Midnight, and a guy ( 6'3 - no one else could because the water was around 5 and a half feet) comes in, says school children were rescued by NM students and are being kept in the classes.Now the guys needed torches to keep the children from panicking in the dark.
There is some bad news too. Three guys from DJ Sanghvi, SVKM's Engg college- have died in their car which was stranded in the water...A few torches are collected, and off he goes into the darkness again.
Somehow we manage to pass the night,and greet the morning with fresh hopes..but its not the end yet, there is still a lot more to happen..
Morning brings with it the sight of a flooded lane - a Bajaj Pulsar is immersed upto its petrol tank - two sewer rats are jumping about on an auto's roof - a guy is actually swimming in that water
( !! Yikes !!) - and more rain ...it seems like we're stuck for another day . Some good news follows - the mess guy manages to get a stove running and we are getting poha for breakfast ! wow !
After a hearty meal of poha and being tired from the lack of sleep, some guys wander off and try to catch up on it. Meanwhile, guys have started to come back from the college - they tell us of the children who were rescued and their parents who came to take them home, but got stuck in the rain - actor Sachin Khedekar too was among one of the parents- but he luckily found his children quickly and went back. Our college guys went around in the water asking for food, the SVKM also sent them food somehow - the entire faculty was in the college all of Tuesday night - by morning, all except 12 children had been claimed.
Seniors helped us out in the food and water department by sending packets of Maggi, biscuits (unknown to us in the hostel, some parts of Juhu were already up and running by then), bisleri bottles taken after forcing a stranded truck- hope begins to glimmer again !
Slowly, ever so slowly, it seems that the water level is receding - yes - I can see more of the bike's fuel tank - after an hour - the tip of its front mud guard - after another two hours - the front wheel !! yahoo !! The water is indeed going down. Mercifully, the rain has also stopped.
Raghu, a friend who stays in a PG nearby, stayed overnight in the hostel because his room was half filled with water - is anxious to go and check his stuff out. We leave the hostel, wading in knee deep (thankfully !) water, and are surprised by what we see ahead - the ganda nala water mixing up with the standing rain water - and - dry land up ahead ! Also seen on the road are stranded cars- a Merc too - the entrails of a dead animal (ugghh ) and after a dry stretch - some more water. The road to Raghu's room is logged with 2 ft high water - but by now, that's a walk in the (water) park for us!
We reach his room to see the marks left behind by the water - they are slightly higher than the Kinetic parked there.Chaos greets us inside the room - shoes are floating , the room stinks and it seems like a lot of stuff has been lost - Thankfully Raghu's landlady had removed most of the stuff that was lying around, so its not a total loss any way. We now proceed to the cupboard - water has spoilt his Sony discman and some other electronics goods - but mercifully his original certificates are intact!
A quick review of the situation, a little inquiry from the landlady - and of course -
keeping the ganda naala and the dead animal in mind - we conclude that we should get of Juhu as soon as possible - because the conditions are ripe for the spread of an epidemic. Unfortunately, news about road and rail transport is sketchy- but we decide to take a gamble. Raghu picks up some clothes, and we head back to hostel.
Back in the hostel, and we realise that all the other guys have come to the same conclusion - the sight of an overflowing 'tabela' just behind the hostel has made them realise that disease is not far away. Some one says that he has spoken with some faculty members and has learnt that college will be closed until Monday.A mighty roar erupts from the guys, and all of them start to make plans of going home...I have not been able to contact my uncle till then, so I think of tagging along with Raghu and Hari, who are going to Pune. We pack our clothes in a jiffy, and move out of the hostel,having no idea of where to go and how. A cop at the next intersection tells us to go to the highway, where we may get a bus to Poona ...any how , after many trials and tribulations, we find out that we cant go to Pune because the road is closed..Hari suggests we check into a hotel room in Bandra...we catch an auto..realising that we dont have any cash, we try to access an ATM - but no luck - all are down - finally, we manage to find one that works !
Traffic is slow, and I see some amazing things on the road . Citizens are helping to direct traffic, ladies are serving coffe and biscuits to people who have been stranded on the road since the past twenty four hours ...never have I seen something like that..that is Bombay for you ! wow ! I silently raise my hat to those people, amazed at their spirit !
Bandra brings us some bad news. After having roamed around for some time, we find that all rooms and all hotels are booked...but wait...there's a room in a hotel in Khar which will be vacant in half an hour...but its price is um..pretty steep...even after pooling our resources, it is a big deal for all of us...nevertheless, putting pathar on our hearts, we agree ..and spend a comfortable night there...
Next morning - a hot shower and a shave later - I try to switch on my mobile - and mercifully - it works !! I silently thank God...he's saved me from another financial disaster...and sms my cousin..she replies back and tells me that everything is fine, and that I can come back home !
Whew ! I heave a sigh of relief ! Quickly go to Khar road station - board the local to Dadar - take a taxi to Sion - take an auto to Chembur - one hour and 80 rupees later, I am home !! Pig out on the toasts made by chachi, and hit the sack like I havent slept in two days ! Thank god - The adventure is over !!
PS : Hrithik Roshan lives just across the girls hostel - he was kind enough to carry two girls across the water and into the hostel when they got stranded ! Cheers to Hrithik for that -- Guess the girls will talk about it for the rest of their lives !!
Friday, March 31, 2006
Mumbai Impressions
Mumbai...
Suketu Mehta's Maximum City....Shantaram's playground.. home to sixteen million people.."twice the size of NY " according to Rudi Guiliani- ...glamourous yet dishevelled..rich yet poor...aloof and still friendly...the city of never ending contrasts... that is Mumbai for you...
Several images of Mumbai abound in the mind..but some of the more enduring ones are --
The mad rush in the local train at 8:00 a.m and the rush at Bade Mian's joint at 2:00 a.m..boy..this city tells you how to work hard, and play harder ...In fact, the manner in which a Mumbaikar plans his leisure hours seems to be as systematic as his approach to work...which itself is an irony !
..active until the wee hours...one can find an auto at any time of the night...and not think twice before stepping in..in fact..if the auto guys see three four guys standing together at night when the streets are empty, they stop and ask if you need a ride !
The slums ..they really are as bad as they appear on TV...one of the first sights that greets the eye when the plane is touching down - not quite recommended for sore ones - the slums have grown to an extent that they now encraoch upon the airport land...
The food...is mostly sad...really ...The Chinese Dosa, the extreme example of India China friendship - Hindi - Chini bhai bhai I guess -- noodles stuffed into the Dosa..!! The Vada Pao Dosa..as if the Vada Pao was not bad enough..Yikes...Similar such culinary monstroities abound and flourish under the guise of innovations..and one is best advised to steer clear of anything that purports itself to be one...the strange part is that people actually like them..or perhaps they are too hard pressed for time to be choosy, so they eat anything..
Mani's lunch home - Matunga -- the closest one can get to authentic cuisine from the South...Cooper Hospital mess - my daily sustenance..
The people -- Fight Club's single serving friends -- abound here -- as long as they have the time to spare, the people here are very nice..not rude, listen patiently...yeah..there are some who insist on speaking Marathi...but then one can always cajole them to speak Hindi anyway..one lasting impression that I will never forget -- Post July 26/7 when the city was submerged under 944 mm of rainfall in one day...ordinary citizens in Bandra - were directing traffic..ladies were giving food, water and coffee to motorists stranded on the road...it was really an inspiring sight..one definitely recommended for the sore ones !
I think I 'd better rein in my enthusiasm before it runs away with me :-) ...more in the next communication...an unusual experience at the beach
Suketu Mehta's Maximum City....Shantaram's playground.. home to sixteen million people.."twice the size of NY " according to Rudi Guiliani- ...glamourous yet dishevelled..rich yet poor...aloof and still friendly...the city of never ending contrasts... that is Mumbai for you...
Several images of Mumbai abound in the mind..but some of the more enduring ones are --
The mad rush in the local train at 8:00 a.m and the rush at Bade Mian's joint at 2:00 a.m..boy..this city tells you how to work hard, and play harder ...In fact, the manner in which a Mumbaikar plans his leisure hours seems to be as systematic as his approach to work...which itself is an irony !
..active until the wee hours...one can find an auto at any time of the night...and not think twice before stepping in..in fact..if the auto guys see three four guys standing together at night when the streets are empty, they stop and ask if you need a ride !
The slums ..they really are as bad as they appear on TV...one of the first sights that greets the eye when the plane is touching down - not quite recommended for sore ones - the slums have grown to an extent that they now encraoch upon the airport land...
The food...is mostly sad...really ...The Chinese Dosa, the extreme example of India China friendship - Hindi - Chini bhai bhai I guess -- noodles stuffed into the Dosa..!! The Vada Pao Dosa..as if the Vada Pao was not bad enough..Yikes...Similar such culinary monstroities abound and flourish under the guise of innovations..and one is best advised to steer clear of anything that purports itself to be one...the strange part is that people actually like them..or perhaps they are too hard pressed for time to be choosy, so they eat anything..
Mani's lunch home - Matunga -- the closest one can get to authentic cuisine from the South...Cooper Hospital mess - my daily sustenance..
The people -- Fight Club's single serving friends -- abound here -- as long as they have the time to spare, the people here are very nice..not rude, listen patiently...yeah..there are some who insist on speaking Marathi...but then one can always cajole them to speak Hindi anyway..one lasting impression that I will never forget -- Post July 26/7 when the city was submerged under 944 mm of rainfall in one day...ordinary citizens in Bandra - were directing traffic..ladies were giving food, water and coffee to motorists stranded on the road...it was really an inspiring sight..one definitely recommended for the sore ones !
I think I 'd better rein in my enthusiasm before it runs away with me :-) ...more in the next communication...an unusual experience at the beach
Monday, March 27, 2006
An Account of the Mumbai Floods - Part One
Something that I wrote after my encounter with Mother Nature's fury on July 26, 2005--
" Veni, Vidi but not quite Vici " must be the thought uppermost in
the Rain Gods' minds today, because after the initial setback,
Mumbai has come back to life. Although there are certain suburbs
still reeling under the blows dealt by the weather, things have
picked up pretty quickly.It is difficult to believe that its been
only three days since the rains started wreaking havoc....
Cut to Tuesday...Marketing class in progress...when suddenly
someone looked out of the window and said .."we're flooding" ...the
dullness of the class transformed into excitement.." oh boy..great
rain after a long time",we thought...but suddenly realised that this
was not quite just " great rain "..it was tremendous rain..some
guys waded to the hostel 9 the hostel is around 15 mins walk during
normal conditions )while it was still pouring and the water was
three feet high...the others stayed put, waiting for the rain to
stop and the water to subside..little did they know that it would be
two days before the rain stopped.
I reached the hostel at 5,forty five minutes after I started.
Showered and started to wait for the others. Meanwhile, the mess
kitchen had been flooded, and we were in for a dinner less night.
By 7, half the guys were in. The water was four and half feet by
now, and steadily rising. There was no power supply and it was
starting to get dark. To add to it, there was no cellular service
available,and most of the phones were not operational,having got wet
during the journey from college to hostel. Stores of snacks were
being opened and ways of arranging dinner being thought of.
One funny incident comes to mind.A guy escorted 4 girls to our
hostel, showered, chabged, and then went back into the water, to
take them to the girls hostel!
9 pm - its dark and there is no news of the guys in college - there
is nothing left to eat ..one guy manages to call a restaurant and
asks him if they can deliver food - the guy says there is no food
left, only snacks like biscuits, namkeen et cetera - and - yes, he
can get it delivered! Joyous celebrations erupt in the room, but the
news is kep a closely guarded secret. At 9:30, a guys wades thru
five feet of water,and hands us the bag of goodies which I
discreetly smuggle to a room. While I am collecting the cash to pay
him, the news leaks out, and other guys ask him to bring food for
them too..but he refuses- any way, I pay him, and he goes off. I
loiter around for some time, and then make my way to the room. A
gala feast of biscuits, khakra (something like a papad) and namkeen
is underway. Manage to eat something and look forward to surviving
the night somehow.
" Veni, Vidi but not quite Vici " must be the thought uppermost in
the Rain Gods' minds today, because after the initial setback,
Mumbai has come back to life. Although there are certain suburbs
still reeling under the blows dealt by the weather, things have
picked up pretty quickly.It is difficult to believe that its been
only three days since the rains started wreaking havoc....
Cut to Tuesday...Marketing class in progress...when suddenly
someone looked out of the window and said .."we're flooding" ...the
dullness of the class transformed into excitement.." oh boy..great
rain after a long time",we thought...but suddenly realised that this
was not quite just " great rain "..it was tremendous rain..some
guys waded to the hostel 9 the hostel is around 15 mins walk during
normal conditions )while it was still pouring and the water was
three feet high...the others stayed put, waiting for the rain to
stop and the water to subside..little did they know that it would be
two days before the rain stopped.
I reached the hostel at 5,forty five minutes after I started.
Showered and started to wait for the others. Meanwhile, the mess
kitchen had been flooded, and we were in for a dinner less night.
By 7, half the guys were in. The water was four and half feet by
now, and steadily rising. There was no power supply and it was
starting to get dark. To add to it, there was no cellular service
available,and most of the phones were not operational,having got wet
during the journey from college to hostel. Stores of snacks were
being opened and ways of arranging dinner being thought of.
One funny incident comes to mind.A guy escorted 4 girls to our
hostel, showered, chabged, and then went back into the water, to
take them to the girls hostel!
9 pm - its dark and there is no news of the guys in college - there
is nothing left to eat ..one guy manages to call a restaurant and
asks him if they can deliver food - the guy says there is no food
left, only snacks like biscuits, namkeen et cetera - and - yes, he
can get it delivered! Joyous celebrations erupt in the room, but the
news is kep a closely guarded secret. At 9:30, a guys wades thru
five feet of water,and hands us the bag of goodies which I
discreetly smuggle to a room. While I am collecting the cash to pay
him, the news leaks out, and other guys ask him to bring food for
them too..but he refuses- any way, I pay him, and he goes off. I
loiter around for some time, and then make my way to the room. A
gala feast of biscuits, khakra (something like a papad) and namkeen
is underway. Manage to eat something and look forward to surviving
the night somehow.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Post Holi...Cricket and Reviewing "Being Cyrus"
Holi was a BLAST !!! The wildest that I have played in the last twenty years...great fun...of course, there always are exceptions who do not share in the enthusiasm, but one can only sympathise with them...
Cricket....well, lesser said the better I presume...Sachin should seriously do something...or the same Ganguly argument would be applied to him too...Sachin is God, no doubt..but as Sambit Bal says in his
Cricinfo column, he has joined the ranks of mortals..
Yesterday, I got a chance to see Being Cyrus....well...I do not know where to begin....so I think the beginning would be a good idea...
My take on cinema is that it serves the primary function of entertainment -- entertainment which can assume different shades like comedy, romance, drama, horror, suspense, historical stories et cetera. Being Cyrus would find it a little difficult to be classified under any of these headings. Which makes me question why the movie was made in the first place...since it did not amuse me, scare me, thrill me, engage my attention for more than 15 consecutive minutes at any point of time..But this is not to take anything away from the debutante director, Homi Adajania.
The movie was technically very well crafted. The cinematography was excellent, the background score was different, and the look of the movie was pretty slick overall. I think this is where the good parts end.
I replayed the movie in my head, and realised that the director was probably trying to say too many things at the same time...there were various nuances in the movie that could only be understood by a second or third viewing, and trust me, doing that itself would qualify you for a bravery award.
There was a take on the Parsi community's dwindling numbers ( the matrimonial for a bride from 40 year old men), a general comment about how old parents were ill treated by their kids, and their being a burden to them, an element of revenge, an element of justification for Cyrus' way of life...but trust me..if you are the type who wants to go to a movie hall to be entertained, have fun, laugh and go into a different world where you forget your worries and tensions, then this is not the movie for you.
However, if you are the intellectual type, wherein you like to discuss all the issues that were fleetingly highlighted in the movie, and "go beyond the obvious" in management jargon ;-), then, please, like Syriana, this is the movie to watch.
Performances were good...but nothing special...For want of anyone better, Dimple did do enough justice to her role..Naseer's role could have been essayed equally well by a gentleman called Vikram Gokhale (personal opinion..no offence to anyone)..Boman Irani, chameleonesque in his performances , was his usual efficient self. Manoj Pahwa took his Bhatia act from Office Office to a higher level, nothing special about it. Even Cyrus' role could have been performed equally well by a certain John Abraham.
Overall verdict - Please get a CD and watch the movie if you really want to. Typical multiplex fare - and not paisa vasool.
Cricket....well, lesser said the better I presume...Sachin should seriously do something...or the same Ganguly argument would be applied to him too...Sachin is God, no doubt..but as Sambit Bal says in his
Cricinfo column, he has joined the ranks of mortals..
Yesterday, I got a chance to see Being Cyrus....well...I do not know where to begin....so I think the beginning would be a good idea...
My take on cinema is that it serves the primary function of entertainment -- entertainment which can assume different shades like comedy, romance, drama, horror, suspense, historical stories et cetera. Being Cyrus would find it a little difficult to be classified under any of these headings. Which makes me question why the movie was made in the first place...since it did not amuse me, scare me, thrill me, engage my attention for more than 15 consecutive minutes at any point of time..But this is not to take anything away from the debutante director, Homi Adajania.
The movie was technically very well crafted. The cinematography was excellent, the background score was different, and the look of the movie was pretty slick overall. I think this is where the good parts end.
I replayed the movie in my head, and realised that the director was probably trying to say too many things at the same time...there were various nuances in the movie that could only be understood by a second or third viewing, and trust me, doing that itself would qualify you for a bravery award.
There was a take on the Parsi community's dwindling numbers ( the matrimonial for a bride from 40 year old men), a general comment about how old parents were ill treated by their kids, and their being a burden to them, an element of revenge, an element of justification for Cyrus' way of life...but trust me..if you are the type who wants to go to a movie hall to be entertained, have fun, laugh and go into a different world where you forget your worries and tensions, then this is not the movie for you.
However, if you are the intellectual type, wherein you like to discuss all the issues that were fleetingly highlighted in the movie, and "go beyond the obvious" in management jargon ;-), then, please, like Syriana, this is the movie to watch.
Performances were good...but nothing special...For want of anyone better, Dimple did do enough justice to her role..Naseer's role could have been essayed equally well by a gentleman called Vikram Gokhale (personal opinion..no offence to anyone)..Boman Irani, chameleonesque in his performances , was his usual efficient self. Manoj Pahwa took his Bhatia act from Office Office to a higher level, nothing special about it. Even Cyrus' role could have been performed equally well by a certain John Abraham.
Overall verdict - Please get a CD and watch the movie if you really want to. Typical multiplex fare - and not paisa vasool.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Holi...the festival of colours !!
Holi is here at last...the second time that I will be away from home during this amazing festival...
Interaction with friends from Andhra and Tamil Nadu made me realise that it is not perhaps that big a festival there as it is in UP, Delhi, Panjab and the other northern and eastern states..
The myriad hues of Holi have many different things to say...bring back the colours into your life...make a new beginning...celebrate the beginning of summer...the victory of good over evil...the celebration of love....
One hopes that people do respect the fine line that separates "Bura Na Mano Holi Hai" from a license to have fun, to an excuse for unsavoury acts that too often leave a bad taste in the mouth...
Holi in Mumbai seems to be a pretty "thanda " affair...not too much excitement to be seen...I hope I am proved to be wrong tomorrow though, when the colour starts flying thick and fast through the air !!
Holi is here at last...the second time that I will be away from home during this amazing festival...
Interaction with friends from Andhra and Tamil Nadu made me realise that it is not perhaps that big a festival there as it is in UP, Delhi, Panjab and the other northern and eastern states..
The myriad hues of Holi have many different things to say...bring back the colours into your life...make a new beginning...celebrate the beginning of summer...the victory of good over evil...the celebration of love....
One hopes that people do respect the fine line that separates "Bura Na Mano Holi Hai" from a license to have fun, to an excuse for unsavoury acts that too often leave a bad taste in the mouth...
Holi in Mumbai seems to be a pretty "thanda " affair...not too much excitement to be seen...I hope I am proved to be wrong tomorrow though, when the colour starts flying thick and fast through the air !!
Monday, March 13, 2006
Ab Initio
'twas the best of times, 'twas the worst of times..or so the poet said...something that I read a long time ago..and something that seems to keep going on..and on ..and on...like the Energizer Bunny ..
So let me start my foray into blogosphere by stating my reason to do so.... I think I am in the middle of what is called the "quarter life crisis"...and I need help in getting out from here...I think I am not growing mentally..that I am not doing enough...rather, I am not "adding value" to myself...and I am scared at the prospect of stagnating, of getting outdated, of losing my zest for things, even before I embark upon the Great Journey into the professional world.
So, this is where the blog comes in...I intend to ...well "use" would not be the right word...avail this channel's facilities to interact with people from all over the world..get exposed to new thoughts, new ideas, grow as a person..and learn to live life to the fullest...
This, however, is not the usual face that I present to the world... I am, at different times, mostly an optimist, sometimes an idealist...MBA student during the day and for long parts of the night..an individual of so many parts that I wonder whether they fit or not...yea...if my sister were to read this, she would have said - "Go get a life"...and I hope that somewhere here, in this blogosphere, I will find out what it means..and will finally be able to emerge from this haze...
So let me start my foray into blogosphere by stating my reason to do so.... I think I am in the middle of what is called the "quarter life crisis"...and I need help in getting out from here...I think I am not growing mentally..that I am not doing enough...rather, I am not "adding value" to myself...and I am scared at the prospect of stagnating, of getting outdated, of losing my zest for things, even before I embark upon the Great Journey into the professional world.
So, this is where the blog comes in...I intend to ...well "use" would not be the right word...avail this channel's facilities to interact with people from all over the world..get exposed to new thoughts, new ideas, grow as a person..and learn to live life to the fullest...
This, however, is not the usual face that I present to the world... I am, at different times, mostly an optimist, sometimes an idealist...MBA student during the day and for long parts of the night..an individual of so many parts that I wonder whether they fit or not...yea...if my sister were to read this, she would have said - "Go get a life"...and I hope that somewhere here, in this blogosphere, I will find out what it means..and will finally be able to emerge from this haze...
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