Maid in heaven(or India!)

I read an article in the paper today by an expat who had written about the way we (Indians) treat our maids , servants and other domestic help in our daily lives. I could not agree more with the article as this has often been the point of discussion with my kids too.

The Ten Golden Rules of Indians-With Regard to Maids and Miscellaneous House-Help

Rule no.1: It is taboo to exchange greetings or pleasantries with them.

Rule no.2:

Clause a) If they don't turn up for a day, screaming at them the moment they are in sight the following day is in order.

Clause b) It is imperative that they are never given a chance to explain the reason for their absence.

Rule no.3:

Clause a) Bonus payment is only authorised in situations wherein some extra favour is required from them .eg. they have to wash more utensils when guests are around, they have to do couple of extra chores,etc.

Clause b) Money offered for a good cause is strictly forbidden.

Clause c) That money is required, instead, to be spent on shopping and cheap sales.

Rule no.4:

Clause a) Never introduce them to the guests or relatives.

Clause b) Treating them as though they don't exist is recommended.

Clause c) Panic at their absence when guests are around should not be revealed at any cost.

Rule no.5:

Clause a) Encouragement of kids and other members who are younger in age to the maid to address them by their first name is recommended.

Clause b) Take the liberty to talk to them in the rudest manner possible.

Rule no.6: Any eatable or beverage provided to them should never be freshly made or undiluted. They are forbidden from having the coffee or tea of the same quality as we do.

Rule no.7: Any children of theirs, if present, are banned from sitting on our chairs or sofa touching any of our children's toys.

Rule no.8:

Clause a) Clothes may only be given to them if they are in the most deplorable condition possible.

Clause b) While gifting them dresses or materials for Diwali, only ones available on a 1+1 free offer may be given.

Rule no.9: Despite the fact that maids are hired to wash the bathrooms and toilets, they are strictly forbidden from using them, for it will be considered a sin.

Rule no.10: Never ever make it obvious to them that you can't survive without them. Always behave as though you can chuck her/him out any time you want (and secretly pray that they don't leave you in the lurch!)

Since I am a rebel and an expert at flouting rules, I do not employ a maid.

PS: I have not been shunned from society so far.

Paa

I watched the movie "Paa" with the kids last weekend. Amitabh is excellent as a kid affected with progeria (premature ageing). Dialogues and the support cast are great too. Listening to Bhavatharini singing the remixed version of "Sangathil Padatha Kavithai" (one of my Illayaraja favs) in Hindi was nice.

But what irks me about films of stars like Amitabh or Kamalhaasan is that , even after years of showcasing their talent and having bagged the best awards , these actors are only concentrating on their histrionics when they can actually contribute to the film industry by making much more meaningful cinema. Instead of focusing on the disease and its effects on the family, in this case , progeria, the film focuses on Amitabh's ability to do justice to the role. After years of experience, nobody expects him to actually make a mess of such a role. But being his own production , why couldn't he have dealt with the subject in a more serious way? Why is the focus only on making more money for his production house? When Aamir Khan, through Taare Zameen Par, was successful in bringing out the plight of dyslexic children so well, pushing himself to the background, why aren't stars like Amitabh and Kamalhaasan doing the same ? Why , even after years of making money, are they not involved in serious issues of the society; utilizing their fan following to make something more thought-provoking?

Annual day

The children had their annual school day. All these years I have never been a volunteer parent to help out children with their make-up , costumes etc. But this year, since my daughter had to change her costume in between the scenes in her play, I was requested to come and help out- and what a day it turned out to be! It was amusing to see the boys trying to hold up their dhotis and adjusting their fakes moustaches all at the same time. There was a King sitting in one corner and munching his wafers. Another king and his courtier were walking hand in hand around the campus. The puny dancers were weighed down by their heavy salangais and were literally holding each other for support. The parents were helping out each other with pins, slides and make up kits. The teachers and parents were chatting around in a totally different atmosphere than the usual formal one. I was actually thinking of the exciting school day functions of my times and I remembered that I used to be conscious of the lipstick applied. Just then, interrupting my thoughts, a small boy turned around and asked me "Aunty, is my lipstick still on? Because just now, I drank water"". I had a hearty laugh before reassuring him that everything was fine.
After the exciting and tiring day, I have decided to volunteer regularly from now on, not wanting to miss the fun and excitement the children have on that day, especially the real drama that goes on backstage.

Celebrate Bandra

In addition to local journals and newspapers , now-a-days local cultural festivals too, are becoming a regular feature in India. I have read about the Mylapore fest centered in and around Kapaleeswarar temple, bringing out the culture and tradition of Mylaporites. I have yet to attend that festival, but being a Bandraite, I have been enjoying "Celebrate Bandra" , a biennial fest organised by Bandraites. This year, it has attracted good sponsors and what I find interesting is the location and the wide variety of programs one gets to attend. The venue, close to our residence, is Reclamation Promenade. A stage is set close to the seaside promenade and in the evenings, now with the added glitter of the sealink, the setting is really ideal for one to sit back and enjoy good music or a dance program, free of cost.

It's nice that a predominantly Anglo-Indian community is exposed to Carnatic and Hindustani music along with rock and pop music. It was pleasant to hear Thygaraja krithis and Papanasam Sivan songs in a dance recital. Programs involving common people, like the Antakshari and Karaoke singing too, are part of the agenda. The maximum crowd is for the dance competition involving local groups.

I feel such localised cultural fests are a good way to get to know all types of art and music forms for people, who cannot afford to pay exorbitant rates that the sabhas charge, to attend such programs. Attending such programs with neighbours and friends is like a get together at a common place in our area and that makes it all the more interesting. So hats off to "Celebrate Bandra" fest and all other such local fests!

Dealing with death

Dealing with death is always a mental game. In Indian films and serials scenes of death are laden with emotion, especially with women wailing away to glory. As a kid, I used to feel that in real life, I too would wail and grieve like that myself. I never saw death at close quarters until I was about 24. But now, I am facing too many within a short span of time.

I have lost 3 people who were to dear to me in quick succession. First, my father. Then my brother. And now, my uncle- all within 3 short years. I wondered how my reaction would be on seeing someone close to me die. For all my speculation, my reaction to such loss has been surprisingly dignified. Having always had the feeling that I would mourn a death rather loudly, I dealt with it quite well.

Some of my close relatives, most importantly my mother (who lost her husband and son in quick succession) have shown such great restraint in expressing their grief, that people tell them that it isn't good for their health. Knowing my mother well, I feel that it's her way to deal with her grief. She just ignores it and carries on with daily life as if nothing has happened. In fact,she doesn't even entertain any discussions about it and simply walks out of the room or ignores any talk about her deceased son or husband. Some people have even suggested some psychiatric help for her, but I feel rather proud that my mother can deal with life and death the same way-so coolly.

It takes a lot of mental courage and grit to treat every situation equally and in fact, I have never seen her very ecstatic or enthusiastic about any happy occasion either. I feel she has this "Mahaan" kind of attitude even without being too spiritual or religious. She doesn't read self-analysis books or go to discourses. She doesn't have any spiritual guru. But still she has this great composure, treating every situation and both positive and negative criticism alike. I just hope that I inherit her qualities some day.

Loo-natic problems

A few months back, S. Ramakrishnan , in his article in Ananda Vikatan , had written about how school girls in villages suffer due to lack of proper sanitary facilities. Especially during their monthly cycles, these girls not only travel a long distances, but also endure the long days at school without using the toilet, since majority of the schools in villages either do not have one or even if they do, they seem to lack proper water supply.

Come to think of it, the plight of women in cities and towns is no better. How many of us, as parents, check if schools have proper toilet facilities? We are keen about the quality of the education, fees, donations and extra curricular activities in the school, but we don't even bother to check if it has decent sanitary facilities. Even some of the best known schools fall short in this aspect. Our children naturally fall into the habit of not drinking enough water for fear of using the loo in the school, which leads to multiple problems later on in life. As parents, we must insist on having a look at the school and its facilities at the time of admission. However, it is easier said than done in a country like ours. We are so pressed to get an admission in the first place, that sanitary facilities are not even on our list of priorities. But what bothers me is that we try to ignore the complaints of the children and ask them to adjust. In parent- teachers' meetings issues like exam scores, tests and tuitions are discussed exhaustively, but never the lack of toilet facilities. We feel that it's taboo to talk about this subject.

I wonder why parents don't come together to insist on good sanitation or why NGOs and government don't get involved in such a serious issue. There are so many unanswered questions and I feel troubled whenever I think of the plight of the school-going children in this regard. I feel that this is one area in which the country has made absolutely no progress, since the problem exists from the days of our grandparents.

Paattu paada vaa

I like to watch music based programs on tv and I am often floored by the talent that we get to see on some of the music talent shows. Especially some of the kids on these shows have amazing skills and I wonder whether they really enjoy any true childhood moments at all as they seem to be practicing for years to take part in these shows.
One such program is ""Paattu paada Vaa"on Vijay TV and I really enjoy it because it is more about the lyrics and not the musical talent. It actually makes us go down the memory lane to recollect the lyrics of our favourite songs. It also throws light on the poor quality of lyrics of the latest songs (""Excuse me, Mr. Kandaswamy" takes the cake among the latest ones.............there is nothing more to the lyrics except two words -"podi" and "poda") when compared to the old melodies. We are able to appreciate Kannadasan or Kalayanasundaram for bringing out the right mood with the right words in comparison to the muck we're put through these days.
Anuradha Sriram as the hostess does a great job. With mildly sarcastic comments and a sympathetic attitude towards the participants when they lose the game, she makes an entertaining host. All in all, a nice show with a different theme and quite enjoyable with surprise packages like actress Abhirami (who sang like a pro) and lyricist Paa. Vijay as participants.

Mahadev temple

We made a 3-days trip to Goa. It was a welcome break from the daily routine. We spent the first two days on the usual- sight-seeing in North Goa, South Goa ,the famous beaches, etc. Having finished off with that, we had no idea about what to do with ourselves on the third day.It was then that our hotel receptionist suggested we make a trip to a Mahadev temple at a place called Tambdi surla , about 80 kms from Goa. It turned out to be the best trip of the tour. The road leading to Tambdi surla was a delight. It wound through typical rural Goa, with lush green meadows and fields and forests. On the way, we halted at Bondla wildlife sanctuary, which again, was set amidst lush greenery , with a huge garden and a mini zoo that was very well maintained.
We reached Tambdi surla in good time and surprisingly the place was devoid of tourists except for us. The temple has been relocated stone by stone and is an architectural marvel. It is now set amidst hills with a gushing stream running all around the temple. There was no pujari. A small lit lamp was the only sign of human presence in that place. It all made me feel very calm.
I have never been too religious or spent a lot of time in temples. In fact, I always thought that the churches were better than temples (when it came to crowds and noise) to have some peaceful moments. I always preferred a calm and serene temple to a crowded, famous one. (Thiruvanaikaval Jambukeshwarar temple and Nagarajaswamy temple at Nagercoil are few of the serene ones that I've liked). But this Mahadev temple beat them all. I think, we were there at the right time; season-wise, it was just after the monsoon and crowd-wise, it was not the tourist season. All of us just took in the natural beauty and admired the whole setting. We spent a lot more time than we had planned to, soaking our feet in the pristine pure stream water. The best part of it was that it was completely untouched by humans-nature simply seemed pour out its beauty for us to see.
From now on, Goa will always be remembered by us , not for those world famous beaches or the historically important churches, but for that small temple, a small reminder of what nature can become and be if left unto itself.

Being a freelancer

I was a working woman before marriage. Post marriage, I decided to stay at home and the decision was completely supported by my husband. Though we went through periods of financial crisis in the first few years of marriage, never did I want to go for a full time job. Luckily, with my qualification in foreign language, getting a part time assignment was not a problem. I enjoyed this so much so that I decided to work only as a freelancer.
I realised that being a freelancer has its own disadvantages. The family became extended and I had constant flow of visitors. But the concept of working from home was not easily understood by people then (and even now, I feel, is not taken seriously) and whenever I had guests or someone was not well in the family, I was expected to stop working even if I was midway through an assignment. No amount of talk about commitment would work. The attitude was- you are working from home only, you haven't even met the guy who is giving you the job, so why worry? The other problem was that excuse of being busy due to work doesn't work when the house is messy. A full time working woman can take the liberty of keeping the house messy, because she goes out to work. But freelancing doesn't count as real work- why can't I keep the house clean? In social gatherings, when people ask me what I do, I proudly declare I am a freelancer and the immediate reaction is a sarcastic "Oh, telemarketing, is it?" or "tupperware?" or "Amway?". When I say I am a translator they give me a surprised look-the concept of being a freelance linguist is still a rarity, I guess.
If these were the problems at the domestic front, the problems on the professional front were things like the client wanting a job done over the weekend or holidays, so that they will have the assignment ready when the office opens after the holiday. But what about us enjoying our holidays when the children are at home? Similarly, genuine excuses like power cuts or internet disconnection are not taken lightly and the client expects us to work extra because we are at home.
Despite all these, there are quite a lot of advantages. I don't get scolded by the boss, there are no performance appraisals , no conferences or meetings to attend, there are no commuting problems, no dress code and best of all, I get to spend the time with the kids, be at home and stop working whenever I am exhausted. I can eat, sleep and have coffee or tea anytime I want to. I have the best excuse to keep away from unwanted parties and from the stupid tv programs while getting paid for it. Isn't that great? Sure, I have complaints about my job, but then, who doesn't? I enjoy my job and I think it's the best way to work.

Human touch

When my parents decided to come and stay with me, I was sure that I was one of the luckiest daughters, blessed with the opportunity to take care of her father during his last days. My father was bedridden and we had to perform dialysis at home for him. I thought I was behaving like the perfect daughter - giving him his medicines, doing the dialysis, and taking care of every need of his. This illusion was broken one day, when my father suddenly called me and asked me to sit near him. I sat next to him and he just held my hands tightly and told me "I am so happy that you are doing everything for me, but why am I also feeling sad that there is no human touch involved in whatever you are doing?". This was a huge blow to my ego and I realized that whatever I had been doing for him was just a duty, like something any nurse or doctor would have done for him. I had completely ignored the fact that I could do more for him as a daughter- by holding his hands or giving him a hug.
More often than not,we think that having an aged person at home, cooking for them, giving them their medicines or just giving them a place to stay is enough. How many times do we spend a few minutes exclusively with them or sitting next to them? Even if we spend time talking to them, we don't touch them , pat them or hold hands.......At their age, loneliness could be a killing factor and human touch could do wonders for their psyche. But in this materialistic world, we don't show our affection, care or treat them like they are wanted. We forget that old age is just a few years down the line for us too and that we we could be facing a similar situation ourselves. Take a moment to think whether we would like to be treated the way they are treated....Is that what we want from our children too?
Do we ever realize that all people would want at that age is really nothing but a display of affection? They are like small kids who want to be showered with love. An aged person- especially a single parent, in-law, aunt or uncle- doesn't need our gifts or presents , but only a few moments of companionship to show that we care for them. And a human touch is enough to make them feel wanted.

Mall mall everywhere, not a single one in Bandra!

I have always enjoyed going to malls. Pushing the cart along rows and rows of various eye-catching items gave me a special high. (No wonder, I could relate so well to Sophie Kinsella's Shopoholic series). I loved picking up things which I thought were absolutely essential and items I thought one could not get anywhere else, irrespective of whether they were put to use or not. During my stay at Singapore, Mustafa, the biggest mall there, was a great attraction. It has 5 floors and 4-5 hours could easily be spent just in going around the mall. Once, I and 4 other friends walked in with a bet that we should come out of Mustafa within half an hour without buying a single item. In the end, only one of us could resist the temptation and walk out empty handed-and it definitely was not me (I started wondering whether this friend truly belonged to female species!)
So, when I landed in Mumbai, I had imagined huge malls and shopping complexes- after all, it was the financial capital. And, -surprise! surprise! - there is not a single mall in the most posh Mumbai suburb, Bandra. There are mini supermarkets but no malls.
Initially I was disappointed and was in fact, complaining to all and sundry. Now, a couple of years later, I notice that my spending habits of have changed. Now I just stick to the list of groceries I prepare every month and give it to my regular shop in the bazaar and they deliver the items. Now that I’m a regular customer, I notice that the shopkeeper even replaces products at the smallest of complaints. The monthly bill of expenses has come down considerably. I no longer think that the house lacks this or that; I no longer want to pick up expensive non-essentials during the next visit to the mall. I know there are no malls nearby (thanks to the problems of commuting in Mumbai, I don't even dream of trying a mall in another area) and just adjust to what I get. The best way to maintain a peaceful home, according to me, is to keep away from malls and reduce the expenses!

Annual get-together

Being part of a large family, according to me , is a big boon. I grew up in a family filled with aunts and uncles who all lived in the same city and made it a point to gather for every occasion possible. The annual ceremony (Srartham) that was done for my grandparents, in particular, was always eagerly looked forward to by all my cousins. The Srarthams were done at our house, my father being the eldest son. We, as kids would plan the day in advance along with our cousins and we used to have a blast. All kids were packed off by the elders to go out and eat something, since the ceremonies would take a long time and lunch would be delayed. We used to go out, have a good breakfast and spend the rest of the day sitting at the patio, singing songs, playing anthakshari, sharing and laughing at the latest jokes in Tamil movies. Now, years later, when we cousins happen to meet , we discuss the great times we've had.
Now, my children too have been lucky enough, so far, to have had similar good times, being part of a large family. They look forward to the annual trip to Chennai to spend time with their cousins and they say , especially so, on the day of the ceremony of my father-in-law. They enjoy having everybody under one roof (they even go on a srartham shopping, to buy , all the knick- knacks they want) and they have a great time dancing and singing behind the shut doors of the room. But slowly , with some cousins already into college and others moving away to distant places, those days are history. But what saddens me the most is that the future generation might hardly have this kind of fun, since people don't seem to have faith in performing such ceremonies and it is seen as more of a ritual and not as a family-get-together. No social networking site can make up for the real fun of such gatherings of cousins and siblings. With the advance in technology, actual human contact and interaction is lessening and we don't seem to realise that. We are happy and proud to have a Facebook account rather than showing up for gatherings in person.

Train journey in Mumbai

Mumbai life is really hectic for those who travel. But being a housewife and having led a cocooned and protected life, I am dazed at the number of people on the roads at any given point of time. A brief stay in Singapore, where even a line of ten vehicles at the signal is considered a "traffic jam" and is fussed over stood in stark contrast to how Mumbaiites get on with life despite endless traffic jams(in the real sense) and mind-blowing crowds at stations.
The first time, when I travelled by train (despite warnings that the crowds push you and how difficult it is to get in or out of the train of your own free will), I was amazed. We were literally making an "adi pradakshanam"of the station looking for the right platform(I would have garnered more punyam, if I had done that at a temple) and a train with people hanging out of the compartments arrived. My husband, who was a veteran at train travel, urged me to get into a ladies compartment since that, he said, would be relatively less crowded. I obliged, and what a big mistake it was. I had no idea of how far Dadar (the station where we had to get down) was from Bandra and there were no announcements inside the train regarding the approaching station (which again was an expectation after travelling in Singapore) and I also realised that platforms on which the train arrive can be on either side. I felt like a lost child in a mela and was feeling dizzy and nervous, wondering whether I am going to get down at the right time at the right station. Just then, a station arrived and I turned around to ask the lady next to me whether this was Dadar and before I could hear her (I don't even remember whether she answered me) I was pushed out of the exit by a huge crowd as I was standing in the middle of both the exits (a suggestion made by my husband) and was thrown onto the platform. Luckily it turned out to be Dadar station and I triumphantly walked towards my husband and told him that I successfully managed to get out on time and it was really no big deal for me (of course secretly wondering whether he could hear my pounding heartbeat!).
After this episode, I realise how lucky I am to be working from home and really pity the thousands of women who have to travel under the most trying conditions and then return home to do the regular chores. In a city like Mumbai, each working woman must be felicitated for this tremendous feat.
The biggest positive I see in this vibrant city is that people are still courteous, honest and have their sense of humour intact. A great city with great people (there's definitely room for improvement-they could start by giving up spitting chewed paan or gutka all over the place!).

Month of festivals

Every year, July and August are full of Hindu festivals and as a traditional housewife, I like to celebrate all of them with enthusiasm. But , somewhere , I feel I am caught between being traditional and orthodox and also having modern views about celebrating them. On the traditional side, I like to wear my "Madisar", prepare all the items, I like the smell of agarbathis and fresh flowers and like to admire huge rangolis.

But on the modern side, I don't like the "Madi and aacharam"associated with these festivals. In my opinion, "Madi"for a traditional Brahmin family, in the olden days, was to keep away the huge number of family members to maintian cleanliness while preparing large quantities of items during the festivals and this has lost its true purpose somewhere down the line. Now, with nuclear families and small flats , these "Madi"procedures have become more of a shouting and screaming custom to keep the children away from us, scolding them not to touch us or the items prepared before the naivedyam is done. All of this , I feel, finally end up in a scene where the charm of the festival is lost and everyone is fuming, brooding and want the pooja to get over before the rahukalam and grab whatever that is prepared and get away. To add to this , the children have to rush to school and my husband to the office. Gone are the days when we had holidays for these festivals and we helped out Amma with her preparations.
Despite all of that, inviting women over for Varalaksmi Vratham, Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations in Mumbai and "seedai" of Gokulashtami are things I would not like to miss at any cost nor do I want my children to miss them.

Special child and a special friend

Recently I met one of my college-mates after a long time. As close friends, we were a group of 5 , who had a blast and at the same time were good, obedient students. Then, with our lives taking different routes, we drifted apart. After a long gap of ten years I met one of our group mates who had lost her husband recently and had a mentally-backward child to take care of. She was a bubbly, carefree kind of girl in college. So, when I went to meet her, it was heart wrenching to see her , handling this crisis with aplomb and maturity. Hats off to her! Seeing her, I feel ashamed about how much we complain about our lives. We are bothered about not getting things done on time or our children losing couple of marks in tests or a spouse coming home late . But for this friend, taking care of that child while, at the same earning to run the family and taking care of aging parents (being the only daughter) and an aging mother-in-law (her husband had been the only son) is a great feat indeed. She faces it all with a smile and radiates such positive energy.
Meeting this friend has been an eye-opening experience for me . I feel proud of her, in fact, I feel that hers is a feat that overshadows achievements of so many other successful career women. How many of us could have the courage to continue to live when faced with so many difficulties? I only hope that I can be a person worthy of such a friend.

Reports and complaints

My children had their Open House meeting at school last week (a day to collect report cards and meet the respective subject teachers and class teachers). Every time I attend an Open House meeting, I wonder what the parents have to complain about to the teacher, that they take up more than half an hour of the teacher's time. Though the children are allotted a specific time slot to meet the teacher, never does the parent who is ahead of you keeps up the time. The parents talk, talk and talk endlessly with the class teacher. I am always at a loss when it comes to talking to the teacher- I simply cannot find things to talk or complain about. Usually, I am out within seconds after collecting the report card. It's not that my children are such perfect or wonderful students, that I don't have anything to complain about; it's just the feeling that if, as a parent, I cannot control two children at home, I have no right to expect the teacher to control what my child does within the few hours she spends with them. The teachers are, I feel, stressed out enough with having to handle hundreds of children everyday, keep teaching, organizing school activities, correcting test papers and assignment note books and still answer to the parents who come up with complaints such as "My child doesn't finish his/her lunch", "My son has lost two marks in maths class test and it was not even a valid mistake", "My child loses his/her pencil box once in two days"etc.
I personally feel that parents should learn to respect a teacher's profession and not regale them with silly complaints and harass them.
The best way to make these parents realize that the teachers have enough on their plate without extra helpings from them, is to force them to handle at least one session in a year for these children and experience firsthand what the teachers undergo every day of the year. I am sure that then, these Open House meetings would cease to be Complaint meetings!

Moaning in the Monsoon

The famous 'Mumbai Monsoon' is here. But it's not yet raining in full swing! Though the met department and the people in general are worried about the poor rainfall and the papers keep warning us about watercuts, I am one Mumbai housewife who is in fact happy about the low rainfall. I am indeed ready to adjust to watercuts and consume water with more care than walking in the slush and rain water that swirls with paan. Often, you can see people walking ahead of you on the streets, spitting into in the rainwater and then,you are forced to walk through it. If I were the mayor of Mumbai, the first thing I would do, would be to ban paan and gutka chewing in Mumbai. Everytime I walk past a parked vehicle or if a vehicle passes me by, I am doubly careful about any head that pokes out of the window for fear of my saree or dress being smeared with paan. In fact, I suggest that the Mumbai Municipal Corporation provide each citizen with a paan-proof jacket to be worn when they step outside. My daughters and I take care to appreciate any auto driver, whom we observe to be a non-spitter- and believe me,there have been only two of them in the past 3 years of our Mumbai life.

Considering all of this, don't you agree that we're much better off with less rains in Mumbai?

My moment of glory

Staying very close to Lilavathy Hospital in Mumbai has its own advantages. You get to see lot of celebrities who come to visit the VIP patients. Last week Bal Thackeray of Shiv Sena was admitted here. As usual the place was swarming with media vans and cameramen. I was walking through the Lilavathy Hospital gate, which is a thoroughfare to reach the Mount Mary road, and suddenly a group of men, among whom I could recognise Uddav Thackeray came out of the hospital, milling around me. Surrounded by this group making a beeline for the gate where the media men were waiting to get some bites from them, I was pushed right to the middle of it. Being the only woman there certainly put me in a spot. I had no other go than to wait until the group to disperse to get away.

At the end of all this frenzy, I suddenly realised that after all, my face could be splashed all over the news. I was ecstatic. So don't be surprised if you see a the face a woman circled in red in the middle of a throng with a bold caption reading "Who is this mysterious woman?" on India TV-it might just be me!

Bandra sealink

There have been too many people singing the praises of the Bandra-Worli sea link in the past few days. As a Bandraite and one who lives close to the sealink, I am also able to see the downside to the sea link being opened. My evening walks at the Reclamation promenade used to be a very enjoyable, with one stretch of the flyover being blocked to the traffic. One could see group of old women enjoying the breeze while sitting down to chat right on the highway. It was a common thing to see children playing, skating and people walking their dogs. Occasional film shoots (Dhoom 2 had lot of scenes shot at this flyover) provided enough entertainment for the locals. Now this stretch of the highway has been opened for the traffic. The lovebirds who throng the promenade have lost their privacy and their space on the highway. Birds that used to fly around the sea link area have been considerably lessened in number.
Over the years, I shall probably have to go through more of the negative effects of the Bandra-Worli sea-link
But, on the plus side, the sea link at night is definitely worth a watch. Despite all the things that have been lost to the sea-link, I think that is one of the most beautiful structures ever to be erected, at least in Mumbai.(The last line is for Shiv Sena supporters not to hound me!!)