I remember the rain in my early childhood days, when the Khurbura Streets would flood. Once it abated, all of us kids would bring out those glossy covers of magazines and make boats out of them. Standing at the helm of our doorsteps, we'd then race our boats in the running water.
I remember that rain in which I, then aged around seven, had walked all the way to our new house in Vijay Park from my school a good five six kilometers away, and in which my family members had thought that I was lost.
I remember the rain which came hurtling along some road near the Mumbai docks in the summer of '95 trip, and Chachu, Dad and I had stopped the scooter and ran to take shelter as it approached us from the other direction.
I remember the rain on our trek back to Govindghat from Hemkund Sahib, when I was in standard eighth, that had come as a dangerous menacing devil on those muddy forest slopes.
I remember the rain which I had seen in Dalhousie three years back that had turned into soft snowflakes as five then-friends sipped Blue Riband Vodka (for lack of any better brand) sitting around a bonfire.
I remember the sweet French drizzle of June' 07, which I walked in as I headed to the internship centre back from a lunch break.
I remember the crazy rain last year on 26th July, a day before I was supposed to fly to NYC, as I had stood outside Phoenix Mills compound, dragging a big suitcase in one hand and holding an umbrella in the other, trying to hail taxis who wouldn't agree to take me home for it was but not more than Rs.30 far.
But, I haven't in my life ever seen a rain like one I saw today. Maybe it was just a normal shower. However, out in Arabian Sea, sitting on top of a ferry to Elephanta, the rain hurtled as a frenzied shower of bullets, and at an almost horizontal level. The drops seemed much bigger than your Mr. Regular Raindrop. In short, it took us not more than two minutes to realize that the premium of Rs10 apiece (over and above the ticket cost of course) which we had paid to sit on top, was indeed quite pointless. Thus doled out a crushing defeat, we sounded the trumpet of retreat, and ran down the stairs back to the sheltered main deck.
It was awesome by the way, the whole goddamn experience. Loved it! (And the Beer at the MTDC Restaurant on the Elephanta top, but that's a different story)
P.S. - Vodafone doesn't follow you wherever you go. The signal didn't. And in the rain, the Vodafone Umbrella a guy was holding, didn't. It just flew off into the services of yours truly, Mr. Arabian Sea.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Of Racism...
What triggered this post is a comment saying that even though what is happening to Indians in Australia is bad, one must also not forget how racist we Indians are. To exemplify this, an article by a lead journo of one of the most popular newspapers in India was quoted. This gentleman in turn goes on to talk about the racism prevalent in Indian blood, of how we prefer fair skinned humans to dark ones, how an archaic Indian word for an African is 'hubshi' et cetera.
Not just this, I was reading the comments people have put under the article, saying that the journo is right, that we are in fact the most racist nation so much so that one of them actually goes on to say that we as Indians deserve it. Amidst this deluge, one tiny comment is that of an Indian actually staying in Australia - who seems to be mortally afraid and pretty terrorized by it. And that in essence sums up the whole issue. Mr. Top Journo has missed the whole point.
Yes, it is good to introspect. And as responsible citizens of the country, it is an essential duty for each one of us. But one cannot keep on applying reverse logic everywhere. Its like saying that we don't have 100% literacy. But the administrative set up is not up to the mark, there is widespread corruption and so the projects do not get implemented well enough. And hence, we deserve it.
C'mon people! Those students in Australia are being singled out and bashed, for having done absolutely nothing to trigger it - let alone doing anything wrong. What kind of justice is that anyway? And what has that got to do with we deserving it because a certain section of our society thinks in a racist manner? Rotten apples exist everywhere. And they would face there end in good time.
But there's blood being shed - simple! And it is unreasonable. Is it so very hard to understand? Its just plain hooliganism. And hooliganism on the part of a certain section of the society over there. Wrong! Pooh poo Mr. Top Journo!
As far as Indians being racist are concerned, well there was open aparthied once in South Africa. Open slavery once in your most developed Uncle Sam's land. And yet Mandela came and created a difference. And now Obama has come. Things change. Things will change. So would the mindsets.
What we need is action, and not pointless cribbing and crying out loud! If you think something's wrong, go mend it. It is at the end of the day, your nation too. Do something, willya?
Not just this, I was reading the comments people have put under the article, saying that the journo is right, that we are in fact the most racist nation so much so that one of them actually goes on to say that we as Indians deserve it. Amidst this deluge, one tiny comment is that of an Indian actually staying in Australia - who seems to be mortally afraid and pretty terrorized by it. And that in essence sums up the whole issue. Mr. Top Journo has missed the whole point.
Yes, it is good to introspect. And as responsible citizens of the country, it is an essential duty for each one of us. But one cannot keep on applying reverse logic everywhere. Its like saying that we don't have 100% literacy. But the administrative set up is not up to the mark, there is widespread corruption and so the projects do not get implemented well enough. And hence, we deserve it.
C'mon people! Those students in Australia are being singled out and bashed, for having done absolutely nothing to trigger it - let alone doing anything wrong. What kind of justice is that anyway? And what has that got to do with we deserving it because a certain section of our society thinks in a racist manner? Rotten apples exist everywhere. And they would face there end in good time.
But there's blood being shed - simple! And it is unreasonable. Is it so very hard to understand? Its just plain hooliganism. And hooliganism on the part of a certain section of the society over there. Wrong! Pooh poo Mr. Top Journo!
As far as Indians being racist are concerned, well there was open aparthied once in South Africa. Open slavery once in your most developed Uncle Sam's land. And yet Mandela came and created a difference. And now Obama has come. Things change. Things will change. So would the mindsets.
What we need is action, and not pointless cribbing and crying out loud! If you think something's wrong, go mend it. It is at the end of the day, your nation too. Do something, willya?
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