Here is one more expert comment on the austerity overdrive as if all that can be said is not already been said twice over. Yah! we are repeatedly told (it's so complex, no) by the 'expert' news anchors and columnists (mostly the same people) that our netas flying the cattle class is not going to solve the problem of drought.
What drought? What do we know about this drought- frought? There is nothing on any news channel/ panel discussions/ national news papers/ editorials/ cartoons on this drought. There is nothing in our lifestyle as yet to suggest it's existence or onset. So dear Burkha Dutts and Arnob Goswamis and Vir Sanghvis et al why not stop blabbering about and make news programmes about this 'real issue'? Please tell us with your detailed analysis as to what is the status regarding this drought and how we ought to be prepared to face it.
I have a feeling that the zeal to ridicule the austerity drive is not just arithmetics of how much it costs to be austere. It is also partly due to doubts about our own lifestyles and values, and contradictions within. It is partly due to a belief that exposing the hypocrisy of the netas will mask our own.
The fact is that simplicity has never been a virtue in our society. Display of wealth, living beyond the means is normal and moreover linked to status. Anybody living under the means is considered a kanjoos. Lavish weddings and celebrations, wearing heaps of ornaments of gold and diamond, living in overdecorated houses- and much more that advertises the status- is considered normal social behaviour. Showing sympathy for the poor, specially in troubled times is not what we do. We may donate money and stuff but live simply for its own sake? No body wants to change their lifestyle just because there is a fucking drought somewhere. (who knows where?)
Simplicity and austerity is not to be espoused but suspected in our society.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
My Home Workspace
This post is inspired by reading a similar post by a friend. He has posted pictures of his home workspace and described it. The description is as meticulous and tidy as the workspace.
My workspace at home, which is a 12 feet long ledge, two revolving chairs, a wall on which the ledge is supported and a window niche in it. It is anything but tidy at most of the times. Right now, the inventory reads like (from left to right)
An empty gift box on which are piled assorted papers, spectacle wipe, plastic pack of my new Kodak battery charger
Several writing pads, scribbled notes, bills, telephone diaries, pencil boxes, photo albums, books, and cobwebs on the window ledge.
Coming back to the ledge itself: medicine pouch, torch, hand sanitiser, telephone, scissors, 5 assorted battery chargers, 3 digital cameras, two laptops, power cords of 2 cameras, several cables emanating from the laptop, external hard disc, modem, printer and scanner, one functioning mouse, one non-functioning mouse, 1 laptop cleaning kit, one rag to clean the ledge. (btw, the rag is clean, ledge is not).
On the wall are 3 framed print posters by FLW, Warhol and Lichtenstein and a tube-light.
Coming back to the ledge again: the remaining items are a couple of books, a box of slides which I am scanning for last 6 months, sun-screen lotion and a trophy.
Coming to the chairs: on one of them, I am seated and on the other is hung semi dried laundry.
Phew! I bet, no one wants to see a picture of this mess.
My workspace at home, which is a 12 feet long ledge, two revolving chairs, a wall on which the ledge is supported and a window niche in it. It is anything but tidy at most of the times. Right now, the inventory reads like (from left to right)
An empty gift box on which are piled assorted papers, spectacle wipe, plastic pack of my new Kodak battery charger
Several writing pads, scribbled notes, bills, telephone diaries, pencil boxes, photo albums, books, and cobwebs on the window ledge.
Coming back to the ledge itself: medicine pouch, torch, hand sanitiser, telephone, scissors, 5 assorted battery chargers, 3 digital cameras, two laptops, power cords of 2 cameras, several cables emanating from the laptop, external hard disc, modem, printer and scanner, one functioning mouse, one non-functioning mouse, 1 laptop cleaning kit, one rag to clean the ledge. (btw, the rag is clean, ledge is not).
On the wall are 3 framed print posters by FLW, Warhol and Lichtenstein and a tube-light.
Coming back to the ledge again: the remaining items are a couple of books, a box of slides which I am scanning for last 6 months, sun-screen lotion and a trophy.
Coming to the chairs: on one of them, I am seated and on the other is hung semi dried laundry.
Phew! I bet, no one wants to see a picture of this mess.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Pedestrain Concerns
It is so ironic that the most logical and common sense suggestions for Mumbai’s future came from a developer in a panel discussion on Mumbai’s proposed development plan, during a recently held workshop by the UDRI. The remaining panelists- Municipal commissioner, former chief planner, prominent city architect and urban activist could only come up with obfuscation of needs and apologies for why it’s not possible to have them fulfilled.
Mr. Hiranandani, the developer, in a clear and lucid speech stated the priorities:
1. A Metro system that criss-crosses the entire city.
2. More and better roads for busses and taxis.
3. Good footpaths and better walking conditions with better pedestrian environments.
4. Discourage privately owned vehicles.
He said that Bombay can sustain its growth and increasing densities if the above is done on a priority basis. In fact, Higher and concentrated densities justify the above infrastructure and make it cost effective. He gave example of Manhattan where the costliest of the apartments come with ZERO parking facility.
I whole heartedly agree with him. Two years back, I spent five days walking up and down almost half of Manhattan. It has similar population density and commuter load as that of Bombay. The Metro, with several lines criss-crosses and disperses and distributes this load effectively. No matter where you are, you are within 7-8 minutes walking distance to a nearby metro station. Every street junction has traffic and pedestrian signals and of course zebra crossings. So many people just walk. Some ride their bicycles and many hail a passing cab which is always available. What they call traffic jams is nothing but slow (but steady) moving traffic due to signals. This slow moving traffic actually enables riding a bicycle. In addition to the metro is a bus system which is equally prolific.
If you are the car-owning type, you need to rent a garage as there is no privilege parking. If you need to park your car, there is limited street side public parking (which is about $2-3 for half an hour). This is so limited in quantity that you will have no hope of getting one free lot. You can avail the services of private car parks that charge appx. $25- 50 per hour.
In short, you are discouraged from owning or bringing your car to the city and if you must, you are asked to pay for it.
This is what makes for a true city life. That the city centre is dense and compact and full of attractions and actions. That it allows negotiations within it on foot and by using public transport. That a cab can be easily hailed and a bus stop or a train stop is not very far away. That you don’t need to own a fucking car.
If one needs to own a car, then might as well live in a village. In a great city, you shouldn’t even need to have a driving license.
Mr. Hiranandani, the developer, in a clear and lucid speech stated the priorities:
1. A Metro system that criss-crosses the entire city.
2. More and better roads for busses and taxis.
3. Good footpaths and better walking conditions with better pedestrian environments.
4. Discourage privately owned vehicles.
He said that Bombay can sustain its growth and increasing densities if the above is done on a priority basis. In fact, Higher and concentrated densities justify the above infrastructure and make it cost effective. He gave example of Manhattan where the costliest of the apartments come with ZERO parking facility.
I whole heartedly agree with him. Two years back, I spent five days walking up and down almost half of Manhattan. It has similar population density and commuter load as that of Bombay. The Metro, with several lines criss-crosses and disperses and distributes this load effectively. No matter where you are, you are within 7-8 minutes walking distance to a nearby metro station. Every street junction has traffic and pedestrian signals and of course zebra crossings. So many people just walk. Some ride their bicycles and many hail a passing cab which is always available. What they call traffic jams is nothing but slow (but steady) moving traffic due to signals. This slow moving traffic actually enables riding a bicycle. In addition to the metro is a bus system which is equally prolific.
If you are the car-owning type, you need to rent a garage as there is no privilege parking. If you need to park your car, there is limited street side public parking (which is about $2-3 for half an hour). This is so limited in quantity that you will have no hope of getting one free lot. You can avail the services of private car parks that charge appx. $25- 50 per hour.
In short, you are discouraged from owning or bringing your car to the city and if you must, you are asked to pay for it.
This is what makes for a true city life. That the city centre is dense and compact and full of attractions and actions. That it allows negotiations within it on foot and by using public transport. That a cab can be easily hailed and a bus stop or a train stop is not very far away. That you don’t need to own a fucking car.
If one needs to own a car, then might as well live in a village. In a great city, you shouldn’t even need to have a driving license.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Holiday Register
“Raja no chopdo aavyo, raja no chopdo aavyo”.
“रजा नो चोप्दो आव्यो, रजा नो चोप्दो आव्यो”.
This is how mother remembers the best moment of her school days in Calcutta in the early fifties. She says, in her school, the holidays of the month were announced to the students via a fat register called ‘chopdo’ in Gujarati. A minion would bring it from the Principal’s office to the class and the teacher would read out the announcement. Now, in a school, there must be many other announcements. But, it seems that this register was exclusively for the holidays. Not surprisingly, the arrival of this ‘chopdo’ was the most welcome relief for the girls in the middle of a class. I could just guess the sentiments of delight and joyful cries as in माय school, the holidays were given as a list in the diary, the element of surprise and dramatic revelations were not for us। I never knew what it felt like.
Until yesterday. When, in the middle of my history class, our peon brought a notice and asked me to read it out to the class. Absent mindedly, I began to read. The first words out of my mouth, even before I realized their meaning were: “Holidays in September”. There was perhaps a micro second of stunned silence and then uproar.
I found myself reading a list which was seemingly unending and each item on it was greeted with delightful cries, the loudest for the last two which happen to be Mondays when I have a day long studio covering two subjects for the same class। I don’t recall ever having brought a greater cheer to my students than this।
When the uproar died down, I continued my lecture amidst a very upbeat class. However, I being me, with my wicked ways, unleashed another list at the end of the session. This list being a schedule of submissions (the dreadful stuff every Architecture student has to keep turning in to avoid being eaten alive). For sure, I did not read it out myself, asked the CR to do the honours.
Why be a villain when just a few moments back I was their hero?
“रजा नो चोप्दो आव्यो, रजा नो चोप्दो आव्यो”.
This is how mother remembers the best moment of her school days in Calcutta in the early fifties. She says, in her school, the holidays of the month were announced to the students via a fat register called ‘chopdo’ in Gujarati. A minion would bring it from the Principal’s office to the class and the teacher would read out the announcement. Now, in a school, there must be many other announcements. But, it seems that this register was exclusively for the holidays. Not surprisingly, the arrival of this ‘chopdo’ was the most welcome relief for the girls in the middle of a class. I could just guess the sentiments of delight and joyful cries as in माय school, the holidays were given as a list in the diary, the element of surprise and dramatic revelations were not for us। I never knew what it felt like.
Until yesterday. When, in the middle of my history class, our peon brought a notice and asked me to read it out to the class. Absent mindedly, I began to read. The first words out of my mouth, even before I realized their meaning were: “Holidays in September”. There was perhaps a micro second of stunned silence and then uproar.
I found myself reading a list which was seemingly unending and each item on it was greeted with delightful cries, the loudest for the last two which happen to be Mondays when I have a day long studio covering two subjects for the same class। I don’t recall ever having brought a greater cheer to my students than this।
When the uproar died down, I continued my lecture amidst a very upbeat class. However, I being me, with my wicked ways, unleashed another list at the end of the session. This list being a schedule of submissions (the dreadful stuff every Architecture student has to keep turning in to avoid being eaten alive). For sure, I did not read it out myself, asked the CR to do the honours.
Why be a villain when just a few moments back I was their hero?
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