1. I think its torture to have your ex-employer in your network (read facebook, twitter, blogger, etc). Its like having to have a forced relationship with your ex. Every time someone new (a new hire) enters their life, you have to learn to ignore it or bear the heartache of why not me ??? In case of an ex you at least have the liberty to make a choice and not stay in touch. But after all the fundas of social networking that you have gulped down, one feels obliged to not sever ties in such (employee-employer) cases. Its like having to wait for someone else (a new employer) to be actually able to move on. Life is hard. I hope I manage to remain civil until someone else comes along.
2. I had decided to be strong and not show any human emotions about the whole situation. It seems I have no control over myself :P So having started the post on a seemingly sad (not tear inducing sad, but a more literal bleh! sad) note, I need to take corrective action. So lately I am on this lets gain some pounds mission. I have always been for following a routine when it comes to a diet. Like eating healthy, fresh food 5-6 times a day. This time the difference is measuring the calories and making sure I surpass whatever is required for me to survive. Not difficult. But needs a good memory to keep track. So with stick notes in and around my space, I am surrounded by calories. Just that in this case, we are on the other side of the weighing scale. Rare, eh ?
3. Those of you who are up for documentaries and stuff, should definitely catch the show called Vanguard. I got interested in it when I read the news of a US journo getting detained in Korea and Bill Clinton flying down to rescue them and then the journo naming her kid after him. (I still think I got interested in the news in the first place cos of him..still find him kind of cute :P) Nevertheless, its very informative and opens you eyes to globalization in a new light. I am hooked to it as of now.
4. As my dreams start becoming more materialistic (like buying pretty clothes to make yourself feel good, accessorizing for no particular reason) and less spiritual, I wonder if this change is happening for any good ? Since I kind of spent all my pre silver jubilee years in 'I dont care about all the above things' philosophy, I think this was bound to happen. Life is all about balance. Hoping that I find the balancing zero average case sooner or later.
5. And I think there is a dearth of girl/female programmers in the world today (wow! I feel like I am talking for some humanitarian cause :P). That is one field girls should start taking seriously. I am bored of people rolling their eyes at me, when told that I can code in this, this and this language. I dont think girls have any less logical reasoning than guys. It is laziness and an attitude problem me thinks. We should not let the guys get away with all the emerging cool things. Please join the cause and dont grimace at the sound of coding. It can be fun if taken with a pinch of salt!
And thus I am done with my weekly updates. Dont forget to catch my movie recommendations and give feedback. Remember feedback is important in any social interaction venture. :P
~nightflier
Always an Indian
Read Priya Ramani's article a long time ago (when it got published i.e.). Though people ripped her apart on twitter for being so open about her judgemental opinions, I had mixed feelings about it.
And then Great Bong published this. Which I think is a really amazing post. He doesnt throw bricks at anyone but so aptly puts his point across.
Both articles are thought provoking. But I agree more with the latter for its democratic stance.
On a personal note, I think people everywhere are basically the same. Culture, surroundings, situations set apart their identities. May be. After all it always boils down to the conundrum of existence and identity, which is very individual to every existence. I am running in circles here, aint I ?
~nightflier
And then Great Bong published this. Which I think is a really amazing post. He doesnt throw bricks at anyone but so aptly puts his point across.
Both articles are thought provoking. But I agree more with the latter for its democratic stance.
On a personal note, I think people everywhere are basically the same. Culture, surroundings, situations set apart their identities. May be. After all it always boils down to the conundrum of existence and identity, which is very individual to every existence. I am running in circles here, aint I ?
~nightflier
to all the concerned friends
To all the people stated above,
Me losing the job is not the end of the world. The very moment when my then would be HR expressed concern over me not receiving work authorization, I had a gut feeling that this is not going to work out. Sometimes however positive you are, your instinct tells you that this is it. And that just happened with me.
Though I did give a good fight (trying to negotiate with the HR and trying to communicate with stupid USCIS and stupider international center at school) before deciding to be patient and mature. As a growing up gift, life has taught me to let go of things. And with great pains, I have learned my lessons. This incident just gives me a chance to apply that theory :P And I am trying to do that. So when you still ask me (over and over again) why you did not do this or that (rather you should have done this or that), I just have one thing to say, let it go pal :P [Better still come to play tennis with me. It is superrrr fun!]
For I seriously cannot beg anyone to let me work beyond a limit. Nor can I tell white lies (except when I have to pull a prank).
I am quite serious about my career. And I also think I have what it takes to find another job :D
~nightflier
P.S. for those who still don't understand, such situations bring along a lot of negativity, lack of confidence, frustration, self pity, irritation, loss of appetite, self isolation and related tendencies. So give up mate!
Me losing the job is not the end of the world. The very moment when my then would be HR expressed concern over me not receiving work authorization, I had a gut feeling that this is not going to work out. Sometimes however positive you are, your instinct tells you that this is it. And that just happened with me.
Though I did give a good fight (trying to negotiate with the HR and trying to communicate with stupid USCIS and stupider international center at school) before deciding to be patient and mature. As a growing up gift, life has taught me to let go of things. And with great pains, I have learned my lessons. This incident just gives me a chance to apply that theory :P And I am trying to do that. So when you still ask me (over and over again) why you did not do this or that (rather you should have done this or that), I just have one thing to say, let it go pal :P [Better still come to play tennis with me. It is superrrr fun!]
For I seriously cannot beg anyone to let me work beyond a limit. Nor can I tell white lies (except when I have to pull a prank).
I am quite serious about my career. And I also think I have what it takes to find another job :D
~nightflier
P.S. for those who still don't understand, such situations bring along a lot of negativity, lack of confidence, frustration, self pity, irritation, loss of appetite, self isolation and related tendencies. So give up mate!
My inevitable change
The blog needed a change (of template/design/content/structure) for a long time now. And nothing can beat my indecisiveness in this matter. I have been hunting and searching for a template who sweeps me off my feet (love at first sight types). And since I don't like whatever is available on the web, I am thinking of creating something myself with all the duniya bhar ke tools available. Daunting task that is!
Anyhooooo, point is since that has taken a different lane, I thought might as well entertain you guys and myself with some dedicated content.
The self proclaimed movie critic inside me has been doing summersaults to grab attention on this self obsessed blog (buff more like who can't help but give her opinions about any movie she watches). A mere 10 out of 270 something posts ratio has made her a bit suicidal. The immediate treatment has involved giving her a room of her own with stuff to play with. So you will find This week (that year) at the top of the blog, below the header to be accurate. I plan to put 2 movie recommendations per week in that space. Now I know how much you all adore (care for ?) reviews and hence I am going to try to describe why I like/recommend the movie. So the said person whose life we are trying to save gets a prolonged existence and you feel responsible for the after effects of listening to my views.
Lately my reading habits have become really erratic. I have multiple books on my reading pane. None of which I have managed to finish. So this is going to track my progress with each book that I have touched. I hope this venture lives really long. Otherwise the sad future of my would be kids looms in front of my eyes. Depressing!
Also did I tell you about the brand new chamakta Tennis star on the scene? Yours truly. Ahem!
Yesterday clad in my flipflops and skinny jeans I made my international debut. After the sad demise of Sania from tennis to the wrong side of the court, I thought may be it was time to take responsibility for Tennis's future.
Kidding! I am not that deluded. Not specially after failing to land 5 consecutive serves in the right side of the court. But today was better with sneakers and no skinny jeans (but tennis shorts, you dirty mind!). And tennis is fun, specially if you dont care a speck about the rules on the court.
Still prefer watching it over playing it. Convenience. That reminds me this time Nadal will sweetly take french open no ?
Is there anything else, I should dabble in ?
~nightflier
Anyhooooo, point is since that has taken a different lane, I thought might as well entertain you guys and myself with some dedicated content.
The self proclaimed movie critic inside me has been doing summersaults to grab attention on this self obsessed blog (buff more like who can't help but give her opinions about any movie she watches). A mere 10 out of 270 something posts ratio has made her a bit suicidal. The immediate treatment has involved giving her a room of her own with stuff to play with. So you will find This week (that year) at the top of the blog, below the header to be accurate. I plan to put 2 movie recommendations per week in that space. Now I know how much you all adore (care for ?) reviews and hence I am going to try to describe why I like/recommend the movie. So the said person whose life we are trying to save gets a prolonged existence and you feel responsible for the after effects of listening to my views.
Lately my reading habits have become really erratic. I have multiple books on my reading pane. None of which I have managed to finish. So this is going to track my progress with each book that I have touched. I hope this venture lives really long. Otherwise the sad future of my would be kids looms in front of my eyes. Depressing!
Also did I tell you about the brand new chamakta Tennis star on the scene? Yours truly. Ahem!
Yesterday clad in my flipflops and skinny jeans I made my international debut. After the sad demise of Sania from tennis to the wrong side of the court, I thought may be it was time to take responsibility for Tennis's future.
Kidding! I am not that deluded. Not specially after failing to land 5 consecutive serves in the right side of the court. But today was better with sneakers and no skinny jeans (but tennis shorts, you dirty mind!). And tennis is fun, specially if you dont care a speck about the rules on the court.
Still prefer watching it over playing it. Convenience. That reminds me this time Nadal will sweetly take french open no ?
Is there anything else, I should dabble in ?
~nightflier
Sex: 1, City: 1, Two: 0
[The title of this post has been unabashedly picked up from Roger Ebert's tweet.]
One line review. Sex and the City 2 is about utter escapism. Read on if you still care to know more.
Seriously if there had to be a more preposterous show of glamour, fashion and mindlessness then it could not have been better than this. Oh wait! Did I just use the word 'better'? Ughhh..
The TV show was amazing. The girls and their characters were not mere caricatures but real beings. It was not the usual fluff and drama that one expects from chick-flick stuff. As in it had brains and was sensible. They ended it well when the last single girl on the planet called Manhattan gets hooked up. Now that was intelligent.
Oh and it was an ode to NYC. And one of the most fabulous ones. It had a heart, one which would definitely connect with you.
But then they decided to show us extravagant chic weddings, PMS (pre marital syndrome) for men, some emotional drama and more girl bonding. So they made a movie out of the whole enterprise. Groan. The candid affair which the show had with its audiences got stretched a bit further. But at least it was an earnest attempt. One would not exactly cry with Carrie for Big's betrayal, but sit back and see all the bollywood style emotional atyaachaar. (And I seriously want to thank Bollywood for improving my tolerance levels when it comes to non sense).
But you know what happened next ? This time the girls (who are old women disguised in the most gaudy fashion ever) have some really REAL issues on hands and mind. So they thought they had a real storyline for another movie. Again wait, did I just use the word 'real' for the third time ?
Check this:
1. A 50 something woman undergoing Menopause
2. Being a full time mother of 2
3. Balance between work and home and did I say a draconian boss and right to be heard at work place
4. Wanting to lead a childless life/marriage, in a society where marriage binds you to a child's existence
But remember when in lala land, you just dress up in weirdest wardrobes and raise your cocktails to these issues and say cheers 'to women who manage all this without any help'. Set on a phony setting of these issues and women's liberation in the middle east, the movie tries to be intelligent, funny, sexy and stylish. It ends up getting on your nerves for being shallow, materialistic, whiny and horny (read Samantha Jones). SATC is known and adored for its wit and fun quotient. But the jokes here dont even make one laugh. Not even Samantha's wearing her sex drive on her sleeve ones.
I have had this issue with Hindi movies for a long time now, that the directors/script writers touch a really sensitive chord and then totally ignore it or make a standing joke out of it. Guess the bug is spreading. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT.
Now talking about the characters. Samantha Jones is the biggest letdown. This is the most outrageous character in the entire run of the show. They cross all the thin lines between cheap and sensible, vulgar and sexy and leave us to abhor this one, in the movie. (But I still admire Kim Catrall for being so open and outspoken about everything). Carrie's independence and indecisiveness gets converted to senseless rants and stupidity. Somehow the director spares Miranda and Charlotte. Oh wait, they do crib about having help and still not being able to be good mothers. Kudos to them!
I just have an earnest request for all the people involved in making this, please dont come up with a third movie. I adore the show and I can live with its re-runs. Please dont mutilate some really heartfelt characters which I have come to admire.
And girls out there, watch the movie at your own risk.
~nightflier
P.S. there are some better reviews which thrash the movie in a hilarious way. Do check them out, for these will certainly provide you with wicked laughs.
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/burkas-and-birkins/Content?oid=4132715
One line review. Sex and the City 2 is about utter escapism. Read on if you still care to know more.
Seriously if there had to be a more preposterous show of glamour, fashion and mindlessness then it could not have been better than this. Oh wait! Did I just use the word 'better'? Ughhh..
The TV show was amazing. The girls and their characters were not mere caricatures but real beings. It was not the usual fluff and drama that one expects from chick-flick stuff. As in it had brains and was sensible. They ended it well when the last single girl on the planet called Manhattan gets hooked up. Now that was intelligent.
Oh and it was an ode to NYC. And one of the most fabulous ones. It had a heart, one which would definitely connect with you.
But then they decided to show us extravagant chic weddings, PMS (pre marital syndrome) for men, some emotional drama and more girl bonding. So they made a movie out of the whole enterprise. Groan. The candid affair which the show had with its audiences got stretched a bit further. But at least it was an earnest attempt. One would not exactly cry with Carrie for Big's betrayal, but sit back and see all the bollywood style emotional atyaachaar. (And I seriously want to thank Bollywood for improving my tolerance levels when it comes to non sense).
But you know what happened next ? This time the girls (who are old women disguised in the most gaudy fashion ever) have some really REAL issues on hands and mind. So they thought they had a real storyline for another movie. Again wait, did I just use the word 'real' for the third time ?
Check this:
1. A 50 something woman undergoing Menopause
2. Being a full time mother of 2
3. Balance between work and home and did I say a draconian boss and right to be heard at work place
4. Wanting to lead a childless life/marriage, in a society where marriage binds you to a child's existence
But remember when in lala land, you just dress up in weirdest wardrobes and raise your cocktails to these issues and say cheers 'to women who manage all this without any help'. Set on a phony setting of these issues and women's liberation in the middle east, the movie tries to be intelligent, funny, sexy and stylish. It ends up getting on your nerves for being shallow, materialistic, whiny and horny (read Samantha Jones). SATC is known and adored for its wit and fun quotient. But the jokes here dont even make one laugh. Not even Samantha's wearing her sex drive on her sleeve ones.
I have had this issue with Hindi movies for a long time now, that the directors/script writers touch a really sensitive chord and then totally ignore it or make a standing joke out of it. Guess the bug is spreading. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT.
Now talking about the characters. Samantha Jones is the biggest letdown. This is the most outrageous character in the entire run of the show. They cross all the thin lines between cheap and sensible, vulgar and sexy and leave us to abhor this one, in the movie. (But I still admire Kim Catrall for being so open and outspoken about everything). Carrie's independence and indecisiveness gets converted to senseless rants and stupidity. Somehow the director spares Miranda and Charlotte. Oh wait, they do crib about having help and still not being able to be good mothers. Kudos to them!
I just have an earnest request for all the people involved in making this, please dont come up with a third movie. I adore the show and I can live with its re-runs. Please dont mutilate some really heartfelt characters which I have come to admire.
And girls out there, watch the movie at your own risk.
~nightflier
P.S. there are some better reviews which thrash the movie in a hilarious way. Do check them out, for these will certainly provide you with wicked laughs.
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/burkas-and-birkins/Content?oid=4132715
Life in the slow zone
Most of you will agree that life as a student is slow except for those elevated periods of activity and exhaustion during exams and semester end. But on a routine basis if you follow a time table life is more or less the same. Having done that for almost 2 years I was REALLY looking forward to get my hands dirty in the real world and start working. It seems god or one of his subordinates with a mean sense of humour has different plans (cos I think I have a friendly relation with mr. god. I know he is reading this! coy smile).
Anyhow that throws me in the slow zone (what I sometimes also call the unpredictable zone) once again! To tell the truth, I did get caught a bit off guard here. But after 4-5 days of lamenting and sob stories (to myself), I am back to being an optimist. Sigh..
I am planning to learn a few new programming languages/tools (Strictly for AwareNet purposes).
Also in the pipeline is a lot of reading. The pending reading list seems to grow by day and looms on me menacingly. In a wake up you lazy ass way.
The evening walks are an integral part of my day now. Planning to add badminton sessions. Any bakras in picture or vicinity ? Well, playing with imaginary friends doesn't quite look appropriate for my age now.
And in the cooking section we have Mark uncle making a re-entry. Of course he will be on Minimalist and me in my kitchen.
On the gadget front if I can carry it off then try to download cool applications and games for my iTouch. Seriously it must be feeling ignored/rejected/sad with my meagre musical needs and limited use. But pretty soon I will be as cool as Tony Stark. Hope floats!
And not on the list is any TV related activity. Because I pulled up a crazy stunt of watching 5 seasons of Lost in 15 days (Each episode lasts for 42-45 minutes :-|) Now I have a pretty good gist of how its going to end. If you have heard of parallel universes and infinite dimensions you might know what I am talking about. And if you are somewhere between season 1 and 5 or don't watch it, then don't bother. This isnt even a spoiler. So I hope there are no chappals or chopsticks coming my way ? Phew!
Waise in my defence I thought any free time before starting work is like your last few days on earth before doomsday. Well watching 5 seasons of Lost will not be anyone's choice in such situation, but let's agree people are weird. Waise I am on episode 4 of season 6 now, if you were still thinking.
The effect of this incessant Lost bombardment has been tremendous on my nervous system. I have lost (the verb) appetite for tv. That also makes my stomach churn at the thought of movies. Now that's pretty bad for a fanatic. So I beg you to not suggest any more new tv series by amreekan versions of Ekta Kapoors. I also hope the damage does not last long.
So now coming to the point behind this non stop badbad, please suggest me good books on design of products, entrepreneurship and marketing. Not my cup-o-tea all this stuff. Par kya karein karna padta hai.
Also if any of you at any point of time has developed a facebook/mobile custom application, kindly let me know.
And be a good girl/boy and help your technologically challenged (lazy more like) friend by suggesting nice iTouch/phone applications (needn't be useful). Also let me know what your plans for summer are, in case things get really slow, I might gatecrash (into ?) them.
Parting songs of the moment(s) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91QBcm07kXE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8me1GXijJA
(Go ahead my friend. Click them. Sometimes clicking unknown links can make all the difference :))
~nightflier
Anyhow that throws me in the slow zone (what I sometimes also call the unpredictable zone) once again! To tell the truth, I did get caught a bit off guard here. But after 4-5 days of lamenting and sob stories (to myself), I am back to being an optimist. Sigh..
I am planning to learn a few new programming languages/tools (Strictly for AwareNet purposes).
Also in the pipeline is a lot of reading. The pending reading list seems to grow by day and looms on me menacingly. In a wake up you lazy ass way.
The evening walks are an integral part of my day now. Planning to add badminton sessions. Any bakras in picture or vicinity ? Well, playing with imaginary friends doesn't quite look appropriate for my age now.
And in the cooking section we have Mark uncle making a re-entry. Of course he will be on Minimalist and me in my kitchen.
On the gadget front if I can carry it off then try to download cool applications and games for my iTouch. Seriously it must be feeling ignored/rejected/sad with my meagre musical needs and limited use. But pretty soon I will be as cool as Tony Stark. Hope floats!
And not on the list is any TV related activity. Because I pulled up a crazy stunt of watching 5 seasons of Lost in 15 days (Each episode lasts for 42-45 minutes :-|) Now I have a pretty good gist of how its going to end. If you have heard of parallel universes and infinite dimensions you might know what I am talking about. And if you are somewhere between season 1 and 5 or don't watch it, then don't bother. This isnt even a spoiler. So I hope there are no chappals or chopsticks coming my way ? Phew!
Waise in my defence I thought any free time before starting work is like your last few days on earth before doomsday. Well watching 5 seasons of Lost will not be anyone's choice in such situation, but let's agree people are weird. Waise I am on episode 4 of season 6 now, if you were still thinking.
The effect of this incessant Lost bombardment has been tremendous on my nervous system. I have lost (the verb) appetite for tv. That also makes my stomach churn at the thought of movies. Now that's pretty bad for a fanatic. So I beg you to not suggest any more new tv series by amreekan versions of Ekta Kapoors. I also hope the damage does not last long.
So now coming to the point behind this non stop badbad, please suggest me good books on design of products, entrepreneurship and marketing. Not my cup-o-tea all this stuff. Par kya karein karna padta hai.
Also if any of you at any point of time has developed a facebook/mobile custom application, kindly let me know.
And be a good girl/boy and help your technologically challenged (lazy more like) friend by suggesting nice iTouch/phone applications (needn't be useful). Also let me know what your plans for summer are, in case things get really slow, I might gatecrash (into ?) them.
Parting songs of the moment(s) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91QBcm07kXE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8me1GXijJA
(Go ahead my friend. Click them. Sometimes clicking unknown links can make all the difference :))
~nightflier
Gangaram
Been born and brought up in the same city (same neighbourhood more like) my childhood seems pretty uneventful to me. Leaving aside the minor skirmishes of sibling rivalry, my scrappiness in outdoor events and a few illness stricken periods, there were never major instances of the belonging crisis, short lived friendships, or for that matter moving or shifting. For the 2 or 3 times we moved, we just shifted by a block or two. Never ever had to leave the coziness of my sweet and charming west nagpur neighbourhood. Having stated that, Gangaram holds a very special place in my uneventful childhood.
For he was, my rikshawala for a span of 4 years. From 3rd standard to 6th. He was my first friend from the other side of the age line. And I think for that matter all of us, for whom he was a rikshawala. He did not have a very good looking rikshaw, but it was very well maintained and neat. He also had a secret hiding place beneath the rikshaw seat where he kept all the mechanical tools and we were forbidden to even lift the seat a bit without his permission. Those were his rules. He had a flaring temper, rude mannerisms, rash language but there was a mischievous charm about him. He would never talk rudely with our parents or us. But other rikshawalas and their pampered kids always used to be targets of his rustic sarcasm. He would always indulge in silly banter with us kids. Sometimes hiding away our bags or waterbottles if we showed him any attitude or were careless with his rikshaw!
He seemed (and still seems) pretty ageless (might have been in his 50s back then) to me as a kid. I would always ask mom dad how old he must be. Cos I always used to wonder how a single person can ride a rikshaw filled with 10 kids without any help ?? (I also used to wonder how many kids he might have, where he lived, what he ate, but strangely never bothered to ask :-|) Super duper herculean stuff! Literally! And on Saturdays he used to pull a rikshaw full of almost 15 kids (because kids from a stupid nearby school used to join us). And since we were used to the royal treatment and our coveted positions in the rikshaw, we made deals with Gangaram. On Saturdays he would let us sit on the balcony (terrace) seats called the TUP and in turn lessen the chaos and pain in his life :D For this dude had issues with our rivalry and fights for the throne.
And then it reminds me of the infamous incident. On one such Saturday, there was something wrong with his rikshaw and we were given the responsibility of holding an iron spike and also not make any noise. No points for guessing we messed it up, one of us (we had turns to hold that thing) dropped the spike, it got stuck in the rikshaw wheels and all hell broke loose. Galti se! The next thing I remember is a very angry Gangaram shouting, us getting down with our stuff all teary and he helping us cross the road. He then instructed us to head home on our own and went back to his broken rikshaw. Thinking this is the last time we were seeing him, we waited for him to call back our names and say goodbye. Oh sweet innocence. Of course, he did not.
To our surprise and shock, he was back the next morning (with a fit and fine rikshaw), politely listening to our parents lecture about being responsible. That incident was never mentioned by him or us. And guess we were back to being a team!
I still see him pulling the same rikshaw filled with boisterous kids. And he gives the typical mischievous grin and tells me how my bike wheels are rotating in the reverse direction. Well that's his trademark!
I owe you one Gangaram for making my childhood so eventful! :)
~nightflier
P.S. Have they found a cure for incurable nostalgia ?
For he was, my rikshawala for a span of 4 years. From 3rd standard to 6th. He was my first friend from the other side of the age line. And I think for that matter all of us, for whom he was a rikshawala. He did not have a very good looking rikshaw, but it was very well maintained and neat. He also had a secret hiding place beneath the rikshaw seat where he kept all the mechanical tools and we were forbidden to even lift the seat a bit without his permission. Those were his rules. He had a flaring temper, rude mannerisms, rash language but there was a mischievous charm about him. He would never talk rudely with our parents or us. But other rikshawalas and their pampered kids always used to be targets of his rustic sarcasm. He would always indulge in silly banter with us kids. Sometimes hiding away our bags or waterbottles if we showed him any attitude or were careless with his rikshaw!
He seemed (and still seems) pretty ageless (might have been in his 50s back then) to me as a kid. I would always ask mom dad how old he must be. Cos I always used to wonder how a single person can ride a rikshaw filled with 10 kids without any help ?? (I also used to wonder how many kids he might have, where he lived, what he ate, but strangely never bothered to ask :-|) Super duper herculean stuff! Literally! And on Saturdays he used to pull a rikshaw full of almost 15 kids (because kids from a stupid nearby school used to join us). And since we were used to the royal treatment and our coveted positions in the rikshaw, we made deals with Gangaram. On Saturdays he would let us sit on the balcony (terrace) seats called the TUP and in turn lessen the chaos and pain in his life :D For this dude had issues with our rivalry and fights for the throne.
And then it reminds me of the infamous incident. On one such Saturday, there was something wrong with his rikshaw and we were given the responsibility of holding an iron spike and also not make any noise. No points for guessing we messed it up, one of us (we had turns to hold that thing) dropped the spike, it got stuck in the rikshaw wheels and all hell broke loose. Galti se! The next thing I remember is a very angry Gangaram shouting, us getting down with our stuff all teary and he helping us cross the road. He then instructed us to head home on our own and went back to his broken rikshaw. Thinking this is the last time we were seeing him, we waited for him to call back our names and say goodbye. Oh sweet innocence. Of course, he did not.
To our surprise and shock, he was back the next morning (with a fit and fine rikshaw), politely listening to our parents lecture about being responsible. That incident was never mentioned by him or us. And guess we were back to being a team!
I still see him pulling the same rikshaw filled with boisterous kids. And he gives the typical mischievous grin and tells me how my bike wheels are rotating in the reverse direction. Well that's his trademark!
I owe you one Gangaram for making my childhood so eventful! :)
~nightflier
P.S. Have they found a cure for incurable nostalgia ?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)