Salaam Bombay - a brief, bittersweet ode

Certain Uncertainties

Taxes are probably the second greatest certainty in life – death being the most certain – so, I am sure attending the 2014 IFA Congress in Bombay was quite an important event for humanity. But I would like to write about things less certain. Like traffic rules, and sleep in Bombay.

Haider

I was in Bombay for 10 days, 8 of which I spent in a hotel and a fair part of the remaining 2 were consumed by sleep. So I could hardly spend any time with my family and friends.  On Saturday, before I had to leave for the airport, my parents and I watched Haider at a cinema which is only about 7 kilometres away from home. But the traffic on the way back was so bad - the movie ended at 19:00 and we arrived home only at 21:00 - that gave us a scare that I might not make it to the airport in time. But the movie was so good that it was worth running that risk! 

From Stockholm

Stockholm Syndrome

I am generally very fond of summers, but this year has been exceptionally good, thanks to the number of windows in my apartment. The attic is my bedroom and it has two slant roof windows, one facing east and the other west. And I never draw the curtains. So, I was filled with childlike enthusiasm on the eve of the summer solstice this year. I had had a rather long day at work, but could not sleep – I was very curious to see when the last ray of the Sun disappears. It was at about 00:40. My curiosity about how long it would be before sunrise got the better of my sleep. The first sunrays appeared at about 03:15. I could finally get some sleep, but only for about two hours. The adrenalin kept me in good spirits the next day nonetheless.

The trouble however is that adrenalin takes you only so far. I sleep so little during the summers that by August, I tend to get cranky. Last year, I suffered a minor burnout and slept over 120 hours in the first week of my holidays! Somehow, I still do not draw the curtains, and Joline actually wears a sleeping mask when she sleeps over.

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Finally at Maria’s

My friend Maria had invited me to visit her since 2010, when I first arrived in Europe, but I did not have enough money to make the trip. Four year since, I finally have enough time and some money to travel. So here I am in Stockholm.

Mishti

Early this morning I woke up with a feeling that it was going to rain. It may seem odd to people from this part of the world, but I woke up with a smile. The feeling was exacerbated as I stepped out of the building on my way to work. The skies were clear – usually a rarity here – as they had been for several weeks now. But I had a feeling that it was going to rain. And it made me smile.

बेनक़ाब आईये / Come unmasked

बेनक़ाब आईये

मिलनेको  तुमसे बहुत जी चाहता है,
लेकिन मिलनेपरभी मिल नही पाते।
आमने-सामने हम हैं ज़रूर,
फिरभी रु-ब-रु नही होपाते।

मिलनेको तुमसे मै तरसगया हूँ।
लेकिन इस चाहका कोई मक़ाम नही,
जबतक तुम बेनक़ाब नही आते।

Come unmasked

The recriminalisation of humanity

I checked the morning news from India and felt my blood rush through my ears. One had heard about a less than enthusiastic bench, but the headline `Homosexuality illegal: SC´ managed to shock me nonetheless. A large part of humanity was condemned for the victimless crime of not suppressing their sexuality. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 was held to be legal in its undiluted interpretation.

Impactful as the headline was, it was not accurate. Section 377 does not criminalise only homosexuality, but more generally, any “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”. Depending on how one interprets these words, as suggested in the decision, any non-penovaginal, penetrative sexual activity constitutes an offence punishable with incarceration for as many as ten years, even if it is consensual and between adults. But homosexuals are most likely to be the easiest victims of the verdict.

From that somewhere over the rainbow

I arrived in New York with little sleep, some work backlog and a bit of a prejudice against large cities. It was crowded, hot and polluted. The cars were larger than I had seen anywhere else in the world, and along with their large engines, one frequently heard them honk. The city never slept; nor did I that night.

the economics of justice

This May, i returned to India for a two week holiday. Interestingly, my responses to similar circumstances on this occasion were markedly different than they were the last time i returned from Europe. More specifically, my appreciation of economics had changed.

12,14,19

12 April 2013

It was an overcast and breezy morning in August 2010, when my English flatmate and i set out to bike from the barracks to the city center of Leiden. “Isn’t the weather fantastic”, i exulted, truly enjoying the cool breeze and the absence of the sun. “Sure”, was the Englishman’s sarcastic reaction, which after looking at my truly happy face turned into a look of bewilderment. “You are being sarcastic, I hope!”

From a distance

What an anthem was Bette Middler's rendition of `From a Distance´! Not a family reunion or a road trip was complete without us gleefully singing it. The song began with a wonderful description of an increasingly rare view of the world: From a distance - the world looks blue and green - and the snowcapped mountains white - from a distance the ocean meets the sea - and the eagle takes to flight. Even at its most unutopian, she sang: From a distance - you look like my friend - even though we are at war - from a distance - I just cannot comprehend - what all this fighting is for!

 

Alas from a distance, I have now learnt, the picture is not really pretty.