All about living in this crazy, wonderful city called Bombay

March 28, 2004

Just took a "test" to figure out where I will go in the afterworld...here's the result :)

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Fourth Level of Hell! Just before the river Styx is the Fourth Level of Hell. Here, the prodigal and the avaricious suffer their punishment, as they roll weights back and forth against one another. You will share eternal damnation with others who either wasted and lived greedily and insatiably, or who stockpiled their fortunes, hoarding everything and sharing nothing. Plutus, the wolf-like demon of wealth, dwells here.
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
LevelScore
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)Moderate
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)Very High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)Very High
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)Moderate
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)High
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Test

March 26, 2004

Today, I hogged on pani puri for the third day in succession :) As they say, you can take a girl out of Delhi, but you can't take a Delhi girl's mind off chaat!!!!

Incidentally, for the uninformed, the best pani puri in the whole, wide world is at Tiwari's tiny, roadside stall next to Hotel Intercontinental at Marine Drive. A Bombay institution, catering to celebs, socialites and the not-so-glamorous populace alike, this guy makes 80 kgs of fresh puris every day, carts them on the local train all the way from Borivili, and sets up shop around 4.30 at Marine Drive. Its a small and open stall, with no arrangement for luxuries like sitting down, but it still attracts all of Bombay and getting standing space on weekends is a miracle! He makes the "pani" in Bisleri water, and is usually all sold out by 8-8.30. So be there before that, if you are a chaat lover like me!

March 25, 2004

In Bombay you don't need to watch TV to figure out whether India is winning or losing a cricket match against Pakistan....the mammoth fireworks going off all across the city convey the message soon enough! Yesterday was like Diwali all over again....by the time the eight Pak wicket fell, we had to turn the TV volume onto maximum to be able to hear the commentary over the bursting crackers and the night sky stayed lit up in brilliant sparkles of red, gold, green and fuschia long after the last ball was bowled. It was definitely a proud and exhilarating time for Indians all over the country yesterday, thanks to the men in blue :)

March 23, 2004

Why do I do this to myself?????? Why can't I say No! to a story if I find it interesting, even if I have no clue as to how I am going to budget it into my time? And why do I find so many varied subjects interesting in the first place????? Because of this, by this weekend I have to do three full length features, three 400-word features, chase two celebs for pieces that they are supposed to be writing for a mag with whom I work as Commissioning Editor, and source pix for all this stuff as well!! And this is alongside the fact that by this very-same weekend I have to independantly draft all the sponsorship and fund-raising proposals for the VCCCI in the year 2004-05, and fix up venues where we shall be hosting our events over the next 12 months. Plus a host of other miscellaneous stuff like helping my brother prep for his MBA interview....buy an airconditioner before I melt in this crazy heat.....send my IT stuff to the CA.....etc. etc. etc. etc. Catch you later if I am alive by then :(

March 20, 2004

Vishwatronix '04 at VIT, Pune

The IEEE-VIT (Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune) Student Branch is hosting its annual event -- Vishwatronix '04 -- on 27th and 28th of March, 2004. The event is sponsored by Mercedes Benz and Tata Honeywell, and this year's activities include:

I. A day-long seminar on "Electronics in Aviation" by the Aeronautical Society of India [28th March]. Proposed Lectures :
Aerodynamics & Propulsion,
Weapon Electronics & Sensors
Electronic Warfare
Avionics
Fly-by-Wire
Stealth Technology
LCA
Careers in Aviation
Pre-registration : Rs 80/- for IEEE/AeSI Members; Rs 120/- for Non-IEEE/AeSI Members
[Includes printed material and lunch]

II. Competitions:
a. Circuit Eye: The Electronic Circuit Troubleshooting Competition. [separate event for SE and TE]
b. The Hack: The C Programming Competition [Only upto TE level]
c. Microbrains: The 8085 Microprocessor Programming Competition [Open for all: Yes, BE's too!]
d. BotJam: The Robotics Competition [consisting of 2 levels -- Level 1- Blindfold Racing and Level 2 - Line Follower] Do check out our hints page for making a line follower.

Also, there are guest lectures by experts from Mercedes-Benz, Tata-Honeywell and video shows by the Aero. Soc. of India and On-the-Spot competitions open to all!

For more information on all events, goto www.ieee.org/vit OR Contact: Samir: 9890113546; Varun: 9822517873; Satpreet [Robotics]: 9822815120
Email: sb.vit@ieee.org

March 19, 2004

Indo-Pak Vintage Car Rally

Will the 1903 Humber and the 1911 Triumph find stablemates in Pakistan? A difficult question to answer off the cuff, as not much is known about the motoring specifics in Pakistan, but change is in the air, with the Vintage and Classic Car Club of India, the Motorsports Association of India, and the Western India Automobile Association join hands to undertake the first ever Indo-Pakistan Vintage Car Rally later this year!

The historic and path-breaking feat will see both vintage and modern cars undertake a journey from New Delhi to Islamabad, crossing the Wagah border in what will be the first Indian motorcade to enter Pakistan in more than 50 years.

The rally will follow the regulations of a Touring Assembly, as required under the International Sporting Code of FIA. There will be a simultaneous start from the major metros in India, from where the cars will proceed to Delhi. After a day in Delhi for assembly and a ceremonial flag-off, the next day the cars will proceed to Islamabad, where the motorcade will be received by the Pakistan Prime Minister.

The proposed date for the assembly and ceremonial start in Delhi is December 18, 2004, and the run to Islamabad will commence on December 19, with an overnight halt. Entries will be restricted to approximately 50 vintage and 50 modern cars.

Mr. Nitin Dossa, Chairman of the VCCCI, who has already made several visits to Islamabad to lay the grounds for this mega-venture is confident that the event will soon develop into a major friendship exercise and tourist attraction between the two countries, going on to strengthen the subcontinent's claim towards grabbing a bigger share of the world motorsports pie.

Under the stewardship of Mr. Nazir Hoosein, President of the Motorsports Association of India (MAI), the country has already hosted a leg of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship and is poised to get on the World Rally map. There are also positive indications of India getting on the F1 circuit soon and in this current scenario, when it can be safely said that motorsports is booming in India, the move to open up the borders with Pakistan comes at an opportunate time.

March 18, 2004

yippeeee!!!!! I am NOT to blame for adding inches to my waistline...its because I have this little known thyroid disorder that took ages and ages to diagnose. I have suffered because of this for the last year, and am now writing this for the benefit of all those (especially women) who have symptoms like unexpected weight gain/loss, continuous fever, fatigue, depression etc. etc. and yet your thyroid levels appear normal on blood tests, this does not necessarily mean that you do not have a thyroid disorder. This diagnosis can get a little complicated, since thyroid levels can fluctuate quite a bit, so while they may be normal on the day you get the test done, they might be high or low on other days, causing all the problems. For example, my T3, T4, TSH levels vary between totally normal to 600% of the normal value.

Some of the ways in which you can get around the problem is by getting the thyroid test repeated a few times, getting your Antithyroid Antibodies tested, and getting a thyroid scan done. All these are very non-invasive, simple tests, and trust me, once you start the thyroid medication life just starts rockin' again within a week :)

But also, always, always remember to take thyroid medication under the supervision of a very good doctor, who can tell you the dosage you need. Take too high a dosage, or take the medicine unnecessarily, and you are seriously asking for trouble. In Bombay, the best docs I have found for this are Dr. Jehangir Sorabjee (Bombay Hospital) and Dr. Parekh (Doctor House, opp. Jaslok Hospital).

Hope this helps!!

March 17, 2004

Whew.....what a cliffhanger of a match it was yesterday, though I am not really surprised that Pak won. Because once Sachin and Dravid were gone, the Indian batting, predictably, just fell apart. What was really funny was when Nehra -- the last Indian batsman came in -- with something like 21 runs to make off 13 balls and the stats they put up show that Nehra has played 46 ODIs and made a TOTAL of 61 runs in all of them combined. The bookies must have been having a field day ;)

All the same, sometimes I really miss the excitement of the cricket field. In all my years as a sports journo, I don't think I watched a single match from the press box. I used to be either in the dressing room pavilion or as close to the boundary as I could get, convinced that the readers no longer went to newspapers for a ball-by-ball account of the match -- you had that on TV already -- so it was my job to collect to collect all the off-beat stories. And was it fun!!!!!! Miss those days, and all the friends I made in that circle...Nikhil, Rajesh, Salil, Jatin, Kambli, Srinath....cricket was just so much more fun when these people were out there on the field.

Anyway, now I guess its our turn to do something for the newly found Indo-Pak friendship, with the announcement of the first Indo-Pak vintage car rally, to be held in December this year. For all those who are interested, the press conference is tomorrow at Hotel Westend, at 2000 hours. If you can't make it there, watch this space for further details.

March 12, 2004

Feed Your Cricket Fever at the JW Marriott

Starting 13th March 2004, JW Marriott Hotel, Bombay, will be screening the India-Pakistan One-Day Cricket Series live at Club Lounge and Enigma. The matches are on 13th, 16th, 19th, 21st and 24th March 2004.

Literally become an armchair critic as you watch the two teams battle it out on large flat screen TVs in the comfort of cozy armchairs with a drink in your hand at Club Lounge. Or get that incomparable live match feeling with Enigma's huge screens and cricket-crazy revellers. The only difference is that, unlike Eden Garden, we encourage you to have a bottle in your hand!

Buy into the madness at Enigma at Rs. 500 per head or chill out at Club Lounge at Rs. 400 per head. This entry cost is fully redeemable against drinks and snacks.

Enigma is spread over an area of 4200 square feet with a great dance floor, a stylish lounging area, and two bars. Enigma's music is mostly retro, popular Hindi tracks and remixes played by the in-house DJs Aqeel, Ryan Beck and Girish. It serves the wildest cocktails by Ryan and Damien, Enigma's cool flaring bartenders. The decor which has been designed by Hirsch Bedner and Associates from San Francisco features wooden flooring, a seating area with rich red, purple and orange curtains, sumptuous sofas and a stage for performances. Enigma is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9.30 p.m. onwards.

Club Lounge is the perfect solution for an individual's never-ending quest for a relaxing evening. Understated interiors, comfortably spaced tables and warm lighting make Club Lounge an ideal place for visitors to unwind from a hard day's work or just relax and catch up with friends. A pool table near the entrance and the live band add an exclusive touch to the place. The relaxed ambiance, the authenticity of the food, competitive pricing and its coveted location are a sure recipe for the success of Club Lounge. For an appetizing start, Fenugreek and chilly marinated chicken with dates and tamarind chutney and crunchy potato wedges with sun-dried tomato mayonnaise are recommended.

March 09, 2004

Why does it sometimes become so difficult to forget nasty words? Someone said something really nasty to me a while back, and much as I am trying to get over it, I just can't help being reminded about it while doing everyday things. Why do we hurt those we love? And why do we give people the power to hurt us in this way?

March 08, 2004

"They call it the quarter-life crisis. It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are a lot of things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two but then get hot and scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you do not realize is that they are realizing that too and are not really cold or catty or mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you are.

You look at your job. It is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for one and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and are scared.

You miss the comforts of college, of groups, of socializing with the same people on a constant basis. But then you realize that maybe they weren't so great after all.

You are beginning to understand yourself and what you want and do not want. Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging a bit more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and add things to your list of what is acceptable and what is not.

You are insecure and then secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you, or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough to get to know better. You love someone but maybe love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you are not a bad person. One-night stands and random hookups start to look cheap, and getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic.

You go through the same emotions and questions over and over and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You wonder what in the hell is wrong with you.

You worry about loans and money and the future and making a life for yourself and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it and we are all in this together. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. We are making a lot of mistakes, but helping one another learn from them and reaching out to pull one another up. We are not the shiniest group of people, but we are very much a circle. We are there for one another, and will listen and help heal and grow for the rest of our lives. We will piss one another off, but we will also heal one another's hearts. We are the group who will always call on birthdays and laugh at the end of a conversation that started with angry words. We are a group that talks trash about the same people we call to meet up with on a Friday night, but we are sorry about it and we know that they know that we were just being insecure like they have been. We are friends, and in 10 years, when we have figured out where we fit in this world, we will still be friends always and forever!"

March 07, 2004

Whatever little Holi we played today was really fun. It was with dry, organic colors and lasted about half an hour, but enjoyed every bit of it :)

Luckily, visibility conditions did get better, and we managed to watch the F1 Powerboat Championship really clearly from our house (especially when aided by my binoculars and ESPN blaring in the background for commentary purposes). But, honestly speaking, after a bit it grew a little boring watching the boats go round and round over the same course, much like a dog chasing its own tail -- they did a total of 60 laps!! By lunchtime, we were far too engrossed in the chholla bhaturas and gujiyas made by mom to continue paying the boats too much attention, so I really have no clue about who won :)

Btw, for all those people who are mad at me for not replying to their emails, its because I have been running 102 fever since coming back from Delhi, and am feeling pretty down and out. Promise to get back to you as soon as poss!!
Tomorrow is going to be a hectic day...its Holi, plus the Formula One Powerboat Championship and the inaugural race of the Formula One Car Championships.

I have a ringside view of the F1 Powerboat Championship right from the window of my living room, since the race is to be held from Nariman Point to Chowpatty, which is just opposite my house :) Except that its been so hazy for the last couple of days, that I don't know how much we shall be able to see. Visibility is at its lowest today...can't even see a dim flicker of the Marine Drive lights just now, while usually they come across so brightly that I have to draw the curtains before I sleep to block them out.

None of the Mumbaikars really play Holi, so that is going to be a pretty tame affair with a small lunch for close friends and a little bit of dry color. This is one time that I wish I was in Delhi, since I love playing Holi. Its always been my favorite festival, but haven't been able to enjoy it properly since the last 4-5 years now :(

March 05, 2004

Arun Shanbhag posted this really wonderful comment on the value of heritage that I had discussed a couple of weeks earlier in my blog. Thought I would share it with all of you:

Tom Friedman (New York Times) has articulated this very succinctly in his book - The Lexus and the Olive Tree. While we may have a desire for more material, flashy things, our cultural heritage gives us the inner stability and strength we need. I travel to San Francisco and taste the glorious cuisine for a week, and then I come back home and want nothing but chapatis, bhaji, and dal rice.

While the glossy world makes us feel victorious in adapting, we rush back to our culture for the security and sense of identity. Like a safety net - its always there. Despite being away for more than a decade, I still salivate at planning my next Bombay trip. Its a place which will always be home. I expect to walk around the Gateway of India, Cuffe Parade, Oberoi, Marine Drive and in an instant I will be one of its children. Will never have left! The structures and buildings act like pegs to hold our dreams of perfect worlds. Bringing back fond memories of childhood.

March 03, 2004

WHEW!! Am back home, and loving every moment of it. This trip to Delhi was a strange one....I normally love traveling and am happy being on the road 365 days a year, but this time I just could not wait to get back to Bombay. Actually came back three days earlier than I was supposed to! Still don't understand why.....

The trip to Delhi was fun in a lot of ways....catching up with Chitra (one of my two best friends in the whole wide world); spending time with Anjana Sharma (my college professor, mentor and the person who has made me what I am today); eating Nirulas pizza at Sharda's house while catching up with the world of cricket reporting; having a late-night animated discussion with Murli Karthik on the upcoming Pakistan tour; meeting my favorite niece whose 10th standard board exams start today; window shopping at Santushti; hogging chaat and kulfi at Nathu's and Haldiram....these are the things I really miss about Delhi while in Bombay!!

What I hate about Delhi is the fact that you just don't feel secure anyplace and at any time. Sharda's house was burglarized despite a half-inch steel grill, padlock bolt on the subsequent wooden door, mammoth Godrej lock on the bedroom door and solid Godrej cupboards. Is it possible to secure yourself any further?

While in Bombay I laugh at my parent's fears about my staying out late in the night, in Delhi I could not bring myself to stay out alone after 8 in the night. It was just too scary. People get mugged, raped, kidnapped and killed there in full daylight, and I was just not upto risking such stuff. And the horror stories that I heard from Chitra, on her own experiences of working and living in the city did not do anything to assuage my fears.

God, I hope I never have to work in Delhi ever again. Bombay does spoil you quite a bit :)

March 01, 2004

This is so frustrating...in the past 20 minutes that I have been in this cyber cafe (in Delhi, of course), the electricity has conked out thrice! And no, I am not exaggerating the least bit. And after Bombay, where we maybe lose electricity about once or twice a year, this is really scary. How do people manage to get work done in this city anyway??????

I am having a great time in Delhi, catching up with old friends and revisiting old haunts from school and college days, but am also starting to get homesick for Bombay. Am missing my computer and treadmill at home, and the fact that here I do not feel safe staying out till all times at night. Yesterday I was back in the guest house by 9, and then did not know what to do with myself. Also, all my friends here obviously have to go to work in the day, and I am left with too much free time on my hands.

Free time, that I of course fill up with shopping and eating :) The one thing that you do not get in Bombay is good, authentic North Indian food like chaat, chholla bhatura, kulfi and kaaju barfi, and I am filling up on that to my heart's content out here at Haldiram (Lajpat Nagar) and Nathu Sweets (Bengali Market)!!!!!!

Also shopping...just bought loads of Jaipuri clothes at Cottons in GK N-Block, and am now headed to Santushti, though whether I shall be able to afford anything from the latter remains to be seen!!

And yes, for all the disbelieving comments that are coming in, I do own upwards of 10,000 bangles, and am still going to Hanuman Mandir to buy even more. That's another thing that we don't get back home in Bombay!!