tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341943682024-02-08T16:03:45.461+05:30A Foot in the doorSridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-2843666274482604342015-03-09T23:40:00.000+05:302015-03-10T10:43:37.724+05:30<h2>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2015 Cricket World Cup Musings</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I haven't really been watching the World Cup on TV fulltime. But have been following it on news and catching a bit of the action whenever possible. Here are some random thoughts on what I feel as England are eliminated - 9 March, 2015.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">England</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A lot of things come to mind about England. Here are some that I can imagine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reasons for England's Loss</span></h4>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was never billed as something we could win - we are happy with the preparations for the next edition.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The crowds - mostly noisy and subcontinental. Our players are used to playing in front of tie-wearing, sshhhhing silent upper class strata. This noise is something the lads aren't used to.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">India - made us complacent by deliberately losing to us in the Triseries.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Flawed alphabetic order. Having played Australia first, we though B would be next up. Conspiracy putting so many between A and B.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mothers-in-law - There were so many of them vying to do what we did, and look, they probably qualified for the quarters.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Format - three eliminations out of seven is fine by us. But it is the ICC who suffer - the advertisers from UK will pull out if we are eliminated and who pays for the next hotspot camera to goof or the snicko that makes no noise about the sound? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kevin Pietersen - Having him inside is better. And, having Swann in too makes for an entertaining dressing room, keeping the morale high.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Commentators - they were oohing and aahing every four or six that we hit, forgetting that we were getting back ten times that when we bowled. Instead, we would have liked just one Director who has tracer bullets and is always a humdinger.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ashes - Never play the Ashes series four years before a World Cup - this loss demoralises us like no other.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Umpiring - Chris Jordan's runout decision by the third umpire was the turning point of the tournament. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rain - We never got a lucky point like Bangladesh did in the washout.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Scheduling - We should have played some matches at home, like Australia and New Zealand.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Real Reasons for England's Loss</span></h4>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The better team always wins - Australia were better.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The best team always crushes us - New Zealand were the best.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The better team always wins - England were the better team, surprisingly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The better team always wins - Sri Lanka were the better team.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The better team always wins - Bangladesh were the better team.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The better team always wins - Yes, the airlines win.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">England were outplayed in every department. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The opponents - at least four of them were better.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Umpiring</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That the umpiring levels have plummeted is no secret. What else do you say when Chris Jordan was given out for having the shoulder of his bat firmly behind the line (which always belongs to an incompetent umpire or three), though the toe end was flailing like his team in the tournament.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On-field umpires have probably become lazy and do not check for no-balls every ball. Only when they think that something earthshaking like a wicket falls, they check the Richter scale that is the replay, getting the batsman and the fielding team edgy. There are only two things that can explain this - dereliction of duty in part or ICC's need to the crowd edgy. I would vouch for the former - ICC cannot be trusted to be intelligent enough going by the way DRS is playing out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is pure blasphemy that we have a law (if it has been interpreted correctly) that rules a batsman out when actually IN the crease. And to boot, at least a couple of dozen pairs of eyes saw that. Twenty two of them belonged to the third umpire who saw replays even from a Google Maps camera stationed above my apartment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have many more grouses about umpiring and DRS in cricket, but then, who does not? Ask Chris Jordan. I will 'grouse' some other day.</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Future of this World Cup</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How I wish that the quarter finals all feature one Asian team against a non-Asian team. And, how I wish that it will be an all-Asian semifinal line up. After all this, I will really pray for an all-Asian final (oops, I am now thinking like England here!) to play out. For a few reasons.</span></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My friend Krishnakumar Kannan is travelling all the way down under - yes, both AUS and NZ. I don't want him to be disappointed with a semifinal line up that reads AUS v SA and WI v IRE. He will probably return with a sickometer, oops, snickometer in his mouth.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The tournament can be decided across a table and the finals can be played in a relaxed manner by both teams. The winner gets the first shot at the ICC presidency, followed by the runner up and so on. How easy no? We can even grant furlough to the third umpire.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whoever wins in an all-Asia final will be 'our' team - after all, we have beaten the 14-country world to the cup.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next edition of the IPL will be a resounding success.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Supreme Court may after all be happy the way cricket is run across the world, not just India.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy World Cup folks!</span></div>
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Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-36335424066741976172014-01-01T09:17:00.000+05:302014-01-01T09:27:56.812+05:30<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PONGAL AGAIN!</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Divine history has a way of
repeating itself – and how divine it feels when that happens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As is the norm, on the first day
of the calendar year, Veena and I visited the Ayyappan temple in Perambur for a
Ganapathy Homam. We were a bit late – the coziness that engulfs us in a warm
blanket on a cold morning contributed – arriving as the Homam was nearing its
end. After paying a quick obeisance to Ayyappan, the presiding deity, we joined
the queue to get the prasadam bag for the Ganapathy Homam. After we were done
with it, a second queue beckoned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Picking up our <i><a href="https://www.google.co.in/search?newwindow=1&espv=210&es_sm=93&biw=1366&bih=666&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=donnai&oq=donnai&gs_l=img.3..0l4j0i10i24l4j0i24l2.9391.10046.0.11060.6.6.0.0.0.0.234.608.4j0j2.6.0.ernk_timecombined...0...1.1.32.img..2.4.140.5pcDvjXWvho#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=eyiI4f1do7isLM%3A%3BJJ3lTIJSinXI9M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcdn.sailusfood.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252Fpulagam_naivedyam.JPG%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.sailusfood.com%252F2006%252F06%252F27%252Fandhra-khichdi-pulagam-lentil-rice-medley%252F%3B314%3B400">dhonnais</a></i>, we joined the queue and were
treated to a wonderful dollop of kesari, a variant of the<a href="http://enjoyindianfood.blogspot.in/2008/02/shira.html"> shira</a>, as it is known
locally. That over, we went to the Ganapathy temple at a street corner, a
couple of hundred metres away. We were lucky to witness the full abhishekam.
After that, we walked back to near the Ayyappan temple to pick up our
two-wheeler. That was when divinity intervened. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The kesari was finished, and
divinity has substituted a huge container of – you guessed it right – Pongal. Like
I did in<a href="http://sridharjoshi.blogspot.in/2009/05/pongal-oh-pongal-on-rather-cool.html"> this post</a>, I walked in again, joined the queue and helped myself to a
yummy dollop of Pongal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Divine start to 2014 indeed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy New Year to all of you.</span></div>
Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-85654931961111556022013-11-17T09:47:00.000+05:302013-11-17T13:08:04.909+05:30<div class="normal">
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Saving the Brindavan Express</b></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear
Powers-that-be,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">History
was made on October 1, 1964, when Indian Railways (IR) introduced the ultra
superfast Brindavan Express between Chennai and Bangalore. This was then the
most prestigious train on Southern Railway (SR) – so much that even IR
employees on free passes and PTOs were not allowed on board. Fare-paying
passengers it had to be. When I was a kid, my ICF-employed dad did not have enough to
pay for the fare for the family and our first trip had to be after IR allowed passholders
to travel, though only after reservation. That green-yellow livery was a wonder
to behold – whether you were seeing the train zoom past you or you were sitting
inside seeing the stations zoom past. There was no question of even a single
unreserved passenger on board this train till the mid-80s. This is a train that
I still hold dear to my heart – probably it is time to let go, but it has not
been possible, and may never be too. Why? An extract from <a href="http://irfca.org/articles/anglo-indian.html">this</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">In those days, the Brindavan Express was perhaps
the fastest rain on the Indian Railways and I remember driver Mc Gee (there was
a write up about him in the popular Tamil Weekly 'Ananda Vikadan') once covered
the distance of 140 Kms. from Jolarpettai to Bangalore Cantonment in 1 hour and
40 minutes. The Brindavan Express was known for its punctuality and the
travellers waiting at Madras Central could set their watch at 19:45 Hrs. by the
arrival of 40 Up Brindavan Express. One day the train was 5 minutes late. The
Chief Operating Superintendent (COPS) Mr. Godferry Saldhana and Mr. E.S.
Muthukrishnan, Chief Mechanical Engineer happened to be on the platform. When
the train came to a halt, the COPS walked up to the engine and the following
conversation ensued:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">COPS: Mc Gee! you are late!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Mc Gee: So would you be, Sir, if you had to pass
loop lines at five stations between Arakkonam and Madras.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Suffice it to say that the COPS called for the
control charts and other records next day and ensured that the Brindavan Express
would be given a line clear right through the main line. Such was his faith in
Express drivers of the calibre of Mc Gee.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Slowly
it started happening – the rapid decline of this most prestigious train.
Stoppages were added at the whims of ministers, political sidekicks and only
lastly on sheer commonsense. Unreserved passengers, mainly season ticket
holders were allowed a free run of the train – only the locomotive was not
theirs. If you are wondering about the guard’s cabin at the rear, there can
always be a soul or fifty in his domain – the luggage area of the SLR. The
quality of the food started declining, beggars of all kinds started soliciting
alms on this train – with its reserved passengers jostling and begging for
their seats, this crowd sometimes made me think I too chuck my job and start
beggary on the Brindavan Express. Unauthorized hawkers who sold everything from
pins to seedy CDs also had a free run, with more freedom than even the RPFs and the TTEs who manned this train!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A
few years ago, I did </span><a href="http://sridharjoshi.blogspot.in/2009/09/tale-of-two-trains-dream.html"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">this</span></a><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> feature for a
newspaper – comparing the Brindavan and the Shatabdi. But nobody except an
officer listened to me. Heard me out. Promised me that he would do something –
I know he sincerely tried, even as his biggest boss told he would talk to me
only if I did not write anything negative about the train and SR. I chose not
to talk to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
aggressive officers turned meek mice once the double-decker (DD) was
introduced. They had to justify crying for this lollipop – justify by pretending
that this was the best sweet they have ever had in their lives. I traveled on
this and observed a lot of things that were not good. I am sure some good
Samaritans have passed </span><a href="http://sridharjoshi.blogspot.in/2013/05/nice-to-be-posting-again-after-almost.html"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">this</span></a><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> on to you
(powers that be) – all small things that will at least try to make the yellow
pretender get a bit close to the once green-liveried original.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
powers that be did not believe in the dictum ‘live and let live’ and took steps
to hasten the end of the Brindavan that thousands loved. Air-conditioned chair
car (CC) coaches reduced from three to one. Result – no increase in ridership
on the DD. How can CC help the DD? Next, remove even the lone CC, and hack the
number of reserved second class sitting (2S) to six. Result – DD will not
increase its ridership. If the powers that be think that herding 2S travelers
to the CC environs of the DD will be easy, they are wrong. There is simply no
comparison to the comforts that the CC can offer. DD lacks in everything from
the loo to the seat – the two ends that have to be good to attract a passenger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">You
have been very resourceful to avoid negative publicity. You have selected
Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement hoopla to announce the Great Brindavan
Striptease. At least you could have offered some solace by a separate press
release. You have chosen to bury it deep in </span><a href="http://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in/view_detail.jsp?lang=0&id=0,4,268&dcd=1734&did=138451704114484CF041347A3071053A9DB206F32221E.web103"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">this</span></a><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> press release.
How poetic to be with announcement of UNRESERVED trains – which is what the
Brindavan exactly is today, even the reserved compartments included. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
am not going to appeal to you restore its past glory – the world knows that it
is beyond all of us. My only request is to retire the name at least. There are
so many examples of such happenings – some of which are </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retired_number"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. Please give the train that leaves Chennai at
0750 am a less fancy and a more relevant name – Chennai Bangalore Very Sadharan
JanSadharan Express.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And,
another one please – there are rumblings that ever since a previous minister proposed
in a budget speech, that there is an LHB rake that is coming our way to improve
the Brindavan Express. Please, please, introduce that train with as many stops
and as many rule violations as you like, but don’t name it Brindavan Express.
The very name seems to be jinxed! If you still choose prestige over pragmatism,
please run this train from Kamarajar terminal of the Chennai airport to BIAL –
at least you can avoid unreserved passengers crowding the areas near the
toilet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">With
regards,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A
sad lover of the Brindavan Express.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-52471312322778719052013-09-26T20:24:00.004+05:302013-11-17T12:29:03.161+05:30<h2 class="title icon" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(200, 200, 200); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 10px 10px 5px 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eating on IR - Then and Now</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: black;"><b>Note: </b>I had written this piece with a motive, at someone's request. This somehow did not see the light of the day, understandably so, given the constraints that we faced. And, I forgot about it too. Just noticed this in an obscure corner of my hard disk, and thought it could trigger off the epicurean in us. Remember, this is a dated piece, about three or four years ago. Posting in 'as is where is' condition - the reality today may have changed. Bouquets and brickbats welcome!</i></span></h4>
<span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><br />Every now and then, on the IRFCA mailing list on Yahoogroups™, I come across e-mails that talk of food on trains and railway platforms. It would be an understatement to say that I look forward to these mails to add my tuppence worth; not for nothing I weigh a shade above 80 kgs. I love my food on trains—I have been travelling on Indian Railways for about 43 years now.<br /><br />Food on the Indian Railways (IR) has always been a point of intense discussion and debate. The facilities available to the passenger have been dynamically changing—not always for the better, though. Initially, the provincial railways that were independent companies had wonderful arrangements for their passengers. Exclusive restaurants for First Class passengers, good arrangements with wholesome food through refreshment stalls for all other classes, good potable water on taps and through watermen and waterwomen and personnel of licencees selling lunch and breakfast coupons well in advance and delivering hot food at your seat.<br /><br />Indian Railways had food going for all types of passengers; of course, for non-travelling visitors too. Almost all major stations had restaurants—run by private players like Spencer’s at some places and at others by the catering department of the zonal railways themselves—that served great food, though food was not the only priority there. They laid as much emphasis on food as they laid on the minimalist décor, clean cutlery and crockery, courteous and polite staff and most importantly, quick service—they had to, but they took that damn seriously—as most patrons had a train to catch.<br /><br />These restaurants had the widest possible spread for the connoisseur of food. South Indian, North Indian, Chinese, Continental—you name it, you got it. I have savoured many a plate of great omelettes, toasted bread slices with all kinds of fillings, wonderfully fluffy idlis, stuffed parathas and many more at many restaurants. The tea and coffee were both a delight—always the milk and the liquor came separate, as did the sugar, sometimes in cubes too! The milk was thick and the tea and coffee used for the brew was mostly top class, making a cuppa an experience by itself.<br /><br />A rung below the restaurants were the refreshment rooms. These were, in some cases, run by the catering department of the respective zones; in many cases they were leased out to licencees who were as serious about their task as the restaurants. The furniture was only functional, the food cheap, tasty and most importantly, healthy. No fancy cutlery or crockery—stainless steel thalis, katoris and glass tumblers or cheap china cups and saucers ruled the roost. They were all clean and shiny, though. A spoon or a fork was on the waiter’s tray only if he was serving a foreigner or was asked by a native patron to fetch one!<br /><br />Most large stations that were not terminals had them by the couple—one for vegetarian stuff and the other for non-vegetarian stuff. They were known for their trademark efficiency of service. The loco pilots and the guards were also patrons; the trains had times to keep; so, the service had to be in a jiffy. Stations were nominated for specific trains as breakfast stations, lunch stations and dinner stations. These were the times the refreshments rooms were at their busiest. Imagine a train of close to 500 travellers with at least half of them descending on the two refreshment rooms, all at the same time, with the same aim of polishing off their food in about ten to twelve minutes! That was the benchmark that these restaurants set for themselves. The manager with his cash box was ready at the door with change and coupons for lunch, the thalis were all pre-served and ready for the patron. All the passenger had to do was to pay up for the coupon and set about the job of eating. Additional servings were not really a problem—staff moved about with additional food for the customers. The hunger of a collective few hundreds sated, the train would then be on its way. The lull before the train arrived was deceptive, the lull after the train left was for real—until the next train came in with its hordes, that is. The food was good, though not the fancy stuff you could get on the restaurants. The servings were filling and, in the context of the journey, you got value for money. The most memorable food that I have had in a refreshment room was at Cuddappah at around 1100 hrs. on a hot summer morning in 1983. The train was yet to stop, but my dad and I were already in the room. We had a great meal—steaming rice, hot chapattis, dal, sambar, rasam, carrot and potatoes, curd, pickles and papad—for just Rs.15/-. As I walked back to the coach along with the guard of the train, I felt so full and satisfied that I felt that I could not eat till the next day!<br /><br />The bottom most rung comprised of the stalls—licensed to dispense both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. These were mere stalls; in most cases, a room and an ante-room built on strategic locations on the platforms. They were the most dumbed-down versions of the refreshment rooms. The two ‘rooms’ were separated by a wall, with a door acting as the access to the innards where basic food was cooked and tea/coffee was made. The main room was actually a three-sided counter with the fourth side having a wall with storage space. Some had glass sliding doors and used that as show-cases to showcase whatever little they had—food, snacks, spare new glasses, paper and leaves for packing food and other paraphernalia.<br /><br />Most food was prepared in the small kitchen-cum-ante room at the rear of the stall and moved to the counters for sale. They usually had ready to eat stuff like idli, vada, upma, samosas, curd rice and the like. It was very rare for a stall to serve a full-fledged thali like the refreshment rooms did. The food was usually very good and did not cause a Delhi belly—even the famed English cricket team could eat there and get away unscathed. It was in these stalls that the local flavours were at full play. Your chutney would be real hot and spicy if you were at any station in Andhra Pradesh or northern Karnataka. In my limited travels on IR, I have eaten at many such stalls. Some highlights have been the idly–vada at Wadi for breakfast in the morning; the vada–pav at Karjat any time of the day or night; the hot upma at Arsikere late in the night, in fact close to 2300 hrs.; the medu vadas at Gadag at around 1730 hrs.; the kanda bhajjis and buttermilk at Hole Alur; the masala dosa and pure filter coffee at Birur, again around 1730 hrs; lastly, even today, the pongal–vada, kichadi, kesari and the crisp dosas at the stall at Chennai Beach.<br /><br />However, the public face of food on IR remains the on-board catering service. The food that is served, not necessarily prepared, on the train is always the discussion in various forums. The mailing list of IRFCA on Yahoogroups sees often sees mails like this: “I am taking the Raptisagar Express on xx/xx/xxxx. How is the food on the Pantry Car?” It is no surprise that not many people ask how food tastes on the stall at this station or the refreshment room at that. At least, the Pantry Car enquiries on the list outnumber other food-related queries.<br /><br />Historically, there were some trains that had Dining Cars, where the passengers, at least select upper class passengers could walk in and have their food like at a restaurant. Many trains also had what we call the Pantry Cars—a coach dedicated to preparing food. This all-in-one coach contains a counter for packing and selling food; a kitchen with various paraphernalia to actually cook food on the run; a store room to stock the requirements like vegetables, grocery items and the like; two and a half cabins for the staff to stay and sleep; areas to keep the bottle cooler; wash areas for the huge utensils; besides some other electrical appliances.<br /><br />The Dining Cars were just like a small restaurant, offering good views of the countryside with tables arranged along the windows where one could sit and eat. There were many trains with Dining Cars; as the authorities realised that they could serve more passengers in their basic job of transporting them, they replaced these with passenger carrying coaches. This was also because every Dining Car also required an additional Pantry Car to prepare food.<br /><br />In early days, all, yes all, Pantry Cars were operated by the Commercial Departments of the concerned zonal railways. The Commercial Departments had a Catering Department—they were staffed with cooks, cleaning staff and other personnel required to run a Pantry Car. The Pantry Cars were on a small number of trains—the prestige of a train was often determined by the presence or absence of a Pantry Car. How days have changed! Pantry Cars these days are not in any way indicators of the prestige of a train; they are rather seen as a necessity as longer distances are connected with travel spread well over two full days. The operation of these Pantry Cars too has undergone a change, not always for the better, though we will come to that later.<br /><br />The Pantry Cars, on whatever trains had them, did a very good job of mostly preparing—though some stuff was loaded from base kitchens as well—and serving passengers. The food was, if not too good, not a spoiler of your digestive system. The service was good and the timings were by and large kept up, unless there was a rather drastic delay leading to a late arrival at a base kitchen station. My first memories of travelling on a train with a Pantry Car are my trips by the Brindavan Exp from Madras to Bangalore. The waiters were all neatly dressed in their uniforms; the doors were opened as the train crossed Basin Bridge Junction and hot coffee made its way in cans and disposable cups—yes, disposable paper cups were used as early as the mid-1970s. I still remember a trip when my sister, used to throwing away the cups after drinking the coffee, did the same when Brindavan changed over to hard plastic cups for a brief period, leaving us poorer by a whopping Rs.5/-, which was the cost to be reimbursed to the waiter! The masala dosas were simply crisp with the masala just rightly spiced and the coconut chutney that came with it was simply superb.<br /><br />This is not to say that all was great on the Pantry Cars, though. There were many constraints—lack of equipment like mixers, grinders, refrigerators and bottle coolers. The staff just found a way around by carrying dry stuff and just mixing them with water to make the dough for dal vada, or spicy chutney. This was the reason why, on long distance trains you seldom saw idlis—upma or pongal was the usual breakfast item, apart from omelettes and cutlets. The inter-city day trains did not have this constraint in the sense they loaded all the wet stuff like idli/dosa batter, vada batter, chutney and the like at the terminals in the mornings and afternoons.<br /><br />Most Pantry Cars were serving passengers well—at least there were not many complaints beyond the odd instance of excess salt in food or rather insipid food. The staff were mostly hired on contract and worked directly under the Catering Department of the respective railway zones—many of them were regularised as railway staff over periods of time. There was some indifference, though, to complaints. They were generally not accountable and inventory control was sometimes an issue, what with their own colleagues as supervisors in the Pantry Cars. There were also instances of Pantry Car staff making money on the side by indulging in trade. For example, furniture like aluminium chairs, modas and the like were very cheap in Delhi. Pantry Car staff, having a full day off at Delhi, would scour the markets and purchase a chair or two and sell them off at Madras for a profit.<br /><br />The advent of globalization and free market economy changed things heralded a lot of changes in Eating on the Indian Railways. The need to have a separate set-up for catering culminated in the formation of the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC). The value addition that IRCTC has made to the food scene is debatable. Set up as an independent company under the Ministry of Railways, IRCTC was mandated to improve catering on trains and railway stations and promote tourism.<br /><br />So far, so good. The ministry did not go all out for a radical staffing pattern. Bureaucrats from IR were deputed to IRCTC; stalls and Pantry Cars were handed over lock, stock and barrel to IRCTC; no attempt was made to change the bureaucratic mind-set; all these were not just impediments, but huge barriers to the idealist zeal with which IRCTC was formed.<br /><br />It also did not help that IRCTC tried to bite far more than it could chew—it dabbled in constructing budget hotels; it was entrusted with producing for railways its own brand of mineral water called Rail Neer; most importantly, IRCTC also handled, hold your breath, the issue of bed rolls to AC passengers! Though most of this were entrusted to contractors, via the bidding route, the sheer burden of monitoring far too many things meant the lofty ideals were being shed like the emperor’s clothes, one by one.<br /><br />The Pantry Cars went from bad to worse on most trains—most passengers, including me, have the opinion that at least on the Tamil Nadu and the Grand Trunk Expresses, the departmental catering staff did a far better job than the contractors. The same opinion is shared by many regular travellers. This is not to run down IRCTC and its efforts—this only puts in perspective the better planning and strict monitoring that were the prerequisites for a business of this magnitude. There have also been many cases where the Pantry Car has improved, and let us also credit IRCTC for that. IRCTC now seems to have woken up and the emphasis is clearly on the quality of food that is served on trains and stations. Quality control inspection is being done regularly on trains and outlets on stations.<br /><br />Another move of IRCTC that really did not take off was the grandiose plan to take off the Pantry Cars from many trains and establish what they called ‘cell kitchens’ to cater to the needs of the passengers. Just like the old days, a contractor would collect the orders, telephonically convey the same to the ‘cell kitchen’ and food would be delivered at the seat. Unfortunately, though we have seen a few ‘cell kitchens’ operated by private contractors, the proof of the pudding is yet to be seen.<br /><br />All said and done, IRCTC deserves unstinted praise for what it calls ‘Food Courts’ at major stations. Most food courts have a good spread of food items and beverages from multiple cuisines; they are open for long hours; and because the price is left to market forces, quality is also not a major issue at most of these food courts. There are some, however, where food is overpriced in relation of the serving, but that is the market—we seriously need some competition in the form of multiple operators.<br />There is also a lingering feeling that instead of just one Pantry Car, major long-distance trains can have two—the competition ushered in will ensure that it will be a win–win situation for all. The operators will have to ensure quality; else they know their goose is cooked!<br /><br />Both IR and IRCTC, or for that matter, the private contractors of Pantry Cars need look no further than two shining examples of excellent on-board catering. The Deccan Queen (DQ) between Mumbai and Pune has a tradition of excellent food; not a bit has diminished over the decades. In fact, it is probably the only train that still has a dining car that offers great views of the Bhor Ghats—of course, great food too. Another great experience eating on IR has to be the Pantry Car on the Mandovi Express on Konkan Railway. Nothing beats them for the sheer variety; close to 70 items are served at different times of the day. Nothing beats them for cleanliness; the Pantry Car is squeaky clean any time of the day. Nothing beats them for the method of service; they frown at aluminium casseroles and use quality branded casseroles like Milton, Cello etc. and good quality cutlery. Both DQ and the Mandovi are close, but Mandovi will any day have my casting vote—if ever there was one!<br /><br />Eating on IR has come a long way since the days of yore, but there is one dream that I look forward to becoming reality. I dream of the day when I just log on to a website, enter my PNR number and book my meal, making an e-payment. The food is delivered to my seat at my chosen station, hot and tasty—never mind the booking charges and other sundries. For that to happen, it is not just my dream that counts—there have to be a million dreams. A day will come when I will live my dream…</span></blockquote>
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Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-46131752502616211232013-07-23T19:20:00.002+05:302013-07-23T19:25:53.807+05:30<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">HURRYING TO THE HARIPRIYA</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">I do not remember the year now, but sure it must have been sometime when the Tirupati (TPTY) yard looked like a bombed up place due to GC. It was a roasting day at Chennai and the temperatures seemed to be as exaggerated as the hot winds that swept past us as we 'speeded' on the afternoon express to TPTY. We were seven – four kids and three adults. My sister and her two kids and my family of two adults and two kids were off to Dharwar (DWR) to attend a wedding. The plan was to take the Haripriya/Rayalaseema combo from TPTY to DWR. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">We made a quick exit at TPTY and headed off to have a quick darshan at the Govindaraja Swamy temple close to the station. After darshan, had some snacks and coffee and packed dinner and settled in to our berths in the Haripriya portion of the combo. We had all six berths for ourselves, besides one side lower in the emergency window bay. The train left on time at TPTY and Renigunta (RU). Past Koduru (KOU) it must have been, when we had our dinner and tried to settle down on the upper berths, when we found to our dismay that all the berths were coated liberally with tons of construction dust – the windows were left open during the idle time. Thanking ourselves for carrying lots of spare old newspapers, we cleaned those berths and settled down one by one. I took the SL, and by the time we reached Yerraguntla (YA), the entire coach was asleep, save one soul. I was wide awake awaiting the midnight three-way orgy at Guntakal (GTL). Watching the dark landscape pass by, I whiled away my time guessing the stations as they passed (even those with no platforms on my side – by just making out the periodic clatter of speedy run over points and the increased oscillation as we took the crossings head on).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Well past midnight, as we made our way past the snaky points at GTL into PF 6 (the main PF where Mumbai-bound trains are received and dispatched), I told my wife that I will be stretching my legs on the PF during the rather longish halt and come back. She sleepily nodded at my madness and went back into a stupor. I stepped out on the PF as the train came to a halt and espied our TTE talking to someone. He acceded to my request to join me for a cup of tea – we went back right near the SLR to the tea stall and had a wonderful cream bun and two cups of tea. As we trundled along back to the train, the TTE bid goodbye – he had already handed over to the next TTE. I was shocked to find my train missing. For someone who was well-versed with railway operations, I cursed myself for being so careless, but did not yet panic.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">I asked around and a porter told me that the Haripriya portion would have already departed from PF 4. This was the Hyderabad-bound Rayalaseema portion waiting for the coaches from the train from Kolhapur (KOP). I was not sure what the sequence of arrival and departure was – I did not bother to recheck when leaving MAS – that made me more confused. I then saw a railway staff carrying some tools – he too gave me the same answer. That was when my callous concern began turning into panic. Panic for myself – I had taken care to leave the tickets and enough cash with my wife, on the train. If stranded, there would be no other way for me to reach anywhere except beg – all I had on my person was about twenty rupees (that probably would take me up to UBL on a passenger next morning?). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">I did the next best thing – ran up to the platform SM’s room and asked him – he asked me to rush to PF 4 as the train was about to leave. Jumping across the tracks, I rushed to find the train still still. The water filling was complete and I rushed to see my coach and relieved to see our bed sheets which had my people curling under. But it was still not over for me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">The doors were locked from inside and about three coaches away was a peering TTE gesticulating to me to get away. I ran to him even as the starter was taken off and told him that my berth was in that coach. He disdainfully dismissed me – asking me to show my ticket. Apparently, a few days ago, someone has pulled a fast one on his colleague on the very same train and had disappeared with a few pieces of luggage containing valuables. Somehow, I slipped in some railway jargon and convinced him that I would show the tickets once let in. He agreed to let me in on the condition that I get out of the train if I was not able to show the ticket by the next stop. He took out the charts and checked my name. Then he let me inside as the train started moving! Walking down three coaches, I took my wife’s handbag and foraged the tickets and convinced him. It was then he started his lecture about how not to leave luggage unattended, and how things become tough for staff like him, etc. I heard him out patiently and thanked him, before retiring in after a rather eventful hour or so.</span></span>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-48570359492632211192013-05-02T21:46:00.002+05:302013-05-02T21:47:02.545+05:30<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nice to be posting again after almost two years!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>DOUBLE DECKER – NOT EVEN THE CURATE’S EGG</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I first booked tickets for
travel for a return journey on Train number 22626 Bangalore City (SBC) Chennai
Central (MAS) Double Decker (DD) Express, my excitement was multiple times the
excitement I face when a train trip beckons. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trip Facts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Date: 1 May 2013 PNR: 4350912049
Seats: C2 69 and 70 Middle Deck.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here we go with the itemized
impressions of the trip. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seating<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seating looks to be a big issue –
the leg room leaves a lot to be desired. There could be one row less in each of
the four seating areas. This space can be equally redistributed to provide a
wee bit of extra legroom. The seats do not have a comfortable pushback levels.
A bit more reclining would be of immense help, given that these are all-day
trains with a maximum travel time of about eight hours.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Air-conditioning<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the positives of the coach
– but surprisingly not for about 12 people in every coach. But for these 12
passengers, air-conditioning is really class, at least in the first few days of
operation. Just hope it remains like that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The middle deck area that has
seat numbers 59 through 70 is always warm, no matter what the temperatures are
set to in the air-conditioner. More so for the first row, seats 66 through 70.
The entry into the seating area is by way of sliding door that opens right into
the face of these five unfortunate souls. The warm air blast each time someone
enters or exits the seating area makes the air-conditioning look very silly
indeed. And, over a period of this six-hour journey from SBC, this slider would
have been used a couple of thousand times. The pantry staff strutting their
wares, passengers going out of the seating area to the wash basin, toilets, or
just taking a walk, etc. were all factors contributing to keep us hot on a hot
sunny afternoon.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Toilets<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The worst one can ever face in an
air-conditioned train. I am sure there was no cleaning, or at least no cleaning
worth the name that was done at SBC, where the train halts for 70 minutes
before starting the return trip. There was a huge poodle of water in EACH of
the four toilets that our compartment had. Though we don’t really expect in
other long-distance trains, there was no soap in the dispensers. The ‘Press for
Flush’ button is a joke in at least a few toilets – you would probably need a
few people to push with all their might to have the toilet flushed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Which brings us to another
problem – the space. It is very difficult for one to enter and close the door
and get to doing things. You have to be a contortionist and get yourself into
some tangle to get the door close without hurting yourself of wetting yourself
with all the water that is splashed on the wash basin’s exterior. And repeat
the whole thing in reverse if you ever want to get out of there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wonder what can be achieved by
nicking an mm here, a cm there, and making room for more passengers, rather
than making passengers
comfortable – and this applies to the seats and toilets.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Catering<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Catering on trains has dipped to
such a low that it is now blasphemy to expect a good cup of coffee or a good
snack on even a premium train like the Rajdhani or the Duronto. Having said
that, hope springs eternal in us and that was shattered. The cross section of
people I spoke to regretted having bought something to eat from the catering
staff. From what I saw, the vadas, samosas, bajjis, and all such snacks were,
for a major part, served without ANY accompaniment. Some people, though, were
lucky to get some chutney as an accompaniment. I do not know where the food was
loaded, but the samosas looked very sad even at 1450, when they were first
brought out – belying the looks that they were the ones loaded before the train
left MAS. The stuff on the Kovai Express (though I criticized that as well,
being a foodie!) was a gourmet’s delight in comparison. You would be better off
fasting the six hours (even giving up on coffee/tea/cool drinks) or carrying
food from home or some other hotel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, at the risk of offering a
suggestion to IR to increase their revenues further, I suggest that the heating
and cooling equipment for food be removed forthwith and the space used for a
few more seats. Because, during the entire trip, not once did I see a bottle of
cold water or any drink being sold cold – same for the food like samosas, vada,
etc. – not once did I see them hot.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Intruders<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This train is well and truly
popular, going by the number of free-tripping railway staff not on duty
travelling near the doors and keeping them open and causing inconvenience to
the fare-paying public. I counted at least a score of people, all displaying
the worker’s unions’ names prominently standing near the doors, loudly chatting
away and frequently opening the doors causing heat waves! What took the cake
was the TTE confessing to being helpless – in fact, he was ‘requesting’ (no
actually groveling) a couple of IR staff not to disturb the passengers but to
stand silently near the doors. Was wondering how the same TTE treated a
passenger holding an open ticket from Krishnarajapuram to Kuppam – he was an
illiterate guy who boarded this train by mistake – by using choicest
four-letter words and ousting him at Bangarpet. To embellish things and
heighten security for us, there was even an off-duty RPF cop with his family
(no on-duty security staff in uniform was found on the train).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All this train needs is a few
more halts like Tiruvallur, Walajah Road, Kuppam and the like – this will then
be well and truly sold for free to the free-trippers, leaving the fare-paying
passengers in the lurch. Some delight this for IR – going by the fate of
Brindavan Express, Lal Bagh Express, and most other daytime inter-city
expresses.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Endgame<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What is my take away from this?
Well, with high hopes I boarded the train; with a lot of disappointment I
exited at Perambur. I would still rather prefer the Brindavan Fast Passenger’s
AC Chair Car to take me to SBC or from there back to my home – old is, after
all, gold. But, in what seems to be a paranoid move to ensure that the DD does
not fail, the Brindavan has been hacked of two of it three AC coaches. Sad to
see IR resorting to such moves. This also proves another adage true – all that
glitters is not gold. The DD, sadly, only glitters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, what has the title got to do
with this story of a train? A lot, in fact. A curate’s egg is something that is
good in parts, don’t bother about the shell. In the DD, it is only the shell
that is beautiful, not a bit of the egg inside.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PS: I will still keep up my
commitment to travel on this train with fellow railfans as a large group on one
of the weekends.</span></div>
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Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-5000947737493485062011-05-04T22:03:00.001+05:302011-05-04T22:04:09.755+05:30<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">SHE</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">She’s a special woman … She’s my wife – so ran a commercial that I remember having liked a couple of decades ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">For nineteen years to the day, she has endured me and my eccentricities. For nineteen years, she has been by my side, through thick and thin. For nineteen years, she has never asked me for anything and always sought to know what I wanted. For nineteen years, she has taken care of me like nobody ever can, knowing full well that I could have done so much better. For nineteen years, she has been everything for me, and I could have been more for her. For nineteen years, she has been a part of my family, making it our family; I am not sure I can say the same thing about myself. For nineteen years, she has borne the pain of everything that I inflicted on her and given me happiness in return – the two wonderful daughters are testimony to that. For all these years, she has brought up the two daughters into good young girls, and that has probably been in spite of me, and not because of. For nineteen years, she has never made a long face at anything; I have probably never been as good. For nineteen years, even when I have not said ‘please’ … for anything, she has pleased me. For nineteen years, and as we enter our twentieth year of marriage, she has been a wonderful friend, spouse, mother and all else to me. What have I been to her?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Well, why now? And, why not post this at the eighteeth, seventeenth, or earlier? I probably would not have done this even now – it is just that something happened that made me realize how the hell I would have missed her not so long ago. In fact, just a few days ago. That was the day when it was a second coming for me, not for her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Walking along the beach at Besant Nagar, she missed noticing a huge wave, slipped and was drawn into the sea. Thankfully, my sister-in-law and my daughter were nearby. Panicking, she was pulled out of the sea, shell-shocked. She was drenched in the sand the retreating waters had deposited on her. She was pale with shock, words failing her. She was brave and courageous not to make the others despondent. I was not there – I was walking towards them to join them at the beach. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">As my daughter narrated the happening, I was forced to put up a brave face – not for anything else, but to bring her back to as normal as I could. But, it took a couple of days for normalcy to return. I still cannot think about what would have …<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Now you know why this was not written on the eighteenth, seventeenth … or earlier. I probably had taken things for granted. I was wrong. I should have been posting this every year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As Veena and I enter the twentieth year of our marriage on 5 May 2011 (twenty-fourth of our courtship), it is a case of better late than never.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
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</div>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-29001320776112169612011-04-02T20:02:00.000+05:302011-04-02T20:02:38.002+05:30<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CRITIQUE OF THE CRICKET WORLD CUP 2011 – PART 1 – UDRS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is just about half-way in the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 (WC) in Mumbai; with Sri Lanka going good, I thought it was time to put my thoughts about this rather long event. I am not going to talk, in this series, a word about individual and team performances; neither am I going to talk what the newspapers have all talked. I am going to critique the WC – there have been far too many things I have not liked in this WC. So many things that the mainstream media have been glossing over and the ICC has been glossing over (as if anyone expected ICC to be proactive – they are not even properly reactive!). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First on my list is the Umpires’ Decision Review System (UDRS), and I will stick to this term – ICC, in deference to the umpires’ objection, have dropped the ‘U’ from the abbreviation to make it DRS. It does not take a dumbass to understand that the review is on the umpires’ decisions – not a review of why a batsman got hit on the pad or why he edged and not a review of why the bowler got the edge of the bat before it hit the pad or why the bowler missed the edge of the bat on the way to the ‘keeper. So even before UDRS has settled down, here we are, making the first ‘U’ turn, and pardon the pun!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What is a review for? It is just the one party is not happy with a decision and has chosen to appeal against the decision to a so-called higher authority. So, once a decision goes up, it has to be finalized there; returning the call to the umpire who made the supposedly wrong decision, at least in the eyes of the aggrieved party, simply does not meet the ends of natural justice. If only all jurisprudence was conducted in this manner, the entire world would be anarchy by now – not that is too far away anyway! Far too many decisions have been bounced back to the men who made the avowedly wrong decision in the first place; this means that far too many decisions have not been decisively taken by the higher appellate authority. Only the ICC is to blame for this mess. How? Read on.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The ridiculous 2.5m rule is one of the culprits, and probably the biggest one. Though, in the light of the Ian Bell decision, ICC decided to take the proverbial ‘one step forward’, actually it was two steps backward. Let me tell the ICC that to thrust an unproven system in an important event as the WC simply does not wash. ICC should have stuck to the decision if they felt they were right. People may praise the ICC is proactively responding to an evolving system, but no sports governing body worth its salt will trial a system at its flagship event. As simple as that.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Next is the absence of the Hot Spot – a superb defence-related technology that shows, using infra-red cameras, the spots where the ball has made contact as it passes the stumps. The excuse is that there are very few cameras in the world and will not be enough for all the matches to be covered. If you don’t have the equipment, don’t trial anything that is equipment-dependent. You can’t start a multiplex without the projecting equipment. The excuse is that these cameras are very costly. If you can’t meet the cost, don’t even think of it; it is a case of low-living, high-thinking. Any small kid knows that you cannot get a Rs.30 ice cream if you take Rs.10 to the vendor! There is also a minor issue of ICC forcing the rights-holding TV companies to invest in these cameras. If ICC wants these images, it is they who should invest, not force it on the TV companies. It is a bit like asking someone to buy lingerie for your wife! But ICC says the UDRS is fine even without hot spot, surely an ostrich-like attitude. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;">It is actually very easy to include hot spot – let ICC buy enough of them. After all, ICC is flush with money; if ICC is broke, ask BCCI to buy some and lease them wherever required – BCCI will only be happy at seizing another money-making opportunity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The ball-tracking technology is another major issue – there are at least two technologies available, Virtual Eye and Hawk Eye. We all saw that the ball tracking shows different points of impact when these technologies are used. I remember seeing a photograph from the Ashes where one technology showed the ball hitting pad at least three inches higher – a critical input going wrong when one of those technologies is used. You surely would not want to be hanged on such evidence, but ICC are adamant that no matter what technology is used – they have no say in the matter – UDRS must go through. Add to this mix the 2.5m rule, and the only spelling you get is ‘confusion’ – certainly not the right frame of mind for anyone to be out there reviewing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The only answer that ICC has is that UDRS is an evolving system. Any sane organization, as I have already stated, does not use ‘evolving’ technology in such an important event. That much for ICC’s sanity. The telecasts have been showing various statistics about the success of reviews made through the UDRS by various teams. This is just hogwash and driven by ICC publicity – these are just numbers that show how successfully teams have exploited a technical inconsistency to their advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Talking of technical inconsistency, ICC seem to promote exactly that and nothing more. How else do you explain the use of any ball-tracking technology, optional use of hot spot cameras, etc. The decision is also left to consensus in bilateral series. Shambolic. Will UEFA allow use of goal-line technology in the Champions League and not use it in the Europa League? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That probably fully explains why BCCI is reluctant to sign in to UDRS. I fully support India’s decision not to go with the UDRS. The UDRS is just a half-baked system to show that ICC is doing something to get more fairness into the game, but sorry folks, ICC is dialing the wrong number on this. The sooner we get this out or get COMPLETE uniformity, UDRS will not get my vote – not that it matters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-86924131303055160992011-02-13T11:50:00.000+05:302011-02-13T11:50:03.886+05:30<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A THRILLING JOURNEY<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A film can hold the attention of the viewers even without songs, romance, vulgarity, unnecessary fight scenes, an item number and some violence. Trash the time-tested formula that includes all of the above, and you are in trouble as a producer. Right? Wrong. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ask the Prakash Raj–Radhamohan combine. They have done wonderfully well so far with movies I loved – offbeat themes like Mozhi and Abhiyum Naanum (the two that I watched, though there are more!) – and their latest offering comes as a bit of a surprise. Surprise that it contains none of the elements that every film has to have; surprise that central to the theme is, you guessed it, the Central Government; surprise that the key elements of this successful essay are satire and comedy, with a bit of drama thrown in.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The parodying of a hero bashing up a hundred baddies in a fight scene; the government bending over backwards to release terrorists, first for a minister’s daughter and then for precious lives of aam aadmi (surprising that governments even think of aam aadmi!!); the vote-bank politics and the resultant calculations of the electoral arithmetic should the hijack drama go wrong are all spot on.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The hijack drama is the driving wheel of this movie – the plotting of a commando operation; the plotting to just foil the commando operation. There are wheels within wheels, though. The comedy, read, satirical track is subtle at times and forceful at others, though never once departing from what the movie sets out to achieve. The Shining Star hero, Dr Narayana Shastry (astrologist and all in one), an eloping wife, a once-eloped wife and her now-confessing husband, a doctor and a reluctant co-passenger, a mandatory priest and an even mandatory Pakistani-baby-operated-for-heart-condition-in-India character drive the driving wheel. The hijackers, of course come as they should – sometimes cruel, sometimes ruthless, sometimes sympathetic and, in the end, heartless as to shove a bomb stealthily in the heart patient child’s satchel.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If I were to talk of Prakash Raj and Nagarjuna and the score of others vis-à-vis their acting in this movie, I can only say two words – spot on. All roles are etched to almost perfection – they linger in your psyche long after it is all over. Just as the raison d’être of surrenders to hijackers. Thoughtful is the twist in the tale where the to-be-released terrorist is killed in an avalanche. Thoughtful is the script when a small-time movie actor is asked to essay the role of the dead terrorist – redoing the role again with great hilarity and a supposed commitment to the nation. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The background score is right without being extravagant, the cinematography is good without being picture-postcard-perfect – this is not a feel-good romantic running-around-the-trees movie, after all. The dialogues pack a hearty laugh; they also trigger a thought-process of what has been so far and what could have been if the previous real-life hijacks were handled with the interest of the nation in mind. All characters are essayed without the minimum of fuss – that translates into a maximum of effect, with no overdose of any single aspect. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All in all, a wholesome entertainer that the Prakash Raj–Radhamohan combine has pulled off. And, if newspapers have it to be believed, through the pre-release courtroom drama, this movie has probably given the combine another food-for-thought script for their next movie – how wives can be useful even after divorce!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-43442013142881243782010-10-11T09:47:00.000+05:302010-10-11T09:47:15.307+05:30<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Endhiran - WYSIWYG</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WYSIWYG in most of the Rajni’s films. The same goes for Shankar’s films too. Both of them are adept in dishing out ‘formula’ films. If a dash of comedy and style was the usual seasoning in the former’s flavour, ‘hero versus corruption in the society’ is the latter’s. When these two master chefs decided to conjure up something different three years ago and named it after the ultimate thespian of tamil cinema, it turned out to be the most definitive talking point between any two individuals at that time. ‘Simultaneous worldwide release’ was a phrase never known to any Tamil film distributor, until ‘Sivaji- The Boss’ happened. From then on, every release of ‘anybody who claims that he is a somebody’ in Tamil cinema was touted as a Mega Release. If ‘Sivaji …’ has ignited that trend, ‘Endhiran’, yet another Rajni–Shankar combo has certainly exploded all over the world, in terms of marketing and release.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But what about the signature flavour of both? It may have been 30 months since author Sujatha had passed away, but his trademark spices still waft throughout the film. Shankar’s fondness for ‘what-if’ films continues in Endhiran too. If ‘Indhian’ showed glimpses of his taste to this particular genre, ‘Mudhalvan’ turned out to be his best until ‘Endhiran’ happened. Shankar continues the same here too, with ‘what if a robot (Rajni) develops human emotions?’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Scientist Vaseegaran (Rajni) develops an ‘All-in-all-azhagu-raja’ robot that does everything, except emoting. (Shankar, I must say, has struck gold here, by choosing an actor who’s not well known for expression of any emotion on the screen! It is difficult to imagine a dumbed down version of Kamal or SRK! ). As in any sci-fi film, there’s always a mad scientist and that role is reprised by Danny Dengzongpa. When cornered by the latter, Vaseegaran ‘imparts’ human emotions to his new creation. From then on, ‘the show begins’. Oh, I forgot! There’s also a love interest for Vaseegaran, in the form of Aishwarya Rai. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While Shankar cuts to the chase right from scene one, he loses his breath midway and towards the end falls into the Helen/Alam formula – ‘glam-doll heroine dancing and luring the villain in his den’. Thankfully, he quickly recovers and resorts to what he knows best, CGA. And the film makes or breaks with this acronym. Courtesy a meiotic reproduction, the screen is engulfed with monster robots out to destroy everything, ensuring mayhem in town, Shankar ensures that Sun Productions spends at least one-third of the budget for the last 15 minutes. And as it happens in most of Shankar’s film, the protagonist, in spite of being the ‘raison d’être’ for tearing the city to shreds, is grandly released by a jury. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rajni, as Vaseegaran, looks old and jaded. One of the biggest let downs in ‘Endhiran’ is the lack of typical Rajni-isms – without any punch dialogues or a grand Rajni-entry song, something seems amiss. Perhaps, it is deliberate on Shankar’s to rip apart the old formula and to create a new Rajni aura. It is only the robot Rajni that saves the grace for Rajni fans. Especially for diehard Rajni fans. He ignites a spark into an otherwise dumb robot. His gaits and his menacing looks add a different panache to the character. Apart from wearing some skimpy dresses and prancing around UNESCO heritage sites, the story ensures that Ms Rai has nothing much to do. Santhanam and Karunas seem a complete misfit and this could perhaps be the first Rajni or Shankar’s film that is devoid of comedy. With Rajni – the scientist and the robot – taking up almost three-fourths of the dialogue, there isn’t much for others to speak and most of the other known names just breeze past. Rahman’s music is more like a Dravid innings – taking time to build up, but when it does, it is savoured for long. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A catchy line for a popular retail store in Chennai belts out, ‘Brammandamai … Brammandamai …’. I am no great fan of the quality of the dish served there. The same goes for ‘Endhiran’ too. However, it is worth a dekko if not for anything but to announce proudly amongst your friends that you too have swum with the current. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">PS: This review is by Rajaram, who has a </span><a href="http://nrajaram.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">blog</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. Either he is too lazy or too busy to keep it updated! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">My comments: For a change, I am happy not to be swimming with the current!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-19637043530675614742010-10-10T11:24:00.000+05:302010-10-10T11:24:23.841+05:30<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">BRINDAVAN – THE REAL SUPERFAST<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(Sequel to the Cardex Cardiacs)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After all the trouble taken to book the tickets and all the trouble taken to wait in anticipation for more than two long months to embark on the first ever trip on the Brindavan, the day did not dawn – we were up even as it was dark. After finishing the morning chores, filling up water containers (not sure if they were glass bottles or stainless steel koojas, as they call them in Tamil), checking out on the luggage and the tickets, we were out at a rather bright time in Madras – around 0645 hrs. Boarding a taxi, we reached Madras Central (MAS) in about 15 minutes from Perambur. We headed to PF 1, where the most prestigious trains were parked for departure those days, and quickly settled into our seats in what I think was coach ‘C’. Coach identifiers those days were only alphabets; I think one or two of the later letters like S and T were for the upper class coaches, A through R was for the Second Class coaches of those days.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The seats were wooden, three by three separated by an aisle. The capacity was even then 108 seats to the coach, with a door after the first 48. The wooden seats were punctured with holes forming a pattern of a large SR on the backrests – were these patterns made on the seats also, I cannot recollect. Large coir carpets welcomed us into each coach – yes, they were placed at every vestibule, to overcome the uneven nature of the footplate of one coach overlapping the other!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We had two window seats facing each other and one middle seat – dad was not travelling with us. He would come down towards the last week of May, which was to be our last week of travel, make a quick dash to Bijapur (BJP) to his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sasuraal</i>, accompany us back to Hubli (UBL) and then to MAS. The scheduled departure was 0800; the Coromandel was scheduled to depart 0810 from PF 2, as I hazily remember – it could also have been the other way.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As we bade good-bye to our dad and the numerous other senders-off (most of them for seeing the unique green and yellow liveried train, rather than sending off their relatives), the engine started pulling out the train. I must confess I do not remember whether it was a steam or a diesel; chances were we could have been hauled by a steam loco. We quickly picked up speed as we passed Basin Bridge (BBQ) and braked for moving into the main line at the Veysarpadi (VPY) cabin. As we merged with the mainline, the train picked up speed and passed the Perambur (PER) station in about a couple of minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As we passed PER, a huge rustling noise caught our attention. It was the sound of the Pantry Car shutters opening. As soon as the door opened, calls of ‘kaapi, kaapi’, ‘chaai, chaaya’ and ‘idly vada’ rent the air. People started loosening their purse strings and had their first gulp of tea / coffee. Served in disposable plastic (rather thick for a disposable) cup, the coffee was very good – at least I remember it to be very good. It was a fight between my sister and me to throw out the third cup through the window – we had thrown out our own cups; mother’s cup was to be done. We arrived at a compromise – my sister would get the first turn to throw out mom’s cup; I would get my turn when we had our second cup later in the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I remember crossing Arakkonam (AJJ) in about an hour and, rushing past at about 30 kmph, there were many surprised souls in the train, some even wondering aloud about the non-stop run at AJJ. We blasted past stations one by one – the tracks were so well maintained that I do not recollect today any caution orders that slowed us down. We reached Katpadi (KPD) at what I remember as around 0950, and started in about a couple of minutes. We picked up speed as we joined the main line and again started blasting past stations like Ambur and Vaniyambadi at mps. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was around 1100 when we screeched to a halt at Jolarpettai (JTJ). The brief two minute halt was stretched to five minutes – not many bothered, though. This was a chance to take a small walk to stretch the idle limbs out on the platform. Adjacent to my coach, steel trays, covered with newspapers were being loaded – these contained fresh, crispy, golden brown medu vadas, dal vadas, packets of tamarind rice, sambar rice, lemon rice and curd rice (I am not using the word ‘bath’ or ‘bhath’ for the rice, chastened by the need for a clarification for the uninitiated on whether people actually take a bath in tamarind and the like </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Verdana; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Verdana; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We must have left around 1106 or 1107, and quickly took the huge right curve, veering away from the line towards Salem. We crossed the JTJ link cabin in good speed, and blasted past Somanayakanpatti. We then braked hard to slow down to about 30 (or could even have been 45) as we crossed the home signal at Patchur. Here, I cannot but help sympathise at the status of Brindavan these days – even a thought of a stoppage at Patchur would be considered blasphemy – the controller, had it been a dictatorial regime, would be summarily hanged without explanation! Now, even a hilarious talk of a halt at Patchur for the Brindavan does not elicit as much as a snigger – it sparks off a thread of about twenty mails on the mailing list (yours truly included). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We exited the ghats and blasted past Kuppam, Bangarpet and many more ‘wayside’ stations and slowed down a bit only when we reached Baiyappanahalli; we reached the third stop of the day, Bangalore Cantonment (BNC) at 1240. A quick two minutes later, we began snaking our way on the curves past the trackside bungalows – don’t bother to see them these days, they are all multi-storeyed apartments – and pulled into a curvy Platform 1 at Bangalore City at about 1250. On time? No way, we were before time by at least 10 minutes; if our departure, which I speculated to have been at 0800 was right. If our departure had been 0810, then we were in at least 20 minutes before time. To think that we start threads if the Shatabdi these days arrives five minutes before time!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We alighted to be surprised at the fact that not one soul on PF1 made a beeline for the coaches – each one heeded the announcement that the coaches were being cleaned and passengers had to wait for clearance to enter. Amazing! We then made out way past the crowd, deposited our entire locked luggage in the cloak room and exited the station building. We took a right turn, walked past Hotel Pavana (?) and entered the Krishna Vilas for a sumptuous meal, before we would go sightseeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We would continue our journey by the SBC-Miraj (MRJ) Mail/Passenger – that has to wait for some more time. Meanwhile, a request for confirmation of the timings in the report above – those having TTs of early 1970s, please correct me. Thanks for the reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-16743479726238783242010-10-09T15:40:00.003+05:302010-10-09T22:51:28.139+05:30<h2 class="title icon" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; display: block; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; font: normal normal bold 14px/normal Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;">Cardex Cardiacs!</span></span></h2><div class="content" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div id="post_message_2458" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><blockquote class="postcontent restore " style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;">I am not sure about the year – could have been anytime between 1972 and 1974. We were planning for the summer vacation – my parents, my younger sister and I. We were all pretty desperate to travel on what was the real express then – and probably the fastest on SR – the Brindavan Express. We had heard stories from friends about how fast the train was, about how they had a ‘kitchen’ inside the train, about how they prepared food in that ‘kitchen’ and served to the passengers, about how the cups could be thrown away after drinking the coffee/tea – all with an awe that is unique to kids of our age. I would have been anything between six and eight years old; my sister two years younger – and quite an impressionable age to be awestruck by these things. <br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" /><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" />We had been pestering our dad to book us by the Brindavan – we were always headed to Bangalore (SBC) and thence to Hubli (UBL), thence to Bijapur (BJP) for the first leg. The return was also the same route. He had been stonewalling – who would ‘pay’ for the tickets, he asked. As an employee of ICF, he was eligible for free passes and PTOs, the latter providing a concession of one-third of the fare (one-sixth for dependent children eligible for half tickets). All the stories heard about the Brindavan came from class and school friends whose parents were not shackled by the free travel – the money saved on the fare had to be saved by us – those were the days!<br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" /><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" />During one of the evenings, my dad came and broke the news – Brindavan was ‘dereserved’ for free passes and PTOs. That meant we could now reserve on the Brindavan and travel for free. So we set about fixing dates and working out connections onward to UBL. After my parents figured out the dates, we then set about figuring out a date to go out and book tickets at the Advance Reservation Counters of the Madras Central booking office – it is only now that we have the PRS and the e- and i-tickets!<br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" />One rather warm Saturday morning in early February, at about 0330 hrs, my father woke me up and asked me to get ready for the ticket booking mela. He had returned home at 0230 completing his Friday night shift and he was ready, just for our sake. We walked down the three-fourths of a kilometer to Perambur and took some mail that was in at that time and reached the counter at about 0415.<br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" /><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" />At that rather unearthly hour, there were already a few bricks – yes bricks – representing people who would join later in the queue. We would have been about the twentieth or so in the odd-date counter for Brindavan.</span></span></blockquote><br />
<blockquote class="postcontent restore " style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><b style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;">About the counters</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" /><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" />Each train had a separate counter for II class, either sitting or sleeping, two or three tier. Some popular trains like the Brindavan, the NIlgiri, the Bangalore Mail, etc. had two counters each – one for odd dates of travel and another for even dates. For the upper class, read FC and Air-conditioned two tier, about six or seven trains were bunched to a counter. If you had to travel second class and the date you wanted to leave was full, you either had the choice to make for travelling two days early or two days late; otherwise, you had to start all over standing at the tail end of the queue for the odd/even date! Unless, of course, you planned for the 31st of a month<img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://forum.irfca.org/images/smilies/smile.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-width: 0px; max-width: 800px; position: relative; top: 2px;" title="Smile" /></span></span></blockquote><br />
<blockquote class="postcontent restore " style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span><b style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;">About the process</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" /><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" />The cardex method was followed in booking tickets. A rudimentary explanation of the cardex method is due here. You could visualize a large sheet or polished cardboard, bleached and printed, about the size twice that of a double foolscap paper, or the A2, as we know it today. On this was printed rows and columns, each sheet holding one day of travel. Each column could hold data for three/four coaches depending upon the capacity. The train number, class and date were filled in before the first berth/seat was booked. This was done using a variant of today’s marker pen – double bold and probably in 32-point sized font, handwritten. A thicker cardboard was used to secure fifteen/sixteen/thirty such sheets representing one month of booking. The name of the passenger, age, sex, ticket number (card or BPT) was written against each berth/seat. The quotas were well marked; so were lower, middle and upper berths. I did not notice any cardex having window seats indicated. There was normally no way one could be booked against another quota – that cell was darkened before the process started for that day!</span></span></blockquote><br />
<blockquote class="postcontent restore " style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><b style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;">What happened to us</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" /><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" />In an inspired move, or well-thought one, my dad asked me to stand in the odd-date queue and he stood in the even-date queue. I was surprised, at about 0600 hours, to see a large number of people enter the hall and take their places – it seemed everybody were headed to our counter, and everybody were ahead of us. My fears were allayed when I saw I was around twentieth from the window; my dad was tenth. We had a flexible option – so we could book on a date whoever reached the counter first.</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</span> <br />
<blockquote class="postcontent restore " style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;">The counter opened at 0700, and people began to book tickets. Some had travel dates that were not on the cardex of the clerk, he had to go to the large shelf and fetch the correct cardex for the month and thumb the edges for the date. For some, the cardex had not been opened at all – he had to fetch a balank cardex, fill out all the train details in marker, then bind it with a tag to a cardboard. As the tickets were removed from the slot, he had to write the name of the passenger and the age at the back of ticket, besides coach ‘A’ or whatever. Then he had to repeat the same process on the cardex and then collect cash and hand over the tickets. All this took a long time – almost four to five minutes per transaction.<br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" /><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" />My dad’s turn came at about 0830, sadly there were no tickets for the 16th of April. Our next choice was 18th, so that we could finish our booking. There was no cardex opened for this date as yet! The clerk went out and took his sweet time to bring the cardex – but he had the master details filled up as he brought it! Quicky filling out the details on the cardex and on the free pass, he proceeded to bring out a book. He inserted the carbon papers at the right sheets and filled out our request for onward reservation by the Bangalore-Miraj Mail/Pass leaving Bangalore at 1730 thereabouts. This would be forwarded to SBC via telegraph. All such requests would be processed in batches at SBC by a separate person; a reply would be sent to MAS confirming reservation, or informing a WL number or no room was available. Invariably, the reply was not forthcoming – we had to check out in SBC upon arrival and get the details <img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://forum.irfca.org/images/smilies/smile.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-width: 0px; max-width: 800px; position: relative; top: 2px;" title="Smile" /><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" /><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" />Luckily, we got two window seats and two middle seats facing each other. As we found out later, our onward reservations were also confirmed; so were the return reservations. The journey was a memorable one – our first on the Brindavan, but that report will have to wait for some time.<br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" /><br style="-webkit-box-shadow: none !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important;" />My father recalls these things during a small talk this last week as he is recuperating from an small surgery to remove a cataract from his left eye – he has been barred from reading the newspaper and watching the TV – I thought it would be of interest to reminisce about this. </span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</span> <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;">This is also available </span><a href="http://forum.irfca.org/showthread.php/753-Cardex-Cardiacs!"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;">.</span></div></div>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-76030176591210563432010-08-19T22:57:00.000+05:302010-08-19T22:58:45.867+05:30<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small; ">OLD ARCHITECTS OF MADRAS</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Silence is golden ...</span></span></div>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-47962751706014682262010-08-18T23:41:00.000+05:302010-08-18T23:44:32.758+05:30<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-size:10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">GRAFFITI – CHOLA STYLE<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">A minute or two into his presentation, Pradeep Chakravarthy broke into a song. It was actually a wonderful rendition of a verse by Sundaramurthy Nayanar on the life and times of the Chola period – life and times of a city that was not yet Madras, but bears such a resemblance to the life and times of these days. If you are wondering if it was a musical drama on the life and times of Madras during the Chola era, you are wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">It was a perfect presentation, as perfect as you get them. The villages, spreading from Tiruvottriyur to Mylapore – of the modern day, of course – were the samples of a republican form of government gained root. Yes, the vastness of the kingdom meant that the king was only a titular head, of course more powerful than the rubber stamps we have today. Everyone down the line handled their responsibilities admirably and with such integrity. The fear of punishment even drove a few to suicide.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">It is a rather surprising revelation from Pradeep that the percentage of religious and mythological detail in the inscription on the walls of the villages – during the Chola era – was zero! The inscriptions, mainly in Tamil and Sanskrit with a bit of Telugu or Kannada thrown in detail more of the social life and governance of those days. Such a treasure is often lost to renovation and modernization – irrevocably most of the times. Most of these inscriptions talk of gifts made to the kingdom, landmark judgments, landholdings, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">These inscriptions were found in places as far as Manali, Tiruvottriyur, Mylapore, Tiruvallikeni, and many more. Most importantly, all these spoke of things that happened far and wide. For example, you could find an inscription in Manali about some aspect of life in faraway Thiruvidanthai, on ECR of today!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The territorial divisions according to the inscriptions were country, state (known as mandalam), district (kutram, Kottam, or valanadu), taluk (nadu), city (tani ur), town (agaram, mangalam) and village (ur) – I simply hope that I have got them right. Administration was through a mix of central authority and regional autonomy. Overall administration rested with the Alunganathars (Executive Committees); the Eri Variyam took care of lakes and water bodies; the Pon Variyam checked the quality of the gold donated/paid to the Mahasabha.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Temple properties were probably managed by the committees in Manali and Velacheri, the collection of dues was the responsibility of Tirusulam, Velacheri and Koyambedu and the policing was done by the kavalkarars of Tiruvottriyur. Taxes were collected from land owners, who were both private and communal. Land could be sold to anyone. The rough calculation was that you could get a kilo of rice for what would be 0.0001 paise!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The major professionals of those times were weavers, gold- and blacksmiths, oil mongers, watchmen, upperalathan (salt pan worker), potter, merchants (They even had guilds, and had understanding with other guilds too. They also offered protection to immigrants called nanadesis!), devadasis and savarnnas (doctors!). The first strike recorded during those times was the one called and observed by the devadasis! In fact, intervention of many levels did not assuage the devadasis; they repeatedly went on strike. Only the intervention of the king finally led to some semblance of agreement.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">While inscriptions still have so many stories to tell, Pradeep is rightly saddened and aghast at the fact that whatever little we have are being lost to modernity. Even in those days, there were inscriptions that were older inscriptions – they just mentioned that they were copies of some earlier inscription that should not be lost to renovation. That foresight and awareness is sadly lacking today, and any conservation always begins with a round of sand-blasting – a sure way to lose them permanently.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">And when Pradeep ended with an appeal to preserve the inscriptions, the rather respectable crowd was awaiting with questions. His presentation was lucid, very understandable and not heavy at all on the crowd considering the rather historical nature of the subject. He took questions with aplomb, and unlike most erudite history researchers, was quick to accept that he did not know some facts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The end of another wonderful evening, when Pradeep began with a bang and ended with, er, another bang, left me wondering with another small matter. Pradeep is one helluva speaker, but I would love to have him sing too – given his multifaceted nature, I am sure he can wear two hats at the same time and look handsome too!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">I am not sure this is as accurate as the subject deserves – these are only notes of what I heard and what found a place in my scrapbook. Apologies in advance if any errors have crept in – these are purely by oversight and unintentional.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-29685642924587483072010-08-18T14:58:00.000+05:302010-08-18T22:10:58.235+05:30<div align="left"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small; ">NALLA PRESENTATION-NA, YES, IDHU THAAN</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small; "><br /></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">It is often said – and I have had quite a few experiences myself – that a good writer does not always make a good speaker, though there are a hazaar exceptions. This was at the back of my mind as I walked in to the third lecture of the Madras Musings Lecture Series. This was a talk on Tanglish in Tamil Movies by the noted film critic and that wonderful writer, Baradwaj Rangan.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />I have known Baradwaj just a bit from my freelancing days when Samanth used to write for Brahmma Features; we would have said a fleeting ‘Hi’ just that once or twice. But I have always loved his columns and reviews – that was one reason I did not want the theory of good writers to be proved.<br />Baradwaj, it is surprising, as I heard out Sriram introduce him, has done quite a bit that I had not suspected. An engineering degree, a Masters in the US, an advertising career, IT career, and finally into journalism.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />It all, however, began on the wrong foot – the audio refused to make a noise about thirty seconds into the presentation. It took a rather long ten minutes and a possible ingenious solution to get the audio fixed. It was really no looking back from there.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />Baradwaj, like most speakers – more like most gifted writers – had his presentation segmented very properly. He played a few clips, talked a bit, then played a few clips, talked a bit – the talking was about the reason why Tanglish was there in the dialogue or the song that was played. He started off about his conversation with Thamarai, that lyricist who refuses, and rightly so, to use non-Tamil words in her film songs. Apparently, Thamarai, just before hanging up on the phone, asked Baradwaj “Idhu than ungal enna?” That set the perfect tone of what justification existed for use of non-Tamil words in films.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />He had the reasons well researched; the clips to go with these were masterfully selected. As was his manner of presentation. One reason for Tanglish, he said, was youth. Youth tend to go hip-hop with their lingo too, interspersing the local language with the foreign one, in this case interspersing Tamil with English. Sometimes, youth also meant club dances, where Tamil was a strict no-no in films; sometimes it was considered anti-Tamil kalaacharam to talk in Tamil if you were an educated young thing.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />The next reason was the roles played – roles of the educated and highly successful professional. Rarely do we see such a character speak in chaste Tamil throughout the movie – there are at least as many English words intertwined as there are scenes, if not more! The lack of knowledge would make these characters the target of ridicule. Also, it was a good theme to present one of the hero/heroine as a well-educated English-speaking person and the other as a country bumpkin!<br />Another reason Baradwaj spelt out was the upper-class background, education, and lots of money at the disposal making the character compulsive English speakers. These characters read magazines like Readers’ Digest, SPAN (sigh!), etc. And directors of these films always credited themselves with their qualifications in the titles!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />Generation gap was as good a reason as any to have the younger generation speak English dialogues and the older generation mouth them in Tamil. This also gave rise to several hilarious situations that were the result of Tanglish!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />Use of English was also used to depict a bit of negativity, according to Baradwaj. The women were generally shown as shrews and the men as arrogant snobs. He showcased the prime example of M R Radha in Ratha-k-kaneer taking to English when he had a good life, and switching to Tamil when he actually needed help and sympathy.<br /><br />Finally, Baradwaj made the moot point – English was used to bridge the gap and communicate better on screen. Some directors made a character translate the English into Tamil to another character on screen, thus ensuring the audience understood a piece of dialogue delivered in an alien tongue. And, even more hilariously, some directors had English governors and the like mouthing chaste Tamil – all for better communication with the viewer.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />It was truly a memorable evening, the initial faux pas with the audio notwithstanding. Though the nervousness showed, particularly after the audio tangle, enhanced by the electrifying presence of a phalanx of film personalities led by the one and only K Balachander, Baradwaj did not let it dominate. And, it turned out exactly as I have speculated in the first paragraph about good writers making good speakers. Yes, Baradwaj joins the hazaar or so good, very good writers making good speakers. Or should we say in Tanglish “Nee oru nalla writer-nnu than nenaichen, I am surprised, nee oru romba nalla speaker kooda!” </span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><div align="left"><br />A partial list of movies from which clippings were screened:<br />Punnagai Mannan<br />Baama Vijayam<br />Then Nilavu<br />Padiththal Mattum Podhuma<br />Gauravam<br />Pattikaada Pattanama<br />Ratha-k-kaneer<br />Anbe Vaa<br />Mannan<br />Velaikkaran<br />Vettaiyadu Vilayadu </div></span>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-5106794389057344812010-08-16T22:18:00.001+05:302010-08-16T23:17:53.805+05:30<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">AN OVERWHELMING EVENING</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">He ends his talk, asks </span><a href="http://sriramv.wordpress.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Sriram</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> to finish the formalities and tells the audience he is running a montage of Chandrababu’s songs. “Those who are interested can stay on”, he says. Not a soul moves. That is </span><a href="http://mohanramanmuses.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Mohan Raman</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> for you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">As Mohan completes his presentation, I am at my wits’ end – how do I blog a review of this evening with the massive amount of notes I have taken? And, as I thought about Mohan and his travails – how the hell could he have researched, met the right people, sourced the film clips and put together a presentation like that? If Mohan could take all that trouble for not just about a hundred people that evening, but for his love for the city, I had to say so. And say so through my blog.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">As I saunter into The Park on Nungambakkam High Road at around 1820 hrs., happy that I have made it early to find a seat for myself, I find almost all seats taken, but not a soul. They are at the snack counter, eager to finish off before the presentation begins. The hero of the day arrives a little later, well in time for his talk, but the hall is full, notwithstanding the extra chairs commandeered for the crowd, and people end up sitting on the carpets. That is Mohan Raman for you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Mohan has been presenting for the Chennai Heritage lecture series for four years now, and things have never been different. Always pulling in the crowds, Mohan regales us with wonderful anecdotes, wittily presented. A lovable chide here when a mobile blares, a quick repartee there make the evenings great fun.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This year the lecture was on Madras Bashai and the man who introduced it – J P Chandrababu, that master of the silver screen. Babu, as we shall refer him now on, was a performer par excellence with a wonderful talent for singing, dancing, acting and, as Mohan put it, calling a spade a spade, not matter who or what it was about. This last trait of Babu’s probably ended up with Babu having squirmishes with the probably the entire phalanx of stars of the Tamil tinsel world. Babu was extremely confident in his talents and his films reflected that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Mohan spun in a perfect example of Babu’s supreme confidence. When Sahodarigal was made by AVM and the edited work was viewed, Chettiar, as AVM was fondly known, worried a lot about how a tearjerker could make it big at the box office. He called for Babu and asked him to see the movie. Babu’s first reaction was that it would bomb and he said as much. Chettiar asked Babu if he could do something. Babu asked for seven days, a few artistes and a free hand to have scenes inserted wherever he wanted. Most importantly, Babu asked for a lakh as remuneration when Chettiar was mulling a tenth of that! Babu, in his plainspeaking tone told off Chettiar: “You lose six lakh if you don’t pay me one lakh”. Such was Babu’s supreme confidence in himself he landed that job, finished the scripting, filming, re-editing and handed over the film to Chettiar in the given time. The film was runaway winner at the box office!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Another interesting nugget was the ‘contrived’ and ‘acted’ out fight between Babu and Sivaji Ganesan in Sabash Meena. In one scene when Babu is asked to stay outside the house with the hand rickshaw, Sivaji enters and picks up an argument. Sivaji little expected Babu to land a blow. The shot was cut, and the next time, Babu gives a shove at Sivaji’s face with his palm. Arguments follow, all when the cameras are rolling (Sivaji too utters a few choice Madras Bashai words here)! At the end, Babu makes a public apology on the camera, as Sivaji exits the scene. A wonderful impromptu performance, notwithstanding the man opposite was as big a superstar as you got!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The most hilarious episode of the evening for me was the way Babu behaved at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. Invited after a performance to rejuvenate the jawans post the 1962 war with China, MSV, Babu and Sivaji were closeted with the then President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. The President asks for a performance, but the three are aghast – the orchestra is already on its way home! Undeterred, MSV asks for a harmonium and Babu sings Pirakkum pothum azhuginran … for the President. Half way through the song, as the President is immersed in the philosophy of the song, Babu jumps across and sits on the President’s lap and continues singing – something that makes the others aghast, but the President enjoys, gently running his fingers through Babu’s hairs!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">There were a lot of such interesting snippets of information rendered in an inimitable style only Mohan can. Some of them were how Babu managed to meet S S Vasan; how he picked up Madras Bashai at Triplicane and Mir Sahibpet; his performance in Gul-e-bagavali; his yodeling – then a first in Indian cinema; the irony of Babu playback singing for Sivaji in Kalyanam Panniyum Brahmmachari and for Veenai Balachander in AVM’s Penn, but having Sirkazhi Govindarajan sing for Babu in Sabash Meena; Babu successfully getting in the baila genre through Kungumapoove Konjupurave –</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> a massive hit even today; </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">MSV failing Babu in a voice test and Babu getting his revenge as he rejected tune after tune, only to appreciate the fine work when MSV actually dances out the song – the list is endless.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Babu’s personal life was not a bed of roses – a failed marriage, a not-so-successful beginning and end to his film career, his alcoholism, the list can go on. All this laid bare by Mohan, right in the presence of one of Babu’s family lent a great deal of authenticity. Not that we really needed proof; Mohan is so careful and authentic in his research. His presence is commanding, laugh-a-minute type.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">My daughters ask me the question, “Appa, when is Seenu Sir’s lecture this year?” My folks have hated the character Seenu Sir in the Tamil serial Anandam – but loved the actor. I only have this to say: Seenu Sir, if there is one lecture that the entire family turns out to listen to, it is Mohan Raman’s – no matter what he talks about! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" line-height:115%;Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For one of the most versatile actors the Tamil film industry has ever seen, the homage could not have come on a platform more apt and by a person more apt. Such was Mohan’s performance that Babu, had he been around, would have been overwhelmed and compelled to say ‘Superaa kalakkitiye – innoru daba sollu naina!”</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 14px; font-size:13px;"> </span></p></span></div>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-53886555648099013122010-08-15T23:15:00.000+05:302010-08-16T09:30:52.726+05:30<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">AN UNDERWHELMING START</span></span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Compared to my rush to reach Music Academy for Landmark 2010, the relaxed manner in which Sivakumar and I reached Taj Connemara was not a surprise. The reason I had even decided to give the finals of the Landmark Quiz (we have never been on stage so far, so that could never be the reason) was that I had a date with the first of the Madras Musings Lecture Series of the Madras Week 2010.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">After a rather good time snacking around and catching up with the familiar faces from <a href="http://sridharjoshi.blogspot.com/2009/08/enthralling-beginning-madras-week-day-1.html">last year’s lectures</a>, it was time to sit in attention to catch up with what <a href="http://www.sivasankari.com/english/">Sivasankari</a>, the popular Tamil writer. The introductions were done with and Sivasankari was at the mike. Sivasankari was speaking about My Madras – the Madras being the one she grew up and earned a name for herself, not the supposedly post-modern Chennai that we live in.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">She started off describing herself as a typical Madras girl, and rightly so, though she also spent time at Villupuram (during which time she was at Madras for almost half-a-week) – a small self-introduction. She then set the right tone for the day quickly moving on to how the entire family – remember, it was a joint family of close to 40 people at home – stood around as her father hoisted the national flag and the family sung patriotic songs. That really moved me – would have loved to be in such an atmosphere.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sivasankari is writer – hugely successful too. I must confess that I have not read much of her writings, but I have liked what little I have. What stood out today was the planning that had probably gone into her lecture, if she had thought ahead last week as to what she was going to tell us today. What also stood out, purely in my personal opinion, was the same planning – that probably is the reason why this piece is titled so.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">She had segmented her lecture into three distinct segments – Places, People and Events (read festivals). She roped in the audience with little effort, and as it happens at such lectures, the senior citizens who always outnumber youngsters, always have an I-told-you-so or an I-have-been-there-and-done-that-too kind of look if you are rather unfortunate to catch their eye! There were a lot of such moments today, and I must consider myself lucky that flanking me on one side was Sivakumar and on the other was <a href="http://madrasramblings.blogspot.com/">Karthik Bhatt</a> – arguably waiting to be the next big thing on the Madras heritage scene, a status he richly deserves. We will have more about Karthik in a few days’ time if I am lucky; for the moment we can come back to Sivasankari.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sivasankari spoke evocatively about her childhood and youth; about the uncle from Dhanbad whose visits the entire family looked forward to, for this offered a chance to have a series of outings with him; of her moonlit dinners on what was then not considered the done thing – at the Elliot’s Beach; how Adyar was done and dusted at Gandhinagar, beyond which there seemed no tomorrow; about the Sun Theatre which was considered low class in comparison to the Rajakumari – apparently the only movie theatre to be named after an actress (!) – which showcased English movies; how she sneaked in wearing a costume to look like an adult to watch an ‘A’ rated movie at Minerva. What must take the cake, or the ice cream, was the description of her movie watching days at the New Elphinstone – more than the movie, the ice cream at Jaffar’s. A very interesting piece of info was that Jaffar had the ice cream sent to your seat in the movie hall if you paid for it in advance and gave your seat number at the time of ordering the ice cream – for what was the Dress Circle class at there. The Satyams and the PVRs – we have done that before you!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Kapaleeswarar temple, the Island Grounds, the Munroe statue, the Congress grounds also found a mention in the lecture. Another surprise for me was that Modern Café, that wonderful restaurant of yester years actually sold food from a van parked on the Marina; for Sivasankari, though, the attraction was the iced water they served! Her reminiscences also took us to the Woodlands Drive-in, the RR Sabha, her birth place on the Boag Road – this is now a wedding hall! She also had a pet deer when she lived in a huge place on Tirumalai Pillai Road!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">She then seamlessly integrated her next segment, people. Talking with fervour, she narrated how she got to know the then big names like Kamaraj, Bhaktavatchalam, Rajaji, TTK, and many others. She was particularly fond of the Kalki Gardens as she was close to M S Subbulakshmi. She talked of how her father and many contemporaries used these children to help out when they prepared food for the hordes descending on Kumbakonam for the Mahamaham. Apparently at his wits’ end to mix the rice and sambar for the sambar rice, her father had a concrete mixer thoroughly cleaned and used it for making sambar rice!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">The festivals she talked about were Deepavali and the Navaratri. How the parents used to line up the kids as early as 2.30 am to have a ‘gangasnaanam’, the holy bath on Deepavli, how they burst crackers right from 4 am and the wonderful, mouthwatering spread of bakshanams! Navarathri was an equally elaborate affair; the nine-day festival entailing their visits to more than 100 households for kolu, and more than an equal number visiting them!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">She also touched upon her association with both Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, the first family in India’s politics then, now and probably forever! She described how Rajiv Gandhi celebrated her birthday on board the Air Force plane in the midst of a state visit!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Well, if you are wondering what was underwhelming about all this, there are two reasons. The turnout was rather disappointing – it was much better last year. But last year opened with <a href="http://sridharjoshi.blogspot.com/2009/08/madras-week-day-1-16th-august-2009-part.html">Randor Guy’s</a> talk on the sleaze, read crimes at Madras, and this proves that crime pays – even in a heritage series’ lecture! The second was that - at least I felt so - Sivasankari was intent on not overshooting the allotted time. By the time she was done with places, she probably felt she was running short of time and had to rather gallop through the next two of her segments, to use her own words, like Munroe on the horse!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">My impressions of the day – an evening very well spent. But it had the potential to be the blockbuster of the lecture series this year (I am not including Mohan Raman’s talks – it is like comparing Sachin Tendulkar to Dravid and the rest), but failed to make it at the last possible centimeter of the race. We could have been party to this rather unwittingly – why do we turn out in large numbers when there are only movies and when there is only sleaze? Our inherent and time-tested interest in others’ personal lives or in the make-believe world of celluloid? Voyeurism? It is time to move on – come on Madras, there is life beyond the movies and sleaze.</span><br /></span>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-3197131868037973402010-08-10T21:45:00.000+05:302010-08-10T21:48:49.493+05:30<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A MULTIPLEX ...<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It was an accidental visit to Villivakkam on a Saturday evening that set me back by 600 bucks. The clinic was closed and my daughter insisted we go to just see from outside the multiplex right behind the bus terminus. We did, and I succumbed to the temptation to see what the multiplex was like – why, what a multiplex was like from the inside. The old Royal theatre had made way to its modern avatar – the AGS Royal multiplex. I bought five tickets for Madharasapattinam, not for anything else but the Madras Week coming up. The film was said to contain a lot of shots of old Madras, something that is close to my heart.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">We trooped into the multiplex at around 1800 hours on Sunday for an 1815 start of show. The 600 setback immediately rose to 800 – my daughters were simply not complaining about the fare that was on offer. We started with eats and had much more during the intermission – and, why do they call the break in the movies as ‘intermission’ and not ‘interval’?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The theatre was very good. The air-conditioning was awesome and, contrary to the convention in Chennai theatres, was not switched off. The seats were plush, had comfortable levels of pushback. The steps leading to the higher rows were well-lit with blue LED, just enough to find our way but not infringing on viewing pleasure. The sound was good – in all, it offered a very good experience. The wash rooms were also very well maintained and smelled fresh – even during the interval. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Getting a snack was never so easy – no pushing and shoving. Just queue up to the three bill counters, pay and get the receipt. Then you went to the food counter to get your food – they even gave you trays to take the food inside the theatre. The coffee, cardamom tea, cold coffee and hot chocolate were simply superb.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Overall, it was an experience that was worth it – made a bit better by the movie that we watched. I am not sure, though, if I will make a beeline to the next multiplex screen in town.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">... AND MADHARASAPATTINAM<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">As the movie calls itself, its USP is the showcasing of Madras, a city that we now ruefully know as Chennai. The movie is very well made, the cinematography wonderful and the music very good – the songs are still ringing; something you cannot say of music these days. How long these will continue ringing I am not sure, but certainly not as the golden oldies of yore, I suppose.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The story line is the usual, yet a bit different. Taking off on the ‘us’ versus ‘them’ theory, it is love between a local boy and a British girl, set in the 1940s. The issue of the invaders’ highhandedness is settled when the hero bashes up the villain – but at stake is not the girl; it is the livelihood of the hero’s community. As independence dawns on India, it is darkness for the lovers. He is thrown into the Cooum by his lover to save his life; she is herself whisked away to Britain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The story is narrated in a flashback mode and I could not discern any gaps in the narrative. The comedy track was just right; the performances of the major role-players were up to it, without being spectacular.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Madras Week creeps upon us in a few days’ time, and what better than to freshen up for the week with shots of old Madras! Whether it will help in the quiz or not, I do not know, for I am still not sure of being there at the quiz itself. Is somebody listening?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-78454489349703580182010-08-08T22:53:00.000+05:302010-08-08T23:04:05.919+05:30<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">START BOTH<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A room, two Windows, three Musketeers and a Saturday night. That about sums about the recipe for a wonderful fare dished out at </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tiruchirapalli</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) for </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ranga</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">KK</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and me. We made a visit on a recent Saturday, leaving Chennai </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Egmore</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (MS) by </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pallavan</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Exp. Arriving at </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> about a quarter of an hour early, at 2100 against the scheduled arrival of 2115, after a run made rousing more by the fact that the train supposedly has enormous slack than anything else, we headed out for dinner and then on to the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DRMs</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> office where the Control Centre (as the name board declared) was situated.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As we disembarked from the train, I </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">couldn</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">’t but help feeling a bit like </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Montek</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Singh </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ahluwalia</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> – yes, that sleek-looking, glib-talking Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. I also </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">couldn</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">’t help feeling that the persons walking alongside were two </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Kamal</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Naths</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Should the elaborate plan to visit the control centre – yes, I had a Plan A, a Plan B and even a Plan C – fail, then I could have been an ‘armchair planner’ with nothing concrete to offer </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">J</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before going further, a bit of a backgrounder. Bored with stuff like watching trains from a platform of station that is not the place where you live; bored with stuff like noting and publishing road numbers of locos hauling every which train; bored with stuff like discussing the minister’s foibles, it was time to do something different – yet the same – connected with trains. What better way than to spend a night at a controller’s, thought me. And, where would that be? Getting in to a control office even in MAS with contacts would be a tough, if not impossible job. But watching the section controller in whichever section in MAS seemed a bit like aiming at a bull’s eye as large a whole rhino. The challenge lay in aiming at a bull’s eye that seems more like an ant – in this case, trying to wangle a visit to a section where even the most seasoned controllers feel exactly like that, trying to hit a bull’s eye a size of an ant. So, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> it had to be.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Is there any other section on IR which witnesses more than 150 crossings each night – if the night can be defined as a narrow window between 2300 and 0400? Is there any other section on IR which has three controllers, with one overseeing the entire 150+ crossings each night; the other just about five or six (in his own words, a section where only 1½ trains run every night!) and the third lucky to see one or two movements (not necessarily crossings) on a badly overworked night? Show us, we will spend a night there – the only condition is that the line must be single!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Coming back to what made me think </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Montek</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> – we had three plans in place. Plan A looked like coming unstuck right from the time we boarded the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pallavan</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> at MS. Swinging into Plan B right in front of the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pallavan</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> loco at MS, we were asked to contact at 2030 hrs – the time we would be close enough to </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Plan C was also activated, only the person involved in that was just not picking up the phone! We had not completely abandoned Plan A; we kept calling, sometimes even pleading that it had taken us a lot of coaxing and cajoling at the higher places to get this far; requesting that the next lower level at </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> not abandon us citing bureaucratic hurdles, that too this close to the day, er, night of reckoning. Plan B finally came unstuck at the stroke of 2030 – the contact at MAS had scooted home handing over to his reliever, without as much informing him of the facilitation for us at </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">! Plan C came unstuck at 2100, the moment we arrived at </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> – the contact there was just in from </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">NDLS</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and had a train to work just past midnight and was also at a function. There was no other option it seemed, than to check into a dorm; leave our sparse bags and have dinner. Post-dinner, just walk on to PF 2 and keep a watch on trains coming in and going out, and do the normal </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">railfanning</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> thing like noting loco numbers, setting of speculation if we ever happened to spot something offbeat – that was highly unlikely given the way the evening and the night had panned out that far – and finally, I was also thinking of an alibi or three to explain to </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ranga</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">KK</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> why plans did not work the way they were supposed to. Murphy’s law? That was one I considered.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In about twenty minutes after arrival at </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, the dorm beds were taken – two A/c beds were available, the third was a non A/c. The dorms were very good – in fact, much better than the A/c dorm in MAS. They offered almost complete privacy – and unless you were a person indulging in noisy sex, there was not an inch of what your neighbor could see! The non A/c dorm was also a very clean affair. Will get to post some pics on Open Line sooner than later!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We than made our way to a wonderful place suggested by </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">KK</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> – a Hotel </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sangeetha</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, part of Hotel </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Anand</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, a good lodge just a stone’s throw away from </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> railway station. We devoured some </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">idlis</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">rava</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">dosas</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and washed them down with strong filter coffee and made our way out in search of the control centre. We arrived at the control centre after looking around for a fair bit of time, wandering off in the opposite direction and then retracing our way. As we walked into the fully air-conditioned building, we really did not know what was to come. We asked for the Dy Chief Controller (we will call him Chief) for the night and were shown a small cabin with two people sitting behind computer. As it always happens, you always ask the wrong person – in spite of the high probability of being correct – and are wrong. It was not different that night; the person we asked showed his index finger at the other person. We introduced ourselves, the purpose of our visit and the official at </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> we had talked to. After the routine ‘why are you interested in this when you have so many other things to’ kind of questions, we were lucky that the Chief was on the line with the very same official who was our Plan A hope. We would not know what transpired on the phone line, but the moment the phone was disconnected, the Chief would call a Group D to place three chairs in the ‘Chord Line Control’ as the most action-packed arena every night is known as. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There are quite a few cabins and cubicles in the Control Centre. As you walk in from the main door, on the right is the Commercial Control and on the left is the Security. Amble past another door, on the left is the Signal and </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Telecom</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> control. On the right you enter into a series of cabins placed both on your left and right. The first cabin to the left is where the action takes place every night – the Chord Line Control; on the right is a vacant control cabin that once housed the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Vridhachalam</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> – </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cuddalore</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">VRI</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">-</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">CUPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) section. The second on the left is the Main Line Control – the line that runs from </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Villupuram</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">VM</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) to </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> via </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Chidambaram</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">CDM</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">), </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mayiladuthurai</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">MV</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">), </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Kumbakonam</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">KMU</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) and </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thanjavur</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_50"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">). This was the section described as the ‘one-and-a-half-train section!’ On the right lay the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_51"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Katpadi</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Control, taking care of whatever there was between </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_52"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">VM</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_53"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Katpadi</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_54"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">KPD</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">). The Chief and his sparse staff for the night took the cabin next to the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_55"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">KPD</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> control cabin.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As we entered the Chord Line Control, the person manning the post just looked at us and welcomed us in. He was about his task of issuing instruction to the stations and taking timings of trains that were passing each station. There was this goods train that had to be somehow moved to a specific location that night, to fulfill the loading quota, at least on paper! There was this rather small issue for us of trains being handed over at </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_56"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">VM</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> – the first three or four trains from MS that night – late, the delay ranging from 40 minutes to 10 minutes (</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_57"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ranga</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is doing an analysis based on the charts that we managed to procure for ourselves the next morning). The controller explained how this delay would turn out to be the spoilsport that night; he used a master chart on a large cardboard and explained the planned crossings and how they were spread out – if that is the word you could use to term close to 170 crossings over 175 </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_58"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">kms</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> at an average of a crossing for just above one km!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The only equipment he had was a Windows system hooked on to two monitors; one to enter the timings and the other showing a graphic illustration of the actual timings of the trains </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_59"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">upto</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> the last station and the projection thereafter. There was no AI assistance to the controller – he had to keep it all in his mind. There was a microphone into which he could speak to the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_60"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">SMs</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> directly – to all the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_61"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">SMs</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> of the stations on the section, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_62"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_63"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">RRI</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> cabin and </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_64"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> platform SM. There was a board with short codes for stations to be called – the controller could just press ‘26’ and a ring would go out to </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_65"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">VM</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. There were a few phones as well – all railway phones.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The controller work on a six-hour shift. A reliever came in at 2340, probably signed in and settled down. He was then briefed on the exact status – trains that were handed over late at </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_66"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">VM</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, the specials and the weeklies, one unexpected freighter, additional movement for a light engine, occupation of loops at various stations, etc. As the new man made a mental picture of this, we got ourselves introduced quickly and the controller went about his job. The most famous phrase of the night – in fact, the flavour of the evening was ‘Start Both’ – the term used to detain a train for a crossing, and once crossed, start the detained train too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As the night wore on, ready to melt into the morning, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_67"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">KK</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> was extremely sympathetic to a light engine that was held up at </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_68"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ichangadu</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> waiting for a path to </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_69"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Kallakudi</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_70"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Palanganatham</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. In fact, if the entire night were to be a melodrama, the light engine would be the tear-</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_71"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">jerker</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_72"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">KK</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> would have been the one shedding tears. As the night wore on, ready to melt into the morning, ‘Start both’ became a rather monotonous order from the controller to the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_73"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">SMs</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> in the section; just an hour or so earlier, many trains were held over for two crossings – probably the most unlucky of them could have been the 6107/08 MS–</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_74"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">MAQ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">–MS Expresses, 1063/64 MS–SA–MS Expresses and 1044 </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_75"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">MDU</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">–</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_76"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">LTT</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Express. As night started to give way to morning, close to 0300, station after station started asking a question of the controller – line clear for up trains? The controller, with a quick glance at the graph monitor (the other one was used to click the timings at stations) cleared this. This meant that all down trains (towards </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_77"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TPJ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) were clear of, for example, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_78"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ulundurpet</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> station; </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_79"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ulundurpet</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> now just had to run through all trains towards MS – anything to the contrary would be specifically brought to the notice by the controller.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It was close to 0345 when the burden of staying awake all night was telling on us – the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_80"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">doorplating</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> earlier on the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_81"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pallavan</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> was adding to the strain on the eyes – that we decided to call it a day. As the second, then the third, then the fourth station was given all clear for UP trains, we decided to take leave of the Control Centre.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">At the end of the night, rather end of the day at a rather surprising time of 0400 at the control, the only overwhelming thought for all of us there – </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_82"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ranga</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_83"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">KK</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and the staff included – was the sheer lack of forethought of doubling the line; unfortunately and more foolishly, the electric lobby had won another battle – making the network lose in the bargain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">At the end of the night, rather end of the day, if ever there was one person relieved that it all went off wonderfully well, it was the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_84"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Montek</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> of the group – the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_85"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Kamal</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_86"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Naths</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> would be proved wrong. After all, this </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_87"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Montek</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> had three plans ready; the last two failed, but Plan A had clicked. As we sauntered our way and crashed into our beds, the only refrain that was constantly ringing in our ears was ‘Start Both’.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-49639448859412184612009-09-10T20:03:00.000+05:302009-09-10T20:07:42.622+05:30<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">REGIONAL RAIL MUSEUM</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">At the end of what is arguably Chennai’s coolest avenue road – this runs parallel to the New Avadi Road from ICF junction to Nathamuni Theatre in Villivakkam, lies the not-so-heavily explored Regional Rail Museum. For the Anna Nagar folks, nothing else that has such a huge connection to India’s rich rail heritage and contemporary importance is on hand to spend a great couple of hours.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The giant Fowler Ploughing Engine stares you in the face as you enter, leaving you agape at the rich heritage strewn around on the exterior of the 6.25 acre RRM. Set up in 2002 as an initiative of the then Railway Minister to promote heritage consciousness and to supplement the National Rail Museum in New Delhi, the RRM at Chennai has taken its time to reach this level of collection.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The collection includes vintage locomotives of all kinds – steam, diesel and electric, and also all gauges. Of special interest to Chennai and certain to kindle bouts of pleasant nostalgia are the YAM1* metre gauge electric locos and the MG EMUs that not so long ago ruled the roost on the Madras Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu section. Also on display are some rare carriages of DHR, a dining car, a saloon car, locos like the YDMs*, WCM* etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The interiors comprise of photographs of the journey of ICF since its inauguration in 1955, various facilities at ICF and models of coaches manufactured at ICF. Wonderful and rare photographs, artifacts like weighing machine, station bells, hand signal lamps and the odd century old Service Register all jostle for space and the visitors’ attention. A special word about the wonderful photographs snapped by members of the Indian Railways Fan Club – they are simply amazing in their capture of the trains. You can even have a joy ride on the miniature train inside the campus.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">At an entry fee of Rs.5/-, this place offers great value for money – where else can you learn so much for so little? The lack of publicity has been the bane of this place, but efforts are being made to inform public. “These days we have close to two hundred visitors a day on weekends and the same number on Tuesdays and Fridays which are visiting days for college students on factory visit”, informs Arun Devaraj, the Director of RRM. “We are making an effort to add more heritage artifacts and also show some short films that will make this visit more interactive”, he adds.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">RRM is open to visitors from 10 am to 6 pm on all days, except Mondays. The trip down memory lane is not too far from your doorstep. More details at:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.icf.gov.in/rrm/linkpage/contactus.htm"><span style="font-family:verdana;">http://www.icf.gov.in/rrm/linkpage/contactus.htm</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">*For complete information on how Indian Railways classify locomotives, visit <a href="http://www.irfca.org/faq/">IRFCA</a> - this is arguably the best repository on information about Indian Railways.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-55738127506014527232009-09-10T19:55:00.000+05:302009-09-10T19:56:29.814+05:30<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">FLOWER POWER</span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If you thought flowers are only for decoration, think again. Amongst the plethora of avenues available to cure people of their illnesses, Flower Therapy has also emerged as one of the options. <span> </span>Flowers, and treatment?<span> </span>Despite skepticism growing in your mind, this therapy is increasing in popularity.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"Dr.Edward Bach of England, an allopath wondered how animals and plants stay healthy and why that comfort was not available to humans, and wandered the forests in search of an answer. <span> </span>He found an answer in some flowers, 38 of them to be precise, which he researched as having therapeutic values", informs Ravi Subramaniyam, Flower Therapist in Chennai.<span> </span>Documented in 1936 or thereabouts, this is one of the currently resurgent alternative remedies available.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"The essence of Bach Flower Therapy is to cure the mental and the emotional imbalances which manifest themselves as illnesses", says Ravi Subramaniyam. <span> </span>"This is now becoming popular, though slowly.<span> </span>People still find it difficult to believe in something simple", he adds.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"Though Flower Therapy is not for treating any disease as such, the corrections of the mental and emotional imbalances like fear, anger, resentment, depression etc. are very effectively addressed. <span> </span>And when these are taken care of, it leads to physical cure", informs Ravi.<span> </span>Physical illness, in Ravi's words, "is a reflection of the mental state of the person. <span> </span>The treatment basically means proper understanding of the patient, listening out with a lot of patience, analyzing the body language.<span> </span>Only then we prescribe remedies".<br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If you wondered how a bouquet of flowers could cure you, you are right.<span> </span>It is not the flowers per se that treat a person, but the oils or the essences extracted from the flowers that do the trick. <span> </span>"The essences are mixed with spirit for easy assimilation by the body, and a few drops of this mixture is added to a bottle of globules, and used orally like pills", informs Ravi of the nature of the treatment. <span> </span>Sometimes, even sprinkling of water mixed with the Flower Remedies can work, according to Ravi.<span> </span>Some of the flowers that are useful as remedies are sweet chestnut, pine etc.<br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">There has also, of late been a lot of soul searching about the medicines and what goes into such alternative remedies, and their side effects. <span> </span>"These are fully natural, extracted from nature, and have absolutely no side effects.<span> </span>How can nature contaminate itself?" counters Ravi, adding, "after all, it is a natural way to a cure". <span> </span>This is also the reason why there are no regulatory issues or drug controllers breathing down the neck.<span> </span>"It is totally safe, and anybody with some understanding can read a good book on Flower Therapy and practice the same, at least at home. <span> </span>It is a very good home remedy", Ravi informs.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Getting an average of four to five patients a day, Ravi believes that this could not only be a panacea for most common illnesses, but also be a good cure for many chronic cases. <span> </span>Like the man with a ten year history of sciatica, being cured in a few sittings, or the college girl, who was depressed due to ragging, and saw her grades slide, scoring well in the week after she had a dose prescribed by Ravi, the success stories are slowly coming in.<span> <br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It could very well be the next big thing in medicare, or it could well be a flash in the pan.<span> </span>But one thing is for sure – Flowers can be given a chance. <span> </span>Being totally safe, Ravi says, "this therapy can be supplementary as well and there is no need to stop the present line of treatment, and it does not involve and change in lifestyle". <span> </span>Will people give flowers a chance?<span> </span></span></p>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-11150094435273993402009-09-10T19:50:00.000+05:302009-09-10T19:52:12.017+05:30<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">TRAVEL BY THE 10 MAIL</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">This train is not featured here because <span class="il">of</span> the number it had for a long time – 10 mail, but the connection helps.<span> </span>For long this was the flagship train between Chennai and Bombay VT – as it was then called, until the superfast avatars took over.<span> </span>It is also probably the oldest between the <span class="il">two</span> metros, and still quite popular.<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Though now numbered as the 6010 mail, it is still lovingly referred to as the 10 mail.<span> </span>It has never boasted <span class="il">of</span> being the fastest – in fact, it could well qualify to be among the slowest <span class="il">trains</span> out <span class="il">of</span> Chennai.<span> </span>The format has not changed – the <span class="il">two</span> nights one day journey being the same; give or take an hour or <span class="il">two</span>.<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">As with many slow <span class="il">trains</span> on this largely single line route – this is the one that is stopped to allow the other <span class="il">trains</span> to cross. <span> </span>This and the fact that it stops at many small villages en route gives you a wonderful insight into the quaint tiny villages and the railway environment nearby.<span> </span>"The 10 mail stops here" – they would say in those days, when asked about the hometown <span class="il">of</span> the would be bride!</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">This could also be a very religious train out <span class="il">of</span> Chennai – the pilgrims to Puttaparthi get off at Anantapur, those headed to Mantralayam have the Mantralayam Road station and those to Pandharpur can get off at Solapur or Kurduwadi.<span> </span>Many headed to Shirdi also get off at Daund to take connecting <span class="il">trains</span> or buses.<span> </span>The big draw is that this train reaches these places at earthly hours.<span> </span>It also crosses many rivers considered religious – the Tungabhadra, the Krishna and the Bhima are among these. <span> </span>Children throwing coins into the rivers is a common sight.<span> <br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A unique twist in the <span class="il">tale</span> comes between Gulbarga and Solapur – there are <span class="il">two</span> small wayside stations in this section with what is called the Scissors Crossing. <span> </span>The train has to go past the signal, back up on the loop line, and wait for the opposite train to cross.<span> </span>This type <span class="il">of</span> crossing is very rare – and the only <span class="il">two</span> stations in this near 1300 kms provide a wonderful insight into the working <span class="il">of</span> the railways – if you happen to be detained for crossing.<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">And, at Solapur, you finally can have the best Pav Baji served on a Railway Platform by a departmental caterer – not counting the 5 star type <span class="il">of</span> Food Courts that have sprung up.<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">If you are a lover <span class="il">of</span> high speed action, then this is not the train for you.<span> </span>If your love to take in the scenes slowly, ambling on platform when the train stops for long, running out <span class="il">of</span> a crossing station for a quick smoke (without the attendant penalty), then this is the train is for you. <span> </span>After all, there is life in 10 mail, and it could be 10 times more enthralling than on the speed demons!</span></span></p>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-88649495324131254082009-09-10T19:41:00.000+05:302009-09-10T19:48:16.490+05:30<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">A DIARY OF PLATFORM 10<br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" >Occupying the pride <span class="il">of</span> place in the scheme <span class="il">of</span> things at Central, Platform No. 10 sees the arrival and departure <span class="il">of</span> many an important train, most <span class="il">of</span> which are the longest – 24 coaches – to operate out <span class="il">of</span> Chennai.<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" ><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" >Starting from the Kovai Exp at 06.15, when the early morning calls <span class="il">of</span> kaapi..kaapi rustle the silence <span class="il">of</span> bleary eyed people both in the outside the train, a lone newspaper vendor, who is perennially short <span class="il">of</span> small change sells the hottest news <span class="il">of</span> the day. <span> </span>As the train leaves, he should be the one who makes a neat pile – courtesy small change.<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" ><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" >Then the turn <span class="il">of</span> the incoming <span class="il">trains</span> starts – the Cheran, the Grand Trunk Exp or the Tamil Nadu Exp – some <span class="il">of</span> the 24 coach <span class="il">trains</span> that come into Chennai are received here – there are only 6 out <span class="il">of</span> 11 platforms that can handle this length. <span> </span>The hustle and bustle as the <span class="il">trains</span> troop in – the passengers happy to be on PF 10 – the call taxi stand and the suburban platforms are nearby.<span> </span> Passengers haggling with porters, some with auto drivers who have made their way well into the complex, some stopping at the Food Court for a cup <span class="il">of</span> long lost filter coffee are some <span class="il">of</span> the scenes you can encounter.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" ><br /></span></span> </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" >The lull thereafter lasts till about 1.15 p.m., when the Tirupathy Exp arrives, disgorging a whole load <span class="il">of</span> passengers, many <span class="il">of</span> them flower vendors who carry fresh jasmine from places nearby Nagari in AP. <span> </span>Loads are stacked in the aisles, toilets (!), under seats, and are pulled out and headed off to the flower bazaar – may be your next puja is with one <span class="il">of</span> these strands <span class="il">of</span> flowers.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" ><br /></span></span> </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" >The Grand Trunk, which is truly the Grand Daddy <span class="il">of</span> <span class="il">trains</span> is the next to leave Chennai at 4.30 p.m.<span> </span>Huge parcels fight for space with leaden footed passengers lugging heavy baggage, as the contractors <span class="il">of</span> the luggage vans make a killing – probably the most profitable train alongwith the Tamil Nadu Exp is about to leave. <span> </span>The Railways' earning also must be phenomenal – considering that it is difficult to book luggage on these <span class="il">trains</span> unless you are an early bird.<span> </span> This entire scenario repeats itself again when the Tamil Nadu Exp leaves at 10.00 p.m.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" ><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" >As the GT, as it is fondly called, leaves, there is hardly any breather.<span> </span>The rake <span class="il">of</span> the Charminar Exp is on the Platform – all 24 <span class="il">of</span> them <span class="il">of</span> 2005 make, and glistening in the evening sun bouncing off the coaches. <span> </span>This is the only train as <span class="il">of</span> now to have rakes with the CBC couplers – considered to be technically superior.<span> </span>The passengers are also radiant with surprised at the newfound comfort. <span> </span>Men and women, some commuters from nearby places in AP – almost all with heavy luggage move here and there to find their seats till the train leaves.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" ><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" >The Tamil Nadu Exp is the next to leave at 10.00 p.m. and the scene is no different from that <span class="il">of</span> 4.30 p.m. when the GT left. <span> </span>A very popular train, this is probably the fastest non Rajdhani type <span class="il">of</span> train out <span class="il">of</span> Chennai.<span><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" ><span><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" >As the Tamil Nadu Exp leaves, almost fifteen to twenty thousand pairs <span class="il">of</span> feet would have stamped their impression on this Platform. <span> </span>Almost a half <span class="il">of</span> them would be passengers, the rest would be the people coming in to see them off and the vendors and the railway staff.<span> </span>No wonder then, that this could be the busiest and the most used Platform on the Chennai Central complex. <span><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" ><span><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-size:10pt;" >Silence will descend on the platform at around 10.30 p.m., if the Yercaud Exp leaves from some other platform.<span> </span>Else the Platform will go to sleep only close to midnight – a very short catnap till the rake <span class="il">of</span> the Kovai Exp arrives – to start another day afresh.</span></span></p>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-45086685044650489002009-09-10T19:33:00.000+05:302009-09-10T19:37:45.415+05:30<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">TALE</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">OF</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">TWO</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">TRAINS</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> A DREAM….</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Just five minutes after the Mysore Chennai Shatabdi Express pulled out</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Bangalore City towards Chennai, an excited Sweta, all </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 6 years,</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> pulled out the Blackberry from her father's hip pouch and was on the</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> line to her grandparents. "Paati, they have given me a welcome drink,</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> a sandwich, chocolates, samosa and chocolate wafers", she shouted to</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> her paati unmindful </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the glances thrown towards her. As her mother</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> reined her voice in, she continued her description about the train.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The Chennai Mysore Chennai Shatabdi Express retains the charm </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> days since its inauguration way back in the mid 1990s. In fact, this</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> train has an enhanced prestige over the last </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">two</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> years, getting the</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> ISO 9001 certification in February 2006. A slew </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> additional quality</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> control checks are in place and these really add some comfort to the</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> passenger, as Madrasplus checked out close to the second anniversary</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the certification.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The coaches are maintained well, though the age </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> around 15 years shows.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> These coaches are hand-me-downs </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the Shatabdi Expresses in the North</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> - those have been upgraded to newer technology coaches. The catering</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> service is courteous and the food is good. The menu changes almost on</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> a daily basis – regular travelers need not complain about eating the</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> same stuff on every journey. "We have a rotation system in place, and</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> ensure that items are not repeated more than twice a week", informs</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Shammi Kumar, the on-board Manager </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> CKK Caterers who handle the</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> catering.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "This train runs full most </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the days", informs the Train</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Superintendent </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the day. "There are days when people request us to</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> allow them in the train", he added. In fact, Shammi Kumar informed</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> that sometimes passengers stand near the service area, when the</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> waiting list is not cleared. "This train has retained its popularity</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> – in fact, this is seeing increased patronage and runs into waitlists</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> on many days", informs the Train Superintendent. The catering Manager</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> informs that they always have a buffer stock </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> extra food to meet</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> exigencies.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The train itself is maintained very well. The maintenance staff are</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> very active and go about their work in an unobtrusive way, spraying</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> air fresheners every hour or so, cleaning the toilets and swabbing</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> them clean every now and then besides attending to specific</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> complaints. The toilets are very clean – they contain all the</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> fittings like soap dispensers, tissue rolls, tissue dispensers and</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> quality taps. What is important is that these consumables are</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> replaced and never run out </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> stock. The flushing mechanism is</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> improvised to dispense a fixed amount </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> disinfectant during each</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> flush. The coaches and the toilets smell fresh, making the journey</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> that much more comfortable.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The run is good – the train pulls into Chennai mostly on time. This</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> is the much-preferred option for those who have a few hours </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> work at</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Bangalore – an early morning departure and a late evening arrival</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> means that they are back home in the night. "This is what I do at</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> least once a week", says Venkataraman. "Taking a flight does not save</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> me much time – the transfers to and from the airport and the</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> additional cost involved puts me back", he adds. "And if it is</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> maintained as it is, I will never take a flight from Chennai to</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Bangalore", he declares.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Southern Railways' initiative on the amenities front, at least for</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> this train has paid them back – and handsomely. It has brought in</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> praise from the passengers, dedicated service from the staff and more</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> importantly, converted at least a few flight seats into train</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> waitlists.<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> …..AND A NIGHTMARE</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Vani Datta, all </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 37 years now, was as excited as Sweta was today –</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> on a warm summer morning </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> early 1970s. She was to make her first</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> trip by the Brindavan Exp – the fastest train between Chennai and</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Bangalore at that time. This was the first time that the Railways had</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> allowed pass holders to travel, and Vani's father had waited for</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> reservation from 2 am about a month before the journey. She lacked</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the communication </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> these days, but her paati was equally excited</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> when she narrated the journey </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">two</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> days later at her native place.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "Paati, there is a canteen (sic) in the train where they cook and give</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> you food. You should not return the coffee cups, you can throw them</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> out!" were some </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> her excited stories </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> her memorable journey. "A</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> journey by the Brindavan Express today is still memorable", she says</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> on the phone from Mumbai, adding, "but for all the wrong reasons".</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Once the most prestigious train </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Southern Railways, this is the</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> story </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> how things can go horribly wrong in some cases.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "We are very well aware that this is almost a dead train", admits a</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> top Railway official – on the condition </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> anonymity. No official was</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> willing to come on record to speak about the negatives. "We are</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> really unable to figure out how to restore the train to its glory</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> days", says the same official very defensively. The train now takes</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> an hour more than it did in the early 1970s – and that is not what</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> technology improvement in the Railways had done to this train!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "Indiscriminate addition </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> stoppages has made this a pale shadow </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> its hoary past", says one </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the Railway ticket checking staff on</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> duty. "I remember that the train used to stop only at Katpadi,</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Jolarpettai and Bangalore Cantonment earlier. Now Krishnarajapuram,</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Bangarpet, Kuppam, Ambur, Walajah Road and Arakkonam have been added",</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> rues Ramachandran, a former Railway staffer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "It is not about adding stops – it is about comfort", says the Ticket</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Examiner </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the day. There were many passengers standing in the</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> aisles and near the doors </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> all the compartments – almost a hundred</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> them even in reserved compartments. "It seems this train is</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> reserved fully for unreserved passengers and the reserved passengers</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> cannot even use the wash basins and the toilets", remarks Cheyanna, a</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Bank Manager from Coorg. There were at least a hundred hawkers,</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> beggars and eunuchs that made this trip 'memorable'.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "We are not able to do anything about this", admits the Travelling</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Examiner. "At best, each one has to work three coaches – keeping</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> unreserved passengers out even if we have only one coach is nearly</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> impossible", he admits. "The hawkers and beggars cannot be</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> controlled, as the 'right' people have been taken care </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> by them', he</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> adds.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> As if to add to all this, the Pantry Car has been handed over to a</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> private contractor – the breakfast was not ready even after an hour </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the train leaving Chennai. What was served later, though, was much</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> better than the departmental stuff that came our way until a few</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> months ago.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "If the train has to be restored to its glory days, there has to be</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> very strict - sometimes inhuman monitoring to prevent unreserved</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> passengers in reserved compartments is the only answer", adds another</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Railway official. He also admits, "it is not the only measure that we</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> have to take – in fact we should try and work out a shadow train that</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> has more stops and more unreserved compartments, so that season ticket</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> holders find it difficult to reach offices on time by this prestigious</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> train".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> More shameful is that this train runs at more than 55kmph – the norm</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> to keep it superfast for additional charges. "We shell out more money</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> for abysmal comfort, harassment </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> reserved passengers, and to arrive</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 15-30 minutes late most </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the days – this is the biggest mockery </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> a</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> glorious train", says Cheyanna.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Even if the Railway officials admit that there is nothing that can be</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> done, there is some hope – the Railway Minister has promised in one </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> his budgets that there is a plan for upgradation </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> prestigious </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">trains</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and the Brindavan Exp is one </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="il">of</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> them. "I will surely come back to see</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> that great train on its rebirth", says Vani Datta. One only hopes</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> that it is revived from its deathbed sooner than later!<br /></span></span>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34194368.post-24565779836531202522009-09-04T22:29:00.000+05:302009-09-04T22:32:24.443+05:30<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">TECHNICAL WRITING, ANYONE?</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">As an avid quizzer, I have been participating and conducting quizzes for more than twenty years. I always consider it a challenge to conduct quizzes, and have a wonderful team of Rajaram and Sundar to take up the challenge jointly. But, though a challenge, I really sweat at the thought of conducting quizzes for young kids—particularly in the 5–12 years age group. It is just in the mind, or is it? It requires a lot of, as they say, dumbing down—trying to get down more than a notch in our thought process, framing questions to what we think will challenge the kids just that much.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">When somebody broached the subject of technical writing—yes, the work of documentation and writing user manuals and the like—I seemed to take it very easy. Have I not been writing for publications such as The Economic Times, The Hindu and other well-known publications for years now? <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I took up the challenge and how! The friend asked me to write a simple instruction booklet on “How to make a Paper Boat,” and I just brushed it off and got started. <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Take a piece of paper and fold it into four. Now hold one flap and fold it to form a triangle. Hold the other three flaps …,” so I went and completed it in a few minutes. Imagine the shock of my life when the friend asked the following questions:<br /><br /></span></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Can I take any shape of paper? A round or a triangle?</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Where to hold the flap and how to fold?</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If the paper is rectangle in shape, how do I make it square?</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and many more …</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He also patiently explained that I had to come down quite a few notches to make things comprehensible for the average reader of instructional material. That was really difficult. Try as I may, there was always a question or two that the friend asked me in my multiple attempts to write a simple manual to make a paper boat!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">That was also when I decided to do something about this—I joined a course and learned a lot of new things about dumbing down my writing. The course could have been much better, but there’s still the project that has to be done. <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">What I learned has helped me a lot, and I still go through the material whenever I find time. There are a few things about technical writing that I have resolved not to forget—the target audience is of utmost importance; the instructions should be easy to understand; break down the complexities into small tasks and then go about writing sub-units for these small tasks; and many more. <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is no longer daunting, say, if someone were to come up to me and ask me to write an instructional piece on how to make a paper kite, or how to reserve a train ticket at the counter. What might still be daunting, though, is to conduct a quiz for eight-year old children!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Sridhar Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12719505422785729906noreply@blogger.com1