10 tips to kill time... while in Mumbai traffic

Are you amongst those 'growing' number of species who has the luxury of sitting in the backseat of the car while being driven by your driver everyday to work and back home?
If yes, then this post is just meant for you. If no, then you can still read on! May be you will join this species soon.

We all have, by now relegated to the fact that Mumbai roads can never be 'pot hole' free. We have also resigned to our fate and stopped seeing Shanghai dreams. Its time to get real,  wake up to the  smell of the passing BMC garbage truck and its trail of grey black exhaust fumes.

That's exactly what happened in my case. I finally said enough is enough!

I realized that the time I spent in the confines of my car was ever increasing and I needed to do something about it very soon. So in order to put this idle time to better use I have come up with a list of 10 'cerebral' activities listed below.
10 Tips to Kill Time....while in Mumbai Traffic

And if you think you have some more 'killing tips', be magnanimous and please do share it with your ilk. Lets all together make our 'journey' through our life in Mumbai more exciting and meaningful.

Now visualize this, it's your car...all window glasses rolled up with a/c on and your favourite radio FM station playing the latest number and you are sitting in the back seat (what you do best) waiting in the exasperating Mumbai traffic.
What do you do now? Do you want to keep feeling helpless or want some quick fixes.

I hear a frenzied yes from most of you for quick tips...so here you go my Mumbai brethren!

Follow the below 10 tips  and believe me, before you know it, you have reached your destination.

Tip No. 1
Count the number of times you wring your hands in despair as you helplessly wait for the cars to move ahead.It's not funny, but I bet my last penny that you will lose count.

Tip No. 2
Count the number of times you swear under your breath because someone has changed lanes right in front of you or someone is honking incessantly behind your already deafened ears or some one just grazed past your car without even a small apology.
You could also count the variety of cuss words used by you. It would surely add 'colour' to the whole activity.

Tip No. 3
As you are idly sitting..pick up the day's newspaper....read a column...you feel nauseous (from the reading in moving car situation and also partly because of news content)...so you stop reading.....after a while you feel better ...so again go back to reading the newspaper....feel nauseous again.... so you stop reading and the cycle continues. Count how much time you can 'hold up' at brink.
Disclaimer : This tip is not suitable for those who have Breakfast like a King and also those who are not masochists.

Tip No. 4
Make funny faces and show your finger at all those ugly men (sometimes women) peering out of the hoardings, yes you got it right...all those of useless politicians standing with folded hands in a faux namaste, with a wry smile on their paan stained lips as if saying 'Kaisa ullu banaya?'.
This tip serves as a therapeutic exercise by giving vent to our anger and frustration directed at those who deserve it.

Tip No. 5
Call up your favorite RJs Jitu Raaj or Hrishi K or Meera and Suren (as per your preference in your respective city) and let them know that they are doing a wonderful job. Then dedicate your favorite songs to your friends, colleagues and family.(all the FB friends or Linkedin colleagues if you wish)
And if you do follow this tip every day, it will surely help you to become popular in your fraternity and also the whole Mumbai city.

Tip No. 6
Count how many triple seats (families with little kids in tow) are riding on motorbikes along the way. And yes, sometimes all 3 adults too!

Even if they won't, your heart surely does a somersault watching the balancing act of these helpless mothers  riding precariously pillion on a bike with kids in tow.
This tip is not for the faint hearted.

Tip No. 7
Find a book seller in this mayhem, call him...choose a book ...pick it up...and start reading. By the time the traffic moves, you would have covered most of  it to decide whether you want to buy it or not. In most cases, they are not worth buying as the book has by now disintegrated into a mini raddi as the pages have started falling off.. So you tell him 'No' and move on.
Next time you see him, pick up another book...do this every day. Of course, till the day he allows you to! And then, you move on to the next book seller at another corner.
This tip is good for those who now don't have time to visit their neighborhood Cross words or Landmark store and read books for hours together, sitting on that little corner stool.

Tip No. 8
Look beyond the tinted glasses and you will find a bevy of entrepreneurial gigs happening around the periphery of your car. You can actually make notes of of what the 'have nots' of Mumbai do to survive in the city. From selling Gajras to Car accessories and from Magazines to Moong falis. And not to forget that each of the selling tactics are quite innovative as well.
This tip might just inspire to bring out the entrepreneurial streak inside you and also learn some theatrics which you can apply in your personal and professional life.


Tip No. 9
Bring out the voyeur in you for practicing this tip. Check what the guy or girl next (car) door is doing. While some have a nice glow on their face from the light of their BB's and IPhones reflecting back...some are soaking in the newsprint. Quite a few are digging into their pohas and upama breakfasts while the other few are busy digging for 'diamonds' absolutely unaware of their surroundings. Some are involved in intense conversations inside the car while the others are animatedly gesturing to someone else outside the car.
Its a sea of emotions which one can truly drown into.


Tip No. 10
And last but not least practice Anuloma Viloma, a yogic breathing technique (alternate nostril breathing) to refresh your mind, body and soul. And this should be done only towards the end of your journey so you can recharge yourself enough to get back to reality after this 'rocking' journey.
This tip also helps you to regain all the energy you will need to repeat all the 9 activities the next day.

So here you are, now armed with the 10 solid tips to kill time...while in Mumbai traffic. Make each travail of yours, memorable and exciting at the same time.

Disclaimer : Practice them at your own peril. 

Gift a life!

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give!" 

Such meaningful and beautiful words but we hardly follow them in our daily lives. And I can safely vouch on behalf of most of us, that the times when we have experienced utmost joy, thrill or satisfaction is always when we have given our time, energy or creativity to an activity or task without expecting anything in return.

Truly, 'social service' an oft repeated but seldom practiced word is something which should be made part of our life, whether in school, college, office or community level. If all of us decide to get involved in even 1 social issue which we are passionate about, it can create such an amazing positivity and sense of gratitude amongst all of us. Life would be definitely be a better place!

So in my own small way, I have decided to reach out to all my family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and society at large and create awareness about organ donation. Organ donation, a subject which I am passionate about as it has the power to make a big difference to people's lives even when one ceases to exist.

I have, with the help of Aparna my sister and Vinay my colleague been able to create a website www.shashwat.info which attempts to provide all the information you may need to understand this topic. It will keep getting updated as days go by and hope to provide as much information you may need on this subject.
At no point does this website claim to be the authority on this subject. In fact its collated all the information from member NGOs. It's just a small attempt on our side to make this subject be heard. So even 1 friend or 1 relative decides to donate her/his organs, it would serve the purpose.

To begin with, I have pledged my organs and I always carry a organ donation slip in my wallet. In case, God forbid, if any situation arises my organs can be donated to those in need. I have also informed my parents, husband and in laws about my wish. What good are those organs anyway when you die. It will either turn to ashes or get decomposed depending on which religion you follow. But if donated have the ability to make a difference in many people's lives.

Its indeed a very sensitive subject and also it needs to be demystified as there are various myths and questions around it. Not everyone is comfortable talking about it. Its like how 'Insurance' as a subject was considered taboo many many years back. No one wants to be reminded about their (imminent) death and at the same time be told about giving away their organs.

Its indeed fascinating to know how 1 person who pledges to donate his organs can in his death, benefit at least 7-8 people who are in dire need and are either fighting for life or better living. The impact is far reaching and we have seen examples in recent past about such noble deeds.

There are two main methods for determining voluntary consent: "opt in" (only those who have given explicit consent are donors) and "opt out" (anyone who has not refused is a donor). Opt-out legislative systems dramatically increase effective rates of consent for donation. For example, Germany, which uses an opt-in system, has an organ donation consent rate of 12% among its population, while Austria, a country with a very similar culture and economic development, but which uses an opt-out system, has a consent rate of 99.98%.




In India, we follow “informed consent.” This means consent from the next of kin is essential before any organ harvesting is possible in the event of brain death or after natural death. By carrying a donor card the family discusses organ donation openly and the decision to donate becomes less difficult to make.

So if you have already decided or if you decide in future to get either your eyes, or any other organs donated, please do discuss this with your close relatives or friends and let them know your sincere wish. As they are eventually the ones who will be responsible for the organ donation to effectively take place.

Various insightful articles have appeared in the recent past. A few are listed below:

For those in South
Hindu in June 2012.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article3509743.ece

For those in Maharashtra

The Times of India, August 31, 2012

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-31/pune/33520736_1_organ-donation-cadaver-organ-zonal-transplant-coordination-centre

For those in Delhi

The Indian Express, March 10 2012
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/to-boost-organ-donation-govt-launches-online-registration/921979/



You may also get your questions answered (hopefully all) here on this website www.shashwat.info. If you still have any clarifications please do not hesitate to reach out to all the various official organizations or member hospitals which have been listed on the website in your respective city.

Thank you so much for your time!