Are we safe - anywhere?

Hey readers, Mumbai is on high alert following reports that of the 10 bombs planted by the terrorists, 1 is yet to be traced. The police found 1 unexploded bomb in the CST station on Wednesday, a week after the initial attack. It's surreal to read such horrifying reports in the papers and still go on with life as if everything is normal. It's like a mentality that nothing can happen to me because I'm god's special child - I'm sure even the 200 odd people who died in the attacks last week were thinking on the same lines.

But then, where do we go? Mumbai isn't safe, Delhi is even more dangerous. A blast in a market in Peshavar gave birth to the terrifying thought that we are vulnerable to terrorists from all sides. How do we create a boundary around us, a cocoon where no one can harm us? Jaane kaha wo duniya hai, jaane ki wo hai bhi ya nahi -- a song from Jaane Tu ya jaane na unintentionally, but aptly, sums up the current conundrum.

Mumbai stands united!

In a unique show of solidarity, ALL radio stations in Mumbai played the song "Maa Tujhe Salam", sung by AR Rehman, at 8 p.m. today on their respective wavelengths! Now ain't that something? Good to see that they let go of their constant endeavor to hog the limelight and take such a step -- I hope our news channels too take note of this and do something similar.

I wonder whether Times of India is planning to do a campaign, similar to the "Lead India" (2007) and "Teach India" (2008) initiatives, on the war against terrorism. history shows that we are pretty tolerant and lack muscle -- from the Bombay bomb blasts in 1993 to the bomb blasts in the Mumbai local trains and the attack on the Parliament (not to mention several other instances of similar horrendous terrorist strikes)we have been happy enough to put a bold stance early on oly to back off it as time goes by. We have been waving our "List of 20 most wanted terrorists" in front of Pakistan for several years -- yet have we done anything beyond mere demonstration to show that we are serious about what we want. I think not.

What will it take to wake up the Government and get them to swing into action and deliver some serious action? How many more lives need to be sacrificed for us to see some justice being done, our security being enhanced? For how long do we carry on like this? It's good that Mumbai has an indignant streak, a get-on-with-life spirit -- else how will we survive and continue our struggle in the city of dreams, the city that never sleeps, with a sword hanging over our heads perpetually?

Heights of Localization!

Consider this: Person A, sitting in Mumbai and originally from Calcutta / Rajasthan, dispatches a gift on the account of Person B, working in Pune, currently in Mumbai and originally from Bihar via BlueDart Couriers for Person C, working in Chennai, currently in Delhi and originally from Haryana, through Person D's (working in Mumbai and originally from Calcutta / U.P.) office account!! Now ain't this true localization?

Rest assured guys that this is a true incident - happened last night itself! I am sure you can guess the identity of the 3 of the 4 people involved above! A DVD of 'Horton Hears a Who' for those who can correctly identify Person C - those who know the identity are automayically disqualified!! ;-)

Ordeals of an Ordinary Man!

"Living in Mumbai is a lifetime experience"

Whoever said the above thing must be a genius.. I mean just imagine what all I suffered today and for what -- so that the rickshaw drivers and the taxiwallas can keep their 25-year old taxis on the roads!! Think nothing of the safety of the poor passengers, my dear readers but atleast spare a thought for the driver of that 25-year old wreck - doesn't he deserve to benefit from the advents of globalization? But anyways, why bother about them when I got plenty on my plate!

Was a fight getting to office in the morning today -- had to hang literally from a bus to reach office! And to think I'd left all this when I left Calcutta -- kuch yaadein or cheezen kabhi saath nahi chodti, kyun??

Anyways, I am not in the mood to ramble on for too long.. The sinking stock market and my ever expanding hunger-pangs are leaving in my mind little room for wishful thoughts! So here is wishing you all a lovely good night! Please pray that my dinner arrives soon and I wake up tomorrow to find the world turned around for the better -- if this is not posssible, then just pray that the Autos are back where they belong - back on these bloddy dirt roads!!

Sapne -- Ye kaise sapne!!

Hey guys, bahut idno k baad I'm making an entry in here, in fact this will be my first psot after I've shifted to Mumbai! So to cut a long story short, I reached Mumbai on August 2, 2008 and joined Aranca Research Pvt Ltd. on August 4, 2008. It's almost a month now in Mumbai and I'm typing away from the glory and cozy conforts of my rented property in Andheri!

Mumbai me log kya kya sapne leke aate hai -- goals, ambitions aur na jaane kaun kaun se adjectives!! Main bhi baki sab logon ki tareh apni aankhon me success and fame k sapne saza k aaye tha lekin hai ram -- yaha to saala roz jhaadu dete kamar tut gayi!! Pehle to office me gadho ki tareh karo kaam, fir ghar aa k bhi na mile koi aaram!! Hey bhagwan, bol ye tu mujhe kaun se sapne dikha raha hai??infact, I've become so adept at handling household chores (which include washing dishes, clothes and of course sweeping and mopping the flat apart from preparing my lunch, dinner and breakfast) that I'm thinking of taking an ad out in the matrimonials column:

Domesticated Male, experienced in handlign household chores along with demanding job! After marriage, no handling jobs, only handling tough wife who earns multi million dollars!!

Bas ye hai meri kahani, I hope to write in more regularly from now onwards, next up is a movie review of WANTED!! [starring Angelinne Jolie]..

The MAA of all Reality Shows!!

Hey readers, I was just going through the posts of a fellow blogger when all of a sudden, a crazy idea manifested itself in my mind. However, before you proceed, a word of caution: I am currently in a crazy, zapped state of mind and I intend being in this bent frame of mind for another 2-3 days or so! Any one hurt by the views expressed below should go and sue the blogger who sowed the seeds of the following idea in my mind! Now, if you are done reading the safety regulations et al, can we proceed?

After going through the post, I thought that why such a useless debate: I mean, dance all you want, it's your life, we are in the world's biggest democracy and man, let's just face it, we do much more crazier things on TV these days than simply watching a few gals dance semi-nudely! And as they say, there is money to be made in every venture -- so why don't we monitize this debate nationally while letting the people, the makers of this democracy, decide whether or not the dancing of the cheerleaders and the ban on the dance bar girls should stay? I mean, relaity TV show's formats are becoming real cliched these days and we desperately need some controversy and new format so why don't we make a three-part reality show out of this entire debate?

In the first part, our esteemed judges (one of them has to be Rakhi Sawant --- hee hee hee) will conduct a nation-wide hunt to procure the best of the best dancing bar girls in the country (we may even go international -- cool, huh??) post which we shall publicize the whole thing and like all reality TV shows go, get 3 final girls who will parade their stuff (i.e. their skimpy outfit-clad dance moves) country-wide.. The audience poll would then decide the ultimate winner among these Indian dance bar girls while the judges will try their level best to ensure that the best dancers stay on the show and are not eliminated because of some misconceived or conceited public voting.

The second leg of this show will see the foreign cheerleaders (currently here for the IPL) who will then fight to come out trumps as the Miss World Cheerleader and in the final part, the top 3 participants from the earlier two parts will go head-to-head to determine which of these breeds or genres of dancers -- the bar girls or the foreign cheerleaders -- shall be allowed to dance wherever they want -- be it in dance bars, on national TV or at public parties!!

Now wouldn't this be a great, money-minting idea?? I mean, just think about the TRPs -- they are going to go through the roofs! Sponsors will flock and fight over a 10-second ad slot on this show -- mark my words, my dear readers, this show will be the BAAP, errr... sorry for the gender error, the MAA of all shows!! Move aside IPL, SRK's kya aap paasvi paas se tez ho, Indian Idol, saas-bahu serials -- it's the season of the Dance shows and the MAA of all reality shows is here and how!!

N.B.: The blogger who sowed the seeds of this visionary, revolutionary idea has a private blog. So, I am taking the liberty to copy-paste, i.e., plagiarize her post without seeking due permission from the concerned Blogger!! Ho sake to mujhe maaf kar dena --

Yesterday there was this debate on television against the presence of
cheerleaders in the IPL matches. There was some old politician talking about
culture and censorship on one side and Prahlad Kakkar on the other side-
laughing at him :D I also thought that a mountain is being created out of a
molehill. If this is what people want to watch- well, let them! Don't make moral
judgements against anyone. Just chill...!

Then came the head of the Mumbai Bar Girls' Association. I was totally
expecting some wierdly dressed middle aged women screeching into the camera (a
la Rakhi Sawant)... but was pleasantly surprised to find an elderly, soft-spoken
lady who just made a very small and valid point.She says that 2 years back these
dance bars were closed down in Mumbai on the pretext that these girls are
scantily dressed and watching them dance like this in public is "wrong".

Now the same government is allowing American females to be scantily dressed
and dance in public and that too on national television. This is a clear case of
being double-faced and the very grounds on which they had closed the bars, now
stand violated.

I mean why fight when you can dance and cordially sort the issue?? I hope all parties concerned adopt my suggested idea and I get a hefty royalty payment from it. And hey, with food crisis being such a hot issue, here is my second take (errr.. not mine) on the food crisis where the author defends the biofuels that are being targeted as the culprits for the current crisis! Enjoy reading!