Delhi and Mumbai

Delhi and Mumbai.
Two cities, poles apart. Two worlds, million differences.
Political Capital, Business Capital. City of Djinns, City of Dreams.
Trying to bridge gaps and understand - people, culture and souls.

After spending about 24 years in Delhi, I have moved to Mumbai for foreseeable future. Mumbai is teaching me new things everyday and I am always comparing Mumbai to Delhi and how good or bad things are at Mumbai vs Delhi.

I have also come across loads of people fighting out if Delhi was better or if Mumbai was good. Thought why can't we have people from both the cities give out their opinions? It would be even better if a Dilli Walla talks about Mumbai and a passionate Mumbaikar talks about Delhi.

Lets say we talk about street food. I am from Delhi and I know that Delhi has this thing called Chole Kulche and Gol Gappe. People just love it. I know about Mumbai. Vada Pao and those grilled sandwiches .. you can find them anywhere and its awesome.

Some other day we talk about people. People in Delhi are very very inquisitive. They would even want to know what did your maid eat when she was working at your house. In Mumbai, no one would give a second glance if you were dying ... !

There are so many fascinating things about both the places and I thought may be its time its all put down in black and white .. ?

I want to capture small things that people often overlook and things that are taken for granted. Safety of women is, safety of men isn't. "Metered" autorickshaws is and time taken to reach a place is not.

Me, a pucca dilliwala now in Mumbai want to look at things in Mumbai and compare them with Delhi and I want someone to do the same for Delhi.

Looking for someone, a pucca Mumbaikar, now in Delhi loving/hating things at Delhi and willing to talk about it.

Wondering if anyone is game ... ?

If you guys know any friends, relatives, random people interested in exploring and understanding Delhi and Mumbai, please shoot a mail to me at septemberthe22nd@gmail.com.

English, August

I am currently reading English, August by Upamanyu Chatterjee.

English, August is a story of one Agastya, 24, who has just enrolled in the prestigious IAS programme and is now posted in an obscure place in the middle of no where called Madna.

He is what a typical 24 year old is – restless, sceptical, flippant, whimsical, confused, disillusioned with life, and disconnected with reality.

Agastya has an interesting life. Son of a Bengali father and a Goanese mother, he has grown up in boarding school in Darjeeling. If all this did not provide him with enough novelty and variety, after his IAS, he is sent to a fictitious small town called Madna where the world is diametrically opposite to what he has ever seen. Some cope well with change and some don’t. Agastya falls into the later category. Most of the times, he is just irritated at how things are going around him. But at times he has those light-bulb-flashing-in-head moments when he discovers strange rituals and practises.

Although he was driven by his father to take up civil services, his father just wants to see him happy. He has a friend who is too critical about everything. He has an uncle who has an opinion on everything.

And then above everyone else, he has his personality where he has no magnanimous ambitions. He thinks he can stay content without owning the biggest business empire. He thinks he will be happy with record player and records from Tagore and Pink Floyd.

The first few pages tend to be boring but somewhere during this boredom, the life of Agastya starts looking interesting. All of a sudden, you want to know whats going to happen next. You want to know what would Agastya do next. More, you start predicting.

The book actually gets funny at times. I am not sure how many readers would appreciate the dry humor in the book but I certainly loved it.

Here is a thought provoking statement

Decide for yourself, it’s your nightmare. Or just live with the indecision, everyone does it all the time, you’ll get used to it soon enough. Then, when you ever take any snap decisions, you’ll feel odd, like withdrawal symptoms or something

Bottomline: Upamanyu chatterjee has done a good job with the book. I would rate the book as 4 on 5. Must Read!

Content Management System

I am planning to start a new website. This would work as information gathering and dissipation platform. I am wondering which content management system would work best. Blogger is one. Wordpress, Typepad, Drupal, Joomla, phpBB, phpNuke are few more. Wiki has got a list of quite a few content management systems.

 

Any advisers?

iGot iFlew

No, it aint no new product from Mr. Jobs and Mr. Ive @ Apple. iGot iFlew. I am down with conjunctivities. 

New comment on Calvin and Hobbes with Post-It Notes.

I got this comment from MapmyIndia.com and I must say this is a CHEAP way of advertising the business.

 

Sorry guys. You need to think of another way to market your product aka service.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tarun Gupta < noreply-comment@blogger.com>
Date: Sep 29, 2007 1:22 PM
Subject: [The War Of Words] New comment on Calvin and Hobbes with Post-It Notes.

Tarun Gupta has left a new comment on your post " Calvin and Hobbes with Post-It Notes":

I read your blog and thought I could tell you about something else which would be useful for seeing maps and directions in India.

I am writing to tell you about MapmyIndia.com, a free interactive maps and directions portal for all India. See the map of connaught place, new delhi, get directions in mumbai from nariman point to juhu airport, and find nearby ATMs in kormangala, bangalore.

As a company and individual enthusiasts, we dream only of solving the problem of reliable directions and navigation for India. For your blog specifically, you can map enable it by using our youtube-style embeddable maps, and links to specific searches (of maps, directions, local and eLocation) on MapmyIndia.

Do give us feedback, suggestions, or get involved yourself by mailing me back at tarun@mapmyindia.com or marketing@mapmyindia.com.

And if you find the different services useful, we would be grateful to you for writing and telling your readers about us.

Warm Regards,
Tarun Gupta
The MapmyIndia Team
For directions in India, just search print and go with MapmyIndia.com

Publish this comment.

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Posted by Tarun Gupta to The War Of Words at Saturday, September 29, 2007 1:22:00 PM

Calvin and Hobbes with Post-It Notes

Yet another use of Post-It Notes.



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Bertrand Russell - Quote

There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge.

- Bertrand Russell

In Pursuit Of Happyness

There are some things that can change your life. It could be movies, music, people, places, sights, dreams, and in a few cases – a Rubik’s cube. I am currently watching and live blogging a movie called "In pursuit of Happyness". With a Y in happiness instead of an I.

So our Mr. Chris gets a call. A very important call – a matter of life and death. He is asked if he had a pen and he is given a 10 digit phone number and a 4 digit extension number. He did not have a pen. No other choice, he has to try and remember the number. I try to remember the number and I could not. And guess what – Chris does.

Then there is this interesting conversation between Mr. Gardner and his son:
"Don’t ever let somebody tell you, you cant do something"
"You gotta dream you protect it."
"You want something, go get it. Period."

Then Chris gets enrolled with the internship programme and he is handed over Graham and Dodds Security Analysis. He is told that Graham and Dodd is bible. He should sleep with it, eat with it, and die with it.

And this is yet another movie that made me cry. Twice.

Minute Maid Pulpy Orange

I shopped at Big Bazaar and guess what I found in my bag once I was home. A Minute Maid Pulpy Orange. I distinctly remember seeing it at a special display and not picking it. I checked my bill twice to see if they had billed me. No they hadn’t billed me. I hadn’t picked it. What was it doing in my bag?

Anyways who doesn’t like free goodies? I certainly do. While I was opening it, I thought may be I will check out the price. Eureka. It said "FREE SAMPLE NOT FOR SALE".

There was another article on Minute Maid somewhere. Coke was apparently planning to use Dabbawalas to push free samples to all offices in Mumbai. Imagine a free Orange drink with lunch. Innovative I must say.

Coming to the most important part – do I like it? I would say I don’t like it and I don’t dislike it. I am not an Orange person. I would not refuse it someone bought and offered a sip but I would not go out and buy it. Only drink I can buy and drink is water or may be a Frooti, Mazza or a Slice. I do not differentiate between a Mango drink.

The claims of being a pulpy Orange drink are accurate. It is pulpy. It is refreshing. It is different and yes it is recommended.

Coke has done a wonderful job of marketing Minute Maid Pulpy Orange. Worth a try.