Spread the awareness

In today's world as we all are aware of the fact that there are a lot of tests and checks that a married couple takes or have to undergo compulsorily if not, other than the useless "horror-scope" ritual that they go through in Indian society.

In the ongoing awareness age, couples in consultation with their family doctors do undergo several tests pre-post marriage and pre-post pregnancy. But due to sheer lack of knowledge it has been frequently found out in survey, that hardly, except the lucky few undergo the THALLASEMIA test.
As alien the name might sound, this is one of the most deadliest of all diseases, taking millions of lives worldwide.
It is a genetic disorder which effects the child of couples carrying the trait.
I urge you all to undergo the test prior family planning and confirm with your doctor about it.
Please do forward this information to friends and enemies (Because i am sure, after reading the link you would not even imagine your enemies' children to die in this manner)
SPREAD THE AWARENESS.

Log onto www.health-disease.org/blood-disorders/thallasemia.htm for detailed information.

urban-tadka: Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan...

urban-tadka: Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan...

Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan...

This photograph of mumbai is circa 1930.

I know you are trying to breathe that nostalgic fresh air of yester years as you try to visualize Mumbai in its full glory (its past tense now, sorry!!), right?
Whenever I dream of this beautiful city, the following lyric just gives me goose bumps……….

Aye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan

Zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

Ha haa, ha ho ho, ho hi haa ha haa

Hm hm hm hm, hm hm hm , hm hm hm hm hm

Kahin building kahin traame, kahin motor kahin mill

Milta hai yahan sab kuchh ik milta nahin dil

Insaan ka nahin kahin naam-o-nishaan

Zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

Kahin satta, kahin patta kahin chori kahin res

Kahin daaka, kahin phaaka kahin thokar kahin thes

Bekaaro ke hain kai kaam yahan

Zara hat ke zara bach ke,

yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

What a song yaar!! It cannot get any better folks.

Even though born-n-brought up in the city I truly enjoyed the true taste of Mumbai in college. Studying at Wilson College at chow patty gave us a Phukat window seat at chow patty. Bunking lectures, coaxing friends, enjoying the sea breeze, the bhutta-wala, running bare feet in the sand…..it was a truly magical period. During the rains it was like the icing on the cake.

And who can forget the old Irani restaurants? (I still frequent them today, but not as much as I used to) Kyani-Bastani, Leopold, Sunshine, Jimmy boy. These restaurants are the heart of the city, any mumbaikar will agree to that.

The very visible signs and posters found here are the true trademarks of these places.For instance “don’t comb your hair in front of the mirror” “pay exact change” “Please do not sit idle on the table” “Do tell how the service is” “thank you, visit again” are one of the few signs out of the dozens of other signs painted on the rustic, old walls. If you see an Irani restaurant recently given a makeover then it isn’t an Irani restaurant anymore!! Wooden creaky chairs, ever reluctant noisy big old fans revolving sluggishly, less bothered waiters, tiles which have forgotten their original color are some of the distinctive “charm” these restaurants possess.We used have a lot of fun spending time (bunking lectures) in here. The restaurant near the college also had a old juke box installed inside. Just dropping a rupee in that juke box used to give us a total paisa Vasool experience.

Riding on the red dabbas (BEST) buses is an altogether different experience. Be it trains, buses, cabs, the rude rickshaw-wallas (tuk tuks as they are known in the west), the ever punctual dabba-wallas. Festivals, coolies, almost everyone have been playing a crucial part to keep this city alive and kicking. Maintaining a separate identity from the other metropolis.
I just hope the Mumbai of yester years returns once more. It has given us so much..............in return what have we given it…??? Any answers ???

lelo aapka pachees aana..

Take a close “LAST” look at these coins because they are going to get extinct pretty soon. Why? Well we all are to blame for this.

Just the other day I stopped by a shop to pick up some stationary. As I was giving him some change (while equally thinking how obliged the shop keeper will be) I was in for a rude shock.As soon as the shopkeeper saw the twenty-five paise coins roll out of my wallet, he shouted,”yeh coin nahi chalega bhaisaab,ab kaun leta hai in coins ko? Doosra coin dijiye”
I tried telling him that these coins are valid and used in India, but to no avail. He was in no mood to listen.”Bus mein try karo,conducter shaayad leve” was his unwanted advise.
Is the government listening??
A few months back the Times of India carried an article of how Bangladeshi immigrants are skillfully diverting Indian coins to their country to not only destabilize the economy so that the RBI works extra time unnecessarily to mint more coins but also that they can use them to melt and use for manufacturing of metal products free of cost!!!
Well if the Indian people are going to act in this manner, they are only helping the Bangladeshis out.The coins are still officially valid in India.Who are we to ban them then??
Kya hoga is desh ka?

Yeh gaadi yard jayegi !!!

There are a number of advantages and disadvantages of staying down south in mumbai.Disadvantages are, cramping up of space, dilapidated buildings and other things, but the one major advantage is that there are empty trains to travel, now a puckka mumbaikar will know how it feels to travel in empty train compartments, just divine, pure magic, nah? Well we have one thing to confess......we really feel like a king when we travel in empty trains and say"thank you God" for what he has given us when we see people dangling from the trains at the opposite compartments..........but all this changed just a few days back

I was at andheri station to drop off one of my friends.While waiting for the train to arrive we heard an announcement(such a pain nah?)

quote

"platform number teen ke kinare se duur khade rahiye,aane wali local tez local he,kripaya isme na chade,yeh local yard jayegi,dhanyawad"

unquote.

this went on alteast six times before the train actually passed us.While it entered the platform all the eyes of the commuters sort of fixed on her, and they followed her right up till when she disappeared....i got a bit amused, felt what's there to see an empty train which is of no use for us,meanwhile as if reading my thoughts a commuter standing besides me said

"wish i could get to sit in one of these trains which go to the yard,those trains with the service labels on them.Atleast i can fulfill my dream in getting into an empty compartment and sitting on an ever inviting empty seat, after that it doesn't really matter where the hell it goes."

Guess he echoed every ones thoughts.I thought if God was to grant him a wish right here right now i bet he would have asked for the same thing !!!

After dropping off my friend i went on the adjacent platform to catch an empty train home(as usual), but as i sat on an,"ever inviting seat" i realised the type of punishment mumbaikars go through everyday.......my mind just went blank.

queen's face lift !!

the beautification of the girgaum chowpatty promenade is worth a visit. Since i stay in girgaum an everyday visit for me is a must. The work is still on........but i think they could have added a bit of colour to it in the form of tilings, seatings etc. Just hope it stays free of encroachments, paan chewers, and other nuisances...Have to just wait and watch.
aamchi mumbai sunder mumbai................(kadhi bannar?)!!