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.
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.
3 comments:
Which tip did you follow yesterday while going for Ganapati visarjan and back.
Which tip did you follow yesterday while going for Ganapati visarjan and back.
Cannot follow these tips for Ganpati Visarjan traffic. Its an exception to the rule. The context and the environment is different that's why. :)
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