the Thinker

Hi guys,

I was just sitting in office clearing stories. I just realised that people make the same mistakes all the time and I have to clear them over and over again. To me, now this has become the most boring work on this earth.

I have often heard people complaining about certain things that bore them. But paradoxically, they tend to do those things again and again. Examples:

Waiting for someone at the restuarant. Even when the end limit of one's patience has been tested, he thinks-"let me wait for some more time, maybe he/she will come."

Cooking the same dish every day because your husband/wife/kid will not eat anything else.

Watching the same movie over and over again, convincing yourself that it was your all-time favorite at some point.

Dealing in the same stocks again and again, even though they do not yield any returns.

Visiting your blog every ten minutes a day, thinking that some new comment has been posted. But in the process, one tends to get bored seeing the same old post.

Telling the same story to your kid every night, because he/she refuses to hear any other story.

Hearing your boss passing the same critical comments about your work, which have become obsolete now.

Hearing your friend telling you same thing about his/her girlfriend.


One might also feel like including eating, drinking and sleeping in this list. But I guess that they are necessities of our lives. So we cannot get bored of them. Phew, I guess there are many more things to look out for. Why don't you guys make some personal contributions. So what's "BORING" according to you?

By fast life, I do not exactly mean only Mumbai life. Yes, life is fast in the city. But then this particular post is not only about Mumbai. The other day I was talking to one of my friends, who said that I have kind of become-a metro traveler! She is right in a way. Other than Delhi (where I have been only once in my life), I have stayed at all the other three metros of our country. I have no idea how many of you think and ruminate over the city that you have visited or stayed in, for a considerable period. Nevertheless, here is my list of the places I have visited, and the things that I like and dislike about them.

Gujarat: Now it is called 'The Cursed Land.' However, the place did not see a spate of natural and manmade calamities, while I lived there several years back. I was born in that land, and am still very fond of the place. It aches my heart to see that now whenever the mention of 'Gujarat' comes to anyone's mind, it is accompanied by horrifying memories of riots, earthquakes and floods. However, when I sit down to think, I cannot help but remember certain things:

Locale: Gujarat is an arid land, dry and sultry. Feeling hot? Take a cup of buttermilk; it will make you feel nice. Moreover, if you visit a traditional Gujarati household, you are bound to be offered buttermilk (chaas) or limejuice, along with other beverages.

People: Some of my friends find Gujaratis very money-minded and calculative. I would say, there are all shades of people in the world and among all communities. I think of Gujaratis as a colourful and very hard working clan. Very progressive and tactful.

Festivals: Loads are there. They believe in many gods and godesses. (I do not know the names of half of them). However, the one's that I enjoy are Janmashtami and Navratri.

Food: I cannot leave aside this part, being a food maniac myself. One word for Gujarati khana is 'spicy.' Samosas, kachoris, bhujias, khakras, dhoklas, chewda and mumra are only to name a few.

Things that are not so appealing: Well, the only thing that I dislike about the city is the dirt and dust. Cows all over the place, beware during driving.

My rating of the place: 8/10

Kolkata: I did the second half of my schooling in this city. When I got shifted from Gujarat to Kolkata, it appeared like a nightmare to me. The big-city syndrome and all that.... However, over the past 7-8 years, the city has grown over me.

Locale: Hot and humid. Certain areas are fertile agricultural lands that are used for crops. In summers, one needs to bathe at least 3 times a day. Winters are late, and rains unpredictable.

People: 60%-Marwaris and around 40% Bengalis. Bengalis are conservative, intellectual (mostly the urban middle class), and culturally aware. Marwaris-I would better not comment on them. The only thing I would say is-they are the commerce heads of the city.

Festivals: Pujas- I need not mention them, most of you know about them. But not pujas are held not only to deify Goddess Durga; but Kali, Saraswati and Lakshmi as well. Infact, in all the schools of Kolkata, there is a one-month Puja vacation- a privilege that is only enjoyed by students in this city.

Food: If you are a fish-o-holic, then this is the city to be in. Hilsa, Rohu, Koi and loads of other varities. Vegetarians need not grumble. Kolkata's vegetarian preparations are equally delicious. Shukto, Chochori and lal shaag bhaja-to name a few of them.

Things that are not so appealing: One factor that is definitely not appealing to outsiders are 'bandhs.' Kolkata might be the only metro where traffic and life comes to a standstill during bandhs. People decide to sit back in their homes and rest. Children get additional holidays due to bandhs.

My rating of the place: 7/10

Chennai: The city that separated me from my family. Well, I should not be sounding so negative. Had I chosen some other city to pursue higher studies, then I would have said the same thing about that place also. I do not want to disappoint Chennai-ites or other people who like this place. However, this is one of my least favorite places.

Locale: Torrid, hot, dry, scathing summers…okay, okay, I am over-reacting. But as I saw it, it is definitely not a nice weather and locale. But the place boasts of the world’s second largest beach-Marina. There are a few green-spots as well. The city has much recovered from the Tsunami wave recently, one tragic memory added to recent history.

People: Mostly Tamilians, with patches of Teluguites, Kannads and Malayalis as well. Snippets of the ‘Chinkey’ races (could be Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetans etc) are also seen. If I used the word conservative for Bengalis, then I should used the superlative degree of ‘conservative’ for Tamilians in Chennai (Pl, I am only referring to Chennai people and not Tamilians elsewhere). However, they are very culture conscious, very insular and protective about their customs. I will not say that modernity has not found place at all in the city. But people here, retain their tradition in a large manner. Some of them are really nice and helpful.

Festivals: No idea!! Never celebrated any. But Chennai is a city of beautiful temples and architecture.

Food: Most of it is South Indian khana. Idlis, Dosas, Vadas etc. Not that other stuff is not found. Pizza, parantha, biriyanis etc. are also there on the menus.

Things that are not so appealing: Well, I wonder whether I am sounding biased. But as I an outsider, I found two to three things in the city as a major disadvantage-language, rick-drivers and water. Guess what? Both are inter-connected. A place where people hardly speak Hindi is a major drawback. I will not rally sentiments like- Hindi is our national language. I have respects for all other languages-Aryan or Dravidian. However, The anti-Hindi feeling was pretty evident in the city.

Any person who is not a native of the city, should also look out for another thing. Rick drivers. I call them-the bane of Chennai. Foul-mouthed and quarrelsome. I hate to call names like these; but as I mentioned earlier, these guys are the most irritating things around the city.

Another thing that might or might not impact people in the city is the saline water that flows out of the taps. Few of you must have read about all those de-salination projects that are being talked about in Chennai.

My rating of the place: 4/10

Mumbai: Moving on to the ‘commerce capital of India.’ It is a very hectic city. No one has time to pause and breath for a second. People are always on the run.

Locale: Mumbai has a moderate weather. Summers are humid. Winters, I have not seen them yet. Rain-Do I need to say more after all those floods? The city is a concrete jungle, surrounded by buildings on all sides.

People: Helpful, nice and energetic (most of them). Maharashtrians are also protective about their culture, but they do not snigger at others. That is my report of the kind of people I have met or seen. Other than them, the place also has a significant population of Gujjus, Jains, Sindhis and snippets of Goan races.

Festivals: Ganesh Utsav-The most widely celebrated festival of the city. It is escorted with a lot of hype and hooplah. Other than that Dusherra and Navratri is also celebrated with pomp.

Food: Cosmopolitan-shall I say? I did not see anything specifically Marathi other than 'poha'. Restaurants in the city will mostly give you what you want. South Indian, Jain, Punjabi, Continental, Chinese-food is not that much of a problem.

Things that are not so appealing: I need not say it, you all know it-RAINS!!! Heavy and unpredictable. And of course traffic, but that is there is other cities as well.

My rating of the place: 8/10.