Another day and for another occasion i took a metro

 Another day and for another occasion i took a metro

Another day and for another occasion i took a metro to reach a cyber cafe which functions from a basement. Before exiting the metro came across one gentleman who had taken a seat and slept with his mouth wide open conveying the idea that he had the right and irreversible token. Before i could figure out if he had shut his mouth to prevent flies from engaging in a series of bout i took a seat and amidst a manageable crowd collection collective thoughts went for those who boasted of being left with enough electoral rose.
Base is what a leading party had reached and yet some members found it fit to not restrain themselves from declaring themselves as winners and all-weather friendly swimmers. Swimming as an expedition they had channelised their energy on innumerable occasions and this time they were  swimming against a current which they believed was no more than some pitching their temporary tent. Debates and dentists who participated in the same suggested they had not been able to fix the teething problem and what was preventing them from seeing themselves perched on tenterhooks was the very fascination of having in their household multiple cooks. After the votes had been counted and the voters who cast them identified the leading party of leading luminaries gathered  at an undisclosed place to dissect the voting pattern and their repeated hitting the electoral result base. Conclusions from the parleys and amidst parle biscuits suggested the roadmap the party needs to adhere to know who is who to get a voters clue.


Not conceding defeat and away from reality heat 

Gathering of party leaders happened immediately after some of them marking their presence at tv theatres where the anchor in anticipation of results and reverberations had begun to call participants of all sensation. Most of the participants declared at the party meeting that they had held on till the very last to not concede defeat as it involved just two states and the resulting heat. Had it been half a dozen states a clear winner and a clear loser this electoral bout could have divulged. With two states and one among them returning less than two members from the previous blast we as party members of a leading political party were within our right to declare ourselves as winners. Some party members had been dispatched to tv theatres before noon had set in to declare with all sincerity the win and their winning run; this exercise was kept alive till the debates appeared to be tight. Here at party members gathering we seek to garner support on this line of action which we need to dish out every time we get this electoral shock which some esteemed members see it as a case of never-ending sensation. After unanimity was reached on the line of action to be taken in future, the members dispersed to their respective residences revolving with the idea that revolving chairs that anchors tear into can never visit them as their position in the party is secured given the monthly feeding to seniors of a ground report that their party is not a rocking boat.

When the party boat gets rocked, it should be dismissed as an aberration which would be corrected soon with a new lot. Party members of the leading party were thankful to those hosting the debate in tv theatres that at least they were helpful enough to raise the issue of new faces from other party coming to national stage/cage thereby diluting any attempt to highlight the rout this leading party had faced. TV anchors they had pressed into service had delivered and in future they would remain equally clever.

People of Somnath i have been in touch with

The Saturday and the visit to seek mosquito refills

The Saturday and the visit to seek mosquito refills

As i begin to write from a cyber cafe in the heart of national capital, the ride to this place was completed in a metro. Therein i came across a gentleman immersed in thoughts and ideas and putting the same in seeking new acquaintances. On to a set that could be identified as stable enough to carry in a hand he went through the profiles of those who had intended to research and retain him . Social connect through a network he had been in the past on several occasions and this time round it was no different. When this exercise got heavy and less hearty enough he bent his head to his hands which had been placed on a palm. Sleep was the next step and in vicinity were those who thanked themselves that they were not diehard plywood tracebook fanatics which forces one to fancy their chances of erecting their fort on the back of new acquaintances and their glow. If nothing comes out after search and scissor, then simmering discontent sets in sentencing you to a sleep in a public transport where crowd pull and pressure on occasions can get bitter. Apart from this nothing else could be recalled on a ride that on occasions look to be a long haul.

The Saturday visit

As for the recollection of a Saturday visit, the intent was to seek a series of mosquito liquid refills and the search took me to Ramakrishna Ashram Marg. Kashmir Store was the first to be visited which during that time had a fair share of visitors. Looking for Liquid refill was not a lengthening episode but lengthening was the search for the mosquito liquid vaporiser machine that has a durable sheen. There was another with the name GP Store and herein as well the success was nowhere in sight. From all the indications and inventions i came across the best bet was to approach connaught place and close my search there. It was near Shivaji Stadium bus terminal i was told by a vendor who sells sweeteners that right across the road the liquid refill and the machine could be procured. The machine which is sleek and long lasting was finally in the saddle not  long before the never-ending battle that led me to a search in ramakrishna ashram and roundabout. A search that took over two hours and innumerable interactions across a slew of provision and prevailing stores with the prevalent thought that the machine you are looking for they have run out or of the specimen you mention they don't store.
Sleek mosquito liquid vaporiser machines are more durable and those which come with push button are equally handy. Though these machines may not be the ultimate answer to fighting mosquitoes but at least they set the atmospherics right for one to gain at least five to six hours of sleep. As for the night battle and night patience on mosquitoes and their most-repeated acts, the other option could be to keep room neat and tidy; no clothes or papers strewn on mattress or table.  A sleep that is not preceded by debates and  dissent helps you as well to put  up a spirited fight against mosquitoes who on occasions enter the premises late.

Mosquito refill machines and their procurement

Though some have been procured from Tirumala, equally handy has been the purchase from Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. Some from Gujarat proved handy as well.

Conversations across national capital including on Udhagamandalam

Conversations across national capital including on Udhagamandalam

It was a day when i was not able to decide on which part of the city i should visit. A wait at Kamal Cinema bus stand was enduring enough to goad me to take a walk to Africa Avenue. Before setting on road correction, i was amidst two school boys who had been attending afternoon school in Sec.12 R K Puram. The fees they were paying was comparatively less than what morning students pay.  On the way i tried for tea but with flies having collected in the kettle, it was better to leave it at that stage. As i reached Africa Avenue and moved to the road where buses go towards S N Market, i noticed one gentleman who had taken a seat at Kamal Cinema bus stand. Having sensed that i had seen through his design, he found it fit to take the next bus than wait and become wiser by attending to the chore of finding out where i was headed for. This has been happening on innumerable occasions.

As i waited for the bus the conversation with a guy from the North East was on hardships they face in places like Delhi. Learning about completion of his graduation from Coimbatore, i broached the subject of Udhagamandalam and Coonoor, the famous tourist destinations i had visited last year. Over one-and-a half year separates me and the visit to these two places. The Manipur boy has been doing a job in a BPO in Dwarka and his discipline to gain graduation was computers. Having stayed for over three years in Coimbatore, the Manipur boy would have been much familiar with the disciplined outlook the majority have in the states of South. It was a thrill to meet him and reminisce about Udhagamandalam.

From hereon i took 610, the red coloured airconditioned bus for Mandir Marg.  It was crammed to capacity and till the very end it was hard to get a seat. DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) should understand that it is better placed to run green coloured non airconditioned buses than running a skeletal service of red ones. For the entire journey from Africa Avenue to Mandir Marg the moment i used to move from left to right the left seat would get vacated and vice versa. With no seat in view i deboarded at RML. Walked a while before getting tea from an outlet which is about 200 metres from Kali Bari. Walked till Patel Chowk and took a metro. As i came out of  INA station, the rickshaw i got in to reach a cyber cafe was headed in the wrong direction. Had to abandon midway and dropped the idea of  mapping details of the days gone by.

Venkateshawar temple in Kali Bari Marg 

The other conversation was on soon to be completed Venkateshawar temple in Kali Bari Marg. The guy who runs a flower shop in the vicinity told me that the land was allotted in 1993 and to date the temple project is not complete. There are some issues with NDMC or the body which gives the final approval. It was in 1997 that Puja for starting the temple construction project took place and since then it is waiting for the final nod. That ceremony was extensively covered in The Hindu with pictures. 

It was a day when conversations across national capital brought out episodes of certainty and courage. It was also a day when i kept myself away from debates and opinions expressed which are no less than dissent.    

Other cyber cafes that i have visited

As i begin to write from a second cyber cafe, the first which i visited in K Sarai was not enterprising by any standards. In the basement the cafe had not enough lighting to persuade you to stay for some time. I tried my best to persuade the boy to hand me the desk that had enough lights. The boy suggested that the terminals right across were duly occupied by people who had ventured out for a while. The one where i was seated was a tad different, dismissive from the word go. There was one boy sitting on the right side holding a piece of paper. His work conduct suggested that he had to oscillate between looking at the paper which had some typed message and spread glance on who was sitting next to him. The boy appeared to be fishy and no less fishy was the guy sitting on the left. The moment i began to work, the first though that crossed the guy sitting on the left was to take a broad view of what all i was typing and whom all i was tearing. For a while the guy stood just behind and kept looking at my terminal. Having realised that i had noticed him staring he decided the best bet was to sit back on a terminal behind me separated by a cubicle. Strange were the conduct of the guys on the left and right and the one with a sheet of paper believed his mind was all into what he was holding. The way they were discussing about job potential and the plateaued platform they had reached gave a fair idea that none was into any job, it was all bunkum and given the large scale unemployment and a large scale of fraudism it was best to rotate your views on a job on which the person concerned has no views. One said:  " Mein toh teen saal se ek naukri mein raha. Kuch job prospect nahin." The other said: "Teen saal mein koi tarakki nahin hui hain."  In between they would make effort to look at my terminal and look at what all i was keying in. From the conversation one could make out that none were into any job. Even if they were it was probably a past blast.

The boy who was making due entry at the register section seem to be a fair one. His failure to hand me the terminal i desired may have been logical but the guys sitting on the left and right were by no means therapeutic. Never fault the boy who makes entry to the register in  a cyber cafe; it is other visitors who visit the terminal who make it a difficult proposition.  If this was not enough by now the thumping of the floor above us had started and the mosquitoes and their gathering had begun to give a tough time. This cyber cafe i visited after one year and here tv boxes serve as terminals. It is the limited budget that could have goaded them to convert tv boxes as desktops. Still my best wishes to this basement cyber cafe in katwari sarai as the owner is a gentle soul and the boy who makes the entry in register is equally simple. It is the set of visitors with their set of whims and fancies that take the peace from a cyber cafe.  From here i moved to another cafe in the basement which is comparatively peaceful and works with no hidden agenda. As long as snooping and tapping would continue one would be faced with these hard realities.

As for the daily usage items i procured from S N Market, the break up is as follows

lopchu tea   5 packets of 176 each totalling  880rs
chawal ka atta for 64 rs
kanodia kolhu brand mustard oil for 620 rs
sundrop 753 rs
saffola 358rs
aahar dal 99rs
chana dal 87rs
nestle everyday 850rs
surf excel 175 rs
dhania 140 rs
250 gm zeera 70rs
2 LG  hing 96 rs
garam masala 74 rs
And the grand total is 4266 rs.

And the grand total does not give me that elaborate pleasure than the idea of procuring these items on your own. One should have the capacity to go to the market and procure items of necessities than letting delivery boys deliver at your doorstep. For over six years some of the tenants took pride in getting items delivered at home not realising how much mayhem it was leading to. Not once but four to five times a day the delivery man would enter create nuisance and leave. Inside the house on the stairs and nearby some among them  would spit and shout. Forget about law and order and the machinery, the best antidote to those who create nuisance is to procure items on your own and don't let strangers enter your household. Experience of over five years suggest be true to yourself and don't play into hands of elements who swear by you that they are there to secure you.You are best secured if you have taken measures to not increase interaction with outsiders.

Fog to hit next week

Fog to hit next week

Reports are out that fig is to hit next week. Funny is the nature of fog as it comes at a time when people intend to work and slog. In winters, it sets in early morning and on occasions depart when people rise and start frowning. It hits those destinations more which has an active summary of traffic and its depleting glow.

As reports of its invasion strikes much before its initiation, invention is the key to success; the falling attendance at offices and boss residences is the real marker of the unfolding stress. Boss is told the previous day that my stomach is too old to fight fog and the fever and let me excuse myself from your home as a gatekeeper. Those boss who have shown intent that their juniors should report to office alone are told that their body is not uptodate to fight the fog blade and they be excused from office work where more than their half time is spent in keeping a watch on who entered the loo and who exited with what clue. Loo keeping is the work assigned to them and failing which they get a hit to their bum. Innumerable are the inventions during fog and most could be realised in loos of airports and railway stations which has a schedule that flip flop and taking its own time to correct this flaw. Hours the passengers spend in these two sectors of sense suggest that fog may not at all be a bad idea as its emergence keep us tied in places where there are women and gents. Here they talk at length on issues from family to security and most believe the best way forward is to upgrade ourselves instead of looking for answers from those who don't apply gell. The best security is in our hands and look for opportunity to relay the same to our friends who on occasions are caught in a traffic jam. Right from a car pool to moving in groups can help us to be in the loop.  

As i begin to write from a cyber cafe

As i begin to write from a cyber cafe which is a notch above ground floor, the Basrurkar market visit was commendable given the tea that was easily available. Well the bus which i had taken from Naurojini Nagar was meant to take me to Delhi Cantt station, just two kms before i got down sensing the visit to the station was against circumstances that could hardly lead to any stage of sensation. The national capital and the cold that has sweeping the same suggests apart from warm fabric wrapping it is the physical exertion that would help you fight the cold. Still the best bet to fight cold is to take brisk long walks coupled with a cell duration that by no means encourage the same sentiment of sorts.

It is hard to digest why people speak on a cell when they don't have any information to tell. Even the visits to the market need not be advertised on a cell as that won't give you a welcome of a red carpet. The other day i visited Sarojini Nagar Market in New DElhi to get the necessities meant for monthly usage. It comprised commodities that are actively searched and soaked in Kitchen, the amount i had to deposit at the cash counter ran over 4200rs. The staff was cooperative and equally cooperative were the gems who left no chance to exchange views on issues on which they don't have clues. One lady entered the ATM centre with a query on which machine she should look forward to get cash. As i was struggling and trying to figure out among the three machines which had the acceptability to accept my proposition to dispense with cash, i could still read the mind of the lady and the laundry that she could collect and convert which won't leave her in a quandary. As i left the ATM the words of wisdom she had conveyed to the machine and the men were not to be forgotten and hopefully recalled when you are feeling low and put on ear cotton .

As i reached home and tried to tally the commodities and the price paid for the same, there was no discrepancy and all i gathered was this was meant for monthly usage comprising among others lopchu tea, nestle milk powder and kanoria cooking oil. Against the visit to S N Market, there was another visit to INA market to gather bakery biscuits. In all purchased four packets for over 170 rs and  waited at the bus stand which has its own set of freebies. All in all the two visits to two different markets were no less inducing as it gives you a fair idea of daily necessities and their price string.

As i write from a different cyber cafe in South Campus against different set of people, the first cyber cafe i approached had malfunctioning desktops working to a capacity which few would appreciate. The men at work took refuge that server is slow and problem pichche se aa raha hai. This cyber cafe i dare to visit after a gap of over eight months and here nothing had changed, even those overseeing the operations had not been temptingly close to tentatively set a date when their desktops won't be overweight. So i shifted to the old warehouse which has amidst the collection some north east flavour who tentatively come to browse.

According to reports appearing in newspapers and the one read and researched by newspaper vendors, the car prices is to rise in January. Well the month of January would consist of 31 days from first to thirty first and the rise can happen on any of the day. This day could even be a Sunday. Car manufacturers have risen to the occasion to bury the occasionally fiddling on the price front and discharge their responsibility on price and the rise they want to raise as a rent.  The car prices that are to be raised and preserved comes close on the heels of a string of surveys on how disposable the people in the metro are and how disposed they are to the idea of a car bar.