Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Situational Meaning…….Learning through AV Medium.

The Malayalam TV channels were incessantly ranting and splitting hairs of the recent Paul M George murder near Changanacherry allegedly by a bevy of habitual offenders who regularly indulge in the wet act for money and political patronage.These gangs are known as “Quotation teams”for the very reason that they are available to do the wet act for a price.

Suddenly my son,who was completing his science homework raised his head and asked ,Dad! What is quotation?

I said,it is a bid or interest by a person or firm mentioning the estimated value or price to do a certain work.I thought why bother his tender mind more by explaining the way a material supply or work execution is tendered.

Oh! He said disappointedly ,I asked what happened?He said ,he thought that ‘Quotation means,to kill somebody’.

I was speechless for several minutes and gathering my wits,I realized the influence of Audio-Visual medium on the impressionable mind.How easy it is to form an opinion by just associating the words and situation to a particular context.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Memoir of travel by Indian Railway

There had been innumerable train journeys, some are memorable ,most of them are forgotten without a trace ,as lightly as the tickets are tossed away in the trash or sewer near the railway station.
There are times when you are forced to travel sitting near the bathroom due to vagaries of travel plans.
Worst are the journeys through the North Indian plains during winters in unreserved compartment. The bogie is packed to all available space and its only a metallurgical marvel that the walls of the compartment are held together. The endurance of human spirit never ceases to amaze. The routine spectacle of the local gentry traveling squat on the roof of train through the dusty villages during my childhood is no more seen, this may be due to the overhead electric traction. Due to chill and frosty wind gushing through the train during winters all exits are closed leaving little or no exhaust. And! then the revelry starts, a middle aged man, wrinkled and weather beaten f ace puckers his hand folded around other and lights his beedi,this leads to a cascading effect and outcomes several more beedis.With little or no air circulation, the entire bogie is filled with the pungent stench of beedi which masks the stale air of human expiration,
The pressure cooker like situation is only relieved when the train reaches a station an d several bodies go through amazing contortions anatomically not possible in normal circumstances and exit door is opened for some fortunate souls to wriggle out and escape to life.However,it quickly gets back to the same state very soon after the train moves again.
By the time you reach your destination after 12-16 hrs of travel, you become a fit case for assisted respiratory therapy, the skin is pale and ghoulish. You suddenly find yourself aged by many years.
The air around the railway station which normally is the most polluted suddenly appears to be crisp, clean and pure. You inhale deeply and quickly and hyperventilating drop at the back seat of a waiting taxi.

We swear that ,never again we will venture out thus,yet we do this again and again.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

"Ho Ho less" Santas

Santas in Australia are barred from greeting by saying"HO Ho Ho ",allegedly this might frighten the kids and more importantly it might offend the modety of Australian women as 'Ho' closely sounds American slang for prostitutes.Ha Ha Ha`,now apparently Santas will wish thus.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Monkey Business

New Delhi: Delhi's Deputy Mayor S S Bajwa died on Sunday of head injuries after a fall from the terrace of his house, reportedly while trying to fend off an attacking monkey.
Bajwa, 52, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor from Anand Vihar ward, was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Apollo Hospital Saturday with multiple injuries and internal bleeding after falling from the terrace of the first floor of his Anand Vihar residence.

Though we are not setting up any special committee on the issue, we have suggested various brainstorming ideas to revive the efforts to control monkeys and we also take experts' help in striking balance between human beings and animals in the urban area," BJP Delhi president Harsh Vardhan said.
Meanwhile, Harsh Vardhan said services of foreign experts, if needed could be sought to control the monkey menace in the capital.
Ha ha ha ha ha, this is really funny indeed. In Delhi ,how do you differentiate who is “human and who is animal”, politicians and bureaucrats are adept and routinely involved in ‘monkey business’,all this hue and cry is perhaps ,this is the first time that one of their ilk has been claimed victim.
Historically,Delhi has been laid siege by several races, its time probably the Simian Primate got his rightful share of this Lutyen’s city, and the Indian parliamentary democracy process.

Friday, October 5, 2007

The Televenture

Oh, Hi!!! And thanks to Sidin, I have a brand new 20’’ Sony Bravia LCD TV on my table, courtesy my Boss.

It was only yesterday we were chatting on sad and dismal performance of Indian cricket, I was missing the live telecast and the conversation closed abruptly.

I went and knocked at my Boss’s cabin and he had already seen me coming and looked at me with trepidation. Yes! His worst nightmare was about to become real.

He smiled, broadly at that indeed, and asked if everything was OK.
I nonchalantly replied, "Yes, Sir, except that", and I could see in the corner of his eyes, he was beginning to well.
I said,’Sir, Please give me a project’, my Boss brushed that aside and said, projects are for “lesser mortals” I am destined for bigger things. He enquired, if everything is alright and whether the décor of my cabin is warding me off, I suggested for a Chesterfield and tele set.

And, Lo and behold, today morning I have a brand new TV on my table with Dishnet connection.
I went and thanked my Boss, profusely.

Later in the diner, my colleague, who went to purchase the TV, told me that my Boss thought with 6 more months to go for annual appraisal its safe to buy me a TV than he losing his PLI due to my goofing up some projects.

I have decided, after the earning call of Q3, I will ask him an office golf set.

I need to practice to be in the league of CEOs,CFOs,CTOs and many more assorted Cs.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

The Quest for God

My son, during one of his incessant ramblings, suddenly stopped and looked askance at me and asked,’ Dad’ “how is God made up of”, Ever the metaphysical, that I am, this was surely, a blow below the’ you know where’.
I put on a brave face and said, Son, I will answer your question, give me time to organize my thoughts ,that was 6 months ago.
The little Devil is never tired of reminding me that, he is still awaiting the answer to one small question he has asked, and gleefully brings up the matter, just when I am boastfully settling myself in front of my friends about the high falutin’work that I do.
My quest is still continuing, I am totally at loss, as to where to start the quest.
Maybe, oneday he will realize that some questions can never be answered, until then, I will remain profoundly incompetent in his eyes.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Macbeerth

To beer or not to beer by Shakesbeer.

Whether its nobler in the liver to suffer the rancid froth of outrageous ale or to take
a swig against the sea of lager and by gulping them drop in the alley.