Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
It may not have anything to do with the election fever today but it does alter my frame of mind from despair to hope. Leah, it was a good idea to suggest carrying a poem in my pocket; I carried this in my heart.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
So...It's Election Week!
I'm deciding whether to vote for the guy who started this amazing bus that takes us to all the places we normally visit but end up changing two or more buses on the way. Now we dont feel like we're in a village on the outskirts of Bombay; we're more with it now. Better connectivity and all that. Not to mention that I can just zip on to an air-conditioned KingLong any time I feel like visiting South Bombay, which the ugly circuit (celebs who're only in the news for attending and throwing parties) calls SoBo now. Why not call it Manhattan while you're at it?
Anyway, we still have power outages (load shedding) for up to 3 hours a day split up into schedules of one and a half hours at a time. I'm lucky that water's still available through the day and night. We do have little riots breaking out among the underprivileged sections of our little town but that's everywhere! SoBo has little swimming pool parties, brunches, horse racing as it's summer activities while they move around these venues in air-conditioned comfort. They probably never open any window to get in anything other than air-conditioned breezes. And we read about these things every single day while the sweat drips down our necks. I dont think there's a SoBo word for sweat.
Yesterday, I went down for a walk in the evening (around 7 pm) and still managed to sweat buckets before I even got warmed up. Going to the library and standing under a few fans helped me gear up for the final lap home.
So it was a pleasant surprise to see political personalities campaigning out in the sweltering heat and sunshine. The only time in five years that anyone bothers to leave their cushy homes and offices and mingle with the people (only they do it in trucks with a few chosen commoners). They speak of problem-solving and getting water problems sorted out but it is pushed to the backburners when they come to power. Today, I read that one of them is against educating rural people to use computers. They will be out of work if they do that is his reason. At the same time, they want to work for those in villages, provide them electricity and water. No one does that because every five years, the same things are being promised to these people. Where in heck is anyone going to learn how to use a computer in such circumstances?
At the same time, the class divide keeps increasing. There's SoBo on one hand while on the other are thousands of slums that stay where they are while realty rates increase so much that the salaried class can feel the pinch of investing in a flat big enough to house all their family members.
One day, I hope to see electricity and water striked out as promises. We cannot take India to any global level if her villages and half of her cities are still in the dark.
Anyway, we still have power outages (load shedding) for up to 3 hours a day split up into schedules of one and a half hours at a time. I'm lucky that water's still available through the day and night. We do have little riots breaking out among the underprivileged sections of our little town but that's everywhere! SoBo has little swimming pool parties, brunches, horse racing as it's summer activities while they move around these venues in air-conditioned comfort. They probably never open any window to get in anything other than air-conditioned breezes. And we read about these things every single day while the sweat drips down our necks. I dont think there's a SoBo word for sweat.
Yesterday, I went down for a walk in the evening (around 7 pm) and still managed to sweat buckets before I even got warmed up. Going to the library and standing under a few fans helped me gear up for the final lap home.
So it was a pleasant surprise to see political personalities campaigning out in the sweltering heat and sunshine. The only time in five years that anyone bothers to leave their cushy homes and offices and mingle with the people (only they do it in trucks with a few chosen commoners). They speak of problem-solving and getting water problems sorted out but it is pushed to the backburners when they come to power. Today, I read that one of them is against educating rural people to use computers. They will be out of work if they do that is his reason. At the same time, they want to work for those in villages, provide them electricity and water. No one does that because every five years, the same things are being promised to these people. Where in heck is anyone going to learn how to use a computer in such circumstances?
At the same time, the class divide keeps increasing. There's SoBo on one hand while on the other are thousands of slums that stay where they are while realty rates increase so much that the salaried class can feel the pinch of investing in a flat big enough to house all their family members.
One day, I hope to see electricity and water striked out as promises. We cannot take India to any global level if her villages and half of her cities are still in the dark.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Bombay Diva: A Place for Reflection...
This is where Bombayites come to reflect, to pray, to take a break from the fast-paced rat race of a life. You take a train, climb a hill, whizz past swish residential buildings to a simple town of temples. Whether you have a lot to be grateful for or a lot to look forward to, or simply to ask the Lord for help, just stepping into Banganga's atmosphere will reduce your mind's torment, climbing down the steps into its many temples will cause you to reflect or simply tune out of misery and into hope.
Read all about it on my other blog.
Banganga is the water that energizes and comforts a tired soul. A tank full of the pious river Ganga's blessings. For prosperity, for success, for hope, for prayer. For the rich or poor. Old or young. Here's where the adventure seekers and go-getters of this magnificent city go to find their strength.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
The Bombay Store
Come into the shade of a store born before India gained her freedom. Feel the silks and organza, let the gleam of precious stones dazzle you, tempt yourself with aromatic salts and oils. A glimpse of India in her regal splendour, waiting to enchant you with her gifts. One eye on the future yet firmly grounded by her roots.
Come, visit the Bombay Store.
Come, visit the Bombay Store.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
A French Twist!
There's a bakery called The French Loaf, which apart from french loaves has Focaccia bread (with olives), quiches, pies, different varieties of multigrain breads and also an exquisite selection of cakes. Everything's expensive, because it comes from France?!Not so much a taste of France say a few online reviews I found online. I couldnt visit the shop, only a few blocks away from my home in Andheri. So I hoped it would stay there and searched for some descriptions online to see what's the best thing to eat or order there. Disappointing said one review in an online version of a local newspaper (tabloid). They heat croissants in a microwave before serving them to you and their rolls are no different from any other coffee place. Just buy a loaf to make French toast, they say. Another review raved about the pastries offered and the "buy one, get one free" offer on their loaves.
What's really interesting is to find a bit of France (even if its only the loaf) in surroundings where one would often find an Italian, Chinese or Indian restaurant around the corner. Lebanese joints, Arabian bistros, hookah cafes all have mushroomed over this area so a French twist was quite unexpected.
I'm looking forward to sample a few of its goodies, buy some loaves and write my own food review!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
An Engagement on the Street!
The sleepy little village outside my home does tend to have a few celebrations that are beyond the imagination of many of us. Yesterday, we saw that they had finished erecting a stage and had put up a tent-like partition which is typically used as a dining hall for weddings. So all of us flat residents were wondering about it as we saw them hard at work, narrowing down the street to the length of a one-way road (not that there's much traffic).
My in-laws made a few enquiries and found that they're gearing up for quite a few celebrations leading to the Hanuman Jayanti. Hanuman, our monkey-faced divine protector and Sri Rama's ally, resides in two temples near here and his birthday is celebrated around this time. Last year was my first time witnessing the celebrations. This year too, they put up the stage for not just this one but many other celebrations that started with an engagement ceremony.
At about 5 pm, chairs were stacked in neat rows before the stage illuminated by rows of twinkly lights. A few priests were going about preparing the stage for the ceremonies to follow. Guests gathered. Extra chairs were put up on the other side, narrowing down the road further. And then, studio lights were set up as the photographers arrived. Everything that would be done in a wedding hall was being done here, only thing was it was on the street.
The couple arrived, their wellwishers arrived too and the street seemed to be bursting at the seams to contain all this merry band together along with all its furniture. A few autorickshaws tried to pass through and had a very rough time of it. A microphone was plugged in, musicians arrived and from that point on, people forgot it was a street and just socialized, danced and ate in a completely carefree, celebratory mood. The couple had photos taken on stage, wished by their family and friends and called it a day only after 11 pm. Even then, a few kids played on the stage and the older ones sat around in the plastic chairs playing cards. I slept long before the party truly ended.
This morning the stage and the decorations seem to have an abandoned air around them. Tomorrow is Rama Navami when they plan to do something that's not been disclosed yet. And yes, its going to be on the street again.
My in-laws made a few enquiries and found that they're gearing up for quite a few celebrations leading to the Hanuman Jayanti. Hanuman, our monkey-faced divine protector and Sri Rama's ally, resides in two temples near here and his birthday is celebrated around this time. Last year was my first time witnessing the celebrations. This year too, they put up the stage for not just this one but many other celebrations that started with an engagement ceremony.
At about 5 pm, chairs were stacked in neat rows before the stage illuminated by rows of twinkly lights. A few priests were going about preparing the stage for the ceremonies to follow. Guests gathered. Extra chairs were put up on the other side, narrowing down the road further. And then, studio lights were set up as the photographers arrived. Everything that would be done in a wedding hall was being done here, only thing was it was on the street.
The couple arrived, their wellwishers arrived too and the street seemed to be bursting at the seams to contain all this merry band together along with all its furniture. A few autorickshaws tried to pass through and had a very rough time of it. A microphone was plugged in, musicians arrived and from that point on, people forgot it was a street and just socialized, danced and ate in a completely carefree, celebratory mood. The couple had photos taken on stage, wished by their family and friends and called it a day only after 11 pm. Even then, a few kids played on the stage and the older ones sat around in the plastic chairs playing cards. I slept long before the party truly ended.
This morning the stage and the decorations seem to have an abandoned air around them. Tomorrow is Rama Navami when they plan to do something that's not been disclosed yet. And yes, its going to be on the street again.
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