Back 2 Blogging
It just feel so good to be back to the blogging space after a long long time of 3 years.
Writing was something that I terribly missed for this time, and I am so happy that finally i motivated myself and drove back to it.
And to start that i openned the account with WordPress - dimangkighanti.wordpress.com
and as soon as i was about to write my first post, I remembered that i have a blog on Blogger too. And so here I am back to it :-)
Just feel so great to be back to blogging. And I shall promise myself to keep me enough motivated to continue writing.
I hated bombay.... & i still do
Few months back there was this plebiscite of mumbai ( aah ! i still prefer to call it bombay) was polled as one of the rude city. So many article , so many views and so many talks.
When there is whole disputatious of No...there is whole loath for Yes. I have been in bombay for more than a year now, so when this "rude" radialo came in , i was like ahh ! no bombay is not so rude.
Though this city is been like a nightmare...teaching me the privation in life. I hated it & i still do.
I went to ICICI bank , nariman point.Why? a whole expository tale.. let me short it ... I did a online smart money order of Rs.300 . Its been almost 1.5 months the receipt is not reached.. f*** man i did online jst to save time. But then what... after calling the icici callcenter almost 50 times, pushing my debit card no: and pin...almost 5 times whenever i made the call, speaking to the so called "Executives" , there english was so egregious..i felt like... kicking there **** . Sometimes i feel , they jst grab these freshers ..paying them in lumpsum...with no maturity ..what the hell are they doing this scourge to society. .. N e ways thats none of my buisness.
After been beset & tourtured, final reply was "you need to visit the base branch , sorry we dont have a information". Bloody hell , then what are they sitting there for , F*** our happiness.
I reached ICICI Nariman Point office (note Nariman Point, big shot... &@##$*@#*$@#*$) ...all way long from thane. ( Nariman point and thane are like north-south of bombay). I spent almost 180 bucks jst reaching there ....delfect jst for 300 "online smart money order".................eeeeeeee...
Aah !!! and what should i say the staff there.... big short..sitting beside the sea.... big people.... bloody hell ******
i explained my "torture" to this so called "Officer" there. But i guess he was hardly anxious to listen to my problem, putting all his eye assign on this "sexy" page3 kinda lady..with high heel, sleeveless top...and her underwear peeping out of her so called low waist jeans ( duh ! man ..where the hell are there mothers dying)...
The "officer" .... blared and said "sit here , i will check out what's the matter".... and he rushed to this domsel...that underwear one.... cajoling.." hello madam .. ( with a ellated smile) ..tell me whats the issue, please be seated. I will send water for you".....
I was sieged to either bang my head or his (The "Officer") ....
- control ur anger monica ..control....... but how can i ... i m monica afterall...
Enough of badgering.... i cud not tolerate more... i went to that "officer" and said " **** ****** ****** **** " & I left..
I was so hullucinatory... I wanted to mitgate..my anger... so this was this cafe on marine drive i went in..
"One Grill sandwich and lime juice"..
"grill sandwich nahi hai..."
"ook...plain sandwich chalega"
"time lagega"
"kitna"
"aadha ghanta"..
(Blooddy f*** as** )...
" aare bhai kuch bhi le aao.... bread better hi le aao"
...... Watching of my opulent "lunch" and the sea... my mind was calculating the bill ...
15 mins...... the aversion server..."throwed" the order on table..... the lime juice had a stale cucumber piece in it..
i called him and said "yeh kya hai "
" kya nakra kar rahi ho madam, khana hai toh kho"
I was astonished...... wht the hell are they thinking we are from?/ ******
Jst because i was not looking like a south bombaikar..not with the flessy underwear peeking cloths.. ..but was in my palliate salwar kurta.....jst because i did not have this salvaged hair stlye..but the simple pony tail...jst because i was there alone and not as someone's muse..
Disgusting.... i thought of throughing tantrums...but forget it man..u are not even worth of wasting my time... F*** it...i left the place... and returned ...
Total money spend : 398
for : Rs 300 "Smart money order"
Lesson learnt: Never go to the place where u dont belong to. And if you make sure to kick there *** out.
Fact :.. " Its not the simple ordinary people of bombay who are rude ...but its the rich, cultured and so called high society which is rude"
I have this small handstole wala ..who serves pani puri and bhel puri..with more affectiion, care and hospitalily...and this **** ***** marine drive "cafe"...
PS : I m very sorry for using so offensive language... this is my first blog ..with such anger....
but i jst cud not help myself. :-)
I capped the bottle. I became conscious. I was aware. It was time
Its sunday noon..i m in my office.... jst need to kill time , until my script eulogy the output......
Now this is been quite a trite stuff...but still let me write something harping.
Smoking is a custom loathsome to the eyes, hateful to the nose,
harmful to the brain , dangerous to the lungs.
Nope i did not say this...King James I did. :-)
The newspaper keep reporting new studies that link smoking and disease. Duh ! its not news that smoking is bad news. England's King James figured that one out four centuries ago !
Why start smoking ? Its unhealthy, addictive, smelly, expensive and in many places against the law. And while a few people may think you're cool if you light up, a lot of others - girls and guys - will think less of you. Cigarettes can make many would-be friendship and romances go up in smoke.
What do you do if someone offers you a puff at the bus stop or in the girl's room? Dont offer an anit - tobacco lecture . No No No . Just decline. If you want , you can say that you don't like the taste or that smoking gives you a heache or that you're allergic. The point is not to start smoking. Its makes clothes smell, your teeth yellow and your lungs black and you breath gross. Its can cause diseases that can kil you. It costs thousands of rupees a year. And its a very hard habit to break....
Smoking ? So not worth it.
I capped the bottle. I became conscious.
I was aware. It was time
No i did nt say that..either. Was Al Pacino.
Life is Fine ! Life is Fine
I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.
I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.
But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!
I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.
I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.
But it was High up there! It was high!
So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--But for livin' I was born
Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.
Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!
Mail : First Day in Iqara..... to Amar,Silvi & Nirav
hi friends,
So today was the first day at iqara broadband-surat...
it was an unimaginable experience,,,,,,,,,,,i could not say how i spend last night
when my brother told " Mukund ( my boss) is very strict...woh to teri kal vat hi laga dega..
ek program module de dega ...aur kahe ga "sham tak ho gana chahiye...varna""
u can't imagine what was my condition......i could not sleep whole night with tension..
and in the moring bhaiya said ''I was just joking".......
but even then.......
i got up early in the moring , since it was raining....i took my "chhata"(umbrella) and went to iqara (its a 2min walk from my house)
All butterfly flying in my stomach, my nerves freezed.
i reached the office on time....but the person in HR whome i was supposed to contact
was on leave...so no offical formalities was done today...it will be completed tommorrow.
Mukund Sir greeted me very well...he took me to the IT dept...introduce me to the stafff.
Also to my sitting place.....He is very smart and strict man.....(mari to phat che)
I was introduce to all the fellows in my knock ( this is what they call the sitting space cabin). They are all young people hardly anybody above 25.
All r very funloving....(bahu masti kare che).
They made me relax so well, always music playing in the knock.
We are 8 people in one knock......
They are all so good ....nitin, mittal , purab,rajnish, aftab, rajesh,....
The moring time spend just chit chating..with all.....
They will be explaining me the project tommorrow..and will be giving the project that i will be working on. So it was a free day...
Every PC here is has that high speed iqara net connection ( surfing na to jalsa che)
Some guys in our knock to messenger per j hoye che....
Its a cool place to work on..
i dont know what will happen tommorrow.....but today was good day ...since it was a no work day. Hey we get tea free ...( to mara to jalsa )
I m writing this letter from my office only......its 6.00 in even....
hey u can even contact my at my office the no: is
(0261) 2681000-1207, 1206
my office timing will be 9.00 to .....jab tak dil chahe...
hey friends just pray .....my days ahead go welll....alll i need is ur wishes....
mara boss "mukund" .......marne to bhau bik laga che
mail karjo.....
bye.....
jai shree krishna
Monica (naam to suna hoga)
Guru's langar
One hot June day, I was stopped by local lads on the chaotic National Highway.
They had set up a chabeel to serve sharbat to thirsty travellers. This act of piety commemorated the martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev, the fifth Guru.
A week later, at Gurdwara , I saw groups of young people clamouring for a chance to serve at the langar - the community meal. Some were clad in jeans and sported fashionable haircuts, while some were dressed in kurta-pajamas to mark the 'Indianness' of the occasion. They exchanged lively banter over buckets of dal and thaalis heaped high with phulkas as they deftly manoeuvred laden utensils between rows of devotees seated in the langar hall. I reminded myself that many of these youngsters had left behind a cricket match on TV while some would have postponed a mobike trip to Kasauli.
Yet others were staggering under the weight of triple tuitions that would take them past Plus Two while some were back from coaching classes that promised them a B-school entry.
The spirit of community service is nowhere more strikingly evident than in the institution of the langar. Here one finds people who give up their spare time and more pleasurable pursuits to serve food and water to pilgrims or to wait on passers-by.
I wondered what motivates them. No doubt there is a clear realisation that this is a good deed. Waiting on the devotees who queue up for prasad seems to be a popular form of service among the young, who are otherwise criticised for abandoning traditional values at the drop of a hat.
My companion, a mother of two teenagers, remarked wryly that these youngsters would perhaps not even clear their own plates from the dining table at home.
But positive peer pressure or some inner command propelled them to volunteer their services at the Guru's langar. Our youth looked so pure and peaceful.
Milton's famous line, with a twist, came to mind: "They also serve who only stand and wait."
Wo dekho ek Telecom employee ja raha hai,
Zindagi se hara hua hai,
Par "Report Tally" karne se haar nahi manata,
Apne excel sheet ki ek ek line ise rati hui hai,
Par aaj kaun se rang ke moje pehne hain, ye nahi janata,
Din par din ek excel file banata ja raha hai
Wo dekho ek Telecom employee ja raha hai,
Das hazaar line ki file main error dhoond lete hain lekin,
Majboor dost ki ankhon ki nami dikhayi nahi deti,
PC pe hazaar windows khuli hain,
Par dil ki khidki pe koi dastak sunayi nahi deti,
Satuday-sunday nahata nahi, week days ko naha raha hai,
Wo dekho ek Telecom employee ja raha hai,
linking karte karte pata hi nahi chala,
"Excel" ki priority kab maa-baap se high ho gayi,
Kitabon main gulab rakhne wala,
cigerette ke dhuyen main kho gaya,
Dil ki zameen se armaanon ki vidayi ho gayi,
Weekends pe daroo peke jo jashna mana raha hai,
Wo dekho ek Telecom employee ja raha hai,
Maze lena ho iske to pooch lo,
"Salary Increment" ki party kab dila rahe ho,
Hansi udana ho to pooch lo,
"Leave" pe kab ja rahe ho?
Wo dekho Leave se laute team-mate ki chocolates kha raha hai,
Wo dekho ek Telecom employee ja raha hai,
Kharche badh rahe hain,
Baal kam ho rahe hain,
Income Tax ke sitam ho rahe hain,
Lo phir se bus choot gayi, Auto se aa raha hai,
Wo dekho ek Telecom employee ja raha hai,
Pizza gale se nahi utarta,
To "Coke" ke sahare nigal liya jata hai,
Office ki "Thali" dekh munh hai bigadta,
Maa ke hath ka wo khana har roz yaad ata hai,
"Sprout bhel" bani hai phir bhi, free "Evening Snacks" kha raha hai,
Wo dekho ek Telecom employee ja raha hai,
Aapne ab tak li hongi bahut si chutikiya,
Telecom field wale ke jivan ka sach batati ye akhri kuch panktiyan,
Hazaron ki tankhwah wala, company ki karodon ki jeb bharta hai,
Telecom employee wahi ban sakta hai, jo lohe ka jigar rakhta hai,
Hum log jee jee ke marte hain, zindagi hai kuch aisi,
Ek fauj ki naukri, doosri Telecom ki , dono ek jaisi,
Is kavita ka har shabd mere dil ki gehrayi se aa raha hai,
Wo dekho ek Telecom employee ja raha hai ..........
~~~ Tomorrow May Become Never ~~~
Say your I love you’s today
Tomorrow it might be too late
Here and now is forever
Regrets my friend, are too hard to shake
Tomorrow may become never
Who knows when they could be gone
I’ve done this one time too many
Although I knew it was wrong
So I love you mother and father
I love you my brother alike
I love you my husband and daughter
And all who have influenced my life
I will always speak from the heart
I will speak every word as our last
I shall have no further regrets
When someone I love has passed
Love Life
Realize things before its too late.Have lots of friends before you are alone.Accept things rather than deny them.Love people befor you lose them.Life comes just once. Love it while you live it.
Moments in Life ....
The other day i was talking to my friend pravin.I m sure most of us have come across the pravs group mails which is so oracularly motivating to us, he is the one who owns it.
Was talking about all pains i have in my life..which was ultimatly leading me to depression....
and i cud not forget the no- spurious way he told to face life . And what i see the next day in the mail with this beautiful.. lines...
~~~~~~~
There are moments in life when you miss someone
so much that you just want to pick them from
your dreams and hug them for real!
When the door of happiness closes, another opens;
but often times we look so long at the
closed door that we don’t see the one,which has been opened for us.
Don’t go for looks; they can deceive.
Don’t go for wealth; even that fades away.
Go for someone who makes you smile,
because it takes only a smile tomake a dark day seem bright.
Find the one that makes your heart smile.
Dream what you want to dream;go where you want to go;
be what you want to be,because you have only one life
and one chance to do all the things you want to do.
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet,
enough trials to make you strong,enough sorrow to keep you human and
enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don’t necessarily
have the best of everything; they just make the most of
everything that comes along their way.
The brightest future will always
be based on a forgotten past;
you can’t go forward in life until
you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying
and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so at the end,you’re the one who is smiling and everyone
around you is crying.
Don’t count the years-count the memories………..
~~~~~~~~~
Life in Mumbai !!!!!!!!!!!!
As I near 15 months of completion of life in Mumbai.Over the past few months, I have thought about writing about my life in Mumbai, and see how it measured up to the expectations I had before I moved to Mumbai.
Let me first examine how true my initial opinions about Mumbai turned out to be:
1. Mumbai is crowded. Too crowded. This has to be one of the most densely-populated areas in the world - Too damn,annoyingly crowded. Not a moment of peace is anywhere to be found. You go to a supposedly quiet, isolated beach on the outskirts, only to find a thousand present there with the same idea. It was fun for a while, but in the past few months it just got to me.
2. Corollary to 1, the infrastructure has just crumbled. It is a miracle that the city still functions the way it does. Roads are being dug up, there are slums every 100 metres and housing is practically unavailable - Nopes. Not a miracle. This is how people have got used to things out here. It is what they have settled for. Why don’t people fight or protest this? A little later on this.
3. Time is important in Mumbai. It is more precious than housing. Be it an auto-driver or a managing director, if you are wasting his time, he won’t tolerate it. Men finish their newspaper reading and women cut their vegetables on trains - Very true. Like all major urban centers or hubs of industry, everyone is single-mindedly focussed on his kamaai. And that is just about what you can find time for in this city.
4. When you hear people tell you that in Mumbai, people run, they are not exaggerating. You can sense that urgency everywhere, especially if you are coming down from a laidback city like Baroda - Oh God! Why do they run so much??? Amusing at first, with time it makes you think philosophically about what are they all running for? You think - If not this train, the next. If not this auto-wallah, the next. All this while you run to catch your bus.
5. The people, despite all their commitments and deadlines, are helpful by nature. In fact, I might go on to say they are the nicest crowd in any of the metro cities. You ask for directions, five would come around to help you out. Do the same in Delhi, you might receive an angry stare - My friend Nirav always says every city has its bad and good apples. In a city as huge as Mumbai, it is especially true. But, on the whole, it is truly remarkable that tempers are not as frayed as one would imagine them to be in a city of such contradictions.
6. The Mumbai man, by and far, is an honest man. No one is looking to short-change you or make a quick buck. He will earn his dough the hard-earned way and expects you to do the same - Ditto as before. I have met absolute crooks of auto-drivers, house owners and cablemen. I also met the most honest of dhobis and bais.
7. The Trains. They are surprisingly clean. They are more surprisingly precise, so much so people set their times according to railway timings. They stop running and the city stops working. It is a simple, highly positive correlation between Mumbai’s economic output and the functionality of the trains - 60 lakh passengers a day. What more can I say? It is the single-most important economic driver in this city. With such a geographically spread city (No one knows where Mumbai begins and ends really), there is no other way this metropolis can function.
8. Safety. After the recent episodes of More and others, this might be hard to believe. But I have seen no other place in India where women can safely walk about almost any part of the city way past midnight. They don’t have to adhere to “rules”(courtesy Shiv Sena) of wearing the proper clothes or have the company of males to be safe. I consider this the best indicator of a city’s living conditions and Mumbai easily outscores Delhi, Jaipur or Bharatpur - If you are a woman, tired of all the constant interefering and harassment you have to face and just want to live your life the way you want to, this is the city to be in. By far the safest city for women, and hence, it is also the most mature of all cities in India.
Those were the observations I had more than a year back, fresh into this city. How do I feel now? Well, Mumbai has been like this crazy, loud, chaotic party where you can have a ball. But, as the night wears on and the rush gets to your head, it is just a nasty hangover feeling you are left with. At this point of time, I have grown tired of the city in more ways than one. Tired and frustrated. With what you ask?
1. The Mumbai Spirit!- Wake up and smell the reality, people of Mumbai! This is a big media hoax that is used by everyone to pretend that everyone else is inspired by the “Mumbai Spirit” and so they should be too. The resilience exhibited by the people here is not because of any spirit for sure. It is just plain, hard-core reality. The common man on the road does not have a choice. Blasts on the train? Who cares, I have to be at work tomorrow morning. Spondylitis due to the pot-holes? Who cares, I can’t miss the 9 am meeting. Slums on the sides of road that seem to mock at the grand BKC? Who cares, this is the shortest route to take and so I will, day in and day out. As long as the city is running, no one cares about anything else. Definitely about any spirit. At least I don’t. I admit it is admirable the way people function here, but I suspect it is more out of helplessness than any strength of spirit.
2. Cost of Living - Nothing against anyone or the city. Huge, expanding metropolis with loads of wealth in everyone’s hands. But no smooth roads for the Mercs, or bungalows with lawns, or parks to spend out a quiet evening. Means huge demand and very less supply. Means freaking eyeball-popping 25,000 rents in suburbs. Means Rs. 200 movie tickets. Means Rs. 50 for handful of popcorn. Well, it may suit some pockets, but not mine!
3. Urban Chaos- I think this has to be the most important reason why I am thinking to move out of Mumbai ( and also think seriously about my long-term goals in terms of leading an urban life). I use this term to collectively define the state of unrest one feels in this mad, mad rush. This is a city of migrants. So, everyone is living a life away from close ones and in alien environs. Life assumes hues of montonocity and fatigue sets in. 5 days a week, get up, rush through peak hour traffic, slog at work, come back through rush hour traffic. You can’t take a quiet walk outside because the road below sounds and smells like a fish-market, all the time. Mechanically switch channels on the TV, have dinner cooked outside and hit the bed. Come weekend, you are either finishing up some last-minute work at office and then rush for the usual show at the multiplex. Watch movie, come home late and wake up late on Sunday. As the Monday morning blues set in on Sunday evening, you brace yourself for the rest of the week. Since you have so little time, you feel rushed. You want to go spend an evening at the sea-face but the noisy auto ride till there leaves you pooped. Difficult to be yourself. Difficult to make new friends since your social circle is so constrained. Concept of neighbours is non-existent. They are just people in the building. You end up doings things to enjoy because they are supposed to be enjoyable, doubting whether you actually enjoyed it or not. As I said the initial rush is all euphoric as you feel you are doing so many things at once. But, after a time the triteness of it all defeats you. It took me around 12 months for the hangover to kick in.
Ah! Now that I have vented out my frustrations, let me tell you about what I will cherish, and definitely will miss, about Mumbai.
1. Small Pleasures - In a city of of the biggies and wealth, people gravitate towards finding the abnormal, the unexpected and the little. So did I. I loved the kheer at Crystal, a two-floor ancient eatery, a misfit amongst the massive buildings. Or, the plates of butter-smeared parathas at a road-side dhaba by the Andheri station we used to raid on lazy and bankrupt days. Or, the book-sellers at Fountain with their quaint and original collection of old and second-hand books.
2. Good Life - As a financially independent young bachelor, there is a whole realm of independence you get to face. Cliched, I know, but true. In my initial months, I tightened my purse strings to ensure that I save enough. But, as I grew older ( and mature I hope), the importance of saving diminished. My philosophy adopted a line that went - What will I do with the money I save? Invest it again? Make it grow? And then what?. So I moved from thinking about my expenses to enjoying them. Of course, I still invested a percentage, but of the lot that I saved back I found more joy in spending lavishly and living it up, so as to say. Suffice to say that I have thoroughly like this attitude of mine :) My philosophy on how I should spend my life has slowly crystallized over the last 15 months. Not rock-solid yet, but yes on the way there.
The "BEST" Experience
I leaned precariously on the red coarsely plastered length of wall that made up the front perimeter of the Bamandaya bus stop waiting for my Bus.no:443 to come. A bespectacled man nudges his elbow into my upper torso as he turns the crumpled pages of his morning newspaper. I ignore him and look around me.
People around me are engrossed in various activities;
like my neighbour here - who is staring open mouthed at today’s Mid-day mate.
Or the giggling girls on the pavement behind me chirping about some song they like on the radio as they band their heads together and share a pair of earphones.
The middle aged lady in a green sari is juggling linen bags from one hand to another as her shoulders sway till she decides to balance them on her chappals.
A line of rickshaws wait patiently and the rickshaw-wallahs peer out at the crowd with a strange longing, trying to make eye contact.
I too stand there patiently but my mood quickly turns belligerent as beads of sweat appear on my brow.
All the morning freshness is gone.
When mumbai's pleasant weather dissolves into its usual hot and sultry experience. Oh well that’s life at a bus stop: far more relaxed than a railway station but then again the busis a far more relaxed medium on the whole.
Red, rectangular, robust, Leyland, clad in iron and steel and adorned with advertisements peddling some form of life insurance, the bus arrives.
I clamber on steadily and before the dust is allowed to settle a bell tinkles and with a jerk we are off. Lucky if i get a seat and if not "take it easy monica".
It is hard to balance a bag on your left shoulder, hold on for you life with your right and maneuver the four rupees and fifty paisa required out of your purse. But then again with practice things become easier.
"Ek Chakala".. I shout to conductor as he approches.Its almost four months now i have been travelling in 443 ...Bus no: 443 and most of the conductor now knows me..so for some just punch the ticket..before i ask for. Most of the days are luckier when i get a seat to sit ... atleast that gives me a time to read my Mumbai Mirror and taking the glimpses of the Andheri Kurla road. It takes 20 mins to reach chakala if the traffic is not much..but can even take 1.30 hrs if the traffic is worst. But i have all mediums to cut the time newspaper, novel , FM Radio.. what else !!!!
Me having not used of travelling in the buses...travelling in the BEST buses was not again a easy stuff.But then nothing is so tough either. All you domsels who are scared of travelling in best buses ... jst read the below lil points to make your BEST bus journey the best one.
--Always make sure that you sit on the ladies seat , if the bus is empty. So that it makes sure that the person sitting next to you would be a lady too and not a man ..who will be rumbing his thighs to you and making himself comfortable. Always prefer to sit on the ladies seat.
--If not place to sit ..do not stand in the later half of the bus.Come to the seat no: 2 or 3 that is the seat of senior citizen and ladies, stand near those seats.
-- Do not hold the railing on the top of the bus to balance yourself, instead hold the railing of the seats..This wont give the passenger back sitted to give chance to discuss your statistics.
-- Keep your hands free..dont carry a mobile , book ,etc...instead keep everything in the bag and keep your hands free.
-- Always keep your foot firm , you never know when you get the "BEST" jerk.
-- If the person standing next to you , is getting comfortable with you, just look at him with the err and little widen your eyes at him. and then start looking for conductor..pretending you want to call a conductor to report him.. (believe me this really works). Still if he continues ... jst make your move to the front gate of the bus..pretending that you want to get down at the next stop..there is no point in making a fist and spoiling your day.
-- Always remember the person sitting or standing next to you is a stranger. You do not come in bus to get socialize.
So just the little thing to ponder.. the bus journey in mumbai is the "BEST".
Mumbai ROCKS !!!!!!!!!!
Mumbai ..... ROCKS !!!!!!!!!!It rocks when the money in your pocket rocks.
It rocks if you have ur flat , ur car and a rich boyfriend
It rocks if you are happy and satified with what you have.
BEST buses rocks !!
Virar Locals rocks !!!
Marine Drive rocks !!!
Fashion Street and Linking Road Rocks !!!
Traffic Jam rocks !!!
Heavy rains and clogging rocks !!!
Pollution rocks !!!
Pubs and bars rocks !!!
yes it rocks............ and it rocks................. and it rocks.................... !!!!!!!!!!!!
But
Not for me... I m not for this place...and this place is not meant for me.
Me Getting job in india's best software company was something my parents and family really felt proud of (but did i ??? ). Coming from a rajput family and making it to mumbai ; still is a "Big" thing in our community. But thanks to my dad he supported me out of the ways....he is the person who always have put big dreams in my eyes ... and always told to follow simple principle "Honesty and Hard work "...to achieve them.
Settling in mumbai in those initial days was not at all easy ...
Thanks to my "so called" good friends for finding a flat ... which i could not dare to dream off..but as always said... your family is the one who is there ALWAYS...my dad having cancelling all his international meeting and being with me for 15 initial hard days and making me settle downwell in a "good" flat in a "good" locality..realized me that ..nothing is more important to him then me . Thanks Dad ... I love you ...
Having now been settled in a good flat with a good roomie is really half the battle won in the city of mumbai.....
Enchanting Mumbai...'a caravan of colours, bathed in light; a river of passion, a timeless tide', I always will hold fondest memories of you. --- This is a LIE.
Being in Mumbai is like going to war. Endless pollution, men staring at your chest, children begging for money, the terrifying slums (specially the one i see daily on Marol way),the sweltering heat, the spitting, the incessant honking and the everchanging smells - it is like an assault of the senses of explosive proportions.
Ramshackle corrugated tin, plywood, plastic, pukkah bricks, sheets of asbestos, sweat, toil, people and garbage makes a common mumbaiya scene,just like piles of earth, sand, clay and other materials make ant hills.
So much to still type on from these papers but i m feeling nostalgic
Living Life
Its been so long none of us knows where the hell are we all in this part of world and you all complaining me that i dont write a mail.And every call that we make to each other is merely a confab starting with "how are u?" and ending with "so much to tell when we meet".I think we have find a polite way to say "Mind your own buisness" (hahahaha just kidding), with the same we too decide to call each other later and seldom we call .I wouldn't blame the professionalism for the change though. It is destiny, or may be you could call it life.Yes Life, esoteric in the true sense, for one does not understand why you meet hundreds of people everyday, work with so many, and still remain lonely.
Life in surat is nothing new with me .........comprising with my loneliness :( Staying alone in my 2 bedroom flat and been apprehensive.
I think my schedule will justify it
7.30 a.m ---> I have a free alram ringing on my door, with my milkman hitting my door so hard...and having got an cogent ultimatum from him i can't afford more than 3 hits........grabbing my jug and putting my glasses ..my day begins with the "darshan" of my vigorous milkman. Every weekend he never forgets his admonitory morning note (although knowing my reply would rarely differs) "should i bring milk tommorrow? better u sms me or call me..when next u require the milk??" (which always pushes me to think "phone ki hosiyaari" ya "doodh ki dadagiri"). Having picked the newspaper from the floor which has been lying there for more then an hour and the milk jug in the other hand , I plunge the door putting it hard to my milkman's face.
7.45 a.m ----> Having done the morning chaos .....putting the tea on one burner and milk on the other ,having already opened the kitchen windows and doors, the imperative morning breeze fill's my den. With the competition of cleaning my utensils faster then my milk boils.........i always win.Having filled the fresh water,cleaned the kitchen and having prepared the tea....my kitchen session is over .....Pouring my tea ( i still dont believe i make exactly measured one to fill my cup) and getting the newspaper and occupying myself . As I sip tea from the ubiquitous tea mug, reading the headlines and trickling down the tinted glass panes, veiling the scenic beauty outside my kitchen balcony , I tell myself recounting the days left for weekend.
8.00 a.m --> Writing down the past day's expense in my revenue book is my allegiance. Having done that , wrapping the bedding and cleaning the room , i make sure my house is adorn and acceptable to the unexcepted guest and myself. I shall accept that i do it ardorously. Having taken the bath and washed the clothes (except the tougher ones which are kept to be taken home on weekend). Squeazing cloths tightly in bedroom balcony always makes me feel of getting my ire on them. Getting the rejuvenation done for office , i checkout the grave task if pending any .......Electricity bill ...hutch bill....flat maintance...water bill.....muncipality charges.....milk bill.....newspaper bill......rason bill....cable bill....billl ..bills ...bills..... (....you could call it a net practice of a house wife with out a net("pati dev") ..hahahah). A cup of Milk and 2 "kharis" is my breakfast, bread and jam is the alternate option.
9.20 a. m --> Before i step out for the day..i make sure ..the balcony doors are shut....rooms are closed..kitchen window close...milk placed in fridge...clothes are pined ....dustbin placed outdoor...all switches off ...all tap tightly closed (specially the sink one)..toilet doors closed.Getting my purse with the cell and the I-card..the door finally shuts the day and I egress. The 8 mins walk to the office gives me enough time to call up my sis and dad , again a confab..rather a socio-family confab. Walking down the same lane for a year now, its the same agile.
9.30 a.m --> Here comes the office AGAIN. The lift grabbing me flashes the Speilberg's tripods in War of the Worlds , throwing me in the cage which i can't eschew.
Moving towards my extant department...and always making my idiosyncrasy correct. Having sitted at my place and logged into the system.A cheerful morning wishes
from garrulous Purab and Aftab makes my day. Shuffling the saved drafts of Morning mails...and picking one to be sent..is the first thing to be done on the PC.Making a call to mom, back at home in baroda is the second task to be done . And to that i get my own Morning mail as forwarded from my colleague's before i get my own (shall we call it a height of forwarding mails??? hahahha).Doing my routine work in the same sarcastic environment. But with all fabulous colleagues purab,rajni,aftab,dinesh,bhavin,ruchira,dhaivat bhai,and mital the working is ebullient. But with the arrival of irascible boss , the kids around starts drawling talks . Having been delayed to log on to Iqara chat messenger , there is always a reminder from some very good caring colleagues across the location. The offical chat is more of intractive problem solving and officious ...but i always tell purab it will soon be Iqara dating (hahahahhah)...but indeed the chat is the oasis to we hard working kids in truamatic condition.Sharing our joy and sorrow with some sitting far way but with the same domain. My chat always starts with sagar's note of "good morning monicaji" with a smile , that really makes my day ,and the same ending with "bye good nite monicaji". Indeed friend like Sagar and Ardhendu makes the day cool . The Day gets filled with some jabbering words Metasolv,Portal.CNR,LDAP,Rating,Registeration,Renewals,Error,JSP,Scripts,Reports.....and the day goes ......
1.30 p.m --> Lunch time folks!!!! Aftab giving a lunch annoucement and me always ready to rush to pantry..Everybody starts changing there status to "Out to Lunch" on the messenger .Having booked my lunch to the office canteen..since I now find it very hard to cook in early morning but yepi in a week atleast once i bring tiffin (Selfmade -point noted). Sitting in the pantry with inter-departmental colleague is the good source of latest "news" happining around the office.It’s silly how much time we spend in snippets of gossip about others….And how little time we dedicate to knowing ourselves…
2.00 p.m --> Getting back to middling work....same misogynist boss . After a good lunch ..all I think is having a good nap..but it all gets to waffle talks with colleagues...and the work again.....chat sessions ...reports...and thoughtssss.
3.50 p. m ---> Gocha!!! Its tea time now.....but rarely we mean it ..Its merely a walking down to pantry and bring it back to the desk.....
6.30 p.m ---> Vada Pav session for those intereseted..and rarely do I.....No no dont think money matters here, It more to health matter .....to all ,the vada pav gang matters. There was a time, when I believed....that there are some people, so abundant that they could share it with people and it would never lessen in intensity...so much to give, so much to make someone feel, happy in contentment of having given something...asking but not much in return....
8.00 - 8.30 p.m ---> Time to get back to den again...Stepping downstairs of the office is the shortest distance I travel.....may be I would call it an ebullient office exit..Walking down back to my home on the wrong side of the boisterous road gives me the zest of "an uncivilazied indian citizen" but i hardly mind it for a 850 mtrs distance. Passing through the shops across, i remind myself "is any thing to be taken for supper (though i m not too finical about it)".Maggi..Wheat Bread....Banana...Wafers....are always a replacement of my insipid supper.Walking down the Adajan-Hazira double way road way back to my home ...glimpses the agile surat city..and that I am so recluse here. :((. Entering my residential entrance give me the feeling of returning home after a days War. Archiles - The Troy !!!!.
Opening the lifts door bring the tangential transformation in me.
9.00 p.m --> 202,Western Avenue ..door desperately waiting to be re-open after been almost closed for half of the day.As I arrogancly unlocks the door..the leo enters the commodious den. Throwing the purse on the table and sandals beneath it , ploded to shut the door and closing it for the day...as if it would now be open when the "free" alarm rings. Switching on the lights and looking to my foster room ..seems like fervoring me!!!. Busting my TV and turning it to face the kitchen, I unlock the doors and balconies , garner the clothes. Refreshing myself i get back to the kitchen....totally impromptu...deciding what to be made for supper..if not Maggi and Breads ...its "pulao and dahi"...cooking it and inadvertently watching the TV ...rather i should say "hearing" it...while the repast is been done...
Relaxing while the food is been cooked...putting TV on mute..time to get on cell buisness (thanks for getting my cell in CUG....no time constraints now) ..first call without any thought is to the sis..., the next in the queue comes mom and all dear friends.The talk with them for days idyll ...is like a massage for the day.feels Good really.There is a time in life, where one needs to go ahead, leave behind all your friends and carry along only memories. You do make friends, but then you never get back the same old close ones, you do meet people who'd be so good to you that you could tell them anything and everything, but you'd not find a person, to whom you needn't say things, friends who just know you. Occasional calls from such friends, has been the only thing that I seem to look forward to, but I cant help but notice the uneasy pause that lingers around the conversation, pause not because of the relationship, but because it is too short a duration to say everything, and of course you cannot completely rule out the paucity of words!
10.00 p.m ---> Hmmmm....smells fine...Gossss i cook wonderfull "pulao now.....no doubt about it...Placing the entire stuff in my plate and the "dahi" ...with sugar in it...my supper is ready ...the grail still waiting.The spoon in one and the tv control in the other both moving in the opposite direction, one feeding my stomach and other my brain,with the fight with Discovery channel,History channel, Star One ,Headlines Today and NGC...Intellectual choice ..isn't it..I here rememberes Aldous Huxley's famous words "An intellectual is a person who's found one thing that's more interesting than sex." ...hmmm ..Having finished the supper ,and keeping the wares back to kitchen,the TV still sounding high.Without ploding I boil the milk to bit mild..making sure it get finished and pouring down in the glass, bringing back to the room and placing it on my book table (no its not a study table), getting it to cool down.Relaxing back to the chair and silently watching the TV and surfing among themself. The John Grisham,Paulo Coehlo, Steve Martin, Arthur Hurley,Dan Brown, Wordsworth , all primly racked up and as if looking at me.....
11.00 p.m --> Drinking the milk and placing back the glass in the kitchen , having my teeth brushed ,its time for finishing up the day..Closing the balcony and room doors , checking the window and finally locking the rooms, I get back to the hall. Perfecting my bedding and cusioning it making sure it give me good rise to read.Pulling up the current novel in process of my reading ...(one hobby of mine which i would hate to leave) , and getting myself into bed......and then reading the black characters in black halcyon night.I finished 4 novels in one month..benefit of staying alone :) . I dont look at the time by which I sleep......and switching off the lamp , I wait for my "free" alram to ring.
This is how the life is going in Surat
There so much more to right other then the regular schedule..but since i dont have much time now..will definetly pen it down some other day.
I think my engrossing schedule now justify's my statement , and you have no complains on my part ......
Capricious are the ways of life, for I know there would be many who'd be able to empathize with me, ironically, even the dear ones that I miss this moment, waiting perhaps.
