I see that papers and TV channels are flooded with everything that 2008 had to offer and what it did not. The highs and lows as it were. The faces that made or broke the year.
Besides all these, here are some more changes in the year gone by:
Tru Mart stores all over have gradually gone to seed and finally shut down. A pity really considering that they had a good thing going. I guess the great minds at Indiabulls must surely have a sound business plan but then its surely taking a long long time in crystallising at least as far as this particular store chain goes. By the looks of it, others are innovating to stay afloat and the public is surely not complaining if from the crowds I had to jostle at Big Bazaar are an indicator!
The number of RJs on Spin channel (the one we hear in India) on World Space has gradually been declining all through the year. That has not affected music quality but I must add that friendly chatter does make all the difference. I hope this article has nothing to do with these changes!!
The agitation against non Marathi Indians in the state has deeply affected each one of us. We find that there is a dirth of experts required to do jobs like exterior painting of homes/buildings (you see some contractors still require workers to dangle precariously from the roof on a rope – not something for the Marathi manoos to do!), skilled carpenters, gol gappa (pani puri) puri makers just to name a few. Surely all Indians have a right to work in all parts of India?
A staple reading diet of all teen aged girls and of many mothers too, Mills and Boon now plans to call Indian writers. Now that’s certainly something to stir the imagination!
The Pune Police seem to be making some headway in getting vehicle drivers to realise that red signals mean stop else it invites penalties. But then majority Puneites have travelled the world, follow traffic rules to a T in USA (Pune is top supplier of students to the country I am told) but revel and take pride in not following them in India.
I could go on and on but lets leave somethings unsaid!
In the 365 days ahead (make that 362 considering its January 3 today!) , let us work to become more alert citizens, take active interest in maintaining civic amenities, ask questions about new faces loitering about or activities in the neighbourhood. We demand good governance but should also remember to be responsible citizens.
Hope 2009 has lots of wonderful things in store for all of us. Good health, good stamina to put in that extra bit, the creative spark to add the special zing to our projects. Success and prosperity has to follow.
Ciao!
This particular blog and your blogging in general is fairly insightful and entertaining. However, I must make one minor correction to your assumption about ‘stop lights’ and “rest of the world”. I live in a mid-sized town in midwest America and find that people follow traffic signals only when they have to. For instance, several towns across US have cameras that detect drivers violating traffic lights and they’re subsequently fined but this technology is not in place where I live. As a result most cars speed up when they see a yellow light and some of them keep going even though the light has just turned red. This is very common where I live but again, in some other towns, this is not a done thing. I wonder if we are all trying to follow each other? It is normal to speed 15% over the speed limit but it is not normal to honk. Why? Because that’s what everybody does.
My theory is that when you go through a stop light in Pune, maybe you’re irritating other drivers but they don’t think you’re crazy. So why not?
Your point of view is certainly different!
Thanks. Do keep visiting the blog.
Regards.