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. Enjoying the middle ages!
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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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The First 20

Finally I achieved crossed this milestone. No I have not just crossed out of my teens, nor is it a weight loss target!!
Today I could cycle 20kms which included three steep inclines. I had turned back several times after 15/18 kms and this seemed like a huge barrier. Why 20? I don’t really know, seemed like a round figure and a good place to start. Does it mean I will take up long distance cycling? Time will tell.

It was an exhilarating drive to say the least.

However some unexplainable points that beg a mention:

  • Why do people walk on the roads when there are perfectly good and clean footpaths provided by our PMC? This allows dogs to treat footpaths as their personal fiefdom.
  • Bougainvilla or palm fronds that look so beautiful along roads are a huge hazard. How? The branches are usually always hang out so much that they hit our face as we cycle past on the edge of the left lane.
  • Stray dogs are a threat as they tend to chase cyclists : ( I faced one such incident and have no wish for a re-run. I usually slow down to a crawl when I spot a canine from afar much to the anger and disappointment of my fellow cyclists!

If one can manage to overcome these barriers, its a great exercise. Try it. Get on the road early so you avoid traffic.
I certainly do not adovate cycling as a mode of transport to office or shopping as of now. Too many issues- time consumed not to mention you would arrive sweaty and dusty for work and difficult to carry around your laptop and other accessories so much a part of the new age office set up.
Cheers!

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As Much as You Can

While the Thali system of lunch or dinner (Maharashtrian/Gujarathi style cuisine) has been around since my childhood, a more general Indo-western style buffet is fairly common in Pune now. I am sure that must be the case in other parts of India as well.
Here is a list of some buffet’s. Most of these are in the range of around Rs 500/ per person as of now.
Seasons at Aundh offers a buffet at Flavours. This is an excellent offering the best part being for those who dont want to gorge on the full menu can opt for smaller combos of only Soup+ Starter or Soup+ Starter+Sweet – at a lower rate of course. The meal includes a soft drink/beer and coffee to end the meal. Obviously the offering may change from time to time and what I have written is what we have enjoyed. The restaurant is not very big but the decor is simple and stunning. Valet Parking available.

Barbeque Nation at Kalyani Nagar (behind Dass Showroom) and also at Balewadi. Unbeatable for its starter range that is served sizzling right at your table. The pasta, chat and seafood counter is a good change. Beverages are to be ordered (and charged) separately. The staff works tirelessly, smilingly as you try to pause between courses to give your digestive system a breather… The sweet counter offers its delicacies in small bite sized portions. An excellent idea me thinks.
My suggestion- visit for lunch so you can do full justice. The chain of restaurants is present across India, check out the one in your city and do book a table to avoid waiting outside…

FoodLink: at ICC: We have not yet visited this place but has got some good reviews. These are priced lower.

Nawab in Camp: Opposite Poona Club. North Indian Food- mainly Lucknow style.

Puran da Dhaba at Pride Hotel: Dhaba style food. The restaurant is decorated like a Dhaba (obviously no air conditioning). Mehendi is a plus but bangles (choodivala) and the astrologer will serve you at an additional charge.

All Stir Fry and Not Just Jazz By The Bay at E-Square on University Road also offer soup/salad/sandwich buffets. Different combinations (at different price points) are available. Worth a dekkho. We have not yet sampled their offerings.

In addition most hotels offer seasonal specialty themed buffets ranging from Christmas or nation specific food etc. Check the Pune dailies for whats on offer when you feel like eating till you drop.
If you know of any more such buffer spreads do let us know.
Eat As Much as You Can!!
Cheers!

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Time will tell

This evening the Rajya Sabha voted to pass the Womens Reservation Bill 186-1. Once passed in the Lok Sabha (and subsequent Presidential seal) the new law will reserve 33% seats in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies for women.

Having finished work early I decided to watch House proceedings on DD. By then most of the disgraceful behaviour of our ‘Honourable’ members had been dealt with. Click here to read an account in the Times of India. I was impressed by their oratory skills of members across party lines, my mind being thoroughly prejudiced with the usual ‘give and take’ evident in the political arena. Of course some took the opportunity to wax eloquent on ‘achievements’ of their parties in respective states particularly about women’s upliftment.

Wading through all these layers I learnt some aspects of the bill that were cause for concern. They are:
1. The reservation for women comes at the expense of reduction of reservation for other sections. Many members objected to this (particularly BSP whose members walked out just prior to the vote as they wanted this clause amended).

2. The reservation will be on a rotational basis. This means a different constituency will be reserved for each election. This means the elected member or other potential contestants are not sure that the area they nurture will be available for them to contest.

In his replies the Law Minister mentioned something about passing another bill to sort out the reservation issue further. I am not a law student nor an active follower of political jargon hence may be mistaken in this part. As I understand these are grey areas of the bill and have to addressed by all parties – probably by another vote and more scenes of the kind we saw for the past two days.

In upcoming days, the Lok Sabha’s Bill of Fare will include this bill. Obviously there will be more spicy stuff dished up as political parties try to score points, sulk or try to arm twist the ruling coalition.
I am not really sure reservation is the answer to womens’ woes in India. Reservation will not change the attitude and mind set that encourages, supports women in politics, business etc.
Only time will tell.

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Targets

With my defence background, I think ‘target’ obviously must refer to something hostile that has to be got rid of. Or from my childhood it probably was the dart board where the aim (target) was to hit the center.

Now the corporate world has given the word ‘target’ a totally new meaning. Obviously every business activity has to have a goal so why not the word target? So we have targets for revenue, sales which seems perfectly justified.

Interestingly I found that HR personnel also have ‘targets’. They are to ensure sufficient number of ‘quality’ personnel are recruited (Click here to read one such ad). What is worse is that companies often want people with only a couple of years experience for this job, I know some that use fresh graduates for this purpose… Once into the company the ‘target’ becomes a resource but still remains a ‘target’ for potential head hunters…

Click here to read a Times of India article about how prized IIM recruits are ditching PSUs for higher pays elsewhere.

The by now ubiquitous vans lurking to heave off our vehicles from ‘No Parking’ zones also have ‘targets’ (also seen in the new HDFC bank ad meant to show that their ATMs give fast cash withdrawal) That will explain why a vehicle from an approved parking zone may be towed or carried away – just so the contractor (yes- this service is often out sourced) can meet his target of collecting sufficient number of wrongly parked vehicles every day!!

So does that mean home makers too now set targets on themselves? They do set ‘targets’ for their children (marks to be scored, prizes to be won) or husband (better pay, ‘phoren’ holiday for the family) so why not for themselves.
What may they be?Any ideas?

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News Flush…

Before you think that its a typing error in the title “Flush” instead of ‘Flash” let me tell you its not…
Here are two interesting news related to toilets that may have missed your keen Internet surfing eyes.

Click here to read a news item on Yahoo News about how unhappy Japanese women flush wedding aspirations in a temple loo! The article describes how women visitors to the Mantokuji temple, write their desires on a piece of paper that is flushed down the toilet. The temple has two squat toilets – the white one is for women who wish to cut ties and the black one for those who wish to strengthen ties. Read the article here for full details…

Here’s another…
This news describes a disposable toilet that can even be a fertiliser. The article describes plans of a Swedish businessman to produce a plastic bag that is biodegradable and that can be used as a single use toilet. This bag can then be buried in the soil where the waste is broken into fertiliser by chemicals in the bag. Click here to read this innovative and absolutely practical solution that is sure to be immensely popular.

This just proves the point that everything in this world can have more than one, its up to the user to find it.

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Top of the World!

Recently we visited Dubai. The first question most people who came to know of our travel plans was “Why Dubai” our answer “Why not?”
Its a perfectly good place that sought tourists (no one can ignore full page ads of the Dubai Shopping Festival each year), not to mention various TV channels that described the Burj Al Arab or the Palm Jumeirah that I wanted to see it for real.
To take advantage of early bird pricing, we booked well in advance and then began the wonderful pre-holiday period where one just dreams of what one will do, eat, see, feel, smell, sense and spend!!!

This rosy setting was shattered ‘cos soon after our booking the world looked askance as the Dubai financial world faced another huge crisis in November 2009! That set off another round of Q&A for us- are you sure you want to go etc etc.

Undeterred we went ahead with our plan and had a wonderful holiday, that was everything that we had wanted it to be and more. The weather was excellent, people helpful, malls wonderful with HUGE discounts (no one will complain when seeing 75% off in major global designer brands). The city is truly an engineering marvel as the authorities have not only built up a comfortable habitat amidst the desert but also constructed various superlative structures in the world. All this has to be seen and appreciated. The best time to visit is of course the Dubai shopping festival when you get excellent deals on various airlines and the city is fully geared to receive tourists. So if you have missed it this year, put it down in your diary for 2011 now itself.
MY tip: Don’t shop till you drop spare some energy to go out and enjoy the sights!

We returned totally happy, refreshed and had still not gotten over our holiday mood when we read the news that the Burj Khalifa was shut for visitors! We were lucky to have been to the Top and having visited, this seemed a real sad news. Hope the problems are resolved soon and many more can go up and enjoy the unbeatable view of Dubai.

Here are a few photos of the breathtaking view from the Top!
Enjoy!

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What is it with Vampires?

I recently read all four books of the Twilight saga series by Stephanie Myer. I was terribly impressed not only with the story line, characters etc but with fundamentals that the books advocated via its characters for youth. Namely: looking after parents, taking up a job to support your studies, studying, a NO to premarital sex (of course the reasons here were quite different but none the less!),
I also watched two movies based on the first two books and this made me into a vampire fan!
Visit the author’s site here for more details about the movies and books.

While channel surfing last evening, I happened to catch a movie called Love Bites on MGM. I had missed the initial part but within a few minutes it was quite clear the movie was about a 300 year old vampire- Zachary and a young city girl- Kendall. No gory stuff as people that Zachary bit actually seemed to enjoy it!! They probably turned into vampires but that bit I was not clear about… Kendall decides to help Zachary turn human again and helps him adjust to the modern world. The movie has strong romantic overtones despite two ‘villains’ namely Dwight (Kendall’s ex flame) and Nerissa (a female vampire from Zachary’s era). Kendall and Zachary are in love and she is pregnant with his child. Just a day prior to Zachary turning human the story takes a twist.
This is a link to the story: http://www.thatbmoviechick.com/reviews/lovebites.htm

From what I read up on the Internet, this movie seems to be made in 1993. Of course vampires have always been a popular movie subject but usually always the ‘bad guys’. However seeing these movies, has me wondering if their stock is on the uptrend now??
With Adam Ant as the vampire in Love Bites and Robert Pattison playing the cold but dazzling hero in Twilight and New Moon, I guess vampires may be losing their ranking as villains!

What? You havent read the books or seen these movies??
Then you know what is to be done this weekend… Visit burrp!tv here to know when Love bites is to be screened next…
Ciao!

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