We are with you, Mumbai

My mood? Very, very down. The city I love is under attack. Terror attack. Here is a city of 13 million, where each and every person truly believes that work is worship. The ever-active honey bees are no match to a Mumbaiite, when it comes to hard work.
And Mumbaiites do it with a smile, which makes them different from most others.
It's vibrant, dynamic (check out all the synonyms and add), and a perfect example of Unity in Diversity.
Forget the stupid politicians, I swear, each and every Mumbaiite loves this city, wherever he arrived from. It's a beautiful city that has a soul of gold and is a potpourri of many communities and cultures.
To attack such a city needs a dirty heart.
And at the very next chance, Global-Madrasi will be in Mumbai .. back to hanging out from overcrowded trains, sipping "ganna" (cane) juice on road corners, having vada pavs.
They can make Mumbai bleed, make Mumbai cry, but can never harm its spirit. Never.

Lazy fellows

Procrastination. That’s one of the worst diseases one can suffer from, and I am a victim.
I resolved to go on a long early morning walk and set the alarm at 5.30am. Clocks never fail unless ditched by the battery, and so the alarm went off promptly. Creeeee… I got up, altered the time to 6.30am and dozed off. The action was repeated until I was off my bed at 7.30 am. Exercise? Forget it. This fight against laziness is a routine affair where I often lose.
Last month, I decided to pay off the utility bills in time. On the way, I met a friend who invited me for a cup of coffee. My determination fell flat before his persuasion skills. A hot cup of coffee and sour gossip. A deadly combination. Bills? Forget it. Can pay next month.
Result: A warning from the authorities that my electricity connection would be cut off. I had to run to pay the bill on the last day. Which I did, naturally. But there was some consolation. The line was long. I patted myself. “Cheer up; there are several lazy fellows like you.”

Value of time

How you doing? asked my friend casually.
"Nothing great," I replied. "Just killing time."
"Well..kill time before time kills you," he said and vanished.
hmmmm...

Fashion passion

The way some people dress up seems to be getting funnier by the day. I saw a short man merrily walking around a famous Sharjah mall wearing just a blue mini-shorts and a white innerwear on top. It is now normal to see people walking around on the footpaths in their night dress during daytime.
And there was this guy who had a colourful antenna wired across his ears and protruding high above his head while listening to a song, which made him look like a perfect robot.
The messages on the T-shirts some pretty girls wear also make for funny reading. "I am looking right up there," declared one, while
another cautioned "Not for naughty eyes."
Some girls should scrutinize whether high heels are a boon or a
bane. The other day, a girl was trying to run and catch a bus while
wearing one such shoe. At least, three times she fell on the way.
By the time she reached the bus stop, the vehicle had moved on.

RATtled...

Thought I should share with my friends this story I wrote some time back in our Panorama magazine...You may like reading it...

Gadget obsession

E-gadgets are literally driving some people nuts, or what will you say about the man who went round and round on the footpath of Al Wahda Street yelling on his mobile phone, with his hands shaking up and down and in the process almost slapping a passerby.
This is not just to do with the handsets. The other day, I was walking along with a friend and tried to convince him that he should have a look at my blog at least once.
"What?" he said.
Surmising that he was eager to know more about the blog, I started explaining various subjects that had been touched. Nearly three minutes passed by. "So promise that you will have a look at the site," I concluded.
It was then that he removed his earplugs and replied: "Sorry, I was engrossed in that Bollywood song. What were you saying?"
I looked like a fool.

Old is gold

Watched the 1998 film "Enemy of the State" last night.
What a movie boss... I love to hate Will Smith. That man made my cry while watching "Pursuit of Happyness. (Spelt that way in film if I am right)" And he acts so incredibly well, I will pat him 500 times if I happen to meet him somewhere in Dubai.
And Gene Hackman. What a screen presence!
A child of a broken home, Gene Hackman left home at 16 for a 3-year hitch. And where did he reach. The top. In Hollywood. Great guy. Global-Madrasi salutes you, GH.
Just a few dialogues I found fantastic in the film:

"You're either very smart or incredibly stupid."

"You were right, I was wrong, but this is not the time for the 'I told you so' speech."

"You live another day, I am very impressed."

Dubai world records

Here's a report on world records in/by Dubai. Happy reading...

Tough going? Get tough

Global-Madrasi is a die-hard optimist. But some of today's headlines in the newspaper put him on an introspection mode about the global economy.
The headlines:
* Global stocks nosedive
* Crude falls to $63
* Henkel cuts profit forecast
* Totota slashes profit
* Singapore Air net income falls
* Cisco sales growth slowest
This, a day after Obama elected as the US president.
Hardly consoling. Is anybody arguing there is no recession?
Think again.
But never give up hope.
What say?

Dubai’s underwater wonderland

Having clinched the Guinness record for the world’s largest acrylic viewing panel, Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Centre has been pulling crowds to the recently- opened Dubai Mall. The aquarium showcases an enormous diversity of ocean-species - above 33,000 aquatic animals in due course, representing more than 85 species including sharks and stingrays. It’s an underwater wonderland, with a 270-degree walkthrough tunnel that allows for some incredible close-encounter experiences to delight mall visitors. Dangerous Pirahna, giant catfish, playful Otters and water rats are just some of the species one will meet.
Here are some excellent photos taken by my friend, Kamal Kassim.

Congrats America

It’s all in black and white. Barack Obama has won. America has won. It’s a victory for the American people, democracy. Global-Madrasi is shedding tears, tears of joy. And why? The winds of change are blowing, and blowing in the right direction. Just look at this victory statement of the new world leader:
"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”
Obama received an "extraordinarily gracious" call from McCain. He has praised the former Vietnam prisoner of war as a "brave and selfless leader".
Awesome. What a day for democracy.
One minute, one minute.
Sorry, I cannot hear you. What?
Two wars!! Global recession…!!!
Ya, Ya, Obama understands. The road is rough. But great leaders are born to tackle challenges, not stand on roadside and lick lollypops.
Ships are meant to set sail and face the roughness of the sea, not safely hang out in the harbour, just to rust.
Test of fire makes fine steel, Mr Obama. These are words of Lincoln, not Global-Madrasi.
The expectations are sure high.
But you are American president. And it has to be that way.
Again, Congrats America, Global-Madrasi is convinced this is a great victory for American people first and Obama next.

Simple recipes for lazy ones-2

Here's one more recipe for lazy bachelors and "married bachelors." This one from Feroza Khan:
Butter Paneer/Chicken
Ingredients 1 kg chicken/paneer cubes250 gms butter¾ small onions1 cup cashew (white)¼ cup dry resins5/6 methi danaGinger/garlic pasteDry red chillies (according to taste)Kasuri methi to sprinkle
Method
Get onions in small slice and fry it in butter with methi dana till it turns light pink. Add ginger garlic paste and chicken pieces, stir till it leaves oil. Prepare a paste of cashew, raisins and dry chillies. Add paste to chicken and add salt. After 2,3 mins add water for necessary gravy. As chicken gets tender add kasuri methi and serve hot with chappatis or naan. Enjoy…

Buy & cry

Customer is the king/queen, they often say. Is it true?
There are quite a few occasions where I felt more like a victim than a king.
Just a few samples: I bought a branded T-shirt at an international airport, wore it for a day and found that the pocket was almost peeling off thanks to poor stitching. I took it to a roadside tailor and suggested he sew it up. Sew it up he did, but he also did something he could have easily avoided. He tried to iron the shirt and in the process burnt it, leaving a big hole. As if the rising prices have not left enough hole in the pocket already…
During a recent visit to the Meena Bazaar area of Dubai, I bought an expensive (no, I am not joking) branded cellphone. Within weeks, the display went off. “It must be a virus. We cannot do anything,” declared the shopkeeper. I approached another shopkeeper who blamed it on “LCD problem.” Needless to say, I shelled out quite a few bucks on getting the LCD replaced.
Recently at a shopping mall, I chided my wife for picking up tomatoes at random. “Go for the packed one. See how inexpensive it is,” I suggested. She protested initially, but fell for the bait. When we went home, her face went red as the tomatoes, as we found that almost half of them were damaged ones.