Long Solitude

Ah, writing here after what seems like ages, never got to the food-log mentioned in the last post. Perhaps it was never to be.

Two years have been every (un)eventful. Writing the way I have, it just signifies, a lot of events but nothing that leaves a profound impact.

Hopefully will have some more to post about. Adieu for now

India Travellog

Well well, have traveled twice to Pune and once to Bangalore in last 3 months. Ofcourse all was for business but then you have evenings to your self and being teh foodie that am, it always ends up in some corner of the town which is a culinary delight.

Be it the Dhansak at the Dorabjee & sons at the Sarbatwala chowk or La Pizzaria or the Smoke on Water at Central Park in Pune, have been through the varied delicacies.

In B'lore it has not been that much yet, but have been to places as varied as Adiga's, Aqua and Sunny's. Dont know it was easier to find good places in Pune. In Bangalore I was deliberately avoiding the North Indian Fare as well as MTR's of the place.

Shortly will deal with each one at a time. But had a good gastronomical fare and just want to have it out there.

Its not Swine

The paranoia that grips India today is about swine flu, or is it. Its not really swine, was amazed to see folks wearing disposable surgical masks after washing, packing them nicely in their bags after hours of use and all this on my small trip to the so called epicenter in the country.

Is it really swine that's troubling India or is it something else. Well, to me swine flu or H1N1 is just an excuse for the reaction to the apathy of health care sector to come out. Its just the mistrust in so called public hospitals, where you at times even need to pay up to the ward boys to get things done. (No, am not saying everyone is like that, but think of a situation when you are concerned about health of a loved one and nothing moves till you pay some money over the top). Its about hoarding of tablets and masks, which are going at double their price in the market today...isn't this more like Indian inflation, officially we are in deflation and still commodity prices keep rising, only our learned Babu's (government officials) can take pride in such achievements along with their political masters hell bent on taking credit.

Anyways' back to swine, what i saw in Pune last week was a sense of fear, without knowing what and how to do. All were just jumping on the bandwagon and trying to use it to own advantage. Yes, its important to be cautious but for your own sake, just read out the advisory and treatment on WHO website. Guess, even our so called Health Officials did not read that.

And at the end for our so efficient private sector, atleast in health care emergency you let my country down. It turns away patients, refusing treatment and when agreeing wants a 100% profit return...I guess, its only money which counts, swines are still slugging it out in mud outside. I guess its not swine, not anymore.

PS: In Any way do not want to demean the seriousness of the issue or pandemic, but am just stumped by the reaction of our leaders, bureaucrats and people alike. May the souls, who sacrificed their life to help awaken this sleeping country, RIP.

Vigar gayi hai...

विगर गई है , थोड़े दिना तों! दूरी पई है थोड़े दिना तों ...
Loosely translated as (she is now not in tune with me, from a few days। The distances have grown, just in last few days).

these words from Bari Nizami have been echoing in my ears for long. Not that there is any connect with my current situation, but the poetry is so beautiful and when its in voice and style of NFAK, I just am speechless. Can listen to it over and over again, and each time its as fresh as ever.

Moving on, isn't it fun to do something which is least expected from you, an element of surprise that comes with it. Personally I love doing such stuff and it has been fun but then element of surprise in Indian politics at times is just too much.

with elections round the corner, politicians are again down to their dirty politics of hate, community, cast, and local divisions. I am just wondering where is "India" these all folks want to form a government in. Where is that country they all claim to be a part of not.

Guess no one is bothered, people also were angry after the Mumbai incident, but then as always, we live with our attitude of "chalta hai". We all are hypocrites. I know folks who forward mails with sense of society and talk from who not, but is forwarding enough? Are we just suppose to read those stuff and forget as soon as we close the mail.
We forward mails on driving in India, then as soon as we hit the road we do the worst possible driving and our excuse, others are doing the same. Well do two wrongs make a right, if yes, then the Taliban way of governance is right, lets go for "an eye for an eye", atleast then the world would be blind and no one would see the wrongs.
For any change, it needs to start with me, with us not with someone else, no one is going to come and do it for you my friend. You need to start and do it yourself.


Lately, there has also been a talk of no lawyer for Kasab(Mumbai blast), To all those , if you are so sure of Kasab's guilt then why are you afraid of a lawyer defending him. let there be a chance for the world to see the other side. But then we are back with our so called "intellectual" political class, who does not hang another convicted terrorist to get some more votes and allow illegal migrants to settle for greed of their own and the babus.
Well, no political party different. Folks on the other side did release terrorist when they model them selves on Israel, which launched operation thunderbolt where the government of the land was left stranded to get the hostages out. But then in here, we can just blame each other and score brownie points, get some votes at whatever the cost.

Had Bari Nizami's lyrics were for these politicians, the word "थोड़े"(few [days]) would need to be changed to "बड़े" (big, good amount of [days]).

Farida Turia Turia Ja

The title literary translating to "Oh Farid (Baba sheikh Farida), just keep moving" sums it all. What a weekend this was full of mystical music. Sufi music at it best.

Heard so many new ones that have a sigh, this has to end. What tranquility is this that a want to be in it, such calm and peaceful solitude that want to be here for now.

It was not just Baba Farid, but also, Bulleh shah, Khusaro, Kabir, Waris Shah, Shah Hussain, rendered through the voices of NFAK, Abida, Alam Lohar, Jagjit, Hans Raj Hans, Shabari, Wadali, Javed Bashier, Gurdas Mann.

I can relive these 2 days, over and over again.

Next task now is to find these albums over the next week with the following numbers
- ghunghat Chak le sajna ve
- v gayi hai, thode dinna toon
- k bolle Ram Ram, koi
- yadaan vichre sajan diya
- dil wala dukhra
- dil Mar jane nu ki
- sada chiriya da chamba
- je tu ankhiya de saamne
- je tu ran nu manaana
- aaja mahi loye loye
and offcourse
- Farida turiya turiya ja...

Am sure will not find them in one store so happy hunting for this week.

Another Year Goes by

It has been an year on the fast track, but last month has left me looking at things anew. How fast do we move in life without having to look back at things.

Mumbai incident was truly shocking, but then it showed character in men. Unarmed employees of the hotel and under prepared police trying to match the firepower of the trained and equipped terrorists. Salutations to all who faced the bullets coming at them and stood contrary to all odds.

Moving on to a point, we have too much of news and media these days, each in its effort to out do the other do not realise what harm they cause to the missions underway. Catching hold of officers and other men incharge of the operations, before they can talk to their own forces. Strange are the ways that they then go and pat themselves on the back. They pat themselves on the back when the authorities have to put in a few extra men just to keep these folks at a distance. Kudos to you folks, and the spirit of never agreeing to their mistake, our chhanel was not the one.
Please do not fool us, we understand that you are here to make money and are no different from politicians, just that you need to fan public opinion, burn issues but are not answerable for any consequences thereoff. Not that it has not helped us but then the motive was never the man on street or their cause. Motive was purely to make money and no matter how it comes, be it through SMSes on dead bodies...nice capitalism

Capitalism is not entirely a bad thing, just that we forget our social responsibility and get carried away too far...far from the need of the hour guided by one thing, whats my selling point, as a person as an organization or as a nation.

Sellers we.

Out of Words

Another long gap and here I am back...with nothing more to put down that what I had done last time. Things have changed but to such an extent that i have lost count of what all has happened...or the changes have lost their significance with passage of those moments...contextually insignificant

I have started pen-ing things here and find myself out of words right now...means all's good cause I find it easier to put things which were not really been good so far...:)

I have a few moments of solitude before going to sleep and would love in them with this nice song in background (Ya Rabba from Salame Ishq)...I am a big fan of the voice and this cool style of singing...its so soothing so sufi....until next time...