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Tag: India

  • Waiting for God to do something!

    My heart was bleeding while I was watching this!!! and at the same time, I am feeling like an idiot being from a country where leaders are completely incapable of anything!!!! I am feel so disturbed, that I do not know what to write!!!

    Can’t even thank Geet for sending this link to me!!!

    Does it fkking matter if the attack was on Mumbai or Bombay? on a Maharashtrian or a Bengali or a Bihari? It does not, but no… our politicians have much better things to do than putting their foot down against terrorism!!!

    Make their sculptures
    Win elections with the tax payers money
    Throw anyone who is not a Marathi Manus out of the state
    Burn trains and buses
    Point fingers at fellow politicians
    Object to twitter and business class travel
    and what not!!!!

    Is keeping the country and people, who vote for such bastards, safe a part of anyone’s agenda? I guess not!

    And why just Indian Leadership, even the US continues to pump billions of dollars in the name of development, into countries where the only development is probably developing terror!!!

    Damn it!!!!

  • (चाय और चम्पी ) Chai aur Champi !

    Kshitiz had a post on flickr a couple of days back which was something about why he was going back to India, and his response was that he does not get the roadside tea here !

    I could not agree with him more…

    If there were a few reasons why I want to go back to India, not being able to park my car and have tea/food in a dhaba would be in the top 5… What a blessing it is to enjoy a different kind of food and tea, every 100 kms in a open air dhaba… and here, all you get is Subways, Wendy’s, McDonalds and so on and so forth… sab kuch ek jaisa !


    Another reason and very silly one that is, would be not getting the proper hair cream… I have not been able to find any hair cream that I like so far here in the US.. my biggest issue is the huge number of options for almost every issue for your hair, and not one which says non sticky hair cream !!! aargh…

    Anyway, this weekend I managed to find something from Garnier that looks and feels like my favorite Parachute After Shower… though this one does not smell as nice as Parachute… Monday morning when I used it, I was so happy !!! finally !!!!

    Oh and one more… the 10 rupe ki champi that I get at my hair dresser !!!

    I going to move out of my comfort zone and path of least resistance at work soon… It is for doing the right thing, so hoping it works !!!

  • The journey begins !

    Fill up the reservation form… look at the train numbers, plan your start and end or midway points and refill the form
    Stand in line at the reservation counter hoping to get the tickets for the train which is your first choice

    Those 10 minutes at the counter talking to the person at the other end getting the best route

    The lack of change… how on earth am I supposed to get the three 10 rupee notes, and the two 5 rupee ones, and the other change !

    Anyway, the ticket is in my hand now ! The white grey dot-matrix printed Indian Railways ticket ! Hey, but I cannot read it properly… what time is my train? and from?

    oh wait, it has been printed on the line just above !! OK, well, the information is there… Coach S4, Seat 30 (wonder who would be sitting next to me)

    I wish its a beautiful girl 🙂 and without her parents or the boyfriend!

    Last minute Auto rush !!! and the bugger is driving so slowly that I could walk faster to the station.

    Anyway, I am here now… which platform? The board is not working, hey, the Kuli ! Let me ask him… they always know !!! Yes sir I am right… its platform 12, darn, the other side of the station !!! Run !!!

    Sir ji, late hai train !!!

    Oh thank Gawd !!!

    take it easy !!!

    A nice stroll up the stairs, on the overbridge, with people and more people and some more in the space left… walking, looking around, rushing for their platforms, anxious because they are late, or early or excited about meeting someone, or just being…

    But hey, where is the train?

    Oh, they are still shunting the bogies… will be here in a few minutes… and there it is !!!

    A1, A2, …..A4, S14… what the fkk… now run !!! S4 S4 S4 S4 S4… uncle sambhal kar zara…

    S4 S4… haan yehi hai s8… peeche likha hai…

    S4 S4 S4… saali itni lambi train…

    S4… kaash ye wala S4 hota.. this group of girls would be sitting somewhere near me then…

    S4… arre auntie jaane do…

    phew !!!

    The reservation chart finally….

    So lets see.. how many girls in my compartment today…

    F
    F
    F
    F
    F
    ah !!! F – 56 — darn !!!

    F
    F
    F
    F F6… sweet…

    F
    F
    F
    F
    23.. ah… Vaijanti Devi !!! crap !!!

    F F
    F
    F
    F
    24 Kalpana Arora… hmm…
    M27 Aakash Arora… inki to !!!

    F
    F
    F
    F
    F…

    uff.. sabse sada hua dibba mera !!!! CRAP !!!!

    anyway !!!

    Lets just get on the train !!!


    Auntiji ye meri seat hai !!!
    Oh !!!

    Wahan baith jaoge beta?
    umm… ji…

    Mera bag hata do wahan se… idhar de do.. aaram se baith jao !!!
    ji auntiji

    bleddy hell… inko kaise bolun I wanted the window seat !!!! I WANTED THE WINDOW SEAT !!!


    anyway… that probably means I will sleep better at night.. the top berth is not that bad afterall !

    So the bags are sett, the walkman is out !!! the tapes are out too ! what do we listen to? Wait… save the battery !! aise hi baitha reh abhi…

    Magazine !!! haan.. get some !!!

    Chai? haan ek cup wo bhi ho jaye!!!


    Auntiji main abhi aaya…
    haan beta

    ok… , chacha chauhdhary, billu, pinky, archies, apna bhavishya badlein, kismat aapke haath mein, competition success review, manorama, sarita, manohar kahaniya, limca book of records, reiki kaise karen, phew.. too many… just pick up a few random ones…

    oh.. paani ki bottle… ek wo bhi… aur biscuit? haan parle ji… do packet…

    chalo beta bhago before auntiji calls the police thinking you left a few bombs in the train !!!

    back on the seat… all set with magazines, food, music, a lost window seat, people…

    A Journey Begins….

  • और कहीं दिन बीते…

    आज सोया तो सपने में सपना था…
    के     नींद खुले तो कहीं और…


    किसी और शहर में…
    किसी     पहाड़ की गोद में…
    किसी     नदी के किनारे…
    कहीं     दूर किसी स्टेशन पर चाय चाय की आवाज़ से..
    किसी     छोटे बस स्टैंड पर पकोडे की खुशबु से…
    बस     कंडक्टर की सीटी से…




    और     दिन बीते कहीं
    बातें     करते
    किसी     छोटी सी गली में घूमते घूमते
    एक     छोटी सी चाय की दुकान पर बातें सुनते
    चाय     पीते रस खाते मट्ठी खाते
    और     फिर एक और प्याली चाय पीते
    कुछ     राह चलते लोगों की खेरियत पूछते
    कुछ     बच्चो के साथ पिट्ठू खेलते
    कहीं     एक नाव में नदी पार करते
    किसी     खेत में एक डंडी लेकर घूमते
    गाँव     में सर्दी की मीठी मीठी धुप का मज़ा लेते


    और कहीं दिन बीते…

  • Brown Walls and the Sounds of Flute !

    My restless of not being able to drive for a long time, took me to Fatehpur Sikri last weekend, and one our way back we decided to see the Ghats in Vrindavan… I am so glad we did !!! Got to see a completely different view of the town of Krishna !

    While I feel lazy about writing in complete detail about the trip, please enjoy some of the pictures below…

    A vehicle typical to western UP.. Called “Jugad” and made out of a Diesel Genset/Water Pump fitted with used automobile parts (Steering, Suspension, Radiator, Headlights) and a wooden body over a hard suspension chassis ! (Photograph by Tushar aka Burf)

    Camera overuse and exploitation ! 😛
    A boat in Yamuna waters !
    One of many kids at Mazaar of Khwaja Saleem Chishti…

    ASI works hard to keep the Sikri clean and green ! and it shows !!!
    A wall in the Jodhabai’s Mahal ( Its refered to as her Palace, but there are no historical evidences to really prove the Jodhabhai used to stay here)… The pictures below are from the same palace…

    I am going to away for a couple of days… maybe more !!! Will see you all soon at the Chai ki Dukaan !!!

  • We the PEOPLE !

    1. We follow instructions…

    • That is why once someone reads “Horn Please” behind a truck or a tempo, we just do not stop following that instruction EVER !! We will “horn” please anytime every-time.
    • We wear helmets because the sign says Wear Helmets. And not because they would really save our heads !
    2. Lane driving is Sane Driving,

    • And we prove our sanity in ways (read lanes) more than one… every now and then we want to drive in a different lane to ensure the sanity of that lane as well.
    • There are times, when we are proving our sanity in lanes more than one together !
    3. We are good followers and have amazing leaders…

    • Nothing else can explain what happened in Rajasthan when Gurjars were down on the streets with the reservation issue. I doubt if most of the people really knew what they were agitating for.
    • The MNS people beating up people who came for the railways examinations in Maharashtra and many more such incidents
    4. We are very loving parents

    • That’s why we let our kids sit in front of us between the steering when we are driving a car… After all, the kid should also enjoy the entire experience like he wants…
    • And ditto for the kids standing on the small platform on scooters and sitting on the petrol tanks of the motor cycles
    5. We feel ownership every thing for the public in the country…

    • That is why we can spit anywhere, or pee in any corner
    • That is why we park any (possible) where on the road
    • That is why we are more than comfortable in damaging or destroying anything that is meant for the public
    6. We know how to get things done

    • We can burn railway coaches, and stop all traffic…
    • We can break glasses and throw stones at everyone around to prove a point…
    • If people in a state beat my state people up, I would go ahead and burn everything that I can in my state too… Fantastic solution providers too… simple eh!
    7. We are aware of everything latest happening around thanks to our media…

    • One incident and the TV news would point a question mark at the entire city, at the entire departments… I used to like India TV when it started, but now I have started hating it to the core… I think they are doing a fantastic job of scaring the shit out of people who watch it !!! Way to go !! Its surprising how they can make scary news out of Absolutely EVERYTHING !!!
    8. We can let go of things…

    • That’s why we forget if Arushi’s murder is even worth thinking about now?
    • That’s why we do not remember that people die in road accidents and that when we drive like crazy we are putting someone else’s life at stake in addition to ours, exactly how a driver somewhere else would put our family’s life at stake only because his car/jeep/truck can move faster and faster!
    • That’s why no one really talks about the effort that most of the people other than Gandhi did for the independence of the country, except on their birthdays and death anniversaries… I wish to see a Rs. 10 note with the photo of Chandrashekhar Azar or Bhagat Singh or Subhash Chandra Bose or someone else one day !!!
    9. We are sensitive people…

    • Does not matter who gets killed, till its one of my own I would not really understand! And it its someone I know or close to me, my anger would know no limits !!!
    • We are too sensitive to our religion, and would be more than quick to point a finger at someone else.
    10. We believe in saving fuel…
    • That is why we do not like to stop at traffic lights, idling would waste fuel… so we just move on… that also helps us build our driving capabilities bigg time !!
    We the people !!!

    This is me, you, and a lot of people around us! and if this post offends you in some way, please do try to make a change someway or the other !!

    Stop your brother, sister, relative, father, son, friend from doing something that is not right! Make a genuine attempt to give something back to the country, by at-least following some simple rules and basic manners!

    I hope things would change, but I am scared too!

  • India’s First

    I have been thinking about writing something titled “We the people” on how a lot of people in India behave… it is supposed to be a not so good post, but I guess I would defer it for a day or two and enjoy the success of the first phase of Chandrayaan ( the moon vehicle)

    Here is the good news :

    “Chandrayaan-1, India’s maiden moon spacecraft, was put into Transfer Orbit around the earth by the Polar Launch Vehicle PSLV-C11 after it blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.” (from NDTV.com)

    Read more about it here.

    and

    more on the mission on ISRO’s website here.

    I am very glad, because I have always believed that India has the true potential to be one of the best countries in the world ( I am sure it is in certain aspects) but while some people make it what it is, for good, there is no dearth of people who are only and only responsible for making it worse !

  • Tea Time Cousins !

    Met them at a Chai Ki Dukaan ( Tea Stall) in Badrinath Puri.

     

    No trip is complete, rather starts for me if there is no TEA… a good tea to start the day and things look much brighter :)These kettles are very common all across north India for keeping the tea warm (tea is kept in them and then on the stove) and serving. The nice steaming tea coming out of the nicely curved nose of the kettle falling into a cup or a kulhad is such a delight to watch !!! (Like the picture on the top right corner of this page)

    and Pouring tea using these kettles is an art too, the angle of inclination, the time, the distance from the cup, all play a role together for one to have a delightful Cha(ie)xperience 🙂

    (Not posting this one on the Chaya Chitralaya Blog)

  • What’s been happening in Singur?

    I was wondering and read an article about the twists and turns so far, to find out more !!!

    I am interested in the land acquisition policies, processes, the rehabilitation and employment responsibilities etc and hence was interested in the entire sage of events. If you also have been reading bits and pieces and wondering the whats and why of Singur, this should help.

    Click here.

    or

    copy paste the following link in your browser window (for me its Chrome these days) :

    http://www.ibnlive.com/news/nano-saga-twists-and-turns-so-far/73066-3.html

    And I came around this article today :

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/51_of_businesses_owned_by_SCSTOBCs/rssarticleshow/3456486.cms (copy and paste in your browser)

    The article says that : “Over half of all business establishments in the country — 51% to be precise — are today owned by the socially disadvantaged sections, mostly OBCs, with a slim contribution coming from SCs and STs. “

    Now is this just a chance? or because of a certain capability to do good things? And if this is capability, why the hell is there a fight for reservations? I don’t understand !!! I would want to believe that the so called neglected part of the society is equally capable as the “General” category.

  • हर हर गंगे !!!

    Boy I feel lucky or what to have been on a raft while going through the Three Blind Mice, the Return to Sender, the Golf Course and the other many rapids between Marine Drive and Rishikesh !!!

    No doubt its one of the top 10 (or 5?) white water rafting sites in the world !!!

    This weekend I went camping and rafting in Wisconsin, about 300 miles away from where Minneapolis and the only thing common in the rafting was the Yellow Blue Hyside Rafts that we use in Rishkesh !!! rest… just one! yes just one grade 4 rapid ( was more interesting to look at than be in) and nothing more !!!

    This was the only rapid, a Grade IV that we did…

    But still, the weekend was good… (Made me miss Rishikesh a lot)

    Needless to say, another post with less text and loads of pictures is coming your way !!!