GLOBAL MADRASI

Pl note new address

2009-02-27T08:00:00.001-08:00

Pl come to this blog through new URL http://globalmadarasi.blogspot.com
eagerly waiting to c u all there..cheers

Please stay connected

2009-02-22T08:11:00.000-08:00

Hi
Please, Please, Please...
Change the URL (blog address)to
http://globalmadarasi.blogspot.com
and we will meet again there...
Missed you all these days...
All the best and goodbye to the present URL.

This blog in ICU

2009-02-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

Hi dear all, I am lost for words by your love and affection. Please do not post any comments on this blog anymore. I had requested my nephew who is doing engineering degree in Chennai to check out and he had posted "Hello Chennai" yesterday. The problem persists and the only way out as Soul Searcher says seems to be to change the URL. I will reach all of you (at least almost all) through your blogs and for sure we will stay connected. Will keep you posted on the new name but for god's sake forget me not. I never knew the virtual world had such powerful bonding. Wish you all a wonderful time. There we go, we catch up soon, cheerfully. Like we discussed, when doors close, let's not panic but face it with a smile.

Hello Chennai

2009-02-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

My frequency of talking to you may be less...
But the frequency for which i am thinking of you is simply gargantuan..
Good night

Blog technical trouble

2009-02-15T02:11:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, have been experiencing serious trouble with posting stories. Unable to reach the dashboard for three days. Funnily, there is only one computer at office which flashes New Post sign. Here too I am unable to reach dashboard. Have tried everything, changed password too. If somebody out there can tell me how to save the blog, copy the files somewhere else or create a new one in the same name, would be grateful. If the postings are interrupted or the blog disappears, will reach you all through some other way. You all have been a great source of strength. Wishing you all the best.

Shhh, don’t laugh loud

2009-02-13T04:32:00.000-08:00

Laughter is the best medicine, no doubt, but laughing out loud may land you in a soup. Don’t believe? Well, this friend of mine had this habit of laughing loudly at the drop of a hat. We were returning home in a crowded Mumbai train and cracking jokes all the way. A grumpy guy sitting next to my friend was trying to doze off, but was regularly interrupted by the thundering laughter. Mr Grumpy’s snoring reminded me of the hiccup of a lion. Whenever his head dropped down, his eyes half closed, my pal’s “roar” will shake him up.
And he could take it no more.
“Why don’t you laugh softly?” he suddenly sneered at my friend.
“Why don’t you go home and have a great sleep?” I reacted.
Naturally, two groups formed. One suggested that my friend should reduce his volume, while the other felt that the ill-tempered man should have tolerance in public.
But the overall sympathy was in favour of Mr Grumpy.
“Poor guy, he must be under tremendous pressure at office. Maybe he has two wives and is caught between devil and deep sea,” I could hear some people muttering. But I could not laugh out loud and suppressed it into a smile.

The White Tiger

2009-02-10T20:32:00.001-08:00

As my friend was going gaga over Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger, am rushing through the pages. Better late than never. As usual, sharing three paras I liked so far:
“Only three have never let themselves be ruled by foreigners: China, Afghanistan and Abyssinia. These are the only three nations I admire.”
(Another friend argued that China was indeed at times ruled by foreigners. But as I am not an intellectual, I am not in this argument game)
“And only two destinies: Eat or get eaten up.”
“You were looking for the key for years/But the door was always open.”

An eye on spectacles

2009-02-09T08:06:00.000-08:00

Those who wear power glasses have a distinctive advantage. They can choose what to see and reject those they do not want to. When I spot a cockroach in the bathroom, I just remove my specs, run for the broom and attack. Sans glasses, all I get to see is a vague image. Klushh.. The poor guy is dead.
It is also my habit to hold my specs in my hand while walking/jogging (if at all I manage to shirk my laziness). The other day a lady came close to me with an angry face. “Pavithra’s daddy. I am waving Hi to you and you are not even responding!” she complained. It was my neighbour, but damn it, how do I know that without my glasses?
My gardener friend from Sri Lanka wanted a printout with his name. He was going on leave and wanted to paste it on his baggage. Tomorrow? He asked me five times. I nodded. As expected, I forgot. When I was walking on the road, I spotted the yellow uniform and surmised my friend would catch me. I removed my specks and kept walking as if I had not seen him. When I came close, I felt odd and put on my specks. Shucks, it was some replacement and my friend had already gone on leave.
Did you ask why not contact lens? People complain I look too handsome if I wear contacts. I am not interested in film roles boss.

A weekend break

2009-02-08T04:37:00.000-08:00

When monotony strikes, there's a way to beat it. Just take a break. And that's what I did. Former colleague and good friend Susmita and her cousin Sunil suggested that I join them on a trip to Masafi and I accepted the offer with thanks. We roped in reporter Rasheed too. We moved on a little further from Masafi to Fujairah. A weekly bull fight
show is a regular feature in Fujairah and we ended up interviewing the organisers. We also met a lovely couple, German national Benjamin and his Italian wife, Rosanna. Those few words in German I knew came in handy again. In a few minutes we were great friends and exchanged business cards so as to stay in touch. We were five in the car, including the man behind the wheels Rehman of Bangladesh. Susmita is from Bengal, Rasheed a Keralite, me a Madrasi and Sunil is from Pakistan. Truly global..ehh!
I will let the pictures speak to save your valuable time. Plenty smart, right?

Rumi and mystery man

2009-02-05T20:41:00.001-08:00

Over a cup of hot tea, we were discussing Man Booker winner Adiga and his mention about great poet Rumi in The White Tiger. I have not finished reading the book (who can be lazier than me?), so we will discuss the book later.
Editor and good friend Shaadaab Bakht narrated this story he had heard about Rumi. Quite interesting.
An ascetic was crossing the road when he saw Rumi busy at work. He dropped in and asked: “What are you doing?” Rumi reacted a bit rude: “Can’t you see I am busy writing? Anyway, you will never understand.”
The man said: “What great things you are going to write in any case?”
Shocked by the audacity, Rumi had some harsh words for the man. In a moment, the latter grabbed all the pages and dumped them in water. Rage colouring his eyes red, Rumi screamed: “You have spoiled my life’s work.”
The ascetic listened quietly for two minutes, picked up the pages from water and returned them intact, in original form.
“How did you do it?” questioned Rumi in amazement.
“You will never understand,” came the reply.
Ya, there are several things we don’t understand. No wonder, Socrates died saying “All I know is I know nothing.”

Tiny joke for a change

2009-02-05T08:27:00.001-08:00

A rogue saw a simple man crossing the road.
“Hey, monkey” he mockingly called out.
“Yes, my son,” replied the shrewd man.

Bruce Lee, philosophica-Lee

2009-02-03T06:02:00.000-08:00

Don’t remember whether I had mentioned about this earlier. But Bruce Lee is one of my greatest heroes and I should talk about this. I told a friend that martial arts hides in itself grand philosophy. He laughed. I explained:
There is a scene in Enter The Dragon where Bruce Lee wields the “nun chak,” hits all the enemies, bam bam dishum dishum, and runs into a tiny enclosure. Suddenly, a gate closes, he turns right, another gate shuts and well, all four sides are closed in a fraction of a second. Clearly trapped, all he does is put the “nun chak” on his shoulder, sit quietly in a meditative pose and sport a kingly look. Oof, what poise! When all the doors have shut, what is the point in clenching your fist and banging against iron walls – even if you were Bruce Lee, king of kung fu? Just relax, and that is what the hero did and the gates opened. Don’t believe? Watch the movie again. If this is not philosophy, what is?

Thank you, prof.

2009-02-02T22:52:00.001-08:00

Here’s a note from Prof. Nikhil Moro of the US. Felt good and hence posting it. The correction will be carried out ASAP.
“I'm curious about the hyphen in the title. By using the hyphen aren't you making your title an adjective -- when there's no noun to follow! Perhaps it's the old copy editor in me talking but wouldn't your title be better off as "Global Madrasi"? I totally enjoy your (very idiosyncratic) blog -- it's sensitive, honest, refreshing. I'm bookmarking it.”

Chennai: Stink and charm

2009-02-01T23:48:00.000-08:00

Expats are a restless lot. For most of us, minds are here, but hearts are back home. No wonder, the song, “Country road, take me home, to the place I belong..” is popular.
Anyway, may be visiting Chennai/Mumbai/Bangalore in three months. This brought random thoughts about Chennai.
• Have been inhaling the foul smell of the Cooum river since I was born. It hasn’t changed until today, even though I have become a teenager now (hey, allow me to bluff). That Buckingham canal could have been one of the most popular water transport facilities of the world. But lack of political will saw to it that it never happened that way.
• Know what? I am shocked by the pay scales in the city. I thought my wife with her award winning experience would land a teacher’s job easily. The jobs did come, but the pay offers never exceeded Rs8,000 ($1 is what Rs48?). Approached an international school in the city. The principal was kind and the children were mostly foreigners. She was selected, but the pay again was same. And the principal summed it up: “Go to the city, check out and return in a week. I will wait.”
• I had watched a Malayalee shopkeeper selling cigarettes and stuff like toffees for children. His shop must be less than 60 sq. ft. He has been standing there and selling like this for nearly half a century (Ya, ya heard this from my dad). And his dressing style has not changed. Same white dhoti and white shirt. Looked quite satisfied after all these years. Want to interview such great people when I return for good. What say?

Hiding behind brands

2009-01-31T21:56:00.000-08:00

Work for major brands and you are branded. I wonder whether we lose our individual identity when we hide behind brands or multinational companies. Of course, I agree we cannot avoid it and it is part of the package. When I left a wellknown newspaper brand after 17 plus years, many who were pestering me with requests, stopped even the courtesy calls.
The provocation for this post is an observation made by my ex-colleague. He is now the editor of a top brand newspaper in Mumbai.
“How you doing?” I asked him.
“Good, but I get pissed off when people say this is Mr S from “…” newspaper. I am S and that’s it. The name of the newspaper is not my surname.”
Well, do we call it professional hazard? I am confused.

Like the flowing river

2009-01-31T01:32:00.000-08:00

Picked up “Like the flowing river” of Paulo Coelho last week. Finished in a matter of hours. No, no, it wasn’t so gripping, only I skipped pages by the dozens. Dunno why. After Alchemist, I find this so-so. For the record, lemme say I am too small to comment on the great author’s work.
Now just a couple of paras that touched me:
* I am not doing anything, and yet I’m doing the most important thing a man can do: I am listening to what I needed to hear from myself.”
* Quoting Genghis Khan: “Any action committed in anger is an action doomed to failure.”
* “You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, there is no need to prove all the time that everything is going well, it is good to cry out all your tears, because only then you will be able to smile again.”

Not funny

2009-01-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

"Yesterday I enjoyed so much. Today I am not in mood,” lamented my friend.
“The mind is the best friend when you control it. The mind is the worst enemy when it controls you,” I replied quoting scriptures.
“How lucky you are,” he exclaimed.
Why?
“You don’t have brains and do not have to worry about mind.”
Bahhhh…

Mid-air drama

2009-01-28T22:18:00.000-08:00

Around 51 million jobs to go this year, declares ILO through today’s newspapers. But well, we have agreed not to allow negative thoughts to affect us, right? We will face that challenge, no worries.
Let’s lighten up now. “Past is always good, as we have crossed it,” philosophizes my Pakistani friend Ansar all the time. And I keep nodding like a parrot. So, a flashback.
Three sisters and a brother, an elderly mom, this D’Mello family of Bandra was close to me. One of the sisters was a pretty cat-eyed lady (of course, all my friends are pretty, don’t keep arguing dear Vinisha) my colleague. We were regular visitors at their home. During the last decade I moved out of Mumbai and lost touch.
I was returning with my wife and kids to Dubai from Mumbai on an Air-India flight on a recent occasion. I jokingly asked my wife why we hardly find young airhostesses on Air-India or Indian Airlines, and she ignored me.
But I noticed one particular airhostess was repeatedly glancing at me. I wondered what was wrong. Had she heard my comment?
Anyway I liked her smiling face and decided to break the ice. “Excuse me, can I have a cup of water?” By the time my wife pinched me hard, she returned. Bending towards my seat, she whispered, “You are Ramesh, right?”
Goddd..You know I am senti-mental (what a deadly combination!).
“Is that you, UD….?” I screamed.
In the excitement, I waved my hand and the glass flew. The other passengers wondered what the commotion was all about. I could hear my wife murmuring “Control S.” “Will catch up with you after duty,” said UD and disappeared. Have they got a magic wand to disappear so fast?
Whattt? The story has ended. You still want to know about the hours of heated arguments with my wife that whole day over my “childish” behaviour? BTW, you guessed right. That was one of the sisters.

Hi, meet Sam

2009-01-26T21:33:00.000-08:00

I promised to introduce some good friends so we all stay connected. Here goes Samuel Jacob, call him Sam or Sambo. Some talk more, work less (like me..I can see Vinisha clapping – (but hey, I bluff sometimes, don’t take me seriously) and some do it the other way round.
Sam belongs to the latter category. Talk to him continuously for five minutes and all he does is smile back and nod his head like a vertical clock pendulum.
This guy was an asset for The Times of India desk in the 90s in Mumbai. He was so computer savvy that he was grabbed by the Internet edition for launch. He moved to Yahoo! Bengalooru.
And the hardcore journalist decided he had better things to do in life. He is now focusing on environment and agriculture and is working on a project to protect lakes in the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve buffer
zone of Tamil Nadu.
The photos show Vagai Kulam. The children are part of a Green Brigade. They help in monitoring the birds. The other pictures are of birds resting on trees in the lake. The trees are scheduled to be cut soon and Sam and his team are trying to stop that and get the place declared a sanctuary so the birds can continue to come here.
Good wishes, Sambo.

Counsellor needs counselling

2009-01-25T03:46:00.000-08:00

My neighbour entered my room with a disturbed look. "They have increased my yearly rent by Dhs8,000. My job is shaky," he said. I offered him coffee, convinced him that tough times do not last and sent him.
"I am sending my CV. Just lost my job," called up a friend. "Don't worry, I will check out," I promised. He was the third such caller.
I dressed up and went to meet the builder. "There is no way we cannot increase the rent," he argued. "But recession is hitting us hard," I said. "Sorry, take it or leave it," he put it straight.
"What's up?" asked my wife.
"I am feeling a bit down," I replied.
"Don't worry, tough..," my wife started consoling me.

Stray thoughts

2009-01-24T23:09:00.000-08:00

Dogs cannot use condoms,” declares US celebrity Pamela Anderson. “but with municipality’s help, they can be ‘fixed,’ painlessly and permanently.” She has been in the forefront of a campaign against killing of stray dogs. Good intention, Pamela. Thanks to you and all animal rights activists.
I had personally seen the site run by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation where they put such dogs to sleep. It was pathetic. The sight of animals waiting to die can move you to tears, I swear.
Now, the other side of the story. I lived on a fifth floor flat, without elevator (How healthy!). One night, I was chased by a pack of dogs while returning after night duty. One particular dog chased me right up to the fourth floor. I literally ran, panting, and got my life back only when my wife opened the door. There are cases where two-wheeler riders got injured after running into mishaps, chased by dogs. And instances are there of babies being mauled.
The idea is to get the problem solved. Dogs should not be killed, but there is a need to protect human lives from harm. Do not forget, there are roughly around 70,000 stray dogs in Mumbai. Can municipalities, with all the bureaucracy involved, solve the issue that easily? Activists should now act to make the municipalities act, before the population of strays shoots up.

Stay on Job, Steve

2009-01-24T01:38:00.000-08:00

He is an amazing guy, this Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc. Steve Jobs. What an inspiration, his words. Jobs, who had successful surgery for a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004, had said he would remain CEO while seeking a "simple" treatment for a hormone imbalance.
He then said recently he would take medical leave in June, after learning that his health problems were "more complex" than he originally thought.
Here are just four quotations of his I am sure you will enjoy reading. They are inspiration tonic.
* The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."
* Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
* There's a phrase in Buddhism, 'Beginner's mind.' It's wonderful to have a beginner's mind."
* I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates.

Here is your award

2009-01-22T22:50:00.000-08:00

Deepak and Prachi have been kind to pass on this award to Global-Madrasi. Feel greatly honoured. A sincere thanks straight from my heart to P and D. As usual, let's all share the award. Take half spoon of sugar and gulp it..let's celebrate..Diabetes? Come on, half an hour extra jogging. That's it. Come on, come on, where's the sweet?

Century - Thanks to you

2009-01-21T22:49:00.000-08:00

This is my hundredth post. And you know the secret. You are the inspiration. You are the strength. This post is hence dedicated to each and everyone of you. Pl treat this as an affectionate hug from Sharjah. And pl keep up your cheer, enthusiasm, hard work and above all, the SMILE. Am I getting senti. Don’t bother. It is common for affection to spill over when it comes to vibrant friendship.
Here goes my thanks to:
Avinash
Aviral
Chet
Deepak Barua
Dr. Nishi Chauhan
Eppie
Fida
Humanobserver
I Am: Anna Lovely Day
Indrani
Inspiration
Kadri
Maria
MumbaiiteAnu
Naheed Zafar
Nituscorner
Prachi Pandey
Preetham
Priyanka Khot
Saadia
SCL
Seno
Soul Searcher
Tantra flower
The Phoenix
Vamsi krishna nadella
Vinisha
Your sassy reporter
And all those who visited the blog.

Happier the ‘we’

2009-01-19T23:25:00.001-08:00

"We” is a much stronger word than “I.” My friends are your friends and your friends are mine. So, I thought I should introduce some great friends, with their permission. Slowly and steadily, let’s expand this list. The list is not in order so, no hard feelings. This one for Gallery section.
BB Nayak is a simple man from Orissa settled in Navi Mumbai. His achievement? Seven Guinness world records. The latest is 30 one fisted cartwheels in a minute in New Bombay. The feat is covered in You Tube. Long ago, I covered his major feat for TOI and that is when we became friends...Now hold your breath..it was called Groin Conditioning..where two concrete slabs are placed against his vital organ and another guy breaks the slabs with a hammer. We gave the headline, don’t laugh, “Balls of Steel” in the TOI supplement for this story. Another report I wrote about him was titled “Bruce Lee of Mumbai.”
Babhi (BB’s wife) is a worried lady and not without reason. When BB plays with his life, she could only pray.
Well, hats off to this achiever who’s made it to the top despite lack of support from the government.

Thy name is destiny

2009-01-18T22:22:00.001-08:00

Do you believe in destiny, asked my friend.
My instant reply: “Yes.”
Will explain. We were staying at Ghatkopar, Mumbai, that time. Me and my brother’s family were preparing to leave for Nashik. It was a cold evening. A group of children were playing cricket outside our Pant Nagar home. I do not know why, I just picked up the bat and told the boys, “just one shot.” And I hit it. Like a bullet it went and knocked a woman crossing the road, right on her head. She fainted. The usual crowd gathered.
The children screamed: “It’s uncle, uncle.”
Stupid, I wasn’t “uncle” that time. I wasn’t even married.
Anyway. They tried keeping onion near her nose, splashed water, and tried all superstitious things. I couldn’t hide, nor face the crowd. It was embarrassing. I dreamt, God forbid, if she dies! Am I going to jail? Fortunately, she woke up a few minutes later. I repeatedly apologized. She said she was fasting and hence felt giddy. I still pray for her. Imagine the course of my life in a worst-case scenario.
Ask Paulo Coelho, he’s so fond of the word “Maktoob” (close to the word – destiny, in Arabic) that he will give more explanation on destiny.
Mahatma Gandhi was travelling to South Africa on a ship when a storm shook the vessel. He has mentioned in his book that it’s a miracle he survived. Imagine the course of Indian history without the great Mahatma.
Forget all this. Don’t laugh when I say my path changed at the loo of The Times of India. I just entered the wash room when the business editor then of Mumbai edition, RS, saw me and said, “You Madrasi. You keep cribbing about poor pay under Government Wage Board system. Would you like to go to the Gulf?”
“If the pay is good,” I replied.
Within months, I landed at the Dubai airport and eight years have gone by.
Now, do you believe in destiny? You better do. And the way to beat destiny is to work, work and work without attachment and, of course, enjoy life and whatever it brings in.

Noblesse Oblige Award

2009-01-18T22:08:00.001-08:00

Feel highly honoured to receive this award from great friends, Priyanka Khot and Vinisha. Thanks Vini, Priya. Dedicating the award to each and every visitor of this blog and all fellow-bloggers.

Boiling milk, heated temper

2009-01-17T00:37:00.000-08:00

Saturday is my weekly off day. The day I enjoy most. Cleaning up the mess at home, catching up with friends..well, lots to do. So see you tomorrow, but temme, is there a way I can boil milk for coffee and yet see to it that it does not spill over. And this isn't the first time. Should the damn mobile buzz only when I place the milk on the stove? You stupid Murphy, wait for the day I catch you by your collar and turn your law upside down...

Stirred and shaken

2009-01-15T04:53:00.001-08:00

Can washing machines wash off our joy at times?
Yes, they can, if the users tend to be a bit careless.
The story goes like this. I was recently presented a new dress by my wife.
And imagine how well your handsome friend (of course, me. Why you laughing, silly?) would have looked with this dark blue jeans and a white shirt. I went around Dubai and Sharjah thinking all pretty girls had set their sights on me. I know, I know, no one did, except that cross-eyed camel, now are you happy?
I forgot to tell you that I have this nasty habit of reading newspapers in the washroom. And I had placed a newspaper above the washing machine before moving off to office. My wife, meanwhile, picked up the dress along with some the expensive ones of my relatives (eh, some consolation) and put it in the washing machine. Only she did not realize that she had added the newspaper along with the clothes.
You should see the condition of the garments after the newsprint wash.
Hey, an idea: Why don't you try this wonderful experiment and feel how I feel.
PS: This is not the first time. My sister cleverly put my spectacles into the machine along with my clothes on an earlier occasion.

Never give up

2009-01-13T22:13:00.001-08:00

The global crunch is indeed giving a punch to Dubai and the job market is badly bruised.
Hit by this negative thought, I put on the Bond movie “For your eyes only.”
Believe me, one particular line boosted my spirit.
Goes like this. The hero and heroine are trapped. Seems like no way out. The heroine says: “I did not think it would end like this.”
And Roger Moore’s reply: “WE ARE NOT DEAD YET.”
Ooof, it literally shook me out of my negative thoughts. Never say die, until actually dead. Miles to go. And the weapon we will wield throughout is hard work and a smile, what say?

Happy Pongal

2009-01-13T04:15:00.000-08:00

Here’s wishing Tamilians, global Indians and global citizens a great and happy Pongal.
Thai Pongal (Tamil: தைப்பொங்கல்) is a harvest festival equivalent to a thanksgiving event celebrated by Tamils across the world. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over or spill over." The act of boiling over of milk in the clay pot is considered to denote future prosperity for the family. On January 2008, the Tamilnadu Government anounced that Pongal will be celebrated as 'Tamil New Year' from 2009 CE (Declaration Bill 2008).

Observed by Tamils

Significance: Harvest festival. Thanking Nature for prosperity
Date First day of "Thai" in the Tamil calendar
2009
date 14 January
Celebrations Feasting, gift-giving, visiting temples and homes
(Thanks: Wikipedia)
Have a great New Year, folks.

Thumbs up to hitchhiking

2009-01-11T21:17:00.000-08:00

Just before the inauguration of the prestigious Vashi Railway Station in Navi Mumbai in early 90s, residents used an old bridge linking the area with the nearest station Mankhurd.
The Thane creek bridge, as it was called, witnessed corrosion cracks in merely two years. But people were forced to rely on it for years until a new rail bridge was constructed alongside.
I was among many to stand on the Vashi highway and hitchhike to Mankhurd. There were several goodhearted two-wheeler owners who would readily oblige. I had made several friends that way. One particular guy was a philosophical person who kept repeating the mantra “Time is the best healer.” One day I joked my time cannot heal as my watch had stopped because of cell trouble. Another one asked me for a loan of Rs 100 after picking me up for three days. But he did return it in a week.
One particular day, a white Ambassador car halted after I flashed a thumbs up sign. The one behind the wheels wore a red tie and looked like an executive. “Do come in,” he welcomed me. We had a friendly chat during the travel and when I was about to alight after thanking him, he said: “Gentleman, pass on Rs10.” I was surprised, but paid. The Times of India still runs a column called Citylights where we used to be paid Rs75 for a piece those days. As soon as I entered the office, I filed a Citylight item about the gentleman and got Rs75. Smart, right?

Night life in Mumbai

2009-01-10T02:48:00.000-08:00

Mumbai is a dynamic city that pumps up people’s enthusiasm. Working as a Chief Sub-Editor of The Times of India, VT, and traveling late back home to Navi Mumbai brought lots of interesting experiences. I am talking about the late 90s. There was one last train to Vashi at 12.49am. As our office was bang opp VT station, we could reach in a minute by just crossing the road. But on many occasions, me and my desk colleagues, missed the train. The option was to reach Dadar by train and hitchhike to Vashi. Truck, car, share-taxi anything was ok for us to reach dear home. One day we stopped an ambulance. I clearly remember how me and a colleague BM reluctantly entered the vehicle and thanked the driver who reached us home and not the hospital.
At one time, stray dogs were a nightmare. I just came out of Vashi railway station and the road was deserted. I saw a boy walking ahead of me and ran to join him thinking that dogs will spare groups. It was then that I saw him holding his blood-soaked wrist. He had been bitten by a dog. I advised him to rush to the local civic hospital, but he said he would go home and take somebody with him.
A colleague SB was once surrounded by a dozen dogs. Wondering what to do, he started screaming: “Arre bhai, koi hai? Bachaoo.” (anybody there, save me.) With no one to be seen around, he started singing Bollywood songs loudly thinking the dogs would spare him. Thankfully, he managed to reach home unscathed.
A good friend from Economic Times IB was a sincere companion. He used to joke, only 3 Ps are to be seen on the roads at such late hours: Press, Police and Prostitutes.
Hitchhiking experiences were interesting too. Let’s wait for a day or two.

Changing Dubai

2009-01-08T07:11:00.000-08:00

Dubai is changing. A cursory look at blogs and reports indicate that the global slowdown is indeed having an impact. Earlier, the common subject for discussion on the streets used to be rising rents and traffic jams, but now project delays and layoffs have become hot topics. Quite a few people have lost jobs, especially in the real estate and banking sectors. Some motorists are expressing happiness that the traffic flow is smooth on the roads. A friend told me that hotel occupancy rate is not encouraging, but there is another version denying this. All this talk of job loss makes one sad. Many expats work round the clock to help their families back home. One should see their struggle for survival to understand the reality. The flashing of gold chains and electronic gadgets give an impression back home that expats have it easy all through. But that is hardly the truth. I am happy with one development, though. Taxi drivers used to be rude and rough just a couple of months ago. Now, their business hit hard, they salute the customers and talk with respect. Natural justice! With rents going through the roof, my next prayer is for a tight lesson for greedy builders.

One last post on last week

2009-01-07T08:55:00.001-08:00

Local media had recently given wide coverage to a weekly street market Souk Al Bastakiya that opened in Bastakiya district, Dubai, last month. The street market opens every Saturday from 10 in the morning until sunset and features more than 50 vendors.
Wellknown Mideast analyst Dr N. Janardhan and his kind wife Meena Janardhan had proposed that we visit the souq and we were there as planned. Local culture was well represented with henna stands, Arabic inspired coffee and authentic ethnic cuisine. But we were not very inspired and decided to move on to Wafi Mall, Dubai.
Themed after ancient Egypt, Wafi City complex includes a mall, hotel, restaurants, residences and a nightclub.The themed environment includes columns reminiscent of Karnak, pyramids and images of pharoahs. All the walls are light brown colour stone that can be found on all structures in Ancient Egypt. The main feature of Wafi City is the mall, called Wafi Mall. Opened in 2001, the mall includes over 200 stores. (Thanks Wikipedia).
The ambience was great and we did chill out.
Many thanks to Jana-Meena, Parag-Madhura and Susmita with cousin Sunil for the great dinner parties they hosted despite our group (including relatives) being heavy in number.

In love with Paris

2009-01-06T07:23:00.001-08:00

Sudha Ramaswamy, my good friend and former freelance journalist from Mumbai who is now settled in Nigeria, shares this experience: (Excerpts):
We had gone to Paris for an eight-day stay...from Amsterdam....It was fun...interesting city.
Reaching the Paris central station....takes you to a place so close to our Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus of Mumbai...God.......the resemblance is amazing.....in terms of the cosmopolitan melting pot of people's thronging the area...Afros, French, Europeans...Turkish...and more...Goodness....the load speakers blare every ten minutes.....”plz be aware of pick pockets and take care of your belongings.”
The fast metro trains are so much cleaner and better and smarter....but just so similar to Mumbai locals....they are fast trains...and zoom away..so much so that you can’t really see out of your window...it’s only darkness....it’s that fast.
Paris is dirty...so much...so much like India and Mumbai, but Paris has “Sex shops” glaring at you from every corner too! Paris is so interesting and Parisians love Indians.
The French are the warmest people I have ever met so far in my life...they are so warm, friendly, helpful, I simply loved them.
The French similarity to India exists in innumerable dimensions as in the lentils that they also cook, their style and manner of taking great interest in dressing...so much in contrast to Holland's Netherlanders....many are pure vegetarians.
But most of all, they have a fondness for Pondicherry - this makes them love Indian food. Indeed we shared Puri ...aloo sabji with a French family that took so instantly to us in the train returning to Amsterdam.
Paris is so ancient and preserves its culture and traditions in its architecture, monuments, road side cafes and pattiseries... nothing seems to have been impinged upon since the times of Napolean Bonaparte...despite the cyber scratch and sniff experience sweeping France just as much as it has done the rest of the worrld.
It’s minus 9 degrees here at Holland now and is snowing.
Thanks Sudha. And best of luck.

Going Global at the Village

2009-01-04T06:35:00.000-08:00

Talk about Dubai and you cannot complete the story without mentioning about Global Village (GV). The GV is Dubai’s longest-running cultural entertainment destination with 12 years of history and boasting of millions of visitors so far.
It is basically a concept where pavilions representing different countries are set up to sell goods from around the world. This year’s 31 pavilions include Europe, India, East Asia, East & West Africa, China, Czech Repubic and Palestine.
The new attraction includes a Guinness World Records Pavilion, which allows us to learn about past world records. Try to break the record for the loudest scream, fastest text message or longest coin spin here.
There are also daily performances from around the world to bring the flavours of the globe.
Having said all this, your question is: Did you enjoy? Forgive my bias, having visited the place for quite a few continuous years, I find it lacking in variety. I am a person who loves such outings, but the same shops, same faces, identical settings and lack of new product range have left me bored. Most of my friends were often repeat visitors earlier, but now some of them have not even thought of a visit as yet.
For example, entering the Europe pavilion I would have been glad to say “bochano” to a Hungarian or a “Profovur” (forgive my spellings if wrong) to a Spaniard, but I ended up saying “Entha sugganthanne” in Malayalam.
Add to this the problem of ever-increasing entry fee. What was once free is now rated at Dhs10 per entry. With recession making residents think twice even for basic necessities, such high entry fee proves to be a deterrent.
A total of 40 fun fare rides scream for attention and the kiddos did have excitement. After all, they knew it was their “baap” (dad) who had to shell out the dirhams. Hey, joking boy.
Do I recommend a visit? Yessss, if you are a first timer.

In splendid solitude

2009-01-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

Well, the family has returned home to India. The country road fails to take me home, as duty beckons back in Dubai. But as they say, in solitude, I do not feel lonely. After all, I have great friends in blogosphere. What a blessing...

Dune bashing & belly dancing

2009-01-02T06:24:00.001-08:00

Around Dubai in three days with family was fun, but lemme not exaggerate by calling it ultimate fun.
The first experience was the Desert Safari.
We were supposed to have been picked up at 3pm (Sharp, mind the word), but as a Tunisian family arrived late, the Land Cruiser left Sharjah City Centre only at 4pm. The charge was Dhs150 ($1 equals Dhs3.67).
The vehicle was wonderful and the Indian driver (Incidentally from Mumbai, the city I love) was smart. Hence the bumpy, bouncy dune bashing experience turned out to be enjoyable. Up and down went the cruiser while sand splashed all around the vehicle. Well, it went on for nearly 20 minutes.
We were told there was a free camel ride. Believe me, the animal was forced to sit and rise every 5 minutes and cover a distance of hardly a few feet. The creature glanced at me as if warning “Do you want to try, you villain?” Naturally, I opted out.
There were traditional costumes with which we could take photographs. Again I managed to resist the temptation to try it out because it looked overused by people.
We stopped to watch the beautiful sunset before reaching our camp site. The hot tea proved to be a cup that cheers and my daughters did manage to try out a henna design on hand.
I sheepishly waited for a stunning belly dancer to arrive. And arrive she did. Unfortunately, she did not turn out to have the looks of Pamela Anderson or Madonna or Aishwarya Rai. The poor old lady tried to cheer up the crowd, and in the ten minutes she performed her show, she made more people dance to her tune than dance herself.
Even before I could say hi to her, she had disappeared among the crowds.
In less then six hours, we were back in Sharjah where we had started.
Oh well, I had forgotten to mention that we did enjoy a wonderful dinner, part of the package.
Over to another experience tomorrow.

Happy 2009

2009-01-01T00:18:00.000-08:00

It's bye, bye 2008…Welcome 2009…

Again time for New Year resolution…

What better than this five-point goal:
* Recession is a stepping stone to boom. So, buck up, work hard, cheer up…and never ever give up self-confidence
*At least a few minutes of exercise/meditation every day

* Staying connected with a couple of great friends (of course, like you)

* Great books/ entertaining movies

* Pursuit of happiness/adieu to petty thoughts.

Here's my selection of two great quotes:

*If you want to be happy, be: Tolstoy
“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves”

Best wishes once again to you and your near and dear ones.

Gimme a day

2008-12-28T05:56:00.000-08:00

Hi, have been running around, and the kiddos and relatives have been having a taste of Dubai. Just gimme a day or two..will write about what I saw and what I liked and what I...catch up, buddies.

Where are winged visitors?

2008-12-25T06:14:00.000-08:00

Dubbed a “walkers’ paradise” by users, the Sharjah Corniche is a dream zone for early morning joggers. I have been there on and off during the past eight years. One of the pleasant surprises every year during December used to be the thousands of seagulls and lovely birds that swarmed the place. On Tuesday morning I managed to shirk my laziness and visit the spot around 7am. Hold your shock: I couldn’t spot a single bird, except some pigeons here and there. What’s up buddies? Where are my winged visitors?
According to an expert, the melting of the polar ice and the shifting of the magnetic field…oh God, I am not getting into all this technical details. The simple fact is that the birds that used to visit the place regularly are not there now.
Global warming is indeed becoming a hot issue. You are right, Mr Al Gore.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T07:10:00.001-08:00

Reunion with family

2008-12-24T04:24:00.000-08:00

After a gap of seven months, I am going to Dubai airport tonight to receive my wife and daughters who will stay for a week. Family separation is a challenge and so far I have managed alright thanks to my small circle of great friends here and blogger friends – You. A million thanks to you…you.. youuuuuuu……

Honoured

2008-12-23T05:02:00.000-08:00

Here's a message received from Humanobserver.blogspot.com
I feel greatly honoured. Thanks Deepak.

"I received these 2 cool awards from a great photographer ROB (http://triestedailyphoto.blogspot.com/).

Rob, Thank you very much. I am delighted to pass them on to 10 other bloggers. Enjoy ! victorarandagarcia.blogspot.com

plamiplamster.blogspot.com

threelittlecameras.blogspot.com

teodoram.blogspot.com

ljubosphotos.blogspot.com

glasgowdailyphoto.wordpress.com

minafoton.blogspot.com

global-madrasi.blogspot.com

twisted-angle.blogspot.com

mummyjam.blogspot.com

Bonding with Bond

2008-12-22T04:51:00.001-08:00

Dr No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger…
Three nights, three 007 movies at home. And I am waking up looking for my gun or the blonde trying to woo and kill me. Excellent actor, this Sean Connery… but why is it that I always like Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnan as Bond! God knows.
A joke posted by my friend Sridhar:
“I believe James invests .007 per cent of his money in bonds.”

Czech to Chennai

2008-12-20T22:59:00.000-08:00

I was in my hometown Chennai for a visit during May this year. Me and my brother were traveling to a suburban area and we entered a roadside restaurant.
As I was placing orders, I saw a European tourist with a heavy bagpack entering the eatery. She looked around curiously and before I could say “Hi,” she approached me and asked, “Where is the restroom please?”
I guided her. She asked me to take care of the baggage. Returning after three minutes, she thanked me. “Welcome to Chennai. Where are you from?” I started off.
“Well, it’s a place called Czech Republic,” she replied casually.
“Oh, you are from Prague,” I continued.
She looked surprised. Many people here have not heard of my country, she said. “I better know. Klaus is your president, right (I hope so)?” I asked.
She was a little impressed. I introduced my brother and we parted as good friends. She said she was proceeding to Pondicherry for a meditation session.
Personally, I have high regard for tourists. No one can deny that there are also brutes among us who misbehave with such goodhearted travelers. I feel rage gripping me if I read any news of travelers being illtreated. If there is a proposal to stiffen punishment for crime against tourists, I will be the first to raise my hand.

Dusty romance

2008-12-18T04:43:00.000-08:00

Little children in my building have an ingenious way of communicating with each other when they leave for school. They scribble messages on the dusty sidewall near the stairs with their tiny fingers for their friends. “5pm near the main gate,” “Blue colour dress,” “Today cricket,” are some of the messages they write.
When I asked a child whether others do not rub it off, knowingly or unknowingly, she replied: “So far, nobody has done so as rubbing it off means they have to clean up the dust, which no one likes.” The only person who could clean up the place is the watchman, but he is too poorly paid and does not mind a dusty spot here and there.
Last week, while passing by, I noticed “5pm blue dress.” Eager to see the children playing in blue dress, I kept a watch that evening. Hold your surprise. A teenage boy and a girl, in trim Navy blue dress, were busy chatting with each other in a romantic setting, oblivious of the fact that two jealous eyes were snooping from the first floor.

A lesson for a scoundrel

2008-12-16T06:05:00.000-08:00

A close friend of mine, a rather pretty Arab woman, was sitting in a Dubai-Abu Dhabi bus when she had a “crawling insect” sensation near her right shoulder. She tried to rub it off and got engrossed in her book.
In a couple of minutes, the same feeling recurred and she presumed a cockroach may be the villain. When she tried to rub her shoulder, she realized there was no cockroach, but it was a middle-aged man at the back seat who was the misbehaving scoundrel.
In an impulse, she got up, showered a few blows, spat at him and screamed: “Are you not born with a sister?”
The rogue obviously had not expected such a turn. He got up pleading with her “sorry sister,” before vanishing through the front door. The other passengers did try to hold him, but he made good his escape.
“I am proud of you,” was all I could tell my friend.

Thank you, Gulf News

2008-12-15T06:18:00.000-08:00

The prestigious Gulf News in its Blogosphere: Dec. 9 (By Adam Flinter, Web Editor) column has quoted Global-Madrasi.blogspot.com
“But it seems not everyone is happy to see the rain. Apart from people driving through the puddles, the global Madrasi blog (global-madrasi.blogspot.com) complained he could not sleep during the rain. "Through my glass window not protected by curtains, lightning flashed on my eyes around midnight. The rumbling thunder made me uneasy. Winter has returned to Sharjah. But what made me roll around restlessly on the bed was the growling in my stomach. I had been trying out a new restaurant for the past two days, and it proved a costly experiment."
Ah! So it was food and not the rain that kept him awake!
As you were then. Everyone loves the rain (just as long as it isn't in Bush visit proportions).

2 films and lost sleep

2008-12-14T04:26:00.000-08:00

Being a journalist has its fringe benefits. Watched two films yesterday screened as part of the Dubai International Film Festival at the Mall of the Emirates, Dubai. “The Wrestler,” starring Mickey Rourke, was quite good. The story about a professional wrestler Randy and the struggles and trauma he faces. He suffers a heart attack after a show and is forced to work in a grocery to pay bills. His estranged daughter refuses to accept him. His stripper girl friend plays truant. The doctor warns him against ever thinking to wrestling again. But at the last scene…now you watch the movie lest I take away the suspense. Mickey does his role quite well, and some scenes in the film were not for innocent teens like me (Though I enjoyed it, don’t tell anyone).

So after the movie, we rushed to the food court, gulped a “biryani” and returned to “watched” the next movie called “Appaloosa.”

This film starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen is about two law-enforcers in a western town dominated by rancher Bragg (Jeremy Irons). The rural setting had a cowboy shade. Believe what I say. The stupid audience did not allow me to take a nap as most of them were snoring loudly.

Three tricksters at the gate

2008-12-12T07:52:00.001-08:00

There were three stout Asians when I opened the door.
“Sir, we are from a charity organization. Any donation is welcome,” they pleaded.
I generally do not entertain such people, but felt I should offer something. “An unexperimented life is not worth it,” Socrates’ words echoed in this journalist’s mind. Let me check out how genuine they are, I told myself. After all, there is nothing worth robbing in my house and Sharjah is known to be a very safe place.
“I give you Dhs10,” I said, ignoring caution signals from my mind.
“Water please,” they entered my home.
“It is for a noble cause. We are helping poor people,” said one.
“Ok. I will give double the promised amount,” I offered.
After sipping water, they said, “Pay Dhs100.”
“One minute,” I replied and went to the nearby room keeping an eye on them. I picked up my mobile, and spoke in my mother tongue loudly and purposely mentioned “three people” in English.
“Sit, sit, what were you saying?” I asked them.
“Thank you, sir,” they barged out in a hurry thinking I had alerted someone.
PS: Never open the gate to a stranger.

The German connection

2008-12-10T07:19:00.001-08:00

Famous blogger Fida was surprised when I used a German word. I love Germans. Tried to learn the language in Chennai's Max Mueller Bhavan two decades ago, but failed miserably. Had an opportunity to visit Hamburg as part of an international journalists team allowed to watch the World Cup Soccer match between Ukraine and Italy two years ago.
The entire city wore a festive look and it was a great time, which I
will never forget in my life. The way I made friends, especially with the pretty German girls, made some of my counterparts from Africa, Australia, New Zealand and India turn green with envy (joking dear). "Guten Morgan" was good enough to start a conversation. But once they started speaking in German, I fumbled and confessed I din't know the language. Of course, I always finished off with a smile and a "Vielen Danke." (Dunno whether spelt right!)
This particular fatty German girl at a railway station asked me to
click a photograph with her colleague. Their faces decorated with flag
paintings, the duo looked awesome. Back in Dubai, I did post the
photograph as requested by her to the address she mentioned, but till
today there has been no acknowledgement. Long live that pretty girl.
Four of us (we became great friends – thanks Paul, Anita, Venu - of
Australia, Malaysia, India) planned to take a train ride and decided
to go to the "Chocolate" city of Lubeck. Interestingly, I bumped on a
private museum run by a German gentleman with his Indian wife. She was kind enough to prepare some South Indian dish, (Dosa. Have you heard of it? May be I will ask my wife to post a recipe of this!!)
At the end of the journey, the handsome Australian editor-friend
commented jovially: "You are a funny guy."
"Fun-loving guy," I corrected.

Not childlike, but childish

2008-12-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

The cute little boy and girl were hiding under the staircase when I
entered my building. With a tense look, they signalled me to move on
and I did so politely. After taking a few steps, I turned back to
see another man entering through the door.
"Baaahhhhh," the children screamed at him.
"Ooofff..," the man acted as if he had been ripped apart by fear. Typical innocence writ large on their face, the children ran with glee and laughter.
My mobile tone interrupted my thoughts. "I will be at your home in 10
minutes," declared my nephew.
"Why not play the joke on him?" I told myself.
Eight minutes must have gone by.
Klinggg…the door bell rang.
The corridor lights were off. I saw through the door peep hole “my nephew” with a bag. Well, my nephew must have brought some gift pocket! Wow.
I clutched the door bar and with a sudden jerk screamed bahhhh…
The man threw the plastic cover in his hands and out went sugar and
rice, spilling all over the corridor.
What's wrong with you? he yelled. The grocery delivery man.

Rain and pain

2008-12-06T23:34:00.001-08:00

Through my glass window not protected by curtains, lightning flashed on my eyes around midnight. The rumbling thunder made me uneasy. Winter has returned to Sharjah. But what made me roll around restlessly on the bed was the growling in my stomach. I had been trying out a new restaurant for the past two days, and it proved a costly experiment. Turn right, left, upside down – nahi, nein, la (no in Hindi, German and Arabic), nothing worked. At around 1am, I managed to get up and gulp two digene tablets..and like blogger-friend Lori who prays for single parents, I prayed for married bachelors forced to fend for themselves. Dunno when sleep embraced me, but the alarm at 6.30am was promptly put off and I slept until 9am.

Foul etiquette

2008-12-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

In this modern age, it is surprising that certain people lack even basic civic sense. A sneezing friend recently came so close to my face that I had to run for my life. On several occasions, people nearby used to run helter skelter when he started coughing.
I remember how I was witnessing a soccer match holding a Pepsi glass in my hand. An acquaintance sitting next to me often grabbed the glass whispering “Just one sip please.” I was so embarrassed I had to give the entire glass to him after some time.
I am very sensitive about the use of my own handkerchief. The other day a relative visited home, took permission and entered the wash room. He was back in a minute after splashing water on his face. And without any hesitation, he grabbed my handkerchief placed on the table and wiped his face, thoroughly. Let your imagination run riot on how he would have done this. After he left, I had to discard the piece.
A female colleague gifted me a nice black cap lying that I looked like Shah Rukh Khan when I wore it. As soon as I entered the office wearing that, a coworker picked it up from my head, wore it and flashed a smile. That he was sweating profusely is another matter. You guessed it right. I just gifted the cap to him and walked off.

Praying for peace

2008-12-01T09:07:00.001-08:00

The Mumbai wound is deep this time and hence taking time to heal. But heal it will. And that's for sure.Mumbai is a city of love and affection where visitors are treated as "devas" (godly). It makes me sad that tourists, besides the local people, fell to the bullets of evil-doers. "Can't superpower-aspirant India handle a dirty dozen?" is the question posed by some people to me on the streets. I have no answer for now. Let the stupid politicians finish talking. Time will answer this question. But about one thing I am thoroughly convinced: Never in history has evil won over goodness.

We are with you, Mumbai

2008-11-27T04:47:00.000-08:00

My mood? Very, very down. The city I love is under attack. Terror attack. Here is a city of 13 million, where each and every person truly believes that work is worship. The ever-active honey bees are no match to a Mumbaiite, when it comes to hard work.
And Mumbaiites do it with a smile, which makes them different from most others.
It's vibrant, dynamic (check out all the synonyms and add), and a perfect example of Unity in Diversity.
Forget the stupid politicians, I swear, each and every Mumbaiite loves this city, wherever he arrived from. It's a beautiful city that has a soul of gold and is a potpourri of many communities and cultures.
To attack such a city needs a dirty heart.
And at the very next chance, Global-Madrasi will be in Mumbai .. back to hanging out from overcrowded trains, sipping "ganna" (cane) juice on road corners, having vada pavs.
They can make Mumbai bleed, make Mumbai cry, but can never harm its spirit. Never.

Lazy fellows

2008-11-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

Procrastination. That’s one of the worst diseases one can suffer from, and I am a victim.
I resolved to go on a long early morning walk and set the alarm at 5.30am. Clocks never fail unless ditched by the battery, and so the alarm went off promptly. Creeeee… I got up, altered the time to 6.30am and dozed off. The action was repeated until I was off my bed at 7.30 am. Exercise? Forget it. This fight against laziness is a routine affair where I often lose.
Last month, I decided to pay off the utility bills in time. On the way, I met a friend who invited me for a cup of coffee. My determination fell flat before his persuasion skills. A hot cup of coffee and sour gossip. A deadly combination. Bills? Forget it. Can pay next month.
Result: A warning from the authorities that my electricity connection would be cut off. I had to run to pay the bill on the last day. Which I did, naturally. But there was some consolation. The line was long. I patted myself. “Cheer up; there are several lazy fellows like you.”

Value of time

2008-11-23T06:39:00.000-08:00

How you doing? asked my friend casually.
"Nothing great," I replied. "Just killing time."
"Well..kill time before time kills you," he said and vanished.
hmmmm...

Fashion passion

2008-11-20T07:55:00.000-08:00

The way some people dress up seems to be getting funnier by the day. I saw a short man merrily walking around a famous Sharjah mall wearing just a blue mini-shorts and a white innerwear on top. It is now normal to see people walking around on the footpaths in their night dress during daytime.
And there was this guy who had a colourful antenna wired across his ears and protruding high above his head while listening to a song, which made him look like a perfect robot.
The messages on the T-shirts some pretty girls wear also make for funny reading. "I am looking right up there," declared one, while
another cautioned "Not for naughty eyes."
Some girls should scrutinize whether high heels are a boon or a
bane. The other day, a girl was trying to run and catch a bus while
wearing one such shoe. At least, three times she fell on the way.
By the time she reached the bus stop, the vehicle had moved on.

RATtled...

2008-11-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

Thought I should share with my friends this story I wrote some time back in our Panorama magazine...You may like reading it...

Friends forever

2008-11-17T05:59:00.000-08:00

My former colleague from The Times of India, Mumbai, and a wonderful felo Nikhil Moro is now teaching MassCom in the US. I was thrilled to receive this photo from him along with his wife..Wishing the duo the very best..

Gadget obsession

2008-11-16T05:57:00.001-08:00

E-gadgets are literally driving some people nuts, or what will you say about the man who went round and round on the footpath of Al Wahda Street yelling on his mobile phone, with his hands shaking up and down and in the process almost slapping a passerby.
This is not just to do with the handsets. The other day, I was walking along with a friend and tried to convince him that he should have a look at my blog at least once.
"What?" he said.
Surmising that he was eager to know more about the blog, I started explaining various subjects that had been touched. Nearly three minutes passed by. "So promise that you will have a look at the site," I concluded.
It was then that he removed his earplugs and replied: "Sorry, I was engrossed in that Bollywood song. What were you saying?"
I looked like a fool.

Old is gold

2008-11-13T06:09:00.000-08:00

Watched the 1998 film "Enemy of the State" last night.
What a movie boss... I love to hate Will Smith. That man made my cry while watching "Pursuit of Happyness. (Spelt that way in film if I am right)" And he acts so incredibly well, I will pat him 500 times if I happen to meet him somewhere in Dubai.
And Gene Hackman. What a screen presence!
A child of a broken home, Gene Hackman left home at 16 for a 3-year hitch. And where did he reach. The top. In Hollywood. Great guy. Global-Madrasi salutes you, GH.
Just a few dialogues I found fantastic in the film:

"You're either very smart or incredibly stupid."

"You were right, I was wrong, but this is not the time for the 'I told you so' speech."

"You live another day, I am very impressed."

Dubai world records

2008-11-11T06:52:00.000-08:00

Here's a report on world records in/by Dubai. Happy reading...

Tough going? Get tough

2008-11-07T08:16:00.001-08:00

Global-Madrasi is a die-hard optimist. But some of today's headlines in the newspaper put him on an introspection mode about the global economy.
The headlines:
* Global stocks nosedive
* Crude falls to $63
* Henkel cuts profit forecast
* Totota slashes profit
* Singapore Air net income falls
* Cisco sales growth slowest
This, a day after Obama elected as the US president.
Hardly consoling. Is anybody arguing there is no recession?
Think again.
But never give up hope.
What say?

Dubai’s underwater wonderland

2008-11-06T06:54:00.000-08:00

Having clinched the Guinness record for the world’s largest acrylic viewing panel, Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Centre has been pulling crowds to the recently- opened Dubai Mall. The aquarium showcases an enormous diversity of ocean-species - above 33,000 aquatic animals in due course, representing more than 85 species including sharks and stingrays. It’s an underwater wonderland, with a 270-degree walkthrough tunnel that allows for some incredible close-encounter experiences to delight mall visitors. Dangerous Pirahna, giant catfish, playful Otters and water rats are just some of the species one will meet.
Here are some excellent photos taken by my friend, Kamal Kassim.

Congrats America

2008-11-04T23:30:00.000-08:00

It’s all in black and white. Barack Obama has won. America has won. It’s a victory for the American people, democracy. Global-Madrasi is shedding tears, tears of joy. And why? The winds of change are blowing, and blowing in the right direction. Just look at this victory statement of the new world leader:
"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”
Obama received an "extraordinarily gracious" call from McCain. He has praised the former Vietnam prisoner of war as a "brave and selfless leader".
Awesome. What a day for democracy.
One minute, one minute.
Sorry, I cannot hear you. What?
Two wars!! Global recession…!!!
Ya, Ya, Obama understands. The road is rough. But great leaders are born to tackle challenges, not stand on roadside and lick lollypops.
Ships are meant to set sail and face the roughness of the sea, not safely hang out in the harbour, just to rust.
Test of fire makes fine steel, Mr Obama. These are words of Lincoln, not Global-Madrasi.
The expectations are sure high.
But you are American president. And it has to be that way.
Again, Congrats America, Global-Madrasi is convinced this is a great victory for American people first and Obama next.

Simple recipes for lazy ones-2

2008-11-03T23:11:00.000-08:00

Here's one more recipe for lazy bachelors and "married bachelors." This one from Feroza Khan:
Butter Paneer/Chicken
Ingredients 1 kg chicken/paneer cubes250 gms butter¾ small onions1 cup cashew (white)¼ cup dry resins5/6 methi danaGinger/garlic pasteDry red chillies (according to taste)Kasuri methi to sprinkle
Method
Get onions in small slice and fry it in butter with methi dana till it turns light pink. Add ginger garlic paste and chicken pieces, stir till it leaves oil. Prepare a paste of cashew, raisins and dry chillies. Add paste to chicken and add salt. After 2,3 mins add water for necessary gravy. As chicken gets tender add kasuri methi and serve hot with chappatis or naan. Enjoy…

Buy & cry

2008-11-02T23:16:00.000-08:00

Customer is the king/queen, they often say. Is it true?
There are quite a few occasions where I felt more like a victim than a king.
Just a few samples: I bought a branded T-shirt at an international airport, wore it for a day and found that the pocket was almost peeling off thanks to poor stitching. I took it to a roadside tailor and suggested he sew it up. Sew it up he did, but he also did something he could have easily avoided. He tried to iron the shirt and in the process burnt it, leaving a big hole. As if the rising prices have not left enough hole in the pocket already…
During a recent visit to the Meena Bazaar area of Dubai, I bought an expensive (no, I am not joking) branded cellphone. Within weeks, the display went off. “It must be a virus. We cannot do anything,” declared the shopkeeper. I approached another shopkeeper who blamed it on “LCD problem.” Needless to say, I shelled out quite a few bucks on getting the LCD replaced.
Recently at a shopping mall, I chided my wife for picking up tomatoes at random. “Go for the packed one. See how inexpensive it is,” I suggested. She protested initially, but fell for the bait. When we went home, her face went red as the tomatoes, as we found that almost half of them were damaged ones.

A joke for a change

2008-10-30T06:00:00.001-07:00

Here’s a joke as told by colleague Ansar Salim.
A man purchases a ticket at a cinema counter and moves towards the hall. He rushes back to the counter in a few minutes and asks for another ticket. He repeats the process five times. Amused, the counter guy asked him, why are you buying so many tickets? The hassled man replied: “What to tell you! Some idiot is standing at the entrance of the hall and tears away the ticket every time I try to enter.”

2008-10-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

HAPPY DIWALI
May this Diwali dazzle with laughter and prosperity in your life…

A prick of conscience

2008-10-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

Millions across the globe go to bed without food, lamented a friend.
“You have a good heart. At least you think about them,” I praised him.
“Many people fail to understand what is right charity. A rich man in America reached a place where a group of roofless people had taken shelter. He picked up his purse and started distributing $100 notes and before anybody could ask him who he was, he had gone. Somehow, a tabloid reporter tracked him later and asked him about his background. The man replied: “I was one among them earlier.”
Hmm.., I listened intently.
“About 25,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes, according to the United Nations,” he reeled out statistics.
“Oh God,” I exclaimed.
“The good news is when it comes to charity many UAE residents score over others,” he continued. “There are several cases where people in distress have received financial help from anonymous donors.”
Suddenly I woke up. “Why are you giving me a lecture on charity?”
“Here’s a Dhs40 bill. Please donate,” he thrust a receipt into my hands.
“You are the kind of volunteer that charity campaigns need,” I patted him before heeding his request.

Get back the bicycles

2008-10-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

Kudos Seoul. The Seoul city government has initiated a $88 million “road diet” plan under which the number of lanes for passenger vehicles in major roads will be cut to create new bicycle paths. As per the proposal, 17 main cycle paths, totalling 200 kilometres, that criss-cross the sprawling city would be constructed.
Considering that Dubai and Sharjah have no consideration for pedestrians and cyclists (just try crossing any major highway like Sheikh Zayed Road) the news sounds great.
The bicycle is one of the best inventions of mankind ‑ clean, green and healthy mode of transportation. Leaving the cycle behind in city planning is a step backward and Global-Madrasi reserves the choicest rebuke for any city planner taking this path.
By the way, those who believe that the humble bicycle is only meant for workers and low-income groups, think again: I have come across a showroom in Dubai that sells a bicycle for as much as Dhs35,000 ($9,589).

Cash from trash

2008-10-21T23:51:00.000-07:00

by R. Ramesh

Recyling waste is big business across the globe and the UAE, which has one of the world's highest per capita waste generation rates — an estimated 750 kilogrammes a year — has unveiled grand plans that are likely to change the face of the country.
A key concept of modern waste management, recycling, by definition, is the reprocessing of materials into new products. Recylable materials from both home and industries may include a range of items from paper, glass, aluminium, textiles, plastics to biodegradable waste and even printer ink cartridges.

Recycling also helps cut the demand for new materials. For example, a tonne of recycled paper saves around 17 full-grown trees from being cut. Tackling over 500,000 tonnes per day of solid wastes including commercial, household, industrial and agricultural is no easy task. Experts point out that 40 per cent of t Cash from trash by he UAE municipal solid waste can be recycled as well as reused. The government is in the process of privatising some services or even opting for public/private partnership. In fact, the Abu Dhabi government earlier privatised a section of the municipal solid waste collection and transportation services.

Dubai scenario

Though Dubai has gained the distinction of being one of the most rapidly growing cities in the world, it also has to contend with the fact that waste in the emirate has tripled in the last six years to three million tonnes in 2006. Dubai generated one million tonnes of waste in 2000 and it went up to almost three million tonnes in 2006, according to Dubai Municipality's Acting Director General Nasser Lootah. Industrial and construction waste also increased from three million tonnes to 10.5 million tonnes during the same period. Waste is dumped in different landfills located at Al Qusaid, Jebel Ali, Lehbab, and Hatta.

The Al Qusais landfill receives 77 per cent of Dubai's total waste and remains the largest. Dubai Municipality started the Middle East's largest material recovery facility, Tadweer, which went into operation at Warsan in March and could recycle 4,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day. Tadweer helps minimise waste by recycling paper, plastic, metal and glass objects for reuse as raw material to manufacture other things, such as plastic balls and synthetic boards. The residues from sorting and recycling will be treated further, using better technology to produce enough electrical power to cover the requirements of the project. The corporation has spent AED 500 million (US$27.2 million) in building the facility.

C & D waste

About 30,000, or 24 per cent of the world's 125,000 construction cranes, are said to be currently operating in Dubai and it is not hard to imagine the negative impact of construction waste on the environment. In March this year, Dubai-based Al Rostamani Group, established the Emirates Recycling Facility (ERF) aimed at recycling and recovery of the city's construction and demolition (C&D) waste.

The Emirates Recycling plant, built at a cost of over AED 65 million and located in the Al Lusaily area on the Al Ain-Jebel Ali road, has a capacity to convert the more than eight million tonnes of construction waste material generated in Dubai annually into usable road and construction base aggregate. The Dubai Municipality had to handle 10.5 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste in 2006.

In fact, C&D waste makes up 75 per cent of the total waste generated in Dubai every year, according to municipality officials. The ERF project is being portrayed by the authorities as a perfect example of civic partnership between public and private sectors with the common goal of improving the living standards and wellbeing of the community. The plant is designed to receive, sort, separate, crush, sieve and process the city's concrete, asphalt and cement C&D debris and turn it into aggregate materials of three different sizes for use in road-base construction, as base material for ready-mixed concrete elements and for landfill. C&D recovery is considered global best practice, and is in place in nations around the world from Japan to the entire North American continent.

Recycling Park

As well as the above initiatives, a Dubai Recycling Park, which is expected to be the first fully integrated waste management and recycling park in the Middle East, will be developed on a site measuring 1,500,000 square feet with a 49-year lease agreement with Dubai Industrial City and a capital investment of up to US$150 million. Construction is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2008 and will be fully completed within the following 18 months.

Capital move

The Abu Dhabi government last September awarded Al Qudra Holding a recycling project for home solid wastes for the emirate valued at AED 1.27 billion. Abu Dhabi generates some 2,300 tonnes of solid waste per day. The project aims at preserving the environment by recycling home solid wastes including plastic and paper, aluminium, metals, glass as well as greenery.

Sharjah plans

The proximity with Dubai and rapid growth has led to solid waste production in Sharjah rising at the rate of 13 per cent per annum while waste dumping sites have already received stuff to their capacity. Sharjah produces a total of 1.1 million tonnes of waste per year. Realising the need for drastic action, the Sharjah Municipality launched a large waste recycling company that is flaunted as "the biggest in the Arab region."

Bee’ah is a limited liability joint stock company of the Sharjah Municipality, the JMS Property Development LLC and the Tactical Connections Canada. At the first stage, the “Bee’ah” will collect, sort out and classify waste within the following categories: Aluminium materials, plastic materials, paper, glass and ceramic, building materials, iron and organic materials. These will be sent to the recycling factory, which will be operational by late 2008.

A waste-recycling factory is being set up in Al Saj'ah area and will depend on the latest international technology in the recycling industry under the supervision of specialists and technicians. The company will also set up branches in all other municipalities of the Emirate of Sharjah.

The authorities see Bee'ah as a practical solution to tackling waste, particularly as 65 per cent of waste is convertible and can be recycled.

Aluminium advantage

With a view to encourage companies and institutions to reduce their waste, the Emirates Environmental Group has been organising several events, including annual recycling competitions in the UAE. The EEG collected 644,000 kilogrammes of recycling materials last year with Dubai and Abu Dhabi as hubs.

The collection of these materials is done by the private sector. Once collected, the paper, glass, aluminium cans and plastic are either sold to local factories or exported. While paper and cartons form the chunk of favourable items for recycling, aluminium is not far behind. The main drivers that favour recycling of aluminium scrap has been low capital requirement, low gestation period and low cost of conversion.

Globalisation and competition have prompted the secondary aluminium industry to assure quality of secondary metal. Besides, an environment friendly process makes the option of aluminium recycling attractive. A wide choice of technology and design is available to process aluminium scrap. Another key to successful aluminium recycling industry is access to segregated and identified alloys, reveals C. Ramasamy, presently working as a technical advisor for a Nigerian-based company.

The numerous opportunities for design and creativity which aluminium offers architects are a prerequisite for putting new and lasting ideas into practice. The fact that there is practically no need for any maintenance is a contributing economic factor. Aluminium protects foodstuffs and medicines against deterioration. Aluminium packaging offers maximum packaging performance with minimum use of material. The high potential energy savings during the life of aluminium products often exceed the actual energy consumed during all the stage from extraction to finished product. Aluminium recycling offers several attractions: It saves around 93% of the energy needed to primary metal.

The energy required to produce 1 metric tonne of aluminium in a modern smelter will be around 15,500 units of electricity, where as the energy required for melting scrap is only around 1,200 units of thermal energy. The benefits are too many: Aluminium scrap can be recycled again and again without any loss in property. Using recycled metal is cheaper. Modern recycling is eco-friendly. By recycling, around 600,000 tonnes of bauxite per annum can be preserved for the future for around 100,000 tonne of aluminium. Recycled aluminium in Europe, USA and Japan is used for making aluminium sheets and coils which, in turn, are used in beverage cans, building, transport and cookware. Similarly, most extruded and cast aluminium products are made from the recycled metal. This leads to the most economical application of primary (therefore purer) aluminium.

Commercial opportunities

Coping with huge mounds of solid and municipal wastes poses a formidable challenge, but the UAE has geared up well for the task. Though millions of dollars have already been pumped into various projects, opportunities remain for more international companies that offer sophisticated technologies in the field to join the waste-tackling battle. With the authorities keeping an open mind on involving the private sector, the opportunity is indeed greener.
(Published in GRC bulletin)

Global team

2008-10-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

It's great 2 b among colleagues: from 4 different locations; Chennai, Manila, Thiruvananthapuram and Kampala.

Simple recipes for lazy ones

2008-10-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

Here's keeping the promise on simple recipes for bachelors and lazy ones like me. Let's begin with a sweet dish..
This one from Naheed Zafar:
Semolina (‘Rava’ in Hindi) Halwa
Ingredients:
1/2 cup semolina
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
Ghee
Cashew nuts
Raisins.
Method:
Take semolina in a pan. Keep stirring as it warms.
In another pan take ghee, add cashew nuts to it. When cashew nuts start turning golden add semolina to it. Add water and sugar to semolina. Turn the gas to sim and let it cook on low heat. when water starts drying, add raisins.
Serve hot. Can serve the recipe with cream.
Suggested Garnishing:
Add dry fruits and nuts to recipe.
Sprinkle Love!!

tongue, taste, tummy

2008-10-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

I am not going to bite my tongue on this; have burnt my fingers, literally. I mean sending off my family to the native country (of course, unavoidable situation) and staying alone is proving to be a big challenge. And topping the list is cooking. A cut in the finger while chopping onions, burning my hand while cooking rice and allowing milk to spill (thanks to the stupid wrong-time phones calls) and crying over spilt milk.. Have had it full. Poor bachelors and married-bachelors. Bury your worry. Global-Madrasi has decided to post recipes – simple and easy ones. (how sad, I am a veggie, folks). Global-Madrasi will also salute those who contribute non-veg recipes..(But do not mention about it to Heather-Mills, she has just donated $1m in Vegan food to children in New York)..Happy cooking..

‘Shy’ Dubai journalists

2008-10-18T23:45:00.000-07:00

I find this weird. Journalists are expected to mirror the pulse of the society. The Fourth Estate has a hugely valuable role. Just a few years ago, most journalists did their role to perfection. I have interacted with millionaires and celebrities as well as beggars on the streets and cleaners. With newspapers becoming “brand products,” a trend set in motion by The Times of India, journalists also have changed. It took one full month for me to get a byline (Name) in The Times of India when I started my career in the 80s. Now, journos sitting in AC rooms and sporting three-piece suits talk on their cellphones and have their bylines flashed in bold letters. I hardly see journalists moving into the field and interacting with the masses. Of course, this should not be generalized as a few colleagues do sweat it hard out there, but their number has become negligible. Also, at a dinner meeting last night in Dubai where several prominent people from the Indian community were present, I saw many journalists shying away from interaction with others. How do shy-types make it to the print industry where the code word is interaction?

Rr/Oct 19, 2008

Spare the rod…

2008-10-17T05:52:00.000-07:00

Social attitudes are changing, fine. But I am appalled at the fact that teachers are not getting the respect they deserve. Teachers are the backbone of a society. During my school days, if I made a mistake and the teacher punished me, my father would not only thank the teacher, but also request him/her to be more strict with me. But look at a contradiction. A teacher was taking lessons at a Mumbai coaching institute, when a girl repeatedly disturbed the class. The angry instructor reprimanded the girl, and after repeated warnings failed, asked her to leave. Lo and behold, next day, the teacher was sacked by the institute. “Parents are complaining that you are too strict,” was all that the teacher was told.
What a shame! If I had the powers, I would force all parents to read the letter Abraham Lincoln wrote to a teacher.
Please, please, parents..read this
*****
Excerpts from Lincoln's letter to his son's teacher

He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish Politician, there is a dedicated leader... Teach him for every enemy there is a friend,
Steer him away from envy,if you can, teach him the secret of quiet laughter.
Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to lick... Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books... But also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and the flowers on a green hillside.
In the school teach him it is far honourable to fail than to cheat... Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him they are wrong... Teach him to be gentle with gentle people, and tough with the tough.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone is getting on the band wagon...
Teach him to listen to all men... but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth, and take only the good that comes through.
Teach him if you can, how to laugh when he is sad... Teach him there is no shame in tears, Teach him to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness... Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders but never to put a price-tag on his heart and soul.
Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob and to stand and fight if he thinks he's right. Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel. Let him have the courage to be impatient... let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will have sublime faith in mankind.
This is a big order, but see what you can do... He is such a fine fellow, my son!
***

A joke for a change

2008-10-16T05:42:00.000-07:00

"You idiot," screamed a man at his acquaintance and the reaction was instant: "You said idiot and I remembered. How's your dad?"

Plain greed

2008-10-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

Shares continue to tumble and the global healing touch has simply proved to be ineffective. What lies behind the crisis? It's plain greed. The present Gen is so money-centric that basic values are taking a backseat, and that, at jet speed. Lemme explain. In the 90s, I used to watch real estate agents in Mumbai, India. Some of thempurchased houses meant for middle-income groups at throwaway prices and jacked up the rates to almost double in a matter of months. Not that the governments didn't know of such a practice. In fact, the governments wanted their own pound of flesh and increased the property tax rates to unbelievable heights as happened in New Bombay (called Navi Mumbai now.) A people's movement had to be launched to bring the tax rates to reasonable levels. How many people have heard of salaries doubling in a matter of months!! It's a vicious circle. Let's wait and watch.
rr/Oct.16, 2008

Congrats Adiga

2008-10-15T04:06:00.000-07:00

Global-Madrasi congratulates novelist Aravind Adiga for winning the Man Booker Prize, not merely because he is a "Madrasi," but a Global Madrasi.
Man Booker is one of the world's most prestigious literary awards. Aravind's "The White Tiger," follows Balram Halwai, the son of a rickshaw puller whose dream of escaping the poverty of his village takes him on a journey to the bright lights of Delhi and Bangalore, where he will do almost anything to get to the top.
Adiga says his aim in writing The White Tiger was to represent the poor. And Global-Madrasi appreciates that. Forward march, Mr Adiga.

Oct 15, 2008

Motivation

2008-10-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

My colleague Naheed Zafar has sent this motivating piece by Kipling for Global-Madrasi wellwishers.
****

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

Under control

2008-10-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

Taking a walk on Al Wahda street, I bumped on my old friend who runs a photo studio.
“Why is it every other person we meet on the street is either stressed out or restless these days? Is it because of globalization?” he asked an innocent but tricky question.
“It depends on individuals. You choose between money or happiness,” I started my discourse. “Money cannot buy happiness. You know, a friend of mine quit a job with a five-figure salary. She is happy now with half the pay,”
“You mean we should opt for jobs with lesser pay? he joked and continued: “My business was going great guns a few years ago. But now rent and inflation are making my life miserable.”
“Don’t grumble. Try to find ways to cut costs and earn more,” I was sounding like Socrates.
“How come you are sounding contented? Is your domestic budget under control?” he asked.
“I should say ‘yes’ as of now,” I replied. “The bank has just cleared my loan application.”
rr/Oct.14, 2008

Credit crunch antidote - Simple living, high thinking

2008-10-12T23:39:00.001-07:00

CREDIT CRUNCHHH..That’s the talk of the town around the globe. “What’s this all about?” asked a Sri Lankan worker whose job it is to water the trees on Sharjah’s famous Al Wahda Street.
I wondered how to explain it in simple words from what I have read in newspapers.
Well, it goes like this: Willi (fictitious name & story) never believed in taking loans. One day, his brother meets with an accident. The doctor said: “Pay off $5,000 or lose him.” Determined to save his brother, Willi approached a bank seeking loan for the first time in his life. The bank wanted a guarantee. Willi owned a house. “Why $5,000, you are eligible for much more, enjoy life,” coaxed a bank agent eyeing his own commission from the deal. Poor Willi was dragged into the materialistic cesspool. His brother recovered, but he fell neck-deep in debt. The loan interest mounted and mounted and mounted, while the home value slumped.
DOUBLE-WHAMMY.
Willi is in a soup and so is the bank. And so is the country and so is the global situation.
Dunno whether I explained it right. Gardener Nijam nodded his head and I felt like a successful professor.
My friend Faiyaz has a simple solution: “Don’t fall prey to lifestyle lure. It has glitter but no heart. Materialism is a dangerous path.”
I agree and disagree. Personally, I have managed to live all these years without a credit card. Believe me. I live in the UAE and on occasions walk around the only seven-star hotel in the world, Burj Al Arab, to attend press conferences. I have traveled to Hamburg and still could move on without a credit card. We all need money, but we sure can balance our budget within our means. I should be stupid to think I will become a Bill Gates overnight. I can dream of becoming one. But I can spend like Bill Gates only after my bank accounts have a similar balance as his. Oh, this philosopher instinct. For all that I say, I am highly materialistic too. So, there’s a bit of hypocricy.
But, live within your means. Sorry, if I am forwarding an unsolicited suggestion. But you will accept it one day as the right path.

RR/ Oct.13, 2008

Thinking makes it so

2008-10-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

Give any popular book that sells well, my wife told a roadside vendor in Chennai. He promptly held out Foreign Body, by Robin Cook. Dunno why. But I liked the opening quotation: If one thinks of oneself as free, one is free, and if one thinks of oneself as bound, one is bound. "Thinking makes it so."
-Ashtavakra Gita - Traslated by John Richards.

Pranks at TOI

2008-10-11T03:30:00.000-07:00

I had promised to write about the pranks we journalists played on each other during the 90s at The Times of India, Mumbai, where I was a chief sub-editor during the entire decade. I can call that a golden period for us as reporters and the desk worked as a family.
PD was a wonderful guy at the sports department (“was” because the great friend is unfortunately no more). When the mood became dull at the general news desk, I was usually prompted by two young Parsi beauties (at that time, dunno now) to play some prank and I invariably fell for the bait. And so it was decided to corner PD.
I picked up the phone, covered the receiver with a paper and called out: “Mr P.”
“Yep.”
“I am calling from the security. There’s a visitor for you. Please come to the reception.”
“Send him up.”
“No sir. There is a new regulation. You have to come down.”
I could clearly hear a murmer and a four-letter word. This was followed by the banging of the phone.
When P reached the third floor lift, I called out: “P, are you going to the security room?”
No.., I cannot pen the words he showered on me.
This was merely a beginning. The pranks reached unbelievable heights.
More on that…We can wait for the next post.

RR/Oct.11, 2008

Public diary of private person

2008-10-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

The attack was direct. “You don’t even know the meaning of blogs. You are supposed to maintain anonymity,” yelled a close friend, who is also a senior journalist.
“I feel a blog is the public diary of a private person. There’s no need to hide behind curtains,” I argued.
“Anyway, your blog is silly and lacks focus,” he continued.
I just smiled. “If I get angry, you win, my friend,” I told myself. “And I will just not allow that.” Wow, I am maturing.

rr/Oct.10, 2008

Anger buster

2008-10-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

Everyone gets angry at some point of time. But some get angry too often. I entered office after a long vacation and a colleague greeted me with: “You did not even bother to mail. I am angry with you.”
I tried to reason with him. But no use. I told him a story I had read. A monk was sitting under a tree discussing with his disciples when that country’s army commander, who was passing by, stopped his vehicle and approached him. He asked the monk: “I want to know about hell and heaven.”
The monk replied: “I will tell you. But, by the way, who are you?”
”I am the commander,” replied the man in an arrogant tone.
“Commander! You look like a butcher,” mocked the monk.
Anger writ large on his face, the commander whipped his knife and charged towards the monk. “Well, this is hell,” smiled the monk. Ashamed, the commander put back his knife and sought forgiveness. With a repentant face, he said “I am very sorry.” “This is heaven,” came the reply.
“The story is fine. But don’t you think it is impossible to control anger?” he asked innocently.
“I have read psychologists saying that among the best ways to control anger are; talk to a friend you can trust; count to 10; get or give a hug or just take a walk,” I replied.
“All okay, but you are no better. You get angry at slight provocation,” my friend said.
"I don’t think so.”
“You do,” he insisted.
“No…,” I screamed with fury.
“There you go..,” laughed my colleague.
rr/Oct8

Stupid fanatics

2008-10-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Hey fanatic...Whom are you trying to protect? Oh, "your" God! Should it not be the other way around?
RR/Oct.6, 2008

Two little ‘monsters’

2008-10-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

At a time when people are too busy to find time even for their own families, guests are often considered pests. One can imagine the plight of the host when a visitor enters the house along with two mischievous kids.
I had a taste of this experience last week. I was merrily walking near the famous Clock Tower in Deira Dubai when a familiar face greeted me. “Hey. You have forgotten me?” he yelled. This was followed by an accusation: “These days people forget even their own relatives.”
I whacked my mind repeatedly and recollected that he was a distant relative.
“Why don’t you drop in tomorrow?” I asked as a matter of courtesy. And the price I had to pay was heavy.
He landed with his wife and two young “monsters.” The first casualty was the TV remote control which the boys grabbed as soon as they entered the house. In no time it was broken. My wife had laid out a new carpet which we usually take out only when visitors arrive. As the family sat on the carpet, my wife offered coffee. The younger boy, who was engrossed in a heated argument with his sibling, sprang for the beverage and down came the cups of hot coffee, adding a new decoration to the carpet. I thought the parents would thrash the boys, but the mother quickly remarked: “See how naughty my son is.”
Not naughty, but a terror, I told myself.
While parting one of the boys rang the door bell six times and our neighbour came out, flashed a dirty look and disappeared with a “be careful” warning look.
It's six days now and my wife is still not talking to me.

RR/ Oct.6, 2008

Alive & kicking

2008-10-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well, well..sorry for the break...will be back tomorrow..if alive...
rr

Greetings

2008-09-30T05:55:00.000-07:00

Eid Mubarak from Global-madrasi

The secret behind secrets

2008-09-30T05:47:00.000-07:00

“You do not know how to keep a secret,” chided a close friend.
“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead,” I replied quoting Benjamin Franklin.
“Why did you tell William that Khan is visiting Dubai? Khan had specifically told me that his was a secret visit,” she fumed.
“I did not know that, sorry,” I pleaded.
“The other day I had told you not to tell anyone that I had bought a new car. But when I entered the office everyone asked about it. Now I will stop telling you anything meant to be a secret,” she went on.
Her argument went on like this: Secrets at times drag us to prosperity – we can decide, can open our heart to our own, without getting derailed by others’ comments. You never know where you are placed in one’s heart – friend or foe!!!!!
I am of the firm opinion that secrets kill debates. It is better to share views and exchange ideas.
Anyway, I was amazed by her ability to hold on to secrets.
“I wish I could keep secrets like you,” I replied.
She fell silent for a minute.
“I cannot keep secrets either,” she suddenly yelled.
Why?
“If I could have, I would not have uttered them to you.”
RR/Sept.30, 2008

Quote of the day

2008-09-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

This is one of the best quotations if you ask me;
****
If you want to be happy, be.
- Leo Tolstoy

Two decades, sea change (TOI scene)

2008-09-27T01:57:00.000-07:00

The Fourth Estate has witnessed a sea change in less than three decades. How? Well, I can speak about my experience with The Times of India (TOI), Mumbai, where I joined as a sub-editor in the early eighties. Noisy teleprinters, dusty files, torn newsprints, fuming chief-subs, ruffled reporters were the order of the day. Editors made VIP appearance. The chief-subs carried pencils, erasers and scales to measure the size of photographs and prepare dummies for page-making. No computers. Four typed lines made an inch as per our calculation.
The ground floor of the six-storey TOI building stood like a museum where passers by peeped through windows to have a glimpse of giant printing machines.
A little past midnight, at the printing press (2nd floor), chief subs hurling four-letter invectives at innocent and scared subs, was a common sight.
At those times, two veteran page-makers, Miranda and Anton, were a great source of consolation for the juniors. “Come on, take it easy, let’s make an “English page,” they would say, smiling. Until today, I haven’t been able to comprehend what they meant by “English page.”
And, I never realized then that those abuses from seniors were actually blessings.
After night duty, when the newspaper had been safely “put to bed,” (The GenNext may not know this term), some subs would be lucky to catch the last train from VT station and head back home. In my case, Mr Murphy, whose law is famous, saw to it that the train invariably puffed out of the station the moment I dashed in… panting.
And so was it that a group of subs will settle for a cup of tea (sold at 50 paise) at the 24-hour VT canteen or a “Pav baaji” from the roadside vendors, and return to office for a short sleep until the first train rolled out. And where did we sleep? Just clear the tables where we worked, put a few old newspapers or newsprints, and bingo, the bed’s ready. The teleprinter and fan noise would try to disrupt sleep, but fail miserably as the subs would have been so exhausted by that time. While chief sub CSPP had a splendid knack of dozing off in seconds, good-spirited chief sub SS could never get sleep before finding a listener for his sermon.
Telegram delivery guys used to wake us up in the wee hours but I mischievously redirected them towards other subs. In the morning, I would pick up my bag to move on, only to see a telegram or two strewn on the face of one colleague or the other.
I have actually seen bandicoots, not rats, crawling above the bundles of newspapers strewn around.
BTW, do I sound like an elderly man? Mind you, I am just in my forties. Does not life begin at 40? Quite a few pretty girls wink at me and I return the gesture (But let’s keep it a secret, buddy).
Pranks? Wow, do not remind me about them. TOI editorial staff in the eighties had a great sense of humour. Will talk about it in the next posting.

R.Ramesh/ Sept 27, 2008

Better to zip lip

2008-09-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

A masters in English literature, my friend never tires of using idioms at the drop of a hat.
After a heated debate last week, he hit back at me saying: “You are bent on creating a storm in a teacup.”
“I am not,” I replied.
“Fine words butter no parsnips,” he replied. I had to check out from Google that it actually meant talking is easy, but talking is not action.
“Why are you angry? In a debate, you have to listen to the other person’s point of view,” I tried to pacify him.
“Don’t judge a book by the cover. Look deeper,” he said.
Fed up of his idiomatic jargon, I bid adieu promising to meet him in a day or two. And meet I did. Only this time, I saw a punch mark on his face.
What happened?
“It’s that stupid Joe,” he replied. “During an argument I told him ‘beggars cannot be choosers,’ and he assaulted me.”
Why?
“He thought I was calling him a beggar.”

RR/Sept.24, 2008

Wow, she made it again

2008-09-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

Good Britney is bouncing back.. You are indeed "stronger than yesterday." Keep it up, Britney..