Ever had Chinese food in Mumbai?
Chances are that 9 times out of 10 you'd encounter a guy from the North Eastern parts of our country serving Chinese food. This is especially true if it's a road side stall.
Forget road side eateries - i have seen this in decent hotels and even in one of the Mainland China restaurants.
I actually find this strange.
Do the owners really think they'd convince their customers that they are being served 'authentic' Chinese food? Or is it just for the ambience?
Anyway, since no one's complaining, it seems to work well for everyone involved.
Win-win-win!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
62 years of independence
"The British left six decades too early" - goes a comment in a newspaper on 15th August.
What did the writer actually mean? He spoke about Indians' lack of planning and how the Brits are better at planning and developing infrastructure. Fair point.
But what came to mind when i first read it was that the British could still rule India.
Sometimes one feels that India should have been 28 princely states (plus the Union territories) rather than one country. The reason i say this is because of our propensity for regionalism. It is always us v/s them, Biharis v/s Mumbaikars, South Indians v/s North Indians, ... Just take a look at the number of political parties in India and you get a sense of what is being said. And then there is IPL - Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Dare Devils, etc.
There is some glamour to it, isn't there?
Who is to blame for all this?
Politicians? You? Me?
Or is it the idea of Indianness?
Such a diverse country can't be described in a sentence. Or can it?
You can't describe it in terms of religion. Although Hindus are a majority, we should not forget that India’s Muslim population exceeded Pakistan’s (until at least the mid-1990s). Besides we have Sikhs, Christians, Jews, etc. Not language, as the constitution officially recognizes 18 languages (God know how many dialects these have). Not even ethnicity - India has been invaded by too many ethnic groups in the past; so the chances of belonging to a single race are out of question.
All said and done, what matters most is that the world's largest democracy works. How it works - nobody seems to know, but it does work. Adman & lyricist Prasoon Joshi puts it well: There's a rhythmic chaos in India. There is something that binds us all - the clichéd "Unity in diversity" comes to mind. We have a Sikh PM who got that position thanks to an Italian. We love Shahrukh Khan.
After 62 years of independence, we still have problems of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, population growth, etc. Despite all these issues, I'm gung-ho about young India. A confident India - ready to take on challenges head on. From MTNL to cell-phones, DD to DTH, restraint to indulgence, from bottling up to blogging, we have come a long way baby.
But we haven't arrived yet. We still have a long way to go. Let us all come together and bridge the gap between Bharath and India.
What did the writer actually mean? He spoke about Indians' lack of planning and how the Brits are better at planning and developing infrastructure. Fair point.
But what came to mind when i first read it was that the British could still rule India.
Sometimes one feels that India should have been 28 princely states (plus the Union territories) rather than one country. The reason i say this is because of our propensity for regionalism. It is always us v/s them, Biharis v/s Mumbaikars, South Indians v/s North Indians, ... Just take a look at the number of political parties in India and you get a sense of what is being said. And then there is IPL - Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Dare Devils, etc.
There is some glamour to it, isn't there?
Who is to blame for all this?
Politicians? You? Me?
Or is it the idea of Indianness?
Such a diverse country can't be described in a sentence. Or can it?
You can't describe it in terms of religion. Although Hindus are a majority, we should not forget that India’s Muslim population exceeded Pakistan’s (until at least the mid-1990s). Besides we have Sikhs, Christians, Jews, etc. Not language, as the constitution officially recognizes 18 languages (God know how many dialects these have). Not even ethnicity - India has been invaded by too many ethnic groups in the past; so the chances of belonging to a single race are out of question.
All said and done, what matters most is that the world's largest democracy works. How it works - nobody seems to know, but it does work. Adman & lyricist Prasoon Joshi puts it well: There's a rhythmic chaos in India. There is something that binds us all - the clichéd "Unity in diversity" comes to mind. We have a Sikh PM who got that position thanks to an Italian. We love Shahrukh Khan.
After 62 years of independence, we still have problems of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, population growth, etc. Despite all these issues, I'm gung-ho about young India. A confident India - ready to take on challenges head on. From MTNL to cell-phones, DD to DTH, restraint to indulgence, from bottling up to blogging, we have come a long way baby.
But we haven't arrived yet. We still have a long way to go. Let us all come together and bridge the gap between Bharath and India.
Leaves of Grass
Although i don't usually read poems, i happened to read one worth sharing. This one's by the American philosopher poet Walt Whitman.
Whoever you are holding me now in hand,
Without one thing all will be useless,
I give you fair warning before you attempt me further,
I am not what you supposed, but far different.
Who is he that would become my follower?
Who would sign himself a candidate for my affections?
The way is suspicious, the result uncertain, perhaps destructive,
You would have to give up all else, I alone would
expect to be your sole & exclusive standard,
Your novitiate would even then be long & exhausting,
The whole past theory of your life & all conformity to the lives around you would have to be abandoned,
Therefore release me now before troubling yourself
any further, let go your hand from my shoulders,
Put me down and depart on your way.
From "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman.
Whoever you are holding me now in hand,
Without one thing all will be useless,
I give you fair warning before you attempt me further,
I am not what you supposed, but far different.
Who is he that would become my follower?
Who would sign himself a candidate for my affections?
The way is suspicious, the result uncertain, perhaps destructive,
You would have to give up all else, I alone would
expect to be your sole & exclusive standard,
Your novitiate would even then be long & exhausting,
The whole past theory of your life & all conformity to the lives around you would have to be abandoned,
Therefore release me now before troubling yourself
any further, let go your hand from my shoulders,
Put me down and depart on your way.
From "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Change is happiness
Have u seen the new Videocon ads?
The new logo is amazing - the green 'V' looks young and refreshing.
The font looks great too.
Really liked the ad - Chow mouw, chow mouw...
(For those who have not seen the ad, take a look @ this.)
And yes, change IS happiness :)
The new logo is amazing - the green 'V' looks young and refreshing.
The font looks great too.
Really liked the ad - Chow mouw, chow mouw...
(For those who have not seen the ad, take a look @ this.)
And yes, change IS happiness :)
Sunday, August 02, 2009
About writing
Just came across these words worth sharing:
Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends & society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted & slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking.
How true! At least for me - the irresistible urge to write always creeps up when i m away from home.
Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends & society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted & slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking.
How true! At least for me - the irresistible urge to write always creeps up when i m away from home.
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