The clock is ticking - 2010

The clock is ticking and is ticking and soon we would enter 2010 (some parts of the world have already). Ten years of 2000 millennium have already passed away. New year....is a beginning..some say. How are we welcoming this 2010? Some would stay at home...just all by themselves, contemplating, introspecting perhaps. Some would go out and party hard, get drunk. Some would create ruckus. Some of us would welcome 2010 with couple of close friends and family. For some of us it is just another day, another year, after all it is just a number (2010). For some, time has not changed....same poverty, same hunger and same fight for survival.


Each one of us is entering 2010 with some emotions, thoughts and hope, maybe. My emotions, my thoughts and my hope remains the same.....like every year, like everyday.....I ask for very basic things in life....I ask for peace, I ask for harmony and I ask for love..... just these three things to engulf our mind, body and soul.


Welcome 2010 !

भारतीय रेलगाड़ी में सफ़र- एक अनोखा अनुभव

भारतीय रेलगाड़ी का सफ़र अपने-आप में एक अनोखा अनुभव होता है क्योंकि ये दो बातों पर निर्भर करता है - पहेला आप कौन-सी श्रेणी में सफ़र कर रहे हैं और दूसरा किस तरह के लोगों से आप घिरे हुए हैं. रेलगाड़ी भारत की आम जनता को उसकी मंजिल तक पहुँचाने के लिए दिन-रात, सुबह-शाम लगी रहती है. एक पल भी चैन की सांस नहीं लेती. क्या करें जब देश की जनता ही एक अरब से ज्यादा हो !

जेनेरल श्रेणी से लेकर पहली  श्रेणी तक अच्छी तादाद में आपको हर क़िस्म के लोग मिलेंगे. कहीं पूरा का पूरा परिवार अपना बोरिया-बिस्तर बाँध कर स्थानांतरण कर रहा है तो कहीं एक व्यापारी मोबाइल फ़ोन पर पैसों को लेकर झगड़ रहा है. कहीं पिता अपने बेटे को छोड़ने आया है तो कहीं नया शादी-शुदा जोड़ा हनीमून के लिए जा रहा है. सबके अपने-अपने सपने हैं, सबकी अपनी-अपनी मंजिल है.

जेनेरल श्रेणी में सफ़र कर रहे हैं तो क्या कहने ! गाड़ी के डिब्बे के एक-एक कोने के लिए जंग होती है. भारत की गरीब जनता जो थोड़े बहुत सपने और थोड़ी बहुत आशा लिए अपने गाँव से शहर की ओर चलती है; वो गरीब जनता जिससे अपने खुद के गाँव में न खाने को मिलता है, न पानी, न बिजली है. अगर आप अपनी सीट से उठे तो वो  आपको फिर सपने में भी नहीं मिलेगी. वो अब पराई हो गयी. भूल जाइए कि वो कभी आपकी थी. इस श्रेणी में जनता ही नहीं हमारी प्यारी मुर्गियां और बकरियां भी सफ़र करती हैं. जी हाँ, क्या आपने कभी गौर से देखा नहीं? शायद इसलिए नहीं देख पाए होंगे क्योंकि हमारी अनगिनत जनता के बीच में वो कहीं दब जाती होंगी. नहीं, नहीं उनका कीमा तो नहीं बनता इतना मुझे यकीन है. कभी आपने ध्यान दिया है खिड़की पर क्या-क्या लटका होता है - हाँ, हाँ जनता तो लगभग लटक ही रही होती है, पर कभी देखिये दूध के कनिस्तर, सब्जियों के थैले और लोगों के छोटे-बड़े टीन के डब्बे. अगर आपने कुछ और देखा हो तो मेरी सूची में अवश्य जोड़ दीजिएगा.

स्लीपर श्रेणी का सफ़र आरामदायक होता है. दिन में भले ही लोग आपकी सीट पर क्यों न बैठे हों पर रात में आप आराम से अपनी सीट पर पैर फैलाकर सो सकते हैं. खिड़की से ताज़ी हवा आती है और हाँ कभी-कभी धूल-मिट्टी भी. बच्चे खिड़की के पास बैठने के लिए झगड़ते हैं. और मान लीजिये कि कोई सज्जन खिड़की के पास बैठे हैं और उनसे अगर अनुरोध करें कि ज़रा आपके बच्चे को थोड़ी देर खिड़की के सामने बैठने दीजिये (क्योंकि आपके एक नहीं दो बच्चे हैं. एक पहेले ही लड़-झगड़ कर एक खिड़की के पास बैठ गया है, अब आपको दूसरे के लिए खिड़की का इंतज़ाम करना है). आपने अनुरोध किया और सज्जन महाशय जी ने मना कर दिया. अरे भाई साहब आप किताब पढ़ रहे हैं, खिड़की के बाहर देख भी नहीं रहे. आधे-एक घंटे के लिए मेरे लाडले को बैठने दीजिये. पर नहीं सज्जन महाशय टस-से-मस नहीं हुए. अब आपकी नज़रों में सज्जन महाशय न सज्जन रहे और न ही महाशय.

रात के वक़्त गर्मी न लगे इसलिए खिड़की थोड़ी खुली रखते हैं. रात के बारह बजे आया एक स्टेशन. अब रात को भी स्टेशन पर इक्के-दुक्के सामान बेचने वाले अक्सर होते हैं. आप सो रहे हैं चैन की नींद और उनको बेचना है सामान. आपकी खुली खिड़की देखी और आ गए " ताले, ताले, अलीगढ के ताले" और ऐसी आवाज़ में जो आपको आपकी कुम्भकरण वाली नींद से भी उठा देगी. आपको आया गुस्सा और आपने कहा "ताले अपने मुंह पर लगा ले!" अब उसने आपकी बात पर अमल किया या नहीं वो अलग बात है.

तृतीय और द्वितीय ए-सी श्रेणी का सफ़र आजकल मध्यम वर्गीय भारतीय के लिए काफी आसान हो गया है. भारत की अर्थव्यवस्था में काफी सुधार आया है और इसलिए लोगों की पैसे खर्च करने की क्षमता भी बड़ गयी है. तो मध्यम वर्गीय भारतीय के लिए इस श्रेणी में सफ़र करना अब आम बात हो गयी है. आम बात तो हो गयी है पर लोगों की आदतें तो जैसी की तैसी रहती हैं. अब जैसे ही सोने के लिए बत्ती बुझाई आपकी बर्थ के ऊपर लेटे हुए साहब ने खुर्राटे मारने शुरू कर दिए. एक बार आपने उठा कर कहा "भाई साहब ज़रा खुर्राटे न मारें". "माफ़ करिए अब नहीं होगा" कह कर वो सो गए. पर खुर्राटे फिर वापिस आ कर आपको परेशान करते हैं. आपकी तो नींद छूमंतर हो गयी. अगर ये किस्सा नहीं होता है तो रात को कोई न कोई नन्हा-मुन्हा बच्चा ज़रूर रोता है. अब वो बेचारा बोल तो नहीं सकता, रो ही सकता है. ऐसे मौके पर माँ को कुछ कह भी नहीं सकते. अगर आपको तकलीफ है तो आप सफ़र करना बंद कर दीजिये.  एक बार एक सज्जन विदेश से किसी काम के सिलसिले में पहेली बार भारत आए. आने से पहेले उन्होंने भारत के बारे में इन्टरनेट पर खूब खोज की. अपने भारतीय दोस्तों से राए भी ली. अब किसी से बातें सुनना और खुद अनुभव करने में कई बार ज़मीन-आसमान का फर्क होता है. भारत आए और मुंबई से दिल्ली का सफ़र ए-सी द्वितीय में कर रहे थे. सब कुछ ठीक चल रहा था. पर पता नहीं कहाँ से उन्हें गणेश जी का वाहन - चूहा - दिख गया. बस उनकी तो सिट्टी-पिट्टी गुल हो गयी. रात भर सोए नहीं. उन्होंने लगता है इस बारे में इन्टरनेट पर खोज नहीं की. अब क्या कहें, उनका भाग्य थोड़ा खराब था.

 ए-सी प्रथम श्रेणी की क्या बात करें. आराम ही आराम है. आपको खूब खिलाया-पिलाया जाता है. एक पूरा का पूरा कैबिन आपका भी हो सकता है अगर आपको सिर्फ दो बर्थ वाला कैबिन मिला हो. मैंने कभी इसमें सफ़र नहीं किया है तो कहानियाँ भी नहीं बता सकती. आपने किया हो और कोई मज़ेदार  किस्सा हो तो ज़रूर बताईएगा.

अलग- अलग विचारों वाले लोग, अलग-अलग भाषा, तरह-तरह की आदतें, कोई-न-कोई मंज़िल- इन सबको ले कर रेलगाड़ी चलती है. कभी-कभी सह-यात्री दोस्त बन जाते हैं- नाम, पता, फ़ोन नंबर का आदान-प्रदान होता है. और कई बार छोटे-मोटे वार्तालाप के बाद ही कहानी समाप्त हो जाती है.                                                                      

     

Karz (and not Karzzzzzzzz) - a Story of Rebirth and Revenge

Karz  (debt), the blockbuster Bollywood movie of 1980 starring  Rishi Kapoor and Simi Garewal in the lead (I don't count Tina Munim as the lead actress in this film because she was just there to dance around with Rishi Kapoor and in no way was connected to the main story of Rishi Kapoor and Simi Garewal) and directed by Subhash Ghai, is a story of rebirth and revenge. This is one of my favorite movies. I have seen it "n" number of times and I love it mostly because of the music which was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal.

The concept of rebirth is centric to the philosophy of Hinduism along with the notion of Karma. So based on this idea film Karz is about Ravi Verma (charachter played by Raj Kiran) who is brutally murdered by his wife Kamini Verma (played by Simi Garewal) in front of a Kali temple on the hills of Ooty while on their way to Ravi's mansion where his mother and sister are waiting eagerly for the arrival of newly weds. Kamini Verma is a puppet in the hands of villainous Sir Judah (character played by Prem Nath), who is after the property and wealth of Ravi Verma. Now as planned by goddess Kali (or should I say Director) the jeep in which the couple is traveling suddenly stops in front of the Kali temple. Poor Ravi Verma has no idea that his minutes and seconds are numbered ! He checks the radiator....there is no water....goes to a near-by pond and gets this filthy dirty water in a can (what would you expect otherwise....a pond of mineral water !!!). Before he fills the water in the radiator he starts to explain Kamini how to touch the feet of his mother (She doesn't know a thing about our great culture as she is an "angrezee" girl). As he is showing her, she starts the jeep and hits him over and over again till he falls from the beautiful lush greens hills of Ooty (please don't aks me how did the jeep start running....maybe thanks to goddess Kali....god/goddess works in mysterious ways !!!) That's the end of Ravi Verma and our dear Goddess is a witness to this heinous crime. Thank god at least somebody was a witness !! At the mansion, over the dead body of his son, the bereaved mother is shouting at the top of her voice to goddess Kali that she (Kali) would have to bring her son back one day to this very mansion. Now look if somebody shouts so loud (if you have seen the movie) then even the deaf would begin to hear and here we are talking about our Kali ! So she could not ignore the pleas of a grief-stricken mother ("Ok, Ok I hear you. Just stop shouting now. Ufffff my ears ! You mortal beings are a bit too much at times. I will bring your son back but you have to wait for 21 years. I know, I know 21 years is a long time but look dear mother I have lot of other rebirth cases to take care of, you are not the only one. So, is that a deal?")

So now the story shifts to some place else. We see Monty (the character played by Rishi Kapoor) on the streets and eventually on a stage performing in front of a large audience. We come to know that he is a very famous singer and performer and has a large female-fan following including me ! The movie also reveals that he was "adopted" by a some Mr. Oberoi because of Monty's singing talent. This Mr. Oberoi is a hardcore businessman and cares only about the profits coming from the performances of his "adopted son". Monty misses the love of his "parents" and tells his friend wish he had a mother whom he could hug and love and never let her go away. Ok dear, what about the father....no love for father....what about siblings?? no love for siblings either?? ya I know the story demands it but at least you could have mentioned them ....on your own....once.

Enter Tina (character played by Tina Munim). Monty meets this girl at a party and falls in love with her. There he sings one of the most beautful romantic song I have ever heard "Dard-de-Dil". And couple of minutes later he performs a dance number on the stage for his love "Om shanti Om" (NO ! not "Om shanti Om" by Farah Khan). After the performance he starts to play the tune of "Ek Hasena Thi" on his guitar and his past life starts flashing in front of his eyes. He faints !! Doctors suggest that he is stressed and hence needs a break from work. He goes to Ooty and then bumps into Tina where the two fall in love. While singing and dancing around the trees he sees THE mansion and tea estates which once belonged to him in past life and faints again !! Enough of fainting dude ! He tries to find out about Ravi Verma by talking to people in the area and comes to know that he (Ravi) died in an accident and after sometime his mother and sister were thrown out off the mansion by Kamini Verma; there is no clue of them. In the meantime he meets Kamini at a party and suddenly wants to kill her "I will kill her !" "I want her". He thinks things won't work out like this as nobody would believe about his past life so he befriends Kamini and pretends to fall in love with her.

Monty tries to psychologically scare Kamini. So here is a very funny scene - Kamini and Monty are out on a night drive in a jeep. Suddenly the jeep breaks down right in front of Kali temple (rather the jeep pretends to break itself down ! You see even jeep has been roped in by Kali to play a crucial role). So Monty gets down and goes to bring water from a near by pond as there is no water in the radiator. In the meantime, Kamini is pretty scared as it is pitch dark. Suddenly she sees four skeletons on a car and they get down and start dancing in front of her (these are the friends of Monty) !!!! Guess what? Kamini is too scared. If you have seen the movie you would know what I am talking about. They dance like tribals.....it is ssssoooo funny to watch. Zee Horror Show was slightly scarier than this !! Kamini shouts "Monty ghosts....ghosts !" Woman..have you ever seen ghosts driving a car....and dancing like tribals !!

Monty manages to find his missing mother and sister. He takes revenge from Kamini and Sir Judah. Monty aka Ravi Verma is back !!! A perfect story of rebirth and revenge....Om Shanti Om !!

HELP WIKIPEDIA !!

Some say this....and Others say that...

Some say oh great !
and very nice indeed.
Good, nice, sweet and all
Must write, must express and all.


Others say hhmmm....
No better topic to write.
Anyways, good thing to kill your time.
Too many hours, minutes and seconds
So kill...kill and just kill.


What I say to those who say
I kill, I write, I express and all.
Thank you, grateful and smiles.
I write not now but long before
Really long, long and long before.


This no job that gives money
Yes, this no job with "Sir" "Madam".
No nine to five
No sleeping early and getting up early.


But this a job about my passion
This about endless unwritten words.
About happy, angry and scary topics
That I wrote with pen but now with keyboard.


Thank you for your comments and all
Would want to hear your own opinions too.
Let me hear your words, your voice too
More than nice, sweet and hhhmm..

बेचारा कूड़ा

यहाँ कूड़ा, वहाँ कूड़ा.  जहां देखो मेरे भाई कूड़ा ही कूड़ा.

हाँ यार यह तो  सही है इस कूड़े ने बहुत गंद मचाया हुआ है. 

पर भाई क्या यह कूड़ा तुम्हारा है?

अरे यार क्या बात करते हो ! नहीं नहीं बिलकुल नहीं. क्या तुम्हारा है?

नहीं....सच्ची में नहीं. अच्छा भाई तुम्हारा नहीं है, मेरा नहीं है, तुम्हारे और मेरे पड़ोसी का नहीं है और उन सबके पड़ोसियों का नहीं है तो  पता नहीं किसका है.

अरे जाने दो यार. ज़मादारनी आएगी कल तो ले जाएगी. अगर वो  नहीं आई तो गायें आ कर खा जाएँगी. हमारी देश की गायें वैसे ही बहुत भूखी  रहती हैं....कुछ मिल जायेगा उनको खाने को.

भाई मेरे देखो दो दिन हो गए और न ज़मादारनी आई और न ही गायें. कूड़ा तो बदबू मारने लग गया है. घर तक बदबू आ रही है.

यार मेरे अगर बदबू मारने लग गया है तो घर में अगरबत्ती जला लो.

भाई घर में तो अगरबत्ती जला लूं पर बाहर आने पर क्या करूँ?

यार तुम ऐसे ही परेशान हो रहे हो. बड़ा आसान सा समाधान है. बाहर निकलो तो मुह पर कपड़ा बाँध कर निकलो. इस में क्या मुश्किल है.

फिर दो दिनों बाद. यार कूड़े का कुछ करना पड़ेगा. कल रात तो मेरी श्रीमती भी गुस्सा कर रही थी.  कूड़े की वहज से वो ब्यूटी पार्लर नहीं जा पा रही है. दो दिनों बाद उसकी किट्टी पार्टी है. उसने तो कह दिया कि अगर पार्लर नहीं जा पायी तो किट्टी पार्टी नहीं जायेगी. फ़ोन पर रो-रो कर अपनी माँ से कह रही थी कि  इस बार कूड़े की वजह से वो किट्टी पार्टी नहीं जा पायेगी.  यार तुम्हे तो पता है यह औरतें किट्टी पार्टी को ले कर कितना भावुक होती हैं.

भाई तुम अपनी श्रीमती की बात कर रहे हो यहाँ तो  मेरे कुत्ते ने बहार निकलने से मना कर दिया है. आजकल के कुत्ते भी कितने नखरे वाले होते हैं.

यार एक तरकीब सूझी है. मुझे पता चला है कि बाटलीवाला कुछ दिनों के लिए शहर से बहार गए हुए हैं. तो क्यों न हम यह कूड़ा उनके घर के सामने डाल दें. जब तक वो आयेंगे तब तक तो जमादारनी आ कर ले जाएगी. और अगर मान लो की नहीं भी आई तो कौन सा कूड़ा हमारे घर के सामने पड़ा होगा ! क्यों क्या कहते हो ?

हाँ भाई, कम से कम हमारे घरों के सामने से यह बदबूदार मुसीबत हटेगी.

और इस तरह से भाई और यार ने इस बदबूदार  मुसीबत को अपने आलिशान घरों के सामने से हटाया और बाटलीवाला के घर के सामने डाल दिया. और जब बाटलीवाला वापस आएं  तो उन्होंने  किसी और के घर के सामने डाल दिया. ऐसे करते-करते बेचारा कूड़ा दर-दर की ठोकरे खाता  रहा पर उसको उसकी सही मंजिल तक  पहूँचाने  वाला कोई नहीं मिला. हाय! बेचारा कूड़ा.  

Currywurst ! Currywurst !

Germans are known around the world for unlimited consumption of Bier (Beer). Whether it is day or night, winters or summers, either alone or with friends they drink Bier and they drink Bier. But what many of us might not know is their equal fascination for Currywurst. Now what is this after all? The word comes from Curry - which means season with a mixture of spices, typical of Indian cooking  and Wurst - which is a german word for sausage (courtesy -WordWeb Dictionary and LingoPad). Before I progress further I would like to warn all vegetarians - please do not google the word Wurst or Suasage. If you do then The Globetrotter Blog is not responsible for the content of external links !!

Thanks to a lady named Herta Heuwer from Berlin who invented this mouth-watering snack. In 1949 she got a ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and some curry powder from British soldiers. She mixed these ingredients and put them on grilled and chopped pork. She would stand on a street corner and sell it to passers-by and soon it became a hit especially with construction workers. It was cheap and fulfulling. A plaque is dedicated in her name on the street she used to sell this delicious Currywurst.

Soon it spread its wings to other parts of Germany and made its special place in the hearts of Germans. Whether it is at Schnellimbissstube (takeaway) or street hawker or at Christmas markets young and old equally can been seeing eating away this scrumptious Currywurst. Ask any foreigner living in Germany "what is a typical german food?" The answer in most cases is Currywurst ! Currywurst ! Or "Have you tried any typical german food so far?' And the answer is "Yes, we have tried Currywurst". Germans certainly laugh at this but do not deny their obsession with it.

It is an icon of popular german culture. Many german politicians are known to be fans of it. In Berlin a whole museum is dedicated to it - Deutsches Currywurst Museum (German Museum of Currywurst).

I dedicate the following poem to Currywurst -

With little bit of Curry

With little bit of love.

With some ketchup

And with a smile

I eat this Currywurst.

One in my mouth

and other in waiting

I am not hungry

but too greedy.

I will eat for lunch & dinner

and why not for supper.

But it might be too much in a day

But do I care?

Can I stop?

Oh Currywurst

My Currywurst

I pledge my loyalty to you !

My Fair Lady....and Lord

I remember an incident from my childhood days. I was out with a friend of mine ...I guess we were playing badminton. It was a nice pleasant evening and there was no hurry to finish the school homework as the next day was Sunday. After few minutes we saw one of our neightbour, Aunty ji, passing by. So we greeted her "Nameste Aunty ji". She smiled and responded "Nameste beta". And she walked a few paces but suddenly turned back (in the meantime we had resumed our game) and came towards my friend and said, "Bahut pooder lagati hai kya?  Badi gori hai" (Do you apply lot of powder? You are very fair). Before my friend could say yes or no our dear Aunty ji left. We laughed and kept on imitating her. I could not stop teasing my friend from that day onwards and would repeatedly say to her  "poooooder" as Aunty ji had pronounced.

As a child of course I did not understand the significance of being a gori (fair), I did not understand the seriousness of it, I did not understand the role it played in finding a groom for a girl in Indian society as the color of the skin was never an issue in my family, was never an issue while making friends and was never an issue in getting good grades at school. It was much later when adverts like fair and lovely, fairglow, fairever etc. started to come on television and the markets were flooded with such products, did I realise our obsession with the white skin. It was spreading like a virus into the minds of young teenage girls, into the veins of mothers who were trying hard to find a good match for their not-so-fair daughters, into the blood of the would-be mother-in-laws looking for "fair" daughter-in-laws (even though their sons might be brown-skinned !!).

The advertisements intially focused on finding a groom for a dark-skinned daughter. Everyday the father would recieve marriage proposals for his daughter but when the family of the boy would see this dark-skinned girl she would be rejected. This disappointed the girl's parents and of course the girl. One day the daughter comes to know about fair and lovely and starts using it and then of course there is not dearth of marriage proposals coming her way. Now the advertisers also focus on how application of these creams could make you get your dream job, could make you feel very confident and hence a successful woman. There is one advert which shows that a brown/dark-skinned girl wants to be an air-hostess but she is repeatedly rejected at the interviews. Then of course she starts applying fair and lovely and becomes fair...fairer...fairest !! and as a result of this she gets her dream job ! I wonder how have I managed getting my dream job without applying these fairness creams....hhhmm...I really wonder.

Indian matrimonial websites are filled with "looking for a very fair, very beautiful girl". Every guy and his family is hunting...literally hunting for such "very fair, very beautiful girl" but I seriously want to know just how many of these guys find these Barbie Dolls....I am sorry but I guess I have to call these "very fair, very beautiful girls" Barbie Dolls because generally our skin color varies from light brown to brown to dark brown; it is not in our genes to get a fair/white complexion....and hence I would call them Barbie Dolls. So coming back to the point of guys hunting for these Barbie Dolls do they really find them? Because eventually they get married to the girls that are around and these girls are generally brown skinned.

I saw a debate on NDTV on We The People where it was being discussed about our fixation for the white skin, are we biased towards white skin and hence does it mean that deep within we are racist. Among the panel guests was the advertising guru and advert maker of fair & lovely Alyque Padamsee. He was defending his advertisement by saying that if putting a slight make-up or doing a particular hairstyle is also like enhancing your beauty then there is nothing wrong in applying such creams to get a fair complexion. I wanted to ask him at that point and I really wish I could whether applying a lipstick or mascara has ever been a criteria in seeking a bride because if it was then surely bride-hunters would have stated this on matrimonial websites. And also when he said that the products are there in the market because there is a demand from the society then I wanted to ask him should he not act like a responsible person of the society and not make such adverts just to mint money. By showing a father disappointed on not getting a groom for his daughter and a girl not getting her dream job because of the skin color how is he positively influencing the already white-skinned-fixated Indian society. Why his he adding oil to the fire !!

Now it is not just about the women anymore. It is also about men....yes about men who would want to become gora (fair). So in the market we have a product called fair & handsome !!! Yes guys it is your turn now ! An advert like a guy not being able to find a girlfriend of course because of his skin color. He uses this cream and there...it works like magic....all the girls of the town are after him. And guess who suggests him to use fair &handsome (in the advert)????? It is the king of Bollywood...Shah Rukh Khan !! I was so surprised to see him promoting his product. Why did he choose to do it?? Guess the reason could only be money because he has no dearth of female-fan following. I really wish he had either not done this advert or used his image for a better cause.

Lastly to those people especially in the West who think that it is ok if we (the brown-skinned people) want to get fair by applying these creams because on the other hand we (the white-skinned people) like to get a brown skin by getting a sun tan. I say NO ! It is not ok because the color of your skin does not play any role in finding you a life partner; it does not matter to your parents; you won't get rejected at an interview. Whether you are fair or tanned it simply doesn't matter in your society. But it does in our society. Have a look at the adverts and you would know what I mean.

Hamara Bajaj goes off the roads

As I read about Hamara Bajaj going off the roads and saw a video on timeless advertisements lot of old memories flashed. These were the times of Doordarshan....yes that Doordarshan which my generation grew up watching. It was and is government owned and it was the only source of entertainment (electronic media). I remember advertisements like - of course, Hamara Bajaj..buland bharat ki buland tasveer; Nirma... rangeen kadpe bhi khil khil jaaye; Bajaj bulbs...jab main chota ladka tha; Onida...neighbour's envy, owner's pride so on and so forth.

As far as automobile adverts are concernend I only remember Hamara Bajaj.It was projected as a transport of the then middle-class which could not at all dream of having a car.This two-wheeler could take your mother to a temple, a father could take his daughter to an ice cream wallah or a husband could take his wife to the fresh vegetable market. Our dear Bajaj was a symbol of happiness of the middle-class even though only two people could sit on it. It was a symbol of prosperity, a symbol of buland bharat which was at a pace of turtle making a buland tasveer. Even though you could get soaked in rain, you could sweat in summers but it was yours...your own..just like your own family member. Yes it was hamara bajaj, humsab ka bajaj...you would be deeply missed.

Hard Times for Snowman !!

Just yesterday I saw a picture of snowman in Spiegel website(The Mirror)and god ! how sad, lonely, dilapidated he looked. Reason - the picture caption read "the snowman is feeling the heat in southern Germany where temperatures reached an unreasonable eight degrees Celsius on Tuesday, the day after the start of Copenhagen climate summit" Yes, yes i know what you are thinking....global warming...climate change..hhmmm... Well I would not discuss this topic right now...I rather concentrate on that poor snowman.

I remember that last year freezing tempratures had started by beginning of December.It was really cold and we had the first snowfall of the season by now. It was a wonderful sight and I ran out to make a snowman...I did make one and it did not melt away like this poor snowman. But this year there are no freezing tempratures and hence no snow and hence no snowman. I look at the weather forecast daily hoping the tempratures would go below zero degrees and there would be snowfall. So far I have been let down by the winter season but guess what?? I saw that in the coming week there would be drastic dip in the tempratures and then we might have snowfall. Winters without snow is little unimaginable for me....I don't mean that there should be snow blizzards or snow storms...but yes some snowfall is always good.

And then children can happily sing -

Frosty the snowman/ was a jolly happy soul

The Open Air Museum City - Rome

Rome is indeed one of the most historical cities in the world. But what is so unique about this city is that it is an open air museum, the whole city is a walking-talking museum. Whether it is Colosseum, Pantheon, Roman Forum or the very famous Trevi Fountain, in every nook and corner of Rome one can find evidence of roman history. It is a city with history, art and culture and its center is listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This Eternal City, as it is also called, is year round bustling with tourists from all over the world. The peak seasons are July and August when tourists are flocking to this city - large groups traveling in tourist busses, solo travelers, families and backpackers.

The Colosseum, situated in the city center, is perhaps the largest amphitheater built by Romans. It was mostly used for gladiatorial games and executions. Though it is partially damaged it is an ionic symbol of Roman architecture. It attracts millions of visitors each year as it stays on the top of their list. The exterior may not look that appealing but once you enter the inner area it gives you an idea of its splendor and grandeur, of the sheer amount of people it could hold and of the brutal gladiator fights. You soon begin to visualize people sitting around, the gladiators coming out to fight with tigers or lions and you wish if only these walls could talk.

Roman Forum was once the center of ancient Rome where Romans used to meet to do business, politics and shop. It is an area of temples, arches and basilicas. The main sight of the Forum include the Arch of Titus, the Temple of Saturn, Temple of Vesta, and the church of San Luca e Martina. It also includes the well-conserved triumphal arch of Emperor Septimius Severus, with reliefs depicting his victories.

Trevi Fountain is the largest and most famous fountain in Rome. It attracts many visitors and is famous not only for its beautiful Baroque structure but also for throwing coin. It is believed that if you throw a coin in the fountain you are ensured a return to Rome.

Located on Piazza della Rotonda the Roman Pantheon, which means Every God, is one of the most well preserved buildings of ancient Rome. It is a temple of all gods of pagan Rome. Later it was converted into the church of Santa Maria ad Martyres. It is a burial place of many famous Italians and it is a popular place for weddings too. The Pantheon is known for its feats of architecture and concept of space. The oculus, the only source of natural light in the Pantheon, is a round opening in the center of the dome.

Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna have been a gathering place for locals and tourists. It is packed with tourists during summer months. The staircase has 138 steps in all and it got its name from the Spanish embassy which was located at the piazza. The Steps lead to the famous French church Trinità dei Monti. At the foot of the stairs is Barcaccia Fountain in the shape of a sinking ship.

Rome is a confluence of writers, artists, thinkers, tourists from around the world. It is a city that offers its history on a platter. Every corner, every lane has a story to tell. The more time one spends in this city, the more it grows on you.

My Tryst with Tiger

Like any other indian child, I grew up learning little bit about the tiger. It is our national animal, it is carnivorous and lives in Jungle. I always found this white, black and orange striped animal much more handsome than the king of the jungle- lion. During one of my many summer trips to Delhi, I once had a chance to visit the then famous (I don't know if it is still) Delhi Zoo with my parents, cousins, uncles and aunts. There was lot of excitment in the air specially for us children. One cage after the other we saw all sorts of animals and birds which we had learnt about in school - elephant, crocodile, peacock, parrots etc. We finally halted in front of the cage of "that animal which I found much more handsome than the king of the jungle- lion". With my eyes wide opened I looked at it - it was lying on the ground, wagging its tail slightly, eyes closed and unperturbed by the courious onlookers around him. But what the hell !! - it did not have those white, orange and black strips as I learnt it in school, as I saw it in my colourful ABC english book. IT'S WHITE !! ALL WHITE !! What was wrong...it is not a real tiger. But strangely it did sort of look like a tiger - those big whiskers, those scary claws and that "tiger like" face only the color was not matching. Well, to be honest I don't remember asking my parents about what was wrong with it. Maybe I didn't after all ask them as I might have felt disappointed or thought maybe there is a "real" tiger somehwere else in the zoo. Well, that was the last time I ever went to that zoo...no not because of "that white tiger".


In the year 1997 I got my first chance to visit a wildlife national park in India -Jim Corbett and to see the tiger in its own natural habitat. During my short stay at Dhikala rest house at the park I went on morning and evening jeep and elephant safaries but never could spot that elusive animal. Around bonfire there would be quite a few stories about tiger being spotted making rounds. It would mostly come from guides telling that one of their fellow guide spotted one today !! But it was never the wildlife enthusiasts like me who got the chance to say "Hey ! It was my lucky day !" My guide would almost always spot the paws of the tiger on the ground "Madam this is the paw of a tigress and look here, these small ones these are of her cubs. It seems she has just passed by as the markings are so fresh and so she should be around somewhere here. Today is going to be our day Madam!" But alas it was never my day. I visited Jim Corbett twice again but without success.


I thought Jim Corbett is not the only wildlife national park in India where tigers could be found. My mother country is also blessed with many other such beautiful wildlife parks so let me try my luck with them. After doing a bit of research on internet I zeroed it on Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. I still remember that hot summer month of May 2003. Typical indian summer with temperatures souring to 45 degree centigrade. I chose this month to travel because I came to know from guides in Jim Corbbet that during peak summer time animals are easy to spot as they like to be around or in water holes to cool themselves from this intense heat. I reached there and stayed at a very comfortable lodge on the outsirkts of the park. My first day morning and evening jeep safaries were unsuccessful. During the peak afternoon time with sun blazing right over my head I could only spot my guide and me in the jungle ...there was no sight of any other animal apart from us....the jungle was so calm and so still. After first day of unsuccessful trip I started to feel quite disappointed. Next day with hardly any hope in my heart I again went for the morning jeep safari. After around one hour I suddenly (believe me suddenly) bumped into tiger !!! Not that it was waiting for us in the middle of the jungle track...no. It was sitting near a dry bush and having its lunch !! YES..IT WAS EATING ITS PREY! As I could not believe my eyes I looked at it intently - those big whiskers, that big tail and what else do I see??? THOSE ORANGE, WHITE AND BLACK STRIPS ! Exactly the way it was in my english ABC book. "It's a real tiger...it's a real tiger" I almost shouted. "Madam please be quite otherwise the tiger will run away" said my guide. In this whole excitment I forget to take photos of the tiger till my guide said, "Madam won't you take any photos?" And then my camera never stopped. In all the twenty photos I took the pose of the tiger never changed. At the most it looked at us briefly but mostly it was busy eating its meal. I never wanted to move from there. What if it was the only tiger I end up seeing my whole life? I wanted to sit next to it and pat him and say "Thanks...it really means a lot to me". But we had to leave and so we came back to the lodge. That evening I was shouting on top of my voice to let every guest at the lodge know whom I met today; I was making sure that I was the center of attraction. The best part is that my tryst with tiger did not end there. Next day was equally good. I saw a tiger marking its territory by spraying its urine on the tree trunk. On the third day I saw a tigress with three cubs. It was a wonderful sight as the mother and cubs were in a playful mood and were not bothered by the onlookers. They happily posed for the photos. I kept on taking photos and videos till my battery died. During my one week stay at Ranthambore, I saw seven different tigers (not exaggerating). I could not believe my luck. The experience was too good to be true. I had finally managed to see our national animal in its own natural habitat.


That one week experience at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve is still very vivid in my mind and unless I suffer from dementia or alzheimer I know for sure I will never forget my tryst with tiger. And by the way, I came to know what was wrong with that tiger at Delhi Zoo - it was an albino !

Words

I write as words flow endlessly
I write as there's no end to vocabulary.
Sometimes I write to make sense of things
And sometimes to let things make their own sense.

Too many words floating around
Too many jumping around
I catch a few, while others drift away
And some here, some there.

Too many meanings attached to one word
That one word which I want it to be simple
Let me write it down anyways
Let poeple interpret it in their own way.

I am not Keats, I am not Shakespeare
Just a layman who has words to write
Read if you will, appreciate if you will
I will write till words stop floating around me.