Nostalgia on Rails. At one point in time, trains were an integral part of our formative years; so romanticised by films like Sholay, Aradhana, Coolie and the like. Those of us who have travelled, even once in second class, will surely still have the smell of the train in their…
Everyday Life Comedy. Weddings – Drama, Naagin Dances and Embarrassments
I’m limiting myself to middle class India here. Attended any Indian weddings? A colourful and lively affair, yes? Our weddings have everything – melodrama that surpasses anything that Ekta Kapoor can conjure, ear splitting music and embarrassing relatives. There is the jarring shehnai competing with, and losing to, disco jhankaar…
Nostalgic memories. Who has stolen all our childhood games?
There was no Nintendo, PS or X Box for us born in the sixties. Nor did we have Facebook, Insta or Whatsapp. What we did have were a host of delightful, inexpensive and ‘make rules as you play’ games to prevent us from becoming all-work-and-no-play dull Jacks. These games taught…
Real Life Reflections. So many channels, so few worth a watch
A recent evening. The prodigal son and self being alone at home, thought we’d watch some TV. Discussed what to watch for 15 minutes without consensus. Hence browsed some more. The Taty Sky English entertainment channels had nothing interesting. The Hindi entertainment channels too, with their surfeit of mind numbing…
Real Life Reflections. Over achieving Indians!
I had mentioned earlier how we humans go to great lengths to seek recognition here. Well, this post is more of the same. Heard of one Mr Shashikant Prajapati from Bihar? Apparently, bitten by the ‘I need recognition’ bug, he worked diligently for, and gained entry into, the Guiness Book…
Behind the Uniform Stories. Converting a House into a Home
One of the peculiarities of a life in the Navy is the frequent transfers. My time in the Navy, saw us move 15 times from city to city after marriage, which in turn, saw us convert about 22 houses into homes. Considering my married years in the Navy numbered 32,…
Indian Society Humour. What Personifies Indians Most?
One striking aspect about the fine citizens of our country is our total disregard for queues. After putting deep thought into it, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is so because, we being true believers in God, give considerable credence to the adage ‘God helps those who help themselves’….