jason194
male - 59 years, MUMBAI, India
Blog 117
God's presence is unquestionable
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People in America.
People in USA----------------
Very jovial scene in America was my usual morning walk or evening stroll in one of the sprawling gardens with my grand daughter Kashmira. Jovial I say, because that was happiest period of my life when I met hundreds of Americans going out for work, or their morning purchases or for jogging. In the parks I saw a number of Americans either jogging or baby sitting, playing with their babies or single-mindedly jogging with their water bottles. Many of them going out of the way enquired after me or at least remarked about little Kashmira, ‘How beautiful girl!’ or ‘wonderful eyes the baby has!’ more often than not they were attracted to her black, sparkling eyes. If I was walking alone, they simply smiled or just exchanged pleasantries. In San Francisco there are many Chinese people. But it is easy to know native Chinese from American Chinese. Hundreds of Chinese immigrate and stay in San Francisco illegally and work in many establishments. When I asked my son Amol, he said you can not work here without work permits, but I found a number of Mexicans and Chinese working both in San Francisco and Washington, without proper papers. Some Mexicans and Chinese can not even speak English.
Anyway I traveled a lot in both the cities and met Americans in all strata of society. I enjoyed visiting pubs, malls, railways stations, parks and number of places like super markets etc. but I found Americans lost in their own world, oblivious of world around them. Of course they have channel no. 27 a TV without borders which is window on the world. Americans have special TVs on China and Russia and of course free internet with its vast store of knowledge. Americans are most advanced people but common sense wise they no better than Europeans. Many Americans speak with you on their own, at least flashing their smile they utter ‘have nice day.’ Many Americans have said different things to me, I don’t remember them all, but here are some of the sentences. One black American woman admonished me to come in queue by saying, ‘Man, this is San Francisco, not your home, will you stand straight and follow me?’ Another white American woman said on the Clement street, ‘you are a handsome grand father.’ This she said looking at my grand daughter, Kashmira. The one gentleman, obviously drunk, because he was coming out of bar said, ‘are you homeless sir?’ I was taken aback but then I forgave him cause at that time I was wearing most shabby dress. I replied politely ‘no sir!’ then when I had lost my way on other side of Golden Gate park and searching for a stop of no 71 bus, one American homeless woman went out of way and explained to me how to get the stop and remarked, ‘you don’t look like Mexican, from which country you are man?’ I replied vey solemnly that I was from India. She had heard of Indians but she had not heard of India. -
Some Old Men in my life
Some Old Men.
I think writing about some eccentric old men, my number should be first. But like other men I don’t admit to be an old man, so it is obvious that I am writing about other old men. When talking about old men, I remember P. Y. Joshi sir. He was supervisor in our school but his poise and gait was like a swash-buckling hero. Indeed he was hero and he proved that with every step he took. We were students of SSC then and with our half knowledge, we considered ourselves accomplished. We were 16/17 that time and just on the threshold of youth, bursting with enthusiasm. We admired Joshi Sir very much and watched him taking every step in the corridor while boring lecture was going on in our class. Opposite our class was tenth class and girls sitting in the windows were easily being watched by us. For three months, Joshi Sir was observing this when he passed on his rounds. One day he could not stand it any longer and came to us with his long strides and began firing us vociferously. “ What are observing you the girls for, you fools.” He bawled at us with so many expletives. His tirade was halted when somebody tried to explain feebly that we admired him. “ what for?” he shouted again. “ Sir, we admired you as our hero. We admired you for your gait and for your dress. Yes, Sir you are the best dressed person in our school.” Who does not like praise, he grunted some words and left. But this P. Y. Joshi was utter failure on the cricket ground and when it came to organizing cultural programs.
Our principal, R. V. Soman was simple khadi clad man so much fond of Gandhiji that our morning prayer was Vaishnav Jan to tene kahiye. A devotional song liked by Gandhiji. When he became very angry, he pinched the cheek of a student and boxed his ear lightly. It looked so funny that the student laughed uncontrollably when out of his office. But all the students respected him for his discipline. Our principal was fond of cricket and had purchased cricket kit to teach the students systematic cricket. The respect he commanded was envious and all other teachers envied him this. Even today, when I come across him while walking in the street, I automatically touch his feet. We are only sorry for we quarreled with him on trivial matter at the fag end of the term. R. V. Soman will be remembered by every student of our batch for the good habits he inculcated upon us. And that too without beating any student. Soman Sir or Ravi as we called him fondly on his back but his pen name was Taimurlung, because of he walked lamely. Of course the last name was used when we were angry with him. We salute you Soman Sir! -
Dr. ShriRam Lagoo
Dr.Shri Ram Lagoo------------------------------------------
Few will deny that he is a NutSamrat meaning as the emperor of theatre. Dr. Lagoo is for many years in the business of acting and the most versatile actor but more importantly he is a great humanitarian. The green shoots of a tree grow in all direction, run amuck in search of sun-light everywhere. Just to see sun-light they crane their necks and grow aimlessly helter-skelter. Trees grow shapely if those branches are cut in order and beautiful shape is given to them. The man who does this work is called as gardener and the man who guides the society is called as Reformer. Just as the gardener shapes his garden so does the reformer gives shape to society. Thus he is popular actor and at the same time, he is a great reformer nowadays. He is a great visionary and his intellectual capacity is fantastic but in the field of eradication of blind faith, he is comparatively new but not a novice. He is a firm believer in the principle of reform that starts from self help. So he first examined his ideology and to his dismay he found that his faith in the idea of God was basically wrong. Because that idea gave birth to blind faith. I personally do not agree to his idea of not believing in God. He says the very idea of God must be stamped out. God should be retired and the people should forget about the God. It is okey for an intellectual like Dr. Lagoo but in a society like India this is not palatable idea. This not a digestable idea.
With due respect to the versatile actor I must say that the man is intelligent and all rounder but he is making mistake when he is professing against the existence of God. In V. Shantaram’s great film Pinjara, Dr. Lagoo played the role a Teacher who falls on evil way due to his infatuation for a female dancer in Tamasha( folk art). In the same way he is falling on evil way when he is opposing the existence of God. No doubt about his sincerity while conducting a reform movement but I feel that he has fallen on evil way again when he professes to disbelieve in God. God’s existence can not be doubted by anybody for any reason whatsoever. God is there for billions of believers but blind faith in religion is the evil that must be stamped out. It is the blind faith that makes people believe in Godmen, Baba, or Mantrics( the people who do the black magic.). In spite of the efforts of thousands of workers working against them, blind faith in society is a growing phenomenon. And the people, who make a living on such people, flourishing. Not only in our society but in advanced countries like USA. Great Britain and China this menace is of frightening proportions. Hope is a great solace to common man and this hope is alive today due his faith in God. So Dr. Shri Ram Lagoo please do not rob us of our only hope, our God. -
Barber shops in America
Barber shops------------
Barber community is talkative, they say, they are inquisitive and unnecessarily question their customers on a number of topics. Funny, the questions they ask their customers. Once a barber asked his customer how he should cut the hair, the customer replied solemnly, keeping your mouth shut. Joke apart, many barbers’ jokes are prevalent. Barring some honorable examples, barbers’ profession is male dominated profession in India. It is not so in many European countries and USA. Barber shops in America are managed by young and beautiful ladies. As such the prices of all the operations are very oppressive. There are no beauty parlors in America. Only hair dressing salons and that too predominantly female dominated. American women do not mind their males being touched by other women. Even though beauty parlors are not there, massage parlors are in plentiful. That too manned by women. I don’t know of other places but San Francisco, Los Angelis and San Diego are thriving markets for massage parlors. Massage parlors are two types, one of regular body massage for the health conscious people, and second of pleasure massage types. The second type are nothing but prostitution rings, populated by beautiful ladies normally advertised in loud and colorful manner in the local newspapers. Male massages makers are also advertised with their Sandow bodies for ladies, how lucky!
I went to a normal barber shop in San Francisco and Fairfax operated b y ladies. Ten dollars is normal charge for regular hair cutting without extra grooming. This seems to be the standard rate. Like other shops the business hours are displayed outside the shops. I calculated, we Indians have this bad habit, 10*45=450, my God, I will have to pay 450 rupees just to cut my hair! This is outrageous! But there was no way out so I handed my neck to an middle aged lady who promptly took charge of my head and proceeded to play with my head. While doing her job, she enquired after my family and by the she finished her job, she knew more about me than myself. She used so many instruments while doing her job that I looked dazedly at them. I remembered my barber nostalgically back in India, who only uses a pair of scissors and a comb. The shop was spacious but extra-ordinary silent. I began to think about it, and then I found that there was no radio or TV playing there. American barbers are careless about customer entertainment, nor was there any newspapers in the shop. In spite of so many instruments she took half an hour to finish the job. What she was doing with my hair God alone knows. After the hair cut, I perused in the mirror. I must admit one thing, Indian barbers even sitting by the road side, are far more expert that their American counterparts. After paying solid $10, I realized that hair cutting is skill of hand and not of machine. -
Donkey's Marriage or Gadhavach Lagna
A Donkey’s Marriage---(Gadhavach Lagna)
This has been a great skit in Marathi and a great play in our native language that is called Marathi. Z TV has presented this wonderful play in a most beautiful manner. The story is simple. A potter by the name of Sawala Kumbhar is residing in a village. The village is replete with unsocial elements and crooked characters. Sawala’s wife is very charming and sexy so a number of people in the village have an eye on her. As is wont with wives, she is very quarrelsome and loudmouthed woman. Her name is Gangi or Ganga. She is always guarding her husband and pestering him to do this thing and that so much so that he is tired of her and he contemplates suicide. So he goes in the forest where he meets a God man. Sawala Kumbhar talks with the Baba and Baba offers to take him to Heaven( swarga) without dying. He asks Sawala to close his eyes and lo! The next minute they are in heaven, in the court of Indra maharaj. Now Sawala is totally unprepared for all this, is very much shabby and manner less in the company of Gods. As is the habit of villagers, he talks also loudly with them. He is charmed by the Apsaras (the courtesans in the court of Indra). He enjoys the dance of Rambha sitting near Indra. He says loudly that he has done a serious mistake in marrying with Gangi hurriedly. A God Chitrasen holds the hand of Rambha and Indra is red with anger. The God of Gods, Indra curses Chitrasen to take birth on the Earth as a donkey. Then Indra has pity on Chitrasen and tells him that if he marries the daughter of the king of the land, then he would get man’s life again but he would have to spend rest of his life on Earth before returning to heaven.
Accordingly Chitrasen is born on Earth as a donkey and comes to Sawala Kumbhar. Potters normally keep donkeys to fetch earth for them turn their wheels and shape earthen pots and the like. Then the king’s young and pretty daughter takes into her head to marry the donkey in Sawala’s possession. Sawala seeing the opportunity to mint money, imposes several conditions for the marriage. Then king also tells Sawala to build a building with seven stories. But with the donkey’s help Sawala builds the mansion with seven stories. At last the grand ceremony of the donkey’s marriage to the princess is solemnized. In the marriage a fight ensues between the queen and Ganga on the matter of give and take. But everything is well that ends well. In the marriage donkey become Chitrasen and looking at the handsome prince, everybody is astonished.
The skit is very well written with punches at the right moments. The play is replete with double meaning sentences. The play is also rich in costumes and jewelry and stately sets. Thanks to Z TV for picturing this wonderful play. The star cast is appropriate and the girls very beautiful. We enjoyed the play very much and laughed a lot. -
Bathrooom Singing.
In my America trip what enjoyed most is bathing in bathrooms. Swimming in the ocean is not allowed to me or for that matter, in the pools, by my relatives so nowadays I bathe in the bathroom. And by Jove, I liked the system in the states. So I enjoyed bathing very much. In my bathroom in India, maid servant washes clothes and thereafter she cleans the utensils. She cleans the bathroom afterwards but I the same bathroom we have to take our bath. In USA for washing clothes separate laundry area is there. Utensils are cleaned by dishwasher so bathroom is free from these activities. Every building has separate laundry area where there are washing machines and people take their laundry and wash their clothes comfortably. In case of a tower such as Madhura’s, there are several washing machines and dryers. So nearly 15/20 people can wash and dry their linens and they can sit comfortably smoking or reading magazines in the laundry. How easy and convenient! But let us not forget the bathrooms folks. Now you see why I enjoyed every bathing experience there. The design of bathroom is same and universal everywhere in USA. In every home, bathroom is at the entrance or some convenient place. Every lady of the house thinks that it is a peace of jewelry or antic design, so jealously she takes care of her bathroom. That is why every bathroom that I visited in America was spick and spin. In one corner of every bathroom is center piece with large mirror with a small cup board under it. On the center piece is all toiletries arranged nicely including tooth brushes and shaving cream etc. There is wash basin to wash hands and mouth etc. Alongside the center piece is WC beautifully decorated with flowers, of course fake. I nearly fainted when I saw the flowers near WC for the first time. What do the American ladies think we are doing there?
The actual bathing area is separated by a curtain or two. In every bathroom is a bath tub covered with two curtains outside curtain is of beautiful cloth and inside is a plastic curtain so water is not spilled outside. Because every inch of the floor is covered by carpet and the ladies take great care the carpet is not wet. In spite of all these arrangements I enjoyed my every bath, gentlemen. This because a tolerable mixture of hot and cold water is readily available from tap or hand springs. Wow, what heavenly experience that gave me. But it’s a sad fact that such bathroom is only one in every apartment, unless the apartment is having two bed rooms with master bed room having independent bathroom. With the single bathroom all ready occupied, anytime emergency situation may arise. It is better to forewarn every member of the family if you are engaging the bathroom for a long time. But such situations are rare.
So ladies and gentlemen now you know why I enjoyed my hours in bathrooms. To spread your body in warm water and just closing your eyes soak yourself for hours together, is an experience in itself. It is just wonderful folks! -
Traffic in USA.
Driving in America is a bed of roses provided you observe the traffic rules. Driving is a pleasant experience if you are adept at driving through the traffic. And traffic rules are voluntary but you are observed 24/7 by radar plus cops are there. You never know when a cop is following you in his omnipresent vehicle. When his siren is heard by the culprit, he stops and the cop calmly gives him a speeding ticket, no argument whatsoever. If you are going in a 80 mph or you are going too fast in a slow lane or for that matter for the violation of any traffic rules. At every cross section, you must stop and proceed, signal or no signal. This rule is voluntarily followed by all in cities or towns so that accidents are avoided. Vehicles are not making noise nor they emitting smoke so on highways or in a city the traffic is extremely silent. Most of the heavy vehicles follow European norms of Carbon emission that is why in spite of heavy traffic there is absolutely no pollution in USA. Drivers in USA have commendable restraint on themselves as regards honking, silence zone or no zone. In site of heavy and fast traffic, no horn is blowed though sometimes suddenly lanes are changed. You are expected to be deft in negotiating through the traffic. Wonderful is the word that comes mind seeing all this. That is why the distances are no longer cumbersome.
I have two times experience of driving along highways once my nephew drove me to San Diego single handedly, and my son and nephew drove me to Los Angelis. Every time we felt thirsty or hungry, we stopped at a gas station and enjoyed rest. To reach gas station we had to exit on the highway or freeway as it is popularly known in USA. In both cases we had experience of continuous driving for about ten hours with a couple of breaks for rest(rooms). Speed breakers is a concept totally absent on all the American roads. Even in cities like San Francisco with zig zag streets and steep decent or rising streets, no speed breakers are found on the roads. I remembered a slogan on Indian streets, “mental break is the best break.” American drivers stop well beyond the pedestrian crossing when signal turns red. Pedestrian is a king of American roads. If a single pedestrian is crossing in spite no signal they patiently wait and allow the pedestrian to cross the road. I nearly sobbed when I remembered the Pune traffic where they occupy public crossing and drive carelessly down the lanes, or mercilessly drive through the traffic on Pune-Satara road. As if they are in a hurry to meet their end.
Driving in USA is a happy experience. There are two giant bridges in San Francisco, Golden Gate bridge and Bay bridge, and both places there are tolls, thousands of vehicles are waiting patiently in queue, but not single horn is blown, nor there is sound of engines running. There is special fast track for drivers who pay toll through their credit cards on monthly basis. Really restraint is necessary for good driving skills. -
Rains in October
Rain in Maharashtra----------------------------------
When it rains in our town, my mind dances a la My Fair Lady, “ The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain”. Rainy season is special season in India unlike in the west. Rain in San Francisco is never torrential, it is always very slow or lukewarm when the forecast is rains in the afternoon, it certainly rained but one never felt rains in its splendor. Slow drizzle at the most but enough to make everything wet. In India rains come unannounced and fierce. The scramble before first rains is amusing. First rains is invariably accompanied by strong winds and that plays havoc. First the winds start playing mischief and then rains follows with thunder and lightning, just imagine what befalls on the people. Sheer joy! When winds starts blowing little children sing ‘Rain, rain come and I will give you a coin but the coin is fake, in spite rains come cats and dogs’. Indeed, the first rains bring immense joy and happiness in India. Whole nature is thirsty for the rains. Whole nature is covered by omnipresent dust. So the first sound of rain is music to everybody’s ears. Tap tap tap the big drops begin showering they make everybody dance with joy. Irrespective of the fearful dance of thunder and lightning. Not only children but the elders also bow before the God Almighty for His bounty.
Time and again I tell many of my friends that rainy season has shifted one month due to effect of global warming. But the poor chaps begin expecting rains right from end of May. Official date of the start of rains is seventh of June or at the most 10th. They say rains have delayed if it does not come in June. We fail to take into account the factor of global warming and its effects on environment. So now the rain in October is not untimely gentlemen. But the rains in October are very fierce taking into account the damage they have done. Moreover the damage is everywhere, in Konkan as well as entire Maharashtra. The worst part is that it has affected standing crops bringing tears to eyes of already beleaguered farmers, as it is rains bring smile to one eye and tears to another. In our state, we have not to reason why, we have but to do and die. This seems to be the policy of Rain God. We want the rains by hook or crook. Jay rains! -
Chain shops in USA.
Chain shops in USA-------------
KFC or Kentucky fried chicken, Macdonalds, Tacho Bell or Starbucks coffee shops, Pizza Huts, Papa John’s and many other names included in this category. They are all chain restaurants or coffee shops. It has become almost a tradition in USA to visit such shops and get refreshments within one or two dollars. A Berger is sumptuous food and many people prefer it. But health conscious people are angry at these foods or fast foods. It is alleged that fast food or junk foods help to increase obesity in Americans. French fries are most popular time pass of Americans. Go anywhere French fries preparation is same, Berger, or for that matter hot dog preparation is the same. I don’t have much of experience of eating fast foods, of course coffee drinking habit I picked up here. My my what different type of coffee I drank! I already told you that Starbucks is a institution in itself. Many Star bucks are working 24/7. people do not visit Starbucks only for coffee drinking but they just sit thinking for hours on end. Or work on their laptops or munch on muffins or hold conference with friends, just about anything. In one American coffee mug three Indian coffee cups full included. It is not fashion here to drink coffee lukewarm but they have made habit of necessity. Taking a mug full of coffee, sometimes with straw in it, people go walking or sometimes do anything they like to do. Driving with a coffee mug ensconced in between seats is popular game of Americans. Cold coffee made by many styles is very popular, friends. French coffee, Brazilian coffee, moca coffee and a thousand ways of making coffee are in vogue. Coffee is made immortal by Americans. -
Shops in America.
Shops in USA.--------------------
Some three years back I had been to San Francisco and Fairfax in Virginia. The first shop that I visited was Costco. A gigantic shop it was with virtually everything under one roof. They sell from pin to aero plane. There was an expansive hall and in that hall goods very thrown like. Here were big refrigerators, Lcd Tvs, clothes and woolen clothes, toiletries, soaps and liquid soaps, meats, fishes and crabs, milk and milk products, wines, beers and liquors, food products of all kinds and you name it, and it was there. And I soon found out that Costco is there in every city of America. There is no show business here, just plane shop with every kind of goods for sale. Their principle is simple, buy goods on large scale and sell them to individuals. Since they buy on large scale, they get the benefit so that they sell profitably. On highways we met many giant Costco trucks and this shows what a gigantic organization it is! And everything systematic in Costco, people come, take carts and purchase what want, stand in queue for paying their bills, carry their loads in carts to their vehicles and drive away. If toddlers are brought then they are also placed in the carts. This phenomena is observed through out America in any big store, may it be Smart & Final, Macys or Walmart. Another big business I found was Ikea. Ikea has big stores through out the nation. It specializes in furniture, childrens toys, built in kitchens. Ikea is famous for design development. Its simple designs of household materials are astonishing. The store does tremendous expenditure on catalogs and the attractively printed catalogs are popular. The catalogs are placed at the entrance so that any one who visits Ikea has access to them. Every departmental store has its own restaurant, sometimes with tie-up with other food chain such as Pizza Hut.
Borders is such a big store for books, periodicals and childrens play things. We used to sit in Borders for hours on end and read plenty of books, it not at all binding on you to buy something. There is a most modern coffee shop where you can enjoy a muffin and coffee. Books are kept on the tables or racks and you can handle them as you please, of course not damaging any book. After your perusal you return to same rack from which you found it. Near the coffee shop many tables and chairs are placed called reading area where lot of students are comfortably reading or using their laptops, munching on the muffins or drinking coffee, how romantic gentlemen! Like her daddy, Kashmira is also very fond of Borders albeit for a different reason. At places, Borders has elevators and it is multi storied departmental store. Walgreens is a chemist’s store and a popular place to get medicines over the counter. Walmart is general store where anything from the glasses to pins are available. Similarly Smart & Final and many others are doing business efficiently. Though the recession has affected them to a large extent but looking at the pomp and posh of them it is very difficult to believe that there is recession in USA.
