Author: Archana

Once a Physiotherapist now a Wordsmith. Field Botanist. Bonsai. Proud Indian. Fauji Wife. Doting Mother and Mother-in-law. Devoted Grandmother. Reluctant Cook. Happiest on a road less travelled. 60s are the new 40s ;-)
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Its raining!

Finally the rains are here- not withstanding global warming, any stray cyclones and predictions of the met department.
Rains invoke different feelings in every one of us- happiness, revulsion (those having walked in the muddy rain water will agree), awe, helplessness (inability to move out due to flooded roads or inch ahead in bumper-to-bumper traffic is an immense test of patience).

Rains also elicit some strange behaviour. Here are some examples:

  • Hurrying guests to eat proffered biscuits or crisps (even at the risk of sounding rude). Keeping them exposed in this highly humid air does make them soggy. In these days of zooming food inflation one just cant afford to keep throwing away the stuff.
  • Dump starched sarees in favour of synthetics.
  • Skip exercise sessions and not feel guilty – the rain and slush and muddy roads (and the tekdis) will deter the most determined exerciser…
  • Use your oldest usable foot wear ones that you would otherwise not be want to be seen in. Guess this is will translate to ‘use and throw’
  • Find unusual uses for your umbrella- keep open sideways in the rickshaws to avoid getting sprayed by mud from parallel traffic, keep open over your plants (mainly bonsai) cant have them water logged…

Look around and we will find many more…
Enjoy the rains and stay healthy!
Cheers!

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The Necklace

Finally I got the Necklace!
There were quite a few anxious moments when I thought it was truly beyond my reach.
However having crossed the 20K barrier I decided to go ahead…

As you rightly guessed, this is not about glittering rocks to be worn around the neck. I refer to the Necklace- in Pune cyclists’ parlance this is the circular route around the famous Pune tekdis’. It is a continuous left hand turn (or right hand depending on which direction you start) from Law College Road- SB Road-University Circle-NCL Road- DRDO-Bavdhan-Chandani Chowk-Paud Road-SNDT-Law College Road. One has to go up two hillocks- the Symbiosis tekdi and then way up to Chandani Chowk.

Why necklace? Probably because of DRDO’s lovely Necklace garden that one crosses en route.

Despite severe daytime heat, the cool morning air was condusive to my first attempt. We set off at a steady pace competing with no one but ourselves. A short water break beyond the Necklace garden and I was set for the final assault. To my mind the ride up to Chandani Chowk would be the most difficult part. I was determined not to walk up and cycle all the way up. I conserved every bit of energy, checked that the cycle gears were in top shape and cycled up one pedal at a time. Steadily I made it to the top… totally out of breath but victorious. Yeah!!

I was told that the downhill ride from any slope is a ‘prize’ to relish, a soothing balm for burning muscles as the wind rips across your face cooling you off. I had experienced this feeling on other downhill rides in Pune and looked forward to this one as well.

Yet things were different. Drastically different.

Congratulating myself I started towards Paud Road but was hit by the scariest feelings in my limited cycling experience. The road inclines downwards about 45degrees and is packed with trucks peeling from the Bangalore bypass. I felt the kinetic energy build up as my bike gathered speed, careening madly downwards with me precariously holding on to the handles for dear life. I did the very thing I had resolved not to.
I managed to brake and got off.
I walked the cycle downhill.
🙁

I guess a roller coaster ride would have been more benign at least one does not have to deal with murderous vehicles or maintain balance or ensure one does not veer from the asphalt into the stony berm.
My ego could take this fall not my bones or teeth!I had no wish to check healing powers of my bones.

The rest of the ride passed uneventfully.

Having said this, the ride was wonderful, something any cyclist must attempt. (Do so in the mornings when weather is cool and roads relatively free of vehicles.)
Cycling is a wonderful way to really ‘see’ the city up close.
Try it.
Cheers!

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Akshya Tritiya

Newspapers and TV channels are flooded with ads coaxing you to invest in gold coins on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. Banks too are selling gold coins. Now everyone wants to take advantage of this day and many people do so with an eye on the future- invest in gold for a child’s marriage, for personal future needs, as an alternative to stocks/FDs etc.
This necessarily means we may want to sell the gold coins at a later date when the need arises.

So we can just walk back to the bank and sell back the gold coin for money. Right?
Wrong!!

This article in Hindu Business Line (click here ) dated 14 May 2010 tells us about the pitfalls of buying such coins. When buying a gold coin from a bank, one has to pay a higher price than the market rate and at times a service charge as well. Apparently a bank may not buy them back or accept as collateral for a loan. Not all jewellers will pay you cash for it either- you may have to buy jewellery instead. Read the above article for more details.

So do your homework before investing in gold coins.
Happiness Always…

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What’s in a word?

English is now an ubiquitous language in India and almost a must-know to get a ‘decent’ job. This may be the reason why spoken English classes flourish in many cities.

This post is prompted by a genuine query by my colleague: ‘What is the difference if any between chemist/pharmacist/druggist’. I am not an English teacher nor was English my major for graduation. Yet I admit many of us use these words interchangeably.

A little research showed that a chemist is one who excels in chemistry
Pharmacist is one who has studied pharmacy and dispenses medicines, Some ‘mix’ medicines as per a doctor’s prescription.
A druggist is a person trained to prepare and dispense drugs.

This suggests that pharmacist and druggist may be used interchangeably yet we almost always visit a ‘chemist’ to buy our medicines.
Do we ‘speak to’ a person or ‘speak with’ a person?
There is a difference in US or UK English usage for many words as well.

English teachers and purists rue modern English saying it is a poor abbreviated version of the language thanks to texting and other such avenues of ‘brief’ communication.

Does it really matter which words we use/how we spell as long as the meaning is correct?

As someone said, a few years later, the maximum number of people speaking English in the world may decide which words are used and how. That’s some food for thought for powerful developed nations!
What do you think?

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New Kid on the Block


Puneites now have another choice for their dahi (curd) needs with Danone launching its Dahi in Pune. Now making (setting) dahi at home is something innate to every Maharashtrian household. Buying it was never an option other then when returning from a journey or due to sudden guests.
Yet come the retail revolution we are spoilt for choice. Danone’s dahi in Pune has illustrious company : dahi by Amul (Masti brand), Nestle, Britannia, Gowardhan (Go) in addition to local biggie Chitale Dairy. Of course one can buy dahi loose from the local mithai store but that is often extremely sour.

For those of you keen to know the hard money facts behind this dahi/doodh market, click here and here.

Here is a homemakers perspective on the brands mentioned above. I have not mentioned costs and they usually vary by a couple of rupees. For me the deciding factors are taste, texture and ofcourse if it can be ‘reused’ or not (to set another bowl at home..)

  • Amul Masti: neighbourhood kirana stores usually stock this brand instead of Nestle. The dahi is often sour and most importantly does not work as a starter to set your own dahi at home. Texture is good.

I was told that dahi is prepared commercially using ‘designer’ bacteria. These become inactive once the milk is set into curds hence useless as starters. This is also the reason why the dahi does not turn sour.

  • Nestle: has many options and all have ‘live’ culture. This means a spoonful of this dahi can be used to set a delicious bowl at home. All varieties including NesVita are firm in texture and almost always sweet, but not often stocked by kirana stores. It also offers a range of flavoured yoghurts that are from all accounts excellent.

Don’t know if its because of margins or distributor incentives or customer preferences…

  • Britannia: again with ‘live’ culture and usually sweet to taste. Not available freely. Texture and taste are good.
  • Go: a recent entrant but does not have a ‘live’ culture. Texture needs improvement as does taste. Freely available at kirana stores.
  • Danone: the new ‘kid’ on the block in Pune is actually an European dairy major. I am not an authority to predict its success in this market segment but I do know this dahi is a good product. It did not seem to have ‘live’ culture (I did put on my glasses to read the fine print the packaging but could not figure out!). Taste and texture were good. I have not seen many ads other than huge hoardings and posters at the point of purchase.

As for me, my vote goes to Nestle- any variant. Danone is a close second choice provided its freely available!!
Disclosures: other than hopes of my kirana stocking this brand, I have no interests in the company!!! This would save me the journey to a supermarket and parking hassles!!
Cheers!

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Women

Here are some links to interesting news about women. Click to read the stories in detail.

  • This is a story about Chhavi Rajawat who is an MBA and now sarpanch of a village in Rajasthan.
  • Kathryn Bigelow becomes first woman director wins an Oscar.
  • Air India operates all woman crew to New York.

On the down side:

  • No women fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force: says the Air Chief.
  • This is an article in ‘Time’ magazine about Holly Graf – a Captain in the US Navy who was relieved of her command of a vessel because an investigation report found among other things that she violated regulations “by demeaning, humiliating, publicly belittling and verbally assaulting … subordinates while in command of Cowpens.”U.S.S. Cowpens is a guided missile cruiser.

Have a good day!

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Magnetic Tales

Like all tourists, I too love to pick up small souvenirs – preferably magnets with pictures depicting the place that I can stick on my fridge. On a recent visit to Goa, I spied a wonderful magnet with a cartoon by Mario Miranda (it was autographed as well!). The small ceramic circle had a white background and carved figures were raised giving it a 3D effect.

This was at Dona Paula and as usual we got into a spate of haggling but the vendor would not budge. Take it or leave it he said. I was quite surprised as usually these chaps are keen to make a sale. Any way we moved on thinking we could pick it up elsewhere.

The rest of my wonderful stay was marred by only one cloud- I could not locate the same magnet at any other outlet. Naturally I blamed hubby for giving up this purchase. On the last day we made a final bid to locate this elusive memento. I found ceramic plates, cups, drawings by Mario Miranda but no magnet. There were many other designs mind you but not THAT one. To complicate matters, being a Sunday, most shops were closed which did little to improve my mood.

At long last I spotted an open shop and best of all, it stocked the elusive magnet- droves of them actually, in all designs. We picked the one we liked- quite meekly I might add without any bargaining. Thereafter I did see them at another store as well. We tried to locate the same product but priced lower, even a rupee less would do…. Our efforts had to be cut short as it was time for our return journey but I doubt if we would have succeeded.

Here’s why…
While prices of all other curios varied across shops and the final price paid was fully subject to the buyer’s skills in persuading a price cut, this one was uniformly priced at Rs 180- irrespective of the shop. The smaller ones were cost a bit less.

All in all this was the prized trophy of the journey a proud member of my small and growing collection.
Once back home I turned to the Internet (where else?) and found this article in Bangalore Mirror that described making of these magnets. It was also featured in the souvenir section of the December 2006 edition of Outlook Traveller.

Next time in addition to feni, cashews, spices and kokum, do pick up this magnet from Goa.
Cheers!

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Sleeper Buses

Recently we had to undertake an overnight road journey and taking a bus seemed the ideal option. A previous experience had been quite satisfactory hence making this decision was easy. That’s when a well wisher suggested taking a sleeper bus. Many years ago we travelled from Bhuj to Ahmedabad on a sleeper bus. That too was a fairly pleasant experience despite being a non A/C coach.

We went ahead and booked for a sleeper coach happy that this time it was an A/C one. The bus was on time which seemed to be a good omen. Wow, services seemed surely on an up trend now…
We got our first shock the moment we stepped into the sleeper coach. It had a central aisle and ‘coupes’ on either side with a lower and upper berth.
This was the shocking part- the allocation was two (TWO- 2) people to ONE (1) berth!!!!!

We were aghast. How was one to ‘share’ this barely 3 feet wide by six feet long space with a total stranger? The fact that the ‘berth’ had a curtain, was covered with a filthy sheet and provided with much used and unwashed blankets did nothing to ease the developing anger.

Worse, the other passengers did not seem hassled at all- may be this was because most were young couples… Our protests fell on deaf ears and we could do nothing more than sit around stewing about our misguided choice. As the bus zoomed (yes the driver seemed to be an ex-Formula one driver) over the steep ghat (steep hill) roads, there was nothing to cling on to to stay up right.
For the brief time that I did lie down, I sorely felt a need for straps similar to seat belts to hold down the sleeping form as I was tossed from side to side. Things are much worse if you get the upper berth.
For both lower and upper berths there is not much of window space- so if you thought you could spend time looking at the passing countryside- forget it.

For once I did not complain of the driver’s skills as the journey was apparently over sooner than later. The moment we got off, we changed the return journey to a regular seating bus. Being peak holiday time and short notice there was no way we could have got train reservations. For the record, the Bhuj-Ahmedabad journey was on coach with one person per berth.

For those mulling a ticket on a high tech sleeper coach, do find out what is the berth layout when you buy your tickets. Else be prepared for a ‘cozy’ ride to wherever-it-is that you are going…

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March on Tekdi


March was a month of hectic activity on our Tekdi. Instead of putting everything down in words, I have a few photos that will better convey developments on the Tekdi.

As the sleeping earth awoke (from whatever winter we have here) some trees burst into fluorescent shoots that always glittered as the caught the early morning sun. It was also time for others to shed whatever remaining green garb they wore as the reserve forest plantation took on a sad brown hue.

Man made or accidental fires raged in parts that often destroyed this dried up undergrowth and grass but often took along with it some healthy trees as well …

Some trees bloomed despite global warming or whatever is the latest ecological blip. Gliricidia (pink inflorescence- also called undir mari) spread their delicate fragrance. Yet another tree covered by delicate white blooms made a stark contrast to the brown landscape (I have yet to find out the name of this plant).
Like wise fruit of the Harandodi tree burst (see the first photo) spreading millions of seeds that created snowy cotton beds on the ground!

As the parched earth thirsted for water, morning walkers enthusiastically watered the trees using discarded plastic bottles. The forest department ensures (tries to) that cement water tanks specially built for this purpose are refilled regularly. To goad those who prefer to just walk past, many voluntary organisations and activists put up posters urging every one to do his/her bit. I have one photo of a sample poster but there are many more similar interesting ones put up on trees.

March on the Tekdi shows signs of hope.
People marching on the Tekdi all have a common aim- to stay fit and healthy and conserve this unique feature of our city.
Cheers!
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Katkon Trikon

In Marathi this means right angled triangle. Katkon Trikon (काटकोन त्रिकोण) is a two act Marathi play that deals with relationships in a urban joint family particularly the generation gap. The characters are tremendously realistic and one can easily relate to the developing story line. Dialogues draw from modern city life and succeed in keeping us entertained and touch the deepest chord simultaneously. Dr Vivek Bele has authored the play and also acts as ‘Rahul’ – son of Aaba (Dr Mohan Agashe in a superlative performance). He is torn between ‘Bhakti’ his wife and father as the story plays out minor sounding personality clashes that soon become a full fledged emotional war that ends up with Aaba falling off their fourth floor balcony.

Is this a suicide attempt or an attempted murder? Or is it a genuine accident?

Dr Agashe plays a double role as Bapat, the CID inspector who is investigating the case. He systematically investigates events that led up to the fall and in a humourous often acidic manner dissects their relationships with each other. Like Bhakti he does so using fundamental principles of geometry opening their eyes to the loneliness of a single ageing parent.

The play scores on its dialogues, acting, timing, theme. Majority of the audience for the show we attended were easily above 60. I do recommend it for baby boomers as well though they may not fully agree with the way the play ends.

The story does end up showing only one side of this sad state in our society. Seniors too have their share of ‘eccentric’ behaviour which jeopardises relationships. This could have been brought out somewhere- probably a good theme for another play.

This is the link to the Katkon Trikon blog has upcoming schedules for the play. Don’t miss this one.

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