Weight lifting

I am very tired. Did a lot of weight lifting today. Oh! The college library sucks. The infrastructure is terrible. And the most interesting trouble is that while one part of the library is on the 3rd floor the other is in another building. So, today was my unlucky day. I never step into this stinky library. However, today I did, and I also spent good 4 hrs in it. Gosh! How did I do that?

Well I wasn’t in the library for most of the time. As I mentioned I did a lot of weight lifting, so coming back to that. I wanted certain judgments, quickly, just as always in an attempt to spend as little time as possible in the library, I breezed through a few books and jotted down some relevant citations. Then began my ordeal. I had to go to the peon with these citations and then he’d give me the relevant judgments. Oh! But he was out for lunch and the other peon didn’t want to leave his place so I waited for an hour for the peon. Finally when he did come, we had to go to the other library.

This library reminded me of an old haveli. It had a huge lock and its door creaked just as it does in ghost movies. Then we entered this haunted house and rummaged through the cupboards for judgments. And then I left with three heavy (extremely heavy) books. I had to go up to the third floor to get them issued then down again to get them Xeroxed then up again to return them. And no lift to aid me. After repeating this twice I felt like dumping the books somewhere instead of going up to return them.

Rain capers

It has just begun to rain after a long, long interval. But I am already bored of the rains. It’s all so dull and gloomy and wet. And everything is so filthy. Maybe tolerating the gloominess and wetness would be easier if it wasn’t all so filthy. There’s muck everywhere. Apart from the ubiquitous muck, the rains kind of highlight all the dirt lying about the place- empty wrappers, soggy tissue papers and the rest. It’s so frustrating to look at all this mess and begin a day.

But the bigger problem is not visual, it’s nasal. The open cans of garbage are a dismal sight; but when wet they emanate a much more rotten stench. Throughout the city, the lovely smell of the rain water and fresh mud is replaced by the intensified foul stench of the various wet manholes, gutters, bins and also animal wastes. Agrh!

Rains would be fun if little more attention was paid towards the cleanliness of the city.

Persuasion

A small girl in the train. I smiled. She caught it; flashed a tray full of rubber bands at me. No, I shook my head. I didn’t need any. She picked up another tray of clips and rushed towards me. No, I shook my head. I didn’t need any. Then I looked at her, then at the clips. One of them was fine. How much? I asked her, pointing towards a clip- part of a packet of three. She quoted the price of all three. Not the pack, just one, said I. She insisted, I’ll reduce the rates, take the whole pack. I don’t need any, I reminded, and anyways all three of them look the same. No, she pointed out, one is black and one red (it was a pretty carmine), and the other “chocolatey” (it was dark brunt sienna). Ya, but still it’s the same pattern. I don’t need them.

Then I bought them, all three of them, despite their being identical. Why did I purchase those clips? For her chubby cheeks, her innocence, her cuteness, or for her childhood that was lost in selling those clips.



The least I could do was buy them (lame)

Traveling by waterfall

It’s a unique experience to be traveling within a waterfall. Imagine yourself seated and a portable waterfall alongside spitter-spatters cool drops of water on your face. And this while you’re traveling!

To avail of this experience you’ll have to travel by the railways in Mumbai, during the rainy season.

Not only the window, but even the roof of the train will splash water on your head, face, bag and so on. So enjoy the waterfall ride.

“Protective discrimination”

The government has failed in its part. And has shunned responsibility. It has taken the easy way out in order to pacify the public. Things like reservation are a facade. They hinder and not enhance progress. Such “protective discrimination” doesn’t protect anybody.

Instead of reservation the government should see to it that it fulfils its responsibilities. Better education facilities ought to be made available to everyone. Mumbai has just 4 medical colleges; instead of increasing the number of colleges the government has tried to camouflage its inefficiency by introducing reservations to an extent that there are only about 200 seats available in the open category. As a result a worthy student loses an opportunity to study in Mumbai. This has led to undue stress and severe competition amongst young students. And this terror of not acquiring admission has been well exploited by the various coaching classes. They charge around Rs. 36,000 per subject. Anxiety is clearly visible as admissions to some of such classes for standard 12th and MH-CET were complete just after the tenth standard results were declared. So, a student who worked hard through out std. 10th and scored 90.30% was denied admission to a class (not college) of her choice!

The government should show some concern for its hard-working youth and make some seats available for those who score. It cannot make these students pay the price of its negligence by introducing ceaseless reservations. And any ways reservations don’t even benefit those who they are intended to benefit. For these students who again admission on the basis of reservation still lack the knowledge that a merit student posses. They would benefit if the government were to provide them with better educational facilities and not reservations. So, please don’t shun your responsibilities towards the citizens under the garb of reservation. And those of you who demand reservation, instead please demand for your right to quality education.

Boats for 26/7

Churchgate station witnessed a host of changes in the past few days. First of all an array of walk through metal detectors were installed. Good heavens for that- one metal detector that had loyally stood all alone in a corner of the large station has finally found some companions and also now its presence makes some sense. Or else, all these years no one even bothered to check whether it functions or not, by walking through it. It had endured this loneliness for too long now.
However, my head was spinning all this while. After all why was the station being made all so “secure”? Then on 7/11 when I saw many healthy Labradors doing the rounds of the station and some politician giving a speech, everything clicked. Of course these security measures were being taken since 7/11 was approaching.
So, on the big- day the station was flooded with security officials. Hats-off to our security forces. I guess on 7/26 we shall see many boats on the roads.
What if it decides flood on the same day?

A GUIDE TO my ex-college CANTEEN AT LUNCHBREAK

The moment the bell for the lunch break rings, you should begin to run towards the canteen. Or else the mob that comes out of all the innumerable classes will block all routes to the canteen. And then reaching the canteen will become a mammoth task. You will encounter minor skirmishes, long lost friends (who insist on blocking the stairway while chatting hours on end), and those who don’t follow the traffic rules, blocking your way to the desired canteen.

Well, once you have some how managed to reach the canteen, then you will realize that getting across to the canteen counter (to acquire food tokens) is like trying to get across the road while a cycle race is in motion on the same road. You’ll have to battle with famished girls to get this blessed token.

Now you’ll have to wade through a sea of ravenous girls and give this token to the guy behind the counter. This has to be followed by a long wait. Wait. Wait. Hey! What? That other girl took your order away. Wait. Wait. Ah! Finally you’ve got it. But wait again. He has made a mistake and has given you veg fried rice instead of non-veg. oh!

Yeah! Congrats now that you have finally received your lunch you will realize that there is no place for you to sit and gulp it down. But don’t worry, any way the bell has gone. So now fight the same battle amidst the hordes of people to get back to your class.

And your food?

Don’t worry. The crows will finish it for you.
(the cat can help them)

P. S. Keep trying