16 - MEE PANN MUMBAIKAR

What is perennial in Mumbai?   Let me list some of them.....the beggars, the potholes, the crowds, the spit ridden public places, the shameless public urination by males, the over crowded local trains, the irregular public bus service, the yellow-black taxis which often refuse to ply you, the illegal pavement shops,,,,,all negative aspects of my city that just cannot be sidelined.

But I have found a positive aspect among one of these.  Every morning, on my way to work,  my taxi passes the Mumbai central BEST bus depot.  One gate of this enclosure is always shut and outside this gate is a haven for garbage throwers.  Piles of black garbage bags, full to the hilt, form a little hillock every morning.  And this is where I redeem my faith in 'unity and friendship'.

Two black hens, one brown hen, a golden brown rooster, two black cats, five to seven rats and about fifteen crows,  meet here and are seen sharing the spoils discarded by humans.  Since there is sufficient garbage for all of them,  they are rummaging peacefully.  In their little world,  these creatures must also be commending the BEST for allowing their hillock to flourish daily.

I'm sure that I have missed spotting the others in this group, from my vantage point through my passing cab.   Since the dumped garbage is also surrounded with dirty, stagnant water,  flies and mosquitoes also must be enjoying the space. 

When I am returning home in the evening, the pile is smaller but the friends are still seen, going about their pecking,  oblivious to the traffic snarls on the nearby road.  Usually, a human child or two are seen in the pile at this time.

Mumbai is a city where people of different religions sometimes come together through workforce proximity but seldom live up to the friendship, giving in to the compulsions of family opposition, and weak characters.  But I am grateful to these friends,  to have let me see that at least one corner of Mumbai is peaceful and friendly.

15 - TRAVEL TRAVAILS

Having to commute to work by taxi or bus has a unique set of hurdles.  The first one is that I should be able to board a bus.  The next is that the bus may be overcrowded.  If it is not, then I can be seated.  But certain factors can mar the joy. 

I may sound like a pessimist but that is the truth and has to be accepted and explained..  All may seem well,  but soon the peace within the bus is shattered by a loud voice, instructing a colleague, on the mobile,  how to tackle a fussy customer.   And another shrieky female voice, argueing aka Arnab Goswami, but on the mobile,  that the new flat should have blue tiles and not the grey ones............

All this is the noise pollution within the bus.   The loud, incessant honking of the traffic outside, creates an unbearable din on the exterior of the bus, which violates  the ear drums of all passengers within the bus too.

The last straw is when the strong stench of a garbage truck overwhelms the senses.   With the traffic moving at a snail's pace,  I am forced to watch the garbage truck preceding my bus and to breathe in the foul air.

So the senses run riot during my bus journey home.   Of course, the pot holes add the normal bumps and subsequent bruises that occur.

But recently, I can overcome these tortures.......I shut my eyes and transport myself to France and Switzerland......where my children and I had toured last month.    The smooth roads,  the unspoilt natural scenery,  the peaceful silent roads.     That was so strange.  The motorists do not honk at all in Pairs and Germany.    Traffic signals are obeyed and every vehicle respects the zebra crossings.   Oh my India,  I wish every driver would get a chance to experience driving in Europe, and emulate the traffic discipline.

Also, the road repair department should attend a workshop in France, as to how to build and maintain smooth, pothole free, clean roads.

11 - WHAT GETS ME ECSTATIC.........

Our school organises a picnic for the students and of course, teachers have to go along and be alert,  keeping the childrens' safety in mind.  But teachers are allowed to enjoy the picnic too.   Our last outing was to Tikuji-ni-wadi,   at Thane.   I enjoyed the journey much more than the destination,   especially to the venue.  

The weather in the early morning is pleasant and all the kids are happy and eager,  and full of happy anticipation.    The traffic is moving smoothly and the fresh breeze is almost pollution free.    The sights and sounds along the road are viewable,  unlike the ones when one travels by the local train.

On this particular trip, what made me ecstatic,  were the blooming Jacaranda trees along the Vikhroli highway.   All the trees were in full bloom and their soft purple blossoms lined the central path of the highway for a few kilometres.   It was as though God had used his paints to beautify the roads for us!

The other sight that gave me a high were the birds.   Along the highway to Tikuji-ni-wadi,   there are a few high rises which are connected by electrical wires or so it seemed from the moving bus.   Atop these wires,  families of birds were perched, probably chatting and deciding the day's schedule among themselves.     The silhouette that these birds presented seemed almost ethereal.   There were parrots,  crows and sparrows.  When I see birds and animals that happily and freely co-exist on this planet,  an inherent calm assurance overwhelms me,  that all is safe and that the world is a happy place to be in.

The feelings of peace are not a little influenced by the fact that the parents of the students who have come along,   have faith in us as teachers and guardians.    That they have allowed their wards to travel in our custody.

So,  as a teacher,  I too enjoy a picnic,  but for different reasons.