Saturday, March 31, 2007

Life and memories

Aaj dur se koi salaam kar gaya,
Apni yaadon ka ghulaam kar gaya.
Apni zindagi girvi rakhkar kharida tha jise,
Aaj woh hamein nilaam kar gaya!
Received this message from an ex colleague and it set me thinking about my Life! And then I realised my Life is just the 4 walls of my office. From 9.30 am to 9.30 pm or later. Reaching home at 10 pm/11 pm or later. Cut off from my hobbies, friends, relatives....can't join them in their happy / sad occasions. My colleagues are my family in the sense that I am mostly with them. My home is like a lodge where I come for having dinner and sleeping for the night.
Life just not exist for me except for Sundays, which passes before it starts. And if in such short a life, you happen to know people who've only left sad memories, even the little life one lives is a waste! It does not exist at all !

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Writers are .....


Most writers are soft hearted, soft spoken people. Sometimes too mild by nature, with no courage even to stand up for themselves! But most of the time you will find them standing up for others rights!

By writers I mean the real writers. Those who are into creative expressions like poems and who write to change society or rebel or make a point through their pens. Not who occasionally write and that too mostly about themselves. That's not a writer. That's noting down your life's experiences and personal expressions. A writer, as in, the creative person with the khadi kurta and jhola, as we would like to believe. But one needn't necessarily dress like that. Though you will still see the creativity in his/ her dressing even in comtemporary clothing!

But forget the dressing part. To understand a writer's personality, one should ask - What makes a person a writer ? A writer is mostly born out of a shy, timid person, who wants to say many things to the world but is not able to say much. Many shy children who are mostly by themselves, who have seen a lot pain or felt lonely in life at a young age develop a personality where things just keep piling up in their hearts. Those things which they have felt or experienced. Those things which they cannot speak out. Because coming from their mouths, it would not make sense to the world. Even neglected children slowly start becoming shy and loners. Neglection can arise out of anything. It could be short gap in the birth of the next sibling, resulting in losing attention of parents all too soon. It can arise out of working parents, with no time for their child. Unless the child is in the protection of other family members.

Apart from neglection, some factors like some shortfall in personality or looks, which often becomes a subject for others jokes, can leave a scar on a child. And the child tries to prove himself through other channels like studies, writing etc. There are also children of parents who restrict their children too much, forcing them to study and not allowing them to play or interact much with other chidren. These children also turn to be loners and less confident.

Most loners who never get to express their feelings and have a lot to say to the world, start to write. Many of them are those who talk less. Those who are bubbly and always talking, mostly speak their hearts out. And those who cannot do so, turn to rebellious writing to change the world or society around them. And thus is born a writer. But to be a writer one must be a thinker too. And many times it is also born of a person who is much mature beyond his age.

In short, a writer is born out of a shy, caring person wanting to change the world.

But its a different thing that slowly, slowly as people read his/ her writings and start appreciating and recognising it (if it's really praiseworthy), then the same writing which arose out of a shy person can slowly go on to make a confident personality of out him/ her. But whether he/she becomes more condifent or public savvy, the basic nature of a writer will always remain the same - soft spoken and caring and too emotional.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Ek hi Saccha Saathi

Kasmein, waade, pyar, wafa sab
Baatein hain baaton ka kya.
Koi kisi ka nahin yeh jhute naate hain
Naaton ka kya!
Yes, how true! Maybe I am one the few of those old Gandhians still left in this world who live in a different world altogether of Satya, Ahimsa, Vachan, Prem etc. A world which no longer exists! An imaginary and virtual world in which me and people like me still stay or believe to stay!
Gone are the days of 'jaan jaaye par vachan na jaye!' People today make promises just like a salesman sells his products with promises. Now people are marketing and selling themselves as products to others. No one means a thing. Only say sweet things and make promises till someone buys them. After that, you are left with the actual products minus the false promises!
Truth! Where is truth? Much better thing would be to ask- What is the truth?
In this world, where no one belongs to anyone even through love, there is one true friend who's always there with you! Someone who doesn't let you down.
In today's world where work schedules are getting more and more hectic and you lose connect with your friends, relatives, family... this friend connects you to the world.
You often see young girls clinging on to it for support! It binds loving hearts, it binds friends and relatives living far away.
Working girls (even guys) don't mind investing and paying huge amounts for it. It's just a small amount you pay compared to the satisfaction of your near dear ones you get from it!
Yehi zindagi ka saccha saathi hai joh kabhi bhi aapka saath nahin chodta.
By now you might have guessed what I am talking about.
Yes, hamara pyara mobile phone!

Keh do ke yeh jhoot hai!


''Keh do ke yeh jhoot hai!'' - This is how a one would have reacted in a Hindi movie if he/she would have heard of the Indian team losing out even before starting!

To the Indian cricket : World cup na sahi... yeh chai ka cup lelo aur wapas aakar garma garam chai peelo aur kaam par chalo... All your ad commitments are waiting to be completed!

When I posted my previous blog, the team was playing with Sri Lanka and Indians had dreams in their eyes!

Blame it on Ads or Greg or Dravid, the fact is that our team lacks focus. They are more interested in minting money these days. With the cricket board giving so many facilities to cricketers in India, including a govt job and a fixed salary of Rs 15 lacs p a, our players start losing focus on the game after securing a good position in the team. Then they act as 'management'. They delegate 'making runs' to the new joinees. After all, seniority naam ki bhi kuch cheez hoti hai!

Today, in News, I saw a man die of heart attack after India lost. His health was deteriorating with every loss of our team in World Cup and when it was completely out, he was out of this world!

Today I heard of people making lot of money because they had betted on India losing!

Today I saw sadness in the eyes of many cricket fans in office!

Today, the mails doing the rounds wherein the Indian captain tells the Pakistan captain to wait for another day so that they can leave together, have come true!

Today I saw fury in Indians' eyes

Today I saw a faint hope still there in Indian hearts, hoping against hope that Bermuda beats Bangladesh so that India stands a little chance! Are we living at the mercy of a country like Bermuda, whose support we took earlier also to make a great score!

Hoo ha India.... ha ha India!

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Cricket Man-ia?


Call it cricket mania or womania (thanks to Mandira!), it's all over the place

Last Saturday (which is comparatively a cooler day for me at work), our cricket comments in office were flowing like 'Second Innings' with us discussing the Pak team, the Indian team, who will win, joking over players etc. One of our colleagues referred to Afridi as 'Afridi sir' and we all could not stop pulling his leg over his comment! It was all in fun! I was just enjoying the talk adding a Mandira touch to it, not for my clothes but for the feminine effect (with funny liners) of someone who does not know much about the game! (Of course Mandy knows the game much much better than me!)

But the weekend changed so many things in cricket overnight! Pak's defeat to Ireland and Bob Woolmer's sudden death left everyone dumbfounded! It changed the history of cricket forever! People started talking more after that when India was to play against Bermuda saying 'Ab Greg Chappel ki baari hai!' And now as India was preparing to play against Sri Lanka, there have been cartoons of Indian captain telling the Pak captain, 'Wait for another day. We'll also come!'

Also heard on Monday, 19th on the platform while waiting for the train : One boy was telling another boy. 'At least Pak team ke log haarne par sharam se mar rahey hain ya resign kar rahey hain! Lekin Indian team itni besharam hai ki na toh koi marta hai aur na resign karta hai! (People from Pak team are dying of shame or quitting the game at this unexpected loss. But, we Indians, are shameless!)

Though I am not a cricket freak as such, but I am enjoying the cricket mania around me! The hero-to-zero-to-hero story of Sehwag, the loss against unexpected teams, the breaking of Dhoni's house, the burning of cricketers posters by angry mobs - just about everything! And I wish that India does all of us proud! Go India Go! Get it for us!

Monday, March 19, 2007

Just Fun!

The previous post was satire (wierd kind) and in pure Gandhigiri and Munnabhai league with no offence to anyone!

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Women- Pakao aur Matlabi

To all the men out there who feel that Women are sick, intolerable creatures who are better away from your lives, I've only this to say- You are absolutely right! Auratein toh jamn se hi pakao hoti hain! Saari auratzaat hai-ich aisi! Kasam se!

Kitchen mein jaati hai toh pakati hai! Kabhi Dal, toh kabhi chawal, toh kabhi biryani toh kabhi Murgi! Saala aadmi karega bhi toh kya! Aakhir khana hi padta hai! Nahin toh usko bura lagega na! Akhir aadmi log sab ka khayal rakhtey hain... sab ke feelings ka khayal rakhtey hai- Aurat pakati rehti hai, aur acche aadmi khaatey rehte hain!

Bachhe ko pet mein pakati hai...... baccha kaccha duniya mein aakar baad mein pakega toh odd lagega na.... Isliye yeh aurat bhi na....usko pet mein pakana shuru karti hai! Can you imagine- Pet? Stomach? Chee... arre pet mein toh kitne organs hotey hai... kitna ganda hota hai... fir bhi... aurat hai ha.... usko akal toh kam hi hogi na!

Jab bacche paida hotey hai.... fir unko bhi pakao! Jhoot boley toh pakana shuru, kuch galat kaho toh pakana shuru, kuch galat khao toh pakana shuru.... Aisa hoga... waise hoga... aur na jaane kya kya! Tumhari Mummy pakao hai, meri mummy bhi. Sabki mummy.... Aakhir Aurat hi pakao joh thehri !!!

Aur biwiyaan toh pakane mein maahir hain ! Dimaag ki dahi karti hain.... Haan ghar ka khayaal karti hai... pati ka khayaal karti hai... aur aadat ke mutabik kitchen mein pakati hai aur husbands ko bhi ! Ghar mein ek tarah ka rounak laati hain..... lekin pakao style mein!

Aur aadmiyon ko dekho kitne acche hotey hain- Sab ladkiyon ka khayaal karte hain. Sirf ek ko dekho toh doosri ko bura lagega na! Isliye sab ke baare mein sochtey hain! Aur yeh Mean ladkiyan- Ya toh sirf ek boyfriend ke baare mein sochengi ya sirf ek wohi gheesa pita husband! How mean and boring!

Toh kya hua khud ki biwi ho toh...... So many girls are unmarried in this world. Aur ek affair ya shaadi karke unki (unmarried girls ki) life settle karwani ki sochtey hain! Social service ka kaam hai yeh! Auraten aisa sochti hain kya?

Auraten toh jamn se hi matlabi aur pakao hoti hain
, sacchi!

Wah Ustad Wah!!!


I have this habit of cracking jokes and puns and PJs at my working place. This helps in easing the stress and also makes your reportees and those around you, at ease!

Recently, I had cut down on my 'quick retorts' since many old people had quit and there were new joinees around! All were still getting used to each other !!!

Just like everyone meets their Ustad one day, so have I ! This person who reports to me lately is my ustad. When I hand him SWIFT payment advices to check in the system if the related bill is already 'paid' saying, 'Please check if it is 'paid' ', he retorts, 'I can say by just looking at it that it is not 'ped' (tree) but paper'!

But no one can beat the original Ustad, can they? So yesterday, when I asked him why his work output was not upto the mark, he replied, 'Aaj tabiyat down tha' (today my health was down). I look down around me and retorted 'But I can't see it there'! Heh heh.... Applause, please!


Personal Choice


Through my scarf article (previous post) I've tried to convey a point.

There is a lot of bias against people, especially women, who prefer to cover themselves fully through their head gear, gowns (abaya)... whatever! Just like some people choose to be half clad or naked by their own choice, so also covering up is a personal choice! Why discriminate against them?

When I see men trying to take advantage of women on crowded stairs at the crowded Andheri station; when I stand in a huge crowd at the platform, with men halfway in the Ladies compartment area so that they can jump into the train, eyeing you from close quarters..... I feel like just wearing a mask or taking a big shawl over me! It's how you look at or perceive things!

Biases are formed due to half knowledge about something or hatred arising out of wrong information procured from somewhere. Biases turn into Hatred and too much hatred turns into War!

I see some ladies' reactions (in Ladies Compartment) on seeing a burkha clad female. How she is treated, tossed or seen with doubt about actually owning a First Class Pass!

People, wake up and act sensible ! And let people live their lives (and dress up) according to their choice!
Pic Courtesy : www.islamicclothing.com.au

Monday, March 12, 2007

Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd


I saw this movie last Sunday and liked it's simple, sweet and realistic approach.

It's about a few couples on a honeymoon package tour. Its about discovering your partner in the 'real' sense after marriage! How our expectations can crumble to pieces if we're not willing to adjust or compromise. It shows couple from different backgrounds of life, with different stories behind them trying to discover their spouses after marriages and how they end up being confused, understanding or plainly shocked !

I would not like to review the movie but the message that it sends across! In any relationship, there are bound to be little arguments because no two people (even though married) can think alike. Some people get into marriage or relationships for their personal benefit, forgetting what effect it would have on their partner.

But all in all, it speaks of adjustments and sweet-sour moments in relationships. It requires two super humans to make a relationship perfect! And we're all just humans !

PS : Kay Kay and Raima and the sweetest couple in the movie ! Two totally contrasting personalities (one shy and one outgoing, yet so much in love!). And 'Sajna di vaari vaari' is nice song to groove to!

Sunday, March 11, 2007

SCARF – A PROTECTOR OR SUPRESSOR ?



Hmm.... Scarf ! A head scarf. Generally viewed as Muslim headgear. And women sporting it are viewed as orthodox or traditional by many. But is it really so?

Obviously there might have been some reason why head scarves were incorporated for women. Just like the Abaya (long loose gown worn by Muslim women) or the Niqab (which covers the face fully with or without exception of eyes), which were meant to keep men's gaze away! Else women would just be wearing only a gown and Niqab, with flowing hair over their heads.

My purpose of writing this article is not urging people to wear the Hijaab. But of late I've discovered the benefits of sporting a head gear while travelling. Earlier, like others, I too thought that this was just a traditional Muslim dressing. But now, not so!
In olden Europe, women wore scarves over their head. I've grown up seeing old delicate Parsi ladies wearing silk scarves over their head. But slowing the custom started to fade away because sporting a head scarf became more associated with Muslim women and others started to avoid it.

The place where I work (Andheri East) is highly polluted place in Mumbai. Pollution levels are high there with high concentration of traffic emitting smoke. And of late (since more than one year), there's road development work going on adding to dust also. Travelling through all this pollution (there's literally a smog during rush hours!!!), starting spoiling my hair and skin. No matter, how often you wash your hair, dust and smoke in the area made it rough and harsh. And I noticed that on holidays and Sundays, my hair glowed with health.

I had been to Pune once to meet my youngest brother, Mohammed Azeem, who's studying and working there and discovered that there were many students staying alone there for education and work (Pune, being a centre of IT industries in Maharashtra). And these student girls were very happily sporting the head scarves, away from their family's silly ideas of scarves being Muslim clothing only. They wore it to protect themselves from dirt, dust and smoke. On bikes, while walking. It gave them a sense of protection too. Because they mostly wrapped it around their faces also. And wore it even when they were not on their scooters, bikes, bicycles!!! It gave them protection in four ways :

1) Hair protection from dust and smoke and sun.

2) Skin protection as the same was wrapped around their faces too

3) Keeping away air from blowing into their ears while travelling on scooties or bikes!

4) Unique sense of identity and anonymity and protection in an alien land.

I also noticed scarves were a craze in Pune and were sold really cheap. Cotton scarves are available for as less as Rs 30 to Rs 40 !!! I realised that if these girls can wear it, then why am I feeling shy. My road travel from Andheri station to Chandivli (my office) is filled with so much dust and smoke! I picked up one and made a beginning.

And it was not only me. Many people are rediscovering the advantages of wearing a head scarf while travelling. The olden grandma days are back and the scarf is not only viewed as a Muslim thing! I've seen a female who regularly sports a silk scarf while travelling, telling her friend- "I wear this to protect my hair. Just-washed wet hair attracts a lot of impurities while travelling. And the sun also harms the hair!"

Yes, we hear of people often saying - 'I haven’t greyed by hair in the Sun'! This itself speaks of the harmful effects the sun can have on your hair!

I wear my scarf only when I get into the auto-rickshaw from Andheri station till I reach my office. It's a 30-40 mins journey through polluted air! I wear it with a knot in the front at my neck. Its most important to ensure that the tapering end of the scarf (you have to fold it diagonally to get a triangular shape) covers your hair fully from behind! The part hanging from the knot can be held over your nose and mouth to protect yourself from inhaling polluted air!

While travelling through crowded Virar trains, I've noticed that we stand in close proximity to the extent of suffocating ourselves ! And in the Ladies compartment, the common problem is - women's hair!!! The hair of the woman standing in front of you is always a problem. If it's left open, your face is rubbing into it. If it's short and in pony tail, it will poke and tickle your face. If its oiled, then God bless you ! You will hear women cribbing -'Take your hair in the front'! Some will be considerate. Others will not budge! And yet others, put their dupattas on their head! And at these times, women in Hijab are a blessing!

And why only women, in Arab countries, the men also wear a headgear to protect themselves from the sandstorms! In recent times, scarves are worn by men in the form of bandannas!

Whether you call them scarves or bandannas or the Hijab, they protect you from the sun, pollution, smoke and wind !

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Many ideas....

Many topics, ideas are running in my mind.... but I am just not in the right frame of mind to jot it down!

Yawn.... even health's feeling a bit low since yesterday. Thats why I took a day off today and slept. Yes, I need rest and sleep. Sometimes, I get tired too!!!

Monday, March 05, 2007

Work Anthem

Feb 2007 was way too hectic work-wise! Wat with late hours, less sleep and back to work next day morning!

And that's when me and my colleague coined this Work Anthem :

Kyon aajkal
Neendh kam
Kaam zyada hai
Lagta khuda ka koi nek irada hai !
Haan hamein kaam hai, yeah!
Haan hamein kaam hai, yeah!

We used to sing this over and over and end with giggles because the rest of the song wasn't of use to us!

My mantra : When you're tensed and overworked, break into a song! It helps !

Friday, March 02, 2007

Dil laga na

Dil laga na dil jaley se
Dil jal jayega...

Ishq karna,
ishq hi tujhe tadpayega

Koi yeh jaane na
Koi yeh maane na

Maine toh jaana hai
Ishq leta hai jaan

Dhoom dhoom
Just take my life
Dhoom dhoom
Just break my heart
Dhoom dhoom
Just tear apart

Aa le le tu meri jaan....