Saturday, July 22, 2006

Rains!

A few thoughts:

  • The fragrance of wet earth
  • The feeling of pregnancy in the air
  • A slight breeze rustling tree leaves
  • Roads all dug up, with heaps of red mud alongside promising a squelchy walk – people cursing the BMC for their inaction even with the threat of imminent showers
  • An overcast sky threatening to spill over
  • An all pervading twilight making you want to go back home and curl up in bed
  • The cacophony of birds accompanied by the crickets and the odd croaking of frogs
  • Colourful umbrellas displayed right next to staid black counterparts at almost all provision and departmental stores
  • People furtively rushing about their business in a hurry to avoid the imminent shower
  • Children – both living in slums and apartment buildings looking expectantly at the sky and waiting to begin their dance of joy
  • Young adults – eagerly planning treks, picnics or a plain old long drive in the rains
  • Memories of 26/7 welling up in the mind of most people, along with a lot of speculation whether something like could happen again
  • Last year’s windcheaters, all-season shoes, umbrellas being hunted out of the attics
  • Having to decide whether or not to carry rain wear before getting out of the house in morning (its definitely not going to rain when I am on my way to work)

Why did I post this? Actually, I have no idea. These are just the thoughts and sights that come to my head just before the Mumbai monsoons. Not a good read at all!!

Weird Me!!!!!

Its been quite a while that I’ve posted anything. I’ve always been meaning to but work has been literally hell the last couple of months. I finally got down to it, yay! Shruthi, who seems to think I am sane and level-headed (wicked grin) has tagged me. The motivation for most of these tags are funny, aren’t they? I mean, think of it, here we are, a group of completely sane (?????????) people out to prove to the world at large that we are all weird in some way or the other!!!! That itself is so weird that it should be a mandatory point in every such tag. J

Anyway, let me get down to the task at hand, it promises to be fun. But before I start I need to mention that this was one tag that my wife S offered to do for me!!!! Obviously, she knows me at my weirdest best!!!

So here goes:

1) Though I am perfectly articulate when it comes to talking to senior people face-to-face, I seem to slip into incoherence when it comes to the phone-world especially when ending the conversation. In fact, as my wife and brother are quick to point out, my tongue jumbles up so much that a perfectly simple sentence like “OK, I’ll do that” comes out as “Okiyalldomtapat”. The worst part is that I actually realize even before I start speaking that its going to be a blooper and I can’t do anything about!!!

P.S. By senior people, I mean people who are in the upper echelons of the corporate world, be it my brother’s boss or my uncle who is a big shot in a big multi-national…well, you get the drift.

2) I am crazy about food!!! I know Shruthi and many other people may have included this in their list but what is true is true. As ANYBODY knowing me would vouch for, I simply love food, especially the once-living category. Within me you would find a veritable know-it-all when it comes to restaurants, hotels, roadside “thelas”, dhabas, coffee shops, vada-pav stalls, anda bhurji valas all over the length and breadth of Mumbai. Come to me whenever you need to know of a good eating place, with a budget of Rs. 10 right upto infinity. As for vegetarian food, I think my mom is the best at that and so I solemnly follow my principle of avoiding vegetarian food as much as I can while eating out.

3) Whenever I pass a holy place, be it a temple, gurudwara, church, masjid or small by-the road shrines, I have this habit of inclining my head a little to acknowledge it and sometimes even touching my fingers to my lips and heart. Many people find it extremely weird seeing me do this umpteen times on any journey or while commuting in Mumbai where such holy places abound. In fact, my cousin sister took to turning around and looking at me whenever we passed one so that she could catch me in the act once more!

4) I have this single-minded belief that everybody is good and trust-worthy. Maybe this point does not have a place in this list but I think most do realize that there many more types of people than the ones I have mentioned above. And as many of my friends have told me, in today’s world, you would be lucky to find such people and I had better believe it as soon as possible. But I refuse to listen to them and look for that elusive niceness in everybody. Obviously, there have many instances where I have been proved wrong but even then “twice bitten, once shy” does not seem to ring true with me.

5) I have this weird habit of falling into silence every now and then for no apparent reason. It makes people wonder what is wrong with me. Especially since there does not seem to be any reason. And quite rightly, my loved ones get irked at this seeming lack of communication. Well, this is the one thing in my list that I’d like to change about me….this one and also maybe point 1!!! J

I tag (with my limited network on Blogosphere):

  • Triya – my little sister
  • Anu - seems worthwhile knowing this lady's weirdness (if there is any)
  • Asha - this friend of mine sure would give me a run for my money
  • Rose - Other than the fact that she is a fellow Mumbaikar and an awesome writer, I hardly know anything about her.
  • Anybody else willing to take it up

Btw, if anybody on here wants to point out or mention any other weird thing about me, I’d sure want to know.