The fireworks this Diwali

COCK BRAND

Elections

Never have I missed the opportunity to cast my vote. General Education Academy plays host on election day, be it central or state. And dry days begin a couple of days prior. Oft, I’ve run into neighbors at the polls. I met Dr. Akshay in 1999, the first time ever that I’d voted. “Hello, Geoffery, have you come to vote?”

Yesterday, I met the Gautam mother and daughter, strong supporters of the RSS. And Mr. Jay; a Congressman.

Diwali hogi cup wali.

I watch every game on television. Any game. Domestic, international. Whatever. I decided to do this post after watching this ad on television:

You see, I love the jingle. Listen to it! And most importantly, the idea holds the ad together, not a pretty face or famous personality. It’s an ad that comes oft announcing the inaugural Champions League T20 tournament to be held in India next month. I honestly believe that this is the best ad to be televised in India. Ever. It’ll be Diwali. And the ads say, “Diwali hogi cup wali” meaning there’ll be a cup or trophy to be handed out this Diwali. Now my mind wanders back to Diwali time, 1993.

Victor Fernandes

“What about religion? Did you get into religion?”

Victor has had ups and downs. A bachelor of Science, it took him six years to wrap up the three year course at University. A troubled childhood translated into psychological turmoil during his time at University. Marijuana worsened things. Last evening, I met Victor over beers. It was probably the first time that I’d have a drink with him in his neck of the woods.

“College was fun, wasn’t it?”

Well, it wasn’t for me.

“Well, I was bored during all of it, Victor.”

Youth cultural festivals in India

Someone I know posted this today, fables about a popular youth festival in Mumbai in India. Sorry state of affairs. Somethings got to give.

FIN

21 years hence.

Attention: this post is a Shaaaks commemorative.

Ashwin had always been this lad at school. Good at sports. Our school won every single inter-school hockey tournament whilst Ashwin &others participated. I hardly ever interacted with him whilst in school, except for the odd discussions about the Wednesday night porn telecast on the local cable television. We’d go to Mr. &Mrs Geoff for tutions in Math &Science in Std. X. I got to know him a little better then, or maybe not.

We’d join different juinor colleges. Come university, we found ourselves in the same institution. He’d graduate in Chemistry &I’d do Physics. It wasn’t academics, but alcohol that brought us under the same roof &at the same time.. whilst lectures &practicals were conducted a few blocks away, at the institution. Ashwin, myself &fifteen others discovered an institution of our own.. the bar(s).

13000

It could have happened three months ago. Maybe four. But I slowed down. Considerably. In that time, I started several other blogs. On different subjects. But going slow.

Whilst at peak, I had 3-4 dedicated readers, and I’d have 3-4 comments waiting for a few hours after every post. But of late, I haven’t had a comment in months. It sucks.

As the charts suggest, hits’ve gone down. Posts too. Comments’ve dried off. Completly. I haven’t done a blog on Aniyan Kutty, Seamus, Ronald etc. in months. Readers loved these posts, about these people, characters inspired by real life people. Semi-fictional essays. Of events. Could I interest you with some of my best posts at http://shaaaks.wordpress.com/best-of/?

“Slumdog Millionaire” in real life

“I have come from Uttar Pradesh. I came here in 1997, ticketless, by train. Some people from my village were here before me. They’d made friends with the local slumlord and acquired a portion of this pavement, for business.”

Sachinder and his friends run a juice centre on a pavement at New Bombay. Flies, mosquitoes galore! He lives in a 10 feet x 10 feet pigeon-hole like space, that he shares with thirteen others, bachelors, like himself, from Uttar Pradesh, at New Bombay.

Swine flu, Important addresses and telephone numbers for India

List of government authorized hospitals for treatment of swine flu -  All India list with contact details (download .DOC)

List of Isolation Centres / Critical Care Facilities for swine flu – All India list with contact details (download .DOC)

http://www.karmayog.org/

INFO. FOR Mumbai

.testing

Kasturba Gandhi Hospital Arthur Road, N M Joshi Marg, Jacob Circle, Mumbai – 11     (022) 23083901, 23092458, 23004512
Sir J J Hospital J J Marg, Byculla, Mumbai – 08     (022) 23735555, 23739031, 23760943, 23768400 / 23731144 / 5555 / 23701393 / 1366
Haffkine Institute Acharya Donde Marg, Parel, Mumbai – 12     (022) 24160947, 24160961, 24160962

.treatment

Kasturba Hospital, Sane Guruji Marg, Mumbai-11,Maharastara
{Isolation and critical care}
[Dr. Umesh Aigal – 09820935680,
022-23083901, 02,03,04]

The West coast of India, the Konkan region, and fish

It is unfortunate that land is divided politically. Into countries, states, districts etc. It is unfortunate, that, there are all these different languages in this world. And castes. And sub-castes.
Nevertheless.