E T ?

A couple of days ago there was a bit of disagreement on some issue with my high command. Yes, it happens even when you are almost completing 40 years of togetherness. I did not want to escalate it and also was not keen on cold war, so I decided to take a walk. It was after dinner and I had walked our dog before calling it a day but made an excuse of having overeaten her delicious food to step out again. My idea was to marshal my thoughts on approach to convince her that we should evolve joint strategy to face the problem at hand. She mostly flies off the handle while I try to mull over all angles before deciding anything.

So off I went. There is huge vacant land next to our housing complex which has peripheral road. It was almost touching 11 at night. There are a lot of stray dogs but I am not scared of these four legged ones. It is two legged variety only which makes me feel afraid. There was hardly any company at that time except couple of young lads little high on what they enjoyed in the evening trudging along singly to their homes. I was walking at leisurely pace deep in my thoughts with not much of an eye for what was happening around. Suddenly I was jolted back when it seemed that something with flickering lights had landed in the centre of that vacant ground. I could see a huge thing like an overloaded truck with dim lights blinking but could not make out much. As far as I could remember there was no structure in the centre of that area. I know curiosity killed the cat but being no cat and with an overpowering urge to see what was it I walked through one of the many little gaps made in the boundary wall by those from nearby shacks around buildings under construction who need to visit that vacant land early mornings. As I approached that object I had a sensation of being watched. I was hardly a few yards away when I felt something clasping my ankles holding me where I was. And I was surrounded by some kind of creatures who were not more than couple of feet tall give or take a few inches. It was rather dark at that place as the street lights reluctantly show the road, if at all. What I could see that these figures were standing on their hind legs with arms almost reaching ground, more like miniature orang- utans. They seemed to be talking to each other in what seemed gibberish like the one you hear during Sales time at a ladies wear store. I saw a trap like door open on that contraption and a figure walk towards me. All went quiet as soon as that happened. That figure or creature came close to me and held my hand. The paw was like human but seemed to have more fingers. This seemed to induce telepathy as thoughts came up in my mind. I was told that it was their leader and they meant no harm to me. I asked then why was I being held and who were they. It asked me to follow and I was released of what was holding my ankles. We entered that contraption and it was like interior of a large cockpit. I was seated and given some sort of small iPod to hold. After that I could understand whatever was being said in their language and I could see that what I said was understood by them. That is when we got into conversation.

TO BE CONTINUED.

P S : KINDLY SEE MY REPLIES TO YOUR VIEWS IN MY PREVIOUS POST.

BASIC GOOD BEHAVIOUR

Why can we not teach our children some basics of good behaviour? Or even children of our guests too? You may be wondering what prompted this.

Well, there are a number of children who are visiting some family in our building. One can expect a child of 4 or 5 years being curious and take joy rides in lift by pressing buttons for different floors but what about those who are 10 years old or more? It becomes really annoying when you call the lift to your floor but it stops at all the floors below before reaching you and you find no one in the lift with all buttons of floors higher too pressed. So either you take a free ride or let the lift reach topmost floor and call it again. One can overlook it once or twice but all the day around is something beyond. What if someone needs it in emergency?

PS : I was halfway through another post but this act of children made me write it first.

EGO?

On most of the days I go to our housing complex park in the evenings to keep an eye for safety of our 3 years old granddaughter who goes down for cycling or playing with other children. There are a number of young children between 5 years to 10 years of age, mostly girls as grown up boys take to cricket with tennis ball. The gang of about 6 or so girls usually plays tag game, I spy or such games and let a couple of small boys also join them. Our granddaughter is too small but she keeps running around following them or cycling along with them around the blocks. I generally remain a spectator just keeping an eye for safety factor, following her when she is cycling.

At times I noticed couple of elder girls disagree with each other on rules of the game or some result or something small. Mostly it is clear that one of them is wrong but neither is willing to compromise or adjust. They then split the gang into smaller groups taking some young ones with them though it is for a short time if not for the rest of the play time.

This made me wonder if it is EGO at that young age. If so, how to make them realize that EGO is one of the top killers of any relation?

WASTAGE, ISN'T IT?

There was a lot of frenzy about beautification of Delhi for CWG, though most of the related work was delayed beyond games. A couple of months ago sidewalks or pavements in our locality were done up with laying of cement bricks. This is welcome as pedestrians now could walk on that raised path without risk of being sideswiped by speeding car trying to overtake other vehicles by encroaching on their passage.

Last week onwards I again find labourers on the same pathways but this time they were digging up bricks in an area about 5 X 5 feet around trees which were on the paths. There are a number of young trees and saplings.

This made me think could the agency responsible for making footpaths not co-ordinate this with horticulture department right from the beginning? Could such coordinated efforts not have lead to saving financially as well as man hours? Or is it deliberate so pockets of some individuals may be lined twice?

MEDIA ANTICS

A couple of days back I was watching a prominent news channel which was selected by my wife. It was telecasting news about entertainment but reminders kept popping up stating “ Be careful if you eat GOLGAPPAS”, “ Biggest Sting Operation”, “ Urine in GOLGAPPAS”, “ Watch next”. May not be in same order. This raised my antennas as my wife and grandchildren sometimes do relish this roadside snack. So I was glued to TV to see what it is. Many thoughts crossed my mind specially after having seen so many news items about adulteration of common products like milk, ghee, KHOYA etc etc. And that too after recent episode of KUTTU ATTA.

But when it was finally shown I was so aghast. It just showed a lone vendor selling GOLGAPPAS at not very crowded spot somewhere in Mumbai. He was being watched by a lady from window on upper floor of nearby building. He suffered sudden pressure built up in his bladders and relieved himself in a utensil which he emptied on the side later. This utensil was utilized to put spicy water in GOLGAPPAS. It was an isolated incident, though what he did was unpardonable but the build up by using so many POP Ups would definitely have made lot of persons wonder as to what adulteration was coming to. This could have been shown as a news also bringing to knowledge of viewers the unhygienic deed of that vendor.

And the result. Well, in newspaper of yesterday there was a news tucked away in a very by the way manner that MNS workers are targeting snack vendors, particularly those selling GOLGAPPAS or PAANIPURIS in Mumbai. This I feel has taken political hue as most of those selling these items are non-maharashtrians. Also this gives another source of HAFTAs to those targeting them.

Don’t you think Media should be more responsible instead of raising a bogey to let some unscrupulous persons make hay out of isolated unwanted act of just one person?

CORRUPTION FREE INDIA IS IN OUR HANDS

I am not able to find suitable words to say as to how proud I felt by the solidarity shown by persons from all walks of life to Anna Hazare for his efforts to make India corruption free. Those in power recognized the people’s power and first step has been taken to enact law to ensure that those who rob our Nation will be brought to book. I hope and pray that no hitch comes in the way now as there are plenty of those who would like to see this effort scuttled.

Having said that let me now come to what I have in my mind to say in my humble way to ensure corruption free India.

Let us all take a vow that we will not bribe to :

a) avoid getting challaned by traffic police.

b) have our complaint registered at whichever agency it may be.

c) get our file traced or pushed to have our request considered.

d) influence favourable disposable of our case by whatever means.

e) have our tender passed.

f) ensure procurement of our material by Purchase staff of production companies.

g) get OK report from inspection teams

If we all can sincerely do this, I think we AAM AADMI can curb corruption as when there is NO OFFER , how can there be DEMAND. I know all of us will face hard times but in my thinking that is the only way. There is no GAIN without PAIN.

LIGHTER MOMENT

Humour is not an easy job but a serious business. I feel one needs to leave something to a person’s imagination in a joke to make him or her laugh. Let me see if I can bring a smile at least to you all.

A couple got into argument about choice of curtains for the house. The people around were amused to see the husband at the losing end till his wife said that her choice was always better than his. He readily agreed saying “ Sure Honey, I absolutely agree with you, you are my choice while I am your choice.”

Once 4 friends were in a bar having good time. Somehow their talk got around to affects reading a book has on a lady who is expecting. One said his wife read Lone Ranger while in that state and they were blessed with a bonny son. Second said his wife read Tale of Two Cities and they had twins. Third one said his wife read Three Musketeers resulting in triplets for them. Fourth one fainted. When he was revived he stated that his wife was in family way and she was reading Alibaba and 40 Thieves.

There was a sudden spurt in child birth in a village which did not seem normal. A survey was conducted and it was found that a year earlier a new high speed train had been introduced on that route which passed through the village at 5 in the morning. People said it was little early to get up but too late to go back to sleep.

Jojo was in purchase department of a large multi product factory . Few months after marriage he had to go out of town for a few days to procure raw material for production. His wife could not go as she did not get leave. He was expected to be back after a week but he sent sms on 7th day saying “ still purchasing and will take 2 or 3 more days.” But at the expiry of the extended period he sent sms again saying “ still purchasing and may take 2 days more.” Again he sent sms after 2 days “ purchase still on and will take few more days.” His wife replied back “ You better be back or I will start selling what I think you are buying.”