She manages to look beautiful and in her best form even at 3:00 am in the morning dusk. The aerial view from the aircraft as you land into her arms is breath taking and yet so comforting as she welcomes you to the city of dreams. Mumbai!
As her tummy starts to tickle with excitement as in some roller coaster ride to the city.She manages to set her entangled hair straight & look somewhat human to her awaiting folks so they dont pass unrecognised. She lands the city of Dreams. The city which vouches to never sleep or even blink.A city were she built her hopes, fear, happiness, love, life and all of it.
As she landed making her way to the emigration office she hopped right onto the escalator she saw millions and millions of heads from above and as she came closer to the lower level there she came close to reality were she became a part of those million crowd being just a stranger to the people and to the city. That's when she understood the plight of those thousands of tourist who visit her country everyday or year.
She managed to get her way out after tons of pushing and excusing herself with those heavy suitcase and finally entering the so called line which has no end.
As she stood there wondering when the line would come to an end there pops in a group of 10 odd people cutting the line and boom stands right in front of her as though she was non existent to them. She mutters "Welcome to the Mumbainess" not to forget the add on of 35 degree temperature at 4:00 in the morning.
After a long wait of some odd hours finally making her way out of the emigration line taking with her all those sweaty smell from the crowd. There she bumps into another sweaty crowd to the baggage claim where a dozen of people wanting to offer their helping hand with her most heavy weight bags in exchange of money and some free advice which you get either ways.
On her way to the so called"Green Channel" wonder why is called so? which by her defination is nothing but offering or by force giving away your hard earned dollars to the so called custom officer animal who is anxiously
awaiting to find some prey for his morning glory.
So after loosening some dollars from her so called India fund she gets royal service from the Pandu. It's called " The Pandu Servie" which is a special escort service to the exit of the Airport.
Conclusion to the above para: One needs to either not travel alone with so many suitcases of heavy baggage specially if you are a women or have some sort of influence be it any kind in the airport in order to save those hard earned dollars.
By the experience she had in like an hour of landing she wonders,Is this the very country she calls her own or is it the country where she currently dwells her own, were the least she doesn't get conned in various forms.
The city of Dreams which by now was all different and came in the unseen form to her.It wasn't the same city anymore that she cherished half her life. The city had changed so much or was it her perception towards the city that was changed? she wondered...
Mumbai you amuse me in every possible way be it "Of The People, By The People, For The People"!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
India A Land of Dreams!
India my land
India my dream
You are my aspiration
You are my inspiration
The smell of your soil takes me back home
Your people in any country makes me feel home
India my land
India my dream
You are a land of hope
You are a land of dreams
You remind of devotion
You remind me of beauty and revolution!
India my land
India my dream
From Kashmir to Kerala
Be it Orissa to Maharashtra
It all reminds me of those beautiful Yatra
The food, the culture, the language, the religion, the ethnicity, the scenic beauty
All are part of your wonderful world!
India my land
India my dream
The temple,the shrine
All the place of worship you have is divine
With all of a kind
You teach me devotion
You make me spiritual
You are filled with emotional people who are full of love,care and affection.
India my land
India my dream
You have some good but most profane politicians who rather have more money in their Swiss account than help the families who lost their loved ones or the people in need.
India my land
India my dream
You aspire every child to be an achiever,succeeder,dreamer.
But you still have poverty, illiteracy and homeless around
You say you are a country of unity,diversity & national integration
But you do have your share of conflict,terrorism & enmity around
India my land
India my dream
But apart from all these complexities,inferiority
Every time I step feet in my land, my country
It's like stepping the Dreamland.
Every year to a Better India
A loved India.
India a land of Dreams!
Happy Jan 26 to all!
India my dream
You are my aspiration
You are my inspiration
The smell of your soil takes me back home
Your people in any country makes me feel home
India my land
India my dream
You are a land of hope
You are a land of dreams
You remind of devotion
You remind me of beauty and revolution!
India my land
India my dream
From Kashmir to Kerala
Be it Orissa to Maharashtra
It all reminds me of those beautiful Yatra
The food, the culture, the language, the religion, the ethnicity, the scenic beauty
All are part of your wonderful world!
India my land
India my dream
The temple,the shrine
All the place of worship you have is divine
With all of a kind
You teach me devotion
You make me spiritual
You are filled with emotional people who are full of love,care and affection.
India my land
India my dream
You have some good but most profane politicians who rather have more money in their Swiss account than help the families who lost their loved ones or the people in need.
India my land
India my dream
You aspire every child to be an achiever,succeeder,dreamer.
But you still have poverty, illiteracy and homeless around
You say you are a country of unity,diversity & national integration
But you do have your share of conflict,terrorism & enmity around
India my land
India my dream
But apart from all these complexities,inferiority
Every time I step feet in my land, my country
It's like stepping the Dreamland.
Every year to a Better India
A loved India.
India a land of Dreams!
Happy Jan 26 to all!
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Journey back to Native Land !
I always loved visiting my native land or like others call it God's own Country. So every year as a kid when i would have summer vacations from school my father & I mostly would plan a trip to Kerala. The land of coconuts, the land of plantains, the land of nature & beauty filled across. A perfect getaway for good 1 month from Mumbai and its scorching heat.
So speaking of kerala I always loved the nature, my family back there and beautiful landscape the place offered and not to forget the yummy home food. But Kerala being my own native town as a child we never got to explore the place much and enjoy the beauty of it. We only had time to visit our relatives, enjoy the food and watch malayalam movies and cover as many temples as we can in that visit.
So that being said its time I explore this beautiful country on its own, know the people around, hit all nook & corner around.
Be it from spending a day or 2 in a houseboat enjoying the backwaters or an evening walk down the kovalam beach, to exploring the not so known hidden Estury island from kovalam beach, from Waynad to Munar. From Athirapilly waterfalls experience to walking the paddy fields on a rainy day. Experiencing ayurvedic massage to sipping fresh tender coconut water on a sunny day. Starting from fresh hot steamed breakfast and extending to the enormous sadhya (banana leaves used as plates and array of dishes)to ending enjoying different forms of Art & culture of Kerala.
A wishlist of kerala has been set now all I need is to set on the number of days & the year to be marked in my calender.
So speaking of kerala I always loved the nature, my family back there and beautiful landscape the place offered and not to forget the yummy home food. But Kerala being my own native town as a child we never got to explore the place much and enjoy the beauty of it. We only had time to visit our relatives, enjoy the food and watch malayalam movies and cover as many temples as we can in that visit.
So that being said its time I explore this beautiful country on its own, know the people around, hit all nook & corner around.
Be it from spending a day or 2 in a houseboat enjoying the backwaters or an evening walk down the kovalam beach, to exploring the not so known hidden Estury island from kovalam beach, from Waynad to Munar. From Athirapilly waterfalls experience to walking the paddy fields on a rainy day. Experiencing ayurvedic massage to sipping fresh tender coconut water on a sunny day. Starting from fresh hot steamed breakfast and extending to the enormous sadhya (banana leaves used as plates and array of dishes)to ending enjoying different forms of Art & culture of Kerala.
A wishlist of kerala has been set now all I need is to set on the number of days & the year to be marked in my calender.
The Posh Restuarant !
So its a bright sunny day in Mumbai India and these 8 girls 18 soemthing teens stepped out by noon for an enormous meal which 4 of their girlfriends were throwing to the rest. A clubed birthday party you can say. As all these 4 girls had a tight budget but good enough money to get into a decent restuarant and treat their friends for a nice meal.
So they get into this posh chic restuarant looking all good from out and as they step in there is a waiter standing greeting them goodmorning. So them being the first customer for the day the waiter looks excited seeing a large crowd of 8 pretty girls walking in the restuarant as he greeted them.
He instantly got them seated and took 8 fresh glasses and began filling them with water. The girls started giggling and talking about their budget and got anxious to have a peep at the menu card.
The waiter handed over the menu card to each of them and went in the kitchen. The girls quickly without wasting a second screened the menu. Exclaimation ! They all looked at each other and nodded.
The waiter came back all ready to take orders with a pen & paper to make note of the items going to be ordered. To his suprise he sees no one being seated in the restuarant and all 8 glass of water being empty.
The girls on scanning the menu realised they would be short of money and hence immediately ran away from the restuarant before the waiter could arrive.
Now this is not an episode from any source but an actual incident that happened and me being one amongst the 8 girls. So this goes out to all those amazing girlfriends Bindhiya,Neha,Ambika,Ashley, Noella, Priya, Aji who are all in different parts of the world.
Love you girls!
So they get into this posh chic restuarant looking all good from out and as they step in there is a waiter standing greeting them goodmorning. So them being the first customer for the day the waiter looks excited seeing a large crowd of 8 pretty girls walking in the restuarant as he greeted them.
He instantly got them seated and took 8 fresh glasses and began filling them with water. The girls started giggling and talking about their budget and got anxious to have a peep at the menu card.
The waiter handed over the menu card to each of them and went in the kitchen. The girls quickly without wasting a second screened the menu. Exclaimation ! They all looked at each other and nodded.
The waiter came back all ready to take orders with a pen & paper to make note of the items going to be ordered. To his suprise he sees no one being seated in the restuarant and all 8 glass of water being empty.
The girls on scanning the menu realised they would be short of money and hence immediately ran away from the restuarant before the waiter could arrive.
Now this is not an episode from any source but an actual incident that happened and me being one amongst the 8 girls. So this goes out to all those amazing girlfriends Bindhiya,Neha,Ambika,Ashley, Noella, Priya, Aji who are all in different parts of the world.
Love you girls!
Monday, February 08, 2010
Snowflakes with some Cornflakes
Another weekend is done with and it’s already Sunday evening were everybody has already planned things to do, see next weekend. So the week passes by planning for the weekend. So was this mid week like Thursday were I was looking forward to the weekend and suddenly I watch the news warning about the biggest snowfall of this season is going to hit this weekend. Down the drain goes the plan. So its Friday night 11pm and after the heavy pasta and bruschetta meal all tired and trying to ignore all those dishes my eyes hit the kitchen window and I see snowflakes hitting the ground. The night travels by piling up in enormous mounds.
It’s a beautiful Saturday morning at 9 am were I wake up chafing my eyes and gaze through the window and all I see is Six inches of fluffy snow waving the peace flag all over.
The day is a snowy one snowman is stacked very high.
Their top hats almost skim the sky
To make them round they must pat Then finish off with mittens and hat.
As the weather gets cold we hit of the road for a perfect walk. We walk the talk for about 2 miles as we stop ourselves for hot chocolate with a couple treats.
Children run outside to play they put on their gear for some more fun. Some of them play around while other kids just lay on the ground.
Almost over is the day the children start to walk away
As snow falls, so does the sun
Time to go in, the day is done
But not yet as we end our night with our all time favorite movies watching till midnight with our snuggle on and some heart warming food to crave for in this snowy day. Scoop it. Toss it. Crackle. Crunch all those snowflakes.
It’s a beautiful Saturday morning at 9 am were I wake up chafing my eyes and gaze through the window and all I see is Six inches of fluffy snow waving the peace flag all over.
The day is a snowy one snowman is stacked very high.
Their top hats almost skim the sky
To make them round they must pat Then finish off with mittens and hat.
As the weather gets cold we hit of the road for a perfect walk. We walk the talk for about 2 miles as we stop ourselves for hot chocolate with a couple treats.
Children run outside to play they put on their gear for some more fun. Some of them play around while other kids just lay on the ground.
Almost over is the day the children start to walk away
As snow falls, so does the sun
Time to go in, the day is done
But not yet as we end our night with our all time favorite movies watching till midnight with our snuggle on and some heart warming food to crave for in this snowy day. Scoop it. Toss it. Crackle. Crunch all those snowflakes.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Disconnected
Have you ever felt like you aren't all there,
Like a part of you is far away somewhere,
Or like you have everything together one moment,
Then you just lose something, and you try hard to remember it,
It's like calling someone on the phone,
And all you hear is a dial tone,
I feel like my mind works like a phone at times,
When people try telling me what I don't want to hear, It's like a disconnected line,
" The person you are trying to reach is disconnected for the time being.",
A monotone voice in my head starts repeating,
"And will stay that way for the duration,
Of this boring conversation,
Please, don't leave a message after the beep."
The voice continues starting to plead,
"Thank you, and have a nice day."
Which in my own translation means "Go away.",
But people keep talking to me ,
Unaware that I haven't been listening,
I wonder if they'll ever realize,
Or continue talking to me when I don't reply,
Either way this conversation will remain deflected,
And my mind will remain disconnected.
Like a part of you is far away somewhere,
Or like you have everything together one moment,
Then you just lose something, and you try hard to remember it,
It's like calling someone on the phone,
And all you hear is a dial tone,
I feel like my mind works like a phone at times,
When people try telling me what I don't want to hear, It's like a disconnected line,
" The person you are trying to reach is disconnected for the time being.",
A monotone voice in my head starts repeating,
"And will stay that way for the duration,
Of this boring conversation,
Please, don't leave a message after the beep."
The voice continues starting to plead,
"Thank you, and have a nice day."
Which in my own translation means "Go away.",
But people keep talking to me ,
Unaware that I haven't been listening,
I wonder if they'll ever realize,
Or continue talking to me when I don't reply,
Either way this conversation will remain deflected,
And my mind will remain disconnected.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Change...Something we adapt too
The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change.
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