Generation Y (or Generation Z)

Generation Y (or Generation Z)in our city

These urban kids nowadays I tell you. Oh so much attitude briiming over like a froth on a choclate milkshake.
Less said the better but cant help writing this one. It does display my incapacity in dealing with Dennis The Menaces of the world, but so be it!

That succulent, impudent and spoilt rotten devil incarnate is by God's disgrace none other than your truly's neighbour. And God only knows how many times have I questioned the Almighty and oh so many times has he left me to my wits end. Never have I been able to extricate myself from this long winding tunnel of exasperation and self defeat. This diminutive frame always seems to hover around the periphery of my discomfort. The immense pleasure that surfaces his cherubic and dimpled face at the sight of my state of disarray, I am sure then that hedonism must be working over time in that tiny cranium.I have invariably been left drop jaw astounded and helpless in the company of this pint sized gremlin. The barrage of questions that effortlessly leave the comforts of his blooming gob and dart towards my fragile sensibilities and shatters to smithereens my superego. The seasoned alacrity with which this life in its nascent stage retaliates and overpowers my frame reminds me of David and Goliath story foretold a million times and more.Though I evade this knee high jerk like a plague and loathe his sight, he seems to just the same, sparkle with excitement and froth with sadistic pleasure in my presence.How I always wish that I can with an effortless coup-de-grace terminate his very existence. But that jolly good conscience fairy resurges and scolds me for this decadent thought process. Such is the story of my life off late with this new kid on the block. My otherwise peaceful existence and well endowed social circle seem to have run aground with his ominous ubiquity.This precocious entity could be the evil lurking figure in just about anybody' backyard. The honey sweet, angelic face and saccharine sweet innocent eyes that strike you at first sould be paid scant disregard.The volte face that happens in course of time seems to attack your vulnerable guise.This exposition of my life in no way does interpret the poverty of my intellectual or rational faculties but does pin point the overt opulence of "Attitude" brimming in the Generation Next.In the end a forewarning, to stay away from 2 feet nothings even remotely displaying characteristics of the above described and if in its inevitable presence, wear the protective coat of non chalance and a cap of indifference.Because if you cant beat them, ignore them!
All the same, I do admire their know it all attitude and worldy wise behaviour. Thanks to the satellite invasion in every home and exposure to the world news at the click of a button on their IBM's, the word "naive" will definitely get wiped out from Oxford Dictionary soon. And true more will get added, "pester power" being one for sure. Reams and reams of information is available on how kids influence buying decisions and how marketers are now looking at targetting kids for communciating their brand benefits more than the "Lalitaji's" of the world, your proverbial savvy housewife.
Well, welcome the new Gen X..no Gen Y...or is it Gen Z now. What with Generations leaping as frequently as NOKIA's mobile technology, soon Gen Z will get overtaken by Gen Z sequels.

Disclaimer : The above is just a narration of fictional nature. Any of my neighbours reading the above article should treat it as one and not take it personally. Becos their kids are sweet and adorable.(How more politically correct can i get!)

Amchi Mumbai (humour)

Aamchi Mumbai

Escorting your dad’s best friend’s daughter around the city of Mumbai gives a whole new meaning to the word “Mumbai DARSHAN” especially if the visitor in question is ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) and landing in Mumbai after eons. And eons would mean "her" lifetime, since she was here technically when she was in her mother’s womb...which would be 2 decades back. Now that does not count for much does it…because Mumbai is about sight, smell, sound and all other senses that cannot be experienced thru a belly button hole.So here I was being an escort to a namesake desi and who was more the quintessential American “Born in the USA” types, than a die-hard “Mera Bharat Mahaan” patriot. Jingoism apart…she didn’t have the same trappings as Indians her age…Bollywood and cricket were not religions for her, just something what crazy people watch… Ash and Sushmita were just “roll” models…Kalpana Chawla being the true role model…Music was not hindi, bhangra or indi pop remix, it was bhajans, ghazals interspersed with country music….and career was not plain MBA in a fancy University but chasing a dream which was “out of this world”…AI or AE or in common parlance Artificial Intelligence or Aeronautical Engineering.But at the same time she knew a few shlokas like Atharva shirsha by rote than any of my counterparts including me. She knew Mahabharat and Ramayan more in depth than yours truly, so in that sense she was more Indian than you and me.But what goes into making this essay a worth reading experience is seeing Mumbai thru the eyes of a complete stranger to the city (or country for that matter) and picking up nuances which as a true Mumbaiite we all may have missed. Picking up smells, "art"in buildings, energy flowing through multitudes of people, spirit of secularism, rich and poor co-existing in close environs and many other quirks of the city.Observations of a “phirang” desi on city called Mumbai.

• Where are the footpaths? If hawkers sit on footpaths meant for pedestrians and pedestrians walk on roads where do cars ply or do they fly. That explains the traffic sense, which means every one co-exists at the same place but not same time, that would mean ‘car’diac arrest.
• Motchi (cobbler) at every corner, where he mends broken shoes, chappals and sandals. A unique profession for those who believe in, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it and if broken and can be fixed don’t throw it away.”
• A temple in every area where there is a woman with a cow at temple entrance. People walking in, touch the cow, and give some money to the woman owning the cow and who in turn feeds the cow with grass. Does it mean any thing?
• A barber giving a nice shave to his client not in his saloon but right there at a street corner with just an umbrella to protect his client from scorching sun and a radio blaring in the back ground. Now that’s cool isn’t it!
• A woman selling her wares walking from one housing colony to another and screaming out her lungs with words, which communicate what she is selling. But everyone seems so nonchalant despite her high decibel (selling) “pitch”.
• Reaching the railway station provides a wide array of experiences unique in its own way.The boot polish guy who is sitting right there observing foot wear of all those walking around him. His shop is this small box on which he polishes shoes, sits and keeps his money earned. Now that’s a truly an “out of the box” profession.
• This colourful looking upright object which turns out to be a weighing machine with lights, designs and fancy objects coming alive once you stand on it to weigh your self. It costs only 1 rupee and tells you your weight, a weight that you may never have in your entire lifetime.
• Trains that hurtle down into the station after every 3 minutes adding more mass to its velocity until it reaches its final destination where everyone alights.During the train journey, witnessing umpteen hawkers selling everything from pin to pajamas (literally). And the same hawkers who sell their wares so well, it would give any sales-head, job insecurity.
• Did I mention about the beggars at every signal, at every corner, outside every restaurant? Its like they have chosen these vantage points with well thought out precision. These strategic points give these mendicants there 2 minutes to display their sad faces (justified) with their captive audience. Some melt while others turn a blind eye. Now that’s Mumbai’s rags to riches.
• Traffic rules are but just in textbooks. But there is one rule that is in full display and which is rule of the Jungle…Might is Right! Hence, we have the BEST (misnomer) buses over powering the ‘Tax’is and the Taxis teasing the Rick(ety)shaws, who in turn boss over the cyclists and hand carts. And, the “cycle” continues and turns over to a new wheel…
• What can I say about the cleanliness habits of Mumbai denizens or rather the lack of it? It can shame any body to see well-read and well-educated civilians spraying pan remnants at corners, footpaths or sometimes even showing sartorial inclinations.
• Roads are infested with potholes as if it’s an infectious disease. They seem to spread from one road to another and some of them are large enough to engulf an entire car in its confines. One needs to be warned if there is any road without any potholes since each one has them. Not having a pothole on a road would mean a shock to the driver causing serious mental anguish.
• Everyone is in a state of hurry. From one place to another, from one window to another, from one meeting to another and not to forget from one pillar to another “post”. Its as if, living in Bombay is running on a treadmill, If u stop you fall down and get hurt and if you keep running u still get no where.
• Last but not the least in the list of Bombay (still like the ring to the ol’ name) lows, one cant not mention the slums, which have usurped the lives of citizens. From Bombay or Mumbai to Slumbay or slumbai ..its not too far when the city will finally burst at its seams and the very infrastructure that’s its proud of today will eventually relent to its ever increasing immigrating population. Also, whether its cream of Bollywood, Fashion or Corporate circle, it will finally say good bye to the very land which has provided hope and realized dreams of millions of Indians who found it only in the heart of this city.

Salaam Mumbai!

Mumbai Voices - Logo and Background

Dear Netizens,
Just a little back ground on the logo of Mumbai Voices which has been specially designed by my creative sister, the logo has been aptly named as Kaliedoscope, true to the nature of Mumbai spirit...dynamic, evolving and a melting pot that it is.

If you look at it closely the logo represents a human chain in a circle which reflects the unity in diversity that our city can proudly speak of. Also, the logo symbolises a design seen thru a kaliedoscope.

Mumbai's undying energy is what keeps it alive. Its the people that make the city is very true in Mumbai's case.
Hence, to make a better Mumbai we have to use the resources of Mumbaiites who if given an opportunity will definitely contribute to the society.
Such efforts normally start with collective voices which then snow ball into a bigger and more louder groups and then movements.
Hence Mumbai Voices.

The idea of Mumbai voices is to get people who care for the city to come forward and contribute in their own lil way towards the city who has given us means of livelihood and a better future.

We have always wanted to do something for the society. But for lack of time, energy, initiative, money etc we have always found some excuse or other. We as individuals if given a platform can do wonderful contributions to the city but wondered how?, where?, when? and what?

Hence Mumbai Voices.

This is just a small beginning
Welcome to Mumbai voices with your suggestions, opinions, facts about the city, ideas, stories and anecdotes.
Lets make it happen!

Watch this space for the first essay. Coming soon...

Mission Mumbai

Welcome Netizens to the world of Mumbai Voices...
A hang out where citizens (or not) of Mumbai voice their opinions on anything related to spirit of Mumbai....
People, Land grabbing, Pollution, Night life, BEST, Bollywood, Mithi river, Lonavla, Crowded trains, Zhopadpattis, Fort walks, Siddhi Vinayak temple, Chowpatty, CRZ, Dalal Street, Multiplexes, Amitabh Bacchan, Traffic snarls, Pot holes, BMC, 26/7, Private Airlines, First Day First Show, Ganpati Bappa, Open spaces, Page 3, Corruption, Politicians, Sachin Tendulkar, Reservations, Gateway of India, Chor Bazaar, Under world, Nariman Point, Pubs, The Times of India, Vada Pav, Real Estate, NGO's and much much more.

Its going to be a mixed bag I assure you, true to the melting pot nature of Mumbai. Mumbai Voices will be anecdotes, heroic stories, opinions, strong opinions, statistics, current affairs, scoops, suggestions, humour, anger, sadness and sheer attitude.

Mumbai voices invites you to do just that...be a part of this world and make a difference to the place where you live.
Salaam Mumbai. Salaam Mumbaiite!