Emergency in Mid Air

Humans are not designed for flying. Had that been the case, we all would have hollow bones, feathers, tails with weight one fourth of our current selves. But humans will be humans. They will try everything to get what they want. And then over the years they have been quite successful. From helium fill balloons to propeller aircraft and now the current jet engine which flies at 35000 ft. Of course, if you keep on outdoing things that you are not supposed to, there are bound to be risks. Although the risk now is lower than the nascent times in flying, you can’t wish it away and all those who have been in the air have surely lived through a few uncomfortable  instances.

Ask any mechanical engineer about  an aircraft and he will tell you all the things that can possibly go wrong. Right from the air conditioning to hydraulic/instrument failure/wing icing  etc. Also there have been recent strange instances that have happened to crafts with a few of them vanishing, aircrafts catching fire, mid-air collisions and what not. No one knows about all the aircraft issues in the air force and army because they usually do not see the light of day.

So…have you ever been in a flight which went not exactly as you planned it would. i.e ending with an announcement telling you which belt your luggage would be. And you felt as helpless as the passengers in the ‘ The Burning Train’. Well, I have been on exactly such a flight…..

It was  flight I took some time ago and this particular day, the one and half hour flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai was nearly over. As usual, the captain announced the decent to Mumbai and crew got busy preparing for landing. Then the uncomfortable period of time commenced when the cabin lights dim out and the flight starts to align itself to the runway swaying just a wee bit here and there and you force yourself to look out of the window as looking inside the aircraft can make you more anxious with everything not as aligned. Knowing that landings are one of the most difficult maneuvers operationally and pilots taking a lot of time learning that skill does not make it any easier inside the contraption filled with recycled air and Aviation Turbine Fuel.

With all that on the back of the mind, a loud noise is the last thing anyone wants to hear.  About 8-9 rows behind, a few people started shouting and before you knew it, there were a few people running on the aisle towards the front of the plane. As  I was in an aisle seat somewhere in the center of the flight, I stood up instinctively and turned back to see what was wrong. To my horror I saw ( and I will always clearly recall the view ) two three large flashes and billowing smoke. This flashing appeared  like an electrical fire (I’d witnessed one earlier) near the window seat. OMG… I involuntarily said in a real life- ‘Dukh mein sumiran’ position. The smoke that billowed out of the said fire was dense and it was like one of the diwali sparklers smoking up if you light them up during the day. There was a curt sounding announcement advising everyone to get back to the seats immediately as the flight was  about to land.  That was for at least 10-15 people standing in the aisle who were in no mood to get back to their seats in a rush and  they just clinged on to what ever they could. I remember offering my arm to hold on to a person standing next to me. As he  grasped it tightly, I still remember the nod he gave to me. The plane landed smoothly which I feel was a commendable thing for the pilot to do under those circumstances as he was aware of the emergent situation inside the cabin. This was obvious when the plane reduced speed,around 2-3 fire engines lined up beside the plane.

The situation that followed that moment was totally unexpected. A group of guys (mostly foreigners from Africas, Hispanic and Far East Countries) started to celebrate impromptu. They took pictures of nearly all the people in the scared shitless poses…and it was something that did lighten the mood of everyone around them. Maybe they’ll skip bungee jumping now or whatever adventure they had planned for the next one year. The celebration was cut short by an authoritative lady voice on the com advising everyone to be calm and use the handkerchiefs on the noses. At the same time, a crew came rushing with a fire extinguisher which I thought looked like the police coming in at the end of the movie when all the action was over.

There was a lot of smoke around and since the source was unknown, the instinct was not to breathe in as the fumes could be toxic. The flight stopped and everyone was more than happy to get out of the flight. No one looked back even once.

I came to know about the cause of fire when I read the newspaper the next day. Holy smoke..I thought to myself…this was serious enough to come on the front page. A passenger had unknowingly kept small amount of chemicals together in his handbag  which got leaked and reacted causing the fire and smoke.

Well, this mid air crisis surely reminded everyone on that flight that there are times in life when you just have to sit tight and say OMG…because that’s the best one can do. Well, considering the history of man,  humans don’t tolerate that stuff for long. So enjoy the good airline  food and inflight movies while you can because someone, somewhere, is going to get really pissed off and one day invent antigravity or better still- teleportation. If Star Trek had cell phones and they are a reality now, how far in time can teleportation be ? Captain to Enterprise…Energise !!

Kikar Lodge and The last time I did something for the first time

This is not a write up about an amorous one night stand as I would like it to be. But in terms making a mark in my grey cells and associated adrenaline rush, I would rank it much higher than many similar events in my lifetime. Doing something for the first time feels like being born again; being able to cut loose and take a flight like the butterfly out of its cocoon. This is such an event.  

It all starts when we connect with old friends from college. These are people you feel of your own kind, whom you've been with in the prime of your youth. The bonding is maybe because of many crazy things you did together. Some things you like to remember and some you advise your kith and kin to be as far away as possible.

There are many forces at work which creates a need to meet these people. Makes you get that high once again. A feeling that you experienced at that time and your craving need at this time now to relive that once again. So when the call of a reunion beckon, the engineers who graduated from Panjab University in 1994 scurry online to arrive at a common agreed date.  

Kikar Lodge was my idea out of a few locations that were circulated and it was proposed considering it was a good getaway 25 kms from Ropar in rural Punjab. Once the dates were finalized, there were plans made for 12 odd guys. The unavoidable turn of events made me lose two eventful days of the reunion and eventually I was left with one day with a drive from  Chandigarh to the lodge all alone. This is where the action starts.

The idea of having reunion at this kind of location was with the presumption to get as far away from the regular life that one experiences. Although getting away from the telecom network connection was getting a bit too carried away on this but that was the way it was meant to be. With only BSNL network at the location (which doesn’t allow roaming by other network providers), it was hard to get in touch with the people who were already in the lodge.

As we are aware that driving alone, time expands and the journey becomes longer. And as luck would have it, there was no clear instructions on what road one had to take after Ropar. So although I followed the trustworthy Google Maps, it showed me two roads leading to the destination. I initially took the highway route as I usually take that good road on the way to Manali. I soon realized that it was not the correct route as it would take much more time than anticipated. Moreover, it was supposed to be a village route after a while. So I turned around and took the other route. The regular crowded streets of Ropar were left far behind when I took a turn from the highway towards a village called Nurpur Bedi. Glancing at the watch, I realized it took a long time to come to the correct route and now it was already 9 PM. Although not a full moon, it was a moonlit night. The road was a single lane well constructed village road and there were only a few vehicles that came my way. The thick foliage with tall grass on both sides of the road which  lit up whenever I turned my vehicle on curves added to the dramatic surroundings. The road appeared to be never ending. It had so many twists and turns and also at times went through small hillocks. After an hour or so of driving alone without a mobile network, I was told that one needs to just ask somebody about Kikar lodge and it was supposedly an important landmark.

So the petrol pump attendant gave directions….After 5 kms take left. What he did not tell me was there were at least three left turns and no soul at sight. I just trusted my gut feeling and took a turn. The street started becoming narrow by the meter and I found myself in the middle of a village looking inside houses. Still no soul at sight. It looked like a scene from a thriller when I saw a man walking his huge dog at a location like this. I took my chances and asked for directions. As luck would have it, I had taken a wrong turn and it was the turn BEFORE the next village. I was back on the main road and on my way.

What made this moonlit road journey through the woods more memorable was the anticipation of meeting old friends for a day. So usually when after long journey one feels tired, I found myself bubbling with energy when I finally reached. I was in high spirits and the beer had not even started.

The party went on for some time and some guys kept taking mini naps around in the same rooms we were chatting and others continued to share old memories/new aspirations late in the night. Almost like a dream, a day passed and it was time to bid adieu to everyone.

So although travel through a narrow road and driving through a rural village in a moonlit night in interiors of Distt Ropar was the last time I did something for the first time, I pen this down primarily because of the time spent in the lodge around guys with whom I could just be me. There being no hint of any acquired personalities and everyone being themselves and sharing nearly all the things about your life, past and present. And with no one judging anyone. That was maybe a thing which I had not done for a very long time. This is surely something that needs to be done again and again.

But definitely not the drive again to Kikar because I once again would have the need to do something for the first time.

Child is the father of man

There is a time when you realize that some things taught to you earlier in school were not merely based on some assumptions and non-sensical events but rather on factual data collected over a period of many generations.I narrate to you one such experience which may be classified as a coincidence of sorts but it does sound rather strange.

Some of my close friends that I've spent time with in the past may  be aware that I am a movie buff....not the kind which gives reviews but the kind who just want to get away from it all into a different imaginary world in which one gets fits in...One which we have ourselves experienced or have seen others in that position. Some of the imaginary world are inviting and relaxing while others are rather disturbing. Now-a-days I prefer to go to ‘Happy’ movies with happy endings  which keeps me in good mood long afterwards.

Well...This Sunday morning I, alongwith my son, made way to the theater where we had prior advance booking.

This particular Sunday was different though. I was preferring to see the Tom Cruise thriller -- Édge of Tommorow'   and my son was keen on 'How to train your Dragon-2'.  I put all my negotiating skills at work the previous night when the booking was being made and my son reluctantly agreed to see this action packed movie starring my favorite star from  'Top Gun'. After all, this could be the last week it be in Theater. However, the turn of events resulted in a different ending to the story.

We entered the theater which I remember was Screen No.1 (there are three screens) in the cinema hall. As we were nearly on time, we quickly settled on our seats in anticipation. After the usual ads and national anthem, it came as  a surprise to me that the movie started in animation…By the time I was figuring what was wrong…… a person came up to me and said, ‘Excuse me, these are my seats.’’  ‘’How could that be ?’’  I thought. However, keeping my cool, I opened my wallet to show and prove that the actual right of sitting on that seat was mine.

Lo and behold. Both the tickets showed the same numbers and same screen. It was major goof up by the system. I recalled the olden  times when tickets were torn from a booklet and given to you. Those could not be duplicated at all.  I felt that this was as serious a matter as allowing another passenger to board the flight with the same seat indicated on the boarding pass. This was serious stuff on a Sunday Morning and this surely did not, by far,  have the makings of a happy ending. Where was the DGCA official when I wanted one.

On the other hand, my son was cool as a cucumber. After all, it was a movie which he always wanted to watch in the first place.  So I had to move out of the hall and inquire about this system issue. I showed it to the usher and he was also amazed to learn about the problem. Then the supervisor came and I started to indicate that the movie I wanted to watch was not on and demanded the seats in the other hall where it was on. The supervisor, matter of factly, indicated the time of my show- It was 10.30 PM and we were 12 hours early in the hall. I had during the booking somehow by mistake, booked the late night movie instead of the morning one. I was definitely on a different flight and this needed to be in the prime time news ! So option was to go back home and return to the movie late in the night.

My son, on the other hand, had other ideas. He wanted to watch ‘this’movie only since he was already here. There was discussion on the time, energy and money spent on reaching the place. So in the end, here I was,  sitting in the third row watching ‘How to train your dragon-2 ’which made my mind wander back many years when I had seen ‘Top Gun’’ from the front row.

I realized that my sons' desire  for watching that movie was much more than mine and somehow, the sequence of events resulted in us watching that movie which he wanted.

Concluding that the child is the father of man, I replied in affirmative when, after the movie my son asked rather innocently and probingly about my liking for the movie. After all, next sunday was not far away. 

I am yet to watch the movie I wanted.  My regrets to Tom Cruise.

The curious case of the unsatisfied mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are not one of my favourite bugs. In fact I detest them. Bloodsuckers ! Parasites !! - as Captain Haddock would have put it mildly. We humans toil to manufacture all the oxygen rich blood through many processes which involves breaking complex foods by our bodies. And here comes this puny little twerp who, on the other hand, easily gets to have his dinner due to an efficient evolutionary radar meant for human sweat and Carbon Dioxide. 

             Having said that, the mosquito also sometimes behaves like us humans. Interested to know more about this. Read on...

              As we all know ''inquisitiveness'' is one of the things that made the human beings different from other living organisms. We got out of the sea....climbed trees...stood erect...domesticated animals and stuff like that. It also made us grow intellectually. This is not referring to the kind of education we have forced on ourselves and I'm not going down that path. What I mean is that the simple mosquito is just as inquisitive.

               The Mumbai seashore, where I live,  is mostly covered by mangroves which has rich flora and fauna as well as a variety of mosquitos. It houses nearly all kinds...like the ones in Siliguri, West Bengal or  Bharuch, Gujarat or Alleppey, Kerela. I mention these places because I remember the mosquitoes these places have. Really terrible ones. They have somehow migrated to Mumbai (just like us humans and the pink flamingos that visit Mumbai). 

               Well, if we follow these multicultural and cosmopolitan mosquitoes in the late evenings, they tend to look around for a good place for dinner. Open windows on any floor are preferred (including mine which happens to be on the 10th floor). I figured out how they manage that but that is another story. The invaders will try all possible ways to sneak in even if the windows are closed. The strange behaviour that I've observed about this is that once they are in, and when the ambient light reduces, they want to go back out and stick to the windows from the inside.

                This behaviour of mosquitoes showing their unsatisfied nature even when they got what they wanted  always intrigued me till I realised a familiar behaviour exhibited by us humans all the time. We try hard to acquire things and when we get it, we go on in pursuit of still other desirable things. This cycle of wants and needs keeps us unsatisfied which pushes us to grow in more ways than one.

               The similarity does not end here. As indicated earlier, there are a variety of mosquitoes from different regions...the steady ones, small ones, the fat ones, ones who can't move after eating, the clever ones, ones you can hear but can't see, ones that carry the deadly viruses, ones that are fatal, ones who circle on your head driving you crazy, ones who just want your blood (they'll stop for nothing and try to keep poking even through your jeans), ones that get stuck inside your mosquito net, ones that attack your legs under the table, etc etc. Sounds familiar. Welcome ! You are now officially a member of the unsatisfied human blood suckers awareness club. 

Flight MH 370

I am very late in this post. I actually wanted a closure on this story before I posted this but unfortunately it is yet to happen till date. There was something about this Malaysian flight, which went missing with 239 people on board from 14 countries, that moved me and made me glued to any news that connected to those who vanished without a trace in the ocean. 

           So, here I was all battle ready since the disappearance of the aircraft and for the next one month (inspite of the rigorous year ending schedule in March), I would religiously follow the story on CNN the first thing in the morning and monitor it nearly real time on the web and on chats. In other words, I was obsessed by it. Even my 12 year old son was surprised about my new found interest. I  tracked the story very closely and as I would soon discover, so were other people who felt the same. I was amazed at the total air time, energy and assets all the countries were already deploying for this and continued to do so. The interest of the media waned over a period and dedicated airtime reduced. They say that time heals everything and a month down the lane, the personal feeling also no longer remains as strong. Thats how it is with us humans, I guess. You move on.    

         Whenever I fly, I have always felt safe knowing that all aircrafts are monitored in real time by the ATCs and our Air Force is always on the alert. So it makes you wonder when you come across such an instance, in such an age, where such a large aircraft (nearly as big as a football field) just disappears from the face of the earth. In this age where its possible to ascertain where your cell phone is after it gets lost. In this age when pets are monitored real time through their collar sims and offenders have tracking bracelets on their ankles. So this was a bit something more than what I could digest easily.

             It has been decided by Malaysian Airlines that it would not allocate the number 370 to any of its other flights. So what has a number got to do with it ? Well a lot perhaps, as this website suggests.   (http://sacredscribesangelnumbers.blogspot.in/2011/08/angel-number-370.html ) .This was probably done to erase any memory of the flight. However, any news related to aviation safety will change all that and the number is never going to be erased from the memories of this generation as long as there are aviation related incidents and as long as there is gravity. 

            Interestingly, there are theories of aliens taking the plane as they had people of most of the ethinicity on board. There are also theories that indicate that the flight never existed. (http://truthernews.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/10-reasons-why-flight-370-never-existed-nuclear-drone-strike-on-d-c-or-nyc-imminent/ )Apart from the above sites, in the process of monitoring the event, I came to know about a cloud sourcing website which  invited anyone on the web just to scan the oceans for any wreckage.(www.tomnod.com). There also are sites that display real time  data on aircrafts ( www.flightradar24.com) and marine traffic  ( www.marinetraffic.com ) . 

             So eventually the batteries on the black box completed its lifespan and and there is no trace of the plane yet. The location which has been shortlisted has an average depth of about 5000 mtrs and it would be humanly impossible to locate the aircraft. Even if does, it would mean expenditure of millions of dollars. My heart goes out to all the family members of the people on board especially those of the crew who are now also seen as suspects.For all I know, the pilots may be heroes. (http://www.wired.com/2014/03/mh370-electrical-fire/ ) 

              Earlier today, as I looked outside the window of my car, I saw the number plate of one of the vehicles  and the number 370 looks me at my face which transports me back once again. Thats how it is with us humans, I guess. You hold on.

The Forgotten Postcard

As usual, my Blackberry becomes slow and I am forced to save the message chat history of my Whatsapp chat with an old friend. Doing the said exercise, I remember the times when there was no chat history but a letter in hardcopy few pages long that used to be received every few weeks, and sometimes months. As we happened to change towns (due to my fathers transfer), the connectivity with old friends used to be only limited to these handwritten letters. Needless to mention, these letters were written only to a few special persons with which we needed to keep in touch. I also recall that whenever there was a long pause (about one month)  in these letters...there was lots of anxiety. There are many a memories attached with these letters, and most of them are still with me which transports me back to those days and bring back the emotion and nostalgia attached with them. I can't say the same about the recently saved chat history. 

          A popular song by James Blunt goes ....' ....I'm sending postcards from my heart with love for a postmark and then.....you know that you make me feel like we've been caught like kids in the school yard again....And I can't keep it to myself.....  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz0NV-HOT0M )

           I don't know if postcards are even sent now as the telephone and mobile wave has totally changed the way we communicate. But as I see it, phones never could imagine to be in that league as that of the mundane letter where every word was carefully chosen to be there. Then came the instant e-mail and SMS and by the time we got used to it, social media was born. Thanks to it we have now degraded ourselves to such an extent that we are ending up poking each other on FaceBook. I sometimes just want to avoid technology and I see that I am not alone. The other day someone shared (regrettably via social media) this video http://blog.petflow.com/a-video-everyone-needs-to-see/.  Some of the words of the said video goes - ' So look up from your phone, shut down the displays; we have a finite existence and a set number of days; Don't waste your life getting caught up in the net, because when the end comes, there is nothing worst than regret.'   Its so true that everythings changed way too fast  which is beyond the comfort of the postcard generation. While the rapid transition is increasing the size of virtual friends and keeping us hooked, its actually alienating us humans more and more. 

          As I mull over the subject, my hand involuntarily reaches out to the phone when I see a red blinking light on the phone which indicates yet another message received on the Whatsapp group. Or is it What..syappa ?

Instant Connection

It was a typical hot summer day when throats run dry and liquids usually needed to quench the never ending thirst are in big demand. The day was drawing to a close and all the living creatures, big and small, including the ones of my own species were making a beeline to their respective nests. I along with a few friends had decided for a get together with beer and were meeting up at my place. As per the responsibilities entrusted, I was allocated the critical work of collecting the beer. As luck would have it, although there are a few retail shops around our place, the nearest one turned out to be closed. The work responsibilities expanded to include travelling a small distance to look for the oasis at a location some distance away. The walk was a good 30-40 minutes which included a walk crossing the railway station sky walk and a footpath with local vendors (read - mini obstruction course) along the way. As in the case of a normal evening in the local railway stations in Mumbai, a sea of humanity greeted me who were oblivious of the task in hand for me.
                With the initial drops of sweat forming on my forehead, I finally reached the place when it started getting dark.As I looked around for the shop, I realised that the location looked somewhat different and I was not able to locate the place of interest. All the hard work for no avail was my first reaction and concern started to build in.
                  In desperation, I started to look around for a soul in flesh and blood to help me in these trying times and then I saw him....a person standing next to an autorickshaw which looked like a man in the know of such things. As it turned out, he was the best person to ask as he was the autorickwala. He would surely know, I said to myself.
                  So I walked up to him and asked ' Bhai, yahan par daru ki dukaan thi...ab kahan hai ?' (Sir, where is the liquor shop which was present here ?).  He looked at me for a few moments of about 10 secs.....just long enough to make one feel uncomfortable. And suddenly he broke into a laugh...a hearty kind of laugh like no other. I was taken aback with his response and started regretting myself approaching this guy. However, during the bout of laughter.....he barely managed to tell me pointing  at the liquor shop..' woh wahin par hai, jahan tumne akhiri baar chodi thi....' ( its right there where you you'd left it the last time around' ) . And as I turned around I could see that it was really there which I had missed.
                   At that very moment, as the infectious laugh also got to me, I realised that laughing could also be an involuntary action with total strangers.  I stood there laughing with him and finally shook hands on the side of the road thanking him for guiding my poor soul in times of distress. As I slipped once again into a sea of humanity, I thoughtfully admired his sense of humour and realised that  in the present age of instant noodles, instant downloads, instant messaging, an instant human connection is a rare event. I could drink to that. Cheers !

An angel called Bufi

 With 'Bufi' circa 1992

As I now contemplate getting a canine member for the family, I vaguely recall the day, long time ago, when I was introduced to one.
       It was a cold winter starting up in Gangtok, Sikkim way back in 1988. The clouds had started to gather near the helipad area of the Army cantonment where we used to live. Although it never snowed there, the winter breeze was icy and it was best to be indoors. As I rushed into our home one day, I saw an unfamiliar figure in the house below the bed. Buff...it went, and after a pause there was this muffled Buff again. It  was a feeble noise which suggested that it was a weak malnourished dog. She surely appeared weak but felt quite at home trying to Buff me away..

         We already had a Pomeranian ( a very eccentric one at that) and we didn't need another dog, was my first opinion. The 'Lhasa Apso' which later was named Bufi (obviously) turned out to be the most loving thing I had ever met. She was rare and special as she was brought from high altitude and as far as I can remember, during her entire lifespan, there was no instance of anybody in our house or any visitor feeling any hostility from her. In other words, she was an angel.

         It is said that time flies @ 10x for the canine kind and I recall the time when she was big enough and due for a puppy. Unfortunately, the pup died at the time of birth and she desperately tried to wake it up by continuously licking it for many hours whining with tears running from her eyes. Although at that time I realised the loss she may have felt, I didn't fully understand and comprehend the feeling until , years later, I became a father myself. It must have been torrid time for her but she was back to her usual playful self in a few days time which surprised all of us at home. This probably was her way of dealing with it.

       In a house full of boys (that's me, my brother, an army cook and my Dad's orderly) she was always treated as a female member of the house. She was a sharp contrast to our male dog - A Pomeranian named Tipsy- who probably was the cleanest dog you'd ever meet. So much so that he skillfully used to avoid the puddles of water when he walked. In contrast, Bufi would go where no dog dog ever dared to tread. She would roll around in puddles, dirt, dust and wet mud thoroughly enjoying the experience. Tipsy, the male dog, initially would have a jealous demeanour if more attention was anytime given to Bufi. In time, he realised that competition was stronger and appeared to ignore us  but in reality would continue to observe with the corner of his eyes. Bufi also had a special weapon- A call to Bufi in the house would just end up Bufi just sitting in your lap in about 10 secs flat. This could never be replicated by Tipsy who was 'conservative' by nature and avoided getting comfy on laps.

      As she aged, Bufi had an attack of a disease called 'distemper' for some time which resulted in paralysis of the lower body. We observed incredible resolve in Bufi during that period of time till medication brought about minimum movement. The firm resolve for conquering locomotion that was witnessed by us made her a hero in our family. She was a fighter and she was back on her feet in a short span of time which even amazed the vet.
     As I went away to college, I rarely met her and I remember her to be at her playful best whenever we met even after all the years. It was as though she never grew old. Even though now she's long gone, the memory of the energetic, loving, playful Bufi remains etched in my mind.
      In search of a dog now, I realised that I may have impulsively tried to search for my old pal. Maybe that's the reason why it has been more than a year now and am still looking. Even though a part of me wants her back running around the house with her feeble 'Buff' sounds, I hope that she's somewhere in a better place living a life what she truly deserves- A life of an angel.        

The Election Tamasha - Why I Detest it

Honestly, I tried. I tried hard to keep abreast with the party names, their candidates and what their past was and where they are currently connected. However, even after all these years, I just can't stand the sight of these guys on media in general and TV in particular. So much mudslinging, accusations with religion, caste and region based politics makes me feel nauseous to say the least. 

           Having said that, I understand that politics needs extreme strategizing. One such interesting instance I came across was to hear Gul Panag - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAqM4umVwnY. I also get to hear stories from my mom who is politically active in my native state (that's for my disclosure part). However, the elections, as usual, appear tumultuous here in Mumbai, to say the least. And with only 15 days to go, I am yet to make up my mind for deciding the party which deserves my vote (they say - its precious).

            There has been lot of social media at play now with many pushing you to vote and using the NOTA option if no candidate is considered appropriate. A interesting banner indicated- One should vote - otherwise someone else will vote for you.  To have a well informed decision for people in Mumbai there are websites available on what an elected member has promised and what has been executed by them in the last five years. One such website   http://mumbaivotes.com/  has the tag line- Don't vote. Select. It tracks and compare profiles of candidates from Mumbai and also gives complete details of work done as against the promises made.

              Hope similar sites are launched pan India which would give people like me take an informed decision without referring to the TV. The battlegrounds are set and it would be interesting to see who wins. Through my blog would like to send across a message to the candidates- Will vote for 'Honesty'. Any takers ?

Lest I forget

Holy Child School, Guwahati, Assam (circa 1980)

This is not about the war heroes or martyrs but is as important in each and everyone's lives. This is about people who have been around for most for the time in life which were passed  on to be your classmate, roommate, colleague, friend, acquaintance tailor, barber, doctor, waiter....just about everyone else other than  family. 

Everyone and every forward on whasapp/facebook tells me that family comes first and the rest is gravy. In good time, I realised that the gravy's just as important. As someone said 'there are no ordinary moments', there surely are no ordinary people. It because of those people in your lives which has contributed to make you what you are. How you react and don't react to many things and altered behaviour, inherent or acquired, comes partly out of that. 
Ok. So whats the point? You see, in school, the classmate that you're next to in the B&W school photograph was probably the most important reason that you would be in that particular place/section. You would do anything to be with the same person in the same class for the next year. A similarity can be drawn to the tailor you go to, the resturant you go to, the barber, the doctor. So, the sum total of all the said interactions have evolved you into what you are today. That's non reversible. And that, my friend, is the prime reason that you can't make NEW lifelong friends.
Heres a list of a few people that come to my mind. [You can add yours in the comments]. Mr. Surendra for slogging till 3 AM during grade ten school exams. Mr. Rajesh Sharma for teaching me to play hockey in school. Ms. Charu for attempting to get the photo and Mr Tomar, history teacher for letting me go. The lady in the parrot green dress during admissions in eleventh grade at school. Mr Sudipto Modak for all the help.The warden in Hostel no 3. Mr. Vijay Thakur, roommate in college. Mr Singh, the doctor at PGI, Chandigarh one night during college. Mr. Jignesh Jethwa for introducing me to computer games and Shri Nilesh Fuke to the internet. Shri Kishan (my dads army driver) for teaching me to drive. Beautiful women who made my heart flutter (and hence stronger). The person at Dadar railway station who guided me to my train. Mr. Satish Kamath for teaching me finance. 
Many of the people I mentioned above ( and others whom I've met during the journey called life) made an lasting impression and turned me into what I am today. They are and always will remain, part of my lifelong memories. I mention them here....lest I forget.

Attachments of a different kind

            Although attachment is the prime reason for suffering, it's sometimes hard to let go of certain things. As time takes a toll on our 10 year old refrigerator, I cannot help but remember the continuous service it has extended all these years, continuously toiling without a break.
             I vaguely remember the day it was bought...The start of summer and the old refrigerator going kaput ( which incidentally was a bigger one than this one). The selection was not very difficult one as there were a few models available in the Army canteen ( Yes...My father helped me get it). The search narrowed down to this Godrej model due to the Malaysian compressor it had which came with a good reputation. It was decided to go for it after a careful but quick decision. As my son was young ( 3-4 yrs old) , the refrigerator was an essential tool which had to do nearly everything, right from keeping the boiled bottles sterilised to keeping the medicines intact. 
              Many years later, the refrigerators objective being achieved, its relentless continuous streak (very much like a spent cricketer after a triple ton) ended and it started to break apart part by part. First the freezer compartment came apart and it needed some carpentry skills (thanks to practical training in engineering) of mine to fix that. Since it was not a frost free refrigerator, it needed to be defrosted time and again and again and again. I understand that this was something which prolonged its life much like going on a vacation and release the stress. Although the refrigerator was smaller than what most of the people I know had, there was no pressure to change it for a new bigger one from my family (although larger LED TVs were non-negotiable). It also helped disposing any food stuff which was more than a day old as there was no space. My wife also wanted to postpone any purchases till 2012 was over and I complied till the uneventful doomsday prophecy. The last two years after that have been tough and cleaning the fridge becomes more difficult for the maid and then the unthinkable happened. The bulb went down. How could it just switch off ? After a quick check it was diagonised that the bulb needed to be replaced. But I felt it was a signal for me to let it go. 

        The Maharashtrian new year - 'Gudi Padva' is a good time to buy stuff where stores give great discounts ( especially when its fallen on March 31 i.e end of the financial year). So with a heavy heart I went about shortlisting the ones that would just be right for us. The compressors have become 'invertor tech ' and the refrigerants 'eco friendly' and most importantly 'frost free'. There was a buy back offer too which I took which now needs me to part with the refrigerator which has spent 10 years with me. AND it was still alive. 
      The delivery boy came in today and set the new LG refrigerator up for me. He enquired whether the old one could be taken now to which I promptly replied ' I still have stuff in it, take it on Saturday'. As if on cue, the compressor in my old trusted 'Godrej'  kick starts.....and gives out the humming sound which makes me feel at home.