INDIA - 3

So many random thoughts are running around in my mind begging for attention, I need some discipline to corral them and put them down in some kind of a sensible order.  Thinking about thoughts, I left some unfinished business regarding my thoughts on my previous trip India in Jan 2011.  Some of them have become irrelevant by now; however, some thoughts do linger. 

One of the main and pleasurable reasons for visiting India at that time was to attend Ravi and Sowmya’s wedding, which was thoroughly enjoyable.  I did take lots of photographs of events related to the wedding, but they turned out to be duplications of what many others took and got shared via Facebook and other media almost immediately.  I happened to be reviewing some of my photos and a horrifying thought crossed my mind:  I better share some of these pictures before the newly married couple start having babies.  Lo behold, my worry became a reality; Ravi and Sowmya have announced that Sowmya is now pregnant!  The only sensible thing remaining for me to do would be to get those pictures out before the baby comes.

Even though it was less than a year, it all seems like a dream sequence now, the wedding, the food, seeing so many relatives all at one place, the food, acquiring a number of wonderful new relatives, and the food.  The trip to Bangalore by train was memorable due to the company of several of my nieces and nephews.  All that talking and eating was really enjoyable except for some minor inconveniences such as the turning off of the A/C (somebody complained it was cold in AC compartment!) and the uneven two halves of my sleeping berth which was not easy on my back. 

After the wedding we flew back to Hyderabad. A word about Bangalore airport.  Nice as it is (Hyderabad International is better), it has some excellent food opportunities.  I especially enjoyed the Italian restaurant.  Immediately upon our arrival in Hyderabad, we had to get ready to go to Kakinada for the groom’s reception. After considering several routes and modes of transport, my nice niece Pramila and I decided to take the car with driver Babu and make it kind of a road trip.  Any road trip with Pramila is an adventure, and the highlight of this adventure was, on our way back from Kakinada, on the Vijayawada highway Pramila spotted a skinny guy riding a bicycle on the frontage road, carrying couple of pots.  She immediately asked driver Babu to pull off the highway and follow that guy – for she knew that guy would lead us to Neera or even fresh Toddy.   We were not disappointed.  He turned out to be a very congenial guy, eager to oblige us in quenching our thirst! 

                                                           Go Pramila Go!

                                                       Mmmmmmmm! That was goooood.!

                                               I can't belive I drank the whole thing!!!!!!!!

Later, on the trip, at Pramila’s behest we took a detour at Vijayawada and made a quick, nostalgic trip to Guntur.  The visit to our ancestral home (which is now a Govt office) at 2/6 Brodipet was, needless to say, a tear jerker (I was born in that house  you know, and used the room I was born in till I left Guntur for further studies at Bombay University).  We rounded off the trip with a visit to Seshu Bava (Dr. E.S.T. Sayee, Professor of Botany (ret), Banaras Hindu University). 

I have always admired him and considered him as a sort of a pioneer (he got his Ph.D. degree in Botany from the University of London), as somebody to look up to, for his achievements, for his love of the family, and for his unpretentious life style.  What an amazing man!

Then I left Hyderabad back to Stockton with the usual feeling of being on a roller coaster: amazing as to how much has changed since my last visit less than a year ago, and a depressing feeling of growing disparity of wealth and poverty, and corruption. It is a miracle that India is considered a giant in IT industry next only to the U.S., despite the acute shortages of power and water, and a lack of infrastructure.  My next trip to India is coming up and I can’t wait to see what has changed and what has not. 

P.S.  My special connection to Dev Anand:  In 1964 I was admitted to the University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT) of Bombay University, which is located in Matunga in the academic jungle consisting of UDCT, VJTI, Khalsa College, and Don Bosco High School.  UDCT then was considered as one of the most beautiful campuses with a spectacular garden in the front.  Soon after my arrival I was flabbergasted to learn that the movie starring Dev Anand, Now-do-gyrah (most of those spectacular songs) was filmed in the garden in our campus!!  For a wide-eyed Guntur boy it was a thrill beyond imagination.  Since the I alwalys felt a very special bond with Dev Anand.  He was as handsome as they come and brought great entertainment into the lives of millions of fans.

Dev Anand, R.I.P.

drtutu's commentary: Old Bollywood

drtutu's commentary: Old Bollywood: I suddenly realized I have been using an excuse for not resuming my commentaries, the same excuse for which I have often taken my friends an...

Old Bollywood

I suddenly realized I have been using an excuse for not resuming my commentaries, the same excuse for which I have often taken my friends and relatives to task:  Too busy, don’t have enough time.  I used to say: Get your priorities right.  If it is really important to you, you will find time.  Well, you know how that bullying goes.  I better get off this topic before I get myself in too deep.

There are so many topics on which I want to say something (mostly to get things off my chest), and as always, I believe that people are entitled to my opinions. 

Over the years, right from my College days in Guntur, I have been addicted to old Hindi film songs from the 40s, 50s, and the 60s.  It is my personal belief that with rare exceptions, beautiful Hindi film music was pretty much dead starting with the 70s.  The greatest movie hits of pre-70s era enjoyed their success due to the songs; a perfect combination of the lyrics by poets, composed by fantastically talented music composers, and of course, perfectly delivered by golden-voiced singers.  Singers like Pankaj Mullick, Kundan Lal Saigal, Mohammed Rafi, Mukhesh, Hemant Kumar, Talat Mehmood, Kishore Kumar, etc., each one with their immortal, spectacular, and unique voice.   Not to take anything away from the many wonderful female singers, I may be forgiven for dwelling only on male singers for a reason.  Ever since the availability of Karaoke music of old Hindi film songs about 15 years ago, I have enjoyed singing songs by these various male artists.  I do believe I have a unique gift by which I can remember the entire lyrics of the songs I like, after I listen to them two or three times.  I think my repertoire approaches more than 200 songs which I can sing without looking at notes.  And my favorite performance venues are my bathroom shower and my car.  Especially my car, on solo long drives.  I can sing with impunity, no body to object or complain.  That is how I survived all those years of commuting while working as a floating Pharmacy Manager for Wal-Mart.  Miles just melt away.

While all these good things are happening, I just couldn’t leave well enough alone.  There are so many wonderful songs I have known, but somehow I neither had the opportunity or the pleasure of seeing the movies to which some of those songs belong.  My regrettable bad habit is, despite getting burned repeatedly, wanting to see the “picturisation” of these songs, especially since the advent of VCDs and the YouTube.    Most of them are so disgustingly bad, I hated myself for wanting to see them and nearly destroying the wonderful memories of those songs. It is like going to a restaurant after reading a raving review, and end up eating food that tastes like garbage.  My earnest advice to you:  don’t ever do it. Just enjoy the songs.

While I am on the subject of old movies and songs, the latest is some sad news about the demise of that consummate entertainer, Yahoo Shammi Kapoor.  Now, there was an Original Junglee.  He was the only Star during that era that could act and dance (even though in his own inimitable ants-in-your-pants style).  I have thoroughly enjoyed most of his movies.  During my years as a graduate student in Bombay University, I used to be a member of the University Film Club.  Shammi Kapoor movies and Guru Dutt movies were the only ones that were accorded “Cult” status and a frequent retrospect of their movies. 

For sheer entertainment, Shammi Kapoor was peerless.  He was also blessed with perfect lip-synching ability which enabled him to exploit the voice and singing talents of the great Mohammed Rafi.  Of course, the result was movies like: Kashmir Ki Kali, Junglee, Professor, Brahmchari, Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Janwar, and songs like Ye Chand ka roshan chehera, Diwaana Hua Baadal, Chahe koi mujhe Junglee kahe,   Ehsaan Tera Hoga Mujhpar, Aai Aai Aa Sukoo Sukoo , Hai Duniya Usiki , Lal Chhadi etc.  These songs always keep me great company on solo drives, and lift up my spirits when I am in need of a pick up.  As human beings, I believe, our true measure is what we leave behind.  Shammi Kapoor left behind a legacy of sheer entertainment.  He shall always be one my favorite entertainers.  May God Bless His Soul.

Anna Hazare

I was all set to put down some more of my comments on my India trip for my blog, but as I scanned my Facebook this morning something more important and urgent popped up:  Lakshmi Somasundar’s posting of Anna Hazare’s video.  Looking at him you feel as though he is Shastriji and Gandhiji rolled into one; listening to him is so mesmerizing you want to say “OK I am right behind you, tell me what you want me to do”.

What Anna Hazare embarked on is almost an impossible task, just like a cancer for which there is no cure.  Corruption is so in-bred into the core our society you don’t know where to start to tackle the problem.  For people of all walks of life, from the lowliest civil servant to multi-millionaire businessmen and politicians, corruption has become a way of life.  Because of that they get to own land, buildings, gold, tons of cash, and foreign bank accounts.  So what is the incentive for them to give this up and change?

There are anti-corruption laws in force right now; however, you only read about a case a month where some poor unlucky, uncooperative, Bakra is arrested and charged.  Making more laws may not be the answer.  How is this going to work if all the law makers and law enforcers are on the take?  The lawmakers would never pass such a law, and even if they do, it will be full of loop holes so big you could drive through them.  Why would anybody want to be a Politician, an Assemblyman, or a Member of the Parliament?  Not for the pay and the benefits, and certainly not for the burning desire to serve the people.  The 1.2 billion population is being held captive and trodden upon by the small yet powerful tyrant minority of civil servants, government employees and elected officials.  That is not to say there is no corruption in the private sector but I dare say that springs from the former group which has the power to grant permits and overlook the breaking of the law.

The solution is being presented us now in the form of an opportunity to take the lead from Anna Hazare.  Radical moves such as civil disobedience and spreading more Zero-Rupee notes might get the ball rolling.   One expensive yet possibly effective move is to invalidate all current Rupee currency and issue entirely new currency, exchangeable with legal and valid explanation of the origin of your rupees.

I don’t pretend I have the answers.  I only know that I am frustrated like most others.   Corruption is such a deep rooted and a complex problem it takes a leader with moral authority to spark the will of the people. Somebody who will lead by example, stir the national conscience, spark a national debate in search of solutions, nothing sort of a peaceful but powerful revolution.

 Nothing short of a reappearance of Gandhiji would accomplish this.  But then, we may be looking at one now.  God Bless Anna Hazare

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My India Trip - II

I was in India during February 2011 to attend my nephew’s marriage.  It was a truly modern yet traditional union between two beautiful young people and their families.  The groom and the bride “met” on Internet, their mutual interest and attraction grew, they met, the families met, priests were engaged, venues were booked, transportation arrangements were made, and the result:  a wonderful wedding spread over two States, attended by family from the U.S., Australia, and Singapore. 

While taking a break from the euphoria of this wedding and all the reunions, I managed to take some side-trips from Hyderabad.  These are some thoughts regarding my forays in and out of Hyderabad.  You will probably notice immediately that most of it is griping.  But then all trips to India are like that; Yin and Yang, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, black and white, fun and frustration.  Happy and fun to see the family and friends, visit places either you didn’t know existed or couldn’t afford to visit when you were growing up in India, depressed and angry because nothing ever seems to change, especially the bad and depressing things like the political goondaism, corruption, dust, the garbage, open sewer lines, the depressing banks and post-offices, and the nothing-ever-works syndrome.  Sure there are more designer Malls, fast-food restaurants, and expensive cars.  But basically, nothing ever seems to change.  Another way to put it is: the more things change, the more they stay the same.

If nothing ever changes, then why am I bitching about it, you may ask.  First of all, Indians in India are probably resigned to the fact that nothing will ever change in their life time, so they learn to live with it, kind of go with the flow.  However, when I visit, I am there only for about a month, during which I enjoy, suffer, and feel entitled to bitch about a lot of things, knowing it doesn’t do any good, but after living 43 years in the U.S.A. you sort of hope that may be things will change a little.  But mostly it feels good to get things off my chest.

GREAT NEWS!  After years of research and a few million dollars spent on experimental models, a team of Civil Engineers and Transportation experts discovered the causes and the cure for DUST in Indian towns, cities, and highways.  It turned out the cause and the fix is very simple.  PAVE THE WHOLE DAMN ROAD!!!  Does anybody understand why we leave 3-feet unpaved on each side of the tarred or paved roads?.  At first I thought it is part of the built-in Indian graft / bribery / and black money scheme, where when you get the contract to build a paved road, it is customary you leave 3-feet unpaved on both sides to pocket that money.  But I don’t think anybody would complain if 3-feet on each side of the roads in included in this scheme.  I get the feeling that nobody actually thinks about it or concerned about it.  We have done it this way for as long as anybody can remember, so it has to be right.  This dust is like an uncontrolled cancer; you know it is there but nobody seems to be able to do anything about it.  Millions of Indians are breathing this pathogen borne dust everyday of their lives, every time they go out.    It makes me sick just thinking about it.   Apart from health concerns, a psychological downer associated with this dust is to see trees and beautiful lush green leaves covered with dust, except may be for a day after a rain.  When you go to any western country or advanced Asian countries like Singapore you see no dust because they PAVE THE WHOLE DAMN ROAD!!! 

Random Thoughts on Ajeebi Hyderabad

My trip to India – 2011

Part - 1

Random Thoughts on Ajeebi Hyderabad

The more things change, the more they stay the same, it seems.  Except in Hyderabad, where they seem to slide backwards. It seems like one continuous downhill ride since Mr. Naidu’s regime.  Shopping Malls, Schools, and colleges without adequate parking facilities, garbage, ruts and dust everywhere, unruly traffic with hapless traffic police, daredevil two-wheeler drivers carrying families, nobody wearing helmets.  But a couple of things particularly grind on me.

Khairatabad Flyover:  The fact that transportation and mobility is one of the primary requirements for a country’s progress, as is evident in all the western nations, is indisputable; except, may be in India.  When consummate idiots design flyovers and total morons approve them (understood, there are factors other than functionality involved, but there is no excuse for such gross disregard for the needs and convenience of the public), the result is a non-functional monstrosity such as the Khairatabad flyover.  You would think it is a given that the basic need and purpose for a flyover is to FLY OVER the busy traffic junctions to facilitate the movement of long distance traffic. But Noooooo! not in Hyderabad, and certainly not with the Khairatabad flyover, which descends and terminates at a major junction of five roads called the Khairatabad circle, among the busiest in the twin cities.  It would be amusing, if it were not for the fact that it is pathetic, to see traffic backed up and at a stand-still over the entire overpass. Enough said.

Hi-Tech City, Gatchibowli – Growth, commuting, and traffic:  Information Technology has brought economic boom and explosive growth to Hyderabad.  Development of the Hi-tech city / Madhapur, Gatchibowli and beyond, while I suppose is a matter of pride for the City and the State, have brought a plethora of woes to the working people.  While it is accepted that their work schedules are a little twisted due to fact that they have to be in touch via live communication with their counterparts in USA and other countries, and while most of these people consider themselves lucky to have jobs that provide decent salaries and benefits, the two-hour each way commute is inexcusable. It is highly disruptive of family life, and not conducive to any social life.  True, that area reminds one of South Bombay, but it comes with the same immobility of traffic and other woes as of Mumbai.

Enough of my griping.  Let me digress and talk about the 71^st Annual Industrial Exhibition here in Hyderabad.  It is a cornucopia of contrasts, a veritable combination of misery and treat at the same time.  Once you go past the “No Guns and Ammunition allowed beyond this point” warning, and pass the frisking by the security at the gate, you are suddenly faced with the overwhelming task of negotiating the mass of humanity in every direction.  Actually you don’t need to move.  Try to stand still and the people will kind of “carry you along” the countless narrow lanes, lined on both sides with shops, and gullies terminating in food stalls.  The merchandise offered is of mind boggling variety and quality; it is all overpriced and begs for haggling.  If you are adept at haggling and enjoy it, welcome to heaven.

Of course, it is not all paradise.  The dust and tons of trash on the ground is everywhere. Just don’t look down! You are OK if you are oblivious to what you are walking on.  Then, on the bright side, there is the customary must-have street food: spicy American Sweet Corn, Chilli Bajjis, Sugarcane Juice, and Lassi Falooda. 

But the most astonishing reality of this entire escapade is the Hindu – Muslim mix in the crowd, which is just about fifty-fifty.  Muslim families with women observing different levels of modesty reflected by their garb ranging from burqa or hijab to modern Salwar Kameez, mixing with Hindu families,  everybody eating the same food, everybody haggling and buying the same stuff.  Let me ask you:  Where in the world would you encounter an Iyengar Idly corner, right next to Bade Mian Halal kabab house?  Just think of the exciting possibility:  Steaming Iyengar Idlies on the same plate with Halal Chicken Tikka Kabab!  Best of the two worlds!!

The whole exercise suddenly gives you a rather tentative yet tantalizing view of the possibilities of

Co-existence.  A teasing and fleeting glimpse of what could be.  The motto “Live and Let Die” might have been a catchy James Bond Movie title, but a simple realization of “Live and Let Live” is in order today; judging from the exhibition, and what is happening all over the middle-east today, it need not be an impossible dream.

Aisee gujartee hai hayat-e-hyderabad!

Comfort Food

The other day, it was a Saturday, but I got up as usual at 5:00 am, took one peek outside and promptly crawled back into bed.  It looked yucky and miserable outside, cold, dewy, foggy, and a coating of white frost covering everything.  After an hour of futile attempts to go back to sleep, I got up, picked up the newspaper outside the front door, turned my new Cuisinart Espresso machine on (men and their toys!) and settled down on the sofa in the living room with a tall cup of Café Americano.  

We had nothing planned for the week-end, no shopping, no trips, no visitors, and no dinner invitations (either from or to us).  It was going to be one of those damn lazy, do nothing, and lay around week-ends.  Laying in the sofa, I slowly started drifting away, and for no reason at all started thinking about my high school and college days in Guntur, especially the almost daily ritual of breakfast or an evening snack of “Moodu Mukkala Pesarattu” (Moong dosa stuffed with hot green chillis, grated ginger and onions), and chasing it down with piping hot south Indian coffee. The combination of hot chilli taste on your tongue and hot coffee invariably used to bring happy tears. It was so good that sometime we felt sorry for the people of rest of India and for the rest of the World that they go through their whole lives without ever tasting one of these MMPs.  I swear I almost drooled just thinking about it on the sofa.  I decided I needed some comfort food right now.

Comfort food is food that is simply prepared and gives a sense of wellbeing; food that one eats to feel comfort or alleviate stress rather than to receive nutrition.  Considering the diversity of regional cuisines in India, most of us Indian-Americans have our own comfort foods, but for south Indians like me, it could be: Idly, dosa, upma.  Or how about the greatest comfort food of all time: steaming rice with Aavakai (hot green mango pickle).   I bet Chilli Bajjis could stand on their own too (I must admit some of the greatest Chilli Bajjis ever ate were in Sydney, Australia, where Suresh got some from an Indian Andhra restaurant.) 

For most Americans that would be typically food with a high sugar or carbohydrate content that is associated with childhood or with home cooking.   People sometimes do associate comfort food to relieve stress; I mean I have seen people eat through a whole box of chocolates / cookies, or a whole 1 ½ quart container of ice-cream before feeling comforted.

Anyway, at this point I got up and decided to do something about it.  What do I feel like having now?  Right now.  In all these years of living in the U.S., life has changed so much for all of us, and a positive development has been on the food front.  And I don’t mean the restaurants.  Ready mix packages to make practically anything you want for in the veritable Indian Cuisine.  I guess this falls under the category of Comfort Food.  I opened the pantry and there they are: ready mixes for plain idly, Rava Idly, Upma, Rava dosa, Pesarattu, and half-a-dozen varieties of Podi.  All you do is mix with water as recommended on the package, and you are ready to go.  Even simple coconut chutney could be made with fried dal and grated coconut out of a package.  I make my choice and in about half-an-hour, I am feeling greatly comforted.   Of course, I invited my wife and son to join in my comfort.   On a gloomy late afternoon, especially after a tiring day at work, I now have the luxury of calling the South Indian restaurant, and have VJ prepare a special order if their extra-hot Chilli Bajjis, take them home and wash them down with some cold beer.  You can’t get any more comforted than that!, especially if there is a football game on.

I am sure you all have your own comfort foods, no matter how crazy it may be.  But I do take comfort in the fact that no matter what it is, I bet you can’t out do me!!!! 

Have a good one. -------------drtutu

Reflections on a New Year

1/1/11

Dear family and friends,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hesitated writing a blog for a long time, mostly because I was afraid I might offend some people.  But then I came to the realization that I am who I am, and after all these years, people who like me, like me with all my faults.  In addition, we do live in a marvelously free country, and I feel that everybody is freely entitled to my opinions!

Over the years, Terry and I have fine tuned our New Year’s Eve celebration due to several factors such as the drunks on the road, the (in) famous Stockton fog, and mostly our aversion to DJs at parties.  These obnoxious DJ people, I suspect, go to some obnoxious DJ school where they were taught to play obnoxious music, obnoxiously loud.  It just ruins everything; you can’t even talk to your friends.  So we decided to stay home, chill a bottle of Champagne, order take-out food (Chinese, Pizza, etc) and celebrate the  arrival of New Year on an hourly basis;  it is New Year’s somewhere in the world, we slowly reel it in to California.  However, lately we can’t seem to make it till California mid-night, so we close with the grand celebration in New York, may be watch a rented movie, finish off the Champagne, and go to bed.  Believe me, it works!

This New Year’s Day morning I woke up to rain and cold weather outside, but undaunted, I fixed myself my daily morning espresso, and decided to chase it with a cup of hot chocolate.  Then I turned on the TV to see the Rose Parade.  This has been a grand tradition in this country to watch the Rose Parade where all those spectacular floats are made and decorated with all natural materials, such as flowers, leaves, bark, seeds, branches fruits, nuts etc.  It is truly one of the most spectacular things you would ever watch on TV.  Of course, all those marching bands from all over the U.S., smartly dressed and playing wonderful music to precision marching will no doubt warm your heart and might even bring a happy tear or two.  Then there is the Rose Bowl foot ball game to look forward to.

I leave you on that warm note.  But not before I warn you not to make all those ridiculous New Year’s resolutions which nobody can keep.  Try to be true to yourself, your loved ones, try to be compassionate, and be thankful for what you have.  Make it a point to start looking at life from a glass-half-full point of view, and see how much difference it makes! 

Go forth and be happy!

-----drtutu