Sightings

Fortune in the elevator

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It was in school that i read this short story by R.K. Naryan titled ‘An Astrologer’s Day’ ! I distinctly remember that day. For it was on that day that my faith in Palmists, parrots, tarot cards, star alignment et al came crashing down !

That day marked the beginning of a deep suspect of the astrologer. So, every time there is an odd astrologer who makes a prediction about Sonia Gandhi staying in power or the Indian cricket team losing or the stock markets gaining steam and the bread & butter ‘based on this chart, this girl well be able to sexually satisfy this man in bed’, i wonder what else could be the angle !?!

This ad brought me back those memories !

It is with some deal of amusement that i hear my fortune for the day dutifully read out. Sample this : ‘your intuition and unconscious thoughts is always high, and it will become even more pronounced now. Pay close attention to business, and financial affairs. Temporary sacrifices will pay off in the long run. Apply your management skills to personal matters”

There is no line which you can dispute ! Of course finances need to be looked at. Duffer, temporary sacrifices lead to bigger pay offs in the long run….! You cant dispute universal truths can you. Nevertheless, to deviously win an argument i decided to read it again in the evening after the day was done.

I proclaimed with the triumphant banter of a small time chieftain : All of this is humbug ! I was asked why ? ( By you know who ). I said there was no conscious point in time where all of what was written was particularly true !

In response to which, each line was carefully read out. And special emphasis placed on ‘intuition and unconscious thoughts always high’. And then the judgement was pronounced : If the thoughts were unconscious, of course, i wouldn’t feel them !

At the altar of the believers, my case rests. May your reading in tomorrow newspaper talk about finding your love mate in the attic. Or in the balcony. Wherever.

The Lady with the broom !

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Just outside the Church of Bon Jesus was this lady. A glint from her nose ring caught my eye and my then my eyes just refused to leave the lady ! She moved with great elegance. As she spoke to a few of her colleagues i saw in her, a certain poise and a certain level of composure which i haven’t seen in many an individual in a long while.

Her broom stick caught my attention too. It was rather unique and the fact that it was ‘maintained’ well, was obvious ! The broom slowly lead me to see how they rested in the arm of the lady.

Many minutes later, i saw her go about sweeping the compound. With elegance, with patience and a certain degree of perfection. Ensuring the last leaf was removed and every visitor had nothing to look at but the church itself !

She smiled, she had a cheerful blabber ( i couldn’t follow what she was speaking) & a keen eye looking for the specks of dust or dirt which needed to be removed !

I wonder where does this commitment come from ? Can it be imbibed ? Can it be, at all, taught. What could be her vision ? What could drive her ? What would be her annual Key Result Area ? Will she have an appraisal …?

Passion shows up. Whether you clean the floor or build a few !

She stays in my mind. She doesn’t know, but in just going about doing her work she taught me a few things. And when i toss the odd paper carelessly on the desk or review a quickly drafted email, i remind myself of the lady. Her elegance and the poise. The well cradled broom in the arm and the dedication to completing a simple chore with perfection & energy. And joy !

The glint of the nose ring seems to be a message ! A divine one. I call it the broom stick message !

Images from Goa !

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The Church of Bon Jesus awes you with its magnifecence. Its sheer scale and the laterite stone’s strength stare at you in a pleasant angle. They say that all of this was put together 400 years ago ! 400 years !!! 4 year old buildings shake, 40 year old buildings are renovated & 100 years old buildings are artefacts in their own right. 400 years !


So, we asked each other what would it take to build such monuments again. The loan repaying, middle class mindsets that pervade us, forgot everything else. Like art, architecture, class etc and echoed in unison : ‘larger EMI’ !

The Church of St.Francis of Assisi was built in 1661 ! Whew ! To see it stand in so much splendour till date is a wonder in itself.


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Somewhere in Chiplun, we refilled. The petrol station was right on the NH 17. It only made sense for us to glide in to quench the thirst of an overworked engine. Just after we tanked up, i noticed that ‘Petroleum’ was adulterated. I mean an ‘i’ instead of an ‘e’ !

We laughed about it ! Talked about it. About how callous marketers could be and how all of this could affect brand image etc ! And how such folks would get promoted year after year & Parkinsons Law & so on. ( What do you do when you have four adults packed into a car for many hours. Yap ! )

After a 100 kms or so, the car started giving us trouble. The smooth ride went gradually missing & it was becoming difficult to climb heights effortlessly. But we kept going ! We realised we couldnt continue that way for long.

As we were entering Goa we spotted a Hyundai Dealership : Alcon Hyundai. It was well past 6.00 PM and they were downing shutters. The service manager heard our problem and cryptically said ‘adulaterated petrol. A common problem on the highway’ ! ‘Livid’ took a new dimension in us.

In a brief while, a diagnostic instrument was used and bingo : it pointed out to a particular problem.

I recalled times when the street corner mechanic used to climb on all sides and tell you that a or b or c or d or e could be wrong ! The Hyundai folks stretched & four mechanics (lead by Sudhir Naik) worked on the car. An hour later the car was fit as a fiddle. We were quite impressed !

Stretching beyond time and doing all that they could was indeed wonderful to experience. After all the bad service that i have been experiencing, this was a revelation of sorts !
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The locals told us that there was a Friday market at Mapusa. With images of villagers selling their konkani / Goan ware beckoning us we went ! And it indeed was a colourful sight. Far from being a village fair, you could get anything from Balloons to jewellery to vegetables there. And yes, there were rural folk present too.


There were a set of ladies selling what appeared to be pickle, packaged in braid shaped objects, merchandised very nicely. So, we approach the lady and ask her what those were. She looked at us and popped a question, ‘ are you hindu ?’ We nod with a perplexed head. She says, ‘move on, you wont eat these’ !

We stare in disbelief. Religious discrimination ! At Mapusa’s Friday market ! Before such communal seeds took shape in our minds, the lady at the next counter chipped in that these were pork sausages and it is against hindu traditions to have them ! Ah ! We say. That culture thing.
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We spot fishermen angling in the sea. We end up catching them catch fish ! They go about their jobs merrily. I walk upto them and talk to them. How was the catch today ? i ask in tentative hindi. From the expression on their faces it doesnt seem pretty encouraging. I beat a retreat.

An hour later, they pack their plastic bags and go. I ask them the same question. One chap is excited. He carries his lone big catch in his hands. And exults for the camera. I click.

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The vast expanse of green and the lovely roads were something to cheer ! We havent experienced that in a long while, given how Mumbai roads are ! The roads were inviting. And that made the journey so much more worthwhile.

foolproof by waterproof !

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Lets talk alliances, collaboration and innovation !

This news item caught me by surprise and had me thinking for a while. It talks about a wonderful collaboration between Dupont & the Indian Postal Service !

Dupont and India Post ?!?! Well, that was my expression too.

Well, they have come up with a water proof envelope, specially for having Rakhi’s ( as in the ornamented thread tied by a sister & not the (in)famous woman who wears one, for clothes) dispatched.

Its the Raksha Bandhan season ! And for all of Rs. 5 /- you get a Dupont engineered water proof envelope that has been lapped up by junta !

The Rakhi itself is more about sentiments than symbolism. So, if its going to take an extra three rupees for that sentiment to travel well, so be it.

It makes sound business sense. Doesn’t it ?!? And its pretty refreshing to figure that India Post is keeping its ears to the ground. I haven’t visited a post office in ages. And my bet is, that must be the case with most of you reading this page ! That doesn’t matter. The post man and India Post still stay relevant to the nation !


For instance, did you know, that there is still a post card available for as little as 25 paise ! For many, that makes a difference !! On the other end of the spectrum, did you know that India Post has acquired its own aircraft to get connectivity going fine !?!

Some path breaking work continues to happen out there. I guess the battle to stay relevant is well and truly on.

And with such waterproof innovations, staying relevant will be foolproof !

61 BEST Years !

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They are called the BEST buses. Well, if you thought they they had an adjective as a brand name then you are mistaken. BEST stands for ‘Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking’. I didnt quite know that electricity board and the bus transport system were with one body !

If the heaving masses of Mumbai commute from one end to another, it is either by the the trains or the buses. The variety that drives through to work & occupy the most parts of the road is but a minority !

The BEST buses are the kings of the roads. Much like the lions of the jungle, they stride the roads with a certain majestic air driven partly by fear that is engineered by statistics ( of casualties ). And when they rumble along, you sure do ensure they go past without a problem !

To look out of the windshield and to see the massive dirt filled tyre rumble staring at you with a dismissive feel has the potential to freeze whatever little of courage that rests with you ! A couple of weeks back, one them overtook me on the left and ‘tapped ‘ (to be read as dismembered) my rear view mirror on the left.

I stopped. Got out, picked up the remains of whatever was left, calmly got back and drove. A deer doesn’t complain that the lion bruised his leg. He thanks his stars for other mercies.

I have never ceased being amazed at the amount of work put in by the drivers and conductors of these buses. The routes that they ply and the roads that they take to cover those routes, are truly pheonomenal to complete day in and day out ! ( To remain on the Mumbai road for 8 hours a day, by itself in an achievement of sorts ) !!

Today, BEST celebrates its 61st anniversary ! And boy, did they use the opportunity well !?!

So, it sure must be special ! They want Big B to travel by BEST buses.( To spread awareness. Nothing else. His films continue to do well). They want car owners to travel by BEST buses, so that the number of cars on the road can come down. That sure is a tall order. Car owners are not going to take to BEST buses because the Big B is taking the bus once in his recent lifetime. A lot more is going to be required ! Like higher fuel prices !

One piece that i find rather unique to Mumbai buses are the manual indicator adjacent to the high raise of the driver’s window. To indicate a right turn !

In these days of electronic indicators, voice alarms and digital maps, this is one manual device that continues to turn heads. And other vehicles too !

Heres to many more years of BEST driving. But this sure is one place where you don’t mind the BEST getting better !

Equipment = Equipping ?

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An article in the Times of India caught my eye & kept me shaking my head for a good minute. A quarter in mild amusement, another quarter in concern and a good half in plain frustration !

Imagine a software on your system that has been installed, without you having any clue of whats it all about or how it has to be used. And without the ‘help’ menu ! And then being told that the operation of that software is critical to your organisation’s network safety !!

‘Houston, we have a problem’.

Except that this Houston is in Ghatkopar, Mumbai !

Read the full article here.

Turns out that the station master claims he that hasn’t been educated on how to use the CCTV that has been installed ! ( the news article goes on to state : ‘the purpose of a CCTV is to prevent crime and aid investigations as the data can be collected….). I hope they know !

It turns out, that the station master has FBF ( found by fiddling ) that only three cameras work and one of them is pointed towards the ceiling. Someone or something had to throw up his hands look in the direction of the Gods ! I guess it was this camera’s turn !

I slap an imaginary image, as i type this. This is but an example. And a prevalent way of life in both the government and many corporates too !

‘Equipment’ does not always lead to ‘auto equipping’. It requires effort. In Training & learning!

The Name is Rajinikanth

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The book on the table gives a Rajini glare !
It is with some level of interest that ‘The Name is Rajinikanth’ by Gayathri Sreekanth is being read here! It is a hagiography on the tamizh super star, who has had a stellar rise to super stardom ( yes, bus conductor ..etc etc ). The book caught the eye at a bookstore, but it was only when a senior IIM-A professor pulled this book out, in response to a question on what he was reading, that ensured a hastened to pick it up !

The book is a simple read, and it chronicles the rise & rise of Rajini through the years. This book of course, provides a run through like a neighbour who has peering eyes on your window. Standing afar but ‘knows’ whats up with you ! And in parts, appears rather hagiographic !

Whats more important is that it gives the average ‘English’ Rajini fan, a glimpse of the life and times of the Superstar ! If you overlook the flaws in the book, that is. Alternating between the ‘then’ and ‘now’, the book gives you numerous incidents. And if you are able to string your thoughts on the same & draw your own balanced views, well, it helps !

One other key reason for me to dive into the book is the intrigue that rests in me, about Rajinikant himself. What caused his meteoric rise ? How did it all happen ? Where did he find traction ? How does he carry on ? The book has various anecdotal references and tells you that he sleeps on the floor with no air-conditioners, travel in an old ambassador car, has no ego etc etc, but that, to me is data that is ab axial.

What perhaps is more important is the setting of a context to the data. That, is left to the reader !?!

So there. A collection of various incidents in his life, by an evident fan ! Thats that, on the book !!

Today Kuselan is released. 20 roles for the superstar they say. If he is supposed to be present in the film for only 25 % of the time, and he is supposed to don 20 different roles in that 25 % time, it is hoped they arent talking of costume changes !

And of course, there is considerable celebration around the release in itself. A theatre that closed down (to be converted into a mall) has reopened here in Mumbai. Am sure the fans will do their bit with aartis and pal abhishekam ( milk offerings), like the last time around, to his images.

Die hard fans will unilateraly declare a holiday and be at the theatres ! The star himself was present in yesterday’s news, for other reasons !

So, whats this all about ?

The book quotes someone call him a phenomenon. He sure is. Nothing else explains the Rajini magic that enguls Tamizh Nadu ! With fan clubs, and an army who twitch cigarettes and mouth his dialogues, because they were done by the star himself !

My hypothesis !?!

The sophisticated world has English Premier League. Formula 1. Were there is synchronised marketing and mass appeal built around an enigma. For the average tamizhian on the street, Rajinikant was is not only Formula 1, but also the only formula !!

PS : Early reviews by fans ( who went in for the 6.00 AM show have been very positive ). He is supposed to be playing himself. That explains the 20 roles !

I hope to know today evening !

Asking for too much ?

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This is Abrie’s, (a member of our extended family) rocking horse. I clicked this snap more than a year back.

Memories flood my mind when i think of such ‘rocking’ horses ! Am not sure how many of the present day generation would connect to this. Given as they are, to powered swings, mega amusement parks, carpeted floors, ‘riveting’ television serials, ‘role model’ film stars and a well heeled society !?! My mind still wanders to the seminar on Child Sexual abuse that i wrote about earlier !

The rocking horse & rocking chair used to really, (to use a modern day term), ‘rock’ ! Now, thats something that i can vouch for, for i rocked them too !! Many ages ago. While the innocence of those times flood through sluices in my adult mind, the power that it generates floods the keypad for this post.

Randy Pauch is no more. But his articulation of childhood dreams continue to kindle and stoke the flame of ‘aliveness’ !!

As a child, i recall wanting to be a journalist, much to the smirks of my parents’ colleagues who thought of it as a ruse by a dimwit, to wriggle out of getting through to an engineering college !

I didnt do journalism. But did management (by volition. The case of the fork in the road, and me having to chose one) ! With that choice, I thought the journalism dream was dead ! The passion to write & reach out to the world, stayed. Many years later, this blog was born. Do take a look at the tagline beneath the title of this blog !

Several other small ones have come true. owning a car, wearing a tie, speaking in an international conference, winning a tournament et al.

And several large ones remain. Flying was a passion. Becoming a pilot ( those were the Rajiv Gandhi years ) and maneuvering through the clouds was a mystical dream. I continue to harbour that dream. Some day !

Traveling the world, and seeing the people, animals & living in strange cultures mentioned in the ‘Great Atlas of the World’, specially ordered by a loving father with a degage look, through VPP ( value payable post ) from Readers Digest, remains strong.

As a kid, your imagination is limited only by your power to do so. And the rocking horse reminds me of the free spirited & untethered imagination. Blue sky thinking that flows freely in smooth harmony. And when i look at the kids of today & the digital age in which they are in, i realise that their power to imagine & think can be far better leveraged.

The rocking chair may not curry favour any more. But, sure thing, the kids do rock !!

If only parents give them space to think, soak up nature, believe in their dreams, wonder in wander, dive into experiences, reflect over their days, learn from stories, play with fervour and read at leisure !

Is that asking for too much ?

Child Sexual Abuse & You !

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Picture Courtesy : Out of harms way

Sitting in a workshop on child sexual abuse, as much as there was intake of knowledge about this sensitive subject, there was also exhaling of anger. On where mankind has got to. Abusing children, sex with dolls, murder for money, bombs in the name of God, parochialism in the name of native pride..etc etc. The list is endless.

I cant fathom who in hells name would abuse a child. It transpires that 55 % of children are abused in India. This is the story in South Africa. I can almost hear you say, ‘what crap’. Well, that was my first reaction as well. But go ahead, go do the research. But be sure to come back and read the rest of this post.

CSA is defined thus. The stories that got discussed were gripping. And, by the way, we were told that graphic portions were censored !! I squirmed. Wringed my hands. Ran my hand through my hair in despair. Is this what civilisation has come to? Apparently it has.

It turns out that i had been looking in the other direction, like most of you. Perhaps aware that such a situation existed, but not perhaps comprehending the gravity of it all. Some facets stand steady in my mind, long after the workshop was done.

When you hear that disabled children are prone to more sexual abuse ( approx four times more) or that an abuser offender is an uncle or a father or a grandfather, these thoughts are not leaving your mind in a hurry !

The ways of combating CSA were discussed & therein lay answers. One of them was to be emotionally connected to your child. To talk to him or her ( yes, boys get abused as much as girls do). It was indeed a revelation to note that bathtimes and bed times are the best times to have conversations with children. ‘Bed time’, i knew. ‘Bath times’ was new.

Picture Courtesy : Mediline Plus

The other more important element was to create language for communication with the child. For instance, it is indeed a common practice that children dont know the exact names of their private body parts. If we teach children ‘hand’, ‘legs’, ‘nose’ etc, why not ‘penis’ or ‘vagina’ ! When children look at parts of their own body with mystery, abuse is an easy fall out.

Why dont we do that ? That was a question that i still am searching for answers. Perhaps the answer is closeted in the culture cupboard. All the same, it is going to make it difficult for the child, to describe / report abuse ! That definitely was a learning !

The exercise left me with a lump in my throat. These things, like a bomb blast, seem to occur only on the TV screen. If we indeed are not careful, we are sure to see, our own back yard on the TV screens! Crying the hoarse cry of the unfortunate, innocent victims that we see on our screens today.

To parents: The writing is on the wall. Please do not CSA lightly. Abuse has known to have begun as early as week after birth & extend through all of childhood. Girls & boys. So.
Thats a heavy message. But thats as light as it can get!

And by the way, did you know that there arent any special laws against Child Sexual Abuse currently in India ?!?! Huh !!!! None at all.

There is Sec 375, that deals with Peno Vaginal Sex ( which deals with rape & such other )
And there is Sec 377, that deals with unnatural sexual offences ( including homosexuality )

Between these two, Child Sexual Abuse will survive to fell another child. So, as parents, it is a solemn duty to ensure safety of children. And if you arent one yet, please dont be an innocent bystander who turns his head in another direction.

For more details & help understand this better / conduct a similar workshop at your school, housing society, organisation, do write to Shobha at shobha.sreekumaran@gmail.com.

The least that you could do, is stay on gaurd !

Olympian memories !!

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I read this in the New York Times. That sounded a trifle odd. Why would a McDonalds promote China, when the audience is truly global. Perhaps the olympics is a bridgehead for these organisations to gain entry to the billion plus populace of China !

That set me thinking.

About my own ‘experiences’ with the olympics. The first olympics that i clearly remember following was the Olympics in Los Angeles, 1984 ! Then came Seoul in 1988. Those were games that we followed as ‘Olympic highlights’ shown as snippets for half an hour, every evening on Doordarshan. I remember cramming to finish studying to be able to watch these spots.

The Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and the Atlanta olympics in 1996 are very clear in my memory & there were portions of it that you could catch live. And the 2000 & 2004 ones are like yesterday ! If that leads you astray to believe that i have followed the games for the spirit of the game, you are only partly there.

To me, they stay in my mind because of various ‘events’ that have coincided with the games. Like a board exams, ‘friendships’, aspirations, realities, state of the nation at that time, the smell of the air, the new colour television set etc.

So, as much as the olympics represent sporting triumph, they also symbolise a passage of time. An ageing process. From the hockey debacles to PT Usha finsihing fourth, to the tennis gold medals, to Ben Johnson and his doping to Carl Lewis and so on ! All stay ever green.

And i realise that four years from now there would be more head and lesser hair. And hopefully an optimal health and a greater connectedness with the world. Four years on, i hope to come back to this post, and still stay connected to you !!

The olympics, to an ardent Indian, can come in handy. Even if it means a lack of medals & a podium finish, they help you keep track of time. So forget the medals. that India ( or your country) didnt win! Ensure you dive in & save up memories ! They sure come in handy !