Some definite MUST DOs every monsoon!!

Monsoons have arrived and it’s time for some fun, some frolic and some masti ;) !!! Some of my favourite must-dos in the monsoons in no particular order..

Curl up near a window with a hot mug of tea/coffee and watch the raindrops slide against the window pane

Inhale the perfume of the first rains

Dress up in shorts, an old t-shirt and sneakers and your windcheater and walk along the promenade of Marine Drive, sneakily cheating the waves which come onto the sidewalk

Curl up on the bed with a thrilling book while listening to the rain drumming on the roof

Go for a loooooooooong, never-ending drive in the rain and watch the sunset

Be a child and splash and jump into puddles – guaranteed a lot of fun!

Eat garam makai buttas in the rain

Stand under the shade of a tree to dodge the rain and sip hot cutting chai with still hotter bhajiyas.. yummmmmy!

Put out your hand to feel the raindrops on them while travelling in a train/bus/car

Curl up with your better half and …. ;) hehehe

Look up to the heavens and greet the raindrops, letting them slide down your face

Have I forgotten any of your favourite must dos? Share them with me!

Keeping us on track…

The rains lashed Mumbai city late last night and kept us company till mid morning today. The trains were understandably plying late and I for one had accepted my fate of wet compartment floors, closed windows and wet umbrellas!! Though I was prepared for all of this, what I wasn’t prepared for was the sight of the railway tracks being covered with water to the extent that one saw them enter the level of water and then disappear!

We all crib and blame the trains for running late resulting in us being late for work or wherever it is we are travelling to. We also crib about the water logging on the tracks and hold the WR/CR authorities responsible for the same. But have we really stopped and thought for a moment that at times they too have a huge responsibility on their shoulders? Aren’t we the so called “educated” classes that throw our empty wafer packets or empty bhel paper wrappers out the window after eating? Don’t we realize that in doing so we are only adding to the filth that clogs the drains on the tracks?

After seeing the almost non-existent tracks under water, I respect the train drivers’ job even more. Due to their careful and vigilant maneuvers they are able to keep the trains from derailing in the rains. Imagine them guiding the trains in the nights on tracks that are hardly visible, covered with water while rain lashes onto their windshields. Every journey that I undertake in the rains by train I have come back with awe for their expertise in making sure that we the passengers reach our destinations in one piece!

So I would like to say thanks to the men who drive our trains and keep us all on track – 24/7/365 days a year!

Tracks under water at Mumbai Central Station...

Tracks under water at Mumbai Central Station...

Tracks under water at Grant Road Station...

Tracks under water at Grant Road Station...

Monsoon Mania @ Mumbai

Mumbai was host to the much awaited monsoons last week. The monsoons heralded their arrival with dark clouds which covered the blue skies and few showers. I captured a few snapshots of the monsoons on my phone - check them out!

A small river near Andheri highway...

Raindrops falling on the road!!

Scene from the train...

A watery man and his dog...

The clouds at Bandra...

Rain clouds near Andheri Station...

Rain clouds near Andheri Station...

Rain Clouds at Marine Drive...

Rain Clouds at Marine Drive...

You will be missed, Michael...

I received the news with a numbness that spread throughout my body…. Michael Jackson had passed away last night.... tears welled in my eyes and I quickly blinked them away… never thought that I would be writing about his death… truly The King of Pop, he knew how to awe people at his live performances with all the special effects that could only be linked to an MJ show!

One of my dreams was to watch him perform live and watch him dance… his breakdancing inspired me to learn this dance form and made me more determined to watch him perform live. I thought this would never happen… then I heard that MJ was coming to Bombay to perform – I had just entered college and with only pocket money to survive started entering all the possible contests to win a ticket for the show – and win it I did!! But (yes there is a BIG but) since the concert was in Andheri and I didn’t know anyone else who had got a ticket I was not allowed to go for it! So I did the next best thing, the morning after the concert I went to Marine Drive outside the Oberoi (the Trident now) where he was staying and as he left to go to the airport he had the window of his car down and was half way out waving to everyone there! Yes I saw him nearer than I would have at the concert, I waved to him and he waved back and the feeling of elation was one that has not been overtaken as yet!!!

Bursting out on the scene with his Thriller and Beat It he moved on from a gawky teenager to a suave dancer in Smooth Criminal and The Way You Make Me Feel. He gave meaning to his songs and reached out to millions through Heal the World. He involved movie stars to be part of his videos in Remember the Time and Black & White. His dance styles varied from one form to another and kept all his fans enthralled and wanting for more – including me! For all his quirks that he had and for all the many weird things he was accused of I truly believed that he was a fighter and won against all odds – a person to admire!

My heart is heavy today… and I would like to end this post with a few words from MJ himself:

“There's A Place In Your Heart
And I Know That It Is Love
And This Place Could Be Much
Brighter Than Tomorrow
And If You Really Try
You'll Find There's No Need To Cry
In This Place You'll Feel
There's No Hurt Or Sorrow”

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

Captain’s Log: Star date 15062009

Over the weekend, I took the biggest fan of Star Trek to watch the movie – My Mum!! And enjoy it we both did – immensely!!

Everyone in my family are diehard Star Trek fans but none like my mother who has followed all the possible Star Trek serials be it with William Shatner as James T. Kirk, Captain of the USS Enterprise or with Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard or with Kate Mulgrew as Katherine Janeway the female captain of the Enterprise (bet you didn’t know of this captain!!). All three actors did justice to their role but when one thinks of Star Trek you can only think of James Kirk a.k.a William Shatner as captain!!

The movie was different from the previous movies on Star Trek because here all the characters are introduced and are brought together to serve as the crew of the USS Enterprise. The characterizations have been done well and I think that the producers and the directors actually managed to get actors slightly resembling the veteran crew except for Uhura! Chris Pine playing the new James T. Kirk was good though he kept getting hit a lot!! A little romance was plugged in between Spock and Uhura and was totally unexpected! The special appearance by the original Spock was the icing on the cake!! Though he looks old now his voice as he raises his hand to say “Live Long and Prosper” still carries its original punch!

All in all a good movie to watch and add it to your existing Star Trek collection. And I would like to end this post with my all-time favourite lines in Star Trek history –

Space – The Final Frontier
These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise, its continuing mission to explore a strange new world, to seek out new life and new civilizations and to boldly go where no one has gone before.

Why do grown men cry? Especially this one!

At least why make such a show of it? I mean I know it’s good to cry and let out your emotions etc.. etc.. But why do it on such a huge stage? And ALL the time?

If you lose you cry, if you win you cry… I mean make up your mind!!

I understand that yes at times one gets overwhelmed by their emotions and they need to let it out, and I also understand that at those times there is no stopping the tears from falling. But I fail to understand why it is that win or lose tears stream out of these eyes????

Enlighten me someone!!

Sports!!

Well, though I do not count myself as a "sporty" person, I do count myself on being an active sport watcher! And the next few days will be choco-blocked with it all!!

The French Open is coming to a close today, though it ended for me the day Nadal was defeated :( by Robin Soderling. Let's see how Roger fares against him!!

On the heels (not really as it has already started!) of the French Open is the 20-20 World Cup!! Have enjoyed the two games that I have watched so far.. Chris Gayle is awesome - he hit one of the furtherest and biggest sixes ever!! The way he slaughtered Bret Lee for 56 runs was amazing!! Australia was left totally washed out on the ground.. to everyone's glee I think ;) hehe The next match was India and Bangladesh and being a total die-hard Indian cricket fan I was not disappointed to see the way we played in our first game at London. Though I think that Dhoni should have let Raina come in before him.. but then again he is the captain!

While the 20-20 keeps my adrenalin running high, the Gentleman's game being played at Wimbledon returns on the 22nd of June!! Time to see Nadal in action again!!

The tennis is once again followed by the Ashes - the time old clash between England and Australia!

So for the next couple of months me gonna be a Sporty Mystic!