Once in a blue moon there comes a musical piece that makes me listen to it over and over. And, so, after a very long time, I came across this gem on a double CD set by MS ("Live in Russia"). The piece, titled "Bhavayami Gopala Balam", is actually a composition by Annamacharya (as found out from the Internet).
I have never heard so slow a track, but the meaning of the lyrics, and the rendition by MS is enough for me to listen to the song again and again. Too bad, the iPod Shuffle does not have a "repeat track" feature.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A bit of spring cleaning
"Spring cleaning" is probably not the best way to describe it, but cleaning up the old hard-disks certainly felt like that. A computer, a laptop, 3 external hard-disks, 2 USB pen drives...it can get messy after a while. I began a massive "clean-up" session last Sunday that lasted well into the midnight. This involved merging files / directories from these multiple sources to a single place to make it more manageable. This was a long pending task from August 2008 (since the completion of my MTech). The task is not yet done. This will be continued today (Sunday) as well.
Another visit to Cafe Mysore
The visit to Sweden had made me crave for some Cafe Mysore idlis. So last Saturday, I hopped into Cafe Mysore for a mid-morning snack. Not that I was hungry, but I was passing it.
I was quite surprised to learn of the death of Nagesh Nayak, the second generation of A. Rama Nayak that runs the Cafe Mysore. From the newspaper clippings pasted on the wall, it seemed that he died around 7th March. This news article has more info about it. Though the article specifies that the children of Nagesh Nayak would take over the management of the restaurant, it is not clear to me it would still be the same. The idlis that I had were sure off the mark.
I was quite surprised to learn of the death of Nagesh Nayak, the second generation of A. Rama Nayak that runs the Cafe Mysore. From the newspaper clippings pasted on the wall, it seemed that he died around 7th March. This news article has more info about it. Though the article specifies that the children of Nagesh Nayak would take over the management of the restaurant, it is not clear to me it would still be the same. The idlis that I had were sure off the mark.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Train related pics from Sweden
Finally, I managed to get some pics of trains / sites in Sweden. Here they are:
| Stockholm Centralen station | A long-distance SJ train passes over a high viaduct close to Södertälje Syd |
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| An empty SL local train rake waits at Södertälje Centrum for departure to Gnesta | The 08:05 SL local arrives at Södertälje Centrum to take daily commuters to Märsta via Stockholm Centralen. Commuters unhurriedly board the SL local at Södertälje Centrum |
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| A very sleek-looking SL local arrives from the Stockholm side to Södertälje Centrum | A close-up of the SL local |
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Good to be back in India...
Last week I returned to India after about 7 weeks of stay in freezing Sweden. Of course, over that period, one did tend to get used to the cold. I had made a mental list of food items to be eaten...all those that were missed during my stay in Sweden.
But it is so unusually hot in Mumbai that it feels like going from the deep freezer straight to the oven. But that is life...the grass always seems to be greener on the other side!
But it is so unusually hot in Mumbai that it feels like going from the deep freezer straight to the oven. But that is life...the grass always seems to be greener on the other side!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A good replacement for chappatis...
One common food problem outside India is to make or find suitable chappatis. Making it takes time and a lot of practice; getting it is difficult.
The usual way out is to buy soft tortillas. But these are white in color, and made from maida. They do not taste like chappatis, but its still a good start. I remember some enthusiastic days when these were deep fried, and called "bathuras" to be had with chhole.
Then, I remember my Boston days way back in 1996. I used to stay in a small town called Waltham. Every weekend I would travel down to Cambridge to an Indian shop that would sell semi-frozen chappatis. They did taste quite good, and relieved the monotony from rice and bread.
Getting it in the USA is not surprising, since there is such a large Indian population there. Getting this readymade chapati stuff in Sweden was beyond my imagination. So, I had begun to go back to the maida soft tortillas.
Then, came that amazing "discovery": whole-wheat tortillas. The Mexican answer to chappatis, I guess. These make an almost perfect replacement for chappatis. If one can forget the fact that they contain some preservatives (the ones with names like "E520"), then these are a very good option.
Here is a photograph from my apartment kitchen starring a packet of whole-wheat tortillas next to the standard aloo-cauliflower combination (without onions / garlic).
The usual way out is to buy soft tortillas. But these are white in color, and made from maida. They do not taste like chappatis, but its still a good start. I remember some enthusiastic days when these were deep fried, and called "bathuras" to be had with chhole.
Then, I remember my Boston days way back in 1996. I used to stay in a small town called Waltham. Every weekend I would travel down to Cambridge to an Indian shop that would sell semi-frozen chappatis. They did taste quite good, and relieved the monotony from rice and bread.
Getting it in the USA is not surprising, since there is such a large Indian population there. Getting this readymade chapati stuff in Sweden was beyond my imagination. So, I had begun to go back to the maida soft tortillas.
Then, came that amazing "discovery": whole-wheat tortillas. The Mexican answer to chappatis, I guess. These make an almost perfect replacement for chappatis. If one can forget the fact that they contain some preservatives (the ones with names like "E520"), then these are a very good option.
Here is a photograph from my apartment kitchen starring a packet of whole-wheat tortillas next to the standard aloo-cauliflower combination (without onions / garlic).
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Mesmerized by "Kriti in Raga Mohanam"
About a decade ago, I had purchased some CDs from Moment Records. One of them is titled "Lalgudi Jayaraman Violin - Violin Trio". It features Lalgudi Jayaraman and his 2 siblings (the trio), Vellore Ramabhadran (Mrindangam), and Zakir Hussain (Tabla). The first piece is a whopping 56 minutes 44 seconds' track called "Kriti in Raga Mohanam".
This is one hell of a track. I've been simply amazed by the raga, the rendition, and the final conversation between tabla and mridangam. All involved are in amazing control of their instruments. The only problem I have is in skipping to particular sections within this big track (especially on the iPod shuffle).
This is one hell of a track. I've been simply amazed by the raga, the rendition, and the final conversation between tabla and mridangam. All involved are in amazing control of their instruments. The only problem I have is in skipping to particular sections within this big track (especially on the iPod shuffle).
The B.E.S.T. all-day travel ticket
Update 2011-03-20: Rs. 15 add-on to day travel ticket introduced: As of mid-March 2011, read a newspaper report that the B.E.S.T. has introduced an add-on ticket of Rs. 15 (that is valid with the Rs. 25 all-day ticket). This add-on allows the passenger to also travel on the fast-track corridor routes ("whose bus numbers start with alphabet C").
Update: As of August 2010, the Rs. 20 all-day suburban ticket is no longer available. It has been withdrawn. The all-day ticket is now a single ticket at Rs. 25 valid for travel throughout Mumbai (suburbs as well as city). Read the below post only to get the gist of the ticket scheme. The variants are no longer valid.
About 2 years ago, the B.E.S.T. introduced the all-day travel ticket. The use of this has, as is the BEST tradition, not been explained anywhere officially. Just a small newspaper note is all that was put out. But, those who know of this avail of it. From the conversations I hear in the buses, irregular users of this ticket seem to be confused about the rules and regulations concerning this. This post is for those who need this information.
Disclaimer: This is the unofficial version of the information. In case of doubt, always verify with the counductor / other authorities to make sure the ticket is valid on a certain route.
There are 3 basic variants (city, suburb, all zones) of this ticket. The actual price also depends on whether it is a holiday or not (prices are lower on a holiday; Sunday is regarded as a holiday aside from other state public holidays).
The ticket is valid for travel on any route (non-AC buses) any number of times on the day of the ticket upto 12 midnight in the zones as mentioned below:
- Variant 1: City : Rs. 15 : South of Mahim / Sion
- Variant 2: Suburb: Rs. 20 : North of Mahim / Sion, including beyond Dahisar / Vashi
- Variant 3: All zone: Rs. 25 : Anywhere the BEST buses ply
It is available with all the conductors on all the regular routes.
The ticket layout is also different from the regular ticket. Instead of punching in the "stage number" of the bus stop that the passenger got in from, the conductor instead has to make 4 punches:
- Date (1 to 31), Month (1 to 12), Gender (Male or Female), Year (top-left: single digits were used until now: "8" for 2008, "9" for 2009, etc.)
The most important of these is the gender. While buying a ticket for a group, make sure to specify the gender correctly for the number of passengers in the group. Also, make sure that the center of the ticket specifies which kind of ticket it is (of course, it is in Marathi), and also the date / month punched.
The ticket has no personal identification. As a result, it can be given to acquaintances who might need it. This, I believe, is exploited to the fullest by the courier guys. One guy buys the Rs. 25 ticket in the morning. At the end of his shift, it is handed over to another guy who can use it until the end of the day.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Work, work, and more work...
Its a pity that work is taking away all the time. At the workplace, I have a lovely view of 2 railway lines passing a few kilometres away. One is used for the local Sotckholm (SL) traffic, whereas the other line, is on a high viaduct (remember Konkan railway?), and caters to the long distance traffic (SJ). Numerous trains pass around each day, including goods trains carrying ship containers. There are even double decker trains with a dull grey livery. Every now and then, a WAG7 like locomotive hauls some passenger trains. At other times, a WDS4-type shunter (similar to the ones at CLA and BA), is seen hauling a small goods train.
Its a pity that its been 4 weeks at the workplace, and I have not a picture of a train / loco to share. Hopefully, in the next few weeks...
Its a pity that its been 4 weeks at the workplace, and I have not a picture of a train / loco to share. Hopefully, in the next few weeks...
Rawa, at last...
As mentioned in an earlier post, I was dying to get my hands on rawa.
Finally, after searching many English to Swedish online dictionaries, found out that rawa (semolina) is called "Mannagryn" in Swedish. Sounding it off to the Swedish guys at the workplace confirmed that it is indeed the same thing we were looking for, and that it is readily available at the local grocers'.
Yesterday, I finally found it lying on the shelves among the other "flour" items. Today's breakfast was thus "vegetable upma". And, it did seem to relieve the monotony of having bread for breakfast each morning.
Finally, after searching many English to Swedish online dictionaries, found out that rawa (semolina) is called "Mannagryn" in Swedish. Sounding it off to the Swedish guys at the workplace confirmed that it is indeed the same thing we were looking for, and that it is readily available at the local grocers'.
Yesterday, I finally found it lying on the shelves among the other "flour" items. Today's breakfast was thus "vegetable upma". And, it did seem to relieve the monotony of having bread for breakfast each morning.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
The routine stuff...
Nothing new, except the routine stuff. I have now fairly settled down to a routine in Sweden, and counting the weeks for the return to India. As usual, the thing I miss the most is the food. However, with a good supply of masalas and spices from India, at least there is the good fortune of cooking several things Indian.
The usual disasters happened: In a non-English-speaking country, such things are bound to happen. It was difficult to know one thing from the other in the supermarkets / grocery stores. Luckily, we learn by experience...so the mistakes are not repeated. At this stage, it seems that the thing I need most is "besan" (gram flour), "rava" (semolina), and "sabudana". These things could have added more variety to the things one can prepare.
The very first mistake was in the choice of milk. It was not very clear what was milk, since in the milk section, most products included "mjölk" (pronounced, "myolk") in the name of the products. So, there was "Filmjölk", "Mellanmjölk", "Mjölk", etc. I chose "Filmjölk" by just a random guess. It turned out to be something else.
The next challenge was to get curds (also known as "yogurt" in some parts). Purchased something that was labelled an "yogurt", but turned out that it was not suitable for cooking. It wasn't the Indian curd that we are used to. It had a very thin texture, and felt very slimy like mucous.
The very recent mistake included buying 2 packets of something that looked like rawa. Since "vit" was included in the name, it somehow conveyed the feeling that it was something from wheat. Wrong choice. Turned out that "vitlök pulverized" is "garlic power". While I tried preparing "upma" from it, the result was a very salty thing that resembled upma, but tasted of nothing but strong garlic. No wonder it was kept in the spices section.
The best thing to do is probably to ask around, but not many locals would know what "gram flour" is, and while we did take advice from the locals about curds, it turned out to be not what we were used to in India.
The usual disasters happened: In a non-English-speaking country, such things are bound to happen. It was difficult to know one thing from the other in the supermarkets / grocery stores. Luckily, we learn by experience...so the mistakes are not repeated. At this stage, it seems that the thing I need most is "besan" (gram flour), "rava" (semolina), and "sabudana". These things could have added more variety to the things one can prepare.
The very first mistake was in the choice of milk. It was not very clear what was milk, since in the milk section, most products included "mjölk" (pronounced, "myolk") in the name of the products. So, there was "Filmjölk", "Mellanmjölk", "Mjölk", etc. I chose "Filmjölk" by just a random guess. It turned out to be something else.
The next challenge was to get curds (also known as "yogurt" in some parts). Purchased something that was labelled an "yogurt", but turned out that it was not suitable for cooking. It wasn't the Indian curd that we are used to. It had a very thin texture, and felt very slimy like mucous.
The very recent mistake included buying 2 packets of something that looked like rawa. Since "vit" was included in the name, it somehow conveyed the feeling that it was something from wheat. Wrong choice. Turned out that "vitlök pulverized" is "garlic power". While I tried preparing "upma" from it, the result was a very salty thing that resembled upma, but tasted of nothing but strong garlic. No wonder it was kept in the spices section.
The best thing to do is probably to ask around, but not many locals would know what "gram flour" is, and while we did take advice from the locals about curds, it turned out to be not what we were used to in India.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
A few weeks in Sweden...
I arrived to an extremely cold (-10 degrees C) welcome in Sweden on the 7th January. The plan is to be here for a few weeks. Lets see how things pass by...and if I get to visit the Krishna temple nearby (www.krishna.se).
Its always a bit of a pain arriving for a few weeks in a new place away from home. One of the most boring and tiresome part is the packing. One needs to consider ones needs and pack up everything that may be useful, and at the same time, worry about not exceeding the 20kg limit that most airlines have in flights from India to Europe. All this just means that one spends a lot of time deciding and packing things, and traveling "heavy", which I have started hating.
The first day in Sweden was so cold when we ventured out for some shopping of daily items in the local grocery supermart (Willy's). It was so cold while waiting for the buses, that my toes became numb from the snow. I was worried I may have suffered from frost-bite, though I do not know what it feels like when that happens. Luckily, it was nothing long-lasting. The next day saw me wearing 2 socks, but still it was quite cold. The same day, I purchased a shoe insole (a special one) to keep out the cold. The weather has since become a little better, but the insole probably helped too.
Will keep this blog updated from time to time, and with pics.
Its always a bit of a pain arriving for a few weeks in a new place away from home. One of the most boring and tiresome part is the packing. One needs to consider ones needs and pack up everything that may be useful, and at the same time, worry about not exceeding the 20kg limit that most airlines have in flights from India to Europe. All this just means that one spends a lot of time deciding and packing things, and traveling "heavy", which I have started hating.
The first day in Sweden was so cold when we ventured out for some shopping of daily items in the local grocery supermart (Willy's). It was so cold while waiting for the buses, that my toes became numb from the snow. I was worried I may have suffered from frost-bite, though I do not know what it feels like when that happens. Luckily, it was nothing long-lasting. The next day saw me wearing 2 socks, but still it was quite cold. The same day, I purchased a shoe insole (a special one) to keep out the cold. The weather has since become a little better, but the insole probably helped too.
Will keep this blog updated from time to time, and with pics.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
A new digital camera...
My 5-year old 4-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 4300 digital camera conked off some months ago, and I was looking forward to buying a new camera. This Christmas I bought a 9-megapixel Canon camera (SX 110 IS) from J. J. Mehta at Dadar. This camera has some nice features: 10x Optical Zoom, Image Stabilization, Face detection (now a common feature in most cameras).
I would have preferred Nikon, but there were some very enticing features that made me interested in the SX110IS.
PS: The dog parks itself on the top of a car probably to get a good view of all that it surveys. The 2 black lines towards the left and right are of the window grills.
I would have preferred Nikon, but there were some very enticing features that made me interested in the SX110IS.
- The 10x optical zoom seems to be non-existent in Nikon in the Rs. 16K price range
- Like most Canon Powershot cameras, this one too uses standard pencil (AA) batteries. This is a great advantage while traveling. If the batteries are dead, a new pair can be bought at most stores (or one can keep a spare pair handy. This is better than the Nikon models, since most of them use Nikon-specific Li-Ion rechargeable cells.
- The SX110IS can shoot video at 30 fps, which is a reasonably good resolution by video standards.
PS: The dog parks itself on the top of a car probably to get a good view of all that it surveys. The 2 black lines towards the left and right are of the window grills.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The gift of freedom
Every so often I pass by a shop that sells birds as pets. These birds, colorful and lovely, cheerful and noisy, are caged. People are supposed to buy these, and keep them at their homes, as pets. What a pity! A natural idea is to buy these birds and to free them.
This can be combined with near ones' birthdays. A gift of freedom to those who need it on someone else's birthday seems to be a perfect gift. So, by this proposition, if there are 4 members in a household, buy a pair of these on the birthdays of each of the 4 members, and free them (when you get home).
I thought about this for a while. Then, it struck me that there is another possible hurdle to this: what if the guys who capture / sell them have injured the birds' wings so that they aren't able to fly away even if the cage door is open? In that case, I would be stuck with having bought those birds, and not being able to free them. This is a very real possibility. One can see this kind of cruelty everywhere. An example: pass by any fish market, and you'll see crabs maimed just enough so that they do not run away, but just alive to be killed fresh when a customer buys them.
I still plan to ask some of those guys, and maybe someday I'll take a risk and buy those birds anyways...to "free" them.
This can be combined with near ones' birthdays. A gift of freedom to those who need it on someone else's birthday seems to be a perfect gift. So, by this proposition, if there are 4 members in a household, buy a pair of these on the birthdays of each of the 4 members, and free them (when you get home).
I thought about this for a while. Then, it struck me that there is another possible hurdle to this: what if the guys who capture / sell them have injured the birds' wings so that they aren't able to fly away even if the cage door is open? In that case, I would be stuck with having bought those birds, and not being able to free them. This is a very real possibility. One can see this kind of cruelty everywhere. An example: pass by any fish market, and you'll see crabs maimed just enough so that they do not run away, but just alive to be killed fresh when a customer buys them.
I still plan to ask some of those guys, and maybe someday I'll take a risk and buy those birds anyways...to "free" them.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Lunch at Cafe Mysore
Last Saturday, I had lunch at Cafe Mysore, King's Circle. The quality was the same, the quantity a bit reduced, and the price much higher than what it was a few years ago (blame inflation).
I had the "chappati lunch" (with "puri lunch" or "double rice" being other options). The lunch came with 2 chappatis, one subji (cauliflower + carrot + peas) small watis of dal, rasam, black-eyed pea (chawli) "gassi" (a coconut-based gravy), a small glass of buttermilk, one papad. A small mound of rice followed, once the chappatis were gobbled up.
I find the lunch at Cafe Mysore to be simple, and quite easy on the stomach. The quantity is lesser than at other restaurants, but for me, that is fine. I wouldn't like to stuff too much into the stomach.
I had the "chappati lunch" (with "puri lunch" or "double rice" being other options). The lunch came with 2 chappatis, one subji (cauliflower + carrot + peas) small watis of dal, rasam, black-eyed pea (chawli) "gassi" (a coconut-based gravy), a small glass of buttermilk, one papad. A small mound of rice followed, once the chappatis were gobbled up.
I find the lunch at Cafe Mysore to be simple, and quite easy on the stomach. The quantity is lesser than at other restaurants, but for me, that is fine. I wouldn't like to stuff too much into the stomach.
Experiences with iPod Shuffle
Usually, I've tried to stay away from technical posts in this blog of mine. But since this is also related to the iPod Shuffle I bought recently (a mention of which was made in my previous post), I thought I'll mention it here.
The iPod Shuffle was bought from J. J. Mehta, Dadar(who maintain a wonderful website, and are sellers of cameras and related equipment). The iPod Shuffle came in a nice packed / sealed case. I rushed back by train to my home quite excited. When I reached home, I plugged it into the USB to charge it. After charging it for a while, I decided to fill it up with some songs. My laptop (2 years old) came with a pre-installed version of iTunes. However, when I tried to connect the iPod to the laptop, iTunes complained that it was unable to communicate with the Shuffle (and that I must install a new version). Tried downloading iTunes from the Apple website, and realized that it was more than 60 MB. This would take at least a few hours to download from the slow internet connection at home.
WTH? I thought to hell with iTunes. Just booted my laptop into Ubuntu Linux, installed gtkPod, and loaded the Shuffle with a basic set of songs.
So that's how GNU / Linux helps us...in very small, subtle ways. Nice! And, like I mentioned earlier, my home PC hasn't seen Windows running for more than 2 years now. Everyone at home now uses Ubuntu (well Kubuntu) Linux.
The iPod Shuffle was bought from J. J. Mehta, Dadar(who maintain a wonderful website, and are sellers of cameras and related equipment). The iPod Shuffle came in a nice packed / sealed case. I rushed back by train to my home quite excited. When I reached home, I plugged it into the USB to charge it. After charging it for a while, I decided to fill it up with some songs. My laptop (2 years old) came with a pre-installed version of iTunes. However, when I tried to connect the iPod to the laptop, iTunes complained that it was unable to communicate with the Shuffle (and that I must install a new version). Tried downloading iTunes from the Apple website, and realized that it was more than 60 MB. This would take at least a few hours to download from the slow internet connection at home.
WTH? I thought to hell with iTunes. Just booted my laptop into Ubuntu Linux, installed gtkPod, and loaded the Shuffle with a basic set of songs.
So that's how GNU / Linux helps us...in very small, subtle ways. Nice! And, like I mentioned earlier, my home PC hasn't seen Windows running for more than 2 years now. Everyone at home now uses Ubuntu (well Kubuntu) Linux.
Diwali temptations
Having been without salary for more than a year, I was quite excited to get it in October 2008. I had kept a list of things to buy ready. While I've not bought all of those yet, I've just indulged in buying my first iPod, a 2 GB iPod Shuffle.
My old Mobiblu cube and cute MP3 player had conked off due to my experiments. One day I noticed that there were some large MP3 files on the player which refused to get deleted. So I did a "mkfs.vfat" to reformat it. That foolish decision wiped out the player's software as well, I guess. It no longer worked. I tried to locate the CD that came along with the player, but I could not find it. Downloading the software over the web was not successful either. That's when I decided that it was time to but the Shuffle.
Among the list of things that I've lined up to be bought are:
My old Mobiblu cube and cute MP3 player had conked off due to my experiments. One day I noticed that there were some large MP3 files on the player which refused to get deleted. So I did a "mkfs.vfat" to reformat it. That foolish decision wiped out the player's software as well, I guess. It no longer worked. I tried to locate the CD that came along with the player, but I could not find it. Downloading the software over the web was not successful either. That's when I decided that it was time to but the Shuffle.
Among the list of things that I've lined up to be bought are:
- A new laptop (maybe Dell or HP). The old one was pretty useful (especially in my IITB days); however there is only so much that one can do with 512 MB of RAM and the Intel Centrino that came along with it.
- A DVD set containing Srila Prabhupada's videos / lectures (pretty expensive at about Rs. 4k)
- A set of Bose loudspeakers
- A new mobile phone which has the capability to set an MP3 as a ringtone (my old one is a good 6 years old)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Near death on the tracks
This incident took place a few years ago, but it keeps coming back to my mind.
It was a time when I used to visit quite frequently on Saturday mornings a shrine on the banks of the Banganga tank at Walkeshwar. The usual routine was to reach the shrine at about 9 a.m., and return to Grant Road station by 10 a.m. to catch a local train elsewhere.
One such morning as I was waiting on platform 3 to catch a fast local from Grant Road to Dadar, an old lady suddenly started crossing the tracks from platform 4 towards platform 3. As she reached platform 3, it was obvious that she could not jump and get on to platform 3 (since the platform is a good 4 feet high from the track level). She seemed to be a regular since she came quite close to platform 3 confidently. When she reached the platform 3 side, she did what many do in Mumbai...held out her hand...anyone on the platform then usually obliges and hoists / pulls up the person onto the platform. The idea is that the person on the track level usually just needs a hoist - an initial pull - the person, of course, needs to put his / her own efforts to push themselves up. That way, even if a heavy person is asking for help, it not too much of an effort for the person on the platform to hoist the guy.
When she held out her a hand, I was closest to her on platform 3. As a result, I offered my hand to her to pull her up. It was not the first time I was doing such a thing. However, for some strange reason, as I started pulling the old lady up, she just started dangling in mid-air. To my horror, the fast local had just entered the far end of the platform 3, and in a few seconds would be directly where the old lady was struggling to get onto the platform. For a split-second, my heart skipped a few beats. My mind was puzzled with decisions. Should I let her go? Should I jump onto the tracks and take her to the place in between tracks of platforms 3 and 4?
Fortunately, another man on platform 3 who had noticed this, approached quickly, and helped grasp her other hand, and we both managed to pull her up seconds before the train came to the spot where she stood.
I was relieved, but shaken. It was then that I decided that thenceforth I would not help anyone else to clamber onto the platforms. If a tragedy had occurred, obviously it would have played heavily on my mind, and it would be one decision that I would always have come to regret for the rest of my life.
It was a time when I used to visit quite frequently on Saturday mornings a shrine on the banks of the Banganga tank at Walkeshwar. The usual routine was to reach the shrine at about 9 a.m., and return to Grant Road station by 10 a.m. to catch a local train elsewhere.
One such morning as I was waiting on platform 3 to catch a fast local from Grant Road to Dadar, an old lady suddenly started crossing the tracks from platform 4 towards platform 3. As she reached platform 3, it was obvious that she could not jump and get on to platform 3 (since the platform is a good 4 feet high from the track level). She seemed to be a regular since she came quite close to platform 3 confidently. When she reached the platform 3 side, she did what many do in Mumbai...held out her hand...anyone on the platform then usually obliges and hoists / pulls up the person onto the platform. The idea is that the person on the track level usually just needs a hoist - an initial pull - the person, of course, needs to put his / her own efforts to push themselves up. That way, even if a heavy person is asking for help, it not too much of an effort for the person on the platform to hoist the guy.
When she held out her a hand, I was closest to her on platform 3. As a result, I offered my hand to her to pull her up. It was not the first time I was doing such a thing. However, for some strange reason, as I started pulling the old lady up, she just started dangling in mid-air. To my horror, the fast local had just entered the far end of the platform 3, and in a few seconds would be directly where the old lady was struggling to get onto the platform. For a split-second, my heart skipped a few beats. My mind was puzzled with decisions. Should I let her go? Should I jump onto the tracks and take her to the place in between tracks of platforms 3 and 4?
Fortunately, another man on platform 3 who had noticed this, approached quickly, and helped grasp her other hand, and we both managed to pull her up seconds before the train came to the spot where she stood.
I was relieved, but shaken. It was then that I decided that thenceforth I would not help anyone else to clamber onto the platforms. If a tragedy had occurred, obviously it would have played heavily on my mind, and it would be one decision that I would always have come to regret for the rest of my life.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Random notes...
There's nothing particular to write about...just a collection of happenings over the last few weeks.
Navratri:
I make it a point to visit the local "Sitladevi" temple during one of the nights of Navratri, the 9-night festival. Its not that I go every year, but these past few years, I have had the opportunity to visit it. This year, I went last night to the temple. The temple was surprisingly not crowded, inspite of it being a Friday (believed to be an auspicious day to worship the Devis). Usually, I would have had to stand in a longish queue, but not many were to be seen. Maybe I was late (it was about 20:30).
Usually, I do not visit the pandals. This year I decided to visit one local pandal where the idol of the Goddess was kept. I met one classmate there - it seemed to me that he was suffering from some anxiety...his eyes were all puffed up, as if due to lack of sleep. Then, I saw his elder brother whom I failed to recognize. My classmate told me that his brother, in his early 40s, had suffered from a paralytic stroke a little more than a year ago. His brother could hardly stand erect. Some other guys known to him were advising him to go to a particular doctor, etc. I slipped in my advice too...
The point is that everyone has some "story" to tell about how a particular doctor / treatment is the best one for any disease. Someone would recommend allopathy, others ayurveda, still others homeopathy, etc. At such a time, the person suffering usually feels that he / she has tried it all, and still nothing works...so I decided to keep mum.
It is quite surprising how a man so capable, so active, until just a few years ago in his prime should suffer so much so suddenly. Actually, this is a very much known phenomena...nothing surprising about it. Though people get surprised about it, they are ignorant. I was reminded of the famous Bhaja Govindam verse:
Navratri:
I make it a point to visit the local "Sitladevi" temple during one of the nights of Navratri, the 9-night festival. Its not that I go every year, but these past few years, I have had the opportunity to visit it. This year, I went last night to the temple. The temple was surprisingly not crowded, inspite of it being a Friday (believed to be an auspicious day to worship the Devis). Usually, I would have had to stand in a longish queue, but not many were to be seen. Maybe I was late (it was about 20:30).
Usually, I do not visit the pandals. This year I decided to visit one local pandal where the idol of the Goddess was kept. I met one classmate there - it seemed to me that he was suffering from some anxiety...his eyes were all puffed up, as if due to lack of sleep. Then, I saw his elder brother whom I failed to recognize. My classmate told me that his brother, in his early 40s, had suffered from a paralytic stroke a little more than a year ago. His brother could hardly stand erect. Some other guys known to him were advising him to go to a particular doctor, etc. I slipped in my advice too...
The point is that everyone has some "story" to tell about how a particular doctor / treatment is the best one for any disease. Someone would recommend allopathy, others ayurveda, still others homeopathy, etc. At such a time, the person suffering usually feels that he / she has tried it all, and still nothing works...so I decided to keep mum.
It is quite surprising how a man so capable, so active, until just a few years ago in his prime should suffer so much so suddenly. Actually, this is a very much known phenomena...nothing surprising about it. Though people get surprised about it, they are ignorant. I was reminded of the famous Bhaja Govindam verse:
maa kuru jana dhana
yovana garvam
harati nimeshaat
kaalat sarvam
Meaning that one should not be proud of one's wealth, youth (strength / health), position, etc. Time can take it all away in a moment's notice.
So there it is in plain truth...that is knowledge.
I smiled not knowing what to do next (I am never good at such things as sympathy, etc.). I bade him goodbye and returned home.
yovana garvam
harati nimeshaat
kaalat sarvam
Meaning that one should not be proud of one's wealth, youth (strength / health), position, etc. Time can take it all away in a moment's notice.
So there it is in plain truth...that is knowledge.
I smiled not knowing what to do next (I am never good at such things as sympathy, etc.). I bade him goodbye and returned home.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Back to work...
After a 2 year sabbatical for my MTech, I joined back my old workplace on 1st September. Ideally, I would have loved to wait for a few more days before joining, but there was no point in delaying the inevitable. These first few weeks at work I felt quite strange...quite out-of-place, a sense of losing freedom. I had to report to work by 08:30 and couldn't leave my workplace when I felt bored. In addition, numerous restrictions on accessing the Internet made life more miserable. Another reason may be that I was missing Ubuntu / Linux at my work desktop. After all, during the last 2 years of MTech I had hardly used Microsoft Windows at all.
Then, I recollected a similar feeling when I had joined MTech. That is when I had blogged this post titled "Feels like jail". And then suddenly I felt there was hope. Maybe if I could just persist over the feeling, it would eventually die down. Let's see how this works out.
Then, I recollected a similar feeling when I had joined MTech. That is when I had blogged this post titled "Feels like jail". And then suddenly I felt there was hope. Maybe if I could just persist over the feeling, it would eventually die down. Let's see how this works out.
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