50 - THE DEADLIEST TERRORIST IN THE WORLD

In my school there is a very old Anglo Indian church, from the 1850s and it has wall plaques dedicated to Brirish soldiers and their family members who had died in those years, before India's freedom.  Most of the eulogies show that young soldiers and their young family members, wives, children had died due to Malaria.  Malaria caused by the bite of the female anopheles mosquito.

 Recently the Zika virus scourge in Mexico and  south America and Brazil, was spread by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, also known as the tiger mosquito because of its black and white colouring.Its bite affected the foetus in pregnant women, causing them to be born   with microcephaly or serious brain abnormalities. 

These episodes one hears in news and then they are forgotten.  But recently there is an increase in dengue, chickunguniya cases in Mumbai and many of my students were also affected.  So they remained absent, rested, in the absence of any medical recourse for these diseases, certain home remedies are resorted to, eating dragon fruit, papaya leaves etc to increase the haemoglobin count, etc.   But the one disease that does not allow any type of recourse or reprieve is the encephalitis infection caused by mosquito bite and the filariasis disease.

Mosquitoes are vectors or carriers for many deadly diseases, like malaria, dengue, chickungunya, yellow fever, filariasis, encephalitis and the zika fever.   These tiny creatures, weighing a mere 2.5 milligrams, are responsible for the maximum number of deaths, all over the world.  There are 2700 species of mosquitoes and most of them have originated in the African continent. 

The word 'mosquito' is a spanish word, meaning 'little fly'.  The life cycle of a mosquito lasts for about 4 to 10 days, depending on the heat and humidity of the area.  The eggs thrive in wet spots, then they change to larvae, pupae and then the adult flying scourge is born.  Females live for upto 2 months and the males only for about 10 days.  Both male and female mosquitoes feed on fruit and plant nectar, but a female needs blood protein to develop eggs.  Mosquitoes do not posses teeth, so they do not 'bite'.  The females have 2 long proboscis, which is a long serrated mouth part, with which they pierce the skin and locate a capillary, to suck blood.  The other proboscis tube injects saliva with a painkiller and an anticoagulant into the victim.  This process is when infection is transmitted into animals and humans from an infected mosquito. 

The Aedes species is active during the day, so mosquito nets are not so effective to prevent its bite.  Nowadays many repellents are available in the market.  Some are to burn, some are electronic, some are to apply to the skin and a most recent one is a body patch repellent and fabric rub on.  But the best deterrent is to not let the mosquito lay eggs, or to let natural predators thrive.  Snails, ants, spiders, frogs, dragonflies, goldfish, eat the eggs and thus curb the menace.  One toad can eat upto 100 mosquitoes  a night.  But a female mosquito lays upto 300 eggs, 3 times, every 3 days......whew.

In order to save oneself from the mosquito borne diseases, it is important to know what attracts them.  They find hosts by sight, by detecting infra red radiation emitted by warm bodies. Mosquitoes are also attracted by chemical signals, carbon dioxide and lactic acid, from upto 25 to 30metres.  Smelly feet, active fidgety people who sweat a lot, and dark clothing attract them. 

In Pune, a restauranteur got the deadly filariasis disease, and his leg swelled with the worms and had to be amputated, and his son who cared for him also got the infection and both his legs were amputated but after living a painful bedridden life for a few years, he too could not be saved.  Another tragic memory is connected with an uncle who was a chemist in Ghatkopar.  He too contracted the deadly disease from some visiting patient, and died a painful death after suffering with the swollen extremities.  Just recently, I have observed a cycle repairer who used to have a stall near the Babulnath temple, afflicted with the disease.  It is a sad state of affairs, but he must have caught the infection from someone with the disease visiting the temple for heavenly reprieve.  Now he is a source of infection for any unlucky person who gets bitten with a mosquito that bites him.

Sometimes it makes me wonder why God created  this tiny animal which only spreads disease and despair.

49 - WHY FAST?

Nineteenth  of October, or nine days before divali is being celebrated as 'Karva Chauth', a festival that is celebrated by 'suhagans' .  This term, as all Indians know, refers to women whose husbands are alive.  Legend has it that a queen named Savitri, started this custom.

Savitri's husband died and the God of Death, Yumdoot came to collect his soul, she pleaded with him to let her husband remain alive.  Since Savitri had been a devout wife, Yumdoot granted her any wish except her husband's life.  So, Savitri said that she wanted 100 children.  And then her wish was granted and her husband got a new lease of life.  So all devout wives observe this auspicious day as Kavra Chauth and pray for their husband's long life.

So a festival for married women who are not widows.  But what about widows?  Are they dead too that they should not celebrate any thing at all, since they have no husband to pray for?  It is as if religion was made only for married women and all men only.

But every religion has some sort of custom of fasting.  Christians fast during Lent.  Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and it starts 46 days before Easter Sunday.  The month is in mourning for the death of Christ on Good Friday, and then his resurrection is celebrated on Easter Sunday.  So during the 46 days, Christians may give up something that they enjoy, as a sign of penance, meat or cigarettes or alcohol etc.  Zorastrians give up meat during a few days every month and during the ten days before navroze, when prayers are specially dedicated to the dead. These ten days are known as gathas.  Jains fast during Chaumasa in August and September, known as Santhana.  But that is mainly for older people.  Younger Jains and even children fast for a week eating only fruits, and boiled water, known as Paryushan.  Muslims and bohris fast during moharram for a whole month, but eat and drink before sunrise.  Hindus fast all the time, by mainly giving up whatever is white, like milk, flour products, salt, sugar, rice, etc.  Hindus fast on Mondays if they worship Shiva,  Thursdays are for sant Dattatreya, Fridays are for Santoshima, Saturdays are for Lord Hanuman,   and they also fast during Ganesh Chaturthi, Ekadashi, Mahashivratri,Gokulashtmi.  It is a custom  for Hindus to fast and the women walk barefeet during their fasts.  Fasting is a way to bargain with the gods for favours of a happy family life, a long life for the husband, or to fulfill some endeavour of a new business or job.

These details I have gleaned from my colleagues and my students.  Especially my students, who show so much self control to maintain their fast, although their classmates are eating and drinking during break time.  If only their self control would flourish and grow with age, so that they would refrain from any vices as adults.

So fasting is a way that religion has intervened to help humans to gain health and self control.  And to make a wish come true, because dreams help one to survive and thrive.





 

48 - CHINESE ALL THE WAY

 Today, on 28th October, Mumbai celebrated the first day of Divali celebrations with Dhanteras,  and most Hindu residents had lighted up their balconies with Chinese fairy lights.  Also the shops were all lighted up across their name boards with twinkling lights.  Multistorey buildings look pretty with different coloured lights blinking away, and the walls and trees enclosing their premises are also lighted with pretty lights, mostly made in China.  Chinese fairy lights are not only cheaper than the Indian ones, but also in so many different options to choose from.

So, as I looked out from the BEST bus window, the Kemps corner high rises, were all lit up as though to celebrate a wedding.    I alighted from the bus at Jaslok Hospital, but I dared not admire the pretty colourful lights now, because I had to watch my footsteps.  The footpath at Peddar Road is like the surface of the moon, as are most of the footpaths of Mumbai.

Anyway, today the footpaths have been taken over by the flower vendors, who are so creative in their toran making, with entire families involved.  You can see the obvious husband wife couples, with an old family member, and kids of all age groups, from ten to five to infants.  All are busy doing their bit to complete the finished product.  Yellow, orange, white marigold flowers, interspersed with bunched leaves and golden balls, woven into a lovely display of garlands to decorate the entrances of shops and homes.  These real flower torans are more aesthetic and more in demand than the artificial chinese ones.

The shopping at the Reliance Store at Mahalaxmi, left me riled.  One cannot find the healthy options here, except the uber expensive fruits.  There is nothing special for a 'sugar free' person to buy.  Sugar free biscuits, sugar free chocolates,  slow release cooking livo oil, slow release diabetic atta, sugar free vegetable and fruit juices, jamun sugar free juice, etc will not be found here.   Better than this shop, I got what I wanted across the road, at the other shops.  Mr. Mukesh Ambani, with you being one of the richest persons in the world, I assumed that you would also be the most aware and informed shopkeeper.  But there was a  crowd around the free JIO mobile recharge card table.  So many suckers for 'free' tags.

And then I returned home and observed the various advertisements along the outer fences and gates of the residences and shops I walked by.  Right from the Tata garden, along the majestic St.Stephen's Church, upto the Parsee Sanatorium and the famous Banoo Mansion at Kemps Corner, where   Zubin Mehta grew up to be a world famous conductor especially of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.  His father's home, is still used as the Mehli Mehta Musical Foundation, where music classes are conducted.  Whenever I walk past the Parsee sanatorium and the Mehli Mehta building, it gives me pride to belong to the zorastrian faith.  And then, across the road, just before the flyover is the boarded up unlucky shop, outside the Om Builders office.  I recall visiting this once lively shop, which is under litigation, as family members quarrel over the spoils.  It has been boarded up for so many years now, what a waste.  Four watchmen sit outside the premises, and once I had asked them why the place was shut and they had informed me about the family dispute.  What a waste of prime land.

Then, just at the turn of Kemps corner, is the stately entrance to the Parsee Towers of Silence,  the place where Zorastrians lay their dead to be consumed by birds and in the absence of vultures,  to be incinerated by natural solar energy.  The towering gate posts, display the nameplate,  'The Towers of Silence' were made in memory of the First Baronet of Mumbai, Sir Jamshetjee Jeejeebhoy, on 19th December. 1868.  When I used to visit Mumbai as a child, about 50 years ago,  this entire area was forested and there were no highrises at all,  but now it is a different landscape.

On the other side of the flyover, is Hobby Ideas and Crossword, the book store, a road which is always congested with double parked cars and the stink of the public toilet as one walks along.  Then is the very aesthetic window display of Anita Dongre and then my favourite shop, Biba.  But the eyecatcher of the entire street here, is Meena Bazaar, with the most exquisite sarees and ghagras on display. 

Walking further is quite a torture, as AC drips have to be dodged and footpaths blocked with parked two wheelers and four wheelers have to be traversed like an obstacle race.  The Sah and Sanghi showroom of new cars is the most tortuous, because in spite of a decent footpath, it is mostly blocked by the showroom's customers' vehicles.  The next sore is the now defunct Porsche showroom, whose manager committed a financial fraud and caused the company to be bankrupt at this centre.  That is the gossip that is doing the rounds.  Walking past buildings that have sad pasts, produces bad vibes.

Then further is the New Era School, now a drab and rundown exterior, which once boasted a very artistic mural of the Mahatma.  And on and on, I walked along a very narrow footpath, encroached by electrical pillars put up for road lights, that made it impossible to traverse in most places.

All along the paths that I have described, were NO PARKING signboards, squares of  eighteen inches, made of tin and wired onto gates and fences, where ever possible, with an advertisement painted on them. Some displayed as proper squares and others displayed in the diamond position.  Very innovative and of course free of any rentals.  So now I shall list the various ads that were displayed on these numerous square ad boards.

* Barbeque Nation at Atria Mall.
* My Glamm-Book your at home, spa and saloon service,  download the app.
* 100% gold load from HDFC.
* idp - free counselling to study in Australia, UK, Canada, US, New Zealand.
*Dock to door-Hamvi- no more fish market, you name it, we have it, prawns, pomfret, surmai, rawas,
   rahu, bombil.
* TITAN eyeplus, Wardem road.
* Office chair repairs, just call.
* Pestcontrol, call the experts.
* SENSO hearing aid experts, Kemps corner.
* HRC hard disk repairing, laptop repair, data recovery.
* SAN-hearing and speech clinic, total care.
* Beyond Fitness-cardio, strength training, spinning, zumba, power yoga, kick boxing.
* Career after HSc-NIIT-Grant road (W)

But the most popular one, or rather the most numerous ad was this:
* Free kaali peeli rides everyday, Just download the Ola app and 100% money back on kaali peeli rides.

I found it quite interesting to  read the ads.  They are displayed at eyelevel and of course the latest ones must be replacing the older ones.  My only wish is that if only I could put as many of these ads with the legend "NO PARKING" , no matter what they advertise after that,  at the wall of the buildings that park their BMWs and humangous SUVs and Skodas on public footpaths.  Chronic areas are the August Kranti Maidan entrances on both sides, a certain Dar ul Mulk building with lots of rich and care-a-damn car owners, at Pandita Ramabai Road,  and all the buildings along the Walkeshwar road, beginning from chowpatty and across Sital Baug and White House.   How I wish I had a magic wand, to make the cars parked on walking spaces disappear or get minimised.  Walking is so enjoyable, but in Mumbai, you have to only walk while you are supposed to walk aimlessly, just for the exercise, at maybe Marine Drive or inside Hanging Garden, Phirojshah Mehta garden or the Worli Seaface, or the Mahalaxmi race course, or the Bandra seaface,etc.  You cannot walk your way to work or to shop,  because those paths are not walkable, or blocked with garbage, like the Nagpada area, or parked across with vehicles, as most other places, or full of uneven tiling, which can cause you to trip and get seriously injured. 

Walking to any specific destination is not easy, nor fun at all, in Mumbai.  So that is one reason why the Mumbaikars are so potbellied and obese. 




 

47 - LOCAL SURGICAL STRIKE

Surgical stirkes were resorted to by the Indian army, to avenge the repeated seize fire violations and terrorist insursions by Pakistan into Indian territory.  That is a national issue, but at the local level, often one has to resort to such action in daily life, when faced with a chronic problem that has no other feasible solution.  Here is my take on a local 'surgical strike'.

It would seem that any person who is travelling by a taxi, is so comfortable and happy to be availing of this service.  But it is not such a 'happy' situation for the traveller at most times.

In Mumbai, the first problem is to be able to get into a taxi when one needs to.  And so I have to resort to a 'surgical strike' type of operation, to capture one.  First, I have to keep waving out, hoping that the cab is unoccupied and will stop.  Then the driver slows down and asks where I want to go, and if it does not suit him, he will just zoom off.  But if there is a red traffic signal nearby, then I can 'capture' the cab and forcefully make him take me to my destination.  Often I have to resort to more drastic means to catch a cab.  After patiently waving out to 5 or 6 cabs, in vain, I then just step out in front of one and request any passer-by to help me to enter the cab by blocking it, while I 'capture' the cab and settle in.  Of course, this is a bit difficult, since all passers-by are not too eager to help and until that happens, the traffic behind my 'captured' cab comes to a stand still, with a lot of cursing and honking, until the deed is accomplished.  But that is not the end to my woe.  The taxi driver then threatens to take me for a ride of my life that I will forever regret.  And then is the next step of my strategy.  I insist that he can do so and then answer to the cops who I shall dial on my mobile, and for extra effect, I take out my whistle, blow loudly and challenge the cabbie to take me safely or face dire consequences impromptu.  After two minutes, the cabbie opts to grumble aloud and carry on driving to my destination.  These cabbies grumble about their thankless job, about the sultry weather, or the incessant rains, or the countless potholes, and the corrupt policemen who fine them randomly, the new Ola cabs that have eroded their customer base etc etc.

My desperation to catch a cab is only when I am overloaded with my weekly marketing trip, or when I am desperate to reach my school on time.  Entering a cab, it is sometimes a torture to touch the handle, when one can observe red paan spit all over the exterior of the taxi door.  But it has to be handled carefully and I gingerly avoid touching more than necessary to get the door open.

In the mornings, when I am not tired and on my way to work, I settle into a cab and then follow a fixed action plan.  I turn the window handle clockwise to lower the window on my left, and turn the window handle anti clockwise, on the window on my right.  Until this process is completed, I try to hold my breath.  Once the fresh air has entered the cab, I breathe easily,  because 55 percent of our cabbies have TB or some sort of throat infection, or a persistant cough.  This statistic is only based on my personal experiences.  Some taxi drivers sleep in the back seat during the night and it is their 'bedroom',  which is a very depressing thought for me when I observe that the cab I enter has fabric seat covers.  At least plastic or rubber seat covers tend to be more hygienic and bug free, I suppose.

Then I make sure that the meter has been turned on, because there have been instances when the driver forgets to do so.  The next observation is the car dangler that occupies the centre spot of the wind screen.  If the driver is a Hindu, there is usually a plastic Hanuman in the reclining position, with  a curly wurly tail facing upwards.  Down on the centre of the dashboard,  a colourful ganpati figurine, with a beaded canopy, garlanded with fresh flowers, is displayed.  If the cab driver is Muslim, then a decorated CD, with urdu writings hangs happily, as a lucky taavees, dancing away with the taxi bouncing in and out of the numerous potholes.  Some taxis have a Saibaba statue installed on the dashboard, decorated with vermillion and turmeric, remnants of an early morning pooja.  A very popular centrepiece is also a plastic map of India, with two Indian flags across it.

On a few occasions, the cab driver bad mouths overtakers, or honks randomly,  but as a passenger it is prudent to stay quiet until the journey has ended and then express an opinion.  On one such trip, it was very difficult for me to compromise and be silent, while the driver kept popping his head out of his window and spitting at every opportunity, and at every signal stopover.  This is usually a stopover or slow down at eight key traffic crossroads, and I was very  uncomfortable.  When I was alighting, I gave the fare and also a Happy Dent pack of six to the driver and told him that chewing the happydent would help him to control his spitting which was not a very hygienic habit. 

I always keep an extra packet of Happy Dent with me and gift it to chronic spitters and tobacco chewing taxi drivers.  I wish Mr.Quadros, the taximens' union leader would address this problem.

And if my blog does get through to him, I have another suggestion too.  An unoccupied cab should display a green headlight or toplight, so that when we wave it down, we know that we are waving down an available cab.  Otherwise it is so difficult to surmise whether the approaching cab is free or not, especially in the night.

So, let there be Ola and Meru and TABcab services, but the easiest ones accessible to the common laymen, will always will be the Kaali Peeli cabs of Mumbai.

 



 

46 - FIELD TRIPS

Every school has to arrange for the students to participate in a field trip, at least once a year.  Some schools do it every month, but most just manage the 'once a year' mandatory responsibility.

Not so long ago,  our school picnics or 'field trips' were to "the Governor's Beach", at Walkeshwar, the Vihar lake with its Laurel and Hardy, and Humpty Dumpty statues, the Hanging Garden with its 'Old Lady's Shoe', the traffic garden, the Museum, the zoo, the nature park at Mahim,  and the aquarium. These trips were undertaken only in the supervision of the school teachers.  Students carried their own snacks and shared the food with each other at the picnic spot.  Teachers organised games and gave away prizes to the winners. 

 Then in the late 1999s,  school trips were taken to the Silent Hill resort, the Snake park at Pune, the Lonavla wax museum and to grand amusement parks like Essel World, Tikujini Wadi, Fantasy land, Great Escape resort,   and Imagica at Karjat.  At these spots, the professional groups would supervise the children, with teachers as part of the group.  The students were served a packed breakfast on the bus on the way to the spot.  Lunch would be professionally managed and served by the park management.  The students would enjoy rides or the water park facilities at the amusement parks.

The latest field trip craze is now Kidzania.  It is a kids'  city, built on the second floor of a mall, the R city mall at Ghatkopar.  My school had just arranged a field trip to Kidzania and I am now recalling my experiences to the mall and at the spot.

The buses ferried us to Ghatkopar, across five flyovers and a very bumpy road with potholes galore.  A ride that lasted 50 minutes, fortunately with no traffic jams.   The Panvel flyover was the worst of the lot.  With this bad state of Mumbai roads, we need to travel in some sort of space vehicle, that would ensure smooth transport like they enjoy on the moon's cratered surface.  The flyovers have been enclosed with  perforated partitions that act as sound barriers for local residents, about ten feet tall in some places, making the drive across the flyovers, claustrophobic and boring, with no view of the scenery on either side of the road. 

But in the places that the view was open to be seen, it was a mixed feeling. The view of the defunct Mill grounds at Parel, where so many rapes have been reported, has a spooky aura even in broad daylight.   Mostly tall skyscrapers are visible, or the roofs of low lying homes or slums.  Most of the multi storeyed buildings had balconies with barred or grilled facades, that looked like jails.  Washed clothes were hanging across balconies and windows, as though specially arranged for passers-by to view.  The slums were smothered in large blue plastic sheets, weighted down with stones and tires, as a precaution by the inmates to block out the unseasonal rains.  The tops of the roofs, that were visible, intermittent among floors of old building, were very littered and dirty.  The top floors had obviously thrown trash onto the overhanging shades of lower floors, creating a very sullied scenery for people driving along the higher level roads.  Chembur and Cheda Nagar slums were an unbelievably congested human abode.  Open defecation was being done in full public view,  and two nallas were stinking grossly, as our bus passed by them. 

A few appealing views were also seen.  A large clean payground, with youngsters enjoying football was a welcome sight.  Wherever the roads were lined with huge trees, peepal, neem, rubber, clean and green and so refreshing to the eyes.  As our bus approached Ghatkopar west, long lines of richshaws were visible, aeroplanes could be seen closer to the ground as they were landing nearby,  and one very pretty and well maintained nursery with colourful pots and flowers,  and then the bus depot and lastly our destination.

Each student was made to wear a tracker and given 50 kidzoes, a currency that lets students participate in various activites like making doughnuts, making coke, chocos, Parle biscuits, etc,.  Each glass doored room is an activity centre, run by top brands that have been roped in by Kidzania.  Adults are allowed to view the activities through the glass doors only.

The entire set up, helps students to perform tasks, earn money, then spend it  to participate in enriching educational activities.  There is a dentistry with a proper rubber model and equipment to perform tasks on the model's teeth.  Students can learn dance at the Shiamak academy and perform in the small but well equipped auditorium.  Every activity is a real life programme. A newspaper can edited and printed, all by the students and the Times of India brand.  Yes bank lets students credit the kidzoes in their official account, with a proper credit card too.  Lunch is also served within the premises.  The entire enclosure has an artificial sky, two large plastic trees and is air cooled.

As we teachers waited around while the students participated in the activities on offer, we reminisced about the simple games that we grew up with, which kids nowadays have no clue how to play.  We recalled the fervour with which we used to play, seven tiles, mud and water, marbles, hopscotch, tippry, L-O-N-D-O-N and rounders.  One teacher narrated how she would not be included in her brother's kite flying sessions and would be satisfied with flying a plastic bag.

During the return trip, through the bus window,  large advertisements were visible along the road.  Just before the ITC grand central hotel,  the road is dotted with factory outlets of shoe and bag brands like Nike, Delsey, American Tourister, etc.  As our bus reached Byculla, the majestic clock tower of the Zoo was a soothing sight.  And this reminded me about the new inmates, the penguins.  I wonder if they are in good health, as nothing has been posted on the news recently, about their status.  Soon the tall spires of Gloria Church rose into view, marred with shattered windows, covered with yellow and blue plastic sheets,  with repairs underway. 

The other side of this flyover, offers a view of the Byculla market, where a very large garbage disposal area is visible, public toilets come into view and then the tops of the roofs that shade the wholesale market area.  A very pathetic sight for so many vehicles that drive past daily.  I suggest that the municipality of this area beautifies the roof tops in some way.  Either by growing a lovely lawn across them, or painting some socially relevant message all over, to beautify the view.  Because, every journey undertaken is not only for reaching the destination, but also to be enjoyed along the way.





 

45 - TRIPLE TALAQ

This is the topic under discussion on the television shows today.  It set me thinking about all the persons that I am acqainted with, that have undergone a divorce.

The most talked about separation of the present is of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.  They were together since 2005, so that is almost eleven years and then they had kids and adopted kids and now they have separated.  It is so sad when love turns to hatred.

Muslims have the triple talaq remedy for husbands who want to break off,  but for christians it is not even possible to break away.  I am aware of many christian couples who would  prefer to get a divorce from each other but their religion does not even allow it easily.  It is such a tiring and long drawn out process that many of them just live separately without any legal end to their relationship.
For Parsees too, the process of divorce is full of red tapism and religious rigmaroles. 

Women seek divorce because the husband is violent, and beats her up,  or he is a philanderer and has random affairs with the knowledge of the wife,  or he is impotent or gay and cannot fulfill her sexual needs and desires.  A husband's demand for unnatural sex is also an issue for divorce.  Or if the husband is jobless and is a drunkard and a drug abuser and lives off the wife's  salary.  These are specific cases that I have personal knowledge of.

Men seek divorce because they have fallen out of love with their present spouse and want to enter into a new relationship with a younger woman.  Or if the wife has not been able to become a mother. 
Many intercaste marriages end because the interfering in-laws disapprove of the wife.  Sooner or later, the groom's family manage to poison his mind against his choice of a wife and instigate the divorce.  Saifali wanted to philander with a younger woman,  and Javed Akhtar wanted a thin and rich woman,  so easy for them to walk off and divroce the woman who loved them and produced babies for them. 

So, in this scheme of things, considering the Indian scenario,  triple talaq by a muslim, doesn't seem so cruel.  I think that any divorce is cruel.  And mainly to the woman who is the emotional loser in such break ups.

44 - INNOVATION IN THE CLASSROOM

FIVE INNOVATIVE WAYS TO TEACH ENGLISH TO PRIMARY STUDENTS

 

1.  NEW WORDS TO REMEMBER

When a new lesson is introduced,  it is important to let the students memorize new words. I distribute large cut-outs of certain letters of the alphabet.  These  Partners are assigned the task of finding and listing all words that begin with that letter,  from the lesson, into the space of the cut-outSometimes, the letter given should be the last letter of the words and this adds to the difficulty level of the task.

 

2.  CORRECT THE TEACHER PLEASE

To make prose lively and to ensure participation of every student, I set them the responsibility of correcting my mistakes as they repeat whatever I read.  So if  the text says ‘The hot sun’ I read it as ‘The cold sun’

When students repeat the phrase,  they are expected to correct the mistake and read.   This activity also helps them to understand opposites, sometimes it makes them laugh.The main objective that I set out to achieve, is easily done.

 

3.  SILENCE AND ITS AFTERMATH

I have ‘the silence period’ for my English lesson. Students wear ear muffs & tie a cloth band around their mouth. I write a qs on the board .They ‘read’ silently & write the ans on their whiteboard slates,(laminated A4 size sheets) with white board pens. Each student holds up the slate with the answer.  I just glance at the upheld slates & make a mental note of which student needs more feedback in that particular topic.

4.  THE MOBILE, THE PARENTS AND THE PENDRIVE.

Supervised speaking is sidelined, since each class has upto 45 students.  Oral tests are done but students do not get a chance to ‘speak out’

So,  I assign a topic on which they do research and their parents record their speech at the location of the topic given.   The recorded presentation on a pen drive is then viewed by the class.   The results have been very interesting and even the students who shy away from speaking fluently, participate enthusiastically.

 

 

5.   SAY IT WITH A DIFFERENCE. 

I have made a display  chart of all possible student requests, written in different sentence formats.  If a student wants to visit the washroom, drink water, borrow something etc

So going to the washroom has been worded in 8 diff ways & everyday a different format is displayed.  Students have to read it, memorize it, then come to the teacher & say their request.  This process helps them to format sentences creatively.

43 - AN AD THAT HAPPENED

42 - THE PACKAGE COUNTS

41 - EMOJI CREATIONS

40 - SWACHCH BHARAT ABHIYAAN of PRIME MINISTER MODI

Amitabh Bachchan is the face of the NDTV campaign for swachch Bharat and I was just watching the show.  What an interesting debate, but so futile.

 Mr. Bachchan, if you would walk along the road near your house,  people would love to keep it clean maybe.

 And ms Neeta Ambani,  your home at Peddar Road is a fortress with an almost 20 feet tall wall, but when we approach it, just 10 meters away, there is an overflowing public garbage bin, and no proper footpath to walk.  Not so long ago I visited your 'adda' and had a tough time reaching your barricaded home while very very expensive, imported cars zoomed past.  You only want publicity with taking photo ops with public topics that you profess to support.  Your very own security guards, holding their stenguns, spit randomly as they stand on duty and your outlets allow the customers to park their vehicles on pedestrian footpaths, caring two hoots for the public that is inconvenienced.

What hypocrites these famous people are.  It only suits them to endorse some philanthropic issues and remain in the public eye.

Near my school is a very posh air-conditioned office of Mr.Owaisi.  Large posters proclaim his ownership of the premises.  But they flaunt all public rules.  His driver threatens anyone who parks at the road opposite his office,  his workers and visitors blatantly park their two wheelers onto the footpath, as a matter of 'hamara eelaaka hai'.   I have personally picked up plastic teacups and vadapau wrappers, that his office persons have thrown out of his office and given it back to them, thus getting showered with the worst explicits that they could shout out.  They come out of the office and spit and then go back into the sanctity of "the office".

E ward is just around the corner and yet, no one ever comes to fine the defaulters,  And these defaulters are the shopkeepers in the vicinity.  It is ironic that there are so many schools on Clare Road and the students have to walk along dirty roads and footpaths that are encroached with parked two wheelers and even cars, like the area near the Petrol Pump and the American Express Bakery.

The authorities who have to maintain the law, are absent from the scene.  That is the tragedy of India.

Mr Adar Poonawalla, the mighty, you have beseeched to the public to join hands with you to keep the city clean, but that is not possible with almot one fourth of the people sleeping on the roads of Mumbai.  At night, when I walked from the Grant Road station, upto Nana chawk, along the skywalk, I counted one hundred and seventy six beggars and squatters, sleeping along the skywalk.  Where do you think these poorest of the poor, urinate and defecate, and cook and eat and sleep?  They have nothing to do with keeping 'the city clean' for you and me.  They just need to survive and they will do it with all the squalor and dirt around them anyway.  The government needs to address their problem and provide them with sustainable housing.  At present, these pavement dwellers are ignored and left to fend for themselves.  They live in filth and multiply and add to the future generations of  squatters.  They will not become clean by magic.  They need housing and counselling and education and help to lead a better life.  Then Mr.Poonawalla, will India be a clean place.  The have-nots must be helped. 





 

39 - GENTS COMPARTMENT

On my return trip from the suburb of Virar, it was 9.30pm and so I travelled in the gents' compartment with my son, since it is just crowded enough to be seated, at this time.  Also it makes no sense getting into a ladies' only compartment so late, and the gents' compartments are a safer bet, as they are more populated and one is not caught alone and unsafe.

I had to engage my mind in some sort of activity, so as not to nod off in the all male passenger bogie, which would be inappropriate for a lady to do.  I undertook a survey of sorts of everything that was around me.  The first thing I decided was that I would list the stations that passed, as I am not too familiar with the sequence, having spent my childhood in Pune.  So starting from Virar, Nallasopara, Vasai, Dahisar, Borivli,  Andheri, Bandra, Dadar,Mumbai Central, and then my stop, Grant Road.  Having boarded a fast train, the journey lasted approximately 50 minutes.  During that time, my survey of various statistics were logged by me.  Since there was nothing to watch outside the moving train, as it was very dark, I observed the sights within. 

And of course, the sounds too.  The regular announcements of the approaching stations, with a warning in Hindi, Marathi and English, not to lean out of the open doors, and not to hang out, which so many passengers were indulging in, anyway,  and also the jingle that was repeated exactly 16 times during the span of my journey.  "Swaad sugandh ka raja, badshah banayeh badhiyah khaana,badshah masala, badshah rajwadi garam masala, pau bhaji, panipuri, chaat ka masala, badshah masala,  biryani, pullav, cholle ka masala, badshah masala."  It almost mesmerised my senses into whetting an appetite.

Intermittently, my audio senses were bombarded with some passenger behind me indulging in candy crush on their mobile.  Looking around, I made a survey of how many of the 26 seated passengers within my view, were using mobiles, either typing messages, scrolling or wearing headphones and listening to songs.  Fourteen of them were busy with mobiles, even  standees, were viewing their mobiles in one hand and supporting themselves with the other hand holding the overhanging handholds.  Watching their hands, I noticed that 6 males were wearing finger rings, and one of them was wearing a ring in every finger, hmmmmm.  So I was then assessing the accessories that they were sporting on their wrists.  Ten were wearing very large watches,  five were wearing fancy bracelets, one had almost 6 shiny beaded rakhees on one wrist, two men had thick kadas, and nine males had orange strings tied on one wrist. 

Watching the seated men was an eyeopener as to how males behave even in public.  Two of them were very engrossed in digging their noses, obnoxiously, and one fellow was busy massaging tobacco in the palm of one hand, with the thumb of the other, and then carefully pinching it all up and pressing the lethal mixture into the lower part of his mouth.  One old man was reading what was some sort of hindu prayer book.  Two of them were chatting loudly.

The colour of the passengers shirts was very depresssing.  Three were wearing black shirts, nine males had nondescript checked or lined shirts.  Five were wearing some sort of yellowish shirts,  blue and purple shades were eight of them, only my son was wearing a smart orange T shirt with a black jacket.  Hmmmmm.  Watching their shirts, I noticed that only three had used a pen as a style statement, adorning their shirt pocket.  Only three were clean shaven, one was a very unruly bearded man, six had trimmed beards, and all the rest sported moustachios.  Fifteen of the 26 that I was observing, had backpack bags, one had a large blue plastic bag and five of them were carrying their belongings in plastic bags. 

Comparing the female travellers, I have noticed that they tend to snack a lot.  They also nod off even while standing and travelling, and the mobile is of course an indispensable accessory for all travellers, irrespective of their gender.  But when travelling in a ladies' compartment, colourful outfits, pretty earrings and necklaces, and nailpaint, stylish bags and hairstyles are more interesting to observe.  And of course the conversations are also very engaging.  Besides, the babies and children add an extra angle of interest to me as an observer.  Often there are hawkers too, selling earrings, toys, bindis, fruits etc,  and so travel time seems to fly, although one is pressed and pushed among a melee of screeching females, at every stop.  

38 - THE QUEEN OF THE SUBURBS

Today, I had to travel by the local train upto Virar for some official work.  I only travel by the local train if I have to go very far, very fast, as compared to slow bus travel.  Since I seldom travel by the local train,  the experiences and scenes flash into my senses and get analyzed into statistics.

Although it was a Saturday, being a half day for most office goers and an off day for many academic institutes,  the train was very crowded.  But today, in the crowded ladies' compartment, a good samaritan actually offered me a seat for some time and stood all that while, and then even advised me as to the best place to stand, in order to avoid the onslaught of the incoming crowds that kept boarding the train upto Nallasopara.  It made me so happy to have this empathetic lady share her seating time for a while.

The bad memory was when the train approached Bandra,  the litter along the boundaries of the tracks was disgusting and demoralising and smelly.  An assault on the senses.   How can human beings live in that filth?  The entire length of the track, almost one kilometer before Bandra station, is lined with slums and beyond their ramshackle abodes are piles and piles of plastic, paper, thermocole, rags, and rotting vegetable waste.  Rats, flies and God knows what other pests are breeding in that area.   Please please, Bandra residents,  make the approach to your suburb clean and green.  I beseech to all its famous and rich residents, the Bollywood big shots etc, all visitors need to feel a sense of the 'Queen of the suburbs',  and you should make an effort to live upto its name.  Mr Shahrukh Khan, you have recorded a TV ad about 'swachch bharat',  but you only care for your bungalow and your home in Dubai,  you must GIVE towards improving the suburb that has brought you fame,  but it only has the shame of being a filthy public space mostly.

And then when Vasai was announced on the intercom system in the train,  the nose and eyes had another stinky onslaught from a sewage oulet or a large 'nalla'.   The only saving grace was that, the monsoons have turned the open areas into lush green growth.  So wherever we can view the greenery through the moving train, it is so beautiful and clean.

The local trains are the 'lifeline' of Mumbai but all along the tracks are 'deathlines' of filth, poverty, garbage and open air toilets.  Dear Salman Khan, you sent tankers of water to the drought-affected districts of Marathwada, yet you fail to notice the poverty and squallor of the poor in your very own neighbourhood?  I feel that 'Being Human' does not mean that Mumbai only gets the expensive stores with that logo, but that you do the humanitarian work for Mumbaikars too, please.  Do not forget that it is this city that has brought you your name, fame and where you have grown up.  You could give back by maybe, building good homes for the railway line squatters.   It will also be a more lasting contribution towards society, than the water donation that you had undertaken in 2013 to the drought hit Beed district.

October the second has been declared as THE cleanliness drive day for all Bharat,  and there will be lots of photo ops by politicians and richie riches like MsNeeta Ambani and her ilk.  But nothing really really effective at all.  Nothing that would deplete their pockets,  only silly whitewashed news stories, with brooms and buckets and expensive gloves, for maybe 5 to 10 minutes, just as long as it takes the cameras to flash.  If only each celebrity or large company, would adopt the wards, then it would lead to concrete progress towards cleanliness.  Mr.Amitabh Bachchan, you could easily adopt B ward, and it could be the 'Big B' B ward and compete with the Salman Khan A ward etc.  And the great Neeta Ambani C ward, and the Katrina Kaif D ward.  Not forgetting a E ward takeover by the great Kapil Sharma,  he will of course then be forgiven all the 'gapla' he did at his Versova flat.  And the likes of Anil Kapoor, who only want to rake in the moolah and the name and fame without any give back to society.  You have launched your daughter and now your son,  pray please do spend on beautifying the city that adores your every action and relative.  Come on people, Gandhiji is still revered all over the world, you could be revered at least in your 'karmbhoomi'.

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