Well, a good part of my daily adventures (if you can call them! ) in my life is travelling in the APSRTC buses. Those ignorant, APSRTC stands for Andhra Pradesh Stae Road Transport Corporation. These orange, grey and buses have really brought colour to my life. Ok, this post is what I have learnt travelling in these buses. Here, they go.
1. Thanks to these buses, I have learnt how to push past god knows how many people to board or get down the bus as if my way was clear! No one was there to block me!
2. I have learnt to put my feet in various angles just to stand comfortably and grab my space in a bus.
3. Give glares or scream at people in buses who sit comfortably on seats reserved for senior citizens when a very old man just stands there. Imagine doing that in public and that too in my pathetic telugu. "Meeru chudatle, ikada oka old vaalu nuchuntaara!"
4. I smell like a fish even in the mornings irrespective of how much perfumes or deodorants I used.
5. I have learnt the psychology of a passenger about to get down and realising the seat will get empty. Yes, the way the person is sitting fidgets before her stop is about to be reached, the rustle of the plastic covers, the holding of the seat bars, etc. I have learnt it, boy!
6. I have learnt how much I can save just by travelling in a vehicle that costs about 10 lakhs (I think so. My friends endearingly call it 8 lakh ki gaddi!) ;)
7. Have you ever talked to complete strangers about the book you were reading or the song you were listening on the I-pod or just when you realise the person sitting next to you is a professor of the subject you have a exam in 30 min? I have. :D
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
"Barkha : Sabrina, will u be able to sleep tonight?"
Sabrina: (smiles) I can show my parents and sister we won. Its going to be a long peaceful sleep."
Listening to this at the end on NDTV's special report programme, I realised when something merely is not a headline. Behind every headline, there is a struggle. A human. A life. A soul. There is something about hunger of justice. Listening to those, I actually started believing in the phrase JUSTICE AT LAST. This was a headline that I saw everywhere but I always thought JUSTICE DELAYED IS DENIED. Hats off to those who truly fight for what they believe. I know souls rest in peace today. Today, the smile in Jessica's picture showing on my television screen for the first time seems real.
Sabrina: (smiles) I can show my parents and sister we won. Its going to be a long peaceful sleep."
Listening to this at the end on NDTV's special report programme, I realised when something merely is not a headline. Behind every headline, there is a struggle. A human. A life. A soul. There is something about hunger of justice. Listening to those, I actually started believing in the phrase JUSTICE AT LAST. This was a headline that I saw everywhere but I always thought JUSTICE DELAYED IS DENIED. Hats off to those who truly fight for what they believe. I know souls rest in peace today. Today, the smile in Jessica's picture showing on my television screen for the first time seems real.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
The Great Indian Punjabi Circus
Well, I got the Punjabi genes and alu paranthas in my blood. Unfortunately, with that I got the loud and belching relatives package too.
Yes, the wedding is over and the loud relatives one usually associates with Punjabis is over too. So many weddings. So many memories. I dont know why but with one wedding, memories of the wweddings gone by too come like flashback in some weird Ekta Kapoor serial. Anyways, this is a post dedicated to my family that I have looked up to and inwardly laughed till I could not control my laughter. I present to you my Family!
THE UNCLES
Age: Above 50 yrs
They have gotta be the cutest of the lot. Together they are like retired army generals but the difference is they are not retired army generals. They laugh and crack the worst jokes. Some are funny, some are non-veg and some make you laugh because you oughta be laughing at them. Otherwise another one comes which beats the earlier joke at being the lamest and in my words are 'mere phrases'. Yes, they fart the loudest and burp the loudest. :)
Age: Above 40 yrs
These are the working sorts. Ok, they are the working lot. They always have grim expressions on their faces. Touch everyones feet and their haan ji's flow like water. When they get drunk.............God! Help us! Yes, they don't really talk much but when they get to talking they only talk dealers, sellers and clients. Oh yes, these are the ones with the weirdest nicknames such as Babbu, Puppy, Sheru, Chotu, Tilu, Tanny and some more like that!
The Aunties
Age: Above 5o yrs
You will find them upto some work. Sewing or cooking. They somehow flock together and know everything. From Pappu's padosi to Rinku's husbands salary. Nothing escapes them.
Age: Above 40 yrs
Ok. They will kill me if I categorise them here. They would claim they are above 25 yrs. Thats a bit of exaggeration. They would think they are in their mid 30's. Use the latest cosmetics. Has had a facial recently. In my words, true items. Its fun being next to them when one wants to crib about another family member. They truly know each and everyone's annoying habits and my oh my will even list out events when they were the most annoying! :D
Age: Above 30 yrs
Poor them. They are there looking after their kids who are running about in their shoes and with their lipsticks. They are too busy with their kids to really be assessed. If they are not, they are sleeping.
The Cousins
They are either pesky or not pesky. If they are pesky, they are just too pesky. Unfortunately, I got too many of them. They are always nosing around your stuff. Theres nothing normal about them. Flower shirts, tight white pants and their extremely punjabi accented english. The non-pesky ones thankfully make up for them. They are fun to hang out with and yes, everything is normal about them.
Last Category-My types
Yes, they are the arrogant, useless kinda like me. They sit and just stereotype their own relatives. First, they assess them. Categorise them and end up blogging on them!
Yes, the wedding is over and the loud relatives one usually associates with Punjabis is over too. So many weddings. So many memories. I dont know why but with one wedding, memories of the wweddings gone by too come like flashback in some weird Ekta Kapoor serial. Anyways, this is a post dedicated to my family that I have looked up to and inwardly laughed till I could not control my laughter. I present to you my Family!
THE UNCLES
Age: Above 50 yrs
They have gotta be the cutest of the lot. Together they are like retired army generals but the difference is they are not retired army generals. They laugh and crack the worst jokes. Some are funny, some are non-veg and some make you laugh because you oughta be laughing at them. Otherwise another one comes which beats the earlier joke at being the lamest and in my words are 'mere phrases'. Yes, they fart the loudest and burp the loudest. :)
Age: Above 40 yrs
These are the working sorts. Ok, they are the working lot. They always have grim expressions on their faces. Touch everyones feet and their haan ji's flow like water. When they get drunk.............God! Help us! Yes, they don't really talk much but when they get to talking they only talk dealers, sellers and clients. Oh yes, these are the ones with the weirdest nicknames such as Babbu, Puppy, Sheru, Chotu, Tilu, Tanny and some more like that!
The Aunties
Age: Above 5o yrs
You will find them upto some work. Sewing or cooking. They somehow flock together and know everything. From Pappu's padosi to Rinku's husbands salary. Nothing escapes them.
Age: Above 40 yrs
Ok. They will kill me if I categorise them here. They would claim they are above 25 yrs. Thats a bit of exaggeration. They would think they are in their mid 30's. Use the latest cosmetics. Has had a facial recently. In my words, true items. Its fun being next to them when one wants to crib about another family member. They truly know each and everyone's annoying habits and my oh my will even list out events when they were the most annoying! :D
Age: Above 30 yrs
Poor them. They are there looking after their kids who are running about in their shoes and with their lipsticks. They are too busy with their kids to really be assessed. If they are not, they are sleeping.
The Cousins
They are either pesky or not pesky. If they are pesky, they are just too pesky. Unfortunately, I got too many of them. They are always nosing around your stuff. Theres nothing normal about them. Flower shirts, tight white pants and their extremely punjabi accented english. The non-pesky ones thankfully make up for them. They are fun to hang out with and yes, everything is normal about them.
Last Category-My types
Yes, they are the arrogant, useless kinda like me. They sit and just stereotype their own relatives. First, they assess them. Categorise them and end up blogging on them!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Plastic Heroes
While trying to vote for NDTV's Indian of the Year, I was left disappointed looking at the list. I felt Aishwarya Rai's presence, Sanjay Dutt and Aamir Khan's presence with those like Ratan Tata and Mr. Mattoo, left me feel a bit sour. Here, were people who used their brains, fought hard and exhibited a determination that truly makes them a hero. Then, there were Ash , Aamir and Sanjay.
I remember watching a show on CNN-IBN called Citizen Khan and how annoying it was watching the show. Suddenly, Aamir Khan was synonymous with the ideal citizen. Why? Well, he starred in a movie that was the brainchild of an extremely good and creative director, ranted lines written by a dialogue writer and danced on music that was composed by a maestro in his own right. Aamir-the media shy person was being hailed as the citizen we should be looking up to and he even capitalised on that by supporting the Narmada Bachao Andolan. The very time he came on so many shows on the various news channels. Soon, everyone had forgotten about Medha Patkar who was fighting for this issue for many years. Ditto with Sanjay Dutt. The concept of Gandhigiri was actually thought by Rajkumar Hirani and Sanjay is the mere puppet. The same Sanjay Dutt is put on a list where there is Leander Paes who truly put India on the international sports map. Other than, acting in a movie such as Munnabhai, what else has he achieved? Yes, staying in jail for an year. Possessing arms and being convicted for it. Accused once under the TADA act. Sure, he is a hero.
Then, Ms. Aishwarya Rai. India and Bollywood's supposed ambassador.
I do not even want to write about her flings, ransom money packages, dumb giggles and the debacles on box office. Even, Sachin Tendulkar did not deserve to be on the list. Maybe, a Saina Nehwal who truly exhibited her sporting talenting and brought laurels to te country.
Well, there is no point even blaming NDTV. India is a country where heroes and heroism have different meanings.
I remember watching a show on CNN-IBN called Citizen Khan and how annoying it was watching the show. Suddenly, Aamir Khan was synonymous with the ideal citizen. Why? Well, he starred in a movie that was the brainchild of an extremely good and creative director, ranted lines written by a dialogue writer and danced on music that was composed by a maestro in his own right. Aamir-the media shy person was being hailed as the citizen we should be looking up to and he even capitalised on that by supporting the Narmada Bachao Andolan. The very time he came on so many shows on the various news channels. Soon, everyone had forgotten about Medha Patkar who was fighting for this issue for many years. Ditto with Sanjay Dutt. The concept of Gandhigiri was actually thought by Rajkumar Hirani and Sanjay is the mere puppet. The same Sanjay Dutt is put on a list where there is Leander Paes who truly put India on the international sports map. Other than, acting in a movie such as Munnabhai, what else has he achieved? Yes, staying in jail for an year. Possessing arms and being convicted for it. Accused once under the TADA act. Sure, he is a hero.
Then, Ms. Aishwarya Rai. India and Bollywood's supposed ambassador.
I do not even want to write about her flings, ransom money packages, dumb giggles and the debacles on box office. Even, Sachin Tendulkar did not deserve to be on the list. Maybe, a Saina Nehwal who truly exhibited her sporting talenting and brought laurels to te country.
Well, there is no point even blaming NDTV. India is a country where heroes and heroism have different meanings.
Friday, December 01, 2006
A Regular Day Or Not?
I feel all soggy. Its weird but my face is all wet. SHIT! Its eight and my dogs drool is all over my face. He moans for a walk and I am going to so miss my first hour as usual in college. Its just that I have accepted it as a way of my life. I sleep to bed thinking I will be awake by six thirty and go for a good walk with my dog.(Actually, he would be going for a good walk with me but he is too stubborn and I am too lazy to guide the way. He just wanders around and I follow). Now, I have to cut the walk to a merely 15 mins but the walk lasts for a full 25 mins. My sis is screaming because she is late as usual for her gym. She gives me fifteen mins to get ready. Hell with Time Management. We start out as late as usual. The clock shows 9:45 am. I am supposed to be in my college and my sis in gym working out on th treadmill. We are all used to it now but never forget to blame each other for being late. I say, "You and your damn cleaning." In case, you did not know but she has the cleanliness disorder. She says, "You were in th bathroom bathing like a princess." The fact is both of us were trying to feed the DOG of our house. (Note: I write Dog in Caps because he indeed is the DOG of our house like some king). He needs to be hand-fed otherwise His Majesty will not eat. Like determined to find the holy grail, me and my sis mount on the bike to beat the traffic and cover 15 kms in 15 mins. Sure, that will happen. We start of on our usual route. The traffic is too much. I am sitting behind and looking around. The eyes around me are fixed on one spot. I cannot see what the eyes around search for. I think its one of those dumb car drivers who cannot take a right turn and block all the traffic. Damn! Its 10 already. Fine, its just EVS. I pray he does not walk inside the class as usual today. And there I see, a man lying down on the road blood all over his face. He looks numb. The eyes around me seems to have found its spot. A rickshaw puller hit by a speeding car. We just speed away because everyone around me is not interested anymore to drive but just gape. I feel the speed and listen to ambulance sirens behind me. I even hear the cars and scooters starting around me.
I feel all soggy. Its weird but my face is wet. SHIT! Its eight. I am wet. My dog is licking me because I just finished feeding him. My sis is packing her bag. In 15 mins, we will be hitting the roads. We travel on the usual route but today no traffic is around me. I search again for the cars and scooters. I search for the eyes. I find the spot. I do not find the numb face. I dont find the gaping faces. I see nothing. I only see a lesson learnt.
I feel all soggy. Its weird but my face is wet. SHIT! Its eight. I am wet. My dog is licking me because I just finished feeding him. My sis is packing her bag. In 15 mins, we will be hitting the roads. We travel on the usual route but today no traffic is around me. I search again for the cars and scooters. I search for the eyes. I find the spot. I do not find the numb face. I dont find the gaping faces. I see nothing. I only see a lesson learnt.
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