marine drive and marina

Just back from a business trip to amchi mumbai. Stayed very close to marine drive, and used late evening and early morning time to stroll along and drink in the ambience of the place. Sub consciously kept comparing the walking experience of besant nagar beach and marine drive.Here goes;
Marine drive has a much wider walkway(good stretch of it is also under renovation) and also there are no hawkers.Greater mumbai municipal authorities strictly do not allow any film shooting in that stretch.It appeared to me that they are religiously guarding the place strictly for 'walkers, sitters and gazers of the sea'; yes concession is made for cyclists.Saw lot of youngsters in their sports outfits bicycling away riding abreast with friends and generally having a good time.Doves by the thousands throng the walkway and there are any number of people who come specifically with the idea of feeding them. They bring grains in pouches and lovingly throw them for the doves.All of a sudden you see them take off in one swift wave and you realise that you have caused all the disturbance!They settle down quickly enough and this 'ballet' goes on at regular intervals.The process looks so picturesque that i felt it is no wonder that film makers have liberally used this situation in a number of movies.
Heard hindi, marathi, gujarathi tamil and english in almost equal measure.It made me realise the cosmopolitan culture of the city.I was also noticing that churidar kameez was worn by very few ladies and they were strictly well above 50 years !Girls were in sports outfit or jeans and short tops; did see saree clad women only a handful of them;almost everyone was having walkman or a mobile sticking to their ears;heard all latest movie songs as ring tones and I would hum that song till i heard some other ring tone and i will take off from there!Kept me amused and engaged.
The walkway ends jutting out into the sea.Avid surya namaskaram doers make it a point to travel up to the tip and wait for the sun to appear on the far side.Unlike besant nagar beach, the sun does not mercilessly beat down on you, first thing in the morning and make you scurry for cover at 6 am.The Hiltons and Air India buildings effectively shield the walkers from the sun atleast till 8 am!Yasas used to call chennaites insomniacs as they head for their morning walk at ungodly hour of 5 pm. I now know why they do so !
Saw more luxury and midsize cars than i have seen in besant nagar beach area.Financial capital endral summava? Of course there is no beach in mumbai. And there were no fishermen either.Saw quite a few "victorias";i mean the tongas colourfully decorated, line the walkway; i saw quite a few tourists use them when i had gone there late evening.
The evening life on marine drive is quite different.More families come out to enjoy the breeze and quiet and open space.I actually spotted stars on the horizon; but could not identify many as one is used to the eastern sky and familiar with some of the stellar constellations there.The famous 'queens necklace' is a treat to watch.The skyscrapers at a distance are like a painting etched against the inky blue of the sky.No tall buildings rising up to the sky in Chennai.
Altogether enjoyed my anonymity, solitude and leisure on the Marine Drive.

My first encounter of the third kind; an rto office

I had forgotten what it is to go to an RTO office. I took a license 12 years back and i had forgotten the harrowing experience. I also read in the papers that things are a lot better and extremely streamlined and absence of touts and stuff.Never did i think that all these information is relevant to me, as i have succeeded in getting a motor license long back.
Then i was in for a shock.It all started with a new found resolution i had made to myself.I will be more organised and keep proper record of documents, amc for gadgets,investments,certificates(including the sack race yasas won a third place in in her 2nd standard)I promised.
Everyday i would do a little bit of paperwork so that i do not get overwhelmed and chuck the whole thing half way through.I think it was the third day or so, i looked at my license and was noting down the particulars;i got stuck on date of expiry, 5th june 2004. I peeled my eyes and looked again; i seem to tell myself, come on your license cannot expire(because you did not think it did!). But it came as a shock to me that i need to go for a renewal of this license as i have crossed age 50!(not a pleasant thought at the best of times, and rudely reminded of it then, was like a double trouble)
I kept postponing my visit to the RTO.But then i was told that the whole thing gets over in less than an hour.So i went one day morning and was asked to get medical certificate and photos and attestation and what not.(i really believed that all i had to do was go and present myself and my license will be renewed!)
Got it all done, courtesy RK.
So another auspicious day was fixed to submit the same.Yes, i did go there but only to see a board which said, employees are away on some other government work for the next 15 days and could we please come after they are back.
So back i came again and vowed to go there a few days after they are back to help them settle down a bit.
It was yesterday i went there and was told that since my license is not the original one, can i come back after filing a police complaint with Aminjikarai police station(in the other end of the town, mind you).
They will take note of it, check up their records and then write to this rto office to issue a duplicate;and then the whole process of renewal has to once again get kickstarted.
I was truly upset and made a quick decision in a flash. I will get a new license, as i can organise the whole process in this office.
So it was that i was standing in the queue again today morning with a new set of forms(photocopies of records of residence,date of birth) and in 45 minutes i did get my learner's license.
Yes, the staff were very cooperative, there were no touts who taunt you; time taken was barest minimum; but then i got exhausted with the bureaucracy and the intimidation to be on the other side!
That we need to go round and round the office premises in front of various 'windows' and get scorched in the sun in the process, did not help matters.I was dreading the situation that they will find some lacunae in my documentation and ask me to come again!!
I was surprised how paranoid i got.Told me a lot of things about how to have a simple process which can be understood by everybody.Nowhere was it written for procuring an LLR, what is the procedure one needs to follow.There was a pro no doubt and she was quite patient and pleasant.
Remembered changi airport and how they have a sign board at the exact place where you would be looking for some information!!

mnc endral enna?

Heard an interesting one sided conversation today morning in the beach.There was this young boy, talking earnestly on the mobile. I guess he was talking to his mom, as he kept interspersing his talk with 'illa ma'(well, one could argue that it could be anyone not necessarily his mom, as the expression 'ma' is used colloquially to denote a friend sometimes) But then the number of times ' illa ma' was coming in the conversation, i as a mom know that it is the offspring talking to the mom!!
But then i was wanting to say something else; he was telling his mother that he has got a job. And that it is in an 'mnc'.I guess mommy wanted to know what is this new word 'mnc' that is coming up. And he said, ma, mnc means multinational corporation....
I passed by so was not privy to the conversation further; and while i was coming back on my return route, this boy had disappeared.
For the first time in our lives, we are coming across a very happy situation.Where jobs in mnc are not offered only to the top and creamy layer of the society, where not only the boy, but mommy, daddy and all else would be quite familiar with words like mnc and the rest.But are offered to youngsters who need to tell their moms and dads what an mnc means.
Can we take it that the trickle down effect has started to happen, albeit in a small and obscure way?

Medha Patkar

I am sure many are following the narmada bachao andolan and the fast by medha patkar. Today read the full text of the ministerial committee report in the Hindu.What stuck me as a manager of more than 2 decades is the extent of shirking of responsibility by the bureaucrats concerned.
It is said, that the rehabilitation is only on paper. Nothing on the ground. Is this why the name 'paper work' given to all that a bureaucrat does?A road is supposed to be available and it is said only the previous day, a pile of stones was delivered to show a road work is in progress!!How mean and unfeeling can we get? I am not discussing the issue of whether what medha is doing is right or wrong; i am for the time being concentrating on how the managers who need to monitor and report on the rehabilitation , not doing their job and simply collecting papers. How can they do that?It is said, that the officials who are signing those false report, have not ever visited those spots. Okay there are other ways of verifying whether the jobs mentioned to have been done have indeed been done.But nowhere are there any checks applied to ensure people's lives are taken care of. It is not some fancy report of a ph d student, which can be embellished and adorn the university library. It is somebody's life.
And for the corruption issue. It seems compensation is always given in cash, after deducting 'administrative charges'.While all forms of corruption is horrible, the corruption which eats into the poor man's due, is equal to murder.Blood boils.

In or Out?

The other day i remembered this game we used to play as small children. I dont see kids playing this game now. Is it out of fashion i wonder.
But then the reason i thought of this game was while watching the people who were watching the tennis matches in our club.Passers-by usually stop near the gate and gaze interestedly at the players merrily tossing the ball or heatedly arguing a line call; in fact, generally enjoying themselves and letting their hair down.I have noticed the keen interest ' aam jan' have in watching any game, any where.
But then when i see the picker boys or the marker,stand inside the gate and watch what is happening outside on the roads, i was remembering ' in or out'.
When we are outside the tennis court, we are interested in what is happening there and while we are inside the court, we are interested in what is happening outside the court!
I felt i have discovered a great home truth and shared the same kumar.He said, it is common human tendency to feel 'grass is greener on the other side'.I still felt, that human beings are constantly looking for diversion and enjoyment and instead of looking within themselves, are quite distracted by the 'outside' world!

Product brochure

A leading public sector bank had arranged a product launch ceremony yesterday. My company also was cobranding the product and I was invited for the function.So far so good.While waiting for the formal launch, product brochure was given to us.I was startled at the tardy way in which the features of the product were highlighted.
Yes, ours is an insurance company, so we need to talk about eventualities which are not readily palatable.I agree, but then saying that the product takes care of the cost of transporting of the 'body' was carrying it a bit too far.Another feature was mentioned as 'benefit' for medical emergencies."Benefit" is a wrong word;nobody benefits by a medical emergency;insurance companies reimburse/compensate for the cost incurred in coping with such medical emergencies.
I remember when the concept of life insurance was taught by senior professors, they used to din it in our heads, that nobody can ever compensate loss of a human being; more so to their immediate family members; what insurance companies can do is to try to compensate the financial loss suffered due to untimely death.Their passion and clarity about the role of life insurance is still fresh in my memory after 28 years.
While so,the expression " benefit of medical emergencies" sends a jarring note and shows utter lack of sensitivity in handling a portfolio like life insurance and
health insurance.
Coming back to 'transporting the body", the marketing official who " cleverly" drafted this feature in the product launch brochure, needs to just pause and think, the purpose of these 'benefits' to the prospect.One needs to put only those features which will make a prospect look at your product a little more closely.Accident, yes they can envisage; loss of passport, loss or delay in baggage,health emergencies are eventualities they can relate and feel the need to provide for. But that you may die and your body needs to be transported to whatever place, is not something you consciously provide for.I dont deny that such a service is very much called for at such emergencies.But they can be charged for and even offered at such contingencies.One need not tout it as a selling proposition!!
Apart from condemning the entire industry as lacking in sensitivity, i would only add that they are very poor marketeers.They want to project the administrative details when they need to project only the selling propositions.Client facing needs to be well differentiated from back office functions.
Finally the market place will decide, who scores and who does'nt as far as being tuned in to the customers needs and sensitivities.

Senior citizens' hang out

Sometime back there was a beautiful picture of a row of senior citizens sitting on a bench in besant nagar beach.It was taken from a very good angle to show a walking stick in the foreground. I immediately was able to relate to the people in the picture as i used to see them everyday during my morning walks on the beach.They used to be such a jolly good bunch of 'oldies'.I used to relish getting to hear snatches of their conversation while walking past them. They used to have an opinion on everything and be very forthright and categorical about it. Normally one of them would buy a newspaper from a vendor nearby and from cricket to politics to globalisation, every matter would be discussed.The session would end till it becomes too hot to sit in the porch even while they sit with their backs to the morning sun!
Today i went for a walk on the beach after many months(gym is my latest haunt) and i was surprised to find several senior and not so senior women occupying the same spot!Has there been any turf war and these women have won this round i wondered.The decibel level was much lower than the men and they were talking not as a group but in twos and threes.They did not have the day's daily spread out in front of them. But i was happy to note that the topic did not include daughter in laws!World seems to have forged ahead and women too have shed the dull topic of daughter in laws.Good for them and good for passers by like me who could get to hear different topics analysed and dissected.Today's topic appeared to be about poojas, bhajans and rama navami festival in various temples in the city.Definiely plan to keep my ears peeled while i cross this lady's hangout joint for some juicy sound bytes.

"Moov" it

Gender stereotyping in advertisement is a well known angst among all thinking women.But i was never so agitated as i did yesterday while watching an ad for the pain reliever cream 'moov'.They show two different versions of the ad and that was the last straw.
First one was a happy family of husband wife and a kid.The husband is restless with pain in his back. Immediately the wife takes 'moov' applies it on his back and everything is fine afterwards.
Second version was telecast yesterday.Same happy family.Here wife is having a pain in her back. Husband and kid are sleeping soundly.The lady picks up 'moov' and applies it on her back and everything is fine afterwards.
No, everything is not fine as far as i am concerned.Do the advertisers want to make a statement that moov is effective only when a lady applies it, be it for herself or for anybody else.Is this is not gender stereotyping at its worst?
I have been appreciating some ads which take that extra mile to move away from the tried and trusted role of women as workers, care givers and generally being door mats!There have been ads from whirlpool where a man washes clothes and exults in getting well washed and sparkling clothes out of the machine.A coffee ad also makes a point of a man making very good coffee when he gets guests at home.I thought such enlightened ads are here to stay, till this 'moov' ad irritated me no end.
That ad has to be 'moov'ed out pronto!!

Season changeth -Vepampoo

Opened the door of the rear verandah today morning and the heady smell of 'vepampoo'(flower of neem tree)wafted in and hit my nostrils with its unique and heady smell.There is something indescribable about the smell of vepampoo;it is unique;and as you are smelling it, you will invariably see a few flowers gently falling to the ground and wobbling slightly on the way down;some flowers do get caught up midway in some spider web and keep dangling for a while before a strong breeze blows them over.Amma used to religiously collect and make 'pungent' dishes out of it. Hence I also look forward to collecting those fresh flowers during this season. You must spread a mat just below the tree;but then the flower is so delicate it might not remain there when you come to collect the day's harvest in the evening;you should have a mechanism of collection and storage every hour of so.To circumvent this process i resort to plucking the entire bunch of flowers and then removing individual flowers from the stem. While you are at this exercise,you get a bonus of being enveloped by its heady fragrance.
Amma used to fry them in ghee and give us to be had with hot rice and salt sprinkled on it. It is a hot favourite with me, especially when my palette longs for something simple and different from the sambhar/rasam tirade for weeks at a stretch.She used to make chutney out of vepampoo which is also quite unique and patented by her. Somehow not got around to making this as part of a monthly menu.Rasam from vepampoo can be made in a jiffy and though there are not very many takers for the same, i make it now and then and athai and me are ardent consumers!
The fresh stock of vepampoo for the new year is delivered by the 'season' courier
and i am all ready to take delivery of the same!!

change of season

The porch outside the gym is bare and stark. What has happened to the tree which used to spread its branches which gently sway in the breeze, i wondered.Has it been chopped off?Thank god it is not so, the tree has shed its leaves.Nature responds to season as if there is an unseen clock directing its operations.How did it happen so suddenly?Tress shedding their leaves and appearing barren all of a sudden always reminds me of study holidays in school and college. Along with the remembrance of those days i also remember the quickening of the pulse for the impending exams;adrenalin rushing in, expectation of giving one's best in the exams and the anxiety churning in the stomach.In the college campus at Tambaram, tress used to be everywhere and human beings used to be a rarity.Hence when the tress shed their leaves it brings a surreal feeling to the entire campus.I also remember the long walks me and my sister used to take to go to west tambaram in the evenings during those study holidays.We used to pester amma to give us an excuse to venture to the market; so that we can buy 'uppu kadalai' and 'udacha kadalai' each and keep munching it on the way back home. Also used to revel in commenting about every passerby and feeling very clever and intellectual!
This period used to be quickly followed by brown shoots and buds in the avenue tress just as you enter the college gate.Very soon yellow flowers will bloom and soon thereafter they will decorate the entire walkway with yellow blanket as far as the eyes can see. Used to keep darting away as to not to stamp on those soft flowers but it will be quite an effort.Principal's driveway also used to have good avenue trees and they will also shed their light pink flowers all along the path.Never used to see so many movies then, otherwise we would have felt we are in an exotic locale!
Chennai has a reputation of having only one season throught the year; but there are subtle seasonal changes and i revel in it

sunday mallu movie

My friend jayashree has been an ardent fan of mallu movies for more than two decades.She used to wax eloquent about sunday morning movie time on tv.Been hearing her patiently but never could get around to trying it out.I keep watching mallu programmes off and on.My interest in watching mallu programmes started during my earlier posting in training college.Used to get trainees from Kerala and observing them and their language made me want to learn and appreciate the language.Internal marketing, if you will.
Today i sat plonk in front of the tv for the 11 am movie.Ubiquitous mohanlal and vivacious and beautiful shobana.So i sat rooted there for the next 3 hours much to athai's surprise. She kept asking me if i am able to follow the storyline. But then whatever gaps in understanding of the language is more than made up by the pleasant locales,realistic and aesthetically narrated story line and man, wonderful songs. I remembered reading suhasini's view on malayalam movies. she said when you travel through kerala and look out of the train,they are almost a leaf out of malayalam movies!
This story was set in a rural ambience with lots of cattle and bullock carts. In fact most of the movie is shot during a travel sequence in a bullock cart travel.I was so enchanted by the cattle, i told kumar that i want to go to a cattle shandy.He got scared and said there are no such shandies held anywhere near here nowadays!!!
Now i am into this addiction; i can see myself veering towards the tv on sunday mid mornings and everything else will swirl around this latest fixation!!