Friday, September 28, 2007

Sex sells, and so does cricket


Yesterday I was reading an article in the Indian Express about the hunger strike announced by leading hockey players to protest against the ‘step-motherly’ treatment meted out to them by the country at large.

While the country is rejoicing and celebrating the success of the Indian cricket team on bringing home the T20 world cup, and the state and various other associations are scrambling in to announce awards and rewards for the men in blue, there are other equally deserving sportspersons who are feeling left out. And I really don’t blame them.

For the sake of argument, let us talk about the national hockey players.

Not many know that recently they won the Asia Cup. So we see that there is hardly any 'name'/publicity of their success. Let us now check out where they rank at the 'fame' chart. Getting straight to the figures, each cricketer got Rs. 80 lakh from BCCI, an apartment worth Rs. 25 lakh from Sahara, and amounts varying from Rs. 5 lakh – Rs. 1 crore and a Porsche 911 from the state and/or BCCI as a token appreciation for their performance, and unlimited air travel for the players, their families and the entire team, courtesy Air India and Indian Airlines. In contrast, the hokey players were rewarded with a comparatively meager amount by the IHF, an amount as low as Rs. 1 lakh.

I have two issues here. 1) There is no doubt that the cricketers did a marvelous job, but don’t other players who bring laurels to the nation deserve comparative treatment and appreciation? And,
2) The prize money offered to cricketers is obscene. Think about it. India is a country where money needs to be carefully and humanely spent. On one hand there are thousands who sleep hungry, who don’t have a shed to sleep under, no clothes to wear and in the same country the state is contributing to the already ridiculous disparity between the rich and the poor by doing this. I mean come to think of it, just one game and each of the players got richer by at least a crore of rupees and a house! And lower/middle and upper middle class working sector people slog for 40-50 years and maybe don’t even earn as much as these men do by winning just one match. Unfair. Totally.

I am not against or jealous if at all you think I am sounding that way, I am just unhappy to learn this. I also understand that there are some areas like sports that has a lot of money in it – but then one should be just – how can hockey / badminton / billiards not be as respectable as cricket. I think it is about the popularity. People like cricket in India so it is paid well. People like Golf/Soccer/Tennis in the west, so those sport stars are well paid.

Essentially if you want to be rich, either you should be born rich or, you better do what the janta wants you to do.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Ek saal baad ...



25th September 2006, I reached Mumbai. It has been a year since then. I won’t say that I never felt time ticking by. There were days of all kinds - some too fast and some too slow, but yes, yesterday when it occurred to me that it has been a year of living ‘alone’, well yes, it did look quick.

Yesterday I told a friend about the first anniversary, and he suggested that I write about it. I thought it was a good idea, but now when I am beginning to write, I don’t know what to write. Shall I talk about the changes in my life over the last one year – but then I thought who will be interested to know that? Shall I write about Bombay and living alone – then I wondered if it is of any significance. So I have finally decided to write a bit of everything – the way I always do – random thoughts of an insane mind.

This is not the first time I have been away from home (I have been in a hostel in a college in Bangalore for 4yrs), but this is the first time that I am staying all by myself in an apartment fending for myself. I would like to say that Mumbai is a place for singles. I think it has a lot to offer. First and foremost, Mumbai is safe. It is safe for a woman to take an auto ride as late as 1 or 2 am. For most women in Delhi or now even Bangalore, this is a distant dream. Mumbai is forever busy – it is truly a city which never sleeps. You will find people of all ages in public places – the beach, restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, joggers parks at all times. I have also noticed that the concept of taking leisure/fitness walks in joggers parks or by the beach is common here. People here are more liberal – at least in most parts of Mumbai – maybe because they are too busy in their own lives that they do not bother much.

A very dear friend, tuples, once shared that he has noticed that cities which have a port generally have open societies and have a mix of cultures – because it is a port, interestingly, Bombay fits in that rule. But I wonder how Chennai is like. I haven’t stayed there but neither have I heard great stuff about that place – at least I have heard that it is not a place for north Indians. I however am not a part of the popular South Indian – North Indian rivalry. I could somehow never relate to it. Not that I have never been treated disrespectfully by the locals of Bangalore. Apart from facing a couple of atrocities arising truly out of communal hatred, I have never conceived other incidents to be rising out of favoritisms. And I believe we should come out of this Tit for Tat business, after all reforms and social work begins from home. Coming back to the issue of displaying favoritisms, in Mumbai, it has not even happened once – in fact I have seen people are kind towards people from other cities. I remember, I had once got into a no entry lane (I did not know I was doing that for I did not notice any sign which said it was a one way), when the traffic cops stopped me and although they conned me of 100 bucks, but were very polite with me – especially after checking out my DL which was issued in Delhi. The golden rule "Goodness in return of goodness" taught by our elders when we were young, kind of works here most of the time. The success rate here is higher is all I want to say :)

Coming to the people, in Mumbai you can wear whatever you wish to and travel relatively safer in a Public transport. In this respect, Bangalore and Delhi are equally bad. In Bangalore the culture is not too open and they have distinctly different styles, for instance, girls wear a bindi even if they are wearing a totally western outfit like a trouser or a pair of jeans. In Mumbai you can wear string tops, halter necks, short skirts .. anything you feel like and you are quite safe. I realized that it is safe to move around like this particularly when I saw other women wear these kinds of outfits and traveling in the very essential local trains.

Another remarkable thing that I noticed about the people in Mumbai which is contrary to people of other cities, is the way men behave with women. Not once but many a times, when I could not manage to squeeze my way into a ladies compartment and had to force myself into a general compartment, I have noticed that the men are very courteous towards women. They make sure you are not sandwiched between them and they try their best to make space for you – had it been Delhi, I am sure the men would try to fall on top of you and leave no opportunity to make some body contact.

Mumbai is nice, except for its never ending rains, killing traffic and travel time issues. I must admit that it is a big put off – the roads, the pot holes, the unruly traffic, the unclean surroundings, the very less civic sense in people, the ‘make as much money as you can’ attitude (which is comparable to delhi), the obscene disparity between the rich and the poor.. But then again nothing is perfect.

Living alone has taught me a lot as I keep saying. Form my childhood I wanted to do things for the less fortunate. As a child I saw my mother do a lot of social service thru Deepanwita (the trust formed in memory of my lovely sister), and I used to keep helping her off and on. But never did I do anything by myself. Staying alone and angel eyes (an initiative of a few compassionate and responsible individuals in TechM), helped me get a start. And since December last year, there has been no looking back. There is a different kind of peace and happiness when you can make someone smile, even it were for a moment. There is no comparison what so ever.

Have already talked of what it is like on a personal front to be in solitude, so wont talk of it again.

Last year when I decided to move out of Delhi, I did not know how long I would stay in Mumbai, in fact I thought I would be back in a year’s time. It’s been a year now, and I have no plans of going back. Anyway, as Bryan Adams best selling album was called, it has been ’So far so good’.

Friday, September 21, 2007

I forget, Do you?


I have noticed it many times, I forget. Not everything, but reasons - reasons which cause deep sorrow, anger or pleasure. Surprisingly, I dont forget faces, but I forget names; I dont forget the gist of what I see / read but I forget the intricacies, I dont forget the hurt but I forget the incident. I find myself often looking like a completely unreasonable fool because I blank out exactly when I need to speak.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

AIM Carborised Matches!

Was using an AIM matchstick when i noticed this written on the box:

"Any man who laughs at women's clothes has never paid the bill for them"

Phew!! Quite interesting to find this on a matchbox!! And imagine, I read it !!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Its normal!


I am getting sooo bored lately that I went into "Chutti kab hogi" mode. Checked the time, fuck 10 more minutes to go and that munna bhai song started playing in my head 'Pal pal pal pal ... kaise katega har pal..' .. I minimized all active windows on my desktop and sat staring blankly at my workstation and just then i noticed - I have the same wall paper on my PC every single day of the month (which is set by the Administration dept of our office - which I cant change) and I am doing the same kind of work everyday. Hardly have any interesting people around. Think about it. Anyone would be bored with this. This discovery doesnt really make things interesting however, its interesting to know that I am totally normal :|. Sigh.. Stagnation!!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Yes, I am still alive!!!


I have been so lazy offlate and it is pissing me bigtime. Off to the gym right after I post this.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Life is a box of Chocolates..


.. you just dont know what you will get - Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump.

Aurangabad calling..

Sometimes weird things happen - like for instance today.

I keep my cell phones ringer in the beep mode when at office. I particularly detest loud and blaring ring tones - especially the ones which plays some song or extreamly elaborate robotic noises. Even more when people leave their phone behind at their desks and the phones start ringing with on one to answer or disconnect - very much in assertion to one of the murphy's laws.

Anyway, I always wander off from the topic -- I always do that - almost in all my posts you will find a last line which says, I forgot what I had set out to write. See, again I am wavering :D.

Okay, coming back (Oops now this i.e. 'Coming Back' is a nice book by Edoardo Albinati on the rehabilitation of the refugees of Afganisthan -- see, I again deviated from the topic -- this is exactly what I mean when I say that I always sway away from a topic – reminds me of a friend who does that too – irritating it is. Ufff.. I am irritating each one of you now :) ). Okay, another attempt to strictly talk about the unusual incident.

I missed a call (courtesy the excessively low volume of the already faint beep tone) from a number I had never seen before. I generally don’t return calls which I have missed if they are from unknown numbers. But this one was different -- the digits and their sequence, gave me a strange feeling of familiarity. So, I thought of calling back. Tring Tring...

A little kid answered the phone. I told her that I got a call from this number - asked her who she was and if she knew anyone in Mumbai. She politely said No, and that she might have dialed it by mistake. She said sorry. She said her name was Amr'u'ta and she was from Aurangabad. She sounded cute. I smiled 'Its ok'.

After about half an hour, I was taking a walk outside my office building sipping chai, when my phone beeped again. It was the same number. I answered the call. It was her. She said, "Mein aapko batana chahti hu ki mujhe aapki aawaz bohot achhi lagi." ( – English translation: ‘I wanted to tell you that I liked your voice.’) I was surprised and smiling. Suddenly went back to my school days when I used to get 'crank' calls where boys used to say things like "Kya aap mujhse freindship karengi?" -- in the typical Dillite tone. I pinched myself back and there she was still on the phone expecting a response.

I was confused - I said 'Thank you beta. Tumhe meri aawaz achi lagi uske liye thank you, par tumhare mummy daddy ko jab pata lagega ki tum STD calls kar rahi ho, to woh tumhe daatenge.' Just then she said 'Nahi nahi, maine apni mummy ko bola aapke baare mein - ki mujhe aapki aawaz acchi lagi - to mummy ne mujhe kaha ki mein aapko bata du'. Me surprised the second time. I chuckled like an embarrassed teenager. Then broke into a short conversation. She asked me if I was working and I asked her what she did -- 9th grade she proudly exclaimed, I wished her all the best and said thanks again. And hung up.

I might never hear from her again - I might even forget this incident, nevertheless, it felt nice. It felt nice because of many things: 1. I liked the confidence the child had. 2. It was good to know and hope that other children her age are as free as her, when it comes to expressing ones feelings. and of course, 3. I got a compliment from some one and some place I had no links with.

Funny world. You just never know what’s coming up.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Shakti-wo-maan


Logged into the popular networking site, yeah you guessed it right, orkut and I suddenly noticed this:

Today's fortune: You never hesitate to tackle the most difficult problems

Made me feel so fauladi and … emm .. macho (I request all feminists to excuse me for not finding a feminine word to match ‘macho’) but then I thought -- Duh!! What a fortune!

Does life like give us a choice? Either you have to choose to run away and get what you hate or, deal with it - try your hand on it hoping that maybe this time luck will shine on you and things wont be as fucking as it was last time, or you will be as lucky as last time.

Mudde ki baat yeh hai, for all you people who don’t understand hindi, what I just wrote meant, The bottom line (not the bottom actually) is, that if I do have a choice to avoid a problem (even if it is an easy problem), I will obviously chicken out -- And, if they are difficult problems, phew, who wants them!!!. By the way by avoiding a problem, I meant that avoiding it wont get me into a yuckier situation.

Hai Aag Yeh


.. par kahan??

The reviews are so terrible that it urges me to watch the film. Check out more on it here.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Spooky?


A couple of colleagues said that this picture looks spooky while i dont think that same. What say you?

Monday, September 3, 2007

I am a dreamer..

"Perhaps it is good to have a beautiful mind, but an even greater gift is to discover a beautiful heart." ~ from the motion picture, A Beautiful Mind