Rain-Check

The way it was over Mumbai, last night.

Many moods of versova beach

Best Foot Fwd

My first Woodlands, on a rain-soaked railway platform

Oral Job

I went to the dentist. For perhaps the third time in my life. This time, the problem is bad, he said. Cavities.

Now, I have heard a lot about people who are shit scared of the dentist. Heck, Nat Geo even had a film on them. Prefer death to dentist, they said. Quite silly, I thought. But then, there are people who are scared of sparrows. All kinds.

After my previous visit, which was largely non-invasive, I was confident. I went in (late) and reclined on the dentist's chair. Now, my dentist is a good man. He softened me up with some small talk and almost non-chalantly, rammed the drill in my tooth. Since he didn't mention it, I thought he was just 'checking'. But no. He was drilling... into my tooth. The drill was nasty. It was boring into my tooth, almost down to the gums. And was scraping against the tongue. More pain. 'Keep your tongue away,' he kept telling me, almost sounding like a girl before her first kiss.

There I was, sitting on that fancy chair with a robotic arm that had all kinds of extensions - the drill, the water jet, the suction pump and something else that I am yet to discover. ( Trivia: The Electric chair was invented by a dentis). After a quick break, during which he put on some music, he was back... boring into my teeth. It went on. 'No water-table here,' I had a good mind of telling him. Then it became a trifle worse. The drill probed all around, carving out the hardest bone in the body. "Say Aaaaa...", he would say intermittently. I can do better, I thought. Aaaahhhhhhh!!

The drill went on. "Can you open your mouth a little wider?" "Can I bite your hand off?"

After 10 excruciating minutes, he stopped. 'What? Over?'
'No, Just begun. A few sittings and we'll be through.'

So is he going to leave my excavated tooth open, just like BMC does with potholes?
"Plaster of Paris," he smiled. I nodded.

"Does it hurt," he asked.

I smiled in return. Mard ko kabhi dard nahi hota.

Snapped... by the way

Here are some snaps I clicked on my way to Pune. It was raining in the hills and the sun came out just in time to make some nice photographs. Do consider that my humble phone-cam is fairly low-res. None of these pics have been air-brushed.

(Click to enlarge. Trust me, it's worth the effort)

Apartheid on the Borivali slow

As the train pulled out of Mahim station on a crowded Friday evening, a dark, lanky bloke jumped into the First Class compartment. His last-minute entry wasn’t welcomed by the already-harried sardines. A gentleman, who had wiggled out of a foul-mouthed altercation a minute back, blocked the young man’s access. As yet another argument erupted, someone who didn’t appreciate the young man’s complexion reminded him that it was a First Class compartment and he should go to the Second Class coach.

The dark-skinned can’t afford a first-class journey, seemed to be the rationale. That pissed the bloke no end who angrily looked around for the origin of the quote. None was found and the boy got off at the next station, seething and offended.
Anyone who has travelled First Class will tell you that apartheid isn’t uncommon to Mumbai. Disapproving looks, if not snide remarks greet anyone dark-skinned or ordinarily dressed.
Those who claim Mumbai is an all-embracing, egalitarian city should go take a hike. Or better still, travel in a crowded first-class compartment.

Monsoon Update

I so liked the previous post, I thought I should follow it up with an update.

This is what it looked like at 10:00 am on Monday, Aug 7 '06. You might wanna compare the two... the situation isn't too optimistic for those who are fed-up of the rain.

(click to enlarge)

A view from top

While it rained and rained and rained all through Saturday and Sunday, this is what it looked like from upstairs...

Notice that massive blur over the west coast... that's where all those raindrops are coming from

A tale of two Sundays

Haven't put up anything for a looooong time. Let's try and make up for that with a few pictures, clicked during the rains in the early part of July and August.

Pix 1,2 and 3 - Sunday, July 3 - Andheri West, from Andheri Sports Complex to Navrang

Pix 4,5 and 6 - Sunday, August 6 - From Matunga to Elphinstone Rd