Bleeping ‘Bombay’?
My partner’s play Bombay Jazz is on Sunday and the press is paying attention!
But I noticed a funny little caveat at the end of an article “When Jazz Hit Mumbai” that came out yesterday in Mid-Day…
Note: Mumbai has been referred to as Bombay to retain flow of historic events.
Then proceeded to pepper throughout the article:
… Mumbai (Bombay, then) …
To someone from outside India, it seems rather schizophrenic – Mumbai vs Bombay!? (more…)
How to have a hippy princess holiday!
Sometimes a gal just needs to release her inner hippy child to cavort with her princess streak to enjoy a few fabulous days of bliss in Goa!
How… you ask?
Fly Business Class
In footloose fancy free hippy mode, decide to fly last-minute, pack only a small bag of comfy casual clothes but…
Then out pops the princess with business class for a mere 1 hour flight (ok one was a première seat sale practically the same price as eco & the other was eco bumped up with a nearly expiring upgrade voucher… why waste, eh?) (more…)
Personalising Bombay’s Paparazzi – Fahad Samar’s Flash Point
When you think ‘paparazzi‘, you think of mad shutter bugs hounding celebrities going about their everyday activities…
However Mumbai’s breed are rather more civilised. “Please sir… just one more sir! Thank you sir!”
Before I met my partner, I was completely oblivious of Mumbai’s paparazzi.
With him, I discovered there is often a warm symbiotic relationship between photographer and photographee. What isn’t captured on camera are the greetings by name, teasing exchanges and general camaraderie. (more…)
Makar sakranti / pongal feast
You know it is makar sakranti when every street corner in Mumbai is bursting with kites.
Known as makar sakranti in Maharashtra and pongal in Tamil Nadu, it is a time to celebrate the end of winter with flying kites and feasting!
It is also a time to get rid of the old and welcome the new. (more…)
Avehi Abacus at Mumbai Marathon
Yesterday all over Mumbai folks woke up with extra aches and pains but satisfied smiles despite feeling stiff all over!
Sunday was the 12th annual Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM). One of the largest marathons in Asia and India’s largest non-profit fundraiser platform.
Clearly I’m not currently marathon material at the moment, however my partner volunteered to support the Avehi Abacus Project by participating in the 6 km “Dream Walk”. (more…)
Google melting borders – ‘Reunion’ one year later
Last year, my father in Canada sent me a link to a google ad called ‘REUNION‘
“Have you and every other acquaintance seen the Google ad that has millions of viewers?”
Aside from immediately recognizing a friend – Auritra Ghosh – it was impossible to ignore the emotional pull of this little ad story.
Reunion is about the fictional reunion between two elderly men from India and Pakistan. They were separated as children during partition with no contact after. Their grandchildren use various google services to help bring them back together.
Seeing this again today was a good anecdote to remind that while politics, religion and atrocities may divide, people still connect on a very human level irrespective of such things.
Today this ad has over 12 million viewers. While fictional, it taps into a deep sentiment that binds Indian and Pakistani people despite all that have divided.
I dare you to not get a little emotional!
Google’s Reunion
For more details, check out:
- Wiki’s Reunion (advertisement)
- For comments, check out #GoogleReunion
- Miss Malini’s “Have you watched the google search reunion“
Related posts:
The majority minority complex – Christmas communalism
I’m a minority. A minority who generally considers herself very fortunate to be blessed with the opportunity to call India my adopted home.
However some elements in the Hindu majority have a ‘majority minority complex’ and recent expressions are quite disturbing.
Fearing losing its place as the majority, certain ‘Hindu’ leaders in positions of political power and influence, are flexing their might with tactics such as:
- Telling schools to have ‘good governance‘ activities on Christmas, effectively cancelling the holiday
- ‘Ghar wapasi’ campaigns with announcements of ‘reconversion’ ceremonies scheduled for Christmas day
Now… good governance is sorely lacking in this country…. (more…)
Bandra’s Equal Streets
Sunday morning I woke to a cool breeze and inclination to go for a stroll.
Now normally this means risking life n limb, dodging all kind of vehicles on the road and trying not to trip on sidewalk hazards.
However that was all before Mumbai joined the ‘Equal Streets‘ movement.
Each Sunday from 7am until 11am, one side of two main roads in Bandra are closed to motorised traffic for community activities. (more…)
The pool ‘princess’ and her adoring audience
I’ve always known how to swim. My sister and I were in a pool from practically the time we were babes. And it has always been a joy to jump in and start swimming… without a care in the world! A quiet peaceful time of contemplation, random musing or even brain ‘radio silence’.
Growing up with a father who was professor at the University of Manitoba meant access to their olympic size pool. I never knew anything else so just assumed all pools were big, cool, pristinely clean, bright and full of people enjoying their laps.
To discover people splash about in small hot pools chatting was bizarre. I mean come on, pools are meant to enjoy a blissful swim… Beaches are where you combine swimming and play but a pool? Pools are to be in the solo zone, a happy place for focused fitness! (more…)
Diwali – Festival of lights… not pollution
It is that time of the year again… where ears and head hurt from non-stop noise, eyes itch from pollution, a persistent cough catches, animals cower in corners, fortunes are won and lost over cards.
Since 1995 I’ve witnessed how Diwali celebrations have evolved – 1st in Delhi and now in Mumbai for the last decade.
It is heartening to see the growing awareness around the environmental hazards, dangerous child labour practices and a movement towards ‘new ways’ to celebrate the Festival of Lights with less noise, pollution and waste. (more…)
Everyday Asia 