Security for women!

A couple of months ago there was a huge hue and cry in the media regarding the safety of women in the train. It took a death of a young woman for people to realise this. The television channels shouted themselves hoarse, women associations had marches and condolence meetings. Now what? It just died a natural death.

The government or the authorities will not do anything about this for common man like you and me.

Many times, in the railway stations I see a battalion of policemen..just milling around..You guessed it! One of our honourable ministers is boarding the train!  He comes sauntering surrounded by another 50 policemen.He boards the train and along with him 10 policemen. Not only this. Every station the train stops,( about 15 of them) there are about 50 local policemen just waiting for this minister and not to mention, when he reaches his destination!!And all this for the safety of ONE man!!!!! Ironical isn't it? The life of the common man has zero value, that is why no one could be bothered!

But I dont think we should wait for someone to give us protection. What we could do:
1. Learn any form of martial arts. I know kalari payt and this gives me the edge.
2. Carry a pepper spray in your bag or atleast a salt shaker filled with chillie powder.
3. Kick the man hard in his groin. This will incapacitate him temporarily. Bobbiting comes later.
4. Avoid lonely places, going alone and be home by dusk. Men here turn to werewolves post 7 pm..and im talking from experience, which luckily I could handle. Being home at dusk, coming from somebody like me..sounds ridiculous..but its the only thing that works in a place like this..where most men are frustrated, desperate and think of women solely as sex objects.
5. Avoid arguing with a group of people.Mass psychology is sickening and can go to any extremes.They seem  to have courage when they are in a gang and doesnt stop them from doing anything. When they are alone, they are terribly weak and scared.
6. If someone follows you by foot or tries to act funny..just shout at the top of your voice. You will see him scampering off like a rabbit.
7. If someone is following you on a bike or car.just stop and note down the number! They will disappear.
8.Keep police station numbers- control room , vanitha police, highway patrol numbers stored on your mobile.

9. Pray to God. If none of the above works, then your only hope is God..
Stay safe/ stay strong

morning walks

Up at 5.45 am..ready to leave by 6 am..( have to tell you that i hit the sack at 9.30 pm every night)..and im away on my long walks..I love it! he cool breeze, the fresh air..i take big gulps of the crisp morning air and i feel like i am floating! The birds twitter..the leaves rustle..the serene sorrounding..i drink in all this feeling ecstatic..

as i walk along..i wonder..in the path i take we are about 10 regular walkers..most of them above 60 who have started walking on doctors orders- could be the heart or the brain..and they do it with such lethargy and such a grumpy expression. For crying out loud..why cant they be happy that they are alive and walking!!
Another feature very particular only to Kerala is that when i pass the walkers they smell so good..Gosh! I must be stinking..i wonder how they manage to have their bath with sweet smelling soap, douse themselves with talc and get ready in the wee hours..so thats something for my olfactory stimulation..i make sure i take deep breaths when i pass by..

one thing that upsets me is that we make such a mess..what i find is lay packets, broken bottles, dosa maav cover, plastic sheets by the dozen ( and calicut is a plastic free city) and all kinds of rubbish..all lying around..i think we should each be responsible to make sure we keep our sorroundings clean and tidy..is it that difficult???? I think its our moral and social reponsibility..if each one of us did our thing..then we dont need the cleaning crew!!
So i think we should all start walking ( its free by the way!) and enjoy the feeling of being alive and amidst our beautiful nature and city..the way it appears at 6 am!!:)

reality shows

I have been watching an amazing reality show in one of the regional channels. The young kids dancing. What talent and confidence! Hats off to the choreographers especially in a round called "world dance".

The judges, for a welcome change, are very encouraging, gentle and kind. They are professional artists as well.

Of course the kids do lack the finesses and the perfection, but then with the limited exposure and resources, they are exceedingly good.

Last couple of weeks, there is one round called the Challenge round. Kids dance on globes suspended in midair, on ladders, being lifted up by sheets. Yes! They do beautiful acrobatics, twists and turns..and all this WITHOUT a safety harness or hooks!! How can the channel, the judges and the parents allow this? It is so dangerous! One slip, one fall is enough to cause grievous injury, quadraplegia and even death. Why do they put innocent children through this, when all they have to do is to make safety a priority and mandatory!

I can understand this is a competetion..but nothing is worth more than a childs safety and life.

In yesterdays episode, a 11 year old child was dancing in midair, holding onto two sheets. And the mother in the audience, was closing her eyes and praying throughout. Well..but then she is permitting her child to do all this..so why then make this Gods responsibilty?? And one of the judges even commented that the mother was busy praying and did not watch her daughter dance. But noone cares about the child!

In another episode, a child , again doing some complicated steps, twists and turns, is being coached by his father. After the performance, the judge asked him if his father beat him during the training. The kid said "no" glancing at his father. Then this 'father' tells everyone..i admit..i have beaten him! Gosh!! This is child abuse!! and that too coming out in the open like this. Had this happened in any western country, the father would have been taken to task by law and the child put in a foster home! All on counts of 'cruelty'

Sadly, in India, there is NO value for human life, be it big or small, rich or poor. We are not protected by law, by our law keepers nor by our own family! And we talk about generation next!

I am ME!

I am me!

If you ask me to describe myself, i guess the oddest of the adjectives would be applicable to me..

Eccentric, unconventional, wild, crazy, weird, non conforming, extreme, unpredictable..I could go on and on..

But i was still me..maybe i took an oath at birth..that i wouldnt change for anything or anyone..refused to change and even now im the same. I am ME with all my imperfections and truthfulness..yes thats another part of me..discretion has never been in my dictionary..if someone asks me..i will tell them the truth ( unless the person/s with me dont want me to say)

while growing up..as kids..we are hardly judgemental..or cynical..so i was just accepted..and the teachers at school..well..i guess they had no choice.,.,with my dad having built the school and mom the local power house..they had to turn a blind eye to my idiosyncracies..

later..in college..i was still the same..i didnt have to act..never pretended..i was ME..many people came in contact with me and left as fast..but some have remained with me..as part of me..the same continued as we were thrown out into the wild bad world..again.people trooped in and out of my life...and some stayed..and they became a part of me and vice versa..

what i want to tell the world today-- i marvel at the way how these friends have just accepted me for what i am.,,for who i am..non judgemental, ungrudgingly.unquestioningly..totally and what more..loved me as much..  yes..no questions asked..no explainations needed for any of my actions or reactions..i have lived my life the way i wanted to..( of course-- the cardinal rule is whatever i do..i ensure noone gets hurt) ..sometimes socially unacceptable...but nothing mattered to them..but me..they stood by me..like solid rock through my thicks and thins/sins...these people must be superior beings..

Today..my dearest friends who are around the world..i bow to you..i salute you.. and i dedicate this blog to you.,.and from the bottom of my heart..thank you for accepting me, loving me and keeping me as I am..I am so proud and happy that you wonderful people are a such an essential part of my gloriuos world...and have given me so much to live for and live with..when you could have just walked away..yet..you stayed..

God bless you all...and peace be with you always..

To all my  dearest..friends..my love and my gratitude.. I LOVE YOU ALL..

Guzarish..

Guzarish isnt a movie! Its an experience! Exhilarating..enchanting  and exotice..

I havent been touched by any other movie more intensely than this one. Or moved so much.The way emotions have been depicted , handled and expressed is to be felt than seen or heard. Each one so different but finally so complete and total- Fear, frustration, love, forgiveness, pain, disappointments, passion. Every relationship- friendship, motherhood, lovers, professional has been  tried, tested ,pulled apart and put together in perfect symmetry ,with so much intensity and without the drama! You go through each one, savouring them, living them and at the same recalling similar moments and relationships in our own lives. So damn beautiful.

Whats most amazing was the depiction of love in its highest , purest and truest form! Such sublime love reserved for  the very privileged few. The rest of us can only go through this through Guzarish! There is no take.only give, there is no expressing only feeling, there is no speech, only touch, there are no promises, only honouring them, there is no wishing, only doing.And we go through each of this..and how!!!!! ..a roller coaster ride ..of confusion, passion, compassion..of wanting,seeking and longing ..and wanting more, seeking more and longing more ...and this feeling stays on with us...being a part of us..

That people can rise so high, that relationships can be so sacred and holy..questions arise..so do doubts..are these human beings for real? Sanjay Leela Bansali has done it again! He has risen above the ordinary, above the mundane, above the unreal and given us the gift of GUZARISH! Hats off to you, Sanjay! And thank you for this most AMAZING  180 minutes experience you gave us! Unforgettable!

the road diggers!!

Have you ever noticed the state of our roads..well..the state its in..one cannot miss.
We do spend a lot of time on the road- in cars, autos, buses and as pedestrians.Why not? The roads are meant for us and we are the taxpayers as well..so we are all kind of owners of the roads.

But what do we get in return??

The following-\

Potholes ( to which if you fall into would double up as a grave), broken parts, uneven footpaths ( where there ARE footpaths), gravel and sometimes not even a road!!!!..thanks to the leaders we elect year after year ..thats another story by itself..

but what i wanted to share was something  else..yess..the road diggers!

In a radius of 3 kms, at any time of the year, you will find minimum 4 places where there is active digging going on..either in the middle , sides or on footpaths. If you ask them..they will be from water authority, electricity board or the telephone departments ( sometimes even private citizens digging for some connection or the other)

Errrr..but they are not 'exactly' from the departments..but contract workers whose only job is to DIG!

At times you find the 'supervisor' ( some of them have aides who hold umbrellas over their heads for sun and rain )  with an air of importance and supremacy ,for about 30 minutes or so to ensure that the digging starts on time. Thats the last you see of them

Some places we find a board saying "men at work', other places a stick dug into the ground..if we are lucky the stick will have a red cloth hanging on it ( in Kerala there is no dearth for red cloth of course) But most of the time, you will find mud slung carelessly on both sides that indicates some serious digging is happening

And then the diggers are it..digging deep and wide in desperate vigour and enthusiasm! It may last 2 hours, half a day, one day, several days. Sometimes we find them coming back in regular intervals as well to continue where they left off..more diggging of course!

Whatever the time duration what we are left with is this-

- trenches that are dug and left open. With no warning signs or boards. Just like that! Maybe the contract workers are hired just to dig it open and not close them.

- hurriedly closed holes that look like  heavily  pregnant boas.

- closed holes with huge pipes thrown on them ( which luckily are gaily colourful!)

- and not a single person ACCOUNTABLE or  ANSWERABLE to such irresponsibilities!

So we what we have learnt

- take all this in our stride..even accept it
- master the art of walking or steering expertly around and through these trenches- closed or opened.
- and still continue to pay road taxes!

Jai Hind!

horns and honks

Typical day...on the road..

traffic jams, people crossing the road at their will and wish, bicycles trying to overtake you, cops flagging down suspected offenders, dead animals, threatening bus drivers..scenes after scenes of a drama unfolds..

but the Oscar goes to...The HONKERS!!!

God..you are in a block that is a mile long...all stuck like sardines in a can.and this smart alec ( always a male..) starts honking!!! sigh...now what the hell does he want ME to do??? fly 6 feet above so he can drive past???

Again you are in a traffic light..behind 20 cars..the light turns green..and guess what?? even when the light is orange our hero starts honking...sigh..now what? does he think im settling down in that space?

Other day I was in a highway..very light traffic..a car about 10 metres behind me and nothing between us.. honking non stop...for what????

Once in Nadakkav junction, I actually got out of the car and went and yelled at this retard who was leaning on his horn despite a dozen vehicles AND a cop in  front of my car.. and he is looking at me bewildered with a look that said..'now what did I do'?...sigh

In a nutshell..people honk and honk..why?

Coz they have a horn and they SHOULD use it??
Is it a syndrome?
Is it a manifestation of some unresolved experence?
Is it a superiority complex? listen..i have a horn and its my birthright ????
Coz its freeeeeee????? Not taxable?????

Whatever..they are enough to give anyone a severe, untreatable case of road rage..and not to mention..Noise pollution!

But we can do something..charge people for every time they use the horn for NO reason ..which is like almost every time!! Calicut will be RICH! :)

anyways guys..One for the road! Cheers!!:)