Bombay Diaries

20 years later

2013-03-12T10:18:00.001+06:00

20 years ago today was a Friday. Black Friday. 12^thMarch 1993. On a sunny afternoon, for two hours starting from 1.30pm, 13 bomb blasts killed more than 250 and injured 700. Lives were lost, families destroyed. On that day, more lives were lost in Bombay than any other attack on this city that followed since then. We lost 209 in the 11/7 attacks. We lost 166 in the 26/11 attacks. Before those attacks, we lost 257 that sunny afternoon 20 years ago.

I was returning from work and switching trains at Dadar when I saw “Blood needed, go to King George’s School Dadar” hand-written on a piece of paper, stuck on a local train that passed me by. I had no idea what had happened till I reached home, many hours after the blasts. Everyone who was in Bombay that day, has a story to tell. Of streets washed with blood, of limbs strewn across the road and flung on top of building terraces. Frantic phone calls, dead bodies, bloodied bodies, victims, survivors, hospitals, morgues. Everyone has a story for that day.

Fast forward to today. 12^th March 2013. The Times of India, the Mumbai Mirror and the Hindustan Times carry no mention – not one single word, not an alphabet – on the blasts that day. I place on record my appreciation to Sachin Kalbag for carrying the story in Midday today. In popular culture, other than one book by S Hussain Zaidi and one movie by Anurag Kashyap, there isn’t anything much to remind us of that day.

How can we, some 1-2crores, of citizens of this great city – and I believe it is great – carry on with our lives? Where is our collective conscience? As Indians, we accept notions such as corruption is necessary and life is cheap. Yes, real estate is expensive and life is cheap in India. There are 120crores of us. Perhaps, the US –with one third our population – can afford the luxury of spending time on remembering their victims. We don’t. We move on. We forget.

And that’s when we fail ourselves, we fail our fellow citizens. We fail the victims. Those 250+ who died that day in Bombay. Beyond a few tweets and facebook updates such as these, 12^th March 1993 will be forgotten. Those born on that day are already 20years old and they don’t have time to deal with the memory of that day. Besides, so many more attacks have happened since, how many can you remember? This is how we fail ourselves and this city.

The least that can be done is make a memorial for the fallen Bombayite, Mumbaikar, resident of this city. That lost his and her life to terrorism. Terrorism on that day 20years ago, in the riots that preceded the blasts and in all the attacks on this city that followed since. This memorial should have the names of all the victims. It should be large, prominent and it should be on display at a place thronged by fellow Bombayites and Mumbaikars and residents of this city. Like Churchgate or Dadar or Gateway of India.

Such a memorial will be a reminder to every one of us citizens that this city remembers. It pays tribute to those fallen in senseless violent acts. That it does not believe in moving on. It believes in spending one quiet minute in the mad rush remembering lives lost. We owe it to ourselves. We owe to our city. We owe it to our home.

Death on a road

2013-02-13T15:55:00.000+06:00

A speeding Honda Accord took the life of a biker and a rickshaw driver today morning. I knew the biker. He was an acquaintance from the area I grew up in and shifted out of in 2009. He wasn't a close friend but someone I knew in the neighborhood. Someone in the other team with whom you play cricket on the road when you were a kid. Someone who you nod at, or smile to when you walk by on the road. Someone who died today morning and left behind two kids, a paralyzed mother, a father and a wife.

This Bombay is different from the Bombay of the past. The past when the streets weren't as dangerous and as risky. We used to follow no-entry signs, we used to drive on the right side of the road, we used to follow signals. We did this together. That’s how things would work in Bombay. Things are a system in Bombay. A system that people follow. Follow out of habit, out of discipline, out of respect, out of fear.

No more. Slowly and steadily over the past decade, there has been a systematic decline in following these rules. Today? You break a no-entry when you can, when it suits you. You drive on the wrong side of the lane because it’s easier. You break a signal because you can't wait. In some cases you do it all together. So, you enter a no-entry, drive on the wrong side of the road and break a signal while talking on the cell phone while driving.

We all do it because we know we can get away with it. Maybe what’s changed is that the traffic police has been woefully inadequate – or even apathetic – to keep the discipline up in a city where more cars seem to be added every year than traffic police.

I’ve seen parents furiously breaking these rules to ensure their kids reach school on time. I’ve seen educated, well-to-do, middle class, rich class break these rules as often as I’ve seen cabbies, auto-rickshaw drivers, truck drivers, even traffic police breaking these rules. It's now a habit. It is something that is taken for granted. It is something that everyone does because everyone else does it. It is something that kills people. It is something that killed this guy I knew today morning.

When did this city break down? When did we stop caring? When did we start honking at someone who actually waits for a red signal to turn green? When did we start laughing at someone who drives all the way down a lane and takes a u-turn, instead of simply riding over a divider to get to get to the other side of the road?

Moments like these leave me with despair and anger and frustration. At the city, its residents, its people. That can take such tragic loss of life so lightly and move on with life. As I know even I will eventually. We are trained to. Life goes on. And yet, for some life is over.

Three conflicts

2012-12-21T19:57:00.001+06:00

The recent Delhi atrocity has sparked an outrage. On the media, on Facebook, Twitter and where it matters more than those three places – in real life. I’ve expressed myself mainly on Twitter and this post is about three very personal thoughts that I feel conflicted about.

1. The word 'rape': The Urban Dictionary page on rape runs for 20 pages and has 140 entries. In common usage, the word isn’t always used literally. It is used as slang. It is part of daily conversation among men and women. The phrase “If you’re getting raped, might as well enjoy it” is used to describe such mundane activities like being stuck in traffic, having to work late nights, etc. Is this usage justified? Those who believe it is, say that it’s a substitute for fucked and screwed and that I should not take it so seriously. Just like we use 'cripple' or 'retarded' to describe a stupid person, rape describes an unpleasant experience. So this is conflict #1 – am I taking things too seriously? Can we not use the word ‘rape’ lightly? I choose my side here and say no, I will not use the word lightly. I cannot use the word 'rape' to mean anything but that act. I also can't get myself to call a physically challenged person a cripple. Call me soft like the Americans that George Carlin describes here. (I was shown this video and told to lighten up). Rape is not slang. It’s a heinous act. I restrict its usage only to describe the abhorrent and reprehensible act the word describes. There are enough slang words to choose from which convey the same figurative meaning. No, I refuse to say 'rape' in jest.

2. Freedom of speech: A few days ago I, among others, was outraged over a one-word website which said rape is a thing to do in Delhi. The site's intent was to convey irony, satire and protest. Following the outrage, the website was taken down. So, here is conflict #2. When does mass outrage infringe up on freedom of speech? When a crowd of people gang up on someone who wants to express himself, how is it different from a lynch mob? And here’s the other side – how do you register your outrage against something you find offensive? Especially something you feel very strongly about? Are you supposed to just put out one tweet and a Facebook update and ignore it as something in bad taste and leave it be? Or, have courage in your conviction and raise your protest? After all, isn’t freedom of protest part of freedom of speech? Why is one lesser than the other? Just like you can’t control creativity, you can’t control outrage. They are both strong emotions. Even so. By ganging up against someone who expresses his freedom of speech how are you different from the Government? Like Rushdie said “What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.” I believe in freedom of speech as an absolute right, not up for compromise. But I also believe in responsibility. And yet, I cannot expect or demand this from others. I remain conflicted on this one. One man’s protest is another man’s outrage. The line remains thin and grey.

3. Taking sides: Do you believe in taking sides or sitting on the fence? The case for sitting on the fence? It keeps you balanced and atop the two camps fighting each other. It enriches you because you understand and appreciate both sides of the arguments. And you don’t take things seriously. You are understanding and appreciative of both sides. This is important because we live in times where emotion is now more widely expressed than ever before and finding support strengthens your beliefs. But in extreme cases this takes the form of a herd mentality, mobbing, bullying, lynching and a general loss of perspective and good sense. In times like these you need an emotional, detached point of view. It helps. The case for taking sides? Standing for what you believe in and not flinching before intimidation. A sense of duty in doing what you stand for and standing up for others you believe and agree with.

Of the three conflicts, this is the easiest one. I believe in taking sides. There are things I stand for and I would not yield on any of these. But I also believe in learning and changing my stance over time. For example: I once loved Bombay and believed in the spirit of Bombay. Today I’ve taken all the emotion out and see Bombay as just a means to an end. I don’t see it as a dying city and I don’t see it as perfect city. So yes, when it comes to choosing, I will always take a side. But I will also leave room to learn and change over time. I wonder if this is called maturity and aging. Or compromising your passion.

That is Bombay

2012-07-10T19:01:00.001+06:00

There are no hoardings on the Bandra Worli Sealink. Nothing to remind you which tv series airs tonight. Nothing to remind you which bank offers the best fixed deposit rate, which mobile phone is the latest, who to call if you want to advertise. Which politician’s birthday it is and who is celebrating it.

There is no St. Michael’s Church on a Wednesday, a Siddhivinayak Temple on a Tuesday, a Mahim Dargah on a Friday. No devotees walking barefoot through the night struggling for a toe-hold, a minute of devotion, 100metres away from a God that will answer their prayers, listen to them, give them hope, give them happiness. No hoarding to remind them that Jesus loves us all. No Allah, no Ganesha. No, there are no Gods, no temples, no mosques, no churches on the Bandra Worli Sealink. There is no Ganesha Visarjan, no Moharram procession, no Urs, no Jain Paryushan processions, no Chaitya Bhoomi homage.

There are no street urchins at the signals to beg you for money. To display the wretchedness of their disfigured shapes, bodies, arms, legs, nakedness. And urge and beckon and cry and tap at your window for the loose change you refuse to part with because you know it’s all a scam. Bombay style. No mercy. No, there are no beggars on the Bandra Worli Sealink. To dodge between stationary cars at a signal on their tiny carts, spotting a Mercedes with an open window here, a kindly looking woman and her kids there. And to beg just so they can eat their happy meals at the shop in Mahim that pulls cars in their direction to feed the hungry and get dua. No, there are no beggars on the Bandra Worli Sealink.

There are no pav-waalahs on their cycle laden with pavs on the Bandra Worli Sealink. Selling their pavs to the vada-pav stalls and the brun maska Iranis. On their cycle from stall to stall, from shop to shop. In between wiping their brows with the sweat it takes to earn a rupee, one single rupee, in this city. No, there are no pav-waalahs, no chai-waalahs, no coffee-waalahs with their extra milky coffees with cigarettes on the side catering to anyone, anyone on the street at 3am looking desperately for a chai-sutta. No, there are no cycles on the Bandra Worli Sealink.

There are no railway stations on the Bandra Worli Sealink. With an endless line of people swarming in to it in the morning, and gushing out of it in the evening. No buses, no rickshaws, no taxis. Full of people rushing to reach work on time so that their salaries aren’t cut, their bosses not angry, their musters filled on time. No crowds of people rushing back home to their loved ones with the vegetables cut in the local trains so that dinner is on time. There are no mothers rushing between cars so that their kids can reach school on time, their classes on time, their sports grounds on time. On time. In Bombay you have to be on time.

There are no shops on the Bandra Worli Sealink. On the road, encroaching on the footpath. Selling nighties, selling plastic toys, selling bags, food, newspapers, cold drinks. No shop-keepers sipping tea, talking to their neighbors, waiting for customers. No shops with a 50% sale.

No there is none of the above on the Bandra Worli Sealink. None of it. And much more that isn’t there. There is just one 6-7km long road to remind us that Bombay has made progress. To cut through the riff-raff, the traffic, the noise, the poverty, the religion, the grief, the sadness, the madness, the crowds. Just speeding cars that get bigger in size and faster in speed.

No, the Bandra Worli Sealink offers you a shortcut. A bypass, a diversion, cutting through the sea. A hop, skip and jump from Worli to Bandra or Bandra to Worli. In less than 5minutes, depending on your speed. Depending on your wallet. At a price. Because everything in Bombay comes at a price. Rs82.50 for a return ticket, Rs55 for a one-way, Rs2,750 for a monthly pass. For that much you skip it all and zip through. Silently, smoothly, without traffic, without signals. Without hoardings, without street urchins, without pav-waalahs, without shops, without trains, without churches, without mosques, without Gods, without people.

A 5-minute illusion that lands you back into the arms of this mad city. This mad city with its waves and waves of humanity and noise and dust and dirt and filth and disgust and despair and hope and happiness. From that there is no getting away. For that is Bombay.

The journey is everything

2010-12-27T13:00:00.001+06:00

On this day, a year ago my Dad passed away from a single, and his first, cardiac arrest. From the time we broke down his door to the time I immersed his ashes, I tweeted just about everything. Since the past three years, almost my entire life is on Twitter. From my son’s birth to my dad’s death, I’ve tweeted everything. Why? Why do I share intimate details about my life with strangers? I don’t know. I wish there was a single sentence answer to that. There isn’t.

I’d like to believe my real life is boring. And that Twitter, with all its noise and chaos, is my real life. But it’s all the same. I don’t know if there is such a big difference between your real life and your online life. Time is a constant. You choose the places and the people you like. And sometimes they choose you. I got so much warmth and support from Twitter, through that period last year, that it overwhelmed me. Even today, my Dad’s first death anniversary, I got a beautiful, sensitive and supportive email from someone I’ve come to know through Twitter. It has also overwhelmed me with its warmth.

When I was going through hell last year, I got support. Absolute strangers helping me to deal with my loss. In my anger, in my grief, in my rage against things I couldn’t understand, they were there. Even at the prayer ceremony to remember my Dad, they were there. Strangers who didn’t know me beyond my daily, aimless 140-character blurts were there to be with me and give me a hug. It moved me then, it moves me now. Makes me wonder about that saying “smile and the world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone”. I cried and it seemed like the world cried with me.

I don’t know why sharing with strangers worked for me. Maybe because I’m not good at being alone, at being quiet, at being pensive. I like talking. About myself, about my very boring and ordinary life that I love and enjoy. About my mediocrity. I can also go on and on. Thankfully, I remember someone even hauling me up on Twitter last year when I became too depressive. I’m glad he did. I did slip into a depression that I’m still not sure I’ve come out of. My grief was still my own. The warmth and love and support help, but the loss is mine and I have to carry it. (Aside: This NewYorker article helped in a very big way because it questions our traditional idea of grieving).

So no, I don’t know what it is about Twitter that works. I’d be daft if I started to talk with strangers in the local train. Or roll down my windows in a traffic jam and tell people that I’m sad and depressed. They won’t care. They don’t need to. But I guess Twitter is different in how it gets us together. All of us together in a journey. Friendships and relationships can get made in journeys. We laugh and cry in journeys. We unite and fight in journeys. We love and lose in journeys. You can choose to be alone in the journey. And you can see the train go by on its journey. All that’s left in the end is the journey. I think, and as the tag line of that very famous movie goes, the journey is everything.

Bombay Taxi Documentary

2010-09-10T20:46:00.002+06:00

Azhar Chougule is one photographer I really admire, going back to when I used to blog. He now has a photographic documentary on Mumbai's taxis up at his blog.

It feels like there are more taxis than private vehicles in Bombay. As I traveled to work everyday, It took over a week to suddenly realize that I was involuntarily immersing myself each day into a painfully obvious, yet hidden, colorful and maddening world while in transit. Somewhat hesitantly, I started to carry my camera along. Then as I began to photograph the vehicles, drivers, interiors, dashboards - it occurred to me that Bombay probably has the most unique breed of hired cabs in the world. From their gaudy plastered interiors to the diversity of the drivers, each trip turned out to be ridiculously memorable.

So go ahead and check his photos out here:

Why I deleted my 4sq account

2010-06-16T20:21:00.002+06:00

I deleted my account at 4square. I did this during my recent Twitter detox and after I got a notification that someone had ousted me as Mayor of somewhere. Kinda made me realise that this 4square stuff is also about numbers.

I don't get social networks. Why do I need these numbers? Is it like some popularity thing? You know. I got so many comments on my blog, I got so many followers, I'm the Mayor of so many places. Is that some confirmation of your very cool personality? I'm sure it's great networking but I think I've had it with this obsession with numbers and fame in a place that's basically binary code.

4square was cool with all the useful tips about places, telling you what to try and what to do where. But after some time I began to feel weird when I reached out for my iPhone and rushed to check in. Why? Just so I can retain my Mayorship? Uh..like dude..it's only a website you know. You might be a Mayor but you won't be cutting ribbons. Besides, you can even create a place in your toilet pot and become it's Mayor. Yeah! Ain't no one removing me from my shit pot! Bugger off, go take a dump!

And from what I hear, you don't have to be at a place physically. You can check in wherever you want at the 4sq website. So I can check in to some cool Russian bordello sitting out here in Lower Parel? So much for authenticity. Kinda like creating bots to increase your follow count. Kinda like those spammy emails to increase your pee-pee size. Uh-huh.

Oh ok. I get that 4square is cool if you're in a new place that you don't know and you want to find the coolest, most hippest and happening thing. Yeah, I'm willing to let that once-in-a-lifetime chance pass me by. I'll use Lonely Planet or ask some dude. Or hey, there's always Twitter. Enough of all this badges, mayorships and check ins. Some real world shit too.

On Twitter detox

2010-06-12T20:50:00.002+06:00

Recently a bunch of us took a detox from Twitter. Our detox means no reading and no tweeting. No access to Twitter for 15 days.

I’ve used this break to figure out what Twitter means to me and what I’ve gotten out of it. So here goes. First, why I like Twitter.

1. The People – It’s always the people and the conversations. Kinda like Lost. The whole intricate story and all is all cool. But you’re there to see what happens to Jack, Hurley, Shephard, Locke and that bunch of weirdos. You relate to them. You converse with them. Maybe you’re even a voyeur. You like to know you’re not the only fuck-up around. You get to be your own freak show there. Fake, phony, original, whatever. There’s always some interesting people out there. You want to be around. Hey, I’ve even got all kindsa questions answered out there. From tech, to cycling to food to whateveryouwant. But the best part of it? I landed up meeting some really cool people who I’ve now come to know and like. That has got to be the biggest thing I’ve got out of Twitter so far. And it will keep making me come back to it.

2. The talking –I need to talk. I need to crib, complain, moan, groan. Or be joyous, thrilled, excited and shit like that. And I like it when there are others out there like me. I think that’s the fun part of Twitter for me. You’re there for idle chat, for enlightened debate, for arguments, for banter, for sweet nothings. Or just regular gaandmasti. The same stuff you’d do with your friends that you probably can’t do very often because you’re stuck in a boring job. Or maybe even a boring life. So I need to talk. I need to have a conversation. That’s when things get going. Which reminds me. I don’t get why people take Twitter seriously. I mean dude, it’s only a bunch of people talking. We aren’t changing the world here (but if that happens, wouldn’t that be cool too?).

3. The here and now – Or the ability to have a conversation anytime, anywhere. Like when I’m stuck in a traffic jam or at an airport or waiting for someone somewhere and stuff like that. Twitter is a great time filler. More so with a cell phone now becoming an extended digit on your hand (as someone told me my iPhone had become for me). But this is also a bit dicey because this is the part where Twitter can become an addiction. You get hooked on to it and then you start needing it. You’ve been stuck in a traffic jam before too, right? So what has Twitter done other than spread that misery? And make you addicted to spreading it. Make you addicted to thinking that people actually care. Perhaps they do. But only for that instant. For that then and there, which was a here and now for you.

And this gets to me to the second part. I needed the detox from Twitter to get away from:

1. The excesses – I tweet like mad. I once did some numbers that showed me that I could’ve written a book in the number of tweets I’ve done. That’s a helluva lot of time. On detox, all this time opened up for me. Boy, it felt weird. And it made me painfully aware of what all I can do with that time. Like write. Which is what I’m doing now. Something I’ve not done for a very long time. I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Twitter kills blogging. At least it did for me. Twitter gets you into all that stuff about people and talking and whatever I said up there. Me? I love writing. I wish I can die writing. But that oh-so-familiar over-worked lifestyle leaves me with little time to breathe, leave alone write. (Yes, I know that if you have a passion for writing you’ll write at two in the night too. No excuses there.) And whatever time I do get, I fill it with Twitter. Some of it is stray time, some of it isn’t. I’m not sure if tweeting is also writing but I believe Twitter and blogging can co-exist. With some good planning, both can happen, which is probably the best of both worlds. Add that to my to-do list.

2. The expectations – If Twitter is like a regular bunch of people, then as regular bunches of people, we begin to have expectations once know people. Impressions and perceptions are created. If you do something ‘wrong’, you will be hauled up. Maybe that’s right, maybe that’s wrong. But here’s the thing. I think we all have our shortcomings. And I think at some point we start expecting people to behave in a certain way. I think those expectations become a burden. I’m ok with imperfect people. I like imperfect people. They’re like me. I don’t think I can live up to anyone’s expectations and I don’t think I want to. I will be inconsistent. I will be biased. I will screw up. And when I think it’s wrong, I will apologise. But give me that room to goof up and don’t judge me when I do. No really don’t do that.

3. The numbers – I think Twitter fucks things up with numbers and creates phony ‘personalities’ out of mundane people. Imagine Twitter without any numbers. Can you? This whole obsession with number of followers reminds me of the blogging days when it used to be about number of comments on your post. Does it really matter? I don’t think it does. If you’re good, people will read what you have to say. If you’re good, people will talk with you on Twitter. I don’t think there’s any bigger reward.

So our Twitter detox gets over on June 15th and I’m looking forward to being back. I miss the people and the chatter. I still think I’ve gotten more out of Twitter than what it’s taken out of me. And as long as that equation stays that way, I will keep coming back to tweet.

10 Reasons why I liked Rajneeti

2010-06-05T19:18:00.000+06:00

In no particular order..

1. Loved the Mahabharat angle and the turns in the plot

2. Liked the sly grabs from Godfather (this wasn't a tribute, like Sarkar)

3. Liked every single performance. Hats off to both Ajay Devgan and Ranbir Kapoor for putting themselves in an ensemble cast. And I much prefer the Prakash Jha Ajay Devgan (Apharan and Gangajal) to the Mani Ratnam Ajay Devgan (Yuva).

4. Thought Kat Kaif was super. Yes she can actually act although you will miss that in her immense hotness (and those cribs about her accent are very yesterday, so grow up)

5. Liked Dayashankar Pandey and Chetan Pandit. Missed the other guys from Jha's crew like Yashpal Sharma and Akhilendra Mishra

6. The multi-layered story. A headline of a review I saw (not read), had the word "over-written". Whatever. I don't think politics is uni-dimensional.

7. Ranbir Kapoor. Is this guy shaping out to be good or what. After Rocket Singh, I think this is his next best movie. Enough of those good boy, saving the day roles please. Reminds me of Leonardo Di Caprio in Romeo and Juliet and then in Blood Diamond.

8. Manoj Bajpai. I have no idea where he was all these years but he just walked into this movie and left his mark. The anger is still there.

9. The songs, of which we don't get to hear much. Liked the two times they play Mora Piya. Thank God FM radio is playing that super song. Also would have liked to see more of that item number.

10. Actually I'd like anything that Prakash Jha makes. So there.

Black Friday 12th March 1993, never forget

2010-03-12T13:59:00.002+06:00

Blast 1 - 1.28pm - The Bombay Stock Exchange. 84 dead, 217 injured.

Blast 2 - 2.15pm - Narsi Natha Street. 5 dead, 16 injured.

Blast 3 - 2.25pm - Air India Building. 20 dead, 87 injured.

Blast 4 - 2.30pm - Lucky Petrol Pump, Dadar. 4 dead, 50 injured.

Blast 5 - 2.55pm - Century Bazaar. 113 dead, 227 inured.

Blast 6 - 3.05pm - Zaveri Bazaar. 17 dead, 57 injured.

Blast 7 - 3.13pm - Plaza Cinema, Dadar. 10 dead, 37 injured.

Blast 8 - 3.20pm - Sea Rock Hotel, Bandra. No one dead or injured.

Blast 9 - 3.25pm - Juhu Centaur Hotel. 3 injured

Blast 10 - 3.35pm - Airport Centaur Hotel. 2 killed, 8 injured.

"Subsequent police investigations revealed that 257 people were either killed or went missing in the blasts while 713 were injured."

Dawood Ibrahim, the main accused, is still at large.

On cycling

2010-02-28T18:09:00.004+06:00

I bought a cycle recently. On Feb 14th actually and no, it wasn’t a gift of love to myself. Not that I don’t love myself, but well, another approach was required to The Fight Against Fat (because the earlier approach of donating an annual amount to a gymnasium kept failing). I thought I’ll try it out and so I bought it. The tweets of @iphonefresh and his gang of fitness freaks (@Mehulved and @girishmallya) were instrumental towards my decision. These guys are whackos. They run marathons, cycle like hundreds of kms everyday (or a few fifties I guess, but you know what I mean). That, and the obvious curiosity of getting back to cycling after almost twenty years. And maybe this recurring dream I used to have many years ago that featured me cycling to my earlier office in Nariman Point (ok, strike out this reason for sheer bizarre value).

I didn’t know where to buy a cycle so I did what I always do. Tweet. Amit asked me to check out some stores in Santacruz. Later I would discover that there was a better shop in Bandra but, well, irrational exuberance over buying a cycle does tend to shroud the initial effort of asking oneself “Where in Bandra can I buy a cycle?”. Irrational exuberance also took me over when I saw the range of cycles there. Immediately I wanted to buy some thingamajig that sold at Rs9,000. To which the fine young lads tweeted, recommending me that I go for a basic, no-frills cycle. No point going for something so expensive if my passion for cycling didn’t last beyond the day I bought it. Made sense. I settled for a Hercules Matrix for Rs3,551 (note the 2% extra “for credit card”).

I cycled back home and boy, was it fun. But that fun lasted only for that day because the next time I rode that cycle was a week later on Feb 21st for the Mumbai Cyclothon. Now this was a super-fun experience. Waking up at 6am on a Sunday was fully worth it because the experience of standing amidst hundreds of cyclers was really amazing. Buzz and excitement were in the air and the anticipation at the “Start” line was really super. After the “Start” line was a different story. In a few seconds I was overtaken by these pro cyclers, eating dirt as they whizzed past me. I swear they were over the speed limit. But I did finish the 12km stretch and while the organizers refused to give me a certificate I could be proud of, they did give me a banana and water as refreshments after the race.

It’s now two weeks since I bought the cycle and I did go twice to Carter Road for a ride. Once in the evening, which was a nightmare, and once in the morning (much better). As you’d expect, it isn’t fun cycling in Bombay. Least of all in the evening, at a popular racing track, which is what Carter Road becomes after 8pm. Then there’s the pollution to deal with. With assorted cars, rickshaws and buses zipping by, you’re left in their jetstream taking in all they have to offer. Pedestrians aren’t better. They walk in random patterns all over the road rather than the beautiful, adjacent promenade next to it. The mornings are safer (except for this one nut-job who was, I kid you not, walking in the middle of the road), cleaner and emptier. Hell, I can even listen to music while cycling.

I’d recommend cycling to anyone. If an overweight, under-enthu guy like me can do it, anyone can. I find it more fun than the treadmills and cross-trainers at a gym (not that there’s anything wrong with that). And I also respect cyclists a whole lot more now than before. They’re taking care of their health and our environment. They aren’t asking for much, aren’t breaking any rules, causing traffic jams, or hogging road space. We need more of them. And I’d give him/her the right of way next time I encounter one on the road. You should too.

Times Now Internal Guidelines

2009-12-06T21:16:00.003+07:00

Rule1: The viewer is hard of hearing, so shout
Rule2: If it can be said, it can be said dramatically
Rule3: Any outrage is good, moral outrage is better
Rule4: It's our studio, not the guests' so interrupt him
Rule5: If the news is stupid enough to be covered, then the viewer is dumb enough to see it
Rule6: Anything can be sacrificed for speed, including the truth
Rule7: There is no truth, it's all TRP
Rule8: We believe in freedom of speech, but Arnab gets to use it the most
Rule9: Debate is spelt f-i-g-h-t
Rule10: When in doubt, provoke. When protested at, provoke. And when provoked, go for a break

(Disclaimer: These are, quite obviously, not official guidelines. So please don't sue me. Or threaten legal action)

26/11 Never Forget

2009-11-25T23:15:00.002+07:00

26th November 2008: 172 dead as under. [Source]

CST: 58

Nariman House: 9 (includes 2 terrorists, 1 Marine Commando)

Oberoi: 32 (includes 2 terrorists, 10 staff)

Taj: 33 (includes 4 terrorists, 11 staff, 1 NSG Commando)

Cafe Leopold: 10 (includes 2 staff)

Girgaum Chowpatty: 2 (one terrorist, one policeman)

Cama & Albless: 8 (includes 6 policemen)

Metro: 1 (policeman)

Vile Parle: 2

Dockyard Road: 3

The Deepwish Tweets

2009-10-18T11:28:00.017+07:00

PLEASE NOTE: ALL UPDATES ON THIS ARE NOW AT ANAGGH'S BLOG

Over at Twitter we're holding a charity drive. An idea that started here is now getting bigger.

A bunch of twitterers are contributing towards Goonj, a charity for the girl child. For each Diwali wish you make (use the hashtag #Deepwish) the following amount per tweet will go towards the charity. Anaggh will update his blog post with details of the charity. The drive ends Monday 9pm.

Here are the contributors

@Anaggh Rs0.75
@Aneebunee Rs1.00
@Atulkarmarkar Rs2.50
@b50 Rs1.00
@fartfree Rs1.00
@hp_livelife Rs2.00
@iamshishir Rs2.00
@krist0ph3r Rs1.00
@Nichetechie Rs1.50
@Nihang Rs2.00
@PreetChandhoke Rs5.00
@prolificd Rs1.25
@Rak35h Rs1.00
@s4sukhdeep Rs0.50
@Shayonpal Rs3.00
@sizzler_chetan Rs1.00
@Sudhiru Rs1.00
@unitechy Rs0.50
@virajj Rs3.00

TOTAL Rs31.00

One city, one wall

2009-08-17T14:14:00.007+07:00

We needed this. A single place that's an expression. Every city has it's own graffiti. Other than the scrawlings on local train compartments of unrequited love and directions to the Baba who promises a cure for your non-performance in bed, Bombay never had it's own graffiti. And we didn't ask for it. Till The Wall Project this weekend. What a brilliant effort. And the result is there for everyone to see.

It's everything Bombay. There's the Generation Next painting with gusto. Everyone has a point to make. The sign of our times.

Che Guevara rubs shoulders with Bhagat Singh.

The Beatles.

Recession.

Global warming.

And if you go there, don't miss the bemused pavement dweller. This was his home. Till the BMC demolished every single hut that existed on the road. And made it sparkling clean. And gave much required parking space for school buses, trucks and tempos. I guess that's collateral damage. At least the fancy buildings in the vicinity can get a good price - "Tulsi Pipe Road pura saaf kar diya".

Don't miss the bemused pavement dweller. This is his home. He sleeps there. He lives there. Five feet of length to sleep on and live on. His home. His wall too.

That's Bombay for you. A collective expression of everything this mad city is. Poverty, art, graffiti. Youth, old, impoverished, rich. Slums, high-rise. Collective chaos. One expression. One wall. One city.

7/11 Never Forget

2009-07-11T14:18:00.000+07:00

6.24pm Khar Road - Santacruz
6.24pm Bandra - Khar Road
6.25pm Platform 1, Jogeshwari
6.26pm Platform 3, Mahim
6.29pm Mira Road - Bhayandar
6.30pm Matunga Road - Mahim Junction
6.35pm Platform 4, Borivali
(Source)

11 minutes
7 blasts
186 dead
544 seriously injured
312 suffered minor injuries
(Source)

The families of blast victims Parag Sawant and Amit Singh who lie in coma to this date, haven't forgotten. And neither should we.

India acquires the world

2009-05-26T17:52:00.003+06:00

Today's front pages of The Times of India and Indian Express:

I've never understood why what we Indians do on the global centre stage should be worth more than a few words in the back pages of a national daily, if at all. I mean what's the logic of relegating the Punjab riots news to some corner, in the face of Bharti's plans? With all due respect to Mr. Mittal, the market doesn't like his acquisition plans (if you go by the stock price's 10% fall in the last two trading sessions).

But obviously the TOI thinks Bharti's plans are of burning importance to it's readers. Why? The Economic Times had a section on Thursdays called The Great Indian Takeover. Who are we taking over? When? Where? And why should I care?. Oh wait, is the explanation this - with the newspaper market moving to smaller towns and cities, the aspirational reader has to be served with these 'feel-good' news. Perhaps this fits in with the overall theme (as I call it) of Shining India versus Chee Chee India. And this theme, I think, was best displayed in TOI's India Poised campaign. While I found that campaign fit in very well in the WTF tag, the Amitabh-over-the-sealink video was forwarded enthusiastically by everyone's aunt, cat and dog. It found its target.

And now look at the front pages today. One India is planning to takeover the world. The other India keeps fighting. Which India do you want?

Word of the day

2009-05-26T16:14:00.002+06:00

(Via Urban Dictionary)
Manufactured outrage:

A falsified righteous outrage at things that are basically unimportant and meaningless, frequently employed by politicians, political activists, or the media. Politicians and talking heads use it to garner support for their causes, to claim the moral high ground and to tar their opponents; the media often just uses it in a cynical bid to increase ratings.

Which reminds me of the Times of India. And that chota post, coming up next.

On the markets

2009-05-13T11:46:00.005+06:00

I've constructed a very elementary chart tracking the 2000 post-tech bubble crash and comparing it with the current one. Indice levels have been re-based to 100 for better comparison. Now, to put things in perspective..

In the 2000 fall:
1. The Nifty hit its all-time high of 1,756 on 11th Feb 2000, when the tech bubble burst
2. From that level it fell to a low of 854 on 21st Sep 2001(post 9/11) - a correction of 51%
3. In the interim there were many rallies but the pattern of lower-tops-lower-bottoms persisted
4. From the bottom in Sep-01, the Nifty saw a huge 40% rally which lasted for five months, and saw the Nifty peaking at 1,193 in March-03
5. From here, the Nifty stagnated till Aug-03, before taking off again
6. Finally, in Dec-03, the Nifty regained it's earlier high of 1,756 in Dec 2003 – almost four years after the tech bubble crash

So far in the 2008 crash:
1. The Nifty hit its all-time high of 6,288 on 8th Jan 2008, when the US financial crisis triggered a collapse in global equity markets
2. In less than 10 months, the Nifty fell to a low of 2,524 on 27th Oct 2008 - a correction of 60%
3. Once again - there were many rallies but the pattern of lower-tops-lower-bottoms persisted
4. The Nifty came close to testing the low of 2,524 once again in March 2009. However, the low held out and from there the Nifty rallied to a high of 3,681 yesterday - a move of 46%

The comparison is a crude one and ignores economic realities as well as the role of liquidity. But there are enough similarities. Bottoms are made when everyone expects the markets to fall another 50% after falling 50%. No wonder then that it was fashionable to be negative around Diwali (when the Nifty hit 2,524) and for a lot of time after that. When in doubt, sell the shit out. That's the only way you preserve capital.

But in March this year, around the time when the Nifty looked to going back to its Diwali level, a lot of veterans (like Mark Mobius and Jeremy Grantham) got their global equities call right. On hindsight, maybe they figured that a commodities rally had to be followed by an equities rally. Not surprisingly they didn't have many believers.

No wonder then, that this rally - arguably the sharpest in any bear market in India – has taken the wind out of many investors sails. It had disbelievers from Day 1. It was called the Seinfeld rally because it was a rally about nothing. In the end, those fund managers who were extolling the virtues of holding cash were left hopelessly out as even index funds beat them hollow. Those who had taken the risky call of being fully invested - this gent in particular - turned out tops.

If you're a fund manager, you can't ignore a 50% move on an indice and laugh it off as a suckers rally. It's painful, believe me. You have to answer to many people. Least of all the retail investors who most likely didn't have the money or the guts to invest when the market gave them the opportunity not once but twice.

But it's not over. It never is. The old highs are a long way away. This crash was far more sharp and swift as compared to 2000. It might not even be over. As we saw in 2000, it took a long time for the market to find its bottom. And even when it did, it didn't exactly blaze away to glory. After the first rebound, there was enough time when the indices basically did nothing. And that was the time to invest - again courtesy hindsight.

What’s the bottomline? My thoughts as under:
1. Can the Nifty go back to 2,524? Of course it can. If the US financial crisis and the US recession throw up nasty surprises, anything is possible. But China seems to be getting its act together. And there must be something to the whole green shoots thing. Besides, Wall Street needs to keep up the positive-optimism act. So even if the news is bad, a Lehman-style Armageddon now seems unlikely. The next disaster might well be a very well managed, controlled implosion.

2. What about India? A 45% move on any index in two months is such a mouth-watering opportunity to short. And yet no one has the guts to do it. I think the Election results won't matter to the markets. Maybe in the short term, but not in the long term. India's economy runs despite the Government and not because of it. But in the backdrop of this 45% up move, a correction seems very likely. A comparison to the 2000 crash confirms that. If an adverse verdict (Third Front Govt) triggers this correction, so be it.

3. Buy in the correction? I don't want to get into recommendations on my blog. I know I had said that my Dec-2009 target for the Sensex was 9,000. And look what's already happened. So here's the deal - I'm putting my money in this correction. You need to figure what you want to do. Because if the 2000-2003 comparison holds out this time as well, then it shouldn't take the markets more than 2-3 years to get back to its earlier high. Do the math - it's a lot better than putting your money in fixed-income. But obviously a lot riskier too.

The usual disclaimer: These are my personal views and I have money invested in the market across stocks and mutual funds.

Why Twitter Killed The Blogging Star

2009-05-11T19:00:00.003+06:00

(due apologies). Here's why I think why:

1. It's quick: That's why they call it micro-blogging. Contrast this with writing a long post. I'm not saying posting is better than tweeting. But tweeting is quicker than posting. There's just a "send" button and no "publish" button. You get what I mean.

2. It's always on: Thanks mainly to my mobile phone, which is always on and with me wherever I go. I've not tried writing a blog post on my cell phone and I won't. I know it's too tedious. But Tweetie is the most used app on my iphone. And my data usage is many times more than my voice usage on my cell phone. That kinda tells you it's own story.

3. It's about nothing: With due apologies to Seinfeld, but you can tweet anything. Yeah I know that's what they said about blogging too. But this is different. For example: even though there is an entire blog post in this tweet - "The day someone explains to me what Viva La Vida (the song) is about, I will be grateful. For some reason I can't explain I know St. Peter.." I don't know if I can add more to that thought. (btw, on Coldplay, do read Sasha Frere Jones' take on Coldplay - especially the bit on the lyrics of the ipod song)

4. It's an ego trip: You'd kill to have someone called "sexyhawt69" following you even if you realise later it's just a bot. See the words "follow", "follower" and "following". And then the words "post", "comment", "trackback". 50 comments on your post or 50 new followers in 10 days? Go figure.

5. It's voyeuristic: I just have to know what you're doing to. Digging your nose, sitting on a bus, having a miserable day, angry, happy, joy, sad. What is about our mundane lives that makes others more excited than us? Who knows. But go write a blog post that talks about what you did from morning to night. And then write 10 tweets over 10 hours. No, really do it, to understand what I mean. And then tell me. Because I've not figured it out myself.

6. It's a conversation: This is the part I enjoy the most. A blog post is a monologue, followed by some more monologues in the form of comments. Twitter is conversation. It happens by the minute and goes haywire. No waiting for a response. I've had long tweet debates over politics, music, tech, and a whole lotta more stuff. Sometimes one-on-one and then with two-three people. It's as close as I can get to a real life conversation.

7. It's about who you follow: And not about who follow you (as Twilight Fairy - who introduced me to Twitter - told me early on). I've met some hugely fun people with whom I tweet on a daily basis. And even I'm surprised at what all I've tweeted to absolute strangers. From my son's birth (live between 12am and 8am last year), to his naming and re-naming, to when I was in the ICU a few months back with chest pain. I don't know if I like sharing or I just get a kick out of people staring at my life. Who knows. It's fun.

So here's the deal: It's not that I'm obsessed with Twitter. Or that I'm bored with blogging. It's just that for the last one odd year whatever I've been thinking has been expressed better in a few seconds and in a few words. Which is the other thing about Twitter. You have to shrink everything in those few words. All your emotions and feelings and your very boring life. Which never interested anyone on a blog post. Is suddenly the only thing you want to tweet about. And others want to read about.

I don't think Twitter is even comparable to blogging. There is a joy in writing a post that no 140char tweet can ever replace. Which is the other thing about Twitter. If it shrinks your words, it shrinks your span of attention too. Not something I want on a permanent basis. I will always love to blog. I will always want to blog. If I had the time and patience to sit and type. Like I did today.

Black Friday 1993, never forget

2009-03-12T16:39:00.002+06:00

Friday, 12th March 1993.

Blast 1 - 1.28pm - The Bombay Stock Exchange. 84 dead, 217 injured.

Blast 2 - 2.15pm - Narsi Natha Street. 5 dead, 16 injured.

Blast 3 - 2.25pm - Air India Building. 20 dead, 87 injured.

Blast 4 - 2.30pm - Lucky Petrol Pump, Dadar. 4 dead, 50 injured.

Blast 5 - 2.55pm - Century Bazaar. 113 dead, 227 inured.

Blast 6 - 3.05pm - Zaveri Bazaar. 17 dead, 57 injured.

Blast 7 - 3.13pm - Plaza Cinema, Dadar. 10 dead, 37 injured.

Blast 8 - 3.20pm - Sea Rock Hotel, Bandra. No one dead or injured.

Blast 9 - 3.25pm - Juhu Centaur Hotel. 3 injured

Blast 10 - 3.35pm - Airport Centaur Hotel. 2 killed, 8 injured.

"Subsequent police investigations revealed that 257 people were either killed or went missing in the blasts while 713 were injured."

Dawood Ibrahim, the main accused, is still at large.

My 10 predictions for 2009. Not.

2008-12-28T13:08:00.003+06:00

(Or my list of top 10 things that I hope don't happen in 2009)

1. Sensex at 31-Dec-2009 will be around 9,000

2. Raj Thackeray will be in the news once again

3. The new, new Member of Parliament (post 2009 General Elections) will be older, richer and more criminal (ref)

4. Real estate prices in Bombay will bottom out by June-July and start rising by Diwali

5. Aamir Khan will trump both Sharukh and Akshay Kumar in Bollywood

6. Twitter will be acquired by someone

7. The iPhone 3rd generation will make me dump my iPhone 3G

8. Bombay's road traffic by end-2009 will make 2008 look peaceful

9. Another face will join Rakhi Sawant, Sambhavna Seth and Shobaaaa De for popularity

10. Transformers 2 will suck

Another date added

2008-11-30T20:36:00.004+06:00

26th November 2008: ~~192 (so far)~~ (the 192 number was picked up from here)

26th November 2008: 172 as under. [Source]
CST: 58
Nariman House: 9 (includes 2 terrorists, 1 Marine Commando)
Oberoi: 32 (includes 2 terrorists, 10 staff)
Taj: 33 (includes 4 terrorists, 11 staff, 1 NSG Commando)
Cafe Leopold: 10 (includes 2 staff)
Girgaum Chowpatty: 2 (one terrorist, one policeman)
Cama & Albless: 8 (includes 6 policemen)
Metro: 1 (policeman)
Vile Parle: 2
Dockyard Road: 3

Added to these
12th March 1993: 257 [Source]
11th July 2006: 186 [Source]
For the record there are more: (Chronology in part here)

December 2 2002: 2 killed (Bus outside Ghatkopar Railway Station) [Source]

December 6 2002: 25 injured (McDonald's in Mumbai Central Railway Station)
[Source]

January 27, 2003: 30 injured (Vile Parle Railway Station) [Source]

March 13, 2003: 11 dead (bogie of a local train at Mulund Railway Station) [Source]

July 28, 2003: 4 killed (BEST bus near Ghatkopar Railway Station) [Source]

August 25, 2003: 52 dead (Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar)
[Source]

Thank you US and your financial crisis

2008-10-07T19:52:00.001+06:00

Some thank yous going out because I feel good I'm in India. Here goes,

- Thank you black market: For having such a large presence in the Indian housing sector. Were it not for your preponderance, we'd have all kinds of regulations and control. We still do but even you know how that works.

- Thank you politicians: For having the foresight to grab all the land you could. Before anyone else, it was you who realised that without a house, there can't be a housing crisis.

- Thank you Government: For being so occupied in grabbing land, defending archaic real-estate laws, tweaking FSI and going tipsy in urban planning norms. If you weren't, you might have created a Fannie, Freddie or Sally here in India (what would you call it? Mortgages United National Association, i.e. Munna? or Public Mortgages of India Enterprises, i.e. Pummie?). Full marks for staying away (officially) from the housing market in India.

- Thank you builders: For holding on to your fantastic profit margins. Your steadfast refusal to cut the prices of your homes means that no one is buying your houses any longer. And if people stop buying houses, then how can there be a housing crisis? (PS: We admire your firm belief that Ma Durga, Lord Kuber, Lord Rama and the accompanying Gods in the coming festive season will shower riches on your prospective buyers who will then buy your houses.)

- Thank you banks: For holding on to your pants. For not going overboard in throwing money to people at Churchgate Station and Dadar to buy houses through your loans. For not then packaging these loans as attractive investments for other banks to buy and sell.

- Thank you RBI: For keeping banks under check. Even if there's only so much you can do when every bank and their aunts wants to offer money to builders and home-buyers, you realised early that this shit can blow up and went to DEFCON 1 by increasing risk weightage on mortgages.

- Thank you citizens of India: For understanding what flat broke feels like. For paying your credit card bills on time. For buying houses to live in and not to bet on. For paying your home loans on time. And more than anything else for saving.

- And special thanks to that person who coined the saying "aamdani athani, kharcha rupaiya" warning many generations that, well, you can't spend more than you earn. Duh. If only that one small country in the West had heard it earlier, perhaps this world might have looked different today.

Morons and oxymorons

2008-09-16T20:37:00.003+06:00

Days like these, I'm wondering if "Intelligent Investor" is an oxymoron. Or a moron any which way. From Drexel to Barings to Lehman, doesn't it seem like Wall Street never learns? Say it again now - there's a sucker born every minute. And no one gets smarter. These Americans have made it into an art.

Interesting post over at the WSJ Intelligent Investor blog with stuff like this:

Question authority. If the financial world really were coming to an end, nobody would know it -- least of all the pundits who are currently crying doom. In 1929, experts ranging from the legendary trader Jesse Livermore to John D. Rockefeller and Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon all declared that falling stock prices were nothing to worry about. They were wrong. The lesson is not that it's a mistake to be an optimist in falling markets, but rather that it's a mistake to trust the consensus view of the experts. With the mood on Wall Street now as dark as a mushroom farm, optimists are much more likely than pessimists to be proven right in the end.

Reminds me of my own post in March. We've got enough kooks and fruitcakes on Dalal Street doling out their own Sensex targets and their own reasoning. Often most of these range from the utterly banal (global meltdown) to the boringly predictable (the charts are looking good). Go figure.

The only thing I know is that profit = selling price - cost price. Buying low and selling high is incredibly tough in markets like these. But it's also the text book definition of profit. Not sure how many have heard of it.