Once during a walk in MG Road, I saw old low-rise buildings co-existing with the new high-rise multiplex-multi-complex-multi-storied-glass-facaded buildings. Old lamp posts and old trees remnants of past. I just wondered that even if so many changes come the core beauty of MG Road would not change.. nobody, for example, would afford to play with the boulevard abutting Kariappa Park and the parade ground.
Within a few years after that evening Bangalore Metro came.. the boulevard was razed. Trees of the yore and lamp-posts of colonial past were bulldozed. We have to put up with the awkwardness of the under-construction-elevated platform of the metro, for don't-know-how-many-more-years.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the change has been continuing. More glass-facades are appearing. Some old shopping complexes have disappeared and some are on the way. Ever since I saw in the newspaper of the boulevard's disappearance I have been avoiding MG Road like I would helplessly avoid a cursed distant relative.
The other day, I somehow dared.. As usually I parked my bike some miles away from where I was headed. While walking, I saw that an old landmark - the GG Welling photo-studio and photography equipment shop is intact. Many other old establishments close to it had gone. As I walked further, I passed by new-age coffee bars filled with chit-chatting youngsters. On MG Road and Brigade Road and in all those malls one finds so many of these fancy and funky youngsters so many at a time. I walked further.
Earlier, as I read in newspaper that old establishments are disappearing - Plaza, for example - I feared that my favorite destination here would also have gone, and thats one reason I avoided MG Roard after Metro work started. But this day as I forced myself there and looked apprehensively.. I was quite happy to note that it was intact.
India Coffee House.
First time I visited it was on December 26, 1996. I was on a college tour and while friends went for lunch in a nearby restaurant, I discovered this and went in for a coffee. Since then, there was never a time that I went to MG Road but not stopped by in Coffee House for a cuppa. All these years, the coffee is same.. in color, taste, quantity.. the servers are the same.. and I guess the cups are also same. Of course, my association with coffee house is only 12 years. I remember reading about coffee-house customers doing their 50th year non-stop. And that there is some coffee-house-customer association in Kokata.
Except for the price of coffee (first time I tasted, it was less than Rs.5/- per cup) there is absolutely no change in the whole experience. You can find people of all ages.. individuals, pairs and small groups talking, discussing, bantering, quarrelling, settling businesses... a lot can happen over a cup of coffee. Some framed pictures lauding the taste and greatness of Indian coffee are mounted on the walls.. even they are the same. On the photograph of Mahatma Gandhi there is a vermillion mark on his forehead.. it always looked as if it was put freshly on that day. Sitting in the coffee house, sipping the loveliest coffee, looking at the people inside the restaurant and the curios ones (you were and will be one of them) outside is a refreshing experience one should not miss.
The price per cup of coffee is Rs. 8/- now.. and as usually when you hand a Rs. 10 note, the server never bothers you with the change. He keeps it with himself and thanks you for the 'tip.'
I hope, when the metro rail work is completed, and it keeps its promise of taking up most load of the roads and the boulevard (or something equally enchanting) is re-developed, one again relives the real Bangalore experience in the same Coffee House serving the same refreshing and invigorating cups of steaming filter coffee.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Saturday, August 02, 2008
NTR, the superman
I just finished watching first half an hour of NTR's ace movie Kondaveeti Simham (on the TV), for the 100+th time. Of course, only once (when I was a kid) did I watch the movie in full.
NTR is a great actor.. In most movies that he acted, the characters' weight is magnified because he plays the role. And most of his action was not 'natural.' It was a highly amplified portrayal of emotions, drama, action and pathos.. it is believed that he (like his Tamil counterparts MGR and Sivaji Ganesan) over-acted to get the 'maximum effect.' And yes, the audience's hearts were won. Not only a great actor he was a great man in his own right.. an inimitable icon.
I was an 8 year old boy when I first saw him in person.. He was CM of AP then, and was at that time donning the Swami Vivekananda attire.
After he entered politics, he assumed various getups before settling with the last known. For some initial days he used to wear khaki trousers & shirt. Then he took up white safari suite. And then the more Telugu attire of panche+shirt+kanduva. Then the orange (sanyasi) robes. It was believed that he lived like a sanyasi, though many would say that he only acted like one and in his home he still gulped chicken fried in pure butter (quite unbecoming of a sanyasi). This dress changed to that of Swami Vivekananda, for which it seems he wrapped an 18 feet cloth around his head. It was a veda-sabha at Hyderabad and he came as the chief guest. The organizers got all the pandits honored by him and in that sabha I sat very close to him. He spoke on that occasion but I remember nothing of it.
When it came to honoring me, he handed over the gifts, and I didn't know how to react. He said, "teesuko babu.." ("take it, boy"). I took, saying "thank you." Probably I was the only one in that sabha to have said this. Everyone laughed including him and he tapped on my cheek and proceeded.
It was an open secret that he hated brahmins. One can see it even in some of his on-screen performances. Probably for this reason our elders were not for his political party. I didn't like this, and wanted to vote for him if I ever got the chance.. I never got it.
Another occasion I saw him was when he inaugurated the famous temple of Jubilee Hills. How was Jubilee Hills at that time! It was a vast 'layout' with mostly empty plots and newly laid tar-roads. Here a movie mogul's house, there a minister's house.. rocks in between. One could see the Hyderabad Airport from there . The runway, aircraft landing and taking off ... Now, not even a house in the next street is visible, or even the next street itself is out of visible range.
Many years later, in fact within the same year that NTR passed away, a friend of mine visited NTR on behalf of his college. He spoke of NTR's warm reception and the attention he paid to what to him was a small thing - a representation from an engineering college. My friend was most impressed by the powerful personality of the giant. The personality reflected in the sharpness and sheer power/magnetism/glow/energy in NTR's eyes.
Wasn't he already too popular when he entered politics? Why did he still don so many attires to attract public attention and awe? All his various attires, the 'gimmicks' as detractors who could not even trace his glorious path let alone catching up would term, were one expression of the great man's energy. In fact, in popularity, I strongly believe that NTR far surpassed MGR and it is hard to believe that any other person can come close to him in the foreseeable time frame.
Long live the NTR, the pride of Telugu people.
NTR is a great actor.. In most movies that he acted, the characters' weight is magnified because he plays the role. And most of his action was not 'natural.' It was a highly amplified portrayal of emotions, drama, action and pathos.. it is believed that he (like his Tamil counterparts MGR and Sivaji Ganesan) over-acted to get the 'maximum effect.' And yes, the audience's hearts were won. Not only a great actor he was a great man in his own right.. an inimitable icon.
I was an 8 year old boy when I first saw him in person.. He was CM of AP then, and was at that time donning the Swami Vivekananda attire.
After he entered politics, he assumed various getups before settling with the last known. For some initial days he used to wear khaki trousers & shirt. Then he took up white safari suite. And then the more Telugu attire of panche+shirt+kanduva. Then the orange (sanyasi) robes. It was believed that he lived like a sanyasi, though many would say that he only acted like one and in his home he still gulped chicken fried in pure butter (quite unbecoming of a sanyasi). This dress changed to that of Swami Vivekananda, for which it seems he wrapped an 18 feet cloth around his head. It was a veda-sabha at Hyderabad and he came as the chief guest. The organizers got all the pandits honored by him and in that sabha I sat very close to him. He spoke on that occasion but I remember nothing of it.
When it came to honoring me, he handed over the gifts, and I didn't know how to react. He said, "teesuko babu.." ("take it, boy"). I took, saying "thank you." Probably I was the only one in that sabha to have said this. Everyone laughed including him and he tapped on my cheek and proceeded.
It was an open secret that he hated brahmins. One can see it even in some of his on-screen performances. Probably for this reason our elders were not for his political party. I didn't like this, and wanted to vote for him if I ever got the chance.. I never got it.
Another occasion I saw him was when he inaugurated the famous temple of Jubilee Hills. How was Jubilee Hills at that time! It was a vast 'layout' with mostly empty plots and newly laid tar-roads. Here a movie mogul's house, there a minister's house.. rocks in between. One could see the Hyderabad Airport from there . The runway, aircraft landing and taking off ... Now, not even a house in the next street is visible, or even the next street itself is out of visible range.
Many years later, in fact within the same year that NTR passed away, a friend of mine visited NTR on behalf of his college. He spoke of NTR's warm reception and the attention he paid to what to him was a small thing - a representation from an engineering college. My friend was most impressed by the powerful personality of the giant. The personality reflected in the sharpness and sheer power/magnetism/glow/energy in NTR's eyes.
Wasn't he already too popular when he entered politics? Why did he still don so many attires to attract public attention and awe? All his various attires, the 'gimmicks' as detractors who could not even trace his glorious path let alone catching up would term, were one expression of the great man's energy. In fact, in popularity, I strongly believe that NTR far surpassed MGR and it is hard to believe that any other person can come close to him in the foreseeable time frame.
Long live the NTR, the pride of Telugu people.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Blessed
Today I was just lucky enough to get a glimpse of Sri Sri Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamijee and Sri Sri Sri Raghavendra Bharati Swamiji (Ramachandrapura Matha.)
I have been a blessed soul to get a Darshan of both these living Gods in the premises of Datta Yogiraja Swamy temple - Ganapati Sachchidananda Ashrama, Bangalore.
Jaya Guru Datta
I have been a blessed soul to get a Darshan of both these living Gods in the premises of Datta Yogiraja Swamy temple - Ganapati Sachchidananda Ashrama, Bangalore.
Jaya Guru Datta
Inspiring...
I have just read in Eenadu (www.eenadu.net), about mango-harvest in Qatar. Verified the same in Business Standard and another website as well.
It is very inspiring to read such news, especially since I, being in the "garden" city am struggling to maintain a bonsai plant/tree. Coincidentally today I bought a book on Bonsai (my first serious purchase on this green art) and have been thinking of my first Bonsai tree which mercilessly wilted away due to careless handling. (I was careless as in - when I had to go out of station, I have given it to a person who was careless.) This book and these news snippets fill me with fresh enthusiasm. My God bless me.. I will soon collect saplings of all the trees I have been planning and restart Bonsai.
An inspiring blog post on gardening:
http://qatardiary.blogspot.com/2005/10/when-mangoes-make-you-smile.html
The two mango-in-desert news articles:
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=40421
http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=23965
Qatar: Mangoes flourish in desert heat
Qatar is heading for a harvest. Hundreds of mango trees in the plantation project of Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLC) are bearing mature-green and ready for plucking fruits. The varieties include India’s famous mangoes ‘Kesar’, ‘Alphonso’ and ‘Langari’ etc. Planted four years ago, these tropical trees flourishing in Qatar’s arid climate have wowed the RLC community. Spread across four acres of land, a majority of 3,000-odd trees are bearing fruits. Each tree, 4-5 feet high and three metres-wide, is laden with some 10-20 mangoes of different sizes. This is the first time Qatar has witnessed such a massive cultivation of mango trees in an open area.
Tucked away in the south eastern corner of RLC, the plantation is divided into four sectors and is separated by a five meter wide road. The whole area is surrounded by two or three rows of casuarina plants acting as a windbreaker for the mango trees.
The whole project was inspired during a visit to India by H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry. Al Attiyah visited Reliance Petroleum’s plant in Gujarat, the western Indian state which is known for world famous Alphonso mangoes, RLC sources told The Peninsula.
The Reliance Petroleum played a lead role in the launch of the project. Experts from the company surveyed the proposed site in Ras Laffan in June 2002 and studied the weather pattern, conducted soil tests and submitted a report to RLC; and the project was launched in 2004. The plantation has over 3,000 trees belonging to nearly ten different high yielding breeds. Of this, a majority of the trees belong to the famous 'Kesar' and 'Alphonso' varieties.
Kesar is considered the queen of mangoes in India. With a unique taste, it is characterized by its golden colour with green overtones. The fruit is slightly smaller compared to the Alphonso variety.
============
Dattatreyam Krishnam Haritam Unmatta Rupam Bhaja Dattam
Jaya Guru Datta
It is very inspiring to read such news, especially since I, being in the "garden" city am struggling to maintain a bonsai plant/tree. Coincidentally today I bought a book on Bonsai (my first serious purchase on this green art) and have been thinking of my first Bonsai tree which mercilessly wilted away due to careless handling. (I was careless as in - when I had to go out of station, I have given it to a person who was careless.) This book and these news snippets fill me with fresh enthusiasm. My God bless me.. I will soon collect saplings of all the trees I have been planning and restart Bonsai.
An inspiring blog post on gardening:
http://qatardiary.blogspot.com/2005/10/when-mangoes-make-you-smile.html
The two mango-in-desert news articles:
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=40421
A "mango oasis" in the arid deserts of gas-rich Qatar— difficult to believe but true. Inspired by a visit to India, 3000 trees of the choicest mango varities, including 'Alphonso' and 'Langra', were planted at Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLC) four years ago and are laden with fruit this season.
This is the first such massive cultivation of mango trees in an open area in Qatar. Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah came up with the idea after he travelled to the Reliance Petroleum plant in Gujarat, which is known for Alphonso mangoes.
"Hundreds of mango trees in the plantation project of Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLC) are bearing mature-green and ready for plucking fruits. The varieties include India's famous mangoes 'Kesar', 'Alphonso' and 'Langara', said a report in Peninsula daily.
Reliance Petroleum played a lead role in the launch of the project with experts from the company surveying the proposed site in Ras Laffan in June 2002.
They studied the weather pattern, conducted soil tests and submitted a report to RLC and the project was launched in 2004. Spread across four acres of land, a majority of 3,000-odd trees of 10 varities are bearing fruits and have wowed the RLC community.
Each tree is 4-5 feet high and three metres-wide. Tucked away in the south eastern corner of RLC, the plantation is divided into four sectors and is separated by a five meter wide road. The whole area is surrounded by two or three rows of casuarina plants acting as a windbreaker for the mango trees.
http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=23965
Qatar: Mangoes flourish in desert heat
Qatar is heading for a harvest. Hundreds of mango trees in the plantation project of Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLC) are bearing mature-green and ready for plucking fruits. The varieties include India’s famous mangoes ‘Kesar’, ‘Alphonso’ and ‘Langari’ etc. Planted four years ago, these tropical trees flourishing in Qatar’s arid climate have wowed the RLC community. Spread across four acres of land, a majority of 3,000-odd trees are bearing fruits. Each tree, 4-5 feet high and three metres-wide, is laden with some 10-20 mangoes of different sizes. This is the first time Qatar has witnessed such a massive cultivation of mango trees in an open area.
Tucked away in the south eastern corner of RLC, the plantation is divided into four sectors and is separated by a five meter wide road. The whole area is surrounded by two or three rows of casuarina plants acting as a windbreaker for the mango trees.
The whole project was inspired during a visit to India by H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry. Al Attiyah visited Reliance Petroleum’s plant in Gujarat, the western Indian state which is known for world famous Alphonso mangoes, RLC sources told The Peninsula.
The Reliance Petroleum played a lead role in the launch of the project. Experts from the company surveyed the proposed site in Ras Laffan in June 2002 and studied the weather pattern, conducted soil tests and submitted a report to RLC; and the project was launched in 2004. The plantation has over 3,000 trees belonging to nearly ten different high yielding breeds. Of this, a majority of the trees belong to the famous 'Kesar' and 'Alphonso' varieties.
Kesar is considered the queen of mangoes in India. With a unique taste, it is characterized by its golden colour with green overtones. The fruit is slightly smaller compared to the Alphonso variety.
============
Dattatreyam Krishnam Haritam Unmatta Rupam Bhaja Dattam
Jaya Guru Datta
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
No use
Earlier, people had the intentions to make things to meet needs. Needs were met and people were satisfied.
Now-a-days, the stress is on making money, without any heed to "needs", "satisfying" etc. Market is full of choices, but most things don't meet the needs.
It is not a buyer's market. It is sellers' market. When everyone sells, who will be satisfied? No one. The dissatisfaction level in the world is increasing.
Now-a-days, the stress is on making money, without any heed to "needs", "satisfying" etc. Market is full of choices, but most things don't meet the needs.
It is not a buyer's market. It is sellers' market. When everyone sells, who will be satisfied? No one. The dissatisfaction level in the world is increasing.
The plot
Finally, I am also at it. They have already destroyed a lot of greenery and "developed" it into a barren land with markings, roads, lamp posts and water pipes. The roads will silently host meetings of hungry buyers and greedy sellers trying to outwit each other. Soon dogs start littering them. The lamps will light up empty roads, wasting a lot of electricity. Water pipes may never carry water before they rust. A forest, or a field, or just a green land housing flora and fauna is permanently displaced into their continually shrinking sanctuary. Some people make money out of this.
It is not completely true that I was led astray into the 'middle' of this. I had enough control to desist myself from becoming part of it, but lost it all, well, almost, now. I am yet to review, what led me to this helpless position.
The place is well beyond the city-limits. But, I am told, it is "Just 15 km from Electronics City." "Excellent place for a future home." Will the seller ever dare to build a house and live in it in such a place, any time in the future?
Only good thing about this place is, it is on TVS Road and hence falls en route Swamy Virajeshwara's Ashram.
It is not completely true that I was led astray into the 'middle' of this. I had enough control to desist myself from becoming part of it, but lost it all, well, almost, now. I am yet to review, what led me to this helpless position.
The place is well beyond the city-limits. But, I am told, it is "Just 15 km from Electronics City." "Excellent place for a future home." Will the seller ever dare to build a house and live in it in such a place, any time in the future?
Only good thing about this place is, it is on TVS Road and hence falls en route Swamy Virajeshwara's Ashram.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Mega Start
The Mega Star of Telugu cinema has maintained a very clean profile till now. I always had doubts in my mind whether his real personality is same as his respectable public profile.
None other than Chiru's own younger daughter has put him up to a mega startling test. I am closely watching this story to see how the icon of Telugu society lives up to this challenge. This is a case where real life climax should be like many reel-life climaxes - all things reaching a 'good' end.
Of course, climaxes include the villains being thrashed by our hero before they are bundled by the police.
My prayers for Chiru, baby-Chiru and the 'hero' of this real life story.
God bless all.
None other than Chiru's own younger daughter has put him up to a mega startling test. I am closely watching this story to see how the icon of Telugu society lives up to this challenge. This is a case where real life climax should be like many reel-life climaxes - all things reaching a 'good' end.
Of course, climaxes include the villains being thrashed by our hero before they are bundled by the police.
My prayers for Chiru, baby-Chiru and the 'hero' of this real life story.
God bless all.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Got back
This is just a place-holder post.. Months of inactivity on this blog has posed a danger of this blog being erased.
I will re-start posting, soon..
I will re-start posting, soon..
Friday, November 03, 2006
Reversing the rivers..
Over the past 10-12 months, I have traveled to some good places. All the trips are memorable. I wanted to write posts on each of them.. but really, never got enough time - so bad of me.
The most recent memorable trip is to Bhadrachalam. What started as a desire to travel from Rajahmundry to Bhadrachalam by the famous 'launch trip via Papi Kondalu' ended up as a piligrimage to Bhadrachalam. Of course, we had a trip in launch over Godavari - from Kunavaram to Papi Kondalu and back - and it was really excellent. I sincerely felt that the Godavari basin in Khammam and East & West Godavari districts is the pride of Andhra Pradesh. Very lovely surroundings.
The mighty Godavari, the majestic hills on either side, the resplendent greenery around.. it was real paradise.
It is a very sad news that the Polavaram project across Godavari is soon going to make these wonderful trips history.
I remember reading a report some time back that world over (or at least in India), having mega projects including Bhakra Nangal, Nagarjuna Sagar or not having them would not have made a net difference to the economy. The costs involved (including physical infrastructure, movement of people, land lost for reservoir, emotional issues etc.) are usually not recovered in even 100 years. Of course, they are useful for electric power generation - hydro electricity.
One should, however, remember that across Kavery, around Trichy there are two famous 'dams' - Kallanai and Melanai (rock-dam and upper-dam, respectively.) Kallanai was constructed by Karikala Chola of the yore (AD 2.). Melanai is more recent. It seems they served the irrigation needs of the area for all these ages..
(I am not very sure if Melanai is the same as Mukkombu, where the river Kollidam branches off from Kaveri.) From Mukkombu, the Srirangam island starts. Here, the anicut is constructed by Sir Arthur Cotton. A statue revering him can be seen on the land mass (a beautiful park) between Kaveri and Kollidam.
Cotton also constructed the famous Dhavaleswaram anicut across Godavari, which transformed famine-struck East and West Godavari districts into grannaries of Andhra Pradesh.
Then there is Prakasam barrage near Vijayawada, irrigating many areas in Krishna and Guntur districts.
One visible difference separating these good projects from the allegedly-useless mega projects is their size. They don't really obstruct the rivers to create huge reservoirs. They only divert the flow of the river into canals.
While Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar over the Krishna are good for hydro electric, their irrigation utility is questionable (vide point on the 'costs' above.) I have similar doubts on Sri Ram Sagar over Godavari.
Well, whatever is the past, many like me believe that projects like Polavarm on Godavari and Pulichintala on Krishna, which are on cards, are surely going to be of use to politicians and contractors than the farmers (and travel and enviro-enthusiasts like me.)
Lets see..
The most recent memorable trip is to Bhadrachalam. What started as a desire to travel from Rajahmundry to Bhadrachalam by the famous 'launch trip via Papi Kondalu' ended up as a piligrimage to Bhadrachalam. Of course, we had a trip in launch over Godavari - from Kunavaram to Papi Kondalu and back - and it was really excellent. I sincerely felt that the Godavari basin in Khammam and East & West Godavari districts is the pride of Andhra Pradesh. Very lovely surroundings.
The mighty Godavari, the majestic hills on either side, the resplendent greenery around.. it was real paradise.
It is a very sad news that the Polavaram project across Godavari is soon going to make these wonderful trips history.
I remember reading a report some time back that world over (or at least in India), having mega projects including Bhakra Nangal, Nagarjuna Sagar or not having them would not have made a net difference to the economy. The costs involved (including physical infrastructure, movement of people, land lost for reservoir, emotional issues etc.) are usually not recovered in even 100 years. Of course, they are useful for electric power generation - hydro electricity.
One should, however, remember that across Kavery, around Trichy there are two famous 'dams' - Kallanai and Melanai (rock-dam and upper-dam, respectively.) Kallanai was constructed by Karikala Chola of the yore (AD 2.). Melanai is more recent. It seems they served the irrigation needs of the area for all these ages..
(I am not very sure if Melanai is the same as Mukkombu, where the river Kollidam branches off from Kaveri.) From Mukkombu, the Srirangam island starts. Here, the anicut is constructed by Sir Arthur Cotton. A statue revering him can be seen on the land mass (a beautiful park) between Kaveri and Kollidam.
Cotton also constructed the famous Dhavaleswaram anicut across Godavari, which transformed famine-struck East and West Godavari districts into grannaries of Andhra Pradesh.
Then there is Prakasam barrage near Vijayawada, irrigating many areas in Krishna and Guntur districts.
One visible difference separating these good projects from the allegedly-useless mega projects is their size. They don't really obstruct the rivers to create huge reservoirs. They only divert the flow of the river into canals.
While Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar over the Krishna are good for hydro electric, their irrigation utility is questionable (vide point on the 'costs' above.) I have similar doubts on Sri Ram Sagar over Godavari.
Well, whatever is the past, many like me believe that projects like Polavarm on Godavari and Pulichintala on Krishna, which are on cards, are surely going to be of use to politicians and contractors than the farmers (and travel and enviro-enthusiasts like me.)
Lets see..
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Tired
I am really too tired
1. Of staying away from blogs for more than 7 months..
2. Of telling myself that I will finish the drafts of blogs I wanted to publish..
3. Of not finishing them and publishing..
4. Of not blogging the many experiences and stuff I have been going through these 7 months..
5. Of...
and more..
So, I will take rest and then start afresh.
Catch you later...
1. Of staying away from blogs for more than 7 months..
2. Of telling myself that I will finish the drafts of blogs I wanted to publish..
3. Of not finishing them and publishing..
4. Of not blogging the many experiences and stuff I have been going through these 7 months..
5. Of...
and more..
So, I will take rest and then start afresh.
Catch you later...
Monday, January 16, 2006
Not available from vizag
Every wave brings with it a lifetime of beauty
Vizag is the most beautiful place on Earth (which in turn is the most beautiful place in the whole universe). Ask me as many times as you please, I will tell the same. If you come up with any other place and try to "prove" it is more beuatiful, I would simply not listen. To me, there is no other place on earth which comes close to Vizag, and you now know that I am talking on a universal scale.
Now, a question like "why is Vizag so beautiful?" or "why do you like the place so much" would elicit a volume from me, so lets not go deep into that right now. Watch out for more posts on that. For the time-being, a few quick answers: Andhra University, AU Engineering College, Araku, Bhimili, Beach Road, Rushikonda, MVP Colony, Waltair, AVN College, Andhra Medical College, Kailasagiri, Mudasarlova, RK Beach, Panduranga Temple, Vuda Park (anybody remembers the name Sun and Sea?), Oliver Ridley turtles, Dolphin Hill, Gangavaram, Appikonda (the place with a GREAT significance to me)... unending list.
Please see some Telugu movies especially those made in Vizag before 1995 to get a little understanding of what I am saying. Different directors have captured the beauty of Vizag in their own unique ways. The finest of them is Balachander. Balachander shows the essence of Vizag's beauty in many of his films including many in Tamil. If he doesn't need to show any particular location, he simply shot those scenes in Madras.
For some memorable movies by K Viswanath, Jandhyala, Vamsy and others including EVV old and new Vizag formed a pleasant backdrop. To date, however, Balachander's black and white movies stand out as the best (at least to my eyes).
In old movies, beach road has the lovely blue sea on one side and the University lands, the 'Collector Office Down', the erstwhile AU Ladies hostels, some old English and Dutch buildings and some green spaces stretch over a few kilometers on the other side. Only once in a long while could a car, a scooter or a bus be seen crawling on the road. Close to the Collector Office Down, used to be a beautiful statue of Krishna and Radha in a small park in the beach front. It is in this park that Gandhi - Chiranjivi - gets his first "investment" of 10 paise and goes on to make Rs. 50 lakh in 5 years in the movie "Challenge" - another master piece made in the City of Destiny.
One end of the beach road is near the Vizag 'Outer Harbor', the other 'end' is near a light house on the tip of a sand dune projecting into the sea with some rocks against which waves bang to produce lovely fountains. Unfortunately in my last trip to Vizag, I didn't see the light-house working. The Vizag Beach Road actually extends all the way up to Bhimili.
The colors of evening near RK Beach. Enlarge the photo and in the right-side end you can see the light-house in VUDA Park as a small vertical projection on the land's tip
Beyond the light house there is a fishing village which is not seen from most parts, even the many "up-lands" of the city. In fact, many Vizagites don't know its existence. From the up-lands (including Kailasagiri and some classrooms in the main building of AU Engineering College), in the morning one can see boats venturing into the sea and in the evening boats returning.. what are actually visible are not boats, but the sails.. On clear days, tiny white sails - hundreds of them - on the blue sea presents a stunningly beautiful spectacle. I remember many classes I sat through in the main building, watching this! Now, this little description itself took so long, and I feel I have told too little, what if I go on elucidating all the reasons why Vizag is so beautiful..!!?
In 1986, the place between the light-house and the fishing village has been made into what is now "VUDA Park", officially "Tarakarama Sagarateera Aramam". The 'Tarakarama' is none other than NT Rama Rao, then chief minister of AP.
Well, all that has undergone some changes and starting from 1990s, the lovely Beach Road also underwent many changes. No more is the road occassionally visited by a rare vehicle.. I am hearing that these days, even in midnight the beach road is not free from traffic!
Beach road now
When I was in (AU Engg) college till 1998, it was still not so bad. I got closest of my friends and fondest of memories in Vizag. I and my wife (not yet, then) used to meet on the sands of Vizag beach. The mention of Vizag fills me with nostalgia and I want more and more of it like a drunkard wants his wine.
Now, just a few minutes ago I got a curt SMS, "Not available from Vizag". I was puzzled as to what was not available in (or from as per the SMS) Vizag for some time till I recollected sending an SMS to this man-with-a-soul-of-brevity in the morning. This curt SMS without punctuations punctured my dreams and deeply disappointed me.
Earlier in the day, I saw an ad for sale of a beach facing apartment around Maharanipet and I immediately tried calling the mobile number given. As usually BSNL Bangalore would not get me through: "dayavittu swalpa samayadanantara kare madi" (please call after some time). I sent an SMS enquiring if the flat is still available and had built a thousand hopes till this reply came.
Other avagations
Indians (especially those of us from Andhra Pradesh), have many different avagations and we keep pursuing and talking about them often. "My son is not concentrating on studies, he is developing other avagations" is a common complaint in India; the said chap might be developing interest in cricket or art.
I know of parents (and even some teachers) gospelling to their wards that "studies are most important than any other avagations" - now, that is their grammar, read on to know why my grammar is better. One great teacher once advised me to cultivate "reading" as a habit if I 'needed' any avagations "other than studying". The same teacher averred that 'reading dictionary' is a 'good avagation'. I followed his advise and in fact in that year and later, I was acclaimed to be "very good at english" - vocabulary, they meant - "because of" the aforementioned teacher.
I had good command on grammar "because of" another teacher, who led us by example - the great BJRK of Kennedy English Medium School, Tenali. More on this school and the great BJRK in a later post.
But the dictionary on web - www.m-w.com - that I frequently use has no avagations! None!!
It in fact chided me to correct my spellings and offered to give meanings of a generous list of words ranging from "avocation" to "evacuation" and more.
I then turned to dictionary.com and it came closer to what I was looking for. It offered to help me with "evagation" instead of my avagation and I obliged. The meaning suggested is close to what my avagation is.
It read,
"Evagation
\Ev`a*ga"tion\, n. [L. evagatio, fr. evagari to wander forth: cf. F. ['e]vagation. See Vagary.] A wandering about; excursion; a roving. [R.] --Ray"
So, I am wondering if hereafter I should put an abrupt end to all my avagations and instead cultivate some other evagations..
I know of parents (and even some teachers) gospelling to their wards that "studies are most important than any other avagations" - now, that is their grammar, read on to know why my grammar is better. One great teacher once advised me to cultivate "reading" as a habit if I 'needed' any avagations "other than studying". The same teacher averred that 'reading dictionary' is a 'good avagation'. I followed his advise and in fact in that year and later, I was acclaimed to be "very good at english" - vocabulary, they meant - "because of" the aforementioned teacher.
I had good command on grammar "because of" another teacher, who led us by example - the great BJRK of Kennedy English Medium School, Tenali. More on this school and the great BJRK in a later post.
But the dictionary on web - www.m-w.com - that I frequently use has no avagations! None!!
It in fact chided me to correct my spellings and offered to give meanings of a generous list of words ranging from "avocation" to "evacuation" and more.
I then turned to dictionary.com and it came closer to what I was looking for. It offered to help me with "evagation" instead of my avagation and I obliged. The meaning suggested is close to what my avagation is.
It read,
"Evagation
\Ev`a*ga"tion\, n. [L. evagatio, fr. evagari to wander forth: cf. F. ['e]vagation. See Vagary.] A wandering about; excursion; a roving. [R.] --Ray"
So, I am wondering if hereafter I should put an abrupt end to all my avagations and instead cultivate some other evagations..
Why specific dates???
I was in deep sleep when in the middle of the night 2006 popped up to the present and pushed 2005 into the past. Somehow I was tired and slept much early, the night of December 31, 2005. I have not even received phone call - I didn't even hear the ring - from my wife. I wished to be with my wife and daughter that night, or at least hear them over phone - but I simply slept and didn't even dream about them.
I realized late in the evening of Jan 1, 2006 that I have not listed down my new-year resolutions. One of them was time-management. Others include honoring appointments, talking to friends more frequently, wishing them for birthdays etc. I quickly decided to forget that and noted down "new year resolutions" in the "to-do" list for Jan 2. On Jan 1, I didn't want to spend time regretting.. I have this belief that if I regret on the new-year's day, I will be regretting the whole year. On the one hand logic says that this is not true - for example, New Year's day is Jan 1, will the whole year be Jan 1?? On the other, well, belief is belief.. no, belief is sentiment!
As usually, the to-do-list is still in my pocket. New activities are adding to the list, while some on the list are getting 'ticked' after being 'done'!! "New year resolutions" has not been ticked.
The ensuing weekend, in an interview to Times of India, which attracted some strong reaction from Govt of India and Income Tax Dept for other reasons, Amitabh Bachhan told, "If you want to do something, do it. Why have a specific date for it?" about New Year resolutions. Good one from a great one!!
I realized late in the evening of Jan 1, 2006 that I have not listed down my new-year resolutions. One of them was time-management. Others include honoring appointments, talking to friends more frequently, wishing them for birthdays etc. I quickly decided to forget that and noted down "new year resolutions" in the "to-do" list for Jan 2. On Jan 1, I didn't want to spend time regretting.. I have this belief that if I regret on the new-year's day, I will be regretting the whole year. On the one hand logic says that this is not true - for example, New Year's day is Jan 1, will the whole year be Jan 1?? On the other, well, belief is belief.. no, belief is sentiment!
As usually, the to-do-list is still in my pocket. New activities are adding to the list, while some on the list are getting 'ticked' after being 'done'!! "New year resolutions" has not been ticked.
The ensuing weekend, in an interview to Times of India, which attracted some strong reaction from Govt of India and Income Tax Dept for other reasons, Amitabh Bachhan told, "If you want to do something, do it. Why have a specific date for it?" about New Year resolutions. Good one from a great one!!
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Salesmanship!!
My dream-house doesn’t necessarily contain a large lawn. But it definitely contains at least one tree each of coconut, mango, jackfruit and almond; a flower garden and a small kitchen garden. It will be a 2-storey house with about 6 bedrooms. Like in some Telugu and Tamil movies, in the center of the house there will be an open-top space with Tulasi plant in its center. The floor will have Rangoli patterns as also the walls.
Even cluttering them all together without leaving a space for lawn will require at least 600 sq. yards (5400 sq. feet). Sites in and around Bangalore will be as suitable as any other place including my native place on the banks of the Krishna (of course, I am not sure my wife would be as open as I on the choice of the city/town/village.) The only condition is that trees should grow well unlike in Hyderabad (my observation tells that in Hyderabad trees grow slow and will not be of great size.)
The sites-men have somehow got my mobile number and have been calling me for the past few weeks at quite an irritating frequency and especially at very embarrassing situations. As the thoughts of building own house are active now, I have been receiving the calls and responding as well. I observed a pattern. The salesmen easily grasp the potential buyer’s readiness and quote prices accordingly. Almost always the prices are a tad higher than what I would be ready with – but more interestingly, I would either compromise on my specifications for a less price, or get close to accepting the price. Of course, as of now, all this is on paper, and much more thought would go in before "actually" buying one.
The reality on realty that is revealing is very disturbing. On the one hand, the land sharks are turning beautiful green spaces into residential layouts and on the other hand, they are quoting unearthly prices. Now, a site enough for my dream-house, even in an area far from any livable location in Bangalore will cost me beyond my home-loan eligibility!! One of the salesmen tracking me has recently hiked the price of his offer by 10% within one week.
In the wake of this, my dream-house relegated itself to the back of my mind. I started looking for even 30X50 sites. Out of such a site, I would earmark 30X10 for trees and in the rest I would construct a house. Upon matured reflections I understood that such a plan would be a grave murder of my own dreams – I hate small houses with small rooms. I have slowly gravitated towards thoughts of a less gruesome murder. I am now thinking about apartments of size more than 1200 sq. ft. For greenery, I have the option for Bonsai, and of course flower pots. This compromise can be met within my home loan eligibility. Now I have to start oiling my mental and verbal faculties to face the apartment salesmen and negotiate prices.
Thinking this I collected the last speck of what were a couple of idlies in my breakfast and started for my bike. A small boy and a smaller boy accosted me; one selling magazines and the other, wiping cloth. A pamphlet on real-estate naturally attracted my attention, but I managed myself away from it. Wiping cloth seemed more relevant as the one I was using for my bike was lost in a parking place the other day. A pack of 3 cloth pieces, which was offered for Rs 10/- three weeks ago is now being quoted at Rs 15/-. I declared that I would not pay more than Rs 10/-. The boy bargained and looking at Rs 20/- note in my hand, offered 4 cloth pieces for Rs 15/- and the pamphlet for Rs 5/-. This set me thinking but as I was adamant on 3 for 10 the boy groped to select 3 cloth pieces and passed the 20 note to his companion, asking him to give change. Seemingly inadvertently, this second boy slipped the pamphlet on my bike and dropped down a five rupee coin while handing me another.
Then picking it up he claimed, “Sir, the pamphlet must have belonged to you. That’s why this fiver didn’t reach your hand and the pamphlet sat on your bike.” He left it on my bike and started to leave. I liked their salesmanship. I gave the fiver back and took another cloth piece.
Even cluttering them all together without leaving a space for lawn will require at least 600 sq. yards (5400 sq. feet). Sites in and around Bangalore will be as suitable as any other place including my native place on the banks of the Krishna (of course, I am not sure my wife would be as open as I on the choice of the city/town/village.) The only condition is that trees should grow well unlike in Hyderabad (my observation tells that in Hyderabad trees grow slow and will not be of great size.)
The sites-men have somehow got my mobile number and have been calling me for the past few weeks at quite an irritating frequency and especially at very embarrassing situations. As the thoughts of building own house are active now, I have been receiving the calls and responding as well. I observed a pattern. The salesmen easily grasp the potential buyer’s readiness and quote prices accordingly. Almost always the prices are a tad higher than what I would be ready with – but more interestingly, I would either compromise on my specifications for a less price, or get close to accepting the price. Of course, as of now, all this is on paper, and much more thought would go in before "actually" buying one.
The reality on realty that is revealing is very disturbing. On the one hand, the land sharks are turning beautiful green spaces into residential layouts and on the other hand, they are quoting unearthly prices. Now, a site enough for my dream-house, even in an area far from any livable location in Bangalore will cost me beyond my home-loan eligibility!! One of the salesmen tracking me has recently hiked the price of his offer by 10% within one week.
In the wake of this, my dream-house relegated itself to the back of my mind. I started looking for even 30X50 sites. Out of such a site, I would earmark 30X10 for trees and in the rest I would construct a house. Upon matured reflections I understood that such a plan would be a grave murder of my own dreams – I hate small houses with small rooms. I have slowly gravitated towards thoughts of a less gruesome murder. I am now thinking about apartments of size more than 1200 sq. ft. For greenery, I have the option for Bonsai, and of course flower pots. This compromise can be met within my home loan eligibility. Now I have to start oiling my mental and verbal faculties to face the apartment salesmen and negotiate prices.
Thinking this I collected the last speck of what were a couple of idlies in my breakfast and started for my bike. A small boy and a smaller boy accosted me; one selling magazines and the other, wiping cloth. A pamphlet on real-estate naturally attracted my attention, but I managed myself away from it. Wiping cloth seemed more relevant as the one I was using for my bike was lost in a parking place the other day. A pack of 3 cloth pieces, which was offered for Rs 10/- three weeks ago is now being quoted at Rs 15/-. I declared that I would not pay more than Rs 10/-. The boy bargained and looking at Rs 20/- note in my hand, offered 4 cloth pieces for Rs 15/- and the pamphlet for Rs 5/-. This set me thinking but as I was adamant on 3 for 10 the boy groped to select 3 cloth pieces and passed the 20 note to his companion, asking him to give change. Seemingly inadvertently, this second boy slipped the pamphlet on my bike and dropped down a five rupee coin while handing me another.
Then picking it up he claimed, “Sir, the pamphlet must have belonged to you. That’s why this fiver didn’t reach your hand and the pamphlet sat on your bike.” He left it on my bike and started to leave. I liked their salesmanship. I gave the fiver back and took another cloth piece.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Unfair
Last ten days have been very dull.. My team and I have done some backend work for a couple of demos by our company for a large telecom conference in Dallas.
We have in fact put in a lot of work. I patted myself on my back for coordinating a reluctant team do a lot of work in the last minute. I was actually satisfied with my "work". But the end result was not so good.. lack of coordination from people who went to show the demos - all of us here felt we should have gone there, instead.
Still, the work was recognized, and we got a "pat on the back". When I got a mail to inform this, I thought it was praise and felt happy. But today I came to know that in this company, "pat on the back" is a cash prize of 2K!!
It really disappointed me. I was expecting a word of appreciation (and later I would leverage it to reap better career gains), but people gave 2-grand bucks and washed their hands.. This is "unfair".
One more heroic act: I recommended release of my demotivated team members into other projects. When I tried to reason with them and found them "not reasonable", I recommended the inevitable. I now need to hunt for 5-15 new members for my team.
We have in fact put in a lot of work. I patted myself on my back for coordinating a reluctant team do a lot of work in the last minute. I was actually satisfied with my "work". But the end result was not so good.. lack of coordination from people who went to show the demos - all of us here felt we should have gone there, instead.
Still, the work was recognized, and we got a "pat on the back". When I got a mail to inform this, I thought it was praise and felt happy. But today I came to know that in this company, "pat on the back" is a cash prize of 2K!!
It really disappointed me. I was expecting a word of appreciation (and later I would leverage it to reap better career gains), but people gave 2-grand bucks and washed their hands.. This is "unfair".
One more heroic act: I recommended release of my demotivated team members into other projects. When I tried to reason with them and found them "not reasonable", I recommended the inevitable. I now need to hunt for 5-15 new members for my team.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
The *long lost-bike story
The *long lost-bike story
When the insurance company employee smiled at me this afternoon as he was entering the restaurant, which I was also planning to enter, and in front of which I was parking my bike - I felt very embarrassed.
It was not because I was caught ogling at a bevy of tight-dresses emerging from the nearby girls' college. Nor it was because I was so bad at parking my bike. It was not even because I owe him anything - in fact, I met him for a home insurance policy bond his company owes me.
It was because what I told him - that I lost my bike - contradicts my act of parking it. Not that I didn't lose my bike. The fact that I found it again has worked to my disadvantage in front of this man with whom I was bargaining tough few minutes ago and need to continue further.
Want to understand more?? Read on.
I prepared a list of must-dos for today, last night itself. The first among them was to sit on the insurance company to get the said bond. I applied for it with him more than three months ago and didn't get it till date.
Not feeling well - blame it on 3 chilli-bajjis I had late last evening on a stomach that starved the whole yesterday except for a cup of ginger tea - I woke up late and lazy today. I was determined to get done some of the works on the list before going to work. As I started on my day's work, by the time I reached the gate I was already wearing my helmet. What I have (not) found outside was not unusual. So, with still the helmet on, I glanced on either side of the street end to end. Sometimes, my Splendor would be relegated to less honorable spots by some workers - a lot of construction activity is going on in a house beside ours and the workers consider that bikes have to move when trucks have to unload their material. And the bikes cannot move themselves, so the workers shift them.
Since the work has been on for many months, I know some of them by face. Most of them know me as the silent man that emerges from Kukke-Mane (my landlord and his late father are known by their surname 'Kukke'. 'Mane' is Kannada for house) at odd times and vanishes into it at late night hours. Some of them are Tamilians and some of them arrived from Rajasthan six weeks ago to work on "granite floor, pillars and walls." Others who had been working from long since on the house-in-the-making-for-the-past-3-years know that I have a wife and that she went to 'amma-mane' for 'delivery'.
Back to the bike: where is it?
Not to look too conspicuous, I took off the helmet and walked up and down the street - I could not find even a single Splendor, though it is the most ubiquitous bike in India now! By the time I returned, the workers took some interest in what I was going through. Usually I never speak to them. When I arrive, if they are on my way they silently get up and go away. If one of them doesn't see me approaching, others admonish him/her (in Tamil though) in a manner to attract my attention. A dark woman that never did any work, seemingly the eldest of them all, used to ask me everyday ever since my wife left for her mother's place, "delivery aaitchaa?" After Mahati was born she has been enquiring when they would come to Bangalore. I think she shared my answers with the other workers; and she in fact knows the age of Mahati (my daughter), more correctly than I. Her darker daughter, who usually remains silent till her mother speaks out, was standing beside.
Now they all were looking at me with some amount of curiosity. A curiosity that lied to me that they knew where my bike had gone! I mustered some Tamil words and asked the inevitable. All I got was a deluge of Tamil, from which all I could make out was that they didn't know. Also that they thought I had also disappeared early in the morning before they woke up, with my bike. Now, this established the painful reality. I lost my Splendor. My bike was stolen!!
I always kept it outside the gate. There was place inside, but the ramp had a very rude step at the end. Usually at the end of every day I am too sapped out to "step in" the deci-tonner. Instinctively I ferreted for the bike-keys within my pocket and found them - always when I "lost" the keys, I found them safe on the bike, which stands lonely on the road, throughout every night! The hoary adage that on every grain the name of its consumer is written (dane-dane pe likha hota hai khane-wale ka nam), must be true about bikes and their owners also - at least on my bike my name had been written. But it was wiped out now!!!
I return to my house to put the helmet back. I watered the withering plants. Calmly I came out on to the road again. With utmost composure, I asked the contractor's representative (Ameen), the address to the nearest police station. I clearly sensed some of the workers' unpleasantness at the mention of police station. Long ago one night two policemen arrived and beat up one of them - the hapless Tamilian later claimed that he didn't do anything except cursing them in Tamil in a drunken state the night before.
Already Ameen had gathered the news from his workers. He said he arrived there an hour ago but corroborated the claims that the bike was not found from the early morning itself. He also claimed that none of the workers might have been responsible for the theft - trying to clear a thought I was developing but was careful enough not to express. One of them attempted to ascertain that the time of theft was between 12:30 last night and 4:30 this morning when he was asleep.
I read in a Yakov Perelman book in my childhood that boatmen walk awkwardly on level ground. Because they are experts in standing straight and walking on the thin edge of the sailing and rocking boats, they can’t walk straight on terra-firma. I feel that I walk equally bad, having been used to a two-wheeler for the pat 5 years. As I started walking to the police station quite mindful of my walk - I was feeling that I should look unperturbed. Ameen approached from behind and offered to take me to the police station on his bike.
We arrived at the police station with all documents descrining my Splendor within five minutes. All the while I was praying and to a temple I found on the way, I promised a visit and a coconut if I regained my lost Splendor.
I never entered a police station in my life. Having seen them in many movies I felt the insides very familiar. In fact there was a young man sitting on the floor beside a wall, handcuffed and chained to a table, upon which a TV was playing a Kannada movie. On the opposite wall, facing the road a dark be-spectacled policeman was sitting. He was thoroughly enjoying the movie. There were some books in front of him. One of them was open and it had some tables and some entries were made in it with very illegible handwriting.
I explained the policeman the case in Kannada. He entrusted me to constable Anand waiting around the corner, and resumed watching TV. Anand took me outside and asked all the details again. As I was explaining him, I saw that there were many bikes inside and outside the compound. Some of them had a ton of dust each - they must have been there for many months or even years. I could not help dreading the prospect of getting one of them in lieu of my Splendor!!
Anand enquired if I forgot to lock the bike. I showed him the keys, as a proof that I locked it. He exercised a few more investigative thoughts and asked if I doubted anybody. I was courteous enough not to name Ameen's men. I said "no." Anand continued to make me understand how careless people lose valuables and approach police for help; how criminal Bangalore has become of late; how he and his colleagues recover "all people" their belongings. He also mentioned that during night-patrols, they found that bike-thefts are on the rise these days. It seems they caught some "careless theieves" red-handed. The one inside was found with eight cell-phones.
I grew restless. I was very angry on the insurance company. Now I lost my bike, and was feeling as if I lost my legs; how can I do so many works without a bike? If some burglary happens at home, without the insurance policy how can I recover anything? I felt like shouting my heart out on the insurance guy. But he is at least 2 kilometers away from where I was and there is no bike to go!!
As Anand was rambling and we kept ambling in the police station compound, I searched for Splendors and filtered out the non black-lavender colors. There were four black-lavenders, but none was mine. Meanwhile Anand felt like standing at the station’s main gate and talk. Outside the compound wall there were more bikes and a car. "All of them were caught last night," Anand told. There! Beyond two other bikes, I found mine!! Suddenly I jumped at it and claimed my ownership. Anand verified the credentials and led me in.
The policeman at the table, enjoying the Kannada movie opened his notes to take down my complaint but I told him I found my bike! He instructed me to return at 4 pm to see the Sub-Inspector and verify the credentials. I beseeched him to let me take my bike, as I was "not well", "having a lot of work", "have to go to office". He would not budge. He explained how my bike got there.
It seems I forgot to lock the handle. Some thief was dragging my bike last night when the night-patrol found him and confiscated it! "Any bike that enters the police station compound should go out only after the SI consents." I told him that it is as yet *outside* the compound wall. Anand took over now and explained the complexities involved in getting my bike back - FIR, court visits, RTO notifications and more. He reminded I was lucky that the police spotted it in time. "Imagine, had the thief dismantled it and took some good parts!!" He coerced me to "think."
While I was really thinking, it struck to me that he meant without saying, that I could "give *something* and take it." Ameen also requested the constable, on my behalf. He said that I was a busy man and that I was already late to work! I surreptitiously showed my five fingers to Ameen. He replied with his two fingers. I uttered "two hundred" to Anand. Anand reminded me that I am a "big man working at Electronics City" and the deal was finally struck at ‘four fingers.’
As I took out my purse and took four hundred-rupee notes, Anand admonished me for the public act. He swiftly went inside and told me to give the money to Ameen. After some minutes he came out with a newspaper and started reading it. Then the other policeman from inside came and told me to enter my details, including my bike's registration number. He once again verified the bike documents and license. All the four of us discussed the city news for some time. We also discussed about a movie playing in the nearby theater. At the end of the ritual Ameen and Anand "shook hands."
Fifteen minutes later, I was at home, with the bike. I related the tale to the Tamil workers, the Rajasthanis and a tailor who has his shop in front of our house, in their respective languages. Half-an-hour earlier I was thinking that I would tell the police that I doubted the workers as they behaved rudely with me two weeks ago.
I was irritated by the continuous sound of cutting granite stone-slabs for floor, pillars and walls of the famed house-in-the-making-for-the-past-4-years. The stone cutting was taking place for at least the past 7 months and my irritation reached a peak, on that holiday. I could not sleep for even a few minutes that day because of the sound. I expressed my anger to them, and as they responded rudely. I told that I would complain to the owner of that house. I also told them that I would tell the contractor that if the work was not finished in two weeks, I would lodge a complaint with police that this construction activity has become an unending nuisance. The deadline, incidentally, ends tomorrow. I had to see the police one day in advance!
I resumed on my day’s plan. The first work was the insurance stuff. I told the person at the insurance office, that today I am living in unsafe neighborhood and I already lost my bike! It makes getting the policy very critical for me to feel comfortable.
* Pun intended. It is a long story.
When the insurance company employee smiled at me this afternoon as he was entering the restaurant, which I was also planning to enter, and in front of which I was parking my bike - I felt very embarrassed.
It was not because I was caught ogling at a bevy of tight-dresses emerging from the nearby girls' college. Nor it was because I was so bad at parking my bike. It was not even because I owe him anything - in fact, I met him for a home insurance policy bond his company owes me.
It was because what I told him - that I lost my bike - contradicts my act of parking it. Not that I didn't lose my bike. The fact that I found it again has worked to my disadvantage in front of this man with whom I was bargaining tough few minutes ago and need to continue further.
Want to understand more?? Read on.
I prepared a list of must-dos for today, last night itself. The first among them was to sit on the insurance company to get the said bond. I applied for it with him more than three months ago and didn't get it till date.
Not feeling well - blame it on 3 chilli-bajjis I had late last evening on a stomach that starved the whole yesterday except for a cup of ginger tea - I woke up late and lazy today. I was determined to get done some of the works on the list before going to work. As I started on my day's work, by the time I reached the gate I was already wearing my helmet. What I have (not) found outside was not unusual. So, with still the helmet on, I glanced on either side of the street end to end. Sometimes, my Splendor would be relegated to less honorable spots by some workers - a lot of construction activity is going on in a house beside ours and the workers consider that bikes have to move when trucks have to unload their material. And the bikes cannot move themselves, so the workers shift them.
Since the work has been on for many months, I know some of them by face. Most of them know me as the silent man that emerges from Kukke-Mane (my landlord and his late father are known by their surname 'Kukke'. 'Mane' is Kannada for house) at odd times and vanishes into it at late night hours. Some of them are Tamilians and some of them arrived from Rajasthan six weeks ago to work on "granite floor, pillars and walls." Others who had been working from long since on the house-in-the-making-for-the-past-3-years know that I have a wife and that she went to 'amma-mane' for 'delivery'.
Back to the bike: where is it?
Not to look too conspicuous, I took off the helmet and walked up and down the street - I could not find even a single Splendor, though it is the most ubiquitous bike in India now! By the time I returned, the workers took some interest in what I was going through. Usually I never speak to them. When I arrive, if they are on my way they silently get up and go away. If one of them doesn't see me approaching, others admonish him/her (in Tamil though) in a manner to attract my attention. A dark woman that never did any work, seemingly the eldest of them all, used to ask me everyday ever since my wife left for her mother's place, "delivery aaitchaa?" After Mahati was born she has been enquiring when they would come to Bangalore. I think she shared my answers with the other workers; and she in fact knows the age of Mahati (my daughter), more correctly than I. Her darker daughter, who usually remains silent till her mother speaks out, was standing beside.
Now they all were looking at me with some amount of curiosity. A curiosity that lied to me that they knew where my bike had gone! I mustered some Tamil words and asked the inevitable. All I got was a deluge of Tamil, from which all I could make out was that they didn't know. Also that they thought I had also disappeared early in the morning before they woke up, with my bike. Now, this established the painful reality. I lost my Splendor. My bike was stolen!!
I always kept it outside the gate. There was place inside, but the ramp had a very rude step at the end. Usually at the end of every day I am too sapped out to "step in" the deci-tonner. Instinctively I ferreted for the bike-keys within my pocket and found them - always when I "lost" the keys, I found them safe on the bike, which stands lonely on the road, throughout every night! The hoary adage that on every grain the name of its consumer is written (dane-dane pe likha hota hai khane-wale ka nam), must be true about bikes and their owners also - at least on my bike my name had been written. But it was wiped out now!!!
I return to my house to put the helmet back. I watered the withering plants. Calmly I came out on to the road again. With utmost composure, I asked the contractor's representative (Ameen), the address to the nearest police station. I clearly sensed some of the workers' unpleasantness at the mention of police station. Long ago one night two policemen arrived and beat up one of them - the hapless Tamilian later claimed that he didn't do anything except cursing them in Tamil in a drunken state the night before.
Already Ameen had gathered the news from his workers. He said he arrived there an hour ago but corroborated the claims that the bike was not found from the early morning itself. He also claimed that none of the workers might have been responsible for the theft - trying to clear a thought I was developing but was careful enough not to express. One of them attempted to ascertain that the time of theft was between 12:30 last night and 4:30 this morning when he was asleep.
I read in a Yakov Perelman book in my childhood that boatmen walk awkwardly on level ground. Because they are experts in standing straight and walking on the thin edge of the sailing and rocking boats, they can’t walk straight on terra-firma. I feel that I walk equally bad, having been used to a two-wheeler for the pat 5 years. As I started walking to the police station quite mindful of my walk - I was feeling that I should look unperturbed. Ameen approached from behind and offered to take me to the police station on his bike.
We arrived at the police station with all documents descrining my Splendor within five minutes. All the while I was praying and to a temple I found on the way, I promised a visit and a coconut if I regained my lost Splendor.
I never entered a police station in my life. Having seen them in many movies I felt the insides very familiar. In fact there was a young man sitting on the floor beside a wall, handcuffed and chained to a table, upon which a TV was playing a Kannada movie. On the opposite wall, facing the road a dark be-spectacled policeman was sitting. He was thoroughly enjoying the movie. There were some books in front of him. One of them was open and it had some tables and some entries were made in it with very illegible handwriting.
I explained the policeman the case in Kannada. He entrusted me to constable Anand waiting around the corner, and resumed watching TV. Anand took me outside and asked all the details again. As I was explaining him, I saw that there were many bikes inside and outside the compound. Some of them had a ton of dust each - they must have been there for many months or even years. I could not help dreading the prospect of getting one of them in lieu of my Splendor!!
Anand enquired if I forgot to lock the bike. I showed him the keys, as a proof that I locked it. He exercised a few more investigative thoughts and asked if I doubted anybody. I was courteous enough not to name Ameen's men. I said "no." Anand continued to make me understand how careless people lose valuables and approach police for help; how criminal Bangalore has become of late; how he and his colleagues recover "all people" their belongings. He also mentioned that during night-patrols, they found that bike-thefts are on the rise these days. It seems they caught some "careless theieves" red-handed. The one inside was found with eight cell-phones.
I grew restless. I was very angry on the insurance company. Now I lost my bike, and was feeling as if I lost my legs; how can I do so many works without a bike? If some burglary happens at home, without the insurance policy how can I recover anything? I felt like shouting my heart out on the insurance guy. But he is at least 2 kilometers away from where I was and there is no bike to go!!
As Anand was rambling and we kept ambling in the police station compound, I searched for Splendors and filtered out the non black-lavender colors. There were four black-lavenders, but none was mine. Meanwhile Anand felt like standing at the station’s main gate and talk. Outside the compound wall there were more bikes and a car. "All of them were caught last night," Anand told. There! Beyond two other bikes, I found mine!! Suddenly I jumped at it and claimed my ownership. Anand verified the credentials and led me in.
The policeman at the table, enjoying the Kannada movie opened his notes to take down my complaint but I told him I found my bike! He instructed me to return at 4 pm to see the Sub-Inspector and verify the credentials. I beseeched him to let me take my bike, as I was "not well", "having a lot of work", "have to go to office". He would not budge. He explained how my bike got there.
It seems I forgot to lock the handle. Some thief was dragging my bike last night when the night-patrol found him and confiscated it! "Any bike that enters the police station compound should go out only after the SI consents." I told him that it is as yet *outside* the compound wall. Anand took over now and explained the complexities involved in getting my bike back - FIR, court visits, RTO notifications and more. He reminded I was lucky that the police spotted it in time. "Imagine, had the thief dismantled it and took some good parts!!" He coerced me to "think."
While I was really thinking, it struck to me that he meant without saying, that I could "give *something* and take it." Ameen also requested the constable, on my behalf. He said that I was a busy man and that I was already late to work! I surreptitiously showed my five fingers to Ameen. He replied with his two fingers. I uttered "two hundred" to Anand. Anand reminded me that I am a "big man working at Electronics City" and the deal was finally struck at ‘four fingers.’
As I took out my purse and took four hundred-rupee notes, Anand admonished me for the public act. He swiftly went inside and told me to give the money to Ameen. After some minutes he came out with a newspaper and started reading it. Then the other policeman from inside came and told me to enter my details, including my bike's registration number. He once again verified the bike documents and license. All the four of us discussed the city news for some time. We also discussed about a movie playing in the nearby theater. At the end of the ritual Ameen and Anand "shook hands."
Fifteen minutes later, I was at home, with the bike. I related the tale to the Tamil workers, the Rajasthanis and a tailor who has his shop in front of our house, in their respective languages. Half-an-hour earlier I was thinking that I would tell the police that I doubted the workers as they behaved rudely with me two weeks ago.
I was irritated by the continuous sound of cutting granite stone-slabs for floor, pillars and walls of the famed house-in-the-making-for-the-past-4-years. The stone cutting was taking place for at least the past 7 months and my irritation reached a peak, on that holiday. I could not sleep for even a few minutes that day because of the sound. I expressed my anger to them, and as they responded rudely. I told that I would complain to the owner of that house. I also told them that I would tell the contractor that if the work was not finished in two weeks, I would lodge a complaint with police that this construction activity has become an unending nuisance. The deadline, incidentally, ends tomorrow. I had to see the police one day in advance!
I resumed on my day’s plan. The first work was the insurance stuff. I told the person at the insurance office, that today I am living in unsafe neighborhood and I already lost my bike! It makes getting the policy very critical for me to feel comfortable.
* Pun intended. It is a long story.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Raja
The king of South Indian film music.
Many people have agreed this: "If we list out songs of Telugu and Tamil film music of the past 30 years, that are 'good' to 'very good', 'melodious' to 'memorable'... more than 80% of them will be tunes composed by Ilayaraja."
There is a lot in his music. I can hear (any) one song composed by Ilayaraja, 20 times at a strech and still don't feel bored of it.. in fact I will look forward to hearing the song 20 times more, at the same strech. I have a keen ear for his music. By hearing even a small bit of a composition for the first time, I can identify if it is by Ilayaraja (seems he composed music for more than 1000 movies - so a high probability of being correct is anyway there).
I don't like to compare Ilayaraja with anyone else or vice-versa. Everyone has a unique style.
However, I have some beliefs, especially about music: To show how light music (including film music with a lot of classical touch) should be sung, God has created Ghantasala (and P Suseela) for Telugu and Rafi (and also Lata) for Hindi. To show how Carnatic classical music should be sung, He created M Balamuralikrishna. To show what a flexible voice means, He created SP Balasubrahmanyam. To show how violin should be played, L Subramanian was created. Similarly Ilayaraja is created as His masterpiece of a film music director. Ilayaraja is God of Indian (South Indian, if you want) film music. Unlike his closest competitors who seem to have already peaked, Ilayaraja has quantity and quality - not any more on comparison.
Just because I am "now" hearing the song: lets have a word about "Sivapujaku chigurinchina siri siri muvva" from Swarnakamalam. In this song, the two completely different personalities of Venkatesh and Bhanupriya are portrayed by the tunes of their respective portions of the lyrics. The song gives the feeling of two different currents of breeze touching a person sitting on the beach - it doesn't strike as two different waves from the sea!!
It will be a sin to end any talk on Swarnakamalam without a mention of Seetarama Sastry. It is only because what I mentioned were God's creations for music world that I didn't mention about Sastry above. I feel that he and Veturi form God's example of how film-song lyrics should be written. More on this duo later. Lets remember the lyrics of the song "Sivapujaku" and thank God (or K Viswanath?) for presenting Seetarama Sastry to Telugu film world.
Many people have agreed this: "If we list out songs of Telugu and Tamil film music of the past 30 years, that are 'good' to 'very good', 'melodious' to 'memorable'... more than 80% of them will be tunes composed by Ilayaraja."
There is a lot in his music. I can hear (any) one song composed by Ilayaraja, 20 times at a strech and still don't feel bored of it.. in fact I will look forward to hearing the song 20 times more, at the same strech. I have a keen ear for his music. By hearing even a small bit of a composition for the first time, I can identify if it is by Ilayaraja (seems he composed music for more than 1000 movies - so a high probability of being correct is anyway there).
I don't like to compare Ilayaraja with anyone else or vice-versa. Everyone has a unique style.
However, I have some beliefs, especially about music: To show how light music (including film music with a lot of classical touch) should be sung, God has created Ghantasala (and P Suseela) for Telugu and Rafi (and also Lata) for Hindi. To show how Carnatic classical music should be sung, He created M Balamuralikrishna. To show what a flexible voice means, He created SP Balasubrahmanyam. To show how violin should be played, L Subramanian was created. Similarly Ilayaraja is created as His masterpiece of a film music director. Ilayaraja is God of Indian (South Indian, if you want) film music. Unlike his closest competitors who seem to have already peaked, Ilayaraja has quantity and quality - not any more on comparison.
Just because I am "now" hearing the song: lets have a word about "Sivapujaku chigurinchina siri siri muvva" from Swarnakamalam. In this song, the two completely different personalities of Venkatesh and Bhanupriya are portrayed by the tunes of their respective portions of the lyrics. The song gives the feeling of two different currents of breeze touching a person sitting on the beach - it doesn't strike as two different waves from the sea!!
It will be a sin to end any talk on Swarnakamalam without a mention of Seetarama Sastry. It is only because what I mentioned were God's creations for music world that I didn't mention about Sastry above. I feel that he and Veturi form God's example of how film-song lyrics should be written. More on this duo later. Lets remember the lyrics of the song "Sivapujaku" and thank God (or K Viswanath?) for presenting Seetarama Sastry to Telugu film world.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Rain rain - go away..
Yesterday, there was an announcement - a company wide mass mail. Since there was prediction of heavy rain in Bangalore, the company buses would leave early. 6 o'clock buses started at 4:30, and others, correspondingly early.
In fact throughout the day weather was so cool that nobody was in working mood. Ambling in the corridors and around lawns, having overly long lunch and coffee breaks, people were enjoying. Add to that, this announcement. It was very much like a paid holiday. Of course, I and a few others were working on till late in the night - I left for home at 11:45 pm.
That reminds me of a story one elderly friend of mine shared long back. Once while he was studying in a North Indian state, where there had been scanty rains over some years, there was heavy rain forecast - that people should be prepared. The news has stirred excitement and enthusiastic youth gathered and wanted to make preparations. They have certainly seen reports of floods in TV news, and they knew its effects. They wanted to protect their fellow beings from the flash floods that may attack their city. They went around all houses in their neighborhood and gave instructions - if there is heavy rain pack your belongings and go to terraces, wear light but warm clothes, hold children close to you - if your houses don't have terraces that protect from rain and flood, visit your friends' or relatives' places, especially those with roofed terraces. If still you face menacing water , just look around - we are arranging *boats* just in case! And it seems they actually brought a couple of boats from nearby lakes and kept them in street corners.
Towards the eventide, the sky grew dark and heavy with low-hovering clouds, the breeze turned into wind that raised dust on the roads, the roads quickly got cleared of people, children were huddled inside their homes - some of them peeping out of the windows, curious to see a storm filling their streets with water and the heroes undertaking rescue operations... Then it started.. large rain drops.. quickly wetting the roads, buildings and trees.. then it became louder.. forcefull gusts of wind.. hail-storm.. pebbles of ice pounding on the terraces and asbestos roofs.. fine smoke of dust that appeared with the initial showers is now absent.. ..the lovely rain-smell - especially the one that comes when it showers on parched clay - was soon forgotten ..potholes were getting filled with muddy water.. slender trees in houses and sides of the streets got bended because of wind and hail.. a sight hitherto unknown to most of the children.
Meanwhile the sun set unnoticed and darkness slowly engulfed the whole city (there was a precautionary power-cut).. the ponding sound of hail-storm, the chill of wind, the waving of trees looking like agitated wild beasts in darkness continued.. for a good half-an-hour.. then ending a long spell of hot and humid weather with a pleasant evening.
Yesterday in Bangalore also, the rain played 'phooey-phooey' to all our prepared-ness. Except some drizzles, there was no considerable rain till late in the night. After that, there was no rain at all!
In fact throughout the day weather was so cool that nobody was in working mood. Ambling in the corridors and around lawns, having overly long lunch and coffee breaks, people were enjoying. Add to that, this announcement. It was very much like a paid holiday. Of course, I and a few others were working on till late in the night - I left for home at 11:45 pm.
That reminds me of a story one elderly friend of mine shared long back. Once while he was studying in a North Indian state, where there had been scanty rains over some years, there was heavy rain forecast - that people should be prepared. The news has stirred excitement and enthusiastic youth gathered and wanted to make preparations. They have certainly seen reports of floods in TV news, and they knew its effects. They wanted to protect their fellow beings from the flash floods that may attack their city. They went around all houses in their neighborhood and gave instructions - if there is heavy rain pack your belongings and go to terraces, wear light but warm clothes, hold children close to you - if your houses don't have terraces that protect from rain and flood, visit your friends' or relatives' places, especially those with roofed terraces. If still you face menacing water , just look around - we are arranging *boats* just in case! And it seems they actually brought a couple of boats from nearby lakes and kept them in street corners.
Towards the eventide, the sky grew dark and heavy with low-hovering clouds, the breeze turned into wind that raised dust on the roads, the roads quickly got cleared of people, children were huddled inside their homes - some of them peeping out of the windows, curious to see a storm filling their streets with water and the heroes undertaking rescue operations... Then it started.. large rain drops.. quickly wetting the roads, buildings and trees.. then it became louder.. forcefull gusts of wind.. hail-storm.. pebbles of ice pounding on the terraces and asbestos roofs.. fine smoke of dust that appeared with the initial showers is now absent.. ..the lovely rain-smell - especially the one that comes when it showers on parched clay - was soon forgotten ..potholes were getting filled with muddy water.. slender trees in houses and sides of the streets got bended because of wind and hail.. a sight hitherto unknown to most of the children.
Meanwhile the sun set unnoticed and darkness slowly engulfed the whole city (there was a precautionary power-cut).. the ponding sound of hail-storm, the chill of wind, the waving of trees looking like agitated wild beasts in darkness continued.. for a good half-an-hour.. then ending a long spell of hot and humid weather with a pleasant evening.
Yesterday in Bangalore also, the rain played 'phooey-phooey' to all our prepared-ness. Except some drizzles, there was no considerable rain till late in the night. After that, there was no rain at all!
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