Petrol hike makes Jhumritalaiyya farmer a millionaire!

After the petrol price hike was announced by the government, Kalu Ram (name changed without request) was the only aam-aadmi to celebrate this news in the country. According to a report by our correspondent in Jhumritalaiyya, Kalu celebrated this moment of revelation by bursting left-over Diwali crackers, which refused to burst and distributing pedhas from his modest 2-room hut in the village.

Our correspondent further added that initially, the fellow villagers thought that Kalu was suffering from some mental disorder that was earlier discovered in the ‘in’famous politician Duresh Kalzadi. But subsequent reports led to a surprising discovery of sorts. Kalu, who was supposedly inspired by the book ‘Bring out the petrol in you’, had started collecting petrol in bottles, before the buying-petrol-in-a-bottle ban was created.

“Before the ban was put into force, I had already collected 1,23,487 bottles. My neighbours thought that I was insane as I don’t own any vehicles. But now they know that this ‘investment’ is going to turn me into a millionaire,” says Kalu who will be buying the all new Mercedes CLS class in the silver colour. He adds that as the petrol rates have grown twice in four months, there is a fair chance of each of his 1-litre capacity bottles getting Rs 250 in the future.

Kalu had bought his first bottle of petrol back in 1960, when he was a teenager. “I bought the bottle for Rs5 at that time. My friends mocked me as I didn’t buy desi liquor but instead videsi fuel,” says a sentimental Kalu.

Kalu had no idea that his rather weird hobby will make him a multi-millionaire. “I have already started looking up on real estate sites and am planning to buy a mansion in Dubai which is cheaper than a 500-sq-ft flat in Cuffe Parade,” says Kalu Ram clad in a tainted dhoti and banyan.

Reports have come in that Kalu has started getting inquiries from the underworld, as selling them publicly will lead to Kalu’s arrest. “A well-known don, Chhota Chhatri has approached me and guaranteed to take care of the ‘legalities’ if I pay him a khoka,” says Kalu.

(Seen in the picture is Kalu in his 'hay' days)

(This blogpost is inspired by Faking News)

Work work work!

When you start working after a long gap… you realise that there are so many things that happen in an office that you had forgotten when you were sitting at home. A time when you were being envied as that one lucky creature that doesn’t have to hear the rants of your boss, hear the bitching of colleagues and a finish the never-ending pile of work.

Same happened with me. After a year of ‘blissfully not working’ (that’s what most of my working friends would say), I realised that there is so much stuff that is so common between all offices in India and possibly, in the world too.

When I was trekking in the green layered and scenic places of my state, my colleagues here, in my current organisation and my ex-organisation, (after listening to their conversation) were slogging hard to please the boss, meet their deadlines (whoever thought of this word was a genius!) and hurry to finish their work and catch that 7.20 local!

Office conversations, I think, are the same everywhere- be it Angola, Ethiopia or the United States of America! When you enter an office as a new joinee, you are told, suggested, hinted about three important things:

1. How you should be careful from X, Y and Z
2. How boring and useless the work is, which the people here are doing
3. How the boss is a dumb-a**, and yet how he/she is in such a prominent position

Most of the times, I avoid getting into bitchy and sensational conversations, to the extent that many of my colleagues in my previous organisation thought that I was mute! The obsession of the working types with the coffee machines and the time-passing chats dates to, probably, Stone Age, when the Stone Age man cribbed (don’t know verbally or non- verbally) about his group leader to his fellows over a meal of freshly burnt meat!

Boss is a person whose status and character is highly abused by the n number of employees under him/her. That’s why, many a times, I fear, am apprehensive of being a boss to someone in the future. Most of the times, people see more wrong than right, in this creature and it may or may not be his/her fault!

This may seem easier said than done, but making the workplace fun lies in the boss’ and the employees’ hands. Bitching should give way to healthy discussions and a more productive work environment!

A refreshing break!

Living in a concrete jungle has its pros and cons. Tired of the rains- which are otherwise so beautiful and such a welcome change- in the city of Mumbai, where only mirth and filth define the term rains, we ventured out to Rajmachi.

Located roughly around 16kms from the city of Lonavla, is a nature lover's haven called Rajmachi. Lonavla, a hill station situated between the cities of Pune and Mumbai, is a monsoon haunt for civilised urban families as well as uncivilised young hooligans who love to get wet almost naked under the waterfalls under the influence of alcohol carried in plastic bottles.

But Rajmachi is a quaint village far away from this mockery of the modern city world- after all, it is better to be urbane than being urban! Miles away from the towns where electricity and flowing water are taken as granted, is a remote village which uses only solar power to light the bulbs and other devices, which understandably are at rest during the monsoons.



Houses with thatched roofs, some modern too, with floors layered with cow dung adorn this village. With two forts- Manranjan and Shriwardhan- this place is a must explore for adventure lovers. Our walk started from Kunegaon phata near Lonavla. The road to Rajmachi is full of greenery, rocky patches, mud, valleys, snow white waterfalls and flowing streams. This walk is not for the oh-my-foot-got-stuck-in-the-mud and look-how-dirty-I've-got crowd! You need to let your urban self which is pampered with comfort and luxury make way to the side you have never explored.

The only way to get closer to the nature is to be with it! And when you are here, you forget all the tiredness by just looking at the lush greenery, rustic remains of a temple, the hospitality of the villagers and the oh-so-delicious desi meal. After a hectic walk, we got fresh and headed towards the Manranjan fort, a small but interesting one. At night, after returning, we had a candle light dinner (there was no other option!) and loved eating the rice bhakaris and rassa bhaji!

As this was the first ever trek my husband had taken part in, we had to skip the Shriwardhan fort, as he sprained his leg! But later on we explored the Shiv Mandir in the vicinity, nestled in greenery and fog. There was a lake nearby and we walked along the banks to witness the most intriguing scene of our life- a deep valley with waterfalls and rock cut in a peculiar way! We thought we had landed in a postcard of scenery!

While leaving Rajmachi and its simple ways- yes, there were no bathrooms and we had to do 'it' in the open, eat a simple chulha cooked meal and sleep on a chatai without a fan or an AC- my heart wasn't ready to go! In the monotony of my city life, this was the most refreshing change.

The walk back to Lonavla seemed to have been covered faster as we had now got a hang of the way and the walking! At regular intervals, we posed for photos, stopped for chai and boiled anda, as we always do on treks. Then there is the usual look-at-other-groups-find-faults-and-laugh sessions, intra group teasing sessions, which complete your trek!



The most remembered thing during this trek would be living the fact that- yes we can live with bare minimum necessities, what if only for a couple of days!

The refreshing trek persuaded me to make a comeback to my dear blog :-)

(Pics by my friend Shriniwas Pawar)

Love without boundaries!

It was a perfect love story. The boy met the girl and both fell madly in love. Both belonged to a different religion. But this time, the parents didn't play spoilsport nor did the society. Everything went on smoothly; they got married and yet retained the religion they belong to.

This is the story of all the new age couples that tie the knot inspite of belonging to different religions. Take the case of 28-year-old Sarah Aikara, a Catholic and an accounts supervisor with O&M. She met Ankur Jain (28), a Jain at their workplace and cupid struck them. After 3 years of dating, they decided to tie the knot. "Initially, both our parents were apprehensive, but later when we had a court marriage this May, they agreed to the union," says Sarah Aikara Jain. This month, they got hitched again in a traditional Jain ceremony followed by a church wedding. Sarah says, "None of us have or will get converted to the other's religion. We both have a cosmopolitan outlook and respect the other's religion," she says.

Inter-religion love marriages are a common tale but an inter-religion arranged marriage is a little tough to digest in our country. 37-year-old Joel Abraham Solomon, a Jew got married to Sunita Chandane (37), a Hindu this June after a matrimonial search of 12 years. "Being a Jew, it was very difficult to search for a good alliance in my own community, as we are a very few in the city," says Solomon, a homeopathic doctor. He adds that Judaism is a very strict religion and his wife would have to convert into Judaism to enter the synagogue or even celebrate festivals. "Initially, we searched for a match in our own community, but when things didn't shape up, I posted my profile on matrimonial sites," he says.

When Sunita said yes to Joel, the only clause she kept was that she wouldn't get converted to Judaism. "The Jews in Maharashtra have imbibed the culture very well. We speak Marathi at home. Our food habits are similar to the Maharashtrians. Moreover, our marriage ceremonies are also similar with the haldi and mehendi, so it wasn't so difficult for Sunita to adjust in our family," explains Solomon.

"In my case, my parents didn't complain or have a problem at all when I told them that I love a Catholic boy," says 26-year-old Arya Anil, a Hindu, who works as a sub-editor with ASAPP media. It was a mutual decision that Arya and her husband Anil took of not changing their respective religions. Arya agrees that adjusting to a new set up is a bit difficult. "The customs and cultures are different. Simple things such as celebrating birthdays are different in both the religions- we celebrate one by visiting the temple and having a holy bath, whereas in Anil's family they bring in the birthday at 12 in the night," she says. Sarah Aikara Jain differs in opinion. She feels that even if she was married to a Catholic boy, adjustments would have had to be made. "Some things are different, such as touching elders' feet. But these things can be followed easily. Me and my sister would celebrate Rakshabandhan and Diwali earlier, so adjusting is not a big deal," she says.

In 29-year-old Shweta Mistry's case commitment was the point in consideration more than religion itself. Born to a Punjabi father and Keralite mother, Mistry, a Hindu had no religion based hassles. But her childhood love Carl Mistry, a Parsi, who she knows since standard 9, was a commitment phobic. "He proposed to me but said that he didn't know how the relationship would head," says Mistry, a PR consultant. Interestingly, even Carl's parents had a love marriage, his father being a Parsi and mother, a Catholic. "One fine day, Carl realised how much he loved me and we got hitched," she says with a smile. Their parents were very supportive and they follow their own religions. The couple had a typical Punjabi wedding ceremony and celebrate all festivals- be it Christmas, Diwali or Parsi New Year.

When it comes to deciding about which religion will their children will follow, the couples are still in a fix. "Nowadays, as many people are marrying outside their communities, kids will not face any identity crisis. We have decided to teach our children about both the religions," says Jain. Mistry says that she hasn't decided whether to have kids, so the question of which religion they will follow doesn't arise.

In this age of globalisation, when we celebrate all festivals and mix up with a friend circle comprising of various castes and communities, it has become easier to marry outside the religion and yet keep the identity alive.

'I had made 300 sketches of her'

On a visit to Pune, acclaimed artist Laxman Shreshtha talks about how he wooed his wife, his passion for art and the Himalayas as an inspiration

"I am a maverick and an artist. I never follow any rules," says Laxman Shreshtha, who was in Pune to meet some city-based artists. Shreshtha who hails from Nepal, was born in an aristocratic family and pursued his passion--art. He had to move base to Mumbai, as in those days, being an artist was not a respected profession.

Elaborating on his artistic journey, the 71-year-old artist says, "I had written a letter to the then principal of JJ School of Arts, JD Gondhalekar, that I would be coming to visit him. But when I actually landed in front of him, it left him amazed." He says that he was a rebel in the JJ School of Arts too. "In the class, I would follow whatever my teachers used to say, but when I returned to my room, I would change whatever I had drawn and try something new," he recalls.

Shreshtha also remembers meeting his wife Sunita at the art school. "She was my junior and was very attractive. She used to model for paintings and I had made 300 sketches of her, which I would carry with me always," he says. He was very shy to let her know this, but when his classmate did the honours for him, Sunita came to see the sketches and fell in love with Shreshtha. "We have been inseparable since then. When I got a scholarship to go to Paris, I asked her to accompany me. We had to get married as her parents wouldn't allow her to join me otherwise," he smiles.

Shreshtha started painting abstracts in 1964. "I won a gold medal in portrait paintings, but I decided to go ahead with abstract as it is more fulfilling," says Shreshtha, who was born in Siraha in Nepal. He says that he comes from a land of boundaries and he visits the Himalayas once in a year, which inspires the artist in him. "As an abstract painter, you don't have to depend on any subject, as you can just paint what comes to your mind," he says, adding that artists such as V Gaitonde have influenced him.

Shreshtha is pleased to have some serious collectors of his paintings across the globe. "Kumarmangalam Birla is one of my serious collectors," he says. He reveals that most of the collectors who collect paintings as an investment, do not really understand art. "Few collectors take the effort of talking to artists and collecting information," he says.

Talking about new and upcoming artists, he says that they want to break free from all the rules that have been set. "I would walk 10 miles in search of a good painting and encourage the artist. There have been times, when young students would visit me and we would chat about art over a cuppa." "MF Hussain would call me El Greco after seeing my portraits," he says.

He adds that when you listen to good music or taste the food you like the most, you get involved with it cent percent. Similarly for an artist, the search of the ultimate and trying to find known from the unknown, is fulfilling.

A fine wine experience!

A guide on wines for beginners and wines that enhance the taste of various cuisines

Be it red, white or sparkling, wine has always adorned platters belonging to different cuisines across the globe. Wine is a popular beverage that accompanies and enhances a wide range of European and Mediterranean-style cuisines. And it's not just a beverage, but a flavour agent, as any connoisseur will tell you.

But if you have never tasted wine, how do you go about it? Many city hotels and restaurants have now started suggesting wines with the food that they serve, to make it simple for the novices to choose wines. Chef Chandan Thakur, assistant food and beverage manager, Westin Pune Koregaon Park says, "A beginner needs to start with simple yet exciting wines which have a good bouquet and aroma. In whites, you can start with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or Italian pinot Grigio and in reds, one can start with Californian merlots or Australian Shiraz."

The Aromas chain of restaurants too suggests wines with their food on their menu. Sapana Malhotra, senior vice president, Ideal Hospitality Pvt Ltd, says, "We have a total of eight varietals each of red and white wines from Australia, Chile, France, Italy and India." She adds that wines in India change preference as per the season as each wine suits the different ambience around it. "We are trying to put wine on the table as a casual drink and not very complicated to understand, thus making the wine drinking experience a daily and enjoyable affair," she says.

So which wines go well with Indian cuisines and our ever-spicy dishes? Chef Thakur answers, "Indian dishes have a very complex flavour and aroma. Therefore, wines highly eminent in tartness like the Sauvignon Blanc or Australian Shiraz or the young Cotes du Rhone will go well with such dishes." Wines should be served cooler with Indian food as spicy foods taste better with cooler accompaniments. "A White Zinfandel, which is a pink wine and sweet makes a good marriage with paneer tikkas, reshmi kebabs and tandoori breads," he says. Sparkling wines too go well with Indian food. So, having champagne with your Indian meal isn't a bad idea.

Chef Thakur says that the wines that are served accompanying Indian food should have alcohol above 12 percent. "With desserts like rasmalai, wines such as a sweet Muscat or rich Semillon goes well," he says. With so many types of 'suggestion ready' wines, it won't be difficult for beginners to explore them and have a great meal.

Keeping it short

Kala Ramesh has mastered haiku, the Japanese form of 'one-breath poems'

An old cliche goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. But when it comes to haiku -- a Japanese form of poetry--the observation can't get any better. Haiku, which is an ancient form of poetry dating back to over 400 years, is like a painting of words.

Kala Ramesh, an exponent of haiku in the city, has won many accolades in this art form, and wishes that more people come to know about it. Kala, who is a Hindustani classical singer, came across haiku in 2005; she loved the form and started pursuing it. "Haiku is a very simple form of poetry. It has a fixed set of rules, and needs constant practice. Simplicity in anything is extremely difficult to master," explains Kala, who has learnt classical music for many years from Shubhada Chirmule in Pune.

Kala started writing haiku poems in January 2005, and her first poem was accepted in March by a publication called Bottle Rockets, and her haiku and tanka (a Japanese form of five-line poetry) were accepted for publication in Simply Haiku for their summer and autumn issues respectively. "There are plenty of printed and e-versions of haiku magazines.

Such magazines prove to be a source of information on the poetry form," informs Kala, whose credentials include an honourable mention in Mainichi Daily News Annual Selection in the years 2007-08.Haiku, which can also be called a one-breath poem, uses minimum words to express the meaning. Haiku is a three-line poem, but can also be written in one, two or four lines. Capital letters are generally not used in English language haiku (ELH) but there are exceptions.

"Basho, a master of this art form, has aptly said, 'Learn of the pine from the pine; learn of the bamboo from the bamboo', meaning, to become one with nature, is the most important ingredient while attempting to write a haiku," says Kala.

The poet says that in India, there are few Haiku poets who write in English. "Charoli in Marathi is similar to haiku," she says. Kala is keen to spread this art form by taking up workshops. She has taken workshops in New Delhi, Mumbai and in Pune.

"Many haiku poets, who are also professionals, feel good after writing them, as they get a chance to break away from the monotony of their life and spend some time with nature," she says.