Why am I unwilling to put my hand out in the rains?
Why am I afraid of getting my shirt dirty?
Where is the joy now in the monsoons?

All I can see are dull drab gray clouds,
All I can see is slow-moving, unending traffic,
All I can see is three months of miserable commuting.

Where is the little boy who used to run out at the first sight of monsoons?
And stayed there till someone dragged him in by the ears!
Where is the excitement in building paper boats in a clear stream?
And where is the innocence of running after them,
To help them along their way or to watch them sink.

Where is the hope of looking at the rain out the windows,
Secretly wishing for a holiday tomorrow?
And that loud scream of joy when you get that wish fulfilled!

Where is the fun in stomping in potholes in over-sized gum-boots?
And the pain in getting your skin nicked in the muddy water?

And when everything used to be alright after,
applying a Mickey Mouse band-aid and some hot chocolate.

5 packs of Gulal: Rs 300
1 old t-shirt, 1 pair of shorts (undergarment optional): Rs 250
One bar of Lifebuoy, three sachets of shampoo: Rs 26
1 broken pair of chappals: Rs 110
Fine for messing up the hostels: Rs 250

Seeing the pearly smiles peeking between the multicoloured faces: Priceless

Today I celebrated what was one of the wildest and unruliest yet one of the most hilarious Holi ever. The days before the festival saw a campaign by the hostel authorities warning students not to play Holi inside the hostel premises. But like every years, these rules were merely on paper.

In the morning though, it seemed that the fever had not reached the campus. But gradually, one by one, shouts and screams pierced a quiet Saturday morning and it was clear that no one was to be spared today. After rubbing Gulal on each other, we turned to more ‘fast’ colours. As I said, no one was to be spared today and those who chose to stay inside their rooms were the people who were doused the most. Along with them their rooms also received a makeover. Unfortunately, we created a lot of mess inside the hostels for which we’ll have hell to pay.

But for now, we went out in search of fresh targets. We found a small dirty pool of water and the process of dunking began. The first victims were the featherweight people in the class who could be easily lifted and carried into the water. They were asked to sit still while the others gave them a rejuvenating bath in the open air. Each one of the class members were dunked one by one.

Then started the customary dances on classic songs of Amitabh and company. But it seemed most of them were staring at the girls who were dancing by. By then, people were exhausted and ready to head back home but not before a hilarious photo session. The unofficial Kingfisher calendar of 2008 was created in a matter of half an hour. No exotic locales, no expensive make up, just pure instinct. We didn’t even need a costume designer, the torn shirts themselves provided the fashion.

Now came the cleaning process. No amount of soap, whether used for human or clothes or dishes, could remove in one go the art we had painted on our faces. But I tried as much as I could and I’d say it will take me the better part of the week to remove it all out.

But I’m in no hurry. This is one colour which can stay on forever. These are times which you cherish when you pass out of college and earn big bucks. These are times which you wish could stay on forever. We know that tomorrow we’ll have to answer for the mess we created in the hostels. But these are times when no amount of fine is too much.

The earliest memory I have of Christmas is probably reading it in an Archie’s comic book. Riverdale was completely transformed during the festive season. Weatherbee was less stressed out, even Reggie was at his best behaviour. It seemed to be the best time throughout the year. Another strong memory of Christmas for me was watching Home Alone. I think that movie encapsulated what Christmas is all about in America. Of course, I was more interested in the cool tricks that M. Culkin played on the Sticky Bandits rather than understanding the spirit of Christmas. Though I’ve had no first hand experience of Christmas, I always found it an interesting concept. As a child, I though that getting gifts was obviously the best thing about it. I’d also imagine that it would snow in my town and we’d build some snowmen. Of course that was all pure fantasy. Another thing I was excited about was Santa, and his yearly visit through the chimneys, and propping gifts in the red stockings that hung in every home. I think I contemplated asking my mother to stick a sock in my own house when I was small, but then I probably let go of the idea when I felt Santa wouldn’t be visiting India anytime soon.

All said and done, I still haven’t celebrated Christmas myself, though I would love to. Maybe some time in the future, when the time and place is more suitable. Anyways, here’s an excellent Archie’s story which exemplifies what Christmas is all about. I scanned it from my old collection. I apologize for the discolouration by marker pens. It seems my younger brother didn’t have much to do except ‘preslefying’ Reggie. Ive tried to remove as much as I could through Photoshop.

Enjoy the comic.

Remember the cute song which went – Suraj ek, chanda ek, tare anek! It was heartening to find this clip on the Internet. I never expected to be available or this popular still. But a simple Google search revealed that it lives on in the minds and hearts of those who grew up during those days. Doordarshan has thankfully preserved it, though in a very low resolution.

This animation was ubiquitous during my childhood days. I found out through IMDB that clip was actually made in 1974 by a now obscure director known as Bhimsen. The animation was simple but endearing. What ensured its success was a strong message given by a widespread medium. And of course there were no cable channels those days. So everyone watched the only channel available, Doordarshan. Who knows, there might still be such gems airing on DD. Watching the clip after so many years brought back fond memories of getting up early on Sunday morning to watch cartoons. Personally I feel this clip should be shown by all the cable channels and it should still be played on TV. It has the potential of sending out to the country a much-required message.

Himmat se jo jute rahe to bada kaam bhi hove bhaiya… bada kaam bhi hove bhaiya…

Well, I’m back from a trip to my home town. Sneaked out of office on Friday and caught a train. Almost missed it because of the heavy traffic at Haji Ali in the evenings.

The train journey wasn’t much to write about. Actually I have a huge post ready on the Journey in the second class coach of the Indian Railways. Will post it someday. But one thing which impressed me every time I go back home through train is the Daman Ganga bridge. For those of you not aware, this is a railway bridge built over the river Daman Ganga. This bridge is quite old, probably pre-independence. It is one of those Truss bridges, just like the one on the Narmada river(near Bharuch). Well, the thing is that every time I cross this bridge by train, it fills me up with a sense of awe. I just love the rumbling sound the train/bridge makes as it thunders past.

When I was small, this very bridge used to scare me! Yes, every time we used to come back from Mumbai, mostly in the Flying Ranee, when the bridge used to roar past in the darkness I clinged to my mother. Well, times do change. Now I just get a feeling of satisfaction and calm.Maybe the satisfactory feeling I get is due to the fact that my station is next. After crossing the bridge, the chemical factories go past. And the nauseating but familiar smell signals that you’ve reached one of the major industrial centres in Gujarat. Someday I wish to photograph this old bridge. when I’ll do that I’ll post the pics here. It has stood the ravage of the recent flood during the monsoons this year. Hope this bridge stays intact for a long time to come.

PS. This post reminds me of a line from the movie ‘The Ghost and the Darkness’

“what better job in all the world, than build a bridge?- make things connect- bring worlds together”