Rains have come to be synonymous with Mumbai's different phases of climate. Having been in the city for more than 3 years, I have come to understand that whether you love it or not, rains steer your life and determine your fashion!
July 26, 2005 was a black day in many of the city dwellers' lives. It was the day when I experienced the power of nature and understood in a very eery, calamitous way; how things could go topsy turvy without prior notice. Being one of the eye-witnesses, as someone put it, I could not help but write about this event (the very next day), probably one of the most compelling ones in my life thus far.
When it rains
(July 27, 2005)
Till a few days, I was quite ignorant of many things. Incurring the fury of Gods, the connotation of “Water, water everywhere… Not a drop to drink” and what people kept mumbling now and then about the undying resilience of Mumbayites.
Being in Mumbai for more than a year had only meant to be in a fast-paced city, metro glam-meets-retro slum, opportunities, fast food and a near Tsunami of people, everywhere. But on the evening of 26th July 2005, I naturally changed my thoughts to other factors, which manifested themselves in the face of many residents. Presenting to you, a real life drama where the parody was played on me, for a change.
On this particular rainy day, with loads of work still to be completed (writing to the column was in the heap too, as I had been suffering from a hopeless writers’ block, stop and cork!), on advice from many, I started my journey back home with a deficient windcheater (sometimes I listen to my over-inflated ego which had told me that day not to carry an umbrella, despite the drizzling). Once out of the gate, I was about to do a reverse flip to the office, looking at the water level, which was knee-length (I would not dare take my beautiful leather shoes and the neat fit trousers into dirty waters!). But I happened to see people in their blazers and ties do it and moreover, I did not want to look like I couldn’t do it. So I went ahead and waded through running water with rain lashing at us. Now it would not have been such a big thing had I been confident of swimming, just in case. And the case appeared, just as the gate seemed more and beckoning. With no big walker on tight rope, my foot did not touch the ground and lo and behold! I went under water trying to remember what the basic lessons would be. Finally, two angels, or were they three, pulled me up and I felt myself with foot firmly planted on ground for sometime. I finally reached my four-wheeler and felt like I had completed the biggest battle of all. Or so I thought.
As the car pulled on to the nearest flyover, a big traffic jam awaited us. Though jams are not uncommon here, this took a longer time for me – 5 hours. I thought MT (medical transcription) was so much better! After 5 hours looking at the relentless rain and desperate people, I decided to get out of the stationary automobile and take stock of the situation. Now here’s where the mind took over my now hibernating ego. With a partner, I took off to what I thought would be a short walk and then get some public transport (Somewhere, I thought, they would definitely be there!). Of course, we could not walk the actual distance of 10 kms. But here lay the biggest parody.
From one lake after another, one water clog leading to another, millions of people with umbrellas, jackets or nothing to fight the rain walked on and on like zombies. We just happened to be one of those who walked in the dark (thank god, there was no electricity or we would have had the taste of an electric shock too!).
But, though there were no lights and the way was not like “roses roses all the way” and people were apparently starved and thirsty, our compatriots were noble enough to lead us at places. Where there are stones and open drains; and which way had what water level. Many even found time to joke about the complete “system” thing and how it sucks. Some even made catcalls at females walkers. I was, of course in an unrecognizable costume (the hood of the windcheater made me look funny) and was trying hard to keep my balance! Some of the restaurants had kept the shop open at midnight to serve drinking water to people who were stuck without any hope and those who were trying to find some.
When I finally reached home I was more enlightened about how it feels when the wrath of Gods comes pouring on you. You may consider yourself lucky to be in the position that you are in, but what awaits one is something the MET Department can only claim after the damage is done. The havoc caused is immeasurable and the grief, inconsolable.
My walk is of very little significance when compared to the magnitude of damage inflicted on life and property. But if there was one thing that kept a person like me walking for 10 kms, in waist-deep water, it was the spirit of the people who walked along, guiding all the way. I am now confident to take on any trek, even when there are floods! Reaching the destination at 4 in the morning is no longer an issue, either!
August 27, 2007
August 16, 2007
Bizar‘re-search’!
There are times in your life when you regret something, but still feel helplessly addicted to them. I have felt so more often than once about my undying love for the most aromatic beverage of all – coffee (decaf doesn’t work for me). Being a southie, may be I can conveniently blame it on the environment. Caffeine, a major ingredient in coffee has been certified carcinogenic (causing cancer) by many studies. But for people who belong to my tribe, there was a good old study, which mentioned that it is good for memory. Well, I don’t remember the source, but I sure had read it with great interest. Why coffee, there have been so many studies about every small single thing in a homo sapien’s life. Welcome to the world of species surveys and studies by odd minds!
Of late, researchers or for better understanding pseudo analysts have been publishing bizarre findings about pointless subjects. What needs to be lauded here is the fact that many of these make their way to news portals which people stay hooked on for ‘quality’ stuff! A recent report declared a warning signal in all states of America except the Oregon. Reason? Americans are getting fatter elsewhere. The only possible positive implication of this study may be to guide those agencies that want to headhunt models to head to Oregon because sooner or later those from the other states would turn obese! If the pseuds network well, they may get Oprah to sponsor their study in her Primetime show!
There was this other study that seemed to be reincarnation Darwin’s thesis, lost in evolution! The recently published study said, believe it or not, kids learn eating and exercise habits from parents! Now, this study would be a groundbreaking one, had it been published centuries ago. How an agency like Reuters could publish a century old, tested and proven fundamental law of nature as a fresh, never-seen-before study is a big question mark to me.
Many other question marks keep occurring during the process of skimming through the studies done by such pseudo analysts. A recent one that I read takes the cake and cherry too! It says that Britons are more likely to commit suicide on Monday than any other day of the week. This is something many of us may relate to – those who suffer terrible Monday blues. But the pseudo analysts, apparently, did not find the need to spell out the possible application of the study. They sure have succeeded in keeping the Britons on their toes, on Mondays!
Still, by not including the rest of the countries, we may suggest a study to be conducted on how discriminated one feels about this study. I am quite sure some mean agency would publish our results and get great hits!
Research or no research, life goes on and people do not seem very perturbed by them. Of course, those who find certain studies convenient do not stop quoting them at various occasions. Sooner or later there is bound to be some other that would come up as a counter research and totally rubbish the previous ones. While the research parties clamor for authenticity, the agencies laugh their way to the bank. The knack of making the outlandish fascinating is all it takes to make zilch, ingenious.
Of late, researchers or for better understanding pseudo analysts have been publishing bizarre findings about pointless subjects. What needs to be lauded here is the fact that many of these make their way to news portals which people stay hooked on for ‘quality’ stuff! A recent report declared a warning signal in all states of America except the Oregon. Reason? Americans are getting fatter elsewhere. The only possible positive implication of this study may be to guide those agencies that want to headhunt models to head to Oregon because sooner or later those from the other states would turn obese! If the pseuds network well, they may get Oprah to sponsor their study in her Primetime show!
There was this other study that seemed to be reincarnation Darwin’s thesis, lost in evolution! The recently published study said, believe it or not, kids learn eating and exercise habits from parents! Now, this study would be a groundbreaking one, had it been published centuries ago. How an agency like Reuters could publish a century old, tested and proven fundamental law of nature as a fresh, never-seen-before study is a big question mark to me.
Many other question marks keep occurring during the process of skimming through the studies done by such pseudo analysts. A recent one that I read takes the cake and cherry too! It says that Britons are more likely to commit suicide on Monday than any other day of the week. This is something many of us may relate to – those who suffer terrible Monday blues. But the pseudo analysts, apparently, did not find the need to spell out the possible application of the study. They sure have succeeded in keeping the Britons on their toes, on Mondays!
Still, by not including the rest of the countries, we may suggest a study to be conducted on how discriminated one feels about this study. I am quite sure some mean agency would publish our results and get great hits!
Research or no research, life goes on and people do not seem very perturbed by them. Of course, those who find certain studies convenient do not stop quoting them at various occasions. Sooner or later there is bound to be some other that would come up as a counter research and totally rubbish the previous ones. While the research parties clamor for authenticity, the agencies laugh their way to the bank. The knack of making the outlandish fascinating is all it takes to make zilch, ingenious.
ET-mology
Amongst the random musings which I document in my company platform, here's a leaf out of the many I've written.
ET-mology
(March 3, 2005)
ET-mology
It has definitely been an overdose of Dan Brown and thanks to him I now know about pre-medieval secret societies, kings and their religious strategies, conspiracies of space scientists and so on. And all these described till the core (pun unintended).
As one gets carried away with the gale of Brown’s way of digging for more details, the first thing that strikes about his writing is language. The how and what of words and source of all that’s underlying in a language has not been widely discussed.
"Not only does the English Language borrow words from other languages, it sometimes chases them down dark alleys, hits them over the head, and goes through their pockets"
Eddy Peters knew one thing about language when he said this. The Etymology. By showing the word as “Not Found”, the Thesaurus of MS Word may make a writer feel like she is a Martian. Etymology is the study of the sources and development of words. As I am typing this definition, there are some stares from my neighbor who finds the topic anything but interesting. Tell me about environmental motivation!
Still, either because of my cross-academic (I wonder if Shakespeare would be proud of this innovation or turning in his grave though Bill Gates, or is it Sir Gates now, does not seem to have a problem with that) background or the language bug that never seems to leave, etymology it is, indeed.
English derives most of its words from other languages – Greek, Latin, French, Danish, Russian, German, etc.; and some of the cross-cultural dialects like Oriental English, Anglo-French and the like. Though the obsolete meaning is not of major concern now, it is funny to find out what they meant and how in the course of time, connotations changed and words were either made short, long or rearranged to suit the style. The next time the reader uses the word “babe” for his lady or somebody to be one, be informed that babe comes from Russian “Babushka” which means “grandmother”! It is also used for “peasant woman”. Make sure your partner has no clue about the Russian word or you may end up getting good “bacteria” on your head! I am not referring to the microbe. The word actually comes from the Greek “bakterion” meaning a “Staff or rod”. Not good news there, if she is an etymology raker!
While we are still on blows, it is advised in general interest to stay alert when someone who one loves to detest, speaks of “dabbing”. If taken in the 1307 AD meaning, someone means mean business of “heavy blow with a weapon”. If it is not possible to “fathom”, the Oriental English meaning- “arms/ grasp”, will do the job. You may throw your hands up on this and dash for a Vitamin – “Keratin” shot. But let me enlighten you, again, that keratin used to mean the “basic substance of horns, nails, feathers”.
There must have been an overdose of blows to some by now. So, lets talk about something light-hearted like fashion. “Fad” is one of the important indicators. Models help in communication of such things. It may be a coincidence, but “fad” in Latin, once meant something “nonsense” or “stupid”. But some people attempt “hardly” to make a fad. By “hardly”, I mean in a “hard manner, with energy and force”, if we go by the 1205 AD definition.
Society has also seen various changes. This one is dedicated to those who constantly crib about investments and tax planning. To have an “insurance” in 1553 AD would mean to be “engaged to marry”. In a party, if you tried bragging about the “jade” you owned, think again as it also meant “worn-out horse”.
There have been various writers who have contributed many new words to daily lingo, which were hitherto unheard of. In the recent times the ‘Harry Potter’ series introduced many such words, a popular one being “muggle”. But according to 1926 New Orleans, it is “marijuana joint”. Now, whether it is related to magic or black magic, Maradonna should know better! Another name in the fantasy book, that of an owl – “Hedwig”, which meant “strife / struggle” in German, is far from anything snowy or pet-worthy.
For a vacation, if you were planning to “go south”, wait for the etymology to dawn on you. The word actually meant to “vanish or abscond” according to 1920s American English. But in haste if one tries to escape by hiring the “go-cart”, keep in mind that it was once “a litter, sedan chair”.
If you have not got enough of my “jest”, which in 1300 AD meant “narrative of exploits”; here is a bag of words with corresponding etymological meanings, which may be used with care and restraint on language –
§ AC/DC – bisexual
§ Buffet – blow
§ Email – a type of pottery design
§ Eskimo – eaters of raw meat
§ Excursion – a deviation in argument
§ Kennedy – an ugly head (whoever said that!)
§ Kicksie-wicksie – wife
§ Lace – a net, noose, string
§ Mum – abbreviation of chrysanthemum
Acknowledgements:
1. The etymology website – etymonline.com
2. My curious and intrigued colleague
(March 3, 2005)
Summer, rains & childhood
It's nearly mid August and the rains are receding here. After my first post, I wonder what kept me from posting the next. I remember to have read some where that rains generally spread a sense of depression amongst people. It is another thing that I've never really enjoyed them as a season.
My childhood days were spent in Bangalore. At grandparents' house, it was sheer mayhem with all kids being at their naughtiest best! Be it running along the long garden paths that my gran'pa just cleaned, or the loud chattering songs being a nuisance to them. Somehow, it never occured to us, the brat pack, that it was mostly anger inducing. To make matters worse for the elders, every scolding urged us to look for more ways of mischief!
Outdoor games were a rage with the young crowd. Be it cricket on an inclined road (which on retrospect was quite dangerous) or badminton in breezy evenings, or even just throwball during hot afternoons. And after it was dark enough to make it completely impossible for us to spot the ball or the shuttle cock, we looked heavenwards as there lay a terrace. It was spacious enough with little light bulbs here and there for helping visibility. Then used to begin all kinds of contact sports! Catch, lock and key, crocodile colors, and what not. I do not remember even a single day when one willingly said, 'Let's call it a day'. We always had to be pulled down by some loud voice of a curt elder.
Bangalore summers were mostly followed by rains. Sometimes, one lost count of how many days it had been since the rains began. They rained heavily, and tapered to a drizzle all in one day. Quite unpredictable it was, just as the English rains- I remember one elder who remarked so. Rains were the biggest spoilers of all plans. Be it shopping for ma and aunts, regular office work for dad and uncles, or for the special eateries gran'ma made that had to be necessarily dried for the best output! We used to be heart broken as along with being a hindrance to outdoors, it also meant long, unscheduled power cuts. No electricity, meaning no television, meaning candle light dinners. And long pauses in conversations!
Since those days, rains have been a constant fellow traveller in my life. I've experienced summers and rains in various parts of the country, but the time spent in Bangalore has been priceless! So is childhood.
My childhood days were spent in Bangalore. At grandparents' house, it was sheer mayhem with all kids being at their naughtiest best! Be it running along the long garden paths that my gran'pa just cleaned, or the loud chattering songs being a nuisance to them. Somehow, it never occured to us, the brat pack, that it was mostly anger inducing. To make matters worse for the elders, every scolding urged us to look for more ways of mischief!
Outdoor games were a rage with the young crowd. Be it cricket on an inclined road (which on retrospect was quite dangerous) or badminton in breezy evenings, or even just throwball during hot afternoons. And after it was dark enough to make it completely impossible for us to spot the ball or the shuttle cock, we looked heavenwards as there lay a terrace. It was spacious enough with little light bulbs here and there for helping visibility. Then used to begin all kinds of contact sports! Catch, lock and key, crocodile colors, and what not. I do not remember even a single day when one willingly said, 'Let's call it a day'. We always had to be pulled down by some loud voice of a curt elder.
Bangalore summers were mostly followed by rains. Sometimes, one lost count of how many days it had been since the rains began. They rained heavily, and tapered to a drizzle all in one day. Quite unpredictable it was, just as the English rains- I remember one elder who remarked so. Rains were the biggest spoilers of all plans. Be it shopping for ma and aunts, regular office work for dad and uncles, or for the special eateries gran'ma made that had to be necessarily dried for the best output! We used to be heart broken as along with being a hindrance to outdoors, it also meant long, unscheduled power cuts. No electricity, meaning no television, meaning candle light dinners. And long pauses in conversations!
Since those days, rains have been a constant fellow traveller in my life. I've experienced summers and rains in various parts of the country, but the time spent in Bangalore has been priceless! So is childhood.
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