A leisure trip to bookshop usually lifts my gloom. Needless to say, it also lightens my wallet. Today’s trip was no different. I had just seen off my sister at station.

When your dear ones depart, a strange knot forms inside stomach. Suddenly nothing seems as good as it seemed a day ago. My theory is it is easier on the people who go, harder on the ones that remain behind. Therefore, my trip to bookshop.

After an hour armed with packages, I hailed an auto rickshaw to home. And then I remembered a friend had mentioned a party tonight. I called the friend to ask if party was still on.

While talking I noticed that the auto rickshaw driver bumped twice into a motorcycle and a car. I asked him to take it slow. I checked, he was not drunk. I am good at smelling it out. 5 years of practice in crowd-ridden buses of Delhi.

Me and my friend fixed the meeting details and I joked that he should wear a pink T-shirt so that I can make him out. We hung up. That’s the last thing I remember. Last thing before the accident.

For few minutes, it appeared that the auto was braving a storm. It swerved and tumbled. I fell down from the seat, I tried to hold on to a railing. I missed, I screamed. And then it collided. All I could make out that I was sandwiched in the back, on the floor, between passenger seat and the driver seat. My back facing towards the outside of auto. I was slipping and falling outside while the auto skidded to the side of the road. It was then the auto collided.

And my back hit the divider on the road. I fell on my back, my legs in air and my shoe flew off, my body still sandwiched inside the auto. The auto had come to halt with the collision.

For few moments, I didn’t know what was happening. Several faces peered inside the auto. Perhaps trying to make sure there was life inside. Though I had realised I had survived, I was in daze. I wouldn’t look up at people. Ashamed that they might have seen me in embarrassing posture, my legs in air, and confused what to do now. I looked around for shoe, and my specs. I vaguely asked the confused crowd for my specs. I guess they were not sure if I was hurt or not. Then I started looking for them myself with my jangled nerves. I was half crying and sobbing.  Strangely no tears would come.

A handsome guy (yes, I noticed) with Button Eyes, who had been driving a SUV, had stopped. He asked me if I was alright. Did I need water? He noticed I was still half sobbing. Says, Chill. Yeah, of course. I oblivious of my surroundings, moved to the side of traffic-laden road. I vaguely heard driver say sorry to me. As if he had just stepped on my feet. Button Eyes asks me where I live. I question him back where was I. For life of me, I couldn’t recognise the road where I was. Button Eyes tells me where both the intersection of roads leads to. I quickly nod as if I understand all that he has told me.  Scared that he might offer to drop or I will make myself look more foolish, I walked off in daze. I stood there at the signal for few minutes. Out of corner of my eye, I saw Button Eyes drive his car off.

Then, randomly asked a van driver which was ‘X’, the place I live. Don’t know what he saw, he said he would drop me since he was going that way. I refused, crossed the road with bit difficulty since light had turned green while I was mid-way. And then I went home. Later, I realised I hadn’t paid the auto driver who had caused the accident. What are the norms in such situation? Well, never mind.

I wanted to share this with someone. Not Family. They would panic. No point in alarming friends either. Moreover, you don’t call anyone and say, hey you know I just had an accident.

But I needed to tell someone that I had survived. Had not the auto collided with that divider, I might have broken my back with the fall. I just had few bruises on back and scratches on elbow. Someone who loves me has been really praying hard for me that I was saved. A close shave.

Also, now I see my sister’s accident a month ago in new light. She too had a close shave but had some serious fractures. And she couldn’t remember how she came under that vehicle. Though I won’t pester her about it, I worried. A doctor explained to me that in shock it happens that you don’t remember the moments before the accident. May be she will remember few months later. I now know what the doctor meant. I too have no recollection how my auto ended up on the opposite side of that road, how the accident started. Not that I care.

But I have a learnt a lesson. When a thing hiccups like the two earlier bumps auto driver made, it’s time to cut your losses and move on. I should have left that auto sooner, as my instincts said. Be it a relationship, friendship or stocks, listen to your instincts and cut your losses sooner. Sometimes it is not meant to get better. I am glad that I live to tell you that.

Now that this has been written, my nerves feel steady; I guess I should prepare to go the party. What the heck, I have earned it.

P.S: On an earthy note, my friend Prateek has been nominated for Indiblogger of the Month for the best Original Poetry category. Please see details here and vote for him. Prateek is also a regular on Blogadda #perkytweets for his humour.

Incidentally, two other poet bloggers, Sriharsha and Vishesh on my blogroll have also been nominated there, so please vote for them too. You can vote for 5 people at Indiblogger. Here is the Indiblogger link, please vote for my friends. May the best man win!

This post is part of Blog Action Day.

Every time we talk about environment, we tout and talk about Al Gore and his over-hyped documentary An Inconvenient Truth. What’s more, I have also mentioned him in my previous climate change posts. I thought it is time we recall some Indians who have done the  good work.

Here are my top 5, with a bonus thrown in. 

1. Women of Uttarakhand in Chipko Movement: The movement was led by women of Uttarakhand. As the word ‘chipko’ means ‘to press your body against’; these women hugged the trees to stop them from being felled.
To be fair, forest conservation was certainly not the motive of this movement. It was more to protect their livelihoods. Yet it was due to this movement that spread in 80’s, new forest regulation laws were put into place.

It must be surprising to know that this movement was first recorded movement was in 1730 AD, that too was led by women. 363 Bishnois actually sacrificed their lives while protecting green Khejri trees that were considered sacred by the community, by hugging them, and braved the axes of loggers sent by the local ruler.

2. Sundarlal Bahuguna: A non-violent Gandhian, he was the proponent of Chipko movement (along with Chandi Prasad Bhatt), who played a crucial role in bringing the Garhwali women together. But that is not only thing he is known for, he also participated in Anti-Tehri Dam protests. His famous quote during Tehri Dam protests:

“The issue, is not development vs. environment. It is extinction vs. survival.”

3. Anil Aggarwal: No list about Indian environmentalists is complete without Anil Aggarwal. He is the guy who scoffed at why India needed a NGO like Greenpeace (a NGO that I avidly follow) to take up their causes. Why can’t we Indians do enough for our own causes? He founded India’s leading environment NGO Centre for Science and Environment. He has more than 20 books to his credit on the subject of environment. He also founded the environment magazine Down to Earth, which is today published by Sunita Narain (another environmentalist). You can find more about the man here.

4. Medha Patkar: This leader of Narmada Bachao Andolan is daughter of a freedom fighter. She has got a Masters degree in Social Work from reputed Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) that she has put to good use her entire life. It was during a study tour at TISS that she first toured the Narmada valley. Taken in by the plight of people around there, she dedicated her entire life to this cause. She has been on more than 300 fasts and her doctor says more fasts may cause permanent detriment to her health.

5. Kinkri Devi: In 1980s this Dalit lady, who was once an illiterate sweeper, (you dare not look down upon them again) waged a war against illegal mining and quarrying in Himachal Pradesh. Backed by a NGO, she filed a suit against 48 mine owners. When her law suit got no response, she went on 19-day hunger strike outside court to protest. It was then she became a celebrity. In 1987, the court ordered a stay on mining and imposed a blanket ban on blasting in the hills. Bravo, Kinkri Devi. It’s a shame if we forget her.

6. Rag pickers: This is the bonus one. There are numerous of rag pickers working around the country to keep our cities and towns clean. I wrote this heart-rending post about child rag pickers. But not only child, many adult men and women who are poor and illiterate are in this profession. They are not beggars, they earn their living hard way. And they contribute to environment. Just a day back, Pune Mirror covered this rag picker lady (from Pune of course) who went to Bangkok for a conference to represent her Indian community.

There are many more Indian environmentalist that I didn’t list like Pamposh Bhatt, Maneka Gandhi, John C Jacob (who set up Kerala-based Society for Environment Education (SEEK) ), Sunita Narain (who now heads CSE), Pradip Kishen (who wrote an expensive book called Trees of Delhi), Kartikeya V Sarabhai (Son of late revered scientist Vikram Sarabhai) and Rajendra K. Pachauri (who shared Nobel Prize with Al Gore).

Related Posts:

My last year’s Blog Action Day Post: Poverty, Health and Population
Games and Activities for Environment
Building a Green House and Rain Water Harvesting
Fight to Save Yamuna

Chetan Bhagat magnanimously dedicates this book to his in-laws. He admits that book is inspired by his own experiences and yet he requests the book be treated as fiction. Its hard to considering every second couple in this country undergoes similar experiences. Not to mention, every Boolywood movie harps on same theme.

The book is all about an  IIMA couple’s  struggle to marry. Krish is north Indian Punjabi boy Krish in love with Tamilian Brahmin girl Ananya. (Chetan Bhagat too is Punjabi and his wife is a South Indian.) The only catch is, Krish and Ananya don’t want to elope or be estranged to their families, therefore, they choose to convince their parents for the marriage.

Both Ananya and Krish take turns to win over each other’s families and then they try to make both the families like each other. After all in India, you don’t marry the guy (or girl for that matter), you have to marry the family. In fact, Krish does get 4 gold rings made to propose girl’s entire family! :-/ Sounds cheesy? Well, irrespective of my shortened plot summary, you must concede it is a mammoth project to accomplish anywhere, in real life.

Of course, it goes without saying that even though both Krish and Ananya are exceptions to their North Indian and South Indian clan; this book is perfect opportunity to dwell into age-old ‘North India versus South India divide’.
Krish maybe Punjabi boy, but he is blissfully unaware how in his community greedily and offensively ‘boy’s’ side can come on the ‘girl’s’ side during a Punjabi wedding. Similarly, Ananya, the Tamilian girl is completely unlike other Tamil girls: For one she is not as dark as southern girls ( a fact she will be reminded over and over again by Krish’s Punjabi clan) and unlike her staunch family, she both drinks and eats meat. (May be we should thank IIM for breaking the latter stereotype )

Though the premise is most realistic, it draws your attention to cultural differences in diverse India. Some of them are as simple as boisterous, loud Punjabi music versus quiet, mellifluous Tamilian Carnatic music. However, the difference in sensibilities is predictable. I familiarized myself once again with all the clichés.

In fact, after reading the blurb and title Two States; I was aware that plot progression will be predictable. So what if the book questions the racism India practices against its own countryman? It questions why we are scared to marry outside our clan. Lovers themselves have the dilemma that if it is worth it to marry with making so many members of the families unhappy. Is it worth it?

But then since we have been asking these questions for a long time with little progress, I personally read the book with complete detachment in one-go. I had a fair idea what was to come, so there weren’t many heartstrings moved or surprises for that matter.

I don’t need to comment on Chetan Bhagat’s language, for we all know he has never claimed to be literary. Sometimes lines are cheesy and you may have heard them before. For example, My father never smiled through his wedding. How could he, he was marrying your mother? Or

However, long ago, I had read this post about 5 elements of Chetan Bhagat’s wrting: young, modern characters (it helps if they are from IIT or IIM); conversation with F word, Blooywood-ish plots complete with proposals on knee; a love story and a twist at end. All these elements are there in this book, only you know the twist for this book.

Every Indian who watches Bollywood knows the twist in this story. Yet you must read this book once, if only to know what lovers from different communities go through at the hands of their families. How love is at mercy of societal, familial norms. And how a man eternally finds himself torn between his girlfriends/wife and mother. No prizes to guess the last one. Oh yes, I forgot there is also a hurried, steamy account of a college affair; you could find bit of Five Point Someone reminisces there.

Review all said and done, I sometimes wonder why couples from different communities give into their feelings for each other when they know they won’t go against the grain of their families and that their families will never ever accept their partner. It is an unnecessary heartache and heartaches do leave scars, even if time heals them. I am glad at least Krish and Ananya, Chetan Bhagat book’s protagonists, tried even if results weren’t always desirable.

Rating: 2.5/5

Last year Avant Garde Bloggies Awards (2008) was very popular. It had a huge participation; so much that it had to be conducted with the help of a small, dedicated team (whom I can never stop thanking enough):    The Scrutinizing Committee, the Publicist, the Badge Designer, the Poll Manager and of course the Judges.

This is the list of award categories for which nominations were invited. Before taking the plunge into such a mammoth and busy affair, I would like to know your opinion:

Taking lessons from the last year event, there will be some necessary changes this year. For example, multiple nomination by same person in a category will not be allowed. Voting will be available for lesser duration. Award categories maybe overhauled. And more changes, if required.

Similarly, in case you want to suggest any changes in Avant Garde Bloggies Awards, if conducted this year, let us know in the comments section. Thank you!

P.S: Oh, and here is a promotion video from last year created by Nikhil.

My phone rings. It is my neighbour.

“Poonam, do you know that there is a dog lying outside your house?”

“Really?”

I instantly got up from my bedroom and went to check at the door. Sure enough, there was a large black dog laying in front my gate. He had a huge wound, yet I could see he was breathing. There was also a huge odour. I silently closed the door.

I was soon on phone to find a vet. A colleague, R, who is also an animal rights activist, said she would get me some help. Actually this whole effort could not have been made without her help. First she gave me the number of a voluntary organisation called Paws.

Me: Hi, I have a wounded dog lying at my gate. He needs a vet. Can you please help?

Paws: Can you please describe the wound?

Me: Its about 6 inches circular wound infested with something like flies.

Paws: Does it smell?

Me: Yes, a lot.

Paws: It’s a maggot wound, which is very painful for dogs. Sometimes they are consumed within 4-5 hours. Can you bring the dog to clinic it is here and here?

Me: How will I bring the dog! One it’s huge dog and there is no help around. Second it’s injured. Third it may bite. And life is seeping out of him, he needs help urgently. Being new in city, I might take time in finding my way so far.

Paws: Just put it in an auto rickshaw and send it to this address. I will see if I can find you a volunteer. It is hard since it is Sunday. But I must warn you that our dog kennels are full so the volunteer will only help you with first aid and taking it to vet. Our volunteer will bring back the dog and then if the dog is still around, we can take to vet every day.

I hung up in dismay. Needless to mention, no autowallah agreed to carry the dog. To be fair to Paws, a very nice Paws volunteer Rishabh called me, but by that time I had had help for the dog. Rishabh assured me that dogs do recover from huge maggot wounds.

I recounted this to my colleague and searched Net for other animal rescue organisations. It was again my colleague R who then came up with a number for Animal Farm. They would send the ambulance, she said.

I called them, yes they were sending ambulance. Only two conditions: I must ensure that dog doesn’t go any more when ambulance arrives from so far so maybe I could tie it. And I should cover the wound with a cloth so that it is not infested with more infection.

Covering the wound was alright, but I was unable to tie the wounded dog as instructed. To be honest, much as I wanted to help, I was very scared.

My earliest memory of a dog is to be chased by one when I was 10. I let out horrifying cries while running with shopping bags in hand when the dog (or was it dogs) chased me around. It was a small lone stretch of ground I was running on, and it was dusky. Fortunately, a friend of my father had heard my cries and came running. While he shooed away the dogs (yes, it was a pack of dogs), I fell down to my knees on the ground with relief. That day uncle gave me an important lesson to deal with dogs. My first lesson on dog’s reflexes. Now whenever I see a dog on street, I do two things instinctively. I chant prayers in my mind and second pretend to stoop low as if I am picking a stone. It always works, even the growling dogs who have been dangerously eying, run away when they see you stooping to pick a stone.

Cut to Present. I asked for help from people to tie the wounded dog down, I don’t get any. People said it was stray dog, could bite. Maybe they were right. So I did the second best thing.

I kept my door open; open to bad odour from the dog. I plonked with my laptop in the living room to keep an eye on the dog while the ambulance arrived. I realised later that I needn’t have bothered since dog didn’t budge except when lights came on in the evening. Even when Ambulance arrived and the two men had to haul the dog in their lap since dog was too weak to even stand.

They said they would give him painkiller on the way and that judging by the condition dog will have to be put on drip when they get to their vet hospital.

The ambulance guy asked me to fill up a form and charge five hundred bucks for ambulance. I paid and asked for the receipt. (Later, when I saw the receipt it was a donation receipt and not receipt of services. ) To be honest I had planned to donate little more than this. After all, this was only organisation that agreed to send an ambulance. Yet I was flummoxed by being asked upfront for money.

I called my animal lover colleague and discussed. She agreed that services were meant to be free so that people would be more and more forthcoming in helping the mute, stray beings. So, I went on to speak to the proprietor of the organisation.

Me: Hey, just want to know do you charge for ambulance or is it voluntary?

Animal Farm Lady: Of course we charged. Ambulance came from far. Petrol charges. And I spent 3 lakhs from my pocket for the organisation to run. The least I can ask is to cover the cost of ambulance. We will provide medication and health care to so many other dogs and several other animals.

Me: I admire the work you do. I would love to be part of what you do. I don’t regret giving the money. I just wanted to be sure about the charges because I had this idea that you provide free, voluntary service so that more people would care and report about the animals. I wondered if it was error on the ambulance driver’s part.

Animal Farm: That’s not my problem, people’s problem. (Me thinking that was animals’ problem! For if you charge money, many people may turn a blind eye. ) And the driver gave you receipt so you shouldn’t worry about his mistake or money not reaching us. I have spent a lot of money and effort. Why don’t you come down and check out my facility? See our farm and then make up your mind.

Me: I sure will come down. Thanks again for taking care. Please do update me on the dog’s progress.

After the call, I decided that the lady was within her rights to ask for a small donation. No one else was willing to send an ambulance on Sunday to my area. No one else takes out their time and savings to start a NGO for the mute beings. They deserve more help from me. From us.

Next day, I received a call from Animal Farm. My dog hadn’t survived the night. They will arrange for a dog funeral, Yes, Animal Farm takes care of animal funerals too.

I had failed the dog, but I learnt a lesson in life.

P.S: Thank you, Animal Farm. I recommend them to animal lovers in Pune.

Irrespective of the title not really a review, reflections

There are some movies, that by looking at its stills you can tell with certainty that you are going to watch it.  It is distinctly a whimsy feeling considering you watch all other movies after carefully vetting the reviews. Wake Up Sid was one such movie for me. I knew I had to watch it.

God knows how many times I have given in to such feelings and been mortified at my own judgment. I still have a stark memory of buying advance tickets of a Hrithik Movie Yaadein. (After the first hit, Hrithik’s this second movie had so many takers in advance bookings.) I stood for more than two hours (there was a lunch break in between) in an agonizingly long queue for the tickets at Delhi’s Chanakya theater (It has been closed down now) with my friends. Needless to say, once inside in the theater during the screening of Yaadein, my friends cursed me for that excruciating effort we made to buy the tickets for them.

My reviews aren’t meant to be professional, I mean to ramble and reflect. The experience. And Wake Up Sid gave me a wonderful experience.

This is the first time I am going to rave about a movie that has hardly a plot to talk about. Plot is always important to me when it concerns a book or a movie. And Wake Up Sid has none.

Possible Spoiler: It’s simple of story of a college kid drifting through ‘I-don’t-know-what-I’m-gonna-do’ phase combined with ‘We-don’t-know-we’re-in-love’ twist. :Possible Spoiler That’s it. That is the story.

Yet movie enthralled me, consumed me. For once, nothing was over-the-top or melodramatic. Yet it touched heart. (It helped my friends discreetly let me be weepy at times. ) In the movie, college kids looked like college kids. Sweet friendships, puppy loves and camaraderie. The age when friends make your world go around. You have conflicts with a family you know you love.

And finally not knowing what you are good at. It happens to all of us. I have drifted and veered courses too. I have taken longer time than Sid to decide how I wanted to earn my living. I just knew that I wanted to do something that I love, so that it would not seem like I am working (and that enjoying made half the work done). I am glad I made it and it came by a small quirk of fate. For Sid, he simply drifted through it with some aid from a ‘friend’.

Movie works because it works on a basic rule, “Don’t tell me, show me.”

There are so many moments I can recount where there were no dialogues but gestures, feelings that were communicated to you. Possible Spoiler: Like a friend gently dissuading obese friend from eating, laughing off first heartbreak in an attempt to lighten up, father embarrassed at his son’s drifting ways, a doting Mom trying to catch her son’s attention, a woman realising that she has fallen in love, irrational sweet jealousy, a woman realising that the man she’s interested is taken and a boy wanting to please a woman he doesn’t know that he loves. : Possible Spoiler

Each actor was great. Konkana Sen Sharma has always played the character of an independent girl with a hilt. Its again that yet it doesn’t feel clichéd or repetitive. Ranbir Kapoor, as my friend kept reminding looked a spitting image of his mother Neetu Singh, was great as Sid. If this isn’t a consummate performance, then nothing else is. Full marks to both Ranbir and Konkana and unstated chemistry.

Handsome Rahul Khanna who was not half as handsome as he usually is, was also there as Konkana’s crush. Both Anupam Kher and Supriya Pathak (more Anupam though) as Sid’s parents were understated and subtle.

Ranbir Kapoor with Director Ayan Mukherjee

Subtle is also the word for this movie by the young director Ayan Mukherjee. Go watch this movie, it will remind you many young bitter-sweet moments of your love and life.

Rating: 4/5 (It has both heart and spirit so bonus points; if it had a story I would give it a high 5)

P.S: Possible Spoiler: Konkana’s article “New Girl in Bombay” for the mag was certainly not at all a masterpiece but it was sweet, though I loved Ranbir’s repartee (to it) more.

This is your new girl in Pune, signing off.

First the good news, I have written about DU distance learning students’ plight at their courses not being recognised. IGNOU has now given a green signal for DU distance learning courses. Hurray!

I had written this post at request of Deepak, who wasn’t receiving his appointment letter from Staff Selection Commission (SSC) even though he was selected. So, thankfully, Deepak will receive his appointment letter shortly.

All winners of Cricket-opedia Contest by Virgin IHL have received their gifts. However, I could confirm it with all winners except one, Sandil Srinivasan. Sandil, could you please let me know if you got your goody bag?

Now come the dedications and thank yous.

The first one is to Ava, she awarded me a International Bloggers Award, which I didn’t know about until I checked incoming links.  Second, she loved the book I gifted her and also wrote about the book on her blog.

Ok, I admit I am gushing with pleasure. I gift books to everyone I meet and know. Even me smaller cousins know I would get then a new book each time. But when I know someone loved them and appreciated them as I thought they would. It’s like feeling dhanya, it feels like heaven. Thank you, Ava for making my day.

Second is Indyeah, who wrote this beautiful post about Delhi, dedicating to me. Though I twittered it, I never acknowledged it on my blog. Thank you, girl.

I must also thank Arpit, who is now embarking on a new life. Often he is the one who reminds me to write a new post. And I DO write at his behest.

News about Fellow Bloggers

You must already know that  Chirag who now blogs here has started a new initiative called Indiameme. He has a new initiative where he’s collating information about all national and local government sites. Please help him and suggest the worthy resources in the comments section.

Similarly, Dinsan, who used to the first commentator on all my posts is now also a freelancer. He is churning out useful posts as this. Go visit his non-cluttered blog and find simple tech news there.

Nimmy is also back and has written interesting posts on astrology and Scientology.

On the Sad News front, three minor bad things have happened in my blogging life in past few months.

First: Two of the bloggers, some valued friends, lied about a small issue. Though to their credit, they regretted it, their regret was also genuine since they are good people. But it made me wonder about things like privacy and trust within online friends.

I have defined my blogging boundaries. I write personal stuff; but nothing too personal, nothing that I wouldn’t be open about in real life.  I decide which bloggers I will meet, and how far I will go with each. It is not a decision for anyone else to take if this info should be shared with other blogger, or how I should deal with other blogger, or how close (if I am) to other blogger.

What makes worse, people have different definition of honesty as well. What you know was lie and dishonest may not be to others. Lesson learnt is that , blogging is soon becoming a community where people happily whisper secrets to other saying ‘Don’t tell anyone’. And a chain of passing info goes on   So if there’s something you want to keep to yourself, don’t ACTUALLY tell anyone.  Because the one you are putting in trust maybe as gullible and human as you.

Second, a blogger who disagreed with my DevD review actually abused me. You know who you are and you have been barred from having your further say on my space. It’s alright to call my opinions foolish or provoking ; but to call me names and abuse me for my opinion is UNACCEPTABLE. Period.

I remember having a great conversation with Quirky Indian on the same post. We disagreed but despite that, it was a great conversation.

Third, another blogger who I considered a great friend took umbrage at my innocent quip. If I disagree with you, I certainly don’t intend to put you down. I am just expressing my opinion. Feel free to rip apart what I say. But dismissing my disagreement by doubting my intention is not fair. Not fair to the medium of blogging and commenting; not fair to friendships.

But for every such blogger, I am grateful and proud to know bloggers like Anshul and Vee.

Anshul and me disagree on most things because things we agree are very far and few. He didn’t even agree with me that Salim Ali’s book was a good choice for ornithology. Ok, this was a dig at him. But see, he won’t think that I am putting him down. He will launch his own efforts to prove me wrong instead, knowing this won’t thwart our friendship at all.  (Second dig successfully taken. )

Then there is Vee, I remember having a disagreement about movie Gulal. I hated a particular character; whom he loved. Though he won’t budge in his opinion (he wrote in comments that he will write his side in his review, and he did), he did tell me “tumne to solid reason diya hai” as in you have given me a solid argument.

Thank you both, you guys make me believe that freedom to expression of speech will never come in way of our friendship. And you my reader, I assure you these experiences are not going to take out any sting from my future debates and arguments. I am just going to be me as always, but just a bit wary.

Last but not the least, I meet families of two other wonderful bloggers Mahendra, who is a staff writer at Makeuseof.com and Meetu, who is owner of wonderful movie review site, WOGMA. When I told a friend about my visit, he said, “They were good to you.” Yes, very much. Thank you, Mahendra and Meetu, glad to know people like you in a new city.

Vee tagged me, the  once-reigning meme queen:

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.

She laughs. A Dog? Why?

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can & catch air?

My handsome tote bag that I carry to work

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?

I haven’t watched TV since two months. Unless you count glimpses of Rakhi Sawant show caught at a friend’s place.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is?

8.30 pm

5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?

8.12 pm (Testing my time keep abilities, are you? I am bad at it since I live in timelessness and also I cheated)

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

Bob Dylan playing in my room. Wait Ganesh Chaturthi loud speakers are also playing outside my balcony, somewhere in my society.

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?

An hour ago to catch a burger from Subway

8. Before you started this Q&As, what did you look at?

Vee’s blog to copy this whole thing

9. What are you wearing?

Skirt and top, ready for bed.

10. When did you last laugh?

Little while ago, was pulling my favorite friend’s leg which has become my e-speciality.

11. What is on the walls of the room you are in?

At home, in my room, beautiful red and lime green walls were so good I didn’t put up anything other than a framed picture of my sister and me. By the way, I have uploaded this picture in my this post about my sister.

Poor English Peasant? :rolling my eyes:

12. Seen anything weird lately?

Yes, saw someone putting imbecile graphic visualizations in training program. For example, this is supposed to depict a poor English peasant:

13. What do you think of this quiz?

Inane and Simple; perfect for my tired frame of mind

14. What is the last film you saw?

Juno

15. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?

An Island and stuff my lone house there with all books and movies I can find.

16. Tell me something about you that I dunno!

…that I have made some girlie jokes about you (in good spirit of course) with other girls. Nope, don’t ask, for I won’t tell.

17. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?

I would remove all caste, region, religion barriers. We must be one.

18. Do you like to Dance?

Yes, but can’t really shake a leg for life.

19. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?

Navya, though I am not sure. It’s tentative.

20. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call her?

Atiharn. Again, tentative.

21. Would you ever consider living abroad?

Yes, for a short period of time. Tuscany, Rome, Venice, and maybe even Paris. Pity they never send you onsite to these places.

22. What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?

Take care of all my loved ones I left behind. Let them know how I miss them.

I tag Indyeah, Arpit, Withering Willow and HyperMom.

P.S: Vee, as a tribute to you, I have not used the ‘more tag’ to cut off my post. I know that lazy you doesn’t  like it.

…are the auto-wallahs I met today.

Yes, you heard it right.

Truthfully, most harrowing thing that I have encountered in Pune has been its auto rickshaws.

Some days ago, I was actually stuck with an auto driver, who was taking me round and round the same place, asking directions to random people, taking random turns. I got very scared inwardly since I didn’t know my way to home either and it was about 9 already. I finally ordered him to stop, threw some bills (even though I was still within mile of my source point) and ran away.

Pune auto rickshaws have used every trick in the book to cheat me. They usually tell you incorrect fare, since meter shows only distance covered. Once, they used Bombay or some other place rate card (which had higher rates), lied to me that in the morning newspaper tariffs have been increased, had faulty meter that stopped in between and now they demand unreasonable price. Of course, I have deflected most of them barring once or twice, because I can easily calculate the fare correctly.

So today, when hurriedly paid some bills (usual fare) to the auto wallah and was rushing out to office, he stopped me to hand me some bills back. I gaped in confusion.

He was forty-ish bespectacled Muslim driver with hennaed hair and beard.

He explained, I had paid him more money. And I remembered then that I had flagged auto away from home so obviously it was less fare. Gingerly, I told him, no one ever takes less. He dismissed my observation with curt “Banta nahi to kyun lun.” Loosely meaning, if that is not the deserved cost, why should I take.

I was so touched by this gentleman’s gesture, I blessed him hundred times in my heart. For reinforcing my faith in people. And auto wallahas. God bless him!

Similarly, on my way back from the malls of my swine-flu city, where I had accompanied a friend to find a nice gift for her husband (What do you gift men, by the way, besides clothes, accessories, wallets, cologne?), I easily found an auto way back. By meter. It is a minor miracle since I live in bit far-end of city; and auto rickshaws refuse to ply at times.

Next time I complain about auto rickshaws, remind me of this post. By the way, is there anything we can do when autowallahs refuse to ply and overcharge?

I sneezed.

Immediately I checked if my nails were blue and that if I could breathe properly. Now I definitely wasn’t getting fresh air. I was standing in queue at a closeted billing counter of a departmental store. It was definitely hard to breathe fresh air there.

Other than me, everyone wore masks both inside and outside the mall.  Why not, I am in swine flu capital, Pune. I have to check my symptoms at every sneeze or cough, to be sure.

I do carry a scarf these days to cover my mouth like a bandida, but it’s a suffocating feeling.

Interestingly, Pune girls, even before we had heard of swine flu, have been tying headscarves (instead of helmets) while driving as protection against pollution. Their headscarves are unique in that cover their entire face and head except eyes.

Pune Girls Wearing Headscarves - Pic courtesy Eric Parker's Photo stream

A new Police Commissioner tried to ban headscarves in vain, amidst the hue and cry of Pune girls. So, owing to use of these headscarves I think, Pune girls at least are safe from air-borne swine flu contamination.

When I have just put my foot in this city, and am raring to explore it, it is swamped by swine flu germs. Schools, colleges, cinemas and malls are closed.

Kids play wearing masks, domestic help arrives wearing masks. People on streets walk and drive, wearing masks. It’s hard not to feel the scare.

Public Display of Infection - Comic by Brainstuck.com

But scare we must not.

I am sure your Inbox is full of emails about swine flu, mine sure is. Reader is also full of swine flu advice and cartoons. Here’s a collection of 30 swine flu cartoons. I still thought I would add my two cents.

Swine Flu is curable. Here is a survivor’s story. Note some important points story makes: with medical care, proper fluids and rest you can beat it.

Kids and people with low immunity, who suffer from diseases like AIDS, TB, diabetes or hypertension, are most vulnerable.  It’s said that children even after they are cured, carry the virus in their nasal cavity. So a child may not be showing signs of flu, he/she may still be the carrier.

My revered reader Praneshachar sent me an email with the link to David Icke’s blog. David claims that swine flu virus has been lab created, to promote the sale of flu vaccination. He says:

The Austrian journalist, Jane Bürgermeister, has filed criminal charges with the FBI against the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations, Barack Obama, a Rockefeller, a Rothschild, and others, over a plot she uncovered to cull the population with a deadly swine flu vaccine.

She said that bird flu and swine flu have been developed in laboratories and released on the public with the aim of mass murder through vaccination. Her filed document is called Bioterrorism Evidence.

I am not sure how creditable these claims are, but Roche, the company manufacturing medicine Tamiflu, is laughing all the way to the bank.

Though it must be pointed out that Oxford University researchers claim that Tamiflu can cause side-effects in children, and FDA too warns this drug can cause psychiatric effects in kids.

Coming to the government that we love to bash. The last two Congress governments have a history of appointing comic stooges as cabinet ministers. (Remember Shivraj Patil.) While last health minister Anbumani Ramadoss spent 90% of his time in office on trifle matters like  smoking celebrities like SRK, unethical pub culture and surrogate advertising in IPL; current health minister Mr. Gulam Nabi Azad is no less. First he had suggested TV as solution for population control, now he has accurately pegged the exact percentage of Indians that are going to be affected by swine flu!

Blah Blah Zad - Midday cartoon by Satish Acharya

Swine Flu has hit several countries, even Costa Rica’s Noble Prize winner President is down with swine flu. I guess disease is taking monumental proportions because in India, considering that we have had 3 month notice since swine flu first hit in March in Mexico, our health care system is not quite adequate. In Pune , just a week ago only two hospitals were handling (and simultaneously goofing up) with swine flu cases. Private hospitals in the capital city Delhi too are more or less reluctant to handle swine flu!

This disease thankfully is limited only to cities, not a single rural case has so far been reported.

I wonder when this pandemic will be over. Scientists say, that swine flu could be more lethal in winters. This claim does have some logic considering that even though swine flu emerged from Mexico, it spread like forestfire in all the colder countries like US, UK, Canada, France and Netherlands.

People have already filed a PIL not to celebrate Dahi-handi and Ganesh festivals in Maharashtra. Goa government is pondering if they should invoke Epidemic Control Act, 1897 to keep out foreign tourists.

Mahendra has written this post listing swine flu helpline numbers and contact centers. List of government-approved hospitals in all cities is here.

Before I sign off, I leave you with links to few useful articles about swine flu.

Everything You Wanted to Know about Swine Flu

Precautions to Prevent Swine Flu

10 Home Remedies to Prevent Swine Flu

Seven Steps When You are Hit by Swine Flu

P.S: Click on images to see the original source. Thanks!