Smile!!!

8:20 AM on the busy Western Express highway near Kandivli

Sitting in the company’s bus, I look outside at the slow moving traffic. The morning sun can be quite hot. As I look, a family of four sits in a taxi, the elder son in the front seat and the husband and wife with their infant son in the back seat. The infant who may be just a year or so old stands/sits between the two parents looking from the rear window at the world outside.

Behind the taxi, a lone driver sits in his car. From his clothes, he looks to be in a well-to-do job, complete with tie and jazzy identity card hanging around his neck, As I look at the kid completely comforatble standing and looking around, the man behind starts waving at the kid. First quite discreetly and then quite happily.

The kid looks on at the man and seems confused at first. The traffic has stopped and the man is still waving. The kid is still looking. Both of them seem oblivious of the surrounding. The man keeps waving and finally the infant smiles. He looks sideways to see a biker and he smiles at him too. He is quite in a mood smiling at everybody around him

I smile too!

===============================

As soon as the month of May ends, Mumbaikar wait eagerly for the monsoon. As I sit in the bus, I see dark clouds in the sky. The traffic had really slowed down and a bus comes and stands close to our bus. The heat is becoming unbearable, coupled with humidity, I am sweating drenched when I reach office.

I feel some drops of water on my hand. I look out. The sky is overcast but I feel small drops on my hand. I look out but the sun still shines brightly between the clouds but still there are some tiny water droplets on my arm. I stretch out my hand from the stationary bus

The people in the opposite bus also did feel the waterdrops. One hand comes out of the window from the opposite bus, then another, then another and then another. I see 5 hands out of the bus trying to touch the first drops of rain this year. All in the hope of the much needed rains. All spontaneous.

I look on as the drops stop!

I smile again!

==============================

Some pictures of the first dark clouds in Mumbai

Read Full Post »

The Job Story – 14

The next day was Sunday and I open my eyes to realize that I was late to go far away to anywhere from Herentals. Determined not to waste my day, I decided the next best option to see, the city I was living. Although we had been staying here for 15 days, we had not seen anything except the railway station. But with no mode of transport and no clue about the public transport, the task was just a bit too difficult.

Another problem that I did not think about and which had reached critical point was the cash I had. Although my colleagues had paid for the hotel, I was low on cash as we had exhausted everything and paid for everything from transport to food. Some of the money was to be compensated by the company but with company office in Amsterdam, there was no way I could reach there.

My return flight was from Amsterdam on Tuesday morning. So I had to use the available cash wisely. I knew the direction of the railway station and that is where I figured would be the city Centrum. I could walk along the road but then it would not be much fun watching the cars go by. The other route which I thought led to the same station would be along the river behind the hotel.

I was so wrong!

I started walking along the river. It was October and although it was not winter yet, it was considerably cold. Atleast colder than what I was used to in Mumbai. When I started walking after midday, the day was quite sunny. I did not sweat. It was a quite country-side with almost no homes near the river. I was the only one walking along the river. Halfway into the road, heavy winds started blowing accompanied with rain. I was caught in between without any cover from the rains.

The climate changed by the minute. It was bright and sunny one moment and the next moment it was raining like crazy and winds blowing at great speed. I continued shooting with the camera. It was becoming difficult with strong winds and rains and no place to take shelter. I had walked almost 2 hours in rain and wind to finally reach the station.

I wondered where to go and decided to go to the nearest town the train takes me. I took the minimum ticket and boarded the train to travel to Lier, a town next to Herentals. I was might disappointed because the town was deserted. Rain and strong winds had not been silent yet. I had a burger and a cold drink near the station and decided to explore the town. However the wind and rain increased so much that, it became impossible to look at the town. The sky was turning overcast and it was wise to go back to the comfort of the hotel.

I walked the empty street before I decided to call it a day. The sky had really turned dark and I walked against the wind toward the station. The station as expected was empty and although it was just one stop to Herentals, the trains were a little late because of the rains. As the train drove into the station, I got in the first compartment that came in front of me.

The train was surprisingly empty with only a couple of people in. I sat in the empty section of the train watching outside as the train made its way slowly to Herentals which was actually a 5 minute journey but actually took 15 minutes.

As I sat there, a lady ticket collector came to check the tickets. I had my ticket so did not worry much but one look at the ticket and she politely told me that I was sitting in the first class.

First class? I looked around. Just beyond the glass partition was the second class and to tell the truth there was absolutely no difference between the first and the second class except that a tiny “1” was written near the glass partition and the colour of the seats were different. I mean how do they really justify the high fares of first class compartment. They looked the same.

I had never traveled without a proper ticket in my life and here I was in a foreign country sitting in a first class with a second class ticket. The ticket collector was kind enough to let me stay but I got up and stood near the door, apologetic and embarrassed. When the station arrived, I got down as fast as I could.

Taking a taxi, I reached the hotel in the late evening. The rain was lashing on the car’s windshield but that much rain we had seen earlier too. Looking at the weather, I decided to stay put in the hotel and enjoy the Sunday Hollywood movies. While switching channels, I managed to catch some local news in English.

Europe had witnessed the most fiercest storm in 15 years that day. TV news showed trees being uprooted and a lot of destruction due to rains and strong winds. A lot of Belgium had suffered from the storm and I was the one who had walked through without even knowing it. What I was thinking as strong winds and rains was actually a storm that just passed over Europe.  

The last Sunday in Europe turned out to be quite eventful even though I did not know about it!

 

========================

Note: I just cannot reduce it. I should be ending it in few more parts

Job Story Archive

Read Full Post »

Out!

Finally Sachin’s team is out of IPL. There is still a chance of somebody not doing well but then its a questions of lots of “IFs” and “buts” so lets not leave it to chance and start mentally preparing for a semi-finals without the Mumbai Indians.

The Rajastan Royals played when it mattered the most and Mumbai Indians lost a close one again. Are the Mumbai Indians chokers?

At least they went down fighting unlike Bangalore and Hyderabad.

There is always a next time.

Read Full Post »

I Wanna….

 

Daniel Connelly: I really like you but I can’t be the invisible man. I am tired of being the shoulder. I wanna be another body part you need, you know.  I wanna be the bad guy. I wanna woman to go crazy over me and then I wanna use her up until she is ruined up for all other men

Holly Kennedy: You dont wanna do that

Daniel Connelly: No I dont wanna do that. But I would… I would like to date a woman who actually likes men.

I like to be somebody’s Jerry

Its alright! Honestly its not your fault, its mine. I really didn’t plan feeling something for you it just sort of happen. I am sorry about that!

———————————-

And the pain continues………

=======================

From the movie “P.S. I Love you” when the character of Daniel Connelly wants to become more than just a friend for the lead character of Holly Kennedy played by Hillary Swank who had lost her husband, Jerry.

Read Full Post »

The Job Story – 13

We completed our work two days before the scheduled date. Taking a sign-off from the client, the other three left early to join others in the project in new location. I, on the other hand was supposed to return back to India after Herentals. As the work was done, I contacted other colleagues in other cities through email. I did not have a mobile then and land line and email were my only communication medium.

I had my last weekend in Belgium and surprisingly I had no work and free to explore. I decided to contact my friends and wanted to see the city of Brussels because it was the only famous city we knew by name and also it was closer that we could get back to our base. I traveled to Leuven to meet my friend and we were both supposed to visit Brussels.

On a Saturday morning eager to look as much as possible in Brussels, I took a train to Leuven and pick up a friend from there. He was supposed to meet me at the Leuven station. An hour wait on the station and he was still not there. I had the choice of either going to the hotel and searching for him in turn losing almost half a day or going alone to Brussels. Except for the train that takes me to Brussels, I had no idea as to what to do there. A friend in foreign company does help even though you are both confused. I still waited for another 15 minutes before choosing to go alone.

This was the first time I choose to be alone to see a city not only in Europe but the first time in my whole life. I did not meet the friend till I came back to India and I learnt that he had overslept that day. I was supposed to stay with him for a day and probably see another city close by. Hence I carried extra clothes with me.

With that heavy baggage I got down at Brussels central station at around noon. I had already lost half a day and I was determined to make the most of it. Taking a cue from Antwerp, I had guessed that there are city tours available in Europe. Fortunately I did find one. Its fun to watch a city alone.

The pamphlet handed to me by the tour bus operator described many tourist spots in Brussels. I did not have time for museums so the best was to see the best spots. I choose Atomium.

Atomium is to Brussels what Eiffel Tower is to Paris. Its is a big Aluminum structure with nine steel sphere representing the Iron crystal. Its a gigantic structure that takes you 102 feet above the surface and you can see the whole of Brussels from there. I took video going up, in the sphere and from the top with my own running commentary. I had seen people making videos when they go on a sightseeing tour but they do it silently. People become bored faster by the silent treatment. I tried to add my flavor in the video. People still sleep after seeing these videos but a little late.

Atomium was my first world monument and that will always remain special. I remember when I sat in front of the structure on the green grass, I saw a wedding and the bride and groom posed in front of the gigantic structure. I still have the video somewhere.

From the top of Atomium, I saw another attraction, Mini Europe. Mini Europe is a small park of miniature models of the famous monuments in Europe. What better way to see all the famous monuments of Europe from one place. I went on clicking photos and taking videos.

Mini Europe is like a small boy’s fantasy. I don’t know if other boys played it but when I was small, I would play with my toy cars, planes and trains. I would imagine a whole world around these toys where plane would take up like rockets and make crash landings. Mini Europe has these small boats in small rivers and big boats at sea and an airport and planes and it even has a mini space station where a rocket is launched every few minutes. I sat alone in front of the rocket and actually took a video and yes completely with my running commentary and countdown included.

I was so engrossed in Mini Europe that I did not realize that it was already evening and I had only seen two spots. I rushed out only to find that the tour bus service was in its last laps. It was my first trip alone and in a foreign land and I was worried about being safe. So I decided that it was enough of Brussels. I still took photos of the streets and then boarded a train to Herantals.

Coming back, the train was almost empty. Strong winds blew outside. I had gained some confidence by taking the Brussels trip alone and decided to see another city on Sunday. With no medium of sending email, I was all alone and did not expect company. As I came back to hotel, the sky had changed dramatically. The wind was blowing quite strongly now. I decided to call it a day and retired to my room.

I don’t fancy eating alone in a restaurant alone so I ordered room service and watched a movie. It was my second night alone on the hotel and the silent hotel gave me the creeps in the night. I lay awake long into the night, switching channels and watching unidentifiable Flemish stuff.

The next day, I could not wake up early!

======================

Job Story Archives

Read Full Post »

Dil Dosti Etc…..

I saw these kids during my visit to Gorai last week. Probably living in one of the village of Gorai, they came to wash their feet ironically from the muddy water of Gorai creek. The smart one among them insisted that everyone wash their feet, probably thinking about the scolding he had received last time. He took the water out himself and poured on everybody’s feet.

As I clicked away their antics, some of them watched me from the corner of their eye. As they were going away contented that they were clean by washing their feet in the muddy water, they looked at me and were in awe of the big camera.

I smiled and asked if I could take their photos. They readily agreed and then and there took this picture. The smart one turned out to be the shy one, hiding behind his friend and I really had to coax him to come forward.

Years from now, they will move to better life, jobs and places but the they will always remember this time

Dil Dosti etc…..

Read Full Post »

Inside the Dome!

The last few weekend have been very busy. Every weekend it has been a new location and it means clicking photos like anything. I do have so many photos to show off and so many experience to relate. It was the exhaustive Delhi trip two weeks back and last weekend it was a tour to Gorai.

Gorai is a popular Picnic beach in Mumbai. Although quite close to where we stay, it can be accessed by crossing the creek or a long way from Bhayander, a distant suburb of Mumbai. Beach is not the only attraction of Gorai. It houses Esselworld, Mumbai only amusement park.

Mathew and I go on these short trips quite early in the morning. By mid-day we are already home and the morning time is conducive for taking pictures and also less tiring. Also as we are the only two, it does not require much planning and we can just decide at the spur of the moment. With everyone already married or engaged, we are the only two bachelors ready for some outside adventures. Its better than spending a whole day out in the heat. The only problem is that there are not many places in and around Mumbai.

Gorai has changed quite a lot since I visited it maybe 4-5 years back. The major change has been the big dome like structure coming up next to Esselworld. The structure is the Global Pagoda, a 96.12 meters huge structure said to house more than 8000 people at the same time. It is the world largest Dome structure in the world without the support of any pillar inside.

When Mathew said that we can see it as it is opened to the public, I readily jumped to the opportunity. The Global Pagoda does tower above everything else in Gorai.

The Global Pagoda towers above everything in Gorai is almost visible from almost everywhere in Gorai, provided that the view is not obstructed in any way.

The Pagoda is still under construction and would take maybe another 2-3 years and the construction is in full swing. you can’t help but feel in awe as you stand at the foot of the Pagoda with only the blue sky to dwarf it.

The workers working many feet above the ground. The picture is actually of the tip of the current construction.

 

Inside the Grand Pagoda and the huge dome and when I say huge, its huge. When you walk in the structure you realize that you are so small

The center of the dome as seen standing exactly below it and to think that all these stones hang are joined without support here.

Another view of the height of the dome.

 

The elevators on wheels. Huge crane carry the workers up into the sky at the top of the pagoda.

The reflection of the pagoda and the sky in a temporary storage water tank near the construction site.

A  video of how it feels inside the dome and as for the last 10 seconds of the video, well! we couldn’t help it

Read Full Post »

Bhoole Bisare Geet – 16 – Dhani

The love for music is universal. Almost everybody likes some form of music. Over the years, I have loved a lot of songs. Somewhere down the road, many of these songs have become hits. I don’t have a favorite song as such but I have a whole list. Being a hit means that a song is loved by many people. Also it means that it is heard more number of times than normal. I have found myself falling out of love toleoverplayed songs so much so that I wished they had never become such a hit.

And there are some songs which never become hit for some reason of the other. The lyrics are good, the song is good, the singer has sung it well but then it does not work with the people. Over a period of time, it gets lost in time somewhere and when you hear it once in a blue moon, its bliss. These songs could have been hits and for some reasons, they never were or they did not enjoy the success that they deserved.

This is about those songs;

The Bhoole bisare Geet, The lost songs!

==========================================

The Pakistani band “Strings” came back in 1990. They had a huge hit “Sar kiyae” and the music video was quite a hit. I saw Strings back in 1990s when the Pranoy Roy’s news magazine on Doordarshan “The world this week” showed international news. During those days, India and Pakistan were bitter enemies and no exchange of any kind was allowed. Many popular music from Pakistan did find a way in India like the most popular and hugely copied “Hawa Hawa”. Watch the video for the most popular song of my school days featured in a Hindi movie called “Don-II”. At the end of the video look out for Shahrukh Khan’s home “Mannat”in the background.

Strings did became quite popular then but then they disappeared and came back years later in 2002 with “Duur” and then in 2003 with “Dhaani”. The best song in “Duur” was the title song and of course “Anjaane”. Anjaane has a very good video where a man is shown running on the streets giving up his worldly possessions one by one which binds him to something. At the end he becomes one without an identity still running.

By 2000 the band was reduced to two members, Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia and they had grown up from geeky teenagers to a style of their own. 2003’s album Dhaani’s best song is the title song. It featured mostly women doing all kind of men jobs but the greatest part is the guitar played in the song. Strings does takes its name from the guitar after all.

Song: Dhaani
Album: Dhaani
Artists: String
Lyrics: Zehra Nigah
Music: Strings
Year: 2003

Dhaani

Dhaani
Re dhaani
Chunariya
Dhaani, re dhaani…chunariya
Kude baadal ke saiye may lehraye gi
Mujhe tarpaye gi, chali jaye gi
Jaisay bijuriya
Mastaani…
Re jhoke ki surat may chu jaye gi
Sharmaye gi aur itraye gi
Jaisai nadiya
Deewaani…
Dhaani, re dhaani chunariya
Haye dhaani…
Saye may uske barso ka jaaga
May so jau
Uski sajti savarti dhanak main
Main ghar banau
Apnay ghar may kaee chand tare utari sajau
Khushbuo say bhare raasto may kho jau
Kude baadal ke saye may lehraye gi
Mujhe tarpaye gi, chali jaye gi
Jaisay bijuriya
Mastaani…
Dhaani
Re dhaani
Chunariya
Haye dhaani
Tun uske baarish may dhul ke hai ghiste
Aur nikharte
Ru uski zamino ke chehro se milte
Aur damakte
Uske andaz jaisai hai mosam ate jaate
Usse sargam bhi haste haste jagmagate
Kude baadal ke saiye may lehraye gi
Mujhe tarpaye gi, chali jaye gi
Jaisay bijuriya
Mastaani…
Dhaani
Re dhaani
Chunariya
Dhaani, re dhaani…chunariya
Dhaani re…

==============================

Bhoole Bisare Geet Archive

Read Full Post »

32

Yesterday…..

So?

Now what?

 

==================================

Note: Lize and Mathew brought the cake today. I was pleasantly surprised. And surprisingly 15 people remembered to wish me. Not bad!

Read Full Post »

Debut

What happens when you give a Nikon D50 DSLR to a 12 year old? The 12 year old goes on a clicking spree. She points and clicks at anything that catches her fancy.

So that’s what Sheena did when I gave her the camera. She went on a clicking rampage. I did not get to see the pictures properly in Delhi but when I came back, I was quite surprised by the quality of the photos. But then who taught her to click?

Posting some of the best one and the debut of a 12 year photographer

Green

A pond filled with vegetation. I guess its the water lilies but I wouldn’t know

Horse Power

The new and the old. They co-exist quite peacefully

The biggest Branch

The beauty of the picture is the timing. Sheena clicked the picture when the tree branches were exactly below the brick-kiln”s chimney. It was taken from a fast moving car which makes it a great timing or a very good luck

The Man and the Animal

This is the photo of the man who was crossing the road and for a brief moment he looked back, maybe to avoid the speeding vehicles and at that moment he looked right into the camera and she clicked

Heavy Weight Champion

A common sight in UP, you see trucks, tractors and horses carrying what appears to be big heavy bags. I am told that these is the outer covering of wheat grains and is quite light. It acts as a good fodder for cattle’s. A reflection of the mirror can be seen in the left corner of the picture.

Public-Transport

Many town in UP can be a witness to this scene. Over crowded buses and rickshaw and any form of vehicle. I liked this picture because even though it was taken from behind the drivers seat, it had captured most of the subject quite well

\

The Future and the Future

I almost did not notice the picture. A real contrasting situation where a boy works at a young age to live the future while the school boys in the background would study to make their future. Its a picture of a emerging India turning their back to the underdeveloped India. Am I reading too much into an accidental photo?

Divine Guidance

Faith!

Waiting

A lone boy waits what looks like a bus stand. What’s a “Hot Mix plant site”?

Road

Notice the blue Jeep in the background and remember the old Hindi movies of the 70s. That’s why the picture is here and of course its a very good photo.

Copyright Violation??

The other IPL.

Read Full Post »