Yes, this is a post on Bombay. Almost everyone I know seems to know the parts of the city because of the media centric role it plays, and has an opinion. (In case you, reader, have doubts about any part of the city, here is a map tp help you.). Oh and this is a long post, and not a rant, really. People are free to choose how they  live. Choice of travel modes and property prices are individual decisions, I believe and not a factor of circumstances (usually). So this is just casual observation about people in Bombay, as free from judgemnt as I could muster, because most people anyway know what I feel about the city. I dont need to blog it.
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Bombay is two cities. It is not about rich and poor (which is indeed very contrasting in Bbay unlike most cities) and neither it is about religion (unlike what movies and books may make you think). It is two cities because it is one city forced to become larger than what it is. It is, perhaps, at some level about Bombay and it becoming Mumbai.

Traditionally Bombay was a city at the edge of a cliff, barely any aerable land, area scooped away from the harsh sea. Then, somehow, it became the land of opportunities. And people came to Bombay from all over India. And Bombay grew. The suburbs became part of the city, and what was not Bombay 10 years ago is now almost central. And what was an uninhabited island when I was young, well, its mainland now, almost the place where I live - part of 'old Mumbai'. And the city is still growing. One day it might reach Pune. And at this pace, the day is not far.

All that is beautiful. All that is nice. But that has divided the city into two parts - 'The Town'  and 'Suburbs' - nomenclatures used only by people living North of the Mahim Creek. The southern tip facing the sea became the 'town' region and a the city grew northwards - the only available landspace - suburbs grew and became part of Bombay. For those who life in the 'actual Mumbai' or in the suburbs, they are the 'mumbaikars' while anyone from South Mumbai just say they are from South Bombay. Suburbans of course, call them 'Townies'. According to them townies are snobbish. Amongst many other things. Bandra lies at the cusp, unable to choose. Unable to be accepted into what was Bombay and not deigning to be a part of the suburbs. And so anyone who comes here from other cities goes to neutral land, Bandra.

But it is not about that. It is a lot about the way of life in these two parts of the city which differentiates them so totally, that the moment you clap eyes on someone, you can guess which part of Bombay they are from - South or North. For one, it is north Bombay that is so immersed in the famous Bollywood culture. It is remarkable. Pass Santacruz and enter Juhu and from there to the ends of the city the movie feel does not leave one. There are posters of every single film that has been filmed - and you realise just how many there are.

However, the biggest divide of them all are the train travellers and the road travellers. The population count in South Bombay is relatively lower than that in North Bombay. Also, most workplaces happen to be concentrated in South, though there are hubs in Bandra and Andheri as well. So people travel, from all ends of the city, people traverse distances to reach their workplaces and then leave for home, tired, beginning their home work on the way itself (cutting and buying vegetables, deciding on kids' homeowrk etc). Because of the way the city grew, infrastructure did not keep up and the nodal transport means are Trains. Indian Railway trains that connect smaller towns to major cities - the locals - are the main transport means for Mumbai. And people willingly pack themselves into these trains, spilling over, trampling each other and zealously guarding their right to be there.

A glance can tell a person whether s/he are a train traveller. They have a haggard look to them. No matter if that day they have travelled by the most luxurious car. train travellers are usually thin. Extremely, anaeimically, thin. Not the worked-out, dieted thinness that is more common in South Bombay. Also, their shoes - they are extremely flat. Like bedroom slippers, almost. It can be skirts, dresses, jeans or salwar kameezes. Footwear is slippers. Most train travellers have hair severely pulled back and tied up, in defiance to the wind in trains else if left open (rare) are meticulously brushed, often, all the time. Men wear shirts tucked out when they can, but anyway they are dripping with sweat. And, to my nose, no matter how much they use perfumes and deodorants, I can smell the train. The slums areas that the train has to travel through.

Train travellers always seem to be eating. And the fd seems to go nowhere. Its like they live to chew. To eat, to catch up on the time they lose between the autos and the trains and their destinations which could have contributed to a sit down meal. They carry big bags - men and women. And the bags contain food, the newspaper (folded into a tiny square), an FM or music player (nowadays phones are more common), and a small bottle of water. Then there is the attitude. The way they stand. The way they abhor personal space. Can you feel someones breath on your shoulder? Oh not to worry, Mumbai hai, yahan jagah kahan hai! And thats the attitude. People stand so close to each other for such a large percentage of their lives that even in an open area, a train traveller will stand centimeters away from a person, probably brushing them, breathing down their necks (literally).

And then the dressing sense. Perhaps there are more middle-class people in the suburbs than in South Bbay, but the clothes can be classified into 'suburbs'. Where the clothes from a small shop in south Bbay will scream South Bbay, the same holds true for vice versa. The 'bling' factor seems magnified. It may be the Bollywood effect or it may be the hurry, the buying from station markets and not proper markets, or  just lack of discerning customers culminating to a lack of choice. But even a casual observer can differentiate men and women just by what they wear. Even the higher end shirts on men somehow seem woebegone, just by how they are worn (loose) or by their colour and designs. train travellers stay away from pearly whites you see. And I have not yet broached women clothes with regards to deeper necklines and skirts and dresses.

Contrary to poplar belief, and quite like any other Indian city, dressing for women in Bbay has to be just as well thought out. But its lesser of a worry if you happen to be travelling South. For while the city has fair share of travellers and women, just like the rest of India, men in the suburbs are stll unused to women with plunging necklines and hems.Hems, period. Somehow a woman in a body hugging teeshirt and tight, tight jeans is OK as compared to someone in a knee length skirt. Anyway, the point being, travelling to North Bbay makes one realise that the wardrobe that is normal in South may just not work. And if you are travelling by train, in a general compartment as compared to a Ladies one, there is no scope of sitting down unless its totally empty. You dont want men stading right on your toes while you sit. And the beggars. At crossings, in trains, everywhere.
The car travellers from the suburbs therefore, span the opposite end of the spectrum. Because of being surrounded by train travellers, they are usually snobbish enough to not even want to grace a taxi, forget autos. And this attitude extends to every other thing.

South Bombay on the other hand exudes a different feel. For one, public transport is restricted to Bus and Taxi. No autos, and trains are badly connected. On women, there is a prevalence of heels (and not the sensible block heels of the adventurous North Bombaiites) and clothes that are chic - if not from coutoure houses, then they look like they are from expensive shops. Its all very different from the feel of a Bollywood movie, and more like a neutral city. And that is because the emphasis seemsto lie more on style than whats de rigeur for the latest Hindi movies. And sequins seem rare(r). Even in the poorer sections an eve teaser is rare and so are the starers. Wear what you may. Women smoking is not wierd, and somehow the crowds are more structured. The personal space factor may be low, but as compared to the train travellers, it is a football field. In short, this part of the city seems more comfortable with itself. Perhaps because of its history it consists of older residents, more at ease with being a part of a rich, growing, multicultural city. Perhaps this very comfort reflects in their clothes and their attitude. Perhaps thats why the more affluent (and not noveu riche)  are attracted to South Bombay (apart from property prices) as are the more affluent foreign residents.
And the major problem that any suburban has with a South Bombaiite is - they dont travel by train. No matter how many cars they own, a suburban has to travel by train for some part of their lives. And as per them, you have not lived in Bombay unless you have travelled by train. And the townies seem unable to grasp that.

Bombay has its own caste system. A geographical one. And one gets pulled into it no matter how hard one tries to stay away. Because the caste system ensures a life style difference. A difference so stark, yet so subtle.

And I did not even speak of the subdivide of East and West as seen in suburbs, and that of the 'western line' livers and harbour and 'central line' livers. I have not seen such strong, apparent, distinct differences within people of the same city in any other city. I guess its part of Bombay?

This is an India based post. If you have not been in India for the past so many years (25+) you might not get half the nostalgia and wonder. But that's the point. My generation would.
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I generally hear my contemporaries talk about the present generation of people as the 'lucky ones'. This is the generation, they say, which has got it all from the beginning - colour TV, 24X7 radio, internet, open economy, free hand with choice of career, free access to money and innumerable other things. This is the generation that apparently has it all. Do you remember wanting to listen to a certain rock band as a kid? OK, not rock, but any song. Well, I had to go hound my parents for a cassette of look for friends with the cassette, manage to scrape together the Rs80 or so required (a princely sum) and meanwhile try to locate a shop which has that music. Compare that with the ipod toting present youngsters who will be listening to the most eclectic collection ever - and all thanks to a click of the mouse. Its almost unfair.

I remember spending hours in a library, knowing all author and book names, for reference and then photocopying that or even copying it out, making handwritten notes, with various colours and underlining. Today? I just search. Fingertips and the world is mine. Even if Wikipedia is not enough, there are other places specialised to answer the most abstract of my, and anyone's questions. Darn! Why dint I have this as a kid? Why did I have to beg and promise to be a good girl and then get a monthly subscription to a magazine of choice? Or save up from my years pocket money and then buy that book? Today I just download all that! Writing a report is so simple - we just search the net and put in some pictures and voila! one has a first class professional looking report, even if its for a Class 7 mid term submission.
But then, I dont feel too bad.

I dont feel bad that the present generation has so much technology. They have mobile phones and smses, Dang it! All we had were our vocal chords and lung power. If we had to meet someone at a crowded place, we had to know a common spot, and have synchronised watches. The result was highly crowded paanwallah shops and card shops, with groups of teenagers waiting for their friends to arrive - outside the movie theater or shopping arcade. Not anymore. Today the teenagers just wander inside and let their frnds know which shop they are in by a phone call. The mobile phone is an extension of their arm. Lucky! say so many. I doubt it.

You see, I dont really mind the teenagers and younger people in this country getting so much, so easily. Yes, at some level it is frustrating to think of the hardships we had to undergo for the simple things - even mailing a pen pal (does the pen pal concept exist anymore?). But essentially, we had and are having Fun.

Some people say the generation before us had it good. the 80's were the era to be if you like classical Rock. Heck, if you like music, that was the time the industry exploded. The beginning of pop along with the maturation of rock. The 70s were the Flower Children era! Some go ahead and say, hey our parents had it easy. Their jobs were secure, their lives were less complicated.

I dont care.

I love my generation. I think we had it perfect. This is what life should be like. So much to learn, explore, live through!

I dont care about Generation X or Y or Z or A. That is for the US. For me, it is the generation born in late 70s and early 80s that have it good. Me included.
We lived through a childhood of simplicity - of meagre wants and abundant imagination. A time when playing with your freinds was a daily occurrence, out on mud and open spaces. And it was our imagination. When the videogames arrived, boy, did they arrive! Who in the WORLD can forget Super Mario?! What do the other generations have to say to that? And to PacMan and to Contra.

When we started of on becoming pre-teens (gosh! who even knew pre-teens then!)television landed in full force. There was this brand new medium to learn, explore and assimilate! Moving Pictures indeed. We saw liberalisation. We have seen the power of money - because there was a time when it was darn more precious than it is now. My generation has seen computers change from things of mystery to palmtops. In school there was a 'computer room' which had 6-10 computers and we were allowed to enter it only with special permission - the only room in school which had cooling air conditioner.

Things did not stop evolving when we entered college. Mobile phones were launched. Huge hunks of plastic. these probably weighed a kilo each, and cost a fortune - Rs 16 per minute for incoming!! O_O And today? Hah! We scoff at mobile sets which weigh more than a few hundred grams, are thicker than a finger and can do everything except probably cook and wash for you. Call charges are at probably their lowest ever - incoming free and outgoing a nominal Re1 per minute, lesser if you are in the same state or the person is in your CUG. Sure, the youngsters have it all from the beginning. but we saw it evolve. We have fun remembering the big red phone in the drawing room where you booked "trunk calls" to people in other cities and could hear the bored board lady jutt in sometimes.

Remember telegram? Sure you do. And syllabus included 'how to send Money Order' - because it was a real occurrence. No bank-to-bank intraday money transfer then dearie, it was all a tedious process! Letter writing had protocol, because it was not about a 'subject line' and 'body'. It was about how to address and sign off. I remember how relieved I was when finally it was allowed that every single thing in a letter could be written left-aligned thanks to the computer. Dont know what Im talking about? You have to be born in the early 80's to know that!

There has been a change of such magnitude that if one transposes a person from 1985 to 2008 via a time machine, they would seriously appreciate their Sci-Fi. The teleporters may not be here, but telecommunication sure is. And guess what? We saw it happen!

As kids fun was about who had the best mental imagination. Of ringing neighbour's door bells in the afternoon and hiding so they wont find us. Of birthday parties at home, with a cake and lots of friends. The toys I had never left their shelf in my room. Today its about who has the most toys and games. If its not beyblades, its PS3. Nobody races for fun anymore. Its serious sport.
Competition has seen a jump unprecedented. Children are children no longer. They are pressurised from the time they are born to be genius and different enough to make a mark amongst all this information and knowledge all around. They mature faster. The communication media have ensured that people have to strive harder to be known.

Today when I am in the competition area - of working - I see Im in the safe haven. Ive had my share of fun while studying - never really cared about grades except in an abstract manner, played like hell till before the day of exams, etc - and am workign to the hilt, just like its supposed to be.
I see the poor guys born a decade after me. Everything is old for them. There is no newness, no boundary to what they have. The internet? yawn, they can pull off anything on it if they want to. They were born with it. There was never a time in their lives when they dint know what a home theatre system was, or one where the house dint have a PC. They are so jaded that they push the frontiers. And there is nothing beyond that.

To us the frontiers are new, it can never get old. Even when we become 50 and the internet does not evolve, we will find something of interest and fun in it - its our nature. Heck! we can get interested even by the existence of a tattoo! Todays generation. Well, they are bored by 10 minutes of extreme sports, they will be interested inasmuch there is something new on the net. the same old thing? No way.

And so I say we have it good. We have been there when it mattered the most. We are on the edge of the wave. We've seen it grow, we've seen it crash and merge into the sea. What can be more thrilling than that? My grandparents saw sea change like that on another level - they saw freedom and life before it. That can be more than most lifetimes can experience. I think our lifetimes come a close second. I am comfortable reading books - on paper and on screen. I saw the libraries change. A change from black and white photographs to number of pixels per square inch. A shift from Lisa Ray walking the main road in a towel for Bombay Dyeing to models wearing (next to) nothing on prime time TV. I remember looking wonderingly at the flying fingers of typists and Ive seen that profession die. Ive seen shorthand and have wondered at those symbols. Ive seen a time when a flight from Delhi to Calcutta was a big deal and when staying in a different part of India really meant Far. And I certainly remember the first family car. I remember all that and I treasure today. I remember when the only do-it-yourself kit available was a stupid stitching one and everything else had to be made form scratch - and hence more valuable. When carpentry meant sharp edges and tetanus shots. I remember the importance of that one paragraph that would go at the bottom of my mothers letter to my grandparents, and the number of drafts and thoughts involved in that, because it would last forever in their drawers. So far from the light seconds of communication now. And then I value and wonder. I have seen History in the Making. Literally. How many can say that?

So much change, development, growth, fall. A move from Olde world into one Fiction is made of. And its barely been more than 25 yrs. The journey has just begun. I am a real part of Changing India. Hoo Boy! Am I excited to see the coming 50 years!

A lot has been said about Heath Ledger as Joker in the latest Batman edition - The Dark Knight. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It has all the classic Batman trappings - a rich Bruce Wayne, a fast and ruthless Batman, Mayor of Gotham City, stunts, batmobile, batpod, searchlight and the final addressing of the "batman-cant-turn-his-head" problem. It also has three villains.
I liked the ending, the quippy dialogues in parts of the film, and the vehicles (the MV Augusta F4, the Lamborghini) used by Mr Wayne had me drooling. And though the batmobile was good, it was not shown in all its Glory, and was more of a guest appearance (Only one scene of batman inside the batmobile? Gimme a break).

Heath Ledger was good, the role demanded that energy. But somehow, Joker to me, means Jack Nicholson. That stiff smile while laughter emerged from a record, the suave sophisticated madness - is no comparison to the shoddy Joker makeup and the ill-concealed madness the Ledger portrayed. A purple suit not a Joker makes. Joker was a criminal mastermind, not a gutter rat who donned makeup for the heck of it. He wanted to be feared as Joker, so then why should he make Joker appear shoddy? It begins well enough when he robs the bank, but deteriorates somewhere mid-film. I agree, the shoddy joker makeup must have been tough to put on, but after seeing that Joker you would not look at a real joker in a show next door with fear. Thats what Nicholson did - he made the funny jokers in real life seem sinister. As an eight year old, the image lasts in your mind. Who can forget the roof-top scene of Batman and Joker in "Batman"? I cant.
Downplayed irrationality is leagues ahead of head-on madness, isnt it? A knife to scar and kill you is direct and gross, a jack-in-the-box bomb makes you doubt all jack-in-boxes. And could he stop licking his lips already? It was like a lizard and more irritating than scary. If he had to lick, he could have had a more leisurely savour of the fear in the environment around him than that gesture he did.
The script for the new Joker may have had more thought behind it than the one used in Batman (1989), but as a character portrayal, I preferred Nicholson, thank you. At least he wasnt grisly and gory, and he dint wear his hurt on his sleeve.

The film, overall, however, was fun. A little too much shaky camera action in parts, but I forgive that - the second half (two-face included) kind of makes up for it. The action, though animated looking was also good. And photography of the Batman-jumps, the cars, the bikes, and Gotham City were really good. Someone get a better girlfriend though.


Another film I saw recently was Speed Racer. At home. I lament that. I had tried all I could to watch it in theatres when it was released, but a combination of forces coupled with bad international reviews kept 'them' from showing the film at timings when I could go. The latter slots being usually devoted to some sappy Bollywood drama.

I did not understand a few things - why was the movie ridiculed so bad by the critics? Seems like they were not paid enough. Secondly, why was it targeted at kid's audience? Especially the under 10 one? Children would not get anything of the light-sound extravaganza that the movie is. It is not a simple anime, where it is simple for children to follow, but rather its an anime made for adults with nuances and subtleties which an adult mind can exult in.
Movies like this cannot be classified into 'adults' or 'children'. It is not a 'cute' movie, a film like Lion King or Toy Story or Finding Nemo...or even Shrek. It is not a Disney/ Pixar animated movie. It does not intend to be simple and slow, clear and cute.
The movie is homage to the Speed Racer anime. But more than anything else, it is finally, a movie which has worked back from anime to acting and stopped somewhere Utopically in-between.
It indulges also in Speed (not the hero, the adjective). I can imagine a Schumacher crying after seeing the movie - for his lack of driving skills and for the beautiful portrayal of the feelings when you are in the cockpit of a car. I, as a movie viewer, can only imagine it.
The movie portrays the feelings associated with driving at a high speed, for the thrill of it. There is no story to speak of, and no real need to act. It was a directorial bonanza. And I thoroughly enjoyed the lovely visuals (bright though they were) which captured the essence of the race. It was a comic book enacted. A film I would have expected to be better criticised than a money grossing movie. Ah well.


PS - I also saw Hancock, and considering how bad its reviews were and how senseless the name is, the movie wasnt half bad. Not 'good' but not bad either.

Bent Elbows
Think about how many hours a day do you spend with elbows bent. Even while walking, how much of that time was actually while handling your manually held devices, with bent elbows? Sleep. How long can you sleep with relaxed, straight elbows? Can you spend more than 4 hours a day with relaxed elbolws? Im not talking ramrod straight, I'm talking relaxed ones.

Thinking Aloud
Is it a belief in "Change" or will it be remembering The Who with "Meet the new boss, same as the Old Boss"?

Special Dedication
And  in this special short-notes-post, as a special dedication to one of my frnds who likes (not) molluscs of any form, heres a version of the famed "badger badger"

Imagine a sea-bed, barren apart from a floating bit of worm etc.
And then,

Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc...

Oyster! Oyster!

Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc...

Geoduck ooh duckkkkkk. its a Geoduck!

Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc, Mollusc...

Note: Please do open the links.

Oh, and yes, its still raining.

As a kid my mom used to tell me how they tuned in to radio on specific timings to hear their favorite programs as kids, just like I used to wanted to tune in to TV programs.
Time passed. And I was in college. Leaving for college meant being home alone for a blissful couple of hours - my Mom had to leave really early. That was the time I used to get ready, continue to read the book I was into at the time, or even prepare for exams when required. TV was out of the question -it wasnt interesting enough eitherway. Radio came to the rescue. Whether I took a bath or read a book, ate my breakfast or meandered through different rooms of the house, I could hear the radio. A self operating jukebox, the radio was my ticket to uninterrupted music in the mornings. There was no need to select a cassette (those were days when CDs were almost unheard of) or music, or worry about changing its sides. The radio jockey would do all that for me, and talk about some trivia too, if I were keen on listening.
The best part was, the radio was worth listening to. Medium Wave was the rage usually, but on FM there was the All India Radio channel - AIR FM Radio - government owned which turned out a lovely collection early and late in the day. They used to play English songs in the morning followed by some old Hindi ones for the home staying crowd. And evenings were sure-shot 80s rock. This was the place where I first heard Clapton crooning Cocaine and Fools in their Gardens worrying about some Lemon tree, amongst others. Dire Straits was another common and much-loved one. Certain days of course, were dedicated to Boney M, ABBA and Carpenters. But it was rare that I could make time in the evenings. Mornings, on the other hand. Wake up, say Bye to parents and Switch on radio. Simple three-step short process. The first few songs used to dissolve my sleep along with my glass of milk, and then used to give me company wile updating me about the goings on in the music world. Right from the Billboard top 20 to random list of "new" songs, you heard it all on Radio. And begad! if anyone copied the song from somewhere, the RJ would inform you of that too. Hindi 'inspirations' included.

The RJs in Calcutta at that time had a certain respect. Our college fest was covered by AIR FM, and boy did we look forward to seeing what those amazing voices looked like in real life! (Most turned out to be 35+ long haired men, but on radio who cares).

Thus was entrenched in me the need for a musical morning with loads of news & trivia thrown in. Since then a simple music player wasnt fun enough.

MBA was fairly simple. Get up and run to class. You were lucky if you managed to brush your teeth. But when I joined work life, the first thing I bought was an FM player. Though the TV used to be on Channel V or MTV, they simply didn't cut it as far as I was concerned. For one, TV has too many visual ads. For other, there is no RJ spewing city news there. Its too generic for the country. Radio Mirchi saved my soul, and hands. (from constant song choosing on CD)

Back to radio it was, and that's how I got my dose of latest Hindi music, not just Bollywood, but definitely modern Hindi. Radio Mirchi was no AIR FM Calcutta, but it was good enough for me in Ahmedabad (The AIR FM there was pathetic). Also, I got to know where the traffic jams were, who was in town and out, and of course, the unwanted cricket score. I seriously fret over the lack of 'good music', but what was served wasn't too bad, as long as it was live. The RJ's again, thankfully, were decent and Good Morning Ahmedabad did a lot for my GK. Yes, I missed Archana when she quit and left the city - one of the few women RJs on private channels who dont have a squeeky/ shrieky/ extra husky voices (esp coming from Gujarat), and knew what she was talking about while interviewing people. For eg, I do not remember hear her ask a winner "How do you feel". Then came Harsh, and though extra-jovial I soon got used to him. I still missed some rocking music, and on some days listened to my personal music collection.

Mumbai was a different story altogether, I thought. It was a long time since 2001 (my last yr in college) and India had seen rapid penetration of the FM frequencies with a zillion channels. Some had started and have closed without people noticing I'm sure. Mumbai offered a host of radio channels for my eagerly waiting ears. So daily I tuned up and down the frequencies looking for a channel which would play music different from the others. To my tired ears however, they all sounded the same. They were manned by a "couple RJ" - one male and one female, who talk more amongst themselves in very normal octaves (nothing interesting or soothing). More often they tried to drown each others' voices, and laugh at private jokes to which the listener feels like a third person politely included. The music was never introduced - but just a by-product of the conversation or (horror) listener requests. It was the same all over - about-to-release-movie songs with an interview of the song writer/ director/ actors thrown in on Thursday/ Fridays. A number of contests to woo listeners, where they call in and answer inane questions. They all also sported almost similar bandwith - ranging from 98 to 107 and are as difficult to find as listen to. They all have either "do gaane back to back" (two songs, back to back), or "teen patti" (3 cards - a game), or "40 mins of non-stop music" - 'only on X-channel'. But few things remained same - Traffic news, cricket scores and choice of music.

I tried in vain, and found among all the channels the same songs at different timings - trash. Sometimes you liked the songs, but even then listening to the same song three times the same morning on the same channel can get to anyone. Then one Saturday I found this channel talking about 'International Saturday'. A day when they would play only All-world popular music. Boy was I excited. However, I soon found that this music usually meant a lot of hip-hop. Or unheard-of country music - probably ones whose licenses had expired!

Then I decided to try my old gem - AIR FM. Surprise! it was now AIR FM Rainbow.And the music, it was manna to me. The RJs all seem to have passed some exam for degree in music information. They have deep voices and good diction - though some are still new and stutter a bit when trying to talk fast. And, they play only english songs (at that particular time). Preferably, from 80s. Rock. Some days they play songs like Flashdance. And on some they talk about a rock artist and play two of his pathbreaking songs. Rarely do they play Bryan Adams (hallelujah!). But most importantly, they know their music and they tell you who sung it. They do not give traffic updates but they dont run contests either. They still talk about cricket scores though, and once in a while you get to hear the "BBC Minute" of news - in Hindi and English back-to-back. But its a good news capsule. Its non repetitive and rarely do I hear Akon or Shawn or whoever on this frequency.

Its a radio channel that gives me faith on FM Radio in years to come. With all the other 10+ channels spewing out the same stuff, it is nice to hear one channel that still plays music. I do listen to the other channels too - variety is the spice of life you see - but AIR FM Rainbow keeps me with Radio.

And Radio still wakes me up like a fresh strong cup of coffee every single morning.

There are two types of people in the world - early risers and late sleepers. Which of the two are you?

Early rising has its benefits. Apart from being good for health (propounded by those with good health it seems), its a spectacular time - cool, fresh, quiet, the image of the rising sun, absence of crowds etc etc. Of course, most of these benefits get washed away if everyone has the same idea (read: places like Calcutta and possibly other east coast locations). Its Joy! its Delight! Its Energetic! and... you can eat a Huge Breakfast - at leisure! It cant get better than that! (Orange juice, Eggs, bacon, sausage, coffee, toast, muffins - the works. Add a Alu Paratha with butter for good measure)
Getting up early, you can begin your day, you have 'extra' time on your hands to plan and take things easy. You can read the paper in leisure, work out (if you are prone to that malaise - early risers generally are), ruminate in the loo if you like it...and so on.
You, however, have to wake up early. I like the package. I wouldn't mind it on a daily basis.

The problem arises with the nights. They are so alluring. If only I could go to sleep early, would I wake up early - willingly, mind you! Now the nights may not have spectacular sunrises and alluring prospects of the day ahead with extra time in your hands to eat a vast breakfast, but it does have other things - starry nights, late night movies, empty roads open for drives, the satisfying contemplation of another day at work finished and done with. The ability of the senses to withstand onslaught of any darn music they please and any darned book they want to assimilate. The ability to call most people, of reviewing a day finished. Of communicating with people in other parts of the world unfortunate enough to be waking up and beginning a day which you just successfully ended. Of partying hard, with drinks, with the safe thought of uninterrupted sleep ahead till the day beckons.
Now, with so many thing to do on an average evening, why would one go to sleep early?

If you cannot go to sleep early, in my limited knowledge of the average human mechanism, it is difficult to wake up early - on a regular basis. Unless you are wacko or suffer from Insomnia.

Which would you rather watch over the horizon of the sea? Sunrise or Sunset? Well, considering the accompaniments of both, give me a Sunset any day...I am ready to wait till the Sunrise, only to flee indoors to my pillow and bed after that!

‘To err is Human…’

(I shall not comment on the forgiving part, or divinity, as of now.)

So, to come back, to make mistakes is what apparently teaches us and makes us better human beings.

If you do not fail, you do not know the sweetness of success.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

It is on our failures that we base a new and different and better success.

Failure is instructive.

And of course, from the Man (Gandhi) himself, ‘Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err.’

Yet, we are all afraid of making mistakes. We all dread errors, and try our best to avoid them. It somehow makes all the above sentences patronizing and hollow to think that it is only because we were not correct, that we seek shelter and sympathy in them.

So what is it about being right and wrong, making mistakes and not making them, that makes this whole thought so important. Why is it so important to be correct?

The whole idea rests upon the importance of the event. Some instances are ‘make-or-break’.

Making a mistake in the name of your most important client is not comparable to mistaking the name of an author during a friendly conversation. (Though at the moment it may seem so)

We all make different kinds of mistakes. To friends and family, mistakes are alright. But even they can get irritable if the same mistake is oft repeated.

What makes an ‘error’?

Some errors are endearing. But the reason they are errors are because they are not socially acceptable or, are incorrect deductions.

Humans are social beings. They have made certain laws and abide by them on a day to day basis, as a general untaught principle. To pass-by one of these laws is therefore considered an occurrence of a ‘mistake’. However, people usually rectify themselves on future occasions. Once you know the person is married, you will try not to connote them as single.

Other mistakes are those of a larger scale. Mistakes that cannot be rectified. Like an error of judgment by the judge and jury while convicting someone. Like walking out on your best friend.

Some mistakes seem larger than they actually are. They are the ones that hurt our pride. Small mistakes that we can laugh on later, at that precise moment they seem monumental. For example, the mistake in identifying a certain book section during a friendly debate with a couple of friends; an error in judging the correct route while going to an important seminar/ concert; making the proverbial ‘foot-in-mouth’ during a conversation. Unwittingly they may be escalated, but most times they are diffused and taken as what they are – small mistakes.

Personal life mistakes are again rectifiable, but not easy to do so. An error in an answer paper can change the course of ones’ life, dictating ones stand in class or, acceptability in certain institutions. A change in one’s career may be easy to talk of, but a mistake in choosing one is sadly, as common as it is unchanged. An engineer may have flourished as an HR manager in a company and a lawyer would have made a better statistician. Though an MBA gives people an easy way out of a career mistake, the other choices and avenues of change are not those that many people opt for.

We all err, we are surrounded by mistakes and leave a maze of un-corrected blunders behind us. The longer we live, the more we become adept at avoiding past mistakes, and uncovering new ones. Learning is a constant process, and unfortunately pocketed by mistakes. One does not learn to ride the bicycle unless one falls from it.

The only thing that we wish for, at the end, is skewing the mistake balance to fewer life altering mistakes and higher negligible ones.

***WARNING – THIS IS RATHER LONG***

So I am going to move to the 11^th floor. Leaving my cushy seat and TFT screen, I will be part of the hoi polloi now, with no specific designated seat. I will be ‘temporarily’ seated in-between two people.

Everything at a cost. If sitting between two people is a cost for getting into a better value-add work, so be it.

So I met my new boss, and got a flavor of my new role, now awaiting the jump into the activities. Seems like its gonna be a busy time, but the point is, everything shines frm far. Only when you go close you realize it was not the sparkle of water, but reflection off the hot oasis air.

Yet, hope does glimmer, and we do move forward to a closer look. This time I’m hoping for a couple of palm trees as well.

So in the morning I was feeling rather dull and sleepy, and I decide to go through today’s QC, after reaching office and failing to be revitalized by my almost-curdled milk coffee. Only to see it is not yet up. Finally the new QC was up in the afternoon. Gleefully I try to open it, only to find that the image refused to show after half of the first panel downloaded. I tried Oh-so-many methods, and finally, after numerous efforts I could open and read the comic. I wish it was funnier, for my sake.

My colleagues and I had decided to go out for lunch today. So I had cancelled my dabba. However, one of them forgot to cancel it and another had an impromptu meeting. So instead of the happening place, we went to the nearby mall and had overpriced food – because we dint have much choice. We had not got food.

The best part of the day was my meeting with the boss who does not smile. However, he too knows my ex-boss, and that’s a decent start even though im not aware of whether the knowledge is a positive one or a negative one.

 So I ask the IT department (yesterday) to provide me access to the common folder of that department. They are unable to map the drive, but I get a mail today. With hope I try to open it, only to find it missing. They did not map the drive. So I send them a reply which was:

*many Helpdesk internal mails topped by the following to me* [fonts as they were recvd by me]

Helpdesk (HD) Mail: Please check ….

Me: I cannot see the L: drive on My Computer

Helpdesk mail to HD ppl marking me: Please check why User is complaining the same ????

Associate engineers mail to me: Dear Dips,

Please give us your contact no. or call us at 0821-####### to resolve this problem.

I notice the STD code. Its Mysore. In South India. He wants me to call him in a different state, to solve my minor, simple, basic requirement?

So I send a mail with my number, and get clarified that this large IT company of India is our software vendor and helpdesk, and thus 4 ppl in Mysore are dedicated to work on it. So I go on net meeting with the guy, effectively making my comp slow, and hope he can solve problem in a jiffy. Wrong. It takes him 3 hours, after consulting the rest of his team members, and also while in-between I try to get some work done. I give up on phone conversations and resort to communicating to him through “Notebook”.  This guy is an amazing English writer/speaker. His typing speed is low, which is quite okay, but then he types a grammatically correct sentence, only to hit backspace and make it erroneous.

So I go back to my work, and open the net to get some info. Only to find username/ password is being asked for, and mine is not being accepted.

I do what any Microsoft-fearing person does. I restart.

Only to find the computer is locked, and my password is not working.

I call helpdesk… in the same city, and ask them to unlock my computer. I get a cup of coffee. No one here yet. Finally after another call, they unlock comp and I can access my computer, a good 35 minutes after getting a network drive mapped.

Sigh.

Now all that remains is to board the bus with a new driver and novice conductor, again. [Tell me in case I have not written that awesome incident]

At least the tea was good.

By freak accident I finally figured out why the toes of womens shoes are so shallow. Ok I will begin by explaining what I mean by “toes of womens shoes”. In a closed shoe, this is the portion which covers your toes and a little more. Usually however, it is difficult to find this covering extend to more than the length of your toe. In mens shoes they still extend to mid foot, but in womens for some reason, they leave the toes visible, I mean, if my toes re visible, I wonder how much of others’ would be (I think my toes are shorter than they should have been. My only physical flaw…almost). However, as I sat down and by a freak chance (not so freak) put the ball of my foot on the chair support and the toe on the floor, I realize the benefits.

For one, a shoe that covers exactly upto your toes from front does not risk that unsightly crease caused by walking/ folding of the shoe at that point due to many reasons (including but not limited to walking).

As to why you notice this phenomenon in ladies’ shoes? Here are some hypotheses, somewhat exhaustive but not limited to these, and of course, mutually ‘addable’: (they are in no particular order)

a)      to avoid an unsightly crease

a.       this is all the more important since womens shoes usually have some (superfluous) decoration on top, and would get removed with a crease

b)      to show of women’s skin/ pretty foot (they don’t count on u wearing thick socks) – does foot count?

c)       Women usually wear heels, thus the probability of a crease forming immediately is high – this ensures they wont buy that brand/ from that shop again. Why stock?!

d)     Perhaps… perhaps given an impression of longer toes?

Whatever it is, it is somewhat uncomfortable to slip ur foot into a shoe and discover ur as good as wearing one slab of sole covering your heel and out reaches of your toe nails, with heels. Darn uncomfortable. So, this basically makes buying shoes more difficult. As if it wasn’t a difficult task already!

So here is one thing I had thought of writing earlier, but gave up on the face of lethargy and other side-things.

However, with the resurfacing of the topic, I look at my conversations (on mail ) with M and list down some of the corporate ‘jargons’ used liberally throughout most companies, in most cases, incongruously. Especially since some of people are rather weak in their English, and try to act like masters, picking up words from conversations and adopting them and cultivating them for their own benefit.

There are of course the vast majority who have good working knowledge of English, extremely efficient and use it normally, except for these phrases and words which they heard somewhere, guessed at a meaning and thereafter use in situations where if not perplexing or confusing, they are positively hilarious.

Apart from IT companies have IT work related jargons, Pharma having Pharma jargons (remember my this post on short forms? And this one on the corporate word ‘meeting’(http://dippyblogs.livejournal.com/96698.html))

So here goes a long list of jargons used in companies. Please feel free to identify and add. (Source: Brainstorming between M and me)

·         Dove-tail – this phrase used by every Tom and Harry of my organization is also, to my surprise, delight and contempt is used with an accompanying hand gesture of one hand swooping down. You can be asked to dove tail your assignment with another’s or even a time line, or, well, anything

·         Time Line – everything has a timeline. It is probably the first word you learn. Timelines can be for projects, or even the timeline for a meeting may be decided 5 minutes in advance, timeline for reaching the meeting may also be there

·         Meetings – they are of course mandatory, ranging from gossip between two colleagues at a desk to a board room one, meetings are, well, meetings

·         Issue – these are things that are discussed in meetings, or otherwise. Basically, a project gone wrong

·         Challenges – are what you face while solving an issue

·         Etc.

To keep you from getting bored, let me now make sentences of some of the best jargons in the industry (ies): [The jargons are in bold]

“A communiqué was sent some time ago outlining the issues which require activation of some contrameasures which need to dove-tail into our existing projects. This will be handled as a separate project headed by a steering committee (names attached). This will be the highest priority for all mentioned members, and full support is expected to ensure that this project is successful.

Further to the communiqué, to give you a heads up, the dope is something like this – our organization needs to chart the path followed by our competitors in the same industry space and thereafter create traction on our product by building capability to create footprints in the industry. My sense is that we need to target the low hanging fruit, which typically, I feel is possible only by on-ground implementation backed by face to face interactions with customers re-enforced by con-calls and webinars. The coordination between teams has to be closely monitored and tracked. The kitty has to be large so as to reach out to everyone on the mailing lists, with the correct coordinates, and I will personally look into it. The mailers need to be created professionally so as to reduce any tension possible by miscommunication. The issue has to be handled delicately and the vertical in-charge of this project has to be on top of all the happenings all the time via rigorous follow ups and regular mailing. To ensure that everyone is on the same page, the group members should be marked on the mail copies, if not for action, then just by an FYI. After deciding upon the timelines, the deck for the workshop needs to be finalized within the given deadline before activation of the roadshow, so as to ensure seamless working and implementation. We need to work fast and proficiently to ensure we leave our competition (if any) behind. All interested can volunteer names for potential customers, the nominations should be sent to the SC members by mail till the forms are uploaded on our online systems.

I am in the middle of a deadline at the moment, with intermittent access to mails, you may contact me, or the steering committee of the project via hand phones for any clarifications or questions.

Cheers!”

To add, an example of gross misuse, here is a mail dialogue between M and her colleague:

“Hi M… come over for lunch. I am reaching out to the ground floor cafeteria.”

“he would be nominating yourself”

“XVZ was trying to reach you out”

Thanks M, for helping me remember, and know about so many of the jargons.

In todays world of fast communication, it is essential to have multiple contact points.

Gone are the days when you could look forward to a permanent address and abide by it.

Today you have to think “unreachable” as well as “always reachable” at the same time.

Is it any wonder then we all have multiplicites? When every detail of a person can be found by the figurative “click of a button”, it is only natural that we try to hide something from ‘all’.

Hence arise multiple mail ids. When one fails, the other backs you up. When one is blocked, the other might be allowed. When you have too many subscriptions on one, you can read important mails on the other.

So are multiple Chat ids. When you have too long a list of frnds on one, you can log out and shift to focused conversation on the other, with a select list.

Phone numbers have long since ceased to be restricted to land line numbers. Today apart from those, many have more than (even) two hand held mobile phones – One from office, one for Blackberry, one personal, which select ppl know about.

Physical addresses also abound with change of cities and one permanent one, and one office/ school/ college address.

However, it is interesting to note that through all this, we are continually looking for ways to shirk off some contacts, while be in constant touch with others. The select list is always active, always contactable, and considered most important. Not to say the other list is any lesser, but that is a list with whome one prefers sporadic, interrupted communication. The list of people who get to hear familiar phrases like “I was in a meeting”, “Phone is out of reach”, “Did not get access to mail” etc on non-official communications, on a more regular basis (Im not talking of genuine cases)

So in Bbay BKC is famous location, not to be confused with BKL.(same goes for Delhi)

WEF is not a typo and in banks it stands for World Economic Forum, I meant, WTF? J

Dabba means the daily tiffin box containing food, not a stupid person/ stupidity…usually.

Chudasama is a surname as is Asshole(y).

I like Hindi in this case.

Not only does it make acronyms rather difficult, it retains the beauty and lyricism of the full phrase. I mean, consider the ending of the song BC Suttah (sister F ciggy). What justice does BC, MC, BC-MC, BC-MC do to the lilting last lines in their glorious full word forms?

Hindi has a single word to define all swear words and swear phrases, without any bones. Gaali. Not only blasphemy and swear words, it also includes indiscreet and impolite sentences. Basically non respectful words and phrases. It takes so many English words to say that,  and just one Hindi word for all that. Gaali. A nice rolling mouthful. The tone signifies the seriousness of the gaali used.

Afterall, a playful Saaley, kutte kameeney! is a nice long mouthful substitute to saying Bastard! (which by itself is nice and succinct when said in the correct tone).

PS - It is to be noted that I dont like gaalis per se. I only like them between friends, when meant in a playful spirit and said in the right tone. Certainly not when one is angry or disrespectful. I especially like them when I say them. :)