrong because some other pieces do not fit in, then one has to backtrack and rectify the error.
The study of Vedic/Hindu religion is a bit like the jigsaw puzzle: one does not what is the final picture. Also, one has to assume certain parts are correct. If one makes these assumptions, then one can clearly see all the pieces fall in place one after the other. When the study is done, one could see the overall picture and see if there was any misfit pieces or not.
Just a metaphor...the way I see it.
Actually, there are 2 ways to end the puzzle: The first way is one in which we have/know what the final solved puzzle should look like. In that case, we can simply compare the pieces and fit them in the appropriate places. Also, when all the pieces are fit in, one can cross check to see if the finished puzzle looks like what we wanted it to be. That would signal the solution of the puzzle.
There is a second way: In this, we do not know what the final finished puzzle should look like. So, we can only find out if we have solved the puzzle by cross-checking if all the pieces have fit in. Even in this, one has to assume that a certain piece belongs to a particular place. If that assumption turns out to be wrong because some other pieces do not fit in, then one has to backtrack and rectify the error.
The study of Vedic/Hindu religion is a bit like the jigsaw puzzle: one does not what is the final picture. Also, one has to assume certain parts are correct. If one makes these assumptions, then one can clearly see all the pieces fall in place one after the other. When the study is done, one could see the overall picture and see if there was any misfit pieces or not.
Just a metaphor...the way I see it.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
ISKCON, the myth and the reality
My recent post (and the comments in that post) was against the "myths" created by people against those "good intentioned" godmen. As stated in the comments, I wish to put on record how my views about ISKCON changed, once I started to investigate the myths surrounding it. Here are the details...as briefly as I can state them.
We start with the myths first. BTW, this was also my original perception about ISKCON. The source of the myth probably lies in the famous old movie "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" where it was portrayed that foreigners came to India and took to drug abuse in the guise of spiritual learning. My elders had warned me about such things and somehow I came to suspect that these activities might be going on in the ISKCON temple at Juhu. During this period, I'd visited the temple a few times and though I did not see any such activity going on, I assumed there might be some "rooms" or "inner chambers" where this might be taking place.
Some time later, I was told that these people actually encourage people to become a "devotee" and once you get "trapped into this", one cannot "come out of it". Sounds familiar. This is the famous FUD thing (as mentioned in the original post about godmen).
A few years ago I was getting fed up of the routine life and felt there was something lacking - perhaps I had missed something important earlier. I also thought it might be worthwhile to investigate the myth by personally trying to probe a bit deeper.
Since ISKCON has a lot of books, I started reading some books. Most books are available in English - so a first-level understanding is not a problem. The problem was finding time to read the books and to find the correct books to read.
In about 2001, a co-worker (who was a "devotee" - in ISKCON terminology, a "devotee" has to follow 4 basic rules...will skip them here) brought a few copies of the "The Bhagvad Gita - As It Is" for selling. I bought one. That was the beginning. As if by pre-decided fate, a few months later, I found myself talking to this co-worker while commuting back from the workplace to home. The half-an-hour or so spent with him left me completely astonished. There were too many things to learn (maybe "unlearn" and "re-learn"). He made some valid points and I thought that I must try to understand (not read) the subject a bit more deeply.
Thus started the long journey to read a lot of books, to understand the philosophy, to understand what they preach - the destruction of the myth. There was no truth to the myth. Ignorance is equivalent to darkness. From the darkness to the light - that is what knowledge can do. The myth was total darkness.
I am still not a "devotee". There are some basic things required of a "devotee". But, there is nothing wrong or misleading in their philosophy either. These days I try to tell about this philosophy to other interested people - these are the people on the "fence". So what if I do not follow the teachings myself? I do not feel guilty about it. Some day I will get there.
Moral of the story: Those people who comment without knowing the details should shut up, understand first and then point out mistakes or opinions, if any. Commenting without understanding or experiencing the problem is a "dangerous thing" for the planet. Many people comment about Hinduism/Vedic religion. These people should understand (at least) the Bhagvad Gita first and then say what they want to say.
We start with the myths first. BTW, this was also my original perception about ISKCON. The source of the myth probably lies in the famous old movie "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" where it was portrayed that foreigners came to India and took to drug abuse in the guise of spiritual learning. My elders had warned me about such things and somehow I came to suspect that these activities might be going on in the ISKCON temple at Juhu. During this period, I'd visited the temple a few times and though I did not see any such activity going on, I assumed there might be some "rooms" or "inner chambers" where this might be taking place.
Some time later, I was told that these people actually encourage people to become a "devotee" and once you get "trapped into this", one cannot "come out of it". Sounds familiar. This is the famous FUD thing (as mentioned in the original post about godmen).
A few years ago I was getting fed up of the routine life and felt there was something lacking - perhaps I had missed something important earlier. I also thought it might be worthwhile to investigate the myth by personally trying to probe a bit deeper.
Since ISKCON has a lot of books, I started reading some books. Most books are available in English - so a first-level understanding is not a problem. The problem was finding time to read the books and to find the correct books to read.
In about 2001, a co-worker (who was a "devotee" - in ISKCON terminology, a "devotee" has to follow 4 basic rules...will skip them here) brought a few copies of the "The Bhagvad Gita - As It Is" for selling. I bought one. That was the beginning. As if by pre-decided fate, a few months later, I found myself talking to this co-worker while commuting back from the workplace to home. The half-an-hour or so spent with him left me completely astonished. There were too many things to learn (maybe "unlearn" and "re-learn"). He made some valid points and I thought that I must try to understand (not read) the subject a bit more deeply.
Thus started the long journey to read a lot of books, to understand the philosophy, to understand what they preach - the destruction of the myth. There was no truth to the myth. Ignorance is equivalent to darkness. From the darkness to the light - that is what knowledge can do. The myth was total darkness.
I am still not a "devotee". There are some basic things required of a "devotee". But, there is nothing wrong or misleading in their philosophy either. These days I try to tell about this philosophy to other interested people - these are the people on the "fence". So what if I do not follow the teachings myself? I do not feel guilty about it. Some day I will get there.
Moral of the story: Those people who comment without knowing the details should shut up, understand first and then point out mistakes or opinions, if any. Commenting without understanding or experiencing the problem is a "dangerous thing" for the planet. Many people comment about Hinduism/Vedic religion. These people should understand (at least) the Bhagvad Gita first and then say what they want to say.
Monday, December 19, 2005
KYN WCAG in KC
What the hell was a KYN (Kalyan) WCAG doing in KC (King's Circle)?
Spotted, the other day, at King's Circle station, a KYN WCAG coming in from MM (Mahim Junction) into KC and proceeding towards VDLR (Wadala Road). MM, being a WR territory, it was surprising to find a CR-based KYN coming in to KC from the MM side.
Some of these mysteries will always remain, I guess. As soon as the loco (travelling "light") came along platform 2 of KC, I looked at the starter. It was ON (meaning, the signal was "red". Red is "on" and Green is "off"). But, the loco showed no signs of stopping. Was it going to jump the signal? My question was answered as it braked quickly just close to the starter. A moment later - as if it was being expected by the pilot - the starter turned OFF. And, the loco was off on its way to VDLR. During its brief stay at KC, some school-going kids decided to touch the loco (to see if it was "real"?) and some even clambered onto the rails of the rear cabin.
In case you are wondering about the differences between a WDM, a WAM, a WAP, a WCAM, a WCAG...and the likes, rest assured that its easy to know, once you know.
The first letter (in the modern naming convention) denotes the gauge. The "W" is "broad gauge". The last letter denotes the type of trains the loco is meant to haul. ("S" is shunter, "G" is goods, "P" is passenger, "M" is mixed.)
The middle letter(s) denote the power. ("D" is diesel, "A" is A/C, "C" is D/C and "CA" is dual A/C-D/C). So, a WDM is a broad gauge diesel for mixed trains. A WCAG is a broad gauge A/C-D/C goods loco.
And, while we are on the subject of KC, here is a recent photgraph of what must've been the original ticket counter at KC station. The year mentioned below the station name is 1940.
Spotted, the other day, at King's Circle station, a KYN WCAG coming in from MM (Mahim Junction) into KC and proceeding towards VDLR (Wadala Road). MM, being a WR territory, it was surprising to find a CR-based KYN coming in to KC from the MM side.
Some of these mysteries will always remain, I guess. As soon as the loco (travelling "light") came along platform 2 of KC, I looked at the starter. It was ON (meaning, the signal was "red". Red is "on" and Green is "off"). But, the loco showed no signs of stopping. Was it going to jump the signal? My question was answered as it braked quickly just close to the starter. A moment later - as if it was being expected by the pilot - the starter turned OFF. And, the loco was off on its way to VDLR. During its brief stay at KC, some school-going kids decided to touch the loco (to see if it was "real"?) and some even clambered onto the rails of the rear cabin.
In case you are wondering about the differences between a WDM, a WAM, a WAP, a WCAM, a WCAG...and the likes, rest assured that its easy to know, once you know.
The first letter (in the modern naming convention) denotes the gauge. The "W" is "broad gauge". The last letter denotes the type of trains the loco is meant to haul. ("S" is shunter, "G" is goods, "P" is passenger, "M" is mixed.)
The middle letter(s) denote the power. ("D" is diesel, "A" is A/C, "C" is D/C and "CA" is dual A/C-D/C). So, a WDM is a broad gauge diesel for mixed trains. A WCAG is a broad gauge A/C-D/C goods loco.
And, while we are on the subject of KC, here is a recent photgraph of what must've been the original ticket counter at KC station. The year mentioned below the station name is 1940.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Godmen and the FUD against them
Today's (18th Dec 2005) Mumbai Mirror has an article that throws the spotlight back on the "godmen". More specifically, it states how a "devotee" of a locally famous "godman" (Anirudhha Bapu) has filed a defamation case against Bollywood actor (and self-styled "crusader") Nana Patekar.
That's not the first time Nana has gone against "such" people. Neither is it the first time he has got into such trouble. There was the recent case where he had threatened a car driver on the road for driving "rashly". It was alleged that he had even pulled out a revolver (a licensed one). On the other hand, the recent case where another godman Narendra Maharaj was not allowed to take his "holy staff" aboard a plane may have prompted Nana to speak against them again.
Now, the very first point of argument against Nana's statement is that he seems to be against "fake godmen". Does this mean that he is alright with the "real godmen"? If so, what is it that differentiates "fake godmen" from "real godmen"? And how does he know that Asharam Bapu, Anirudhha Bapu and Narendra Maharaj are "fake"? Has he met them ever? That is something that should be thought over.
But, coming back to the case filed against Nana, the "devotee" (one Mr. Ulhas Kulkarni) gives very nice arguments and (as you shall make out by the end of this posting), I fully support these godmen ("fake" or "real"). Mr. Ulhas goes to the extent of criticising Bollywood and how they are not doing any good either by projecting and promoting "prevesity and obscenity". Right on dot, Mr. Ulhas and congratulations for taking a courageous step. It takes guts to fight anyone from Bollywood. These days even script writers of useless soaps and serials are pretending to be great. (These days if you are not connected in any way with Bollywood or her sister "Telewood", then you are an "insignificant person".)
Time and again one has heard of countless arguments against these "godmen". Send these people to me...nirvana guaranteed. These arguments are often referred to as "FUD" (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) in the Open Source world. For example, private software companies try to create a FUD in the minds of CEOs/CIOs/other vulnerable people regarding how open source software can destroy the industry, etc. But, we will not get into that. The FUD here, is against the godmen. Lets take a look at some of the arguments that one hears:
Let one who has not sinned cast the first stone
Argument over. Go home! Not convinced. Let's try to answer the above points one by one.
Point #1. : What do you mean by "mislead"? Show me one actor, politician, businessman, builder who does not mislead? What about people who show off their status and money to seek sexual favors from women and then dump them? Are they not in the same category?
Point #2: Treating people like god is nothing new. Some people come all the way from Allahabad to Mumbai to see their "gods" (like Amitabh). Pity they don't even have time to visit their local temple. But, who are the gods? And what good have these guys done to merit such status anyway? They have "acted" well in a blockbuster. (Isn't "acting" related to "falsely portraying one's true self"? Isn't it the same as "misleading"?)
Point #3: Ah! the whiff of "blind faith". We'll have dozen people (including the so-called "human rights activists") crawling all over soon. What exactly is "blind faith"? I say if one has reposed complete faith so as not to question his "god", then that is his/her personal judgement. Why do you have to interfere?
In a much broader perspective, so what if the "godmen" do "bad" things? Gosh if they had got it all right and were perfect, they would be right up there, with "God". Surely, they are not worse than the corrupt lot of actors and politicians. Look at their positive side: as long as they preach people to do good things, so be it. And if people go to "bad godmen", then no one has asked them to go there. They are not bound by any bond to be going to that guy. And if they do so, they are doing it because they get some inner peace.
Ah! I know. These actors...they are probably getting jealous. How dare people worship other gods when they are still around? Well, this is the age of competition. So, grow up and fight back (in the same competitive spirit). Not by asking people to beat the devotees and put "chappals" around the godmens' necks. And, not by creating FUD in the people's minds against these.
Oh maybe its because Nana had to face a lot of incovenience because of thousands of devotees gathered for some satsang. Maybe that's why he is so upset. But, wait. Weren't there some real innocent people incovenienced because of Amitabh's stay in the hospital? And what about those useless film shootings that are held on public roads? No one dare say anything against them, then.
Truly this is the age of Kali. Where to even preach good is considered bad. Where heroes now are those who can only "act" well.
Thanks, Mr. Patekar. You have opened our eyes. We still have a lot of work to do.
That's not the first time Nana has gone against "such" people. Neither is it the first time he has got into such trouble. There was the recent case where he had threatened a car driver on the road for driving "rashly". It was alleged that he had even pulled out a revolver (a licensed one). On the other hand, the recent case where another godman Narendra Maharaj was not allowed to take his "holy staff" aboard a plane may have prompted Nana to speak against them again.
Now, the very first point of argument against Nana's statement is that he seems to be against "fake godmen". Does this mean that he is alright with the "real godmen"? If so, what is it that differentiates "fake godmen" from "real godmen"? And how does he know that Asharam Bapu, Anirudhha Bapu and Narendra Maharaj are "fake"? Has he met them ever? That is something that should be thought over.
But, coming back to the case filed against Nana, the "devotee" (one Mr. Ulhas Kulkarni) gives very nice arguments and (as you shall make out by the end of this posting), I fully support these godmen ("fake" or "real"). Mr. Ulhas goes to the extent of criticising Bollywood and how they are not doing any good either by projecting and promoting "prevesity and obscenity". Right on dot, Mr. Ulhas and congratulations for taking a courageous step. It takes guts to fight anyone from Bollywood. These days even script writers of useless soaps and serials are pretending to be great. (These days if you are not connected in any way with Bollywood or her sister "Telewood", then you are an "insignificant person".)
Time and again one has heard of countless arguments against these "godmen". Send these people to me...nirvana guaranteed. These arguments are often referred to as "FUD" (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) in the Open Source world. For example, private software companies try to create a FUD in the minds of CEOs/CIOs/other vulnerable people regarding how open source software can destroy the industry, etc. But, we will not get into that. The FUD here, is against the godmen. Lets take a look at some of the arguments that one hears:
- These "godmen" mislead people and take favours from them (money, other worldly desires, etc.)
- These "godmen" show people some magic tricks and get people to treat them like god.
- These "godmen" encourage people to have "blind faith" and believe in superstitions.
There are many more, I am sure. But, for every argument raised here, I can assure you that I'll have an equally unanswerable counter-argument. One single point is easy to demolish all this:
Let one who has not sinned cast the first stone
Argument over. Go home! Not convinced. Let's try to answer the above points one by one.
Point #1. : What do you mean by "mislead"? Show me one actor, politician, businessman, builder who does not mislead? What about people who show off their status and money to seek sexual favors from women and then dump them? Are they not in the same category?
Point #2: Treating people like god is nothing new. Some people come all the way from Allahabad to Mumbai to see their "gods" (like Amitabh). Pity they don't even have time to visit their local temple. But, who are the gods? And what good have these guys done to merit such status anyway? They have "acted" well in a blockbuster. (Isn't "acting" related to "falsely portraying one's true self"? Isn't it the same as "misleading"?)
Point #3: Ah! the whiff of "blind faith". We'll have dozen people (including the so-called "human rights activists") crawling all over soon. What exactly is "blind faith"? I say if one has reposed complete faith so as not to question his "god", then that is his/her personal judgement. Why do you have to interfere?
In a much broader perspective, so what if the "godmen" do "bad" things? Gosh if they had got it all right and were perfect, they would be right up there, with "God". Surely, they are not worse than the corrupt lot of actors and politicians. Look at their positive side: as long as they preach people to do good things, so be it. And if people go to "bad godmen", then no one has asked them to go there. They are not bound by any bond to be going to that guy. And if they do so, they are doing it because they get some inner peace.
Ah! I know. These actors...they are probably getting jealous. How dare people worship other gods when they are still around? Well, this is the age of competition. So, grow up and fight back (in the same competitive spirit). Not by asking people to beat the devotees and put "chappals" around the godmens' necks. And, not by creating FUD in the people's minds against these.
Oh maybe its because Nana had to face a lot of incovenience because of thousands of devotees gathered for some satsang. Maybe that's why he is so upset. But, wait. Weren't there some real innocent people incovenienced because of Amitabh's stay in the hospital? And what about those useless film shootings that are held on public roads? No one dare say anything against them, then.
Truly this is the age of Kali. Where to even preach good is considered bad. Where heroes now are those who can only "act" well.
Thanks, Mr. Patekar. You have opened our eyes. We still have a lot of work to do.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Of "Tiger faces", "Barbie Dolls", "Baldies" and "Jumbos"
These are not some fictional characters in some movie, but "nick names" given to certain class of Indian Railway locomotive because of their appearance or color. Certain loco sheds prefer to paint their locos in specific color combinations (maybe also based on a specific class of locomotives).
| A "Tiger face" can be seen adjacent. This one is a WAG-7 from Ajni shed. Its face has some stripes and so is called a "Tiger Face". |  |
| A "Jumbo" is here. This unusually sized WDM-2 from Guntakal shed is called so because of its larger than usual structure. Most of the "Jumbos" may have undergone structural changes because of accidents or damage. |  |
| A "Baldie" looks like this WDM-3A from Gooty shed. The hood of a "Baldie" sets it out from the other normal WDMs and hence the name. Again, this modification would have been necessary because of some accident or damage. |  |
| And, a "Barbie Doll" is named so because of its "lipstick" color combination. This one is a Tatanagar WAM-4. |  |
Monday, December 05, 2005
Four weddings and a temple visit
This weekend, spilt over to Monday, included hectic trips to record my presence at four weddings. In addition, the weekend began with a visit to the Lord Ganesha temple at Titwala.
Saturday morning began normally and I had decided to visit the temple at Titwala. I took WR local to DDR and changed over to DR (Dadar, Central Railway). Then, there was some waiting time until the next local. So, I decided to take some tea from a nearby restaurant. I came back in time for a Badlapur fast local. I made sure I got a sitting place and then started the long journey to Kalyan (KYN). KYN was crowded as usual. I had to disembark at KYN and wait for the next local that was going to Kasara (KAS). A short time later I was at Titwala. A 5-minute "share-a-rickshaw" ride brought us to the temple. The rickshaw drivers have their pre-determined vendors where one can buy flowers and other offerings for the Lord. In addition, one can keep their footwear with them.
A 3-minute walk from the Ganesha temple is another temple - that of Shri Vitthal Rakhumai.
The wedding receptions were held at various places in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The first two were on Saturday. The real challenge was in attending both. Both were in the evening (the usual 7:30 p.m. onwards) - one was in Byculla and the other in Bandra. But, I was up for the challenge...after all, it was quite possible with some careful thinking. I knew that if I had to do it, the local trains would be the best commuting option. I was at ADH at about 19:20. A fast train to CCG at about 19:30 ensured that I reached BCT at 19:40. A taxi from BCT to Byculla and I was at the reception at 19:45 before the bride and groom could arrive. Before I could sneak out to the other wedding, I met some people from the same apartment complex as mine. Then, I had to tag along with them. One of them had a car and my hopes of catching the other wedding reception soon disappeared when it seemed possible that I might accompany them in the car. Had I taken the train even at 21:00, I could've reached Bandra station by 21:15 and the venue by 21:30.
The car journey took a long time even inspite of a light traffic. Then, we had to find a "suitable" parking space. Since it was new car (about 15 days old), we also had to worry about other vehicles "scratching" against the gleaming paint of the car. I complimented myself on making a good decision not to own a car (yet!). We finally reached at about 22:15 and most of the guests had left. We just had some token dinner and left (again by car => more woes).
The 3rd reception was on Sunday. Again, I met quite a lot of our "neighbors". Some of them were amazed that I had reduced so much. Others (who had lost weight earlier) tried to advise me on how I should have tackled the weight problem. Some others were of the opinion that this life was meant for eating and drinking in the first half...yes, I thought to myself...and the rest half of the lifetime (and money) could be spent in being bed-ridden. Thanks, nevertheless, for showing so much concern.
The 4th reception was on Monday. That was not really a reception. It was a "re-reception". The actual wedding and reception was held in the North of India and this one was held in Navi Mumbai for those people who could not make it to the northern part. The very interesting part of this 4th reception was the food...it was what people might like to call "authentic Punjabi food". Since I am not from Punjab or the north (heh - until some years ago, the northern most part of India that I had visited was Vasai Road), I could not vouch for the authenticity. Nevertheless, it was quite tasty.
Thus ended a solid weekend of receptions and a temple visit. Was I exhausted? Not so much attending those as I was in writing this. Phew!
Saturday morning began normally and I had decided to visit the temple at Titwala. I took WR local to DDR and changed over to DR (Dadar, Central Railway). Then, there was some waiting time until the next local. So, I decided to take some tea from a nearby restaurant. I came back in time for a Badlapur fast local. I made sure I got a sitting place and then started the long journey to Kalyan (KYN). KYN was crowded as usual. I had to disembark at KYN and wait for the next local that was going to Kasara (KAS). A short time later I was at Titwala. A 5-minute "share-a-rickshaw" ride brought us to the temple. The rickshaw drivers have their pre-determined vendors where one can buy flowers and other offerings for the Lord. In addition, one can keep their footwear with them.
A 3-minute walk from the Ganesha temple is another temple - that of Shri Vitthal Rakhumai.
The wedding receptions were held at various places in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The first two were on Saturday. The real challenge was in attending both. Both were in the evening (the usual 7:30 p.m. onwards) - one was in Byculla and the other in Bandra. But, I was up for the challenge...after all, it was quite possible with some careful thinking. I knew that if I had to do it, the local trains would be the best commuting option. I was at ADH at about 19:20. A fast train to CCG at about 19:30 ensured that I reached BCT at 19:40. A taxi from BCT to Byculla and I was at the reception at 19:45 before the bride and groom could arrive. Before I could sneak out to the other wedding, I met some people from the same apartment complex as mine. Then, I had to tag along with them. One of them had a car and my hopes of catching the other wedding reception soon disappeared when it seemed possible that I might accompany them in the car. Had I taken the train even at 21:00, I could've reached Bandra station by 21:15 and the venue by 21:30.
The car journey took a long time even inspite of a light traffic. Then, we had to find a "suitable" parking space. Since it was new car (about 15 days old), we also had to worry about other vehicles "scratching" against the gleaming paint of the car. I complimented myself on making a good decision not to own a car (yet!). We finally reached at about 22:15 and most of the guests had left. We just had some token dinner and left (again by car => more woes).
The 3rd reception was on Sunday. Again, I met quite a lot of our "neighbors". Some of them were amazed that I had reduced so much. Others (who had lost weight earlier) tried to advise me on how I should have tackled the weight problem. Some others were of the opinion that this life was meant for eating and drinking in the first half...yes, I thought to myself...and the rest half of the lifetime (and money) could be spent in being bed-ridden. Thanks, nevertheless, for showing so much concern.
The 4th reception was on Monday. That was not really a reception. It was a "re-reception". The actual wedding and reception was held in the North of India and this one was held in Navi Mumbai for those people who could not make it to the northern part. The very interesting part of this 4th reception was the food...it was what people might like to call "authentic Punjabi food". Since I am not from Punjab or the north (heh - until some years ago, the northern most part of India that I had visited was Vasai Road), I could not vouch for the authenticity. Nevertheless, it was quite tasty.
Thus ended a solid weekend of receptions and a temple visit. Was I exhausted? Not so much attending those as I was in writing this. Phew!
"Dombivili Fast"
Saw some posters (inside CR locals) about a new movie titled "Dombivili Fast". Its a Marathi movie and it seems to be based on a commuter's life. Finally, Dombivili (station code "DI") is in the news for the right reasons. Earlier, it was infamous for its house crashes and rickety buildings.
Hopefully, the movie is shot in a "real-life" train and the madness inside is captured. That might bring a sense of urgency to the state administrators to improve the commuter's life. Instead of wasting the money on developing Metros which may never be used (as outlined in this post by WGFA-CS), the administration might do well to reward the people of Mumbai for their hard-working habits.
Hopefully, the movie is shot in a "real-life" train and the madness inside is captured. That might bring a sense of urgency to the state administrators to improve the commuter's life. Instead of wasting the money on developing Metros which may never be used (as outlined in this post by WGFA-CS), the administration might do well to reward the people of Mumbai for their hard-working habits.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Unusual professions #1...temple cow feeder
Some say that anyone can make money in Mumbai. That's why its sought after by all our Indian junta. One can find all kinds of professions - usual and unusual. It is surprising how people earn their living. Let's see an example. Let me call this profession "temple cow feeder". The choice of this title is not entirely precise, but then I have yet to find anything more suitable. As we shall see, there is a reason why we call this profession as "cow feeder" (and not as, say, "cowherd").
I've observed (as would have so many Indians) this set of people outside temples with one or more cows and a heap of green grass. Hindus and Jains believe that cow is a sacred animal and one must feed the cow to get blessed (and to credit to our "karmic account"). The cow is typically tied to a tree or post and is usually under a nice shady tree (if the cow is lucky). There are one or more persons in charge of the cow. One needs to pay some money (Rs. 2/- is minimum in the posh suburbs) to this person(s) and they will give us a bundle of green grass. This green grass needs to be fed to the cow. The cow and the person are in position by morning 9 a.m. and this might go on till afternoon or late evening (depending on the demand). (Remember - this is a business model. All business rules apply (including demand/supply)).
Now, I wonder sometimes if the cow ever gets fed up of eating the same old green grass. Cows outside Jain temples are more lucky. As per their rules, Jains do not eat anything that has been prepared a day before. So any leftovers are also brought along and fed to the cows. Sometimes, the cow will ignore grass that is being fed and instead prefer to eat chappatis and bread.
That's not the main point. The point is that the person in charge of the cow is actually just a "feeder". That person is not the owner nor the cowherd. Nor does the person look after the cow or give her a bath or milk her. The way this works is simple (if you know): A designated cow from a stable (tabela) is brought over by the real cowherd and handed over to the "feeder". This happens outside the temple - only that we are too busy to take notice of this "handover". The cow has probably been milked in the tabela and given a scrub and brought to the place. Now, this feeder takes over and handles the feeding of the cow until the "time" is up. The cowherd again makes an appearance and, after taking a (hefty) commission from the feeder, takes away the cow back to the tabela.
This is real "business". If one is lucky, the feeder might make hundreds of rupees outside popular temples. Instead of the cow remaining idle in the stable, the cowherd "leases" it to the feeder who acts like an "agent". After the time is up, they split the earnings (in whatever agreed upon ratio). It is probably good for the cow too. Its breakfast and lunch get taken care of. Everyone is happy - including the people paying money to buy the grass.
Time to publish this model in HBR (Harvard Business Review). Some MBA courses might want to study this "model", after they have had enough of the dabbawalas. As a bonus, some of these feeders and cowherds might get to attend some royal wedding in Britain.
I've observed (as would have so many Indians) this set of people outside temples with one or more cows and a heap of green grass. Hindus and Jains believe that cow is a sacred animal and one must feed the cow to get blessed (and to credit to our "karmic account"). The cow is typically tied to a tree or post and is usually under a nice shady tree (if the cow is lucky). There are one or more persons in charge of the cow. One needs to pay some money (Rs. 2/- is minimum in the posh suburbs) to this person(s) and they will give us a bundle of green grass. This green grass needs to be fed to the cow. The cow and the person are in position by morning 9 a.m. and this might go on till afternoon or late evening (depending on the demand). (Remember - this is a business model. All business rules apply (including demand/supply)).
Now, I wonder sometimes if the cow ever gets fed up of eating the same old green grass. Cows outside Jain temples are more lucky. As per their rules, Jains do not eat anything that has been prepared a day before. So any leftovers are also brought along and fed to the cows. Sometimes, the cow will ignore grass that is being fed and instead prefer to eat chappatis and bread.
That's not the main point. The point is that the person in charge of the cow is actually just a "feeder". That person is not the owner nor the cowherd. Nor does the person look after the cow or give her a bath or milk her. The way this works is simple (if you know): A designated cow from a stable (tabela) is brought over by the real cowherd and handed over to the "feeder". This happens outside the temple - only that we are too busy to take notice of this "handover". The cow has probably been milked in the tabela and given a scrub and brought to the place. Now, this feeder takes over and handles the feeding of the cow until the "time" is up. The cowherd again makes an appearance and, after taking a (hefty) commission from the feeder, takes away the cow back to the tabela.
This is real "business". If one is lucky, the feeder might make hundreds of rupees outside popular temples. Instead of the cow remaining idle in the stable, the cowherd "leases" it to the feeder who acts like an "agent". After the time is up, they split the earnings (in whatever agreed upon ratio). It is probably good for the cow too. Its breakfast and lunch get taken care of. Everyone is happy - including the people paying money to buy the grass.
Time to publish this model in HBR (Harvard Business Review). Some MBA courses might want to study this "model", after they have had enough of the dabbawalas. As a bonus, some of these feeders and cowherds might get to attend some royal wedding in Britain.
The curious case of Dadar "Junction"
My elders told me that a "junction" was always a station that was "big". While that satisfied my curiosity when I was small, I could see that the definition was not entirely correct as I grew up. Take for example, Mahim on the Western Railway. It is a junction, though it is small (compared to say Andheri, which is not a junction).
Some search on the subject revaled the following definition: A junction is a place where 2 or more "lines" meet (line is a set of tracks proceeding along a certain route). This is obvious if one considers the English meaning of the word "junction". Thus, Mahim is a junction since 2 different routes converge at Mahim; the Harbour line proceeding to King's Cirlce and the Western line proceeding to Matunga Road converge at Mahim. So, Mahim is a junction. Andheri is not a junction by the same definition.
What about Dadar? Technically, Dadar station has lines from Central and Western Railway. But, then the stations are physically different. Dadar Central Railway station is a physically separate entity from Dadar Western Railway station, even though their names are the same. Heck, even the station codes for the 2 stations are different (it is "DR" on the Central and "DDR" on the Western). That the 2 stations are connected by a bridge (actually 3 bridges - 2 railway and 1 for normal pedestrians) does not matter. Dadar is technically not a "junction". Now, confirm this fact by looking at the name of the station painted all over the platforms and you will see that Dadar is not a junction.
That's when the mystery starts: Travelling into Dadar from Parel (on the Central Railway), one can see an old dilapidated and abandoned building on the left hand side. This is just before entering the Dadar station. One can also see this, travelling on the Western Railway from Elphinstone Road to Dadar. This building is then on the right hand side. Painted on the walls of the building one can still clearly see the words "Dadar Junction South Cabin". What? Dadar, a junction?
Maybe it WAS a junction a few decades ago. Or was it a painting mistake? Most likely to be the former.
Some search on the subject revaled the following definition: A junction is a place where 2 or more "lines" meet (line is a set of tracks proceeding along a certain route). This is obvious if one considers the English meaning of the word "junction". Thus, Mahim is a junction since 2 different routes converge at Mahim; the Harbour line proceeding to King's Cirlce and the Western line proceeding to Matunga Road converge at Mahim. So, Mahim is a junction. Andheri is not a junction by the same definition.
What about Dadar? Technically, Dadar station has lines from Central and Western Railway. But, then the stations are physically different. Dadar Central Railway station is a physically separate entity from Dadar Western Railway station, even though their names are the same. Heck, even the station codes for the 2 stations are different (it is "DR" on the Central and "DDR" on the Western). That the 2 stations are connected by a bridge (actually 3 bridges - 2 railway and 1 for normal pedestrians) does not matter. Dadar is technically not a "junction". Now, confirm this fact by looking at the name of the station painted all over the platforms and you will see that Dadar is not a junction.
That's when the mystery starts: Travelling into Dadar from Parel (on the Central Railway), one can see an old dilapidated and abandoned building on the left hand side. This is just before entering the Dadar station. One can also see this, travelling on the Western Railway from Elphinstone Road to Dadar. This building is then on the right hand side. Painted on the walls of the building one can still clearly see the words "Dadar Junction South Cabin". What? Dadar, a junction?
Maybe it WAS a junction a few decades ago. Or was it a painting mistake? Most likely to be the former.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Ground floor blues
Having stayed in a ground floor apartment all these years, its time to think back and make a comparison. If I were to buy a flat now, it would have to be some higher floor (surely not ground floor)...maybe the 3rd or 4th floor. Of course, there are very few buildings that have a ground floor flat these days; most usually have a stilt which is used for parkng vehicles.
Here are the advantages v/s disadvantages of a ground floor flat:
Advantages:
Here are the advantages v/s disadvantages of a ground floor flat:
Advantages:
- Easy access (especially for elderly people in apartments where there is no elevator) for people as well as for material movement
- Staying on the ground floor is ideal if one has kids. Kids are in no danger of falling out from the windows or balconies and parents can even let their kids out to play and keep an eye on them
- Water pressure is the highest at the ground floor. So, water flow is guaranteed to be the highest.
- With too many apartments around, ground floor flats do not get the pleasure of enjoying a good sea breeze; besides, there is too much pollution and dust
- Diwali and other such festivals are a big pain. Most people burst crackers on the ground level; so decibel levels are the highest.
- Kids playing cricket is a perpetual problem because of the fear of broken window panes
- If one has to study for exams, it is also difficult to concentrate with so much noise around
- Privacy is also of concern since the windows are at an average person's height
- With the recent 26th July floods, it is also clear that ground floor flats are the most affected by the water coming into their houses
Saturday, November 26, 2005
What we learnt and forgot
It is clear that we (myself included) forgot the most important things taught in school. We need to remind ourselves of the very basics of how to perform our everyday activities. It is not surprising that most of us do not know: how to breathe, how to stand, how to sit, how to sleep, how to eat, how to take a bath, etc. Maybe it is because we do not pay much attention to these things - since these seem to be so insignificant. Or maybe it is because we have not been taught how to perform these things exactly.
Upon reading some books on various topics such as yoga, acupressure and others, it became clear to me that we were not following the basic rules that we had been taught. For example, all of us were taught that we should stand "straight", but on observation, I find hardly anyone (including myself) following that rule. After having read about the harmful effects of not following these rules, I've tried to follow these as often as I can. I also observed if others are following these.
A nice example is to take a look at people standing at the bus-stop. It is morning time and people have got up and look fresh and are waiting for the bus. But none of them is standing straight. And its not because they are tired (come on - they've gotten up after at least 5 hours of rest - and this is the start of their day). Maybe it is the fashion to stand by putting one's weight on one leg and folding the other (like the ramp models do). But remember what we were taught - to stand straight. Probably the problem is that we were not taught "how to stand straight".
Here then is what I have gathered from reading various books:
Standing:
Upon reading some books on various topics such as yoga, acupressure and others, it became clear to me that we were not following the basic rules that we had been taught. For example, all of us were taught that we should stand "straight", but on observation, I find hardly anyone (including myself) following that rule. After having read about the harmful effects of not following these rules, I've tried to follow these as often as I can. I also observed if others are following these.
A nice example is to take a look at people standing at the bus-stop. It is morning time and people have got up and look fresh and are waiting for the bus. But none of them is standing straight. And its not because they are tired (come on - they've gotten up after at least 5 hours of rest - and this is the start of their day). Maybe it is the fashion to stand by putting one's weight on one leg and folding the other (like the ramp models do). But remember what we were taught - to stand straight. Probably the problem is that we were not taught "how to stand straight".
Here then is what I have gathered from reading various books:
Standing:
- One must always stand straight with the body weight thrown equally on both the legs.
- Why: If one does not stand straight, the body will soon feel tired, the spine is affected and the mind becomes dull
- How: Here is a secret: The weight of the body is to be borne not on the calves, but on the thighs. The thighs must be "pulled and rolled" inside and the buttocks must be held tight. Do it and see the difference. Of course, the spine must be kept erect and the feet close to each other.
- Symptom: The easiest is to observe the soles of the footwear worn by the person. If the soles are worn out at an angle, then the person is not standing straight (as in this definition)
- Breathing must always be slow and steady.
- Why: If one does not breathe slowly, the mind is likely to get carried away by all the distractions. One will easily get excited and will not be able to concentrate. Indeed, the ancient science of pranayama (the 4th stage of the 8-stage yoga) is precisely the control of breath - so that the mind can be controlled.
- How: Each cycle of breathing has 4 steps: inhaling, holding the breath in the inhaled state, exhaling and holding the breath in the exhaled state. The recommended ratio for this is 1:4:2:2. By practice, one can increase each cycle to take more than a minute.
- One must eat slowly and chew the food properly.
- Why: If one eats hastily without chewing the food properly, the food will not get digested properly. The stomach may need to overwork for performing the digestion. Not chewing the food properly has been specified (by ancient wisdom) to be the main cause of diabetes.
- How: Each morsel of food must be chewed at least 32 times to ensure proper mixing with the salivia. This itself ensures that the food is pre-digested reducing the burden on the stomach.
Censorship...the forgotten point of view
Those were the months that went by when not a day passed without someone crying foul over the curtailing of the "freedom of expression" (and all the other "freedom*"). I am talking about the months that finally led to the closure of dance bars (first in Maharashtra excluding Mumbai and then in Mumbai). Many "freedom zealots" raised a lot of arguments opposing the ban - some of these arguments were an "eye opener" to say the least. Sample some of them:
One point that I want to particularly highlight is this: the recent sentencing to death in the Borivli double murder case brought back this issue to my mind. It should be noted that the boys in the case were thinking of robbing their victims because they wanted money to spend on the girls in a dance bar. It has also been reported that one of the boys was a drug addict - but we will overlook that issue since drugs are already banned (and no one has a problem with that...except maybe the addicts themselves).
That many robberies took place or desire to make a quick buck was felt because of the lure of the dance bars is well known. In a discussion with some people, when this argument was put forward supporting the ban on the dance bars, the "freedom guys" pointed out that money is also being sought after for things like cigarettes and alcohol. So, even these should be banned.
But the magnitude of money spent in smoking is so miniscule that it is pointless to commit a robbery just to get a cigarette. I mean we are talking about a difference in scale. The money spent by individuals in a dance bar has been reported to be in the few thousands in a sinlge night. Now, if someone blows up that much money for smoke in a single day, he will surely die (or it might be one of those famed Cuban cigars (Davidoff?) that cost a fortune). Ditto for alcohol.
We do not know the "real" reason for the dance bar ban. (Some have blamed the concerned ministers saying that they were demanding more money from the dance bars which the owners were not willing to cough up.). Whatever be the case, at least, now there is some respite from the nuisances posed by these bars that seemed to be mushrooming up anywhere and everywhere. And, we hope, that wisdom finally dawns upon our people so that they do not want to make a quick buck by harming other innocent people.
- With dance bars closing, the jobless women will take to prostituion
- It is much safer to travel in the night because there are always people around (believe me - some people actually said that!)
- Men will now start spending their monies in other illegitimate ways
- If dance bars are banned, so should all other activities like smoking, alcohol, etc.
- All 5 star hotels should stop the dances since they too have women dancing with little clothes
- ...and so on
One point that I want to particularly highlight is this: the recent sentencing to death in the Borivli double murder case brought back this issue to my mind. It should be noted that the boys in the case were thinking of robbing their victims because they wanted money to spend on the girls in a dance bar. It has also been reported that one of the boys was a drug addict - but we will overlook that issue since drugs are already banned (and no one has a problem with that...except maybe the addicts themselves).
That many robberies took place or desire to make a quick buck was felt because of the lure of the dance bars is well known. In a discussion with some people, when this argument was put forward supporting the ban on the dance bars, the "freedom guys" pointed out that money is also being sought after for things like cigarettes and alcohol. So, even these should be banned.
But the magnitude of money spent in smoking is so miniscule that it is pointless to commit a robbery just to get a cigarette. I mean we are talking about a difference in scale. The money spent by individuals in a dance bar has been reported to be in the few thousands in a sinlge night. Now, if someone blows up that much money for smoke in a single day, he will surely die (or it might be one of those famed Cuban cigars (Davidoff?) that cost a fortune). Ditto for alcohol.
We do not know the "real" reason for the dance bar ban. (Some have blamed the concerned ministers saying that they were demanding more money from the dance bars which the owners were not willing to cough up.). Whatever be the case, at least, now there is some respite from the nuisances posed by these bars that seemed to be mushrooming up anywhere and everywhere. And, we hope, that wisdom finally dawns upon our people so that they do not want to make a quick buck by harming other innocent people.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
The world's longest song title ever?
A decade ago I thought that one of Paul Simon's song would be the longest song title ever. This title has 77 characters (including whitespace and punctuation) and is
A few years ago that changed and I think the longest one belongs to a musical piece of a group called Shakti featuring John McLaughlin, Vikku, Zakir and L. Shankar. The title of this is 117 characters long (including whitespace and punctuation) and is
The discography for Shakti (and its recent avtaar "Remember Shakti") is to be found here.
And while we are at Shakti, I'd been to one of the "Remember Shakti" shows in December 2000. The show was at Shanmukhananda Hall, King's Circle. Quite an amazing experience. The show was recorded live and is marketed as an album "Saturday Night In Bombay" (one of the claps you hear in the album could be mine :-)).
My only contention is that L. Shankar (double violin = ten-string violin) got replaced by U. Srinivas(mandolin) as part of the change in "Remember Shakti". Srinivas is mesmerizing on the mandolin (a "foreign" instrument adapted by Srinivas himself to be suitable to play the subtle microtones required in the Carnatic ragas. But, Shankar would have added to the authenticity of the original Shakti. In addition, Vikku is replaced by his son (Selva Ganesh playing Kanjira) in "Remember Shakti".Guess Vikku is busy with his percussion school in Chennai.
A host of others like Shankar Mahadevan and Pt. Bhawani Shankar chip in at appropriate points in the "Remember Shakti" concert.
A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission)
A few years ago that changed and I think the longest one belongs to a musical piece of a group called Shakti featuring John McLaughlin, Vikku, Zakir and L. Shankar. The title of this is 117 characters long (including whitespace and punctuation) and is
What Need Have I for this? What Need Have I for that? I am dancing at the feet of my lord, all is bliss, all is bliss
The discography for Shakti (and its recent avtaar "Remember Shakti") is to be found here.
And while we are at Shakti, I'd been to one of the "Remember Shakti" shows in December 2000. The show was at Shanmukhananda Hall, King's Circle. Quite an amazing experience. The show was recorded live and is marketed as an album "Saturday Night In Bombay" (one of the claps you hear in the album could be mine :-)).
My only contention is that L. Shankar (double violin = ten-string violin) got replaced by U. Srinivas(mandolin) as part of the change in "Remember Shakti". Srinivas is mesmerizing on the mandolin (a "foreign" instrument adapted by Srinivas himself to be suitable to play the subtle microtones required in the Carnatic ragas. But, Shankar would have added to the authenticity of the original Shakti. In addition, Vikku is replaced by his son (Selva Ganesh playing Kanjira) in "Remember Shakti".Guess Vikku is busy with his percussion school in Chennai.
A host of others like Shankar Mahadevan and Pt. Bhawani Shankar chip in at appropriate points in the "Remember Shakti" concert.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Mumbai Wastes Water - Part 1
Mumbai thinks of wasting water in various ways. Some of these are very obvious, while some are not. Among the common ones are leaking water pipes, using filtered tap water for cleaning automobiles, brushing with the tap on, etc. There are some pointers to this kind of wastage in my earlier post.
In this multi-part series, I will keep looking out for not so obvious ways in which precious water (aka "white gold") is wasted by Mumbai and her (his?) inhabitants.
In this blog post, I focus on a very strange custom found in restaurants. As soon as customer enters a restaurant and takes a seat, some special "water boys" or waiters keep a glass full of water in front of the customer. This is like a welcome drink - a typical scenario in an Indian house - we always offer water to our guests. Of course, we do ask them whether they would like to have cold water or room-temperature water.
The problem is that some customers are not thirsty at all. The question is what happens to this glass of water. Will it be taken away to be served again to another customer? Or will it be thrown away, washed, refilled and then served? Most likely the second case. In which case, there is a wastage of water of about a glassful of water. Not much I say. I know...but if you consider the number of customers visiting the restaurant in a day, this adds up. Now, multiply this by the number of restaurants and that is some quantity we are talking about. I know this still does not match up to the quantity Mumbai wastes in other ways, but then every drop counts.
Another problem is that most customers do not want to drink the entire glass: a sip or two will keep their thirst on hold till the time the thirst is fulfilled by ordering some other drinks. In this case, more than half of the glass of water will be thrown away.
The problem does not end here: some restaurants have instructed their "boys" not to keep any water glass empty. An example of this can be seen in Sudershan (Udipi) at Saki Naka. The "boys" keep filling the glass the moment its empty. So, if you wanted to drink 2 glasses of water, you will get those plus an extra one that is wasted anyways.
Wherever possible, I instruct these "boys" not to serve water to me, since I do not trust the water anyways. I might rather drink boiled tea than contaminated water (my dad's rule #1 while travelling...more about that later in another post). Often these "boys" get shouted at by the senior waiters for not serving me water and then I have to tell them that it was my choice.
Then, there are some seemingly more intelligent eateries: like at Panshikar in Dadar where they keep a common tray of filled water glasses per table; so only those customers that want to take water, actually do so. And after drinking, one is supposed to keep the glass out of the tray...so that the "boys" know that it is a used glass. Such practice is also seen in some of the bigger hotels/halls where conferences are held.
In this multi-part series, I will keep looking out for not so obvious ways in which precious water (aka "white gold") is wasted by Mumbai and her (his?) inhabitants.
In this blog post, I focus on a very strange custom found in restaurants. As soon as customer enters a restaurant and takes a seat, some special "water boys" or waiters keep a glass full of water in front of the customer. This is like a welcome drink - a typical scenario in an Indian house - we always offer water to our guests. Of course, we do ask them whether they would like to have cold water or room-temperature water.
The problem is that some customers are not thirsty at all. The question is what happens to this glass of water. Will it be taken away to be served again to another customer? Or will it be thrown away, washed, refilled and then served? Most likely the second case. In which case, there is a wastage of water of about a glassful of water. Not much I say. I know...but if you consider the number of customers visiting the restaurant in a day, this adds up. Now, multiply this by the number of restaurants and that is some quantity we are talking about. I know this still does not match up to the quantity Mumbai wastes in other ways, but then every drop counts.
Another problem is that most customers do not want to drink the entire glass: a sip or two will keep their thirst on hold till the time the thirst is fulfilled by ordering some other drinks. In this case, more than half of the glass of water will be thrown away.
The problem does not end here: some restaurants have instructed their "boys" not to keep any water glass empty. An example of this can be seen in Sudershan (Udipi) at Saki Naka. The "boys" keep filling the glass the moment its empty. So, if you wanted to drink 2 glasses of water, you will get those plus an extra one that is wasted anyways.
Wherever possible, I instruct these "boys" not to serve water to me, since I do not trust the water anyways. I might rather drink boiled tea than contaminated water (my dad's rule #1 while travelling...more about that later in another post). Often these "boys" get shouted at by the senior waiters for not serving me water and then I have to tell them that it was my choice.
Then, there are some seemingly more intelligent eateries: like at Panshikar in Dadar where they keep a common tray of filled water glasses per table; so only those customers that want to take water, actually do so. And after drinking, one is supposed to keep the glass out of the tray...so that the "boys" know that it is a used glass. Such practice is also seen in some of the bigger hotels/halls where conferences are held.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Peer pressure
I have observed people in India live under tremendous peer pressure. Here, I use the term peer to mean friend, co-worker, neighbor, relative or sibling.
Now, if one is motivated to do fine things because of this pressure, it is fine...but, as is to be expected, the results are almost never positive. Consider the kinds of pressure that a materially-attached middle or upper-middle class Mumbaikar is subjected to:
Very recently, a middle-aged woman lost her life due to this car-owning craze of her neighbor. The details are to be found in this article in the Mid-Day. It seems that a newly-trained car owner was trying to drive the car on her own and in the process she crushed her neighbor to death. She accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brake.
For the spiritually-inclined, however, there is no such pressure. Whether that is good or bad for the society depends on how you look at it.
It might be important to understand what great thinkers like the Adi Shakarcharya have to say about this. In Bhaja Govindam by Adi Shankaracharya, one comes across the following:
The translation is:
Now, if one is motivated to do fine things because of this pressure, it is fine...but, as is to be expected, the results are almost never positive. Consider the kinds of pressure that a materially-attached middle or upper-middle class Mumbaikar is subjected to:
- Peer gets better marks than me
- Peer gets into a better college/university than me
- Peer has bought a car and I haven't
- Peer has bought a bigger car and I have a smaller one
- Peer has visited abroad and I haven't yet
- Peer visits different countries 4 times a year and I only have a trip once a year
- Peer is now the big-shot of a well-known company
- Peer has bought a new house
- Peer has better interiors in his house than mine
- ...and the list goes on
Very recently, a middle-aged woman lost her life due to this car-owning craze of her neighbor. The details are to be found in this article in the Mid-Day. It seems that a newly-trained car owner was trying to drive the car on her own and in the process she crushed her neighbor to death. She accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brake.
For the spiritually-inclined, however, there is no such pressure. Whether that is good or bad for the society depends on how you look at it.
It might be important to understand what great thinkers like the Adi Shakarcharya have to say about this. In Bhaja Govindam by Adi Shankaracharya, one comes across the following:
sura mandira taru mUla nivAsa:
shayyA bhUtalam ajinam vAsa:
sarva parigraha bhoga tyAga:
kasya sukham na karoti virAga:
shayyA bhUtalam ajinam vAsa:
sarva parigraha bhoga tyAga:
kasya sukham na karoti virAga:
The translation is:
Living in temples or at the foot of the trees,
sleeping on the ground, wearing deer-skin, renouncing all possession
and thier enjoyment - to whom will not dispassion bring happiness?
Who is wiser? Us or Adi Shankaracharya?
sleeping on the ground, wearing deer-skin, renouncing all possession
and thier enjoyment - to whom will not dispassion bring happiness?
Culinary confusion
One of the things that I oft get confused about is the difference between a cutlet and a pattice. I can't seem to point out which is called which. And just when I have figured some difference, there would be some eatery that has to name the items the other way around.
As per current understanding:
A pattice is a plain potato-mashed round that is either shallow fried or deep fried with or without a batter cover. The English word is "patty", I guess...and therefore, the plural is "patties". The Indian spelling that one sees used in the restaurant menus is pattice. A pattice is mostly creamish in color and is mostly eaten with a gravy like chole/ragda.
A pattice, I think, is also referred to as a chop (or is it chaap), especially in the east of India.
A cutlet, on the other hand, has something to do with much more than potatoes. For example, one hears of a vegetable cutlet. This is mostly brown- or deep red-colored and is eaten with sauce or ketchup.
Occasionally, one finds eateries used these names to mean the other dish.
As per current understanding:
A pattice is a plain potato-mashed round that is either shallow fried or deep fried with or without a batter cover. The English word is "patty", I guess...and therefore, the plural is "patties". The Indian spelling that one sees used in the restaurant menus is pattice. A pattice is mostly creamish in color and is mostly eaten with a gravy like chole/ragda.
A pattice, I think, is also referred to as a chop (or is it chaap), especially in the east of India.
A cutlet, on the other hand, has something to do with much more than potatoes. For example, one hears of a vegetable cutlet. This is mostly brown- or deep red-colored and is eaten with sauce or ketchup.
Occasionally, one finds eateries used these names to mean the other dish.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Diwali Snacks shopping
As outlined in an earlier post, there is such an activity as "Snacks Shopping" during Diwali. This year there were a few additions to the list of shops from where we bought those snacks. Apart from Cafe Mysore at King's Circle and Sapre's at Goregaon, we bought stuff from Shri Krishna Sweets at Chembur and Anand Bhavan at King's Circle.
Each place is well-known for specific varieties of snacks and sweets and hence the need to buy different things from different shops. The fact that these shops are located in 3 different corners in Mumbai is not a deterrent for people like me (who travel by train anyways...now, try doing that by car in 3 hours on a working day).
The "Shri Krishna Sweets" thing cropped up quite late on the" radar" and needs some explanation. For those who do not know, "Shri Krishna Sweets" has sweets and snacks of the Tamil variety and is "headquartered" in Coimbatore. It has branches all over Tamilnadu and even in Bangalore. This shop in Chembur is a newly opened branch and is probably the only one in Mumbai. One of the specialty sweet items is what they call as "Mysurpa" (and what Maharashtrians call as "Mysore Pak"---no connection to Pakistan, as in "Indo Pak". The "Pak", I guess, stands for "sweet syrup").
So, it was that someone had gifted a box of Mysurpa from Shri Krishna Sweets much before Diwali and my mom took a liking to it. It was mon's desire to buy Mysurpa from there that drove me to Chembur this Diwali.
Armed with a list of items to buy (and the shops to buy them from), I reached Chembur and tried to locate the shop. It didn't take me long to find it since it is on N. G. Acharya Marg (the station road in Chembur East that runs parallel to the track). It is on the right hand side as we move from the station entrance towards Govandi.
I bought some 2.5 kg of Mysurpa and 2 kg of "Corn Flake" Halwa (yes, that's right...the salesperson said that they did not sell wheat halwa, only corn flakes).
Diwali is over and all the snacks and sweets have been exhausted too. Let's see if this shop figures in the list next Diwali.
Each place is well-known for specific varieties of snacks and sweets and hence the need to buy different things from different shops. The fact that these shops are located in 3 different corners in Mumbai is not a deterrent for people like me (who travel by train anyways...now, try doing that by car in 3 hours on a working day).
The "Shri Krishna Sweets" thing cropped up quite late on the" radar" and needs some explanation. For those who do not know, "Shri Krishna Sweets" has sweets and snacks of the Tamil variety and is "headquartered" in Coimbatore. It has branches all over Tamilnadu and even in Bangalore. This shop in Chembur is a newly opened branch and is probably the only one in Mumbai. One of the specialty sweet items is what they call as "Mysurpa" (and what Maharashtrians call as "Mysore Pak"---no connection to Pakistan, as in "Indo Pak". The "Pak", I guess, stands for "sweet syrup").
So, it was that someone had gifted a box of Mysurpa from Shri Krishna Sweets much before Diwali and my mom took a liking to it. It was mon's desire to buy Mysurpa from there that drove me to Chembur this Diwali.
Armed with a list of items to buy (and the shops to buy them from), I reached Chembur and tried to locate the shop. It didn't take me long to find it since it is on N. G. Acharya Marg (the station road in Chembur East that runs parallel to the track). It is on the right hand side as we move from the station entrance towards Govandi.
I bought some 2.5 kg of Mysurpa and 2 kg of "Corn Flake" Halwa (yes, that's right...the salesperson said that they did not sell wheat halwa, only corn flakes).
Diwali is over and all the snacks and sweets have been exhausted too. Let's see if this shop figures in the list next Diwali.
End of Semester
Phew! Doing a semester (especially @ IIT) takes quite a toll, even though it is part-time. The final exams are now over and so are the classes. There's only a small assignment left, but there's enough time for that.
That might explain the sudden flurry of posts to this blog now and the absence of any in the last few weeks.
Luckily for me, a spate of regular quizzes (with the marks of each contributing by a certain weight to the final grades) ensured that I did not have to "slog" towards the end.
That might explain the sudden flurry of posts to this blog now and the absence of any in the last few weeks.
Luckily for me, a spate of regular quizzes (with the marks of each contributing by a certain weight to the final grades) ensured that I did not have to "slog" towards the end.
Common Mumbai misnomers
The game is in the name. Here are some common misnomers...terms and names that you might hear, but might mistake it for something very similar sounding. We'll add more to this list as time goes by.
- Vashi Naka is nowhere near Vashi
- Turbhe (the Hindi name for Trombay) is also a place near Vashi
- JVLR ends at Powai as of today...the original plan was (or maybe still is) to extend it to Vikhroli
- Lower Parel is not closer to Parel...if one wants to go to Parel by travelling through WR, the correct station to disembark is Elphinstone Road (remember, "Lower" in terms of railway lingo means more closer to the starting station on the "down" line, that is from Churchgate to Dadar)
- Matunga Road is not equal to Matunga (the Z bridge to cross over from Matunga Road station on the Western Railway to Matunga on the Central Railway takes about 10 minutes by walk)
- Marol Depot v/s Marol Maroshi Depot (these are a few km apart)
- Prabhodhankar Thackeray Udyaan (Charkop) v/s Prabhodhankar Thackeray Chowk (Sewree)
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Diwali's here
The first signs of Diwali have made their appearance. One can find a lot of vendors/hawkers selling lanterns and crackers along with the decoration items like "rangoli". Several "temporary" hawkers have come up everywhere...hopefully these guys will go away once Diwali is over. On the other hand, several "permanent" roadside hawkers have stopped selling what they usually sell and switched over to selling this new seasonal stuff.
There is high demand for sweets and other "snack items" like chiwda and chakli. Traditionally, these sweets and snacks were supposed to be made in each one's homes and then exchange them with their neighbours. While the exchanging tradition still continues in most parts of Mumbai, the making part has been now left largely to these shops that sell these items. I think this has mostly to do with women working or being very busy in whatever it is that they do.
There are some specialist shops that I would like to mention (from which I have bought these things in the past):
There is high demand for sweets and other "snack items" like chiwda and chakli. Traditionally, these sweets and snacks were supposed to be made in each one's homes and then exchange them with their neighbours. While the exchanging tradition still continues in most parts of Mumbai, the making part has been now left largely to these shops that sell these items. I think this has mostly to do with women working or being very busy in whatever it is that they do.
There are some specialist shops that I would like to mention (from which I have bought these things in the past):
- Matunga (and King's Circle) has a slew of these "South Indian" shops that sell the south Indian variety of sweets and snacks. Cafe Mysore converts much of its restaurant into counters that display the various sweets and snacks. I wonder whether the restaurant stays open on these days.
- When I visited Panshikar at Dadar last year, there was a huge queue into that small eatery waiting patiently to buy these snacks.
- Sapre's at Goregaon West is another Maharashtrian favorite. This is the place I've bought most of the stuff from in the past few Diwalis. Sapre's has a large (maybe complete) variety (of the Maharashtrian kind, of course). The very unique thing is that one needs to fill in an "order form" with the quantity that one needs. (The forms are available at the counter.) The forms are to be handed over the counter to the sales person and they will find and collect all the items mentioned. They will even put it in a box so that one can carry the stuff home. Another thing of interest is that at the bottom of the "order form", they mention that no matter how big the order, one would still have to come to the shop to collect it - that they do not deliver.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Jumbo King Wada Pav
Its been a few years since the Jumbo King Wada Pav was launched with an ambitious goal of making the "Wada Pav world class". But, it was only recently that I ventured to have a Wada Pav at the stall. This was partly motivated by reading an article in a newspaper about the types of Wada Pav that they offer - I was most attracted by the "Brown (Whole Wheat) Pav".
And so it was that I was pleasantly surprised to see the price of Rs. 6 for the brown pav variety and Rs. 5 for the normal one. They also offer soft drinks and lassi. The Wada Pav was not bad at all and in fact, for the hygiene that they offer, the price is really worth it (it is priced Re. 1 more than the usual Wada Pav hawkers).
I could see that this strategy would not only attract the middle-class and college students, but also the labourer class that make a "meal" out of the Wada Pav. In addition, they have also have Wada Pav with cheese. On the other hand, they call the "Brown Bread Wada Pav" as the "Diet Wada Pav" - quite an attractive proposition for the "diet-concious" people.
The article in the newspaper also mentioned that they were soon going to introduce a "Jain Wada Pav" (without garlic and potatoes).
Looks like a desi McDonald in the making.
And so it was that I was pleasantly surprised to see the price of Rs. 6 for the brown pav variety and Rs. 5 for the normal one. They also offer soft drinks and lassi. The Wada Pav was not bad at all and in fact, for the hygiene that they offer, the price is really worth it (it is priced Re. 1 more than the usual Wada Pav hawkers).
I could see that this strategy would not only attract the middle-class and college students, but also the labourer class that make a "meal" out of the Wada Pav. In addition, they have also have Wada Pav with cheese. On the other hand, they call the "Brown Bread Wada Pav" as the "Diet Wada Pav" - quite an attractive proposition for the "diet-concious" people.
The article in the newspaper also mentioned that they were soon going to introduce a "Jain Wada Pav" (without garlic and potatoes).
Looks like a desi McDonald in the making.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Mumbai's best bakers
Without a doubt, most of Mumbai's best bakers are either Parsis or Iranis. Among them, my vote for the best (value, and quality) goes to Merwan's in Andheri (West).
There are only 2 Merwan's shops in the entire city (suburbs included). And, believe it or not, these 2 shops are just a few shops away from each other. Both are located on the ground floor of a building called "Madhav Building" on S. V. Road, outside Andheri station (West).
One shop specializes in cakes and pasteries; the other has some seats, a snacks counter, and a small get-together hall on the first floor (apart from the same cakes and pasteries). Why there are 2 shops selling the same items within such a close distance is not known to me...maybe it has to do with the handling of customers.
Such is the fierce clientele that the customers actually keep an "eye" on the fresh baked items coming in by 4 p.m. By 5 p.m., most of the snack items like rolls, puffs are almost over. And by 6 p.m., you are too late to get anything at all in the snacks section.
The prices are quite decent too. I have known people who drop in at Merwan's on their way to Malad. Some eggless pastries and snacks are also available which are quite tasty too. They also have packets of cookies that are crisp and well-baked.
If ever there was a baker's competition in Mumbai, this one would take it all.
Note that apart from these 2 stores, there is no other branch. There is a "B. Merwans" Irani restaurant and bakery opposite Grant Road station - this has no connection with the "real" Merwans.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Back after a break
Its been 3 weeks since my home computer conked off (the motherboard). That would explain the lack of posts from my side.
Got a new board from the usual place in Mumbai and it seems to work fine.
Got a new board from the usual place in Mumbai and it seems to work fine.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
"Dead zone" at Mahim Junction?
In all probability, a "dead" zone exists at Mahim Junction (a suburban railway station in Mumbai). It has come to my notice that whenever we travel from King's Circle to Mahim (via the Harbour line, of course), there is a brief period for which the fans go off and the lights come on (even during the day time), but are very dim - a sign that the lights might be powered by some standby.
Unlike the dead zone at Virar, where the dead zone is required for the change in the type of electrification (DC to AC away from Virar), this one seems to be present for a different reason.
Maybe it exists because there is a "handover" spot between King's Circle and Mahim Junction where the Central Railway (which handles the King's Circle part of the line) meets the Western Railway (which handles the Mahim Junction part of the line).
Add one more to the the mysteries of the Indian Railway world.
Unlike the dead zone at Virar, where the dead zone is required for the change in the type of electrification (DC to AC away from Virar), this one seems to be present for a different reason.
Maybe it exists because there is a "handover" spot between King's Circle and Mahim Junction where the Central Railway (which handles the King's Circle part of the line) meets the Western Railway (which handles the Mahim Junction part of the line).
Add one more to the the mysteries of the Indian Railway world.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Rain damage part 2
Every weekend since the heavy rains of Mumbai (26th July 2005) has been spent in salvaging items that were soaked in the dirty water that entered my home.
This weekend I discovered more stuff that needs to be thrown out or destroyed:
This weekend I discovered more stuff that needs to be thrown out or destroyed:
- Some 10 to 20 EP (Extended Playing) records stuck together on account of leaving them out to dry. Maybe we should have separated them before drying. But then, with such a small home, it is not possible to spread each one around.
- More books disposed off; these simply refused to dry. I noticed that most books printed in India (with the low quality of paper) dried easily; the books printed outside of India have high quality paper and maybe the resin content in them is so high that the pages stick together and don't let them dry. After trying out all kinds of tricks like blow drying with a hair drier to putting them in a conventional oven, they did not dry. Maybe I should have tried out microwave oven.
- Memorable photographs like those from my Swiss visit - both negatives and developed prints - destroyed. With no backup on the digital media, its as good as history.
- Most audio CDs that I tested seem to work without problems. The covers (or liner notes as they are called) of some of them had to be disposed off. Almost all of my "Moment Records" CD collection lost their liner notes. Prime among them was an autographed liner note by Pt. Shivkumar Sharma and Us. Zakir Hussain. I had gotten this after attending a musical performance by them in Mumbai.
- Most of these Moment Records CDs featured pleasing prints of various traditional Indian paintings/scenes.
- Lost an entire book that came along with a 4-CD set of Pt. Ravi Shankar (issued for his 75th birthday celebrations) appropriately titled "In Celebration".
- Lost important interpretation of the Vedic chants from Taittiriya Upanishad from Pt. Ravi Shankar's "Chants of India". This interpretation has been described in the liner notes as being "quasi mathematical" and gives a computation to find the happiness or joy of the enlightened compared to that of the ordinary mortal and the relation in terms of all the other hierarchical entities that exist in between.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Washed out homes
The extreme rainfall on July 26th 2005 (Tuesday) filled our ground floor flat/apartment with about 2 feet of water. Although most of our electronic equipment like the refrigerator, washing machine, television and computer is in working condition, we lost all our cots. These were "box-type" cots which are typically favorites in any "space-starved, stuff-laden" metro apartment. The cots contained some clothes, books and other stuff. Due to the water, the books and clothes absorbed so much water that they become too heavy for the cot, which gave way from below.
We had to throw away several books (most were of little use - Engineering Drawing from Semester 1 of 17 years ago and the like). But, we also lost several photographs (including treasured ones for which we may not have negatives).
About 500 audio CDs were soaked; these have dried now. But, about 200 gramophone records are still with wet jackets and these would need further drying.
While I decided not to go home on the 26th and stay back in the workplace, my wife was not so lucky. She had to spend about 15 hours in the BEST bus to reach home.
We had to throw away several books (most were of little use - Engineering Drawing from Semester 1 of 17 years ago and the like). But, we also lost several photographs (including treasured ones for which we may not have negatives).
About 500 audio CDs were soaked; these have dried now. But, about 200 gramophone records are still with wet jackets and these would need further drying.
While I decided not to go home on the 26th and stay back in the workplace, my wife was not so lucky. She had to spend about 15 hours in the BEST bus to reach home.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Cafe Mysore
Cafe Mysore (review by Busybee) is one of the rarest type of restaurants in Mumbai. It claims to be the "Oldest Restaurant in Mumbai serving South Indian delicacies". Located on the King's Circle (aka as Maheshwari Udyaan or the L&T Circle), it serves a few South Indian snacks and what is called by the restaurant as a "Konkani" lunch or dinner.
While it is very accurately described in the review mentioned above, I will still highlight points that stand out:
While it is very accurately described in the review mentioned above, I will still highlight points that stand out:
- This is a "real" Udipi restaurant...the owners are from Udipi, Karnataka. Most other "so-called" Udipi restaurants are run by the Shettys who are from Mangalore or near Mangalore, but not anywhere near Udipi. Since it is the oldest, it also classifies as the "original Udipi".
- The idli is a classic one...extremely soft.
- The sambar is of a different variety (not the usual sweet one served at the "so-called" Udipi restaurants)
- The coffee is strong filter one that can be found in many South Indian's homes. It is not the milky Nescafe version (although that is available too).
- Just after the declaration of SSC or HSC results, the restaurant offers concession to students with first class marks provided they get a photocopy of their SSC/HSC certificate.
- When India won the cricket series in Pakistan not so long ago, they even had concession on a bottle of Coke (small Coke Rs. 3 instead of Rs. 10)
- Very thoughtfully, they have a toilet that is cleaner compared to the public ones.
- Very recently, they introduced a "Breakfast for monsoon trip to Lonavla" for Rs. 35. This breakfast is neatly packed in aluminium foil containers. One can choose from a fixed combination of Idli, Sheera, Upma and Puri Bhaji.
- There is also a "Railway Meal" (Pulav, Puri, Bhaji) for Rs. 25.
- The non-AC section is visited by several kinds of people - businessmen, South Indians from the nearby Matunga temples, students from the nearby colleges and schools, several Gujaratis that are residents of Matunga.
- On Sunday mornings, one can see several Catholics eating at the restaurant. Probably, they drop in to have their breakfast after the morning mass at the nearby Don Bosco church.
- On a final note, this is not a place one goes to sit comfortably and chat. It is strictly a no-nonsense eating place and there are no frills or other bells or whistles.
Save Water
This might not be exactly a good time to talk about saving water considering that Mumbai got a record rainfall in a single day, but its still important considering the way we waste it.
Mumbai might be one of the few cities in the world where we get drinking filtered water supplied by the authorities. There is no separate supply for "washing water". As a result of this, precious filtered and clean water is used for purposes such as bathing, washing, cleaning floors and even vehicles. There is no recycling of water as a result of which Mumbai is heavily dependent on the annual rains to fill its reservoirs.
A few years ago (maybe in response to water shortage) I came across a sticker stuck strategically above some water taps. It really was an eyeopener. After reading it carefully, I then started observing how others use water. I realised that many Indians (at least in Mumbai) have very peculiar habits. One of these is brushing the teeth or shaving with the tap open.
I have put the information in the sticker below. The sticker title was quite interesting too - "Save Precious Water - It is White Gold".
Take a look and start saving water before it runs out.
Mumbai might be one of the few cities in the world where we get drinking filtered water supplied by the authorities. There is no separate supply for "washing water". As a result of this, precious filtered and clean water is used for purposes such as bathing, washing, cleaning floors and even vehicles. There is no recycling of water as a result of which Mumbai is heavily dependent on the annual rains to fill its reservoirs.
A few years ago (maybe in response to water shortage) I came across a sticker stuck strategically above some water taps. It really was an eyeopener. After reading it carefully, I then started observing how others use water. I realised that many Indians (at least in Mumbai) have very peculiar habits. One of these is brushing the teeth or shaving with the tap open.
I have put the information in the sticker below. The sticker title was quite interesting too - "Save Precious Water - It is White Gold".
| Shower bath | 180 litres | Bucket bath | 18 litres |
| Flush | 13 litres | Small bucket | 4 litres |
| Shaving (open tap) | 112 litres | Shaving (mug) | 1.5 litres |
| Brushing teeth (open tap) | 33 litres | Brushing teeth (closed tap) | 1 litre |
| Rinsing clothes (open tap) | 188 litres | Rinsing clothes (bucket) | 18 litres |
Take a look and start saving water before it runs out.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
The "undocumented" MHC
Monkey Hill (station code MHC) is an "undocumented" stop (undocumented to the general public) in the ghat section somewhere in between Khandala and Karjat. For many years now, all trains coming downhill from the steep ghats from Khandala to Karjat need to stop at this "station".
The purpose of this stop is not, as the name suggests, for people to catch sight of monkeys (although monkeys did/do abound around that area). The stop is also not meant for tourists and passengers to take "in" the scenic view of the ghats. The main purpose of this mandatory stop is for the locomotive driver to ensure that the brakes of the rake (and loco) are enough to stop while making the steep downhill gradient. The loco driver has to bring the entire rake to a "complete stop" for a full 2 minutes and prove to the signal man at the cabin there that there is no problem with the braking system.
In case of a failure to stop the train, the signal man diverts the train promptly to a "side catching" (away from the main line) and this "catching" eventually has a steep upgrade (probably man made) to ensure that the "runaway" train can be brought to a stop.
However, an article in the recent Mumbai Mirror states that this system will be discarded when the installation of sensors is complete in the ghat system. Under this proposed scheme, the sensors will detect such problems and hence there would be no need to halt there anymore.
Going uphill from Karjat to the Deccan plains does not require this stopping. But, to overcome the steep uphill climb, additional loco power is attached to pull the train. Additionally, 2 or more locos (called bankers) are attached at the back of the train to prevent the train from sliding back. These rear locos push the train up the hill.
The purpose of this stop is not, as the name suggests, for people to catch sight of monkeys (although monkeys did/do abound around that area). The stop is also not meant for tourists and passengers to take "in" the scenic view of the ghats. The main purpose of this mandatory stop is for the locomotive driver to ensure that the brakes of the rake (and loco) are enough to stop while making the steep downhill gradient. The loco driver has to bring the entire rake to a "complete stop" for a full 2 minutes and prove to the signal man at the cabin there that there is no problem with the braking system.
In case of a failure to stop the train, the signal man diverts the train promptly to a "side catching" (away from the main line) and this "catching" eventually has a steep upgrade (probably man made) to ensure that the "runaway" train can be brought to a stop.
However, an article in the recent Mumbai Mirror states that this system will be discarded when the installation of sensors is complete in the ghat system. Under this proposed scheme, the sensors will detect such problems and hence there would be no need to halt there anymore.
Going uphill from Karjat to the Deccan plains does not require this stopping. But, to overcome the steep uphill climb, additional loco power is attached to pull the train. Additionally, 2 or more locos (called bankers) are attached at the back of the train to prevent the train from sliding back. These rear locos push the train up the hill.
Monday, July 04, 2005
Cases of evidence tampering
A very slow-moving judiciary system combined with the ability to get people in power to do anything is the perfect recipe for getting out of complex cases. A very common strategy has been to tamper the evidence in a particular case so that there is not enough evidence in the first place.
A very recent example proves that: As cited in this article, some Provogue executive was sent a parcel containing cocaine. This was intercepted and caught by the police. In the run-up to the case, however, some Assistant Police Inspectors replaced the contents of the vials containing the cocaine (which would be the prime evidence) with boric powder. Luckily, in this case, some one had the good thought of exposing such a deed. But, if it had gone unnoticed, the case would surely have been dropped.
Some other examples where such evidence tampering may have happened:
A very recent example proves that: As cited in this article, some Provogue executive was sent a parcel containing cocaine. This was intercepted and caught by the police. In the run-up to the case, however, some Assistant Police Inspectors replaced the contents of the vials containing the cocaine (which would be the prime evidence) with boric powder. Luckily, in this case, some one had the good thought of exposing such a deed. But, if it had gone unnoticed, the case would surely have been dropped.
Some other examples where such evidence tampering may have happened:
- In a hit-and-run case, the Gamdevi police had in their possession the jeep that was responsible for causing the accident. However, when the case came up for hearing, the jeep was "lost".Case disimissed: lack of evidence.
- In the case (link here) of the more high profile Bharat Shah, it was alleged that he had talked to some "underworld" people and the police had recorded this conversation on tapes. In the panchnama filed by the police, it was stated that there were 2 voices in the tape. However, when the case came up for hearing, the tape had 3 voices. Wonder if this was done purposely to weaken the case. End result was "case disimissed" due to incorrect evidence recorded in the panchnama.
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